Chapter 666: Six-Petaled Butterfly Violet

After a short wait, the female cultivator returned with the spiritual herbs Qin Sang had requested, and brought along a piece of good news.

"South of Pingbo Port, there's a place called Black Gold Mountain. Rumor has it that deep within the mountain range lies a rift valley containing Earth Malevolent Qi. But the area within Black Gold Mountain is chaotic and unsafe. Senior, you must be cautious..."

She handed Qin Sang the herbs along with a detailed geomantic map and kindly offered her warning.

Qin Sang took the map and noted that Black Gold Mountain wasn’t very far from Pingbo Port. It sat near the fringes of the port’s sphere of influence. If he traveled at full speed, he could reach it in seven or eight days.

Factoring in the round trip and the time needed for corpse refinement, he would still make it back in time before the Qiongyu Merchant Guild set out.

Black Gold Mountain covered a vast area and was an unclaimed zone. Although several witch race forces operated around it, none of them were particularly powerful. As long as he remained cautious, he had little to fear from being surrounded or ambushed.

"Thanks for your efforts," Qin Sang said.

He carefully stored away the geomantic map and proceeded to inspect the herbs.

After a short examination, Qin Sang discovered that while the female cultivator had managed to gather quite a few herbs, none of the most valuable items on the list were present. Not even a single stalk of Soul-Guiding Grass.

"Are spiritual herbs really this scarce in Canglang Sea? A guild this large, one that even deals in astras, doesn’t have a single stalk of Soul-Guiding Grass?"

Irritated, Qin Sang said aloud, "Do you think I don't have enough spirit stones? I can understand if Perpetual Camphor is unavailable, but not even a single Soul-Guiding Grass?"

Sensing the hidden anger in his tone, the female cultivator grew nervous and hurriedly explained.

"Senior, please allow me to explain."

"In Canglang Sea, the rarest spiritual herbs are those that aid in cultivation. Soul-Guiding Grass happens to be especially effective for devilish cultivators. It was already thoroughly harvested by devilish sects countless years ago."

"Not only does our guild not carry any, but even the top merchant guilds under the Dongji Alliance only obtain a stalk once in a while. One would need some luck even there."

"Though demonic beasts can now be used to refine some auxiliary cultivation pills, they’re nowhere near as effective as spiritual herbs naturally nurtured by heaven and earth, and often come with side effects. To this day, devilish sects are still vigorously searching for such herbs. The top guilds are deeply connected with them, and any discovery of such herbs is bought out before word even gets out..."

Qin Sang frowned slightly upon hearing this, feeling the matter growing more troublesome.

Unlike spiritual herbs, demonic cores in Canglang Sea were relatively abundant. With enough Soul-Guiding Grass, he could refine more flying yakshas. Although his spiritual consciousness couldn’t command too many at once in combat, they still served well as cannon fodder in times of danger.

Without Soul-Guiding Grass, there could be no Heavenly Corpse Talismans. Without Heavenly Corpse Talismans, there could be no living corpses.

Without living corpses, there could be no flying yakshas.

While it didn’t prevent him from refining malevolent corpses, at his current cultivation level, even those refined using Fake Core Realm cultivators were of little use. They were unqualified even to serve as cannon fodder.

What made matters worse was that the

Heavenly Yin Corpse Art

in his possession only contained the first half.

Until I find more Soul-Guiding Grass, I’ll need to conserve these three Heavenly Corpse Talismans. At the very least, I must keep one as a backup.

Qin Sang thought to himself.

What happened with Mute Girl had made him realize that the Heavenly Corpse Talisman could at least offer a sliver of hope. If something similar occurred again, he would not be completely helpless, forced to watch a friend perish before his eyes.

The female cultivator stole a glance at Qin Sang. Seeing that his expression had eased somewhat, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

She secretly wondered why he was so desperate to find Soul-Guiding Grass.

Is he a devilish cultivator?

It is said that Soul-Guiding Grass is most effective for Foundation Building devilish cultivators. Is he gathering it for a junior, or has he cultivated some kind of devilish art that requires the herb?

Aside from Soul-Guiding Grass, the most troublesome herb was a type called Six-Petaled Butterfly Pansy.

