Chapter 285: Two Secret Techniques, the Millennial Snow Crystal Spiritual Liquid

Chapter 285: Two Secret Techniques, the Millennial Snow Crystal Spiritual Liquid

Not long after Chu Ning flew away, several figures arrived at the island.

"Hmm, where is he? Brother Gu just gave us a signal from this place, but there's no one here," one of them said.

"Do you think Brother Gu chased after someone else?" another asked.

"Unlikely. The signal stopped here. Let's take a look around," replied one of the three men.

As the five Jin Dan cultivators spoke, they began to search the island carefully. Aside from faint traces of a battle, they found nothing else.

At this moment, a middle-aged female cultivator spoke up, "I hope Brother Gu isn't in any danger."

An older cultivator quickly shook his head, "Impossible! Yun Qian Shan is only faster at escape techniques. In a head-on confrontation, he's no match for Brother Gu. Unless another cultivator intervened..."

"Other cultivators? There are few who would dare to act against us, disciples of the Huan Ling Sect. The disciples of the Great Thunder Sect who obtained the Millennial Frost Crystal have already left. Could it have been someone from the Heavenly Seal Valley or the Eternal Sky Temple?"

The Jin Dan cultivators of the Huan Ling Sect exchanged uncertain glances. After some discussion, they decided to search the nearby Central Sea area.

Of course, their efforts were fruitless.

After searching for a day, they returned to Ice Island Immortal City to gather information.

Chu Ning, on the other hand, had already arrived at Red Stone Island, a medium-sized island in the Inner Sea.

It had taken him a full day to circle the Central Sea and fly this far. Red Stone Island was one of the larger islands in the Inner Sea, inhabited by many cultivators. It even had a teleportation formation leading to the lower city of Ice Island Immortal City.

Considering that most of the Snow Mist Valley cultivators would be out and about today, trading in Ice Island Immortal City, Chu Ning naturally didn't want to linger. He used the teleportation formation to reach the lower city and made his way directly to the Frost Moon Pavilion.

As he walked, he indeed saw quite a few Jin Dan cultivators, their faces bearing expressions of joy or disappointment.

And on the streets, Chu Ning unexpectedly ran into Chang Ling Shan.

Knowing that Chang Ling Shan had entered Snow Mist Valley, Chu Ning congratulated him upon seeing his beaming face, "Brother Chang, it seems you've had great fortune in Snow Mist Valley this time!"

Chang Ling Shan smiled at the sight of Chu Ning, "Brother Chu, you flatter me. I didn't go for the millennial Frostbite Crystal; instead, I went to less crowded places. Luckily, I found two types of spirit herbs that I needed. It was good fortune indeed."

Hearing this, Chu Ning feigned curiosity and asked, "Brother Chang, who ended up with the Millennium Snow Crystal?"

"It fell into the hands of the Great Thunder Sect," Chang Ling Shan quickly replied. "Many cultivators saw the Great Thunder Sect disciple capture the sentient Millennial Snow Crystal. But since they had numbers on their side, and they left quickly, no one dared to try and take it from them."

Chu Ning nodded, then waited a while longer. When Chang Ling Shan didn't mention anything about the other Snow Crystals, Chu Ning realized that probably only the Huan Ling Sect knew about it.

Before he could inspect the contents of the jade box, he had no way of knowing if Gu Feng was telling the truth.

With these thoughts in mind, Chu Ning cupped his hands towards Chang Ling Shan and said, "Brother Chang, I've asked the Frost Moon Pavilion to help me acquire some spirit herbs. I should go and see how it's going, so I'll take my leave for now."

"Wait," Chang Ling Shan called out to stop Chu Ning. "Brother Chu, there were simply too many cultivators who entered Snow Mist Valley this time, and many are unwilling to use the Frost Moon Pavilion as an intermediary for their transactions. Some fellow cultivators are organizing a private trading session tomorrow morning. I don't know if you'd be interested in joining? There might be some spirit herbs from Snow Mist Valley there."

