“Firstly, my 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond needs a pure white or above hetero-spirit root in exchange for it. Secondly, we also must respect the spirit root-dedicating disciple’s wishes that her spirit roots can only be grafted to a female cultivator. As such, no male cultivators will be considered for the spirit union.” The young female cultivator from 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond spoke up in a calm tone.
Ning Cheng coldly stared at this cultivator who said, I want it. It was none other than Desolate Spirit Palace’s Ji Pingzhong. Back then, at the Extraterritorial Spirit Spring, if this fellow hadn’t acted like an obedient grandson, he would have already finished him off.
Ji Pingzhong clasped his fist and didn’t say anything. A black-bearded man beside him laughed, “There is no problem with providing a pure white or above hetero-spirit root for your requirements. My Desolate Spirit Palace has brought a pure white ice-attributed spirit root this time. And it’s also a woman.”
Hearing that it was a pure white ice-attributed spirit root, even Shi Tianhe’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. Although they had mentioned that they needed a different spirit root in exchange, an ice-attributed spirit root was definitely one of the best ones available.
The young woman didn’t say anything but only shifted her gaze to Shi Tianhe, supposedly asking for advice.
Shi Tianhe spoke up in a soft voice, “This disciple is only willing to transfer her spirit roots to a female cultivator……”
Ji Pingzhong stood up and bowed to Shi Tianhe before saying, “Naturally, I will follow this Junior Apprentice Sister’s wishes. After completing the spirit union, I will bring her back to my Desolate Spirit Palace and treat her well.”
Everyone understood Ji Pingzhong’s meaning. That is, to deceive the woman who wants to complete the spirit union. As long as she agreed and gave her consent, would it even matter if the person conducting the spirit union with her was a man or a woman? Besides, once they completed grafting after the spirit union, she wouldn’t immediately die. At the very least, she would have a few years of life left.
Ji Pingzhong wanted to take this woman away after finishing the spirit union using a proxy and then use her as his dao partner. That way, once he took the grafted spirit root from the proxy, the fusion would become even more perfect.
But even though everyone understood what Ji Pingzhong meant, no one felt that it was wrong. Once the grafter completed the spirit union, it was equivalent to signing away their life anyway. Besides, no one would care about a nameless disciple on the verge of death.
The black-bearded man from Desolate Spirit Palace once again spoke up. “In addition to a pure ice-attributed spirit root, my Desolate Spirit Palace is also willing to add three bottles of Desolate Spirit Marrow.”
Hearing the words ‘Desolate Spirit Marrow’, Shi Tianhe’s eyes immediately lit up. Even she couldn’t refuse such a condition. The Desolate Spirit Marrow was a top-notch treasure that only existed in the Desolate Spirit Palace. Moreover, the primary reason why the Desolate Spirit Palace became such a powerhouse was also the result of the Desolate Spirit Marrow.
Any cultivator can use it for spiritual enhancement before reaching Dao Confirming. After using it to undergo spiritual enhancement, the cultivator would experience their dao intent turning purer after proving their dao. In other words, it would enhance that person’s development potential. Plus, after grafting the appropriate spirit roots, the effect of spiritual enhancement using the Desolate Spirit Marrow would increase exponentially. That’s why the Dao Confirming cultivators of Desolate Spirit Palace were all a little stronger than others of the same realm. All because of the Desolate Spirit Marrow.
However, the Desolate Spirit Palace didn’t produce too much of Desolate Spirit Marrow. According to the rumours, they can only make a bottle every few years. It also showed how much they cared about the colourless pure flame-attributed spirit root. Of course, it also had something to do with asking 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond’s help with the spirit union process.
Ning Cheng’s fists clenched tightly, and blue veins started to pop out of his forehead. He should have finished off Ji Pingzhong earlier. He shouldn’t have waited until today. But unfortunately, that black-bearded man also cared too much about Ji Pingzhong, which meant that Ji Pingzhong’s status in Desolate Spirit Palace was quite extraordinary.
Although he felt furious to the extreme, Ning Cheng didn’t dare make any moves right now. He knew that it would mean death without burial if he dared to act even the slightest bit rashly.
Desolate Spirit Palace had come up with such conditions. Therefore, although the other sects wanted the colourless pure fire-attributed spirit root, they knew it would be unrealistic. Consequently, they could only seek to trade the other two pure white spirit roots. Besides, the Desolate Spirit Palace’s actions showed that they wanted the spirit union no matter what, which meant that the person they wanted to transfer the spirit root to wasn’t a weakling.
