Chapter 1016: Chapter 984: Exchanging the Demon Pill, Targeted by Bandit Cultivators
Upon learning that the other party did not require Spirit Stones and only wanted Magical Artifact exchanges, Lu Ping couldn’t help but size up the female cultivator.
Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be in her early thirties. Her cultivation level wasn’t concealed, having reached the early stage of Crystallization, but her aura was still unstable.
Clearly, she had just reached Crystallization not long ago, likely not more than three months.
To have reached the Crystallization Stage at such an age, it seemed she had a way to maintain her youthful appearance.
Facing Lu Ping’s scrutiny, the female cultivator smiled faintly, appearing somewhat lively, and proactively continued, "If fellow Daoist has a Defensive Magical Artifact, that would be what I need most."
Lu Ping was interested in this Fire-Winged Beast Demon Pill. Bartering like this was a common occurrence in the Cultivation Realm.
He rummaged through his Storage Bag and took out two Tier Four Top-Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifacts.
One was a purple treasure bead, named the Purple Light Bead, which could release a purple light screen to protect the cultivator, providing substantial defense, capable of withstanding attacks from Ninth-Layer Golden Core creatures.
The other was a small cyan shield, named the Cyan Armor Shield, which was a pure Defensive Spiritual Artifact. Once Magical Power was injected, it could expand up to three meters to shelter the cultivator.
In terms of defense capability, this Cyan Armor Shield was stronger than the Purple Light Bead, capable of withstanding any attack below the Nascent Soul Stage.
However, the downside was obvious: it was less flexible than the Purple Light Bead and did not offer comprehensive protection.
Upon learning about the two Magical Artifacts, the woman’s eyes lit up as she examined each in her hands.
"The Purple Light Bead, the Cyan Armor Shield..."
She was fond of both artifacts, each having its strengths and notable points. If used together, their effectiveness would be even greater.
However, the value of her Fire-Winged Beast Demon Pill could only exchange for one, not both.
With this thought in mind, she had to choose one. Ultimately, she selected the Purple Light Bead because not only was it flexible to use, but... it was also quite pleasing to the eye.
Upon completing the transaction, Lu Ping put away the Cyan Armor Shield, obtained the Fire-Winged Beast Demon Pill, and turned away to leave.
Meanwhile, shortly after Lu Ping departed, several pairs of eyes were fixed on his figure from a distance, beginning to whisper among themselves.
"We’ve had our eyes on that Fire-Winged Beast Demon Pill for several days, but Wu Susu wouldn’t trade it to us. If it weren’t for the fact that she’s the daughter of the Celestial Serpent Island Master, we wouldn’t have let her be until today. It’s truly a matter of offering a toast, only to drink a forfeit."
"Well, we can’t afford to provoke the Celestial Serpent Island. The Island Master is already at the Golden Core Stage, far beyond what we can handle, so it’s best not to provoke them."
"Now here’s an opportunity. That person looks unfamiliar, probably some youngster from a family out exploring. Why don’t we snatch the Fire-Winged Beast Demon Pill from him? With this Demon Pill, we’ll have all we need to refine the Fire Sun Elixir."
"We still don’t know that person’s strength, and if he’s also at the Crystallization Stage, can we handle him with just the three of us?"
A scholar-like cultivator said, gently fanning himself with a folding fan, a worried expression on his face.
"Heh, what’s there to be afraid of!"
The larger man among the trio dismissed it disdainfully.
"In my experience, if a cultivator dares to shop at a street stall, it means their strength isn’t great, and they lack the means to purchase from large stores."
"Otherwise, why would he skip the Hongfu Commerce Association and other large stores to buy from a stall? It’s clear he lacks Spirit Stones."
As soon as the big man spoke, the elderly among them furrowed his brows and said, "If he lacks Spirit Stones and strength, how did he just produce two Tier Four Spiritual Artifacts?"
"Earlier, when we tried to exchange for the Demon Pill with Wu Susu, she clearly stated that only a Tier Four Defensive Spiritual Artifact would do."
"That person took out two artifacts at once, seemingly Tier Four. His background may not be simple."
The elder’s words led the other two to ponder, realizing the truth in his reasoning.
However, the big man was impatient and speculated, "That young fellow looks unfamiliar, not like any of the powerhouses from the Sea of Ten Thousand Stars."
"Most importantly, he carries Tier Four Spiritual Artifacts. Could it be he recently got lucky and stumbled upon some opportunity in an Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion?"
The Sea of Ten Thousand Stars was a thriving part of the Cultivation Realm during ancient times, nurturing a flourishing cultivation civilization, particularly advanced in the four major fields: Elixir, Artifact, Talisman, and Array. It left behind numerous legacies, and the population of cultivators exceeded one million.
With such a massive base of cultivators, it was natural that there were countless Cave Mansions.
Until the late ancient times, a massive war broke out between the Demon Race and the Human Race. A demon saint overturned rivers and seas, massacring a sea area of a million miles, leading to the eventual fall of the Human Race. Unable to match the strongest of the Demon Race, several human experts had to flee to the outer seas.
This resulted in many cultivators falling or fleeing in haste, leaving behind numerous hidden opportunities in these seemingly peaceful sea areas.
Spirit Island Cave Mansions and Deep Sea Cave Heavens were plentiful, and many loose cultivators had risen by chance from stumbling upon these opportunities.
This led to the saying that the Sea of Ten Thousand Stars was filled with treasures, drawing family cultivators, loose cultivators, and sect disciples alike to try their luck, exploring the deep seas, hoping to find an Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion and gain supreme fortune.
Indeed, with so many opportunities, many loose cultivators encountered the relics of Ancient Cultivators’ Cave Mansions, built their wealth by treasure hunting, and filled their coffers.
Upon hearing about possible opportunities in Ancient Cultivators’ Cave Mansions, both the scholar and the elder’s eyes lit up, thinking it might indeed be possible.
The big man was pleased to see his persuasion to act effective and eagerly said, "No need to dawdle, that lad is at most in the Crystallization Stage. With my skill, I should be enough to hold him off."
"By then, Inquiry Elder, with your Eighth-Layer Crystallization strength, combined with the scholar’s cooperation, it should be possible to take him down."
"And worst-case scenario, if we underestimated his strength, we can just run. Our Divine Speed Lightning Technique isn’t just for show; even Golden Core Cultivators have difficulty catching us."
This Divine Speed Lightning Technique was a cultivation technique they accidentally acquired over sixty years ago at an Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion on a deserted island.
Originally a team of six ventured, but after a series of battles, only the three of them survived to claim the treasures.
In the decades that followed, they all progressed in cultivation thanks to the Cave Mansion’s opportunities, gaining some reputation.
Their motto was: if they could snatch, they would; if not, they would run.
Realizing they needed to act fast before Lu Ping disappeared, the elder and the scholar hesitated repeatedly, but in the end, the elder clenched his hand into a fist.
"Let’s give it a try, but let’s agree: if we sense anything out of place, we withdraw immediately without lingering."
The big man chuckled, "Naturally."
"Alright, I am quite confident in this venture."
The scholar nodded.
The three stopped hesitating, reached a consensus, and decided to intercept Lu Ping to seize the Demon Pill.