Chu Ning's eyes lit up at the mention of this. "Brother Chang, can I participate even though I didn't enter Snow Mist Valley?"

Chang Ling Shan laughed, "The organizer happens to be an acquaintance of mine. If you're interested, Brother Chu, I can put in a good word for you."

"In that case, thank you, Brother Chang!" Chu Ning cupped his hands in gratitude.

After agreeing to meet up the next day, the two parted ways.

Chu Ning quickly made his way to the Frost Moon Pavilion, where Wu Lingwei was busy attending to other Jin Dan cultivators. Chu Ning didn't mind the wait and decided to bide his time on the third floor of the pavilion.

Cultivators came and went from the Frost Moon Pavilion, and Chu Ning waited for nearly half a day. He hoped that the more cultivators there were, the higher the chances of finding the herbs he needed.

Just as the sky began to darken, the stream of cultivators entering the pavilion slowed to a trickle.

As Wu Lingwei approached Chu Ning, a few people rushed upstairs. Chu Ning's eyes narrowed as he recognized two of them wearing the same kind of robe as Gu Feng. They were undoubtedly from the Huan Ling Sect.

Perhaps because they were from a major sect, Wu Lingwei went to greet them.

Chu Ning overheard a middle-aged cultivator, about fifty years old, whispering something to Wu Lingwei, who nodded continuously.

The Huan Ling Sect cultivators didn't linger. After sending them off, Wu Lingwei turned and instructed someone before continuing towards Chu Ning.

Chu Ning wondered what they had discussed, but his expression remained calm.

"Brother Chu, please forgive the wait," Wu Lingwei said with a smile as she approached.

Chu Ning's face mirrored her enthusiasm, deliberately portraying himself as someone who was easily pleased.

In truth, his joy was genuine. With these spirit herbs in hand, he had gathered most of the ingredients needed to refine the three types of spirit pills he desired.

If tomorrow's trade session yielded a few more herbs, he would have everything he needed.

All that would remain was to study their effects, finalize the pill formulas, and begin the refinement process. For the next few years, he wouldn't have to worry about a shortage of cultivation resources.

As for demon pills, he wasn't too concerned. He had accumulated quite a collection from his recent hunting expeditions, and he could always go on more hunts if he needed to.

Noticing the unfeigned happiness on Chu Ning's face, Wu Lingwei casually asked, "Are you planning to refine pills with all these spirit herbs, Brother Chu?"

"Sister Wu, this matter is related to my cultivation, so I'm afraid I can't disclose the details," Chu Ning politely declined.

Wu Lingwei didn't press further, simply nodding as she said, "Well, with this many spirit herbs, the talismans you gave us earlier won't be enough. I'm afraid you'll have to keep crafting talismans for Frost Moon Pavilion for quite some time."

Chu Ning nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "Rest assured, Sister Wu. I always keep my promises. You can give me the spirit herbs in batches, and I'll come by periodically to collect them. However..."

He paused, reaching into his storage bag once more and pulling out a stack of high-grade talismans, which he handed to Wu Lingwei. "Consider these spirit herbs as a deposit. I hope you won't sell them to anyone else. I wouldn't want to arrive and find that they're no longer available."

Wu Lingwei examined the talismans, her eyes sparkling at their excellent quality. "Brother Chu, please be assured that Frost Moon Pavilion has been operating in Ice Island Immortal City for over a thousand years. Our reputation is impeccable."

With the transaction concluded, Chu Ning bid Wu Lingwei farewell and departed.

Wu Lingwei waved to a young, beautiful female cultivator nearby. "Bailuo, see Brother Chu out."

"Brother Chu, if Lingwei isn't around the next time you visit the pavilion, feel free to ask me to retrieve your spirit herbs," Bailuo said with a sweet smile.

Chu Ning nodded. "In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Miss Bailuo."

Bailuo's smile widened as she exchanged polite words with Chu Ning, then escorted him downstairs.

