Translator: Lynn
When Nan Zhengya led Xu Ziqing to the barter meeting, Xu Ziqing became acutely aware of his own limitations.
As a direct disciple of a prominent sect, he had guaranteed access to many resources. Some extremely valuable items could be obtained through contributions to the Shifang Pavilion, a luxury not afforded to casual cultivators. However, acquiring true treasures often required alternative means.
The barter club was one such avenue, but without something of equivalent value to trade, he could only watch helplessly as treasures slipped through his fingers.
Since then, Xu Ziqing had formulated a plan, becoming more cautious upon arriving in the secret realm.
This time, he was determined to pick the fruit of the demon plant first.
However, all spiritual fire items should be stored in a fire jade box. Being a wood cultivator, Xu Ziqing had few fire jade boxes, and the powerful Lihuo Demon Plant would likely render ordinary fire jade useless.
He scanned his surroundings, pondering his next move.
Wherever the fire energy was intense, fire jade should naturally form.
His spiritual sense, like a mist of fire, soon detected some red objects at the edge of the crater. Their smooth, vibrant color indicated an intense fire energy.
It was a ten-thousand-year fire jade!
Since the Lihuo Demon Plant could grow here, the crater must be ancient, likely tens of thousands of years old, naturally producing ten-thousand-year fire jade.
However, extracting fire jade from the crater would be challenging.
Xu Ziqing decided to try anyway.
A green vine rustled from his palm, probing forward.
After only two or three zhangs, the front of the ivy blackened, and testing further would drain its vitality, turning it into a lifeless vine.
A withered vine lacked the strength to extract the fire jade.
Seeing his attempt fail, Xu Ziqing frowned slightly.
If he had Rongjin, who was impervious to water and fire, it would be easy. However, Rongjin was guarding the entrance, and would only root outside, unable to return to Xu Ziqing’s body without being collected personally.
Yet…
Xu Ziqing pushed his “Ten Thousand Woods Great Heart Planting Technique” to its limits, attempting to summon a faint connection with Rongjin.
Remarkably, though Rongjin was outside, he wasn’t too far. After several calls, Rongjin’s presence felt near.
“Mother, mother… Eat… Delicious…”
Xu Ziqing smiled. Rongjin’s heart remained childlike, and now, with a playful tone, he seemed endearingly adorable.
Xu Ziqing no longer felt wary of Rongjin’s bloodthirsty nature. Over time, Rongjin had become an integral part of his practice. He understood that Rongjin’s inherent nature wasn’t important; even if it was violent, he only needed to control it. Despite Rongjin’s ancient and evil origins, as long as Xu Ziqing remained on the righteous path, Rongjin wouldn’t unleash chaos. Therefore, his actions, whether good or evil, were solely within his control, and he didn’t need to be swayed by external influences.
Xu Ziqing sent a calming thought, instructing Rongjin to extend a branch.
Almost immediately, he felt a slight warmth in the depths of his dantian, the seed of the bloodthirsty demon vine responding. He stretched out his palm, and a blood vine emerged, brushing against his cheek.
He knew that of the thirty-two vines guarding the gate outside, only thirty-one remained now.
With the blood vine in hand, Xu Ziqing gently asked, “Rongjin, can you withstand the heat of this volcano?” Although he suspected it would be fine, he wanted to ensure Rongjin wouldn’t be harmed.
Rongjin swayed a sense of confidence in his response. “No, I’m not afraid…”
Reassured, Xu Ziqing allowed Rongjin to proceed independently.
Rongjin demonstrated remarkable understanding, acting in perfect sync with Xu Ziqing.
The thick blood vine transformed into a slender vine, no thicker than a thumb, extending several feet straight into the crater. In a few deft movements, it reached the edge, retrieved the fire jade, and swiftly returned.
Xu Ziqing prepared to assist, and watched as Rongjin placed the fire jade on the ground.
White smoke sizzled as the intense heat from the fire jade scorched the ground.
Xu Ziqing patted Rongjin’s leaf treasure, saying, “Thank you, Rongjin.”
Rongjin nuzzled against him, exuding an endearing affection.
After a moment, the fire jade cooled, and the fiery mist above it dissipated, revealing its true form.
It was a red jade stone, about a foot thick and three feet square, smooth and flat like a jade plate. Nature’s craftsmanship had shaped it without any carving.
Xu Ziqing wasted no time. He took out a knife-shaped spiritual weapon, sharp and infused with his true essence. With precise strokes, he began to cut the jade.
