Qin Wu’s heart palpitated when he heard that. He could not help but ask, “That many?”
“I need ten Scarlet Blood Divine Pills a day. It’ll take about a year to master it. That’s why I need so many Scarlet Blood Divine Pills,” said Meng Chuan. “If I don’t use them, it will take ten years.”
“Scarlet Blood Divine Pills are for Marquis Godfiends to recover their Quintessential Essence,” said Qin Wu helplessly. “It can completely restore a Marquis Godfiend’s Quintessential Essence reserves in 30 seconds. It’s usually consumed at critical moments. You sure are good... Eating Scarlet Blood Divine Pills like it’s a meal. You have to eat ten pills every day and have to eat it for an entire year.”
Meng Chuan smiled obsequiously.
“You want 3,600? No.” Qin Wu shook his head.
“No?” Meng Chuan was taken aback.
“Such divine pills are rare. Only after finding a batch of materials can a batch of pills be refined,” said Qin Wu. “Now, Archean Mountain only has a stock of about 2,000 Scarlet Blood Divine Pills. Many Godfiends have to exchange for them occasionally. It’s impossible for you to take them all. It’s too wasteful to use them like this.”
Meng Chuan immediately said, “Master, you’re right. However, this disciple’s cultivation of the physical body cultivation system consumes an astonishing amount of Quintessential Essence. If I rely on recovering my Quintessential Essence naturally, it will take ten years.”
“If this were any other time, it wouldn’t be a big deal to spend ten years.” Qin Wu looked at Meng Chuan and gave him a faint smile. “Now that it’s wartime, it’s indeed best to master it as soon as possible. How about this? I’ll lend you a treasure for a year! Return it to me after the year is up.”
As Qin Wu spoke, he flipped his hand, and a cyan bead, that emitted a glow, appeared in his palm.
Meng Chuan looked at the cyan bead. Meng Chuan could sense the immense power contained within the bead.
“This is the Grotto-Heaven Magic Bead,” said Qin Wu. “It contains a pocket grotto-heaven. You can directly devour it and place it in your dantian space.”
“A small grotto-heaven?” Meng Chuan was shocked. “It can be carried with me?”
“Take it with you,” said Qin Wu. “When you cultivate, you can directly trigger the energy in the pocket grotto-heaven. The Grotto-Heaven Magic Bead’s power is boundless. It’s much more powerful than the Scarlet Blood Divine Pill’s medicinal essence. It’s enough for you to master the Undying realm. Return the Grotto-Heaven Magic Bead to me one year later. Of course, the one-year loan will cost you 36 million credits. Are you okay with that?”
Meng Chuan said obediently, “Thank you, Master. I’m naturally okay with that.”
3,600 Scarlet Blood Divine Pills also cost 36 million credits... The Grotto-Heaven Magic Bead loan for a year cost the same.
“Master, other than using its power to cultivate, what other uses does the Grotto-Heaven Magic Bead have?” asked Meng Chuan.
“It contains a pocket grotto-heaven that spans 250 kilometers,” said Qin Wu. “Many items can be thrown in directly or hidden in it, living things included. One can plant food inside, so letting hundreds of thousands of people live and reproduce inside it wouldn’t be a problem. Hiding the Grotto-Heaven Magic Bead in a remote, uninhabited place and then hiding in it can lead to eternal freedom.”
Meng Chuan’s eyes lit up when he heard that. A paradise-like place that was outside of this world? “Can I use credits to exchange for it?” asked Meng Chuan. “You can.” Qin Wu smiled at Meng Chuan. “500 million credits.”
Meng Chuan smiled and didn’t say a word.
Over the past ten years, he had only accumulated about 160 million credits. It was earned from being stationed all over the Great Zhou Dynasty, allowing him to kill many elite demon monarchs. He had handed the treasures left behind by the elite demon monarchs to Archean Mountain. After ten years of hard work, that was all he had accumulated. He hadn’t spent much credit in this past decade.
Meng Chuan and his wife’s cultivation would be shockingly expensive when they became Regis Godfiends in the future. If they wanted to increase their strength quickly, everything they needed required credit.
A pocket grotto-heaven for 500 million credits? Forget it.
“Remember to return it to me in a year,” said Qin Wu as he handed it over. “This is Archean Mountain’s property.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Meng Chuan obediently received the cyan bead.
He opened his mouth and sucked the cyan bead into his body.
Quintessential Essence wrapped around the cyan bead as it rapidly entered his body. The dantian space was extremely mysterious, but the cyan bead easily entered.
What a mighty grotto-heaven. Meng Chuan’s consciousness permeated the cyan bead, and he discovered that the Grotto-Heaven Magic Bead contained a vast land. There was a ring of nine volcanoes that often erupted. The world’s foundation powers contained within this pocket grotto-heaven were immense and miraculous. It was even more magical than the Scarlet Blood Divine Pills’ medicinal essence. It replenished one’s Quintessential Essence even faster.
“What else do you need?” inquired Qin Wu.