After Chu Ning's departure, Wu Lingwei studied the talismans in her hand, deep in thought. "It seems he wasn't lying about being a talisman master. These talismans are indeed his handiwork. But how did he end up in the Northern Cold Region? As far as I know, none of the powers here possess such talisman-crafting techniques."

As someone who frequently engaged in transactions with cultivators, Wu Lingwei couldn't help but be curious about Chu Ning's background. However, aside from knowing that he had arrived in Ice Island Immortal City a few years ago, she couldn't uncover any other information.

Chu Ning kept a low profile, rarely socializing with others, and devoted himself solely to cultivation.

Out of curiosity, Wu Lingwei had asked a pill master in the pavilion to study the spirit herbs Chu Ning requested. Unfortunately, they couldn't make much sense of the diverse assortment of herbs. Even when combined with demon pills, they didn't seem to form a coherent pill formula.

Wu Lingwei had initially suspected that Chu Ning might be attempting to modify an ancient pill formula, but now she dismissed that idea.

Meanwhile, after leaving Frost Moon Pavilion, Chu Ning returned directly to his cave abode.

Seated in his cultivation chamber, he activated a small formation array he had set up previously to shield himself from external sensing techniques. He wanted to ensure privacy when handling sensitive items, like the ones he was about to examine.

Chu Ning retrieved two storage bags, belonging to Gu Feng and Yun Qian Shan, and erased the ownership marks on them. He emptied their contents, creating two large piles of items in front of him.

His gaze first fell on the items from Yun Qian Shan's storage bag. Aside from several dozen medium-grade spirit stones, he discovered some excellent pill-refining materials and, to his surprise, over a dozen Fire Grenades.

This flower was one of the spirit herbs he had asked Frost Moon Pavilion to procure, and it was urgently needed for his pill refinement.

There were also some common spirit herbs that could be easily found in the market, likely obtained elsewhere rather than Snow Mist Valley.

"Did Yun Qian Shan spend all his time searching for older Snow Crystal Herbs? How did he end up with so few items?" Chu Ning wondered aloud.

He reached for a jade box, the same one that had fallen into his hands during their confrontation. He didn't open it right away, noticing the talismans affixed to its surface. He set it aside, intending to study them later.

Instead, he turned his attention to the other items, finding two things of interest. One was a set of four to five talismans he had never seen before, identical to the ones on the jade box. The other was a jade slip containing a technique called Spirit Earth Shadow Escape Art, a type of earth escape art. Chu Ning had been intrigued by Yun Qian Shan's mysterious earth escape art during their battle with Gu Feng, so he decided to keep it for further study.

Finally, Chu Ning shifted his focus to the items from Gu Feng's storage bag.

In addition, there were quite a few tool refining materials.

But what truly stood out was the abundance of spirit herbs; Chu Ning recognized over a dozen varieties harvested from Snow Mist Valley.

Each type was present in considerable quantities.

It was clear that this late-stage Jin Dan cultivator had made quite a haul in the valley.

Among them were two types that Chu Ning could use for pill refining, which brought him great joy.

As for the other spirit herbs that he couldn't use for the time being, Chu Ning fell into contemplation.

If he wanted to maximize their value, it would be best to trade them tomorrow for the spirit herbs that he needed.

However, at that moment, Chu Ning hesitated.

The fact that someone from the Huan Ling Sect had come looking for Frost Moon Pavilion made him cautious.

Chu Ning's gaze fell upon several rarer spirit herbs.

"What if there's something special among the spirit herbs that Gu Feng picked, and when I try to sell them, I end up attracting trouble by leading them straight to me?"

With that in mind, Chu Ning put those spirit herbs back and stored them away in a corner of his storage bag, along with Yun Qian Shan's possessions and Gu Feng's treasures.

It would be best if these items remained hidden away in his storage bag for a long time to come.

"Hmm, what's this?"

