Ning Fengzhi's Soft and Hard Tactics to Explore the Treasure Land

In the afternoon of the Sunset Forest, sunlight pierced through the miasma, casting dappled light on the ground. At the entrance of the valley, two rows of disciples from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect held Soul Guiding Lamps, dispelling the dense Poison Mist—the lamp wicks were refined from Thousand Year Spirit Calming Grass, capable of temporarily suppressing the poison's potency, but could only barely protect an area of three feet around them.

Ning Fengzhi, clad in a moon-white brocade robe and a jade belt at his waist, held a Jade Folding Fan painted with ink wash landscapes. Each gentle sway carried an elegant rhythm. He stood at the edge of the Poison Mist, his gaze sweeping over the swaying poisonous weeds towards a familiar dark figure deep within the valley, a gentle yet calculating smile playing on his lips.

"Sect Master, the poison in this Sunset Forest is stronger than rumored. Should we have the disciples clear a path first?" Sword Douluo Chen Xin asked in a low voice from behind him. He wore a silver-white sword robe, the phantom image of the Seven Kill Sword flickering behind his back, its sharp sword aura deterring even the surrounding poisonous weeds from approaching.

Ning Fengzhi gently shook his head, closing his fan with a snap. "No need. We are here to discuss cooperation, not to provoke. Dugu Bo, that old poison master, is extremely protective. If we disturb his precious poisonous weeds, this matter will be difficult to conclude." With that, he circulated his Soul Power, enveloping himself in a wisp of Glazed colored Auxiliary Soul Power, and slowly stepped into the valley.

As the Poison Mist touched the Glazed colored Soul Power, it instantly dissolved like ice and snow meeting intense heat. Ning Fengzhi's steps were light, each one landing in the gaps between the poisonous weeds, neither harming a single plant nor stepping into the poisonous bogs—he had thoroughly researched the valley's layout through intelligence, and came well-prepared.

A Cold Jade Bed was placed on a giant rock in the center of the valley, entirely ice-blue and emitting wisps of cold air, precisely neutralizing the surrounding heat from the poison. Dugu Bo, dressed in a dark robe embroidered with dark purple poisonous weed patterns at the collar, sat cross-legged, a leaf of Ghost Luo Grass between his fingers. He was meticulously using his Soul Power to comb through the poison within the leaf veins.

The Ghost Luo Grass was about half a foot tall, its leaves a deep purple with a faint silver glow at the edges. The poison beads condensed on the leaves were crystal clear, clearly a carefully cultivated treasure. Dugu Bo's fingertips glowed with a light purple Poison Battle Qi. Each touch of the leaf caused the poison beads to tremble slightly, evidently adjusting the poison's concentration.

"Esteemed Dugu Douluo, have you been well?" Ning Fengzhi's gentle voice broke the valley's silence.

Dugu Bo slowly raised his eyes, a flicker of impatience flashing in his light purple irises, but he didn't immediately lash out. He put down the Ghost Luo Grass, leaned back against the Cold Jade Bed, and crossed his arms. "Sect Master Ning is quite thoughtful, finding my humble abode even through ten miles of Poison Mist. What is it, has the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect recently run out of poisonous herbs for alchemy?" His tone carried a hint of mockery, but his gaze was fixed on the Glazed colored Soul Power surrounding Ning Fengzhi—that was the core Auxiliary Soul Power of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, capable of boosting defense. It seemed Ning Fengzhi had come fully prepared.

Ning Fengzhi stopped three steps away from the Cold Jade Bed, his fan reopening and gently fanning. "Your Excellency jokes. While the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect excels at alchemy, we would not dare to casually handle the poisonous herbs you cultivate. I have come today regarding the matter at the auction house yesterday—the Corpse Heart Flower you presented is truly a rare sight in this world."

He changed the subject, his gaze falling on a jade box beside the Cold Jade Bed. "That Corpse Heart Flower has dark red petals, its poison potent yet not violent, clearly grown in a place where myriad poisons converge. Ordinary valleys have chaotic poison, unable to nurture such a treasure. You must have a secret treasure land, sir?"

