Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 83: The True Scripture Emerges

At deep night, midnight.

Qingyunfang City had long since enforced a curfew, the marketplace district sealed shut, not a soul in sight.

Zhang Yao donned a black cloak and an iron mask, quietly leaving the west residential area.

A closer look revealed his stature had become noticeably shorter and sturdier, clearly the result of deliberate disguise through bone adjustment.

Along the way, Zhang Yao saw several similar figures with concealed identities, but everyone tactfully avoided each other.

Moments later, Zhang Yao reached the edge of the marketplace district, and after showing his token, passed through a hidden door into the underground.

He followed the subterranean passage, arriving at an underground hall.

Looking around, the underground hall was vast, tens of zhang in every direction, with a dozen hidden doorways encrypted on the surrounding walls, shrouded in dim light.

Inside the underground hall, there were no fixed shops, only scattered stalls with over a hundred cultivators blending in, giving a bustling impression.

In the eastern part of the underground hall:

A jade pendant, one zhang tall and three zhang long, was embedded in the stone wall, emitting a crystal-clear luster with hundreds of lines of text engraved on it.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Yao noticed the lower section of the jade pendant where two lines of information blinked continuously, his eyes brightened involuntarily.

"Such good luck? Both reward notices were responded to."

"Looks like there’s going to be a big gain tonight!"

Thinking of this, Zhang Yao could hardly contain his anticipation.

The ruins marketplace opened once every three months, and he had participated many times, often leaving disappointed.

Over the years, the "Scripture of All Transformations and True Nature" remained elusive, though on the path of evil secret techniques, he had acquired one suitable technique three years ago called the ’Blood Burning Skill’, which became a new card up his sleeve.

Today, with responses to both of his rewards, if luck served him well, he might obtain an evil secret technique while also acquiring the "Scripture of All Transformations and True Nature".

Zhang Yao wandered through the stalls while patiently waiting, and an hour later, a black-robed figure appeared, standing before the jade pendant and loudly announced:

"The auction is about to begin!"

After a rustling noise, many marketplace guests proceeded through the hidden doors to another slightly smaller underground hall, the venue for the auction.

"The first auction item is a powerful high-grade magical artifact from the Jingu Sect..."

The auctioneer, clad in black robes, wasted no words and started the auction immediately.

Being illicit in origin, auction items at the marketplace often sold for much lower prices, and customer enthusiasm was high.

Several treasures caught Zhang Yao’s eye, but unfortunately, his funds were limited as he had to save for purchasing an evil secret technique, lacking enough capital to compete in such auctions.

Half an hour later, the auction concluded, and many stood up to leave the marketplace, but a few entered another underground hall.

This third underground hall was similar in size to the auction venue, equipped with numerous tables and chairs, purposefully spaced apart.

"As usual, no eavesdropping on private conversations."

"Friends whose reward notices received responses, come here to receive your number tags."

A black-robed figure stood before a long table and announced loudly.

Zhang Yao joined the crowd, acquiring two corresponding number tags at the long table, then randomly chose a seat at a table and placed his tags on it, quietly waiting for his visitors.

Soon, a person in a black cloak found Zhang Yao, pulled out a chair, and sat opposite him.

"Which reward?"

Deploying a sound insulation skill, Zhang Yao asked in a hoarse voice.

"Number one hundred sixty-nine, seeking the evil secret technique."

The person in the black cloak, with a slightly youthful voice, calmly said:

"I have three techniques, namely ’Blood Burning Skill’, ’Broken Vein Technique’, and ’Heavenly Defect Secret Technique’, which do you want, or all of them?"

Zhang Yao pondered a moment and said:

"I already have the Blood Burning Skill, introduce ’Broken Vein Technique’ and ’Heavenly Defect Secret Technique’."

"Alright."

The youthful voice on the other side responded:

"The Broken Vein Technique is a secret technique to shatter and sever one’s own qi vein for a desperate blow."

"When used at the Middle stage Qi Refining, it can unleash close to Qi Refining Perfection might; if used at the Late stage, enough to kill or heavily injure a Qi Refining Perfection user."

"But after using the Broken Vein Technique, there’s only one strike, after which, even if not dead, one becomes crippled with severed qi veins, forever without hopes of cultivation."

Hearing this, Zhang Yao shook his head and said:

"The cost is far too severe, not wanting it."

Severed qi veins, such a terrifying cost, such damage beyond physical injury was not something even his talent could compensate for.

"...Alright."

The black-robed figure sighed and said resignedly:

"Then let me tell you about the Heavenly Defect Secret Technique."

"The Heavenly Defect Secret Technique burns lifespan and destroys one’s potential for powerful strength, briefly equaling Late stage Qi Refining when used at the Middle stage."

"The cost is—every breath spent using it, a year of lifespan is lost, and a slight delay results in instant death."

Hearing this, Zhang Yao’s heart raced.

This Heavenly Defect Secret Technique seemed even more suited to him than the "Blood Burning Skill", almost tailor-made!

What’s there to fear about burning lifespan? If there’s one thing he has enough of, it’s lifespan! Burning it until the end of time wouldn’t be an issue.

"I’ll take this one."

Zhang Yao pretended to ponder before slowly speaking:

"Name your price."

"Hmm..."

The other hesitated, tentatively asking:

"One hundred spirit stones?"

"Too expensive."

Zhang Yao immediately shook his head, firmly refused:

"The value of an evil secret technique pales far in comparison to a regular immortal secret technique."

"Moreover, this Heavenly Defect Secret Technique requires the price of burning lifespan, the aftereffects are too severe, not worth a hundred spirit stones at all."

"Fifty stones, and I’ll buy it."

He had worked as a Talisman Master for several years and earned a little over two hundred spirit stones.

Apart from repaying Old Qi and the purchase of "Blood Burning Skill" three years ago, he had barely over a hundred left, needing to spend cautiously.

"Fifty stones? How can that be, an evil secret technique is so rare..."

The other immediately began negotiating.

Moments later, they settled for sixty-five spirit stones, and Zhang Yao successfully obtained the jade scroll recording the "Heavenly Defect Secret Technique".

"A promising start, quite satisfactory."

He put away the jade scroll, suppressing the joy in his heart, and turned to another figure not far off, a slender form appearing to be a woman.

She had been waiting a few yards away while he negotiated with the black-robed figure, evidently there regarding his other reward notice.

After completing the transaction, the black-robed person left, and the female figure approached directly, sitting across from him.

"After so many years, finally news of the ’Scripture of All Transformations and True Nature’..."

Zhang Yao’s emotions surged, suppressing his excitement before feigning indifference:

"Reward notice one hundred sixty-eight?"

"Yes."

The female figure’s face was shrouded in a black veil, her voice tinged with age:

"What do you prepare to exchange for the ’Scripture of All Transformations and True Nature’?"