Chapter 506: One-Time Compensation

He raised his hand, and a golden orb flew towards the southwest, with Guangdong Ren and the old woman in the golden robe following closely behind.

A quarter of an hour later, Guangdong Ren, the old woman in the golden robe, and Wang Changsheng met at a peak.

Wang Changsheng's clothes were tattered, and there were several bloodstains on his arms.

After picking the Infant Spirit Fruit, he tried to escape by burrowing underground. However, he was incredibly unlucky, encountering three low-grade third-tier earthworm beasts. Forced to surface, he then ran into a third-tier demonic bird with wind and fire attributes. He barely managed to escape into a river, only to encounter a mid-grade third-tier demonic crocodile.

Relying on several magical treasures, Wang Changsheng barely survived, though he sustained minor injuries. Had his physical body not been exceptionally strong, he would likely have been severely wounded.

“Fellow Daoist Wang, you've finally arrived. Where are the Infant Spirit Fruits?!” the old woman in the golden robe asked impatiently, her expression anxious.

“There was also a mid-grade third-tier Four-winged Golden Howler Centipede in that cave. Immediately after I picked the Infant Spirit Fruits, two high-grade third-tier Four-winged Golden Howler Centipedes returned. You almost got me killed; you should at least offer me some compensation!” Wang Changsheng’s expression remained calm as he produced two golden jade boxes.

There were only two Infant Spirit Fruits, and Wang Changsheng didn't receive any. Since he nearly died at the hands of demonic beasts, he naturally expected compensation.

“That's not our fault. We couldn't stop those two Four-winged Golden Howler Centipedes from returning; they are mutated demonic insects with powerful abilities. We'll give you 100,000 spirit stones as compensation. That should suffice!” the old woman in the golden robe said with a frown, her eyes fixed on the golden jade boxes in Wang Changsheng's hand.

“I have spirit stones myself. I want other items, such as spirit water or refining materials. Other things would also work. My life is worth more than 100,000 spirit stones.”

The old woman in the golden robe's gaze turned cold: “Fellow Daoist Wang, are you threatening me?!”

“It's not a threat. I nearly died trying to pick these two Infant Spirit Fruits. This concerns the Nascent Soul path; surely, you two fellow Daoists won't hold it against me, right?!” Wang Changsheng's primary intention was to extort a sum from the old woman in the golden robe. As for Guangdong Ren, he would accept whatever was offered, as he wasn't foolish enough to make exorbitant demands of two cultivators at the seventh layer of the Core Formation stage.

“Fellow Daoist Wang took a great risk; he should indeed receive some compensation. These third-tier refining materials can serve as your recompense!” Guangdong Ren flicked his sleeve, and several items appeared on the ground: five light blue ores, five golden ores, and a five-foot-long golden log.

The old woman in the golden robe hesitated for a moment, then, with a flick of her hand, a three-foot-long blue jade box and a blue jade casket appeared in her hand.

“Here are two magical treasures; choose one for yourself! However, as compensation, this Golden Battle Axe Spirit Wood and those five Golden Mound Ores will be mine.” Each time the Heavenly Wolf Secret Realm opened, Core Formation cultivators would perish within it. These two magical treasures were relics of Core Formation cultivators who had previously entered the Heavenly Wolf Secret Realm, which the old woman in the golden robe had obtained by chance. She considered their grade too low, so she offered them to exchange for a 600-year-old spirit wood.

The 600-year-old Golden Battle Axe Spirit Wood was a primary material for refining third-tier talismans. As a third-tier talisman master herself, she knew that such a large piece of Golden Battle Axe Spirit Wood could even be used to craft a defensive magical treasure. Exchanging a magical treasure she didn't need for something she required was a guaranteed profit.

Inside the blue jade box was a light blue iron staff that felt weightless when picked up but weighed several thousand catties after spiritual power was infused. The blue jade casket contained a blue iron claw, a flying claw magical treasure, which was quite rare.

Wang Changsheng naturally chose the light blue iron staff, the Ruyi Profound Jade Staff, a low-grade first-tier magical treasure, which was perfectly suited for his use.

He put away the magical treasure and the materials on the ground, then handed the two golden jade boxes to the old woman in the golden robe and Guangdong Ren.

