Lu Caifu breathed a sigh of relief as Ning Fa seemed to calm down. She quickly said, "I asked Gu Ying about this before, and he didn't give me a clear answer.
But judging from his expression, he clearly had something to rely on.
From what I can guess, he most likely used the Mysterious Obscurity Spirit Bell.
Daoist Ning, you might have heard of it before. Our merchant alliance actually possesses three Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasures, and the most mysterious among them is this Mysterious Obscurity Spirit Bell.
Even I know very little about it, but I know this treasure has a very special ability: it's used for divination and deduction, and its accuracy is extremely high.
In a way, it's even more outstanding than the renowned Myriad Star Disk of the Tianshu Alliance's Star Luo Palace.
However, each time this treasure uses this special ability, it consumes a certain amount of spiritual energy.
So, unless it's absolutely necessary, our merchant alliance won't activate this treasure lightly.
But now it seems Gu Ying must have used it, which is why he's so confident.
And this treasure has always been managed by Gu Zun, so Gu Zun should also be aware of this matter.
Although he hasn't explicitly stated his position, it seems he supports Gu Ying.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to successfully bid for the Xiyuan Divine Soil at that auction in Chaoge Immortal City.
You must know that the Spirit Transformation Ancestor of Lingxiao Sword Pavilion, Divine Lord Chongyun, was originally determined to get this treasure. His 본명 flying sword was damaged, and the Xiyuan Divine Soil is an excellent item for repair.
But Divine Lord Chongyun was not present at that auction. This clearly shows that Gu Zun intervened from behind the scenes, allowing Gu Ying to successfully bid for the Xiyuan Divine Soil."
Hearing this, Ning Fa's sword-like eyebrows furrowed tightly.
So it was Gu Ying who bid for the Xiyuan Divine Soil, and his intention seemed to be for him.
But how did he know that he desperately needed this item?
Soon, Ning Fa realized that when he had previously traded with those Spirit Transformation forces using the Ancient Star Stone Tablet, the Xiyuan Divine Soil was indeed listed, and it was among the most valuable Spiritual Materials. Therefore, it wasn't difficult for Gu Ying to know about it.
At this moment, Lu Caifu's eyes flickered slightly. "Daoist Ning, you should have also realized that the Xiyuan Divine Soil was bid for by Gu Ying for you, and it's one of the betrothal gifts he prepared. There are even several other precious Spiritual Materials of the same grade as the Xiyuan Divine Soil."
As she spoke, Lu Caifu directly pushed a Jade Slip in front of Ning Fa.
Ning Fa's Spiritual Sense merely swept over it, and a cold smile appeared on his face.
The Jade Slip listed:
Five Ten Thousand Year Spirit Grasses, ten drops of Ten Thousand Year Spirit Milk, the complete body and demon core of a Fifth-grade Demonic Beast, the Sky-Swallowing Thunder Python, a Fifth-grade Pill, the Holy Sun Pill, which can extend life by nearly eighty years, two Top-grade Lightning Spirit Stones, three types of Fourth-grade Upper Rank Cold Flames, including one quasi-Fifth-grade Cold Flame... and a large pile of other Fourth-grade Spiritual Materials.
Lu Caifu wasn't exaggerating. The value of the Spiritual Materials listed on this Jade Slip was indeed unimaginably high, and some of them were not inferior to the Xiyuan Divine Soil.
Moreover, Gu Ying clearly catered to his preferences. Besides the Xiyuan Divine Soil, Ning Fa had also specified that he wanted to buy various high-grade Cold Flames during the transaction, with the aim of cultivating the nascent Tai Yin True Fire and helping it take shape as soon as possible.
Although those Spirit Transformation forces had offered some at the time, the highest was only Fourth-grade Lower Rank. The three types Gu Ying prepared far surpassed that.
It could be said that the Spiritual Materials listed on this Jade Slip would make even a Spirit Transformation Cultivator go mad with desire, as many of them might be things they desperately wanted but couldn't obtain.
