Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 275 Auction

Name: Han Yi (17/195)

[Realm]: Mid-stage Meridian Opening Realm, Second-level Martial Master; Sword Realm: One Kill in Ten Steps; Blade Realm: As Heavy as a Mountain

[Martial Arts]: Qianyang Gong (Entry-level martial art, Qianyang Jin, characteristics: Rejuvenation, Evil Extermination, Perfected Strength); Feilong Gong (Entry-level martial art, Youlong Jin, characteristics: Speed, Fire and Poison, Great Strength 20/50)

[Secret Technique]: Moon Concealment (Special Effect: Concealing Breath and Illusion)

[Elemental Power Value]: 12

"Secret techniques are also key to enhancing strength; we can try to find them..."

Han Yi's gaze swept to the next item: secret techniques. Undoubtedly, this was the best option for quickly increasing strength. Whether auxiliary or offensive, secret techniques possessed unique and powerful effects.

For example, the Moon Concealment he deduced—if he hadn't used Moon Concealment to hide his martial arts master level strength, he probably wouldn't be able to stand here so leisurely and peacefully.

As for offensive techniques, he had only seen them on Huang Shanjun, whose soul-stirring demonic sound, like a lion's roar, almost caused him to capsize in a ditch.

But secret techniques are things that can't be sought after; they're not something he can easily find just because he wants them, and even if he does encounter one, it might not be suitable for him. For example, he previously discovered a secret technique called Nephalem in Bai Yuechou's notes, but he didn't dare to cultivate it.

"As for Yuan Power..."

Han Yi saw the end; the Yuan energy here was his greatest reliance for rapid growth.

Yuan energy needs to be transformed by absorbing Yin energy.

However, to encounter yin energy, one must come into contact with strange things like demons and monsters.

His most recent encounter with those things was with Danyangzi in the black market, which severely injured him.

If possible, he doesn't really want to increase his Yuan Power through things related to demons and monsters.

After all, those evil spirits are not human, so the system cannot see their true strength. Moreover, their abilities and moves are all extremely strange. They either possess people or transform, and some can even unleash their inner universe like Danyangzi.

"Yin energy usually appears in cold, damp, dark, and dead places... If we think about it from another angle, what kind of places generally fit these characteristics?"

Han Yi closed his eyes and pondered for a while. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a glimmer of light flashing within them.

If we think about it this way, don't those chaotic graveyards and cemeteries seem to perfectly fit these characteristics?

Not only today, but throughout history, this ancient tomb has been rumored to contain female ghosts, vengeful spirits, and zombies.

These rumors may mostly be hearsay and misleading, but regardless of whether anyone has actually seen them, this cemetery is indeed the most likely place to have yin energy.

"Does this mean... I'll have to work part-time as a tomb raider from now on?"

Han Yi's expression was somewhat strange. He already had a part-time job as an arsonist in another world, and he really didn't want to add the title of tomb raider to his list of responsibilities.

"Hmm... Let's take a look first. We don't necessarily have to search in the ancient tomb. Let's start by looking at the burial objects. Maybe we can find something there."

Faced with the current predicament of difficulty in finding Yin energy, Han Yi decided to try other methods to increase the source of Yin energy.

After all, there are things like blood money that store yin energy, so perhaps these things are also found among the burial objects.

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As evening fell, the city of Anyang appeared exceptionally dim and silent under the setting sun.

On an empty street, a man dressed in black, wearing a straw hat and a wide cloak, walked slowly down the alley.

Beneath the straw hat stood a tall man with a broad forehead, a simple and honest face, and a cold expression.

"Anyan City is becoming increasingly deserted..."

The man sighed; judging from his voice, it was Han Yi.

He counted the days; today was the fifteenth, the day the market opened, and he planned to buy another batch of black bear meat.

He happened to hear that this market was a large market held every five days, and Yingjiabao was preparing to hold an auction. He could sell some of the things he didn't need to exchange for some money, and at the same time broaden his horizons to see if there were any items he needed.

Therefore, he deliberately used the secret technique Moon Concealment to disguise himself while traveling. However, as soon as he entered Yuqingfang, he found that the atmosphere on the street was completely different from before.

He walked through Shanzhongfang, where the headquarters of the Crimson Flame Sect was located, and the crowds around him gradually thinned out, making it somewhat desolate.

