Following the method memorized by Su Meiniang, Li Pingcan knocked on the tombstone in a specific rhythm: three long beats and two short ones.  

“Aiya!”  

With a light sound, the tombstone slowly slid aside, revealing a pitch-black hole just wide enough for one person to pass through.  

A mixed stench of mud and blood hit him from the opening.  

His brows furrowed slightly as he calmly spread out his fungal carpet. With a low hum, the air trembled, but the drifting spores were completely blocked by an invisible barrier.  

“There's a formation restriction here?”  

Helpless, he had no choice but to proceed on foot.  

Inside was a hidden world. A stone stairway paved with bluestone snaked downward. On the walls beside it, every few steps was embedded a glowing noctilucent stone emitting a faint green light, casting dim shadows throughout the underground space.  

This so-called “Ghost Market” was even more shabby than he had imagined.  

It was merely a naturally expanded cave with a dozen or so sparse stalls arranged around. Most stall owners, like him, concealed their faces with black robes or bamboo hats, exuding a chilling aura that warned strangers to stay away.  

Li Pingcan’s Animal Affinity flickered uneasily; he clearly sensed that nearly every person nearby was enveloped in a dense aura of malice, greed, and vigilance.  

It felt like falling into a nest of venomous snakes, each flicking its tongue, scheming how to swallow the neighbor whole.  

Li Pingcan muttered internally; it perfectly matched his stereotype of scattered cultivators.  

Suppressing his discomfort, he ended his sensory scan and began casually wandering among the stalls.  

Though the Ghost Market was large, the goods sold were a chaotic mix of illicit items.  

There were openly sourced magical implements, potent but heavily toxic evil pills, incomplete jade scrolls of cultivation techniques, and even a few cages labeled “Fresh Furnace Cauldron, Price Negotiable” holding several dull-eyed, shivering middle-aged men and women inside.  

His storage pouch swept a cold, sharp gaze across them.  

He stopped at a stall specializing in spiritual pills. The vendor was a thin old man with a goatee and sharp eight-cornered eyes that flickered with cunning and shrewdness.  

“Fellow Daoist, what do you want to buy?” the old man asked.  

“Yun Wang Jin, how much?” Li Pingcan asked hoarsely.  

“Ten high-grade spirit stones per bottle. Ten pills per bottle. No bargaining.”  

“So expensive?” Li Pingcan’s heart twitched. The spiritual pills he had obtained from the Holy Lord’s camp were of worse quality.  

“Fellow Daoist, that’s genuine sect-produced goods. Pure and effective, no cheating. If you think it’s expensive, you can try other stalls.” The old man waved impatiently.  

Li Pingcan knew he was telling the truth. In the Ghost Market, rarity dictated price. He weighed the cost in his heart and asked, “What about exchanging with medium-grade spirit stones?”  

“One hundred to one.” The old man finally looked at him once. “For low-grade spirit stones, a hundred medium-grade stones for one.” Judging by his poor appearance, he probably had none.  

Li Pingcan was angry inside. These scattered cultivators were really despicable.  

Forget it. He wasn’t a petty person but had no tolerance for such greed. If he wanted to smash the Ghost Market, there were other places to buy spiritual pills and qi recovery pills.  

Hoping to try his luck, he asked, “Do you accept spirit crystals?”  

“Spirit crystals?” The old man laughed as if hearing a joke. “Those things are only used by the lowest Refining Qi Stage One cultivators. Dogs want those! If you have spirit stones, don’t waste time here!”  

Li Pingcan was met with disappointment but mentally took note. The currency system in this cultivation world was strictly hierarchical.  

Without further ado, he bit the bullet, took out four medium-grade spirit stones, and exchanged them for forty bottles of Yun Spirit Pills.  

Four hundred low-grade spirit stones vanished just like that. Pills were precious; even with Divine Berry Technique, it would only last two months.  

It felt like being flayed alive, and he suddenly missed the old days when he treated the Holy Lord’s pills like candy.  

After buying the pills, he wandered among other stalls, hoping to find a big bargain like in the stories.  

Sure enough, he discovered something.  

In a corner of a stall selling all sorts of rare and strange materials, he saw a small, dried black seed about the size of a thumb, looking inconspicuous.  

The vendor was a big man with a masked face. Seeing him stare at the seed, he grumbled, “Fellow Daoist has good eyes. This is from an ancient cave, surely the seed of some rare and exotic herb. One price: one medium-grade spirit stone!”  

Li Pingcan sneered inwardly. This man was bluffing without preparation.  

But as a Druid, he could clearly sense that this seemingly lifeless seed contained a faint yet extremely pure trace of life and spiritual energy.  

Feigning disdain, he spat, “Ancient seed? Looks like a dead seed left for centuries. Might not even sprout. Ten low-grade spirit stones, take it or leave it.”  

“Hey! How do you talk?” The big man became anxious. “Fifty!”  

“Five!”  

After bargaining, Li Pingcan bought the seed at the “high price” of eight low-grade spirit stones.  

He secretly rejoiced, planning to plant it next to the Mulberry Spirit Tree to see what treasure might grow.  

