Chronicles of the Green Vine: A Mortal’s Path to Immortality

This was the sect's market, named Clear Water Market. It wasn't far from the sect, only about three hundred miles away, which he reached in four hours.

The entire market was permanently guarded by several Foundation Establishment seniors and some low-level disciple officers, maintaining order and preventing troublemakers.

Besides sect disciples, disciples from other sects also frequented this place, and of course, there were also some rogue cultivators.

The market looked like a mortal town, with the streets arranged in a circular pattern.

Except for the tall five-story building in the very center, which was the landmark of the Hao Yuan Sect, the market expanded outwards in circles, about a dozen circles in all.

Clear Water Market wasn't large, not comparable to Falling Star City, but it was entirely controlled by sect disciples, making it equivalent to a medium-sized market.

Zhang Ling wore black clothes and a bamboo hat, and he used a concealment technique to suppress his spiritual power to the sixth level of Qi Refining.

In the past two years, besides cultivation, he had also successfully practiced the concealment technique he found on the cultivator from Burning Flame Valley.

This secret technique could suppress one's spiritual power and hide one's aura. It was quite practical.

Walking on the street, looking at the buildings on both sides, there were dozens of houses of various sizes.

These buildings were either tall or short, some were multi-story pavilions, and some were just small houses, unevenly arranged. He also saw two restaurants and inns for cultivators to eat and stay.

Only a small portion of the shops here were managed by sect cultivators themselves, and most were rented to immortal cultivation families and rogue cultivators who were affiliated with the sect.

The items sold were also quite complete. For Qi Refining cultivators, the items here were enough for their daily needs.

At this time, the sky was already approaching dusk. At a glance, there were few cultivators walking sparsely on the street, which was also a very normal thing. After all, the market was not a secular downtown area, nor was it a large cultivator gathering place like Falling Star City.

Most of the cultivators who came here were disciples of the Hao Yuan Sect. Under the bamboo hat, Zhang Ling expressionlessly looked around the shops, searching for what he needed.

However, he was not sure whether he could find what he needed.

Next, he entered and exited several shops, only finding a few demon beast souls, the strongest of which was only equivalent to the late stage of the first level.

If he could find second-level demon beast souls or fierce souls with Foundation Establishment strength, then the Soul Piercing Bead refined would have a chance to injure cultivators in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Even weak Yin souls could injure Foundation Establishment cultivators if used to refine the Soul Piercing Bead.

After all, this was not a demonic force. It seemed that there was no hope of finding powerful Yin souls and demon beast essences here. Zhang Ling sighed and turned to go back.

He was walking quickly on a street when he suddenly frowned and his face darkened. When he reached a fork in the road, he walked into a dark side road without hesitation.

As soon as he entered, Zhang Ling's figure flickered and disappeared. Not long after, a short, thin figure also flashed into the side road.

This man was dressed in gray, with a sallow complexion and a wrinkled face, looking to be fifty or sixty years old, but he only had the fifth level of Qi Refining.

This person was first stunned, and then seemed to have thought of something. His face changed, and he turned to return the way he had come.

"Are you looking for me?"

A cold voice suddenly exploded in the short, thin old man's ear. The old man's body stiffened, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Fellow Daoist, I have no malice." The man quickly raised his hands and said quickly.

Behind this person, a chill rose sharply. A cicada-wing-thin flying sword was pointing at the back of his head, and a trace of cold air came from the back of his head, making the old man dare not move a step.

Zhang Ling looked the old man up and down, wondering what his purpose was in following him.

Fighting was not allowed in the market, but this was only on the surface. As long as you were not caught on the spot by law enforcement disciples, nothing would happen.

This person's cultivation was low, and he was confident that he could kill this person instantly.

A drop of cold sweat ran across the old man's eyes. The person behind him did not move for a long time. The short, thin old man showed a smile that was uglier than crying.

