Nine Evolutions of the True Spirit
chapter-422

Lu Ping earned a large number of spirit herbs from Liao Run-Jia, allowing him to concoct three batches of Spirit Water Vein Nourishment Pellets. He also received eighteen top-tier spirit stones from Ai Zhong for selling him the pellet. Whether it be the spirit herbs or the eighteen top-tier spirit stones, the prices were dirt cheap for a pellet that could help a Core Forging Realm cultivator regain his lost strength.

Liao Run-Jia and Ai Zhong were no fools. There was no reason for both Liao Run-Jia and Ai Zhong, who were both seniors with higher positions in the cultivation world, to initiate a conversation with Lu Ping, let alone try to win his favor. However, they did it regardless. Lu Ping had the same thoughts, which was why he played along. The rise of the Zhen Ling Sect was inevitable, but they still needed more allies.

After excusing himself, Lu Ping walked to the side and noticed Tian-Hu nod full of praise. Tian-Hu’s tense expression also eased up a little after witnessing Lu Ping’s trade with the Liao and Ai Families.

After Lu Ping’s departure, Ai Zhong turned to Liao Run-Jia, and said, “Brother Liao, let me have a look at your goods. The Liao Family surpasses our family by a huge degree in alchemy.”

“You’re flattering me, Brother Ai." Liao Run-Jia smiled while passing the jade scroll to Ai Zhong. As he did so, he tapped the jade scroll discreetly and removed all traces of the Bone Fortification Pellet recipe.

Private trade between alchemists was the norm. It did not take long until they were done trading with one another. As for Lu Ping, he followed Tian-Hu to the Frozen Mist Palace. On the way to the palace, Tian-Hu maintained a serious expression and kept quiet while Lu Ping obediently followed him without saying a word.

After entering the palace, Tian-Xue was surprisingly not wearing a stern expression. She looked at Tian-Hu, and asked, “So? How did it go?”

Tian-Hu shook his head, and replied. “Dao-Li is quite nice among the Xuan Ling Sect, but he turned into a tough nut to crack when I brought up the Longevity Pill. There’s simply no room for negotiation.”

To his surprise, Tian-Xue merely nodded. “As expected. What happened back then was too much. The Xuan Ling Sect lost a Great Ancestor, plunging them to the same level as our sect. There are now two new Great Ancestors among our sect and only one in theirs. Our Great Ancestors even beat up their new Great Ancestor. If our sects go to war, they might not even be able to win against us. It only makes sense that they want Tian-Kang dead.”

Perhaps because of how Lu Ping managed to overcome the interference of several challengers and humiliate the newly ascended grandmaster alchemist, Wei Xu-Ren, Tian-Xue no longer found Lu Ping an eyesore. When she mentioned Jiang Tian-Lin and Liu Tian-Ling, she no longer addressed them as crazy girl and brat.

“Hmph. What about it? The Rising Sun Island’s intermediate spirit vein is now in their possession. The Xuan Ling Sect and our sect worked hard to reclaim the island from the hands of the monsters, but they reaped the greatest reward.”

Lu Ping remained silent and maintained an emotionless expression, but he was quietly focusing all his attention on the conversation between the two elders. The fact that he hadn’t been asked to leave spoke volumes about his value to the sect, but that didn’t mean he could personally pry into the secrets of the sect. There were things that he could only find out himself by slowly piecing bits of information together. The elders did not give him a direct answer; they feared that their answers were clouded by emotions and opinions, which would invariably affect Lu Ping’s judgment.

After hearing Tian-Xue’s words, Tian-Hu’s expression twisted. “Even if Senior Brother Tian-Kang passed away, Tian-Lin and his wife are not to be messed around with. They were already strong enough to kill Dao-Kong when they were in the late Core Forging Realm. Now, they are strong enough to fend off the mid-Avatar Realm Dao-Yan. It’s a shame that Senior Brother Tian-Kong is only a step away from ascending to the mid-Avatar Realm. If he managed to overcome this obstacle, he would immediately gain an additional two hundred years of lifespan. With that, we would’ve been able to gain the upper hand against the Xuan Ling Sect. Unfortunately, he’s about to die soon.”

Tian-Xue shook her head in response, “Junior brother, you’re not in the mid-Avatar Realm, so it’s normal that you don’t understand the difference between the early and mid-Avatar Realm. I can acknowledge that the two little rascals will outperform me or even Senior Brother Tian-Xiang in the future, but they are still very new to the Avatar Realm. Even if they worked together, they might not be able to win against Dao-Yan. In my opinion, they can only hold their ground against Dao-Yan, just like how I barely survived Dao-Sheng’s attack back then. Junior Brother Tian-Kang entered the Avatar Realm later than Dao-Yan, which was the reason for his tragedy. If he were in the mid-Avatar Realm, Dao-Yan would never have been able to push him to the edge, causing him to sacrifice his life in exchange for a temporary power boost.”

The two elders exchanged a glance and let out a sigh.

