Soul-Nurturing Wood was a special material derived from the core of the Soul-Nurturing Tree.

The trees themselves were far from rare. They grew wherever yin qi ran thick and lonely souls gathered. Even in some mortal graveyards and ancient battlefields, there were such trees growing. Luo Chen was no stranger to them; in his early years, he had possessed one himself. At the time, he was taking Spirit Passage Pills to strengthen his divine soul while practicing Soul Intimidation to extract souls from wild beasts and low-tier demonic beasts. With no immediate use for them, he had fed them all into the tree. After he left to travel, Bai Meiling took care of it. Now, it was either still on Danxia Peak or had been transplanted to the new base in the Howling Moon Mountain Range. He had no idea how it fared these days.

Common as the trees were, though, Soul-Nurturing Wood was another matter entirely. A Soul-Nurturing Tree had to reach a thousand years of age before its core could be harvested, and a thousand years was no small span of time. Few cultivators lived long enough to see one through. More importantly, most trees were cut down long before that point to craft low-tier soul-type enchanted artifacts, so how could they possibly produce a good-quality core? As a result, it was extremely rare to see something like this on the market.

But now, a three-thousand-year-old piece had appeared at the auction. It would definitely attract everyone's attention. Initiates, Adepts, and even Sages might all be tempted.

Seeing Luo Chen's hesitation, Han Zhan said urgently, "This piece is not a big one, and it came from the Sunken Sea. It's probably not a complete core, so most Sages wouldn't even give it a second glance. The catalog even says it's tainted with dark energy, so even most Adepts would have little use for it. You've got a good chance of getting it."

"If it's incomplete and tainted with dark energy, what use would it be to you?"

"I am not 'most Sages.' With my attainments in soul refinement, I can make good use of that Soul-Nurturing Wood," Han Zhan said with confidence. "As for the taint, don't you have a way to get rid of it?"

Luo Chen raised his brows. Indeed, he had The Dragon-Slaying Art! It was the only fourth-tier spell he could use, and even though he had originally acquired it just to help Chu Kui, he had since discovered that it could be useful in many other ways. Over the past few years, he had used it to purge the fire fiend of the True Flame Pill. He had reached the Grandmaster level years ago and stood only a single step from Perfected Mastery. As far as he was concerned, even the Five Elements Divine Sect expert who had created it might not wield it more skillfully than he could. But he had not expected Han Zhan to pay that much attention to it, let alone place such confidence in him.

"Still..." Luo Chen hesitated.

At this, Han Zhan suppressed his impatience and made an offer. "Didn't you catch a Hidden Dust Sand King?"

Luo Chen's heart skipped a beat.

"You've been trying to figure out how to use it, right? Using it in alchemy would be a waste, and turning it into a single-use enchanted artifact wouldn't do you much good. It's a top-grade material, but in your hands, it's more trouble than it's worth."

"Do you have a way to make use of it, Senior?" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Luo Chen was not the type to act without seeing something in it for himself first. Moreover, the terms of his relationship with Han Zhan had been set from the very beginning, and it was a conditional one. He provided Han Zhan with the Myriad Soul Banner as a place to reside, and Han Zhan gave him the Black Sovereign Paste formula in return. It was a transaction, just not stated so bluntly.

Now, if Han Zhan wanted a three-thousand-year-old piece of Soul-Nurturing Wood, he would have offered something in turn. There was no such thing as a free meal in this world, and their relationship was not close enough for Luo Chen to spend who knew how many spirit stones without anything in return.

Han Zhan said reluctantly, "I do know how to make use of Hidden Dust Sand. This method is something most high-tier cultivators have never heard of. If you succeed, it'll be of great benefit to your cultivation. It'll even count as a second life."

A second life! Luo Chen was startled and blurted out, "Could it be your puppet avatar method, Senior?"

He had personally seen the capabilities of Han Zhan's Sage-level puppet avatar. It could become a pivot of the Two Poles Five Elements Sword Formation, redirect damage from enemy attacks, and even transfer the Nascent Soul at the brink of death, practically granting a second life. Had it not been burned by the Nirvana Sacred Fire back then, Han Zhan would not have been in such a state now, living rent-free under Luo Chen's roof.

