Chapter 17

An hour later.

Li Yao walked alone on the street, intoxicated by the night breeze. He thought of Helian Lie, who had run away with his head full of lobster, scallops, and sea cucumbers, and could no longer hold back his laughter.

In just over a day, within no more than thirty hours, his life had undergone such a dramatic reversal!

A day ago, he had faced Helian Lie like a rabbit facing a hungry wolf, with no room for resistance, not even able to breathe easily.

A day later, he had made Helian Lie fall flat on his face and forced this "god" of Chixiao No. 2 High School to flee in disgrace.

If the girls at school who were infatuated with Helian Lie saw this, they would probably be shocked to the point of jaw-dropping!

Was there a more miraculous reversal than this in the world?

As for Zheng Dongming's warning, he didn't take it to heart.

From the depths of Li Yao's bones, a mysterious confidence seeped out. He believed that even if he wasn't a match for Helian Lie now, with some time for cultivation, he could certainly open up a vast and boundless world and trample Helian Lie underfoot!

"Helian Lie, you insulted me as 'trash' yesterday, and today you wanted to slap me. I remember these two things clearly."

"Three strikes and you're out. If you behave yourself, tighten your bones, and keep your tail between your legs, and don't come after me again, I'll be magnanimous and won't bother with you."

"But if you persist in your delusions and keep showing up in front of me, the 'Vulture Li Yao,' your end won't be as simple as today's!"

Unconsciously, Li Yao was surrounded by the formidable aura of the ancient cultivators from 46,000 years ago.

He had originally planned to go back and rest, and then buy counterfeit enhancement potions at the underground ghost market the next day. But now, he suddenly changed his mind and walked leisurely toward the elevator leading to the underground.

There were only ninety-nine days left until the college entrance exam.

He had to race against time, making the most of every moment to cultivate and make a stunning debut in the exam!

"Helian Lie, didn't you say that we students in the ordinary class are all minnows and trash? If this 'trash' of mine scores better than you in the college entrance exam, then what are you—what are you?"

The underground ghost market is a unique landscape of the civilian class in every major city of the Federation.

The 40,000th century of cultivation was not peaceful. Wars between the righteous and the demonic, humans and demons, and various forces never ceased, and the Starlight Federation was in a state of prolonged war.

Every major cultivation center in the Federation was initially built with deep underground facilities, including shelters, air-raid shelters, sewers, and ventilation shafts.

These underground facilities were interconnected, forming a complex and labyrinthine dark fortress and underground city, storing large amounts of food, water, and essential supplies, sealed with spiritual force shields to remain fresh indefinitely.

In the most extreme situation, even if the surface was entirely occupied by demon armies, humans could still retreat to the underground fortresses, where the supplies would sustain hundreds of thousands of people for over ten years.

And the magical treasures and flying swords hidden in the most secret "underground armories" could instantly mobilize an army of ten thousand, ready to counterattack.

However, in the Tianyuan Realm, it was now the golden age of human prosperity. The Starlight Federation had continuously expanded its territory over several hundred years, breaking mountains and temples with fierce offensives. The former frontier military towns gradually became inland areas, and the underground fortresses lost their military significance.

At some point, many impoverished people began to gradually infiltrate the underground spaces, living and reproducing there.

Perhaps at first, they were forced to flee underground due to the high housing prices and living costs on the surface. But they soon discovered that the underground world had complete facilities and vast spaces, far better than the slums on the surface.

Thus, more and more people began to live underground. Over several hundred years, the underground world had developed into a "paradise" that was slightly less prosperous but far more bustling and lively than the surface.

This was a gray area on the fringes of the law, with its own unique order and style.

In simple terms, in the underground ghost market, the goods might be slightly dubious, the living environment slightly harsh, petty theft slightly more common, and the food slightly less sanitary.

But if you could ignore these insignificant "slight" issues, you could enjoy an incredibly low cost of living and a myriad of unique charms different from the surface world.

"Clank, clank," the ancient spirit-powered elevator shook violently, emitting a monotonous clanging sound as it descended to the underground ghost market several hundred meters below.

The air gradually became a bit murky, faintly mixed with the pungent scent of cheap perfume.

Li Yao took a deep breath, like a fish that had been flopping on the shore for a long time finally returning to the water, coming back to life.

Compared to the "Upper East Side," he preferred the underground ghost market. If it weren't for the convenience of scavenging in the treasure tomb, he would definitely choose to rent a place in the underground ghost market, where the rent was half the price.

Three minutes later, the spirit-powered elevator stopped at the entrance of a bustling market. Li Yao forcefully pulled open the rusty and stiff iron gate, and with a screeching sound, a tempting aroma of grilled food hit him.

The structure of each underground ghost market was largely the same, following the initial military fortress rules and marked with numbers.

Li Yao entered the 59th area.

This was a very famous food street, where questionable ingredients were cooked into the renowned "ghost cuisine" using various unimaginable methods. As long as you didn't delve into the cooking process, the dishes were guaranteed to be so delicious that you would want to swallow your tongue.

Steamy pork lard-stuffed rice cakes... golden, crispy stinky tofu... blood sausages made from garlic, pig's blood, and horse meat, the most important part being the oil extracted from lamb tails, carefully fried, and sprinkled with black crystal salt from the demon beast plains of the northwest. Take a bite while it's scalding hot, and before you can chew, the semi-solid blood paste mixed with lamb tail oil slides down your throat, making you feel as if spring had come to your entire body, with every pore tingling in delight. Even a great immortal wouldn't trade this for anything!

It was said that many cultivators couldn't resist the temptation of "ghost cuisine" and often came here in disguise to indulge.

Despite having just had a sumptuous buffet an hour ago, Li Yao couldn't resist the temptation. He bought five skewers of lamb tail oil-fried blood sausages and stood at the stall, savoring them with closed eyes.

A woman in her thirties, holding a baby, squeezed over and whispered to him, "Young man, want a jade slip?"

The woman pulled out a leather pouch from under the swaddling clothes, reached in with her plump hand, and took out three jade slips, placing them in her palm.

These three jade slips were crystal clear, shimmering with light, and surrounded by spiritual energy, emitting a rainbow of colors. In front of Li Yao, they formed three names:

*The Pure Female Cultivator Bai Jie*, *The Young Sword Immortal Abin*, *The Cunning Alchemy Master*.

"Too old, I've seen them all." Li Yao glanced at them, unmoved.

"Not the same. These are high-definition versions re-refined by powerful cultivators. Each jade slip contains hundreds of thousands of divine thoughts, with clarity ten times higher. You can see every hair clearly. I guarantee you won't forget it once you see it, and you'll want more!" the woman enthusiastically explained.

"…I'll pass. I'm just out for a stroll and didn't bring money. I'm really sorry, but I'll definitely come back to your shop."

After finally getting rid of the jade slip seller, Li Yao finished the five skewers of blood sausages, wiped his mouth contentedly, and leisurely walked into the public restroom in the corner of the food street.