Each Harboring Ghostly Intentions

"Heh heh."

He Lingxiu was quite satisfied.

Normally, she was a very fair businesswoman and wouldn't try to take advantage of anyone. But she had to admit, sometimes making a stingy person like Wang Li squirm was truly a source of great mental pleasure.

Wang Li looked at her speechlessly.

Although the expressions of this female cultivator from the Huayang Sect sometimes didn't quite match her true feelings, he could tell at this moment that He Lingxiu was genuinely smug.

What made him even more speechless was that He Lingxiu then directly stuffed a jade slip into his palm.

This disposable jade slip, meant to be read with spiritual sense, had apparently been clutched in her hand for a while, and was already warm when she pressed it into his.

Such cunning!

Still, Wang Li read the cultivation method within the jade slip as quickly as possible.

"..."

What made him even more speechless was that this sound transmission secret technique was actually the "Two Hearts Know" technique from the Gezhao Sect.

The Gezhao Sect was one of the top ten most powerful sects on the Lesser Jade Continent. As far as he knew, not every true disciple of the Gezhao Sect was necessarily qualified to learn this kind of sound transmission secret technique.

It was clear that He Lingxiu's method of obtaining this secret technique was also questionable.

"Then you should tell me why we have to proceed slowly in this area now?" He Lingxiu looked at his speechless expression, seemingly even more pleased.

"There's a lot of bone phosphorus sand below this area. Moving slowly normally wouldn't cause any changes," Wang Li said, not bothering to argue with her. "But if we speed up, the airflow here changes significantly. The bone phosphorus sand below will start to spontaneously combust. Once it ignites, it will produce thick smoke. Then, various dormant insects and bugs below this area will crawl out and fly around. What happens next is hard to say. It might alert cultivators in the chaotic continent to our presence, or it might attract many demonic beasts that feed on these insects."

He Lingxiu nodded, then continued to ask, "Then can't we just fly over the dense forest?"

"Except for the northern end of the White Bone Continent, the eastern, southern, and western sides are full of avian demonic beasts. Unless a cultivator is specifically here to hunt demonic beasts, it's best not to be so ostentatious," Wang Li said. "Especially since our group is heading to the Seven Treasures Ancient Domain, it's better not to attract unnecessary trouble."

Hearing about the bone phosphorus sand, Ye Wan and the others were visibly startled. But when it came to this point, these three young cultivators seemed somewhat dismissive.

He Lingxiu found their expressions somewhat surprising.

The cultivator with the highest cultivation among these three, Ye Jiuyue, was only at the first level of Foundation Establishment. Although she knew that the probability of a demonic beast attack, as Wang Li described, wasn't very high, their dismissive attitude suggested they weren't particularly afraid of those demonic beasts, which was rather unusual.

After all, even in the outer regions of this chaotic continent, it was quite common to encounter demonic beasts equivalent to the fifth level of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Heh heh, these three are a bit strange too," she said, transmitting her voice to Wang Li.

"Mm." Wang Li only said one word.

He used the "Two Hearts Know" sound transmission method of the Gezhao Sect for this single word.

"Your cultivation talent is indeed not low," He Lingxiu frowned slightly. She could tell that Wang Li was unsure when he said just one word, trying to test the sound transmission secret technique. But regardless, Wang Li had actually succeeded.

Although the Gezhao Sect's sound transmission secret technique wasn't difficult to understand, mastering and applying it so quickly was not something ordinary cultivators could achieve.

"Of course. Even though I'm a cultivator without any spiritual roots, my talent for comprehending techniques is quite high," Wang Li said, not being modest at all, and transmitted back smugly. "Everyone here has their own agenda anyway, and I don't trust any of them. Believe it or not."

He Lingxiu chuckled, "Does that include me?"

Wang Li didn't even answer her question directly. He just gave her a look for her to interpret.

He Lingxiu smiled slightly and transmitted, "How many times have you been to the White Bone Continent?"

Wang Li replied, "Many times."

"If you continue like this, I might end up harming myself to spite you, and we'll all be worse off," He Lingxiu said with a cold laugh. "Perhaps you should think about it from a different perspective. You should think hard about what I told you at the beginning, about what kind of spiritual root I possess."

"Innate Clarity Spiritual Root."

Wang Li suddenly felt a bit guilty and chuckled sheepishly, "I was just joking earlier."

He Lingxiu said sarcastically, "Then, Fellow Daoist Wang Bihui, what benefits were you and your senior sister seeking on your multiple visits to the White Bone Continent before?"

Wang Li replied, "The White Bone Phosphor Fire here is quite good. Making it into bone phosphorus sand and White Bone Underworld Fire Talismans can fetch quite a bit of spirit sand needed for cultivation."

He Lingxiu said, "It seems you have your ways of earning spirit sand."

Wang Li sighed lightly, "It's just hard-earned money, barely enough for cultivation."

He Lingxiu chuckled again and said, "But I think the Ice Flame Crystal Bone is even better. The Explosive Flame Ice Talismans made from it are quite effective for self-defense."

Wang Li was stunned and couldn't help but turn to look at her. "Can you stop testing me like this all the time?"

"I can't help it," He Lingxiu said. "Otherwise, if I point something out, I might accidentally be tricked. Perhaps someone might suddenly use an Explosive Flame Ice Talisman, thinking it can deal with me?"

Wang Li was speechless. "Fellow Daoist Hehe, you're overthinking things."

"It's better to be cautious. Fellow Daoist Wang Bihui, you just said yourself that everyone here has their own agenda. I don't trust anyone either," He Lingxiu said.

Wang Li was completely speechless.

He Lingxiu continued, "Fellow Daoist Wang Bihui, it seems you also have considerable experience in making talismans?"

Wang Li pursed his lips tightly, remaining silent and refusing to answer the question.

He Lingxiu, however, was unconcerned. She smiled slightly and said, "How about I help you find suitable spiritual materials for making talismans, and you give me a share of the profits?"

Wang Li was annoyed, but still very direct. "What share?"

He Lingxiu: "Fifty-fifty?"

Wang Li: "Seventy-thirty. I take seventy, you take thirty."

He Lingxiu said, "You get six, I get four."

Wang Li replied, "Deal."

He Lingxiu chuckled and said, "Two hundred paces ahead and to the left, a few feet below that jawbone, there's a Ghost Pattern Spirit Bone."

Wang Li paused for a moment before realizing, "Heh heh, you had your eye on it already, didn't you? That's why you were so eager to strike a deal with me?"

"This is just a little taste to sweeten the deal," He Lingxiu said calmly. "It's to make you understand that as long as you bring me along safely, and don't just run off the moment danger appears, you'll have plenty of benefits."

Wang Li immediately scoffed, "As if you're not getting any benefits. Aren't you just trying to get me to take you to places rich in spiritual materials?"

He Lingxiu gazed straight ahead, acting as if nothing was amiss. "I recall Old Ancestor Tong Hui giving you a cultivation method for artifact refining when he gave you the Yin Thunder Umbrella."

"Fellow Daoist Hehe, you didn't happen to come to this lonely peak specifically to recruit me because we have this artifact refining method, did you?" Wang Li's voice suddenly turned a bit creepy. "Your plan is too far-reaching!"