txolops Chapter 63 Ordering Crab-type Monsters
Chapter 63 Ordering Crab-type Monsters
The next day, as dawn broke, the morning mist had not yet dissipated.
Holding a jade restriction token, Fan Jingmei calmly walked through the layers of illusion array barriers outside the cave.
The formation was set up by Han Xiaoliu herself. Ordinary cultivators would be drawn into the formation if they approached within a hundred feet and could not advance an inch, but she moved as if she were in an empty place, her clothes were not disheveled and her expression was calm.
In the courtyard, Lu Xueqi was already waiting. When she saw the person arrive, she called out "Senior!" in a cheerful voice and skipped ahead to lead the way.
Before long, the two arrived at the main hall.
Han Xiaoliu leaned back on the rosewood couch, toying with a jade slip with thunder patterns in his hand. When he saw someone enter, he lazily raised his eyes and slightly raised the corners of his lips: "Left Envoy Fan, you've come quickly."
Fan Jingmei dared not be negligent, and respectfully bowed. With a slight wave of her sleeve, two sandalwood boxes landed steadily on the table, making a soft "thump" sound.
"Young Master, here are the things you requested." She pointed to the first wooden box, her tone solemn. "The complete 'Eight Sounds of the Heavenly Demon' is a secret manual passed down through the Myriad Sounds Sect. Theoretically, it can be cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage. Although no one has broken through to the Nascent Soul stage with this technique for thousands of years, the methods for crafting the eight types of musical instruments and magical artifacts contained within are extremely complete, along with the methods for crafting three matching natal magic treasures... Unfortunately, the main materials required have long since disappeared in the Chaotic Star Sea. However, with your abilities, Young Master, you may be able to find something else to replace them."
She paused, then added with a smile, "This was a personal gift from the sect leader's wife, wishing us a pleasant cooperation."
Han Xiaoliu casually flipped through the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, but he didn't say much, only nodded slightly.
Seeing this, Fan Jingmei felt somewhat relieved and immediately opened the second wooden box—
In an instant, a pale white arc of electricity crackled and exploded! Inside the box lay a three-inch-long piece of spirit bamboo, its entire body bluish-purple with golden lightning patterns floating on its surface. A faint sound of thunder emanated from within, as if sealing away a storm.
"Thunder Bamboo!" Han Xiaoliu's eyes lit up. He picked up the bamboo and touched it with his fingertips. A warm yet violent thunder spirit power surged into his meridians along his arm, causing his dantian to tremble slightly.
He couldn't help but chuckle, "Good! Good! Good! This is one of the three great divine trees in the cultivation world, the Golden Thunder Bamboo, which takes ten thousand years to mature. It can ward off evil divine thunder and is especially effective against demonic and ghostly cultivators! A truly excellent item!"
He already had a blueprint in mind:
If this bamboo is accelerated to maturity for ten thousand years using the small green bottle, it will transform into Golden Thunder Bamboo, which can then be used to reforge seventy-two Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords!
It should be noted that when Han Li was in the human realm, this sword was already capable of forming the Great Geng Sword Formation, allowing him to kill Nascent Soul cultivators even when they were of a higher level.
Upon ascending to the Spirit Realm, he will be tempered in the Golden Thunder Bamboo using the "Sword Planting Technique" and awaken the "Sword Spirit Transformation" supernatural power.
Re-entering the Immortal Realm, he fused with Huwen Refined Gold and Langxian Cloud Stone, absorbed the essence of ten thousand swords in the Sea of Lifeless Swords, and absorbed the laws of lightning in the Soul Cleansing Pool...
It will eventually transform into a fifth-grade "law immortal artifact", and even give birth to the Xuan Tian Sword Spirit, forming the Tongtian Sword Formation, slaying immortals and cutting down the Dao!
Now, this first step has finally fallen into his hands!
Satisfied, Han Xiaoliu flicked his sleeve, and a simple wooden box appeared out of thin air, slowly floating to Fan Jingmei's front and opening automatically with a "click".
