Chapter 128 - Act 19. Essence-Draining Ghost-Demon Valley (1)

The energy quietly flowed out once, drove back the aberration’s encroaching malevolent resentment in a single sweep, then leisurely vanished again. Yise immediately swung his Vajra to disperse the evil spirit’s remnants. Only after confirming that it had vanished completely did he let out a faint breath.

'What was that just now?'

The energy he had briefly sensed was unmistakably the same one from the Dark Heaven Secret Realm, yet after that sudden intervention, it had vanished as though nothing had happened. All it had done was move to keep the malevolent resentment from touching his soul.

No amount of pondering yielded an answer. The only certainty was that, for now, the energy meant him no harm. Its true nature would reveal itself as he advanced.

Yise waved a hand at the worried Cheong Un to reassure him that he was fine, then finished sorting the spoils.

“I’m counting on you for that investigation.”

“Of course. I’ll do my best. See you again.”

Cheong Un offered a casual farewell, raised his flying sword, and lightly turned away. Before long, a blue speck vanished into the distance.

On the way back to Tiandogyeong after parting with Cheong Un, Yise found that the Heavenly Ice Palace’s blockade had been lifted. It seemed the palace had given up on recovering the Abyssal Labyrinth’s secret map.

Back at his lodgings, he sorted through the items plundered from the demonic practitioner city. He left commonplace spirit stones, elixir pills, and ordinary talismans in his regular storage pouches, but set aside ritual implements that might be mistaken for stolen goods and stored them in a corner of the Living Spirit Abode. He feared that selling them carelessly in Tiandogyeong might leave a trail back to him.

After storing what he intended to keep and selling the rest, he had more than two hundred thousand spirit stones on hand.

'Just looking at them fills me up.'

The mountain of spirit stones was deeply satisfying in itself. Of course, they were not merely decorations to be put on display. It was time to stop just hoarding them and start spending.

His first stop was one of Tiandogyeong’s finest elixir shops. A faint herbal fragrance brushed his nose as he stepped inside. The moment the merchant spotted him and recognized his Dharma-Transformed Dantian, he rushed out in stocking feet.

“Welcome, Senior.”

The merchant immediately ushered him inside and asked, “Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”

“Spiritual elixirs suitable for a middle-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.”

“Certainly. I’ll have them ready shortly.”

Bowing deeply, the merchant returned with three varieties of pills on a wooden tray.

“One is called the Spirit Essence Pill. Foundation Establishment Cultivators mainly use the mid- and high-grade varieties. The other is called the Spirit Accumulation Pill, which is produced at a consistent quality.”

Yise gauged the energy within the spiritual elixirs with his divine sense before asking, “The prices?”

“Mid-grade Spirit Essence Pills cost three thousand spirit stones apiece, and high-grade ones cost ten thousand. Spirit Accumulation Pills are five thousand apiece.”

Yise’s gaze lingered on the two pills before he tilted his head. The spiritual energy condensed within the Spirit Accumulation Pill was more than twice as abundant as that in the mid-grade Spirit Essence Pill. Yet the price was a thousand stones cheaper.

“The Spirit Accumulation Pill seems rather cheap.”

“It is made by a demonic-path sect, so it’s somewhat less popular.”

“A demonic-path sect makes spiritual elixirs?”

“Yes. The Essence-Draining Ghost-Demon Valley produces them. Even so, their quality and efficacy are guaranteed. You may take them without concern.”

One of Yise’s eyebrows rose slightly. “What sort of demonic-path sect makes elixir pills, too?”

“Haha. You’ll find pill refiners anywhere.”

Yise nodded quietly. To think he would live to see pills made by demonic practitioners sold openly. Live long enough, and you really did see everything.

“Then do demonic-path sects also make pills for absorbing Demonic Energy?”