A Sage-level puppet combined with a complete Nascent Soul was no different from a genuine Sage. Even if it was slightly inferior, it would still be more than sufficient to roam the Northern Sea carefreely. For a moment, Luo Chen's eyes burned with excitement, and when Han Zhan's reply came, the delight on his face was plain to see.

"My puppet was made from the corpse of a Sage. It's on a whole different level; how could a little Hidden Dust Sand demon compare? But if you use this method, its potential could surpass my puppet's. In fact, if you're aiming to form your Nascent Soul, you might even gain a true second incarnation," Han Zhan's voice echoed.

A second incarnation! Not a mere puppet, but another body almost indistinguishable from the original one! Luo Chen swallowed hard and asked, "Is it really that great?"

"I have no reason to lie to you. A cultivator can only form one Golden Core and one Nascent Soul in a lifetime. But with my method, you can produce a second Golden Core. When you face the Nascent Soul tribulation, you can shatter the core and transform it into a second Nascent Soul," explained Han Zhan. "It's called the Nascent Core Art. I originally wanted to use it back when I was an Adept, but I never found a medium of high enough quality at the time, and once I passed my tribulation, it was too late. But you have a chance to do it."

Amid his excitement, Luo Chen was also puzzled. "Too late? How so? If it's that great, why not use it after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm?"

Han Zhan said in a gloomy tone, "The Nascent Core Art can only be used once in a lifetime. Even if I tried again, at best I'd just form a second Golden Core. Without the lightning tribulation, it can't be shattered and turned into a Nascent Soul. And what use would be a second Golden Core to someone like me?"

Luo Chen nodded. It made sense, and with this, he recalled a detail from the past. When he had just obtained the Hidden Dust Sand, Han Zhan's mood seemed off. Luo Chen asked if there was a suitable way to use it, and Han Zhan replied in a dull tone that there was none. Now it was clear that it had not been helplessness, but rather frustration that someone else had stumbled upon an opportunity he'd missed. He had truly hidden it well!

Luo Chen suppressed his excitement and chuckled. "With such great potential, this technique must be pretty high tier, right?"

"It doesn't really fall into any tier. It's more like alchemy or artifact creation. But there's no question about how important it is. You probably know by now about the Falling Cloud Sect's three arts and two techniques, right? Well, this is one of the two techniques, and it ranks even higher than Beaded Curtain Lock," Han Zhan said. He was obviously reluctant to reveal this kind of secret, but compared to a chance to resolve his predicament, what was a secret technique he could no longer use?

Luo Chen nodded inwardly. He indeed knew about the Falling Cloud Sect's three arts and two techniques, and something that was better than Beaded Curtain Lock had to be truly impressive. The profundity of Beaded Curtain Lock revealed itself when he formed his core—even though he had only gotten the Core Formation art itself and not whatever soul cultivation technique it should've been paired with, after mastering it, he had nevertheless formed his core in a perfectly satisfactory manner.

The Falling Cloud Sect's inheritance was truly extraordinary. Who knew how great the other arts and techniques were. However, now was not the time for Luo Chen to probe such secrets. He did not hesitate and replied to Han Zhan's request, "I'll do my best to get that Soul-Nurturing Wood for you."

He thought that would satisfy Han Zhan. But to his surprise...

"Your best is not enough. You need to secure it!"

Luo Chen frowned. "Senior, aren't you overestimating me?"

"After selling those demonic crab materials, you've got at least ten million. Most Adepts don't have that kind of wealth, and even some of the newly advanced Sages might not be as well-off as you. It's a piece of cake."

Luo Chen shook his head. "It really isn't. I need this money to get ingredients for the Nascent Soul Pill, as well as my defensive enchanted treasure. And there might be some other items that suit me as well. If I throw it all into that Soul-Nurturing Wood, it'll mess up all my plans."

"Do you not want the Nascent Core Art anymore?"

Luo Chen forced a bitter smile. "The technique's good, but it must be hard to practice. And it won't really matter until I reach the Nascent Soul Realm. If I don't have the means to protect myself on the way, or the pill I need to get there, what are we even talking about?"

Unrealized potential was ultimately nothing more than an illusion; the countless cultivation geniuses who emerged one after another were the best evidence. Once they fell, they were nothing but a handful of dust.

"Luo Chen, you're going too far!"

"Sorry, I can only do my best."

As their exchange continued, the atmosphere grew tense. At that moment, preparations for the auction outside came to an end.