"This senior, this old man is also a disciple of the Hao Yuan Sect. I have absolutely no malice. Look at my mere fifth level of cultivation, how can I pose a threat to senior?"

"Is that so, then what are you doing following me?"

Zhang Ling's indifferent voice entered the old man's ears, causing him to shiver. He quickly explained, "Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding. I'm following senior to sell you a piece of news."

After speaking, the old man saw that the person behind him had not moved, and tremblingly took out a white stone from his arms.

"Senior, please see, this is the key to the Ghost Market. There will be a secret trade fair here tonight, where many treasures will appear. My cultivation is low, and it is useless for me to get this thing. I saw that senior's cultivation is profound, so I followed you here."

"Ghost Market?"

Zhang Ling's heart moved. He drove the spiritual power in his hand and held the stone in the short, thin old man's hand. He looked at it like a pebble, and he couldn't see anything special about it.

He had heard of Ghost Markets when he was still in the secular world. It had always been rumored to be quite secretive. It was rumored that every time the Ghost Market opened, rare treasures would appear.

It was difficult for ordinary people to find the specific location. Did cultivators also have this kind of Ghost Market?

"How is this thing used?"

"This thing will turn blue at midnight. At that time, it will guide you to the location of the Ghost Market. You can enter the Ghost Market with the stone."

Zhang Ling played with the stone in his hand and smiled, "Hehe, you were able to get this thing, I'm afraid you also have some background, turn around."

"Haha, senior is laughing, this old man is just an outer disciple of the Wang family. I have been hanging around in this small market, doing some small business. I don't know who senior is..."

The old man laughed twice when he heard this, until he felt the chill behind his head disappear, then he slowly turned around.

As soon as the old man turned his head, there was a layer of gray mist in front of him, wrapping him in it. Zhang Ling stood coldly outside the gray mist, with a delicate black banner emitting a faint ghostly light in his hand.

Several semi-transparent afterimages shuttled through the gray mist. After a breath or two, the gray mist faded a little, and the old man walked out of it swaying, came to Zhang Ling, but the old man's face was dull and his eyes were empty.

Looking at the yellow-faced old man in front of him, Zhang Ling's eyes flashed, he closed his eyes and the old man said something.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhang Ling walked out of the dim side road, and the old man fell in the corner, unconscious.

This person's name was Wang Fushan, and he was indeed an outer disciple of the Wang family as he said, and also an outer sect disciple of the sect, who had been cultivating in the sect.

He had also cultivated to the ninth level of Qi Refining in his early years, but he injured his foundation in a fight, and his cultivation dropped to the third level of Qi Refining. After so many years, he only recovered to the fifth level of Qi Refining, and it was difficult to make further progress.

That's why he gave up the great cause of immortal cultivation and went to the market to manage the family business, working as a shopkeeper in a small shop.

He had been doing this for more than twenty years. After his cultivation declined, he was not welcomed in the family. Without relying on the sect and family, he lived a muddled life in the market.

After being in the market for a long time, he was well-informed and knew how to observe people's expressions, so he had noticed him before.

Seeing him come to the market and wander around in several shops, he had this idea. He had been following him, wanting to earn some spirit stones from him.

The white stone and the Ghost Market were also real.

Zhang Ling squeezed the yellow stone in his hand and walked towards another side road. He did not kill the old man. This person was taken by the Soul Capture Banner, his soul was weakened and he fell into a deep sleep, and he would not wake up for half a day.

He was not sure whether this person had malice, and his crude soul capturing technique was still performed with the help of the Soul Capture Banner.

The information he could get was limited. This was the sect's market, and he didn't want to cause other troubles. Fortunately, this person did not see his appearance, which was a small punishment for this person.

Ghost Market, there is such a place, since he encountered it, he naturally had to go and see it.

Now he has the strength of the peak of Qi Refining, and he also has two top-grade magical artifacts. He is also one of the best among Qi Refining cultivators. Although the Ghost Market is strange, he might be able to find what he needs.