Lu Caifu carefully observed Ning Fa's expression and said cautiously, "Daoist Ning, Gu Ying should be considered sincere. If you have any other needs, you can also mention them."
In fact, Lu Caifu didn't mention one thing: the Spiritual Materials listed on this Jade Slip had been modified not long ago.
Just as she arrived at the Nine Dragons Sea and received the news of Ning Fa killing the Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivator Ying Xiao, Gu Ying had already urgently contacted her and added several more Fifth-grade Spiritual Materials to this Jade Slip.
At this moment, Ning Fa's expression had returned to calm. He said indifferently, "That Gu Ying is very clever, having you come ahead to probe my intentions."
He then directly threw the Jade Slip back to Lu Caifu, his voice turning cold. "Given our past acquaintance, I'll let this matter of you speaking on Gu Ying's behalf slide today. But if there's a next time, don't blame me for turning my back on you!"
Before his voice even faded, Ning Fa's figure suddenly became indistinct and disappeared in an instant.
Lu Caifu looked at the Jade Slip floating in front of her, her beautiful face shifting between emotions. After a while, she gave a wry smile. "I agreed to Gu Ying's request this time, but instead, I offended Ning Fa. It seems I can only try my best to make amends in the future."
As she spoke, she took out a small, black, diamond-shaped Mystic Disc. After extending her hand and casting a Hand Seal, a ball of black light shot out from it, forming a black light screen several feet in size.
Soon, a blurry human figure appeared within it. A young yet steady male voice emanated from it, filled with anticipation: "How was it?"
"Forget about it.
Ning Fa's attitude is more than just opposition; he's extremely angry.
If you had come here today, he probably would have attacked you directly.
I showed him the betrothal gifts you prepared, including that Xiyuan Divine Soil, but it didn't change his attitude one bit," Lu Caifu said irritably.
The figure in the light screen fell silent for a moment. After a long while, he said in a low voice, "I will make him change his mind."
With that, the light screen slowly dissipated.
Lu Caifu, however, looked dismissive.
Although Ning Fa seemed to be alone and weak, he had the unfathomable Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant behind him.
Even though their merchant alliance had obtained classified intelligence that the Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant had suffered a serious injury a long time ago and had not yet recovered, and their strength was not as good as in their prime, their true strength should still be comparable to a Mid Spirit Transformation Cultivator. Even if they were not as strong as Gu Zun now, they probably wouldn't be far off.
And Ning Fa had now displayed such formidable strength, almost making him a quasi-Spirit Transformation cultivator.
Therefore, trying to force Ning Fa to submit through force, in Lu Caifu's opinion, would be very difficult. Instead, it would create a great enemy. She believed Gu Zun would not do something so foolish.
Ning Fa was now walking on a wide main street in Zhenhai City.
The street was bustling with people, a sea of cultivators, and as far as the eye could see, there were almost no Qi Refining cultivators. Everyone was at least at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the proportion of high-level cultivators at Core Formation and above was astonishing.
This was because Zhenhai City had already built dozens of Teleportation Arrays connecting to various regions of the Nine Dragons Sea. These high-level cultivators were eligible to directly use the Teleportation Arrays in the major sea areas for transit, allowing them to quickly arrive in Zhenhai City.
Currently, there were even more mid and low-level cultivators in the Nine Dragons Sea rushing here through various means.
Ning Fa walked unhurriedly down the street, still thinking about Gu Ying.
Putting aside the fact that Le'er was an Immortal Descendant, even if she were an ordinary person, he, Ning Fa, would never marry Le'er off to someone else just for a generous betrothal gift. That would be no different from selling his daughter.
Therefore, refusing Gu Ying was a decision that required no hesitation.
However, Ning Fa couldn't help but ponder how to advance his last two Divine Thunders to the Innate realm.
The Supreme Water Divine Thunder was relatively easier, as he already had the nascent form of Tai Yin True Fire.
