Chapter 300
Chapter 300
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 300
Chapter Title: Each Showing Their Hand, Preparing to Depart
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"A spirit root! It's a spirit root! He has a spirit root on him?!"
The Treasure-Hunting Mouse's excited voice rang out in Ji Wujin's sea of consciousness, making the spirit beast pouch tremble.
Ji Wujin's expression changed drastically. He shot up from his seat and dashed in front of Chen Jianghe in a single bound.
Chen Jianghe took a step back, dodging out the door. A stack of Soul-Entangling Wood Talismans appeared in his hand. His gaze was like a torch as he formed a hand seal.
Seeing this, Ruan Tieniu also erupted into action, summoning his Purple-Gold Crimson Flame Saber, ready to strike Ji Wujin from behind.
"Wait!"
Ji Wujin hastily summoned a bell to protect himself and shouted at Chen Jianghe.
"What are you doing, fellow Daoist? We haven't seen each other in nearly seventy years, and you want to fight an old friend the moment we meet?"
Seeing that Ji Wujin had no intention of attacking him, Chen Jianghe breathed a sigh of relief and put away the Soul-Entangling Wood Talismans.
"Xiao Hei, calm down. It's alright."
Chen Jianghe sent a telepathic message to Xiao Hei.
When Ji Wujin saw Chen Jianghe put away the offensive talismans, he finally stored his bell-shaped artifact.
He returned to his seat.
Looking at Ruan Tieniu, who was still gripping his Purple-Gold Crimson Flame Saber and looking eager for a fight, he curled his lip.
He knew in his heart that this guy certainly wasn't trying to help him.
"It's been nearly seventy years. Fellow Daoist Ji's cultivation has grown even more profound. You must be close to Core Formation."
Chen Jianghe walked back into the private room and said with a cupped-fist salute.
Then he turned to Ruan Tieniu and said, "Brother Ruan, you've been waiting."
"Haha, I just arrived myself."
Ruan Tieniu put away his Purple-Gold Crimson Flame Saber, his expression unchanging. When he looked at Ji Wujin, his face was all smiles.
It was as if he wasn't the one who had been preparing a sneak attack just moments ago.
He glanced at the attendant outside the room, who was crouched on the ground, dumbfounded, clearly scared out of his wits by the scene.
Ruan Tieniu sent a telepathic message to the manager of Muyun Restaurant, telling him to send someone to carry the mid-stage Qi Refining attendant away.
As Chen Jianghe took his seat in the private room.
None of the three spoke, and the atmosphere became awkward.
However, during this brief time, everyone was replaying the previous scene in their minds.
Ji Wujin had seen Chen Jianghe take out an offensive talisman and thought it was just one, but it turned out to be a whole stack.
Thirty wood-attribute offensive talismans, all aimed at him.
This astonished Ji Wujin.
His precious bell was a defensive magic treasure embryo. With his current cultivation, let alone thirty high-grade second-tier offensive talismans, even another ten wouldn't be enough.
To break through his defense.
But just now, he had felt his life was in danger, a feeling that if those thirty Soul-Entangling Wood Talismans were used, he might meet his end right here.
"These aren't ordinary wood-attribute offensive talismans. They must have other attack properties. To think, after more than sixty years, he seems to have had some fortunate encounters of his own."
"Bao Bao, does he really have a spirit root on him? You're not mistaken, are you?"
"It's a spirit root, definitely a spirit root. There's no mistake."
The Treasure-Hunting Mouse's tone was resolute.
"A spirit root. I really didn't misjudge him. Father and the clan leader were right; I've had a discerning eye since I was young, able to spot a pearl hidden in the dust."
"That's how I found Bao Bao when I was contracting a spirit beast."
"And now, this dear friend, blessed with great fortune, was also found by me in a sea of people. Back then, he was just a bottom-tier rogue cultivator, an ant."
"My eye for talent is truly sharp, hehe..."
