"Brother Meng, this..."
Qi Ping saw the hammer that Meng Yan took out, bearing clear marks of being tempered a thousand times, none of which had been repaired.
Most striking was the aura of the True Meaning of Fire entwining it.
This kind of true meaning aura isnât easily retained; it can only be born after long-term nurturing and comprehending the true meaning of the law in an instant, making it a special item.
Therefore, items containing the aura of true meaning of the law are not common.
Such special items generally record the entire process of the userâs comprehension of true meaning, making them much more useful for comprehending the true meaning of the law than the userâs mere display of it.
And the aura gradually dissipates as others comprehend it, leading to these items being extremely expensive.
In some cases, even at a high price, such an item is hard to come by.
In some cases, it can even be considered an alternative Foundation Establishment Pill, for once the true meaning of the law is comprehended, the Foundation Establishment Stage is as easy as walking on flat ground, and the immortal dao foundation established is more solid and powerful than one forged by a Foundation Establishment Pill.
This item held immense significance for Qi Ping. With it, comprehending the True Meaning of Fire was virtually without suspense for him.
Yet faced with such an item, Qi Ping didnât know what to say for a moment.
Prior to this, Meng Yanâs help and gifts to him were still within normal bounds.
For example, the Flame Burst Technique and pill formulas, which could be replicated. They were precious to Qi Ping but were just a small effort for Meng Yan, without much loss.
For spiritual medicine, as long as the quantity wasnât too high, Qi Ping was confident that after the mass cultivation of Spirit Honey, he could make up for Meng Yan with Spirit Stones.
Or, when Meng Yan encountered danger, Qi Ping could save his life.
These investments were all within a relatively normal range.
But when the hammer containing the True Meaning of Fire was placed in front of him, Qi Ping fell silent.
In this Immortal Cultivation Realm, where life and death battles are as common as eating and drinking, Qi Ping felt a sense of unreality.
"Brother Meng, this is too valuable, you should keep it yourself. I dare not accept such a thing without earning it."
Qi Ping hesitated for a moment but still refused. He already owed Meng Yan too much gratitude.
Besides, as long as he acquired a suitable Divine Soul Comprehension Talent, he was quite confident in comprehending the True Meaning of Fire and didnât necessarily have to owe this favor.
However, facing Qi Pingâs refusal, Meng Yan laughed heartily and said:
"Brother Qi, donât worry and just take it. Itâs a small thing, not worth mentioning. In the Qingtian Realm, there arenât many who earn my recognition, and youâre one of them!"
"Especially since your understanding of the Dao Heart Realm has similarities with mine. Having a trustworthy companion on the path of immortal cultivation is much more important than these gadgets!"
"And everyone encounters trouble, having more friends is always more vital than a few more Spirit Stones. In Cyan Origin Sect, I know some senior brothers and sisters who should get along with you, and Iâll introduce you to them later!"
As Meng Yan spoke, there was no fluctuation in his eyes or that increasingly intense Dao Heart Realm aura.
Qi Ping could tell these words came entirely from the heart.
At this moment, Qi Ping found it hard to imagine meeting anyone so pure in the Immortal Cultivation Realm.
One could indeed see a personâs character through their Dao Heart Realm.
Such a person in pursuit of the Dao is more prone to understanding a clear Dao Heart and comprehending the realm.
And since Meng Yan already said so much, Qi Ping decided not to refuse anymore.
He also agreed with Meng Yanâs words; sometimes, a trustworthy friend is more important than some Spirit Stones.
Like Boss Gao, whose current strength is far inferior to Qi Pingâs, has provided great convenience to Qi Ping at times, and now has even helped secure the sales channel for Spirit Honey.
But since Meng Yan had gone this far, naturally Qi Ping couldnât offer nothing in return.
However, he didnât have much of value to Meng Yan, and all sorts of honey couldnât compare to the miracle elixirs obtained within the sect.
After some thought, Qi Ping realized he had nothing in his Storage Bag that could interest Meng Yan.
Thinking back, he remembered the strange jade pendant he obtained from the mysterious altar where he once slew the insect-controlling black-robed tribulation cultivator and nurtured the Demon Insect King.
However, since the Demon Insect King is connected to the Nascent Soul Venerable, Qi Ping knew he couldnât reveal it until he had sufficient strength.
But as for the insect-controlling black-robed tribulation cultivator Lin Qingshu is investigating, the risk for Qi Ping was within a controllable range.
Why not give the secrets and credits to Meng Yan as a form of repayment for Meng Yanâs kindness?
Additionally, he could use Meng Yan as a channel to uncover the secrets; being continually pursued by Lin Qingshu left him without peace of mind.
Understanding the cause and effect, and knowing the risks involved, allowed him to respond promptly.
So, Qi Ping spoke up:
"Thank you, Brother Meng. But before that, Iâd like to ask you a few questions."
"Please go ahead, Brother Qi!"
"Do you know Lin Qingshu?"
"Weâve had encounters, but Iâm not very familiar with her. However, she is a notable figure in the Cyan Origin Sect; rumor has it she recently turned misfortune into fortune by comprehending Sword Intent, signaling talent and insight beyond me. Do you know her?"
"Iâve merely met her, canât say I know her. Recently, it seems she has been tracking a black-robed tribulation cultivatorâs whereabouts, and by chance, I killed him..."
Qi Pingâs words brought an amused yet exasperated expression to Meng Yanâs face.
"Brother Qi, you must keep that a secret, or sheâll certainly come to settle accounts; that person was left alive deliberately by her, intended to uncover a significant secret through the black-robed cultivator, yet you killed him partway..."
"I see!"
Qi Ping also wore an amused, exasperated smile, having always believed there was something especially important about the black-robed tribulation cultivator.
But from Meng Yanâs words, Qi Ping now understood the hidden secrets.
Back then, that black-robed insect-controlling cultivator was the only one controlling the demon insect cultivators to find the location of the Demon Insect King, probably aligning with Lin Qingshuâs purpose.
If he hadnât intervened, Lin Qingshu might have successfully pursued her goal through this means, so Qi Ping couldnât possibly disclose this to Lin Qingshu.
"Moreover, I found a bronze token on that black-robed tribulation cultivator. It looked like this..."
"An Evil Alliance silver token?"
Hearing this, a hint of surprise appeared on Meng Yanâs face, suggesting that black-robed tribulation cultivator had some standing to possess a silver token.
"It indeed has the word âJianâ engraved on it. Does this token have any use? Is there any risk from killing this person?"
This was Qi Pingâs main concern, and having someone to ask, he naturally wouldnât miss the opportunity.
"As long as you donât take the initiative to reveal it, there should be no issue. However, the token is made of special material, worth about a thousand Spirit Stones; Cyan Origin Sect is also repurchasing these, at a premium of two to three thousand Spirit Stones, so itâs somewhat valuable."
Hearing this, Qi Ping breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting a handle on the issues concerning the black-robed tribulation cultivator.
"I understand now. Thank you, Brother Meng, for the information. As for the token, Iâll bring it next time as a token of my appreciation to you..."
.....
After a brief conversation, the two went their separate ways with their respective items.
Meng Yan successfully completed the task assigned by the sect without any risks and even acquired an ancient stone talisman the sect was looking for.
As for Qi Ping, needless to say, with such a bountiful harvest, he now just wanted to return quickly to retreat and cultivate spiritual medicine and cultivation...