Chapter 73

Knowing the dangers of being an enemy of the Gu Yue family, how could Zhuang Wudao be unaware? However, at this moment, the worst thing to do would be to waver.

Xia Miao, upon hearing this, was not surprised. A faint smile played on her lips. "Brother Zhuang, do you think you still have a one or two percent chance of winning? But in my eyes, your senior brother has no chance of winning and is certain to die."

Seeing Zhuang Wudao's stunned look, Xia Miao laughed enigmatically. "This grand competition, in the eyes of the Gu Yue family, is a matter of life and death. For the Beiting family, although it's not insignificant, it doesn't affect the overall situation. The strength of the two families is roughly equal, but the resources they invest are vastly different. Brother Zhuang, are you here for that Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal? I'm afraid Senior Brother Zhuang will return disappointed. The Gu Yue family has been operating in Yuecheng for two hundred years, with deep roots. Their accumulation is far beyond what outsiders can imagine. In short, take care of yourself, Senior Brother!"

After saying this, Xia Miao drifted away. Zhuang Wudao stood in place, lost in thought.

Return disappointed? Could it be that the Gu Yue family also wants to compete for that Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal? I overlooked it. How could the Gu Yue family easily let such a spiritual item that can enhance their Yuan Magnetic Tyrant Body fall into my hands? They will surely do everything to obstruct me.

At this moment, the Qingyun Sword on his back trembled lightly.

"Master, there is indeed something useful for you in this place!"

"Useful?"

Instinctively, Zhuang Wudao looked at the central area, where three silver platters covered with brocade were placed. The Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal must be among them.

"No, it's the third one on the left. That should be the Golden Hare Silk Grass—"

Following Yun'er's guidance, Zhuang Wudao looked to the left. On the third table on the left, an object was placed.

It was a clump of golden threads, emitting a faint spiritual light. If not for Yun'er saying it was 'grass,' Zhuang Wudao would have thought it was a clump of golden threads refined by a cultivator.

"Golden Hare Silk Grass? What use does it have?"

While asking, Zhuang Wudao recalled the information in his mind. The benefit of his photographic memory became evident, and he soon found the memory of this item.

This item is of no low grade, belonging to the second rank of spiritual treasures. Older ones can even reach the sixth or seventh rank. It often parasitizes trees or large beasts and can be used to refine spirit-nourishing pills or for forging. However, its effects are not strong, and it has no other uses, so it is not valued by cultivators. Its price is even lower than many first-rank spiritual treasures.

Judging by its placement, it is not owned by the Xuan Yuan Pavilion but is an item put up for auction by a wandering cultivator.

"The Golden Hare Silk Grass is useless, but it can be used to forge a hidden spiritual root."

Zhuang Wudao was taken aback. "Forge a hidden spiritual root?"

He had heard of hidden spiritual roots. Some people have hidden talents that are not apparent externally. However, their cultivation speed is no less than that of geniuses with second-rank, first-rank, or even super-rank and heavenly-rank talents. However, hidden spiritual roots are often limited to one of the five elements, yin-yang, or wind-thunder. A person with a super-rank wind hidden spiritual root can cultivate wind techniques at an extraordinary speed, but if they switch to other attributes, they will revert to their original state.

However, hidden spiritual roots also have limits. Many people can only cultivate up to the Foundation Establishment stage. Once they surpass this stage, the hidden spiritual root loses its effect. Only a few can cultivate up to the Golden Core stage, or even the Nascent Soul stage.

"If you can refine the Stone Ming True Flame, your cultivation will advance rapidly. With my guidance, ascending to the heavens in the future will not be difficult. Wouldn't this make people suspicious? Forging a hidden spiritual root will be an explanation in the future."

Zhuang Wudao was relieved. In that case, he really must buy this item. He also realized that this sword spirit was not as ignorant of human affairs as he had thought.

Unfortunately, it's just a forged hidden spiritual root—

As if sensing his thoughts, Yun'er spoke again. "If you can obtain three or four dragon tendons, even those from a dragon-blooded python, and combine them with the Earth Heart Core and this Golden Hare Silk Grass, you might be able to create a true hidden spiritual root. The higher the rank, the stronger the spiritual root. Although it won't be as good as a true super-rank or heavenly-rank hidden spiritual root, it won't be far off."

Zhuang Wudao's heart raced, but then he felt disheartened. A dragon-blooded python is not something he can handle. Such tendons are often worth a fortune. As for the 'Earth Heart Core,' he had never even heard of it.

"This Golden Hare Silk Grass still has some vitality and can be nurtured and enhanced. It needs a large amount of Essence Stones to be infused into spiritual water for irrigation, to restore its vitality before it can be refined and absorbed—"

After explaining in detail, Yun'er fell silent again, with no further words.

Zhuang Wudao pondered for a moment, then descended the stairs and entered the private room of Beiting Wan'er on the fourth floor. The room marked 'Tian Yi' was given to Li Chongzhen, and Beiting Wan'er had taken over the room marked 'Tian Bing' in a domineering manner.

However, at this moment, both Beiting Wan'er and Gu Yubei were pale-faced and filled with anger. Beiting Wan'er was clenching her teeth, making a faint 'cracking' sound.

"Look at this!"

Seeing Zhuang Wudao enter, Beiting Wan'er threw a piece of paper at him. After taking it, Zhuang Wudao's expression gradually became serious.

