Chapter 622: Flowers, Birds, Fish, and Insects

At the center of Jukun City stood a white tower, soaring into the clouds, piercing the sky.

Inside a side hall within the tower, a figure flickered, and Su Liu's form materialized.

Beside him, a man in white scholar's robes sat leisurely in a chair, savoring spiritual tea. Seeing Su Liu appear, he did not rise but spoke slowly:

"You deliberately let those two go just now, didn't you?"

"You saw everything?" Su Liu glanced indifferently at the scholar-robed man, neither confirming nor denying.

"Although that purple-robed cultivator possessed spatial law power, with your strength, you could have kept them if you wished. Why did you do that? Those old fellows are not as easy to fool as Gongshu Tian. If the higher-ups learn of this, it may bring trouble for you," the scholar-robed man said.

"That purple-robed cultivator has an unusual identity. Capturing him would have been the real trouble. Even if the higher-ups find out, they will not blame me," Su Liu replied.

"Oh? Who is he?" The scholar-robed man asked, somewhat surprised.

"Guangyuan Zhai," Su Liu said only three words.

"What? Are you certain?" Hearing this, the scholar-robed man finally showed some concern.

"I know what I'm doing," Su Liu said.

"And the Silver Fox? He is a notorious criminal on the Immortal Execution Platform's wanted list. Even if you didn't want to keep the purple-robed cultivator, there's no reason to let the Silver Fox go," the scholar-robed man pressed.

"I said I know what I'm doing. Since I didn't keep the Silver Fox, there is a reason for it. You will understand later," Su Liu said, his voice turning slightly cold.

Hearing this, the scholar-robed man smiled bitterly and shook his head. Seeing that Su Liu was unwilling to say more, he did not press further.

...

In a certain secret chamber in Jukun City.

"The world is getting more chaotic by the day. After this, who would dare to attend the Yulou Tower's auctions? I must report this matter to the higher-ups. At worst, we can cancel the cooperation with the Black Mountain Immortal Palace here. Otherwise, the reputation of the Hundred Creations Mountain will be ruined sooner or later," Jingyang Shangren said as he activated the chamber's restrictions.

"Calm down, Fellow Daoist Jingyang. You never liked meddling in these auctions anyway. Just leave it be from now on and spend your days leisurely in Carefree Mountain," Han Li said with a laugh.

Though he appeared relaxed and casual, inwardly he was somewhat shaken. If he had stubbornly competed with that black-robed man for the 'Ten Thousand Soul Grass' at the auction, he might have been the one surrounded and captured by the Immortal Palace's people.

"Alas, Carefree Mountain is not what it used to be," Jingyang Shangren sighed.

"Let's not dwell on these troubles. How about we first take a look at the treasure you won at a high price?" Han Li changed the subject.

"Fellow Daoist Li, the more I see you, the more I feel you are not an alchemist but rather a merchant," Jingyang Shangren raised an eyebrow and asked.

"In mountain cultivation, who isn't a calculating merchant?" Han Li retorted with a smile.

"Haha, you... you..." Jingyang Shangren shook his head with a wry smile.

With that, he flipped his palm and produced an octagonal box the size of a palm. Pressing his palm on the center of the box, a soft 'pop' sounded, and the box split into eight triangular petals, opening like a flower in all directions.

Han Li stood to the side, a faint blue light flickering deep in his eyes as he focused intently on every spirit pattern on the octagonal box and every subtle movement of Jingyang Shangren.

Jingyang Shangren placed the opened octagonal box upside down on the ground. Just as he was about to bring his two fingers together and press down on the box, his movement suddenly froze.

Han Li noticed he had stopped and naturally understood why. He then teased with a smile:

"What? Afraid I'll learn your unique technique for activating this treasure? Not only do I have no idea what you're doing, but even if I did, I couldn't replicate this exact spatial treasure. Isn't that right?"

"Hehe, that's true. To be honest, this method is not some profound technique; it's just highly specialized. Few in the Hundred Creations Mountain are willing to learn it. Even if you did learn it, you'd probably have no use for it," Jingyang Shangren said with a smile.

"Such a technique? Isn't that as useless as a chicken rib? Is there a story behind it?" Han Li raised an eyebrow and asked.

Jingyang Shangren had already resumed fiddling with the octagonal box, but upon hearing this, he stopped again.

"It's no secret, so telling you is fine. Earlier, I said this piece that looks like a bone is a spatial treasure, but that's not entirely accurate. It should be called a cave-heaven treasure," he said after a moment's hesitation.

"Cave-heaven treasure?"

Han Li was taken aback upon hearing this, and soon thought of another treasure, the "Mountain-and-Sea Pearl."

This Mountain-and-Sea Pearl was originally a sacred object of the Kongyu Clan, a top-tier treasure capable of containing vast mountains and seas within it. If this beast bone were such a treasure, it would truly be priceless.

Unfortunately, when he ascended to the Immortal Realm back then, he could not bring it along, so he left the pearl in the Spirit Realm.

