Chapter 400 Sect Master Ji and Palace Master Pei
Lou Chuan was momentarily at a loss for how to set a price.
If it were a common level eight or even level nine treasure, both factions could actually afford to spend enough Xuan Stones to buy it, because those items don't have much special characteristics and their value isn't incalculable.
But now this thundercloud dew...
It is what all cultivators who have reached the heavens dream of.
Although this thing should be useful enough during the first three tribulations, it doesn't mean it will be completely useless in the later tribulations.
When cultivators reach the deadly tribulation of lightning, they are willing to spend a great deal of money to buy any treasure that might weaken the tribulation—their only fear is that there will be nothing left to buy.
Lou Chuan paused for a moment, then asked, "Cai'er, Shao Gan, is there any resource you want?"
Since we don't know how to appraise the value of the Xuan Stone, we might as well ask our two disciples what we need.
If there's still a price difference, he can make up the difference later.
We must not let our disciples feel disheartened.
·
Lord Lou never asked where the item came from. It seemed that he had only thought about the price in a flash before gently asking Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan for their opinions.
The couple exchanged a glance.
Zhong Cai also raised a question: "Does either of our two factions possess any of the nine-level top-grade refining materials of metal, fire, or earth?"
Wu Shaogan nodded, indicating that this was exactly what he needed.
Lou Chuan pondered, "The public treasury that has been revealed so far, as well as the private treasuries of Sect Master Ji and Grand Hall Master Pei that Zinuo and I visited, do not contain them." He looked up, somewhat apologetically, and then offered a suggestion, "I will visit Sect Master Ji and Grand Hall Master Pei later and ask them again. But these kinds of refining materials are very rare, and unless by chance, it is difficult to keep them in hand."
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan also understood this principle.
Refining materials are relatively easy to obtain at lower levels, but once you reach level nine, it becomes very difficult to find them, even if you search the secret inventories of the major auction houses.
It's basically all about luck.
They were already incredibly lucky to have managed to gather all the level nine mid-grade refining materials back then.
Now, how easy is it to upgrade to the top rank of Immortal?
Decades have passed, and they still have two pieces missing.
Therefore, they wouldn't be disappointed if Sect Master Ji and Hall Master Pei didn't have it.
after……
Zhong Cai secretly thought that he could actually send Dong Xiao out to help search.
At this moment, Zhong Cai said with a smile, "If there are no such refining materials, I would like to ask the Palace Master if there are any vacant Grade 9 Immortal Woods or rare medicinal herbs that can produce flowers, leaves, fruits, and other items that can be harvested multiple times. If there are, a Grade 9 Immortal Wood can be exchanged for a bottle of Thundercloud Dew."
They're all level nine resources, one-on-one is enough.
Lou Chuan smiled upon hearing this and said, "Of course there will be. I'll ask Sect Master Ji and Grand Hall Master Pei for a list, and you can choose one yourself."
Zhong Cai laughed: "That's even better!"
He thought to himself, "It seems those two must be very wealthy, otherwise Lord Lou wouldn't have spoken so casually."
That's a good thing!
It's probably because Sect Master Ji has a lot of level-nine rare herbs he's accumulated. And thinking about it, it's not surprising, since he's a level-nine Pill Master! Which powerful cultivator wouldn't want to have him refine pills for them? And if they did, wouldn't they willingly offer up all sorts of rare herbs?
Now he can add two more level-nine rare herbs, and he can continue to collect them. Once he becomes a level-nine alchemist, he'll have even more rare herbs at his disposal. And his master should also be able to reach level nine in a few years; he can give some to his master too!
Lou Chuan smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, I'll be right back."
He was about to ask immediately.
Seeing that he had left the bottle of Thundercloud Dew there, Zhong Cai quickly said, "Palace Master Lou, you should take the Thundercloud Dew directly there and let those two elders see its quality. When you return, you can give it to us as a trade item."
Lou Chuan was taken aback.
These two disciples are far too trusting of their elders.
Undoubtedly, such trust pleased Lou Chuan, so he took the Thundercloud Dew and said again, "I'll be back soon."
