Chapter 2700: Tianxing Wood

Mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures are extremely valuable. In the Xuanyuan Continent, very few Void Refinement cultivators possess mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures; they are either core disciples of major powers or have acquired them through extraordinary opportunities. Defensive mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures are even more precious, making it difficult even for Integration cultivators to obtain one.

The guardian treasures of sects like Zhenhai Palace, Cold Flame Sect, and Nine Flame Gate are mostly mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures. A few individual powers might possess a high-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure as their guardian treasure, but small families and minor sects simply cannot afford a mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure.

Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator now wants to ask Wang Changsheng to help refine a defensive mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure. Aside from the difficulty of refinement, whether Wang Changsheng is even willing to help is a question.

Defensive mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasures are desired even by Integration cultivators. Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator has no other choice. He has already survived the first three Great Heavenly Tribulations, and items like the Sea-Suppressing Pearl, Five-Element Thunderous Heaven Talisman, and Heavenly Lightning Spirit Transformation Talisman are no longer of significant use.

To refine a defensive mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure, a high level of artifact refinement skill is required. The Xuanyuan Continent is vast, and there are many Rank-7 artifact refiners.

Sects like Nine Flame Gate, Divine Weapon Sect, Zhenhai Palace, and Xuanqing Sect all have Rank-7 artifact refiners. However, Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator does not know them, and it would be difficult to meet them by visiting their sects. Most importantly, the Rank-7 artifact refiners of these major powers are highly experienced and may not be impressed by Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator's compensation.

The Wang family is a newly emerged cultivation family. The strictness of the Wang family's rules makes their own members blanch at the mention, and this is well-known to outsiders.

Wang Changsheng has not been in the Integration stage for long, and he also knows Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator. The Wang family also sells Rank-6 puppet beasts, and their family rules are strict. Considering all these factors, Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator decided to ask Wang Changsheng for help.

Even so, Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator took a great risk by doing this. In case the treasure was refined and Wang Changsheng decided to kill him and seize it, Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator prepared contingencies: he refined a clone, sent it to the mainland, and informed several of his friends.

If Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator couldn't leave Qinglian Island, his clone would cultivate diligently, and upon achieving success, would surely seek revenge on Wang Changsheng, while his friends would also spread the news.

Only after making these preparations did Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator dare to come to Qinglian Island.

"Refining a defensive mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure?"

Wang Changsheng took the storage ring, scanned it with his divine sense, and nodded. It seemed Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator had made ample preparations; with his artifact refinement skill, even after refining a mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure, there would still be plenty of materials left.

"I can help you refine the artifact, but I can't guarantee success." Wang Changsheng did not make an absolute promise.

"If Senior Wang is willing to help, this junior will be eternally grateful. This is a small token of my appreciation, please don't be offended, Senior Wang." Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator took out a green storage ring and handed it to Wang Changsheng with both hands.

Wang Changsheng took the storage ring, scanned it with his divine sense, and his expression remained calm.

Inside were one Rank-7 demon core, twenty Rank-6 demon cores, a Rank-6 Thunder Ray's hide, a piece of Heavenly Thunder Crystal, a piece of Ice Soul Crystal, two Jade Soul Crystals, ten Yin Beads left by Void Refinement stage ghosts, three 30,000-year-old Liyang Ginsengs, one hundred top-grade spirit stones, and a silver-colored piece of wood.

Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator's expression was uneasy. The compensation he offered was extremely valuable, making him worried Wang Changsheng might kill him to silence him. Yet, if the compensation was ordinary, it wouldn't impress Wang Changsheng.

"What kind of demon beast's core is that?" Wang Changsheng pressed, knowing that some special demon cores could be used to refine rare elixirs. He wasn't an alchemist and couldn't identify the origin of the core.

