Chapter 398 Secret Talk

Ji An shook his head; he only knew about the Bodhi tree.

"Since it is named Bodhi, is it a Buddhist practitioner from another continent?"

The Bodhi tree was brought here by Buddhist practitioners who traveled across the ocean. The spiritual trees planted on Crimson Flame Peak have already reached the mid-grade level of the second tier.

Based on his experience, the effects were mediocre. Ji An felt that it wasn't just his own fault; Buddhist practitioners should have special methods to enhance the efficacy of Bodhi fruit and leaves.

Many spiritual medicines have special processing methods. For example, the Soul Incense made from the leaves of the Soul Nourishing Wood is made by adding a variety of spiritual herbs and plants to enhance its medicinal properties.

"Fellow Daoist, your knowledge is indeed profound."

The Bodhi tree in the Shakya school symbolizes wisdom and enlightenment, while the Vajra Bodhi symbolizes the power to ward off evil and protect the path.

The battles fought by Buddhist monks can be roughly divided into two forms. One is the secret mantra, which uses a combination of chanting mantras and hand mudras to unleash the power to subdue demons, which is equivalent to our magic.

Secondly, there is body refinement. Body cultivators in Buddhism are extremely powerful. It is said that cultivators from the Divine Elephant Sect of the Central Continent have sparred with them, ending in a draw.

The shopkeeper paused for a moment, his tone exaggerated:

"The Divine Elephant Sect is a Nascent Soul Body Cultivation Sect. It's no exaggeration to say that it's the strongest Body Cultivation Force in our cultivation world."

This clearly demonstrates just how highly skilled those bald men were in body tempering!

Having finished all the groundwork, the shopkeeper slowed his speech and gave a mysterious smile:

"The Vajra Bodhi fruit is the most important external refinement material for Buddhist cultivators. Fellow Daoist has superb planting skills. If you cultivate the spiritual wood to a high level, you will surely be able to obtain many treasures that are not available on our continent when you trade with Buddhist cultivators in the future."

It must be said that this shopkeeper understands marketing and has excellent control over the pace of the conversation.

However, he was still a bit too inexperienced when facing a "former insurance professional" who could talk the dead back to life.

Ji An nodded seriously at first, then grinned and said:

"So, if you don't encounter a Buddhist practitioner, the Vajra Bodhi fruits you cultivate will just rot in your hands?"

What difference is there between the best resources and roadside rocks if they cannot be put to good use?

The shopkeeper's smile froze for a moment, then he calmly said:

"Fellow Daoist, you are mistaken. We cultivators can refine spiritual objects and use methods to incorporate the mysterious properties contained in the Vajra Bodhi Fruit into our bodies."

Even if you don't trade with Buddhist practitioners, trading with other physical practitioners is also acceptable.

He began to boast in a serious tone that he had acquired the spirit seed two years ago with the intention of increasing the family's spiritual value.

Then an embarrassing thing happened: the family's spirit farmer was unable to make the spirit seed germinate.

Even though it's clear that the spirit seed contains abundant life force, it's unclear why it can't germinate.

The family's spirit farmers believed there must be a special planting method, so they had no choice but to take the seed back to the shop, hoping to exchange it for spirit stones or other resources.

His claim that he could refine the Vajra Bodhi fruit was somewhat exaggerated, because he had never seen the fruit, but the seeds had been tested and confirmed to be capable of being refined.

As for the actual effect, we don't know. We were afraid of damaging the seeds, so we didn't conduct any further tests. If the seeds lose their activity, it would be a complete waste.

Back then, it cost me at least fifty low-grade spirit stones to buy the spirit seed.

Ji Anquan smiled throughout, looking at the other person with deep eyes.

Feeling a little guilty under the intense gaze, the shopkeeper coughed lightly and said in a deep voice:

"The Vajra Bodhi is extremely rare. Fellow Daoist, buying it is a great profit. Don't miss this opportunity, or you'll never get another chance."

"How do you plan to sell this spirit seed, fellow Daoist?"

"How about exchanging them for the two spirit seeds you possess, fellow Daoist?"

Han Yan, who was standing to the side, chuckled and said teasingly:

“Fellow Daoist, we do not deny that Vajra Bodhi seeds are indeed rare, but rare and precious are two different things.”

The Nanzhou area has a dense network of rivers and numerous waterways, making it ideal for growing Tianyuan pears.

There are also many body cultivators in the Southern Continent, and both the Heavenly Origin Pear and the Dragon Blood Fruit are highly sought-after.

"You actually dare to ask for two widely needed high-grade second-tier spirit seeds in exchange for a mid-grade second-tier spirit seed with unclear uses!"

The other person's words seemed like something out of a dream.

The shopkeeper chuckled twice to cover his embarrassment. Asking for an exorbitant price and then negotiating down is a merchant's instinct.

“Everything can be discussed. Why don’t we compromise and exchange this Bodhi seed for a Tianyuan pear seed?”

After he finished speaking, he emphasized again the rarity of the spirit seed.

"The price has to be increased!"

