A Delayed Deal

The Spiritwood Staff performed far better than Zhang Xuezhou had imagined.

Some cultivators who rely on treasures do not dislike using Technique Method in combat, but rather find that the benefits of using treasures far outweigh those of Technique Method.

"Indeed, it is a treasure for proving one's path!"

Upon returning from prison, Zhang Xuezhou touched the spirit wood staff and couldn't help but admire it.

He wasn't worried that Lao Tong would go back on his word and come back to assassinate him, after all, Zhang Xuezhou had genuinely shown his face in front of Lao Tong and proved that he wasn't the person Lao Tong was looking for.

If it weren't for the need to wait for Hongku, Zhang Xuezhou felt he would most likely have already moved back to the palace for temporary residence.

As for Kong Ning, who was still in Maoling, Zhang Xuezhou left him to wait. He was quick to act, but not everyone could do things that quickly. Solving Kong Ning's problem too quickly would make the other party think that things were simple and easy. Taking a longer time would make Kong Ning grateful and reduce the possibility of causing trouble in the future.

"Dongfang Shuo!"

After nurturing the spirit wood staff for three consecutive days, Zhang Xuezhou finally heard a familiar voice calling out.

Hongku appeared beneath the ornamental trees in the courtyard, a strange emotion still lingering on his face.

Zhang Xuezhou opened the window and greeted them. He put down the spiritwood staff and looked at Hongku's hands.

"You're back slower than I expected," Zhang Xuezhou said slowly.

"Don't even mention it. I was placed under house arrest as soon as I got back and couldn't go out. Daojun came to ask me some questions and then ignored me until these last few days when he finally released me and told me to take the medicinal herbs to Chang'an City," Hongku.

"So you didn't even have a chance to lie before you were restrained," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"The Daoist Master is a scholar of Celestial Person. His expertise is unfathomable and Non-Self reach," Hongku said cautiously.

"The teacher is usually quite courageous, so why is he acting so timid and hesitant!"

Zhang Xuezhou chuckled.

This is not hard to explain. It's simply that Hongku and the others came under a curse. As for who lives, who dies, and who is affected, Daojun can guess the general idea.

The two sorcerers who infiltrated Tian Fen's residence were most likely there to investigate.

When it comes to life, you can never be too careful.

Zhang Xuezhou and the others feared that Daojun and his group were plotting something, and Daojun and his group were equally suspicious.

Only after the two sorcerers died did the matter have to be handed over to Hongku again.

"The Alchemist of the Northern Kuru Continent must have been very busy lately to be able to delay their arrival until now," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"I'm a bit busy," Hongku said with an awkward smile. "You guys didn't even mention beforehand that operating that Nine Dragons Cauldron requires top-tier cultivation!"

"Isn't that obvious?" Zhang Xuezhou laughed. "If the Nine Dragon Cauldron can be used so easily, wouldn't it be a piece of cake for our Great Han Dynasty to refine elixirs!"

"Nobody expected that after fighting, they'd end up with a useless furnace!"

Hongku looked on with a sigh.

The best treasure is not necessarily the most suitable treasure, and this statement is almost perfectly embodied in the Nine Dragon Cauldron.

If one possesses the cultivation level of the True Self Realm, the Nine Dragon Cauldron would be the top-tier Pill Furnace in the world.

If one's cultivation level is insufficient, the Nine Dragon Cauldron is a useless cauldron, and it is extremely difficult to use this Pill Furnace.

Northern Kuru Continent has no shortage of the True Self Realm cultivators, but no Alchemist possesses the cultivation level of the True Self Realm.

Growing older doesn't necessarily mean becoming more versatile; most people don't even have one decent skill in their lifetime, let alone be proficient in everything.

Among those who attained the pinnacle of cultivation but later became monks, Laojun is the only top-tier Alchemist who also possesses exceptional alchemy skills.

The Yedie River Holy Land cannot produce Alchemist of this level, or rather, it cannot produce a pill refiner capable of refining mid- to high-grade Creation Alchemist.

Even the Goat Strength Demon King Yangli of the Xieluosi River Holy Land can only barely refine low-grade Creation Pills, and the failure rate is not low.

Besides confiscating some of the pills treasured by local cultivators and having people try to refine them, the higher-ups of the Northern Kuru Continent ultimately had no choice but to resort to exchanging materials for pills.

