Chapter 210: Golden Light Technique Hermit · Nine Luminaries Mysterious Pill

Chapter 210: Golden Light Technique Hermit · Nine Luminaries Mysterious Pill

Outside the Baicao Forbidden Realm, Hundred Grasses City had erected a prominent notice board.

It listed, from highest to lowest value, all the precious items that had been exchanged so far. The board updated every half day, and each update drew crowds of cultivators.

As cultivators gazed at the various Spirit Herbs displayed, envious sighs and jealous murmurs filled the air.

When Xiao Chen walked along this long street lined with temporary shops, the air around him buzzed with heated discussions among cultivators.

Nearly all the cultivators here were Foundation Building cultivators holding second-tier Spirit Herbs, eagerly darting between shops. They checked exchange lists, compared rankings, and argued enthusiastically over who had reaped the greatest harvest from this year’s Baicao Forbidden Realm, and who had the best luck.

Whispers of rumors mingled with names, each tale more astonishing than the last.

"I have a friend who's an inner sect disciple of Hundred Grasses City", someone declared. "He just told me a late-stage Lian Qi brat found a Sihua Fruit!"

The words sparked immediate uproar.

The Sihua Fruit was a Fourth Stage Spirit Fruit worth tens of thousands of Spirit Stones. For a cultivator, it was like striking overnight riches.

"Late Lian Qi Stage?!" A solitary cultivator nearby widened his eyes, slapping his thigh. "Damn it, I’ve been running around for twenty days and didn’t even see a Third Stage Spirit Fruit’s leaf!"

"That kid’s got the luck of a lackey!"

A late-stage Foundation Building cultivator passing by sighed bitterly. "Back in my day, I fought tooth and nail for a Foundation Building Pill, not to mention spending ten years hunting spiritual materials for a top-grade magic artifact."

"This kid’s got it easy—just one Sihua Fruit solves everything. Such is fate!"

An outer sect disciple of Hundred Grasses City sneered acidly, "These days, luck matters more than strength."

"All those inner sect disciples are just lucky. If I found a Sihua Fruit, I could join the Inner Sect and compete for true disciple status too."

...

Of course, others noticed different details.

"Come to think of it, this is already the twenty-third Fourth Stage Spirit Herb listed this year. Why so many?"

"Not just that", someone countered. "I heard the current chief disciple of Star-Plucking Sword Pavilion collected a full five Fourth Stage Spirit Herbs!"

The crowd fell silent, stunned into speechlessness.

"Good heavens!" A solitary cultivator finally gasped. "Five Fourth Stage Spirit Herbs? This… this…"

Another cut in, "It’s like a fairy tale! How did he even manage it?!"

Even a passing Golden Core Elder couldn’t help but exclaim, "Such an opportunity—I’ve lived this long and never heard the like!"

A female cultivator nearby clutched her mouth, eyes gleaming with envy. "To become a first-seat disciple, one must have both strength and background influence. But even celestial fortune favors him so!"

Her companion replied bitterly, "He gets all the luck. Sigh, comparing people is enough to make one die of frustration."

The crowd’s expressions shifted, hearts churning with mixed emotions.

Only Xiao Chen, passing by, remained utterly calm.

After all, if measuring harvests, he had long surpassed all other cultivators, leading the pack. If counting the Purple-Gold Bodhi, other cultivators’ combined high-tier Spirit Herbs wouldn’t match his single haul.

Yet considering the adage "fame invites danger, like a pig awaiting slaughter", Xiao Chen chose silence, keeping a low profile to grow rich quietly.

Three Immortals Sect was a minor sect. Their assigned shop stood in a remote corner, nearly at the street’s end.

When Xiao Chen arrived, he found only a Golden Core cultivator meditating inside, no companions in sight.

The cultivator didn’t even lift his head. "Fellow cultivator, greetings. Our sect only seeks one Purple Jade Auspicious Cloud Grass. If you seek other items, please go elsewhere."

With that, he resumed cultivation, absorbing heavenly qi.

The shop was barren, save for a prominent exchange notice.

Xiao Chen wasted no words, simply producing the Purple Jade Auspicious Cloud Grass. "This is what your sect seeks. Have you brought the Elusive Sika Deer’s heart blood?"

The cultivator’s eyes snapped open in surprise.

He quickly donned a smile. "Apologies, fellow cultivator. Earlier, I dueled a sea demon, and its true mana invaded my body. I was just stabilizing my injuries, which delayed me."

He produced an enamel octagonal bottle, uncorking it. "Here’s the item. Fellow cultivator, please inspect it."

Little inspection was needed. As the cork lifted, the aura pressure of a Fourth Stage Yao Beast naturally radiated.

A large Yao Beast’s heart blood was as distinct as a cultivator’s Vital Blood—nearly impossible to counterfeit.

