Tiandu Rock

After Granny Jing left, Qin Sang went out after all, heading straight for the major commerce guilds. Making the rounds, he also met with Yunyouzi once, returning to Che Yutao's residence only at daybreak. Qin Sang was contacting various commerce guilds to spread word that he possessed a Ziwei Secret Talisman and was prepared to part with it. With Dongyang Bo leading the way, this Ziwei Secret Talisman was no longer needed. He had obtained two Ziwei Secret Talismans, yet neither had ended up being of use to him. With less than half a year left until Ziwei Palace opened, the sooner he put the word out, the better his chances of exchanging it for the items he desired. Those vying for the Ziwei Secret Talismans were essentially all Core Formation masters. Qin Sang had checked the winning bids from several auctions of the talismans during this period, giving him a rough idea of their value. The exchange conditions he set were one piece of Tiandu Rock plus one Everlasting Camphor plant. Back at the Yinshan Pass auction, when the very first Ziwei Secret Talisman surfaced, the mysterious Golden Core cultivator had demanded a magic treasure. That had merely been an exorbitant opening bid to draw eyes, and the final hammer price had actually been far lower. Sect cultivators backed by Nascent Soul patriarchs had no need for Ziwei Secret Talismans. Meanwhile, small sects and rogue cultivators were not necessarily willing to pay such a steep price to gamble on an ephemeral hope, especially when it meant risking their lives in a perilous place fraught with danger. Even asking only for these two spiritual materials left Qin Sang feeling somewhat uncertain, unsure whether an exchange could really be made. Having spread the word, Qin Sang settled his mind and meditated in Che Yutao's residence. First, he subdued the fierce soul in the Xuanwu Beast Seal, and then devoted his full efforts to helping the Flying Yaksha heal. Time flew, and over four months passed in the blink of an eye. Since spreading word of the Ziwei Secret Talisman, Qin Sang had met with a few interested parties, but none of the talks had borne fruit. To his disappointment, there was still no word of either Tiandu Rock or Everlasting Camphor. Otherwise, he certainly would have found a way to buy them. The moon hung high in the sky. The residence was exceptionally quiet, moonlight pouring into the central courtyard like water. With little time remaining, Qiu Mubai and the others were all putting everything into taming their fierce souls. Qin Sang was contemplating the insights on artifact crafting that Shopkeeper Wu had given him when his heart suddenly stirred. Glancing down at the jade pendant on his waist, he saw it flickering with a faint, dusky-azure glow. This messaging jade pendant had been given to him by Taiyi Elixir Pavilion. Its effective range was short, barely usable within the city. Seeing the anomaly on the jade pendant, Qin Sang beamed with delight. He rose to his feet, slipped out of Che Yutao's residence, found a secluded spot to don a mask, and hurried toward Taiyi Elixir Pavilion. "Daoist Qingfeng is here!" A clerk was already waiting outside Taiyi Elixir Pavilion. Seeing Qin Sang arrive, the clerk immediately led him toward a quiet chamber, explaining in a low whisper, "Daoist, a quarter of an hour ago, a senior came by saying he has news of Tiandu Rock and Everlasting Camphor and wishes to trade for the Ziwei Secret Talisman. He requested your presence for a meeting." "Only news, not the actual items?" Qin Sang paused mid-stride, his brow furrowing as he asked. "He wasn't clear on that," the clerk shook his head. "That senior refused to show his hand, insisting on seeing you and the Ziwei Secret Talisman in person before talking face-to-face. He didn't conceal his identity—he is Old Man Eight Swords, the sect master of the Wind Sword Sect. He likely wouldn't deceive us with empty words." "He has news of both?" "He claimed to have both." ... Qin Sang nodded slightly, recalling what he knew of the Wind Sword Sect. The Wind Sword Sect had once been a powerful sect akin to the Eight Righteous Sects, but after the Nascent Soul patriarch of that generation passed away, a dearth of successors led to its gradual decline. Now it was merely a negligible minor