UGB Chapter 432 The Resurrection Pill! Zhou Shan Reappears!
Chapter 432 The Resurrection Pill! Zhou Shan Reappears!
Three thousand high-grade spirit stones, equivalent to three hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones, is enough for a small sect's expenses for several years. Zhao Wenchang's asking price is an exorbitant one, clearly a test.
"Too expensive." Chen Fan shook his head. "Even if I sold everything I own, I couldn't afford that many spirit stones."
Zhao Wenchang wasn't surprised and laughed, "Then I'm afraid I can't help you. Fourth-grade pills are already rare, and Soul Restoration Pills are even more difficult to refine. Three thousand high-grade spirit stones is already a friendly price. If you take it to an auction, it can fetch at least five thousand."
Chen Fan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Shopkeeper Zhao, have you ever heard of Soul-Nourishing Wood?"
Zhao Wenchang paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.
He looked up at Chen Fan, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "Soul-Nourishing Wood? That's a top-tier material for refining soul-type magical artifacts, appearing only once every thousand years. Why is Fellow Daoist Chen asking about this?"
"Just curious." Chen Fan's expression remained unchanged. "I've heard that the roots of the Soul-Nourishing Wood can nourish the soul, and the effect is better than the Soul-Restoring Pill."
"That being said, Soul-Nourishing Wood is even harder to find than Soul-Restoring Pills." Zhao Wenchang put down his teacup and said slowly, "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Chen, I've been operating in this Old Dragon City for a hundred years, and I've never seen a single Soul-Nourishing Wood!"
Chen Fan was secretly alarmed.
After pondering it over, Old Man Long was right. The Soul-Nourishing Wood was too rare to be found in the sealed land!
"It seems we're not meant to be." Chen Fan sighed and got up to leave.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, please wait." Zhao Wenchang suddenly called out to him, his smile meaningful. "Although we don't have Soul-Nourishing Wood, we do have a similar, albeit slightly inferior, Soul-Returning Pill. It all depends on whether Fellow Daoist Chen... is willing to pay the price."
Chen Fan turned around: "Manager Zhao, please speak frankly."
Zhao Wenchang gestured for him to sit down and lowered his voice, saying, "Three days from now, there will be a grand event at the Old Dragon City underground auction. Soul-Returning Pills will be auctioned then; these are slightly inferior to Soul-Nourishing Wood. Fellow Daoist, if you're interested, you can go and take a look!"
Resurrection Pill!
Chen Fan's pupils contracted slightly.
"Is the information reliable?" he asked in a deep voice.
"Of course it's reliable," Zhao Wenchang said. "However, the rules of underground auctions are strict, and you need an introducer to enter. If Fellow Daoist Chen is interested, I can make an introduction on his behalf."
"And the price?" Chen Fan asked directly.
Zhao Wenchang laughed: "Fellow Daoist Chen is a straightforward person, I'll just accept ten high-grade spirit stones!"
Chen Fan remained silent for a moment, then took out ten high-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and placed them on the table.
The spirit stone is pure white and rich in spiritual energy, gleaming faintly in the soft light of the private room.
"Thank you for your trouble, Manager Zhao," Chen Fan said calmly.
Zhao Wenchang's eyes lit up, and with a flick of his sleeve, he put away the spirit stones. His smile widened: "Fellow Daoist Chen is generous! Three days from now, at 7 PM, in the backyard of Tingfeng Tower in the west of the city, bring this token to enter."
He took out a black iron plaque from his waist. It was about the size of a palm, with the character "地" (earth) engraved on the front and intricate cloud patterns on the back.
Chen Fan took the token; it was icy cold to the touch. He scanned it with his divine sense and discovered a hidden restriction within it, presumably for anti-counterfeiting purposes.
"The auction rules stipulate that you must not show your true face, investigate others' identities, or engage in violence in the venue," Zhao Wenchang said solemnly. "Violators will be executed without mercy."
The last three words were spoken lightly, yet they carried a chilling undertone.
Chen Fan nodded: "Understood."
"Then see you in three days." Zhao Wenchang stood up to see him off.
Chen Fan bowed and took his leave, then turned and went downstairs.
It was late afternoon when I left Wanbaolou. The autumn sun was setting, casting long shadows over the old city of Longcheng. The streets were still bustling with people, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, chatting, and riding in the carriages mingling together, revealing the vibrant life of this city of wandering cultivators.