“Once I reach the Undying realm and have a strong body, I can absorb a higher level of baneful aura,” said Meng Chuan. “I wish to place a 100 million credit bounty on five tubes of Extreme Earth Frost baneful aura or three cubes of Turbid Yin Specter baneful aura.”
Qin Wu nodded. “An Undying realm expert can crush Marquis Godfiends with just their bodies. Combat strength is only secondary; an Undying realm expert’s lifeforce is even more impressive. It’s much stronger than the lifeforce of a Regis Godfiend. You will indeed be capable of absorbing a higher level of baneful aura.”
“Our Godfiend cultivation system is inferior in terms of physical strength, but our Quintessential Essence is potent,” said Meng Chuan.
“The physical body cultivation system heritage you obtained in Archean Eon Grotto-Heaven...” Qin Wu shook his head. “It seems like it can crush our Godfiend cultivation system, but there are too many flaws to it. The main flaw is that the requirements on one’s Essence Soul are too harsh. Mortals would require a first-level Essence Soul to achieve basic mastery. One needs a fourth-level Essence Soul to reach the Undying realm. The number of experts of this cultivation system is much fewer than us Godfiends.”
Meng Chuan nodded. Across the world, how many people had attained a fourth-level Essence Soul? This was just one of the requirements for reaching the Undying realm.
“Archean Mountain doesn’t have five cubes of Extreme Earth Frost baneful aura or three cubes of Turbid Yin Specter baneful aura.” Qin Wu shook his head.
“That’s why I want to put up a bounty,” said Meng Chuan. “I hope a Godfiend happens to have it in their collection.”
“If they have such baneful auras, and are unable to use it themselves, they would have long handed it over to the sect,” said Qin Wu. “Actually, you can try other baneful auras.” “Other baneful auras?” Meng Chuan was puzzled.
“Previous Lightning Devastator Fiend Body cultivators in history have tested different baneful auras through trial and error. Those who followed the frost baneful aura path tested Extreme Earth Frost baneful aura first. Later, they tested Turbid Yin Specter baneful aura. However, all of the two baneful auras have been used up by your predecessors. You will need to test out a few baneful auras that suit you,” said Qin Wu.
Meng Chuan was puzzled. “What are the baneful auras I can try?”
“My Archean Mountain has a kind of baneful aura called Origins Returning baneful aura. It’s much more potent than Extreme Earth Frost baneful aura and Turbid Yin Specter baneful aura,” said Qin Wu. “It’s also a frost baneful aura. After you reach the Undying realm, your body will be stronger than a Regis Godfiend’s. I think you can give it a try. However, I believe you will need two cubes of Origins Returning baneful aura to master it completely. That will cost you 200 million credits.”
“200 million credits?” Meng Chuan was shocked. “It’s that expensive?”
The Grotto-Heaven Magic Bead was only worth 500 million credits.
Three cubes of Turbid Yin Specter baneful aura or five cubes of Extreme Earth Frost baneful aura typically cost 80 million credits. Meng Chuan was willing to offer 100 million credits.
“It’s very cheap.” Qin Wu looked at Meng Chuan. “Only our Archean Mountain possesses it in this world. It was obtained by an Archean Mountain senior from outside this world.”
“Yes, yes. Can I purchase it on credit?” asked Meng Chuan.
“Yes. I’ll slowly deduct from the credits you earn every year.” Qin Wu flipped his hand and took out a tiny black calabash. “There’s a sliver of Origins Returning baneful aura in it. After you cultivate to the Undying realm, you can try to see if your body can withstand it. If you fail... pretend I didn’t say anything.”
“Yes.” Meng Chuan took the black calabash.
Turbid Yin Specter baneful aura and Extreme Earth Frost baneful aura could only be found by chance.
This Origins Returning baneful aura was something unheard of in this world. He was only nurtured so much because he was an outstanding disciple and it was wartime.
Following that, Meng Chuan bade farewell and left Archean Mountain. He returned to Jiang State Capital 15 minutes later.
...
One of seven major city passes in the Great Zhou Dynasty, Swallow Mountain Pass.
Other than Supremacy Luo Tang-who guarded Luo Tang Pass—the guardians of the six other major city passes were publicly acknowledged to be the six strongest Archean Mountain Regis Godfiends. Every major city pass was of utmost importance.
Within an enormous chamber, a white-haired elder sat cross-legged as a grayish-white gas swirled around him. The void distorted as a result. Suddenly, he sucked in a deep breath and completely devoured the grayish-white gas.
The old man opened his eyes and said, “Come in.”
The door to the chamber opened.
A Godfiend guard respectfully walked in. “Your Highness, it’s a letter from Jiang State Capital.”
“Oh?” The old man took the letter and smiled. “It’s from Shuang. He still remembers to write to me?”
The Godfiend guard sighed inwardly.
King Swallow Mountain had been guarding the city pass for more than 200 years. He did not dare to relax for a single day and was usually rather strict. Only a few juniors from his family clan could make him smile.
“Jiang State Capital. Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue?” King Swallow Mountain frowned as he read the letter.