Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 526 - 521: The Lion Opens Its Mouth Wide, Action Begins_1
Jia Ren had just left the cave dwelling when a sound of deep sorrow reached his ears.
The Deputy Sect Master of the Lingbao Sect, Cloud Tiger, wore an expression of sorrow and grief.
The second Nascent Soul Stage Elder’s attempt to ascend to the Mahayana Realm had failed, leaving the Lingbao Sect with few opportunities left.
The "Fire-Seed Plan" was a last resort, and the Lingbao Sect was about to reach the end of its path...
Cultivators of the Lingbao Sect received the news, left their cave dwellings, and looked towards the firmament.
A corpse wearing a golden Taoist robe was lifted by an invisible force and flew toward the high skies of the Second Spirit Treasure Sect.
The Transmission Light brightened, and the corpse vanished into thin air.
Dust to dust, earth to earth.
The Third Elder had perished, his Dao extinguished. The news needed to be reported back to the Lingbao Sect, and his body was to return to his homeland.
Cloud Tiger scanned the faces of the disciples below without a word, then disappeared.
A heavy pressure lingered in everyone’s hearts, leaving them with long-lasting unrest.
It was because others bore the weight on their behalf that they could enjoy the peace of their days.
If no one stood tall when the sky fell, it would be their turn to become the pioneers of the sect, to rebuild the Lingbao Sect.
They had anticipated this day, which arrived even faster than they had imagined.
Jia Ren returned to the cave dwelling and informed Yan Liu.
Before long, Yan Liu appeared outside the cave dwelling.
"Have you found the Xuling Flower?"
Long before refining the Virtual Spirit Pill, the Second Nascent Soul had asked Yan Liu to keep an eye out for the Xuling Flower on his behalf.
To this day, there was still no news.
"I just got word that Senior Brother Wu Yuan unexpectedly acquired a Xuling Flower, but he isn’t inclined to make a trade. I’ve visited him several times and have been turned away each time."
Senior Brother Wu Yuan?
Jia Ren was no stranger to this name, previously second in the Combat Law Sequence.
He had ascended to the Lianxu Stage with Ji Ning, and now ranked thirteenth in the Lianxu Stage Combat Law Sequence.
The Spirit Treasure Fire-Seeds who had come with them to the Lianxu Stage numbered seven from the Lingbao Sect and four from the Second Spirit Treasure Sect, totaling eleven. Including Ji Ning and Wu Yuan, there were thirteen Void Refining Stage Cultivators in total.
These were the cultivators listed in the Lianxu Stage Combat Law Sequence, excluding the Artifact Refiners and Lianxu Stage stewards.
Among the cultivators who had collectively ascended with Ji Ning, another one had perished, leaving only two who had not yet managed to ascend.
Jue Wushuang and other Spirit Treasure Fire-Seeds had secluded themselves to advance to the Lianxu Stage; perhaps because too little time had passed, there had yet to be any movement.
The thirteenth rank symbolized being at the bottom. This was far behind Ji Ning, who had just ascended to the Lianxu Stage and was already ranked third in the sequence.
The first two were Late Stage of Void Refinement cultivators who overwhelmed others by leveraging their realm and seizing control of nature’s spiritual energy.
"I’ll meet him in person."
Jia Ren’s face showed a smile upon hearing the news about the Xuling Flower.
With more Virtual Spirit Pills, there was a greater and safer chance of stealing the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast Cub.
The latter part was particularly important.
Jia Ren had been holding back from acting, all to ensure his safety.
To try to snatch a cub from the jaws of a Seventh-order Magical Beast was akin to taking food from a tiger’s mouth.
Having a few more Virtual Spirit Pills meant greater security for himself.
Guided by Yan Liu, Jia Ren made his way toward Senior Brother Wu Yuan’s cave dwelling.
Their timing was perfect; Wu Yuan was just about to leave his cave dwelling when he saw Jia Ren and Yan Liu arriving and couldn’t help but show a hint of a smile.
"Greetings, Vice Hall Master Jia."
Both he and Jia Ren were Void Refining Stage Cultivators, but the difference in their status and identity was substantial.
One was a cultivator in the Combat Law Sequence, the other a Heaven-reaching Refiner.
Only if Wu Yuan advanced to the Body Integration Realm could he be on equal footing with Jia Ren.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Wu."
