The "Melting Bamboo Shoot" was a unique treasure of heaven and earth. After consuming it, one's magic power circulation speed would instantly increase. The exact degree of enhancement depended on the age of the "Melting Bamboo Shoot." What made it truly precious was that it provided a protective film for the meridians, preventing any adverse effects while boosting magic power circulation. Such a heavenly material would drive any cultivator into a frenzy to obtain it.
However, the "Melting Bamboo Shoot" was now a thing of legend. A five-hundred-year-old specimen had minimal effect, and one under three hundred years was completely useless. As for one that had reached a thousand years, it could instantly triple the circulation speed of Spirit or demonic power, a treasure that would move even a Nascent Soul cultivator.
But the "Melting Bamboo Shoot" had not appeared in the outside world for ten thousand years. Forget markets and auction houses; even news of it had become scarce. The reason was its slow growth. It was often harvested as soon as it was discovered. If the age was insufficient, cultivators would spare no expense to protect it. Let alone five-hundred-year-old specimens, even those one or two hundred years old were nearly extinct. The main reason was that excessive harvesting in the past had led to its near-disappearance.
The probability of a "Melting Bamboo Shoot" appearing in the Melting Cave was much higher than in the outside world. It grew one inch every hundred years and was only about as thick as a thumb. Legend had it that the Jingtu Sect had once obtained a considerable amount from within the pagoda, and some of that old stock might still remain today. Ten thousand years ago, the Jingtu Sect monks who cultivated the Vajra Arhat Body were not only fast but also incredibly powerful. It was said that many monks consumed this item in their daily training. A tiny pinch of powder was enough to produce a remarkable effect that lasted for a hundred breaths.
The Jingtu Sect's Vajra Arhat Body required repeated tempering with Spirit Power. With the aid of the "Melting Bamboo Shoot," this process was significantly shortened. Consequently, that era saw the emergence of numerous Jingtu Sect disciples with formidable physical bodies.
A two-thousand-year-old Melting Bamboo Shoot—this unexpected news was utterly shocking to Li Yan. His heart had already begun to pound violently. That was a treasure capable of increasing Spirit Power circulation by five to six times. Others might not be able to unleash its full potential, but for him, who cultivated the "Five Elements Return to Primordial Genesis," it was as if it were tailor-made.
For the longest time, Li Yan had been unable to resolve the fatal consequences of using the "Five Elements Return to Primordial Genesis ." He could only lament that, apart from being a final, life-or-death killing move, he would have to wait for his cultivation to advance to solve the problem. Ping Tu had told him that he would have to reach the Void Refining realm to basically resolve this drawback—and even then, only basically, not completely. Imagine a heaven-defying, high-powered cultivation method that had long since broken free from the shackles of the physical body. It was a kind of supernatural art borrowed by stealing from heaven itself; how could it be used so easily?
This was also why Dong Fuyi had once told Li Yan that cultivators from the Five Immortal Sects only appeared in the cultivation world after reaching the Body Integration stage. At that point, the "Five Elements Return to Primordial Genesis " art could be unleashed without reservation and without harming the body. In that state, even when facing the top-tier Great Ascension old monsters of other sects in the Immortal Spirit Realm, the sudden surge in combat power would guarantee their escape.
If this unique treasure of heaven and earth, the "Melting Bamboo Shoot," were to fall into Li Yan's hands, the effects it would produce would be far more than a simple enhancement of his cultivation method. Li Yan believed that if he could obtain this item, he might not even need to flee or use schemes when facing an initial-stage Golden Core cultivator. He might even have the power to put up a fight. The thought of contending with a Golden Core cultivator made Li Yan's heart race with excitement. As for a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, he wasn't that arrogant yet. However, with the help of the "Melting Bamboo Shoot," he might have a ten percent chance of escaping before the mid-stage Golden Core cultivator even noticed anything amiss.
Although Li Yan's face showed astonishment, his voice remained as calm as still water. This made the Snow Sprite Lord's Essence Soul somewhat suspicious, wondering if this cultivator truly knew the real function of the "Melting Bamboo Shoot."
"Yes, two thousand years old. You should know what that means, right?" the Snow Sprite Lord dared not question him, only offering a cautious, probing reminder, hoping this mysterious cultivator understood the item's extraordinary value and would not kill it so easily.
Li Yan looked at the Essence Soul in his hand and slowly nodded but didn't press for more details. The Snow Sprite Lord's heart skipped a beat. The other party seemed uninterested. But this was its trump card, so it could only cling to hope and continue, "Then... then... the request I just made, I wonder..."
"This alone is not enough. If I'm not mistaken, the 'Melting Bamboo Shoot' you speak of should be located somewhere in this cave residence. If I take my time and dig three feet deep, I imagine I'll find it. Am I right?" Li Yan shook his head, not agreeing to its request.
He was banking on its greatest weakness. Before becoming a Snow Sprite King, the Snow Sprite Lord could not leave the Melting Cave. The safest place within the Melting Cave, the place where the Snow Sprite Lord would feel most secure, was its own cave residence, because it was protected by a formation. Demonic beasts didn't understand formations, let alone how to easily break them, so it was an easy guess.