Ji An spoke up, “I acknowledge the rarity of Vajra Bodhi seeds, but fellow Daoist, you must also acknowledge the rarity of top-grade Tianyuan Pear seeds, right?”

To be honest, I bought this spirit seed just for its rarity; its practical use is far less than that of the Heavenly Origin Pear.

He was interested in acquiring Vajra Bodhi seeds, but his desire wasn't particularly strong.

Without the support of Buddhist monks, it would be difficult to fully realize the potential of this spiritual plant, as he had never seen a living Buddhist monk before.

Next came the bargaining phase. In the end, the shopkeeper spent five mid-grade spirit stones plus the price of a Vajra Bodhi seed to exchange for two Heavenly Yuan Pear seeds and one Dragon Blood Tree seed.

As they walked out of the shop, Ji An joked:

"Fewer spirit seeds were brought out, otherwise we could have earned more."

Merchant ships sailing above Qingyun Immortal City in Xizhou.

A small auction had just ended, and all the Golden Core cultivators left.

Master Cangwu saw him off at the door, saying:

"The next auction will be in thirty years, at which time other cultivators from the Merchant Alliance will take my place."

He had already presided over five trade pilgrimages, and was finally able to put aside these trivial matters and concentrate on improving his cultivation.

At this auction, five Golden Core Pills were offered, and the transaction price was 30% higher than before, which made him very happy.

After the devastation caused by the demonic calamity, two Golden Core cultivators perished in the Western Continent, and several other cultivators were nearing the end of their lifespans. All sects urgently needed to cultivate new Golden Core True Persons.

In the past, the various sects in the Western Continent had a tacit understanding and did not engage in fierce competition over the purchase of Golden Core pills. This time, that tacit understanding has vanished.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist."

Master Zhengyang lagged behind, but did not leave. He transmitted his voice:

"Fellow Daoist, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Master Cangwu nodded slightly, leading Fang to the secret room of the auction house.

The two sat down, and Master Zhengyang got straight to the point:

"Fellow Daoist, I wish to purchase two more Golden Core Pills from your esteemed merchant alliance, to be delivered in thirty years. Is that possible?"

Normally, the Merchant Alliance of Zhongzhou releases eight to ten Golden Core Pills every two hundred years. When they come again next time, they will most likely not leave any pills behind.

Normally, there aren't that many cultivators in the Western Continent who have reached the level of breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

Master Cangwu raised an eyebrow and smiled:

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist. It seems your sect is thriving."

He immediately understood the other party's plan: they wanted to stockpile more pills.

The Golden Spirit Sect acquired two Golden Core cultivators at this auction, but there are expected to be many more seedlings within the sect attempting to break through to the Golden Core stage in the coming decades.

Master Zhengyang gently shook his head and said:

"I just want to save it for a rainy day."

"I will report your request truthfully, but the price of the pills cannot be lower than the average price of this auction."

Master Zhengyang nodded and said:

“I agree to this condition. As long as your merchant alliance can guarantee the delivery of two Golden Core Pills, we can sign the agreement now.”

He was heartbroken but helpless. If he didn't buy from the Merchant Alliance, he would have to send cultivators to the Central Continent.

Sending a cultivator at the Chaoyuan stage would be a test of humanity, as the value of a Golden Core cultivator is extremely high, and the disciple might not return.

Or he could go in person, but a round trip would take more than ten years, and with the travel expenses, it wouldn't be worth it.

Master Cangwu waved his hand and smiled awkwardly:

"I can't guarantee that. Even in the Central Continent, the Golden Core is extremely scarce."

In the end, Master Cangwu only made a verbal promise.

Master Zhengyang had no choice but to bow in thanks. After chatting for a few more minutes, he left with a worried expression.

Verbal promises did not reassure him; he felt things might change.

After seeing the guests off, Master Cangwu returned to his secret room and sat in a chair, deep in thought.

Before the Western Continent was explored, the territory of the monsters reached the Lianyun Mountains, and was separated from the Central Continent only by a desert, a desolate land.

The demonic calamity erupts on a small scale every few hundred years, and on a large scale about every three thousand years, causing great distress to the various forces in the western part of the Central Continent.

Later, a True Monarch at the mid-Nascent Soul stage emerged, and it was through his leadership that other Nascent Soul sects were persuaded to proceed with the Great Migration Plan.

Initially, the Western Continent was simply a resource warehouse for the Central Continent, providing a large amount of cheap resources.

As cultivators settled and grew stronger in the Western Continent, the Western Continent was able to withstand the demonic beasts on its own for so long during this demonic calamity, exceeding the expectations of the Central Continent.

While the powerful Western Continent ensured the safety of the western part of the Central Continent, it was not something the Merchant Alliance wanted to see, because it was becoming increasingly impossible to buy high-level resources at low prices.

The gaze of the Cangwu Master became even more profound. He took out a blank jade slip, placed it on his forehead, and entered the information he had learned into it.

Whether to continue releasing Golden Core cultivators is something the True Lords should consider.

Half a month later, in Rongman Immortal City.

Ji An stayed in his cave, practicing the Thread-Pulling Spell. These days, he spent his days wandering around the shops in the Immortal City to broaden his horizons, and his nights practicing spells in his cave to improve his cultivation.

