The Yi Wood Spirit Heart

Su Mucheng had already returned to his dwelling in the oasis. The commotion he'd caused earlier had allowed Shadow Elder to seize the opportunity and return to his side.

For some unknown reason, the cultivators who had explored the ancient city the last time, with the exception of a few unlucky individuals who perished within its walls, had mostly returned safely, laden with treasures.

This news spread like wildfire, attracting countless cultivators to flock to the scene. Even the Western Region Sect forces, who had previously been observing from the sidelines, began to frequently appear in this oasis.

"Presumably, the Lord of the Abyss will be more restrained the next time we meet, right?" Su Mucheng mused inwardly.

With some time still remaining until the next full moon, Su Mucheng was not in a hurry. He decided to first explore the oasis thoroughly. This ancient city held immense opportunities, and surely that mysterious Son of Destiny would also be drawn by the unusual activity here.

This time, Shadow Elder no longer concealed himself in the shadows, but instead, suppressed his aura and followed behind Su Mucheng, like a loyal servant.

The small town, surrounded by the oasis, had become increasingly bustling and lively due to the influx of various forces, far exceeding Su Mucheng's initial impression upon arrival.

"This is..."

As he passed a simple stall, Su Mucheng keenly detected a strange fluctuation of spiritual energy. His heart stirred, and he stopped.

"This young master, have you taken a liking to something? Feel free to choose! These are all treasures brought out from the ancient city, guaranteed to be worth more than their price! You definitely won't be at a loss!"

The stall owner, a middle-aged man, eagerly greeted Su Mucheng upon seeing him stop, enthusiastically promoting his goods.

"These… are all brought out from the ancient city?" Su Mucheng gave the stall owner a deep look. Wasn't this guy's bragging a bit too far-fetched?

"Mostly are, mostly are!" The middle-aged man chuckled sheepishly, revealing a hint of embarrassment.

Su Mucheng didn't mind and casually picked up a spirit stone that had almost completely lost its spiritual energy.

"Oh, young master, you truly have a discerning eye! This is a treasure, have you heard of Immortal-grade Spirit Stone? This is one! It's greatly beneficial to cultivation! The shop is having a clearance sale at a loss! For only five hundred low-grade spirit stone, you can take it away!"

Su Mucheng's lips twitched slightly. This guy really dared to say anything. The immortal energy within this Immortal-grade Spirit Stone had almost completely dissipated. It wasn't worth fifty low-grade spirit stone, let alone five hundred.

Su Mucheng shook his head and picked up a few other items. The middle-aged man gave another flowery boast for each. Finally, Su Mucheng picked up a piece of dark, black fragment.

Upon seeing Su Mucheng pick up this fragment, the middle-aged man fell silent.

"How much for this?" Su Mucheng asked calmly.

"Young master, to be honest, this thing… isn't very good. You should look at something else!"

"This is the one. How much?" Su Mucheng's tone was firm, showing no intention of changing his mind.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man sighed helplessly. This thing was pitch-black and didn't look like anything good at all.

"Three hundred low-grade spirit stone. You can take it!"

Su Mucheng nodded and transferred three hundred low-grade spirit stone into the middle-aged man's storage bag.

Su Mucheng took the dark fragment and weighed it in his hand, applying slight pressure.

With a crisp "crack," the black outer layer cracked, and a verdant light shone through the gap.

Su Mucheng's eyes lit up, and he continued to apply pressure. As the black skin continued to peel away, a fragment shimmering with a cyan luster appeared in his hand.

"Yi Wood Spirit Heart!"

Su Mucheng's pupils abruptly constricted. He finally understood where the strange sensation in his heart was coming from. It must be the Bodhi Tree within his body, sensing this treasure!

After all, wood-attributed natural treasures were of great benefit to the growth of the Bodhi Tree!

He had truly stumbled upon a treasure, spending only three hundred low-grade spirit stone. If it were placed in an auction house, it would definitely fetch a sky-high price!

"That… young master." The middle-aged man looked regretful. If he had known that this thing was actually the legendary Yi Wood Spirit Heart, he wouldn't have sold it for even three thousand low-grade spirit stone, let alone three hundred!