Just as Li Yan had guessed, the Snow Sprite Lord's Essence Soul immediately panicked. Its face contorted in pain as it said, "Then... then what will it take for you to agree to let me go? Perhaps you can find the 'Melting Bamboo Shoot,' but it is also protected by another formation. Without the proper means, Fellow Daoist, you may not be able to get it. I've set the formation to self-destruct."
At this moment, it was being roasted by the pure yang fire, suffering immensely. It needed to find a place to integrate the flames as soon as possible, then seize the body of a Snow Sprite. Although Li Yan had been able to arrive here soundlessly, the Snow Sprite Lord believed this person was not a truly powerful being, as it could sense the fluctuations of Foundation Establishment Spirit Power from his palm. The other party must have some kind of formation-breaking talisman. If that was the case, it felt more at ease. There were thousands of formations, and a talisman would only work if it was the right one for the job.
"Alright. Tell me all the formation control incantations you know. After I've taken the 'Melting Bamboo Shoot,' I will let you go," Li Yan said after a moment's thought, giving the Snow Sprite Lord a result that made it rejoice.
"Yes, of course! I'll give you all the formation incantations! The 'Melting Bamboo Shoot' is yours too, and even the seven storage pouches here are yours!" the Snow Sprite Lord's Essence Soul exclaimed in delight. Right now, it just wanted to leave. Since it was giving away its most important possession, the other party would naturally take the three storage pouches on the ground as well. It was just a pity about the medicinal pills inside; there were definitely pills in there that it needed to stabilize its realm.
As for the other four storage pouches, they were stored together with the "Melting Bamboo Shoot." The other party would inevitably get them when taking the treasure. Besides, all the bags only contained Spirit Stones and jade slips; the medicinal pills had been consumed by it over the years. It might as well do a favor.
However, before Li Yan could reply, it added with extreme speed, "Then I wonder... I wonder, how can you guarantee you'll let me leave?" This was its primary concern. If this human cultivator took everything and still didn't let it go, that would be perfectly understandable. After all, its Demonic Core was something human cultivators desperately wanted. And once its Essence Soul lost the final protection of the Demonic Core , let alone Body Seizure, it would have trouble even protecting itself. Without the deterrence of its blue, ethereal fire, it would be swallowed whole by another demonic beast.
After asking the question, it looked at Li Yan's faint, smiling face, and the Snow Sprite Lord's Essence Soul once again felt a sense of impending doom. This time, however, it didn't beg anymore. It was, after all, a powerful being in its own right. It had said all that needed to be said. Its life rested on a single thought from the other party. It stared back at Li Yan with its own cold, ethereal gaze. For a moment, the cave fell silent, broken only by the low hums of the Snow Sprite Lord's Essence Soul as it was scorched by the pure yang flames.
"I can give you no promise. Or, I could swear an oath, but do you think that holds any guarantee?" Li Yan said gravely, his expression unchanged, his clear black and white eyes fixed on the Snow Sprite Lord's Essence Soul.
After a long while, the Snow Sprite Lord's Essence Soul sighed heavily. "So be it. The worst that can happen is death. But if you fail to let me go in the end, you'll simply be saving yourself the time of searching for the treasure." This time, it surprisingly stopped addressing Li Yan with the respectful 'you'.
"I only have three formation sets here. One outside the cave, one I just set up inside, and the last one protecting the hiding spot of the 'Melting Bamboo Shoot.' It's just beneath the ground at the cave entrance. As for the jade slips with the incantations, hehe, I never actually destroyed them. I never thought anyone could get in here. At least, of the two later batches of cultivators who entered, six of them tried to find my cave. They never even found its location, let alone broke the formation. Instead, I trapped and killed three of them at once with the 'Great Dragon-Elephant Formation,' and the next time, I killed one directly."
Hearing this, Li Yan was somewhat surprised by the Snow Sprite Lord's cunning. It had actually hidden the treasure at the entrance of the cave. That spot was easily overlooked. Most people would assume treasures would be hidden in a very secluded place, like a corner of the cave. But it did the opposite, placing it right underfoot upon entry. Moreover, that area was already covered by the cave's main formation, providing a layer of protection. The Snow Sprite had then added a smaller, nested formation there, creating a double layer of security. In fact, today it had reached a triple layer, as the newly deployed "Great Dragon-Elephant Formation" also covered that area.
Cunning and decisive. This was Li Yan's assessment of the Snow Sprite Lord. In the end, it poured everything out as if resigned to its fate. This was, in fact, the mark of a formidable character. It was taking a gamble, a final bet for its life. If it refused to yield, there was only one outcome. But by taking this gamble, although death was still a possibility, it had at least a fifty percent chance. This made Li Yan see the Snow Sprite Lord in a new light. He, who had already decided to be ruthless afterward, now felt a stir of admiration.
A powerful cold aura flared from Li Yan's hand, and layers of black mist enveloped the Snow Sprite Lord's Essence Soul. Yet, he did not release the Essence Soul from his grasp. A moment later, a much calmer voice came from within the black mist, "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist!" With that, a small purple flag flew out from the black mist. A string of ancient-sounding incantations followed from within the fog. The purple flag hovered in the air and spun, and in an instant, countless rays of purple light shot out from the cave walls, converging on the small flag before Li Yan.