Dugu Bo's heart tightened, and his fingers subconsciously clenched the edge of the jade box—it contained three freshly matured Corpse Heart Flowers, which he had planned to exchange for points at the auction house tomorrow. However, his expression remained unchanged, and he let out a cold laugh. "Sect Master Ning indeed has sharp eyes. It was merely luck, finding a few plants in a stone cave deep in the valley. What treasure land?"

Sword Douluo stepped forward, his voice as steady as a sword. "Esteemed Dugu Douluo, let's speak plainly. Auction house points are precious now, and Combat Skills and rapid learning services all require vast amounts of rare resources for exchange. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possesses the unique 'Spirit Gathering Cultivation Technique' for cultivating rare plants, which can shorten the maturation period of poisonous herbs by thirty percent and also improve their quality. If you are facing difficulties, we are willing to lend a hand."

As he spoke, sword aura subtly emanated from him, not to intimidate, but to deliberately release a trace of Soul Power fluctuation—a fluctuation carrying the unique auxiliary aura of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, intended to convey: we have the ability to help you and are sincere in our cooperation.

A flicker of vigilance crossed Dugu Bo's eyes, and he leaned forward slightly. "Help me? What does your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect want? You're not going to help for free, are you?" Having lived for nearly a century, he had seen all sorts of storms, and the favors of the Upper Three Sects were not so easily obtained.

Ning Fengzhi saw Dugu Bo's concern, his smile becoming even gentler. "Rest assured, Your Excellency, we have no intention of seizing anything. Look," he took out a rosewood box from his storage ring and opened it. Inside lay three pieces of Thousand Year Glazed Jade—the jade was warm and lustrous, emitting a faint green light, with a trace of pure Soul Power lingering on its surface. "This is the treasure of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Thousand Year Glazed Jade. It can nourish the soil and stabilize medicinal potency. If buried at the roots of poisonous herbs, it can not only enhance their quality but also prevent medicinal leakage."

He presented the wooden box to Dugu Bo, his tone sincere. "All we seek is a share of the future harvest. You have a treasure land, we have the technology and manpower. A win-win cooperation, why not?"

Dugu Bo stared at the Glazed Jade in the wooden box, a hint of temptation flashing in his eyes—though his stone cave was nourished by myriad poisons, it lacked treasures to stabilize their medicinal potency. The Corpse Heart Flowers he had cultivated before suffered from medicinal leakage, resulting in scorched edges on their petals, significantly reducing their quality and costing him nearly a hundred thousand points in exchange. Yet, he was still unwilling to agree. After all, the treasure land was his foundation; if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect set their sights on it, it could lead to unforeseen troubles.

"Even with Glazed Jade, I can tend to them myself," Dugu Bo pushed the wooden box away, his tone firm. "I, Dugu Bo, have lived this long and do not need to rely on others for help."

Ning Fengzhi was not discouraged. He retrieved the wooden box and tapped his palm with his fan. "Your Excellency probably cannot tend to them all, can you? The Corpse Heart Flower you presented at the auction yesterday had slight scorch marks on the edges of its petals, indicating poor control of heat during cultivation. The Nether Luo Grass in your hand just now had a hint of yellowish-brown at the roots, indicating insufficient soil fertility."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the poisonous weeds in the valley. "The poisonous weeds in your valley, though seemingly lush, have nearly thirty percent of their seedlings dying due to improper care. If this continues, your source of points will eventually dry up. By then, let alone exchanging for Mysterious Tier Combat Skills for your granddaughter, even achieving rapid mastery of the 'Ghostly Poison' Combat Skill might be difficult."

These words struck Dugu Bo like a sharp knife, hitting his sore spot precisely! His expression changed slightly, and he clenched his fists—Dugu Yan had always wanted a Mysterious Tier agile offense Combat Skill, but Mysterious Tier Combat Skills required at least five million points, and with the cost of rapid mastery, it would total ten million points. At his current cultivation speed, it would take at least five years to gather enough, and if seedlings continued to die, it would take even longer.