Chapter 19

"Senior Sister, we are both at the Qi Condensation stage. What if we encounter a Foundation Establishment stage senior? What should we do?" Lin Haoming had participated in two life-and-death battles and killed two people, but he was only at the eighth level of Qi Condensation. He knew his own capabilities well. Anyone who could come here would definitely be in the later stages of Qi Condensation and be very confident in their strength. If he encountered them, he would definitely be in trouble.

Xie Ruolan looked at Lin Haoming's worried face and laughed even more. It seemed the more frustrated Lin Haoming was, the happier she became. She smiled and said, "Don't worry. All three sects have rules that Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot come here. Otherwise, the three sects' Golden Core elders stationed here can directly kill them."

"There are Golden Core elders here?" Lin Haoming was somewhat surprised.

"Yes, a hundred miles away, we have a spirit stone mine. Although it's not large, it can produce a million spirit stones annually. It's normal to station a Golden Core elder there. Actually, there are a few places like Red Leaf Mountain on the borders of our sect. However, I like this place the most, not just because it's at the intersection of the three sects, but because it produces the Red Sun Ginseng, one of the main ingredients for the Qi Harmonizing Pill. A ten-year-old ginseng can be used in medicine. If we find a sixty-year-old one, we can refine a mid-grade Qi Harmonizing Pill. If we're lucky and find one over three hundred years old, we might have a chance to refine a high-grade Qi Harmonizing Pill." Xie Ruolan explained.

"What if it's a thousand-year-old ginseng?" Lin Haoming asked.

"According to legend, there is an ultimate Qi Harmonizing Pill, but I think even the old ancestor Lin never saw one. A thousand-year-old Red Sun Ginseng is a treasure even for Foundation Establishment seniors. How could it be used to refine a Qi Harmonizing Pill? You're really a pig brain!" Xie Ruolan scolded without any restraint.

Hearing her ridicule, Lin Haoming really wanted to bring Ling Shengjie and Kong Yuanliang to see what their goddess was really like.

Just as Lin Haoming was feeling depressed, Xie Ruolan suddenly patted her waist storage bag. Two talismans and a small shield appeared in her hand, and she directly threw them to Lin Haoming.

Lin Haoming took them and was immediately startled. "High-grade Earth Escape Talisman, high-grade Stone Armor Talisman, and this... this should be a high-grade magical tool, and it's a shield!"

Recognizing these items, Lin Haoming looked at Xie Ruolan and asked somewhat guiltily, "Senior Sister Xie, why are you giving me these?"

"Why so many words? Quickly refine the Silver Steel Shield, and keep the talismans yourself!" Xie Ruolan didn't answer but urged Lin Haoming.

Hearing that he was to refine the Silver Steel Shield, Lin Haoming's face turned sour again. "Senior Sister, you're not going to use me as bait, are you?"

Xie Ruolan enjoyed Lin Haoming's worried face and smiled. "Junior Brother Lin, what do you mean by bait? I'm just giving you a bit more security here. You'll go find the Red Sun Ginseng alone, and I'll hide. If someone tries to trouble you, I'll definitely help you!"

"Isn't that just using me as bait?" Lin Haoming was speechless. At this moment, he realized how vicious this woman was.

A high-grade magical tool usually costs five hundred spirit stones, and a defensive magical tool is naturally more valuable. This small shield probably costs seven or eight hundred spirit stones.

From the way Xie Ruolan casually threw it to him, this item was definitely not the best for her. Lin Haoming suddenly realized he had underestimated her wealth.

The items she entrusted him to sell might just be small change.

Refining the Silver Steel Shield took Lin Haoming almost an hour. Just as he finished, he heard Xie Ruolan's voice, "We've already reached the intersection of the three sects. If we continue flying, we'll become targets. You go on ahead by yourself!"

After she finished speaking, Lin Haoming turned around and saw Xie Ruolan landing directly.

Lin Haoming understood that flying in this area was indeed too conspicuous, especially since he was only at the eighth level of Qi Condensation.

When Lin Haoming landed in the forest below, it was already sunrise.

In the underground cave, the night mushrooms only glow at night, so the underground world and the surface have completely opposite schedules. Although Lin Haoming hadn't seen the sunrise in a long time, he couldn't appreciate the scenery in such a dangerous place.

He clearly recognized that he was now just bait, and could be killed at any moment.

Finding the Red Sun Ginseng was just an excuse. However, when Lin Haoming took this as an excuse, he suddenly realized his luck was extraordinary. He found a Red Sun Ginseng just by walking around, and it was quite large, probably with a hundred years of medicinal power.

Having been a shopkeeper for over half a year, Lin Haoming knew the value of the Red Sun Ginseng. This hundred-year-old ginseng could sell for no less than sixty spirit stones. For an ordinary cultivator, such income would be enough to return home.

He simply removed the dirt from the Red Sun Ginseng, took out a jade box from his storage bag, and placed it inside. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt something was wrong and immediately summoned the Mother and Son Swords, shouting, "Who's there?"

"Don't misunderstand, it's a fellow disciple!" A somewhat low voice sounded, and then a man in his twenties with an ordinary appearance walked out from behind a tree a few dozen feet away.

Lin Haoming's divine sense scanned the man and found that his cultivation was one level higher than his own, and he was also an inner sect disciple.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm Mo Cheng. I was passing by and happened to see someone. I saw a fellow disciple making a discovery and was about to leave, but I didn't expect to be discovered. Your divine sense isn't bad, junior brother!" Mo Cheng said with a smile.

When Mo Cheng said his divine sense wasn't bad, it was true. Although his body's talent was poor, his divine sense was indeed stronger than that of ordinary cultivators. This might be a form of compensation from heaven. However, with his cultivation, even if his divine sense was strong, it wasn't very useful.

"Since we're fellow disciples, senior, please go ahead!" Lin Haoming made a gesture for Mo Cheng to leave.

Mo Cheng nodded and turned to leave, but just as he turned, he suddenly turned back and threw three black flying knives at Lin Haoming.

Lin Haoming was prepared. He patted his storage bag, and the newly refined Silver Steel Shield appeared, blocking in front of him.

With three "ding" sounds, the three flying knives were deflected.

"High-grade magical tool, no wonder you dared to come here at the eighth level of Qi Condensation. You must have some support!" Seeing his flying knives deflected, Mo Cheng looked at the Silver Steel Shield with a greedy expression.

Lin Haoming saw the look in his eyes and immediately shouted, "Senior Sister, attack!"

Seeing Lin Haoming shout, Mo Cheng sneered, "You think you can trick me with such a trick? You're asking for death!"

Just as Mo Cheng shouted "asking for death," a silver light suddenly pierced through his body.

Mo Cheng looked at the hole in his chest, staring at Lin Haoming in disbelief.

Lin Haoming shook his head at him. "I already warned you. This is your own doing, so don't blame me!"