"With goods hitting the market in such massive, bulk shipments, the prices of spiritual plants and medicinal herbs have plummeted again and again. There are even rumors that two more grotto-heavens of similar scale are hidden near that wood-attribute spiritual energy grotto-heaven."
Jiao Xiuyuan shook his head and clicked his tongue in dismay.
"Just think about it. You spend over half a year of hard work cultivating spiritual plants and herbs until they finally mature. You harvest them in high spirits, eager to sell them for a handsome price.
"And what happens when you get to the market? Everything has collapsed to dirt-cheap prices. You can't even recoup your costs.
"Who could endure that?
"Under these circumstances, who would bother growing their own? You'd be far better off just honestly buying them off the market!"
Li Fan nodded. "So that's how it is. In that case, buying this Small Medicine King Cauldron would be useless to me.
"No, I won't buy it!" Li Fan added impatiently.
Jiao Xiuyuan hastily tried to dissuade him. "Fellow Daoist, please reconsider! Sure, the prices of spiritual plants and herbs have dropped for now, but what about the future? Will they shoot back up? No one can say for sure!
"A treasure like the Small Medicine King Cauldron is something you can only hope to come across by luck! Once you miss this chance, you won't get another!
"Even if you don't grow herbs, keeping some flowers and common plants at your side is still a fine idea!"
Jiao Xiuyuan brought his eloquence into full play, doing everything he could to persuade him.
"This..." Li Fan seemed slightly swayed.
Striking while the iron was hot, Jiao Xiuyuan pressed his advantage. "Fellow Daoist, you look like a regular customer of Thousand Li Hall. How about this: today, I'll take a loss and hold a blowout sale—buy one, get one free!"
With that, he pulled another small cauldron from who knew where and placed it on the tabletop with a sharp clank.
Looking at the two virtually identical cauldrons, Li Fan could not help eyeing Jiao Xiuyuan with suspicion. "Fellow Daoist, you aren't trying to trick me, are you? Did you really dig these Small Medicine King Cauldrons out of the ruins of the Medicine King Sect?"
Jiao Xiuyuan grew frantic. "They're definitely genuine! The business of Thousand Li Hall extends across the entire cultivation world—how could we ever ruin our own reputation?
"Look, the soil on these hasn't even been wiped clean yet!"
Jiao Xiuyuan patted the two small cauldrons, causing bits of earth to come pattering down.
"Five hundred contribution points, buy one get one free! On this deal, you definitely won't be getting the short end of the stick!"
Seeing Jiao Xiuyuan pat his chest in solemn guarantee, Li Fan pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Forget it. I don't have many contribution points to spare to begin with. I came here today for another matter anyway. I don't have spare money to spend on these Small Medicine King Cauldrons!"
"Wait! If you have business, just tell me! I can offer some advice. After all, you're a valued customer, aren't you?" Seeing Li Fan change his mind, Jiao Xiuyuan grew anxious once more.
Only then did Li Fan explain the reason for his visit.
"Bah, is that all? You're just looking for a place where many cultivators are trying to break through from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment? That's simple! If you buy these two Small Medicine King Cauldrons, I'll throw in the information for free!" Jiao Xiuyuan offered generously.
"Alright, since you put it that way." It was exactly what Li Fan had hoped for. He immediately retrieved five superior spirit stones he had prepared in advance from his storage ring and handed them over.
"Pleasure doing business!" Jiao Xiuyuan put away the spirit stones as if terrified Li Fan might regret it.
Next, he produced a blank jade slip and held it in his hand. After a moment, he handed the slip and the two cauldrons to Li Fan together.
Li Fan stored the Small Medicine King Cauldrons away and skimmed the contents of the jade slip.
"Foundation Establishment Master? Interesting." With his objective accomplished, there was no time to lose; Li Fan prepared to head straight for the destination.
