Alchemist Yi sized up Qin Sang.
Having never exchanged blows with him, one could not tell from Qin Sang's outward appearance whether he had cultivated his body.
He was secretly astonished that the man not only possessed such profound cultivation, but was actually dual-cultivating both magic and body. Such talent was truly remarkable—he had not misjudged him before after all.
Qin Sang knew he could not hide it from Alchemist Yi, so he nodded and said, "I was not originally a body cultivator, but my cultivation reached a bottleneck, and seeing no hope of a breakthrough, I had no choice but to seek other avenues. Trying the path of body refinement was out of sheer desperation, hoping to draw parallels that might prove helpful. Fellow Daoist Yi is truly worthy of being a master alchemist—your knowledge is so vast that you could name the medicinal properties of these spirit herbs right away."
"I merely happened to come across them while looking through ancient records..."
Alchemist Yi simply produced an ancient booklet and handed it to Qin Sang. "See for yourself, Fellow Daoist Qin. Both of these spirit medicines are recorded in this booklet. Among them, the Scorpion Poison Grass harbors virulent poison. Using fierce toxin to temper the body is so overbearing in nature that it rivals or even exceeds the Tyrant Blood Fruit. Both are fierce and reckless remedies; without the suppressive power of the demon race's bloodline, at best one's physical body is crippled, and at worst one dies from the violent poison's backlash. Even human body cultivators cannot lightly ingest them. You had best proceed with great caution, Fellow Daoist."
Qin Sang voiced his thanks, took the booklet, and carefully leafed through it.
While he read, Alchemist Yi added, "In truth, not both of these spirit medicines are strictly demon fruits. Among them, the Green Weed Root has relatively milder potency and is recorded among us humans under the name Hairy Mountain Vine. It can be concocted into a pill that strengthens sinews and bones and increases raw strength, though its value is somewhat mediocre. However, the Green Weed Root certainly has more uses than just that, but only the demon race can fully assimilate it; we lose much of its medicinal efficacy during the concoction process."
The ancient booklet recorded more than just these demon fruits. Qin Sang committed everything to memory and returned it to Alchemist Yi.
"Fellow Daoist Yi, have any of these three spirit medicines ever surfaced in the Canglang Sea in the past?"
Alchemist Yi pondered for a moment and said, "In my memory, two hundred years ago, there truly was a Hairy Mountain Vine—that is, a Green Weed Root—put up for sale at an auction house. It was said that the seller had stumbled across it by chance in the Demon Sea, but it did not fetch a particularly high price. As for who bought it, that is impossible to trace now. That was the only occurrence. As for the Scorpion Poison Grass, I have never once heard of it."
It seemed that gathering all these spirit herbs was no less difficult than locating a site for Star Essence Infusion.
A look of contemplation appeared on Qin Sang's face, and he could only ask Alchemist Yi to keep an eye out for them.
After chatting for a while longer, Qin Sang rose and took his leave.
Afterward, Qin Sang paid visits to the shop owners he was previously acquainted with one by one, not expecting to actually make a breakthrough.
One shop owner told him that someone possessed a fire-attribute top-grade spirit stone, but their conditions for exchange were exceptionally demanding: it had to be a spirit medicine capable of purging fiend demon qi from an origin soul.
If the spirit medicine was of high enough quality, that person was even willing to add an extra sum of lower-grade spirit stones.
Top-grade spirit stones were indeed rare, but for most Core Formation stage cultivators, they were not strictly necessary. Unless one was founding a sect with a formidable mountain-protecting grand formation, top-grade spirit stones were seldom required.
Those who urgently needed top-grade spirit stones like Qin Sang were few and far between.
Meanwhile, spirit medicine capable of purging fiend demon qi was miraculously effective for most human Core Formation experts who had broken through by consuming a fiend demon pill.
Over the years, such spirit herbs had grown increasingly scarce, and their prices had climbed steadily. That person had only a single top-grade spirit stone, so managing to trade it for a stalk of such spirit medicine required waiting for a stroke of luck.
Upon learning this news, Qin Sang recalled that he truly did have a stalk of Jinlan grass in his possession.
