Chapter 1892: Lotus Crystal

Sweat trickled from his brow, veering into his eye socket, making it sting and itch.

Liu Guifen's eyelashes fluttered. He instinctively wanted to reach up and wipe away the sweat, but didn't dare to move.

"I... I can do it!"

He nodded stiffly.

It wasn't just Liu Guifen. Inside the boudoir, Aunt Xiang, Lei Xier, and the Five Decays of Heavenly Beings exchanged glances, all feeling immense pressure.

This overwhelming sense of oppression...

"Lord of the North Street," "Lord of the East Street"—these were just pleasantries, topics for gossipmongers after a meal.

Shen Yi truly reigned supreme at the Crossroads!

Before meeting him, leaders of various factions might have dared to proclaim themselves venerable or imperial. But when they stood before him, even if it was just to face one of Shen Yi's hands, they wouldn't dare utter a word.

Aunt Xiang was clearly accustomed to this, remarkably adept at this pace of negotiation.

As Shen Yi's hand returned, she gently patted its back twice in a gesture of reward, then clasped it between her long, crossed thighs. Her beautiful eyes held a smile as she looked towards Liu Guifen at the door.

"Great Emperor Guifen..."

"Aunt Xiang, just call me Old Liu... or Little Liu," Liu Guifen stammered, now cringing at the title "Great Emperor."

The moment he spoke, a silence fell over the room.

He suddenly realized what he had done—he had interrupted Aunt Xiang. This was truly a death wish. He quickly apologized:

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Aunt Xiang, please go on. Please continue."

Aunt Xiang chuckled softly. She wouldn't condescend to call him "Little Liu," so she simply addressed him by his full name: "Liu Guifen, what joyful occasion has occurred on East Street that warrants you, the Lord of the North Street, personally coming to offer congratulations?"

"They just call me that randomly. At the Crossroads, there are no other street lords; only the East Street Lord is truly respected, heh heh, heh..." Liu Guifen instinctively flattered, but seeing the expressionless faces of those in the room, he knew his flattery had fallen flat.

He cleared his throat, cupped his fists, and said earnestly, "I came this time, first and foremost, to thank Boss Shen Yi for eliminating the menace at the Ranming Ruins, which indirectly saved my life."

"Oh?"

Aunt Xiang's lips curled into a smile. "You've been to the Divine Ruins?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, I gained some fortunate encounters there."

Liu Guifen nodded repeatedly, not dwelling on these minor details:

"Mere verbal thanks, of course, cannot fully express my sincerity."

"Knowing that Boss Shen Yi was injured during his elimination of the menace and has not yet fully recovered, I have brought gifts..."

At this, the gazes of the three people in the boudoir all shifted.

Liu Guifen keenly sensed the sudden chill in the air. His voice trailed off, and when he looked up, his eyes held a hint of confusion.

"How do you know Shen Yi was injured, or was it something else?" Aunt Xiang's tone was hostile.

Liu Guifen froze, then pointed to the large hand on her thigh. "Isn't it injured? There's only one hand left..."

"I mean!" Aunt Xiang's face darkened. "Before you came here, how did you know Shen Yi only had one hand left?"

"Uh..."

Liu Guifen, shrinking his neck under three murderous stares, weakly replied, "I... I saw it with my own eyes."

You saw it?

He saw Shen Yi's 'Four Abodes' in the Divine Ruins, smashing the evil spirit's physical body with a staff?

"Impossible!"

Aunt Xiang indignantly waved her hand.

She had heard Shen Yi explain that the Divine Ruins were divided into three heavens.

Shen Yi's 'Four Abodes' and the 'Overlord's Staff' manifested in the thirty-third heaven of the Heavenly Realm, a place only accessible to those who have transcended the Dao.

At that time, no one else was present in that place.

Later, only Cao Erzhu arrived, and even Xu Xiaoshou could only reach the summit after acquiring the Heavenly Realm Core. What kind of strength does Liu Guifen possess to have reached the thirty-third heaven of the Heavenly Realm and witnessed it with his own eyes?

"It's like this..."

Liu Guifen bent at the waist, lowering his head, and wiped away sweat as he spoke:

"I would never dare to deceive Aunt Xiang or any of you. I certainly wouldn't joke about something like this."

"I practice a cultivation method that allows my consciousness to travel outside my body when I'm unconscious. At that time, a wisp of my lingering will drifted beyond the starry sky, and from an external perspective, I witnessed Boss Shen Yi's strike..."

