Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Blood River Escape Art, the So-Called 'Opportunity'
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Chen Jianghe returned to his courtyard and hung up the 'In Seclusion' sign.
Xiao Hei and Maoqiu emerged from the spirit beast space and saw the courtyard piled high with demon beast carcasses.
"Two-legs, are you trying to work me to death?!"
Xiao Hei jumped up and down on the spot, pointing a short, stubby claw at Chen Jianghe, his face full of indignation and anger.
He was capable, and he liked to work.
But he didn't want to work himself to death.
"Jiji~" (There's too much.)
Maoqiu also indicated that he couldn't handle such a heavy workload.
"What are you two thinking? This is the workload for the next two years. A beast tide has broken out over at the Beast Taming Market City, and our demon beast supplier will be gone for a while."
Chen Jianghe explained.
He was mainly explaining to Xiao Hei, as he had always considered Xiao Hei an equal.
Perhaps it was because of the spiritual platform's imprint.
It bound them tightly together, to the point where even their lifespans were shar... exchanged.
"Beast tide? What's a beast tide?"
Xiao Hei wanted to scratch his bald turtle head with his claw, but it was too short to reach, so he could only scratch his plastron.
"A beast tide is when the demon beasts of the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range riot and madly attack cultivator market cities."
"Maoqiu, see that? It's not just two-legs who like to eat demon beasts; demon beasts like to eat two-legs too."
Hearing Chen Jianghe's words, Xiao Hei lectured Maoqiu, who was beside him: "So, we spirit beasts must cultivate diligently. Why? Because we have to eat demon beasts, and we also have to eat two-legs."
"Jiji~" (What about Master?)
"You idiot, is Master something you can eat?" Xiao Hei raised a claw and smacked Maoqiu on the head.
Chen Jianghe nodded in satisfaction. Xiao Hei still knew how to uphold his master's dignity.
"If we eat Master, who's going to provide us with resources? You stupid furball, you dense idiot with all fur and no brains, get to work!"
Xiao Hei gave Maoqiu a kick.
Chen Jianghe: "..."
"Master, why don't we go to the Beast Taming Market City? With so many demon beasts attacking the city, a lot of them are sure to die. We'll be able to buy cheap demon beasts then," Xiao Hei suggested.
Chen Jianghe glanced at Xiao Hei.
He realized this little guy was even more frugal than he was.
"No, it's not safe. If that third-tier peak defensive grand array at the Beast Taming Market City breaks, every cultivator in the city will be finished," Chen Jianghe said, shaking his head.
"That dangerous? Then we'd better not go. Let's wait until I become a fourth-tier spirit beast, then we'll go."
"..."
Looking at the dead serious Xiao Hei, three black lines formed on Chen Jianghe's forehead.
By the time you become a fourth-tier spirit beast, the Beast Taming Market City will have long been devoured clean by demon beasts.
"Don't think so far ahead. Focus on becoming a second-tier spirit beast first. By the way, how much longer do you think it'll take for you to become a second-tier spirit beast?"
"About twenty-five spirit cores should do it," Xiao Hei said with a wide grin.
Every time he thought about breaking through to a second-tier spirit beast, Xiao Hei couldn't help but break into a wide smile.
Once he broke through, his lifespan would finally return to normal.
He would be on par with others of his kind, with a lifespan of up to two hundred and forty years.
"So when you break through to a second-tier spirit beast, will you awaken another divine ability?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I don't have any experience being a second-tier spirit beast either."
"If you don't have experience, then hurry up and get to work. After you're done, cultivate diligently. What are you wasting time talking to me for?"
"Hey! You're the one holding me up from work, and now you're lecturing me? Let me tell you, I've grown up."
Xiao Hei stood up, looking down at Chen Jianghe and speaking with pride.
As if growing up was such a magnificent accomplishment.
"Yes, yes, yes. Now that you're grown up, you have to work hard and strive to become a second-tier spirit beast as soon as possible. Keep it up."
