Chapter 292: "I'll Take 20 Million Spirit Stones From You, How About That?"

Chapter 292: "I'll Take 20 Million Spirit Stones From You, How About That?"

"Really?"

The woman's gaze turned towards the Taiping Manor's Ancestor, her eyes filled with anticipation. "Is it really just one? When I found you, your ancestor's remaining descendant was only you. Other fairies who wanted to repay their gratitude could only find you, right?"

"In all these years, hasn't a single fairy come to repay her gratitude?"

"It's true!" The Taiping Manor's Ancestor nodded earnestly, a hint of anger in his voice. "Other fairies don't have the same sense of gratitude as you. You're a good person. By the way, I still don't know your name after all this time."

"Hmph."

The woman let out a cold snort. Her one-night husband didn't know that the fairies who came to repay their gratitude weren't driven by gratitude, but to receive the blessing of repaying gratitude. Her eyes glinted with a hint of amusement, already anticipating the scene of catching other fairies coming to repay their gratitude in person.

Just then—

"Bang."

A knock sounded behind the two of them, and two old men pushed open the door. One of them spoke tentatively, "Um, let me introduce ourselves. We are from the Profound Heaven Continent and have a deep connection with Senior Chen Qiu. We just saw the two of you spending heavily to have the storyteller start Chen Qiu's story from the beginning."

"We have exclusive information."

"Information that the storyteller doesn't know, perhaps you two might be interested in?"

"Who are you?"

The woman turned to look at the two old men behind her, frowning. One of them was wearing a monk's robe and didn't seem like a good person, and she personally didn't like these Buddhist disciples. The other one had shifty eyes and didn't look trustworthy either.

"The Profound Heaven Continent's Buddhist Patriarch!"

"The Profound Heaven Continent's Green Mountain Palace Patriarch!"

The Buddhist Patriarch's face was sincere as he spoke earnestly, "I once had a deep-rooted grudge with Chen Qiu, but after my efforts, I successfully turned an enemy into a friend. The Daoist friend beside me also had a deep conflict with Chen Qiu, but eventually, they too became friends."

"If you have a conflict with Chen Qiu, we can help you resolve it and turn an enemy into a friend."

"We have very successful cases."

"For example, the Heavenly Axe Sect in Profound Heaven State. You should know about them. They were once the top power in Profound Heaven State. When Chen Qiu first ascended to the Vast Continent, he led powerful cultivators to ambush them, but they fled in defeat. Logically, it should have been a dead end, but with our help, not only did they eliminate their grudge, but they even joined the Mock Heaven Sect, becoming core members. Now, they've accompanied Chen Qiu to the High Rank Continent."

"We have many similar cases."

"These are our two main services."

"One is resolving grudges, and the other is our exclusive information about Senior Chen Qiu's early days."

"But..."

The Buddhist Patriarch smiled sheepishly and shook the porcelain bowl in his hand, "Monks always like to collect alms."

"Here you go."

The woman was quite generous. She casually took out a storage bag from her bosom and tossed it over, saying calmly, "As long as your information is valuable, I won't skimp on the spirit stones."

"Hey."

The Buddhist Patriarch scanned the storage bag with his spirit sense, revealing a satisfied smile as he saw the spirit stones inside. He exchanged a glance with the Green Mountain Palace Patriarch and then took a step forward, ready to share their story.

"The Chen Qiu that the storyteller spoke of first appeared in Yuan Cheng, but in reality, Chen Qiu's first appearance in the Profound Heaven Continent wasn't in Yuan Cheng. That was his second stop."

"The first place was a town."

"It's called 'Deathtrap Town,' an inauspicious name for a town at the foot of a snow-capped mountain, inhabited by a group of hunters. Among them was a hunter influenced by my spirit sense, who had a kind heart. At that time, Chen Qiu was trapped under heavy snow, and this hunter rescued him and brought him back to his house to recover."

"So, from that moment on, my fate with Senior Chen Qiu began."

At that time, Chen Qiu had already reached the peak of the Golden Core stage. A few days later, he went to Yuan Cheng and gained recognition during the Heavenly Dao event 'Nightfall Approaches.' After annihilating the Destiny Sect, he became an overnight sensation."

"Wait a moment."

The woman's eyebrows furrowed as she spoke, "You said that when you first met Chen Qiu, he was already at the peak of the Golden Core stage? But as far as I know, Chen Qiu possesses a 12th-grade Golden Core, the highest grade of Golden Core. How is it possible that the Heavenly Dao Edict didn't sound?"

"I don't know about that."

The Buddhist Patriarch shook his head, "Indeed, the Heavenly Dao Edict didn't sound. This is beyond my knowledge."

