Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

On the other side, several well-dressed young men, who were not wearing masks, walked in with curiosity and a hint of arrogance, surrounded by four or five burly guards.

Three men and two women, clearly there to broaden their horizons, found the eerie and strange atmosphere both novel and somewhat unsettling. They pointed and whispered, their voices particularly jarring in the silent ghost market.

Several stall owners and buyers frowned, casting subtle, cold glances at each other.

The guards following behind the group felt a chill run down their spines, like lambs entering a tiger's den.

"Tsk, what's that smell? It's even stronger than the salted fish in the dock warehouse."

A chubby guy wiped his sweat again, his chubby face full of disgust.

He caught a glimpse of an open earthenware jar on a nearby stall, filled with a dark, murky substance. Bubbles seemed to be slowly rising on the surface, emitting an indescribable fishy odor.

"What kind of junk are they selling here? Nobody wants it!"

The fat man's disdain sounded unusually jarring in the quiet, deserted market.

Several previously subtle, cold gazes now carried a tangible chill.

The head guard, Li Zhong, felt a chill run down his spine and whispered urgently, "Third Young Master, watch your words! This place is no ordinary place..."

Before he could finish speaking, the stall owner behind the pottery stall who had been resting with his eyes closed slowly opened them, his dark eyes turning as he stared at the fat young master.

The fat young man shivered inexplicably at that gaze, but forced a smile and muttered, "What are you looking at..."

Just then, something unexpected happened!

The dark, viscous liquid in the earthenware jar suddenly surged upwards without warning.

Instead of overflowing from the jar, a distorted black face coalesced about a foot above the jar's opening, poised to pounce on the fat young master!

A chilling aura instantly spread out.

"Ah—!" The two female companions were terrified and screamed.

The fat young man was so frightened that he staggered backward, nearly knocking over a nearby stall.

Just as the black-faced figure was about to pounce on the fat young master.

A hand with distinct knuckles extended from the side.

His five fingers spread wide, his palms instantly turned crimson, and a surge of scorching blood and qi erupted!

"snort!"

A short, low shout rang out.

It was Li Zhong who made the move.

"laugh!"

A large hole was instantly burned through the black face, and the black energy around the edge churned violently.

The chilling aura was instantly dissipated by the intense heat of the blood.

Li Zhong's face also turned pale suddenly, and the crimson in his palms faded rapidly, replaced by a faint bluish-black aura.

He groaned and took three steps back, his right arm trembling slightly. Clearly, his blood and qi were clashing with the yin energy, and he himself was also being eroded.

The remaining mist from the black face retreated back into the jar, which hummed slightly a few times before returning to stillness.

The stall owner's cloudy eyes swept over Li Zhong, then closed them again, seemingly no longer pursuing the matter. However, the eerie atmosphere around the stall only intensified.

Li Zhong took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort in his arm, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the stall owner, "Thank you... for not intervening again."

The fat young master Li Jinrong was already terrified and his face turned ashen, while the others remained silent.

That bit of curiosity and arrogance was completely shattered, leaving only lingering fear.

"Let's go, we shouldn't stay here any longer."

Li Zhong made a quick decision, stopping the group of young masters and ladies from looking around. He signaled the guards to surround them and quickly head towards another lit area of ​​the ghost market.

After many twists and turns, the group arrived at a relatively open fork in the road.

Surprisingly, a few lanterns were hanging here, their light still dim but much brighter than before.

The stalls were also neater, making them look more like legitimate businesses.

The largest stall was covered with a thick black cloth, and instead of utensils or medicines, it displayed pieces of gray-black stones of varying sizes and shapes.

The stone's surface is rough and unremarkable, but under the light, one can vaguely see a faint, dim glow flowing through its skin.

After looking at it a few more times, I felt a little dazed and wanted to immerse myself in it.

The stall owner was a bald, one-eyed, muscular man who leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, ignoring passersby.

A wooden sign stood in front of the stall, with three ferocious characters written on it in cinnabar.

Yinshi Seal.

Li Zhong led the still-shaken group to the stall, seemingly relieved, and explained in a low voice, "Young masters and ladies, this thing is called Yin Stone Seal."

The chubby young master steadied himself, looked at the stones, and asked疑惑地问道, "Uncle Li, what are these? Jade gambling stones?"

"Sort of, but not really." Li Zhong shook his head. "This is a corpse-wrapping stone that can only be found occasionally from the depths of extremely Yin and evil earth veins. It is naturally immune to spiritual energy and thoughts; divine sense cannot penetrate it, and no one knows what is sealed inside."

"It could be the remains of an ancient cultivator who has passed away, a broken magic weapon, a lost jade slip containing cultivation techniques... It could also be an extremely yin and evil evil object, or even a sealed malevolent spirit."

"That's strange?" The chubby young master, who had regained some color in his face, was intrigued again and peered inside. "How do you tell the price? Are the bigger ones more expensive?"

"That's usually the case." Li Zhong nodded. "The larger the stone, the heavier or more intact the sealed object is likely to be, and the higher the price will naturally be."

"But that's not always the case. Some small stones might actually contain deadly things."

He glanced at the one-eyed stall owner. "The stall owners here only sell stones, they don't cut them. If you really want them cut, you have to find a professional stone cutter, the fee is extra, and it has to be cut in public, you can't take them away."

Chen Mo listened quietly from a distance, his gaze sweeping over the dusty, dark stone seals.

His mental energy attempted to touch it slightly, but as expected, it was like a mud ox entering the sea, instantly isolated and absorbed.

Beneath the stone skin lay a chaotic void, beyond any perceptible detail.

To sever all ties with the spirit world is to gamble on the unknown.

It is precisely because it is unknown that there is a possibility of finding the precious medicine he needs or rare and precious materials that can prolong his life.

The old man who sold Crimson Sun Blood Crystals just now told him that unless he could find those specific materials, there was no way he could be saved.

Feeling frustrated, Chen Mo followed Li Jinrong and his group to Yin Shifeng's stall.

He didn't rush to choose, but stood on the periphery and quietly observed for a while.

At his stall, Li Jinrong was excitedly picking through the stones, focusing on the largest ones and smooth, pleasing surfaces. He commented, "This one's big enough, looks substantial! This one… tsk, why is it so rough?"

Several guards were scattered around, while Li Zhong followed closely behind Li Jinrong, his eyes scanning the stalls and the one-eyed stall owner warily.

However, his right arm was still slightly stiff, indicating that the backlash from dispelling the black face had not yet fully subsided.

Chen Mo waited until Li Jinrong had chosen a stone the size of a washbasin before stepping forward, his gaze falling on the patch of gray-black stones.

Unlike Li Jinrong, who only looked at the size and quality, he reached out his right hand and touched each piece one by one.