by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k
“Why is that?” Long Chen was stunned.
“Previously, I’ve mentioned that all the Huayun Sect’s disciples are the most devout followers of the grand Wealth God. Once we reach the Foundation Forging realm, our accumulated faith energy will allow us to undergo a transformation. After receiving the blessing of the Wealth God, our cultivation bases will easily advance with no bottlenecks, but our actual combat power will drop precipitously in comparison to others in the same realm,” explained Zheng Wenlong.
“The Wealth God? Faith energy?”
Long Chen’s heart shook slightly. If there was such a thing as faith energy, then that meant the Wealth God was still alive. But why was it said that there were no gods or immortals in this world anymore?
He thought of that woman who looked like Leng Yueyan. The Xuan Master had confirmed that she was a god, one that came from another world. With all that had happened, Long Chen found that he understood less and less about the world.
“I’m sorry, brother Long Chen, but since you aren’t a follower of the Wealth God, it isn’t convenient for me to tell you too much about the Wealth God,” apologized Zheng Wenlong upon seeing Long Chen sink into thought.
Zheng Wenlong was a devout follower of the Wealth God. He was extremely dedicated to his belief, and no matter how good his relationship was with Long Chen, he couldn’t expose some things.
“No, I just thought of some other things. I’m not unhappy at all.” Long Chen smiled.
The two of them chatted. Long Chen had Qian Duoduo go get some simple refreshments. Drinking a few cups of tea, they had a long conversation. Last time, Zheng Wenlong hadn’t even had time to sit before leaving. This time, Long Chen couldn’t neglect his duty as the host.
Zheng Wenlong was clearly more relaxed than last time. They finally had a chance to randomly talk, and Long Chen asked how his situation was over there.
Zheng Wenlong bitterly smiled and said that he felt like he was about to die. He wished he could split himself into two people.
But after this period of adapting, he had learned some tricks, as well as groomed some trusted aides to split the pressure. He was feeling much better.
Long Chen couldn’t help but feel that it was a bit funny. Their situations were actually a bit similar. When they first arrived in the Central Plains, everything was foreign, but after some tempering, they slowly got used to it.
“Ah, speaking of which, do you have any new projects this time?” asked Long Chen. He knew that since Zheng Wenlong was so busy, for him to personally come, he had to have something important to discuss.
“Yes, there are some new projects to discuss. But before that, I need to tell you that the secret matter you asked me to handle is already taking shape,” whispered Zheng Wenlong.
“Really?” Long Chen was delighted.
Chapter 1104 Danger Zone, Devil Spirit Mountain
Long Chen was filled with delight. This news was far too important to him.
“They have currently established a base within the Grand Xia Ancient Nation. They’re around here,” said Zheng Wenlong as he gave Long Chen a map.
The ‘they’ that Zheng Wenlong was referring to was Yue Xiaoqian’s race. Before departing the Eastern Wasteland, Long Chen had told Yue Xiaoqian to stealthily establish a base in the Central Plains and then use the Huayun Sect to send him a message. Now she had finally done so.
A weight fell from Long Chen’s shoulders. He just wondered if Yue Xiaoqian had personally come to the Central Plains yet. Nevertheless, he couldn’t leave the sect, but at least he could communicate with them through Zheng Wenlong.
“Other than that, I’ve come to give you another batch of materials that should be enough for you,” said Zheng Wenlong.
Long Chen gave him a thumbs-up. This efficiency was truly amazing. Zheng Wenlong was very reliable, capable of handling everything perfectly.
“But it seems I don’t have anything of value to give you this time.” Long Chen found that he truly had nothing valuable he could give Zheng Wenlong.
At most, the money he had given Zheng Wenlong in the beginning was only able to buy a tenth of the materials he had requested. All his ‘money’ was points in the Xuantian Dao Sect, and that was useless outside the sect. It wasn’t as if he could repay Zheng Wenlong in points.
