Chapter 565: Demon Race Transaction
"Fellow Daoist Howling Moon, I just used a tenth of my Spiritual Power for the activation."
"If fully activated, the power of this talisman increases tenfold, instantly activating, capable of freezing meridians and viscera, ice-sealing the Divine Soul Inner Core."
"The power is approximately equivalent to a full-strength strike from a True Master in the early stage of True Pill."
Shen Xuan handed the Ice Soul Flying Sword Talisman to Howling Moon Fox for inspection.
As expected, the runes on the Ice Soul Flying Sword Talisman were only slightly dimmed, still clearly defined, shimmering with Spiritual Light.
Howling Moon Fox was very tempted.
She had known Shen Xuan for quite some time and knew that he always kept his promises.
In the Demon Realm space, even when encountering the incarnation of a Demon God, Shen Xuan had turned back to rescue them and retreat together.
However, she truly had no bargaining chips to offer.
She still owed Shen Xuan ten Moon Spirit Pearls.
"A Tier Three Middle Grade Ice Talisman?"
Red Flame Tiger pondered in his heart.
He was a Fire Attribute Demon Beast.
In battles, the opponent would always use Water Techniques against him.
If he had a few Ice Soul Flying Sword Talismans, he could achieve excellent results by catching the opponent off guard.
"Can I activate it?"
"Yes!"
Shen Xuan affirmed confidently.
"With full concentration of Demon Power, it can definitely be activated. Fellow Daoist Red Flame, give it a try."
Shen Xuan handed the used Ice Soul Flying Sword Talisman to Red Flame Tiger.
He had invested significantly to trade with the Demon Race.
As expected.
Under the full activation by Red Flame Tiger, the Ice Soul Flying Sword Talisman suddenly soared, congealing into an Ice Soul Flying Sword that shot towards a towering ancient tree like lightning.
A few breaths later.
The towering ancient tree, over ten zhang in height, was covered with a thick layer of Profound Ice, becoming a crystalline ice tree.
Red Flame Tiger looked at the Ice Soul Flying Sword Talisman, exhausted of its Spiritual Power, and repeatedly expressed regret!
Unlike Shen Xuan.
He couldn’t control the force.
He directly activated the entire Ice Soul Flying Sword Talisman.
This was a Tier Three Middle Grade Ice Talisman, gone just like that.
One person and three demons returned to Howling Moon Fox’s Cave Mansion.
This time, their conversation was delightful.
Shen Xuan traded three Ice Soul Flying Sword Talismans for three mature Qilin Fruits with Red Flame Tiger.
Howling Moon Fox called upon Frost Snow Wolf.
The Three-Tailed Calico Cat wisely hid.
Learning that the human cultivator was the renowned True Master Profound Ice of the Cyan Cloud Sect.
Frost Snow Wolf was equally courteous.
He was originally an Ice Attribute Demon Beast.
Seeing Shen Xuan take out the Ice Soul Flying Sword Talisman, without hesitation, he agreed to trade with Frost Cold Spirit Tea.
Howling Moon Fox negotiated the price on his behalf.
In the end, Shen Xuan exchanged two Ice Soul Flying Sword Talismans for two jin of Frost Cold Spirit Tea.
That was all of Frost Snow Wolf’s stock.
"Howling Moon, what about that stray cat?"
"Don’t let me catch it. Always sneaking around my Frost Snow Mountain, stealing many of my treasures!"
Frost Snow Wolf was indignant towards the Three-Tailed Calico Cat.
"Don’t let True Master Shen laugh at us!"
Howling Moon Fox advised.
"Frost, listen to True Master Shen. He still has serious matters to discuss with us."
These trades were just appetizers.
The real main dishes were various Demon Beast Spirit Pills.
The individual value was not high.
But the demand was large.
Shen Xuan negotiated with four demons, including Flame Spirit Tiger.
Having them organize the minor demons capable of cultivating spiritual intelligence in their territories to harvest spirit medicines and mine veins.
For all kinds of spirit medicine minerals, he would buy at a fair price.
Payment could be in Spirit Stones or equivalent Demon Beast Spirit Pills.
The trade had to be confidential, not revealing to others.
The principle was simple, mutual benefit, cooperation, and win-win.
After agreeing on the cooperation framework.
Shen Xuan bid farewell to Red Flame Tiger, Howling Moon Fox, and Frost Snow Wolf.
The two parties agreed on a ten-year period.
After ten years, Shen Xuan would return to Howling Moon Fox’s Cave Mansion for the trade.
Red Flame Tiger, Howling Moon Fox, and Frost Snow Wolf saw Shen Xuan off at the cave entrance.
