Chapter 857: Employer

Xiang'an Auction House.

Qin Sang met with Alchemist Yi.

Alchemist Yi looked exhausted. Upon asking, Qin Sang learned that ever since the Great Barren Isle incident, the three major merchant alliances had intensified their war preparations. Alchemist Yi had been assigned the task of concocting elixirs day and night, leaving him utterly worn out.

"I am not my own master," Alchemist Yi sighed, leaning back in his chair after taking a long drink. "Fellow Daoist Qin, you had the foresight to remain unconstrained and are still free to roam as you please."

Qin Sang could tell Alchemist Yi's words were insincere. "While I am indeed free, I lack the protection of any major power. When I'm bullied, there's nowhere to seek justice; I can only swallow the bitter fruit myself. Your hard work, Fellow Daoist Yi, is only for a temporary period. Once the chaos in the demonic sea subsides, you'll regain your freedom."

"Easier said than done," Alchemist Yi responded.

Alchemist Yi shook his head, his tone pessimistic. "The scale of this demonic unrest is unprecedented. Both sides have deployed their forces, locked in a standoff. Who knows when the beast tide will finally be repelled?"

The two lamented the current situation for a while before Qin Sang brought up his actual purpose. Unfortunately, Alchemist Yi had no good news to share.

"I've inquired with many old friends, all deeply immersed in the alchemy path for years," Alchemist Yi said. "None of them have any information about these three spirit herbs, including the Hegemon Blood Fruit. Fellow Daoist Qin, you'll likely have to rely on luck to find them..."

Alchemist Yi felt regret for Qin Sang.

Qin Sang sighed inwardly. Alchemist Yi was right; obtaining the Hegemon Blood Fruit and Maoshan Vine had indeed been coincidences. For the final ingredient, Scorpion Venom Grass, his only option was to cast a wide net.

He took out a jade box.

Inside the jade box were over a dozen spirit flowers called Wind-Rain Orchids, which were favored by the Heavenly Eye Butterfly and highly beneficial for its growth.

"Regarding these Wind-Rain Orchids, I wouldn't presume to trouble you, Fellow Daoist Yi. However, I would be grateful if you could arrange for an alchemist to help refine them into spirit pills."

Qin Sang handed the pill formula and the spirit flowers to Alchemist Yi.

Alchemist Yi took the formula and immediately became interested. "Oh? This kind of formula and method is new to me. In my opinion, this medicine, once refined, isn't meant for cultivators, is it? Fellow Daoist Qin, please wait a moment. I'll go and refine the pills myself; I'll be right back."

Alchemist Yi's ability to instantly deduce the formula's purpose quietly surprised Qin Sang. Since Alchemist Yi was willing to handle it personally, Qin Sang was naturally delighted. While waiting, he browsed the auction house for useful cultivation resources.

Baogu Mountain Cave Abode.

Qin Sang took a pill from a jade bottle.

The room was filled with the scent of flowers.

These were the pills Alchemist Yi had refined from the Wind-Rain Orchids.

Smelling the fragrant pills, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, perched on Qin Sang's right shoulder, immediately flapped its wings and flew over, eagerly clinging to Qin Sang's finger.

From the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's consciousness, he also felt pleas and playful demands.

"Here, take it."

Qin Sang smiled and fed the spirit pill to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly swallowed it in one gulp, brimming with joy. Its large wings fluttered rapidly as it flitted around Qin Sang.

Its body had grown several times larger than before, with each wing now the size of an adult's palm. However, its growth had slowed down, despite Qin Sang's best efforts to feed it the finest pills and spirit flowers.

The difficulty of spirit insects transforming on their own was immense. For a rare insect like the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, its natural growth speed could only be described as extremely slow. Without the blood sacrifices and the records from the Spirit Control Sect, it was highly probable that Qin Sang would not live long enough to witness the Heavenly Eye Butterfly reach the peak of its third transformation.

"Choosing the Heavenly Eye Butterfly as my vital spirit insect back then was the right decision," Qin Sang mused. "I hope it can assist me when I form my Nascent Soul."

