Chapter 691: The Mysterious Spirit Plant
Chapter 691: The Mysterious Spirit Plant
"A sixth-grade spirit plant..."
Lu Chen's eyes lit up at the female cultivator's words.
While he had cultivated quite a few fifth-grade and above spirit plants in his cave abode, each one had been hard-won, so he could only imagine how rare a sixth-grade spirit plant must be.
Of course, he wouldn't pass up such a rare opportunity.
"May I trouble Fellow Daoist Wen to introduce me to that family in more detail?"
He asked gently.
"The cultivator who intends to sell the spirit plant of his clan is from the Qingyuan Bai family, a massive clan that spans thousands of miles around. It is said that it was founded by a Nascent Soul True Lord and has been passed down for many years."
"However, after the clan's old ancestor's lifespan came to an end, the family slowly began to decline. In this generation, including the clan head, there are only two Pill Formation cultivators."
"Although their strength is still not to be underestimated, compared to their most prosperous era, there is a vast difference."
As the branch hall master of the Hailou Commerce Association, the female cultivator was naturally well-versed in the various powers within Liyang's territory, and she explained in detail to Lu Chen.
"The clan is in decline? Only two Pill Formation cultivators?"
Lu Chen maintained a calm expression, but a question mark appeared in his mind.
He would never have associated the term "decline" with Pill Formation cultivators.
Back when he was at the Qi Refining stage in Linyang Market Town, the Wang Clan, which controlled the market town and had several Foundation Establishment cultivators, had seemed like a formidable force. He never would have imagined that within Liyang's territory, a clan with Pill Formation elders would be described as declining.
"I am quite interested in the spirit plant held by the Bai family. When the time is right, may I trouble Fellow Daoist Wen to take me there to have a look?"
"No problem, Senior."
The female cultivator replied, bowing her head.
In the blink of an eye, several days passed. Besides going out to purchase cultivation materials and visit the general store, Lu Chen spent the rest of his time in the branch hall, handling miscellaneous tasks and cultivating.
The female cultivator, whose surname was Wen, led him to a quiet courtyard.
"Senior Lu, this is Elder Bai Yushan, the head of the Bai family."
"Elder Bai, this is Senior Lu Chen, a guest advisor to the Hailou Commerce Association, and an expert in spirit plants."
As soon as they entered the courtyard, two Pill Formation cultivators greeted them warmly.
The leader was a clear-eyed elderly man with early Pill Formation cultivation. His spiritual power was abundant, and he didn't seem far from reaching the mid Pill Formation stage.
Following him was a sharp-eyed young man, also at the early Pill Formation stage.
"So it's Fellow Daoist Lu, please forgive me for not coming out to greet you personally."
When the elder heard that Lu Chen was a guest advisor to the Hailou Commerce Association, his smile became even warmer, and he took a few steps forward, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Nice to meet you, Fellow Daoist Bai. You're too kind."
Lu Chen smiled in return.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lu Chen learned from the elderly man that the young man was his nephew, a gifted cultivator who had broken through to the Pill Formation stage after only a hundred years of cultivation.
The female cultivator stayed in the courtyard while other Bai family cultivators attended to her, and Lu Chen followed Elder Bai Yushan into a spacious hall.
In the hall, there were already five Pill Formation cultivators—two at the mid Pill Formation stage and three at the early Pill Formation stage. They seemed somewhat unfamiliar.
The elders introduced themselves to each other, and when they heard that Lu Chen was a guest advisor to the Hailou Commerce Association, a hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the five cultivators, and they couldn't help but glance at Lu Chen a few more times.
After Lu Chen, another early Pill Formation cultivator entered the hall.
"The attraction of a sixth-grade spirit plant is relatively small. If it were a sixth-grade magical artifact or a sixth-grade formation, many more cultivators would have shown up, and even late Pill Formation cultivators might have come."
Lu Chen quietly sipped his spiritual tea, his mind turning.
The six of them waited for a moment, and then the elder walked to the center of the hall and bowed, saying,
"Rather than let it wither away in our possession, we have decided to part with it reluctantly and offer it in exchange for suitable treasures."
"As our clan has many disciples, we prioritize fifth-grade cultivation techniques or low-level divine abilities. Following that, we are also interested in array formations and magical artifacts."
"Of course, if there is a significant disparity in the value of the offered treasures, we would expect some form of additional compensation to balance the trade."
The clear-eyed elder, Elder Bai Yushan, explained, his voice carrying a hint of authority.
Although the Pill Formation cultivators present were aware of the Bai family's decline, the elder chose not to mention it directly, instead presenting a reason that sounded impeccable.
After he finished speaking, the elder retrieved a mystical spirit plant from his storage bag.
The spirit plant was enveloped in a thin layer of black mist, like a delicate veil. Deep and mysterious spirit lights coursed across its surface, giving off an air of otherworldly charm.
"Indeed, it is a sixth-grade spirit plant, but of a variety I have never encountered before."
The Pill Formation cultivators in the room carefully probed the spirit plant, sensing the rich vitality within, and offered their assessment.
"It is certainly not an ordinary sixth-grade spirit plant. As for the specific variety, please allow me to keep it a surprise for now. I will disclose the details after exchanging it with the fortunate fellow Daoist."
Elder Bai spoke slowly, his tone measured.
His words piqued the curiosity of the cultivators even further.
Before long, one of the Pill Formation cultivators spoke up, initiating the negotiation.
"Fellow Daoist Bai, I possess a rare bronze mirror treasure of fifth-grade quality, known as the Dazzling Light Mirror. It holds numerous wondrous uses and can be refined into a low-grade magical artifact. May I offer it in exchange for your spirit plant?"
As soon as this cultivator broke the ice, others began presenting their own rare and precious treasures.
"Elder Bai, what do you think of this pair of starlight parent-child swords? They are a matched set of fifth-grade flying swords, forged from extraterrestrial stellar stones. When used together, they possess might far surpassing ordinary fifth-grade flying swords and can greatly enhance your strength."
A long and short sword shot out, their blades shimmering with starlight. The two swords seemed to be attracted to each other by a special stellar force, maintaining a constant distance between them.
"Elder Bai..."
A dazzling array of treasures was presented, and one Pill Formation cultivator in the middle stage of cultivation even offered a fifth-grade cultivation technique, which deeply tempted the elder.
"Uncle Yushan, how about choosing the Dazzling Light Mirror or the starlight parent-child swords?"
The sharp-eyed young man from the Bai family transmitted his thoughts to the elder.
"Foolish!"
Elder Bai silently glared at the young man.
"Does the Bai family lack magical artifacts? With the heirloom left by our ancestor, even if you obtain those rare and powerful artifacts, the increase in your strength will be minimal."
"Our clan is currently in a state of decline, and although we have many disciples with good talent, only a handful have the potential to reach the Pill Formation stage."
"If something unexpected happens to you and me, the entire Bai family will either disband or be swallowed up by other forces. Therefore, we must not think only of ourselves but also consider how to ensure the continuation of the clan."
"That fifth-grade cultivation technique, although ordinary in quality, can offer our disciples more options and increase their chances of advancement. Let's consider it for now."
Elder Bai transmitted his thoughts to the young man, guiding him with wisdom and experience.
"Elder Bai, may I have the honor of witnessing the wonders of this spirit plant? If it meets my expectations, I have a rather remarkable treasure to offer in exchange."
Suddenly, a gentle voice reached Elder Bai's ears—the voice of the guest advisor from the Hailou Commerce Association.
(End of Chapter)
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