“Don’t worry, I’ll give you the materials in advance. Right now, I have a big project I want to discuss with you,” said Zheng Wenlong.
“A big project? How big?” asked Long Chen.
“Very big. Listen closely...”
Zheng Wenlong explained that his project revolved around a certain medicinal pill. It was an eighth tier pill, the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill.
Just like the Bone Forging realm’s Bone Tempering Pills and the Sea Expansion realm’s Sea Merging Pills, this was a pill that had to be used in that realm.
However, there were many variations of Bone Forging Pills and Sea Merging Pills, but the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill was the only main assistive cultivation pill used in the Foundation Forging realm.
The Foundation Forging realm relied on absorbing heaven and earth’s yuan spiritual energy. For Foundation Forging cultivators, the most precious thing was yuan spirit stones.
However, the most primal and pure yuan spiritual energy in yuan spirit stones was not so easy to refine. Yuan spirit stones contained the essence of the laws when the world was first formed. It took a long time to refine that.
Therefore, you needed to use a kind of medicinal pill to help you refine the yuan spiritual energy. The Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill was the only pill of its kind. It helped cultivators refine yuan spiritual energy, and it had no side effects.
All the large sects used to have large stocks of this pill. Although its price was high, it was still within the realm that cultivators could afford.
However, things had changed this year. A few months ago, the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill had suddenly shot up in price. It was now ten times more expensive. Just as many cultivators were puzzled by this, a piece of news spread throughout the cultivation world: Devil Spirit Mountain had suddenly become enshrouded in mist, and its entrance was now sealed. Anyone who tried to enter would die.
When Long Chen asked what Devil Spirit Mountain was, Zheng Wenlong told him it was one of the Martial Heaven Continent’s seven great danger zones. It was said it was the entrance to the Devil World. But no devil lifeforms had ever come out of there.
In fact, not only had no devil creatures ever been sighted there, but people had also seen a scene of an immortal wonderland. Many people had even heard immortal music, music that could increase their cultivation base just by listening to it. Some of them had even instantly broken through their bottlenecks.
So Devil Spirit Mountain was an extremely strange place. If you lingered around its entrance, there wasn’t any danger. But if you entered deeper, you would never return. It was unknown how many experts had tried to unlock the secrets of Devil Spirit Mountain only to never return.
There were many legends about it. There were beautiful ones, and there were evil ones. No one could tell what the situation was exactly.
But the number of experts that had disappeared in it were innumerable. Even Kings would never return after entering.
That was why it had been named one of the seven great danger zones. It was the same as the Martial Heaven Sea-Ring.
However, the surroundings of Devil Spirit Mountain were the habitat of an eighth tier medicinal ingredient, the Spirit Connecting Grass.
It was a very bizarre medicinal ingredient.
On the surface, it looked like an ordinary grass. But its roots were like an octopus, and they freely wriggled and moved.
If it was plucked, it would look like an octopus with a blade of grass growing out of it. When it encountered danger, it would even enter the ground to flee.
This kind of Spirit Connecting Grass existed elsewhere in the Central Plains, but it was very rare and not f
ound in large numbers. It would only flourish in the surroundings of Devil Spirit Mountain.
It could be planted artificially, but it often withered and died before it matured. Within the Central Plains, ninety percent of the Spirit Connecting Grass came from Devil Spirit Mountain.
This Spirit Connecting Grass was the main ingredient for the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill. Not that long ago, mist had suddenly covered Devil Spirit Mountain and its surroundings, completely sealing it. All those adventurers who had been gathering Spirit Connecting Grass around it had vanished.
People had tried to approach the mist and investigate the situation, but they all mysteriously vanished. This mysterious, seemingly man-eating mist caused a huge disturbance.
Of course, the price of the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill was impacted the most. Now its price had multiplied by ten times, and it was still crazily soaring.
