Chapter 1060: A Thousand Jade Lotuses!
A Thousand Jade Lotuses! . . .
What sort of power? What kind of formidable individuals?
Cha Eun-Xiao felt an overwhelming sense of dread just contemplating these questions. The very idea filled him with terror.
In an attempt to shift the conversation away from these disconcerting thoughts, Xuan Bing affected an air of impatience. "Little Brother Cha, what's the matter with you? Why do you seem so bewildered? I've heard that Han Bingxue accompanied you to the fourth layer, where valuable materials were said to be abundant. After such an extended period of time, I can only assume that you've come across a considerable fortune. I'm curious, how many lotuses did you manage to procure?"
Her intention was to divert the dialogue towards a less unsettling topic.
"Uh… Regeneration Ink Lotus..." Cha Eun-Xiao responded, concealing the deeper truths of his experiences. It was essential to remember that Xuan Bing was not merely a fellow traveler with him and Han Bingxue; she held the prestigious position of Prime Great Elder in Misty Cloud Palace. The lotuses, particularly Regeneration Ink Lotus, were highly coveted by the palace.
"Regrettably, I wasn't able to acquire any Regeneration Ink Lotus," he lied calmly.
"What?" Xuan Bing's eyes widened in disbelief. She initiated the conversation with no intention of discussing lotuses. However, she could scarcely fathom that Cha Eun-Xiao had left the fourth layer empty-handed, despite the lengthy duration of his stay.
Cha Eun-Xiao continued to elaborate, feigning an air of nonchalance. "I genuinely couldn't obtain any Regeneration Ink Lotus. However, I did come across numerous Regeneration Jade Lotus."
Xuan Bing was taken aback at this revelation and fought to suppress her rising exasperation. A strong urge to admonish him surged within her.
"Regeneration Jade Lotus? A substantial quantity, I presume?" she inquired, her gaze squinting, as she snorted dismissively. "Over ten, perhaps a dozen?"
In her estimation, even if Cha Eun-Xiao had managed to secure dozens of lotuses, it would still not amount to an impressive haul. After all, there was a scarcity of Regeneration Ink Lotus in the Qing-Yun Realm.
Xuan Bing had diligently scoured the realm in search of these lotuses, acquiring only a few dozen in her efforts. Although Han Bingxue had lauded the fourth layer, he had never retrieved any valuable items from it. Therefore, she surmised that Cha Eun-Xiao might have secured some worthwhile items, but his tally would likely not surpass her own lifetime collection.
"Dozens?" Cha Eun-Xiao furrowed his brow in apparent disappointment. "A few dozen certainly don't constitute a substantial quantity."
"More?" Xuan Bing inquired, maintaining an open expression. "Over a hundred perhaps?" She appeared quite satisfied with the notion. If Cha Eun-Xiao had indeed procured over a hundred Regeneration Jade Lotus, it could provide an invaluable solution for Misty Cloud Palace.
The pressing issue facing Misty Cloud Palace revolved around the requirement for these lotuses. The palace had recently encountered a critical setback, as its lotus garden was devastated, imperiling the cultivation progress of the disciples who practiced the Ling Xiao Ice Art. Without access to Regeneration Ink Lotus, these disciples neared death with each passing day.
While Wenren Chuchu necessitated only Regeneration Ink Lotus to alleviate her affliction, Bing Xinyue demanded Regeneration Jade Lotus, and elders like Xuan Bing relied on Renascence Jade Lotus.
Regeneration Ink Lotus was notoriously difficult to cultivate and possessed limited medical value. Consequently, the item was often undervalued in the Qing-Yun Realm. However, Misty Cloud Palace was deliberate in its efforts to acquire all three lotus varieties, even dispatching individuals to the lower realms to seek these precious resources. After several years of toil, the palace had managed to collect over a thousand Regeneration Ink Lotus. In contrast, Regeneration Jade Lotus remained a scarce commodity, with fewer than fifty specimens obtained, mostly thanks to Xuan Bing's fortuitous discovery in the third layer of the Mountain of All Medicines.
Hence, she anticipated that securing dozens of Regeneration Jade Lotus would constitute a stroke of great fortune. Yet Cha Eun-Xiao's revelation suggested the potential for a much larger quantity, capable of saving numerous lives among Misty Cloud Palace's senior members.
In the case of disciples like Wenren Chuchu, a single Regeneration Ink Lotus plant was required to meet their needs. However, the Regeneration Jade Lotus far outstripped its counterpart in terms of efficiency, with only a few plants necessary to provide for multiple elders.
Cha Eun-Xiao's announcement greatly delighted Xuan Bing.
"Over a hundred," Cha Eun-Xiao responded, shaking his head.
Xuan Bing, her teeth gritted, inquired further, "Hundreds?"
With a wry grin and a decidedly disheveled appearance, Cha Eun-Xiao provided an even more astonishing reply. "More."
Xuan Bing came perilously close to losing consciousness.
"Why is he toying with me like this? What does he hope to achieve?" she wondered. "Does he believe that by doing so, he can exert control over me?"
Moreover, Xuan Bing harbored deep skepticism regarding Cha Eun-Xiao's claims. She found it hard to believe that there were over a thousand Regeneration Jade Lotus in the fourth layer of the Mountain of All Medicines. Even if such a quantity existed, it was unthinkable that Cha Eun-Xiao, with his limited strength, could locate and collect them all in just a month and a half, or even in many years.
"It's impossible!" she concluded.
However, the actual facts diverged significantly from her assumptions. Cha Eun-Xiao indeed possessed a staggering quantity of Regeneration Jade Lotus, having intentionally cultivated numerous high-quality plants in his own special space. During his three-day stay in the fourth layer of the Mountain of All Medicines, he had located and secured an abundant amount of Regeneration Ink Lotus. Acquiring one thousand such plants presented no difficulties for him, given that he could manifest them with minimal effort.
Sensing Xuan Bing's increasing anger and realizing the implications of withholding the truth, Cha Eun-Xiao decided to end the charade.
"Let's be straightforward. I have more than a thousand. I didn't count precisely. Approximately a thousand," he admitted.
This decision reflected his recognition of the importance of Regeneration Jade Lotus to Misty Cloud Palace. Nevertheless, he assumed that the demand for these lotuses was minimal among the palace's members.
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