"Senior Sister, we're just Qi Refining disciples. What if we run into a Foundation Establishment senior?" Lin Haoming asked. Though he had survived two Life and Death Duels and killed two people, he was only at the 8th level. He knew his limits. Anyone coming here would likely be at the late stages of Qi Refining and highly confident in their abilities. Encountering them would not end well for him.
Xie Ruolan looked at his miserable face and laughed even harder. It seemed the more suppressed he felt, the happier she became. "Don't worry," she said with a grin. "The three sects have a pact: Foundation Establishment cultivators are forbidden here. If they show up, the Golden Core Ancestors overseeing the area will kill them on sight."
"There are Golden Core Ancestors here?" Lin was surprised.
"Mm. There's a spirit stone mine about a hundred miles away. It's small, but it produces a million stones a year, so it's normal to have an Ancestor stationed there. There are several places like Red Leaf Mountain on our borders, but I like this one best. Not just because of the three-way conflict, but because it produces Crimson Sun Ginseng."
She explained, "It's a main ingredient for Heqi Pills. Ten-year-old plants are usable, sixty-year-old ones can make mid-grade pills, and if you're lucky enough to find one over three hundred years old, you can craft high-grade Heqi Pills."
"What about a thousand-year-old one?" Lin asked.
"Legends say there's a Supreme-grade Heqi Pill, but I doubt even your Ancestor Lin ever saw one. A thousand-year-old Crimson Sun Ginseng is a treasure even to Foundation Establishment seniors; who would waste it on a mere Heqi Pill? Use your brain!" she scolded him bluntly.
Lin Haoming winced at her sharp tongue. He really wanted to drag Ling Shengjie and Kong Yuanliang here to see what their goddess was actually like.
---
The Gear
As they flew, Xie Ruolan slapped her storage bag. Two talismans and a small shield appeared in her hand, which she tossed to Lin.
Lin caught them and gasped. "A high-grade Earth Escape Talisman, a high-grade Stone Armor Talisman, and... this looks like a high-grade magic tool. A shield!"
He looked at her warily. "Senior Sister Xie, why are you giving me these?"
"Stop talking and refine that Silver Steel Shield! Keep the talismans safe!" she urged.
Lin's face fell. "Senior Sister... you aren't making me act as bait, are you?"
Xie Ruolan admired his dejected expression. "Junior Brother Lin, what a way to put it. I'm just giving you some protection. In a moment, you'll go look for Crimson Sun Ginseng alone while I hide. If anyone looks for trouble, I'll take care of them."
"If that's not being bait, what is?" Lin was speechless. This woman was truly venomous.
A high-grade magic tool usually cost five hundred spirit stones, and defensive ones were worth even more. This shield was likely worth seven or eight hundred. Seeing her toss it away so casually made Lin realize he had vastly underestimated her wealth. The items she gave him to sell in the shop were likely just pocket change to her.
---
The Encounter
It took Lin about an hour to refine the Silver Steel Shield. As soon as he finished, Xie Ruolan's voice rang out. "We've reached the junction area. If we keep flying, we'll be targets. Walk from here." She immediately descended and vanished into the foliage.
Lin followed suit. Flying at the 8th level of Qi Refining in a war zone was suicide. As he landed in the forest, the sun began to rise.
In the underground grottoes, the schedule was reversed because of the night-glowing mushrooms. While Lin hadn't seen a sunrise in a long time, he was in no mood for scenery. He was a worm on a hook, and a fish could bite at any moment.
He began searching for Crimson Sun Ginseng as a cover, but his luck turned out to be surprisingly good. Within minutes, he found a plant—and a large one at that. It looked to be at least a century old.
As a former shop manager, he knew its value. A hundred-year-old Crimson Sun Ginseng could fetch sixty spirit stones. For an average cultivator, that single find would be enough to call it a day and head home.
He carefully cleaned the soil and placed it in a jade box. Just as he was about to leave, his senses tingled. He drew his Sub-Mother Sword and shouted, "Who's there?"
"Don't misunderstand, I'm a fellow disciple!" A low voice replied. A plain-looking man in his twenties stepped out from behind a tree.
Lin's divine sense swept over him. He was a 9th-level Qi Refining inner disciple.
"Don't worry, my name is Mo Cheng," the man said with a smile. "I was just passing by and saw a junior brother making a catch. I was going to leave, but you spotted me. Your divine sense is quite sharp!"
Lin knew his divine sense was indeed stronger than average—perhaps a compensation for his poor spiritual roots—but it wasn't strong enough to bridge a gap in cultivation.
"Since you're a fellow disciple, Senior Brother, please carry on," Lin said, gesturing for him to leave.
Mo Cheng nodded and turned to walk away. But the moment his back was turned, he suddenly spun around and flicked his wrist. Three jet-black flying knives streaked toward Lin.
Lin was prepared. He activated the Silver Steel Shield. Clang! Clang! Clang! The knives were deflected harmlessly.
"A high-grade magic tool? No wonder an 8th-level brat dares to come here," Mo Cheng said, his eyes now filled with greed.
Lin looked past him and shouted, "Senior Sister, strike now!"
Mo Cheng sneered. "You think that trick will work on me? Die!"
But before the word die fully left his lips, a streak of silver light tore through his body. Mo Cheng looked down at the gaping hole in his chest, then back at Lin, his face a mask of disbelief.
Lin Haoming shook his head. "I literally warned you. You chose to die; don't blame me."