Translator: Cinder Translations
---
With Tai He's departure, the poisonous mist that filled the skies dispersed and vanished without a trace.
Song Wen's figure emerged clearly into view.
On Tian Cang Mountain, an earth-shattering cheer erupted.
Due to the concealment of the Gui Yuan Qi and poisonous mist, along with the chaotic spiritual energy from Song Wen and Tai He's battle, the crowd's vision and spiritual senses had been greatly hindered.
As a result, they had no idea what had truly transpired in the sky above.
They had only seen Song Wen charge into the poisonous mist, followed by piercing sounds emanating from within. Moments later, Tai He retreated and fled.
This led everyone to instinctively believe that Song Wen had gained the upper hand and forced Tai He to withdraw.
The Asura Sect disciples were overjoyed, cheering loudly, their faces alight with excitement and ecstasy.
Amid the fervent gaze of the disciples, Song Wen slowly descended, coming to hover above the grand plaza where the sacrificial rites were held.
"Who is the emissary from the Ghost Soul Sect?"
As soon as Song Wen spoke, the once noisy plaza fell silent.
A middle-aged female cultivator in the early Golden Core stage hesitated for a moment before stepping forward.
"Senior Yin Shuo, I am Huang Yu, the emissary of the Ghost Soul Sect."
Song Wen had long known this woman was from the Ghost Soul Sect. His intention in making her step out herself was simply to establish dominance first.
Fixing a sharp gaze on the female cultivator, he said in a deep voice:
"Return and tell your sect master that the Ghost Soul Sect must withdraw from Dongyuan Mountain. In three days, the Asura Sect will take over Dongyuan Mountain. If any disciples of the Ghost Soul Sect remain by then, I will initiate a massacre."
Huang Yu's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, but she forced herself to remain calm and asked:
"Senior, the Ghost Soul Sect is a subordinate of the Nine Palaces Sect. Aren't you afraid of offending the Nine Palaces Sect by doing this?"
"Hmph! A mere Golden Core cultivator like you dares to question me? Say another word, and I'll annihilate your Ghost Soul Sect."
The moment Song Wen finished speaking, Huang Yu felt an overwhelming pressure crash toward her.
Her face turned pale instantly, and she reflexively condensed a protective shield of spiritual energy.
However, as soon as the shield took shape, the oppressive force was upon her.
The shield, as fragile as paper, was instantly torn apart. The force then slammed into Huang Yu, sending her flying like she'd been struck by a ferocious beast.
She was flung dozens of meters away before crashing heavily to the ground.
Blood spurted from her mouth in large quantities.
"Considering you came today to attend the Asura Sect's founding ceremony, I'll spare your life this time. Now, get lost!" Song Wen's voice boomed.
Grateful for her life, Huang Yu tried to get up in a panic, but her injuries were too severe. Several attempts to stand failed.
Fortunately, she wasn't alone and had brought two Foundation Establishment disciples with her.
The two hurriedly stepped forward to help the heavily injured Huang Yu onto a flying sword and left the scene in a hurry.
"Well, just a minor episode. I hope it hasn't spoiled everyone's mood. Esteemed emissaries, please enter the hall to enjoy spiritual wine and a feast."
At Song Wen's invitation, the crowd shifted their attention away from Huang Yu and began heading toward the grand hall.
---
Later that evening.
Song Wen entered Zhou Siyi's cave dwelling on Tian Cang Mountain.
"Senior Sister Zhou, how did the discussions go?"
Zhou Siyi had refined the Return to Heaven Pill formula, which Song Wen had further revised before handing it back to her.
This formula required over fifty types of spiritual herbs. Among them, only ten could be found in the Yishi Ridge region, while the rest had to be purchased from major sects.
Fortunately, although many herbs were missing, none were particularly rare. The difficulty lay in acquiring them due to the tight control of the sects, making them hard to obtain in the outside world.