After the two confirmed the contents, their faces lit up with immense joy.

“Madam Jin, can you remove the restriction from the Evil Ghost Forbidden Scroll now?” Wang Changsheng asked in a deep voice. Although he hadn't violated the agreement, the fierce ghost pattern on his chest still made him uneasy.

Just then, a piercing shriek emanated from all three of them.

“Oh no, the secret realm is closing! Fellow Daoist Wang, the teleportation out is random, within a hundred miles of the Heavenly Wolf Secret Realm. You'd better…”

Before Guangdong Ren could finish speaking, a vast expanse of white light illuminated beneath their feet, engulfing their bodies.

When Wang Changsheng came to his senses, he found himself in a narrow valley, with a cave not far away.

He released his divine sense and found no other high-level cultivators present, which made him sigh with relief.

Wang Changsheng had gained much from this trip to the Heavenly Wolf Secret Realm. While his acquisitions couldn't compare to Guangdong Ren's, he was nonetheless content.

He pondered for a moment, then walked towards the nearby cave.

He planned to refine the Ruyi Profound Jade Staff before returning to Qinglian Mountain Villa.

Above a dense black forest, a figure suddenly plummeted from mid-air. It was Wang Lin.

His face was pale, appearing as if his spiritual power was severely depleted. His body was covered in wounds, and his clothes were tattered, making him look utterly disheveled.

“Damn it, if I don't remove the Nine Nether Blood Ghost Restriction, those guys will surely catch up. So be it. Even if I have to abandon my cultivation, I must survive to exact my revenge.” Wang Lin muttered to himself, transforming into a streak of black light and flying into the distance.

Three days passed quickly.

Inside a cave, Wang Changsheng sat cross-legged on the ground. A ten-foot-long blue iron staff floated before him, its entire body crystal clear, as if crafted from a rare spirit jade. The five characters “Ruyi Profound Jade Staff” were carved on its tip.

He reached out and beckoned the Ruyi Profound Jade Staff, and it flew into Wang Changsheng's hand.

With a soft cry, he swung the Ruyi Profound Jade Staff towards the ground.

“Boom!”

The ground shook, splitting into cracks, and a large pit was formed where the Ruyi Profound Jade Staff had struck.

Wang Changsheng nodded with satisfaction. He suddenly remembered something, pulled open his clothes, and looked at his chest. The fierce ghost pattern was still there.

He hoped there would be no issue with the Evil Ghost Forbidden Scroll! The secret realm had closed so suddenly that he hadn't had time to ask Madam Jin how to remove the scroll's restriction. Although he hadn't violated his oath, as long as the fierce ghost pattern remained, he would not know peace.

After returning to Wei Country, he would discuss with Guangdong Ren how to resolve this restriction!

He put away the Ruyi Profound Jade Staff, transformed into a streak of light, and flew out of the cave.

Upon exiting the cave, Wang Changsheng flew towards the sky. However, he hadn't flown far before he abruptly stopped. A black streak of light flew towards him, followed by a blue and a golden light, all moving at extremely high speed.

Wang Changsheng frowned. He could sense that all three streaks of light belonged to Core Formation cultivators, and the black streak's aura was weak, indicating injury.

Adhering to the principle of "less trouble is better," Wang Changsheng decided not to get involved and landed on a nearby mountaintop.

“Fellow Daoist Li, you've arrived just in time. He is Old Thief Shangguan's running dog. Let's kill him together,” a voice filled with delight came from within the black streak of light.

“Shifting blame?” Wang Changsheng frowned. Why did he always encounter such situations?

He immediately leaped and flew into the distance, demonstrating his disassociation.

He clearly saw the true appearance of the black streak of light: it was a young man in a black robe, none other than Wang Lin.

“Fool, do you think we'd be fooled by such a trick?!”

The golden and blue lights accelerated their pursuit, and Wang Lin also hastily sped up his escape. The three streaks of light vanished into the horizon, with none of them paying any attention to Wang Changsheng.

Wang Changsheng took out a blue jade slip, immersed his divine sense into it, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

“It's actually him. Wasn't he a Foundation Establishment cultivator?”