Lord of the Demon Sect - Chapter 14 - Poison Mist Gourd

Jiang Chen decided to first visit the bazaar at the foot of Ghostly Slaughter Peak. It was a place where many disciples of the Ghostly Slaughter Sect exchanged items, and numerous cultivators from other sects and nearby rogue cultivators could buy and sell goods as long as they paid the entrance fee to the sect.

Although the Ghostly Slaughter Sect had rules against disclosing its cultivation methods to outsiders, there were no restrictions on the sharing of skills related to alchemy, artifact crafting, talisman crafting, and other practical skills.

As for the trading of spiritual artifacts, talismans, pills, and materials, that was completely open. After all, no one could master all the skills like planting, artifact crafting, alchemy, and talisman crafting.

Thus, the bazaar was also the liveliest place within the Ghostly Slaughter Sect.

At this moment, at least sixty or seventy disciples at the lower and middle stages of qi refinement were gathered, setting up stalls to exchange and trade.

Not far from the entrance of the bazaar, there sat a bald man at the fifth layer of qi refinement. He looked like a smiling monk, around thirty years old, with a short and stocky build, calmly meditating with a sign in front of his stall that read: Low Grade Spiritual Artifacts for Sale.

Jiang Chen felt a spark of curiosity and approached to observe. He saw six or seven spiritual artifacts on display at the stall. Among them was the green sword he had taken from Du Wei, labeled as the “Ghost Flame Sword.” The price was set at ten spirit stones, indicating that it was quite a common item. Even if he used it himself, it shouldn’t raise any suspicions.

The other spiritual artifacts were quite peculiar. One appeared to be a black gourd, with a sign that said “Poison Mist Gourd.”

Intrigued, Jiang Chen asked the stall owner, “Does this gourd spray poison?”

The stall owner looked Jiang Chen up and down, noticing he was just a first-layer qi refinement disciple and didn’t seem wealthy. He snorted coldly and replied, “Of course! I specially traveled far and wide to buy this from the Five Poison Sect’s bazaar, and it’s fifty spirit stones each.”

“That’s so expensive!” Jiang Chen exclaimed, shocked. Although he had received twenty spirit stones from Du Wei, he couldn’t even afford half a gourd.

“Expensive? This isn’t expensive at all! Only people from the Five Poison Sect would make such a thing. I had to trek all the way to Miao Region¹ to stock up. If I encountered robbers on the way, I could lose everything, even my life. Fifty spirit stones is already a bargain!” the stall owner retorted, sounding annoyed.

At this moment, several other disciples from the Ghostly Slaughter Sect also gathered around, showing great interest in the “poison mist gourd.”

Seeing so many people drawn to it, the stall owner became animated and began to explain in detail the marvelous uses of the poison mist gourd.

It turned out that it was a spiritual artifact crafted by the elite sect of the Demon Sect, the Five Poison Sect. It was incredibly easy to use; all one had to do was inject spiritual power into it, and the gourd would spray out black mist. This mist was highly toxic; anyone who inhaled it would faint and lose consciousness. Even if the enemy had a higher cultivation level, they would still feel dizzy and slow to react. In a battle, being slow meant certain death.

The stall owner excitedly stated, “Brothers, this poison mist gourd contains ten tubes of poisonous mist, meaning it can be used ten times. After using it up, you can come back to refill it with poison mist, and I’ll only charge you one spirit stone per tube. If you accidentally hurt a companion while using it, or if you end up inhaling it yourself, it’s not a problem-I also have the antidote!”

With that, he pulled out a white porcelain bottle and said, “This bottle contains the antidote to the poison mist; there are ten pills in each bottle, and they’re one spirit stone each. This is a rare opportunity! This is a spiritual artifact crafted by a top Demon Sect! I only managed to get five gourds; once they’re sold out, they’re gone!”

Everyone reflected for a moment. Although the poison mist gourd had a lower toxicity that wouldn’t kill someone outright, using it in battle would catch the enemy off guard. It could swiftly turn the tide of a confrontation and put the enemy in a perilous situation. Its utility was significant, but the price was a bit steep.

After hesitating for a while, only three disciples who looked relatively wealthy decided to buy the poison mist gourd. Jiang Chen was indeed somewhat interested in the gourd but, upon considering his own resources, could only sigh and continue deeper into the bazaar.

As he walked, Jiang Chen noticed that the stalls of the disciples were casually set up on the ground. Each stall had a sign indicating what they were selling. For stalls with multiple items, the stall owners placed a sign in front of each item detailing its name and purpose, creating a fairly orderly atmosphere.

The bazaar was quite spacious, with enough room between each stall to allow for movement. There were often small groups of Ghostly Slaughter Sect disciples and even some rogue cultivators passing by, browsing and inquiring about prices, resembling a vibrant open market from his past life.

The most common signs seen at the stalls were those advertising the purchase of pills. While there were also a few selling pills, they were rare, and once a sign was put up for selling, it wouldn’t be long before many people gathered around and snatched everything up.

Jiang Chen quickly learned the differences among the various pills suitable for different stages of qi refinement. For instance, the “qi nourishing pill,” “gathering qi powder,” and “qi condensing pill” were specifically designed for cultivators at the first to third layers, fourth to sixth layers, and seventh to ninth layers, respectively. Additionally, there were pills for detoxification, calming the mind, and resisting cold and heat, each categorized quite specifically.

For cultivators, aside from daily meditation for their cultivation practice, taking pills was the fastest way to boost their cultivation level.

However, most rogue cultivators and lower-level sect disciples didn’t possess much wealth and could only afford to use pills when they needed a breakthrough. Meanwhile, elite disciples and young cultivators backed by high-level cultivators or elders in their sects could ensure they had access to pills each month, enabling them to cultivate much faster.

Footnote:

1. Miao Region(苗疆): A region in southwestern China steeped in mystery, traditionally associated with the Miao ethnic culture, known for its unique customs, shamanism, and use of poisons.