"This involves something needed to condense a Nascent Soul. I truly don't have anything like that to offer..."
Shang Yuanxin gave a wry smile, his tone turning cautious and guarded.
Fang Qing knew this man had a merchant's nature: he wouldn't cast his line until he saw the rabbit. As things stood, he and "Bai Jianfeng" were only casual acquaintances, so Shang Yuanxin certainly wouldn't give him the whole truth. But he also wouldn't pass up a chance to build a relationship with a third-order high-grade alchemist, possibly even a Great Cultivator in the late or perfected Core Formation stage. So the information and connections he was willing to offer at the outset were naturally the ones he'd listed later on his jade slip...
Sure enough, Shang Yuanxin continued, "But I do happen to have a lead on a top-grade treasure produced by a Spirit Spring..."
"Oh? I'd be glad to hear the details."
Fang Qing smiled.
"Daoist, have you heard of... Heavenly Spring Island?"
Shang Yuanxin swept his Spiritual Sense around them and lowered his voice.
"As the sacred ground of us Water-Method Alchemy practitioners, how could I not know of it? Are you referring to Bloodfiend Island's recent invasion of Heavenly Spring Island?"
Fang Qing asked in return.
"Exactly... Since you know about Bloodfiend Island, surely you know that the island itself is extraordinary. It has been refined with boundless Killing Intent... When the demonic cultivators used it to attack Heavenly Spring Island, that Killing Intent penetrated deep into the ley lines and water veins... The island's fourth-order Spirit Spring was badly damaged as a result, showing signs of falling in rank. Xuanzhong Gate invited formation masters and geomancers from the East Sea to investigate, but the results were poor..."
Shang Yuanxin said, "I got word that several