Translator: Cinder Translations
Zhu Yin sent a message back to Song Wen.
"I searched through the sect's library, but there isn't much recorded about the Illusory Spirit Valley."
Then, Zhu Yin roughly explained the information she had gathered.
The Illusory Spirit Valley is a secret realm entirely controlled by the Liangyi Sect, with the exact location and opening time unknown.
The only useful piece of information Zhu Yin received was that only cultivators at the Golden Core stage or below could enter the Illusory Spirit Valley, and the number of people allowed to enter was limited.
Thus, in order to obtain more treasures from the Illusory Spirit Valley, the Liangyi Sect only permits Golden Core cultivators to enter each time it opens.
"The information is too scarce. Can you find more?" Song Wen asked.
Zhu Yin replied, then continued.
"Are you planning to enter the Illusory Spirit Valley? According to the records, the Liangyi Sect has never allowed outsiders to enter."
Song Wen responded, "It's not necessary to enter the Illusory Spirit Valley to obtain the Purple Star Ginseng. We can try to find a way to get information from those who enter the secret realm. It's always good to gather more details about it."
After finishing the communication with Zhu Yin, Song Wen bought a batch of beast souls and the necessary auxiliary spiritual herbs for cultivating the Undying True Corpse Transformation from the market, then returned to Ji Yin Island.
Song Wen didn't immediately begin to cultivate Undying True Corpse Transformation, but instead started studying the technique.
At the same time, he devoured beast souls to further solidify the foundation of his spiritual power.
Time slowly passed as he continued cultivating, and soon, a month had gone by.
Jing Kai suddenly appeared on Ji Yin Island.
He was spotted by the Shadow Gu responsible for monitoring the surroundings of the island, even when he was still several dozen miles away.
Song Wen had already arrived at the pavilion at the top of the island and sent a voice transmission to Jing Kai, asking him to meet at the pavilion.
"Junior greets Senior." Jing Kai said respectfully when he arrived at the pavilion.
"Jing Kai, no need for formalities. Please, sit down."
Song Wen appeared kindly, acting as a senior, and poured a cup of spiritual tea for Jing Kai.
Grateful for Song Wen's courteous treatment, Jing Kai sat down and expressed his thanks.
After Jing Kai finished the tea, Song Wen poured another cup and asked him.
"Jing Kai, you came specifically—has there been any progress regarding the Spirit Candle Fruit?"
"Indeed. I discovered that Han Wu purchased a set of third-grade concealment formations. I suspect that the Spirit Candle Fruit is about to ripen, and Han Wu is preparing to cover up the unusual spiritual fluctuations that will occur when it ripens." Jing Kai explained.
"Did you find out what the conditions are for Han Wu to trade the Spirit Candle Fruit?" Song Wen asked.
"I've invited Han Wu to several banquets to build a closer relationship with him. While I have gained some trust, he remains tight-lipped about the Spirit Candle Fruit. Despite several indirect attempts, he hasn't revealed anything about its existence. I didn't dare press him further for fear of ruining the progress." Jing Kai responded.
Song Wen thought for a moment after hearing this.
"Next time you meet him, be direct. Ask him about purchasing the Spirit Candle Fruit."
Jing Kai hesitated, "I'm worried this will alert him."
Song Wen replied, "Han Wu is only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the Spirit Candle Fruit is a fourth-grade spiritual herb. It would be useless to him, so he will certainly trade it for cultivation resources."
Jing Kai nodded, then said, "I have a suspicion, but I'm unsure if I should mention it."
"I suspect that Han Wu has already found a buyer. He's just waiting for the Spirit Candle Fruit to ripen before trading it."
Song Wen's brow furrowed slightly. "Are you sure?"
Jing Kai shook his head. "This is just my guess."
Song Wen pondered for a moment before responding, "There is some possibility to it."
"If Han Wu has already found a buyer, how should we proceed?" Jing Kai asked.
Song Wen thought briefly and said, "For now, don't let Han Wu know that we are aware he has the Spirit Candle Fruit. I'm worried it might alert him and his buyer."
After a short pause, Song Wen continued, "When you return, continue to get closer to Han Wu and try to gather more information. Even if you don't get valuable intel, keep a close watch on him. We cannot let him sell the Spirit Candle Fruit without us knowing."
Jing Kai nodded. "Understood."
After sending Jing Kai off, Song Wen went to Wu Ji Island to check on the Flame Soil Spirit Field.
Since the Spirit Candle Fruit was about to ripen, he couldn't place all his hopes on Jing Kai. He decided to monitor Han Wu's movements personally.
The volcano in the Flame Soil Spirit Field wasn't more than a hundred feet high.
The volcano and the surrounding twenty-mile radius were part of the spiritual field, protected by formations. Without a pass, no one could enter.
Based on the information provided by Jing Kai, Han Wu had no spouse or descendants, only a distant master.
He was essentially a solitary person.
Han Wu often resided in a cave within the spiritual garden, rarely leaving except when necessary.
Aside from cultivation and planting spiritual herbs, Han Wu had no other hobbies.
Song Wen couldn't find any weaknesses in Han Wu that could be exploited.
Therefore, Song Wen could only wait for an opportunity.
Since Song Wen himself couldn't enter the spiritual garden, he released two Shadow Gu to hide near the low hill in front of the garden's entrance to monitor Han Wu.
To avoid drawing the attention of high-level cultivators on Wu Ji Island, Song Wen didn't stay close to the spiritual field. Instead, he disguised himself as a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator and rented a cheap hut on the edge of Shadow City.
To Song Wen's surprise, the next day, the Shadow Gu reported that Han Wu had left the spiritual garden and was heading toward Shadow City.
Song Wen followed and found that Han Wu was meeting with Jing Kai.
During the meeting, Han Wu only spoke with Jing Kai and didn't interact with anyone else.
After the two parted ways, Song Wen contacted Jing Kai.
This meeting didn't yield any useful information, but there was good news from Zhu Yin.
She somehow learned that the Illusory Spirit Valley secret realm would open in nine months.
"Fellow Daoist, the secret realm will open soon. When will we go to the Liangyi Sect?" Zhu Yin asked.
"I have some urgent matters to attend to and can't leave at the moment. Why don't you go ahead and investigate first?" Song Wen replied.
"What's more important than the Purple Star Ginseng?" Zhu Yin's tone contained a hint of dissatisfaction.
The Purple Star Ginseng was crucial for both of their advancement to the Nascent Soul stage, and missing this opportunity would mean waiting another sixty years for the next opening of the secret realm.
"It'll take at least three months, at most half a year. I will definitely head to the Liangyi Sect by then."
The rarity of the Purple Star Ginseng far exceeded that of the Spirit Candle Fruit.
Both Zhu Yin and Ji Qing had obtained the Spirit Candle Fruit, but after searching for years, Zhu Yin had yet to find any information about the Purple Star Ginseng.
This illustrated the rarity of the Purple Star Ginseng.
If the Spirit Candle Fruit hadn't ripened by half a year from now, Song Wen would have to head to the Liangyi Sect first.
"I need some time to prepare for this journey. After three months, I will set off for the Liangyi Sect. By then, I hope your matters will be settled." Zhu Yin sent a message.
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