Here, he saw all sorts of Gu insect raw materials, such as scorpions, toads, poisonous snakes, centipedes, etc. Most of these poisonous insects were not suitable for fighting, but were only a means of controlling people.

Aside from the Vajra Bodhi, he didn't encounter any other eye-catching spiritual seeds and didn't gain anything more.

When Ji An felt his soul becoming fatigued, he stopped practicing the spell.

He focused his mind on his dantian and connected with the stone tortoise.

[Spell: Mental Roar (Mastery 37%)]

[Thread-Pulling Spell (Minor Success 5%)]

This was one of the few gains in the past few days, and Ji An sighed softly.

Releasing a mental roar consumes too much spiritual energy, while the Thread-Pulling Spell, being practiced through trial and error, doesn't offer much improvement.

Rongman Immortal City is only a mid-grade second-tier spiritual vein. Normally, the stone tortoise can only absorb the spiritual energy of Gen, Kun, and a little bit of Qian and Gui.

Moreover, the harvest was far inferior to that of Crimson Flame Peak, and there was no ideal place nearby to absorb Qi, which made him consider leaving.

After the conflict broke out between the Earthly Fiend Sect and the Shadowless Sect, the area near Rongman Immortal City also became unstable, with news of Tribulation Cultivators appearing from time to time.

Ji An walked out of the cave and went to the next room, saying:

"Senior Sister, the cultivators from the two Nascent Soul sects have been gone from Rotten Peach Mountain for several days now. We've stayed long enough. Why don't we leave tomorrow?"

The other party has been frequently refining pills lately, and usually stays in his cave.

Han Yan nodded slightly, put away the alchemy furnace, and said:

"I've refined several batches of late-stage Foundation Establishment pills. I can dispose of them tomorrow and then leave. Do you have any plans for where I'll go to absorb Qi next, Junior Brother?"

A few days ago, while browsing around the Immortal City, she learned about several kinds of pills that were in high demand. Since she happened to have the materials on her, she immediately started refining them and was able to make a small profit.

Ji An said softly:

"I plan to go to the Zangyin Mountains, which are more than a thousand miles to the southwest. There are many peaks and deep valleys there, making it the most suitable place to absorb qi."

Moreover, that mountain range also has many secluded pools and deep lakes, which can meet his needs for food, water, and qi circulation.

Like the Wood and Metal elements, Water Qi can be directly absorbed by the core of the Divine Palace, saving a lot of trouble.

Han Yan took out a map jade slip and stuck it to her forehead. She found the location of the mountain range and frowned slightly.

"Junior brother, this mountain range has been specially marked by the ancestor. It is full of monsters and poisonous insects and is even more dangerous. We should be careful when entering."

"Senior sister, it is precisely because it is more dangerous there that we can accumulate more earth element energy."

"Due to the large number of cultivators in the Western and Southern Continents at the Chaoyuan stage, the relatively safe areas don't contain much of the Five Elements Qi because they consume Qi."

Ji An paused for a moment, then said:

"Eating earth and circulating qi is the most time-consuming thing. How many years does Senior Sister plan to spend strengthening her divine mansion? Is it going to take forty or fifty years or even longer?"

We don't have that much time to waste. Besides, with our combined combat strength, we can defeat any enemy except those at the Golden Core level.

The Burial Yin Mountain Range is a second-tier, high-grade spiritual vein; it's impossible for a Golden Core demon to be cultivating there.

Most demonic beasts do not have the ability to condense the spiritual energy in a spiritual vein into one place, so they can only find higher-level spiritual veins in order to cultivate.

Moreover, he knew that this senior sister also aspired to reach the Golden Core stage.

Han Yan pursed her lips. "Okay, let's go to the Burial Yin Mountains."

As dusk fell, the crimson sunset coldly gazed upon the earth.

Dark clouds churned in the sky, carrying a strong stench of corpses.

Feeling the toxins spreading through his body, Azaron desperately released his flying sword.

The second-tier mid-grade spiritual weapon, capable of cutting through iron like mud, left white marks on the black corpse, sparks flying everywhere.

Even if the piercing penetrated deeper into the wound, it would only be an inch deep, causing no real damage.

This type of corpse refining only works when the head is cut off.

At this moment, there is a corpse-refining creature on each of his three sides: east, north, and south.

A pair of black, corpse-like hands emerged from the ground and unexpectedly grabbed his ankle. This momentary hesitation gave the necromancer an opportunity to rush forward, tear open the enemy's chest with its claws, pull out the crimson heart, and immediately swallow it.

Azalong's eyes glazed over, and his consciousness faded away.

The corpse then pulled out the green liver and yellow spleen from the cultivator's body, put them in its mouth and chewed them, leaving scarlet, emerald green and bright yellow water stains at the corners of its mouth.

The dark clouds dispersed, revealing four cultivators dressed in yellow robes.

Sangji chuckled coldly:

"Are the cultivators at the third level of the Chaoyuan stage outside the sect really that weak? They're supposed to be experts in combat, and this is all they are?"

(End of this chapter)