Instead, Xiao Chen handed over the Purple Jade Auspicious Cloud Grass for inspection.

"Hisss~!"

The moment the cultivator grasped it, he froze.

He hastily formed hand seals, casting an age-detection technique.

His expression shifted to astonishment. "Fellow cultivator, this Spirit Herb is perfectly preserved. It must be over two thousand years old!"

"Truly, a fortunate soul."

Though the Baicao Forbidden Realm opened every fifty years, over two millennia, it had appeared at least forty times.

No one before had found this Purple Jade Auspicious Cloud Grass—only now. He could think of no explanation but luck.

He rummaged through his Storage Ring.

But soon, his face turned awkward. "Ah… Fellow cultivator, please wait a moment."

He pondered, then sighed. "I must confess—I lack another equivalent Spirit Herb to complete the exchange."

"But I have a clue to a newly discovered ruin in the Outer Sea. Perhaps we could offset the difference with that?"

"I pledge on Three Immortals Sect’s honor—the ruin’s existence is genuine."

"Alternatively, if you lack time, I could compensate with Spirit Stones. My current funds are tight, but I could arrange payment later. What do you think, fellow cultivator?"

The Purple Jade Auspicious Cloud Grass and Elusive Sika Deer’s heart blood were roughly equal in value.

But Xiao Chen’s herb, with its ancient age and doubled potency, defied simple parity.

The cultivator had spent his Spirit Stones on pills to heal injuries sustained in his duel with the sea demon.

After weighing his options, he decided to offer the clue or delay payment.

"I am Cao Mingjie of Three Immortals Sect. East of Nanlao Sea, I hold a modest reputation."

Fearing disbelief, he added, "Feel free to inquire. My word is always trustworthy."

...

The Eastern Territory’s forbidden realms teemed with ruins, often birthing minor ones.

The initial exploration rights of a new ruin held immense value—perhaps uncovering treasures left by ancient cultivators.

But Xiao Chen noted Cao Mingjie mentioned the "Outer Sea."

The Eastern Territory divided seas into Inner and Outer. The boundary lay roughly north of Han Hai Forbidden Realm or south of the Calm Wind Sea.

From Nanlao Sea, 800,000 li east lay Dragon Subduing Sea, then 600,000 li further east reached Calm Wind Sea.

Legends claimed storms in the Outer Sea, though fierce, never crossed Calm Wind Sea—hence its name.

From anecdotes, Xiao Chen knew Inner Sea islands were numerous. Golden Core Zhenren traveling without spiritual vessels could rest on islands.

But Outer Sea islands grew sparse, often nonexistent. Like the Boundary Sea, long voyages required large spiritual vessels.

A new ruin in the Outer Sea meant a distant journey, fraught with Bandit Cultivators.

Yet as the saying went, "The fiercer the storm, the rarer the fish."

Greater risks brought greater rewards. Many Outer Sea ruins yielded Fourth Stage Spirit Herbs or even Fourth Stage legacies.

Choosing Spirit Stones ensured stability but limited gains.

Choosing the ruin might yield treasures, but required time.

Xiao Chen inquired, "Fellow cultivator Cao, when do you plan to depart?"

This touched on sensitive information, but Cao Mingjie replied openly. "In about five months—early May next year. I’ll join senior sect brothers to prepare in advance."

"If you have time, we could travel together."

Xiao Chen calculated. At his current cultivation pace, by next May, he’d either hit a minor bottleneck needing opportunities, or breakthrough to Mid Golden Core Stage, gaining self-reliance.

Either way, accepting was wise. "I happen to have time. I’ll accept your offer."

They exchanged names and set a date.

Xiao Chen used a false name: "Golden Light Technique Hermit."

This title had only briefly surfaced in Li Zhou—no one in Eastern Territory would recognize it.

After securing the Elusive Sika Deer’s heart blood, he visited the forbidden realm’s entrance to check the latest bounties.

The Nine Luminaries Mysterious Pill exchange could wait—first, other transactions beckoned.

Hundred Grasses City had erected a notice board twice the size of the Northern City Plaza. Many new bounties had been added, mostly posted by individual cultivators, including left-path cultivators.

Their requests were obscure, often Third Stage Spirit Herbs, with unusual rewards reflecting their styles.

Xiao Chen immediately spotted a bounty from a Painting Cultivator seeking Tuokong Hemp Vine—likely for Tuokong Paper.

His reward was a hand-painted Sword Game Diagram.

Hundred Grasses City specifically noted that this diagram could only be used twice, but could be activated with spirit stones.

The diagram depicted two sword cultivators sparring. Each activation could summon one sword cultivator with Golden Core Initial Stage strength, lasting approximately six hours.

As long as enough spirit stones were available, both sword cultivators could be summoned simultaneously to assist in battle.

To be fair, this item was more practical than talismans.

