It was the second chapter today!
"Now I see why Nan Tianba dared to swear such a vicious oath, dooming his family line—and why he did so without the slightest hesitation. It turned out the Nan Clan had mostly been wiped out."
Ye Qin mused to himself. At least he was beginning to understand a little about cultivation.
As Nan Tianba went on talking, he suddenly began to space out. He stared at a small patch of Dew Grass in the field near the great stone stele. He had been on this Floating Island for quite some time. First he had been busy chasing Ye Qin, then chasing those White Glows, and had ignored this little plot of land. Only later, after growing bored of rambling and having nothing else to do, had he noticed the great many lush little green plants growing nearby. They weren't ordinary weeds, either.
"Dew-Falling Grass, a first-grade spirit herb used in alchemy. How can there be so much of it here? Even the medicinal garden of my Nan Clan only had a few dozen plants. Though this Dew-Falling Grass is a low-grade spirit herb, it's incredibly difficult to grow. It needs abundant spiritual energy, and takes ten years to mature, flower, and bear fruit. There are nearly a hundred plants in this little patch. It must have taken over a century for them to grow into such a large field."
Nan Tianba stared at the plot in utter bewilderment for a good while.
He soon spotted several small pieces of cyan stone beside the field, along with a small chunk of cyan stone marrow. He was surprised once again. "Cyan Rock and Cyan Rock Marrow. These Spirit Stones work wonders for the growth of Dew-Falling Grass. No wonder it's growing so well."
Ye Qin suddenly spoke up. "Old Ghost, that's Dew Grass, not Dew-Falling Grass. I have a copy of the Illustrated Guide to Rare Herbs, and it says Dew Grass is used to make Clear Heart Pills, a top-notch remedy for regulating one's breathing and treating cultivators' deviations into madness."
"Kid, are you pretending to know what you're talking about? Only ignorant mortals who know nothing about spirit herbs call it Dew Grass. What Clear Heart Pills? What top-notch remedy for regulating the breathing of martial artists? That's all utter nonsense. Mortals don't recognize spirit herbs, so they use them haphazardly. This herb is meant for alchemy by cultivators. Would anyone waste it on making Clear Heart Pills? That wouldn't bring out even one percent of its effects.
"Cultivators call it Dew-Falling Grass. It's used to refine Dew-Falling Pills, a superior spirit pill that boosts one's vital energy during the first three levels of the Qi Refining Stage. You're just a brat who's barely reached the second level of the Qi Refining Stage, and you dare show off your knowledge in front of me? Hmph, you're only asking to be humiliated!"
Nan Tianba laughed smugly. He had been talking to himself for ages, and at last he had coaxed Ye Qin into speaking. He immediately retorted loudly.
Ye Qin froze for a moment, his face flushing red. His attempt to mock Nan Tianba had only gotten him mocked in return, and he sheepishly fell silent. He had to admit that he knew nothing about cultivation, nowhere near as much as this old ghost who had lived for fifty or sixty years.
"Kid, how about we make a deal?"
"What deal?"
"Your Five Elements Spiritual Root is truly abysmal. If you rely on yourself to cultivate, you might never reach the third or fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage in your entire life. If you let the White Glow out again, I'll reluctantly take you as my disciple and teach you how to cultivate, even pass on some techniques to you. How about it?"
Ye Qin gave a cold snort. "My aptitude for cultivation is none of your business. Besides, you and I are sworn enemies. Why would I become your disciple? If I did, who knows how you'd secretly kill me?"
"Hahaha! I, Nan Tianba, was a hero in my own right, a senior in the cultivation world. Am I really as awful as you say?" Nan Tianba laughed. When one plan failed, he immediately came up with another. "Forget it. Such a golden opportunity is right in front of you, and if you won't take it, I won't force you. You can't do anything to me, and I can't do anything to you. But we're both trapped in this wretched place, so we ought to find something to do. How about this: give me some of your vital energy, and I'll teach you techniques. We'll trade. Deal?"
Ye Qin's thoughts gradually stirred.
The old ghost was an experienced master at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage, thoroughly familiar with cultivation. Ye Qin, by contrast, was a complete novice, utterly lost on the path of cultivation. Given his current strength and abilities, he couldn't think of any way to defeat this old ghost, who commanded terrifying techniques. Unless he could learn that Fireball Technique from the old ghost. Ye Qin greatly envied the power of that technique.
Being locked in a stalemate with such a domineering old ghost inside the Purple Mansion filled Ye Qin with a powerful sense of urgency. This couldn't go on forever. Though the old ghost couldn't take advantage of him, Ye Qin couldn't continue cultivating either. His cultivation would remain stuck at the second level of the Sitting-in-Forgetfulness Sutra, keeping him from reaching a higher level or escaping the old ghost's threat.
Because he practiced the unusual Sitting-in-Forgetfulness Sutra, his physique, senses, and spiritual perception were exceptional, but he lacked any powerful means of attack. When facing top martial artists, he could usually only run. If he learned this immortal technique, everything would be completely different. He wouldn't need to worry about threats from martial artists anymore.
After thinking it through,
Ye Qin said calmly, "Old Ghost, I'm willing to trade. But you have to teach me the Fireball Technique first. Then I'll let you have some of the White Glow. Otherwise, there's nothing to discuss. I have no faith in your word."
Nan Tianba floated in midair and gave a strange laugh. "Kid, you want to learn the Fireball Technique and then use it against me? I'd advise you to give up on that idea now. A Qi Refining cultivator who's only just reached the second level dares to pick a fight with a master at the fourth? That's asking for death. Back when I was at the fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage, I could still have been killed by a master at the sixth. I suggest you hide as deep as you can inside the Turtle Stele, before I get a sudden itch and kill you."
"Old Ghost, cut the nonsense. Are you trading or not?"
"No!"
Nan Tianba rejected Ye Qin's demand without hesitation. "Trading a powerful offensive technique for your vital energy is far too dangerous. You can hide in that barrier and sleep safely all day, but I have nowhere to hide. If you catch me off guard, you could secretly kill me. Wouldn't that be like asking for death? What kind of fool would do something that stupid?"
Since Nan Tianba refused to teach him a technique, Ye Qin had a plan of his own: he would hold out against Nan Tianba. If he pushed Nan Tianba hard enough, the old ghost would eventually have to teach him.
Silence fell over the Floating Island.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Nan Tianba could no longer stand the temptation and torment of the White Glow.
"I can't teach you offensive techniques, but I might consider teaching you some support techniques. I'll trade you a few decent ones for the White Glow. Are you interested?"
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