Chapter 170: Coated Crane Eyeballs & Tiger Bone Yin-Yang Synergy Manual

Chapter 170: Coated Crane Eyeballs & Tiger Bone Yin-Yang Synergy Manual

Rumors about Xiao Chen had spread far and wide.

News had even reached Li Zhou, exaggerated with countless embellishments.

But Xiao Chen himself had long stopped paying attention to such gossip.

The next day, he brought his unused spirit herbs to Qiu Qichen for auction.

Then he sought out Steward Chen to inquire whether the Chen family had connections within the Qingxiao Sect.

Of course, he didn’t directly ask about spirit veins. Instead, he cleverly framed it as helping a "friend" establish business ties.

"Qingxiao Sect?" Steward Chen shook his head. "Those folks are stubborn old fossils. I don’t have any contacts there."

"You’d better advise your friend to consider joining our sect or the Spirit Origin Sect instead."

Xiao Chen later asked Chang Shunping the same question.

The answer was nearly identical.

This piqued Xiao Chen’s curiosity. "Fellow Cultivator Chang, with all your connections, you don’t know anyone from Qingxiao?"

Logically, sect rivalries shouldn’t prevent family alliances. After all, while the Spirit Origin Sect and Qingxiao Sect were adversarial, their subordinate families usually maintained complex relationships. Shouldn’t they follow the principle of "befriend distant powers, confront nearby threats"?

Chang Shunping chuckled awkwardly. "Cultivator Xiao, you misunderstand. The prestigious families there look down on minor clans like ours."

"Minor family?" Xiao Chen frowned. The Chang family had produced a False Core cultivator in their lineage—shouldn’t that grant some standing?

As Chang explained, Xiao Chen finally understood why Steward Chen called them "stubborn old fossils."

Back when Hezhou’s southern region was still the Jiuhua Sect, they’d nurtured over a dozen Golden Core cultivators. The sect inherited numerous legacies capable of guiding disciples to the Golden Core realm. However, due to internal laxity, these legacies gradually fell into the hands of powerful families who hoarded them for exclusive cultivation.

This practice wasn’t unique—many sects tolerated limited legacy monopolization. But when the Jiuhua Sect fractured into smaller sects during internal strife, rival factions began trading legacies with allies. Over time, certain families rose to dominance by accumulating multiple third-tier legacies.

The concept was akin to "poor literature, rich martial arts", but for cultivators, it would be better phrased as "poor techniques, rich physique."

Xiao Chen had just seized the Circumfluent Black Tortoise Shield and Mirror-Like Golden Light Technique shield from the Four Great Wanderers. Truth be told, he didn't really need so many defensive magical artifacts, so meeting this condition wasn't difficult.

There were still two more pages on the list.

The fourth page listed common Spirit Herbs—nothing remarkable. But at the end of the fifth page, a hastily added item appeared—a cultivation manual titled Yin-Yang Synergy Manual.

Xiao Chen blinked, puzzled. As if fearing he might miss it, Qiu Qichen had deliberately written this cultivation manual at the end—and even underlined it for emphasis.

The problem was, Xiao Chen genuinely couldn't recognize what this manual did. No matter—when in doubt, ask: "Fellow cultivator Qiu, does this final auction item have any special significance?"

"Eh?" Qiu Qichen froze mid-breath. He'd come early specifically to surprise Xiao Chen with this secret technique he'd acquired yesterday. Ever since the January Exchange Meeting, the Qiu family had been investigating Xiao Chen's background. After the recent demon-slaying incident, their efforts intensified. They'd finally uncovered a key clue: the Wind-Thunder Pair Swords, though divided into yin and yang, shared a common origin. Xiao Chen had splurged 110,000 spirit stones to acquire the set—a clear sign he sought to comprehend the yin-yang principle through wind and thunder.

The Qiu family had also discovered corroborating evidence: Xiao Chen had publicly sought "Yin-Contained Yang" Spirit Herbs. Such dual-natured herbs were rare, and few cultivators cared for them. Thus, they deduced Xiao Chen's interest in yin-yang-related items. Offering such a treasure would surely earn his favor—a tactic that had never failed them. Yet Xiao Chen's indifferent reaction to the Yin-Yang Synergy Manual felt... off. Had he misjudged? Was Xiao Chen no longer interested? Or had he already obtained what he needed elsewhere?