"But now that I think about it, we were also in the wrong. Initially, we had no grievances with Chen Qiu. It was merely because of a rumor from three million years ago, which said that when the Mock Heaven Sect appeared, it would be the day of the Profound Heaven Continent's destruction."

"That's why we took the initiative to attack Chen Qiu."

"Fortunately..."

"Stop!" The woman's expression changed slightly, "Please elaborate on that rumor from three million years ago."

"Well..."

The Buddhist Patriarch sighed, "It's not a big deal. It's just some small-scale trouble in the First Rank Continent. The two seniors here wouldn't be interested in such trivial matters. Three million years ago, there was a powerful force in the Profound Heaven Continent called the Mock Heaven Sect."

"This sect was filled with sword cultivators, with countless Soul Transformation experts. They were the strongest sect in the Profound Heaven Continent."

"However, due to their overbearing actions, they were eventually hunted down by the combined forces of all the sects in the Profound Heaven Continent, almost to the point of annihilation. This brought peace to the world. But I don't know if it was because the ancestors didn't finish the job, so this warning was passed down."

"It instructed us to completely eradicate the Mock Heaven Sect when they appeared."

"When the Mock Heaven Sect's name first resounded throughout the Profound Heaven Continent, many top powers in the Central Plains announced their seclusion, fearing this prophecy. But now it seems that the ancestors' warning wasn't entirely accurate, as we're still alive and well.

"Or perhaps, this Mock Heaven Sect is not the successor of the Mock Heaven Sect from thirty thousand years ago. After all, back then, the Mock Heaven Sect was filled with Sword Cultivators, and Senior Chen Qiu, as we all know, is an extremely extreme Dao Cultivator, completely unrelated to Sword Cultivation. I've never even seen him hold a sword."

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly and turned to the Grand Ancestor of the Buddhist Sect, speaking with emphasis, "You just said, the Mock Heaven Sect from thirty thousand years ago? You still remember the Mock Heaven Sect from that time?"

"Of course, I remember."

The Grand Ancestor gave the woman a peculiar look. "With the sect's heritage and historical records, it's not possible that there's no information passed down. However, there are indeed no records of events from thirty thousand years ago."

"I understand."

The woman didn't say anything further. She threw another bag of spirit stones and waved her hand, indicating for the two to leave. Then, she remained silent, deep in thought.

She wanted to visit the Profound Heaven Continent.

The Profound Heaven Continent, where Senior Chen Qiu had risen to prominence—she wasn't sure if the Mock Heaven Sect there was the same as the one in her memory. According to the Grand Ancestor's account, the Mock Heaven Sect in its heyday had its entire sect at the Soul Transformation stage, which seemed too far-fetched.

Even at its weakest, the Mock Heaven Sect wouldn't have been weak enough for its entire sect to reach the Soul Transformation stage.

It could be one.

Or maybe it wasn't. Otherwise, why would the memory of the name 'Mock Heaven Sect' be forcefully erased from everyone's minds, except for those from the Profound Heaven Continent who could still remember the sect from thirty thousand years ago? There was clearly something unknown at play here.

She wanted to investigate and find out.

She turned her head slightly and looked at Taiping Manor's Ancestor, "I want to visit the Profound Heaven Continent. Can you take me there?"

She didn't have the ability to freely traverse the lower-rank continents; this ability was rare and not something everyone possessed. At least, she didn't have it. The reason she could come to the Profound Heaven Continent was that her benefactor was on this continent, and she could directly appear beside her benefactor.

There was only one way to get to the Profound Heaven Continent.

And that was for her one-night husband to go to the Profound Heaven Continent first, and then she could directly appear before her husband.

"Hehe."

Taiping Manor's Ancestor gave a dry laugh, "My lady, you're overestimating me. I don't have that ability."

"But you just said you were going to the Pingxi Continent."

"That's not the same. The Pingxi Continent is my hometown; the difficulty is completely different."

"Oh, right."

After hesitating for a while, the woman finally spoke with uncertainty, "I suddenly remembered something. Your hometown, the Pingxi Continent, didn't naturally collapse; it was artificially accelerated."

Taiping Manor's Ancestor was slightly taken aback. For a moment, his eyes showed no signs of emotion. He was genuinely unaware that the Pingxi Continent had been artificially accelerated to collapse? Who did that?!

How despicable!

After the collapse of the Pingxi Continent, he had been in a state of grief for a long time. There was still existed a small clan left behind by his father, and the yellow flower chrysanthemum beef noodle soup he loved the most was now gone.

"A force from the Sixth Rank Immortal Realm, the Drunken Flower Manor, has already started a comprehensive investigation."

