Yu Ci could clearly feel the fury of the Core Refinement cultivator, but this still couldn’t completely stop him. Even though his vision was obscured and his body was unstable, he still had the ability to vibrate his throat and speak clearly if needed.
“Master Yu, please name your price!”
The blood-red glow of the setting sun suddenly dissipated, as if a heavy burden had been lifted away. The abrupt change in weight caused Yu Ci to sway slightly, but he quickly regained his balance and continued standing outside the pavilion, refocusing his gaze on the old daoist, as if he had only been momentarily distracted.
From beginning to end, his gaze had never shifted to Jin Huan. As for Lu Yang, who had almost reached him and was about to make a move, he was completely ignored.
He wasn’t at his limit yet!
With Jin Huan’s cultivation level, he should theoretically be able to exert absolute pressure on Yu Ci, but that was based on a comprehensive gap in spirit and physical strength. Although Yu Ci was still some distance away from Jin Huan’s peak of Core Refinement, in terms of the pure and authentic “Innate Qi”, he was not qualitatively inferior.
He didn’t know how Jin Huan was reacting now, but the old daoist in front of him seemed to be deep in thought. After a pause, the daoist spoke, “The ‘Twin Wood Spirit Gathering Decoction’ is a unique formula of our Rifting Earth Sect, specially transferred to the Sun Light Sect for the purification of medicinal herbs. Therefore, all the Dragon Fish Grass obtained from this decoction should belong to the Sun Light Sect. If others attempt to trade it, our sect will not accept it!”
This response was indeed very respectful to the Sun Light Sect. Without mentioning Jin Huan, Lu Yang outside the pavilion revealed a smile and took a step forward. Even the two young men seemed to have come to their senses, rolling up their sleeves, preparing to give this troublesome daoist a lesson he would never forget.
Yu Ci, however, remained expressionless and took out a prepared stone box, holding it with one hand and extending it forward. Lu Yang was about to make a move to seize it but was momentarily stunned by Yu Ci’s sudden action, as if Yu Ci was trying to take something from him.
In this moment, Yu Ci spoke again, “These thirteen Dragon Fish Grass were painstakingly dug out from the cliff walls deep in the Sky Rift Valley, born of natural growth. How are they related to the Sun Light Sect?”
“Oh?” The old daoist’s white brows raised in genuine surprise, “Not catalyzed, but naturally grown?”
Yu Ci grinned, “Authentic and genuine!”
The old daoist’s seemingly murky eyes swept over, nodding slightly. Ignoring Jin Huan’s expression, he said, “If they are truly naturally grown, then they are worth the price… Let me see them!”
Yu Ci took a step forward. At that moment, he realized that resisting the anger of an Core Refinement cultivator wasn’t as easy as he had imagined. His physical strength had been nearly exhausted in that instant, and he felt immense fatigue, as if stepping on the gravel path was like walking on cotton, unable to find solid ground.
His situation was obvious to everyone, and the two young men behind him were eagerly waiting for him to make a fool of himself. Yu Ci, however, remained unfazed. He took a deep breath and walked past Lu Yang, who could have struck him down with a single hand, but did not.
Yu Ci entered the pavilion and remembered to nod toward Jin Huan, just as he had on the mountain path and when entering the sect.
Jin Huan gave him a cold glance and lowered his gaze, offering no response or letting anyone see his expression. However, the temperature around the small pavilion increased.
After another smile, Yu Ci saluted the old daoist and placed the stone box on the table, next to the other two boxes.
As the box was opened, Yu Ci clearly felt four pairs of sharp eyes fixated on it. He looked inside, and the next moment, the air in the pavilion seemed to freeze.
Inside the stone box, it was empty.
There were no Dragon Fish Grass as Yu Ci had claimed, not even a single weed!
At that moment, Yu Ci’s mind was as empty as the box.
“Heh!”
This was Jin Huan laughing.
Just that one laugh raised the temperature inside and outside the pavilion another level.
To Yu Ci, the surrounding air seemed to be twisted by the intense heat, and perhaps at any moment, his opponent would personally make a move and sever his head.
Yu Ci suddenly came to his senses. He didn’t know why the Dragon Fish Grass in the stone box had disappeared or how he had ended up in such a dire situation. However, none of this stopped his mind from working. At this point, regretting or contemplating the consequences was meaningless. He turned to look at Jin Huan, staring at this tyrant who had controlled Cliff City for over a hundred years, and calculated.
If he suddenly drew his sword, could he, before dying, leave a mark on this man’s face?
Just then, someone exclaimed in awe, “Dao Worm!”
Yu Ci turned sharply to see the old daoist slowly standing up, his eyes fixed on the stone box, completely absorbed in the sight. This made everyone follow his gaze.
The temperature inside the pavilion dropped suddenly.
Yu Ci’s gaze was fixed on the stone box, and he saw a worm, as thin as a hair, hidden in the gap between the bottom of the box and the inner wall. It wiggled its head and tail, slowly emerging from the shadow, like an excessively thin earthworm, wriggling at the bottom of the box.
The worm seemed to enjoy the attention it was receiving or perhaps found the small box too cramped. It wriggled around, its body indistinct, and then, buoyed by a gentle breeze that had just entered the pavilion, it floated up and drifted in the air.
“Dragon Fish!” The old daoist, with his white beard partially hiding his lips, squeezed out two words, but they were different from before.