Chen Jianghe offered a word of encouragement to Xiao Hei, then quickly entered his room.
He too had to work hard on drawing spiritual talismans.
Immediately, Chen Jianghe sat cross-legged and began to cultivate the Soul-Suppressing and Spirit-Forging Art. He first consumed a bottle of Spirit-Nourishing Liquid.
He felt a warm stream of spiritual energy rush to the crown of his head, then converge at the ancestral aperture between his eyebrows and pour into his sea of consciousness, nourishing his soul essence.
In that instant, Chen Jianghe clearly felt his sea of consciousness become more stable, and his divine sense strengthened considerably.
But the spiritual power was not depleted. Instead, it accumulated in his sea of consciousness, gradually enhancing his soul essence as he cultivated the Soul-Suppressing and Spirit-Forging Art.
The first-tier high-grade Spirit-Nourishing Liquid felt like an upgraded version of Spirit-Focusing Grass, but its spiritual power was much gentler and more profound.
Even so, he couldn't neglect the Spirit-Focusing Grass and had to continue consuming it.
There was also Spirit-Warming Sand, which he had to persist in applying to his brow.
The effect of these cultivation aids was diminishing, but it was better than nothing. Every little bit helped, like grains of sand building a pagoda.
After cultivating the Soul-Suppressing and Spirit-Forging Art for six hours, Chen Jianghe began to draw spiritual talismans.
He planned to only draw high-grade protective talismans for the next two years, putting aside high-grade five-element escape talismans and high-grade special-type talismans for now.
Improving the success rate of high-grade protective talismans was the most pressing matter at hand.
After finishing the talismans, he would begin cultivating the Tidal Body Tempering Art.
A seamless transition, a fulfilling life.
Not a single second was wasted.
Time flew by, swift as a white steed flashing past a crack in the door.
In the blink of an eye, a year had passed.
Chen Jianghe's physical cultivation had completely stabilized at the peak of the late stage of body tempering. He only needed one more spiritual object of heaven and earth to aid his breakthrough to have his physical body reach perfection within a month.
His vital energy and blood surged like a mighty river.
With a thought, a faint blue light covered the surface of his body, like a protective aura, capable of blocking magical attacks.
It could also block flying sword attacks.
Of course, it couldn't block them completely, only nullify a portion of the damage.
Even so, it elevated his defensive capabilities to a new level.
"All that's left for my physical cultivation is to grind it out with time."
Chen Jianghe muttered to himself.
Immediately, he began cultivating the Soul-Suppressing and Spirit-Forging Art, aided by the first-tier high-grade Spirit-Nourishing Liquid.
His spiritual cultivation progressed rapidly.
Six hours later.
With a thought, Chen Jianghe condensed the water-element spiritual energy in the room into a water mirror, and his divine sense probed into it.
While examining the reflected objects, he was also extending the range of his divine sense to its limits.
"Thirty-four zhang and nine chi. I've already reached the late stage of spirit forging. With the help of the Spirit-Nourishing Liquid, I'll soon reach the peak of the late stage."
Generally speaking, when one's divine sense can extend to forty-eight zhang, they will hit a bottleneck, which is the peak of the late stage of spirit forging.
However, Chen Jianghe's divine sense had just barely reached the late stage of spirit forging at a range of thirty-four zhang and nine chi.
This was rather strange.
Thirty zhang was the standard for the late stage of spirit forging.
Yet he had an extra four zhang and nine chi, which meant that when he reached the peak of the late stage, his range might exceed fifty zhang.
This situation made Chen Jianghe briefly think that he might also be one of those with extraordinary talent.
The next moment, he shook his head, casting aside such a narcissistic thought.
His divine sense swept out, and he saw that both Xiao Hei and Maoqiu were cultivating. Twenty demon beasts had been processed, their parts neatly sorted.
The remaining twenty demon beasts were still piled in the courtyard, untouched.
Evidently, Xiao Hei also understood how to balance cultivation and work.
