Chapter 547: The Fiendish Bone Demon Species
Chapter 547: The Fiendish Bone Demon Species
Lu Chen spent a moment observing his surroundings before approaching the pile of rubble and taking out a jade seal that Sun Yunming had given him from his storage bag. He activated it, causing layers of spiritual light to emerge and, when pressed against the wall, created ripples.
A narrow passage, just wide enough for one person, appeared before Lu Chen. Without hesitation, he entered.
What lay beyond was a dim area with not many cultivators, perhaps a hundred or so, all observing the various materials on display.
Lu Chen walked silently on the small path between the stalls, carefully examining the goods on either side.
The treasures for sale here had a vastly different style from those outside Black Star City. There were all sorts of strange materials, damaged and even bloodstained array discs, and many items shrouded in yin energy that clearly weren't ordinary.
After browsing, he finally stopped at one particular stall.
"Fellow Daoist, what is the origin of that bell-shaped artifact?" Lu Chen asked, pointing at an item on the stall.
The artifact in question was a large, mottled green and black bell filled with countless resentful souls. As he drew near, the endless wails of these souls seemed to echo in his ears.
"This is a fourth-grade artifact known as the Soul Mourning Bell," the stall owner rasped. "It seals within it innumerable vengeful spirits. During battles, you can release them to disturb and besiege your opponents."
"I'm quite interested," Lu Chen said. "How much is it?"
He examined the bell, his curiosity piqued. Recently, he had collected a lot of demon beast meat and essence blood, but because he had been moving around as a group, he hadn't had the opportunity to use the Soul Luring Lamp to capture many vengeful souls.
In the Underworld Garden, the Saint Infant Fruit, Weeping Yin Wood, and Soul Burning Flower all consumed souls. The vengeful souls within the Soul Mourning Bell could sustain them for a while.
"If you're interested, fellow Daoist, it's yours for six thousand low-grade spirit stones," the stall owner offered.
"Six thousand? That's a bit pricey for a fourth-grade artifact," Lu Chen haggled.
"The number of souls within this bell is unknown, but they are only effective against low-level cultivators. If you were to use it against an opponent of the same level, its effectiveness would be minimal," the stall owner explained.
"How about this—five thousand and two hundred spirit stones?" Lu Chen proposed, following the custom of driving a hard bargain.
After some back and forth, they finally settled on a price of five thousand six hundred low-grade spirit stones.
"I won't have to worry about souls for a while," Lu Chen mused as he stored the Soul Mourning Bell in his bag.
"Most people who use these kinds of sinister artifacts do so for direct attacks, employing vicious means," he thought to himself. "But me? I use them to nurture my spirit plants, without shedding a drop of blood. I'm too kindhearted."
"What can I say? It's all for the sake of farming," Lu Chen reflected. He knew that if people found out he was using a rare and precious fourth-grade sinister artifact to cultivate spirit plants, they would accuse him of wasting a treasure.
"It's a shame others don't understand the joy of being a spirit planter," he added with a sigh.
After purchasing the Soul Mourning Bell, Lu Chen was in high spirits, feeling that his trip had been worthwhile. He continued browsing the various stalls with keen interest.
Suddenly, the Yaoguifen, which had shrunk and hidden itself within his robe, extended a small section of its gray-black vine and gently tapped Lu Chen's elbow.
Lu Chen focused his attention on the vine, immediately understanding its unspoken message.
"You're saying there's a special spirit seed in the area we just passed through?" Lu Chen furrowed his brows.
"What kind of spirit seed is it that even I, a spirit planter who has cultivated countless spirit plants, can't identify?"
Pretending to turn back, he casually approached a stall.
The items on display were peculiar—all sorts of bizarre bones, essence blood, and skin bags of demons and evil spirits. Nothing seemed to indicate the presence of a spirit seed.
The stall owner was a middle-aged cultivator with a dull expression, but Lu Chen sensed a dangerous aura from him and dared not probe further. He kept his head down, examining the various materials.
"Fellow cultivator, may I take a closer look? I'm not familiar with these materials," Lu Chen asked the stall owner.
The man nodded slightly in agreement.
Lu Chen picked up a piece of skin with an eerie pupil, inspected it carefully, and then put it down, moving on to another item.
As he picked up a section of fang-like bone, the Demon Ghost Vine hidden within his robe gently tapped his elbow.
Lu Chen's heart leaped with joy, but his expression remained unchanged.
The bone in his hand resembled a broken fang, emanating a dusky light and seemingly imbued with an eerie aura.
"I still can't discern any traces of a spirit seed," he thought to himself.
However, Lu Chen decided to trust the Demon Ghost Vine and asked, "Fellow cultivator, what is the origin of this fang, and what is its use?"
"It was obtained from hunting a demon. It contains dense demonic energy and is likely a fifth-grade material. For cultivators practicing demonic arts, it's a rare treasure," the dull-looking middle-aged cultivator replied slowly.
"If you're interested, it's yours for ten thousand low-grade spirit stones," the man offered.
"That's too expensive," Lu Chen shook his head. "If it were truly a fifth-grade material, the price would be fair, but since you're not even sure yourself, how can I take such a risk?"
"How about this, I'll buy this piece of bone for seven thousand spirit stones?" Lu Chen bargained.
"Eight thousand, that's my final offer," the middle-aged cultivator said, leaving no room for further negotiation.
Lu Chen tried to haggle further, but the stall owner remained unmoved. With no other choice, he reluctantly agreed.
"Alright, eight thousand it is."
He took out eighty medium-grade spirit stones and handed them to the middle-aged cultivator, receiving the dusky fang-like bone in return.
After purchasing the unknown spirit seed, Lu Chen continued to wander around the black market for a while. Unable to find any other treasures that caught his eye, he returned to Black Star City.
Finding an uninhabited corner, he restored his original appearance and made his way back to the small courtyard.
"I'll find out just what you are, something that even I misjudged," he said to himself.
Lu Chen eagerly retrieved the dusky bone and planted it in the spirit field. He focused his mental energy on the bone, and a thought emerged in his mind.
【Demon Fang Seed, Sixth Grade. Contains a trace of the primordial aura of a foreign demon with fangs. Typically, the demon seed is implanted into the bodies of skeletal demons, where it absorbs various wondrous bone marrow essences. Once mature, it can absorb and refine the demon seed, seizing the unique demonic energy within to greatly enhance its growth and comprehend innate divine abilities.】
【Using one's fleshly body as a spirit field, with various bones as nourishment, culminating in the formation of the Fierce Bone Divine Ability.】
"Sixth grade!"
As the thought faded, Lu Chen was initially elated but soon sank into contemplation.
"Demon seed? What is this? From the information that appeared in my mind, it seems incredibly domineering and powerful," he thought involuntarily.
(End of Chapter)
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