fifth form

Chapter 3235 Delayed Transactions

The performance of the Spiritwood Staff was far more impressive than Zhang Xuezhou had imagined.

Some cultivators who rely on treasures do not dislike using magic in combat, but rather find that the benefits of using treasures far outweigh those of magic.

"It truly deserves to be called a treasure for proving one's path!"

Upon returning from prison, Zhang Xuezhou touched the spirit wood staff and couldn't help but admire it.

He wasn't worried that Lao Tong would go back on his word and come back to assassinate him, after all, Zhang Xuezhou had actually shown his face in front of Lao Tong and proved that he was not the person Lao Tong was looking for.

If it weren't for the need to wait for Hongku, Zhang Xuezhou felt he would most likely have already moved back to the palace for a temporary stay.

As for Kong Ning, who was still in Maoling, Zhang Xuezhou left him to wait. He was very fast, but not everyone could do things that quickly. Solving Kong Ning's problem too quickly would make the other party think that things were simple and easy. It would take longer for Kong Ning to be grateful and reduce the possibility of causing trouble in the future.

"Dongfang Shuo!"

After nurturing the spirit wood staff for three consecutive days, Zhang Xuezhou finally heard a familiar voice calling out.

Hongku appeared beneath the ornamental trees in the courtyard, a strange emotion still lingering on his face.

Zhang Xuezhou opened the window and greeted them. He put down the spiritwood staff and looked at Hongku's hands.

“You’re back slower than I expected,” Zhang Xuezhou said slowly.

“Don’t even mention it. I was placed under house arrest as soon as I got back and couldn’t go out. Daojun came to ask me some questions and then ignored me until these last few days when he finally released me and told me to take the medicinal herbs to Chang’an,” Hong said bitterly.

"So you didn't even have a chance to lie before you were restrained," Zhang Xuezhou said.

“Daojun’s learning is profound and unfathomable, far beyond our reach,” Hongku said cautiously.

"The teacher is usually quite courageous, so why is he acting so timid and hesitant!"

Zhang Xuezhou chuckled.
This is not hard to explain. It's simply that Hongku and the others came under a curse. As for who lives, who dies, and who is affected, Daojun can guess the general idea.

The two sorcerers who infiltrated Tian Fen's residence were most likely there to investigate.

When it comes to life, you can never be too careful.

Zhang Xuezhou and the others feared that Daojun and his group were plotting something, and Daojun and his group were equally suspicious.

Only after the two sorcerers died did the matter have to be handed over to Hongku again.

“The alchemists of Beiju Luzhou must be very busy lately to be able to delay their arrival until now,” Zhang Xuezhou said.

"I'm a bit busy," Hong said with an awkward smile. "You guys didn't even mention beforehand that operating the Nine Dragon Cauldron requires top-level cultivation!"

"Isn't that something we could guess?" Zhang Xuezhou laughed. "If the Nine Dragon Cauldron can be used so easily, wouldn't it be a piece of cake for our Great Han Dynasty to refine elixirs!"

"Nobody expected that after fighting a battle, they would end up with a useless furnace!"

Hongku looked on with a sigh.

The best treasure is not necessarily the most suitable treasure, and this statement is almost perfectly embodied in the Nine Dragon Cauldron.

If one possesses the cultivation level of the True Self Realm, the Nine Dragon Cauldron would be the top-tier alchemy furnace in the world.

If one's cultivation level is insufficient, the Nine Dragon Cauldron is a useless cauldron, and it is extremely difficult to use this alchemy furnace.

Beiju Luzhou has no shortage of True Self Realm cultivators, but no alchemist possesses the cultivation level of the True Self Realm.

Growing older doesn't necessarily mean becoming more versatile; most people don't even have one decent skill in their lifetime, let alone be proficient in everything.

Among those who attained the pinnacle of cultivation but later became monks, Laozi is the only top-tier alchemist who also possesses exceptional alchemy skills.

The Holy Land of Yegehe cannot produce a pill refiner of this level, or rather, it cannot produce a pill refiner capable of refining mid- to high-grade Creation Pills.

Even the Demon King Yangli of the Evil Luosichuan Holy Land can only barely refine low-grade Creation Pills, and the failure rate is not low.