This street used to be a famous snack street in Yuqingfang, bustling with crowds. But now, before it's even completely dark, the street is deserted and quiet.

Only the faint barking of dogs could be heard from the distant mansions of wealthy families.

Han Yi knew that the reason for this was probably due to the influence of the Red Flame Sect and the Thousand Leaf Sect declaring war on each other.

When gods fight, mortals are the first to suffer.

This Yuqingfang is a market town on the outermost edge of the Chiyan Sect, closest to the Qianye Sect.

During the honeymoon period when the two powers had a good relationship and worked together, Yuqingfang, being the center of their business, industry, and personnel exchanges, naturally benefited greatly. The market was bustling with activity and thriving commerce.

Now that the two sides have fallen out, a major battle could break out at any time. As the most prominent market town, Yuqingfang will undoubtedly be the first to be affected.

Within Yuqingfang, wealthy families naturally moved if they could, and those who couldn't hired guards and made offerings to them.

Those without money either seek refuge with relatives or friends, stay at home, or hide away. In short, they try to stay as far away from Yuqingfang as possible.

With fewer people, they are less willing to spend money. In addition, there is a possibility of large-scale armed conflicts. Small merchants, vendors, and shopkeepers are withdrawing their investments and returning their grain, no longer daring to do business in Yuqingfang. As a result, the economy of the market is further affected.

An unstable environment and restless people, coupled with a lack of money, easily breed petty theft and can even lead to the rapid formation of several small gangs.

The Crimson Flame Sect was naturally aware of this situation, but Jade Purity Pavilion was likely to be the focus of the battle between the two sides. The most urgent task was to build up the strongholds within the pavilion, allocate personnel and weapons, and form combat power. Everything else was secondary.

Therefore, the Crimson Flame Sect was only focused on its own combat preparations and had neither the will nor the ability to maintain the rules within the sect.

Without the suppression of the behemoth that is the Crimson Flame Sect, the Jade Purity Pavilion would be even more chaotic.

Han Yi thought to himself, then quickly walked through the snack street and headed towards the city gate.

As he walked through an alley, he vaguely saw two beggars huddled together for warmth, motionless in a corner, and he didn't know if they were dead.

Immediately afterward, two more men, dressed in tattered clothes and pushing a cart, swayed and staggered out from the alley ahead.

They stopped in their tracks when they saw Han Yi.

Han Yi's imposing presence and attire clearly indicated that he was a martial artist, not someone they could easily bully.

Han Yi walked over quickly, glancing at the cart as he passed by.

Two blood-soaked corpses lay on the ground. One was thinner, with a gaping wound the size of a washbasin ripped open in his chest near his heart. The other was slightly heavier, with a massive laceration on his chest and a dent in his head; it was unclear which was the fatal wound.

The two men pushing the carts kept their heads down as Han Yi walked by, not daring to look at him too much.

Han Yi continued forward, his feet treading on the cracked stone path, remaining silent.

As you pass through the streets and alleys, you can always see weapons and clothes scattered on the ground.

Those things were all incomplete, tattered, with only scraps left, and stained with blood, some more, some less.

He didn't know if it was human blood. Han Yi quickened his pace involuntarily. The closer he got to the border between the two forces, the more conspicuous the desolate and ruined scene became.

The city of Anyan was desolate and bleak, like a ghost town, devoid of any human presence. Even when one occasionally encountered one or two people, their faces were filled with sorrow and their eyes revealed despair.

He quickly made it out of the city gate before nightfall.

…....

…....

The moon rose above the willow branches, and the wind blew mournfully, causing the moon's halo to sway.

Yingjiabao, a market town.

"The Twin Crescent Blades, handcrafted by Master Lu, have undergone 36 painstaking forging processes, using hundreds of rare and precious materials and fourteen different techniques. They are the ultimate weapons for self-defense in chaotic times. Big sale! Big sale!"

"How much?" "Genuine goods, fair and honest, one hundred taels of silver, no bargaining!"

"One hundred taels of silver! Why don't you just rob us? These are clearly two butcher knives!"

"What pig-slaughtering knife? This is a crescent moon blade, a twin crescent moon blade! What do you know?!"

"Even if it's called a crescent moon, or a full moon, it's still two butcher knives..."

