I want to tread the heavens

Fa Cai woke up on the morning of the fourth day.

Ling Xiao was sitting at the bottom of the well, hugging his knees, his head nodding off. A faint but familiar, slightly aggrieved "woof" sound startled him awake.

Turning its head, it saw Fa Cai struggling to stand up, its limbs trembling weakly, its amber eyes half-open, filled with the confusion and exhaustion of just waking up. Upon seeing Ling Xiao, it instinctively tried to wag its tail, but only the tip twitched slightly.

"Get rich!" Ling Xiao rushed over, carefully picked it up and put it in his arms, checking its temperature and breathing. Fortunately, its temperature had returned to normal, and although its breathing was still a little weak, it was much more stable. However, its once glossy fur now looked somewhat dull, and the whole wolf looked listless, as if it had just recovered from a serious illness.

"Hungry..." Fa Cai seemed to have exhausted all his strength, resting his furry head on Ling Xiao's shoulder, making a hissing sound in his throat.

Ling Xiao felt both sorry for the dog and amused. He quickly took out the meat porridge that Uncle Rong had secretly brought over the night before, which he had specially cooked until very soft, and fed it to the dog little by little. Fa Cai ate it greedily, but after only a few bites, its eyelids drooped and it fell into a deep sleep again. This time, however, its sleeping face was much more peaceful, and there were no more painful twitches.

For the next two days, Fa Cai spent most of his time sleeping and eating. He was awake for longer periods and his spirits gradually recovered, but he was extremely sleepy and had an astonishingly large appetite, sometimes eating almost three days' worth of food in one sitting. Fortunately, Uncle Rong had made preparations in advance and managed to obtain some meat and coarse grains through various channels, which barely managed to feed him.

However, both Ling Xiao and Yue Rong keenly noticed that Fa Cai had undergone some subtle but important changes.

Its eyes were clearer, carrying a settled wisdom. Its reaction speed, hearing, and sense of smell seemed to have improved as well. Occasionally, when its emotions fluctuated slightly (such as when it saw Ling Xiao bring back something delicious, or when it remembered a beautiful piece of clothing), a silver glint would flash rapidly deep within its pupils, and a faint but far more powerful aura would emanate from its body. Although it was fleeting, it made the jade pendant around Ling Xiao's neck slightly warm, and it also made Yue Rong's gaze become serious.

"The bloodline awakening is initially complete, but it's still unstable. The power is growing and adjusting within its body on its own," Yue Rong observed and judged. "It needs time to adapt and control it. But in its current state, its aura occasionally leaks out, like a candle flame in the dark—too conspicuous to some beings. We need something to help it stabilize its mind and conceal its aura."

"What is it?"

"The 'Tranquilizing Grass' is the foundation; it can calm the mind and stabilize the spirit, and is effective for beings that have just experienced drastic changes. The 'Concealing Breath Flower' is even better; it can naturally conceal fluctuations in one's aura, but this item is rare. The powder of 'Sinking Jade Marrow' is the best; it is gentle and rich, and long-term wear helps to nourish the blood and strengthen the foundation, but it is too extravagant for the Old Earth." Yue Rong listed several items, his brows furrowed. "These are all rare items in the Old Earth. Even if they exist, they are in the inner treasury or in the hands of high-level cultivators; we cannot obtain them."

"What about the dark market?" Ling Xiao asked, recalling the place Uncle Rong had mentioned before.

"...We can only try our luck." Yue Rong paused for a moment. "The dark market is located underground in an abandoned mine where the old land meets the outer realm. It's a mixed bag, full of things of unknown origin, and extremely risky. Besides, we don't have many spirit stones."

Ling Xiao touched a small cloth bag in his arms. Inside were a few low-grade spirit stones that Guo Yun had secretly given him last time, as well as some gold and silver scraps that he and Fa Cai had accumulated over the years through "cheating and swindling" (mainly Fa Cai's efforts). This was all their possessions.

"We have to try. We need to make money," Ling Xiao said firmly.