Compared to the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, the Fat Silkworm's condition remained a mystery to Qin Sang.

Previously, the Fat Silkworm had consumed a piece of purple crystal and then fallen into a deep slumber. After finally waking up, it immediately demanded more purple crystal from Qin Sang, took a bite, and went back to sleep.

Qin Sang felt like a caretaker.

During its slumber, nothing could wake it. Fortunately, he hadn't encountered any venomous beasts or toxic regions during this period. However, after consuming these purple crystals, the Fat Silkworm seemed to have changed little, and its growth rate was not fast, even slower than that of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.

"Is it accumulating power for a breakthrough, or for some other reason?" Qin Sang wondered.

Qin Sang couldn't figure it out.

The Fat Silkworm itself was an enigma: its origin unknown, it had voluntarily acknowledged him as its master, and despite its fragile body, it treated potent poisons as delicacies.

After feeding the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, Qin Sang followed his routine: first, he performed blood sacrifice for his external avatar, then practiced the 'Primordial Spirit Sword Nurturing Chapter', and after nightfall, went out to undergo star essence body refinement.

His days were tedious but orderly, all in preparation for his next trip to the Seven Kills Hall.

He had originally planned to visit Lan Dou Sect soon, but for the sake of high-grade spirit stones, he had to put that aside and wait for news in his cave abode.

After over a month of secluded cultivation, there was still no word from the shop owner. Just as Qin Sang was about to inquire himself, the barrier outside his cave abode was triggered.

Qin Sang flashed out and found a sound transmission talisman. After examining it, a look of delight appeared on his face. He immediately sealed off his cave abode, leaving his external avatar inside to cultivate, and then swiftly departed.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, you arrived quickly this time."

The shop owner teased as Qin Sang pushed open the door and entered.

"I am driven by external matters," Qin Sang replied repeatedly, "What can I do?"

"Please follow me, Fellow Daoist."

The shop owner closed his shop and led the way.

Qin Sang followed behind the shop owner. Seeing him take numerous twists and turns, surprisingly heading towards the gates of Tianxing City, Qin Sang couldn't help but ask, "What is the identity of this employer? Are they not in Tianxing City?"

"I am merely an intermediary," the shop owner replied. "I also do not know much about the employer's background or identity. Like you, Fellow Daoist Qin, I only discuss business. They have arranged to meet us outside Tianxing Island, so I will take you there, and you can discuss matters yourselves. Of course, if you are unwilling, I can send a message to decline on your behalf."

"So, you also don't know what they are gathering people for?" Qin Sang pressed.

"That's correct," the shop owner nodded.

Qin Sang frowned slightly. After a moment's thought, considering his external avatar could cultivate on its own in the cave abode and he had all his other belongings with him, he said, "Please lead the way, Fellow Daoist."

The shop owner's tone softened. "Fellow Daoist Qin, you needn't worry. From what I've observed, they might be preoccupied with something and are likely in urgent need of assistance. As soon as I contacted them, they immediately asked me to bring you over for a meeting..."

As they spoke, the two exited the gates of Tianxing City, activated their escape light, and flew towards the outside of the island.

The shop owner led him northward. After flying for most of the morning, they arrived at an island inhabited by mortals. Pointing ahead, the owner said, "The agreed meeting place is on this island."

Seeing that it wasn't a desolate place, Qin Sang's expression relaxed. He landed on the island with the shop owner and swiftly moved towards a verdant mountain.

Just as they reached the foot of the mountain, Qin Sang sensed several auras at the summit, and it was clear they had also been detected.

At the summit, there was a stone table, stone stools, and a babbling clear spring.

A young man sat there, calmly sipping tea.

At the foot of the mountain.

Qin Sang suddenly felt a surge of alertness and suppressed his escape light. He then heard a whistling sound from the summit, followed by a white-robed young man swiftly flying towards them.

The shop owner also stopped in place. When the young man arrived, he introduced the two parties: "Fellow Daoist Fang, this is Fellow Daoist Qin, whom I mentioned to you. Fellow Daoist Qin, Fellow Daoist Fang is the employer for this task. I have brought the person, and I shall now take my leave."