Chen Fan mingled in the crowd, seemingly strolling around casually, but in reality, his divine sense had already been quietly spread out.
Within a radius of 100 feet, 37 Foundation Establishment cultivators and 8 Core Formation cultivators were faintly visible in the direction of the city center.
"As expected, there are hidden talents among them." He thought to himself.
After crossing three streets, Chen Fan stopped in front of a restaurant called "Yunlai Inn".
The inn was three stories high, with green tiles and white walls. Two red lanterns hung in front of the door, with the words "Yunlai" written on them in elegant calligraphy. Not many cultivators came and went, but those who did were all of high cultivation level, at least at the Foundation Establishment stage.
Chen Fan stepped inside.
Behind the counter was a middle-aged innkeeper at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Upon seeing Chen Fan enter, he quickly stood up and asked, "Senior, are you checking in?"
"One superior room, for three days," Chen Fan said calmly.
"Alright!" The shopkeeper took out a jade token. "Room number three in the Heavenly section on the third floor. Ten low-grade spirit stones per day, thirty stones for three days. If you need spiritual food or hot water, please let me know at any time."
Chen Fan paid the spirit stones, took the jade token, and went straight up to the third floor.
Room No. 3 of the "Heavenly" section was at the end of the corridor. Pushing open the door, the room was spacious and simply furnished. There was a wooden bed, a set of table and chairs, a futon, a landscape painting on the wall, and a potted green plant by the window.
Chen Fan closed the door and casually set up a soundproof barrier.
He walked to the window and opened it.
The window faces the main street of Old Dragon City, offering a wide and unobstructed view. At this moment, the setting sun casts its last rays onto the bluestone pavement, elongating the shadows of pedestrians. In the distance, the black iron tower of the City Lord's Mansion stands majestically, its spire gleaming coldly in the twilight.
Chen Fan sat down by the window and closed his eyes to rest.
His divine sense, however, spread silently like a spider web, covering an area of three hundred feet in radius.
Night falls and the city lights begin to twinkle.
The nights in Old Dragon City are even more lively than the days. Shops along the streets light up, the sounds of drinking games and toasts drift from restaurants, brothels resound with singing and laughter, and gambling dens echo with shouts. The mingling of spiritual energy and the bustling atmosphere creates the unique night scene of this city of wandering cultivators.
Chen Fan sat quietly, like a statue.
He is waiting.
Wait for Zhou Shan to appear.
According to information obtained from the tavern, Zhou Shan has returned to Old Dragon City to report back to the Wang family. As one of the eight great families, the Wang family has a deep-rooted influence in Old Dragon City. Although Zhou Shan is a guest elder of the Wang family and a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, his whereabouts, though secretive, will always leave traces.
Time passes little by little.
As the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) passed, the number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased.
Suddenly, Chen Fan opened his eyes.
At the edge of my consciousness, a familiar aura appeared in the north of the city.
That aura was cold yet heavy, as steady as a mountain – it was Zhou Shan!
Chen Fan did not move.
He remained seated by the window, his consciousness firmly locked onto that aura.
Zhou Shan moved slowly, seemingly deliberately concealing his presence. He emerged from a small alley in the north of the city, traversing streets and alleys before finally entering a vast mansion.
The plaque above the gate of the mansion reads two large gilded characters: Prince's Mansion.
Two stone lions stood before the gate, their eyes inlaid with spirit stones, gleaming eerily in the night. Four Foundation Establishment guards stood watch at the gate, their auras steady, clearly well-trained.
Zhou Shan went straight into the mansion, and the guards bowed and saluted him without stopping him.
Chen Fan frowned slightly.
The palace was shrouded in an array, preventing his divine sense from penetrating deeper. He could only sense several powerful auras within the palace, three of which were Nascent Soul cultivators, and the rest were Core Formation cultivators.
"As expected, it's here." Chen Fan murmured.
He did not act rashly, but continued to wait.
As midnight approached, the streets were deserted.
An autumn wind blew, swirling up a few fallen leaves. In the distance, the night watchman's gong sounded: "The weather is dry; be careful with fire!"
Before the night watchman's drum had even finished, the side gate of the Prince's mansion quietly opened.
A figure flashed out; it was Zhou Shan.