As long as he could fully form and advance this fire, he could, just like how he previously used Solar Essence Fire to cultivate the Supreme Fire Divine Thunder to the Innate realm, open up his divine treasury for the Supreme Water Divine Thunder.
But fully advancing the nascent Tai Yin True Fire was not that simple, because its completeness was far inferior to the original Solar Essence Fire.
After all, the original Solar Essence Fire had been nurtured for tens of thousands of years by the Heavenly Treasure Spirit Treasure Haolei Tower, used by Daoist Yan Yuan to damage its origin, before reaching a state on the verge of advancement.
If he continued to nurture it with the Ice Glaze Pearl, it would take at least several thousand years, a duration Ning Fa naturally could not wait for.
This was why he thought of using various high-grade Cold Flames to temper it and accelerate its growth.
For example, his own Phoenix Separation Ice Flame, Little Ice's innate Cold Flame, and other Cold Flames he had collected.
The current Tai Yin True Fire had grown significantly compared to before. Ning Fa estimated that at the current pace, it would still take at least another three hundred years. This time was still too long.
However, after talking with Little Ice, Ning Fa learned of two methods that held promise for its rapid advancement.
One was to seek the help of the Spirit Transformation Ancestor of the Ice Phoenix Clan. If he were willing to expend his vital energy and assist with his innate Cold Flame, it would absolutely be possible for the Tai Yin True Fire to fully form in a short period.
The other was that when Little Ice received the inheritance from Ancestor Bing Chen, one of the inheritances could greatly enhance the power of his innate Cold Flame.
But the problem was that this inheritance could only be truly learned in a special secret realm of the Ice Phoenix Clan.
Ning Fa couldn't help but secretly calculate. If all else failed, he might have to raid the Ice Phoenix clan's territory and find a way for Little Ice to fully accept that inheritance.
But the time was not yet right. The Ice Phoenix Ancestor was exceptionally powerful, and there were many experts within their clan.
Ning Fa also planned to wait until Blue Lightning emerged from closed-door cultivation. If Blue Lightning could successfully advance to Spirit Transformation, then this endeavor would have a much greater chance of success.
Moreover, his own strength would inevitably increase significantly by then.
After all, the vast Blood Essence and vital energy he had absorbed from Ying Xiao was still stored within him. As long as he had some more time and refined some Spirit Nurturing Pills and Spirit Marvelous Pills, his cultivation would advance rapidly.
As for the advancement of the Supreme Earth Divine Thunder, it would depend on future opportunities.
But for him to yield for this matter was impossible.
While Ning Fa was contemplating, he had already arrived at the inn where Ning Huarong and Ning An were staying.
As soon as he entered the inn, Ning Fa's Spiritual Sense swept through the area, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
When he entered a private room in the inn, he saw that besides Ning Huarong and Ning An, there were two other people in the room.
One was wearing a crown and scholarly robes, exuding an ethereal and transcendent aura. It was Wen Yuchen.
At this moment, he was speaking gently and cordially with Ning An and the other person.
The other was a middle-aged cultivator in his forties, dressed in luxurious brocade robes, with a broad face, large ears, and a stout build. He was at the early Nascent Soul stage.
The man's originally ruddy and plump face was now completely devoid of color. Cold sweat was streaming down his face and body, but he dared not even reach out to wipe it away.
"Daoist Ning, it is my fault for not disciplining my subordinate properly. Junior Nephew Liu, in his attempt to curry favor with Tan Yingzhen of the Qianyuan Merchant Alliance, put these two young friends in grave danger. I am truly sorry. I have brought him to you today. You may deal with him as you see fit, whether to kill or torture him," Wen Yuchen said to Ning Fa with an apologetic expression.
Ning Fa's gaze swept over the Nascent Soul cultivator surnamed Liu, who immediately trembled.
At this moment, he was filled with regret. He had never imagined that the trouble he had stirred up this time would be so immense, actually helping Tan Yingzhen harm the biological son of this formidable figure, as well as his close kin.