……
With the exchange growing more and more heated, Ning Cheng could no longer sit still. He knew once both sides agreed, they would immediately start the spirit union process. In other words, he had to take away Yan Ji before the grafting of the spirit roots began.
No longer caring about being discovered by others, Ning Cheng slowly walked out of the great hall.
This time, there were many visitors to the 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond’s grand ceremony. Fortunately, some of them also walked out of the main hall to tour around the 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond. Besides, it wasn’t a strange thing to step out. It would only be odd if you came out and didn’t return for a long time. Once they discovered it, people would definitely investigate.
Ning Cheng’s spiritual consciousness had long since noticed the several disciples guarding the exits of 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond’s ceremonial hall. Walking out was one thing, but walking out undetected by these disciples would be almost impossible.
Therefore, once Ning Cheng decided to head out, he used a stealth technique. He understood that what he was doing was risky and potentially life-threatening, as he never studied stealth techniques. However, he cultivated the Mysterious Yellow Formless. Meaning, his stealth technique should be stronger than the ones used by ordinary Eternal cultivators. But it definitely couldn’t evade the spiritual consciousness of powerful experts.
Luckily, among the disciples guarding the exits, the strongest one was only a half-step Dao Sculpting cultivator. It bolstered Ning Cheng’s confidence to risk his chances. If he didn’t know about Yan Ji, he wouldn’t have dared to do such a thing. But now, even if people did discover him, he still would risk it. Especially since people want to use Yan Ji for spirit grafting.
The ‘exchange’ in the ceremonial hall had started to peak. Therefore, not many people paid attention to Ning Cheng as he walked out.
Taking advantage of the temporary distraction, he immediately cast the stealth technique and walked out of the seating area. He made sure that he wasn’t too far from a half-step Dao Sculpting and an Eternal female cultivator talking with their backs to him.
Seeing no reaction, Ning Cheng felt happy. He believed that with his stealth technique, as long as he remained careful and didn’t cause any fluctuations, he would have no problems avoiding these two. As for the two more Eternal cultivators a little further away, Ning Cheng didn’t care about them.
Just as Ning Cheng bypassed the two talking women, the half-step Dao Sculpting cultivator suddenly frowned. Then, a moment later, her gaze and spiritual consciousness swept towards Ning Cheng.
Did they discover me? The thought had just risen in Ning Cheng’s mind when a violent explosion erupted in the distance. Immediately afterwards, a terrifyingly powerful spirit essence ravaged the area. It felt as if this explosion would completely swallow up this area.
Just after this explosive sound, another horrifying shockwave of clashing spirit essence emerged.
The half-step Dao Sculpting cultivator no longer cared about the spacial disturbance in front of her, and her spiritual consciousness immediately swept towards the place of explosion.
Ning Cheng quickly took this opportunity to activate his Twin Wings of the Heavenly Clouds and left instantly. However, he couldn’t help but curse in his heart. This was definitely the work of that woman, Ruo Xi. Someone had definitely discovered that woman, and she then started a fight with the cultivators of 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond.
No sooner had Ning Cheng left the area when Shi Tianhe’s figure rushed in from the ceremonial hall and disappeared in a flash.
However, Ning Cheng sighed with relief. Fortunately, because of Ruo Xi’s movements, no one took into account Ning Cheng’s actions. But again, because of her actions, his chances of retrieving Yan Ji had become even slimmer.
Once 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond couldn’t find Ruo Xi, they would definitely launch a huge search. But since Ruo Xi was a Dao Essence Holy Emperor, it would be a strange matter if she could be found in a short time. However, he was different, just a tiny Eternal cultivator. Within the 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond, he truly was an ant.
Ning Cheng immediately picked the opposite direction and carefully moved, still under stealth.
After turning through several corners, what appeared in front of Ning Cheng was a residential complex.
“Boom….” Suddenly, an even more terrifying spirit essence explosion resounded somewhere behind Ning Cheng. The mighty spirit essence fluctuation even made Ning Cheng’s heart palpitate.
If it was possible to break into a cussing fit, Ning Cheng would have already started yelling a long time ago. There were plenty of other places that this woman, Ruo Xi, couldn’t run to, but she had to run towards him.
