Chapter 53

After a month and a half of seclusion and cultivation, Tang Yan's energy was very abundant, thanks to the nourishment of the life mist. He practiced tirelessly, almost day and night, and finally managed to condense six fist-sized fireballs. After repeated practice, he could basically control them to orbit around his body, guiding them to attack and explode with his will.

The main reason he could condense six fireballs in such a short time was due to the experience and techniques inside the wooden plaque. The analysis was very detailed, saving him a lot of trouble. Tang Yan even suspected that Tang Yanshan had prepared this in advance for him.

During these forty days of cultivation, Tang Yan had another gain—controlling the Green Fire!

Through constant attempts, a subtle balance was formed between the Green Fire and his spiritual energy. When Tang Yan used martial techniques, he no longer had to worry about each attack melting the opponent. He could use it as pure fire. This way, he cleverly hid the secret of the Green Fire, saving him a lot of trouble.

"Hey, Second Young Master, how did you come out?" Seeing Tang Yan, who looked disheveled, come out of the room, the servants who were sweeping the courtyard hurriedly bowed. In the past, they would have just casually acknowledged him, but after the bloody incident a month and a half ago, no one dared to look down on this Second Young Master anymore. At least, they wouldn't mock and ridicule him as they used to.

Tang Yan took a deep breath of the sun, exhaled, and said, "Go and find Du Yang and Mentor Ailinda. If possible, also call Tang Ying."

"Report to Young Master, since she returned last time, Miss Ying has been in seclusion and hasn't come out yet."

"Then just call Du Yang and Ailinda."

"Yes, Young Master, I'll go right away."

"Oh, and try to contact Fat Hai and Ren Lingfeng, and have them come see me."

Tang Yan first returned to the bathroom, took a refreshing bath, and then took a short nap for half an hour. After dressing neatly, he returned to his room and 'borrowed' some coins from the treasury.

"What do you need us for?" Du Yang looked disheveled, with messy clothes and hair, and a furrowed brow, as if he was still in a state of deep thought.

He was at a critical stage in practicing the Rock Forest Technique, studying day and night.

"Weren't you under house arrest? How did you come out so easily?" Ailinda was cold and indifferent, as if she had returned to her old self.

"I was tired of being cooped up inside, so I wanted to go out for a walk."

"Did you call us out just to accompany you on a stroll?" Ailinda rolled her eyes and was about to leave.

"I need a decent weapon and want you to help me choose one. If you want to buy anything, I can give it to you for free."

Both of them paused and looked at Tang Yan. "For sure? Free?"

"As long as I can afford it."

"Let's go!"

The three of them sneakily avoided the guards and left through the back gate of the Tang residence, heading straight for the trading square in the northwest part of the city.

This was a relatively chaotic and free market where anything valuable could be sold. There were weapons, armors, young monster beasts, martial techniques, herbs, and all sorts of items. Some were personal treasures, others were obtained from the Illusion Forest. There were also many fakes. This place was a favorite of ordinary martial artists and the poor, and even some young nobles often came here. If you had good luck or a keen eye, you might find some top-notch treasures.

The trading square was crowded with people of all ages, pushing and shoving. It was noisy and chaotic, with the occasional roar of a monster beast.

"Come and see, the best Ginseng King, containing the essence of heaven and earth, can extend life and enhance cultivation for martial artists." A middle-aged man held up a thick, human-shaped ginseng and shouted.

"Fourth-level monster beast, the Two-Headed Demon Wolf, come and see." A steel cage held a two-headed wolf pup, its eyes fierce, glaring at the seller.

"The legendary Three-Eyed Bird's egg, which can hatch into a top-tier monster beast. Don't miss it." An old man with a smile held a crystal-clear white jade egg, moving through the crowd, but received only cold stares.

"Common-level martial technique... Heavy Fist Technique! Starting price: 100 gold coins!" A young man displayed an ancient book, shouting while being wary, afraid it might be snatched away.

...

Tang Yan walked leisurely through the crowded market, casually looking at the various items, occasionally asking a few questions. The chaos and noise here far exceeded his expectations. There were some high-quality items, but most were overpriced, and some vendors were just making up stories. A common chicken was even passed off as a young monster beast.

"Most of the items here are miscellaneous. The weapons you want are in the inner part. That's where some good treasures often appear." Ailinda's Ice Sword was a treasure she found here two years ago. It contained natural ice energy, which could enhance her offensive power in battle.

