Chapter 250: Cold Flame Bamboo

Upon returning to Phoenix Valley, Wang Changsheng immediately sought out Li Yue. He exchanged two four-hundred-year-old Jade Dew Flowers for thirty catties of diluted Profound Nether Cold Water. "Madam Li, you previously said you would reveal the source of the Profound Nether Cold Water after the transaction. Can you tell me now?"

Thirty catties of diluted Profound Nether Cold Water was simply not enough for Wang Changsheng's cultivation.

Li Yue slowly explained, "I exchanged the Profound Nether Cold Water with a disciple from the Yang family of Purple Moon Villa. Every twenty years, the Yang family hosts a Sword Discussion Assembly. Its purposes are to exchange items and to spar in cultivation techniques. The top ten participants receive significant rewards. At the last assembly, the fifth-place prize was thirty catties of undiluted Profound Nether Cold Water."

"A Sword Discussion Assembly? Is this Yang family the same one from the Yue Kingdom?"The Yan Kingdom was situated between the Yue Kingdom and the Yu Kingdom. The Yang family was a renowned cultivation family in the Yue Kingdom. It was said that a Nascent Soul cultivator had appeared among their ancestors. Although they had declined somewhat, their power far surpassed that of the Wang family. The family boasted thousands of cultivators, including two Core Formation cultivators.

Li Yue nodded gravely. "Precisely. The Sword Discussion Assembly will be held in another year. If you're interested, Fellow Daoist Wang, you might consider participating."

Wang Ruyan voiced her doubts. "Madam Li, the Yang family hosts a Sword Discussion Assembly every twenty years and heavily rewards the top ten? Why would they freely offer so many resources? Is there some hidden secret? Please explain clearly."

If it were simply for trading items, a trade fair would suffice. Why the need for combat and sparring?

Li Yue smiled enchantingly and explained, "This is a custom of the Yang family. Of course, to receive the full reward, you must assist the Yang family with a task. Otherwise, you only get half the prize. The tasks vary, from finding a specific spiritual herb to locating a certain material. In essence, this Sword Discussion Assembly is organized by the Yang family to collect cultivation resources."

"Madam Li, those two four-hundred-year-old Jade Dew Flowers you wanted, they were for the Yang family, weren't they?" Wang Changsheng said meaningfully.

Li Yue simply smiled without speaking, a tacit acknowledgment.

"Held once every twenty years, Madam Li, after such a long interval, you're only now collecting the Jade Dew Flowers. Is the Yang family still willing to give you the other half of the reward?"

"Yes, they are. The Yang family has been established for over three thousand years, and their reputation has always been excellent. They would pay the other half of the reward even if the materials were collected after a hundred years, let alone twenty. It is precisely because of the Yang family's outstanding reputation that many people participate in every Sword Discussion Assembly."

Wang Changsheng asked a few more questions, and Li Yue answered each one.

"Alright, if there are no more questions, we'll take our leave." Li Yue stood up to bid farewell, and Wang Changsheng did not try to detain her further.

After discussing it with Wang Ruyan, he decided to attend the Sword Discussion Assembly after the grand auction.

Without the aid of Heaven and Earth Spirit Water, his cultivation speed was relatively slow, and the prepared spirit water had a much weaker effect. As his cultivation advanced, preparing spirit water would require at least a dozen types of three-hundred-year-old spiritual herbs. Just finding these herbs would consume a significant amount of time, and Wang Changsheng hadn't even heard of some of them.

If it came down to it, Wang Changsheng would simply cultivate honestly, even if his progress was slow.

The next morning, Wang Changsheng opened his shop for business. Not long after, Pan Sheng walked in.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, thank you and your wife for your assistance. This humble Daoist was previously blinded by greed. Please accept these one thousand spirit stones." Pan Sheng said sincerely, taking out a blue storage bag and handing it to Wang Changsheng.

Frankly, had Wang Changsheng wanted to kill him then, it would have been effortless.

"Fellow Daoist Pan, these one thousand spirit stones are certainly your due. However, you previously mentioned a significant reward. Is this significant reward just one thousand spirit stones? Your life must be quite cheap then!" Wang Changsheng said with a half-smile, gazing meaningfully at Pan Sheng.