"Then it's fine."

Taiping Manor's Ancestor, whose eyes had just begun to redden, suddenly felt relieved, "The Sixth Rank Immortal Realm, that's good. When people live too long, they tend to seek out some low-level entertainment for themselves."

"But you shouldn't think about revenge." The woman shook her head, "The Drunken Flower Manor, from the family head down to the servants, all died from Immortal Cancer, completely and utterly, with their souls annihilated. Immortal Cancer is a random type of cancer that only Immortals can get, and it has no pattern at all, relying entirely on randomness."

"So many people getting Immortal Cancer doesn't seem like it's all due to randomness."

"Yes, many forces in the Immortal Realm are investigating this issue. It's estimated that a conclusion will be reached in a few years."

"But you should also be careful. Your Pingxi Continent has been implicated. This time, there will likely be people from higher-rank Immortal Realms coming down to ask you about the situation. If someone tries to bully you..."

Taiping Manor's Ancestor tentatively spoke, "My lady, didn't you say you were from the Wei Wang Palace? Will mentioning the Wei Wang Palace have any deterrence?"

"It has no deterrence at all."

The woman rolled her eyes impatiently. Given the Wei Wang Palace's status in the Fifth Rank Immortal Realm, not many people would recognize it if mentioned. Even after making a significant impact in the last great war, not many people remembered the Wei Wang Palace.

The first friend to come to Ba Dan's aid was the Kang family from the northwest.

She was the second to stand up.

However, people have always been more inclined to remember the first person and pay less attention to the second. Throughout history, while the first person to stand up may gain higher attention, it often also means facing greater danger.

It's a double-edged sword.

She had chosen to play it safe. Before anyone else stepped forward, she relied solely on her strength, which didn't help Ba Dan much. She could add to his success, but she didn't have the power to seal the deal. Whether she stood up or not didn't significantly impact the battlefield situation.

But the woman soon gave an answer.

"If someone really bullies you, just say you're Master Chen's person."

"If they ask which Master Chen, just say you're the Master Chen who gave Ba Dan the Shadow Emperor's Fortune."

"Then quickly create some injuries for yourself. Once I sense your injuries, I'll come to you as soon as possible to help."

"Understood."

Taiping Manor's Ancestor looked at the woman before him with a serious and sincere expression, bowing in respect, "Thank you, my lady. It's been a long time since someone has cared so much about my life."

"Get lost! Who's your lady?"

The woman rolled her eyes impatiently.

"I've called you my lady three times, and you only react now?"

"Your smooth talk is tiresome, I can't be bothered to listen."

Jiang Taiping Continent.

After sending off Ba Dan, Chen Qiu returned to the Celestial Palace with Fat Dragon and the others. Without Scholar and the rest, the Celestial Palace felt empty and a little desolate.

"It's better when it's bustling."

Chen Qiu, leaning on his staff, looked around the sparsely populated Celestial Palace and shook his head slightly without saying much. He walked back to the Mystic Heaven Throne in the center of the palace, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate his cultivation technique, closing his eyes to rest.

Currently, there were two urgent matters.

First, it was time to upgrade his cultivation technique. In a few days, he would enter the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm, where he hoped to find a higher-grade cultivation technique. Although this Mystic Realm was only from a Third Rank Continent, its level was quite high.

Those entering this Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm were all absolute geniuses from other Third Rank Continents, so the competition would be fierce, but there would also be many valuable items produced.

The second matter was that Ba Dan had already repaid him with a strand of Yin Emperor's Fortune, which was still sealed in a jade slip. He didn't even need to take it from Ba Dan; he could just send it directly to the Bai Family Patriarch. After all, the Bai Family Patriarch had helped him quite a bit.

After his thoughts were settled.

He immediately prepared to set off for the Third Rank Continent. Now wasn't the time to seclude himself for cultivation. He would soon enter the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm, and if he secluded himself now, he would have to come out in just a few days, which would be pointless and only make him more annoyed.

"Thank you, Chen."

"Alright, alright."

In the Heaven-reaching Continent, at the Bai Family Manor, Chen Qiu supported the Bai Family Patriarch, who was so moved he was about to kneel, and said softly, "There's no need for that. Your intentions are enough. Didn't you say there's a Divine Physician in a Fourth Tier Continent who needs this Yin Emperor's Fortune as the main ingredient to refine a pill? Contact him."

"Yes, yes, yes."

The Bai Family Patriarch hurriedly nodded and took out a storage bracelet from his bosom. "Here's ten million spirit stones, a small token of appreciation, and there's more to come. Please accept it, don't refuse. This isn't for you, it's for the child."