No longer paying them any mind, he willed it, and a thread of magical power plucked the letters from the postbox and brought them before him.
There were as many as six letters.
Chen Jianghe first glanced at the signatures. Of the six letters, four were from Ruan Tieniu, sent from the Beast Taming Market City's flying post.
One was from Zhou Miaoyun, and the other was a short note from Jiang Ruxu.
"Four letters in a row from Ruan Tieniu. Did something happen at the Beast Taming Market City? Could he have found the Illusory Heart Grass and Profound Ice Jade Marrow, or perhaps a second-tier ice-element spirit core?"
Chen Jianghe was curious and opened Ruan Tieniu's letters first.
In chronological order, the four letters were from the fourth month, the seventh month, the tenth month, and the day before yesterday.
He opened the first letter.
It was from when Ruan Tieniu had just arrived at the Beast Taming Market City, explaining the situation there.
This beast tide was even more terrifying than the rumors suggested.
There were nearly forty second-tier demon beasts, eight of which were primate-type demon beasts, all wielding special magical artifacts.
Furthermore, three of these special artifacts were second-tier magical artifacts crafted by artifact refiners.
Clearly, a second-tier primate-type spirit beast with a specially crafted artifact must have died in the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range; otherwise, how could these demon beasts possess second-tier magical artifacts made by artifact refiners?
The other five special artifacts were simple tools made by the demon beasts themselves.
Even so, their combat power was incredibly ferocious, and ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't dare to face them.
Foundation Establishment cultivators who came from a demon hunter background were even more afraid to fight them.
They lacked top-tier flying swords and top-tier defensive magical artifacts.
"The number of first-tier demon beasts exceeds three thousand. The Zhou Clan has bet a bit too much this time. One misstep, and the entire Beast Taming Market City will be lost."
Chen Jianghe felt the Zhou Clan's actions were too aggressive and not cautious enough, easily risking a huge loss for a small gain.
Immediately, he opened the second letter.
The contents of the letter made Chen Jianghe feel as if he were in the Beast Taming Market City himself, a chill rising from the soles of his feet.
A Frigid Triangular Python flew out from the depths of the Wandering Immortal Mountain Range and nearly broke through the northern gate's array foundation of the Beast Taming Market.
Nearly a thousand cultivators lost their lives, including over two hundred late-stage Qi Refining cultivators and three Foundation Establishment cultivators.
With the addition of the Frigid Triangular Python, the scale of the beast tide had expanded once again.
Three third-tier demon beasts, nearly sixty second-tier demon beasts, and five thousand first-tier demon beasts had completely surrounded the entire Beast Taming Market City.
The flying vessel routes between the Beast Taming Market City and other market cities had been cut off.
You could say that the Beast Taming Market City had now become an isolated fortress.
Currently, only one city gate was not guarded by a third-tier demon beast, but it was being watched by thirty second-tier demon beasts.
In the letter, Ruan Tieniu complained that he had been royally screwed by the Zhou Clan.
After going there, he couldn't get back at all.
After reading the second letter, Chen Jianghe was a bit puzzled. If even Foundation Establishment cultivators didn't dare to leave the Beast Taming Market City, how could the flying post still travel between cities?
Regarding the flying post, Chen Jianghe was very curious.
Both the "Yun Clan Journal" and the "Qinghe Journal" had records of the flying post, but they only described it with a single sentence.
The flying post is an industry of the Tiannan Sect.
Just those few simple words, with no further description.
This made him very curious as to how the flying post could operate without fear of danger, traveling to and from a market city besieged by demon beasts.
Immediately, Chen Jianghe opened Ruan Tieniu's third letter. It was a reminder for him to draw more high-grade protective spiritual talismans during this period.
Currently, only high-grade protective talismans were still rising in price; the price of high-grade five-element escape talismans had begun to fall.
Don't sell the high-grade spiritual talismans you draw to anyone else; sell them directly to the Tower of a Hundred Treasures.
Right now, the Tower of a Hundred Treasures was offering the highest buyback price.
