Chapter 1974: Seven Star Spirit Nourishing Pill

Wang Changsheng's eyes flashed with surprise. Blood Dragon Rice is a unique spiritual rice, rumored to have mutated after being infused with true dragon blood. It contains astonishing vital energy, which can significantly boost one's vitality and is especially beneficial for body cultivators. This spiritual rice has stringent environmental requirements, needing to be cultivated with Blood Jade Breath Earth and continuously nourished with the essence blood of demonic beasts or cultivators. Its maturation period is also quite long.

Breath Earth is a type of spiritual soil with an earth attribute. There are numerous varieties, each possessing different effects and varying significantly in value. Given the stringent environmental requirements of some rare spiritual herbs, specific types of Breath Earth are essential for their artificial cultivation, as this significantly improves their survival rate.

Each major race on the Xuanling Continent possesses its own unique specialties. Blood Dragon Rice is one such specialty of the Bat Clan, known for its ability to enhance vitality and boost cultivators' physical strength. However, due to its high cultivation difficulty, Blood Dragon Rice is rarely circulated outside the clan.

Wang Changsheng had previously eliminated a Bat Clan cultivator at the Soul Transformation stage, but he hadn't been able to acquire any Blood Dragon Rice.

"I managed to exchange for it at a gathering," Zhao Gang said, "but unfortunately, I only have two catties." He then changed the subject, turning to Li Rufeng. "Fellow Daoist Li," he said, "I heard your Li family possesses a Nine-Orifice Blood Apricot Fruit Tree, whose body-tempering effects are even superior to Blood Dragon Rice. I wonder if you happen to have any with you?"

"The Nine-Orifice Blood Apricot Fruit?" Li Rufeng replied with a wry smile. "That fruit blossoms every three thousand years, bears fruit three millennia after that, and only ripens after another three thousand years. Each harvest produces merely a little over a hundred fruits. Only highly respected elders or clan patriarchs at the Void Refining stage are even eligible to receive them. How could we possibly have any?"

Li Rufeng offered a bitter smile. The Nine-Orifice Blood Apricot Fruit Tree is notoriously difficult to cultivate, yet its body-tempering effects surpass even those of Blood Dragon Rice. Consequently, the Li family rarely sells it externally, primarily reserving it to refine Nine-Orifice Spirit Forging Pills, which are used to train high-level body cultivators. Even Void Refining stage body cultivators experience excellent body-tempering effects from consuming the Nine-Orifice Blood Apricot Fruit.

"Speaking of body tempering," Chen Xin remarked, "your Divine Weapon Sect's Five-Thunder Plate, one of your seven revered treasures, can channel the thunder and lightning of heaven and earth to temper the physical body. That's far superior to consuming spiritual elixirs." Chen Xin made his observation, noting that all major powers cultivate high-level body cultivators and possess their own methods and artifacts for body tempering, and Zhenhai Palace was certainly no exception.

"I've heard the Five-Thunder Plate is forged from a Lightning-Attracting Pearl found within a seventh-tier, high-grade Five-Thunder Beast, allowing it to channel the power of heavenly lightning," Li Rufeng asked curiously. "Fellow Daoist Zhao, does a Five-Thunder Beast not also possess a Lightning-Absorbing Pearl?"

Wang Changsheng and the others all turned their gazes to Zhao Gang, their faces alight with curiosity. A Lightning-Absorbing Pearl can absorb and store the power of heavenly lightning, and when refined into a Heaven-Connecting Spirit Treasure, it can weaken the might of lightning-attribute Dao techniques, making it especially useful for surviving major heavenly tribulations.

"Fellow Daoist Li, you jest," Zhao Gang chuckled, vaguely deflecting the question. "The probability of a lightning-attribute demonic beast possessing both a Lightning-Attracting Pearl and a Lightning-Absorbing Pearl is extraordinarily low. Perhaps the Myriad Spirit Sect might have such a spiritual beast! Fellow Daoist Chen, doesn't your Zhenhai Palace possess a grand formation crafted from fifty thousand Lightning-Attracting Woods? It's certainly no inferior to the Five-Thunder Plate." Zhao Gang merely chuckled, vaguely brushing off the question. Wang Changsheng and the others remained somewhat skeptical. Even if such a thing existed, the Divine Weapon Sect would undoubtedly keep it a closely guarded secret.

The Xuanyang Realm boasts numerous spiritual elixirs and wondrous medicines for body tempering, and some exotic treasures, hidden abodes, or formations can also achieve similar effects.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao must be referring to the Nine Palace Heavenly Thunder Grand Formation!" Chen Xin stated. "While that formation can indeed channel the power of lightning to temper the physical body, the meritorious deeds required to use it are astronomical; one shouldn't even consider it without significant contributions. Furthermore, this formation places extremely high demands on the physical body. Cultivators whose bodies aren't robust enough are very likely to be obliterated if they attempt to use it." Chen Xin's expression turned solemn as he concluded.