He immediately stuffed it into Fat Dragon's hand.

Fat Dragon held the storage bracelet, his expressionless gaze fixed on the Bai Family Patriarch, his lips twitching slightly.

After everything was done.

The Bai Family Patriarch couldn't wait any longer. He took out a telepathic bracelet from his bosom and contacted the Divine Physician in the Fourth Tier Continent. Although he continued to chat with Chen Qiu and the others with a smiling face, his constant pacing inside the room betrayed his inner turmoil.

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded in agreement while examining the Bai Family's decor. It was all very standard, without any extravagantly expensive materials or millennia-old potted plants. Although it was luxurious, it wasn't overly flashy, just the right level of opulence for a top power in a Third Rank Continent. It was clear that the Bai Family was genuinely afraid of showing off their wealth.

When an individual's capabilities and assets don't match, those with assets to match will come to take them away.

This was what the Bai Family Patriarch feared.

Not long after.

A commotion arose outside the room, and an elder with white temples and long hair entered, surrounded by his disciples. He strode into the Bai Family's guest room, escorted by the Bai Family servants.

"Divine Physician, Divine Physician!"

The Bai Family Patriarch's face lit up with excitement as he hurriedly greeted the elder: "I've found the Yin Emperor's Fortune. What should we do next?"

For this strand of Yin Emperor's Fortune, he had nearly gone mad these past days, but no matter what, he had found it.

His daughter would finally be saved.

The Bai Family's daughter, accompanied by her Dao Guardian, looked at Chen Qiu with a complex expression. She had once admired Chen Qiu, perhaps because she was close to death and became bolder in her affections. She had never even met Chen Qiu, but she wanted to get closer to him.

The reason was simple.

Since ancient times, which beauty wouldn't love a hero?

When a person stands at the pinnacle of the world, bathed in a pillar of light from above, everyone has to look up to them. Even if this person is ugly, they will still capture the hearts of many women.

Women are naturally drawn to strong men, and she was no exception.

But

But this thought gradually faded. She felt the difference in their status was too great. Her father treated Chen Qiu with great respect and even regarded him as a senior. In this situation, it was difficult for such thoughts to arise.

Moreover, her father had privately spoken to Chen Qiu once, very straightforwardly. He said, "Your Immortal Cancer might be curable."

But with Chen Qiu's cultivation speed, it was estimated that it wouldn't be long before he broke through to the Great Vehicle Stage, then the Tribulation Stage, and then he would ascend to the Immortal World, with his cultivation rising all the way. By then, what cultivation would she have?

For any Dao partner, if there's a huge gap in cultivation, it's difficult to achieve a good outcome.

They aren't ordinary mortals, so even if the woman doesn't understand what the man is doing, she can't cook or do laundry for him. In the cultivation world, there's none of that. With such a huge cultivation gap, they would gradually grow apart, and it would be even more painful.

It's better to give up early, she thought, feeling her father's words made a lot of sense.

In the Bai Family's guest room, the elder with white temples, the Divine Physician, carefully examined the jade slip in his hand. He then tremblingly returned the jade slip, his voice shaking with disbelief: "It's really the Yin Emperor's Fortune. How is that possible? Your Bai Family actually obtained the Yin Emperor's Fortune?"

"Do you know how valuable this is?"

"It's said that even in the Immortal World, it's a highly sought-after item. You actually got it?"

"Hehe."

The Bai Family Patriarch smiled awkwardly. "After spending all our wealth, we finally acquired it. So, Divine Physician, if there are no other issues, let's begin. Tell us what materials you need for pill refinement, and our Bai Family will prepare them."

"Huff."

The Divine Physician took a deep breath and shook the dust brush in his hand. "Don't rush. Of course, we'll refine the pill, but there's something I need to clarify first. The Yin Emperor's Fortune isn't an ordinary item; it's an extremely precious spirit artifact. Refining this spirit artifact will greatly deplete my vitality."

"This alchemy fee..."

"Of course, it can't be less." Bai Jia Jiuzhu's expression turned serious, "Didn't we initially agree on 50 million spirit stones? Doubling it, our Bai family is willing to pay 100 million spirit stones to have the Divine Physician refine the pill."

His words hung in the air.

The disciples standing behind the Divine Physician all took a sharp breath, clearly surprised by the amount. Before this, they had never imagined that helping someone refine pills could earn them a million spirit stones. How long would it take to spend so many spirit stones?

Could it be that the person would die before they could spend all the spirit stones?

The master was truly a master, effortlessly earning 100 million spirit stones.

"That's not enough."

