### Chapter 117: Meng Guan's Request

In the past, when the Meridian Protection Pill had appeared, Meng Guan had still been in the midst of desperately trying to improve his cultivation.

He wasn't sure if he could reach the peak of Qi Refining before turning sixty.

If he had spent his spirit stones on the Meridian Protection Pill back then, it might have slowed down his cultivation progress.

Therefore, he hadn't prepared in advance.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have found himself at the peak of Qi Refining without a Meridian Protection Pill to use.

"I only have a little over two hundred spirit stones left now. The spirit stones I had saved up were spent on upgrading my artifacts and talismans before coming here..."

When Meng Guan asked to borrow spirit stones, He Song thought it over and decided to be honest.

Although he still had over sixty thousand pounds of spirit rice, it was absolutely out of the question to sell it during such an urgent time.

If he were to sell the spirit rice and expose his identity, the consequences could be unpredictable.

Moreover, this was Green Wall Immortal City, where the Earth Sect's control was far stronger than in the immortal markets.

However, He Song made sure to add at the end, "If it's not enough, I can sell an artifact. That should cover the remaining spirit stones."

Even if it meant selling an artifact, he couldn't touch the spirit rice.

This was a decision He Song had made after careful consideration.

Selling spirit rice rashly could easily draw attention and lead to serious consequences.

But if he needed spirit stones urgently and sold an artifact, no one would find it suspicious.

After all, he had come to Green Wall Immortal City with Wei Fan, and they would naturally return to Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market together.

They hadn't encountered any danger on the way here.

It was unlikely they would face any danger on the way back.

At worst, he still had two life-saving talismans. If danger arose, he could simply escape.

After fleeing to a safe distance, he could use the Earth Escape Technique and quietly make his way back to Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.

In this way, having one more or one less artifact wouldn't affect his safety.

This was why He Song preferred to sell an artifact rather than sell spirit rice in Green Wall Immortal City.

Helping a friend without compromising his own safety was perfectly fine.

Moreover, Meng Guan, as He Song's former mentor, had done him a great favor.

If it weren't for the "Spirit Plant Cultivation Techniques" Meng Guan had given him, He Song might still be struggling in the mortal world.

Without the protection of the immortal market, He Song might have already died at the hands of some rogue cultivator or evil practitioner.

How could he be living so comfortably now, with his cultivation having broken through to the late stages of Qi Refining in such a short time?

Such a great kindness naturally demanded repayment.

If Meng Guan were to die because of this, He Song might develop inner demons that would hinder his future cultivation.

Rather than being plagued by inner demons, it was better to do everything he could to help Meng Guan now.

No matter what, giving his all to help once would go a long way in repaying this immense debt.

Furthermore, if Meng Guan successfully broke through to Foundation Building, he would surely remember He Song's help, potentially gaining a Foundation Building True Person as an ally in the future.

If that happened, not only would these spirit stones be worth it, but even more would be a small price to pay!

Even if Meng Guan failed to break through, with the Meridian Protection Pill, he would survive.

A peak Qi Refining cultivator repaying a few spirit stones would be a trivial matter.

Calculating it this way, He Song couldn't lose.

Moreover, based on He Song's understanding of Wei Fan, Wei Fan likely had a fair amount of spirit stones.

Although He Song had said what he did, it was unlikely that he would actually have to sell an artifact.

Knowing that the Meridian Protection Pill only cost around two thousand spirit stones and that Meng Guan already had twelve hundred, Wei Fan might be able to cover the remaining amount without He Song's contribution.

However, He Song still had to say what he did.

If he didn't, how would Meng Guan feel indebted to him?

Only by offering help in times of need could one leave a lasting impression.

At this moment, He Song was offering help in Meng Guan's time of need.

"Fellow Daoist, you worry too much. Over the years, I've managed to save up over a thousand spirit stones. There's no need for you to sell your artifact."

Seeing that He Song had even mentioned selling an artifact, a look of warmth flashed in Wei Fan's eyes.

He quickly spoke up, revealing his own savings.

Although he had long understood He Song's character, hearing that He Song was willing to sell an artifact to help Meng Guan secure the Meridian Protection Pill further improved Wei Fan's opinion of him.

If He Song could help Meng Guan like this today, who was to say he wouldn't do the same for Wei Fan in the future?

Thinking this, Wei Fan waved his hand, and a pile of spirit stones appeared on the table.

"With my thousand spirit stones, Fellow Daoist He's two hundred, and Old Meng's twelve hundred, we should have more than enough to buy a Meridian Protection Pill."

As soon as he finished speaking, He Song also waved his hand, and the remaining two hundred spirit stones from his storage bag piled up on the table.

He didn't bring up selling an artifact again.

As He Song had expected, Wei Fan had no shortage of spirit stones.

At this moment, the tea table was covered with a dazzling array of spirit stones, their glow captivating.

This scene moved Meng Guan deeply, his expression shifting repeatedly.

He looked at He Song, then at Wei Fan, as if trying to etch their faces into his memory.

After a long while, he let out a sigh.

Standing up, he bowed deeply to He Song and Wei Fan.

"I am truly fortunate to have such friends. I won't say more, but if I succeed in breaking through to Foundation Building, I will never forget your kindness!"

The price of a Meridian Protection Pill was usually around two thousand spirit stones.

Now, with the three of them pooling their resources, they had around two thousand five hundred spirit stones.

With an extra five hundred, securing a Meridian Protection Pill would be no problem.

Faced with He Song and Wei Fan's unwavering support, Meng Guan was deeply moved, engraving this moment in his heart.

Seeing this, He Song and Wei Fan quickly helped Meng Guan up and urged him not to dwell on it.

For now, the priority was to attend the auction and secure the Meridian Protection Pill, then choose a day to attempt the breakthrough.

The small auction would take place in three days.

There was still enough time.

With that, after collecting the spirit stones, Meng Guan no longer secluded himself in his meditation chamber to adjust his state. Instead, he happily took He Song and Wei Fan on a leisurely tour of Green Wall Immortal City.

For three days, the three of them explored every corner of the city.

As three late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, few dared to provoke them.

Naturally, they encountered no trouble during those three days, and everything went smoothly.

Three days later, He Song, Wei Fan, and Meng Guan arrived together at the venue for the small auction.

Since it was a small auction, the number of attendees wasn't large.

He Song glanced around and saw only a few dozen cultivators, their cultivation levels varying, but not a single Foundation Building True Person in sight.

However, everyone attending the auction wore black robes and used concealment techniques, wrapping themselves up tightly.

Even He Song and his companions were no exception.

Although Meng Guan had some reputation in Green Wall Immortal City, the auction strictly prohibited killing and the use of force.

Violators would face certain death, so he naturally didn't reveal his identity to avoid unnecessary trouble.

(End of Chapter)

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