Du Yang added, "The inner part is relatively easier to find good treasures. It's said that in the past ten years, three people found Spirit-level martial techniques and one person found a fourth-level monster beast pup here."

Ailinda explained, "The Illusion Forest stretches for nearly ten thousand miles, filled with monster beasts and various wonders. It's a paradise for mercenaries, and treasures are often found there, or lucky finds of powerful monster beast pups. Besides being sent to large auction houses, some undetermined treasures flow into the trading market of Giant Elephant City, including some extraordinary items. This is the main reason why the Giant Elephant City market is famous nationwide."

"Do you see anything you like?" Tang Yan picked up a turtle shell from a nearby stall. The seller immediately smiled and was about to introduce it, but when he saw the notorious Second Young Master Tang, his face turned green.

"Not yet, it's too chaotic here. Let's go inside." Ailinda, who was cold and self-respecting, couldn't stand the crowded environment.

Tang Yan glanced at the seller and casually threw the turtle shell back. The seller hurriedly caught it but didn't say a word, nervously watching Tang Yan leave.

The three of them walked and looked, eventually reaching the innermost part of the square. The standards here were clearly higher. There were no large iron cages or shouting vendors. Some sellers were meditating, others were idly trimming their nails, with their items and price tags in front of them.

"Damn! Ten thousand gold coins, why don't you just rob us!" Du Yang was attracted by a fluffy young beast. Just as he was about to approach, he gasped. The drowsy young beast had a wooden sign around its neck, clearly marked with a price of ten thousand gold coins!

The seller glanced at him, grunted, and continued to meditate, ignoring him.

"This seems to be a Three-Eyed Snow Lion pup." Ailinda examined it carefully, surprised and hesitant. "The Three-Eyed Snow Lion is a third-level monster beast, naturally lazy and not good at fighting. However, its uniqueness lies in the third eye on its forehead. Once it opens successfully, the Three-Eyed Snow Lion will undergo a fundamental transformation, becoming the king of Snow Lions, comparable to a fifth or even sixth-level monster beast."

"Fifth? Sixth?" Tang Yan's face changed. Could it rival a Martial King or Martial Venerable?

"The key is whether the third eye can open. If it can, it will naturally become a king. If not, it will remain an ordinary third-level monster beast. The probability of this transformation is very low, only one in ten thousand. So... ten thousand gold coins buys not the Three-Eyed Snow Lion, but the probability of it becoming a king."

Tang Yan was very practical and wouldn't waste energy on such a low-probability event. He turned around and finally saw an old man selling knives in a corner. The old man had many items in front of him, including some knives and swords, armor, and a few young monster beasts. It was a chaotic mess, and there were no clear prices.

Tang Yan picked up an ancient war knife. It was heavy, at least two hundred pounds, and his arm was already full of veins just from holding it. The material of the war knife didn't seem metallic but more like a special type of rock.

"Do you like this war knife? Isn't it too heavy?" Du Yang took the heavy war knife and almost lost his balance.

"The material is quite special, not like metal." Ailinda touched the war knife.

Du Yang tried it out with some effort. "It's pretty good, seems quite old."

Just as Tang Yan was about to ask the price, he noticed a small creature among the young beasts, quietly observing them. When it saw his gaze, it trembled, whimpered, and curled up, looking pitiful.

This small creature wasn't particularly attractive, resembling a mixed-breed black puppy from a rural area. Its two small eyes were lively, and it seemed to have been born not long ago, only the size of a palm, with its small ears still curled. As Tang Yan observed it, it secretly lifted its eyes, quickly closed them, and slowly moved closer to the other young beasts.

"Boss, how much for this puppy?" Tang Yan found it amusing and asked casually.

The old man replied listlessly, "Not for sale."

"Not for sale? Are you displaying it here for fun, or are you afraid I won't pay?"

"Gift, buy one get one free. I sell weapons, the young beasts are free gifts."

"Is it your pet?" Tang Yan picked up the trembling black puppy and examined it. The little guy seemed very scared, curling up tightly.

"I bought it from a mercenary. They said they found it halfway back from a mission. They originally wanted to cook it, but it was too small, and they felt it was a waste to throw it away."

"I'll buy this war knife, and this puppy as a gift." Tang Yan placed the black puppy on his shoulder and swung the war knife a few times. It was indeed heavy, but the feel was good, ancient and grand.