Su Mucheng glanced at him, put away the Yi Wood Spirit Heart, and turned to leave.

"No, you can't leave!" The man suddenly jumped out, grabbed Su Mucheng's sleeve, and stubbornly refused to let him go.

Su Mucheng frowned and looked coldly at the middle-aged man.

"What? You want to go back on a sale?"

"Young master, we're both smart people. This is the Yi Wood Spirit Heart! You have to give me another three million high-grade spirit stone, and we'll call it even. You won't be at a loss either!"

To be honest, three million high-grade spirit stone to buy such a large piece of Yi Wood Spirit Heart was indeed very cheap, but Su Mucheng still shook his head. A hint of impatience flashed across his face, but it was fleeting.

"Are you joking with me?" Su Mucheng sneered, his tone laced with sarcasm and disdain. "You lack the discernment to recognize its value, but you want to place the responsibility on me? How ridiculous."

"Hmph! Don't be ungrateful! In SandStone City, no one dares to disrespect the Blazing Sun Sect!" The man quickly crushed a communication talisman and glared fiercely at Su Mucheng.

"Oh? Are all members of the Blazing Sun Sect like you?" Su Mucheng's expression instantly turned cold. He didn't move, but a menacing aura emanated from him. For some reason, when the middle-aged man saw Su Mucheng's appearance, he instinctively felt a sense of palpitations, as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast. But he seemed to remember his identity as a disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect, and immediately became tough again.

"Hmph, let you be arrogant for a while. You'll know what it's like to offend the Blazing Sun Sect later!" Qian Feng had already made up his mind. This time, he would not only make Su Mucheng hand over the Yi Wood Spirit Heart, but also extort a fortune from him. Who told him to dare to offend him?

At this moment, the commotion quickly attracted the attention of passers-by. Many people didn't know the whole story, but they recognized the stall owner's identity.

"Isn't that Qian Feng of the Blazing Sun Sect? Who is so bold as to provoke him?"

"Although this Qian Feng isn't a big shot in the Blazing Sun Sect, but his older brother, Qian Yun, is an inner disciple of the Blazing Sun Sect. It's said that he is deeply favored by the elders!"

"It's over, it's over. The guy who offended Qian Feng is going to be in big trouble!"

The surrounding people's discussions entered the ears of the two men. Su Mucheng's expression was indifferent, while Qian Feng looked at Su Mucheng triumphantly, as if victory was in his grasp.

"Now you know to be afraid, right? Hmph, it's too late!" Qian Feng had already decided in his heart that this time he would not only make Su Mucheng hand over the Yi Wood Spirit Heart, but also extort a fortune from him. Who told him to dare to offend him?

Just then, a commotion came from the crowd, and several people wearing the uniforms of Blazing Sun Sect disciples appeared in the field.

"Junior Brother Qian, what's going on?" A Blazing Sun Sect disciple saw Qian Feng and quickly asked. They had just received Qian Feng's distress signal and thought something big had happened, so they rushed over anxiously.

"Senior Brother Li, this guy snatched a treasure that I was preparing to hand over to the sect! He said he liked it and insisted on buying it. When I refused to sell, he directly attacked and robbed me!" Qian Feng saw the newcomers and was overjoyed. He embellished the earlier events with exaggerated details. However, he spoke through sound transmission, because if news of a treasure like the Yi Wood Spirit Heart leaked out, the Blazing Sun Sect might not be able to protect it.

"Is this true?" The leading Senior Brother Li's expression changed, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind. He realized that this was a rare opportunity, an excellent chance to improve his position within the sect!

"Absolutely true! That's why I hurriedly called you over!"

"Good!" Senior Brother Li patted Qian Feng on the shoulder, signaling him to rest assured, then turned to look at Su Mucheng, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Hand over the item, then get lost!" In his opinion, Su Mucheng's face was very unfamiliar, and he probably wasn't a disciple of a Western Region Sect. Even if he was a disciple of some sect, so what? The Blazing Sun Sect wasn't necessarily afraid of him!

"Threatening me?" Su Mucheng's expression completely turned cold. As the Young Master of the Holy Sect, when had he ever been threatened in such a tone?