As for the two Small Medicine King Cauldrons, they had only cost five hundred contribution points. Buying them along the way was no great loss. Jiao Xiuyuan had a point—perhaps they might come in handy someday.
After taking a few steps, Li Fan suddenly remembered something.
He turned around, looked closely at Jiao Xiuyuan with a thoughtful gaze, and then quietly departed.
Jiao Xiuyuan paid no heed to Li Fan's behavior, muttering under his breath, "I worked so hard to dig up thirty-six of these cauldrons, and after wasting half the day, I've only sold ten. Truly damn rotten luck..."
...
Southeastern waters of the Congyun Sea.
This stretch of sea was exceptionally desolate. Aside from a nameless islet in the center, there were no other islands for thousands of li around.
The Foundation Establishment Master whom Jiao Xiuyuan spoke of resided on this very island.
Although this person possessed only late Foundation Establishment cultivation, he reportedly had profound comprehension of the breakthrough process, capable of guiding cultivators to shorten the time required to build a foundation.
Many cultivators had come to seek guidance with the attitude of giving it a shot, and to everyone's surprise, it proved remarkably effective.
However, cultivators cared deeply about saving face. After successfully reaching Foundation Establishment, most were unwilling to admit that they had relied on someone else's aid, so they rarely mentioned it to others.
As a result, the Foundation Establishment Master's fame circulated only among a specific circle of people.
Just as Li Fan was rushing toward the island where the Foundation Establishment Master stayed, the sliver of mind he had left on Zhang Haobo sent back a ripple of sensation.
Li Fan's thoughts stirred, and his attention shifted back to Zhang Haobo.
At that moment, the wind and rain had gradually dispersed, and the sky had cleared.
"Wind..."
Zhang Haobo opened his eyes and murmured softly, a storm seemingly gathering within his gaze.
A wisp of breeze drifted past.
"Rain..." Zhang Haobo muttered again.
Pattering raindrops began falling once more from the sky.
"Wind and rain intertwined..."
A sharp glint flashed across Zhang Haobo's eyes, and he let out a low cry.
The gentle wind carried the rain, and the downpour steadily intensified, falling from the sky like a beaded curtain severed from its string.
As rain fell, the wind rose.
The wind howled, growing louder and louder, which in turn drove the rain to pour even harder.
Gradually, clouds from all directions were drawn inward, appearing ready to coalesce into thick storm clouds and unleash a renewed squall.
Gales whipped up terrifying waves that churned without pause, threatening to grow fiercer by the second.
The rain drew strength from the wind, while the wind fed on the fury of the rain.
Circulating in this manner, each amplified the other in an apparently endless cycle.
A brand-new storm was on the verge of being born between heaven and earth.
Yet abruptly, the clouds scattered.
The wind ceased in an instant.
The anomaly vanished without a trace.
Zhang Haobo let out a hearty laugh, then collapsed backward as if utterly drained of strength.
He plummeted from high in the sky into the sea, sending up a tall splash of water, before sinking all the way to the seafloor, every trace of his aura vanishing completely.
...
"Wind and Rain Intertwined..."
Observing everything through Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing, Li Fan could not help admiring the technique in his heart.
Although Zhang Haobo had been unable to fully unleash this divine ability due to exhaustion, its terrifying power once perfected could already be faintly glimpsed.
"I hope you can bring me even more pleasant surprises in the days to come."
Returning his focus to his true body, Li Fan continued onward toward his destination.
Three days later, the island where the Foundation Establishment Master resided came into view in the distance.
There appeared to be only a single, compound-like courtyard built on the island.
Li Fan slowed his flight and landed gently before the courtyard gates.
The main gate stood wide open, where a listless young man leaned lazily against the frame.
He glanced at Li Fan and drawled, "The Master's personal guidance guarantees Foundation Establishment—honest dealings for young and old alike.
"You must provide your own wonder of heaven and earth.
"The price is two thousand contribution points, or the equivalent in spirit stones."
Chapter 113