Yue Rong looked at him and didn't object anymore. He simply explained in detail the location and rules of the black market, as well as the ironclad rule that survival comes first. Finally, he handed the broken knife to Ling Xiao: "Take this. It can intimidate people if necessary. Remember, your life is more important than anything else."

Ling Xiao nodded emphatically, wrapped the broken knife with a strip of cloth, and slung it over his back. Fa Cai seemed to understand, struggled to his feet, and bit Ling Xiao's trouser leg, his eyes full of unease, indicating that he wanted to follow.

"You can't do it." Ling Xiao squatted down and rubbed its head. "You haven't fully recovered yet. If you lose your breath there, we're doomed. Wait for me at home. I'll be back soon with some good food."

Fa Cai reluctantly opened his mouth, making a "woof woof" sound, and lay back on the hay, looking at him expectantly.

With a heavy heart, Ling Xiao turned around, climbed up the dry well, and disappeared into the night.

The dark market is located in a place called "Ghost Cry Mine." It is said that a hundred years ago, a kind of yin-attribute ore was mined there, but later the veins dried up and too many people died, so it was abandoned. Now it has become a gathering place for all sorts of people and black market trading.

Ling Xiao arrived at the edge of the mine in the darkest hour before dawn. A biting wind howled, whistling through the jagged rocks and deep tunnels, sounding like the wailing of ghosts. Several lazy figures, carrying dim lanterns, loitered at the entrance; they were the "gatekeepers." After paying a ten-tael silver "entrance fee" and exchanging a low-grade spirit stone for a tattered, smelly cloak to conceal his aura, Ling Xiao was finally allowed to enter a downward, slippery mine tunnel.

The mine tunnels wound downwards, branching off in numerous ways like a maze. The air was thick and foul, a mixture of musty smells, sweat, cheap tobacco, and a faint stench of blood. The mine shafts on either side had been simply converted into stalls, decorated with rags, animal hides, and even human bones, lit by eerie green phosphorescence or flickering oil lamps. The light was dim, shadowy figures moved about, and transactions were mostly conducted in silence, using gestures and whispers.

This place sells everything: rusty and broken magical artifacts, bloodstained bones of unknown beasts, strangely colored herbs, bone fragments with an obscure aura, and even alien slaves chained up with numb eyes... Everything is shrouded in a repressive, vigilant, and potentially dangerous atmosphere that could erupt at any moment.

Ling Xiao's heart pounded, but he tried his best to appear calm. He lowered the brim of his cloak and, as instructed by Uncle Rong, avoided eye contact as much as possible. He quickly scanned the goods on the stall while listening to the whispers around him, looking for clues about "calming herbs" or something with similar effects.

I asked at several stalls, but they either didn't have any or the prices were outrageous. A low-grade spirit stone doesn't seem to be very useful here.

Just as he was getting a little anxious, he suddenly caught a faint, crisp, and slightly bitter herbal scent. He followed the smell and stopped in front of a stall in the most secluded and dimly lit corner.

The stall owner was a gaunt old man, huddled in the shadows, with only a tattered burlap sack laid out in front of him, on which lay a few wilted herbs and some dull-colored minerals. The crisp, bitter aroma came from one of the herbs, its leaves long and slender with a faint blue tinge at the edges—it was "Tranquilizing Herb"! Although its appearance was extremely poor, it was definitely genuine.

"How do we exchange this?" Ling Xiao asked in a low voice, pointing to the Tranquilizing Grass.

The old man raised his cloudy eyes, glanced at him, and stretched out three dark fingers.

"Thirty taels of silver?"

The old man shook his head, making a hoarse, bellows-like sound in his throat: "Three... low-grade spirit stones."

Ling Xiao's heart sank. This was practically robbery! The quality of this Tranquilizing Grass was probably worth less than half a low-grade spirit stone in the outside world.

"Too expensive. One dollar." He tried to bargain.

The old man closed his eyes and ignored him.

Ling Xiao gritted his teeth. He needed to make money. He touched the two low-grade spirit stones and a little gold and silver he had left in his pocket, and was hesitating whether to try to get more when he suddenly felt something furry brush against his foot.

He was startled and looked down, but saw nothing. However, he caught a very faint, familiar...dog odor?

