Compromise and Exchange

"No wonder Nan Tianba dared to swear such a poisonous oath about his descendants being wiped out, and did so without any scruples; it turns out the Nan Clan has likely been exterminated."

Ye Qin pondered to himself, finally gaining a shred of understanding regarding matters of cultivation.

As Nan Tianba spoke, he drifted into a daze, his gaze fixed on a small patch of dew-grass in a field not far from the large Turtle Stele. Having been on this Floating Island for so long, he had first been busy hunting Ye Qin, then chasing after those White Glows, completely ignoring this small plot of land. It was only when he grew bored and began rambling about this and that, finding nothing else to do, that he finally noticed the field nearby was filled with lush, vibrant green grass—and this was no ordinary grass.

"Dew-Falling Grass, a first-grade spiritual herb used for alchemy. How can there be so many here? Even in my Nan Clan's herb garden, we only grew a few dozen stalks. Although this Dew-Falling Grass is a low-grade spiritual herb, it is notoriously difficult to cultivate, requiring abundant spiritual energy to grow, and it takes ten years to mature, bloom, and bear fruit. There are nearly a hundred stalks in this small patch alone; I fear it must have taken over a hundred years to grow into such a large cluster."

Nan Tianba stared at the field, stunned for a long while, completely bewildered.

He soon spotted several small cyan stones and a small piece of Cyan Rock Marrow beside the field, and was slightly startled once more. "Cyan Rock, Cyan Rock Marrow. These spiritual stones have a miraculous effect on the growth of Dew-Falling Grass. No wonder these stalks are thriving so well."

Ye Qin suddenly spoke up: "Old ghost, that is dew-grass, not Dew-Falling Grass. I have an Illustrated Guide to Rare Herbs, and it contains records on this. Dew-grass is used to make 'Clear Heart Pills', which are top-tier restorative medicines for calming the qi of martial artists who have suffered a deviation in their cultivation."

"Boy, you are pretending to understand what you don't. Only those worldly laymen who know nothing of spiritual herbs would call it dew-grass. What Clear Heart Pill, what top-tier restorative medicine for the martial world—that is pure nonsense. That is merely worldly people misusing herbs because they don't recognize them. How could one waste a spiritual herb meant for cultivators to refine alchemy on making Clear Heart Pills? It wouldn't even unleash one percent of its efficacy."

"Cultivators call it Dew-Falling Grass, and it is used to refine Dew-Falling Pills. This pill is a superior spiritual medicine for increasing vital energy for those in the first to third levels of the Qi Refining Stage. You, a mere child who has just entered the second level of the Qi Refining Stage, dare to show off your knowledge in front of this old man? Hmph, you are only inviting humiliation!"

Nan Tianba laughed triumphantly. He had been talking to himself for ages, and having finally baited Ye Qin into speaking, he immediately retorted loudly.

Ye Qin froze, his face flushing red. Having failed to mock the other and being ridiculed in return, he couldn't help but sheepishly shut his mouth. He had to admit that he truly knew nothing about so-called cultivation, far less than this old ghost who had lived for fifty or sixty years.

"Boy, let's make a deal, how about it?"

"What kind of deal?"

"Your Five Elements Spiritual Root aptitude is truly abysmal. If you rely solely on yourself to cultivate, I fear you will never reach the third or fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage in your entire life. As long as you are willing to let the White Glow come out again, this old man will reluctantly take you as a disciple, teach you how to cultivate, and pass on spells to you. How about that?"

Ye Qin let out a cold sneer. "My cultivation aptitude is none of your concern. Besides, we are irreconcilable enemies; why would I ever take you as my master? If I were to become your disciple, I wouldn't even know how I might be backstabbed to death."

"Haha, I, Nan Tianba, am at least a formidable figure, a senior in the cultivation world. Am I really as bad as you say?" Nan Tianba laughed. When one method failed, he immediately thought of another. "Forget it. Such a great opportunity is placed before you, and if you aren't willing to grasp it, I won't force you. You can't do anything to me, and I can't do anything to you. But since we are both trapped in this godforsaken place, we ought to do something. How about this: you share some of your vital energy with me, and I will give you spells. We trade, deal?"

Ye Qin's mind began to stir.

The old ghost was a senior expert at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage and was extremely familiar with cultivation. He, however, was merely a novice, completely lost on the path of cultivation. With his current strength and means, he truly couldn't think of any way to defeat this old ghost who possessed terrifying spells. Unless, he could obtain that Fireball Technique from the old ghost. Ye Qin was very envious of the old man's powerful spell.

Being in a stalemate with such a strong-willed old ghost inside his Purple Mansion gave Ye Qin a strong sense of urgency. This couldn't go on forever; although the old ghost couldn't take advantage of him, he couldn't continue his own cultivation either. His progress would remain stalled at the second level of the Sitting-in-Forgetfulness Sutra, unable to reach higher levels or shake off the threat of the old ghost.

Because of the special nature of the Sitting-in-Forgetfulness Sutra he practiced, his physique, senses, and spiritual perception were outstanding, but he lacked powerful offensive means. When facing top martial artists, he often had no choice but to flee. If he could learn this immortal spell, everything would be vastly different; he would have no need to fear threats from martial artists.

Having considered this clearly, Ye Qin said calmly: "Old ghost, a trade is possible. But you must pass the Fireball Technique to me first, and only then will I let you have a portion of the White Glow. Otherwise, there is no deal; I have no faith in your integrity."

Nan Tianba floated in mid-air, laughing strangely: "Boy, you want to learn the Fireball Technique so you can use it against me? I advise you to give up that thought early. A cultivator who has just stepped into the second level of the Qi Refining Stage daring to oppose an expert at the fourth level is just seeking death. Back when I was at the fifth level, even I would have perished if I encountered an expert at the sixth level. I advise you to hide as deep as you can within that Turtle Stele, lest I get an itch and kill you."

"Old ghost, stop the nonsense. Are you trading or not?"

"Not trading!"

Nan Tianba refused Ye Qin's request without hesitation: "Using such a powerful offensive spell to trade for your vital energy is far too dangerous. You can hide in your light barrier and sleep safely all day, but I have nowhere to hide. If I'm not careful, I might be backstabbed to death by you. Wouldn't that be me seeking my own demise? Why on earth would I do something so stupid?"

Since Nan Tianba was unwilling to teach him spells, Ye Qin naturally had a countermeasure, which was to wear him down. If he pushed Nan Tianba hard enough, the old ghost would eventually have to teach him.

Silence descended upon the Floating Island.

Sure enough, after only a short while, Nan Tianba could no longer endure the temptation and torment of the White Glow.

"It is impossible for me to pass on offensive spells to you, but I can consider auxiliary spells. I will trade a few decent auxiliary spells for the White Glow. Do you want them?"