UGB Chapter 241 News
Chapter 241 News
"This involves an item that condenses the essence of marriage, and I truly cannot produce it..."
Shang Yuanxin smiled wryly, her tone becoming cautious and careful.
Fang Qing knew that this man was a businessman by nature, never acting without a clear objective. Since his relationship with "Bai Jianfeng" was currently only superficial, he certainly wouldn't give the truth directly. However, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to cultivate a good relationship with a high-grade third-tier alchemist, or even a powerful cultivator who was suspected of being in the late or peak stage of Core Formation. Therefore, the information and channels he would initially provide were the contents of the later parts of his jade slip…
Sure enough, Shang Yuanxin continued, "But I do have a clue about the top-grade spiritual items produced by the spiritual spring..."
"Oh? I'd like to hear more about it."
Fang Qing smiled.
"Fellow Daoist, do you know... Tianquan Island?"
Shang Yuanxin scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense and said in a low voice.
"This is the sacred ground of us water-based alchemists, how come you don't know about it? Are you referring to the recent invasion of Tianquan Island by Blood Fiend Island?"
Fang Qing countered with a question.
"Indeed... Fellow Daoist, since you know Blood Fiend Island, are you unaware that the island possesses its own mystical properties, having refined boundless blood fiend energy... When the demonic cultivators used this island to attack Heavenly Spring Island, the blood fiend energy penetrated deep into the earth's veins and water veins... As a result, that fourth-tier spiritual spring was severely damaged, showing signs of dropping in grade... The Xuanzhong Sect invited array masters and geomancers from the East Sea to go there, but the results were not good..."
Shang Yuan thought to himself, "I received news that several fourth-tier array masters have examined the formations and all believe that the fourth-tier spiritual spring's drop in rank is irreversible. They can only release its spiritual energy and malevolent aura to transform it into a third-tier spiritual spring... And a fourth-tier spiritual spring is the essence of heaven and earth. When it releases its spiritual energy, it will surely produce high-grade spiritual spring treasures..."
"Thank you for telling me the truth, fellow Daoist."
As Shang Yuanxin recounted the events, Fang Qing was already calculating the cause and effect in his mind.
At this moment, his eyes shone even brighter: "My opportunity in the Purple Mansion... is indeed here. I was truly blinded by a leaf and couldn't see Mount Tai."
Fang Qing reflected that even when he was on Tianquan Island, he hadn't foreseen this, which showed that the saying "a doctor cannot heal himself, and a divination cannot be performed by oneself" sometimes held some truth. He only had this kind of insight when an outsider pointed it out to him.
"This is a wake-up call... We cannot assume that having divination skills in the Qi Refining Path makes us invincible..."
He looked at Shang Yuanxin, his eyes gleaming: "Could the Merchant Alliance have acquired this treasured spiritual spring?"
Behind Tianquan Island lies the Xuanzhong Sect, one of the nine major powers in the East Sea. A mere Core Formation cultivator like himself wouldn't gain much by visiting them. On the other hand, the Merchant Alliance, also one of the nine major powers, presents a potential buyer.
"I am a businessman, so naturally I will do my best... If I can offer a high price that the other party cannot refuse, I can buy it."
Shang Yuanxin's eyes flashed, tinged with a hint of gloom: "But... what price can you offer?"
Fang Qing fell silent.
Indeed, to impress such a powerful force and to be commensurate with the value of a spiritual spring treasure, even a third-tier spiritual item is somewhat insufficient.
"We can't just forcibly seize it, can we? That's the power that Old Monster Yuan Qu oversees, comparable to a Grand True Person in the late Purple Mansion stage..."
Steal? That's unlikely to happen...
Fang Qing secretly deduced: "It's still only possible to trade, but the items to be traded are equally difficult to choose."
"To impress such a powerful force, even ordinary fourth-tier spiritual items aren't enough. The only thing I have is the 'Resentful Marriage Fruit,' which is barely enough... but this thing has a very shady origin." If the transaction is discovered by Talisman Sword Island, trouble will immediately follow.
Not to mention, the possibility of Xuanzhongmen directly betraying them cannot be ruled out.
Unless the Business Alliance intervenes directly, which would require Shang Yuanxin's full support.
It's not simply about acting as a middleman; it's about staking the young master's reputation to persuade merchants to negotiate.
But then another problem arises: how can he guarantee that Shang Yuanxin will work wholeheartedly for him, instead of simply selling him out? Should he summon the Nascent Soul stage expert or the Heavenly Talisman Master from the Shang family? "Could it be... that's still the only trick up my sleeve?"
Fang Qing's idea was naturally to convert Shang Yuanxin into a disciple, which would immediately give him many tricks up his sleeve, and he could be completely at ease with that.
But... that's not my style.
His disciples, including Mingfei, were mostly either willing participants or his enemies, which is why he was able to subdue them one by one.
Furthermore, there are only three positions for the position of Mingzi.
Qin Ruxue and Xiang Dahu both volunteered, while Xu Hei was a former enemy.
These three were given the positions of Mingzi and Mingfei, and as long as they don't die, these positions can never be taken back.
Besides them, Yu Xiang'er, Zhong Lingxiu, Sangji... all of them once wanted to kill Fang Qing, but were subdued by him.
Several other disciples were in similar situations, all from the White Bone Path and burdened with numerous crimes…
This Shang Yuanxin was neither a bloodthirsty demon cultivator nor did he intend to kill him, nor did he convert others into slaves for no reason.
At least at this moment, Fang Qing still felt somewhat reluctant.
As for voluntary?
The young master of a prestigious merchant family, whose lineage boasts numerous cultivators, including an ancestor in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, would he willingly become a slave to a Core Formation cultivator? It's obviously impossible!
