Flora’s reaction was a dead giveaway they did, in fact, possess the Divine Dwelling Grass. The question was simply whether they were willing to part with it.

Of course, even if they weren’t, Jiang Chen had his own ways of prying it out of their hands.

But Flora wasn’t so undiscerning. Shi Xuan glanced at Prime Gao, a clear signal they couldn’t afford to offend the young lord again.

The latter stayed silent. He’d blundered earlier, taking his guest’s courtesy for granted and now overflowed with regret. What if the young man occupied their sacred land in a fit of anger?

They’d be powerless to stop him if so.

As for Jiang Chen, he was quite surprised by the quantity of Divine Dwelling Grass in Flora.

He inquired about the way it was utilized, but the answer almost made him choke.

The grass was used in empyrean pills. And not the mainstream ones at that, but the type that produced no noticeable effects on cultivation.

“Mere empyrean pills? And they can’t even noticeably increase cultivation?” He stared at them, disbelief written plain on his face. What a waste of a tremendous treasure!

Flora’s cultivators lost their countenance at his tone. He seemed to imply there was a far better use for it, making them flush with embarrassment at their ignorance.

Master Shi Xuan squeezed out a smile. “Obviously, we don’t understand the herb’s wondrous effects nearly as well as you, young lord. Please, do enlighten us.”

Jiang Chen simply smiled. A free lesson was of course not on the agenda. “They’re wasted in your hands. Their true use is a little beyond you, in any case, so why don’t we make a trade? One Crowning Empyrean Pill for one Divine Dwelling Grass.”

The Crowning Empyrean Pill allowed for an unconditional advancement of a full level within the empyrean realm. Such a pill would be a cherished treasure for the sacred land. Sadly, it was impossible for them to refine, no matter how they longed for it in their dreams.

Even Prime Gao’s face lit up at this proposal. He blurted out, “What a wonderful idea!”

Perhaps, in absolute terms, the scales were tipped too much in Jiang Chen’s favor, but what choice did they have? Could they refuse to hand over the grass, even for free if need be? Not to mention, the Crowning Empyrean Pill was far more useful for them.

It could be put to immediate use and increase the sacred land’s strength substantially, unlike the Divine Dwelling Grass.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Master Shi Xuan nodded in agreement. “I’ve heard of the pill’s miraculous effects. It’s quite a good deal for us.”

Of course, he was no fool. The herb’s true value must far surpass a simple empyrean pill, but he’d used “a good deal” nevertheless. He’d already steeled himself for a far worse outcome. Such a favorable trade was simply heaven-sent.

Hence, both parties came to a happy agreement.

Jiang Chen obtained enough Divine Dwell Grass while Flora received the pills it coveted, a win-win proposition for everyone.

The crowd’s former distress at the prospect of losing the herb instantly melted at the sight of so many Crowning Empyrean Pills.

Quite a few among them were already bending their minds to how to distribute the pills. After all, they were extremely important in the current situation.

Jiang Chen didn’t tarry anymore than necessary once his business was completed. Time was of the essence. He had to eradicate as many demons as possible in Myriad Abyss.

“Prime Gao, Master Shi Xuan, you’re both smart men. The demons won’t forget today’s defeat, so you must coordinate your efforts with the other sacred lands and ready yourselves for a fight. Otherwise, help may come too late the next time they come knocking on your door.”

Of course, he didn’t invite them to Winterdraw. He didn’t fully trust this group.

The island admittedly did need defenders, but more wasn’t always better. On the contrary, unreliable people were potential seeds of trouble.

He’d achieved fantastic victories in Everlasting and Flora. The nearly full eradication of three tribes was a huge, perhaps even traumatic blow to his foes.

“Young lord, are we going to Eternal this time?” asked the Vermilion Bird.

“Yes, we’ll use our momentum and deal with the wood demons. Let’s see what they’re made of. But let’s stop by Sunrise first.” Jiang Chen smiled quietly.

Wood demons might have been terrifying foes for someone else, but they weren’t as threatening as golden demons for him. He knew many ways of countering them, by using the Fire of Firstdawn or the Dragonwhisker Water, for example.

As long as he could curb their powers, he was confident he could annihilate them wholesale.

He’d visited Sunrise previously on his tour of the ten sacred lands, and had even rescued them back then.

So he decided on Sunrise as the first leg of his new journey.

The Fire of Firstdawn could be found in abundant amount over there, for one thing. It would make slaughtering the wood demons a cinch, especially when the Vermilion Bird could easily absorb it.

Together with Long Xiaoxuan’s Dragonwhisker Water, these two weapons would soften the wood demons more than enough.

However, his enemies had moved faster and more decisively than he’d anticipated.

Sunrise was already occupied by the time he arrived.

After some inquiries, he learned that the sacred land had succumbed several days ago to the fire demon tribe’s onslaught. Just as Everlasting was a paradise for golden demons, Sunrise was heaven on earth for the fire demons.

He grimaced at this new development.

Had Sunrise ultimately brought the Fire of Firstdawn to Eternal? Was the latter still holding strong? He didn’t know the answer to either question.

He’d sent Divine Kasyapa to Eternal’s rescue early on, but it might not have been in time.

He had to revise his plans now that Sunrise, and the Fire of Firstdawn by extension, was firmly in enemy hands.

Fire demons weren’t the most troublesome of the lot. In fact, they were easily subdued under certain conditions, but they made for harrowing opponents in a favorable environment.

Like Sunrise, for example. The sacred land was the perfect habitat for them.