Satisfied and ready to leave, a commotion erupted ahead.  

“Look, a first-grade high-quality magical implement!”  

“What? A magical implement? High-grade? Seriously!?”  

Li Pingcan became interested. This was the second magical implement he had ever seen besides the “Dynasty Magical Implement” in Magistrate Liang’s hand.  

The flying sword was bright red all over, its blade flowing with magma-like patterns, radiating scorching and sharp energy.  

“A first-grade high-quality magical implement, ‘Crimson Refining Sword’.” The vendor, a taciturn man in black, said succinctly, looking at the excited crowd. “One high-grade spirit stone.”  

Li Pingcan twitched his mouth and quietly turned away.  

Couldn’t afford it, goodbye.  

He wondered why the Holy Lord’s “cash” was so scarce. He had thought a thousand low-grade spirit stones was a fortune, but it couldn’t buy anything.  

On reflection, the Holy Lord was always ready to bail out. If spirit stones weren’t converted to resources to boost power, they were useless dead weight. Thus, Li Pingcan had plenty of pills and spiritual wealth but few spirit stones.  

Still, not being able to buy didn’t mean he couldn’t sell something to get some back.  

Among the spoils in his storage pouch was a black first-grade medium-quality magical robe. The material was special, impervious to blades and spears, containing three practical integrated formations: “Wind Transformation” shield and “Golden Blade” offensive. But for some reason, it affected people’s minds, making it uncomfortable to wear. It took up space, so better to sell for spirit stones.  

He went to a stall specializing in buying old magical implements. The owner was a shrewd-looking fat man.  

Li Pingcan pulled out the robe. “Fellow Daoist, take a look at this.”  

The fat man examined it carefully. A glint of insight flashed briefly in his eyes. “Hmm, good material, rare ‘Mind-Enchanting Silkworm Silk’. Pity it’s tainted with evil energy and worn. Second-hand. If you’re willing to part with it, I offer ten medium-grade spirit stones.”  

“Ten?” Li Pingcan laughed angrily. His Fungal Lord Domain gathered information quickly. He had observed it a long time and knew a bit. “Fellow Daoist, you think I don’t know? This ‘Mind-Enchanting Silkworm Silk’ calms the mind and resists illusions. Moreover, the formation patterns are intact. Not forty medium-grade spirit stones, no deal!”  

“Forty? You’re robbing me!” the fat man yelled. “The robe is evil-tainted, cleansing is costly and risky. At most fifteen!”  

“You can sell it to demon cultivators. Thirty, not a dime less, or I leave!”  

“Twenty! Twenty medium-grade spirit stones! That’s my highest offer! It’s safest selling here given the robe’s origin!”  

In the end, Li Pingcan sold the robe for twenty medium-grade spirit stones.  

Though short of his expectations, he still made a small profit.  

Pocketing the spirit stones, he left without lingering, quickly exiting this den of trouble.  

As he stepped out of the Ghost Market and merged with the night, a feeling of being watched crept up his spine.  

Not far behind, two furtive figures lurked, using the darkness and cave shadows to trail him at a steady pace.  

“So hospitable. I just finished spending, and already someone’s eager to ‘return the favor.’ Such sincere local customs.”  

Wild beasts roar before eating you. These people don’t even say a word, just plan to stab you in the back and rob you.  

He sighed softly but his steps didn’t falter. His face, altered by tendon-shifting and bone-altering, showed no emotion. The Fungal Lord Domain quietly unfolded.  

Every movement of the two tails behind him formed a 4D panoramic map in his mind, clearer than palm lines.  

A cold wind blew through the mountains, stirring dry leaves with a rustle.  

One tall and one short, one fat and one thin.  

Both were Refining Qi mid-stage cultivators. The fat one was slightly stronger, around Refining Qi Stage Five, wearing a greedy expression that didn’t hide his intent. The thin one was Refining Qi Stage Four, more cautious, repeatedly trying to dissuade his companion but was glared at impatiently.  

“Greed is original sin. Mindless greed is a path to death,” Li Pingcan sighed inwardly and turned sharply, entering an abandoned beast trail.  

He was giving his pursuers an opportunity and sparing himself trouble.  

The trail ended at a moss-covered giant rock, no further path. Li Pingcan stopped, turned leisurely, and quietly awaited his “guests.”  

“Tap tap tap…”  

Heavy footsteps approached. The fat and thin pair blocked the trail, faces twisted in sneers.  

“Kid, quite the choice of place. Picking your own feng shui treasure spot?”  

The fat cultivator crossed his arms, triangular eyes gleaming like a cat playing with a mouse. His Refining Qi Stage Five pressure unleashed fully, attempting to crush Li Pingcan with sheer presence.  

Li Pingcan acted casual, even interestedly scanning them.  

Their builds and complexion showed they were poisoned by evil pills, with unstable foundations. He wondered how they reached Refining Qi Stage Five.  

“Fellow Daoists, why are you tailing me all this way?” Li Pingcan asked, not wanting to falsely accuse “good people.”  

