https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-152-Red-Flame-Copper-Consummate-Qi-Refinement/12543988/
Chapter 153: The Underworld Package, The Invisible Winged Cicada
Chapter 153: The Underworld Package, The Invisible Winged Cicada
"Thanks to Brother Lu's concern, everything has been going smoothly."
"There was just a minor hiccup along the way. There's a sinister cult lurking behind the rogue cultivators in the rogue cultivator city, but the rogue cultivators who were drawn out were dealt with by me and a few senior and junior brothers and sisters."
"Two people were injured in the process, but fortunately, it wasn't too serious. In addition to the mission reward, we also gained quite a bit, so those minor injuries were worth it."
A slight smile appeared on Xu Shaozuo's determined face as he replied.
"There were rogue cultivators backed by a sinister sect? That was indeed dangerous. I'm glad you're all safe." Lu Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
"Danger and opportunity often go hand in hand. It was their appearance that led us to this extra harvest."
"Also, the experience of fighting for survival in such a desperate struggle can further enhance one's cultivation."
A hint of envy flashed in Lu Xuan's eyes as he spoke.
"I'm really envious of you, Brother Xu. You have such a rich and colorful experience, purging rogue cultivators and eliminating rogue cultivators, and gaining all sorts of cultivation resources as a result."
"Unlike me, always cautious by nature, I dare only stay within the sect, tending to my spirit plants and beasts."
"And receiving all sorts of treasure rewards."
Of course, the last sentence was Lu Xuan's internal addition; what he presented to Xu Shaozuo was pure envy.
After chatting for a while, Xu Shaozuo bid farewell and left.
Lu Xuan returned to his room, had dinner, practiced his art for a while, and went to sleep in his clothes.
The next day, after taking care of his spirit plants, Lu Xuan went to Jianmen Town.
Under the hundred-zhang giant sword, there was a spacious square made of blue stone.
The square was bustling with many cultivators setting up stalls.
Among these cultivators were outer disciples of the Celestial Sword Sect, extraordinary followers of inner disciples, and even more were casual cultivators who had come either by reputation or by chance.
Lu Xuan slowly made his way through the many stalls, carefully searching for his targets.
His main purpose for coming out this time was to inspect and plant the three sinister spirit plants he had rented in the small courtyard, as well as to see if there were any nutrients they needed, such as the insect eggs required by the Spirit Insect Vine. Of course, it would be best if he could come across a high-grade spirit seed of unknown origin.
The three underworld spirit plants required grudging souls, bones, and fresh eyeballs, respectively.
Bones and fresh eyeballs were relatively easy to come by, as they could be obtained from beast corpses.
Grudging souls, on the other hand, were the most difficult to obtain. After all, Jianmen Town was not far from the Celestial Sword Sect, and few rogue cultivators dared to venture this close. Those who came and went all belonged to the righteous path, at least on the surface.
"May I ask, Fellow Daoist, what is the origin of this beast?" Lu Xuan asked, pointing at a complete beast corpse on the stall.
The corpse was relatively well preserved, and one could make out the shape of a leopard. The beast's skin had purple veins, and the blood on its wounds had only recently coagulated, indicating the freshness of the corpse.
"This is a first-grade demon beast, the Purple Cloud Leopard. It is extremely fast, and I was only able to catch it by setting a trap with my fellow cultivators. It's just a bit of a pity that it was already mortally wounded when we caught it."
The stall owner was a slightly chubby young man. Seeing Lu Xuan in the attire of an outer disciple of the Celestial Sword Sect, he immediately became alert and replied hastily.
"A first-grade demon beast, the Purple Cloud Leopard."
Lu Xuan nodded slightly. As the Hundred-Eyed Mystic Wood continued to grow, its demand for eye pupils increased as well. Fortunately, it was still in its early stages of growth, and the eye pupils of a first-grade demon beast were sufficient for now.
"I want the entire skeleton of this Purple Cloud Leopard, as well as its pair of eye pupils. Name your price, Fellow Daoist."
Lu Xuan said indifferently.
Lu Xuan's request had seemed odd at first, but it quickly turned into a pleasant surprise. After all, among the Purple Cloud Leopard's remains, the most valuable parts were its pelt, blood, and demon beast meat. The skeleton was of lesser value, and the eyeballs were even less significant.
Only for certain rare and exotic demon beasts would the eye jewels be the most expensive material on their bodies.
"If you want them, fellow Daoist, twenty spirit stones will get you the Purple Cloud Leopard's skeleton and eyes," the young man offered tentatively. From his past interactions, he knew that Celestial Sword Sect cultivators were usually generous, so he dared to slightly increase the price, but not too obviously, given the vast difference in their identities and statuses.
"Twenty spirit stones?" Lu Xuan's expression turned cold.
"Do you think I don't know the market price, fellow Daoist?"
"This Purple Cloud Leopard is only a first-grade demon beast. All its materials combined are worth a maximum of sixty spirit stones, and the skeleton is one of the less valuable parts."
"As for the eyes, they hardly have much use. I only have a personal collection interest in them."
"Ten spirit stones."
Despite having a substantial fortune of over 1,800 spirit stones, Lu Xuan haggled, driven by the desire to save wherever he could.
After some back and forth, they settled on a price of twelve spirit stones for the Purple Cloud Leopard's skeleton and eyes.
With his purchase made, Lu Xuan continued browsing the stall. Soon, he spotted the remains of a second-grade demon beast—a partial skeleton—which he bought for thirty spirit stones.
"The third-grade Savage Bovine Carcass I bought last time will keep the Thornbone occupied for quite a while. Now, with these two fresh skeletons, I can give it a little variety."
"It's a shame that the spiritual plants in the courtyard only need grudging souls, bones, and eyeballs. I wonder when I'll be able to get my hands on some other underworld spiritual plants."
"Then, I can make use of everything—blood, beast meat, bones, souls, fur, and more, leaving nothing to waste, and create an underworld package," Lu Xuan mused to himself.
Lu Xuan continued his search, specifically for fresh eyeballs, but he had little luck. However, he soon stumbled upon a unique stall.
The stall owner was a youth with a sharp and sinister visage. On display were various odd items: strange insect corpses soaked in liquids, exotic materials derived from demon insects, and peculiarly shaped insect eggs.
"May I ask, fellow Daoist, how much are you selling these Invisible Winged Cicada eggs for?" Lu Xuan inquired, pointing at a branch with seven or eight insect eggs, each about the size of a fingertip and elongated, resembling grains of spirit rice.
He had read about these eggs in the Manual of Insects; they could hatch into first-grade demon insects known as Invisible Winged Cicadas, which were of the molting variety, perfect for the Mystical Woodvine's needs.
"Twenty spirit stones," the sharp-featured stall owner replied coldly, giving Lu Xuan a curious glance, surprised by his knowledge of the Invisible Winged Cicada eggs.
"Fifteen spirit stones for that branch. What do you say, fellow Daoist?"
The sharp-featured youth remained silent, shaking his head and closing his eyes.
"Eighteen spirit stones. That's a fair price, fellow Daoist. If you don't agree, I'll have to pass. After all, they're just the eggs of first-grade demon insects."
Lu Xuan continued to bargain, testing the youth's limits.
"Alright."
The sharp-featured youth opened his eyes and nodded in agreement.
(End of Chapter)
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