Beichen Sword Sect's Headmaster's Secret Records

Chapter 385 The Great Treasure of Trading
To be fair, this monster is not weak.

Although it was clearly not very bright, it was completely different from those demons and beasts that could only scream and howl as they rushed towards the blade. This palace demon had amazing combat talent. It was probably because it had been suppressed by the sword sheath for many years. It was particularly sensitive to the killing intent of the sword energy. It already knew how to advance and retreat and how to maneuver. It was as if it had suddenly become enlightened and had great potential.

Furthermore, the demons' natural talent and physical abilities far surpass those of ordinary people, and their movements are as fast as lightning. Relying solely on instinct, they can easily dodge Huangfu Yi's entire set of sword moves and sword energy!
So Huangfu Yi still thought that his Flaming Wind Blazing Fire Sword technique was flawless, with waves of Qi and sword cries like rain. But his opponent could always find the flaws in his moves. As if walking on walls and traversing the ground, he used strange movements, sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, dodging the slightest gaps.

So much so that after the combo was completed, even though two sword lights echoed each other from afar, they couldn't hit it. Instead, Huangfu Yi himself was hit twice, which was a slap in the face to those who called him trash... cough cough, of course it's definitely not that the Blazing Fire Sword is trash, it's that his own skills haven't been mastered yet...

In short, this cunning and difficult-to-control creature is further afflicted by its venomous scales and claws. If it cannot be subdued quickly enough and the situation is prolonged, the poison will surely take effect upon contact or even a breath, resulting in immediate death. Furthermore, if it cannot be subdued this time and this demon is allowed to roam freely, gain intelligence, take human form, and acquire magical powers, it may indeed wreak havoc on the region.

Unfortunately for it, it encountered Huangfu Yi! Damn it, the Five Immortals Sword Scripture was activated! It became immune to poison! With a single slash, it unleashed four sword shadows!
Excellent! Since a qualitative leap in technique is impossible in an instant, then let's win with quantity! Just now, one staff created two shadows! Now, one sword unleashes four energies! One strike and limbs will be shattered, and your life will be taken!
Moreover, it wasn't just the addition of two more poisonous sword energies! With the blessing of the Five Immortals Sword Scripture, Huangfu Yi's own power and sword strength also increased by at least 20%! His sword speed increased dramatically! Incomparably swift!

Therefore, although it was still the same Flaming Wind Blazing Sword set, its momentum and power this time were completely different! The iron rod was swung around, flashing with golden light, the blades clashing, and the flames swirling! The sword light swung, and the sword energy slammed to the ground! Blazing fire spread across the plains!
Suddenly, surging waves of energy and howling sword winds attacked from all directions! They engulfed the palace-guarding demon in a violent storm!

This is it: Purple clouds pierce the sky, winds and clouds change; Crimson flames spread, burning heaven and earth! Divine energy forges the sword, Yangming flashes; Jade light pierces the sky, slaying demons and evil!
Go ahead and hide! Let's see where the hell you can hide now!
"Shh!"

"Come on!"

With a single, whirling sword strike, the palace demon was caught off guard and slashed four times in quick succession, shattering into eight pieces that fell to the ground like a dead fish, its flesh torn apart.

Well, that's it. No matter if you're a demon who has cultivated for thousands of years or a demon god who has eaten countless people.

One sword can kill them all.

So Huangfu Yi skillfully disemboweled the demon, peeled off its skin and bones, dug out the demon core and gnawed on it. He then discovered that this palace-guarding demon was a poisonous core of the Returning Dust attribute, which could be used to refine a mouthful of Returning Dust Immortal Qi for the Five Immortal Sword Scripture. So he naturally began to cultivate it.

Of course, Huangfu Yi would never leave the Five Immortals Sword Manual unpracticed.

Although the system might say that this is no good and that is no good, and that's all there is to it, in a place like Taiji Heaven where everyone is trash, the occasional useless person can dominate the world. This is already a legitimate path to immortality, okay?
However, there is indeed some conflict between "The Five Immortals Sword Manual" and "The Mysterious Maiden's Refinement of Form".

After all, Qigong can be simply categorized into two parts: 'exhaling' and 'inhaling'.