After Shen Xuan clasped his fists in respect, he transformed into a cyan Escape Light and flew towards Luoxia Lake.
His cooperation with these Demon Kings was purely based on verbal agreement.
He did not pay any deposit.
However, he could see.
Red Flame Tiger, Howling Moon Fox, and Frost Snow Wolf were all keenly interested.
The Demon Race upheld the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest.
Becoming stronger was always their instinct.
It wasn’t that they were unwilling to consume Demon Beast Spirit Pills.
They just lacked the means.
Shen Xuan’s cooperation with them was a timely aid.
The spirit medicines and mineral veins in their territories were ownerless.
Exchanging them for Demon Beast Spirit Pills and cultivation resources was akin to a windfall.
The Demon Race found it difficult to trust human cultivators.
In the consciousness of the Demon Kings, human cultivators were deceitful and treacherous, utterly untrustworthy.
For a little benefit, they could even betray their own kin.
This meant that there was hardly any trust between Demon Kings and human cultivators.
Achieving sustained long-term cooperation was very difficult.
Shen Xuan was an exception.
He was not only a Golden Core True Master of the Cyan Cloud Sect, with outstanding combat power, widely reputed.
Moreover, Shen Xuan had been acquainted with Howling Moon Fox for years.
Howling Moon Fox was willing to vouch for him and acted as a mediator.
This kind of matter was extremely rare among the Demon Race.
At this moment, the three demons returned to Howling Moon Fox’s Cave Mansion to discuss future cooperation details.
Under Howling Moon Fox’s persuasion, Frost Snow Wolf temporarily ceased to care about the Three-Tailed Calico Cat.
The Three-Tailed Calico Cat then revealed itself to participate in the discussion.
...
Luoxia Lake.
The area is famous for the ten-thousand-year-old Purple Essence Divine Wood.
The top sects from nearby countries, and Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Wood Technique, would come here to try their luck, hoping to solidify their Dao Body.
Generally speaking, there should be some gains.
The special Spiritual Qi emitted by the Purple Essence Divine Wood makes the Luoxia Lake appear spiritually enchanting.
Cultivators of the Wood Technique at the Foundation Establishment Stage find significant benefits in practicing here.
Shen Xuan suppressed his aura, disguising his realm cultivation as the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment, and altered his appearance to that of a middle-aged scholar.
This time, when he arrived at Luoxia Lake, he was met with a completely different scene.
The usual sparkling waves of the lake were now shrouded in a dense, milky-white mystical fog.
This mystical fog can stagnate the circulation of a cultivator’s Spiritual Power and block Divine Sense probing.
Even with the strength of Shen Xuan’s Divine Sense, he could only penetrate about ten feet into the depths of the mystical fog.
For an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator, the Divine Sense could only explore one or two feet.
Such a short distance makes it difficult for cultivators to feel secure.
On a cleared ground by the lake, three groups consisting of eight Foundation Establishment cultivators were standing.
Judging by the symbols on their magic robes, they belonged to the Profound Celestial Sect, Thousand Mechanism Sect, and Beast Emperor Pavilion.
The eight Foundation Establishment cultivators—five men and three women—wore expressions of worry and dismay.
They gazed at the milky-white mystical fog rising from the Luoxia Lake, feeling helpless and displaying a trace of unwillingness in their eyes.
"Alas, it’s been three months, and this strange mystical fog hasn’t diminished at all. What should we do?"
"My junior brother was about to solidify his Dao Body and break through to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment. It seems this path is blocked now."
"Who on earth is the senior who set up a grand formation here? What is their intention?"
"Hush, silence. Don’t you want to live! In the Wilderness, privately discussing seniors behind their backs is a capital offense!"
The eight were engaged in a flurry of discussions, with many complaints in their tone yet not one dared to step forward and breach the formation.
At this moment, Shen Xuan made his presence known and strolled over.
An elder cultivator from the Profound Celestial Sect spoke out to dissuade him: "Fellow Daoist, hold on!"
Shen Xuan stopped and looked back, his expression calm.
The elder pointed at the rolling mystical fog over the lake with lingering fear and said, "I am Li Changhe from the Profound Celestial Sect. Fellow Daoist, you must be new here. Don’t act rashly!"
"This is no ordinary mist, but a mystical fog unique to the Wilderness. Deep within the mystical fog, dangers are concealed. Half a month ago, two fellow Daoists from the Divine Sword Sect forced their way in and have been missing ever since. Their fate is likely grim."
The female cultivator from the Beast Emperor Pavilion gently stroked the spirit fox on her shoulder and advised, "Fellow Daoist, we should wait for the constraint to dissipate before we enter. This is the Wilderness, the territory of the Demon Race. A careless mistake can cost your life."
