"Red Fire Ganoderma?!"
Hmm?!
Upon hearing the three words "Red Fire Ganoderma," Zhao Jijian's mind went blank, and he instantly cast aside the doubts he had just moments ago.
He sprang to his feet in one swift motion and stepped forward, staring intently at the contents of the Jade Box.
Red as fire, its cap like jade.
"Indeed, it's Red Fire Ganoderma!" Zhao Jijian exclaimed.
Since the moment he was summoned back, he had wondered why his family had called him to Pocket World City.
He had speculated whether his family wanted him to handle certain people or matters.
After all, the Dark Department was known for dealing with dirty work.
But now, it seemed he had guessed entirely wrong.
However... it was a good mistake!
Zhao Jijian's face flushed with excitement, for he was no fool.
Upon seeing the Red Fire Ganoderma, how could he not understand what this meant?
Zhao Jijian struggled to suppress the urge to burst out laughing, thinking to himself, "Haha, I can establish my foundation now! I can't believe this day has e for me."
He was well aware of the Zhao family's background.
He had thought that in this life, he could only reach Qi Refining Perfection.
But... the ancestors had shown their grace, gifting him such an incredible surprise!
pared to the reserved Zhao Jijian, Zhao Jinding was more direct.
He snapped the Jade Box shut with a slap and asked excitedly, "Conghe, how did you e by this item?"
Zhao Sheng smiled and calmly said, "Perhaps it's divine providence! I was fortunate to find a few spiritual herbs on Heavenly Pillar Mountain, and Red Fire Ganoderma was one of them."
As the saying goes, listen to the tone as much as the words.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinding immediately grasped the implied meaning in Zhao Sheng's words and quickly asked, "Could it be that you have other spiritual herbs that rival Red Fire Ganoderma?"
Zhao Sheng nodded and smoothly brought out three more Jade Boxes.
After returning to Pocket World City, he chose not to sell the spiritual herbs at merchant stores such as the Alchemy Pavilion Spiritual Medicine Shop.
Firstly, these herbs were all extremely precious.
If Zhao Sheng, alone, attempted to sell them, it would be too conspicuous.
Even if he disguised his identity, the Cultivation World teemed with countless miracle techniques and secret arts. If someone were determined, there were too many ways to find him.
After all, he could quickly identify someone's identity using his Spiritual Smell. There was no guarantee other cultivators didn't possess similar secret techniques.
In such a scenario, it was essential to distribute the pressure among several individuals.
Taking two Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators should block most of the greedy gazes.
As Zhao Sheng thought thus, Zhao Jinding gradually opened each of the three Jade Boxes.
Four-hundred-year-old Refining God Grass,
seven-hundred-year-old Dragonbane Fruit,
and a Thousand-year-old Yellow Ginseng Root as long as an arm.
Each of these three herbs was extremely valuable,
especially the Thousand-year-old Yellow Ginseng Root, a primary herb for the Third-Order Yellow Spirit Pill.
The Third-Order Yellow Spirit Pill was a precious elixir used by Golden Core Masters for urgent mana recovery.
One pill could instantly replenish thirty percent of a Golden Core Master's mana.
This highlighted its invaluable nature.
The above four herbs were just a small part of what was in Zhao Sheng's Storage Bag.
He did not plan to take out the other two strains of Red Fire Ganoderma or the Blood Sword Grass over one and a half inches long, among other herbs, just yet.
As for when to act, that would depend on how things unfolded at Dragon Carp Lake and whether Zhao Jijian could establish his foundation in time.
It's important to note that less than five years remained on the lease.
Zhao Sheng turned his head to look at Zhao Jijian, who was brimming with excitement, and said, "According to our family rankings, I should address you as Fourth Grandpa."
"Fourth Grandpa, with these items in hand, how many years will it take you to reach Foundation Establishment?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jijian thought for a moment and then understood the implication of Zhao Sheng's words.
He thought about it and said firmly, "Four years should be enough. I'm already in the Late Ninth Layer, and three years should suffice to advance me to Qi Refining Perfection. The remaining year will be just right for Foundation Establishment."
