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Chapter 933: The Mystical Incense Tree
Chapter 933: The Mystical Incense Tree
"It's so pleasant to sit here, eating spirit fruits and drinking spirit brew while watching these geniuses of the heavens perform for my entertainment."
As the sparring began, Lu Chen and Ge Pu, who had not signed up to participate, sat in the audience, feeling extremely content as they watched spiritual artifacts and talismans fly across the ten stages, with divine abilities and secret techniques on full display.
"These spirit fruits provided by the Li Yang Dao Zong are quite delicious," Lu Chen remarked, popping a bright red fruit into his mouth and savoring the burst of pure spiritual essence within.
"Indeed, but the spirit brew is not as good as the one you brewed, Brother Lu," Ge Pu replied from beside him.
The Li Yang Dao Zong had prepared a large quantity of spirit fruits and brew for the Wanling Convention. While the fruits were not of high rank, their variety was impressive, and Lu Chen indulged to his heart's content.
As for the brew, while he had supplied a significant amount to the Dao Zong, it was but a drop in the ocean for the entire convention. His brew only made an appearance in the more important exchange meetings at the beginning.
Most of the brew provided by the Dao Zong was either produced by them or purchased from other sects and forces, and while they were of good quality, they still fell short of Lu Chen's brews.
The sparring matches were conducted in a knockout format, so despite the large number of participants, the eliminations happened quickly.
The rewards offered by the Dao Zong were mediocre in Lu Chen's eyes, but they were highly desirable to the other cultivators.
A seventh-grade treasure was something that very few cultivators at the Core Formation stage could possess.
As the matches progressed, the competition grew fiercer, and a myriad of divine abilities and treasures were unveiled, broadening Lu Chen's horizons.
In the end, a middle-grade spiritual artifact was won by a Core Formation cultivator from the Li Yang Dao Zong, who relied on various treasures to secure victory. Zhou Chao made it into the top ten and received a sixth-grade spirit pill.
As for Wan Chong, despite his superior strength compared to Zhou Chao, he had only joined for fun. After about a dozen rounds, he found it boring and withdrew.
"Congratulations to the two of you for winning such abundant treasures," Lu Chen and Ge Pu congratulated Zhou Chao and Wan Chong when they returned.
"Thank you, Brothers Lu and Ge," Wan Chong said with a playful smile, having made it into the top hundred.
Zhou Chao nodded slightly, his expression calm, as if he was somewhat unsatisfied with his performance.
"With the divine abilities and secret techniques I currently possess, along with multiple middle-grade spiritual artifacts and a large number of fifth-grade sword talismans, I should be able to secure a spot in the top three with ease," Lu Chen thought to himself.
"As for winning the first place, it would depend on luck and the support the Li Yang Dao Zong offers to that cultivator."
There were quite a few late-stage and even peak-stage Core Formation cultivators among the participants, and they were all outstanding talents from major sects and forces, possessing powerful spiritual artifacts, divine abilities, and secret techniques. Thus, Lu Chen was careful not to sound overly confident.
Unfortunately, among the plethora of treasure rewards, he only had some interest in the ones for the top three places. However, if he actually made it to the top three, it would likely stir up a huge commotion and might even bring him unnecessary trouble.
Therefore, it was better to remain a spectator and enjoy the show as the geniuses fought over those ordinary treasures.
After the sparring matches, it was time for the treasure exchange segment.
The treasure exchange was divided into two parts: auctions and free trading.
Cultivators could hand over their treasures to the Li Yang Dao Zong for auction, and the sect would take a small commission.
However, the sect had extremely strict requirements for the treasures to be auctioned. Ordinary Core Formation-level treasures were not qualified to enter the auction venue.
Only extremely rare and precious fifth-grade and sixth-grade treasures had the honor of being auctioned.
And, under the organization of the Dao Zong, they could freely exchange treasures with other cultivators.
Each had its advantages and disadvantages, and it was up to the cultivators themselves to make their choices.
The first to begin was, of course, the free exchange of treasures.
"I wonder if there's a chance to snag a high-grade spiritual herb at a bargain."
Lu Chen parted ways with Ge Pu and the others, strolling through the stalls set up by the high-priced cultivators.
This scene brought back a familiar feeling from his days as a Qi Refining cultivator, wandering through the stands of loose cultivators in the market.
"The most precious treasures often appear in the most ordinary ways."
He chuckled, scanning the area with interest, looking for any intriguing spiritual herbs or spirit beast eggs.
The cultivators and beings present hailed from various celestial realms, and some were even unknown to Lu Chen, which meant there was a high possibility of rare, high-grade spiritual herbs making an appearance.
Such a rare opportunity was not to be missed.
"Hmm?"
He suddenly stopped in front of a small stall.
The stall owner was a middle-aged monk with a kind face and eyes, appearing harmless, but his aura was as deep and unfathomable as the ocean.
"A Nascent Soul stage monk!"
Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat as his gaze landed on a mystical spirit herb on the monk's stall.
The spirit herb resembled a goose egg-sized stone, a dull yellow in color, with countless tiny specks of deep yellow light flickering across its surface.
As he focused his gaze, the infinite specks of light seemed to come alive, rushing towards his sea of consciousness.
In that moment, countless minuscule thoughts seemed to assault his mind, causing his thoughts to become momentarily chaotic.
Fortunately, these thoughts were spontaneous and harmless, and with Lu Chen's cultivation of the secret technique, Stargazing Freedom Contemplation, his spiritual sense was far stronger than that of his peers, so the moment of distraction was brief.
"Amituofo. Esteemed donor, please refrain from probing this Incense Spirit Tree spirit herb with your spiritual sense, or you might risk losing control of your mental faculties."
The middle-aged monk pressed his palms together and intoned a Buddhist prayer.
"Master, please forgive my rudeness."
"Whenever I come across a rare spirit herb, I tend to get carried away and want to learn more about it," Lu Chen explained with a smile.
"No harm done. It's only natural to be intrigued by this spirit herb the first time you encounter it."
The monk's eyes were peaceful as he returned Lu Chen's smile.
"May I ask what makes this so-called Incense Spirit Tree spirit herb so extraordinary, Master? I'm quite interested, and I would appreciate it if you could enlighten me."
"The Incense Spirit Tree is a seventh-grade spirit plant, an extremely rare find in the cultivation world. It is nurtured in our temple's Incense Forest."
"The Incense Forest accumulates the incense offerings of countless devotees over tens of thousands of years, and the spirit herb that grows from it is intimately connected to this incense."
"When it matures, it bears rare spirit fruits that are the pure condensation of incense. Consuming these fruits allows one to temporarily condense an Incense Deity statue, which is of immense benefit to cultivators practicing corresponding divine abilities."
"Additionally, the spirit wood itself is also a rare treasure. It can be refined into an Incense Treasure, and a casual strike with it will carry the power of infinite incense thoughts."
The monk, seeing Lu Chen's genuine interest, provided a detailed explanation without a hint of arrogance, despite Lu Chen's lower cultivation stage.
"A seventh-grade spirit herb... Coming to this Wanling Convention was indeed the right decision!"
Lu Chen's heart raced with excitement.
Even before the auction began, he had come across a seventh-grade spirit herb, and his interest in the proceedings intensified.
"Master, are you offering this seventh-grade Incense Spirit Tree spirit herb in exchange for a specific treasure?"
He asked, his curiosity piqued.
(End of Chapter)
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