Chapter 19: Useless Treasure Medicines I Have in Plenty, However Many the Fairy Wants
After receiving the inheritance, Gu Qing's expression was excited. The Indestructible Heavenly Art was indeed the ruthless one's technique.
It was an evolved form of the Heaven-Devouring Demon Art.
It could devour other physiques, even swallow all energies of the world, seize heaven and earth's fortune, and refine it for one's own use.
Moreover, the Indestructible Heavenly Art was divided into two parts: Nirvana in Fire and Cocoon Transformation.
Nirvana in Fire allowed one to shed the old body and be reborn in flames.
Cocoon Transformation was the metamorphosis into the Supreme Divine Fetus, undying and indestructible.
One could even evolve ten avatars equal to oneself.
This was truly a heaven-defying method.
In addition, the Indestructible Heavenly Art contained the ruthless one's famed divine abilities.
After contemplating for a while, Gu Qing began cultivating it.
Outside the formation, spiritual energy rioted and surged into the array.
Three days later, Gu Qing condensed true qi of the Indestructible Heavenly Art, amounting to that of the dual stage of Spirit Pool Dantian.
In three days, he had broken through to the second level of the Divine Sea Realm. The speed was like riding a rocket.
Yet Gu Qing remained dissatisfied.
If he had enough spiritual energy, he could have advanced beyond just the second level.
"It seems I must sell medicinal herbs."
He packed away the array disk and flew toward the imperial capital of the Great Qian Kingdom.
Maple Leaf City was too small, unable to handle his herbs, treasure medicines, and precious ores.
Two days later, Gu Qing arrived at a majestic city, its walls stretching beyond sight, soaring into the clouds.
Standing below the walls made one feel as insignificant as dust.
Gu Qing entered the capital and went straight to the largest merchant guild, the Wanbao Pavilion.
It was said Wanbao Pavilion spanned the five great domains of the Desolate Ancient Realm, with branches across the world, monopolizing wealth everywhere.
"I want to see your person in charge to sell treasure medicine." Gu Qing went straight to the point.
The attendant, hearing Gu Qing ask to see the leader, flared with anger, ready to scold.
The status of Wanbao Pavilion's leader was far too exalted for just anyone to meet.
But hearing he wished to sell treasure medicine, she swallowed her words, her face full of smiles.
"Please wait a moment, young master. I will notify them immediately."
She left the counter.
Soon she returned and invited Gu Qing into a private room.
Inside sat a stunningly alluring woman sipping tea delicately.
She wore a violet gown, her expression lazy, every movement exuding extreme charm.
"Young master, may I ask your honored name?" she asked with a soft smile.
Her voice was delicate and lilting, carrying a hook at the end, tugging at one's heartstrings and stirring endless thoughts.
Gu Qing quickly steadied his mind, glancing at her and muttering inwardly, "Truly a temptress who cannot see her own toes."
"System, is this temptress the heroine?" This woman was too beautiful; it would be strange if she were not.
[Correct. She is the daughter of the Wanbao Pavilion's guild leader.]
[According to the original fate trajectory, she would become Lin Chen's strongest support. Money, spirit pills, rare treasures, secret maps—whatever he needed, she would provide.]
[Host, are you tempted?]
"Tempted my ass. No matter how extravagant she is, I will always be the man she cannot obtain."
Gu Qing replied righteously.
Though wealthy women were good, one must remember—if you slack in youth, later you will be brothers trapped in the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
Gu Qing produced a storage bag filled with medicinal herbs.
"My surname is Gu."
Chu Yao swept it with her divine sense, her brows slightly knitting.
Though there were many herbs, worth perhaps three million lower-grade spirit stones, what she sought was treasure medicine.
Treasure medicine was a rare fortune, capable of directly raising cultivation or having miraculous healing effects, without side effects.
Ordinary herbs were different.
They had violent medicinal properties difficult for the body to absorb, with large side effects, requiring refinement into pills before use.
Yet all medicine carried some poison—pills still caused pill poison.
Gu Qing had claimed to sell treasure medicine, yet presented ordinary herbs. Was he trying to force their sale together?
The thought flashed, but Chu Yao merely smiled sweetly, her foxlike eyes tilting upward, full of charm.
"You truly have deep capital, young master."
"…"
Gu Qing's whole body stiffened at her address, his spine snapping straight.
"I have treasure medicine. I only wonder how much the fairy intends to pay?"
"Cunning thief," Chu Yao cursed inwardly.
As she expected, Gu Qing wanted to sell herbs at a high price, or else they would not get any treasure medicine.
"To speak plainly, I have more useless spirit stones than I know what to do with. However many you want, young master, I have them."
Chu Yao's crimson lips curved, her slender fingers brushing her black hair as she smiled faintly.
