In the city, the battle between the Golden Oak and the Silver Moon cultists was still raging, with frequent explosions echoing in the distance.
Meanwhile, Ji Xun had already hijacked the shipment and quietly arrived at an abandoned building.
As he left earlier, he was spotted by some unknown trackers who pursued him relentlessly until he managed to shake them off.
After surveying his surroundings, Ji Xun finally put away his scalpel and muttered to himself, "If I knew how to use poison, I wouldn't have had such a hard time."
If it had been like the time he was stabbed and experienced severe paralysis, it wouldn't have taken so long to kill that "black ghost" Lao Lu.
It was only after actual combat that he realized how useful the [Plague Doctor's Scalpel] truly was.
One stab from this weapon would leave a first-level curse card user with a bleeding hole.
With the added paralysis toxin, it was practically a lethal tool.
However, "weapon poisoning" was a specialized skill.
It required a certain level of proficiency and understanding of poisons to master safely.
Ji Xun wasn't yet skilled in poisoning, so he didn't dare to recklessly apply substances to his blade.
He had tried before, and the fumes from the paralysis toxin almost knocked him out.
Not to mention applying it to the blade for regular use, which could backfire and harm himself.
There were many areas he needed to improve.
Ji Xun didn't dwell on these thoughts.
Gathering his thoughts, he found a spot with good escape routes and began to inspect his recent gains.
He first checked two storage rings, confirming there were no tracking devices inside.
A set of soft leather armor for assassins wasn't bad; it was Lao Lu's main defense against the explosions earlier.
But it was far inferior to the Frost Knight's inner armor, so it was just something to sell for money.
Ji Xun then opened a cloth package, revealing the two most troublesome spoils.
The amber-like brick was the familiar [Secret Source Medium].
Looking at it, Ji Xun couldn't help but feel a bit emotional, "Ah, this is probably the last one..."
He didn't know how many of these the Silver Moon cult had.
But considering there was only one per base, there couldn't be many.
And he alone had obtained three.
It seemed like he was plucking wool from a sheep, almost making it bald.
With the Silver Moon cult's base raided, it would be hard to come by more of these in the future.
He had gotten used to the rapid physical enhancements brought by absorbing these mediums, and going back to absorbing corpses in the mortuary for months to achieve the same effect would be a huge letdown.
With a fleeting thought, Ji Xun mocked himself, transitioning from luxury to frugality was tough.
But the medium in his hand now was the one he felt most at ease with.
The Silver Moon cult members were still on the run, with no time to search for the medium.
Even if they knew it was stolen, they likely wouldn't dare to come after it.
Uncertain of who took it, they wouldn't risk it without considering it might be a trap.
This medium should be easy to absorb.
Ji Xun didn't rush to absorb it but instead opened the oiled paper package.
Inside was a pitch-black nail.
The nail was only half a foot long but exuded a strong necromantic aura.
Strangely, upon closer inspection, it also seemed to emit a sense of holiness.
A very conflicting visual experience.
Upon further inspection, Ji Xun understood why.
[Holy Dark Nail]
Description: Grade III ancient relic; Sanctity +9, Curse +9; when driven into a target, it can seal the energy fluctuations of undead entities not surpassing the relic's law level.
...
"A sealing relic?"
Ji Xun found the nail quite special.
Having both sanctity and curse characteristics was unprecedented.
He wondered if "Lone Wolf" Balon used this to restrain aberrations.
Ji Xun didn't mind having more treasures.
Though a sealing relic seemed to have no combat use, being a Grade III relic, it was undoubtedly valuable.
He was more curious about other things.
For instance, why couldn't this Holy Nail be contained?
Relics could be contained; otherwise, they were called disaster items.
But this Holy Nail couldn't be contained.
After examining it, Ji Xun quickly found the issue.
The "pitch" at the nail's tip wasn't regular. Upon closer look, it had a faint metallic luster.
The description didn't reveal much, suggesting it was beyond common knowledge.
"Is this dark gold substance some kind of blood?"
Ji Xun pondered.
If the medium couldn't be contained due to a trace of divinity, this relic likely had a similar issue.
But then something bizarre happened.
As Ji Xun held the nail, playing with it, he noticed the dark gold blood transformed into fine sand-like energy particles, drifting toward his face.
It felt like an illusion before disappearing.
"?"
In a blink, the dark gold blood on the nail was gone.
Ji Xun realized: the clown mask had absorbed the divinity.
Before taking action, he had drunk a [High-Efficiency Mental Recovery Potion], which would last for three hours. To prevent mystic tracking, he wore the clown mask the whole time.
And this mask was a [JOKER] exclusive relic.
One of its attributes was: absorbing spiritual substances to enhance its properties.
Ji Xun had never known what the mask needed to absorb, but now he understood.
The divinity was absorbed.