As these thoughts ran through Ji Wujin's mind, a smile crept onto his face.
A spirit root!
This meant that Chen Jianghe possessed a high-grade third-tier treasure.
Not all spirit plants could be called spirit roots.
Only a spirit plant of high-grade third-tier or above, which could be used for alchemy, artifact refining, talisman making, puppet crafting, and more, and whose refined magic treasures had growth potential, could be called a spirit root.
Therefore, Ji Wujin was certain that Chen Jianghe had a high-grade third-tier spirit item, perhaps even a fourth-tier major treasure.
He was very surprised that a spirit root could exist in the barren Tiannan Region.
Even in the vast and boundless Tiannan Cultivation World, one could hardly find a few spirit roots, yet a tiny Tiannan Region had produced one.
Logically, the Tiannan Region shouldn't have the conditions for a spirit root to grow.
While Ji Wujin was lost in thought.
Ruan Tieniu, on the other hand, glanced at Ji Wujin and then at Chen Jianghe. In that brief moment, he sensed that neither Ji Wujin nor Chen Jianghe was simple.
Thirty Soul-Entangling Wood Talismans.
Others might not know the power of the Soul-Entangling Wood Talisman, but Ruan Tieniu did. It appeared to be a wood-attribute offensive talisman.
But it actually had the property of attacking the soul.
With thirty of those, forget him; even a False Core Rogue Cultivator would die with regret.
"He must have more than just thirty Soul-Entangling Wood Talismans. He surely has defensive talismans and escape talismans too. Where did he get so many high-grade second-tier talisman materials?"
Ruan Tieniu didn't doubt Chen Jianghe's ability to create second-tier talismans, but high-grade second-tier talisman materials were scarce.
Especially in the last twenty years.
Basically, no one would sell high-grade second-tier talisman materials. Even if they did, the price would be ridiculously high.
Nearly three times the usual price.
"That precious bell in Ji Wujin's hand should be a magic treasure embryo, comparable to my Purple-Gold Crimson Flame Saber. From the fact that he summoned it immediately, it must be a defensive magic treasure embryo."
"Before the unknown mystic realm opens, I need to make some rounds and strengthen our relationship as much as possible."
"It's a pity Brother Chen is too cautious. Otherwise, if the three of us teamed up in the mystic realm, we could definitely rake in a ton of treasures."
Ruan Tieniu thought to himself.
Chen Jianghe looked at Ji Wujin and Ruan Tieniu with a smile, his eyes clear and his expression friendly.
"Brother Ruan, where's the spirit meal?"
Chen Jianghe said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Uh... haha, I was so busy reminiscing that I forgot about the food and wine," Ruan Tieniu laughed.
"Fellow Daoist Ruan became the Right Minister of the Feng Kingdom, yet he's as stingy as ever. Treating us to a spirit meal won't cost you that many spirit stones."
Ji Wujin added.
"My mistake, my mistake. Please forgive me, you two. The food and wine are on their way."
Back in Qinghe Market City, Ruan Tieniu had gone to the Qingping Teahouse with Ji Wujin.
Ruan Tieniu had treated, ordering a pot of spirit tea worth fifty spirit sand and pastries worth eighty spirit sand. It was quite the extravagance.
But it had thoroughly disgusted Ji Wujin.
He had even told Chen Jianghe about it, complaining at length about Ruan Tieniu.
However, at the time, Chen Jianghe's values were the same as Ruan Tieniu's; he thought the Qingping Teahouse was a great place.
Good quality at a low price.
Perfect for Qi Refining cultivators to sip tea and chat.
A short while later, the food and wine were served. The standard was very high; the spirit dishes were all made from the meat of mid- to late-stage second-tier demonic beasts.
The spirit wine was also top-quality Jade Dew Wine.
This meal would cost at least several thousand spirit stones. The pot of top-quality Jade Dew Wine alone was worth fifteen hundred spirit stones.
