Chapter 474: Return to the South China Sea

A single drop of Primordial Heavy Water weighs tens of thousands of catties. If refined into a magical treasure like the Mountain River Pearl, it could instantly crush an immortal cultivator into a pulp.

This thought excited Wang Changsheng. He already possessed three sets of materials. Even with Immortal Ming Shui's insights into artifact refining, he knew he couldn't create a magical treasure quickly. He needed more practice and extensive discussions with third-tier artifact refiners.

He then retrieved some second-tier artifact refining materials, planning to craft a complete set of magical artifacts as a congratulatory gift for Wang Qingqing.

In a spacious hall within the Taiyi Immortal Sect.

Zhang Zhanfeng stood on a tall bluestone platform, his expression stern.

Not far in front of him, a massive, two-colored glowing portal pulsed, with Taiyi Immortal Sect disciples flying out of it at regular intervals.

Several streaks of light emerged from the portal, landing on the ground. One of the figures was Wang Mingren.

Wang Mingren exhaled slowly, his eyes gleaming with delight.

His journey into the Taiyi Secret Realm had yielded considerable gains; he acknowledged that without teaming up with fellow disciples, his harvest would not have been so substantial.

He had successfully completed all the tasks assigned by Xu Zihua and Leng Rumei.

After a short while, the two-colored portal closed. Zhang Zhanfeng looked at Wang Mingren and the other returning disciples, his brow slightly furrowed.

Out of ninety disciples who entered, sixty-seven returned alive, some severely injured, while twenty-three had perished within the secret realm.

The Taiyi Immortal Sect advocated for teamwork, yet some disciples, overconfident in their abilities, preferred to act alone. Confronted by packs of demonic beasts, their demise was often unavoidable.

"Hand over the spirit herbs you've collected. Do not conceal anything, or you will face the consequences."

Following Zhang Zhanfeng's command, Wang Mingren and the other disciples promptly produced the spirit herbs they had collected, which were then counted and verified by Core Formation cultivators.

According to the regulations, Wang Mingren was allowed to keep one-tenth of the spirit herbs he gathered. He had collected a total of seventeen. The herbs required by Xu Zihua and Leng Rumei were located too far apart, causing Wang Mingren to waste considerable time; otherwise, his haul would have been even larger.

After the spirit herbs were submitted, Zhang Zhanfeng dispatched individuals to conduct a third-tier spirit herb search to ensure nothing had been overlooked before allowing Wang Mingren and the others to depart.

Upon exiting the hall, Wang Mingren summoned his flying magical artifact and soared towards his residence.

During his expedition to the Taiyi Secret Realm, he acquired over five hundred catties of Profound Ice Cold Water, enough for Wang Changsheng's cultivation for a considerable period.

Delivering the Profound Ice Cold Water to Wang Changsheng would earn him a substantial amount of merit points.

In Wei State, Qinglian Mountain Villa was festively decorated with lanterns and streamers, and every clan member's face beamed with joy.

Inside the reception hall, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan occupied the main seats, their faces radiating warm smiles. After performing kowtows, Wang Qingqing and Zhao Zheng formally offered tea to the couple.

Wang Ruyan had spoken with Zhao Zheng several times and found his speech and demeanor impeccable. Most importantly, he had known Wang Qingqing since childhood, their destined union having been settled long ago, which greatly pleased Wang Ruyan.

Wang Changsheng's daughter's wedding was a significant event, and the Wang family extended invitations to a wide array of guests.

Guests who received invitations promptly sent representatives to offer congratulations, making the occasion exceptionally lively.

Wang Changsheng took a sip of tea and earnestly advised, "After marriage, you must be even more steadfast and deliberate in all your actions. A couple united in heart can cut through metal; do you understand?"

He had specially refined a complete set of magical artifacts as a wedding gift for his daughter, while Wang Ruyan presented five second-tier talismans as her contribution.

Wang Huashan was unable to attend due to other commitments and sent a representative to convey his congratulations.

As Guang Dongren was unavailable, Ye Tong personally attended the celebration, offering a Foundation Establishment Pill as her congratulatory gift.

