Chapter 750

Chapter 750: Spring and Autumn Cicada

Upon hearing Fang Lie’s words, Dong Zhong and Shen Hong Yi felt anxious. Such spirit pills appear only once in a thousand years, and hundreds of suitable Thunder Tribulation Immortals around the world were scrambling for them. Eldest Brother must have relied on many connections to create this opportunity for them. If they missed it, they would likely regret it for a lifetime.

Even though the price was indeed high, it was unique. Compared to the temptation of a Semi-Immortal, ordinary treasures meant little.

Thinking this, Shen Hong Yi gritted her teeth and said, "This item will definitely satisfy you!"

Saying this, she pulled out a fist-sized bright pearl and handed it to Fang Lie.

Seeing this, An Daoren and the others all showed expressions of regret, clearly knowing the origin of the item.

Fang Lie took a look and realized it seemed to be an Inner Core from a demon beast. However, he couldn’t identify exactly what it was and had to contact the old bird again: "Bird Bro, what’s this?"

"Good stuff!" the old bird exclaimed excitedly. "This is the Inner Core of a Shen Dragon. Just look at its grade; it’s twelfth-rank, a super demon at the Earth-Immortal level, worth a fortune! You must acquire it immediately; it definitely comes from the Land of Star Fragments."

Upon hearing this, Fang Lie wouldn’t let such a chance slip away. He quickly said, "Deal!"

With that, he generously tossed a Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill to Shen Hong Yi.

Shen Hong Yi looked at it and saw it was still a top-grade spirit pill with pill patterns. She immediately smiled and said, "Master is amazing; he even refined so many supreme spirit pills. Truly a bargain for Eldest Brother!"

After saying that, she returned the spirit pill to An Daoren. An Daoren, enraged, shouted, "Bargain for whom? You little brat! This was clearly your thieving of my top-grade spirit pill!"

"Hehehe~" Shen Hong Yi chuckled and turned to Dong Zhong.

Dong Zhong scratched his bald head helplessly and said, "I really don’t have anything suitable. The only valuable thing I have is this item, but if I give it to you, I’ll be at a loss!"

While speaking, he took out a small bronze talisman and handed it to Fang Lie for inspection.

As soon as Fang Lie got it in hand, his eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but exclaim, "It’s actually an Immortal Artifact and incredibly intact! Although it lacks Immortal Energy and can only exhibit the power of a Ninth-Rank treasure, it can still be considered a treasured item, certainly more valuable than an ordinary Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill!"

At that moment, the old bird shouted in delight, "Buy it at any cost! This is the Immortal Artifact Spring and Autumn Cicada, which possesses the great power to control time. Even if it can only display the Ninth-Rank’s capabilities, it allows Semi-Immortals to experience a moment equivalent to a thousand years!"

"A moment for a thousand years?" Fang Lie asked in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"It means that when hit by the colorful light shot from the Spring and Autumn Cicada, one will instantly pass through a thousand years, wasting their lifespan. Even for Semi-Immortals, their lifespan is just three to five thousand years, so they definitely can’t withstand many such impacts," the old bird said excitedly. "For those stubborn old men on the brink of death, this is a killing weapon; without a thousand years of lifespan to sustain them, they will definitely die on the spot!"

Fang Lie, hearing this, first thought of his agreement with the Zhu Xian Grand Leader. If he surprised that old man with this item in a few decades when they faced off, given the poor lifespan of that old fellow, he would probably be dealt a fatal blow right then and there!

Moreover, treasures that control time do not exist in the mortal world, or even in the average Earth-Immortal realm. Only in the true Immortal Realm can they be found, and their grade is astonishing.

Such a treasure is certainly not something that can be measured by ordinary Ninth-Rank treasures. The people in front of him simply do not recognize its value, thinking it’s equivalent to a regular Ninth-Rank treasure.

Thinking of this, Fang Lie could no longer hold back. He immediately grinned and said, "I truly like this item. How about this? In addition to giving you a Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill, I’ll also help you acquire a Buddhist Light Wisdom Sword Pill that can slay heart demons."

"A Buddhist Light Wisdom Sword Pill to slay heart demons? How would you have such a thing? Are you a monk?" Dong Zhong exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

He knew that his most pressing issue was to advance to a Semi-Immortal. The Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill could only allow his Dao career accumulation to reach the requirement, but he still needed to overcome the Four Nine Heavenly Tribulations to truly ascend.

Among these, the first three Nine Heavenly Tribulations—wind, fire, and thunder—were much more challenging than the previous ones, but due to the experience gained, they usually do not pose a significant threat to anyone.

However, the toughest of the Four Nine Heavenly Tribulations is the Heart Demon Trial, which not only has never occurred before, but also comes unexpectedly, silently, and invisibly, appearing precisely when your defenses are down.

It won’t just disturb your thoughts; the crucial part is its interference during your tribulation. You must fend off the heart demons while also enduring the terrifying wind, fire, and thunder calamities. It is indeed a terrifying test; most Thunder Tribulation Immortals suffer disastrous ends at this stage due to the Heart Demon Trial.