He had obtained this stalk of Jinlan grass after killing Du Han in the Western Frontier of the Witch God Continent, and he had never had the chance to dispose of it since. Even though he had been strapped for funds for a time, he would never have exchanged such a treasure for mere money.
Whether such a trade was worthwhile came down entirely to one's own assessment.
Qin Sang was in dire need of top-grade spirit stones, and the Jinlan grass itself was not irreplaceable to him, so he immediately agreed to the exchange and asked the shop owner to contact the seller.
Qin Sang sipped tea in the shop, waiting for a short while before the shop owner ushered someone in.
Seeing the newcomer, Qin Sang was somewhat speechless. Just for a stalk of spirit medicine, this person wore a black robe and a hooded cloak—both treasures capable of masking his aura—making him even more cautious than Qin Sang had been in his earlier days.
"Fellow Daoist possesses Jinlan grass? Is it a fully matured herb?"
The black-robed person's voice was hoarse, clearly disguised as well.
"Indeed!"
Qin Sang wasted no breath on pleasantries, taking out a jade box and presenting it before the black-robed person.
Only after inspecting it with painstaking care did the black-robed person confirm its authenticity, carefully bringing out a mustard seed bag and handing it to Qin Sang.
Qin Sang retrieved the top-grade spirit stone. Instantly, a wave of heat washed over him. Sensing the pure fire-attribute spiritual energy, he beamed with joy and looked toward the black-robed person. "It is indeed a top-grade spirit stone. I wonder if Fellow Daoist has any additional top-grade spirit stones? Any of the five elements will do, and you may name your terms."
"Fellow Daoist is in great need of top-grade spirit stones, I see. Unfortunately, I possess only this single piece. Since you have no objections to this trade, I shall take my leave."
The black-robed person was crisp and decisive, turning around and walking away immediately.
Qin Sang was slightly taken aback. He paid the shop owner his fee and also rose to depart.
By the time he stepped outside, the black-robed person had long vanished without a trace.
'Right now, I only have three top-grade spirit stones in hand. Completely refining the dark iron pillar requires at least four top-grade spirit stones to sustain it, and I must reserve two for the ancient teleportation array. In other words, I still need to find three more to have enough. Fortunately, the elemental attributes do not matter, or it would be even more troublesome.'
Qin Sang pondered as he walked.
Not long after he departed.
Inside a secret chamber within the shop.
The black-robed person had actually returned, idly twirling the Jinlan grass in his hand with an air of complete indifference toward the herb. The shop owner stood respectfully before him, waiting attentively.
"To be willing to part with even such medicine, this person is indeed in desperate need of top-grade spirit stones. I only wonder how large his appetite is..."
The black-robed person remarked flatly.
The shop owner nodded repeatedly. "It is indeed difficult to find top-grade spirit stones nowadays. I heard unrest has broken out in the Demon Sea recently, and the spirit mines that the two races managed to scout with great effort were all seized by the demon race. One can imagine it will only get harder in the future. This man was searching for them before; whether he entered secluded cultivation or traveled abroad, he vanished for a few years and still has not acquired them. This shows he likely does not hail from any major power and is most probably a rogue cultivator, which meets Senior Brother's criteria for recruiting personnel."
"His cultivation is on the lower side, but he should suffice as support. If a few spirit stones are all it takes to enlist him, that is quite fine."
The black-robed person nodded. "The time is not yet ripe. For now, keep him as an alternate candidate; there is no rush to make contact. Continue to keep an eye out for others and recruit more late-stage experts to ensure nothing goes amiss. So long as their demands are not too outrageous, you may promise them whatever they ask. I have come bearing Master's orders, and Eldest Senior Brother will also rush over when the time comes. There is no need to worry about treasures—we will surely be able to satisfy them."
"This..."
The shop owner grimaced. "There really are not many late-stage experts among rogue cultivators; most have already been recruited by the major factions. I can only do my best..."
While they were holding their secret discussion, Qin Sang left the cultivation market. Twisting and turning through the alleys, he arrived at the mortal courtyard he had purchased earlier, only to find a voice transmission talisman trapped within the ward. During the time he had been away, Madam Liu had contacted him.
Chapter 826