This time, Ruan Tieniu had finally shed his title of being stingy.
After all, as the Right Minister of the Feng Kingdom, he cared about his reputation. If it were Chen Jianghe, he would feel such extravagance was unnecessary.
They were all cultivators at late-stage Foundation Establishment or above. Eating these things was of little use and couldn't help condense their Foundation Establishment magic power.
After all, their magic power was already saturated, and this spirit meal and Jade Dew Wine couldn't purify it either.
He might as well save the spirit stones and buy a couple of Peachwood Heart-Clearing Talisman Brushes.
With wine and food, the atmosphere was no longer so tense.
As the three chatted, they became cheerful and lively.
"There are three third-tier demonic beasts in the unknown mystic realm, along with many peak second-tier ones. After entering, we'll likely be inside for over a year. Brother Ruan and Fellow Daoist Ji, you should both prepare more second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills."
Chen Jianghe said.
He relayed the information he had gotten from Gao Peiyao and Zhou Xiaoxuan to the two of them.
"Yes, we certainly need to prepare more resources. It's just that second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills are hard to come by. We're not like Brother Chen, who has an Alchemy Grandmaster by his side."
Ruan Tieniu said with a hint of jealousy.
"Alchemy Grandmaster? Isn't Fairy Luo an Artifact Refining Grandmaster?" Ji Wujin asked, puzzled.
"Fellow Daoist Ji, you're talking about Sister-in-law Luo. I'm talking about Sister-in-law Jiang."
Seeing that Ji Wujin didn't know about Chen Jianghe's affairs, Ruan Tieniu's interest was piqued, and he began to explain.
"You don't know, Fellow Daoist Ji, but Sister-in-law Jiang, the one with Brother Chen, is already an Alchemy Grandmaster. Right, she's that disciple of Alchemist Zhuang from Qinghe Market City. Do you remember now, Fellow Daoist Ji?"
"Jiang Ruxu?"
"Yes, yes, that's her. The genius female Alchemy Grandmaster famous throughout the Tiannan Region, Fairy Jiang, that's Sister-in-law Jiang."
"Her talent for alchemy is indeed excellent. It's reasonable for her to become an Alchemy Grandmaster."
Ji Wujin wasn't surprised that Jiang Ruxu had become an Alchemy Grandmaster. Back in Qinghe Market City, he had already seen that her talent for alchemy was very good.
After studying the Dao of alchemy with Alchemist Zhuang for just ten years, she became a mid-grade Alchemist. In less than twenty years, she became a high-grade Alchemist.
Such talent in the Dao of alchemy would be considered top-tier even in the Tiannan Cultivation World.
"Sister-in-law Luo? Fairy Luo married you?!"
Ji Wujin suddenly felt something was wrong. With a *swoosh*, he shot to his feet, startling Chen Jianghe, who almost took out another stack of Soul-Entangling Wood Talismans.
"Fellow Daoist Ji, can't you be a little more composed?"
Chen Jianghe was rather speechless.
He really couldn't stand these sudden outbursts.
He couldn't figure out how someone with such a flighty personality like Ji Wujin managed to cultivate to peak Foundation Establishment.
"Tell me, did you marry Fairy Luo?"
Ji Wujin's expression was grave, as if he cared deeply whether Chen Jianghe had touched Luo Xiyue. At this moment, his body even began to tremble slightly.
"You just keep listening to Brother Ruan. He'll probably try to pin Lady Jinghong on me next."
"What? You and Lady Jinghong... No wonder he would trade a sword art for a quasi-third-tier soul-type spirit item."
Ruan Tieniu looked at Chen Jianghe in shock and said with a sigh.
"Don't make things up. Lady Jinghong is someone I respect. You must not tarnish her reputation."
Chen Jianghe's expression froze, and he spoke sternly.
"Hehe... I get it, I get it."
Ruan Tieniu raised his thick eyebrows and grinned playfully at Chen Jianghe.