Overall, accepting this person as a disciple goes against Fang Qing's principles.
Although he doesn't have many principles, he always has some bottom lines.
This is similar to how Fang Qing never takes human pills and even uses demonic techniques to devour Core Formation cultivators.
Once broken, you might not see anything in the short term, but you'll always feel like he's no longer yourself.
There are still some things I insist on that make me who I am.
Of course, if the situation reached the point where failure to subdue Shang Yuanxin meant certain death, Fang Qing would not hesitate to take action.
But it's clearly not that point yet.
"Sigh...it seems like I'm being a bit contradictory and sentimental..."
"But so what? Since I've embarked on the path of cultivation, isn't it so that heaven and earth cannot sway my will?"
"Humans are inherently contradictory beings, and these contradictions are also part of who I am..."
"Accept these contradictions with equanimity; as long as you feel comfortable, there's no need to change them..."
Fang Qing's mind raced with conflicting thoughts, and she glanced at Shang Yuanxin again.
Shang Yuanxin, unaware that he had just narrowly escaped death, still smiled and said, "I wonder what kind of spiritual spring treasure you require?" "Several special springs, which are of great use in alchemy..."
Fang Qing recorded the descriptions of several spiritual springs suitable for [Ji Shui] to break through to the Purple Mansion in a jade slip and handed it to Shang Yuanxin: "I'm grateful to the shopkeeper for inquiring about this for me... If Tianquan Island produces similar spiritual items, I'm willing to pay a high price... Well, in return for the shopkeeper's help, I will refine a pool of third-grade high-quality spiritual pills for you..."
"good."
Shang Yuanxin nodded: "I'll send someone to contact the Shanglou branch over there right away... As for pills? I wonder if you've ever refined the 'Jade Spring Pill'?" "I've heard of it. It seems to be a type of pill more suitable for late-stage Core Formation cultivators, used to enhance magical power..."
Fang Qing was slightly surprised.
"Indeed, I need a batch of Jade Spring Pills. I'll trouble you to lend a hand. I've prepared three sets of raw materials. As long as they meet the minimum requirements, the rest are yours." Shang Yuanxin was very generous, as it was common for alchemists to withhold pills beyond the norm.
"good."
Fang Qing gave Shang Yuanxin a deep look and agreed.
Refining a third-grade high-quality pill is nothing to him now.
Furthermore, every time he refines pills using water techniques, it becomes a form of spiritual practice...
Several months later.
Inside the alchemy room of the Spirit Spring.
Fang Qing sat cross-legged, with several bottles of "Jade Spring Pills" casually placed beside him.
Refining this kind of elixir was completely effortless for him.
At this moment, he was still thinking about Tianquan Island.
"Although I sent Shang Yuanxin to investigate, I actually know that there must be suitable Purple Mansion spiritual objects produced there. The only remaining question is how to get them... "If we don't go through the exchange, we can also infiltrate and bribe or control the disciples of Tianquan Island, and wait for an opportunity to act... But this method is somewhat dangerous. After all, there is the Old Monster Yuanqu there. If we push him too far, he will still chase us into the Great Void... Being chased by the Old Monster Yuanqu is such an exciting thing, suitable for Zhan Hongxiu, not for me."
If we were to go through an exchange, the only spiritual item I'd be willing to offer that could sway Tianquan Island is probably the "Resentful Infant Fruit"... but that would require a very trustworthy intermediary. "None of these options are foolproof, thankfully I know divination."
Fang Qing took out a tortoise shell and a few copper coins, and began to carefully calculate.
His divination skills initially stemmed from the "Plum Blossom Divination," but he later studied many other divination books.
In particular, after entering the secret system, he also comprehended the various blood essences of this Golden Elixir power.
After obtaining the position of Du Zi, his divination skills advanced by leaps and bounds.
At least, they have made breakthroughs in the Qi Cultivation Path, not only able to predict their own safety but also to deduce the cause and effect of Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment cultivators, seeing it all clearly as if they were looking at the lines on their palms. In the Qi Refining Path, they are even more invincible.
After a moment, Fang Qing looked at the various divination results, his expression thoughtful.
"If they infiltrate and rob, it would be a minor misfortune?"
"Is it auspicious to trade through Shang Yuanxin?"
In the Qi Refining Path, my divination skills should be stronger... but if it involves Yuan Qu the Old Monster, it will have some impact. After all, the so-called art of divination and fortune-telling is rather taboo when calculating those in high positions.
However, Yuan Qu the Old Monster was clearly not as powerful as the Golden Core True Monarch on the other side of the Dao, so although there was a slight impact, it wouldn't obscure the cause and effect and lead to his own demise. "To be absolutely certain, it would naturally be best to forcibly convert Shang Yuanxin..."
"Besides that, one can use divination to ascertain this person's intentions..."
"According to the divination, if I am only a third-level alchemist, I don't carry enough weight in his heart, and there's a possibility that something might happen to me... But if I am Fang Shui, who has an empty spiritual root, it will strengthen his confidence... Anyway, once the Resentful Infant Fruit appears, he should be able to guess my identity."
Fang Qing felt quite emotional.
It seems that in Shang Yuanxin's mind, this "Fang Shui" is "in the form of a Nascent Soul," otherwise he wouldn't act this way.
"However, this is tantamount to revealing our hand, betraying Zhong Meng and Zhong Lingxiu..."
"If something happens in the future, this person will surely die... But Zhong Lingxiu won't betray me, so let him die. Incidentally, he'll also be a 'hostage' placed with Shang Yuanxin... which makes him even more useful."