Translator: CinderTL
"What do you need Five Viscera Spirit Wood for?" Song Wen asked.
Seeing that Song Wen remained unmoved by her beauty, Ye Bing abandoned her smile and reverted to her usual icy demeanor.
"Naturally, to refine the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill. I promised you I would refine one for you. Therefore, this matter also benefits you, fellow daoist. Surely you won't refuse me?"
Having failed with seduction, Ye Bing switched to appealing to Song Wen's self-interest.
Anxious that he might reject her, she quickly added, "Five Viscera Spirit Wood is exceedingly rare. I've searched all of Cloudveil City and every ghost market and market in the vicinity, but to no avail. I have no choice but to seek your assistance, fellow daoist."
Song Wen replied, "Our original agreement didn't stipulate that I would provide the Spirit Herbs needed for refining the pill."
Ye Bing countered, "I'm not asking you to gift me the Five Viscera Spirit Wood. I'll purchase it with spirit stones."
"Then how many spirit stones is the Immortal Maiden willing to offer?" Song Wen asked.
Though he didn't want to part with the Five Viscera Spirit Wood, he acknowledged that this matter was also in his best interest, as Ye Bing had pointed out. Therefore, if she offered a price that satisfied him, he wouldn't mind granting her request.
"Three... five hundred high-grade spirit stones," Ye Bing said hesitantly.
A mocking smile curled at the corner of Song Wen's lips.
"Immortal Maiden, do you truly believe a mere five hundred high-grade spirit stones is enough to purchase the Five Viscera Spirit Wood? Such wishful thinking is rather absurd."
A bitter glint flashed in Ye Bing's eyes. "I know this price is low, far below the true value of the Five Viscera Spirit Wood. But after fleeing the Qianchang Wilderness to the Qicang Domain, my spirit stones were already dwindling. Recently, I've spent a considerable amount searching for Spirit Herbs to refine the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill. Now, my purse is nearly empty."
"May I ask which Spirit Herbs you still require?" Song Wen inquired.
"Five or six more, all extremely rare," Ye Bing replied.
Song Wen immediately lost interest. If Ye Bing still lacked several Spirit Herbs, even if he gave her the Five Viscera Spirit Wood, she wouldn't be able to refine the Void Union Primordial Breakthrough Pill anytime soon.
"Immortal Maiden, since you can't offer a price that satisfies me, let's abandon this matter."
Ye Bing refused to give up so easily.
"Though I have few spirit stones, I can offer other items in trade. Name your terms."
Song Wen's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sharpening as it swept over Ye Bing.
Ye Bing's heart tightened under Song Wen's intense gaze, her expression turning wary as she retreated a few steps.
"Gou Jun, what do you want?"
Song Wen smiled faintly. "Immortal Maiden, please don't misunderstand. I have no ill intentions. May I ask where your cultivation cave is located?"
Sensing that Song Wen genuinely didn't harbor the motives she had imagined, Ye Bing let out a small sigh of relief.
"Why do you want to know about my cultivation cave?"
Song Wen replied, "I currently have no fixed abode. It would be a great fortune to become neighbors with the Immortal Maiden."
He reasoned that since Ye Bing possessed few spirit stones, she likely hadn't rented a cultivation cave in Cloudveil City like he had, and had probably established her own cave.
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Ye Bing's eyes as she immediately began to inflate the price.
"My cultivation cave lies millions of miles northwest of Cloudveil City, brimming with Spiritual Qi—a true paradise for cultivation. I exhausted every ounce of my strength to find this place. If you wish to become my neighbor, you'll have to pay a considerable price."
Song Wen asked, "May I visit it first?"
Ye Bing stared at Song Wen, pondering for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Very well."
Guided by Ye Bing, the two cultivators soared through the air, heading northwest.
After traveling approximately two million li, they arrived at a vast swamp.
The swamp stretched across a vast expanse, its air thick with a faint, rotting stench.
Twisted trees pierced the shallow water's surface, their gnarled forms growing in bizarre, contorted shapes.
Blackened leaves and decaying branches littered the water's surface.
Beneath the leaves, the murky water seemed to conceal endless mysteries and hidden dangers.
As they ventured deeper, wisps of mist began to rise.
The mist rapidly thickened, becoming so dense that visibility was reduced to mere hundred zhang. Even divine sense could not penetrate its impenetrable veil.
The mist-shrouded area was relatively small, covering only about a hundred li.
Ye Bing retrieved an Array Disk and cast several magic seals upon it.
Instantly, the mist ahead surged violently, revealing a ten-zhang-tall passage.
Through the passage, they glimpsed a small island within the mist.
Though called an island, it was merely a patch of land protruding from the water, spanning roughly fifty li.
As Ye Bing had claimed, the island's Spiritual Qi was exceptionally dense, more than sufficient to meet the daily cultivation needs of a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator.
"Fellow Daoist Gou Jun, please proceed," Ye Bing said.
"How could I possibly take precedence over my host?" Song Wen replied. "Please, Immortal Maiden, lead the way."
Ye Bing glided forward, entering the tunnel.
A glint flashed in Song Wen's eyes as he followed closely behind her. He remained poised to strike and ambush her at the slightest sign of treachery.
But Song Wen's caution proved unnecessary.
The pair traversed the hundred-zhang-long tunnel without incident, emerging above the island.
At the island's center stood several wooden pavilions. Surrounding these structures were Spirit Fields cultivated with various Spirit Herbs, mostly fourth and fifth-tier varieties, though none appeared particularly old. Scattered among the fields were several wooden huts, where foundation establishment and golden core cultivators sat in meditation. Several figures were also tending to the Spirit Herbs in the fields.
Whether due to some peculiar preference of Ye Bing's, all the cultivators on the island were female.
After leading Song Wen to a pavilion at the island's heart, Ye Bing asked with evident pride, "Gou Jun, what do you think of my cultivation cave?"
"It is indeed a blessed land for cultivation," Song Wen replied.
The corners of Ye Bing's lips curled slightly. "Then how about I grant you half the island in exchange for the Five Viscera Spirit Wood you possess?"
"Thank you for your kind offer, Immortal Maiden," Song Wen said. "However, while this island is rich in Spiritual Qi, it's too small. With two divine transformation stage cultivators like us cultivating here, the Spiritual Qi might not be sufficient."
Ye Bing, who had been feeling rather pleased with herself, immediately frowned.
"You still refuse to give me the Five Viscera Spirit Wood?"
Song Wen shook his head. "Not at all. I'm willing to sell the Five Viscera Spirit Wood to you for one thousand high-grade spirit stones. However, I have one condition."
Ye Bing's expression brightened. "Speak!"
"I have a batch of spirit grass I'd like to cultivate on your island," Song Wen said. "Additionally, I'll need you to assign someone to manage these Spirit Herbs properly."
"What kind of Spirit Herbs?" Ye Bing asked.
"A type called Demon Haze Grass," Song Wen replied. "It's a Spirit Herb highly favored by demon beasts."
"Demon Haze Grass?" Ye Bing's brow furrowed slightly. "Why don't you cultivate it yourself?"
"I don't have a cultivation cave, you see," Song Wen explained. "Besides, I'm alone and don't have anyone skilled in cultivating Spirit Herbs."
Ye Bing sensed something was amiss, but she couldn't immediately pinpoint the problem.
Before she could refuse, Song Wen abruptly changed the subject.
"Immortal Maiden, are there any other small islands nearby suitable for establishing a cultivation cave?"
(End of the Chapter)
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