"Is it Fa Cai?! It followed us?" Ling Xiao's heart trembled, and he barely suppressed the urge to turn around. That little rascal! Didn't we agree not to follow?!

Just then, he felt his trouser leg being tugged again. At the same time, an extremely subtle, urging thought entered his mind through some strange connection—not a sound, but more like a feeling—directing him to look at the corner of the old man's stall, at those few inconspicuous, dusty gray ores.

Does "getting rich" mean there's something wrong with the ore? Or is there something inside?

Ling Xiao composed himself and casually pointed to the few gray stones: "I'll take one and a half spirit stones for these rotten stones, and I'll take this grass."

The old man lifted his eyelids, glanced at the few pieces of abandoned ore that showed no signs of spiritual energy, and probably thought that this clueless young man didn't know anything and wanted to save face, so he said in a hoarse voice, "Two pieces, the stones are free."

"Deal." Ling Xiao no longer hesitated, counted out two low-grade spirit stones and threw them over, quickly grabbed the Tranquilizing Grass and the few gray stones, stuffed them into his pocket, turned around and left, his heart pounding like a drum.

He didn't notice that, in the instant he turned around, a very subtle, greedy glint flashed beneath the gaunt old man's lowered eyelids, and his gaze lingered for a moment on the long, cloth-wrapped object he was carrying on his back.

Ling Xiao was eager to leave, wanting to find a quiet corner to see what Fa Cai was up to and to examine those gray stones. He walked quickly along the mine tunnel and turned a corner filled with abandoned mine carts.

Ahead was a slightly larger cave, similar to the one where miners used to rest, which had now been converted into a makeshift "tea shed." There were a few broken tables and chairs, a few pale green lanterns, and several men with gloomy expressions talking in hushed tones.

Ling Xiao didn't want to linger and was about to quickly walk around the edge when, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of two people sitting in the innermost, darkest corner of the cave.

One of them, short and stocky with a scar on his face, was facing away from him and was diligently pouring water for the person opposite him—it was Guo Si! Guo Dahai's number one confidant!

Ling Xiao froze instantly, his blood seemingly freezing. He instinctively shrank behind the abandoned minecart beside him, holding his breath and staring intently into that direction with only one eye showing.

Sitting opposite Guo Si was a man completely shrouded in a wide gray robe, with even the brim of his hat pulled low, obscuring his face. In front of him lay a tattered scroll made of some kind of animal hide, with faintly shimmering dots and lines on it, like a map.

Guo Si's voice was extremely low, filled with obsequiousness and urgency: "...Don't worry, Master Hai said that as long as the information is confirmed, the reward will be increased by 30%! In this tiny place, if that 'remnant of the fallen star' really exists, we'll dig three feet into the ground to find him!"

The gray-robed man didn't speak, but instead extended a withered hand with sharp nails and pointed to a spot on the animal-hide scroll. There, an extremely faint, seemingly extinguishable silver light flickered very slowly.

"The imprint reaction... is in this area, sometimes strong, sometimes weak." The gray-robed man's voice was hoarse and strange, not like a human voice, but like two rough bones rubbing together. "The interference is huge... something is covering it up for him, or... he himself is still unstable."

Guo Si's eyes lit up: "That's enough! Narrowing it down to this area makes things much easier! Look at this reward..."

"No rush." ​​The gray-robed man interrupted him, his finger slowly tracing patterns near the points of light. "What His Majesty the Demon Emperor wants is a living, complete 'seed'... You, do not alert him. Continue to slowly screen using the 'Soul Guide'... Focus on targets that have recently shown abnormal spiritual energy fluctuations, or those with unusual spirit beasts appearing nearby..."

Remnants of a fallen star! Living seeds! Soul guide! Your Majesty the Demon Emperor!

Every word exploded in Ling Xiao's mind like a thunderclap! It sent chills down his spine and chilled him to the bone! It was the Demon Clan! Guo Dahai had indeed colluded with the Demon Clan spies! They were already using some method to screen the Old Land! They were looking for the "Remnant of the Fallen Star"—without a doubt, it was him! And the "Abnormal Spirit Beast"... Had they already noticed the strange phenomenon of the Moonlit Night of Fortune?