Of course, the cost difference between the two was significant, making it less cost-effective for self-defense. Its main advantage was its extremely long storage lifespan, allowing it to be preserved within a sect or family to protect future generations.

Additionally, there were calligraphers seeking Ink Grass, spirit cultivators searching for Ghost Spirit Flowers, female cultivators hunting for Phoenix-patterned Musk... and so on, totaling over a dozen types.

Xiao Chen carefully searched the area but found no cultivators from the Contemplation Sect.

Today was the final day, and judging by the situation, this year's new bounties would not arrive.

Originally, he had considered exchanging his Shadowfixing Treasure Leaf for a special ace in the hole.

But even on such a major occasion, he couldn't encounter any Contemplation Sect cultivators, making it uncertain when he might meet them again.

If that was the case, he might as well exchange it for Nine Luminaries Mysterious Pills to quickly enhance his strength.

Thinking thus, Xiao Chen headed straight to the shop operated by Hundred Grasses City.

He successively retrieved his Righteous Spirit Fruit and Shadowfixing Treasure Leaf, exchanging them for four bottles of Nine Luminaries Mysterious Pills and one bottle of Bai Zhuan Xuan Dan.

The former contained six pills per bottle, the latter three pills per bottle.

In truth, the price was quite steep, but Hundred Grasses City normally sold them at higher prices. During the forbidden realm event, they offered a 30% discount.

However, there was a condition: the discount only applied when exchanging Fourth Stage spirit herbs.

If purchased directly with spirit stones, the former was priced at 120,000 stones per bottle, the latter at 100,000 stones per bottle.

In short, these two types of pills were simply beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.

Hundred Grasses City had prepared private transaction rooms and proactively asked if he wanted his identity disclosed on the notice board outside.

However, Xiao Chen declined with a shake of his head and quietly departed with his pills.

This kind of reputation without tangible benefits wasn't worth keeping.

Although he was currently using a false identity, there was no need for it.

Returning to Hundred Grasses City, Xiao Chen didn't rush into cultivation but instead walked around the city several times, gathering various pieces of information.

Although rumors were often unreliable, they were better than having no information at all.

Sure enough, he soon heard that Lord Huo would appear at the plaza tomorrow and announce a major event.

This was unprecedented in previous years.

As expected, everyone had their own guesses.

"Do you think there's a chance Lord Huo is planning to take a third Dao companion?"

"Is that true? Fellow cultivator Li, do you know which fairy caught his eye?"

"In my opinion, it's probably because too many Fourth Stage spirit herbs emerged from the forbidden realm this time. Maybe they'll restrict outsiders from entering in the future."

"That makes sense. I heard from a friend that over thirty Fourth Stage spirit herbs have already appeared."

"Don't talk nonsense. I say it's definitely related to the Wen Clan's young lady who arrived a few days ago. I heard fighting broke out in Jingkong Sea—could it be we'll be dragged into war too?"

"Whoa, don't joke about that! What do they have to do with us? Let's not start any conflicts!"

Xiao Chen patiently listened for a while, but these speculations were clearly baseless, with not a single one being credible.

Looks like I should go to the plaza early tomorrow and find out the details myself.

---

The next morning, over a hundred disciples of Hundred Grasses City had already surrounded most of the plaza.

They left only a narrow path along the edges for pedestrians.

In the cultivation world, such considerate behavior was rare.

Combined with yesterday's public discussion about Lord Huo's marriage, Xiao Chen guessed this city lord must be quite approachable.

By noon, the plaza had been transformed into an elaborate venue.

Many Golden Core Zhenren from Hundred Grasses City finally appeared, lifting restrictions to allow solitary cultivators waiting outside to enter.

Xiao Chen noticed that over half the golden core cultivators who entered the forbidden realm were already present.

They were cultivators from various factions, all having received invitations.

It seemed something significant was happening, though it likely had little to do with solitary cultivators.

Soon, a streak of light pierced the sky, landing at the northern city gate.

The legendary Lord Huo, clad in a dragon-embroidered robe, strode forward with the gait of a tiger.

Surrounded by elders of Hundred Grasses City, he ascended the high platform in the plaza and waved to the gathered cultivators.

The crowd immediately responded with enthusiastic waves. It was clear this wasn't the first time such a scene had occurred.

Despite the crowd's excitement, over ten thousand cultivators had gathered, yet everyone maintained order and silence.

Except for the sound of breathing, no other noise could be heard.

Even the most approachable golden core True Sovereign naturally commanded quiet.

Indeed, Lord Huo's full name was Huo Xinghuai. Five hundred years ago, he had already become a golden core True Sovereign.

Three hundred years ago, he inherited the city lord position and, following tradition, changed his title to "Bai Cao True Sovereign."

Judging by the timeline, he was at least at the Golden Core Middle Stage, possibly even the Golden Core Late Stage.