Shen Xuan smiled and nodded.
He glanced over the mystical fog on Luoxia Lake; a red light flashed in his eyes and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
His array dao knowledge had not yet exceeded Tier Two Middle Grade.
But with the skill of the [Illusion-Breaking Spirit Eye Technique], he could immediately see that the mystical fog on Luoxia Lake contained a trace of Purple Essence Spiritual Intent.
This was deliberately set up by the Purple Essence Great Demon.
Based on his understanding of the Purple Essence Great Demon, it should merely be an illusion array and would not kill the human cultivators who entered it.
Suddenly, Shen Xuan’s aura erupted, and the Spiritual Pressure of the Golden Core Realm spread out.
Li Changhe from the Profound Celestial Sect was momentarily stunned and then respectfully saluted.
"Li Changhe of the Profound Celestial Sect pays respect to Senior!"
The remaining seven quickly followed suit, bowing simultaneously.
"You stay here and guard; I will go and take a look."
Shen Xuan transformed into a green light and vanished into the milky-white mystical fog in an instant.
After his figure disappeared,
Li Changhe exhaled a long breath.
He pondered repeatedly, ensuring he committed no disrespectful acts.
The female cultivator with the spirit fox pat her chest: "Scared me half to death!"
"I thought it was a fellow Daoist of the same rank, but it was actually a Core Formation True Master!"
"Hey, do you know who that senior is?"
Li Changhe slowly said, "That senior was quite polite to us. He must be a True Master from our Song Country’s sect."
"Indeed!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Someone remarked, "It definitely isn’t a senior from our three sects."
This was easily understood.
Even a senior True Master within the sect would exchange a few words with juniors of the same sect.
"The Golden Sun Divine Sword Qing Yun, any guesses which sect it belongs to?"
Li Changhe motioned gently.
"Do not speculate randomly. Offend the senior, and you won’t have a good outcome!"
"Fellow Daoist Li is right!"
...
On the surface of Luoxia Lake.
Shen Xuan continued to fly slowly.
Several feet around him, tendrils of Profound Ice Cold Qi swirled.
His body was enveloped by a thin, translucent azure Spirit Shield, which glimmered faintly.
This was the Primordial Profound Ice Spirit Shield, capable of resisting all sorts of sinister demonic techniques.
The milky-white mystical fog rolled aside, making way for a path.
This fog could not harm Shen Xuan.
However, Shen Xuan had no intention to destroy it.
If he guessed correctly, the Purple Essence Great Demon had set up this array for a particular reason.
As he arrived at the shore of the small island in the lake,
he saw two disciples from the Divine Sword Sect at the Foundation Establishment Realm lying unconscious on the grass, unaware of their surroundings.
"Senior Purple Essence, Shen Xuan comes to pay respects!"
Shen Xuan did not rashly advance; he circulated his Spiritual Essence and called out loudly.
"Shen Xuan, why have you come?"
An aged voice murmured softly.
"Senior Purple Essence, your voice?"
"I’m fine, you may come over!"
Shen Xuan secretly performed several [Seeking Joy and Avoiding Evil Technique] spells, and since there was no warning, all was calm and ordinary, showing no signs of danger.
After examining his surroundings and finding nothing amiss,
only then did Shen Xuan proceed forward.
When he finally beheld the millennia-old Purple Essence Divine Wood, he was taken aback.
"Senior Purple Essence, what has happened to you?"
Originally, this place was rich with Spiritual Qi and had very few impurities.
It was vastly different from other parts of the Wilderness.
Nevertheless, the scene before him made Shen Xuan exclaim involuntarily.
The towering tree, several hundred feet high, with a canopy like clouds, lush with branches and leaves, emanating colorful light-swirling purple radiance, now looked withered and decayed.
Thick as a dragon, the branches were shedding spirit leaves profusely.
Once imbued with purple mist and crystalline as jade bark now appeared gray and cracked, with its spiritual light dimmed.
The ground was covered with a thick layer of purple spirit leaves and branches.
The millennia-old Purple Essence Divine Wood no longer emanated the vibrant divine light, but rather exuded a weary, end-of-life aura as if it had exhausted its vitality.
It resembled an elder who had reached the twilight of their life.
This was indeed the millennia-old Purple Essence Divine Wood.
It had long since developed intelligence, refined its spirit core, and approached the existence of a Tier Four Transformed Great Demon.
"I’m fine."
"It’s just that the time has come!"
The Purple Essence Great Demon said faintly.
In its tone, there was an implicit hint of helplessness.