Digging for Spirit Stone

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"Don't worry, I'm only here for business. I have no intention of killing. Tell me, what treasure do you need in exchange for the Soul-Connecting Grass?"

Qi Yuan's expression was calm, his gentle smile giving off an air of warmth and sincerity.

A long silence followed.

The cold murderous intent from beneath the black cloth gradually faded, and a hoarse voice finally spoke. "A thousand-year-old Fire Cloud Mushroom. You should understand how rare the Soul-Connecting Grass is among you humans."

"That's no problem. Let's exchange the items at the same time."

Qi Yuan didn't hesitate. He tapped his storage bag, and a jade box appeared in his hand. With a flick, he removed the sealing talisman and opened the box. A wave of scorching heat surged out, revealing a thousand-year-old Fire Cloud Ganoderma.

Obtaining the Soul-Connecting Grass was worth the cost. Venturing into the deep sea to search for one himself would be far more troublesome.

The moment the Fire Cloud Mushroom appeared, the creature under the black cloth trembled violently. A surge of murderous intent locked onto Qi Yuan as if it were about to strike at any moment.

Boom!

A far stronger aura erupted from Qi Yuan in response.

Long Dazhi collapsed instantly, drenched in cold sweat, unable to move under the overwhelming pressure.

"Your Excellency will certainly be a great enemy to my demon clan in the future," the hoarse voice muttered.

"That's for the future to decide. For now, let's complete our transaction," Qi Yuan replied with a smile.

A strange hum emanated from beneath the black cloth, and an inch-long, crystal-clear elixir floated outward, exuding a unique floral fragrance.

The Soul-Connecting Grass!

Both parties controlled their respective treasures with magic power, pushing them toward each other simultaneously.

The cloaked demon verified the Fire Cloud Mushroom's authenticity before swiftly retreating into the vast sea, its presence vanishing in an instant.

"Pretty fast escape," Qi Yuan muttered.

He sealed the Soul-Connecting Grass in a jade box with a talisman and tossed a few spirit stones to Long Dazhi before disappearing into the night. With his prize secured, there was no need for further conversation.

Long Dazhi, still recovering from the pressure of their exchange, quickly grabbed the spirit stones and tucked them away. He wiped the sweat from his forehead before slowly making his way back to Silver Shark Island.

With the transaction complete, Qi Yuan left Silver Shark Island that very night, setting off on his journey to locate Biling Island.

As he traveled across the vast ocean, he stopped at various uninhabited islands, searching for spiritual mines. If he found nothing, he would move on immediately, wasting no time.

One year passed.

Then two.

Along the way, Qi Yuan made a brief return to Tianxing City to accelerate the cultivation of the Soul-Connecting Grass. He also refined more than a dozen batches of Bingxin Pills for Xin Ruyin's use.

He arranged for Xin Ruyin and Xiaomei to cultivate in seclusion on two different islands, providing them with everything needed to attempt forming their core successfully in one go. He also instructed Yan Ruyan to remain nearby to assist Xin Ruyin, while Yuanyao and Yanli took charge of Xiaomei's side.

"Two and a half years, and I still haven't even glimpsed Biling Island," Qi Yuan murmured to himself. He played with a seventh-level golden demon core in his hand before tossing it into his already full storage bag. "Instead, I've harvested a whole collection of level five, six, and seven demon cores."

Ahead lay a fan-shaped deserted island. Qi Yuan paused for a moment before making his decision. With a flicker of movement, he landed on the island.

His divine sense swept outward, probing deep underground.

Suddenly, a flash of white light surged into his consciousness.

A spirit stone mine!

Qi Yuan's expression brightened. He wasn't sure if this was Biling Island, but the presence of a spirit stone mine significantly increased the chances of discovering top-grade spirit stones.

Clearing out the island's monsters took some effort.

He set up an inverted Five Elements Formation to conceal his presence, a Fire and Yang Thunder Formation to eliminate intruders, and stationed his flying centipede to guard the perimeter.

Then, he released hundreds of humanoid puppets, each equipped with a hoe. Under his precise control, they eagerly began mining for spirit stones.

Qi Yuan found a well-positioned Feng Shui spot, sat cross-legged, and focused entirely on controlling the puppets.

In the first month, the puppets unearthed 200,000 spirit stones.

By the second month, production increased to 250,000.

By the third month, as his control refined, the yield rose to 350,000.

In just three months, he had amassed 800,000 spirit stones—an amount that would make any cultivator green with envy.

Among them, he had also harvested over a dozen high-grade spirit stones.

Yet the elusive top-grade spirit stone remained unseen.

In the fourth month, another 300,000 spirit stones were excavated. But more importantly, a single spirit stone, pure as flawless jade, emerged from the depths.

Qi Yuan held the top-grade Wood Spirit Stone in his hand and compared it to a top-grade Fire Spirit Stone. A smile spread across his face.

Aside from their elemental attributes, they were identical.

Satisfied, he stored the top-grade spirit stone away and continued directing the puppets to dig deeper.

Meanwhile, as Qi Yuan immersed himself in his mining operations, a group of Jindan-stage demon cultivators was scouring the world for him.

In the archipelago waters near Silver Shark Island, a young man with a hooked nose, exuding late-stage Jindan cultivation, led five fellow demon cultivators in a relentless search. They hunted monsters for resources while keeping an eye out for any trace of Qi Yuan.

This man was Night Demon.

His brother, Night Crow, had been slain, and though the news had long reached him, sect affairs had forced him to delay his vengeance. Now that his obligations were settled, he had gathered his most trusted followers and set out to exact revenge.

There was no such thing as a fair fight for a demon cultivator. If a group battle could ensure victory, then why fight alone?

After extensive investigation, Night Demon had pinpointed Qi Yuan's recent activity near Silver Shark Island.

"Brother Night Demon, I checked the area. No sign of him," reported a red-nosed demon cultivator.

Other members returned with similarly disappointing news.

Night Demon's expression darkened, his eyes flickering with suppressed rage.

The red-nosed cultivator, knowing Night Demon's temperament, swallowed nervously. If they had been in a populated area, he knew his leader would have vented his frustration on a passing victim.

Just then, another demon cultivator with green skin and hair rushed over, his expression excited. "Brother, I found traces on an island nearby!"

Night Demon grabbed him by the collar. "Where? Are you certain?"

"Positive!"

Without another word, Night Demon shot toward the island, a streak of dark light trailing behind him.

There, faint remnants of five-colored magic power lingered in the air.

Night Demon laughed, his eyes burning with bloodlust.

"Qi Yuan, I'm going to tear you to pieces!"

(End of Chapter)