At the border between the Silvus Kingdom and the Star Luo Empire.
A carriage was speeding along the wide official road, entering the territory of the Star Luo Empire.
It was a spacious and elegant four-horse carriage.
The carriage chassis was made of fine iron, with sixteen thick springs underneath to filter out bumps.
This structure allowed the carriage to remain stable even when traveling on rugged mountain roads, let alone on the smooth official road it was currently on.
The only drawback was that the carriage was too heavy, requiring at least four horses to pull it.
This type of carriage was a masterpiece of the Strength Clan and was quite popular among the affluent in Heaven Dou City.
Before the Strength Clan began assisting Tang San in selling Hidden Weapons, the income from the after-sales maintenance services for these carriages accounted for over 20% of the Strength Clan's total annual income.
After Tang San provided the blueprints for the Hidden Weapon parts, the disciples of the Strength Clan became busy forging them, and most of their previous business was canceled.
The four-horse carriages were naturally no longer manufactured or sold.
However, they dared not cancel the after-sales maintenance services for the four-horse carriages.
This was because the vast majority of officials and dignitaries in Heaven Dou City had purchased these four-horse carriages; if the after-sales maintenance services were canceled, it would offend nearly all the powerful figures in Heaven Dou City.
Scarcity breeds value.
After the Strength Clan stopped manufacturing four-horse carriages, these carriages became a symbol of status in Heaven Dou City.
Custom-made models were even rarer, owned only by a select few nobles and high-ranking officials.
...
Exiting the official road, the carriage drove into the rugged and wild wilderness.
Inside the carriage.
A cool breeze blew, rustling the curtains and lifting the stray hairs on Lin Rong's forehead. He gazed at the distant scenery outside the window, his expression relaxed and natural, appearing comfortable and leisurely.
It had been over a month since he hunted for his second Spirit Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Lin Rong's Soul Power level had reached level twenty-three.
The absorption of the 981-year Kongqing Bamboo Spirit Ring had boosted his Soul Power from level twenty to the peak of level twenty-two.
So, a few days prior, he had broken through to level twenty-three naturally.
Lin Rong had also safely absorbed the head Spirit Bone that the Kongqing Bamboo dropped, which could absorb both space and life energy from the air.
Before absorbing the Spirit Bone, everything had gone according to plan.
First, he had the old butler use Star Power to thoroughly purify the Spirit Bone.
Perhaps it was because Lin Rong had encountered unexpected events during his two Spirit Ring absorptions.
The old butler, still shaken, even used his seventh Spirit Skill, Star Body, to purify this Spirit Bone, ensuring its absolute purity.
When Star Body was activated, all Spirit Skills' power increased by 100%, and Soul Power consumption decreased by 50%, except for the seventh Spirit Skill. However, there was a seven-day cooldown period after its use.
The dense and pure Star Power purified the residual Soul Power of the Spirit Bone almost instantly.
But the old butler remained vigilant, fearing any residual soul from the Kongqing Bamboo in the Spirit Bone. He purified it several more times and only handed it over to Lin Rong after confirming it was clean.
After the old butler finished purifying it, Lin Rong took the Spirit Bone, released his Nine Bend Vine Dragon Martial Soul and Vine Dragon Domain, and used pure life energy to thoroughly refine the Spirit Bone.
Only after completing all these steps did Lin Rong confidently begin absorbing the head Spirit Bone.
During this period, the old butler maintained the Star Body state.
If Lin Rong encountered any unexpected situations, he would immediately exit the Star Body state and use his first Spirit Skill, Falling Star, which had double effects, to heal the young master.
Fortunately, Lin Rong encountered no accidents during the absorption of the Spirit Bone.
This truly allowed the worried old butler to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Grandpa Yu, do you think this trip to the Star Luo Empire will go smoothly?"
In the carriage, Lin Rong leaned on the windowsill and turned to look at the old butler beside him, asking softly.
On a soft cushion on one side of the carriage, the old butler sat, peeling fruit with a small knife.
On the table beside him was a plate of fruit that was almost ready.
Upon hearing Lin Rong's question, the old butler's hands did not stop. He replied in his usual gentle tone:
"Although Bai He is arrogant and stingy, as the patriarch of the Agility Clan and having lived for so many years, he is not someone who doesn't understand the times."
"Moreover, the young master's sincerity this time is full. It's just a ginseng that can only be passed down through generations. Bai He, that old fellow, whether for face or for benefit, will find no reason to refuse."
As he spoke, the old butler finished preparing the fruit plate and handed it to Lin Rong.
"Yes, I hope that old fellow can be sensible, otherwise..."
Lin Rong trailed off, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of fruit to taste.
Although the Sharp-tailed Swift Martial Soul of the Agility Clan had no offensive power, Bai He was, after all, a Soul Douluo.
Even if his Spirit Rings and Spirit Skills did not grant him offensive abilities, his Soul Power of over level eighty was enough for him to easily restrain Lin Rong with one hand.
And because Bai He possessed the greatest speed in the world, even with the old butler by Lin Rong's side, his safety couldn't be absolutely guaranteed.
The item in Bai He's hand, and the subsequent matters concerning the Breaking Clan, were extremely crucial parts of the plan and could not afford any mistakes.
However, one only had one life. Once dead, the externally attached Spirit Bone, Heart of the Banyan Wood, would be passively triggered, activating its Spirit Skill, Flower Transfer, Wood Grafting. It would take a long cooldown period before he'd get a second life to go courting death again.
During this time, if Lin Rong died, he would truly be dead.
This was why Lin Rong was so eager to obtain a Space Spirit Skill to serve as a life-saving trump card.
Only if the Space Spirit Skill was powerful enough would he have the confidence to negotiate a deal with Bai He.
As for encountering the Kongqing Bamboo, that was entirely unexpected.
Although the Spirit Skill he obtained suited Lin Rong's wishes perfectly, if he had to choose again, perhaps...
Alright, after learning about the Spirit Skill the Kongqing Bamboo bestowed upon him, he would still absorb the Kongqing Bamboo's Spirit Ring, but he would have made more preparations beforehand.
After all, he cherished his life, but he still had the courage to take risks.
Because the Green Leaf Mark, this life-saving divine skill, not only gave Lin Rong the confidence to calmly deal with Bai He, but also gave him the confidence to seek out Yang Wudi of the Breaking Clan.
Previously, with only one life, Lin Rong was somewhat hesitant in his actions, and some plans could only be delayed indefinitely without implementation.
But now, with the Green Leaf Mark to save his life, and the Heart of the Banyan Wood's Flower Transfer, Wood Grafting as a backup, what place in this world couldn't he go?
This trip to the Star Luo Empire primarily involved two matters.
Firstly, to seize the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng from Bai He's hand. This item was related to the Martial Soul True Body of his seventh Spirit Ring in the future.
Secondly, to try and trade for the Breaking Clan's medicinal herb illustrated guide from Yang Wudi. This guide recorded the methods for harvesting immortal-grade medicinal herbs.
However, if he could get it on this trip, that would be best. If not, Lin Rong had other methods.
Most importantly, there was another matter that required the help of the Breaking Clan.
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