Everyone knew that the Great Han Dynasty would inevitably benefit from this deal, but no one could solve the problem.

Hongku's negotiations only made matters worse, dropping the success rate of pills from around 60% to 30%. Everyone knew that this meant he would lose half of his advantage.

"What are your plans?" Zhang Xuezhou asked with interest. "We're not in a hurry at all right now!"

"You don't seem to care about the antidote," Hongku Outer Dao.

"It's not that I don't care, but that's all my ability can achieve," Zhang Xuezhou said. "You don't think I'm the Marquis of Pingyang, that I can just pass through these transactions and have no decision-making power. Whether I care or not doesn't determine anything, and besides, you..."

Zhang Xuezhou shrugged, indicating that they were just working-class people, and that they should speak frankly and talk if they could, and if not, they should hurry back and relay the message.

"I want the goods in stock this time, is that still possible?"

Looking at Zhang Xuezhou, Hongku bitterly, knowing he had no choice but to speak frankly.

"I need ready-made pills, and quickly," Hongku said. "If you use pill refining as a pretext to waste time, it's better to let the Alchemist of the Northern Kuru Continent practice with the medicinal materials. The more they practice, the better their skills will become!"

"This shouldn't be a big problem!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

Even if the new emperor didn't mobilize the pills from the imperial treasury, Zhang Xuezhou still had the ability to refine pills in batches. Using the Tai Sui to refine pills could save a lot of time in the nurturing process.

"It shouldn't be too big, how big?" Hongku asked cautiously.

"As long as you can gather the medicinal herbs and give us three days to verify them, we can provide five hundred Creation Pills," Zhang Xuezhou said. "However, I need to emphasize one point: the Marquis of Pingyang's rapid gathering of pills cannot guarantee the variety of Creation Pills, nor can it ensure a high quality!"

"Can!"

Speed, quality, and quantity are all required, which are very demanding conditions for elixirs. Zhang Xuezhou's attitude was very sincere, and the conditions he gave were the best possible outcome in Hongku's estimation.

"The pills and medicinal herbs will be exchanged in three days," Hongku said. "If the goods don't match the description, you can refuse to accept them, and I have the right to refuse as well!"

"No problem!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded in agreement, and Hongku breathed a sigh of relief, bowing to Zhang Xuezhou to acknowledge his gratitude.

"I hope you'll show some consideration for our past relationship and spare my life. Don't let this turn into a double-cross," Hongku said earnestly. "The Venerables Black Mountain, White Bone, and Weaving Emperor are all in poor health, Venerable Lei is running around aimlessly. There are very few Venerables in the Sacred Land who can surpass me. If I can accomplish this, I might very well become the number two figure in the Yedie River Holy Land, and then we can help each other out!"

Congratulations! No problem!

Zhang Xuezhou responded with a smile.

From Dharma Master to Venerable One, and then to Chief Venerable One, Hongku has finally made it through the ranks and will now act in place of Daojun to handle various matters.

Hongku clearly wanted to maximize the benefits of this power.

The availability of elixirs in the Northern Kuru Continent did not increase due to the arrival of the Nine Dragon Cauldron; on the contrary, it became even more scarce as the Dao Lord and others increased their demand.

After this batch of Creation Pills was traded, it was Hongku's turn to reap the benefits.

Compared to previous conditions, his current power will be enhanced, and the resulting impact will be more pronounced.

This allows him to have more ways to obtain medicinal herbs, easier trading and exchange, and higher profits.

If he could make a profit from continuous reselling, Hongku also wanted to select the best and finest elixirs to repair his body and then seek to break through the limits of his cultivation.

This is not just about increasing strength; further advancement in one's realm can also extend one's lifespan.

At over ninety years old, if he can reach the True Self Realm, he may be able to extend his lifespan to one hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty years, like Black Mountain and Venerable White Bone, thus making up for the decades he lost in the past.

Hongku spoke confidently about his future, to which Zhang Xuezhou responded with a smile.

He knew very well that once the Venerables like Black Mountain and White Bone fell, they would never be able to get back up. Hongku would not give these people a chance to regain their former glory, or perhaps Hongku discovered that these people were no longer capable of recovering their former abilities.