Just as Chu Ning was about to start examining the jade box that might contain a higher grade of Snow Crystal Herb, something thin and flat, hidden beneath the pile of miscellaneous items, caught his attention.

This object was made of an unknown material, and it was covered in tiny writing.

"Blood Cloud Needle!"

As Chu Ning read the content, a glint flashed in his eyes.

After examining it carefully, he found that it recorded a secret attack technique.

It allowed one to condense their essence blood, dan energy, and spiritual sense into an attack.

This secret technique was not only incredibly powerful but also exceptionally fast, often catching opponents off guard.

Chu Ning soon recalled the moment when Gu Feng and Yun Qian Shan had fought, and Gu Feng had spat out a thin red light at the end.

Perhaps that person had only managed to condense this one needle, and during their confrontation, he hadn't used it again.

Chu Ning read through this secret technique several times, studying it carefully for a long while, and finding no potential side effects, he put it away along with the Spirit Earth Shadow Escape Art.

These two techniques were worth spending some time cultivating; he might gain something from them.

At that moment, Chu Ning's gaze finally landed on the jade box sealed with talismans.

At the same time, he picked up another identical talisman to examine.

"This talisman's grade isn't particularly high—a high-level low-grade talisman.

Its main function is sealing and isolating spiritual energy."

Chu Ning reached this conclusion after sensing it, then thought for a moment before executing a series of incantations, forming a three-colored restrictive spell that enveloped him, isolating the spiritual energy around him.

Still feeling uneasy, he decided to call out Ling Xiao Bai and instructed it to stay by his side, ready to act at the first sign of trouble.

Only then did Chu Ning carefully begin to remove the talismans from the jade box.

As soon as he opened the jade box, a white light flashed, and a white figure shot out, darting straight toward the ground.

Its speed startled Chu Ning.

"Bang!"

However, the three-colored light shield rebounded it.

Undeterred, the white figure continued to dart about erratically within the confines of the light shield.

At that moment, Chu Ning finally saw what the white figure was.

It was a tiny person, completely white like jade snow, almost transparent.

It was saturated with dense spiritual energy.

"It's a Snow Crystal Herb that has attained sentience!"

Chu Ning's eyes gleamed as he gathered his energy in his palm and reached out to grab the tiny white figure.

The figure scurried faster upon seeing this.

But within the confines of the energy shield, how could it possibly outmaneuver Chu Ning?

After a few attempts, it fell into Chu Ning's hand.

Holding the sentient Snow Crystal Herb, Chu Ning didn't feel a hint of coldness. Although it was slightly cool, it had a smooth and warm feeling, like jade.

At that moment, the tiny white figure that Chu Ning had captured began to dance about in his hand.

Its little mouth opened and closed, though it made no sound.

Chu Ning was astonished by this sight.

"Whine!"

At that moment, Ling Xiao Bai also sensed the Snow Crystal Herb and let out a longing whine.

Chu Ning smiled and said, "Little fellow, you can't eat this. Even I'm reluctant to consume it."

As he spoke, Chu Ning executed a series of incantations, directing them at the tiny white figure in his palm.

Immediately, a white light flashed, and the figure transformed into a small tree.

The tree's trunk and branches shone with a silvery light, while its leaves resembled lingzhi mushrooms—translucent, white, and glowing.

"Millennial Snow Crystal Herb... No, it's older than that. This Snow Crystal Herb is at least three thousand years old!"

Chu Ning's eyes shone as he beheld the breathtakingly beautiful Snow Crystal Herb illuminated by the moonlight.

The next moment, Chu Ning took out a small jade bottle and placed it under the most transparent leaf.

Then, he executed a series of incantations, directing them at the leaf.

After just a short while, three drops of transparent spiritual liquid fell into the jade bottle.

Chu Ning picked up the bottle and carefully sensed its contents, finding that the spiritual liquid within was even more potent than the thousand-year spirit milk.

At the same time, an incredibly refreshing fragrance wafted over, soothing his mind and body.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end