Chapter 2333: Buying and Selling
On the arms of the humanoid tree, two streams of crimson blood energy flowed in a circular motion, and within the arms, a network of vein-like patterns resembling human blood vessels was reflected.
Ten slender jade-like fingers hung down to the level of its thighs, moving with a rhythm like plucking the strings of a zither.
"Whoosh!"
A soft breathing sound reached Zhang Ruochen's ears, bringing with it a fragrant breeze.
Strands of branch-like hair swayed gently, shaking the space of heaven and earth, causing the hollow underground world, and even the entire planet, to tremble.
"We can't go any further."
Zhang Ruochen held his breath and carefully stepped backward, one step at a time.
This humanoid tree was no different from a real living person—it had blood vessels and breath. If he were to awaken it, with his current cultivation level, he probably wouldn't even be enough to fill its teeth.
When he returned to the bottom of the stone steps, although Zhang Ruochen still appeared calm, his back was soaked with sweat.
Dao Yu Huang and Feng Hou were not much better off than he was. The two of them fully restrained their aura, remaining motionless as if they had turned into stone statues.
Only when the blood energy light on the humanoid tree dimmed and the hollow world returned to calm did the three of them finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Let's go. Back to the surface first."
Without further words, Zhang Ruochen and the other two re-entered the Purple Gold Gourd.
Controlling the gourd, they swam against the current, heading back to the surface.
On the way back to the ground, Zhang Ruochen casually captured three Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds.
...
The Great Saints of the Undying Blood Clan were still waiting in the City Lord's Mansion. Seeing the three return safely, they came forward one after another to ask about their experiences underground.
Feng Hou, with her noble bearing and somewhat cold and proud demeanor, said, "It has been confirmed. What entered the underground river and drained your blood were indeed Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds."
"Although Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds are dangerous, they are also treasures that can enhance blood energy and Saint Souls. Refining one is comparable to decades of bitter cultivation. The benefits for future cultivation are even more unimaginable."
"Boom!"
All the Great Saints in the City Lord's Mansion became excited, their eyes burning with eager light.
On the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, even a slight increase in strength meant greater competitiveness.
If refining one was comparable to decades of cultivation, then just how terrifying would the enhancement of a cultivator's blood energy and Saint Soul be?
Perhaps it could bring endless benefits even to those cultivating at the Thousand Questions Realm and the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm.
"What are we waiting for? Let's act together and hunt the Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds!"
Some Great Saints were already impatient, ready to enter the underground.
Dao Yu Huang snorted coldly, "Although Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds are good, they are not something you can capture. Even with Ruochen Great Saint's cultivation, he nearly suffered a loss. If you want to go underground, you'd better weigh yourselves first, lest you throw away your lives."
The Great Saints who had entered the underground all felt a lingering fear and deeply agreed with Dao Yu Huang's words.
"Everyone, be rational. If your strength isn't enough, it's almost certain death."
"Sigh! I only just broke through to the Great Saint realm not long ago, and my realm is still unstable. It seems I will have to miss out on the Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds."
"Opportunities are not for everyone. We should keep a more balanced mindset. If I get them, it's my fortune; if I don't, it's my fate."
...
All the Great Saints present could only smile bitterly and shake their heads.
Although they were extremely unwilling, when they thought about how if they lost their lives, what use would the Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds be? Their thoughts immediately faded, leaving only endless disappointment.
Zhang Ruochen took all of this in and raised his voice, "I said I would lead everyone to seize first place among the ten clans for the Undying Blood Clan. Naturally, I will prioritize enhancing the overall strength of the Undying Blood Clan."
"As for the Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds, I have a way to capture them. Everyone will have a chance to refine and absorb them."
All the Great Saints, whose eyes had dimmed, suddenly lit up again, staring at Zhang Ruochen in disbelief.
Many doubted whether his words were true or false.
What they doubted was not whether Zhang Ruochen could capture the Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds, but whether he was truly willing to provide them for everyone to refine and absorb.
Everyone knew that capturing Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds was dangerous.
Why would Zhang Ruochen take that risk?
Just to enhance the overall strength of the Undying Blood Clan and lead everyone to seize first place among the ten clans?
This...
How could there be such a selfless person in the world? Only a fool would do such a foolish thing.
Zhang Ruochen took out three Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds and imprisoned them within his Space Truth Domain.
The three Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds each took the form of a strange beast, radiating a crimson light.
Yu Huang's Spiritual Power probed the three Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds, sensing their immense blood energy. She sent a voice transmission to Zhang Ruochen, "Are you crazy? Providing Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds to all the Undying Blood Clan cultivators? They might listen to you now, but after leaving the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, who knows if you'll be friends or foes?"