Removing the mask and placing it in his card, Ji Xun noticed the mask had changed from its previous flesh color to white, as if a layer of foundation had been applied.
Looking at the mask's attributes, his eyes lit up, "The relic has upgraded?"
Not only had all mystical resistance effects increased by about 20%, but two new attributes had appeared:
1. "Mental Energy Absorption +15%"
2. "Cognition +2"
"Hiss..."
Ji Xun took a sharp breath.
The clown mask had already been an extraordinarily effective relic, saving him from several near-fatal situations. Now, its attributes had significantly improved.
This meant that the threat posed by first and second-level mystical curse card users would be greatly diminished in the future.
Examining the new attributes, he fell into thought.
The first attribute was straightforward, allowing absorption of external mental energy to a certain extent, thus restoring his own.
The second attribute, cognition enhancement, was intriguing.
Ji Xun put on the mask and immediately understood.
The mask temporarily heightened his cognitive limits.
Looking again at the nail, the insights provided by the mask were now different.
[Holy Dark Nail]
Description: Grade III ancient relic; Sanctity +9, Curse +9; when driven into a target, it can seal the energy fluctuations of undead entities not surpassing the relic's law level. This is a tool from ancient times used to nail down an indescribable entity. It possesses both divine and god-slaying powers, making it a rare seal with both righteous and evil qualities; it also has strong light and dark pollution properties.
...
Previously, the insights only provided attribute details, but now they revealed some background and causality of the relic.
Realizing the nature of the dark gold blood, Ji Xun muttered, "That dark gold blood was from some indescribable entity?"
Enhanced cognition allowed him to see the world differently.
"This ability is amazing!"
Ji Xun found the cognition +2 attribute even more valuable than the direct attribute boost. Although it didn't directly enhance combat power, the ability to gain more information through insights was far more significant.
However, glancing at the clay pot at his waist, his excitement was dampened.
It was still the same as before.
This function needed further improvement.
Nevertheless, Ji Xun was in high spirits, realizing that the mask still had room for enhancement. "I need to pay more attention to things with divinity in the future."
Unexpectedly, acquiring an unknown-use nail had unlocked a new feature of the clown mask.
Ji Xun took out a high-level containment card, activated it, and the [Holy Dark Nail] was promptly contained.
This made carrying it much more convenient.
After securing his spoils, Ji Xun began to absorb the [Secret Source Medium].
In a flash, another night passed.
...
As Ji Xun had predicted, the process of absorbing the medium went very smoothly without any disturbances.
In the morning, the steam train passed through the streets, signaling the start of a new day.
The previous night's chaos had completely subsided.
Ji Xun opened his eyes from meditation, a sharp light flashing in his black pupils, his aura becoming increasingly steady.
He exhaled a long breath and muttered, "My attributes have reached the limit of a card apprentice..."
Upon inspection, the medium had vanished, replaced by significantly enhanced physical attributes.
「Ji Xun」
Strength:10.82
Constitution:10.96
Agility:10.11
Resilience:10.04
Spirit:6.37
Curse Power:3321
Aura: Cursed Gambler
Elemental Affinity: Dark 41 / Light 19 / Earth 18 / Wind 15 / Water 16 / Fire 11 / Thunder 8 / Wood 21 / Metal 9
All attributes had essentially surpassed 10.
Seeing this, even Ji Xun felt like he was dreaming.
Normally, absorbing that medium should have increased his attributes by around 4 points.
But in reality, it only rose by 2 points.
This wasn't due to a problem with the medium but because he had reached the limit of a card apprentice.
By midnight, when his attributes hit 10, Ji Xun clearly felt the growth slowing significantly.
It was akin to athletes in his previous life; once the 100-meter dash broke the 10-second barrier, each improvement became exponentially harder.
Since the medium couldn't be stored, Ji Xun continued absorbing it, feeling he could still manage.
He consumed the entire medium.
It felt like overeating, with the sensation of food stuck in his throat, making his body uncomfortable.
But the good news was that his attributes forcibly climbed to nearly 11.
Don't underestimate this small difference; the higher the base, the greater the incremental gain upon transitioning to a new profession.
Ji Xun jumped up, feeling an unprecedented surge of power coursing through him.
He threw a few punches, and the sheer force of his fists created ripples in the air, producing a faint sound of compressed air.
Looking at the lights in the distant tower, he felt a mixture of excitement and a sense of happy trouble, "It's time to consider a profession card..."
Three days ago, he went to the black market just to browse.
He thought he had several months before facing this issue.
Unexpectedly, a lucky acquisition of a medium had rapidly elevated his physical attributes to the peak of a card apprentice.
Without a profession transition, further improvement would be extremely difficult.
...
With the medium absorbed and the holy nail contained, Ji Xun no longer carried anything that could attract unwanted attention.
He decided to visit the black market to check on profession cards and gather information on last night's events.
