A gentle sea breeze blew.
Waves surged and crashed against the shore with thunderous force.
“Senior Sister… Taibai Island is just ahead.”
A young cultivator dressed like a scholar steered the flying boat, gazing toward a snow-white island in the distance.
Behind him stood Zhan Hongxiu, clad in a green robe with crimson cuffs. A Longevity Turtle the size of a millstone followed at her side. Her cultivation had already reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining.
She stared at Taibai Island, her expression clouded with worry. “The guardian of this island is said to be the second most important figure on Pill Island of the Blue Sea Sect. His alchemy skill is rumored to approach that of a true alchemy grandmaster. If we want to request a pill, this is the only place besides the main sect gate itself.”
“Still… the Blue Sea Sect has always been overbearing.”
Her junior brother sounded hesitant.
Several months earlier, Sanyuan Island had been attacked by pillaging cultivators. One of the Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators had mastered a strange soul-path technique from the demonic way.
Their master had fought hard and barely driven the enemies away, but he had been struck by a vicious secret art that damaged his soul. His condition had grown steadily worse. The senior and junior pair had hired a second-rank physician, who declared the injury quite serious. Only a second-rank superior Mysterious Soul Nourishing Pill could save him.
Although they had managed to obtain both the pill formula and the main ingredients for this second-rank superior pill through great expense at Sancai Market, they could not find an alchemist willing to refine it.
Every rogue alchemy master they approached had turned pale at the request to refine a second-rank superior pill.
The only one who agreed to try, a rogue alchemist known as Master Yuan Dan, had failed twice in a row.
With the main ingredient, the Mysterious Soul Stone, nearly exhausted, Master Yuan Dan had no choice but to give up. He admitted the pill was extremely difficult and that perhaps only two or three people across the entire Minor Huan Sea could succeed.
The most famous was Elder Tianding of the Blue Sea Sect. Unfortunately, mere rogue cultivators like them had no hope of meeting the master of Pill Island.
Moreover, their master had warned them repeatedly while conscious: they must not get involved in the conflict between the two Core Formation powers, or Sancai Market would soon be destroyed. This visit to Taibai Island had been Zhan Hongxiu’s own decision. She had heard that the island guardian was the second-in-command on Pill Island, exiled here after losing an internal power struggle, and she had come in a private capacity to beg for the pill.
“I heard the guardian’s surname is Fang… I wonder what he likes. To request a second-rank alchemist, we must prepare proper compensation according to the usual rules.” Zhan Hongxiu touched her storage bag, gritted her teeth, and thought, ‘For Master… I am willing to do anything.’
Just then, a streak of escape light shot out from Taibai Island and flew straight toward them. The vast spiritual pressure clearly belonged to a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
“A Foundation Establishment great senior?!”
The young junior brother’s legs went weak and he nearly collapsed onto the deck of the flying boat.
The Longevity Turtle instantly pulled its head into its shell.
Foundation Establishment cultivators held overwhelming power that could decide the fate of countless lower-level cultivators. Those with fickle or cruel tempers made most unaffiliated Qi Refining cultivators tremble at the mere sight of them.
“Do not speak nonsense. Foundation Establishment great seniors are late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators…”
Zhan Hongxiu scolded him lightly. She knew many Qi Refining cultivators could not distinguish between different Foundation Establishment realms and simply used flattering words whenever they met one. It was merely flattery.
Yet addressing a sect Foundation Establishment cultivator as “great senior” without reason could easily cause offense.
This trip was far too important. Every word and action required care.
Before long the escape light arrived before the flying boat, revealing a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was Xiang Dahu. “You two, sneaking around near the island—what is your business?”
“Reporting to Senior, this junior is Zhan Hongxiu, disciple of Greenwater Rogue Cultivator from Sanyuan Island. I have brought my junior brother to request an audience with the honored guardian of this island.”
Zhan Hongxiu bowed deeply.
She knew the entire matter would be decided in this moment.
The status of an island guardian far surpassed that of her master, a mere Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator. If the other party refused to meet them, there would be no further chance.
Unexpectedly…
Xiang Dahu merely glanced at Zhan Hongxiu, gave a slight nod, and raised his hand to open the Four Poles Profound Ice Array.
Inside the ice palace.
The surrounding pillars were half-transparent and shimmered with many colors, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty.
Yet the moment Zhan Hongxiu stepped inside, an intense chill washed over her and she could not help shivering. ‘So cold… The senior who lives in this palace must be as cold and proud as ice.’
She steeled herself and walked into the main hall, where she saw a refined young man seated cross-legged on a jade bed. His gaze was gentle and warm as he looked down at her. She immediately knelt and saluted. “Zhan Hongxiu, disciple of Greenwater Rogue Cultivator of Sanyuan Island, pays respects to the island master…”
Zhan Hongxiu knew him only as the peerless sword cultivator who had slain Lu Jiang with a single strike, not as Fang Qing of the Blue Sea Sect.
Seeing him now, she naturally did not recognize him.
She simply bowed respectfully, then knelt fully on the ground. “Island Master… my master was injured by a demonic cultivator and urgently needs the Mysterious Soul Nourishing Pill. I beg you to take action. Sanyuan Island will be eternally grateful…”
“The Mysterious Soul Nourishing Pill? This is a metal-and-stone pill from an ancient formula. In truth, fire-method refining works best…”
Fang Qing shook his head. He had seen this pill formula back in the sect. “Have you asked any other alchemists to refine it?”
“We asked Master Yuan Dan. He failed twice… We only have enough materials left for one final attempt.”
The more Zhan Hongxiu spoke, the more anxious she became, terrified that the man above her would simply wave his sleeve and leave.