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan stood up and watched Lou Dianzhu leave.
Lou Chuan vanished in a flash.
·
The main hall of the Temple of War.
During this period, the top couple was in "seclusion" in the main hall of the Temple of War.
They no longer handle affairs and rarely show themselves. They only send their capable subordinates, Xiao Zinuo and Lou Chuan, to collect and distribute the rewards given to them when there are any favorable changes in the sect.
For example, rewards were given to Sang Yunchu and Jiang Chongguang when they joined the two factions, to Wu Dongxiao, a young genius comparable to a top-tier Dou Wang, and to the earlier Zhong-Wu couple. These rewards were distributed one after another.
Xiao Zinuo and Lou Chuan can enter on their own when they are in "seclusion"—of course, if it really comes to the point where they cannot be disturbed, there will be a notification in the hall, and the Xiao-Lou couple will not come to disturb them.
That is clearly not the case at this moment.
Lou Chuan didn't see any prompts, so after gently tapping the array, he waited a little while longer.
The formation has been activated.
Lou Chuan went inside.
·
The hall was very spacious and was divided into three parts.
The innermost part is a very... spacious bed, which has been tidied up now, but it has obviously never been empty.
The alchemy room is on the left side of the front section, and the martial arts training ground is on the right.
They seem a bit out of place, but there's a formation separating them, so the two sides can remain unaffected... After looking at them for a while, you can vaguely sense that they are actually quite harmonious.
At this moment, in the alchemy room, a young man dressed in blue and gold brocade robes is methodically refining pills.
Upon noticing Lou Chuan's movement, he looked up, revealing his strikingly beautiful face, his features seemingly alluring. However, it was quickly apparent that his dignified demeanor perfectly balanced the seductive charm in his appearance, making him seem unapproachable.
This is Ji Zhan.
His appearance grew more and more alluring as he grew up, to the point that many people wanted to possess him. In addition, his alchemy skills were always outstanding, making him even more coveted.
Pei Xiaoling's rapid breakthroughs in strength and formidable combat power in his early years may well have been partly due to his desire to protect Ji Zhan.
He did provide adequate protection, but the amount of pain, hardship, and serious injuries he endured during that time is difficult to describe and is a truly tragic memory.
Only after the two reached the heavens did they truly settle down.
·
Not far from Ji Zhan stood a gentle-looking young man dressed in light silver armor.
It's hard to imagine that Pei Xiaoling's name exudes domineering power, his battle tactics are unparalleled in their domineering nature, and his swordsmanship is incredibly bloody...
And yet, this person possesses such handsome features and exudes such a gentle temperament.
In reality, Pei Xiaoling was just ordinary handsome. If you saw him outside, when he had calmed down, you would probably just think he was an ordinary young cultivator, perhaps the kind with a bit of genius.
However, if you consider his temperament, you'll find him quite attractive.
But that's all there is to it.
Pei Xiaoling doesn't give off the same impact as Ji Zhanzirong.
But if anyone harbors ill intentions towards Ji Zhan—then Pei Xiaoling will draw his sword.
Each cut was more bloody than the last.
At that moment, his gentle demeanor would instantly transform into an overbearing force that seemed capable of devouring everything, and every slash would draw out a large amount of blood... In the end, his silver armor would be stained with a blood-red color.
The blood-red stain on the silver armor, revealing its rich and vibrant color, was just like Ji Zhan's usual radiant beauty.
Of course, given the grade and quality of Pei Xiaoling's current silver armor, if any kind of blood could soak into it and stain it red, then without a doubt, its grade would not be lower than that of the silver armor itself.
During Pei Xiaoling's fusion, the Level 5 Silver Armor devoured the blood of countless fusion cultivators.
It happens during the construction of the palace, the transformation of the spirit, and the nirvana.
Only at the Tongtian realm can this silver armor maintain its current color and luster.
·
Ji Zhan and Pei Xiaoling both looked at Lou Chuan.
Lou Chuan bowed to the two men.
Although these two never took on any disciples, Lou Chuan always regarded them as his master and mistress.