Moreover, heart demons are not easy to deal with. Suppression-type treasures and talismans are ineffective against them, as their grade is too high and they have a relentless bond with the tribulation cultivators. Thus, the only way to avoid their harassment is to deal with them directly!

But, striking down such powerful heart demons unexpectedly is no easy task. Only major sects possess some special methods, while scattered cultivator forces like the Star Loss City lack the foundation to eliminate heart demons.

However, Fang Lie promising him a spirit pill for overcoming the tribulation certainly thrilled Dong Zhong.

If the Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill gives him a forty percent chance of advancing to a Semi-Immortal, then with the prized spirit pill to slay heart demons, his chances would increase to over seventy percent, making it almost certain.

Faced with such temptation, Dong Zhong could hardly remain calm.

Fang Lie smiled slightly and said, "I’m not a monk, but an alchemist. Rest assured, as long as you agree, I’ll refine it for you!"

The Buddhist Light Wisdom Sword Pill is a Ninth-Rank high-grade spirit pill. Its other auxiliary materials are not difficult to obtain, but one key ingredient is exceedingly rare: the Śāriputra relic from a greatly respected high monk, whose cultivation must at least reach the Thunder Tribulation stage.

Such high monks are always esteemed within the Buddhist community. Even after they pass away, their relics are given grand burials; no one would use them for alchemy.

But Fang Lie is different. With the Kṣitigarbha Vow Sword in his possession, he attracted many high monks over the years. Some high monks could not sustain their lifespans and were forced to dematerialize early.

According to their agreement with Fang Lie, their relics after death belong to him, allowing him to obtain several relics, one of which meets the requirement.

This spirit pill differs from others; one relic can only be used to refine one spirit pill. Moreover, most auxiliary spirit herbs must be over ten thousand years old, making its value truly astonishing.

Of course, even so, it would at most be worth the price of an Eighth-Rank middle-grade or a top-grade artifact, and even combined with the Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill, it would still be far less valuable than a Ninth-Rank treasure.

Yet, who cares about that when Dong Zhong needs this item so desperately? Additionally, the Spring and Autumn Cicada was in a dormant state, rendering it useless, akin to being a scrap.

On one side is a useless item, while on the other is a shortcut to ascending as a Semi-Immortal. In this situation, even knowing he might suffer a loss, Dong Zhong could only smile wryly and say, "Alright, I agree to trade it for your Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill and the Buddhist Light Wisdom Sword Pill!"

"Excellent!" Fang Lie quickly handed him a jade box, saying, "Take this Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill as a deposit. In half a year, I’ll give you the Buddhist Light Wisdom Sword Pill; how does that sound?"

"Good!" Dong Zhong readily nodded in agreement. After all, being on his turf, he wasn’t worried about Fang Lie running away. He might as well curry favor with Fang Lie to build a rapport.

Fang Lie grinned as he stowed the Spring and Autumn Cicada away. Though he still couldn’t use it, if he handed it over to the old bird, with its capabilities, it could probably awaken it early. Then, he would finally have a Ninth-Rank treasure at his disposal.

After completing all the transactions, everyone was satisfied, and it was truly a happy ending. An Daoren knew he shouldn’t disturb Fang Lie further and took his younger brothers and sisters to say their goodbyes.

After seeing them off, Fang Lie turned to Madam Hu and said, "I still have one final Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill. I heard you are having a grand auction soon. May I join in?"

"Ha ha! Master, you are too humble. We certainly welcome treasures for our auction. It would be our honor if you chose to give it to us!" Madam Hu replied with a smile, "However, the auction will take place next year. We will send out lists to various forces in advance; countless experts participate each time. We assure you it won’t disappoint!"

"That’s good!" Fang Lie said, "Call the auction house people to collect the item!"

"Understood!" Madam Hu promptly agreed and then sent out a Flying Sword to deliver a message.

Before long, a shrewd elder appeared before Fang Lie. He was a Thunder Tribulation Immortal in the mid-stage, specifically responsible for the city’s auction held every three years.

Upon seeing Fang Lie, he immediately smiled and said, "I am Huang Pu Qiang. It is a pleasure to meet this esteemed guest. I heard you have business to attend to with the minor items?"

Fang Lie, uninterested in idle chatter, simply tossed a jade box at him.

Huang Pu Qiang hurriedly caught it and opened it, then gasped in shock, unable to contain his amazement: "A Ninth-Rank Enlightenment Pill? A top-grade one with pill patterns? Are you sure you want to sell such a treasure?"

"Of course, the item is right in your hands, isn’t it?" Fang Lie replied, displeased.

"Ah, I misspoke!" Huang Pu Qiang quickly apologized, grinning. "This item is worth more than our prepared medium Immortal Crystals, it is a true precious treasure! We are willing to take it off your hands; just a symbolic one hundred thousand small spirit pearls will do!"