The Divine Physician shook his head slightly, "You didn't spend less to acquire this Soul of Shadows' Fortune, did you? There are rumors outside that your Bai family is wealthy enough to rival a nation, and now it seems there's some truth to that. But I must tell you..."

"This Soul of Shadows' Fortune, you might still be able to receive a high price for it in spirit stones."

"But..."

"In this series of continents, in the Fourth Tier Continent and below, I'm the only one who can refine this pill. Unless you have the means to find someone from the Fifth Rank Immortal World or other series of continents, you can only come to me."

"You have no other choice but to seek me."

"My value should not be less than that of the Soul of Shadows' Fortune."

"How about two million spirit stones?"

"Two million?"

Bai Jia Jiuzhu couldn't help but take a deep breath, disbelief in his voice, "Divine Physician, how could the Bai family possibly afford so many spirit stones? This price is too outrageous!"

This amount...

In truth, the Bai family could afford it, but he couldn't pay it. If he dared to pay this amount, many opportunists would flock to the Bai family, devouring it until nothing was left, not even scraps.

"If you can't pay, then forget it."

The Divine Physician nonchalantly stood up and began to walk away, "It seems the Bai family head is neither as generous as the rumors claim, nor as loving towards his daughter. It's all just rumors."

"Farewell, and remember to send me an invitation to the funeral."

Just as Bai Jia Jiuzhu was engaged in an intense internal struggle, Chen Qiu, sitting beside him, placed a hand on Bai Jia Jiuzhu's shoulder and called out to the departing Divine Physician, "The art of medicine is about saving lives. To use this ability to set an exorbitant price, isn't that an insult to the profession?"

"Hey."

The Divine Physician, who had no intention of truly leaving, stopped in his tracks and turned to Chen Qiu with a smile, "Young friend, I don't know you, but in the High-Rank Immortal Realm, there's a term called 'market economy.'"

"Of course, you might not understand the meaning of these four words. Let me explain. The price of an item is determined by the market and cannot be artificially manipulated."

"Among hundreds of continents, I'm the only one capable of refining this Soul of Shadows' Fortune. If he wants to save his daughter, he can only come to me. No one else can help."

"In this situation, if my price increases slightly, how can it be considered exorbitant? It's the market that sets the price, do you understand?"

"Scarcity will inevitably lead to a price increase."

"Moreover, there's another crucial point. In the Fourth Tier Continent, apart from me, who else would dare to contact the Bai family head?"

"During the funeral of the top power in the Fourth Tier Continent, Ling Pavilion, the Bai family head caused quite a stir, revealing many scandals, including some about the Ling Pavilion's Young Master's concubine and their son's infidelity. Although such things are common in large families, it's the first time it's been exposed so publicly."

"Ling Pavilion has been dealing with this mess ever since."

"Although the Ling Pavilion's master acted nonchalant during the funeral, saying that his concubine was like his son's, he had her executed as soon as the funeral ended."

"Furthermore, Ling Pavilion has listed you as the primary suspect, but they've been busy handling internal affairs and haven't had the time to pursue you. Once their internal issues are resolved, their first priority will be to find you."

"This involves another crucial point..."

The Divine Physician continued, "Ling Pavilion's former Young Master had the title of 'Heavenly King' and could freely traverse the Lower Rank Continents. But now that he's dead, Ling Pavilion no longer has this ability."

"As far as I know, there are only a few people in the Fourth Tier Continent, Heaven-reaching Continent, who possess this qualification, and I happen to be one of them."

"You said..."

"What if Ling Pavilion finds me? How should I handle it?"

"Therefore, this money is not only to save your daughter's life but also to save your Bai family and your own life."

He tried to explain as sincerely as possible. Initially, he had only quoted a high price because he believed that the Bai family's acquisition of the Soul of Shadows' Fortune indicated greater wealth than he had imagined.

He had thought that Bai Jia Jiuzhu would be embarrassed and angry.

But to his surprise, the other party began to struggle and think.

Oh ho!

This meant that Bai Jia Jiuzhu might indeed have 20 million spirit stones in his pocket, which was a huge problem. How could he possibly leave in anger? If necessary, he could negotiate a lower price.

Even 2 million spirit stones would be acceptable.

"You said that in the entire Fourth Tier Continent and below, you're the only one who can refine this pill?"

Chen Qiu raised an eyebrow, looking at the Divine Physician.

"That's right," the Divine Physician said with some pride.

"What about the Fifth Rank Immortal Realm?"

"The Fifth Rank Immortal Realm?" The Divine Physician couldn't help but scoff, "Of course, there are people in the Fifth Rank Immortal Realm who can do it, but only if you can bring someone from there. I don't have the means to do that."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end