"It's the demon core of a Rank-7 Fire-Leaving Toad, which this junior obtained from an ancient cultivator's cave. That piece of 50,000-year-old Celestial Starwood is even more precious, though it's a bit small." Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator explained cautiously. Celestial Starwood could be used to set up formations and draw upon starlight, but since there was only one piece, it would be a bit difficult to use for a formation, though fine for artifact refinement.

"A defensive mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure is no ordinary item," Wang Changsheng said in a deep voice. "I can help, but you must agree to do something for me, which I haven't thought of yet. If you're unwilling, then forget it. Consider that you never came, and I never saw you."

"No problem!" Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator readily agreed.

"Aren't you worried I might ask you to kill someone and seize their treasure?" Wang Changsheng asked, puzzled.

Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator gave a wry smile and explained, "If I don't have a defensive mid-grade Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure, I might not be able to survive the Great Heavenly Tribulation. Compared to my life, killing someone and seizing their treasure is nothing."

If he couldn't even survive the fourth Great Heavenly Tribulation, then Wang Changsheng's request wouldn't matter.

Wang Changsheng nodded and said, "You can stay on Qinglian Island for now! Moshan, arrange accommodation for Fellow Daoist Jiang. Once the treasure is refined, I will send someone to notify you." Wang Moshan agreed and led Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator away.

Wang Changsheng took out the Celestial Starwood, a thoughtful expression on his face, and murmured to himself, "Celestial Starwood. If I could collect some more star materials, I could refine a formidable treasure." He put away the Celestial Starwood, entered a secret chamber, and began his artifact refinement.

***

In Qinggang Market, the streets were bustling with people flowing like rivers.

At Jinyu Pavilion, Wang Chuanyun was speaking with a slender young woman in a green dress. The young woman had willow-leaf eyebrows, cherry lips, a delicate nose, skin like snow, and an aura slightly weaker than Wang Chuanyun's.

"Rest assured, Immortal Xin, if there's any news, I will inform you immediately," Wang Chuanyun said enthusiastically.

"Then I'll trouble Fellow Daoist Wang. This junior has other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now." The young woman in the green dress bowed gracefully and walked downstairs.

"I'll see you off, Immortal Xin." Wang Chuanyun stood up and personally escorted the young woman in the green dress out.

After leaving Jinyu Pavilion, the young woman in the green dress walked towards a nearby alley, while Wang Chuanyun stared intently at her retreating figure.

"What are you staring at? If you like her, go propose marriage." A familiar male voice rang out.

Wang Chuanyun snapped back to reality and saw Wang Chuanming walking towards him.

"Brother Chuanming, you've come out of seclusion! That's great! I got something good, let's go inside and talk." Wang Chuanyun was overjoyed to see Wang Chuanming.

Not long after, they appeared on the fifth floor.

Wang Chuanyun took out a silver spirit beast egg, with faint silver electrical arcs flickering across its surface.

"This is a Rank-6 Lightning Dove spirit beast egg. I acquired it at an underground auction. Didn't you say you needed a spirit bird for travel? A Lightning Dove would be perfect." Wang Chuanyun handed the spirit beast egg to Wang Chuanming.

"A Rank-6 Lightning Dove spirit beast egg?" Wang Chuanming didn't stand on ceremony and accepted the spirit beast egg.

"By the way, who was that Immortal Lady just now? She left you so distracted?" Wang Chuanming teased.

"She's Xin Yuyuan, the niece of the Xin family's patriarch. The Xin family has three Void Refinement cultivators and is a newly emerged cultivation family with no major backing," Wang Chuanyun stated honestly.

The Wang family established its prestige by dealing with the Qian family, which significantly reduced resistance in the mainland. Many newly emerged cultivation families are now willing to cooperate with the Wang family, and the Xin family is one of them.

"No major backing? If you like her, just go propose. It's only natural for a man to marry when he's grown and a woman when she's grown. With our family's current strength, it would be her good fortune to marry you, and it would also benefit the Xin family," Wang Chuanming said dismissively.