“Pardon? Hmm... I’ve never heard of any, but I have heard that they trade something called Demon Soul Stones within their sects—minerals containing condensed Demonic Energy. They serve as a kind of elixir pill. As far as I know, though, they aren’t sold outside.”

Demon Soul Stones. A new term etched itself into Yise’s mind.

If he could buy minerals containing condensed Demonic Energy, he could replenish his supply without resorting to anything as dangerous as conquering a demonic practitioner city. Since they were traded primarily within the sects, however, they would rarely make their way onto the open market. Besides, using something made by demonic practitioners left him decidedly uneasy. For now, he would simply keep it in mind.

“How many high-grade Spirit Essence Pills do you have?”

“Four in total.”

“Perfect. I’ll take them all.”

“Pardon? All of them?”

Astonishment and delight spread over the merchant’s face. Unable to hide the look of a man who had struck it rich, he hurried to fetch his entire stock. That was forty thousand spirit stones’ worth of spiritual elixirs.

Yise left the elixir shop, leaving the beaming merchant behind. The owner bowed so deeply that his head nearly touched the ground.

After installing the Secret Realm Key at his lodgings and preparing a generous supply of immortal cuisine, Yise began cultivating in earnest. He consumed the immortal cuisine and Spirit Essence Pills in succession. Immediately, the spiritual energy within him began to surge.

His goal was late-stage Foundation Establishment. He intended to break through the minor threshold in one go.

* * *

Yise checked the calendar Ryu Seonghan had left on the dining table at his lodgings. Seonghan had put it there so that he would at least keep track of the date.

Three years had passed since he began cultivating. And Yise had broken through to late-stage Foundation Establishment.

Once he had accumulated the necessary internal reserves and circulated them according to the insight formula for late-stage Foundation Establishment, he reached the late stage naturally. Apparently, having already become aware of primordial energy had allowed him to skip part of the process.

Feeling as though he had gained an unexpected advantage put him in excellent spirits. His cultivation was progressing at a satisfying pace, and his mission was proceeding smoothly. Core Formation was now only a step away.

Like firing a celebratory salute, he expanded his now considerably greater divine sense to its limit, then withdrew it. Next, he quietly counted on his fingers. He had stopped keeping track of the passing years at some point, but it seemed about ten years had passed since he came to the Northern Continent. The teleportation formation’s spiritual energy should have recovered by now, so he could return home as soon as he found the final volume of the Twin Principles Reversion Art.

Yise left the secluded abode to give Emer some exercise and sell fifty Full-Moon Hundred-Year Herbs from his second harvest. He released Emer as soon as they were outside, and the bird flew about excitedly.

He had learned only belatedly that no one bothered spirit beasts flying freely within Tiandogyeong. Most spirit beasts in the Heavenly Ice Palace’s territory had owners, and interfering with the wrong one could lead to bloodshed, so no one dared touch them lightly. Thanks to that, he would occasionally let Emer fly free like this.

'I keep telling you to go live freely.'

Whenever Emer seemed restless, he offered to release the bird, but it simply refused to leave. Perhaps they had grown a little attached after spending so much time together. He had intended to release Emer into Daemudo’s Spirit Beast Forest... but at this rate, parting might prove rather sad. He could not understand what was so appealing about an owner who did nothing but shut himself away and cultivate.

At least Emer was growing stronger by staying beside him and sharing his resources and spiritual energy. The bird had already reached the sixth star of Qi Refining. Bu Chun would now have to address Emer as Senior. What a pity.

He visited every nearby herb merchant to sell the Full-Moon Hundred-Year Herbs, but managed to sell only forty-five of the fifty. Even then, he had let some go for a little less. Apparently, the merchants did not want to stockpile too many.

In the end, he decided to replant the remaining five in his abode. At least he had recouped most of the spirit stones spent on pills.

Next, he headed to a ritual-implement merchant. Whether word had spread that he was a big-spending independent Cultivator or it was because he had reached late-stage Foundation Establishment, he received scrupulously respectful treatment. Not content with showing him to a private reception room, the merchant even served him precious spirit tea.