Besides confiscating the rare elixirs treasured by some cultivators in the territory and having people attempt to refine them, the high-ranking officials of Beiju Luzhou ultimately had no choice but to resort to exchanging materials for elixirs. Everyone knew that the Han Dynasty would inevitably benefit from such a transaction, but no one could solve this problem.

Hongku's negotiations only made matters worse, dropping the success rate of pills from around 60% to 30%. Everyone knew that this meant he would lose half of his advantage.

"What are your plans?" Zhang Xuezhou asked with interest. "We're not in a hurry at all right now!"

“You don’t seem to care about the antidote,” Hongku said, quite surprised.

“It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just that my abilities are limited,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “You don’t think I’m the Marquis of Pingyang, that I can just pass through these kinds of transactions and have no decision-making power. Whether I care or not doesn’t determine anything, and besides, you…”

Zhang Xuezhou shrugged, indicating that they were just working people, and that they should speak frankly and talk if they could, and if not, they should hurry back and relay the message.

"I want the goods in stock this time, is that still possible?"

Looking at Zhang Xuezhou, Hong sighed bitterly. He had no choice but to speak frankly and directly.

“I need ready-made pills, and I need them quickly,” Hong Ku said. “If you use pill refining as a way to delay things, it would be better to let the pill masters of Beiju Luzhou practice with the medicinal materials. The more they practice, the better their skills will become!”

"This shouldn't be a big problem!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded.

Not to mention that the new emperor can mobilize pills, even if the new emperor doesn't mobilize the pills in the imperial treasury, Zhang Xuezhou still has the ability to refine pills in batches. Using Tai Sui to refine pills can save too much time in nurturing them.

"How big should it be?" Hongku asked cautiously.

“As long as you can gather all the medicinal materials and give us three days to verify them, we can provide five hundred Creation Pills,” Zhang Xuezhou said. “But I need to emphasize one point: the Marquis of Pingyang’s rapid gathering of pills cannot guarantee the variety of Creation Pills, nor can it ensure that they are of medium to high quality!”

"can!"

Speed, quality, and quantity are all required, which are very demanding conditions for elixirs. Zhang Xuezhou's attitude was very sincere, and the conditions he gave were the best possible outcome in Hongku's estimation.

"Three days from now, you will receive the pills and the medicinal herbs," Hong said bitterly. "If the goods are not as described, you can refuse to accept them, and I also have the right to refuse to accept them!"

"no problem!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded in agreement, and Hong Ku breathed a sigh of relief, bowing to Zhang Xuezhou to acknowledge his gratitude.

"I hope you will remember our past relationship and spare my life. Don't let this turn into a double-cross." Hongku said earnestly, "The Venerables Black Mountain, White Bone, and Weaving Emperor are in poor health, and Venerable Lei is running around aimlessly. There are very few Venerables in the Holy Land who can surpass me. If I can do this well, I may become the number two figure in the Yedi River Holy Land. We can then help each other out!"

"Congratulations! No problem!"

Zhang Xuezhou responded with a smile.

From Dharma Master to Venerable One, and then to Chief Venerable One, Hongku has finally made it through the ranks and will now act on behalf of Daojun in various matters.

Hongku clearly wanted to maximize the benefits of this power.

The availability of elixirs in Beiju Luzhou did not increase due to the arrival of the Nine Dragon Cauldron; on the contrary, it became even more scarce as Daojun and others increased their demand.

After this batch of Creation Pills was traded, it was Hongku's turn to reap the benefits.

Compared to previous conditions, his current power will be enhanced, and the resulting impact will be more pronounced.

This allows him to have more ways to obtain medicinal herbs, easier trading and exchange, and higher profits.

If he could make a profit from continuous reselling, Hongku also wanted to select the best and finest elixirs to repair his body and then seek to break through the limits of his cultivation.

This is not just about increasing strength; further advancement in realm can also extend one's lifespan.

At over ninety years old, if he can reach the Realm of True Self, he may be able to extend his lifespan to one hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty years, just like Black Mountain and Venerable White Bone, thus making up for the decades he lost in the past.

Hongku spoke confidently about his future, to which Zhang Xuezhou responded with a smile.

He knew very well that once the Venerables like Black Mountain and White Bone fell, they would never be able to get back up. Hongku would not give these people a chance to regain their former glory, or Hongku might have discovered that these people were no longer able to recover their former abilities.