Scent-Chasing Insect

Under Fang Chen's wary gaze, the man approached him and said with a smile, "Young brother, would you like to rent a Mystic Ice Dharma Robe?"

"A Mystic Ice Dharma Robe?"

Fang Chen's eyes narrowed. He had thought Zhang Tielin had sent this man to kill him. Instead, the man was selling clothes.

"That's right, a Mystic Ice Dharma Robe! It's made from Ice Silkworm Silk and inscribed with Mystic Ice Array Runes. Wear it and you'll feel cool and comfortable, even deep inside Spirit Flame Valley. The rent is only one Spirit Stone a day, with a deposit of just three Spirit Stones. With a Mystic Ice Dharma Robe, you'll get twice the results with half the effort and stay full of energy while working in Spirit Flame Valley!"

The man launched into his sales pitch at once.

"No, thanks!"

Fang Chen shook his head and turned to leave. One Spirit Stone a day was far too expensive for him, and he had no need for the robe anyway.

Seeing that Fang Chen was not interested in the Mystic Ice Dharma Robe, the man refused to give up. "Then would you like to buy some Fire Spirit Sword Bamboo?"

"You can sell Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo?"

Fang Chen paused, surprise showing on his face.

The man nodded. "Of course. As long as you have the money!"

Fang Chen asked cautiously, "How much?"

The man held up one finger. "Ten taels of silver per stalk!"

"Ten taels of silver per stalk?"

Fang Chen's eyes widened. He had not expected the pay for cutting Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo to be so high.

The man smiled. "That's right. It's already quite cheap. If you need a lot, we can discuss the price!"

"No, thanks. Too expensive!"

Fang Chen hurriedly shook his head and walked away. He was already up to his neck in debt. He had no spare money to pay someone else to cut bamboo for him.

The man watched Fang Chen leave, looking a little helpless, then turned and went on his way.

Fang Chen had not gone far when a disheveled man bumped into him.

"Sorry, sorry!"

The man quickly apologized to Fang Chen, then hurried off.

Fang Chen frowned but paid him no mind. Following the route marked on his map, he took a broad dirt-and-stone road deeper into Spirit Flame Valley.

The man who had bumped into Fang Chen reached the residential area and entered a stone house. "It's done!" he told the person inside.

Sitting in the house was Zhang Qining, whom Zhang Tielin had sent to deal with Fang Chen.

With that, the disheveled man pulled a cloth pouch from his robes. "There's a Scent-Chasing Insect in here. Once you let it out, it'll lead you to him!"

He handed the pouch to Zhang Qining.

Zhang Qining smiled and took a cloth pouch from his own robes, handing it over in return.

The disheveled man opened it and saw Spirit Stones inside—a full ten of them.

He tucked the pouch into his robes and left.

Zhang Qining picked up the pouch containing the Scent-Chasing Insect. Once outside, he headed straight for the entrance to Spirit Flame Valley.

Fang Chen had no idea that someone had planted a means of tracking him. He jogged deeper into Spirit Flame Valley.

Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo grew in the region between a hundred and two hundred li into Spirit Flame Valley, where the heat was even fiercer.

An hour later, Fang Chen finally reached the area where the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo grew.

The heat was intense, like standing inside a great furnace. Every breath felt as though it might set his lungs on fire.

Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo stood only three zhang tall and was as thick as the mouth of a bowl. Immature stalks had yellow-green skin, while mature ones were red from end to end, like iron rods heated until they glowed. A fine emerald-green line ran along each stalk, making them easy to tell apart.

Fang Chen looked around. Seeing no one, he summoned the Floating Immortal Sword and swung it at a fully mature stalk of Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo.

Clang!

The Floating Immortal Sword rang out crisply. Red light burst from the bamboo's skin, and a surge of Spiritual Power erupted. A powerful recoil traveled through the sword's hilt, leaving Fang Chen's wrist numb.

"No wonder it's spiritual bamboo. It can even protect itself!"

Fang Chen frowned. He had known the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo would be hard to cut, but he had not expected it to be this difficult. The Floating Immortal Sword was so sharp, yet even a full-strength blow without True Qi could not break through the bamboo's Body Protection Spiritual Light.

The Spiritual Qi lifeforms of this world all possessed similar means of protection.

If Fang Chen wanted to cut down the stalk before him, he would have to find a way to destroy the layer of Spiritual Power surrounding it.

Buzz, buzz!

The Floating Immortal Sword vibrated fiercely. A cool current flowed from its hilt into Fang Chen's body, and the numbness in his wrist vanished at once. The current was much stronger than the one he had received while cutting Exquisite Bamboo, but it still could not compare to what he had gained from striking the huge boulder atop Dog Head Ridge.

Looking inward, he saw wisps of green gas traveling through his meridians. After gathering in his dantian, some were absorbed by the Vortex of True Qi. The rest spread from his dantian through his meridians and across his body. The oppressive heat within him faded, and he instantly felt clearheaded and refreshed.

Fang Chen had not expected to absorb Spiritual Power through the Floating Immortal Sword when it had not even touched the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo.

He stared at the stalk before him and thought, It looks like I'll have to exhaust its Body Protection Spiritual Light before I can cut it down. If I strike with all my True Qi, can I break through its Spiritual Power defenses?

With that thought, Fang Chen immediately poured True Qi into the Floating Immortal Sword.

Buzz!

The Floating Immortal Sword trembled slightly. Azure Runes appeared along its blade, and a sharp Sword Intent burst forth.

He swung the Floating Immortal Sword at the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo again.

This time, the Floating Immortal Sword struck the bamboo's Body Protection Spiritual Light and sliced straight through it, then slammed heavily into the stalk.

Clang!

A powerful force bounced the Floating Immortal Sword back, and intense numbness seized Fang Chen's hand again.

A shallow sword mark appeared where the Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo had been struck by the Floating Immortal Sword. Thin threads of red sap seeped from the cut.

Buzz, buzz...

The Floating Immortal Sword shook fiercely. An even stronger current entered Fang Chen's palm through the hilt, and the numbness in his wrist disappeared at once. As the current spread through his body, he felt refreshed from head to toe, his spirits soaring.

Rustle!

The Fire Origin Spirit Sword Bamboo before Fang Chen suddenly shuddered. Leaves broke free from its branches and shot toward him as streaks of cold light.