Lu Ping opened his mouth, but he decided to keep quiet in the end. Tian-Hu noticed this odd reaction, and asked, “What did you talk about with the two little guys just now?”

Liao Run-Jia and Ai Zhong were cultivators that had been cultivating for several centuries and were famous alchemists in the North Ocean. Yet, in the eyes of Tian-Hu, they were nothing more than juniors. After all, cultivators immediately obtained centuries of life span as soon as they entered the Avatar Realm. With Tian-Hu’s age and position, it was an honor for Liao Run-Jia and Ai Zhong to be viewed as juniors.

Without hesitation, Lu Ping revealed the content of the trades with Liao Run-Jia and Ai Zhong.

After learning about the Bone Fortification Pellet, Tian-Hu murmured, “Hmmm. The concoction method of this pellet is somewhat similar to the alchemy in the Central Plains. Is the Liao Family related to the Central Plains?”

Tian-Xue rolled her eyes, and replied, “You should know just how many families and cultivators have fled from that region for their lives. What is there to be so surprised about? The founder of our sect was also once a solitary cultivator from the Central Plains. Lu Ping, you little rascal, how dare you receive everything that is offered to you so recklessly? You used the three 1,000-year-old spirit peaches as a birthday gift for Tian-Ling, and now you’ve accepted the recipe from Liao Run-Jia just like that. He didn’t even bother covering his intentions!”

Tian-Hu said, “Perhaps that’s where the wisdom of their family lies. They are somewhat outstanding to be able to stand firm in the North Ocean after millennia without having an Avatar Realm cultivator in their family.”

Tian-Xue was feeling a little annoyed at how Lu Ping didn’t ask for more in the trade. She pointed her fingers at his nose, and said, “Hey, rascal, you are a fool. Your master is Liu Tian-Ling, but you don’t even know how to maximize your gains. Do you not realize just how valuable your pellets are? You traded two of those pellets for only three batches of spirit herbs and eighteen top-tier spirit stones! At this rate, how can we hand over the sect to you? You’ll deplete all our wealth in no time!”

Seeing how Lu Ping was still smiling like a naive child, the heartbroken Tian-Xue continued, “You’re the only one that knows the Wonder Water Spirit Nurturing Technique, which means you’re also the only one that can cure the injuries dealt by the monsters’ mysterious technique. The monsters must have even more mysterious techniques that we don’t understand. Do you know just how significant a Core Forging Realm cultivator is to a sect or a faction? These pellets aren’t something you can just trade for eighteen top-tier spirit stones!”

“Then how much do you think the pellets are worth?” Lu Ping inquired carefully.

Tian-Xue did not reply to his question. Instead, she shifted her sight to Tian-Hu and asked, “Junior Brother Tian-Hu, tomorrow should be the main focus of the conference. You can put one or two Spirit Water Vein Nourishment Pellets up for sale and set the price as at least a peculiar item.”

Lu Ping couldn’t help but laugh. “This old lady really is crazy. She’s asking for a peculiar item for a pellet that costs around the same as a late Core Forging Realm pellet. Then again, my technique is rare and stupidly effective against these injuries.”

Lu Ping noticed Tian-Hu’s lips twitching after Tian-Xue announced the pricing of the pellets, but he quickly approved of her idea and nodded. Immediately, Lu Ping was filled with regret.

Tian-Xue was not wrong. If a late Core Forging Realm cultivator like Xuan-Sen lost all his strength, the Zhen Ling Sect would not hesitate to pay a peculiar item in exchange for a pellet that could help recover his lost strength. However, if that really happened, the Zhen Ling Sect would be isolated by many factions in the region and denied access to their pellets.

“Anyway, it’s good that this little rascal can get along with these two families, benefiting the sect in the long run. The Liao Family is not to be underestimated. They had been around for centuries, and their achievements in alchemy are outstanding. They are also well-connected with some factions in the region. As for the Ai Family, they have an Avatar Realm Great Ancestor, which makes them an ally that our sect needs. The two Spirit Water Vein Nourishment Pellets are a good trade,” Tian-Hu chimed in and spoke for Lu Ping.

“The five greatest sects from the East Ocean are here. They are in the Xuan Ling Sect.” Tian-Xue glanced at Lu Ping and revealed another surprising piece of information to him.

The revelation was unpleasant. Tian-Hu’s expression twisted after hearing the news. He was silent for a moment before he said, “The alliance of the monsters is inevitable, so those guys from the East Ocean are uneasy because of that? Hmph. They must be visiting the Xuan Ling Sect because they are known as the strongest sect in the region!”

Tian-Xue wore a serious expression, and said, “It’s because of Dao-Sheng! He’s in the late-Avatar Realm, and from the view of those from the East Ocean, a sect without a great cultivator is just a second-tier sect.”

“Senior Brother Tian-Xiang…” Tian-Hu stammered.

“Soon… I guess…” murmured Tian-Xue uneasily.