Because only the Tower of a Hundred Treasures could safely deliver high-grade spiritual talismans into the Beast Taming Market City.
As for the other buyers, they were all middlemen who would ultimately have to sell to the Tower of a Hundred Treasures anyway.
Chen Jianghe thought about it and realized it was true.
Only the flying post was unaffected by the beast tide, so the Tower of a Hundred Treasures, being another industry of the Tiannan Sect, must also have a way to enter the Beast Taming Market City.
"Why didn't Ruan Tieniu mention the current buyback price? Damn it!"
Chen Jianghe cursed inwardly.
He also wanted to know the selling price of high-grade protective talismans in the Beast Taming Market City. Based on Ruan Tieniu's description, the price had probably inflated by 150 percent.
There was a reason for the price drop of high-grade five-element escape talismans. Previously, demon hunters had planned to venture deep into the rear of the demon beast hordes to steal their young and spiritual objects of heaven and earth.
Get the goods and run.
But after arriving at the Beast Taming Market City, they found they couldn't get out at all.
Moreover, there were too many demon beasts. Going out meant certain death, so they could only engage in a slow war of attrition with the beasts.
This was where protective talismans came in.
Of course, high-grade offensive spiritual talismans must have also started to increase in price.
But their prices were surely not as high as those of high-grade protective talismans.
He opened the fourth letter.
The contents made Chen Jianghe not know whether to laugh or cry.
Ruan Tieniu had risked his life to escape the Beast Taming Market City and would be arriving in Qinghe Market City soon.
The letter stated that Chen Jianghe should absolutely not sell his high-grade protective talismans to the Tower of a Hundred Treasures, as he was willing to buy them for five percent more.
Seeing this, Chen Jianghe understood Ruan Tieniu's intentions.
He was really committed to this path of being a middleman!
Still, he had to admire Ruan Tieniu for daring to undertake such a dangerous business.
Even with the Blood River Escape Art, he shouldn't be doing this.
Because every time he regenerated a limb, it would consume his own lifespan.
The demonic secret arts he had traded with Ruan Tieniu, though he hadn't had a chance to cultivate them yet, he had glanced at the summary.
These two demonic secret arts were collectively known as the Blood River Escape Art, originating from a fragmented scroll of the "Blood River Secret Record," created by the ancient demonic cultivator, Ancestor Blood River of the Tiannan Region.
After the great False Core expert, Daoist Withered Wood, obtained it, he modified it into a cruel cultivation method based on one's own flesh and blood, fitting the principle of "using the body as a vessel, breaking it to rebuild."
Its core principle was to use blood as a guide and limbs as a sacrifice, tearing through space to instantly teleport a thousand li by harnessing the explosive power of one's vital energy and blood.
Of course, to achieve a teleportation of a thousand li, one needed to reach the Core Formation realm.
The price of using the Blood River Escape Art was extremely heavy; it was generally only used in near-death situations.
To compensate for the shortcomings of the Blood River Escape Art, Daoist Withered Wood also modified the limb regeneration divine ability from the "Blood River Secret Record."
It allowed the severed limbs used to cast the Blood River Escape Art to grow back.
But this also came at a cost: the consumption of one's essence and lifespan.
For a finger, the lifespan consumption was low, only about three to five months.
For an arm, it required at least three years of lifespan.
Demonic secret arts certainly had their unique advantages, but the price was also very high. Chen Jianghe didn't dare to cultivate it during the Qi Refining stage.
Before reaching Foundation Establishment, he couldn't afford to damage his physical body or lifespan.
Because he wasn't sure if it would harm Xiao Hei.
Therefore, he could only wait until after Foundation Establishment to cultivate these two demonic secret arts.
Clearly, Ruan Tieniu intended to use these demonic secret arts to travel between the Beast Taming Market City and Qinghe Market City, reselling spiritual talismans and elixirs.
Chen Jianghe considered this approach far too risky.