Before long, Ji Xun arrived at the Dark Rain Street black market.
The previously crowded bounty board now had only a few remaining notices.
The first bounty was still for the mysterious leader of the Silver Moon cult. The second was the hunchbacked necromancer, and the third was the missing "Plague Doctor" Blackson.
The core members were gone.
Though the "Moon" was stolen during last night's auction battle, the old believers suffered heavy losses.
Additionally, the bounties had increased significantly. For the individuals mentioned, providing accurate information now yielded rewards in the millions.
Ji Xun felt the decimation of these old believers was a good thing, but he couldn't help but feel something was missing when looking at the almost empty bounty board.
After some thought, he realized, "Hmm... Baron's bounty is gone?"
There was only one possibility: he was dead.
It made sense; although Baron was invincible among his peers, his methods were still within the normal range. A second-level practitioner couldn't stop him, but a third-level one could.
In a chaotic battle like last night's, someone likely targeted him specifically, making his death unsurprising.
Ji Xun's expression changed slightly as he still remembered the "Cursed Ace of Spades" card that Baron had fused with.
The Silver Moon cult suffered significant losses and wouldn't be able to make any major moves in the short term. However, Ji Xun's instincts told him it was wise to leave the city for a while as a precautionary measure.
...
Strolling through the black market, Ji Xun noticed several old shops had closed, while several new ones had opened.
The small shops in Sinless City were gradually going out of business, a sign of the times.
When he arrived at the door of Big Ivan's Treasure Shop, it was still bustling.
Ji Xun originally planned to check out the profession cards.
As he approached, he noticed a huge advertisement board at the entrance.
In flashy colors, it announced: "Tonight at 9 PM, the shop will hold an internal auction, featuring legendary materials such as [Dragon Bone] and [Giant's Flesh]. Stay tuned."
"..."
Ji Xun's eyes twitched.
Seeing these materials, he immediately knew they were from last night's battle.
The two mythological undead creatures summoned during the battle, while not defeated, had parts of their bones and flesh chopped off.
Legendary materials...
These were high-end items that most people wouldn't see in their lifetimes, let alone buy.
The owner behind Big Ivan's shop had immense resources and a keen business sense. The materials from last night were already in their shop by today.
Limiting the internal auction to store VIPs would certainly attract a new wave of high-quality members.
And those interested in legendary materials were undoubtedly among the city's elite.
This move was truly brilliant.
Ji Xun wasn't yet at the level where he could use legendary materials, so he didn't have any particular thoughts about them.
However, as he looked through the auction catalog, he noticed an unusual item.
"[Cursed Ace of Spades]?"
Ji Xun was baffled.
Big Ivan's shop had even managed to acquire this?
...
Card masters need profession cards, which can be purchased as finished cards from shops or as card templates.
Buying a card template is akin to purchasing a potion recipe.
With the recipe, you can gather the materials and create the card yourself. Although it's a bit more troublesome and requires finding a card maker to help with the creation, the probability of finding a silver template is much higher than buying a finished card.
This also provides a greater range of options.
Moreover, like breathing techniques, profession card templates can be reused, making them relatively cheaper.
Ji Xun didn't expect to buy a finished profession card today. He originally intended to inquire about suitable card templates.
Unexpectedly, he saw the [Cursed Ace of Spades] in the auction list.
This wasn't a finished card or a template but a "bloody fragment."
...
Typically, when a curse card master merges with a profession card of golden quality or higher, if they die before completely merging the card's extraordinary properties, it can result in "template fragments."
Think of it as undigested food in the deceased's stomach.
Though it sounds a bit creepy, this is how a significant portion of top-tier cards are passed down.
For instance, some legendary and epic cards are essentially the physical manifestations of high-level laws, making them stable and difficult to destroy.
Even if the extraordinary properties are fully absorbed, the template will remain.
By integrating some corresponding extraordinary materials, a complete card can be recreated.
Golden cards might only have a 10% chance of producing such fragments, but legendary cards have over a 50% chance, and epic cards nearly always produce them.
Since they come from a corpse, these cards are also called "bloody fragments."
Their appearance usually indicates something valuable.
The same principle applies to demon marks.
Ji Xun understood why the Fourth Young Master of the Cao family was so desperate to hunt him down—they aimed to "kill for cards."
However, bloody fragments typically appeared for third-level curse card masters and above.
First and second-level curse card masters could only merge with silver-quality profession cards at most.
Ji Xun hadn't considered this direction before.
But now, Baron, a first-level practitioner, was dead, and the profession card he merged with had been parsed.
The only explanation was that the [Cursed Ace of Spades] was unique.
Ji Xun immediately became interested.
The auction required second-level VIP status for participation.
His anonymous VIP card, after two uses, had reached the second level.
The auction was tonight, and attending could be quite beneficial.
Even if he couldn't buy it, he could at least see what made this profession card special.