Guided by his spiritual sense, he quickly fashioned three jade boxes, storing the remainder of the jade plate in his storage ring.
Next, he needed to pick the fruit.
The crater’s heat prevented Xu Ziqing from approaching, so Rongjin retrieved the three fruits swiftly.
Xu Ziqing, moving quickly, tossed the jade boxes into the air, catching each fruit and bringing them back with true energy.
The fire jade boxes were scorching hot. Xu Ziqing sealed them with a talisman before placing them in his storage ring.
With the task complete, Xu Ziqing let out a sigh of relief.
In the crater, there remained a piece of hot mud and the Lihuo Demon Plant. To successfully transplant it, he needed to take it along with the hot mud, ideally including the magma from the crater for the safest transfer.
Given Xu Ziqing’s current cultivation level, he lacked the appropriate means to collect these materials; ordinary storage rings were unsuitable.
After some contemplation, Xu Ziqing decided to set the matter aside for now. He planned to wait for his shixiong to finish adjusting his breath and see if he had the necessary tools.
Interestingly, after picking the three fruits from the demon plant, the heat in the cave had significantly reduced, allowing Xu Ziqing’s spiritual sense to probe further.
This deeper exploration revealed another hidden spot.
In the southwest corner, concealed by fire and mist, was another secret door. His spiritual sense could now penetrate deeper, leading to this discovery.
Without hesitation, Xu Ziqing had Rongjin protect his entire body as he moved towards the door.
There were no restrictions or obstacles on the way. Upon reaching the secret door, he simply pushed it open with his true energy, causing the heavy stone door to swing wide.
What he saw left him gasping.
Xu Ziqing had encountered many treasures and explored numerous caves, but never had he seen such a cluttered and astounding collection of treasures.
Indeed, the room was a secret chamber filled with the bat demon’s lifetime hoard of treasures.
Despite the apparent quality and brilliance of these magic weapons, they were chaotically strewn about, piled haphazardly. It was a disorderly sight. Among the jumbles were knives, guns, swords, halberds, talismans, robes, and many other magical items, all mixed. A pile of jade slips lay to one side, their contents unknown, alongside hundreds of books.
Additionally, there were furs, animal horns, ores, and various other items.
Many of these belonged to human cultivators. Unfortunately, the mingling of spirit weapons and demonic weapons caused the energies to mix, dimming the luster of both.
What a waste.
Xu Ziqing sighed deeply at the sight.
Since his shixiong was still out healing, Xu Ziqing decided to organize the collection. It would be beneficial to sort everything out before taking it all away.
And so, he busied himself with this task for three to four hours.
Among the many magic treasures piled up, those of the immortal way were grouped together, while those of the demonic way were similarly sorted. The jade slips needed to be examined to uncover their contents, and the books had to be read through as well.
These tasks were quite tedious. Although many of the items had long lost their owners, there might still be restrictions and spells guarding them. Each touch required utmost caution. Some weapons with dim auras needed special attention. If it was a demonic weapon, nothing needed to be done, but if it was an immortal weapon, wood energy could be infused to revive it.
Xu Ziqing worked swiftly with his spiritual sense, never pausing for a moment.
It wasn’t until someone called out from behind, “Ziqing,” that he stopped and turned around.
There stood the white-clad sword cultivator, his stern face calm and his aura serene, indicating he was fully recovered.
Seeing this, Xu Ziqing smiled slightly. “Shixiong, are your injuries all healed?”
Yun Lie nodded. “All healed.”
Relieved, Xu Ziqing pointed to the treasures he had organized. “I woke up and discovered these treasures in the Bat King’s secret chamber. There are quite a few bat demon treasures here, but they were too messy. I organized them into categories.” He raised his hand and several white lights shot over.
Xu Ziqing caught them, revealing four storage rings. He smiled, “The books and jade slips are in one, the immortal way treasures in another, the demonic way treasures in a third, and other artifacts in the last… Is that acceptable?”
Yun Lie nodded slightly. “After you collect them, keep them.”
Although these items were numerous, they were mainly useful to those below the Nascent Soul stage. They held little value to Yun Lie, but to Xu Ziqing, still in the Golden Core Formation period, they represented significant wealth. Whether for future use or to exchange for resources, they were extremely valuable.
Xu Ziqing knew his shixiong’s heart was filled with care and protection. Sharing the same sentiment, he accepted everything without pretense.
In an instant, the room was empty.
Xu Ziqing then took out the three fire jade boxes and said, “Shixiong, I also obtained these and wanted to tell you about them.”
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
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