Zhang Ruochen did not respond to Yu Huang. Instead, he faced all the Great Saints present and said, "The Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds are not free. I will charge a certain amount of Divine Stones. Those who wish to buy them can go to Blood Ningxiao and register with her."
"But we don't have any Divine Stones on us."
All the Undying Blood Clan Great Saints were both anxious and helpless.
"Just write an IOU. I'm not afraid of you defaulting. Right, Blood Butcher?"
Zhang Ruochen looked toward Blood Butcher, who had just returned to their clan's star. However, upon seeing Blood Butcher's outfit, his brow furrowed deeply.
Blood Butcher had left their clan's star after arriving on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, claiming he was going to hunt Heavenly Slaves.
But over these past few days, his points were pitifully low, yet he had gained several more Monarch Sacred Artifacts.
He wore a leopard-print golden light armor, held a sword in his left hand and a blade in his right, had a string of bone beads around his neck, a chain wrapped around his waist, and a defensive white jade crown on his head. The getup looked mismatched, but it made the Great Saints around him envious.
Clearly, he had ambushed and looted quite a few Great Saints to achieve such gains.
Zhang Ruochen didn't know that it was his own actions that had stimulated Blood Butcher, making him deeply realize that robbery was the fastest way to get rich.
Thus, Blood Butcher had always felt that the Heaven Hunting Battlefield was his golden opportunity to make a fortune.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen staring at him, Blood Butcher suppressed his smug smile and snorted coldly, "Whoever dares to default on my senior brother's debt, I, Blood Butcher, will be the first to refuse."
As he said this, Blood Butcher cursed inwardly, "I knew it. He's going to make a killing again. Capturing Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds must be easy. They're just making it sound dangerous to jack up the price. I'm not buying from Zhang Ruochen. I'll catch them myself."
While Blood Butcher was secretly scheming, Zhang Ruochen handed the three Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds to Yu Huang, Gu Chenzi, and Dao Yu Huang respectively.
"Come here."
Zhang Ruochen beckoned to Blood Butcher, calling him aside. He examined the various Monarch Sacred Artifacts on him and patted his shoulder. "Well said just now. Indeed, no one can default on my debt. You've looted quite a few Great Saints, haven't you? How many Monarch Sacred Artifacts do you have in total?"
Blood Butcher had a bad feeling and instinctively wanted to step back.
But Zhang Ruochen's hand on his shoulder held him firmly in place.
"Six!" Blood Butcher said with a mournful face.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Don't lie to me. My Spiritual Power has already reached the sixty-fifth rank."
Blood Butcher was filled with resentment and bitterness, thinking indignantly, "He only just broke through to the Spiritual Power Great Saint realm, and he's already at the sixty-fifth rank? Is he even human? He tortures me physically and mentally."
In the end, Blood Butcher chose to accept his fate. "Including my own weapons, it's nine. That's all. Really, that's all."
Zhang Ruochen extended one hand, signaling with his eyes.
Blood Butcher's expression darkened, and mechanically and numbly, he took off the Monarch Sacred Artifacts one by one and handed them to Zhang Ruochen.
He really wanted to slap himself hard. Why did he have to show off?
Why did he have to expose all these Monarch Sacred Artifacts in front of Zhang Ruochen?
A lesson learned!
He was still young. He'd have to be more careful in the future.
After storing away all eight Monarch Sacred Artifacts Blood Butcher had handed over, Zhang Ruochen waved his hand. "Go on. There are plenty of Monarch Sacred Artifacts on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield. Make sure to seize the opportunity. Once we leave the battlefield, it won't be so easy to get rich."
Walking out of the City Lord's Mansion, Blood Butcher looked back at the towering gate, stomped his foot, and gritted his teeth. "Just wait. Next time, I'll be more careful. I won't let you take what's mine again."
Over the next few days, Zhang Ruochen spent a great deal of time capturing over a hundred Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds.
Not every Great Saint could refine a single Blood Shadow Ghost Seed. In fact, most Immortal Realm Great Saints had to share one among several people.
Dao Yu Huang went to see Yue Tinghai once. No one knew what he said to Yue Tinghai, but Yue Tinghai admitted his mistake, voluntarily apologized to Zhang Ruochen and the Undying Blood Clan members of the Blood Heaven Continent, and offered to atone for his crimes by performing meritorious deeds.
This was within Zhang Ruochen's expectations.
Whether Yue Tinghai was feigning compliance or enduring humiliation, Zhang Ruochen was short-handed at the moment, so he didn't make things too difficult for him.