“Long Chen, this is a crisis for the entire continent. Without the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill, all Foundation Forging disciples will find their cultivation bases stagnant. Furthermore, half a month ago, I received news that Pill Valley is starting to make a move. I heard they’ve developed a pill that can replace the Foundation Heart Spirit Connecting Pill,” said Zheng Wenlong gravely.
Long Chen instantly understood. Although the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill wasn’t originally precious, the strange phenomenon that had occurred in Devil Spirit Mountain had cut off its supply. Now it was a pill everyone was fighting for.
Even before, the supply hadn’t quite met the demand. Now that the Spirit Connecting Grass could no longer be easily gathered, the supply of the pills had dropped by ten times. Panic was ensuing, and no one dared to sell Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pills any longer.
Who knew when the mist surrounding the Devil Spirit Mountain would disappear? If it dissipated within ten years, it wouldn’t have too much of an effect on the Central Plains. But if it stayed for a century, or even a millennium, or longer, the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill would only continue growing more valuable.
The cultivation world was currently in a panic over the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pills. If Pill Valley could create another pill with the same effect, it would be a fatal blow to the Huayun Sect.
The Huayun Sect was Pill Valley’s sworn enemy. Pill Valley would definitely use this opportunity to force people who bought things from the Huayun Sect to sever ties with them. If they didn’t stop buying things from the Huayun Sect, Pill Valley wouldn’t sell them their pills.
Knowing Pill Valley’s methods, they definitely would take steps to avoid others figuring out the formula for their new pill. Then they would dominate the market.
If they didn’t cooperate with Pill Valley, many experts would find themselves stuck in the Foundation Forging realm for a long time. Then even geniuses would eventually become trash.
It had to be known that Foundation Forging was already a slow and important process. It was the realm where a person’s cultivation base advanced the slowest.
The previous generation’s disciples were such a case. They had arrived in the Xuantian Dao Sect ten years ago. Even these geniuses amongst geniuses had only just reached the late Foundation Forging realm. That was enough proof of how difficult it was to advance in the Foundation Forging realm.
If Pill Valley properly used their new weapon, they could seriously injure the Huayun Sect. There was even danger of this setback leading to a total collapse. In the end, the Huayun Sect could be completely devoured, which was why Zheng Wenlong’s expression was so grave.
“Brother Long, you have to help me. This relates to the life and death of my Huayun Sect.” Zheng Wenlong’s voice contained a trace of begging. This was an incredibly important matter to the Huayun Sect.
“A minor matter. I’ll write up a formula for you.” Long Chen smiled. This was truly a minor matter to him. Let alone one formula, he could easily give him ten formulas.
“Truly? Brother Long, you really are my lucky star, the blessing of the Wealth God! Good, brother Long, I’ll drink with you today. No, I’ll get completely drunk!” cried Zheng Wenlong ecstatically.
Zheng Wenlong had absolute trust in Long Chen. If he said that it was no problem, then it was definitely no problem. He felt like a boulder had been lifted from his heart.
In truth, Zheng Wenlong had been extremely worried on his way to see Long Chen. If even Long Chen was powerless, then he wouldn’t have any solution at all.
Although this kind of matter should have been handled by the higher-ups, he and all the other disciples of the Huayun Sect were followers of the Wealth God. Each one of them felt the responsibility, and they treated the Huayun Sect’s matters as their matters. The fate of the Huayun Sect was their fate.
After drinking three cups, Long Chen directly wrote out a pill formula so that Zheng Wenlong could relax. And after thinking for a bit, he wrote another pill formula.
“The first pill formula has around the same effect as the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill. As for the latter, it is over three times more effective. My guess is that Pill Valley will try to act in the long view, so they will bring out a medicinal pill just slightly worse than the Forging Heart Spirit Connecting Pill. Due to its lower effect, people will need more, and they’ll be dependent. It’ll be the same as the trick the Pill Tower pulled on the Eastern Wasteland’s Bone Tempering Pills and how they intentionally cut its effect in half. I’m giving you two formulas, so leave the latter as a weapon. If they counterattack, you’ll still have a way to return the blow.”