Inside the box, two spiritual herbs lay quietly—their roots coiled like dragon whiskers, their leaves shimmered with a faint golden glow, and their fragrance was as clear and refreshing as a spring, causing the concentration of spiritual energy in the entire room to increase by 30%!
"A thousand... a thousand-year-old elixir?!" Fan Jingmei's pupils shrank suddenly, and she exclaimed in shock, her voice trembling.
In the Chaotic Star Sea, how rare are thousand-year-old spiritual herbs? An ordinary Core Formation cultivator might not even see one in his entire life! Even a Nascent Soul old monster would have to spend all his wealth to even dare to inquire about them.
But this "Young Master Han" casually gave away two plants, as if rewarding a child with candy!
Her heart pounded, her palms sweated, and she could hardly believe her eyes.
Han Xiaoliu waved his hand, his expression nonchalant: "Calm down. This is just an ordinary thousand-year-old spiritual herb. There will only be more in the future. However, how to sell it is up to you to figure out. Don't reveal my identity too soon!"
What he didn't say was that these elixirs came from the "Dreamlike Minor Realms".
In that secret realm, the summoned spirits gathered day and night, bringing back hundreds of plants in just over ten days. Once one batch was used up, they could simply go back in to get more, without feeling any remorse.
Suppressing her shock, Fan Jingmei carefully put away the wooden box, took the shopping list handed to her by Han Xiaoliu, and said goodbye before leaving.
Even after walking a hundred feet out of the cave, she couldn't help but glance back at the mist-shrouded courtyard, her heart churning with turmoil:
"This person is barely twenty years old... He doesn't even care about the 'Eight Sounds of the Heavenly Demon' treasured by the Wonderful Sound Sect! Could it be... that he has been possessed by some powerful being? Otherwise, how could he have such profound knowledge?"
The more she thought about it, the more a chill ran down her spine, yet she also felt a hidden excitement—
To be able to establish a connection with such a figure... the Miaoyin Sect is likely to rise to the top in one fell swoop!
In the courtyard, Han Xiaoliu sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, holding the Thunder Bamboo in his palm. Lightning flickered around him, and a smile that no one could see played on his lips.
A few days later, a notice from Miaoyin Pavilion shook the market—
"Starting today, we are buying materials from fourth-tier and above demonic beasts at high prices! Bounties are offered for crab-type demonic beasts: Crimson Claw Ironclad Crab, Thunder-Patterned Giant Claw Crab, Netherworld Cold Pool Crab… Anyone who offers the specified species will receive double the spirit stones, plus a Foundation Establishment Pill as a supplementary medicine!"
The news spread like wildfire, reaching every island in the Chaotic Star Sea in just three days.
Independent cultivators, mercenaries, and demon-hunting teams all set out, and even some Foundation Establishment cultivators who had been in seclusion for many years couldn't resist setting sail, hoping to seize an opportunity. In an instant, the seas were filled with blood and carnage, and crab shells flew everywhere.
A month later, Miaoyin Sect seized the opportunity to hold the "Mysterious Sound Auction".
The venue was set up in a floating pavilion, surrounded by clouds and ethereal music.
The grand finale consisted of thirty batches of "Condensing Essence Pills," "Nourishing Meridian Pills," and "Breaking Barrier Powder," all made from secret formulas passed down by the Wonderful Sound Sect and of excellent quality.
Even more shockingly, among them were three "Mind-Clearing Pills" made from millennium-old spiritual herbs—which could help cultivators calm their minds and resist inner demons!
Mid-to-late Foundation Establishment cultivators flocked to the site, and bidding wars erupted. In the end, all the pills were sold out, and spirit stones flooded into the Myriad Sounds Sect's treasury like a tidal wave.
In a short time, the reputation of Miaoyin Sect soared, showing signs of rivaling the established sects.
Rumors circulate that "the Miaoyin Sect is likely backed by a mysterious master of alchemy!"
Several months later, Fan Jingmei visited again, her expression even more respectful than before.
Several Foundation Establishment attendants behind her carried three large jade boxes and gently placed them in front of Han Xiaoliu.
