"What kind of seed is this…"
Li Ye frowned slightly, picking it up to examine it more closely.
The seed was about the size of a thumb, dark green all over, with faint silver patterns that shimmered subtly just one look and it was no ordinary item.
He glanced at the many fresh, high-grade spirit herbs inside the elegant cultivator's storage pouch and recalled that the man seemed to have come from the direction of the Huan Kingdom.
This immediately brought to mind the ancient tree's secret realm that had now fallen into demonic hands, along with the many scattered and possibly embellished tales brought back by the few who had escaped.
"If these came from the ancient tree secret realm… then this seed most likely came from that colossal tree at the very heart of the formation nexus!"
Li Ye rubbed his forehead, feeling momentarily stunned with joy.
The heavenly spiritual root he had been seeking all along had fallen into his hands in such a way something he had never expected.
But that elegant cultivator had somehow managed to escape from that deadly place…
"Only to end up dying by my hands. Honestly, what a waste. Poor guy didn't even know how close he was to surviving."
Li Ye chuckled, shaking his head.
In that fight just now, he had mainly won because the cultivator never once truly saw him as a threat. It was only through catching him off guard that he secured victory.
Before Li Ye suddenly pulled out ten second-tier talismans, the man hadn't even considered running.
And once those talismans activated, it was already too late to flee!
It reminded Li Ye of firearms from his previous life.
A child could never defeat an adult through strength alone, but if that child had a gun, one simple trigger pull could easily take an adult's life.
Though cultivators often said true power should come from within, in Li Ye's case, it didn't make much difference.
This was precisely why the path of talismans held such incredible value!
"But honestly… how is this any different from throwing spirit stones at someone's face?"
Thinking back to how he had practically emptied his stash in one go only a handful of talismans remained Li Ye couldn't help but wince a little.
Second-tier talismans generally went for fifty to a hundred spirit stones apiece on the market… and he had used more than ten in one fight nearly a thousand spirit stones' worth thrown down!
Thankfully, he had the alchemy to sustain a steady income and had already advanced to a second-tier talisman master, which meant he could draw his talismans and afford the cost.
Otherwise, even most Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't be able to afford such extravagance let alone keep that many talismans on hand at all times.
Take that elegant cultivator, for instance.
After thoroughly combing through his belongings excluding the spirit herbs Li Ye found the man only had a few hundred spirit stones in total.
In terms of wealth, he wasn't even on Li Ye's level!
What poor Foundation Establishment cultivator would ever expect to be buried under a barrage of talismans?
Li Ye couldn't help but laugh.
This place was just a temporary rest spot not far from where the battle had taken place.
After carefully inspecting each item and double-checking everything, he discarded anything from the cultivator's storage pouch that might contain identifying marks or tracking methods. Then, Li Ye set off once more.
....
One Month Later
"Whew… Yue Country's territory is even vaster than Huan Country's. It'll take at least another two to three months of travel to reach my destination… I'm quite far from the demon-plagued areas now. Time for a short break."
Gazing at the bustling market city before him, Li Ye let out a breath and tucked away the jade map in his hand.
That elegant cultivator had been generous.
Not only had he left behind what was likely the spoils from the ancient tree's secret realm, but he'd also passed on much of the Ding family's accumulated intelligence.
This gave Li Ye a far more detailed understanding of Yue Country's inner workings and his planned destination. With such knowledge, he felt much more confident in his plans.
If he had relied solely on the map he'd purchased back in Huan Country, it would've been much harder to find this place.
Adjusting the mask on his face and the bamboo hat atop his head, Li Ye descended to the entrance of the market city and casually walked inside.
Perhaps because the war between the two countries was a thing of the past, the city had no security checks at all. People flowed in and out freely, making for a lively scene.
As he entered, several people hurried toward him it was clear they were local guides hoping to earn a small fee by offering help to newcomers.