Now that Wang Changsheng had formed his Golden Core, he was no longer the same as before, and Ye Tong dared not show him any disrespect.

After drinking two cups of light wine, Wang Changsheng departed from the venue.

Wang Qingqing was escorted back to the bridal chamber by clan members, while the guests toasted Zhao Zheng, who graciously accepted every drink.

Seven days later, Wang Changsheng, Wang Ruyan, Wang Qingshan, and Wang Qingjun departed from Qinglian Mountain Villa, heading towards Chongyang Market.

Mo Caiyun had not been at Qinglian Mountain Villa for long, and Wang Changxin and his two younger siblings were still small and required care. Since Zhao Zheng was newly married, Wang Changsheng decided not to take them along to the South Sea.

The Foundation Establishment Pill was redeemed by Wang Qingling. While many clan members had reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement, none of them had accumulated enough merit points to acquire it.

Over two months later, Wang Changsheng and the three others arrived at Chongyang Market and proceeded directly to the Teleportation Hall.

After paying the spirit stones, the four of them stepped onto the teleportation array.

A dazzling white glow illuminated beneath their feet, enveloping all four figures.

When Wang Changsheng regained his senses, he found himself in a different grand hall.

The streets were bustling with a constant flow of pedestrians, and a ceaseless clamor filled the air.

Wang Changsheng found an inn and settled there.

"Qingshan, Qingjun, you are free to explore, but do not leave the market. The Listening Rain Pavilion is where demon hunting teams gather. Go there, listen, and observe. Hunting demonic beasts in the South Sea is vastly different from the Eastern Barrens, so first, familiarize yourselves with the methods immortal cultivators in the South Sea use for hunting."

Wang Changsheng could have simply told Wang Qingshan and Wang Qingjun this information, but he chose not to. He wanted them to visit the Listening Rain Pavilion to listen and observe for themselves, believing this would leave a more profound impression.

"Yes, Ninth Uncle. If there are no further instructions, we shall take our leave."

Wang Qingshan and Wang Qingjun agreed in unison, then turned and departed.

"Husband, I will go inquire if there are any major auctions happening soon."

Wang Ruyan volunteered, explaining that she was currently at a bottleneck, and mere strenuous cultivation would not help her overcome it.

Their primary objective for this journey was to acquire a water-attributed magical artifact.

The family currently possessed 230,000 spirit stones. Wang Changsheng took 200,000, leaving 30,000 to sustain the family's operations.

In addition to the 200,000 spirit stones, he also carried some third-tier artifact refining materials for any unforeseen needs.

"I have nothing else to do, so I'll join you for a stroll."

Wang Changsheng accompanied Wang Ruyan as they strolled through the streets. Lingbie Market was home to many shops that bought and sold demonic beast materials, including demon cores, beast hides, and even demonic beast souls.

Upon seeing the demonic beast materials, Wang Changsheng had an idea, and he and Wang Ruyan headed towards a nine-story pavilion.

This was Jinyu Tower, the largest establishment for the acquisition and sale of demonic beast materials within Lingbie Market.

The main hall was spacious and brightly lit, its shelves fully stocked with various demonic beast materials.

"Welcome, Senior, to our humble establishment. How may I assist you today?"

A middle-aged man, appearing to be a steward, approached them with a fawning smile and inquired.

"Do you have any third-tier demonic beast souls available?" Wang Changsheng asked casually.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's smile deepened, and he stated with a hint of pride, "Hehe, not only do we have third-tier demonic beast souls, but we also sell fourth-tier ones, though their prices are quite high."

"Fourth-tier demonic beast souls are also for sale? Are you not trying to deceive me, old man?" Wang Changsheng frowned, his expression displeased.

The middle-aged man explained with a fawning smile, "Even if this junior had the audacity of a hundred heavens, I would never dare to deceive a Senior! Our Jinyu Tower is backed by the Four Seas Merchant Alliance, so naturally, we can provide fourth-tier demonic beast souls. However, I am not privy to the specific details."