"All that you requested, young master, has been accomplished." She bowed slightly, her fingertips lightly tapping the jade box. "A total of fifty-six kinds of fifth and sixth-tier demonic beast materials and three hundred and twenty-seven portions of their essence blood were obtained. Among them are crabs... five common species and three rare species—including a drop of the natal essence blood of the 'Nine-Eyed Thunder Crab.' It is said that this demon likes to devour thunder essence stones, and its bloodline even contains a trace of thunder tribulation power!"
Han Xiaoliu's gaze swept over the jade box, and his divine sense probed it, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
The essence blood floated quietly in the specially made ice jade bottle, each with a different color: some were like ink staining the night sky, some shimmered with golden light like stardust, and the drop of nine-eyed thunder crab essence blood crackled as if it were about to explode at any moment.
But his mind was no longer on the present.
He stroked the warm jade pendant at his waist with his fingertips, his mind drifting to that secret realm that belonged only to him—the Dreamy Little Three Realms.
"These essence blood... let's try submitting the task at the flag pavilion first!"
A slight smile played on his lips, and a long-lost excitement ignited in his eyes! The next opening of the Dreamlike Three Realms was just around the corner; he couldn't wait!
Over the course of several months, Han Xiaoliu visited Miaoyin Gate multiple times, discussing only business and not feelings.
Every time he returned, he was inevitably met with a barrage of complaints from Longkui.
Fortunately, the little girl is easy to coax—a kiss, a hug, and a lift her up high; if she still throws a tantrum, let her warm the bed, and she'll be obedient as ever.
In this way, the jealous girl was appeased, and Han Xiaoliu's "special" hobby was also satisfied, making it a win-win situation!
"What exactly do you want? Just say it!" Han Xiaoliu looked down helplessly at Long Kui, who was clinging tightly to his leg.
Today, this girl was acting out of character. No matter how eloquent he was, she remained unmoved, focusing all her attention on "softening" his will and refusing to back down in the slightest.
Longkui tilted her head back, her puffed-up cheeks puffed out, her eyes slightly red. Her stubbornness lasted only a moment before it deflated like a burst bubble.
She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and pitifully pursed her lips, remaining silent. However, she hugged Han Xiaoliu's waist even tighter, as if he would slip away if she let go.
"If you don't explain yourself clearly... I'll pretend this never happened!" Han Xiaoliu feigned indifference, his tone carrying a hint of threat, but actually a test.
Upon hearing this, Longkui panicked immediately—the young master's specialty was "reneging on debts"!
Last time he promised to take her to Miaoyin Gate, but then he pretended to have amnesia. A while ago he promised to teach her a piece of music, but that was delayed with "we'll talk about it another day." If he manages to fool her again today, there might not even be a "another day" left!
Her eyes welled up with tears as she became anxious, and she immediately switched to a coquettish approach. She still held tightly to his legs, snuggling into his arms, her cheek rubbing against his clothes, her voice soft and urgent: "Young Master, how can you go back on your word! We clearly agreed last time!"
Han Xiaoliu raised an eyebrow, looking completely innocent: "What...did I say last time?"
"You said—" Longkui suddenly looked up, her eyes shining brightly as if she had grasped a lifeline, "If I beg like this, you'll grant me one request! Every word, clearly and distinctly!"
"Did I say that?" Han Xiaoliu stroked his chin, his brows furrowed slightly, looking as if he were trying hard to recall but had no recollection whatsoever. "How come I don't remember it at all?"
"I said it! I said it! I definitely said it!" Longkui stamped her foot anxiously, then pounced on him, clinging to him and nuzzling his chest with her little head, her fingers tugging at his clothes. "You can't deny it! I remember it all!"
Seeing that she was about to unleash her "coquettish combo" again, Han Xiaoliu quickly raised her hands in surrender and retreated repeatedly: "Stop! Stop! Don't use your skills!"
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, but a slight smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. He had no choice but to concede: "Fine, fine... just tell me, what do you want? Is it worth all this 'performance'?"