The moment the old daoist spoke again, Jin Huan’s gaze shifted to him, his eyes as sharp as ever, even more intense than when he had faced Yu Ci.
The old daoist seemed oblivious to this. His eyes remained fixed on the floating worm for a while before turning to Yu Ci, and he asked, “Young man, is this Dragon Fish for sale?”
Yu Ci suppressed his excitement at having found the worm again and the absurdity of the herbs turning into a worm. He calmed himself and nodded, “Naturally, it is for sale. What is the asking price?”
The old daoist smiled and held up three fingers. “Three hundred merits!”
Yu Ci felt a surge of relief, an unprecedented sense of ease spreading through him. But before he could respond, someone outside the pavilion could no longer hold back and shouted.
The shouter was Jin Chuan, a young man accustomed to luxury. Faced with the unexpected turn of events, his anger flared up, “How is that possible? The Sun Light Sect has painstakingly accumulated resources for over ten years, and yet, a single worm is worth more? Could it be that you are taking his…”
Before he could finish saying “side,” Jin Huan shot him a cold glance, cutting off his words.
“Is this how you speak to an Immortal? Kneel!”
Jin Chuan, who feared the elder in the sect the most, immediately fell silent and knelt on the ground. Lu Yang, who was in front, quickly stepped aside, and Kuang Yanqi beside him also backed away, not daring to plead.
Jin Huan did not want to waste energy on such trivial matters. Once Jin Chuan was on the ground, Jin Huan cast him aside and turned his gaze back to Yu Ci, speaking in a deep voice, “Brother Yu, your discerning eye has always been admirable. However, this matter concerns the exclusive rights of the Sun Light Sect and your esteemed sect. I must ask for a clear answer!”
Though he said he wanted to “ask,” his tone implied that an “examination” might be forthcoming.
The old daoist was unperturbed. “Naturally, we must give Lord Jin a clear understanding.”
He then turned to Yu Ci with a smile, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a young person with a Dragon Fish. Even if you took a shortcut, it’s not simple… Please, have a seat.”
Yu Ci’s mood had already adjusted. Watching the old daoist and Jin Huan verbally spar was quite interesting. When the old daoist invited him to sit, Yu Ci was not polite. After a respectful gesture, he took a seat on the stone bench in front of the table, naturally turning his body slightly to face the old daoist, deliberately showing his back to Jin Huan.
Outside the pavilion, Lu Yang and others watched in astonishment.
Yu Ci didn’t care about them. His principle was: if he had already offended someone and there was no chance for reconciliation, then he might as well offend them completely. After all, yielding now wouldn’t make Jin Huan show any mercy.
Once seated, he cupped his hands again. “Please enlighten us, Master Yu.”
He had stolen Jin Huan’s chance to speak, but Yu Ci didn’t mind, as if he had completely forgotten about the Core Refinement cultivator behind him who could kill him with a single strike.
The old daoist noticed Yu Ci’s demeanor and his murky eyes narrowed with a hint of amusement. He then stroked his beard and said with a smile:
“Lord Jin, when the sect transferred the ‘Twin Wood Spirit Gathering Decoction’ to you, they also mentioned the matter of the Dragon Fish. It has been many years, so perhaps your memory is a bit hazy?”
This seemed like an attempt to give Jin Huan a way out but was laced with more sarcasm.
Jin Huan remained composed and replied, “Perhaps due to busy affairs, I don’t remember. It’s good to have you remind me, Brother Yu.”
The old daoist glanced at him and sighed, “Very well, I’ll explain again.”
Perhaps Yu Ci misunderstood, but there seemed to be a tone of both sentiment and… regret in the old daoist’s voice.
The old daoist began to explain from the beginning, aiming for thoroughness:
“To talk about the Dragon Fish, we must start with the Shrimp Whisker Grass. All things in heaven and earth are born from their inherent energies and possess their own natures. The Sky Rift Valley, connecting two realms, has energies that interact, and the plants and animals within have extraordinary characteristics. The Shrimp Whisker Grass is one example. Its roots are unique and cannot absorb earth energy to survive; it must parasitize on trees. However, after growing, due to its peculiar roots, it is particularly sensitive to its kind and often consumes the life energy of its own kind to nourish itself. Once it reaches a certain stage, the Shrimp Whisker Grass transforms into Dragon Fish Grass, greatly increasing its value.
“After the Dragon Fish Grass forms, it continues to consume the life energy of its kind and undergoes another transformation. This time, it evolves from a plant spirit into a flesh and blood spirit. This is an unparalleled evolution, akin to a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, but even more extraordinary. At this stage, the Dragon Fish Grass becomes a Dragon Fish, breaking free from the limitations of plants, wandering between heaven and earth, absorbing the essence of all things. Though its power is not great, it is a rare spiritual material in the world!”
The eyes of those present were fixed on the floating worm, which was still happily drifting. Despite its delicate appearance, the worm’s scales shimmered with vitality. It was hard to believe that this creature had transformed from thirteen herbs.
“In legends, when the Dragon Fish consumes enough of its kind and finds the right opportunity, it might leap through the Dragon Gate and transform into a celestial dragon, soaring through the seas… Of course, that is just a legend.”
The old daoist spoke slowly, with a compelling charm.
Yu Ci couldn’t help but imagine the miraculous process of the herbs transforming into flesh and blood and then ascending to become a true dragon.
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