Lord Huo seemed to dislike formalities. After greeting everyone, he got straight to the point.

His announcement was simple, divided into three parts.

First, he praised the disciples of Hundred Grasses City for their hard work, declaring them all commendable.

He then announced that everyone's contribution points for this month would be doubled.

Though the disciples said nothing, their smiles and upturned mouths clearly showed their joy.

Next, Lord Huo produced a list.

He announced that this Baicao Forbidden Realm had yielded a record-breaking 104 Fourth Stage spirit herbs and over 3,200 Third Stage spirit herbs.

Both figures shattered historical records since Hundred Grasses City's founding.

Compared to the usual 40+ Fourth Stage herbs, this was over double.

The Third Stage herbs, previously around 500+, had increased sixfold—a true harvest of abundance.

Lord Huo declared that even if the next forbidden realm's herb count declined, it would still far exceed past high-grade spirit herb yields.

Hundred Grasses City welcomed everyone to return, promising higher chances of obtaining high-grade spirit herbs.

"Over 3,000 Third Stage spirit herbs?"

Xiao Chen felt slightly surprised.

He had originally thought his own harvest would surpass everyone else's combined, but with over 100,000 cultivators participating, the collective power of numbers was undeniable.

Fortunately, he had the Purple-Gold Bodhi, maintaining his lead in Fourth Stage spirit herb count.

The final and most important part of Lord Huo's speech was his announcement: he would host a Spirit Herb Banquet at the City Lord's Mansion.

The banquet would be held on the third day of the third month.

Multiple pill forging grandmasters, including those from other sects, would attend.

Several of his close friends, conservatively estimated to include four or more golden core True Sovereigns, would also be present.

Today, he was inviting all cultivators to join this Spirit Herb Banquet.

Anyone possessing a Fourth Stage spirit pill and willing to trade it could automatically qualify for the banquet.

At this announcement, the plaza erupted in a chorus of sharp intakes of breath.

Fourth Stage spirit pills?

This requirement was quite demanding.

Though Fourth Stage spirit pills weren't necessarily exclusive to Fourth Stage cultivators, their collection difficulty remained extremely high.

After all, these items were essentially priceless.

Indeed, even the Ten Thousand Immortal Pavilion, Chang Xing Workshop, and even Hundred Grasses City rarely sold Fourth Stage pills publicly.

The reason was simple: even in the Eastern Territory, Fourth Stage spirit pills were scarce.

Their own golden core True Sovereigns barely had enough, let alone surplus pills to sell.

Meanwhile, some sharp-minded individuals in the crowd immediately realized why people had been willing to pay exorbitant premiums to buy Fourth Stage spirit herbs earlier.

This wasn't just purchasing herbs—it was buying entry to the banquet.

The logic was straightforward.

On the third day of the third month, all attendees with entry qualifications, regardless of their reasons for being there, would prove their significance.

For figures like Fengyu Workshop's manager, these were valuable connections to cultivate.

It wasn't necessary to form deep bonds immediately—just becoming familiar faces would simplify future interactions.

Xiao Chen quickly grasped this point, instantly understanding Elder Qian's intentions.

If that was the case, he could confidently sell his millennium Crying Spirit Flowers.

In the afternoon, he found an opportunity to visit the City Lord's Mansion, successfully exchanging them for a full 350,000 spirit stones.

At recent auction prices, this was a net profit of 150,000 spirit stones!

"Fourth Stage spirit pills are tough to come by. I'll focus on cultivation for now."

Back at the inn, Xiao Chen carefully considered the matter.

He wasn't particularly fond of such banquets anyway, so he didn't dwell on it or actively pursue Fourth Stage spirit pills.

Instead, he began experimenting with his newly acquired Nine Luminaries Mysterious Pills.

This top-tier Third Stage spirit pill looked impressive from the outside alone.

Not only did it emit a pure spiritual glow, but its surface bore a fine, intricate pattern.

It resembled the legendary Pill Marks.

It was said that only pills forged by Fourth Stage pill grandmasters would bear these marks.

One ring meant a single-mark pill, two rings a double-mark pill.

Using the same ingredients, each additional Pill Mark would increase the pill's efficacy by ten percent.

As the saying went, the only downside to expensive items was their price.

After twenty-four consecutive days of consumption, Xiao Chen clearly felt his true mana had nearly doubled in refinement compared to before.

He secretly flew to an uninhabited area to test it.

His original True Yang Fire Dragon, which had been 1,200 zhang long, surged to 2,000 zhang!

The effect was nothing short of spectacular!

Someone might want to complain about the True Yang Fire Dragon's size this time—I'll address it myself.

The pill's effects are as described.

If you're skeptical about the beef portion in "Beef Noodles", the picture shows large pieces of beef.

Similarly, my fire dragon being slightly larger is perfectly reasonable.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end