Pan Sheng gave a bitter smile, glanced left and right, and then said somewhat mysteriously, "Fellow Daoist Wang, are you interested in forging a life-bound magic artifact?"

"You have third-tier materials? And you would give me third-tier materials as a life-saving grace?" Wang Changsheng's breathing quickened. Life-bound magic artifacts required the integration of third-tier artifact-refining materials. These artifacts could be nurtured within the body and possessed immense power. Third-tier materials were extremely valuable, capable of being used to forge magic treasures.

Pan Sheng nodded earnestly and transmitted his voice, "I have third-tier materials: a section of five-hundred-year-old Cold Flame Bamboo. Although it's just reached five hundred years, it's perfectly suitable for forging a life-bound magic artifact. It's almost like giving it to you. I'll provide you with a section of Cold Flame Bamboo and other materials. You help me forge a life-bound magic artifact, and upon its completion, I'll give you another section of Cold Flame Bamboo as payment. How does that sound?"

"Why don't you go to a large artifact-forging shop and ask an experienced artifact master for help? Why are you so trusting of me?" Wang Changsheng asked, perplexed.

Pan Sheng chuckled. "I am a solitary man. If I ask them for help, I fear they might kill me for my treasures. You and your esteemed wife are not from the Yu Kingdom, and I've interacted with you for two years, so I have confidence in your artifact-forging skills. Of course, Fellow Daoist Wang, you'll need to give me forty thousand spirit stones as collateral. If you successfully forge the life-bound magic artifact, I will present both the forty thousand spirit stones and a section of Cold Flame Bamboo. If you fail, you can forget about the forty thousand spirit stones and the Cold Flame Bamboo."

Wang Changsheng narrowed his eyes, weighing the pros and cons.

To put it simply, it meant he would be spending forty thousand spirit stones to purchase materials for forging a life-bound magic artifact. If he succeeded, all would be well. If he failed, he would lose everything.

"Have you gathered all the materials? Let me see the list." Without further ado, Pan Sheng took out a green jade slip and handed it to Wang Changsheng.

Wang Changsheng scanned it with his divine sense, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Forging a life-bound magic artifact is not that simple. I cannot bear all the risk myself. Twenty thousand. I am only willing to put up twenty thousand spirit stones. If you trust me, then it's twenty thousand. Otherwise, you can find someone else."

Pan Sheng hesitated briefly, then gritted his teeth and said, "Final offer, thirty thousand. No less."

Wang Changsheng smiled slightly and agreed.

Pan Sheng took a blue storage bag from his embrace and handed it to Wang Changsheng. "All the materials are inside. Forge a flying sword artifact, in the same style as the last set of flying swords. When can it be forged?"

Wang Changsheng thought for a moment and said, "It will take at least a year. This is a life-bound magic artifact, not an ordinary one. It requires a significant amount of time."

"Very well, a year it is. It's a deal." Pan Sheng accepted the thirty thousand spirit stones from Wang Changsheng, then turned and left.

After seeing Pan Sheng off, Wang Changsheng called Wang Ruyan and recounted the events to her.

"Husband, forging a life-bound magic artifact is not easy. I can manage the shop, so you can focus on your research in peace! I'll help you acquire any materials you need." Wang Ruyan could now forge second-tier talismans and also earn a significant number of spirit stones. In the past two years, besides selling magic artifacts, the Hundred Weapons Hall occasionally sold second-tier talismans, and business was thriving. After deducting the thirty thousand spirit stones given to Pan Sheng, their combined spirit stones amounted to over seventy thousand, making them quite wealthy.

"Yes, then I'll trouble you. I'll go back to the room and study how to forge a life-bound magic artifact." The Wang family's ancestors had forged life-bound magic artifacts and left behind their insights, which Wang Changsheng could use as a reference.

Back in the room, he took out a two-foot-long white spiritual bamboo from the storage bag Pan Sheng had given him. It felt cool to the touch. This was Cold Flame Bamboo, a third-tier material, which could be used to forge life-bound magic artifacts. Wang Changsheng took out a green jade slip and placed it against his forehead.

Ever since his Profound Ice Banner was upgraded to the high-grade artifact Ice Dragon Banner, he had harbored the idea of forging a life-bound magic artifact.