But now that Li Ye had learned about Yue Country through that Ding family Foundation Establishment cultivator, he already had a good grasp of the shops and layout here. He waved them off with a polite refusal and followed the crowd down the main street.
During this long journey, he had been constantly on the move to avoid both demons and potential pursuers from the Ding family. It had been a while since he'd had a proper rest.
After a brief look around to get the general layout of the place, he headed straight for an inn to settle down.
There, he indulged in fine food and wine, restoring both body and spirit.
Two days later, Li Ye finally stepped out again, heading toward a shop called Treasure Pavilion.
This establishment was much like the Hundred Treasures Hall owned by the Yue family back in Huan Country. It belonged to the Tang family, a major Foundation Establishment clan in Yue Country, and had branches all across the land.
A free attendant spotted the late-stage Qi Refining aura on Li Ye and quickly came forward with respectful courtesy.
"Welcome, senior! How may I assist you today?"
"I have quite a few items to purchase. Take a look at this list," Li Ye replied casually.
He gave the shop a quick scan everything seemed well-stocked and handed over a list.
The attendant took the list, and upon reading it, his expression shifted slightly. He quickly bowed again, his attitude even more respectful.
"Ahem… Senior has quite an extensive list. Please, allow me to lead you to a private room while I pass this to our manager."
He respectfully led Li Ye upstairs to a private box, served him tea and a catalog of the shop's goods, and then hurried off. It was clear they now viewed him as a distinguished guest.
Li Ye wasn't in a rush. He casually flipped through the catalog and sampled the tea and snacks.
About a cup of tea's time later, footsteps approached from outside, and a tall, thin middle-aged man entered the room.
He showed no surprise at Li Ye's hat and masked face, instead smiling as he introduced himself, "Greetings, fellow cultivator. I am Tang Qingquan. Regarding the items on your list, our shop has already prepared most of them. There are just two items that require further discussion if you care to verify the rest first?"
"Ah, so it's Fellow Daoist Tang. I'm surnamed Ye," Li Ye replied nonchalantly.
He opened the storage pouch and checked the contents briefly before nodding with a smile.
"The quantities are all correct. I must say, your shop truly lives up to its reputation to gather all this so quickly… But tell me, do you have disguising techniques and seedlings of heavenly spiritual roots for sale?"
After previously suffering a loss due to his bamboo hat failing to block spiritual sense detection, Li Ye was keen to find a method of real concealment.
Back at the Zimo Market, he hadn't managed to find any reliable technique to alter appearance or form. Now that he was in Yue Country, perhaps his luck would change.
As for the heavenly spiritual root, this was part routine inquiry, part a test to see if he could learn anything about the seed in his possession.
Fingering his beard with a mysterious air, Tang Qingquan chuckled lightly.
"Fellow Daoist Ye is indeed perceptive. We do carry both items but due to their high value, we typically discuss them in person."
"Regarding disguises… our shop has a technique known as Bone-Shifting and Flesh-Morphing. It requires a solid foundation in body cultivation, but if mastered, it allows one to reshape the body and change the face at will. It should meet your needs."
"As for the heavenly spiritual root… have you perhaps heard of the Ancient Tree Secret Realm?"
"You mean the source of the current demon invasion?" Li Ye feigned surprise in his tone.
"Precisely," Tang Qingquan nodded. "That secret realm was built around a colossal tree, which served as the core of a grand formation sealing off the descending demonic passage…"
"Before the formation was broken and the passage tore the tree apart, it released numerous seeds into the realm. Many cultivators present at the time managed to obtain a few. Our shop acquired quite a number from those survivors."
"Though their exact species is unknown, we verified through secret methods that they indeed contain the latent properties of a heavenly spiritual root…"
"And as it happens, we have one available right now."
Unconcerned that Li Ye might try to snatch it, he calmly pulled out a small jade box from his robes. After removing the protective talismans, he opened it with care, revealing a dark green seed with faint silver patterns.
It was identical to the one Li Ye already possessed.
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