Chapter 20: The Mysterious Transformation of the Divine Furnace

The rich fragrance of the pill already heralded its extraordinary quality.

Lu Changfeng only glanced at it briefly.

He immediately knew that this marrow-washing pill was of top-grade quality.

After all, it had been personally arranged by Yue Hanshuang, so its quality was naturally high.

Moreover, the jade box containing the pill was no ordinary container.

It completely sealed off the pill’s fragrance, which was rare to see.

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly and closed the jade box.

Shopkeeper Zheng smiled and said, “Since there’s no problem, you can take it directly.”

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly and casually placed the jade box into his space ring.

He stood up, cupped his hands slightly, and then walked toward the exit.

Only then did Zhou Xuantong react and hurriedly follow him.

At this moment, his heart was free of any greed.

All he felt was admiration for Lu Changfeng.

“I’m truly a genius!”

“I should have stayed by Senior Brother Lu’s side earlier!”

Zhou Xuantong’s face was full of gratitude and excitement.

Only today did he realize the position Lu Changfeng held in the Peak Master’s heart.

After all, he was the first follower.

In the future, whatever benefits arose, he surely wouldn’t be left out.

After Lu Changfeng and Zhou Xuantong left,

the elder in the private room sighed softly.

Then, his gaze turned to the bustling main road outside, murmuring,

“Has the Dao Yan Sect truly taken in a monster?”

The beautiful young lady was momentarily stunned, then softly asked,

“Grandpa... what do you mean?”

Shopkeeper Zheng sipped his tea and explained,

“This direct disciple of Peak Master Yue has a cultivation of only the eighth stage of the Tongmai.”

“But the moment he took out the pill just now, I noticed he showed no emotional fluctuation.”

“As if a fourth-grade marrow-washing pill was nothing in his eyes.”

“And for Peak Master Yue to spend a large sum to have such a pill refined for him...”

“It shows that this young man’s talent and disposition must be exceptional!”

The beautiful young lady nodded slightly; her tactfulness made her understand at once.

Shopkeeper Zheng casually set down his teacup and advised,

“From now on, whenever this young man comes here, treat him as an honored guest!”

The beautiful young lady responded, “Yes!”

...

On the way back,

Zhou Xuantong glanced at Lu Changfeng before lowering his gaze.

This hesitant attitude prompted Lu Changfeng to speak.

“Something on your mind?”

Lu Changfeng asked calmly.

Zhou Xuantong touched his earlobe, his face filled with envy as he said,

“No wonder you’re Senior Brother!”

“To have the Peak Master prepare a fourth-grade pill just for you!”

Lu Changfeng nodded slightly, saying nothing.

Zhou Xuantong whispered,

“Well, after all, you rose from the first stage of Tongmai to the eighth in just two months!”

“If I encountered such a disciple, I’d spoil him, too!”

Just as they were about to leave the marketplace,

Zhou Xuantong suddenly slapped his forehead.

With a bright smile, he looked at Lu Changfeng and said,

“Senior Brother, the time to open the Moon Cold Pool is almost here...”

“Could you accompany me around the marketplace? I want to look for a suitable weapon!”

Lu Changfeng turned to look at him.

Zhou Xuantong smiled again and said,

“I know with my cultivation it’s hard to make the top ten.”

“But I still want to try. What if I succeed?”

Generally, contenders for those spots have cultivation around the eighth stage of Tongmai.

Though he wasn’t strong enough, he wanted to get a feel for it.

Maybe luck would be on his side.

Lu Changfeng nodded faintly, glancing at the surrounding shops and said,

“There doesn’t seem to be any place selling weapons near the main road.”

Zhou Xuantong smiled and said,

“That’s true... but you know, Senior Brother, there are many small stalls around!”

“Their weapons are cheap and practical, and sometimes you can find good stuff!”

Lu Changfeng knew exactly where Zhou Xuantong was referring to.

Around the outskirts of the marketplace, there were many small paths.

Many thieves and bandits chose to set up stalls there,

exchanging items they couldn’t sell openly through barter.

In other words, it was the open secret black market of the marketplace.

This was an unspoken rule in the market.

After all, most cultivators were scattered disciples without stable incomes.

These people often spent years lurking in the ghost market.

“Let’s go.”

Lu Changfeng was well acquainted with such places.

And in this lifetime, he had yet to visit.

So he did not refuse Zhou Xuantong’s suggestion.

“Let’s go,” Lu Changfeng replied calmly.

Hearing this, Zhou Xuantong’s face lit up with joy.

He led the way eagerly, saying,

“Come, Senior Brother, this way!”

The two arrived at the outskirts’ ghost market.

The place was eerily silent.

There were no shops along the road, only many stall owners concealing their auras and faces.

Many passersby also covered themselves, hurrying along.

Even if someone stood near a stall, deals were made discreetly within their sleeves.

The entire marketplace was gloomy.

Lu Changfeng and Zhou Xuantong wandered around but bought nothing.

Just as they were about to give up,

a low hum suddenly vibrated—

The Dao Ancestor’s Divine Furnace trembled slightly, as if responding to a call.

The sensation came quickly and faded just as fast.

If Lu Changfeng hadn’t been attentive, he might have thought it an illusion.

“Could something here have triggered it?”

Lu Changfeng stood by the roadside, his gaze sweeping over the nearby stalls.

When his eyes settled on a stall about ten yards behind him,

though the Divine Furnace did not tremble again,

Lu Changfeng seemed to have found the source of the earlier vibration.

He stepped forward slowly.

Standing beside the stall,

on this stall were some demon beast materials and very fake cultivation pills quietly displayed.

A piece of earth-colored ceramic was placed at the corner of the stall, seemingly weighing down the cloth to prevent it from blowing in the wind.

“Take a look?”

The stall owner’s face was hidden, but bright eyes pointed to the goods and said,

“Sir, rest assured, my goods are of good quality and low prices. Satisfaction guaranteed.”

Lu Changfeng looked at the items with disdain.

“All trash!”

His voice was loud enough for those nearby to hear.

The stall owner was clearly a long-time vendor here.

He knew what he was selling.

But being exposed so bluntly still infuriated him.

After all, in this place, you could refuse to buy,

but you could not insult someone’s dignity like that.

“You!”

The stall owner’s hoarse voice rose as he stood abruptly, glaring viciously at Lu Changfeng and cursing,

“I bet you’re a pauper, too poor to buy anything here, just spreading lies!”

“Every item here is worth more than your worthless life!”

Lu Changfeng’s expression darkened instantly, as if provoked.

He pointed at the stall owner and spoke sharply,

“How dare you say I can’t afford it!”

“How dare you look down on me!”

“Do you believe I could bury you with my pocket money?”

“Hmph!”

The stall owner snorted coldly, thinking this kid was boasting.

“Come on! Use your pocket money to crush me!”

“I don’t believe you have a thousand spirit stones!”

“If you do, I’ll give you all my goods!”