Therefore, his attitude towards the two of them was always respectful yet affectionate.
At that moment, Lou Chuan quickly took out two bottles of Thundercloud Dew and presented them, clearly explaining their origin and the resources that Zhong and Wu wanted.
Ji Zhan looked at Pei Xiaoling.
Pei Xiaoling smiled gently and began to take stock of the two's assets.
Lou Chuan was unfazed and stood still, waiting.
·
Ji Zhan is not a very good person when it comes to remembering things. From the past to the future, he has always entrusted Pei Xiaoling with managing all his assets. Whenever he wants something, he just asks Pei Xiaoling for it.
Pei Xiaoling was also willing to do so.
Outsiders only know him for his domineering, bloodthirsty, and violent reputation, but they don't know that he is actually quite meticulous.
After all, if he hadn't been careful, Ji Zhan would have lost all their belongings along the way.
·
After quickly searching, Pei Xiaoling shook his head and said, "We don't have any top-grade level nine refining materials."
Lou Chuan was slightly disappointed, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do about it.
Ji Zhan continued refining pills, his eyes lowered, barely speaking.
Pei Xiaoling continued searching for a while, then took out a scroll of paper and quickly began writing on it.
At the same time, he also took out a recording stone and handed it to Lou Chuan.
Lou Chuan accepted it with both hands.
Pei Xiaoling said, "Thundercloud Dew is rare and even surpasses level nine immortal wood. This is a token of my sincerity, and I cannot allow it to go unrewarded."
Lou Chuan replied, "Yes."
Pei Xiaoling continued, "In addition to the ninth-grade immortal wood, we will take another ten million high-grade mystic stones, with a subsidy of five million per bottle."
Lou Chuan replied again, "Yes."
Pei Xiaoling said, "After you've chosen your two disciples, go directly to the herb garden, dig them up, and send them to them."
Lou Chuan replied as before, "Yes."
Pei Xiaoling then waved his hand, signaling Lou Chuan to leave.
Lou Chuan carefully put away the photographic stone and the scroll, then said goodbye and left.
Then he vanished in a flash.
·
Then there's the story of Zhong and Wu on the riverbank.
After Lou Chuan left, the two relaxed and leaned against each other while waiting for others.
Although it's unclear how long it will take, since Lou Chuan said it would be soon, it means that the two haven't truly gone into seclusion yet, so there's no need to worry about it taking too long.
Zhong Cai's expression turned somewhat strange as she recalled those two.
He and Lao Wu have been disciples for many years, and each has the opportunity to seek guidance from the Pill Master and be mentored by a powerful expert, but they have never actually seen the faces of the two.
Both of them used up their spots.
When Zhong Cai encountered difficulties in alchemy, he did seek advice, but the person seemed to be unable to appear in person—or for some other reason—in any case, did not actually appear before him.
Sometimes, when Sect Master Ji appeared in his avatar, Zhong Cai couldn't remember his face; other times, when Sect Master Ji was in the main hall, he was in the side hall, receiving guidance through the transmission of Sect Master Ji's soul.
Wu Shaogan did the same. He would demonstrate his battle strategy, and then have the avatar of the Grand Hall Master Pei provide guidance. Alternatively, he might not even know where the Grand Hall Master Pei was, and would simply have his guidance conveyed directly through his soul, allowing Wu Shaogan to continuously comprehend and modify it himself.
Moreover, even though these two used to frequently go out for walks and show their affection while wearing blue and gold brocade robes and silver armor and black cloaks, they haven't done so in recent years.
However, it's not necessarily true that Zhong and Wu know what these two people look like.
For them, not being able to see each other when receiving guidance actually makes it less likely for them to get distracted.
·
After Zhong Cai had been lost in thought for a while, Lou Chuan reappeared.
He first expressed his regret because he had not found any top-grade refining materials. Then he took out the scroll and the recording stone and said, "This scroll has the names of various immortal woods on it, and the recording stone plays their images in turn."
Zhong Cai quickly accepted the gift and thanked him, then said, "Please wait a moment, Lord Lou, I will take a look right away."
