Chapter 716: Deadly Peril (II)

"One thousand high-grade spirit stones? Your appetite is rather excessive," Cao Hongchang said in a grave voice, his brow furrowing slightly.

The techniques were a secondary concern. At their current realm, demon arts were of little use and could serve only as references, since there was no possibility of starting over and cultivating them anew. One thousand high-grade spirit stones, however, were an entirely different matter. That was an enormous fortune. In this world, there was no such thing as supreme-grade spirit stones. Spirit stones were divided into only three grades: high, mid, and low. ℴ

High-grade spirit stones were the finest spirit stones in existence. Even Nascent Soul realm cultivators ordinarily used mid-grade spirit stones as their unit of measurement. Only Deity Transformation realm experts could afford the extravagance of using high-grade spirit stones as their standard unit. As for the legendary spirit essence, Cao Hongchang had never even seen it. Only mighty experts above the Deity Transformation realm were qualified to possess such a treasure.

"This is already a special price between friends. Using this secret art consumes a great deal of my origin, so the cost to me is considerable. Besides, you're welcome to try taking those spirit stones and asking a Deity Transformation realm expert for help. See whether they can achieve better results than I can," Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

His heart pounded despite himself. He had never possessed a fortune as vast as one thousand high-grade spirit stones. Lin Zheyu suddenly felt that he had suffered a tremendous loss. When he helped the Xu Family Ancestor resolve the erosion caused by the yao will within him, he had charged far too little. He should have demanded an exorbitant price.

"..."

Cao Hongchang fell silent. He didn't need to try to know it was impossible. Setting aside whether a Deity Transformation realm expert could achieve the same results, he had no way of contacting one in the first place. Even if he could, Cao Hongchang would never dare approach such an expert carrying a vast fortune and ask for assistance. If he truly did so, he would most likely become nothing more than a courier delivering wealth to their doorstep. They could casually kill him and seize his spirit stones and dharma treasures.

"Very well! However, I do not have that many spirit stones at present. I will need half a year," Cao Hongchang said.

He possessed the spirit stones, but he could not restore himself to peak condition twice within such a short period. In a weakened state, he would never dare open his sea of consciousness and Nascent Soul and allow another to do as they pleased.

Seeing Cao Hongchang accept so readily, Lin Zheyu could not help wondering inwardly, Uh... He agreed just like that? Did I ask for too little? Should I raise the price?

"Then it is settled. There is no hurry regarding the spirit stones. Could you let me examine the techniques first?" Lin Zheyu asked with a smile.

He still could not bring himself to raise the price after they had already agreed. Moreover, one thousand high-grade spirit stones was an immense sum even for a Nascent Soul realm cultivator. This was especially true for Cao Hongchang, who appeared to be merely an early Nascent Soul realm cultivator without the backing of a powerful faction. Producing so many spirit stones was already exceedingly difficult.

Cao Hongchang nodded. "No problem."

With the Heavenly Dao as their witness, the two swore oaths to the Heavenly Dao and signed a contract.

"Please wait a moment," Cao Hongchang said.

He took several jade slips from his robes and, with a thought, began imprinting upon them the techniques he cultivated and the secret arts he had mastered. The entire process took less than four hours.

Cao Hongchang took out another jade slip and tossed it over. "Here. I will give you these incomplete texts as well. They are research notes on the Yao Dao written by a mighty Deity Transformation realm expert in ancient times, which I obtained from a certain secret realm."

Lin Zheyu caught the jade slip and thanked him.

"I still have important matters to attend to, so I will take my leave. Until we meet again!" Cao Hongchang cupped his hands in farewell. His figure flickered and disappeared from the cave dwelling.

"It seems he cannot maintain that state for much longer either," Lin Zheyu murmured softly as he watched Cao Hongchang depart.

Lin Zheyu hadn't noticed at first, but after spending an extended period in close proximity to Cao Hongchang, he gradually discovered the man's problem. As time passed, Cao Hongchang's aura grew increasingly unstable, while savage and sinister gleams began flashing uncontrollably through his eyes. These were signs that he was on the verge of losing control.

Lin Zheyu shook his head helplessly. "Even so, I still couldn't have kept him here."

He was merely a half-baked Nascent Soul realm expert. Although he possessed combat strength at the Nascent Soul realm, he lacked its abilities and was completely helpless against its most formidable power, short-range teleportation.