Alright, that pretense you can keep up… Gu Qing thought for a moment and took out three Blue Ice Lotus Seeds.
"Blue Ice Lotus Seeds… not bad. Do you have lotus roots?"
Chu Yao's beautiful eyes lit up as she hurriedly asked.
"To speak plainly, useless treasure medicines I have in plenty. However many the fairy wants, I have them." Gu Qing replied indifferently.
Anyone could put on airs.
He had already shown his sincerity. If this enchantress did not offer a price that satisfied him, he would simply leave.
"Pfft! Hehe…"
Chu Yao covered her mouth and let out a melodious laugh, her brows curved like a beguiling fox spirit.
"Very well, let us not waste words.
"These medicinal herbs, I will purchase for three million lower-grade spirit stones.
"As for the Blue Ice Lotus Seeds, one million each. Is young master satisfied?"
Satisfied, more than satisfied.
Gu Qing nodded.
The price was far higher than he had imagined.
Coming to the imperial capital to sell herbs was indeed the right decision.
If it were Maple Leaf City, they would never fetch so many spirit stones.
"If at an auction, how much could the lotus seeds sell for?" Gu Qing could not help but ask.
He suddenly thought that perhaps it was not that this enchantress offered a high price, but rather his poverty had limited his imagination, making him think Blue Ice Lotus Seeds were only worth tens of thousands.
"That depends."
Gu Qing wished to haggle, but Chu Yao showed no displeasure. On the contrary, she explained with interest:
"Treasure medicines are priceless rarities, mainly depending on the target buyers.
"Blue Ice Lotus Seeds are generally fought over by Purple Mansion Realm and Profound Core Realm cultivators. Even if they must exhaust their wealth, they will buy them. But the spirit stones they can gather usually amount to only around one million.
"So the Blue Ice Lotus Seeds are only worth that much.
"Of course, if young master sold them elsewhere, they could fetch several million."
"I see." Gu Qing understood.
"So… young master, will you sell them?" Chu Yao blinked her foxlike eyes.
"…"
"Sell!"
"I will sell them all to you."
Though Chu Yao had said Blue Ice Lotus Seeds might sell for several million elsewhere, by the time Gu Qing reached such places, the opportunity would already be gone.
As for auctions—who knew when the imperial capital's great auctions would be held?
The risks were too great, with too many variables. If he met a spoiled young master, he would suffer losses.
"Then let us talk about lotus roots."
Chu Yao's smile faded as she fixed Gu Qing with a burning gaze.
Her instincts told her this little thief definitely had more treasures.
An hour later, Gu Qing sold his spirit pills, cultivation methods, martial skills, and even the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Heart to Chu Yao, this wealthy noblewoman.
In total, he earned one hundred million high-grade spirit stones.
Gu Qing's face could not conceal his excitement. With one hundred million spirit stones, his cultivation could rise swiftly.
Leaving the Great Qian imperial capital, and receiving no warning from his foster father, Gu Qing finally relaxed.
After all, with such wealth, it was inevitable he feared Chu Yao might be tempted.
He immediately activated the Space Divine Pattern, teleporting tens of thousands of miles in an instant.
The teleportation distance of the Space Divine Pattern increased with cultivation.
The higher the cultivation, the farther the teleportation.
One day, once fully mastered, it could even tear open space itself.
…
"Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Heart, three treasure medicines… could that brat have looted a great cultivator's cave mansion?"
"I have not heard of any such relic appearing recently in the Great Qian Kingdom."
Chu Yao muttered as she looked at the treasures before her.
"If the young lady is interested, why not let this old servant capture him and bring him back?"
At this moment, an old crone standing beside her spoke coldly.
"Have you forgotten the rules of Wanbao Pavilion?"
Chu Yao's tone was icy.
"I have not forgotten."
"But if this old servant takes action, it can be done flawlessly, without a trace," the old crone replied.
"It seems you truly have forgotten. Copy the ancestral precepts three times. You may not use any cultivation to aid you."
With that, Chu Yao rose expressionlessly and left.
She was merely curious, not to the point of killing for answers.
Besides, was she afraid of failure? No. She feared that if she crossed that line and tasted the sweetness, it would never stop.
The depths of the cultivation world were unfathomable. One day, they might encounter a ghost.
Moreover, which cultivator capable of selling treasures was simple prey?
There were merchant guilds that robbed and killed for treasures, but all had vanished into history's river.
Wanbao Pavilion had spread across the Desolate Ancient Realm not by commerce nor strength, but by its ancestral precepts.
"Ah?"
The old crone's face instantly stiffened.
The Chu clan's ancestral precepts were billions of words long, all records of merchant guilds that murdered and robbed for treasures, only to be slain in turn.
Without cultivation aid, how many years would it take to finish copying?
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