Chapter 126: Arrival at the Market

The blazing sun scorched the earth, its fierce heat making even the dense, shaded forest feel uncomfortably warm. Walking along the winding forest path, whenever the boy’s foot struck a patch of sun-baked, hardened soil, a wave of heat surged up from beneath, almost unbearable.

On this somewhat crooked trail, the boy suddenly lifted his foot and stomped down fiercely, the impact thudding heavily against the ground like a heavy weight dropping, sending plumes of yellow dust and soil swirling into the air. Seizing the recoil from the dust’s rise, he lunged forward with a powerful leap, soaring several meters ahead.

Upon landing, he repeated the move, pushing off with the other foot and springing forward again like an arrow shot from a bow. Each bound spanned several meters, allowing him to sprint far faster and farther than a normal run, leaving behind only a trail of dust, as if he were racing ahead of all others.

The dust and the heavy stomping sounds lingered behind him, standing out in the quiet woods. Yet, if one looked closely, what was even more unusual was that despite the winding path, the boy ran in a straight line, paying no heed to the trees blocking his way. With reckless force, he crashed directly through them.

“Crack!”

The trees splintered and fell, unable to halt his advance. Like a plow cutting through a field, he bulldozed forward, smashing through trunks as thick as two arms, which broke as easily as dead branches before him. After sprinting several hundred meters more, he finally faltered, gasping like a bellows, dragging his heavy feet with a limp toward the shade of a nearby tree.

Leaning weakly against the trunk, he lifted his head slightly, eyes half-closed, letting the sweat stream down his face like flowing water.

“Today’s condition is better, lasted longer than yesterday. This kind of training seems effective…” he murmured, moving his sore limbs. It had been nearly half a month since he left Kaichangling City, during which he had traveled day and night, only entering this forest two days prior.

Judging by the current progress, if not for that night when the Blood Emperor had forcibly made him fly through the night, it would have taken even longer. Part of the delay was the vastness of the land, but also because he wasn’t familiar with the roads. After all, he had only been in this world for three years and had spent most of that time in Kaichangling City, barely venturing beyond its borders.

Thus, despite relying on sketchy maps, he had taken some detours. Fortunately, the general direction was correct, and soon he would reach Lunluo City, located in the empire’s central region.

Despite the hardships, this brutal training had notably strengthened his physical body. Since awakening outside Kaichangling City that day, he discovered that besides the original seven-colored herb energy within him, there was now an infusion of other herbal powers. Through the punishing impacts he inflicted upon himself, this energy gradually fused into his muscle cells. Although he had not yet advanced from a first-tier to a second-tier beastly physique and his strength hadn’t increased, his body’s durability had improved significantly. He reckoned he could now stand firm against attacks from any fighter below the eighth rank without injury—provided they had no godlike trump cards.

This realization stirred great excitement within him. When he was a tenth-rank fighter, he was never afraid of eighth-rank opponents, but now was entirely different. The fact that he could stand there unguarded, taking hits calmly, was something unimaginable before.

To stand unguarded—what did that mean? Not having to worry about ambushes, because attacks from behind would be useless. Even if surrounded, he could just face forward and fight. Granted, his current strength might not fully support such confidence yet, but what about after he grew stronger?

“Soon I’ll reach Lunluo City. But from what I’ve heard, there’s a small town ahead. Judging by the distance, it shouldn’t be far,” he thought, resting briefly against the tree. The rest had refreshed him considerably; recovering physical strength was much faster than replenishing fighting energy. If it were before, using fighting energy and skills to break through so many trees and travel so far would require sitting in meditation for at least half a day to recover.

Feeling ready, he took a deep breath and pressed onward, his figure quickly vanishing into the sprawling greenery.

As dusk approached, he finally arrived at the small town. Yet, upon arrival, he realized that calling it a town was generous—it was more like a large village or an expansive market.

Indeed, it was a bustling marketplace. Situated at a crossroads, a steady flow of people came and went from all directions. Even as evening fell, the crowd remained lively. Numerous tents and stalls crowded together, drawing throngs of merchants, passersby, and mercenaries, some in groups, some alone. The air buzzed with shouts, the rumble of wagon wheels, and lively conversations, creating a vibrant, noisy scene. Around the tents, mercenaries and caravan crews had set up camp.

Gathering people from many places naturally brought diverse information. Those seeking news exchanged whispers about rising herb prices and mercenary job openings. Of course, conversations among men often veered toward lewd topics. As he walked, Su Yi overheard many crude remarks about which women had the most shapely figures or the fairest skin.

Hearing the vulgar jokes momentarily reminded him of Lie Feifei—though, in his mind, she was bare-skinned. He shook his head to dispel the thought and glanced around before settling on a modest roadside teahouse. Entering, he ordered a cup of tea. After so long on the road, he was indeed thirsty. As for food, he had relied on coins and foraged wild plants and animals along the way.

Originally, he had purchased supplies in Kaichangling City, but after his storage ring exploded, the items had been transferred into the White Mask. When he examined the mask later, the supplies were missing—either lost or left behind in the cabin. He had no intention of returning to Kaichangling City just for those.

The tea soothed his throat and quenched his thirst, making his body feel lighter and more comfortable. With no pressing matters, his attention drifted to the other patrons. The teahouse was simple and clearly temporary, easily dismantled like the tents. Due to the constant flow of people, it remained lively.

“Hey, have you heard? A mercenary group ran into trouble yesterday…”

“I heard, I heard. Seems they had a woman who stole their leader’s fighting skill scroll and fled overnight. That skill was said to be of the Mysterious tier! Don’t know if it’s true, but this morning the leader stormed into the eastern forest with his men, vowing to make the woman’s life a living nightmare!”

“Heh heh, making a woman suffer like that usually pleases the men. I heard the mercenaries brought home many women last night—must be lustful scoundrels. If they catch that thief, she might be tortured to death…”

“I agree. Those aren’t gentle folk, and their leader is a fighting cultivator. He won’t let it go easily. Too bad for that woman. I’ve seen her—she’s trouble, especially those long, straight legs that make one’s heart itch…”

“Oh? Want to join the hunt? Maybe after they finish with her, they’ll let you have some fun too, haha!”

Two burly men spoke this way at a table near Su Yi. They looked like wandering mercenaries, weapons laid on the table, shirts open to reveal sun-darkened, muscular frames, exuding ruggedness.

Su Yi’s gaze flickered slightly upon hearing their talk. A Mysterious-tier fighting skill combined with a fighter’s prowess was no small thing in Kaichangling City. That particular skill was crucial for growth. Even the Aubin family’s best fighting skills were only low-level Mysterious tier. A mercenary group possessing such a skill, though not strong now, had promising potential.

Thinking of this, Su Yi recalled Diyuan, who had also luckily obtained a Mysterious-tier fighting skill scroll. From this perspective, Diyuan’s minor role as an auction guard was somewhat beneath him. But without greater strength and full loyalty from subordinates, he had to join a faction to prevent others from coveting his skill and plotting against him.

To possess a treasure without power was truly perilous. Su Yi himself now carried not only coveted Mysterious high-tier fighting skills but also some Earth-tier skills few had ever seen.

Sighing inwardly, Su Yi prepared to pay and leave. When he asked the price, his expression changed in surprise.

“What? Fifteen gold coins for a cup of tea?!”

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&^^%# Martial Peak 126_Chapter 126: Arrival at the Market — Update Complete!