Free Web NovelChapter 163: Chapter 162: Trading with the Dead (Part 2)
Li Shuangyan and the others didn’t know the origin of the Corpse Core, but Niu Fen knew a little. Legend had it that some invincible existences once tried to invade the deepest parts of the Ancient Sky Corpse Land, but in the end, their Daos were extinguished and they perished. Some of them had intact bodies before their deaths in battle and became Earth Corpses. Others had their bodies shattered, but their Essence Blood remained. After drifting through the depths of the Ancient Sky Corpse Land for countless eons, these remnants would eventually form into items like the Corpse Core—a great treasure beneficial to Earth Corpses, Treasure Lords, and even Earth Immortals!
The old Daoist sitting cross-legged on the ground opened his eyes, and a bloody light flashed through them before they closed once more. After a long silence, the old Daoist finally took something out and slowly placed it on the ground.
Only then did everyone get a clear look. It was a Treasure Furnace, but it wasn’t a Pharmacist’s Furnace God. It was a Treasure Furnace forged from Purple Iron. Although this furnace had already Returned to the Truth, it still emitted faint wisps of cyan smoke. This wasn’t medicinal smoke, but strands of Cyan Gang. A single strand of Cyan Gang was like a Divine Sword, capable of piercing the Celestial Vault!
"The Purple Gang Furnace. A wisp of smoke, a sword. It serves for both attack and defense," the old Daoist said slowly.
Upon hearing the name "Purple Gang Furnace," Shi Gandang’s heart skipped a beat. He had once heard that this furnace was refined by a peerless Observatory Lord from the Purple Mist Temple and was known as the temple’s second greatest treasure. To think it would appear here today.
"Deal." Li Qiye wasted no words. He immediately collected the Purple Gang Furnace and casually tossed it to Zhang Yu, saying, "This furnace suits you. Study it well!"
Zhang Yu caught the Purple Gang Furnace, his heart pounding with excitement. He opened his mouth to speak but immediately shut it. Though he had a thousand words of gratitude for his First Brother, now was not the time to say them.
The other juniors couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy, but they all knew that as long as they followed their First Brother, they would not be treated unfairly.
After putting away the Celestial Ancient Corpse Core, the old Daoist slowly drew out a sword. It was a Stone Sword, complete with a Stone Scabbard and Stone Handle, and looked utterly unremarkable.
CLANG! Li Qiye drew the sword to inspect it. The moment it left the scabbard, the roar of a dragon echoed. The unsheathed sword resembled a True Dragon soaring through the sky; the patterns on its blade shimmered like countless Dragon Scales. As it was drawn, these scales seemed to breathe with a life of their own, looking as if they might detach and take flight at any moment.
"A fine sword," Li Qiye praised as he inspected the blade. "Forged from the Dao Bone of a 2.3-million-year-old Ice Lip Chi Dragon, it possesses the might of an Ice Chi Dragon. It was tempered using an Ancient Technique, branding it with a slaughtering might. Since no Cultivation Technique has been imprinted on it, it still has the potential to be reforged."
"The Ice Qilin Sword. I forged it in my prime. Whoever obtains it can refine it with the Ice Frost Slaughter Power!" the old Daoist finally said slowly.
Everyone was deeply shaken by his words. A 2.3-million-year-old Ice Mirage Chi Dragon! Even a Saint Emperor would likely turn pale at the mention of such a creature. Just how formidable must a Treasure Artifact forged from such a powerful Celestial Beast be?
Li Qiye opened his Treasure Box and, after a moment of searching, took out something that resembled a stone. Yet, this stone-like object was also shaped like a fruit. It was cold and hard, pitch-black and without any markings, looking for all the world like a simple rock.
"Ancient Stone Fruit. It grows in an Ancient Pool in the deepest reaches of the Ancient Sky Corpse Land and can extend one’s Lifespan by fifteen to twenty days. Trade?" Li Qiye placed the stone fruit on the ground.
Nan Huairun and the other juniors, as well as Shi Gandang and Tu Buyu, were all in awe. They knew that Li Qiye had only just acquired these items, yet he described them with such casual familiarity, as if recounting tales of his own family heirlooms. It was truly unbelievable.
Few people in the world knew anything about the depths of the Ancient Sky Corpse Land, yet when Li Qiye spoke of it, it was as if he were describing his own backyard. He knew with perfect clarity what grew where. This should have been impossible!
As for Li Shuangyan, she was simply numb to it all. She had grown used to it. At this point, no miracle Li Qiye performed could surprise her. ’Is there anything in this world more precious and unbelievable than the *Body Book*?’ This was an item that no one in history had ever managed to obtain, yet he held it in his hands. Thus, Li Shuangyan had become completely accustomed to Li Qiye’s uncanny nature.
Only Niu Fen sighed silently in his heart. ’Throughout all the eons, I fear no one knows more than the Young Master. It’s hardly surprising that he knows the Ancient Sky Corpse Land like the back of his hand.’
"Deal." The old Daoist accepted the Ancient Stone Fruit without a hint of hesitation and waited for the next round of trading.
"Refined Slaughter, Sacred Sword—this is the most suitable for you." Li Qiye casually tossed the Ice Qilin Sword to Tu Buyu. After catching it, Tu Buyu hurriedly bowed to Li Qiye.
Next, Li Qiye unhesitatingly took a small, crystal-clear cup from his Treasure Box. The cup was sealed, and inside was a little less than half a cup of liquid. The liquid resembled blue ice, and with a gentle shake of the cup, the icy-blue fluid became incomparably mesmerizing!