Zhao Jinding, standing nearby, had a bittersweet expression on his face.
The joy needs no explanation.
The sadness is also understandable.
Watching someone possibly succeed in Foundation Establishment while having failed himself can't be painless.
It would be odd if he wasn't sad. He could only blame his own lack of perseverance; no one else was at fault.
Three days later, Zhao Jinding left Pocket World City full of ambition, while Zhao Jijian rented a courtyard near Zhao Sheng's and settled there.
...
Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Three days after the summer solstice, Zhao Sheng watched as Zhao Jijian entered a quiet room in Cave Heaven Inner City specially used for Foundation Establishment.
Afterward, he returned to the courtyard and instructed Zhao Yongwu to guard the door well.
Then, Zhao Sheng, having dressed up neatly and disguised his appearance to middle age, went to the Elixir Cauldron Pavilion in the inner city.
The Elixir Cauldron Pavilion was a six-story building, occupying more than two acres. It looked like a gigantic alchemy furnace. Inside, it was exquisitely elegant and antique, the air filled with various elixir fragrances and medicinal scents.
It was a large shop owned by the great Cultivation sect, the Elixir Cauldron Sect, in Pocket World City, dealing in spiritual medicine and selling all kinds of miraculous elixirs.
As a millennium-old brand, the credibility of the Elixir Cauldron Pavilion was unquestionable.
Over the past three years, Zhao Sheng had sold four spiritual medicines to Elixir Cauldron Pavilion intermittently.
Besides, he had spent a great deal of effort in understanding and getting information about the Elixir Cauldron Pavilion during these years.
The reason Zhao Sheng came in disguise this time was that he was finally ready to take real action.
Once he entered the Elixir Cauldron Pavilion, Zhao Sheng approached an elegant-looking attendant and asked, "I need to see your manager, Mr. Liu. Please inform him."
The attendant maintained a polite smile, but responded, "I'm sorry, Manager Liu isn't in the shop. Esteemed guest, if you wish to purchase elixirs or other items, please proceed to the transaction room. You can also ask me for information."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng flipped his wrist, and suddenly, a pill bottle with Spirit Origin Pills appeared in his hand.
He stepped closer to the attendant, flicked his finger, and the Spirit Origin Pill smoothly slipped into the attendant's sleeve.
At the same time, he whispered, "Could you please check if Manager Liu has returned?"
The attendant felt the pill bottle in his sleeve and immediately showed a sincere smile.
This time, he nodded and said, "Please wait a moment, esteemed guest."
After saying this, the attendant turned and walked into the back courtyard of the Elixir Cauldron Pavilion.
A moment later, he came back to Zhao Sheng with a joyful expression and said, "What a coincidence! Manager Liu has just returned. Please, follow me."
Zhao Sheng also smiled and said, "Yes, what a coincidence."
A short while later, in an ancient and elegant room, Zhao Sheng met Manager Liu.
Manager Liu appeared to be around forty, with a pale, beardless face and a well-proportioned body. He was dressed in a Crimson Robe embroidered with two three-legged and six-eared bronze tripods.
After the attendant left and the two were seated, Manager Liu took the initiative to speak, "May I know the esteemed guest's name and what important matter brings you to see me today?"
Zhao Sheng replied, "I am humbly known as Zhao with the given name Sheng. Today, I am here for a happy occasion."
Showing curiosity, Manager Liu asked, "May I know, Taoist Zhao, what this happy occasion you speak of is?"
Zhao Sheng took out a square jade box from his storage bag, opened the lid, pushed it towards Manager Liu, and said, "I am looking to sell a Red Fire Ganoderma. Isn't that a happy occasion?"
True to his great sect background, Manager Liu showed only a slight surprise upon seeing the Red Fire Ganoderma before regaining his posure.
He smiled and said, "Just a Red Fire Ganoderma; How could that be considered a happy occasion?"
Unperturbed, Zhao Sheng smiled and said, "I mentioned selling, but I never said it had to be sold to your pavilion."
Oh?
User Comments
0 comments from readers