Bright lights illuminated the dim palace in an instant. Below, countless seated cultivators came into view. The burning anticipation in their eyes turned the entire space warm. Luo Chen stood by the open window of the private room and watched the scene with equal anticipation. As an Adept stepped onto the central stage, a faint sigh sounded again.

"Fine, fine! Count yourself ruthless. You want to gather a large batch of materials for the Nascent Soul Pill and work out the full formula yourself through experimentation. That's going to burn through an enormous amount of resources, which is why you're going all in. You don't have to do that. I was the one who gave Qing Danzi the formula. If you're willing to secure that Soul-Nurturing Wood for me, I'll give you the formula. I'll even walk you through exactly what it was like when I took the pill myself. Is that enough?"

When one was under another's roof, one had to bow. When asking a favor, the deal could never be equal. It was just how the world worked. Luo Chen's lips curved slightly as he said in a low voice, "Deal!"

***

"Welcome to the auction! I am Leng Ruolan, the deputy master of Jadecold City. Most of you already know me, so I'll skip the introductions and get things going. I will be presiding, and I hope you will all bid in good spirit. May we live long and prosper!"

The venue was arranged in a fan-shaped layout. The guests were seated along a half-circle, like a fan, while the central stage stood at the focal point. On the stage, an elegant and poised woman spoke confidently. The cultivators listened attentively, and the atmosphere was calm. Yet it was clear that this atmosphere was only a prelude to the fierce bidding to come. When it came to cultivation resources, no one would yield, and every force would find a worthy opponent.

Without going through excessive formalities, Leng Ruolan immediately brought out the first auction item. With a flick of her wrist, a bronze mirror fell into her hand. Luo Chen focused his gaze but saw nothing remarkable. It was only an ordinary low-grade enchanted treasure. He could not tell what qualified it to serve as the opening lot. To stir the atmosphere, auctions usually opened with something of high value; this mirror hardly seemed worthy.

As he wondered, Leng Ruolan infused it with mana, and under everyone's gaze, a light screen unfolded. Within it appeared a massive fish. Its body was a black-green, like stone covered in moss. Various flowers, grass, and even small trees grew on its back. It swam freely through the vast sea, and from time to time seabirds descended from the sky to rest upon it.

At this scene, Luo Chen was stunned, then muttered hesitantly, "A Black-Green Treasure Basin? How is it so big?"

He had seen such a creature before. On the way to Jadecold City, the Bai family's merchant ship had been attacked by demonic beasts led by a late second-tier Black-Green Treasure Basin. Bai Xiang had personally slain it with his enchanted treasure. Among the many ferocious sea demons, this was one of the most prized by cultivators.

This fish was naturally drawn to spirit energy. It roamed the deep sea and constantly adsorbed spirit energy. Over time, it became something like a moving spirit vein, attracting many low-tier sea demons to follow it. To cultivators, a Black-Green Treasure Basin Fish was a living treasure trove, hence the name. Killing one was striking it rich. The one fished by Bai Xiang had later been demanded by He Yuan of the Primordial Devil Sect. That even a proud devil sect cultivator had shamelessly claimed a mere second-tier demonic fish spoke volumes about its value. As for the one before Luo Chen now, its sheer size made it clear it was far beyond the second tier.

In the next moment, Leng Ruolan smiled as she introduced the first item. "A mid-stage third-tier Black-Green Treasure Basin! It was captured from the Demon Sea by Sage Jadecold and nurtured for over a hundred years with special spirit materials and secret techniques. This fish is not just a living being, but a true blessed land! Living atop it is equivalent to residing on a proper low-grade third-tier spirit vein. Better yet, it can be stored in a spirit beast pouch. Fellow Daoists, if you acquire this fish, it's like carrying a portable third-tier cave residence. It is an essential item for travel and sea exploration."

The moment those words were spoken, the entire venue erupted. Even Luo Chen drew in a sharp breath, and his heart was pounding. Though he sought a higher-level cave residence, he would never turn down a portable low-grade third-tier one. If he could secure it...

But before he could indulge further in his thoughts, Leng Ruolan announced, "The starting price is one million low-grade spirit stones! Each bid must increase by no less than one hundred thousand. Fellow Daoists, please begin!"

Luo Chen opened his mouth, then closed it again. He instantly gave up on the thought. It was simply too expensive!