Techniques like the Yao Guang Sword Art, sword control, fiery winds and flames, and even the Gang Fist, are all considered techniques for 'exhaling' Qi. This type of Qi is specifically used for killing enemies; no matter how much it is refined and honed, it ultimately aims to penetrate the opponent's body. Therefore, the sharper and more ferocious the Qi, the stronger its destructive power, the better. However, if you are cultivating your body for longevity and immortality, this kind of 'fierce Qi' is of little use.

The Five Immortals Sword Scripture and the Mysterious Maiden's Body Refinement are actually cultivation methods that integrate Qi into the body, directly pointing to the evolution of the supreme Dao. They are not about releasing Qi to harm others, but about refining and polishing the true Qi of heaven and earth, collecting it to shape the body for one's own use, and comprehensively improving physical qualities.

Although in the early stages of the Five Immortals Sword Manual, one can still refine the poisonous energy and use it as a poison sword to increase damage, in the middle stages of cultivation, the poisonous energy of the Five Immortals must eventually be refined into a fine thread, just like the sword energy of the Sword Control Technique, and then refined into one with poisonous creatures and demonic beasts to form five natal Gu clones.

Then, using the five Gu clones, one can cultivate one's natal immortal Qi, constantly breathing in and out true breath to nourish oneself. In this way, one cultivates both humans and Gu simultaneously, as if having five Daoist companions who can replenish one's energy at any time, cultivating together and complementing each other to form a small circulation. Naturally, the speed of cultivation will increase exponentially.

However, the Five Immortals Sword Scripture requires at least five kinds of poison to be successfully mastered. Huangfu Yi has only consumed three kinds of poisons—scorpion, snake, and gecko—and has barely managed to refine three breaths of poisonous energy. Moreover, he has not yet found a proper natal immortal Gu. Therefore, his cultivation progress has been temporarily surpassed by the Xuan Nu Refining Form Technique, which was directly refined through the infusion of immortal marrow.

But demons and poisonous creatures are easy to find; in fact, they're rampant in this chaotic world, roaming the Dao everywhere. Cultivating with them would be incredibly fast. However, if one waits for the immortal marrow crystal in one's brain to fully digest, where will one find that pure, immutable, and supremely clear innate true energy?
In short, if you're not very good at it, don't be picky. Just practice whatever you have first, and then switch to something better later.

So when Huangfu Yi used an iron rod as a barbecue skewer to eat all the gecko's poisonous glands and internal organs, and then refined them with the Five Immortals Sword Manual, his overall combat strength temporarily increased. Once he unleashed his power, each finger of his sword energy could carry three streams of poisonous breath. Now, not only could he cut down small fry with a single sword strike, but he could also entangle even powerful opponents.

However, after Huangfuyi digested the poisonous Qi, he quickly switched back to the Mysterious Maiden Technique.

Firstly, there is no perfect solution in this world. Although the cultivation methods are from the same source and do not conflict, Huangfu Yi's Gangquan, honed over many years, has become muscle memory, allowing him to control it at will. However, he is not yet very proficient in the art of Qi manipulation. Therefore, he can only use one internal cultivation method at a time, naturally prioritizing the Xuan Nu Refining Form, which has stronger defensive capabilities.

If the spell were to be cast in the heat of battle, and the Five Immortals Sword Scripture were used instead, the Mystic Maiden's Body Refinement would temporarily dissipate, which would be an extremely fatal flaw. However, this time the guardian was a naive creature, inexperienced and naive; it probably only thought Huangfu Yi was dying from poisoning, and didn't even try to interrupt his casting…

Secondly, even if the Five Immortals Sword Manual is excellent, it hasn't been fully mastered yet. Although the poisonous energy can be released, there might not be enough time to retract it. At that point, various strange poisons would mix together, rendering medicine ineffective, and a large number of plants and flowers could easily be killed. Dealing with demons might be fine, but using it against people, especially in public, would be an unnecessary act of killing, which is truly unbearable. Therefore, it's best to restrain oneself...

"Cough cough."

Suddenly a voice rang out from in front of me, and when I looked up, a figure appeared in front of me without my noticing!
Even Huangfu Yi was momentarily terrified, leaping to his feet! With a thrust of his iron rod, it shot through the air, piercing right through the person in front of him!
However, the person in front of him remained unmoved and simply shrugged.

"What, did I scare you? But I've already coughed."

