Chapter 826: High-Grade Spirit Stone

The Mortal World

Master Yi scrutinized Qin Sang. They had never sparred, so he couldn't tell from Qin Sang's appearance whether he had ever practiced body cultivation. He was secretly amazed that the man not only possessed such high cultivation but was also a dual cultivator of magic and body. This level of talent was truly remarkable, and he realized he hadn't misjudged him earlier.

Knowing he couldn't conceal it from Master Yi, Qin Sang nodded and said, "I wasn't a body cultivator before, but I encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation and saw no hope of breaking through, so I had to find another path. Trying body cultivation was also out of necessity, hoping it would provide some insight and help. Fellow Daoist Yi truly lives up to his reputation as a Grand Alchemist; his knowledge is vast, and he immediately identified the medicinal effects of these spirit herbs."

"I just happened to come across it during my research..."

Master Yi simply took out an ancient scroll and handed it to Qin Sang. "Fellow Daoist Qin, take a look yourself. Both of these spirit herbs are recorded in this ancient scroll. Scorpion Venom Grass, in particular, contains potent toxins. When used for body cultivation, its medicinal properties are incredibly domineering, even more potent than the Tyrant Blood Fruit. Both are extremely fierce medicines. Without the suppressive power of a demonic bloodline, one would, at best, be crippled, and at worst, die from the impact of the virulent poison. Even human body cultivators cannot easily consume them, so I advise you to be very cautious."

Qin Sang thanked him, took the ancient scroll, and carefully flipped through it.

While Qin Sang was looking, Master Yi added, "Actually, these two spirit herbs aren't entirely demonic fruits. Azure Root, for example, has relatively milder medicinal properties and is recorded among us humans as Hairy Mountain Vine. It can be refined into a pill that strengthens muscles and bones and increases strength, though it's somewhat of a 'chicken rib' – not particularly valuable. However, Azure Root's effects are certainly not limited to this; only demons can fully digest it, and we lose a lot of its medicinal efficacy during the refining process."

The ancient scroll contained records of more than just these demonic fruits; Qin Sang memorized them all before returning the scroll to Master Yi.

"Fellow Daoist Yi, have these three spirit herbs ever appeared in the Canglang Sea before?"

Master Yi pondered for a moment before replying, "In my memory, about two hundred years ago, a Hairy Mountain Vine, also known as Azure Root, was indeed auctioned at an auction house. It was said to have been accidentally discovered by the seller in the Demonic Sea, but it didn't fetch a very high price. As for the buyer, it's impossible to trace now. That was the only time I recall; as for Scorpion Venom Grass, I have never heard of it."

It seemed the difficulty of gathering all the spirit herbs was no less than finding a suitable location for Star Essence Infusion. Qin Sang looked thoughtful and could only ask Master Yi to help keep an eye out for them.

After they chatted for a while longer, Qin Sang stood up and bid farewell.

Afterward, Qin Sang visited the shopkeepers he was acquainted with one by one, and to his surprise, he found something useful. A shopkeeper informed him that someone possessed a top-grade fire-element spirit stone, but the exchange requirements were very strict: it had to be a spirit herb capable of clearing demonic qi from one's primordial spirit. If the spirit herb was exceptional, they were even willing to add a sum of lower-grade spirit stones.

While top-grade spirit stones were indeed rare, they weren't essential for most Core Formation cultivators. They were primarily needed when establishing a sect or requiring an extremely powerful protective array. There weren't many who, like Qin Sang, had an urgent need for top-grade spirit stones. However, this type of spirit herb, capable of clearing demonic qi, had miraculous effects for most human Core Formation masters who had broken through by consuming demonic core pills. Over the years, such spirit herbs had become increasingly rare, and their prices had steadily risen. The person, possessing only one top-grade spirit stone, would have to wait for an opportune moment to exchange it for such a spirit herb.