The market was as bustling and lively as ever, with crowds surging around it. Han Yi even felt that it was more lively than the Yuqingfang market before.

Perhaps due to the impending war between the Crimson Flame Sect and the Thousand Leaf Sect, all the stalls that used to sell antiques, paintings, jewelry, and jade of dubious authenticity have disappeared. In their place are stalls selling weapons, martial arts manuals, or grain.

The crowds coming and going were all in a hurry, looking anxious, with their pockets bulging, all heading straight for the stalls selling self-defense weapons, martial arts, and other items.

After casually glancing at the numerous stalls, Han Yi found nothing he needed and, without further ado, simply swept past them.

Inside the wooden house.

Fatty Zheng was still as obese as a mountain, slumped in front of the chopping board, chewing on something.

"What? Young friend Yuwen, you ate all the meat I sold you last time."

"Hmm," Han Yi replied calmly.

Practice makes perfect, and since this wasn't his first time buying meat here, the two introduced themselves to each other.

The fat man said his name was Zheng Xiangui, while Han Yi... claimed to be Yuwen Huaji.

Of course, only the two of them knew whether they were using their real names. Zheng Xiangui looked Han Yi up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement, and said, "You've finished it all? The amount of meat you had last time would have taken me several days to eat. How could you, a Blood Refining Martial Artist, eat it all so quickly? Did you finish it all, or is there another reason?"

"What? It's a cash-on-delivery transaction. Do you still care what I do with the goods after I buy them?" Han Yi chuckled and took out a stack of gold notes.

He stretched out his arm and handed it over. Although his movements were swift, his heart was trembling and bleeding.

Every time he comes to buy meat, he spends one or two thousand taels of silver. No matter how wealthy he is, he will eventually run out of money.

According to Fatty Zheng, things have been turbulent on the official roads lately, with rampant banditry. They lost several skilled men while delivering goods, so…..

The implication is that prices have increased.

Han Yi didn't know if it was just an excuse or if it was really true, but he had no other options and could only accept it reluctantly.

"Haha, that's true. We wouldn't care about our guests' privacy!" Zheng Xiangui laughed heartily, skillfully cutting off a large piece of meat from the cutting board and tossing it over. "Twenty catties of meat, no less!"

"This meat..." Han Yi held it up with both hands, examining it closely. "This meat seems a little different from the last one..."

He hesitated.

“The meat from last time is all sold out. This is tardigrade meat. Don’t worry, we’re all regular customers, we won’t cheat you. This tardigrade meat will only be more effective!” Zheng Xiangui explained.

"Alright..." Han Yi temporarily believed his explanation, casually tossed the bear meat into a specially made cloth bag, squatted down to wrap it up, sealed it tightly, and made sure there was no odor so that anyone could recognize its characteristics. Then he stood up, turned around, and was about to leave.

"Wait a minute..." Suddenly, Fatty Zheng from inside the wooden house called out to him, asking with great interest, "Young friend Yuwen, judging from your courage and strength, how about taking on some private work?"

"Oh? What kind of work?" Han Yi asked casually.

"South Lake Marsh, demon hunt!" Zheng Xiangui revealed a ferocious smile. "An informant has discovered an Ironback Crocodile in South Lake Marsh. This beast's meat is delicious and has beauty-enhancing effects, making it extremely popular among female martial artists in the prefectural city... Only martial artists at least at the late stage of Blood Refinement can participate. We'll distribute the rewards according to our contribution, how about that?"

"Hunting monsters, huh...?"

Han Yi was quite interested in this ironback crocodile, but....

He thought about it and gave up.

It's not that Zheng Xiangui is unreliable or would do things like murder and robbery. After his few encounters with this fat Zheng, he had already discovered that this person was supported by a considerable organization. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to provide such a large quantity of high-quality monster meat every day.

Therefore, what he said about organizing manpower and hunting demons should not be false.

If he had nothing else to do, he would go with Zheng Xiangui to broaden his horizons and have some fun. There was nothing wrong with that. Maybe he could even see what kind of power Zheng Xiangui was backing.

However… the two major powers, the Crimson Flame Sect and the Thousand Leaf Sect, are about to clash, whether for the sake of protecting others or for their own safety.

He had no time to waste any longer.