Song Wen's goal wasn't merely to purchase these herbs. That would only make the sect reliant on others. Instead, he sought seeds or living plants of these herbs so they could cultivate them independently.
During this afternoon's banquet, Zhou Siyi mingled with emissaries from various sects to negotiate the purchase of these spiritual herbs.
"The emissaries from each sect agreed to sell us small quantities of some of the herbs. However, when it comes to seeds or living plants, they outright refused," Zhou Siyi reported.
Song Wen nodded, unsurprised by this outcome.
"Were you able to gather all the herbs?" he asked.
If all the herbs listed in the formula could be gathered, Song Wen could begin verifying its effectiveness. Any errors in the formula could then be promptly corrected.
"We're still missing Dead Man's Vine and Forget-Me-Not Mushrooms. These two are primarily cultivated by the Corpse Demon Sect. Other sects either purchase them from the Corpse Demon Sect or grow them in small quantities, so they don't have any surplus to sell us."
Dead Man's Vine is a fourth-grade spiritual herb that grows intertwined with skeletal remains. At night, it emits a dense death aura. However, its sap has remarkable properties for healing bone injuries, making it an extraordinary medicinal ingredient.
Forget-Me-Not Mushrooms are third-grade spiritual herbs, small fungi that grow on the foreheads of corpses. Their colors vary, and they emit a tantalizing aroma. It's said they are a rare delicacy.
"Junior Brother, Fang Pengyi approached me privately," Zhou Siyi said.
Hearing this, Song Wen's expression turned cautious.
"Did he recognize you?"
"Probably...not," Zhou Siyi replied uncertainly. "He wants to use me as a bridge to negotiate a deal with the Asura Sect. He claimed he could provide us with the seeds or transplantable specimens of those herbs."
"Why would he do that?" Song Wen asked, puzzled.
"He's asking for a hefty price—200 high-grade spirit stones," Zhou Siyi answered.
"Just spirit stones? That's not an insurmountable problem." Song Wen pondered briefly and then asked, "How many herb seeds can Fang Pengyi obtain from the Beast Master Sect?"
"According to him, apart from Dead Man's Vine and Forget-Me-Not Mushrooms, there are three other herbs for which he can't secure seeds," Zhou Siyi replied.
"Agree to his terms," Song Wen said.
"But Junior Brother, his asking price is exorbitant," Zhou Siyi remarked.
"I'll leave this matter entirely in your hands. Negotiate the price with him as you see fit," Song Wen said.
"Understood," Zhou Siyi replied.
Song Wen shifted the topic. "Senior Sister, hand the formula over to Yu Wen and let her handle the procurement of these herbs. Then find a reason to return to Qingluo Mountain and withdraw from the administrative affairs of the Asura Sect."
With his unmatched strength, Song Wen had twice defeated mid-Nascent Soul cultivators from the Mixed Yuan Temple and the Nine Palaces Sect. This gave the disciples of the Asura Sect unwavering confidence in their future, believing the sect's rise to glory was inevitable.
However, internal power struggles had already begun among the disciples. Everyone sought to secure contributions in preparation for future rewards once the sect flourished.
Song Wen, however, was fully aware that the current stability was temporary, relying on the enmity between the Nine Palaces Sect and the Mixed Yuan Temple.
The two sects would not allow the Asura Sect to grow unchecked. If the sect's strength reached a level that threatened their status, they might even set aside their differences and join forces against the Asura Sect.
Until Song Wen's power became strong enough to contend with late Nascent Soul cultivators from both sects, the Asura Sect would always face the threat of destruction.
To keep Zhou Siyi from getting caught in this turbulent storm, Song Wen suggested she withdraw from the Asura Sect.
"Understood!"
Zhou Siyi had no hesitation regarding Song Wen's decision and agreed immediately.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (RDC) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c886. [+2]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3K+) Chapters, (4.2M+) Words.
💥Flat 30% Discount on All Tiers Available Till 26th July, Use Code 3KCHAPTERS to Avail.