Wu Yuan waved his hand and said, "I am not deserving of the title ’Senior Brother,’ Vice Hall Master Jia. Have you come for the Xuling Flower?"
Jia Ren’s cooperation with Yan Liu was not a secret; moreover, Yan Liu had already mentioned Jia Ren’s name when he sought to exchange for the Xuling Flower.
"Indeed, Senior Brother Wu. Would you be willing to part with it?"
Wu Yuan’s smile was radiant as he replied, "Since Vice Hall Master Jia has asked, naturally I should give you face."
"My request is... the Birthless Killing Sword."
As he finished speaking, his eyes flashed with a trace of keen light.
While the Xuling Flower couldn’t compare to Heavenly Spirit Material, it was still an extremely precious item.
Using a Xuling Flower to help Wu Yuan refine the Birthless Killing Sword was a loss, but it was marginally acceptable.
The Xuling Flower was something Jia Ren desired, and the Virtual Spirit Pills refined from it would enhance his ability to survive.
"As long as you prepare the Heavenly Spirit Material required to refine the Birthless Killing Sword, I can help you refine it," Jia Ren pondered for a moment before agreeing.
Wu Yuan shook his head and said, "No, Vice Hall Master Jia, you’ve misunderstood. I want you to trade the Birthless Killing Sword for the Xuling Flower."
"The next Heavenly Spirit Material you exchange for will be the Extinction Demon Jade. I can help you prepare the other auxiliary materials to refine it into the Birthless Killing Sword, and then I will give you the Xuling Flower. How about it?"
Jia Ren’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
This guy is seriously overreaching, demanding an exorbitant price.
The Xuling Flower couldn’t compare to a single piece of Heavenly Spirit Material, let alone the Birthless Killing Sword that would be crafted from Heavenly Spirit Material through his own hands!
The value of the two was not on the same level!
"Since you have no sincere intention of trading, let’s call off the deal."
Jia Ren decisively left with a flick of his sleeve.
This guy actually had the audacity to ask for the moon?!
"Hall Master Jia, if you miss this opportunity, this Xuling Flower will soon be refined into an elixir."
Upon seeing Jia Ren leave, Wu Yuan couldn’t help but call out a reminder from behind him.
Jia Ren did not look back from beginning to end; only a fool would agree to such a losing deal.
As he was leaving, he recalled the elixirs that could be refined from the Xuling Flower—apart from the Returning Void Pill, it was the Virtual Spirit Pill.
Although the Virtual Spirit Pill was precious, it wasn’t enough to justify Wu Yuan’s astronomical asking price.
Could he be harboring the same idea I am?
The transaction having failed, Wu Yuan was not annoyed and headed straight for the Alchemy Hall.
The Alchemy Hall of the Second Spirit Treasure Sect housed alchemists trained by the sect. Although their skill level was not as high as that of the Lingbao Sect, it was not bad.
"I’ve found the Xuling Flower. Help me refine it into a Virtual Spirit Pill," Wu Yuan said as he handed the Xuling Flower to an Alchemist; the two had communicated beforehand, so this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.
"Leave it to this old man. I’ll refine the Virtual Spirit Pill within ten years."
"Refining Heavenly Earth Elixirs is quite difficult. I cannot guarantee success with this pill, and there will be no compensation if the refinement fails."
The Alchemist spoke with an air of aged authority, his gaze sweeping over Wu Yuan.
Wu Yuan sighed, recalling the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast cub he had seen, and muttered, "I shall rely on your venerable efforts. Success or failure, we shall leave it to fate."
Fifty years ago, in the Source Treasure Cave Heaven, he had accidentally discovered an Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast cub.
His information was more reliable than Jia Ren’s; he had already learned about the cub born to two Seventh-order Magical Beasts. Its talents were bound to be extraordinary.
Not to mention anything else, reaching the Seventh-order was almost certain.
Eighth-order Magical Beasts on par with the Mahayana Realm were exceedingly rare, almost extinct. Therefore, encountering a Seventh-order Magical Beast cub was an immense stroke of luck.
Want to snatch the cub from the jaws of two Seventh-order Magical Beasts? Wouldn’t that be like courting a swift death?
Wu Yuan was fortunate; not long ago, he had stumbled upon a Xuling Flower. With the power of the Virtual Spirit Pill, it wouldn’t be difficult to lure away the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast cub.