Huangfu Yi looked closely and saw a fair-skinned, round-faced, plump old man sitting before him. He wore a black Taoist robe embroidered with the sixty-four hexagrams and the Zhou Tian star map, and a dark gourd hung at his waist. His face seemed kind enough. However, he looked to be in his sixties or seventies, and his hair was disheveled, tied into a bun-like bun with a wooden hairpin. Dressed like a Taoist boy, he looked somewhat comical and slovenly.

Looking at the iron rod in his hand, which had been thrust straight into the other's heart, he found nothing there, as if it had fallen into nothingness. Huangfu Yi realized that the person before him was merely a projection of a primordial spirit. Only a powerful being at least at the True Person Realm could possess such a ability to traverse the heavens and earth with their primordial spirit. He quickly withdrew his rod, clasped his hands in a salute, and paid his respects.
"This junior, Bai Yi, was rude for a moment. Please forgive me, senior."

The fat old man didn't bother with pleasantries and waved his hand dismissively.

"Please state the last two digits of your license plate number."

"The last four digits? Uh, is it Xi'an Fourth?"

"Who asked for your code name? I was looking at the order details in your system... Huh? What did you say? Xi'an Fourth Ring Road?"

The old fat man's expression suddenly hardened, his eyes widened, and he pinched his fingers together. He looked up at the moon, then turned to scrutinize Huangfu Yi, and tentatively asked...
"...You still say your surname is Bai?"

Huangfu Yi was taken aback, realizing he had probably made a foolish mistake again and revealed something he shouldn't have. He subconsciously shook his head.

"No, no, I didn't say my surname is Bai."

The fat old man stared at him, wide-eyed, then suddenly broke into a smile.
"That's right."

Then, right before Huangfu Yi's eyes, the old man suddenly turned from white hair to black, and his chubby old face transformed into a chubby little face. In the blink of an eye, he went from an old fat Taoist boy to a little fat Taoist boy.

Huangfu Yi was also taken aback by this move and couldn't help but sigh.

"Rejuvenation, truly divine intervention..."

"Hehe, there's no such thing as rejuvenation; it's just a smokescreen."

Human beings possess 86 billion consciousnesses, each of which generates countless thoughts. By pressing the right point and plucking the appropriate string, one can obtain the correct solution.

My little tricks are nothing to brag about.

The chubby boy shook his head and swayed his body, looking utterly adorable, and bowed deeply.
“I am Zheng Jian, a cultivator at the Star-Picking Temple in the Outer Heavens. I have come here by order of the professional appraisal system to trade for a great treasure with you, elder brother.”

Upon hearing the other party introduce themselves and even call out the system's real name, Huangfu Yi realized they must be one of his own. He quickly put away his staff, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "I am... Huangfu Yi, greetings, senior."

Zheng Jian's expression changed, and he quickly stood up, waving his hands repeatedly in a simple and approachable manner.
"No, no, Brother Huangfu, there's no need for that. I'm just a lowly cultivator, I don't deserve such a grand gesture. Just call me Xiao Zheng."

"Uh, ah, this... Brother Zheng, you're too modest..."

Huangfu Yi was also puzzled as to why this powerful figure was suddenly so humble and familiar, without putting on airs at all. He knew that if this person were from the Central Plains, it would be considered kind of them not to rush up and attack him...

"It's alright, it's alright. Brother Huangfu was just fighting demons and protecting the righteous path, so it's understandable that he was on guard for a moment. But time is limited, so let's not stand on ceremony, shall we?"

"Well, good, Brother Zheng, please take a look. This thing was born in the most yin place, and is full of pure yang energy. It is called Ziyang..."

To his surprise, Zheng Jian interrupted him with a smile.

"It's alright, it's alright, it doesn't matter what kind of product it is, I naturally trust Brother Huangfu's products! No need to look, I'll take this deal!"
It is truly an honor to meet you today, my elder brother. You are indeed radiant with youthful vigor and commanding presence—a true hero! We hit it off immediately; wouldn't it be a shame not to share a drink?

"have a drink?"

Then, Zheng Jian flipped his wrist and beckoned, and the skullcap, the leftover part of the gecko's skull, tumbled and spun before landing in his palm. He then swung the gourd at his waist, pouring out a thick, black liquid, like ink, that emitted a strong herbal smell, filling a bowlful inside the skullcap.

Is it medicinal wine...?

"Big brother, big brother, come and look at the moon!"

