Thirteen months later.
Scarlet Firmament Province.
Outside Four-Mountain City.
Song Wen and Ying Wu stood atop a lofty mountain, gazing out at the sprawling city in the distance.
They had been here for half a month.
Over the past half month, the two had acted separately, each attending to their own affairs.
"Fellow Daoist Ying Wu, how has the collection of spirit materials gone?" Song Wen asked.
Ying Wu said, "I'm still short of Spirit-Nurturing Dew and Blood Grudge Sand. Both are spiritual materials unique to the Azure Flame Sect, and they are not easily brought out for trade. They cannot be bought in the city's markets."
"What about the nearby Ghost Markets?" Song Wen asked again.
"I searched several Ghost Markets, but found nothing," Ying Wu said.
"Fellow Daoist Ying Wu, since neither the markets nor the Ghost Markets have them, why not purchase them directly from the Azure Flame Sect? As far as I know, the major forces of Scarlet Firmament Province have long maintained dealings with the three great sects of Southern Nether Province. Given your status as a Body Integration Realm elder of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, unless they are items crucial to a cultivation breakthrough or exceedingly rare treasures, I presume the Azure Flame Sect would not refuse," Song Wen said.
Ying Wu said, "When I fused with the Void Dragon Vine previously, I also came to Four-Mountain City to collect spirit materials. But I accidentally offended Daoist Wen Xuan of the Azure Flame Sect. He is the Azure Flame Sect's nominal sect master. If I went to seek medicine from them again, would I not be courting humiliation?"
The Azure Flame Sect they spoke of was precisely the Azure Flame Sect that had discovered the teleportation array leading to the Western Rong Continent.