"So you mean there's nothing going on with Fairy Luo, right?"
"Of course not! Does Fellow Daoist Ji really think Fairy Luo would take a liking to someone like me?"
"Thank goodness, thank goodness."
Ji Wujin breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down. He then sized up Chen Jianghe carefully.
"Indeed. Someone like you wouldn't catch Fairy Luo's eye."
"???"
Chen Jianghe rolled his eyes. He was just being polite; was there a need to be so blunt?
"It's a shame. Fairy Luo perished in the Snowwind Valley Mystic Realm. Otherwise, she and Brother Chen would have been a perfect match."
Ruan Tieniu said with some regret.
A smile appeared on Chen Jianghe's face. He was very pleased with Ruan Tieniu's words. It wasn't about whether he was interested in Luo Xiyue or not.
The key was that what Ruan Tieniu said was just very pleasant to hear.
Unlike Ji Wujin, who was so direct that nine out of ten things he said could choke a person.
"Perished? Heh heh..."
Ji Wujin chuckled, not believing a word of what Ruan Tieniu said.
He had his suspicions about Luo Xiyue's identity back in Qinghe Market City, especially when he saw her use the Profound Ice Sword Art.
He was already seventy percent sure of her identity.
After returning home last time, he had completely confirmed Luo Xiyue's identity.
Even if he perished in the Tiannan Region, it was impossible for Luo Xiyue to perish.
Even against a Core Formation mighty figure, Ji Wujin had trump cards to escape. Therefore, he didn't believe that Luo Xiyue, whose background was no less impressive than his own and whose status was even higher, would come to the Tiannan Region for a trial without any means of protection.
"You don't believe it, Fellow Daoist Ji?"
Ruan Tieniu pointed at Chen Jianghe and said, "Ask Brother Chen. He was probably by Fairy Luo's side when she perished."
"Luo Xiyue really perished?"
Ji Wujin looked at Chen Jianghe, a playful glint in his eyes.
"Uh... I'm not too sure."
Chen Jianghe paused for a moment, then gave a vague reply.
From Ji Wujin's expression, he guessed that Ji Wujin was convinced Luo Xiyue hadn't perished. There was no need for him to claim she had.
Besides, Ji Wujin, like Luo Xiyue, was from the Tiannan Cultivation World.
"What did Fairy Luo say to you when she left?"
Ji Wujin asked via telepathy.
"She told me to find her in fifty years. By my count, there are still fifteen years left," Chen Jianghe replied.
There was no need to hide this.
For Ji Wujin to send him a telepathic message and guess that Luo Xiyue had left him a message, it was obvious he knew something.
"Fifteen years? It seems Fairy Luo has high hopes for you. You have a good chance of reaching Core Formation."
"What do you know?"
"It's better for you not to know right now. Just do as Fairy Luo said, and a great opportunity will await you in the future."
Ji Wujin quickly added another telepathic message: "When the time comes, put in a few good words for me with Fairy Luo. Bring me along, and I can help you too."
Chen Jianghe glanced at Ji Wujin.
He didn't send another message.
The other party definitely knew something but was unwilling to say, so there was nothing he could do.
However, from Ji Wujin's words, he could guess that this was certainly a fortunate opportunity, and a major one at that.
Ji Wujin wanted to go too, but it seemed there were limited spots.
"Back then, Luo Xiyue said she could help me get that supreme-grade spirit stone. Could the so-called opportunity Ji Wujin mentioned be entering the Snowwind Valley Mystic Realm again?"
The supreme-grade spirit stone was in the Snowwind Valley Mystic Realm. To retrieve it, one would certainly have to enter the mystic realm.
But the Snowwind Valley Mystic Realm only opened once every three hundred years.
"Could it be that Luo Xiyue has a way to enter the Snowwind Valley Mystic Realm directly?"