Zhenhai Palace, with its millennia-long legacy, possessed a foundation that few ordinary forces could rival. The Nine Palace Heavenly Thunder Grand Formation, primarily crafted from 50,000-year-old Lightning-Attracting Wood, possessed a similar wondrous ability to the Divine Weapon Sect's Five-Thunder Plate, capable of guiding heavenly lightning to temper the physical body. However, the formation's immense power meant that any Zhenhai Palace disciple with an insufficiently robust physique attempting to use it would likely be annihilated. Furthermore, a substantial amount of merit was required to utilize this formation.

"Fellow Daoist Shen's illusionary techniques are quite extraordinary; I, Zhao, am truly enlightened," Zhao Gang praised, his face filled with admiration. Shen Tianhong's illusionary techniques were formidable; Zhao Gang hadn't even realized when he'd fallen into the illusion. Shen Tianhong's ability to subtly ensnare cultivators of the same rank in an illusion was truly remarkable.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, you flatter me," Shen Tianhong humbly replied. "I lost to Fellow Daoist Wang, and Fellow Daoist Wang lost to you. It simply proves the saying: 'all things in the world complement and counter each other.'"

"It was merely a sparring match," Wang Changsheng said indifferently, dismissing the comment. "In a life-and-death struggle, the outcome would be hard to predict."

After chatting for over an hour, the cultivators all returned to their respective residences. Sparring with other Soul Transformation cultivators this time left Wang Changsheng with many profound insights, particularly Shen Tianhong's illusionary divine ability, which left a deep impression on him. Since it was merely a sparring match, Shen Tianhong had undoubtedly held back some of his true abilities. Shangguan Wei also cultivated illusionary techniques, but hers required the use of magical artifacts. Shen Tianhong, however, seemed to have used no such artifacts, clearly indicating his strength far surpassed Shangguan Wei's.

"If we could achieve great merit, my husband, using the Nine Palace Heavenly Thunder Grand Formation to temper his physical body, would surely see his strength further enhanced," Wang Ruyan remarked with a hopeful look.

"There will be opportunities," Wang Changsheng said confidently. "We can gradually take on missions and accumulate meritorious deeds." Wang Changsheng spoke with full confidence, though he mused that with his current physical strength, even if he gained access to the Nine Palace Heavenly Thunder Grand Formation, his body might not be able to withstand its full power.

Sensing something, he retrieved a shimmering spiritual plate, cast a spell into it, and Jiang Yunhe's voice immediately resonated: "Fellow Daoist Wang, the Seven Star Soul Nurturing Pills have arrived. Would you like to come pick them up, or shall I send someone to deliver them to you?"

"I'll come pick them up," Wang Changsheng replied, "Thank you, Shopkeeper Jiang." After thanking him, Wang Changsheng put away the communication plate and, with Wang Ruyan, departed their residence.

Shortly after, they arrived on the fourth floor of Xuanguang Tower, where Jiang Yunhe personally greeted them. "Fellow Daoist Wang," Jiang Yunhe said, "here are the Seven Star Soul Nurturing Pills you requested." Jiang Yunhe produced two exquisite blue porcelain bottles and handed them to Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan.

"Shopkeeper Jiang, why only two bottles?" Wang Ruyan asked, her tone warm. "Could you sell us a few more? The price is negotiable." Wang Ruyan's warm tone reflected the many advantages of possessing strong spiritual consciousness.

"The Seven Star Soul Nurturing Pill is one of Xuanguang Tower's signature items," Jiang Yunhe explained with a wry smile. "Many fellow Daoists have pre-ordered them, so two bottles are already quite a significant amount."

"Two bottles it is, then," Wang Changsheng conceded. "By the way, Shopkeeper Jiang, do you happen to have any spiritual elixirs or wondrous medicines for body tempering?" Wang Changsheng pressed the inquiry, reasoning that since the Seven Star Soul Nurturing Pills had arrived, there might be other beneficial goods in stock.

"Not at the moment," Jiang Yunhe said with a chuckle, "but I do know a place where body-tempering elixirs might be available. It just depends on Fellow Daoist Wang's luck."

"Where?" Wang Changsheng asked, his face full of anticipation.

"In three days," Jiang Yunhe revealed, "Yunfeng Tower will host an underground trade fair. I've heard Blood Dragon Rice will be available there; you might try your luck."

"Thank you, Shopkeeper Jiang," Wang Changsheng said gratefully, committing the information to memory. After a brief chat, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan departed.