Then, he pulled his old man along and together they sent their souls into the recording stone.
Sure enough, the first thing to appear was the fairy tree, the fairy lychee tree, laden with fist-sized fruits.
Zhong Cai touched her chin.
The fairy lychee tree, also known as the exceptionally awesome lychee tree.
In his memory, the fruit of this immortal lychee tree was beneficial to cultivators who had reached the Heavenly Realm, and it could also be used to make several kinds of ninth-grade pills—and its juice could also be used to make some eighth-grade pills.
It seems a bit wasteful, but it doesn't really matter.
After all, the lychee tree bears fruit easily and its taste is very delicious. However, its medicinal properties are relatively weak among the ninth-grade medicinal materials. In comparison, it might be more cost-effective to extract a large amount of juice to refine eighth-grade pills.
Zhong Cai made a mark first.
If he doesn't find one he likes better later, then he'll choose this one.
Because he had quite a few level-nine medicinal herbs on hand, some of which had similar medicinal effects to the Immortal Lychee Fruit, and some even had higher medicinal effects.
So, he was actually quite craving the taste of the fairy lychee.
Moreover, when his master is refining level eight pills, he might try using this immortal lychee fruit as the main ingredient.
Who knows, I might even be able to create my own elixir formula...
·
Zhong Cai browsed through the images one by one, matching them with the records on the scroll, and secretly clicked her tongue in amazement.
The Pill Master truly lives up to his title!
Even ordinary high-level alchemists, or even some level nine alchemists, might not have more than ten level nine immortal trees on hand.
Their sect leader, Ji, only brought out thirty-four varieties with fruits, flowers, and leaves that could be picked!
That's amazing.
Even though this is the result of over ten thousand years of accumulation, it's still incredibly impressive.
This broadened Zhong Cai's horizons; she wanted every single one and almost didn't know how to choose.
At the same time, he couldn't help but have a thought—should he choose more resources that are useful to Sect Master Ji and Palace Master Pei when drawing cards in the future? Trading resources with those two is really worthwhile, and you won't get ripped off.
Zhong Cai snapped out of her daze, faced with those images, and painfully made sacrifices, then more painful sacrifices, and more painful sacrifices...
Finally, he took a deep breath and selected two plants.
One of them is the fairy lychee tree.
It's not for any other reason than that, among the descriptions of the immortal trees that bear fruit, the fruit of the fairy lychee tree is rated as one of the highest.
However, its medicinal properties are very mild, and even those at the Fusion or Palace Building stages can eat it, unlike other fruits, which, while delicious, are difficult for even those at the Nirvana stage to consume, making it impossible for Zhong and his wife to eat.
The other one is the Crescent Moon Fairy Orchid.
It has flowers and leaves but no fruit, and its leaves constantly fall, yet they continue to nourish those fairy flowers.
The longer the flowering period, the richer and longer-lasting the fragrance of the fairy orchid, and the stronger its medicinal properties.
Of course, what blooms on the level nine immortal tree is not only the level nine immortal mist flower, but also many other levels, and it can adapt to various different levels - unlike the previous immortal tree fruits, which were level nine as soon as they were born, and there was no difference in level depending on the year.
The Immortal Orchid Flower can be used to refine the Immortal Orchid Pill, which has a level six grade.
Zhong Cai was quite interested in the Immortal Orchid Pill, a kind of pill that could replenish a large amount of Xuan power. If the quality of the pill was good enough, it could also provide a clearer mind for the cultivator's comprehension, making it easier for them to have flashes of inspiration. However, this was not a pill that could improve comprehension. Its secondary functions were not very strong and could only be described as icing on the cake.
·
After making his selection, Lou Chuan retrieved the scroll and the photograph, saying, "I will personally deliver those two immortal trees to you later."
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "Thank you, Lord Lou."
Lou Chuan then took out two mustard seed bags and handed them to Zhong and Wu respectively, and continued, "Palace Master Pei said that two immortal trees are not enough to offset the value of Thundercloud Dew, so he asked me to give you these subsidies. Please keep them safe."