Still, after a brief pause, Qiu Qichen resolved to pitch the manual's merits. Create demand where none exists—what if Xiao Chen got hooked after hearing its effects?

"This technique, as the name suggests, revolves around the dual principles of yin and yang", Qiu Qichen began. "It originates from Xuantian Immortal Palace—an ancient ruin in the Eastern Territory. Surely, fellow cultivator Xiao has heard of it?"

Xiao Chen perked up instantly. He'd done more than hear—he'd entered the palace, claimed its master's legacy, and even aced the trials to win a Lotus Jade Ruyi. But he merely nodded. "I've heard whispers. A fabled place, though details are scarce." He leaned in. "Fellow cultivator Qiu, if you know its stories, do share."

Qiu Qichen, eager to highlight the manual's prestige, continued: "Xuantian Immortal Palace is no ordinary ruin—it's endured for tens of thousands of years. Located in the Eastern Territory, it's less renowned here in the Southern Domain. It opens once every century, admitting only Foundation Building or Lian Qi stage cultivators. Legends say it holds legacies that boost Golden Core formation success rates. Nearly half the Golden Core Zhenren in the East have benefited from it."

Xiao Chen doubted this exaggeration. The real gap in Golden Core numbers likely stemmed from spirit vein disparities. The Southern Domain had only third-tier veins, while the East boasted numerous fourth- and fifth-tier veins—environments so rich that, as rumors claimed, even a thrown stone could become a lower-grade spirit stone. But Xiao Chen distrusted such tales. The Eastern Territory's proximity to the Endless Sea gave it abundant marine resources—spirit fish, hunt-able sea beasts, and exotic island products. These, not the palace, probably explained the cultivator disparity.

Qiu Qichen cleared his throat. "The last opening was 180 years ago. This manual came from a cultivator who emerged then."

Xiao Chen's instincts flared. The palace held no such manuals—his own experience with the Xuantian Immortal Palace's wooden stele, which bore only a cryptic tree diagram, confirmed that. Even if one existed, how could it reach the Southern Domain? Had the Eastern Territory no experts? This reeked of a scam. Yet Qiu Qichen spoke earnestly, more deceived than deceptive.

"Qiu, is this source reliable?" Xiao Chen asked cautiously.

"Absolutely", Qiu Qichen smirked. "I bought it outright yesterday." The Qiu family aimed for a major favor, not a trivial one. This manual had been snatched up immediately upon discovery—hence its absence from the initial list.

His confidence made Xiao Chen hesitate. Could the manual be genuine?

"Feel free to examine it yourself", Qiu Qichen offered, sliding the manual forward. "Help me verify its authenticity."

Xiao Chen hesitated. "What's your asking price?"

Qiu Qichen waggled five fingers. Not five spirit stones—obviously. Not five thousand, given the palace's prestige. Five ten thousand? Steep, but the Qiu family's hefty investment lent credibility.

Flipping the manual open, Xiao Chen froze. The first page bore a familiar inscription:

Sun and moon interlace, day and night cycle...

Yin and yang revolve, the Dao endures eternal.

These were the exact words etched on the yin-yang fish compass from the White Bone Gate's saint child! Further pages referenced "pure essence condensation"—a phrase he'd seen on the Enlightenment Stele's jade tablet. The manual elaborated with 5,000 characters of analysis. The final page featured a yin-yang fish diagram, its black-and-white lines pulsing faintly with tangible spirit resonance.

Xiao Chen understood instantly. The diagram alone—a genuine artifact—was worth the price. Even if the text proved false, the spirit resonance made it worthwhile.

Qiu Qichen waited until Xiao Chen closed the manual. "Fellow cultivator Xiao, if you'd like to study it further..."

Xiao Chen shook his head. "Straight talk, Qiu. I want it. Name your terms."

Though his spiritual sense could replicate the text, the diagram's resonance was irreplaceable. Anything related to Golden Core formation was worth pursuing. Qiu Qichen had come seeking favors—now it was Xiao Chen's turn to test the price.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end