Fear, like a cold, venomous snake, instantly coiled around his heart, almost suffocating him. He clenched his teeth tightly, trying not to make a sound, his body trembling slightly from extreme horror and rage.

Just then, one of the gray stones in his arms suddenly trembled slightly without warning, emitting a very faint, warm coolness that seeped through his clothes.

The change was extremely subtle, but Ling Xiao was certain that the gray-robed man seemed to sense it. He suddenly raised his head, and his "gaze" from under the gray robe was as sharp as an arrow, sweeping towards the direction of the mine cart where Ling Xiao was hiding!

Ling Xiao was terrified. Without thinking, he rolled with all his might into a dead corner piled with rubble and scrap wood, curling himself up in the deepest shadow, and stopped breathing completely.

"Who?!" Guo Si also stood up alertly, his hand reaching for his waist.

The gray-robed man slowly stood up, his robes billowing even without wind, and a cold, eerie aura began to emanate from him. He walked step by step towards the mine cart.

Ling Xiao's heart pounded as if it would shatter his chest. His hand had already reached for the broken hilt of the sword behind his back, cold sweat instantly soaking his underwear. It's over… he's been discovered…

At this critical moment—

"Squeak—Clang!!"

Deep within the mine, from an unknown direction, a loud crash suddenly erupted, like heavy supports collapsing, accompanied by shouts of anger and shouts of fighting! It seemed that some deal had fallen through, or a double-cross had broken out.

The sudden chaos instantly drew the attention of everyone in the cave. The gray-robed man paused, his chilling aura momentarily faltering.

It's now!

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Ling Xiao darted out of his hiding place like a startled rabbit, running towards the mine exit at top speed without looking back! He pushed the "Fish-Swimming Step" taught by Uncle Rong to its limit, dashing left and right through the complex and dimly lit mine tunnels, completely disregarding direction, only seeking to get away!

He could sense that the cold aura behind him seemed to hesitate for a moment and did not immediately pursue him, but a sense of dread, like a venomous snake watching him, clung tightly to him like a leech.

He ran for an unknown amount of time, until his lungs felt like they were on fire, his legs felt like they were made of lead, and his vision blurred. Then he suddenly crashed through a hidden, abandoned ventilation shaft covered by withered vines and fell heavily onto the cold, rocky beach outside the mine.

A cold night wind blew, and he was slightly brought back to his senses from extreme terror. He scrambled and crawled behind a huge rock, panting heavily, his heart still pounding.

His hands trembled as he reached into his robes. The calming herb was still there. The gray stones were also there, one of them still radiating a faint, warm coolness.

He took it out and examined it closely in the dim starlight. It was just an ordinary, even somewhat ugly, gray stone, rough and unremarkable. But it had a strange, warm feel to it, as if it could soothe the soul. Was it this very stone that had inexplicably vibrated in the dark market and attracted the gray-robed man's attention?

It's a sign of wealth... This stone is probably not ordinary.

But now, he had no time to study the stone. Guo Dahai, colluding with demon spies, was already searching for the "remnants of the fallen star" using some method, and might have already noticed clues about the "abnormal spirit beast"...

The crisis has never been so imminent, so clear.

He clutched the calming herb and the gray stone tightly, glanced back at the Ghost Cry Mine, which resembled the maw of a giant beast, spewing forth sin and eeriness, and the last trace of hope in his eyes vanished completely, leaving only a cold resolve.

We must go back immediately! Tell Uncle Rong! Fa Cai must be hidden away completely and immediately! They must prepare even faster!

He struggled to his feet, discerned his direction, and once again disappeared into the deep night, heading towards the Guo family's residence. His figure was slender, yet it carried a fierce ruthlessness that burst forth from the earth when forced into a desperate situation.

Inside that abandoned ventilation shaft, in the shadows, a pair of eyes gleaming with an eerie green light silently watched the direction he had left, before disappearing without a sound after a long while.

A faint, ambiguous chuckle seemed to drift on the night breeze.