Zheng Wenlong carefully put away the pill formulas and nodded. “Good idea. Did you want the Huayun Sect to give you a direct price for these pill formulas, or…?”
“I’d rather take a cut of the future profits. That way it’ll be a long-term collaboration. That’s the way to make the most from my investment.” Long Chen smiled.
“This time, your pill formulas aren’t as simple as an investment. It has resolved an emergency situation for my Huayun Sect. It won’t be easy to calculate this debt.”
“That’s fine. Don’t businessmen have a phrase about how they aren’t afraid of debt? If there comes a day when the debts between us are truly cleared up, it will probably mean our friendship has also ended,” said Long Chen.
“Hahaha, I didn’t expect brother Long Chen to speak such philosophical words. I’m amazed,” chortled Zheng Wenlong.
“Come, the problem’s resolved, and you aren’t as busy as last time. Let’s drink a bit more. I have a few things to discuss with you.”
The two of them drank until the next day. In the end, Zheng Wenlong was still worried, and he didn’t dare to tarry too long, so he left.
Chapter 1105 The Destination of the Rank Six Heavenly Dao Fruit
With each passing day, more and more disciples came out of the Xuantian Tower. But some people were happy, and some people weren’t.
Not everyone was capable of entering the strange space within the Xuantian Tower. It required great talent and comprehension, as well as a certain fate.
Not everyone was as monstrous as Long Chen and could easily enter to search for his own opportunity.
Each person was only able to choose one target, and the chances of them being able to enter that strange space were less than one percent.
Furthermore, even if they could enter that strange space, the chances of someone being capable of comprehending the profundities within were also less than one percent.
However, just being able to enter the Xuantian Catalog was a great opportunity. There would definitely be benefits in either case. It was just a question of how beneficial.
After half a month, the majority of disciples had returned to their factions after entering the Xuantian Catalog.
Many people were shaken so greatly by a piece of news that they became dizzy. While they had been in the Xuantian Catalog, Long Chen had initiated a life and death battle against a rank six Celestial from the senior generation, Luo
Qingfang. And he had killed him in one blow.
That made Hu Guishan and Fan Song, whose confidence had just risen after having their strength greatly increase, completely dumbfounded.
Even a rank six Celestial from the senior generation had been killed in one blow. If they challenged Long Chen, they would truly be courting death.
Ever since Long Chen had killed Luo Qingfang in one blow, the Law Enforcement Hall had become much more obedient. The Xuantian Dao Sect was much calmer now.
Once Tang Wan-er, Gu Yang, and the others came out of the Xuantian Catalog, Long Chen clearly felt a change in them. Their auras hadn’t changed; however, there was a sharp pressure in their eyes now, like a divine blade hidden within its sheath but still giving people a sensation of danger. That meant they had all obtained their own opportunities in the Xuantian Catalog.
Long Chen gathered all the Dragonblood Legion’s members and gave them each one thousand yuan spirit stones. He had them slowly absorb the energy of the stones. That way, they could quickly reach the first Heavenstage, and then they would be true Foundation Forging experts.
The Xuantian Dao Sect also had yuan spiritual energy to exchange for. There were yuan spirit stones, and there was also a kind of yuan spirit bead.
Yuan spirit stones were priced at a hundred thousand points for one. They could be described as super expensive existences. On the other hand, the yuan spirit beads were much cheaper.
Yuan spirit beads only cost twenty thousand points, and the amount of yuan spiritual energy in just three of them was about equivalent to a single yuan spirit stone.
The greatest difference was that yuan spirit stones were natural, while yuan spirit beads were man-made.
Yuan spirit beads were produced from the cores of devil beasts. Although they had gone through a great deal of purification, making the density of yuan spiritual energy almost the same, yuan spirit beads still contained some faint berserk energy.
When absorbing energy from a yuan spirit bead, you had to be more careful. While refining the yuan energy, you had to expel the berserk energy, making the process slower.