Seeing Aunt Xiang's clear disbelief, he quickly added:

"This cultivation method isn't particularly useful; it's merely an extreme way for my consciousness to escape my body."

"Boss Shen Yi didn't detect me, nor did that malevolent spirit, because at that time, I was completely useless and couldn't do anything but observe."

"If someone were to stab my physical body while I was unconscious, I would die instantly!"

There's such a cultivation method?

Aunt Xiang's delicate brows furrowed in skepticism.

Shen Yi's large hand gently patted her thigh. Aunt Xiang understood, knowing that discussing these details wasn't important, and asked again:

"East Street, what joyful occasion has occurred?"

Liu Guifen secretly breathed a sigh of relief, regaining his composure.

*Heh heh,* it seemed there was still room for negotiation. They even believed this casually fabricated story, proving that one could still lie in front of Shen Yi and didn't have to tell the complete truth.

Liu Guifen now understood a thing or two about negotiation.

Of course, his previous statement wasn't entirely fabricated.

Shen Yi's 'Four Abodes,' the 'Overlord's Staff,' and the smashing of the evil spirit—he had acquired this secret background information by spending a large sum of contribution points when he accepted the "Aunt Xiang's Boudoir" mission.

It involved the Ancestor God; he had been quite startled at the time!

From his spatial ring, Liu Guifen produced a jade box, about a forearm's length and a palm's width. He held it up with both hands, a smile on his face.

"Aunt Xiang, have you ever heard of the 'Burning Dream Marsh' in the Eastern Domain?"

Aunt Xiang's expression stirred at his words. Her legs unconsciously tightened around Shen Yi's large hand, and a hint of delight flickered in her eyes.

"What place is that?"

Lei Xier and the Five Decays of Heavenly Beings, however, looked bewildered; they had never heard of it.

Liu Guifen spoke eloquently, "There are many extraordinary places in the Five Domains, and the Burning Dream Marsh in the Eastern Domain was once one of them."

"Within the Burning Dream Marsh lived an ancient spiritual beast called the 'World Elephant Spider,' which is now extinct."

"The World Elephant Spider would spin silk once every thousand years. If this silk happened to be spun over 'White Fragrance Lake' in the Burning Dream Marsh, there was a one-in-ten-thousand chance that its power would be absorbed by the incredibly rare 'Heaven-Connecting Heart Lotus Root' at the lake's center. After a century of gestation, this would give birth to a crystal known as the 'World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal.'"

Aunt Xiang's breathing gradually quickened.

She knew everything Liu Guifen was saying.

She also knew that White Fragrance Lake had long since dried up, and the Heaven-Connecting Heart Lotus Root at its center had vanished, just like the World Elephant Spider.

As for the incredibly rare "World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal," which Shen Yi had mentioned was required to be used simultaneously with the sacrificial technique of the Ancient Martial 'Four Abodes,' it was now practically impossible to find even a single one in this world.

That's right!

The Ancient Martial 'Four Abodes' could indeed be used.

Besides requiring optimal timing and location—specifically, being used in areas with transcendent Dao rules—it also necessitated the manual pairing with the "World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal."

Only then could the 'Four Abodes' sacrificial technique be employed without cost within a single day!

This was precisely where the resource consumption of ancient martial arts lay.

The World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal was simply too rare. Ever since the Burning Dream Marsh dried up, the sacrificial technique of the Ancient Martial 'Four Abodes' had become practically useless without a substitute for the crystal.

In the Divine Ruins, when Shen Yi used the sacrificial staff to shatter the evil spirit, the cost was undeniably immense.

So much so that even after leaving, despite Aunt Xiang contacting Xu Xiaoshou and acquiring countless rare treasures from him, including numerous items from the Ancestor of Arts' Ruined inventory.

Since the World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal was irreplaceable, and despite the expenditure of countless resources, Shen Yi had only managed to barely recover one hand.

Of course, Aunt Xiang had also sent people to the Burning Dream Marsh.

But forget about the World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal, the Heaven-Connecting Heart Lotus Root, or even the World Elephant Spider; the Burning Dream Marsh itself was ruined, no longer a forbidden zone, but a mere ancient ruin attraction.

A mere ten spirit crystals for an admission ticket to stroll around—what good things could possibly be found there?

Aunt Xiang's gaze was fixed intently on the jade box in Liu Guifen's hands.

Try as she might to calm down, the possibility of Shen Yi's recovery made it impossible for her to remain composed:

"Great Emperor Guifen, what is the meaning of this?"