“Is there anything you’re looking for, Senior?”

“First, three Foundation Establishment Mind-Calming Talismans. And do you have a ritual implement that can partition a space?”

“Partition a space...?”

“I want to divide my herb garden in two. The two herbs need different temperatures.”

Ten-thousand-year snow ginseng and Frost Jade Grass grew well at low temperatures, while Full-Moon Herbs and spirit rice preferred somewhat warmer conditions. He would evidently have to grow them separately.

“Ah. A mechanical ritual implement would be perfect for that. I have one in stock. It measures about ten chi on each side. Would that suit you?”

“I’ll take it for now. And show me everything in this shop rated as a Foundation Establishment supernatural treasure or higher.”

“Certainly!”

The merchant dashed about as though his feet had sprouted wings. A short while later, Yise looked over the ritual implements the clerks brought out one by one, but none particularly appealed to him. Most contained offensive spells. Then something caught his eye.

“You have a Primordial Defense Talisman?”

“Yes! It was quite difficult to obtain.”

“I’ll take it.”

Yise purchased the Primordial Defense Talisman immediately. It could block a single attack from a great Core Formation Cultivator. It was so precious that each talisman could fairly be considered an extra life.

“Never mind the rest... Do you have any supernatural treasures of the rarer class?”

“Foundation Establishment supernatural treasures of that class are difficult to trade in a ritual-implement shop. Other shops will be much the same. Even if we obtain one, simply holding on to something that valuable is dangerous, so we consign it to the Heavenly Ice Palace’s auction house as soon as we buy it.”

“Auction house?”

“Yes. If you need one, Senior, I suggest attending an auction hosted by the Heavenly Ice Palace.”

An auction house. Major sects on the Eastern Continent also held auctions from time to time. Yise had never attended one, however, since it was difficult to arrive at the right time.

The merchant added that every three years, the Heavenly Ice Palace gathered ritual items for which there was no internal demand, or which could not fetch their proper value through internal trading alone, and auctioned them off.

After replenishing the Foundation Establishment talismans he had used, Yise gave the merchant a single spirit stone as thanks. It was a rather paltry gesture for a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but the merchant was not bold enough to let that show. He was simply fortunate that a Cultivator of such a realm had conducted his business politely and left without causing trouble or making a scene.

* * *

There were about two seasons left until the auction. Yise spent the interval cultivating the Five Elements Life-Promoting Art as he waited for it to begin.

TAP, TAP.

Something tapped at the window of his lodgings. It was a message talisman from Ryu Seonghan.

- You’re going to the auction? With your realm, Senior, showing my guarantor’s token will get you a private room. Don’t forget to take off your shoes when you enter.

The rest of the message contained information on how to participate. Yise read it through calmly, then sent back his thanks.

On the day of the auction, Yise set out for the auction house with his heart fluttering in anticipation. The auction was being held in the Affairs Court building, where the Heavenly Ice Palace handled matters outside the sect.

Yise held out two identity tokens to the Heavenly Ice Palace Cultivator controlling the entrance. “VIP seating, please.”

“Of course, Senior.”

After receiving a numbered ticket, Yise removed his shoes and was about to enter when he noticed other Cultivators walking straight in. He glanced at their feet. No one else was taking off their shoes.

Apparently, Ryu Seonghan had played a prank on him. Yise immediately sent him a message talisman.

- Your head is about to be split in two.

- Please spare me.

Seonghan must have been nearby, for he came running at once and bowed his head low. Yise gave his head a tap with his hand axe.

“Getting comfortable around me now, are you?”

“Haha. I heard it’s a prank people at the Heavenly Ice Palace play on Cultivators visiting the auction house for the first time, so I thought I’d try it... Shall we go in? I made time especially for you, in case you felt lonely going by yourself.”

“Right. Thanks. So very much.”