This was also why he had made such extravagant demands when Jia Ren came to trade for the Xuling Flower.
The value of the Xuling Flower he was asked to trade was mentally compounded by... the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast cub, setting a different psychological expectation.
Without a big enough benefit, why would he ’give up’ the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast cub?
Having failed to exchange for the Birthless Killing Sword, he proceeded with the original Virtual Spirit Pill plan.
Wu Yuan wasn’t aware that Jia Ren had come to exchange for the Xuling Flower with the same idea in mind, also aiming to spirit away the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast cub.
By the time his Virtual Spirit Pill is refined, it will be too late.
Jia Ren’s attempt to trade for the Xuling Flower had failed. Suspecting Wu Yuan was also after the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast, he decided to act decisively to prevent any further complications.
He sent Yan Liu away and took out the Bewildering Spirit Bead from his cave.
His Mirror Flower Divine Moon technique might not fool the Seventh-order Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast, but having the Bewildering Spirit Bead would be more foolproof.
Abandon plan one, let’s use the Virtual Spirit Pill instead!
The two Seventh-order Magical Beasts were too dangerous. The First-Generation Absolute Gold Puppet plan to lure the snake out of its hole—what if it only attracted one Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast?
If the Absolute Gold Puppet was destroyed and he failed to smoothly abduct the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast cub, the scheme would backfire, a case of trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice.
Besides, while the combination of the Bewildering Spirit Bead and Mirror Flower Divine Moon was excellent—this technique could fool a Nascent Soul period cultivator, preventing them from detecting his true realm, something he had confirmed on Ancestor Ji Kong—
But... who could guarantee that the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast didn’t have an innate divine ability to see through his disguise?
Wouldn’t that be like walking into the tiger’s den?
There was only one Virtual Spirit Pill. However, Wu Yuan finding one flower indicated that there was more than one in the Source Treasure Cave Heaven.
He could always find a way to seek out another Virtual Spirit Pill later.
Jia Ren quietly left the Second Spirit Treasure Sect without drawing any attention, stealthily heading towards the great forest of the Source Treasure Cave Heaven.
With the Five Metals Divine Escape deployed, his escape speed was astonishing, each transition covering distances far greater than before.
This was the first time he had fully utilized the power of the Lianxu Stage since his advancement.
According to the map he had drawn before, he avoided a few powerful magical beasts and arrived ten thousand li from the watering hole of the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast.
Jia Ren activated the Demon-Spotting Talisman to check for any residual deep black auras, to avoid a direct confrontation.
He slowed his pace, inching closer to the watering hole where the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast resided.
Finally, at three thousand li, he saw the familiar black aura.
His true self was at a higher realm than the Second Nascent Soul, so the Demon-Spotting Talisman perceived the magical beast’s aura differently.
The aura of the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast was black, not deep black.
The actual difference wasn’t significant; a Seventh-order Magical Beast was not an opponent he could contend with.
Along the way, Jia Ren left behind metal pieces. With a mere thought, he could trigger the Five Metals Divine Escape to relocate.
Once everything was ready, he used Mirror Flower Divine Moon to change his appearance, transforming into a wolf-shaped magical beast.
The Bewildering Spirit Bead emitted a purple glow, and ripples like water shimmered around him, making his figure vanish from the spot.
Whether through Heart-Mind Sensing or divine sense exploration, not even a trace of him could be detected.
Still, Jia Ren dared not be the slightest bit negligent; he took out the Virtual Spirit Pill and placed it in his mouth in advance.
The pill was set with a probing restriction. With just a thought, he could release the restriction, absorb the medicinal power of the Virtual Spirit Pill, and turn himself into a state of non-existence.
He continued to draw closer to the watering hole of the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast without using the Virtual Spirit Pill yet.
This was to ascertain whether the Bewildering Spirit Bead combined with Mirror Flower Water Moon could fool the Seventh-order Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast. Besides, there was an even more crucial point.
After consuming the Virtual Spirit Pill, he could not recklessly use divine skills or secret techniques. Otherwise, his true self would manifest from nothingness.
If he consumed the Virtual Spirit Pill too early, its efficacy would be too short—stealing the Aquamarine Gold-Eyed Beast cub might be easy, but escape would be difficult.
