LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 403: Assistance
"I have some nefarious items that need to be dealt with," Lu Xuan stated flatly.
"This isn't the place to discuss such matters. Please, follow me," the round-faced, genial elder said with a smile, leading Lu Xuan to the third floor of Myriad Treasures Tower.
In a tranquil and elegant room, where a stick of dark yellow incense burned, its smoke filling the air with a scent that calmed the mind and soul.
After a Myriad Treasures Tower cultivator served some spiritual fruit tea and then discreetly excused himself, Lu Xuan began, "I've dealt with a few evil cultivators recently and acquired some peculiar materials from them. Having no use for them myself, I thought to exchange them here for some resources."
Extracting two peculiarly shaped spiritual plants from his storage bag, one resembled a giant mushroom made of stone, with strange patterns on its surface that at first glance appeared to be a sinister face. The other was a small cluster of thorns, each segment chillingly bone-like and sharp, exuding a formidable presence.
"Ghost-Faced Stone Mushroom, a Third-Rank spiritual plant, primarily used in concocting certain sinister elixirs."
"And Thorny Bone, quite rare in the cultivation world, an excellent material for crafting puppets and certain malevolent artifacts."
The round-faced elder, being the branch manager of Myriad Treasures Tower, recognized the two Underworld Spiritual Plants in Lu Xuan's possession with just a glance.
"You have quite the eye, my friend," Lu Xuan complimented with a nod.
The corpses of demonic beasts were immensely useful to him, thus completeness was key to his satisfaction.
"Third-Rank demonic beast carcasses... We do have a few of those in stock," the elder mused, smiling.
Given that Sword Gate Town's Myriad Treasures Tower was situated near the Sky Sword Sect, it wasn't uncommon for inner sect disciples to come by, trading materials obtained from hunted demonic beasts, making Third-Rank carcasses a rare but not unseen item.
He dispatched a communication talisman with a brief message, which quickly summoned related cultivators with the materials.
"My friend, since your plants are of the Third-Rank, equivalent to the demonic beast carcasses, and given their rarity, I suggest you choose first. Additionally, I'll gift you ten pounds of common Third-Rank demonic beast meat. How does that sound?"
"Agreed."
Lu Xuan nodded, satisfied with the elder's proposition, not bothering to haggle as he usually might.
After inspecting several carcasses, he chose two with the most substantial flesh.
He aimed to exchange the two relatively useless sinister plants for an abundance of demonic beast flesh and other parts, leaving him quite pleased with the deal.
Disguising himself in a secluded corner, Lu Xuan ventured to Sword Gate Town's cobblestone square and purchased a variety of materials with spirit stones.
Returning to his courtyard, he placed a giant wolf demonic beast carcass around the roots of the Aberrant Longevity Peach to ensure it would have ample nutrition for a prolonged, healthy growth.
Then, taking a dark red stone from his Gluttonous Insect Pouch, he surrounded another Third-Rank carcass with the stone. At first, the stone showed no reaction, as if the carcass held no allure.
Moments later, the flesh on the carcass began to compress, with wisps of dark red mist emerging and silently merging into the stone.
The mist, tinged with a faint smell of blood, was clearly the essence of the carcass, concentrated and condensed.
After absorbing the dark red mist, the stone's surface remained unchanged.
Lu Xuan was unfazed, confident that enough consumed flesh would eventually hatch the Flesh Spirit Deity, a being with potential reaching up to the Seventh Rank.
After leaving a substantial amount of demonic beast materials, Lu Xuan flew back to the sect on his flying sword and checked his spiritual fields before visiting Ge Pu at the Yin-Yang Mountain Peak.
Above the peak, a pair of black and white Yin-Yang Koi fish swirled together, forming a Tai Chi pattern, imbued with natural essences.
Ge Pu, engrossed in meditation, his black and white pupils subtly rotating in harmony with the Yin-Yang Koi, the dual energies swirling around him.
"Junior Brother Lu, it's rare to see you here," Ge Pu greeted with a smile upon sensing Lu Xuan's arrival.
Lu Xuan, typically secluded in his dwelling, seldom made such visits.
"I've missed Brother Ge, so I thought I'd come by for a visit."
"Ha, you do have a way with words."
"I heard that recently, during the establishment of a new blessed land by the sect, you've made significant contributions."
"Nothing of the sort, just
utilizing my expertise in spiritual plants to solve some minor issues for our Core Formation seniors and fellow sect members," Lu Xuan modestly replied.
"Your prowess in the field of spiritual plants is well known among the sect's inner disciples; there's no need for modesty."
"Tell me, what brings you here today?"
Lu Xuan grew serious, "As you know, I have a keen interest in various spiritual plants."
"Years ago, I acquired an unusual spiritual plant and attempted to cultivate it to enrich my experience. Unexpectedly, I succeeded, but I soon discovered a problem. It seems that plant was a trap set by someone else, allowing them to monitor the growth of the offspring and assess the cultivator's strength and abilities."
"Soon, they might reel in their line, sneaking into my small spiritual field."
"My strength is average, and I'm not skilled in combat, so I've come to seek Brother Ge's assistance. Would you be willing to help?"
"An evil cultivator dares to covet treasures from our Sky Sword Sect!"
"Junior Brother Lu, rest assured, I will do everything in my power to assist you, ensuring your safety and that the mastermind behind this will have no way back," Ge Pu confidently assured.
Lu Xuan had cleverly resolved issues with the Yin-Yang Koi's breeding for him, allowing the ancient mythical beasts to continue proliferating.
His mastery largely revolved around these ancient beasts. After the Yin-Yang Koi advanced to the Fifth Rank, he benefited greatly, his cultivation advancing rapidly, even glimpsing opportunities for Core Formation.
With Lu Xuan seeking his help, Ge Pu readily agreed, promising immediate support.
"Junior Brother Lu, shall I also invite Zhong Jingshan, another True Disciple? You've helped him with the nurturing of the demonic blade black mantis and enabled the breeding of the Heart-Eating Poison Beetle pair that couldn't conceive for ages. He's been grateful to you ever since."
"This could be a good chance to repay you."
"With our strong friendship, he'll surely agree."
"Thank you, Brother Ge."
Overjoyed, Lu Xuan appreciated the unprecedentedly strong support network forming, including two True Disciples and the sect's guardian spiritual beasts, making it an exceptionally formidable alliance.