But he also knew that for Ruan Tieniu, this was a massive opportunity.
It was risky, to be sure.
But if he could survive, the spirit stones he would earn would be more than he could make in several decades.
If Ruan Tieniu wanted to rapidly advance his cultivation, he had no choice but to take risks. Otherwise, he would remain an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator for his entire life.
At most, he would cultivate to the third level of Foundation Establishment.
"If Ruan Tieniu can make it to Qinghe Market City safely, then I can trade the high-grade spiritual talismans I have with him."
"Ruxu's elixirs can also be traded with him."
Chen Jianghe thought to himself.
Immediately, with a faint fluctuation of magical power, he turned Ruan Tieniu's letters to dust, which dissipated into the air.
He picked up Zhou Miaoyun's letter and glanced at it.
It turned out that Zhou Miaoyun had come to Qinghe Market City in the tenth month, hoping to meet with Chen Jianghe.
But seeing that he was in seclusion, she had left a note.
The letter also mentioned the matter of the Beast Taming Market City; she had come to Qinghe Market City to sell spiritual talismans at a high price.
After reading Zhou Miaoyun's letter, Chen Jianghe smiled faintly and turned it to scraps, then picked up Jiang Ruxu's letter.
This was a note from the eighth month.
The content was similar to Ruan Tieniu's second letter, saying that the Beast Taming Market City had once again been attacked by the Frigid Triangular Python.
The scale of the beast tide had expanded.
It urged Chen Jianghe to draw more high-grade protective talismans, as they were the best-selling item in the Beast Taming Market City at this time.
At the same time, Jiang Ruxu also mentioned that she had already rented an alchemy room in the alchemy district of the southeast quadrant.
She was going all out to refine high-grade healing elixirs and high-grade spirit recovery elixirs.
After reading the letter, Chen Jianghe turned it to scraps, took a deep breath, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
The beast tide, for him, was an opportunity.
For Jiang Ruxu, it was also a great opportunity, because healing elixirs and spirit recovery elixirs were the resources most in-demand at the Beast Taming Market City.
Not only would the prices not fall, they might even rise further.
They might even double.
As for why Jiang Ruxu rented an alchemy room in the southeast quadrant, it was obvious that Alchemist Zhuang was also using the one at home.
He just didn't know if Alchemist Zhuang was refining high-grade spirit recovery elixirs and high-grade healing elixirs, or some other kind of pills.
Regardless.
Chen Jianghe had to go out.
He needed to inform Jiang Ruxu not to sell her refined elixirs to the Tower of a Hundred Treasures just yet, but to hold onto them and wait for Ruan Tieniu to return from the Beast Taming Market City.
Wait for one month.
If he returned, then sell them to Ruan Tieniu.
If he didn't return, it meant he had died on the way, and they should just sell to the Tower of a Hundred Treasures.
After notifying Jiang Ruxu, Chen Jianghe returned to his courtyard. Ruan Tieniu would be back soon.
He couldn't waste any time.
However, he did take down the 'In Seclusion' sign from his courtyard gate.
At the beginning of the year, on the fifth day.
Neither Wang Kun nor Mazi came to make a delivery. They were still in the Beast Taming Market City and had not yet returned.
Perhaps they would never return.
But on this day, his door knocker was struck.
Chen Jianghe had Xiao Hei and Maoqiu enter the spirit beast space, then opened the courtyard gate and took a closer look.
It was Ruan Tieniu, who had returned missing a hand.
There wasn't much blood on him, and his face was unscarred, but his left hand was gone, and the clothes on his right shoulder were sunken in, as if half his shoulder had been bitten off by a demon beast.
To use the limb regeneration secret art for a hand, it would consume at least a year of his lifespan.
Half a shoulder would probably require two years of lifespan.
For Ruan Tieniu, this was a huge profit.
"Brother Ruan, you..."
Chen Jianghe cupped his fists and said solemnly.
"Opportunities like this are rare. So what if I lose a bit of my lifespan?"