Seeing Han Li stunned, Jingyang Shangren thought he was unaware of the origin of cave-heaven treasures, and thus explained:

"Unlike ordinary spatial treasures, the space within a cave-heaven treasure is often larger, and the spiritual energy within can circulate on its own, allowing living beings to survive freely. It can be used to cultivate spirit herbs and raise spirit beasts."

Han Li was naturally well aware of the difference between the two, but still nodded to indicate that he understood.

"In the Immortal Domain, cave-heaven treasures are often extremely expensive, but their numbers are not small. If I were to use my connections with the Baizao Mountain to purchase one, it would naturally be very easy. But do you know, Fellow Daoist Li, why I am so anxious about this cave-heaven treasure?" Jingyang Shangren, now in high spirits, took the initiative to ask.

"How would I know that? But seeing how you spared no immortal essence stones to compete for it, it must have a significant origin." Han Li shook his head and said calmly.

"Correct. This piece of beast bone is called 'Fish Branch,' one of the four cave-heaven treasures forged by Xie Jinyuan, the third mountain master of our Baizao Mountain. The other three are 'Flower Branch,' 'Bird Branch,' and 'Insect Branch,' collectively known as the 'Flower, Bird, Fish, and Insect' four branches. Including this one I recovered, only the 'Flower Branch' remains lost without news." Jingyang Shangren nodded and said.

"What an elegant name. It seems your mountain master was quite a fascinating person?" Han Li laughed.

"The third mountain master was the most eccentric among all the mountain masters of Baizao Mountain, and also the most revered by the disciples, second only to the founding master. Legend has it that he had extraordinary talent in artifact refining. Even as a disciple, he was full of whimsical ideas, earning him the reproach of the transmission elder for not focusing on his proper work. Later, he unexpectedly gained the favor of the second mountain master, who took him as a closed-door disciple and nurtured him carefully, eventually making him a great revitalizing ruler of our Baizao Mountain." Jingyang Shangren showed a hint of a smile as he spoke.

"You've talked for so long, but you still haven't explained the origin of this peculiar name? And how is this 'Fish Branch' to be unlocked?" Han Li nodded thoughtfully and asked again.

"As I said, our third mountain master was eccentric. Who knows what he was thinking? It might have been a mere whim. Seeing that you're already impatient, I won't waste words. I'll open it now." Jingyang Daoren glanced at Han Li and said.

With that, he placed the octagonal square box on the ground and began to draw with his fingers around it. Soon, a small, intricate array with fine lines appeared on the ground.

Then, he took out the piece of beast bone and placed it on top of the inverted octagonal square box.

"Is opening this cave-heaven treasure so troublesome?" Han Li frowned slightly.

"If it weren't troublesome, that ignorant Golden Immortal would have opened it long ago. How would it have been left for us to pick up?" Jingyang Shangren said irritably.

"Brother Jingyang makes a good point." Han Li nodded.

"See, what's carved on the ground is called the 'Eight-Primordial Array-Unlocking Formation.' Some cave-treasures, after their original owner dies, cannot be opened by anyone. Only through this method can they be reopened, and after being refined once, they can be opened and closed at will like a storage ring." Jingyang pointed at the talisman array on the ground and said.

"I see. I was being overly surprised by something common." Han Li smiled and said.

"Alright, don't interrupt. The next step is the key to opening it. You must not disturb me." Jingyang said with a more serious expression.

Han Li then silently stood to the side and watched.

Jingyang's expression turned solemn as he formed hand seals with both hands and began to chant silently.

By observing the movement of his lips and teeth, Han Li could vaguely make out what he was reciting, but he didn't know how the hand seals operated, causing his brow to furrow.

After a moment, with a point of his hands, a white light flew into the beast bone.

The surface of that beast bone immediately bloomed with a layer of brilliant silver light, which spread out, turning the entire bone a translucent snowy white. At the end of the joint, a goldfish pattern the size of a copper coin also appeared.

"Brother Li, wait a moment. After I refine this object, I will open it." Jingyang raised his hand to receive the 'Fish Branch' and said to Han Li.

Han Li was still pondering the method of the hand seals, so he only nodded and said nothing.

Jingyang then sat cross-legged, brought his hands together, and clasped the jade bone in his palms, beginning to refine it.

About three hours later, he stood up from the ground drenched in sweat, appearing to have expended a great deal of energy.

"Haha, Brother Li, now it's time to reap the rewards and split the spoils." Although his complexion was poor, his eyes were full of joy as he spoke with a smile.

"Then let's see how our luck holds." Han Li rubbed his hands together, looking like a miser.

Jingyang swiped his hand across the 'Fish Branch,' and the jade bone immediately trembled with light, becoming ethereal and transparent. The brilliant silver light radiating from it transformed into a light gate about ten feet high.

Inside the light gate, a hint of emerald green could be faintly seen, and a gentle breeze blew out from within.

"Please, enter, Brother Li." Jingyang showed a smile, stepped into the light gate first, and his figure disappeared within.