“What business? Heh heh!” The fat man sneered, extending a thick palm. “Don’t play dumb with me! We saw you selling a lot of spirit stones in the Ghost Market. Be sensible—hand over the storage pouch, kowtow a few times, and if grandpa’s in a good mood, you might keep your corpse!”  

Li Pingcan shook his head, refusing to reply, ready to leave.  

“You’re dead meat!” The fat man’s eyes flashed fiercely.  

He suddenly slapped the storage pouch. A short blade magical implement glowing with azure light appeared in his hand. Sword energy locked onto Li Pingcan instantly.  

The short blade hummed, transforming into a blue light streak with a slicing sound, stabbing straight for Li Pingcan’s throat!  

The strike was fast and brutal, sealing nearly all escape routes.  

However, just as the blue blade neared, Li Pingcan moved.  

He shouted like thunder, “Gale Technique!”  

The fat cultivator curled his lips into a disdainful smirk.  

Gale Technique? A lowest-level spell, only wind blades—what use?  

Against his Refining Qi Stage Five cultivation and first-grade medium-quality magical implement, it was a joke!  

He already imagined the bloody scene of piercing the opponent’s throat.  

But the next moment, his smile froze utterly.  

No magical glow appeared. The “Refining Qi Stage Three” kid didn’t retreat but charged forward like a leopard, heading straight at the flying blade!  

His speed was incredible. His body left a blurred afterimage in the air, narrowly brushing past the blade’s edge at a sharp angle.  

The fat man’s vision blurred; a strong sense of danger overwhelmed him instantly!  

“No good!”  

Panicked, he tried to retreat while forming hand seals to recall the blade.  

Too late.  

Li Pingcan’s speed exceeded all expectations. This wasn’t the Gale Technique but pure burst physical speed!  

“You call this Gale Technique? Where’s the spell fight? Why break the rules?”  

“No honor. You played a sneak attack!”  

The fat man’s thoughts flashed but he couldn’t react.  

A seemingly ordinary fist containing explosive power broke through his hastily formed spiritual energy shield. In his shocked, distorted vision, the fist rapidly grew larger.  

“Smash!”  

A dull, drum-like boom shattered the mountain wind’s howl.  

The fist struck the fat man’s face firmly.  

In that instant, the fat man felt as if hit by a full-speed charging bear instead of a punch.  

The force shattered his nasal bone, and the powerful impact slammed his head back violently. His brain churned wildly, buzzing painfully.  

He was stunned, his mind blank.  

Cultivator fights were supposed to be reciprocal spell exchanges, comparing who had stronger spiritual power and sharper magical implements.  

How could someone just punch a face?!  

His proud Refining Qi Stage Five cultivation was a joke in that moment. His spiritual energy shield was as fragile as paper before that reckless fist.  

Before he could recover from the shock and confusion, a second punch followed immediately.  

Li Pingcan’s eyes showed no ripple as he advanced. His left hand clamped the opponent’s wrist holding the magical implement like iron pincers to prevent desperate counterattacks. Meanwhile, his right fist rose again, this time faintly crackling with lightning.  

It was a variant use of the newly acquired spell Thunderclap Wave!  

“It's over.”  

Li Pingcan silently declared and punched the opponent’s temple.  

This punch was heavier and deadlier than before.  

The massive impact made the fat man’s head feel like a watermelon smashed by a hammer. His eyes instantly lost focus, and his body collapsed limply to the ground, life fading fast.  

From the first strike to the end took only two or three breaths.  

The thin cultivator beside him was completely stunned.  

He gaped, staring dumbfounded at his once arrogant “Brother Wang” who had been killed with two punches.  

A bone-chilling cold ran from his feet to his crown.  

This wasn’t a Refining Qi Stage Three sheep but a prehistoric beast in sheep’s clothing!  

“Ghost... ghost!”  

He screamed miserably and fled, rolling and crawling, wishing his parents had given him more legs.  

Li Pingcan leapt several times and struck the exposed back of his fleeing opponent with a punch, concentrating force on his chest and shattering his heart!  

The thin cultivator collapsed weakly, twitching twice before lying still.  

After finishing with his throwing knife, Li Pingcan skillfully searched their bodies.  

Soon, he found a dusty storage pouch. Probing with divine sense, his face showed disgust.  

“Two paupers.”  

Inside the pouch were only a pitiful thirty-some low-grade spirit stones and no medium-grade stones at all. Apart from some poor-quality pills and a few broken magical implements, nothing else.  

“After all that, I robbed people poorer than me. Ridiculous.”  

Li Pingcan pocketed the spirit stones and pills, stood up, shook his head, and couldn’t help but mutter, “Weak and reckless.”  

He flicked his fingers, igniting a fire starter that cast an orange glow. The flame landed precisely on the corpses, igniting them into blazing fire.  

In moments, both bodies burned to ashes. The wind scattered the ashes completely, leaving no trace.  

Having done all this, Li Pingcan clapped his hands as if dusting himself off.  

He tidied his clothes and returned to his plain, middle-aged, scattered cultivator appearance.  

Turning, he walked out of the deep mountains and melted into the boundless night as if nothing had happened.