sect, though its sect master, Old Man Eight Swords, enjoyed some renown. It was said that his lifebound flying sword could split into eight, and his sword techniques were exquisite. However, he was advanced in years and had only reached the early Core Formation stage, far from a leader capable of restoring the sect to past glory. The Wind Sword Sect was also renowned for the sword path, yet unlike Shaohua Mountain, its disciples were genuine sword cultivators who lived by the creed of taking things head-on rather than scheming through crooked ways. Old Man Eight Swords would surely care about his sect's reputation. The Wind Sword Sect was now attached to the Yuling Sect, and its disciples mostly operated at Jiuyou Pass. For him to travel all this way, it certainly was not just to toy with someone. Thinking this, Qin Sang felt slightly reassured. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, finding a scholar in his fifties with a goatee seated in the room, accompanied by a steward of Taiyi Elixir Pavilion. "Forgive me for keeping you waiting, Senior," Qin Sang cupped his hands and said with an apologetic tone. Old Man Eight Swords put on no airs of a Golden Core cultivator, immediately rising to greet him. Seeing Qin Sang masked, he took no offense, smiling warmly. "It is I who have troubled you, Daoist. Please, take a seat." With the steward of Taiyi Elixir Pavilion acting as a witness, the two sat across from each other. After exchanging brief pleasantries, they got straight to the point. "Please take a look, Senior." Not worried about the treasure being seized, Qin Sang produced the Ziwei Secret Talisman directly and handed it over for Old Man Eight Swords to examine. The talisman was easy to verify. Upon seeing the phantom image of Ziwei Palace, Old Man Eight Swords returned the talisman to Qin Sang. After a moment's contemplation, he said, "Daoist Qingfeng, must this item only be exchanged for Tiandu Rock and Everlasting Camphor?" Here came the crux of the matter. Qin Sang said in a deep voice, "Indeed. Junior is currently gathering materials to craft a magic treasure, and these two are the hardest to come by." Old Man Eight Swords looked up at Qin Sang, his tone suddenly shifting. "If my eyes do not deceive me, you have not yet achieved Core Formation, Daoist?" Qin Sang smiled and countered, "Junior's cultivation shouldn't hinder our transaction, should it?" "Not at all, not at all," Old Man Eight Swords shook his head repeatedly. "To be frank with you, Daoist, I only possess a piece of Tiandu Rock. However, in place of the Everlasting Camphor, I am willing to offer a spiritual item that aids Core Formation. It ranks as a mid-tier aid. What do you think, Daoist?" With that, Old Man Eight Swords took out an inkstone-shaped stone and placed it before Qin Sang. The Tiandu Rock was pitch-black throughout and exceptionally fine in texture, its surface gleaming with a peculiar luster, while cloud-like grey patterns flickered faintly across it—truly extraordinary. Having confirmed that the inkstone was genuine Tiandu Rock, Qin Sang felt a surge of joy. After waiting so long, he had finally laid eyes on one of them. Still, trading the Ziwei Secret Talisman for just a single piece of Tiandu Rock left Qin Sang quite dissatisfied. Maintaining an impassive expression, he slowly shook his head and said, "Truth be told, Senior, Junior has absolute confidence in achieving Core Formation. Spiritual items that aid Core Formation are of little use to me." Old Man Eight Swords gave him an astonished look, likely having never met someone so arrogant. Furrowing his brows in thought, he said, "Daoist, have you inquired about the market? The highest price fetched by any of these Ziwei Secret Talismans was merely three fist-sized chunks of Star Sand Steel. Asking such a steep price with zero room for compromise will never get you what you want. How about this..." Old Man Eight Swords adopted a grave demeanor. "I don't have an Everlasting Camphor, but I once learned from a jade slip found in a secret realm that where this tree grows, it often attracts a certain companion demonic beast. I will give you that jade slip, and you can follow the clues to find the Everlasting Camphor. Wouldn't that be better than groping in the dark and relying on sheer luck?"