Chen Jianghe stopped overthinking it. When he went to find Luo Xiyue in the future, everything would become clear.
The three chatted for a while longer.
Ji Wujin suggested that they could cooperate after entering the unknown mystic realm to do something earth-shattering.
Chen Jianghe rejected the idea without a second thought.
Based on his understanding of Ji Wujin.
The so-called "big event" was definitely a trap. Ji Wujin never initiated an attack; he always acted defensively.
He would first use a treasure to lure people into attacking him, then he would reluctantly counterattack, kill them, and conveniently pick up their storage bags.
He didn't quite understand Ji Wujin's methods.
Call him a robber cultivator?
He never initiated an attack on anyone.
Say he's not a robber cultivator?
He lured people into attacking, then killed them and took their treasures. Compared to a typical robber cultivator's methods, it was much more troublesome, but it was still the act of a robber.
Ruan Tieniu's response was just as quick, but he agreed.
So when they left Muyun Restaurant, Chen Jianghe watched the two of them walk off together, talking and laughing.
"Those two rascals are together now. I'd better stay away from other cultivators to avoid getting caught in the crossfire."
Chen Jianghe felt that in the unknown mystic realm, as long as he wasn't facing a third-tier demonic beast, it was safer than being around other cultivators.
"I should probably tell Peiyao."
Chen Jianghe thought for a moment and felt it was better to give Gao Peiyao a heads-up.
He knew Gao Peiyao had a big secret, but neither Ji Wujin nor Ruan Tieniu was a pushover.
Ruan Tieniu had the legacy of the Blood River Sect from the Tiannan Cultivation World.
Ji Wujin, on the other hand, had a powerful background in the Tiannan Cultivation World and surely had plenty of trump cards.
Ji Wujin also had another identity: a Puppeteer. Back in Qinghe Market City, Ji Wujin was already a high-grade Puppeteer.
So many years had passed.
Ji Wujin should be a second-tier Puppeteer by now.
The only question was his talent in the Dao of puppetry.
If it was comparable to Zhuang Xinyan's, he might have already become a Puppet Grandmaster, in which case he would certainly not lack top-tier second-tier puppets.
"That demonic beast egg Ruan Tieniu got in the Snowwind Valley Mystic Realm has probably cultivated to the mid-stage of the second tier by now, or late-stage at most."
"But that white-furred Treasure-Hunting Mouse on Ji Wujin must have already reached peak second-tier, and might even be on the verge of a breakthrough, just waiting to ambush someone in the mystic realm!"
Chen Jianghe and Gao Peiyao's relationship could be considered that of good friends.
He didn't want Gao Peiyao to fall into Ji Wujin and Ruan Tieniu's schemes.
Just as he entered Yanxia Valley, Chen Jianghe saw Lady Jinghong returning from outside and went up to greet her.
"Greetings, my lady."
"Fellow Daoist Chen."
Seeing Chen Jianghe, Lady Jinghong's phoenix eyes lit up with joy. She asked, "Fellow Daoist Chen, do you have many second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills? Could I trade for a few?"
Lady Jinghong had gone out this time specifically to purchase second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills.
If she wanted to advance her Big Dipper Sword Art, she needed to fight constantly.
The unknown mystic realm was a good place for combat.
However, one couldn't absorb spiritual energy to recover magic power in the mystic realm, which forced her to prepare more second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills.
But this trip out had yielded only a few second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills.
This made her think of her neighbor, Chen Jianghe. She had originally planned to visit him to ask for pills, but unexpectedly ran into him outside.
"How many second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills do you need, my lady?"
Chen Jianghe asked.
Lady Jinghong had helped him a great deal. Knowing that he was the one who had Ruan Tieniu trade for the Spirit Nurturing Ganoderma, she still offered the Big Dipper Sword Art, even though this money-devouring sword art was not very suitable for him.
But that was due to the sword art itself and had nothing to do with Lady Jinghong.
