Chu Ying stared dumbfounded at the transparent screen in front of him.
Divine-Level Side Effect System!
If the system had only eliminated the side effects from refining the Azure Phoenix Bone, it wouldn’t have excited him this much. After all, a system is supposed to be a cheat—if it could only do that much, it would barely qualify as a minor cheat.
But the final line of information displayed had him overjoyed!
[This system is called the Divine-Level Side Effect System. It can transfer all side effects suffered by the host—including but not limited to various negative buffs such as cultivation regression, Qi and blood decay, potential overdraft, poisoning, soul splitting, divine ability backlash, etc.—onto a designated target!]
“System, you’re seriously amazing!” Chu Ying couldn’t help but raise his thumb. This system was everything he had dreamed of!
Right now, he was being eroded by the side effects of refining the Azure Phoenix Bone. On his own, there was virtually no way to counter them.
He had been doomed to die in the Holy Son Selection Battle ten days later.
But now… everything had changed.
“By the way, System, don’t we get some kind of newbie gift pack?”
Chu Ying asked expectantly.
[System: This system is born for underdogs to rise. It brings spring to desperate situations. Currently, there are no gift packs or similar rewards. The host must rely on his own efforts…]
“Alright, alright! Underdog rising!” Chu Ying’s eyes gleamed.
Even without a newbie gift pack, I’ll rise again!
Leaving the cultivation peak, Chu Ying headed straight for the disciple market in the Supreme Profound Holy Land.
The disciple market was located in Yellow Wind Valley within the Supreme Profound Holy Land. It was long and vast, and deeper inside lay a small black market.
This black market sold many shady items, often at very cheap prices. Though their origins were questionable, the prices were low!
Chu Ying had little wealth. Until recently, all his monthly cultivation resources had gone to Yao Ruoxi. To cultivate himself, he had to take on missions, and he barely had any spirit stones left for personal use.
The only thing of value on him was his storage ring, which contained just 1,000 spirit stones!
If the other Holy Son Candidates knew this, they’d probably laugh their teeth out.
Before long, Chu Ying arrived at Yellow Wind Valley—the disciple market—and quickly reached the entrance of the black market.
Since he wasn’t wearing a mask, many stallholders and shop-running disciples in the market recognized him.
The famed Holy Son Candidate Number One!
“I want Gathering Qi Pills!”
Hundred Pill Shop—one of the most notorious pill shops in the black market—claimed to have every kind of pill.
However, all the pills it sold were low-quality imitations!
It was rumored that a certain crooked disciple from the Pill Refining Hall of the Supreme Profound Holy Land had created these knockoffs through unorthodox methods.
Because they couldn’t be sold openly—otherwise the Pill Refining Hall would punish or even expel them—they were secretly sold in the black market.
The effects of the imitation pills were similar to genuine ones, but each came with side effects. Some were so severe they could kill a person the next day.
Chu Ying stood before the Hundred Pill Shop.
“You… Holy Son Candidate Number One, Chu Ying? You’re sure you want Gathering Qi Pills?”
The shop owner, also a masked disciple, was only responsible for selling—not refining—the pills.
Seeing Chu Ying approach, the shop owner froze.
A top-tier Holy Son Candidate shopping for knockoff pills?
Usually, only desperate disciples or those in urgent need of a specific effect would come here.
The higher one’s status, the less likely they’d ever step into this place.
“That’s right. But I only have 1,000 spirit stones. How many Gathering Qi Pills can I get?” Chu Ying asked.
As the name suggested, Gathering Qi Pills were pills that helped generate spiritual Qi within the body.
For low-level cultivators, they were useful for cultivation or recovering strength.
However, the imitation Gathering Qi Pills from Hundred Pill Shop had serious side effects: they would reduce one’s absorption rate of spiritual Qi from the world and forcefully expand the Dantian, which consumed one’s future potential for breakthrough.
“…Our Gathering Qi Pills do increase spiritual Qi, but they slow spiritual Qi absorption and forcefully expand the Dantian. This is irreversible and will deplete your future cultivation potential,” the shop owner hesitated.
Why would someone like Chu Ying want fake Gathering Qi Pills?
“I know. Don’t worry. I have a use for them. If anything goes wrong, I won’t trouble the Hundred Pill Shop.”
“What’s the price? I’ve got 1,000 spirit stones. How many can I get?”
Chu Ying went straight to the point, understanding the shop owner’s concerns.
Hearing this, the shop owner relaxed a little.
“The market price of genuine Gathering Qi Pills is 50 spirit stones per pill. But our imitations only cost 5 spirit stones each,” he said.
“So cheap?” Chu Ying was surprised. He had heard of the shop’s knockoff pills but had never bought any before and didn’t know the price.
The shop owner chuckled, “Of course they’re cheap. Our shop operates on a large scale, so production costs are low. Small profit, quick turnover.”
In truth, if they charged more, no one would buy them. With such big side effects, who would spend a fortune on a fake pill? Wouldn’t a genuine one be better?
“Can you give me a discount?” Chu Ying hesitated.
Though it was a bit embarrassing for a Holy Son Candidate to ask for a discount, he had no choice—he was broke.
“This is your first time shopping with us, and you didn’t hide your identity. That alone helps advertise our shop.”
“I can make the decision to give you a price of 3 spirit stones per pill,” the shop owner said.
“Deal. I’ll take them!”
…
Under the stunned gazes of the disciples in the black market, Chu Ying left with a full bag of imitation Gathering Qi Pills.
A total of 320 pills!
The shop owner even threw in a few extra to “make friends.”
On his way back, Chu Ying started popping pills into his mouth one by one like eating candy.
“Yao Ruoxi, you want Ye Junfan to win the Holy Son Selection Battle in ten days and become the Holy Son? I won’t let that happen!” Chu Ying thought viciously.
“Side effect transfer target selected: Ye Junfan.”
Chu Ying focused his thoughts, and Ye Junfan’s image appeared in his mind.
A transparent screen then appeared before his eyes.
[Side Effect Target]: Ye Junfan
[Number of Side Effect Targets]: 1 (Current limit: 1)
At the same time, his status panel also updated.
[Host]: Chu Ying
[Realm]: 7th stage Spirit Sea Realm
…
[Current Side Effect 1]: Azure Phoenix Bone buff (Qi and blood decay, cultivation regression, combat power loss, potential overdraft) (Permanent)
[Current Side Effect 2]: Extremely low-quality imitation Gathering Qi Pill buff (slowed spiritual Qi absorption, potential overdraft) (Permanent)
[Side Effect Target]: Ye Junfan
[Number of Side Effect Targets]: 1 (Current limit: 1)
Chu Ying paused for a moment.
Weren’t these Gathering Qi Pills supposed to also forcefully expand the Dantian?
“Looks like that effect doesn’t count as a negative buff, so it wasn’t listed.”
Still, Chu Ying laughed.
Ye Junfan would surely be… “delighted.”