The paper in his hand was the list of spiritual items prepared for the Xuan Yuan Pavilion's treasure exchange conference. However, from beginning to end, there was no mention of the 'Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal.'

Beiting Wan'er's expression grew colder, her killing intent deep. "What's going on with that Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal? Your Xuan Yuan Pavilion always boasts of 'integrity,' but why are you breaking your word today? You can change your mind about something that has already been reserved, which is absurd!"

"The Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal is not owned by our Xuan Yuan Pavilion but is entrusted by a guest. However, today, an unexpected event occurred, and that guest was willing to pay our Xuan Yuan Pavilion three thousand taels of gold to take the Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal away."

The Xuan Yuan Pavilion steward, neither humble nor arrogant, explained apologetically. He then hesitated and added, "In fact, not only the Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal, but also two other earth-type treasures that can aid cultivation were bought at twice the price. The same thing happened at the other two city auction houses."

Beiting Wan'er's expression changed again, her anger instantly subsiding, her eyes sharp like knives. "You mean the Gu Yue family?"

Zhuang Wudao frowned and looked out the window, just in time to see Gu Yue Ming standing by the window in the opposite private room, looking at him coldly. His lips moved slightly, as if saying something. Zhuang Wudao tried to read his lips and then raised an eyebrow.

"You're going to lose!"

These four short words, combined with Gu Yue Ming's expression, seemed to exude boundless confidence. Beside him stood another person, also around seventeen or eighteen years old, with an enigmatic smile. Although he was smiling, Zhuang Wudao felt a strong pressure that made him feel suffocated.

Who is this person?

"Indeed, it's this guy! Buying all the earth-type spiritual treasures in Yuecheng, the Gu Yue family is making a big move—"

Beiting Wan'er also saw Gu Yue Ming's figure, gritted her teeth, and rubbed her forehead, then fell into deep thought. "I apologize, this time it was my miscalculation. I remember we have three or four eighth-rank earth-type spiritual treasures in our family's treasury. In a few days, I'll have someone bring them out for you to try. Perhaps they will be of some use."

Although she said this, Beiting Wan'er's eyes still held deep worry. The Bull Demon Tyrant Body is a top-tier earth-type cultivation technique, but not all earth-type spiritual treasures are beneficial to this technique. The Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal was the most suitable for Zhuang Wudao's Bull Demon Tyrant Body and was his hope for winning the grand competition.

In her view, with the sword skills Gu Yue Ming displayed today, without the Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal, Zhuang Wudao's chances of winning were less than one percent.

"No problem!"

Zhuang Wudao shook his head. He didn't really have much hope for the Beiting family's treasures, but it was worth a look, perhaps there would be something 'Yun'er' would find useful.

Although it was a pity that he couldn't get the Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal, with the 'Stone Ming True Flame' from the unknown cultivator, he was no longer as concerned about it as before.

According to 'Yun'er,' once he absorbed this top-100 rootless essence flame, his cultivation could be directly pushed to the Fifth Level of the Qi Condensation stage. He could directly cultivate the 'Tianxuan Zhaoshi Zhenjing' and open a pseudo-spiritual aperture.

In comparison, the Dragon Rhinoceros Essence Crystal was no longer essential.

Beiting Wan'er thought he was pretending to be calm, sighed slightly, and then glared at the Xuan Yuan Pavilion steward.

"This time, your Xuan Yuan Pavilion must give the Beiting family an explanation! Don't say it has nothing to do with you. You could have notified us in advance."

"The Gu Yue family directly invited a Golden Core cultivator to exert pressure—"

The steward was interrupted by Beiting Wan'er's glare and swallowed his words, smiling bitterly. "This time, it was truly unavoidable. Please forgive us, Miss Beiting! How about this? Any spiritual treasure priced below three thousand taels of gold, Brother Zhuang can choose one from our Xuan Yuan Pavilion."

Beiting Wan'er was still somewhat dissatisfied, but Zhuang Wudao's heart suddenly moved. He took out the 'Tianxuan Zhaoshi Zhenjing.'

"Let's skip the spiritual treasures. Do you have any cultivation techniques for the Ninth Level of the Qi Condensation stage in your Xuan Yuan Pavilion?"

This 'Tianxuan Zhaoshi Zhenjing' only has the techniques up to the Ninth Level of the Qi Condensation stage, and the true essence is almost depleted, unable to guide cultivation anymore.

Zhuang Wudao had a feeling that if he could refine the 'Stone Ming Essence Flame,' he would make greater progress in this cultivation technique.

Therefore, collecting the subsequent content of this book became an urgent matter.

"The Tianxuan Zhaoshi Zhenjing?"

The steward glanced at it and showed a difficult expression. "This cultivation technique is not very common, but there are many practitioners. Our Xuan Yuan Pavilion has collected a few copies, the highest of which can be cultivated to the Foundation Establishment stage. However, that copy of the Tianxuan Zhaoshi Zhenjing is in the capital of Song, and it would take at least three months to send it here."

Zhuang Wudao felt relieved. He was most afraid that this cultivation technique had no subsequent content and could only be cultivated halfway.

"Then I'll trouble you. Three months is fine, I can wait!"

With this matter settled, buying the Golden Hare Silk Grass tonight would make this treasure exchange conference a success. Before the grand competition, he wouldn't need to worry about other matters and could focus on cultivation, while also extracting the fire poison from the cultivator's body.