< Chapter 35: The Demon Cultivator’s Plot >
Han Ming entered the secret chamber, her mind alert.
Inside the chamber, there were only two people.
“Welcome, welcome.” Sun Lingtong clapped his hands, his tone enthusiastic.
The main seat was in the center, with a row of seats on each side, each row having three seats.
To Sun Lingtong’s left, on the middle seat, sat an elderly man. His face was weathered, his expression gloomy. When he saw Han Ming arrive, he cast a scrutinizing gaze towards her.
Han Ming’s eyes flickered as she looked at the elder, finding his face somewhat familiar.
After thinking for a moment, she recalled, “He’s the mechanist from the black market who sold the ‘Ruyi Rope’.”
“Please, sit, sit,” Sun Lingtong invited.
Han Ming then sat in the right row but chose the furthest seat, which was also the closest to the chamber’s exit.
“Sun Lingtong, you invited me with a generous reward. What do you want me to do? Just say it.” As soon as Han Ming sat down, she asked directly.
Han Ming was a Foundation Establishment stage demon cultivator. Her face was delicate but had a layer of bluish-gray hue. Moreover, she exuded a constant chill, giving her an eerie and cold beauty.
Sun Lingtong clapped his hands in praise, “Straightforward! Alright, I’ll be direct.”
“I want to deal with Sun Lie, and after considering all options, Han Ming, you are the most suitable collaborator.”
Han Ming let out an “oh” and raised her eyebrows slightly. “You want the Phoenix Soul Fragrant Pills too?”
A year ago, Sun Lie had refined eighteen Phoenix Soul Fragrant Pills. After delivering them to the Zhou Family, the remaining pills were distributed on the spot.
Sun Lie was a generous and bold person, not particular about minor details. At that time, he was also drunk, and suggested that interested cultivators should compete on the spot, with the winner taking all.
Han Ming happened to be present.
She was an outer disciple of the Soul-Devouring Sect, practicing the Nine-Turn Soul-Devouring Art. The Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pill was highly beneficial for her and extremely valuable.
She immediately joined the competition, but due to numerous strong opponents and fierce competition, she was forced to use her demonic arts, killing one Foundation Establishment stage cultivator and seriously injuring three others.
Thus, her identity as a demon cultivator was exposed.
Naturally, Sun Lie wouldn’t give the Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pill to a demon cultivator in public.
Han Ming had to flee.
Ning Zhuo spoke, his voice hoarse and slow: “Who wouldn’t want the Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pill?”
Sun Lingtong nodded: “In fact, we want even more.”
“Sun Lie is a great alchemist who has been living in the Puppet Immortal City for over a year, with a constant stream of people seeking pills.”
“His success rate in alchemy is extremely high. For each commission completed, there are usually a few leftover pills.”
“I’ve discovered that on the shelves in his pill storage room, there are over a hundred bottles of pills!”
Han Ming nodded slightly, already interested.
Her exposure as a demon cultivator happened a year ago. She hadn’t left Puppet Immortal City since, unwilling to give up and still plotting to obtain the Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pill.
Over the past year, she had gathered a lot of information and probed Sun Lie several times, but always came back empty-handed.
Han Ming said: “Sun Lie is at the peak of Foundation Establishment and has considerable combat strength.”
“Additionally, he is a great alchemist, hosted by the City Lord’s Mansion, and has been staying at the Ziyang Courtyard.”
“Ziyang Courtyard is a property of the City Lord’s Mansion, and the protective formation in the courtyard is interconnected with the grand formation of the Immortal City.”
“Therefore, the Ziyang Furnace in the courtyard can, through the formation, harness the endless ground fire from Mount Huoshi to refine pills.”
“Not to mention the guards in Ziyang Courtyard, even the protective formation alone is not something we can break through quickly.”
“Once we get bogged down, we will have to face the city guards coming from all directions.”
Sun Lingtong laughed heartily, “Han Ming, don’t forget which sect I belong to. Look at this!”