Upon hearing this news, Qin Sang recalled that he indeed possessed a Golden Orchid Grass spirit herb. He had acquired this Golden Orchid Grass after killing Du Han in the Western Regions of the Wushen Continent and had never had a chance to use it since. Although he had been short on funds for a period, he would never use such a valuable treasure merely for money. The worth of such a transaction was entirely up to him to weigh. Qin Sang urgently needed top-grade spirit stones, and the value of Golden Orchid Grass itself wasn't exorbitantly high. He immediately agreed to the exchange and asked the shopkeeper to contact the person.

After sipping tea and waiting for a while in the shop, the shopkeeper led someone in. Qin Sang was somewhat speechless upon seeing him. For a single spirit herb, the person was wearing a black robe and a hood, both treasures capable of concealing one's aura – even more cautious than Qin Sang himself had been back then.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have Golden Orchid Grass, and is it a mature spirit herb?" asked the black-robed person, their voice hoarse and clearly disguised.

"That's right!"

Without further ado, Qin Sang took out a jade box and handed it to the black-robed person. The black-robed person confirmed its authenticity after a meticulous inspection, then carefully took out a mustard seed pouch and handed it to Qin Sang. Qin Sang pulled out the top-grade spirit stone, and a wave of heat immediately assailed him. Sensing the pure fire-element spiritual energy, his face lit up with joy. He looked at the black-robed person and said, "It is indeed a top-grade spirit stone. I wonder if Fellow Daoist has any extra top-grade spirit stones? Any of the five elements would do, and you can name your terms."

"Fellow Daoist, you seem to be in great need of top-grade spirit stones," the black-robed person said. "Unfortunately, I only have this one. Since you have no objections to this transaction, I shall take my leave."

The black-robed person was decisive and swift, turning around and leaving immediately. Qin Sang was slightly taken aback. He paid the shopkeeper his compensation and then stood up to take his leave as well. By the time he walked out, the black-robed person was long gone.

"I only have three top-grade spirit stones now," Qin Sang mused as he walked. "Fully refining the Profound Iron Pillar requires at least four, and I also need to reserve two for the ancient teleportation array. That means I still need to find three more. Fortunately, no specific element is required, otherwise it would be even more troublesome."

Not long after he left, in a secret room within the shop, the black-robed person had actually returned, casually toying with the Golden Orchid Grass in his hand, acting as if he didn't care about the spirit herb at all. The shopkeeper stood silently before him, a respectful expression on his face.

"Willing to part with even this kind of medicine, this person truly has an urgent need for top-grade spirit stones," the black-robed person said faintly. "I just wonder how great his appetite is..."

The shopkeeper nodded hurriedly. "Indeed, it's not easy to find top-grade spirit stones nowadays. I heard the Demonic Sea has been chaotic recently, and the spirit mines painstakingly discovered by both races have all been seized by the demon race. One can imagine it will be even harder in the future. This person was looking for them before, then disappeared for several years—it's unclear if he was in seclusion or went elsewhere—and still hasn't acquired them. This suggests he's likely not from any major faction, but most probably a rogue cultivator, which fits Senior Brother's requirements for selecting personnel."

"His cultivation is a bit low, but he's sufficient as an assistant," the black-robed person conceded. "And it's not bad that he can be persuaded with just a few spirit stones." He nodded. "The time is not yet right, so for now, keep him as a backup target; there's no rush to contact him. You should continue to look for others and invite more late-stage masters to ensure foolproof success. As long as their conditions aren't too excessive, you can promise them anything. I came with my Master's orders, and Big Senior Brother will also arrive then, so there's no need to worry about treasures; we can certainly satisfy them."

"This..." The shopkeeper's expression soured. "There truly aren't many late-stage masters among rogue cultivators; many have already been recruited by major factions. I can only do my best..."

While they were holding their private conversation, Qin Sang left the market. After several turns, he arrived at the mortal courtyard he had previously purchased. He noticed a sound transmission talisman locked within its barrier. Madam Liu had contacted him during his absence.