On a tower in the City Lord's Mansion, Zhang Ruochen leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance, his mind replaying the ancient stone coffin and the humanoid tree underground.
"For now, seizing first place among the ten clans is the top priority. I can't take too many risks. But once everything is settled, I'll have to go back there. There must be something extraordinary inside that stone coffin."
"For now, let's focus on obtaining the Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill first."
Zhang Ruochen channeled a stream of Time Rules from the palms of both hands, condensing them into an Absolute Self Time Imprint light point. He closed his eyes and carefully sensed.
Although Que had taken the Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill, he was being pursued by Yan Huangtu and Lan Ying. In a short time, he shouldn't have the chance to refine it.
But after entering the Dark Star, Zhang Ruochen began to feel uneasy.
After all, the time flow inside the Dark Star was different from the outside world.
Que carried one of Zhang Ruochen's Absolute Self Time Imprint particles. No matter how far he fled, Zhang Ruochen could accurately locate him.
"Swoosh—"
A fragrant breeze blew into the tower.
Feng Hou, wearing a blood-red long robe, appeared beside Zhang Ruochen. She wasn't wearing her gold-thread mask, revealing a delicate and exquisite face with skin like snow and jade, beautiful as a painting.
"At just two hundred Divine Stones for a Blood Shadow Ghost Seed, Ruochen Great Saint is being too generous with them." Feng Hou's voice was extremely pleasant, unforgettable to the ear.
Zhang Ruochen dispersed the Absolute Self Time Imprint in his hand. "Feng Hou was born into nobility, gifted by heaven, and is an outstanding disciple of the Destiny Temple. Of course, she doesn't lack Divine Stones."
"But for the vast majority of Immortal Realm Great Saints, a hundred Divine Stones is their entire net worth."
Feng Hou's eyelashes curled slightly, and she revealed a faint smile, revealing her teeth. "I never believed that Ruochen Great Saint truly intended to join the Undying Blood Clan. But seeing how much you care for them and how hard you're working to secure better results for the Undying Blood Clan, I am now fully convinced."
"Speak. What do you want from me?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Feng Hou said, "Ruochen Great Saint should have guessed by now. Why pretend not to know?"
"If you want to buy Blood Shadow Ghost Seeds, you can go to Blood Ningxiao," Zhang Ruochen said.
Feng Hou said, "I want to buy a Saint Blood Shadow. She doesn't have any. Ruochen Great Saint must have some, right?"
"I won't lie to you. Saint Blood Shadows are extremely dangerous. I only managed to catch two. A Saint Blood Shadow can not only enhance a cultivator's blood energy and Saint Soul but also increase their Spiritual Power intensity. For something of this level, Feng Hou should know that selling it on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield is not cost-effective," Zhang Ruochen said.
Feng Hou said, "I'll offer ten thousand Divine Stones."
Zhang Ruochen turned around, looking directly into her eyes, which were as beautiful as stars. "Ten thousand Divine Stones is no small amount, but it's not enough to move me. If you can give yourself to me, I might consider it."
The two stared at each other, as if trying to see through each other's hearts.
After a long moment, Feng Hou let out a smoky laugh. "How can the Great Saint be so forgetful? Have you already forgotten what I once said?"
"What I want is not an empty promise. We are both Great Saints. There's no need for such petty tricks. It's better to be more practical," Zhang Ruochen said.
A variety of expressions flickered rapidly in Feng Hou's eyes, and she thought to herself, "Zhang Ruochen is truly a womanizer. Does he want to make me his woman right now?"
Feng Hou didn't think being a womanizer was a flaw. After all, how could a strong man have only one woman?
Zhang Ruochen had cultivated a Second-Rank Sacred Intent and defeated Wujiang. He was destined to be a leading figure of this era, with limitless potential. But if she gave in to him now, it would be like betting all her chips on him.
What if she lost?
Watching Feng Hou's expression change, Zhang Ruochen let out a long laugh. "Don't think too much. When I say I want you to give yourself to me, I don't mean I want you to become my woman right now. I want you to come with me on a trip to help me seize the Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill."
Feng Hou felt that Zhang Ruochen was deliberately teasing her to test her limits.
She said, "The Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill was taken by Que. We don't even know where Que is now. How can we seize the pill from him?"
"Besides, Que's cultivation is unfathomable. Even if the two of us join forces, we might not be his match."
Zhang Ruochen gazed into the sky. "I can naturally find him. No matter how strong he is, he's just one person. Can he be stronger than the entire Undying Blood Clan?"