*Now he's calling me Great Emperor Guifen again...* Liu Guifen felt a surge of satisfaction, but dared not show it on his face. He respectfully presented the jade box with both hands.

"Aunt Xiang, just open it yourself, and you'll see."

Aunt Xiang took the jade box, unfastened the clasp, and impatiently reached out to open it.

Shen Yi's hand gently curled its fingers and squeezed her thigh.

She winced in pain, then regained her composure. Grabbing Shen Yi's hand, she used that omnipotent, impenetrable hand to open the jade box.

*Isn't that a bit too cautious? Am I really going to set a hidden arrow in the box to shoot Aunt Xiang the moment she opens it?* Liu Guifen silently pursed his lips, thinking, *If I were to do that, would I even walk out of this legendary place, Aunt Xiang's boudoir, alive?*

As the jade box opened, a delicate fragrance wafted out.

Even Lei Xier couldn't help but glance sideways. Inside the box lay three walnut-sized crystals, perfectly clear and transparent, their entire forms appearing as if intricately woven from spider silk and lotus root fibers.

"World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystals!"

Aunt Xiang couldn't help but let out a low gasp.

Although she had never seen the physical item, she had seen the image Shen Yi had shown her, and she knew at a glance that this item could not be fake.

Liu Guifen nodded with a chuckle. "The World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal is a creation of heaven and earth, spun from spider silk and lotus root fibers by natural forces. It can bypass Dao magic and, with its rejuvenating power, instantly restore a damaged physical body to its peak state. It is the perfect, unparalleled companion for the sacrificial technique of the 'Four Abodes.'"

After presenting the jade box, he stepped back, bowed his head, cupped his fists, and raised them above his head, declaring loudly:

"Liu Guifen, Lord of the North Street, presents these World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystals to Boss Shen Yi, congratulating Boss Shen Yi on the complete recovery of his injuries and the rejuvenation of his power!"

"This is a joyous occasion for East Street, and indeed, a blessing for all the people of the Crossroads. It must be celebrated!"

*His mouth is just running, he can talk more than Xu Xiaoshou...*

Lei Xier watched Liu Guifen's feigned sincerity, her eyelids slightly lowered. She inexplicably sensed a hint of danger.

She was all too familiar with this kind of behavior.

Whenever Xu Xiaoshou praised someone like this, the person being praised, though seemingly benefiting, was invariably about to suffer misfortune!

*Am I overthinking this...?*

Lei Xier turned her head to look at the ecstatic Aunt Xiang. Her red lips parted, but she couldn't bring herself to voice a warning against consuming the item.

Shen Yi was, by chance, precisely in need of World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystals!

Liu Guifen's gift truly touched Aunt Xiang's heart—it was something even Xu Xiaoshou couldn't procure!

*Click.*

Shen Yi's hand calmly closed the jade box.

Aunt Xiang froze, her excitement abruptly cut off as she reverted to her usual composure. Too many questions instantly flooded her mind:

"Three World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystals—how did you acquire so many?"

"I had some fortunate encounters earlier. I fell off a cliff outside the Burning Dream Marsh in the Eastern Domain and obtained them from the coffin of a senior in a burial ground." Liu Guifen had prepared his answer, careful not to reveal that these were acquired with contribution points, and that the entire Dao Ancestor's legacy inventory contained only three such crystals.

*Something from a coffin...*

Aunt Xiang, of course, wasn't put off by that.

The World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal was undeniably valuable, but she didn't believe in windfalls. She asked again:

"And how did you know that Shen Yi was specifically lacking World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystals?"

"Or rather, how did you know that the World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal was required for the 'Four Abodes'?"

She paused, her expression darkening, her tone growing cold. "You even know about 'Four Abodes'?"

The 'Four Abodes' was an ancient martial secret.

In the Five Domains, apart from the absolute top echelons, almost no one knew the term "Four Abodes," let alone remembered it.

Liu Guifen, a mere Grand Void practitioner...

This Liu Guifen was too strange; the more she thought about it, the more mysterious he became!

Liu Guifen narrowed his eyes and smiled, but offered no answer. He suddenly dropped into a horse stance and declared in a deep voice:

"Eight Gates!"

A wave of power erupted from the ground.

Various acupuncture points on Liu Guifen's body lit up, revealing that he had actually opened the Ancient Martial Eight Gates!

"Seven Mansions!"

He wasn't finished. He shouted again.

The power of the Eight Gates converged into the Seven Mansions, as if drawing radiance from the stars above.