"Then again, there isn't much enmity between us, and he's actually a decent fellow. One thousand high-grade spirit stones... I can hardly wait." Lin Zheyu grinned from ear to ear, his smile exceptionally radiant. He toyed with the technique jade slips he had obtained from Cao Hongchang, eager to enter seclusion and begin comprehending them.

First, I should deal with the problems afflicting those demonic cultivators outside, Lin Zheyu thought.

With a wave of his right hand, the doors of the cave dwelling abruptly opened.

"All of you, come in..." Lin Zheyu said calmly to those waiting outside.

***

Three days later, an ordinary-looking young man sped through the skies above the Chaotic Star Sea. It was none other than Lin Zheyu, who had set out for the Honggedis Trench after dealing with the problems afflicting the group of demonic cultivators.

The Honggedis Trench lay more than two thousand kilometers to the southwest of the Eastern Sea. At Lin Zheyu's speed, it took him little time to arrive.

Lin Zheyu hovered above the azure ocean and sighed in admiration. "What an astonishing concentration of spiritual qi. As expected of a forbidden region of the deep sea, the spiritual qi is this dense even at the surface."

Although the concentration of spiritual qi here was high, the concentration of demonic qi was equally considerable. Ordinary immortal cultivators would never dare remain here for long.

After confirming his direction, Lin Zheyu plunged into the sea and descended toward the depths ten thousand meters below.

"Groaw!"

An enormous sea beast swam past with a peculiar roar. Although this was the territory of the sea clan, almost none of its members could be seen. Only powerful and terrifying deep-sea beasts inhabited these waters.

Lin Zheyu continued descending, and before long, an enormous fissure in the seabed appeared before him. The fissure was incomparably vast and utterly devoid of light, as dark as an endless abyss filled with unknown terrors.

Lin Zheyu gazed at the abyssal trench below, somewhat astonished by the violent spatial laws within.

What chaotic and violent spatial laws. No wonder this place has been designated a forbidden region.

Even from outside, his powerful perception could detect void rifts scattered throughout the Honggedis Trench. These rifts appeared and vanished at random, occasionally swallowing an unlucky and powerful sea beast.

What dense demonic qi. There is definitely a space-time node inside. I just don't know what level it is, Lin Zheyu murmured softly.

He did not rush inside. Instead, he extended his perception along the Honggedis Trench for a long time but failed to discover even a single yao. Although the Honggedis Trench was extremely dangerous, given the formidable survivability of yao, it was unlikely that not even one could escape. Either the yao were lying low within the Honggedis Trench and quietly gathering strength, or the space-time node that had appeared there was not sufficiently powerful to support the passage of stronger yao.

I'll go inside and take a look. If the space-time node isn't too powerful, perhaps this place can become a base dedicated to increasing my strength in the future, Lin Zheyu thought.

The space-time nodes in the outside world were either guarded by powerful experts or had already fallen completely under yao's control. In either case, Lin Zheyu couldn't stay inside openly for extended periods of secluded cultivation.

This place, however, was different. Given the unique nature of the Honggedis Trench, there probably would not be any sea clan experts guarding it... right? As long as the space-time node was not too powerful and no terrifying eight-pattern yao could pass through it, Lin Zheyu could quietly infiltrate the node's void and cultivate there in seclusion without restraint.

His figure flickered, transforming into a black shadow that rushed into the Honggedis Trench. His powerful perception spread outward as he vigilantly monitored the violent, chaotic energy of the spatial laws around him.

A void rift half the height of a person silently formed about three meters ahead of Lin Zheyu. He immediately shifted aside and changed direction to avoid it. Even with his formidable physique and astonishing defenses, he did not dare withstand a void rift with his bare flesh.

"No wonder there isn't a single yao in sight. With such violent spatial laws and so many densely packed void rifts appearing at random, the slightest carelessness could easily result in death."

Lin Zheyu's figure flickered as he avoided another void rift that abruptly formed. Even with his powerful perception and attainments in spatial laws, he had to advance with extreme caution. Other cultivators who entered this place, even Nascent Soul realm experts, would find it difficult to pass safely through this forbidden zone of death. Yet this was merely its outermost edge. No one could say what terrifying dangers awaited farther inside.