“Only one chance left?”
Fang Qing gave a soft chuckle. “You still dared to come. However, I can refine this pill. The question is, what price are you willing to pay?”
Zhan Hongxiu’s face lit up with joy at his words. She thought, ‘As expected of a sect alchemy master. He actually has confidence to succeed on the first try…’
As for the compensation?
She hesitated for a moment, then reached into her storage bag.
A flash of spiritual light appeared, and a jade box floated into her hand.
She held the jade box in both hands and sent a strand of spiritual power into it, opening the lid at once. “I humbly ask the island master to open his pill furnace and refine the medicine. This is a small token of my sincerity. Please accept it with a smile.”
“Hmm?”
Fang Qing sensed an astonishing surge of spiritual qi. He looked closely and saw a single spirit stone resting inside the box, its vast spiritual power far surpassing that of any mid-grade spirit stone.
“A superior-grade spirit stone? This is a treasure even Core Formation ancestors would find useful…”
He let out a sigh of admiration.
Superior-grade spirit stones were extremely rare in the Minor Huan Sea. One piece was worth a hundred mid-grade stones and the equivalent of ten thousand inferior-grade stones. Yet no matter how many inferior-grade stones one offered, it was almost impossible to trade for even a single superior-grade stone.
Hiring an ordinary second-rank alchemist would normally cost only a thousand or so spirit stones.
‘This Zhan Hongxiu truly lives up to her reputation as a daughter of destiny. One word for her—Loaded!’
“But…”
Fang Qing picked up the superior-grade spirit stone, toyed with it for a moment, then tossed it back and shook his head.
“The island master does not like this item? This junior still has several stalks of second-rank spiritual herbs, each over a thousand years old.”
Zhan Hongxiu realized he was raising the price and gritted her teeth inwardly, preparing to bleed even more.
“Not enough…”
Fang Qing shook his head, the corners of his mouth curving into a playful smile. “Your master urgently needs this pill, so his injuries must be quite severe. He could very well die… This concerns your master’s life, the fate of Sanyuan Island, your own life, and the lives of all your junior brothers and sisters… How much do you think that is worth?” He had kept Zhan Hongxiu around precisely so he could fleece her thoroughly, and he spoke without the slightest politeness.
Zhan Hongxiu’s pretty face turned slightly pale, whether from fear or anger it was hard to tell.
She clenched her teeth, removed her entire storage bag, and handed it to Fang Qing. “Everything this junior owns is here. If Senior sees anything that catches your eye, please take it…”
“Oh?”
Fang Qing accepted the bag without hesitation and began inspecting its contents openly.
‘Tsk tsk… Her wealth is richer than that of most Foundation Establishment cultivators.’
He counted everything over, feeling rather impressed, when his expression suddenly changed. A talisman appeared in his hand.
The talisman was pure white with a round pearl-like imprint at its center. It was actually a talisman treasure!
“An Ice Soul Pearl Talisman Treasure?”
Fang Qing recognized the item at once, his face turning slightly strange. “Where did you obtain this? Did you encounter Zhong Lingxiu?”
“Not at all. I obtained it by chance after killing a pillaging cultivator.”
Zhan Hongxiu answered honestly.
Fang Qing did not say whether he believed her or not. Using the karmic thread attached to the talisman treasure, he performed a quick divination. “Ah… so the Zhong Family Ancestor refined more than one talisman treasure back then. This one was meant to protect his direct bloodline… Yet after all these years his descendants proved unworthy and were killed by a pillaging cultivator, that pillaging cultivator was in turn killed by Zhan Hongxiu…”
‘This Zhan Hongxiu really is something. She’s practically a walking treasure detector… She can even pick up leaks like this.’
He had previously possessed three talisman treasures, but he had expended all their power in one go to deal with Sangji. Those talismans had already been old stock, and after that battle they had turned to ash.
A replacement at this moment was perfect timing.
“Hmm, this talisman treasure is quite good. It suits me nicely.”
Fang Qing nodded.
“Then let this item serve as payment for refining the pill…”
A pained look crossed Zhan Hongxiu’s face, her heart bleeding.
This was a genuine life-saving treasure.
But her master’s kindness weighed heavily on her. After her grandfather passed away, it had been Greenwater Rogue Cultivator who had taken her in. Without his protection she could never have cultivated all the way to late-stage Qi Refining.
Even though she knew the deal was a massive loss, she steeled herself and prepared to endure it.
“No, you misheard me.”
Fang Qing shook his head. “I also want the superior-grade spirit stone and those second-rank spiritual herbs from earlier… everything!”
Seeing the girl’s snow-white face grow even paler, he smiled faintly. “If I refuse, there is no need for you to go to the Blue Sea Sect… Elder Tianding will still give me face. As for the Sea-Destroying Alliance? It is not that I look down on them, but they truly do not have any decent alchemists…”
“Senior…”
Zhan Hongxiu felt as if she might spit blood, yet she could only swallow her anger and force out the words. “As long as Senior is satisfied… will you refine the pill?”
“I will open the furnace and refine it at once… and I guarantee success.”
Fang Qing gave a slight smile. His gaze then drifted to the hairpin in her hair. “That hairpin of yours is quite nice…”
“Senior?”
Zhan Hongxiu’s heart jumped in alarm, but Fang Qing continued, “It looks rather pretty… Haha…”
He laughed three times, instructed Bei Linghu to entertain the two guests, and left without another word.
‘When it comes to swindling people with storage artifacts, I am an expert… This girl still has a hidden treasure stored inside that hairpin artifact. Still, one cannot shear the sheep too many times at once. I will let her off for now.’
‘Once she recovers her blood, I can always continue later.’