Ruan Tieniu's expression was firm, his eyes filled with a longing for a higher realm.
The reason he spoke so openly with Chen Jianghe was because he had already traded the demonic secret arts inherited from Senior Lan Tianxiang to him.
Chen Jianghe thought for a moment and felt that Ruan Tieniu had a point.
If the profits were high enough, losing a bit of lifespan really didn't matter.
Earning five hundred spirit stones a year.
Suddenly, the annual profit becomes five thousand spirit stones. So what if you lose three years of your life?
Of course, he wouldn't do such a thing. It was risky, and no matter how high the profit, he wasn't willing to take it.
"Brother Chen, I'll be staying in Qinghe Market City for a month. During this time, no matter how many high-grade spiritual talismans and elixirs you can get, I'll buy them all at ten percent higher than the Tower of a Hundred Treasures' buyback price."
"But you have to keep this a secret for me."
Ruan Tieniu said, looking at Chen Jianghe seriously.
"Alright."
Chen Jianghe nodded. This was competing for business with the Tower of a Hundred Treasures, so of course, he had to be careful and couldn't do it openly.
But hearing that he would buy at ten percent higher than the Tower's price, he asked curiously, "Brother Ruan, can you afford so many resources?"
"Don't worry, I can handle any resources up to ten thousand spirit stones," Ruan Tieniu said with a smile, the corners of his mouth turning up.
"Huh?!"
Chen Jianghe was stunned. Had he amassed a fortune of ten thousand spirit stones after just one year in the Beast Taming Market City?
It seemed impossible.
Even with the beast tide outbreak, no matter how much money there was to be made, it was impossible to earn so many spirit stones in such a short time.
However, he didn't press the issue.
Seeing Chen Jianghe leave Green Duckweed Alley to arrange for resources for him, Ruan Tieniu's face lit up with excitement.
"To think Fellow Daoist Sun and Brother Wang had so many demon beast spirit cores and spirit stones in their storage bags. A pity they ran too slow."
"Alas, the path of cultivation is just this cruel. But it's for the best. You were running with me. If I can form my core in the future, a part of that glory will belong to you."
Ruan Tieniu left Green Duckweed Alley and returned to his residence at number thirty-six, Longevity Lane, to use his secret art to regrow his severed hand and the half of his shoulder that had been bitten off.
Chen Jianghe, on the other hand, went to find Alchemist Zhuang and asked him to help gather high-grade healing elixirs and high-grade spirit recovery elixirs.
"Fellow Daoist, is a beast tide really such a great opportunity for demon hunters?"
Chen Jianghe asked, looking at Alchemist Zhuang.
"Why do you ask, Fellow Daoist?" Alchemist Zhuang smiled.
"Ruan Tieniu went to the Beast Taming Market City for a year, and now he dares to ask for ten thousand spirit stones' worth of resources. The profits are just too immense," Chen Jianghe sighed.
"Ten thousand spirit stones? His luck is indeed quite good. Fellow Daoist, do you know where the real opportunity of a beast tide lies for demon hunters?"
Alchemist Zhuang asked Chen Jianghe.
"Naturally, it's stealing demon beast cubs and spiritual objects of heaven and earth," Chen Jianghe replied without thinking.
"Haha~"
Alchemist Zhuang laughed and said to Chen Jianghe, "Fellow Daoist, your view is still too one-sided."
"What? Is that not the case?!"
"Let this old man ask you, Fellow Daoist, where do you keep your spirit stones and cultivation resources?"
"Naturally, I keep them in my storage bag and carry them with me..."
Chen Jianghe suddenly came to his senses, a look of shock in his eyes. He had never thought of that.
Spirit stones and cultivation resources were always carried on one's person; it was impossible to store them at home or entrust them to others.
Therefore, for a demon hunter, the greatest opportunity in a beast tide didn't come from the demon beasts, but from the cultivators around them.
As long as the cultivators around you died quickly and in large enough numbers, your opportunity would come all the sooner and be all the greater.