He had deliberately chosen the opposite direction from the battle. Yet, he never thought that the aftershocks could still affect him. With his current speed, he definitely can’t outrun those Dao Essence powerhouses.
Sensing the violent fluctuations of the battle getting closer and closer, Ning Cheng sped up and turned into one of the rooms at the far corner.
He didn’t dare to set up a restriction outside. But it was always possible to enter a room and activate the restrictions from inside, right? These rooms, most likely, were areas where the inner disciples of the 9-Revolution Sacred Dao Pond lived. Meaning, the disciples must have set up their own restrictions on the doors. Therefore, it wouldn’t be out of place for him to activate or even set up a forbidden restriction in the room.
“Huh, you?” Shui Yueke, who unexpectedly was in the room, stared at Ning Cheng and asked in surprise.
“You know me?” Ning Cheng subconsciously touched his face. Didn’t he disguise himself? Ning Cheng honestly didn’t think he would have such bad luck. He had chosen a room at random to escape from detection. Yet, it just had to be Shui Yueke’s room.
Shui Yueke nodded, “Of course, I know you. You are a guest in the celebratory hall. With a full beard, it isn’t hard to recognise you. I noticed you as soon as I entered.”
As Shui Yueke spoke, she had already taken out a jade token. As long as she crushed the jade token, Ning Cheng, no matter what he had changed into, wouldn’t be able to get away.
“Wait-wait… Peng Shan and I are friends.” When Ning Cheng saw Shui Yueke about to crush the jade token, he hurriedly called out. In case Shui Yueke truly called someone over, he would be dead.
“Peng Shan? What does it matter to me if you and Peng Shan are friends?” Although her mouth said those words, Shui Yueke didn’t continue crushing the jade token.
Ning Cheng cheekily said, “I know that you and Peng Shan have some secrets. Peng Shan’s Law Soil, you can credit it to me.”
“Law Soil? What secrets do I have with Peng Shan?” Shui Yueke looked at Ning Cheng in confusion. Her reaction indicated that she had no idea about this matter.
Ning Cheng cursed at Peng Shan in his heart. This fellow looked innocent, but surprisingly, he was also a master who liked the new and loathed the old. Peng Shan had obviously used the Law Soil to get a woman’s attention, and now Peng Shan came here to please Shui Yueke. Of course, it would be fine if he looked as handsome and extraordinary as Ying Yongxuan, but the key here was that he was like a little Baijie[1].
However, when Ning Cheng thought back to how Baijie was also seen as the dream lover of many beautiful women on Earth, it didn’t feel much out of place.
“No matter if the person making the noise outside is with you or not, you should leave now. I will pretend that I didn’t see you. Otherwise, I will have to call someone.” Shui Yueke’s face was icy cold, and her tone wasn’t even half polite.
Ning Cheng thought to himself that even if she didn’t call out now, he would still be looking at death. But he still quickly spoke up, “Even if you don’t give Peng Shan any face, you can at least let me hide a bit. Especially since I helped you get the sixth stone gate at the Extraterritorial Spirit Spring.”
“The sixth stone door?” Shui Yueke’s pupils immediately narrowed. She even stared at Ning Cheng, “Who the hell are you?”
Ning Cheng took out his spear and casually cast a few spear traces. “I once disguised myself as Ji He. So tell me, do I get some credit that you obtained the sixth stone gate?”
When Shui Yueke saw Ning Cheng bring out his spear, she instinctively raised her hand, and a pale white light emerged. But then, when she heard Ning Cheng talk about Ji He, she let go of it, and the faint white light disappeared. In its place, a shocked expression appeared on her face as she looked at Ning Cheng, “You said you are Ji He, the one who took the first stone gate at the Extraterritorial Spirit Spring?”
Without waiting for Ning Cheng to answer, she answered her question herself, “Yes, you’re right. You are indeed Ji He.”
Shrill whistling sounds and violent spacial fluctuations kept coming from somewhere not too far away. It made Ning Cheng feel even more anxious with each passing moment. Shui Yueke wasn’t in a hurry, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t.
[1] ‘Baijie’ here refers to Zhu Baijie, a character in Journey to the West with pig-like characteristics and armed with a muck-rake. It’s also transliterated into Pigsy in Arthur Walley’s translation of the Journey to the West.