With that, Sun Lingtong took out a talisman.
Han Ming glanced over and immediately showed a hint of joy, “A Breaking Formation Talisman? Excellent!”
“I’ll agree to this matter.”
“But let me make it clear, I want at least three Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pills!”
Sun Lingtong smiled silently.
Ning Zhuo snorted coldly, “You’re dreaming! You’d be lucky to get one.”
“If it weren’t for the fact that the agreed-upon manpower hadn’t arrived, how could you, an outsider, be added at the last moment?”
Han Ming’s face turned cold, her killing intent overflowing. She stared at Ning Zhuo, narrowing her eyes, “The last Foundation Establishment stage cultivator who treated me with such an attitude died a year ago. Additionally, there were three others who were severely injured.”
Ning Zhuo chuckled coldly, “Do you think I’m like those useless fools?”
As he spoke, his hair solidified, forming long black whips like serpents raising their heads. From under his cloak, several mechanical birds poked out their heads, their eyes emitting electric light, scanning Han Ming up and down.
Han Ming felt a chill in her heart.
In Huoshi Immortal City, there was a grand formation covering the area. For cultivators like her, who primarily relied on spells for combat, it was quite disadvantageous. Considering the formation’s suppression, body cultivators, corpse cultivators, beast tamers, and mechanical cultivators had a much easier time.
Han Ming couldn’t discern Ning Zhuo’s true nature, but she knew that he made a living by selling the Ruyi Rope, earning a lot of money. For someone to have that much money and still be alive, they naturally weren’t simple.
Sun Lingtong clapped his hands, breaking the tense atmosphere, “Alright, alright.”
“We are here to cooperate, not to fight to the death.”
“Han Ming, you come from a major demonic sect and are very strong. But let me tell you, the young puppet master is certainly not weaker than you.”
Han Ming snorted and withdrew her killing intent.
Ning Zhuo also retracted his black whips, his cloak settling, covering the restless Thunder Silent Birds.
Seizing the opportunity, Sun Lingtong said, “This time, there are only the three of us attacking Ziyang Courtyard. For the Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pills we seize, each of us will get at least one.”
“The actual situation is uncertain, and no matter how many there are, we will divide them according to our specific contributions.”
“What do you two think?”
The secret room fell into silence.
Ning Zhuo remained silent.
Han Ming was in deep thought.
She didn’t trust Ning Zhuo but trusted Sun Lingtong. Sun Lingtong came from the No-Void Sect, and both the No-Void Sect and the Soul-Devouring Sect were major sects in the world, with equal standing.
Sun Lingtong had been in charge of Huoshi Immortal City’s black market for many years, and his credibility was very high.
“He is the local big shot here. Since he wants to attack Ziyang Courtyard, he must be confident.”
“If I miss this opportunity, how long will I have to wait if I rely on my own strength?”
Thinking of this, Han Ming nodded slightly, her tone icy, “I agree.”
Sun Lingtong looked at Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo then nodded, “Very well, let’s sign the contract.”
Ziyang Courtyard.
Pill Refining Room.
Sun Lie and Meng Chong stood before the Ziyang Furnace.
The pill refining furnace was over two people tall, occupying nearly half of the Pill Refining Room’s space.
The furnace, made of red copper, radiated intense heat.
Meng Chong scrutinized the Ziyang Furnace, still not recovered from what he had just heard, “Old Sun, are you going to put me in the furnace and roast me like an herb?”
Sun Lie picked up a gourd, took a sip of strong liquor, and his cheeks turned slightly red, “Hahaha, that’s exactly it!”
Meng Chong frowned and said puzzled, “Refining pills with humans, isn’t this a demonic cultivator’s pill refining method?”
Sun Lie rolled his eyes, “What demonic cultivator’s method?”
“In the myriad arts of cultivation, practicality is king. Whichever method is better, we use that one. Righteous path or demonic path, they are all paths of cultivation; what’s the fundamental difference?”