This herb was a key ingredient in the formula for raising the Sky-Eyed Butterfly. Though the required quantity was small, it was the most vital component.

The other herbs listed in the formula had mostly been purchased from the Four Seas Merchant Guild. But without the Six-Petaled Butterfly Pansy, the effects would be greatly diminished, and the Sky-Eyed Butterfly’s growth would be significantly delayed.

Fortunately, Qin Sang had already asked the female cultivator. Six-Petaled Butterfly Pansy was not a cultivation-aiding herb like Soul-Guiding Grass, so it was not as hotly contested. With some careful searching, it could still be found.

After paying the spirit stones, Qin Sang left the Four Seas Merchant Guild. He did not head straight for the Qiongyu Merchant Guild. Instead, he found a random inn and rented a small courtyard.

Activating a barrier, Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the ground and flipped his palm, taking out a Malevolent Demonic Pill.

The pill bore all five elemental hues, but since it was refined from demonic beasts, it carried a faint reddish tint no matter the specific type. Upon opening the jade bottle, a pungent stench rushed out, far more foul than any Foundation Building Pill.

Enduring the stench, Qin Sang poured one out and observed it for a while before tilting his head back and swallowing it.

This was the lowest-grade Malevolent Demonic Pill. Its Malevolent Demonic Qi was especially intense, which suited Qin Sang perfectly.

The Malevolent Demonic Pill entered his body and transformed into a violent surge of medicinal energy, charging wildly toward his dantian. Unfortunately, the spiritual power within Qin Sang had already been refined into true essence—dense and solid—so the medicinal energy could not shake it and only stirred up faint ripples.

Qin Sang focused his attention on his upper dantian. In that moment, a faint yet vicious aura of malevolence surged forth. As soon as the pill entered his body, the violent Malevolent Demonic Qi lunged toward his primordial spirit. Despite his strength, he was unable to stop it.

No wonder so many cultivators in Canglang Sea suffered greatly from this demonic qi.

As expected, just before the Malevolent Demonic Qi touched the primordial spirit, it was instantly repelled by the light of the Jade Buddha and forced back. It lingered for a while in the upper dantian before retreating in frustration and settling into the flesh.

Perhaps it carried remnants of resentment from the demonic beast it had been refined from, because this qi was extremely stubborn, filled with hatred and vicious intent.

Qin Sang experimented a little. As long as it did not invade the primordial spirit, the Malevolent Demonic Qi lodged in his flesh was not difficult to remove and would not cause significant harm.

For now, a faint trace of demonic qi lingered on his body. It could be useful in misleading opponents.

***

The Qiongyu Merchant Guild storefront appeared rather ordinary. Qin Sang sat quietly in the main hall for a while before a female cultivator entered in a hurry. She was at the early stage of the Core Formation Realm, just like him.

Though her cultivation level was high, she was not like those female cultivators who took great care in their appearance. Her features and attire were plain, but her every gesture carried the quiet confidence of a high-level cultivator, making her impossible to ignore.

"Apologies for keeping you waiting. I am Ran Luo. May I ask for your esteemed name?"

Facing someone of equal cultivation and a high-ranking member of the guild, Qin Sang naturally responded with courtesy. He rose to his feet, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Qingfeng. Forgive me for disturbing you, Daoist Ran."

Ran Luo gave a soft smile and discreetly studied Qin Sang. She did not ask him to remove his bamboo hat, and her expression remained calm as she said, "There was just a minor issue on the ship. For Daoist Master Qingfeng to grace us with his presence is more than welcome. It’s a bit crowded here, so perhaps we could speak privately in a quiet room upstairs?"

"I wouldn’t dare disobey," Qin Sang replied at once.

Ran Luo gave a few instructions, then led Qin Sang upstairs.

"Daoist Ran, are you the guild’s chief manager for this branch?" Qin Sang asked with curiosity.

Ran Luo shook her head. "How could I possibly have the qualifications to hold such a position? The one appointed by the guild to oversee our operations in Pingbo Port is Elder Zou. He is currently away, visiting Houtu Sect. I am permitted to handle some matters within the guild, but if Daoist Master Qingfeng must meet Elder Zou, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait about half a month."