Besides, it was good enough to have a sword art at all. How could he be picky?
Moreover, after leaving the unknown mystic realm, Chen Jianghe still needed to find Lady Jinghong to refine the Yaoguang Sword. If possible, he wanted to have the Kaiyang and Yuheng Swords refined as well.
"Five... no, three, please."
Lady Jinghong had wanted to ask for five second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills, but then she remembered that Chen Jianghe was also entering the unknown mystic realm and would need them too.
She already had some second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills on her; asking for more was just a precaution.
"I am not one for conflict and won't have much use for second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills in the mystic realm. Please accept these ten pills as a gift, my lady."
Chen Jianghe directly took out a jade bottle and used his magic power to push it in front of Lady Jinghong.
"This..."
Lady Jinghong frowned but didn't accept it immediately.
For a spirit pill like the second-tier Spirit Recovery Pill, one could never have too many in the unknown mystic realm. Chen Jianghe giving her ten at once made her suspicious of his intentions.
"I am not skilled in combat. If I encounter danger in the mystic realm, I hope you might be able to lend a hand, my lady."
"There's no need for this, Fellow Daoist Chen. I already owe you a favor. If you encounter danger in the mystic realm, I will naturally help."
Lady Jinghong still didn't touch the jade bottle containing the second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills.
"Could these ten second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills be considered a thank-you gift for helping me refine the Yaoguang Sword?"
As soon as Chen Jianghe said this.
Lady Jinghong put the jade bottle into her storage bag. A faint smile appeared on her face as she said gently, "If I can make it out of the unknown mystic realm, I can refine a Yaoguang Sword for you as a gift. As for the Kaiyang and Yuheng Swords, you will need to provide the spiritual materials."
"My deepest thanks, my lady."
Chen Jianghe said with a cupped-fist salute.
"You're too kind, Fellow Daoist Chen."
Lady Jinghong flew towards the adjacent valley and entered her own immortal's abode. The abode she rented in Muyun Market City was the first one Chen Jianghe had seen in the brochure.
It covered eleven acres and was next to his Yanxia Abode.
Chen Jianghe gave Lady Jinghong ten second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills as an investment for refining artifacts in the future.
Without Luo Xiyue by his side.
Chen Jianghe was finally experiencing the difficulty that rogue cultivators—and not just them, but even sect disciples and immortal clan scions—faced when seeking a Spirit-Nurturing Artifact.
Without connections and channels, it was too difficult to obtain a Spirit-Nurturing Artifact.
If not for the few trades he had made with Lady Jinghong using the Soul-Calming and Spirit-Settling Pills, and gifting her an Essence Soul-Calming and Spirit-Settling Pill, establishing some rapport.
Chen Jianghe's desire to refine the three flying swords—Yaoguang, Kaiyang, and Yuheng—would have been nearly impossible.
If it was this difficult for a Talisman Grandmaster, one could only imagine how it was for rogue cultivators.
Today, Ji Yanfeng had given him five second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills, and he had given ten to Lady Jinghong.
He now had fifty-three second-tier Spirit Recovery Pills left.
Returning to his immortal's abode.
Chen Jianghe took out the unfinished Soul-Entangling Wood Talismans and continued to infuse them with spirit energy. Afterward, he cultivated the Myriad Waters True Scripture and the Soul Sea Solidifying Origin Scripture.
When the twelfth month arrived.
As the New Year's Eve approached.
Chen Jianghe received three message letters, from Gao Peiyao, Ruan Tieniu, and Ji Wujin respectively.
Ruan Tieniu and Ji Wujin had already gone to Duobao Market City.
Gao Peiyao was waiting for Chen Jianghe to travel to Duobao Market City together, from where they would enter the Youxian Mountain Range.
When Chen Jianghe walked out of his cultivation chamber, he saw that Zhuang Xinyan and Jiang Ruxu were already standing before his door.
They had clearly been waiting for some time.