Zhong Cai didn't stand on ceremony. Since the Grand Master had said so, it meant that he thought it was the right thing to do, and they, as the younger generation, didn't need to be polite.
However, I was still a little surprised after receiving it.
He and Lao Wu actually each possessed five million high-grade Xuan stones!
Lord Pei is truly generous and easygoing.
Even at the auction back then, it was around this price.
Reliable!
Zhong Cai pondered again, thinking that if he came across any good items in the future, he could really share them with the sect more often...
Wu Shaogan saw through Zhong Cai's thoughts and couldn't help but smile.
Lou Chuan is efficient and doesn't mind running errands a few times.
After all, the resources coming and going were too precious to be worth his personal escort.
The Zhong and Wu couple could only continue to watch Lou Chuan leave.
This time, Lord Lou really had a tough time.
Otherwise, let's look for resources suitable for Lord Lou... and then trade them privately later?
·
Outside the Temple of War.
The gatekeepers had been working tirelessly to arrange for the disciples who came to take the new hall's assessment, and only later did things calm down.
At this moment, one of the gatekeeper disciples saw a disciple at the peak of the Fusion Realm, dressed in silver armor, approaching.
This is not unusual, since many disciples come and go every day.
But the silver-armored youth stopped at the door and asked, "May I ask, sir, is this the Temple of the God of War?"
The gatekeeper was taken aback. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the handsome young man was not one of their disciples.
Although they were both wearing silver armor, there were many differences in the details. It was just that they didn't notice them when viewed from a distance against the light. Moreover, the fact that the other party only wore silver armor and not a black cloak was indeed not the style of the disciples of the War God Temple.
The gatekeeper had initially assumed it was a fellow disciple, so he was naturally quite casual. But now that he realized it was a stranger, he had to be more serious.
He solemnly replied, "This is indeed the Temple of the God of War. What brings you here, brother?"
The silver-armored youth said gently, "I have long admired the majesty of the Temple of War Gods and have come from afar to apply for the examination in order to become a disciple of the Temple of War Gods."
The gatekeeper disciple suddenly realized that the person wanted to join the sect.
They encounter similar situations frequently, but since it's not an assessment period, they can't assess every single person who comes along.
This requires a quota of nominees.
The gatekeeper said solemnly, "Brother, you're late. The new hall assessment ended long ago..."
At that moment, he still thought that the silver-armored youth really came from a very far place, and by the time he heard the news and rushed over, it was already too late.
The silver-armored youth smiled and said, "Although I came to join the new hall, I did not come here for the day of the assessment."
The gatekeeper frowned, about to speak again.
The silver-armored youth continued, "I am an old friend of Wu Shaogan and Wu Dongxiao of the War God Hall, and that is why I have come to keep this appointment."
The gatekeeper was startled again.
Wu Shaogan and Wu Dongxiao, this uncle and nephew pair, are quite famous in the Temple of War. This person actually said that he was an old friend of theirs?
The silver-armored youth continued, "I come from the Middle Continent. It's just that because of a different route, it took me a bit longer to get here. Dong Xiao and I are junior brothers from the same faction, and although Wu Shaogan and I are from different factions, he is also my junior brother."
The gatekeeper understood immediately, and his gaze toward the silver-armored youth revealed a strange quality.
The silver-armored youth had a carefree demeanor and allowed the man to look him over as he pleased.
The gatekeeper then asked, "What do you mean, sir?"
The silver-armored youth smiled and said, "Please trouble you to convey my message to Wu Shaogan and ask him to give me a recommendation." He then introduced himself, "My name is Xuan Bing. Please convey my message."
The gatekeeper hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Since you and Junior Brother Dongxiao are from the same faction, why don't you ask him for a spot?"
Xuan Bing was taken aback: "Dong Xiao has only been a disciple for a short time, yet he already has a recommendation quota?"
Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper disciple knew that Xuan Bing was indeed very knowledgeable about the internal affairs of their War God Hall, so he said, "Junior Brother Dongxiao's entrance test was outstanding, so he also has a spot." He then smiled and said, "I will go and deliver the message for you now. Please wait in the front hall for a while."
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