"Half a cup from the Blue Demon Spring. As a Treasure Lord, I assume I don’t need to explain what the Blue Demon Spring from the deepest parts of the Ancient Sky Corpse Land is," Li Qiye said slowly. "Bring out whatever great treasure you have. This is your last chance!"
The moment he heard the words "Blue Demon Spring," the old Daoist’s eyes snapped open, a bloody light flashing within them. His entire body trembled. After closing his eyes again, the old Daoist remained silent for a very long time, sitting perfectly still.
At this, everyone held their breath. Although they didn’t know why this was the final trade, Li Qiye’s solemn tone made them all stare intently at the old Daoist, eager to see what kind of treasure he would offer.
"Trade?" After a long while, Li Qiye finally prompted the old Daoist.
Finally, the old Daoist solemnly took something out and placed it slowly on the ground. The moment the item appeared, a brilliant golden light radiated from it, its shimmering rays like strands of Golden Thread.
What was even more astonishing was that as soon as it appeared, faint and ethereal Immortal Sounds began to echo from it, like the soft whispers of an Immortal.
It was an Ancient Scripture. No one could tell what it was made of—it resembled Golden Thread, yet also seemed to be made of ancient silk. Though this Ancient Scripture had weathered countless eons, it still shone with a brilliant golden light!
"A scroll that was posted outside the gates of the Immortal Dao City!" Upon seeing this, even Li Qiye was visibly moved. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the old Daoist and asked, "You’ve seen the Immortal Dao City?"
Li Qiye’s words sent a tremor through the old Daoist. His eyes flickered open for an instant before closing again. After a long moment, he spoke: "In my twilight years. I merely caught a fleeting glimpse and managed to tear off this one scroll!"
"And what technique might it be?" Li Qiye asked slowly, his gaze fixed on the old Daoist.
"One scroll of the Grass Sword Immortal Technique," the old Daoist replied slowly. As he spoke, though his eyes remained closed, he let out a soft sigh, one filled with both emotion and regret.
"You are both very lucky and very unlucky. If you had seen the Immortal Dao City in your prime, you might have reached even greater heights in your lifetime," Li Qiye said with a nod. He then took the Grass Sword Immortal Form scroll, glanced at it, and casually tossed it to Xu Pei.
"Make a copy for yourself to practice with, and return the original to the sect! Do not pass it on to anyone else without permission!" Li Qiye instructed.
Xu Pei accepted the Ancient Scripture with trembling hands and hurriedly bowed to Li Qiye. She was too excited to even speak. At Demon’s Back Ridge, Li Qiye had gifted her a million-year Annual Ring, and now he was bestowing upon her an incomparably precious Ritual Technique. She felt that for her First Brother’s immense generosity, she would willingly go through fire and water for him!
The moment the old Daoist received the Blue Demon Spring Water, he turned and walked away. He stepped into the Ancient Coffin, and with a great RUMBLE, the coffin sank into the earth as the Grand Array disappeared from sight.
Once the Ancient Coffin had sunk into the ground, Nan Huairun seized the opportunity and impatiently asked, "First Brother, why only three trades?"
"The rule of three applies. You can trade with a single Treasure Lord a maximum of three times. Both sides take turns offering treasures, and if either party is unwilling, the trading ceases and you go your separate ways," Li Qiye explained. "There are only nine Ancient Sky Corpse Treasures in the Celestial Ancient Corpse Box, so you can trade with a maximum of three Treasure Lords, three times each."
"Ancient Sky Corpse Treasures?" Qu Daoli and the others couldn’t help but turn their gazes to the long box on Li Qiye’s back.
"The Celestial Ancient Treasure Box, the Celestial Ancient Earth Envoy Robe, and the Corpse-Rousing Gong!" Li Qiye patted the shabby robes he was wearing and brandished the Copper Gong in his hand. "Without these three items, one cannot become a Celestial Ancient Earth Envoy!"
"What is a Celestial Ancient Earth Envoy?" even Chen Baojiao, who was walking right beside Li Qiye, couldn’t resist asking.
CLANG— But Li Qiye didn’t answer Chen Baojiao’s question. He had already struck the Copper Gong, his cry echoing out: "The sky is vast, the earth is wide, let roads be roads, and bridges be bridges! The Celestial Ancient Earth Envoy is here to trade. Whether god or ghost, even an Earth Corpse must step aside..."
Hearing Li Qiye’s cry, Li Shuangyan and the others didn’t dare to delay. They quickly fell into line behind him, forming a procession that followed him out of the valley.
Li Qiye and his group set off once more to find the second Treasure Lord. They traveled over mountains and across ridges, with Li Qiye leading them to one Fengshui Treasure Land after another.
Clearly, Li Qiye knew the Fengshui Treasure Lands of the Ancient Sky Corpse Land like the back of his hand! This baffled Shi Gandang and the others. They couldn’t discern what constituted a Fengshui Treasure Land, yet Li Qiye knew exactly what kind of lands were located where. It all felt incredibly uncanny to them, but they felt it wasn’t their place to ask him about it.
In truth, Li Qiye’s familiarity with the Ancient Sky Corpse Land was not surprising in the slightest. Over millions of years, in his existence as the Yin Ya, he had entered the Ancient Sky Corpse Land more times than anyone could possibly claim. Forget just entering; he had even ventured into its deepest regions and led assaults on them! How could he not know where every Fengshui Treasure Land and Dragon Cave was located?
Along the way, Nan Huairun and the others came across several Treasure Trees, Elixir Grasses, and even discovered some Treasure Ores. However, they were forbidden from taking any of it. Li Qiye had warned them that their purpose on this journey was to trade, and trade alone. They were not to take anything from the Ancient Sky Corpse Land outside of these transactions. This rule was absolute!