His aura grew even more potent, his clothes billowed without a breeze, and he even seemed to have become much younger.

*This guy...*

Aunt Xiang was dumbfounded.

She knew Liu Guifen was an all-rounder spirit refiner.

But Liu Guifen actually mastering ancient martial arts and even opening the Eight Gates and Seven Mansions was beyond her comprehension. *Could he be Xu Xiaoshou in disguise?*

Shen Yi's hand lightly tapped the top of the jade box, and a voice emerged:

"Can you do the Six Paths?"

Liu Guifen's imposing aura faltered, and he awkwardly scratched his head. "Boss Shen Yi, you flatter me too much. I truly don't know the Six Paths. The ancient martial arts inheritance in that tomb only went up to the Seven Mansions."

His expression became uncomfortable. He quickly deactivated the Eight Gates and Seven Mansions. "Furthermore, it's extremely uncomfortable for me to use. If I activate the power of my body's acupuncture points for more than fifteen minutes, my muscles ache intensely. The after-effects are too severe, so I generally don't dare to use it."

"That's normal. Your physique is too weak. You should focus on body tempering more often."

"Yes, Boss Shen Yi! I'll put body tempering on my agenda immediately!" Liu Guifen was ecstatic; he had successfully gained the favor of Shen Yi, one of the Ten Venerable Seats.

"Temper your body from midnight until sunrise, and work tirelessly. Even if you start late, it doesn't mean you can't make progress. When you cultivate your body to the level of a King, come find me, and I'll teach you the Six..."

Aunt Xiang gnashed her lower teeth.

*Teach, teach, teach! You dare to teach anyone!*

*We don't even know if this Liu fellow harbors ill intentions, or if these World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystals hide some sinister secret!*

She pinched the skin on the back of Shen Yi's hand and twisted it viciously, making him stop abruptly.

"Boss Shen Yi, rest assured, ancient martial arts is the path I aspire to! I will definitely learn from you!" Liu Guifen raised his hand and swore he would diligently cultivate, though what he truly meant was diligently accumulating contribution points.

Shen Yi paused for a moment, but couldn't resist adding half a sentence: "Though the Pure Yang Body is a spiritual body, it's greatly beneficial for cultivating ancient martial arts. Remember, do not lose your virginity..."

*You troublesome Shen Yi, shut up!*

Aunt Xiang twisted the skin on his hand again, and Shen Yi had no choice but to stop there.

Liu Guifen chuckled awkwardly, touching his unremarkable old face, and sighed softly. "I, Liu, would certainly like to lose my virginity, but no one's looked my way in a hundred years..."

Aunt Xiang pondered, still finding the matter highly suspicious.

It was too much of a coincidence!

Coincidental to an unbelievable degree!

She stood up, picked up the jade box with utmost solemnity, and after debating it a thousand times in her mind, she still handed the item back. "Liu..."

"We've accepted the item."

But Shen Yi's hand pressed her down. "Liu Guifen, I apologize for what just happened. From now on, if you have any requests, come find me on East Street. As long as it doesn't violate my principles, I will grant them all."

*Idiot!*

*These might be three doses of poison!*

Aunt Xiang wished she could grab Shen Yi and slap the back of his hand—*just kill you already! You idiotic Shen Yi, pay attention! How could such a convenient good fortune just appear? Someone is definitely plotting against you in the shadows!*

Shen Yi, however, didn't see it that way.

Time was short, and the mission was critical. Lei Xier and the Five Decays of Heavenly Beings had also arrived, and the Inverted Pagoda was about to open.

If he missed this opportunity, he didn't know how much longer he would have to wait to fully recover his strength. Perhaps if he continued to drag it out, he wouldn't even be able to assist the Eight Venerables later!

Furthermore, Liu Guifen had brought a total of three World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystals, and he only needed one for his recovery!

This was like a pillow delivered just as one felt sleepy; anyone could see there was an ulterior motive. Shen Yi didn't care about such things; he always looked forward.

In one word:

Strength triumphs over all.

No matter what conspiracies or schemes, when he returned to his peak and, leveraging the insights gained from this true 'Four Abodes,' achieved another breakthrough...

All the monstrous entities and demons of the heavens would be obliterated with a single strike!

He reopened the jade box, picked up one World Elephant Spider Lotus Root Crystal, and placed it into Xiang Yaoyao's soft palm, gently patting her hand to reassure her.

Only then did Shen Yi speak again, his tone calm and beyond doubt:

"Xiang'er, feed me."