The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Chapter 97 Blood Fiend Bead

Fang Chang stroked his long beard, his gaze lingering briefly on the several barefoot, swaying female cultivators of the alien race, before turning back to Xu Changqing and bowing, saying, "Brother Xu, this Liuyun Immortal City is incredibly prosperous, with all kinds of spiritual materials and magical artifacts available in its markets."

"My lower back and knees have been aching lately, and I'd like to seek out a few... um, some medicinal pills to strengthen my constitution and nourish my vital energy. I wonder if you would be willing to accompany me, brother?"

Xu Changqing's face held a perfectly appropriate air of courtesy.

"Brother Fang, please go ahead. I'm short of money and only want to try my luck at the stalls in the West Market to find some unwanted junk. I'm afraid I'll spoil your enjoyment."

Upon hearing this, a look of understanding flashed in Fang Chang's eyes.

Whether they are independent cultivators or cultivators from small families, who doesn't have some unspeakable secrets?

Since Xu Changqing intended to go it alone, he naturally wouldn't want to make a fool of himself.

"In that case, let's meet again tomorrow at dawn, beneath the warship."

After saying this, the old man waved his sleeve and disappeared into the bustling world, vanishing in an instant.

Xu Changqing watched Fang Chang leave, his fingertips gently stroking the storage bag inside his sleeve.

It was still early, and there was still more than half a day before the "midnight" hour predicted by the Tongtianjian.

He did not rush to the West Market, but instead strolled along the wide main street with his hands behind his back, making his way into the city at a leisurely pace.

Flowing Cloud Immortal City truly lives up to its reputation as a hub connecting multiple domains.

On both sides of the street, magnificent buildings stand side by side, with dust-repelling beads hanging above the upturned eaves, illuminating this vast city and keeping it spotless.

"Rejuvenation Pill, fifty spirit stones per bottle! No bargaining!"

"Top-grade Vajra Talisman, only three left! Buy now while supplies last!"

Xu Changqing wandered around the city for several hours, selling off all the demon cores and pelts he had obtained from hunting water beasts on the outskirts of Cangwu Island in batches at several inconspicuous shops.

Although the price was lowered, I managed to get some spirit stones in return.

He had kept some of his previous savings at home to control the array and puppets, and now, with the proceeds from selling the demon materials, he still had over six hundred spirit stones on him.

As dusk settles and the city lights begin to twinkle.

Xu Changqing glanced at the sky, then turned and entered a deep, narrow alley, heading west of the city.

The West Market is the most chaotic and mixed place in Flowing Cloud Immortal City.

There are no tall buildings or grand mansions here, only tattered animal skins spread out along the street and scattered stall owners sitting cross-legged.

Some rogue cultivators didn't even bother to lay out a cloth, casually piling up objects covered in mud and blood at their feet.

Xu Changqing suppressed his aura, holding his cultivation level down to around the fourth level of Qi Refining.

He moved between the stalls, seemingly casual, but actually swiftly passing by each one.

As midnight approaches, the yin energy gradually increases.

At the foot of a wall in the western market, a gaunt figure came into Xu Changqing's view.

He was an old monk with an extremely ugly appearance, his left arm severed at the root, the empty sleeve fluttering in the wind.

In front of him was a black cloth covered in grease, with some scrap metal scattered on it.

Various broken ritual implements, cheap stones, and various other unknown miscellaneous items.

"This is the person."

Xu Changqing's heart stirred slightly, but he continued walking, seemingly unintentionally strolling to the stall.

He didn't head straight for the Blood Fiend Bead. Instead, he pretended to pick and choose, casually picking up a few fragments and asking their prices. Finally, he "incidentally" bought the inconspicuous bead from a pile of miscellaneous items.

After some haggling, he acquired this unorthodox treasure for only forty spirit stones.

Xu Changqing turned through several deep alleys and stopped in front of an inn. He threw five spirit stones to the innkeeper and asked for a superior room equipped with an isolation array.

Once inside, Xu Changqing locked the door behind him and set up a restriction, then sat cross-legged on the hardwood couch.

Only then did he take out the dark red bead.

The beads felt cool to the touch, but they were unremarkable in appearance and didn't seem particularly special.

"We have to give it a try."

Xu Changqing's eyes narrowed slightly as he took out a clay jar sealed with mud from his storage bag at his waist and opened the seal.

A strong stench of blood filled the quiet room.

Xu Changqing pinched the bead between two fingers and slowly immersed it into the ceramic jar.

"laugh"

The moment the bead touched the beast's blood, it began to spin on its own, taking in all the essence blood from the pottery jar.

As the essence and blood were continuously injected, the dark red color inside the pearl became increasingly vibrant.

Once the entire jar of essence and blood was exhausted, the originally dull outer layer peeled off layer by layer, revealing the blood-red crystals inside.

Xu Changqing tentatively transferred a wisp of spiritual energy into the device.

"Buzz—!"

In the blink of an eye, a blood-red light shield, as thin as a cicada's wing yet incredibly solid, enveloped him completely.

This is the protective blood essence.

"My darling!"

Xu Changqing's eyes gleamed brightly.

He did not stop there, but instead made a hand seal with his right hand, controlling the force, and flicked out a thin, pale arc of lightning.

The lightning arc struck the blood-red aura, creating ripples. The blood-red aura only dented slightly for a moment before completely dissipating the lightning force and quickly recovering.

"It can withstand one-tenth of my lightning technique without being harmed. If I were to unleash its full power, it could probably withstand even the full force of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator's attack."

With a thought, Xu Changqing's protective blood aura reversed and disappeared back into the bead.

The Blood Fiend Pearl's light faded, and it fell into the palm of the hand.

After carefully storing the Blood Fiend Bead close to his body, Xu Changqing glanced at the dark sky outside through a crack in the window.

The rest is just to conserve energy and wait for tomorrow's departure.

He sat cross-legged again, took out a low-grade spirit stone from his sleeve, held it in his palm, closed his eyes, and entered a meditative state, waiting for dawn.

The next day at dawn, the sky was overcast.

Beside the white jade bridge of Liuyun Immortal City, the majestic black warship is ready to set sail.

The huge sails billowed, and the patterns on the hull lit up one by one, emitting a deep hum.

Xu Changqing arrived on time and saw that the cultivators on the deck looked more solemn than before. Many of them had acquired new magical artifacts and talismans, clearly having spent all their wealth in this immortal city.

"Brother Xu, over here!"

In the crowd, Fang Chang was waving at him; the old man had a ruddy complexion and looked radiant.

"Brother Fang looks good. It seems that the medicine you asked for yesterday has been obtained."

Xu Changqing smiled calmly, his tone gentle.

Fang Chang chuckled and patted his waist.

"I'm just buying peace of mind. I'm exchanging half my life's savings for these few life-saving pills. I just hope that when we get to Black Wind Pass, I can bleed less."

As the two were exchanging pleasantries, the young man reappeared on the deck of the ship.

"The time has come. Seal the formation, set sail!"

At his command, a semi-transparent pale blue light curtain rose around the warship, completely isolating it from the fierce winds outside.

The boat shuddered violently and instead of returning to the surface, it sped off into the depths of the vast marshland.

The bustling scene of Liuyun Immortal City receded rapidly in the field of vision, eventually turning into a black dot in the clouds.