Zheng Jian handed over the skull, stood arm in arm with Huangfu Yi, picked up the gourd and clinked it against the skull, then made a toasting gesture towards the moon, and even gave a peace sign...

Huangfu Yi was momentarily stunned and bewildered, but before he could ask, Zheng Jian had already raised the gourd and started drinking heavily.

"Brother! Please! I'll drink first as a sign of respect! Cheers!"

Since arriving in the Central Plains, Huangfu Yi has been constantly plotted against and made things difficult for. Given his behavior, it would be a lie to say that he had no suspicions whatsoever.

But then I thought, this Brother Zheng isn't a local either. He's from Tianwaitian, so isn't he just like me, an outsider?

Moreover, this person is so generous and magnanimous in dealing with others, and seems so honest and simple, which inexplicably makes one feel a lot of natural goodwill towards him.

These past few days, slaying demons and monsters, eating raw meat and drinking blood, have left him parched and craving a sip of wine. So he picked up a skull.
"Alright, thank you for your hospitality, Brother Zheng! Cheers!"

Huangfu Yi tilted his head back and took a sip of the medicinal wine...

"Cough cough! W-why is it sweet!?"

Zheng Jian was embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, brother, I thought the alcohol was too spicy, so I added some caramel to thicken it."

Huangfu Yi, "..."

Huangfu Yi was speechless. He usually drank strong liquor in Jiuquan Village, but he never expected to be ambushed with sweet water.

However, since they had kindly invited you to drink, and you had already said you'd drink it all, it wouldn't look good to throw it up. So you had no choice but to grit your teeth and swallow the whole bowl of strange-tasting sweet wine.

"Brother, you certainly have a good capacity for alcohol!"

Zheng Jian gave a thumbs up, and then suggested,
"Let's sit down and talk."

Before he finished speaking, Huangfu Yi collapsed to the ground, as if he were dead, his eyes unable to move. It was as if what he had swallowed was not wine, but a deadly poison that had poured into his veins and meridians, like a raging fire burning his heart, lava gnawing at his bones, penetrating his marrow, and burning his skin until it bleeds and ruptures.

"Brother, don't worry. This medicinal wine is specially made to unlock the gene lock, to cleanse the tendons and marrow, and to stimulate potential."

"You're so strong, you can definitely handle it. Time is limited, let's get back to the main topic."

Zheng Jian, still smiling憨厚ly, reached into his sleeve, then opened his hand and showed Huangfu Yi what was in his palm.

It appears to be three seeds...

"Consider that drink my tribute to you, brother. These three seeds are for your Da Bao, but the system rules dictate that you can only choose one."

Zheng Jian picked up a blue one.
"This is the Divine Firmament Lotus. It needs to be soaked in dragon blood to grow. The flower has thirty-six petals and produces twelve lotus seeds. Each seed can summon the Divine Firmament Lotus to strike the top of the head, cleanse the body with heavenly lightning, break through the realm, temper the body and advance the level. It is equivalent to undergoing a tribulation of lightning. Of course, it can also be thrown directly to hit people."

Then there was a jade-colored one.

"This is the Mysterious Maiden Lotus. It needs to be watered with the marrow of immortals. The longer it is nurtured, the more it grows. At its peak, it can bloom with seventy-five petals and produce eighty-one lotus seeds. Each seed can grant one knowledge of the past, vision of the future, telepathic understanding, and the ability to overcome tribulations and seek refuge once."

In the end, he was a purple one.
"This is the Vacuum Lotus, which must be planted with a demonic embryo. It has forty-nine petals and produces seven lotus seeds. Consuming it can revive the dead, heal flesh and bones, bring the dead back to life, reshape the body and restore the soul, defy fate, and turn the tide of destiny once."

Then he stretched his hand out in front of Huangfuyi.
"Choose."

Huangfu Yi stared wide-eyed, unable to move, just lying there like a limp rag doll, staring at him.

"Huh? That's strange, how come we can't hold on..."

Zheng Jian glanced at his body, which, literally speaking, was decaying into rotten flesh and melting into bloody mud. Curious, he did a quick calculation and then suddenly realized what was happening.

"I see, no wonder you, elder brother... Alas, you had no choice..."

So he sighed, pointed at the lotus seed with his sword, and planted it towards Huangfu Yi's chest.

When the moonlight shines brightly, the lotus flowers bloom.

(End of this chapter)