"Daoist Wen, after all, this person is a disciple of Taichu Gate. It is not appropriate for me to overstep my bounds. I trust that Daoist Wen will handle this justly," Ning Fa said with a smile, shaking his head.
Since Venerable Jizhao had previously stated that he could interact with these Spirit Transformation cultivators as equals, Ning Fa naturally would not be polite.
His address caused Ning Huarong, Ning An, and the Nascent Soul cultivator surnamed Liu to look at him with shock.
Wen Yuchen, however, showed no change in his expression. Instead, his demeanor softened, as Ning Fa was already showing him considerable respect.
Wen Yuchen looked at the Nascent Soul cultivator surnamed Liu with a stern expression. "If this were any other time, for such a grave mistake, you would be sentenced to at least a hundred years of confinement. However, given the current special circumstances, I will deduct one hundred thousand merit points from you and give you an opportunity to atone for your crimes. Do you understand?"
The Nascent Soul cultivator surnamed Liu's face immediately contorted in bitterness.
The Tianshu Alliance had already implemented a merit point exchange system for battles against the Sea Race and the Monster Race. To accumulate one hundred thousand merit points, he would need to kill at least two cultivators of the same level. This could be considered a massive debt.
But regardless, it was still better than falling into Ning Fa's hands.
He immediately bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Uncle-Master, for your leniency. Thank you, Daoist Ning, for your magnanimity."
After receiving a nod from Wen Yuchen, the man quickly left the room.
Then, Wen Yuchen took out a fiery red Purifying Bottle from his Storage Ring, which was adorned with several Barrier Talismans.
Although the spiritual light was dazzling, one could vaguely see a deep red Spirit Flame seemingly contained within the Purifying Bottle.
As soon as this bottle was produced, an astonishing coldness instantly radiated outwards.
"This is the Crimson Sunset Cold Flame, its grade reaching Fourth-grade Upper Rank, and its power is even stronger than other Cold Flames of the same level.
I had originally intended to bestow it upon a True Disciple of our sect with an Ice Spiritual Root, but now I shall present it to Daoist Ning as a gift of apology."
Wen Yuchen said with a pleasant expression.
Ning Fa's eyes immediately lit up; this gift of apology was exactly to his liking.
"Daoist Wen is too kind," Ning Fa said, yet he unhesitatingly accepted the flame.
Wen Yuchen smiled slightly, about to bid farewell, when Ning Fa called out to him.
"Daoist Wen, have the Zi Yin Clan Members arrived in Zhenhai City yet?"
Ning Fa's other pressing concern was to understand the mysterious rune on the Supreme Wood Divine Thunder Thunderwood he possessed, and what the unripe fruit growing on the tree was.
He had previously tried to contact Huangfu Ziyue through the communication spiritual item she had given him, but had received no reply.
Furthermore, he had learned from Venerable Jizhao that the Zi Yin clan had now agreed to join the Human Race's alliance, making them allies. This was why he had asked.
Upon hearing this, Wen Yuchen's eyes flickered sharply. He immediately thought of the Divine Wood Totem behind Ning Fa. After a myriad of thoughts, he replied with an impassive expression:
"The Zi Yin clan has not arrived yet, but they should be here soon. After all, the highest-level meeting we previously agreed upon is fast approaching."
With that, Wen Yuchen smiled slightly and rose to leave.
Ning Fa, however, wore a contemplative expression.
The highest-level meeting Wen Yuchen mentioned referred to a high-caliber conference initiated by the Nine Dragons Sea, in conjunction with Great Qin, Tianwu, and other major powers in the cultivation world.
Its purpose was to unite the Human Race's forces to resist the invading Sea Race army and to discuss major strategies.
There were still six months until this meeting convened, and the attendees were all representative Spirit Transformation cultivators from various powers. Ning Fa would be the only Nascent Soul cultivator participating.