326: Chapter 320 The Deal with Liu Shengli

"Are we trading or not?"

Seeing Chen Zhiwen remain silent, "Liu Shengli" became somewhat impatient.

A fierce light glinted in his dark purple eyes.

It seemed as if he would directly strike to snatch it in the next second.

"I don't have time to waste with you here."

"If you refuse to trade, then I can only kill you and find it on your corpse myself!"

A threat.

A blatant threat.

But he indeed had the confidence to back it up.

In this narrow underground treasury, facing an otherworldly Yao Beast of unknown Origins with Peak Nascent Soul combat power.

Although Chen Zhiwen was not afraid, he certainly did not want to risk his life.

"Fellow Daoist Ox Yao, please calm down."

Chen Zhiwen waved his hand, signaling the other party to be cool-headed.

His mind raced as he weighed the pros and cons.

It was absolutely impossible to give the entire fourth-grade snow lotus flower.

The value was too high, enough to buy half of the Artifact Refining Alliance.

But since this Ox Yao had caught the scent, he was clearly desperate for a certain component within it.

Perhaps...

He didn't need the whole thing?

"Very well."

Chen Zhiwen sighed, as if making a massive concession.

"Since Fellow Daoist is so persistent, if I, Chen, continue to be secretive, it would seem too petty."

With a shift of his Divine Thought.

Chen Zhiwen's right hand made a grasping motion in the air.

A flash of light appeared.

Several crystal-clear lotus petals, emitting a hazy white cold Qi,

appeared in his palm.

Those were not the core lotus stamens, but just some petals that had fallen from the outer layer.

Although they also contained decent spiritual power, their value was worlds apart compared to the entire snow lotus flower.

At most, they could be considered top-tier third-grade spiritual materials.

"What you mentioned..."

Chen Zhiwen held the few petals, looking at the other party with a playful gaze.

"Could it be this thing?"

The moment those few petals appeared.

The temperature of the entire underground passage seemed to drop several degrees.

A crisp, faint fragrance instantly permeated the air.

"Liu Shengli's" eyes suddenly burst with a dazzling radiance at that moment.

It was like a traveler in the desert seeing a clear spring.

"That's it!"

"This is the smell!"

That longing originating from the depths of his Soul made him instantly lose his reason.

He even skipped the bargaining phase.

"Give it to me!"

A low growl.

"Liu Shengli's" left arm suddenly swung out without any warning.

*Whoosh—*

He didn't use his hand to grab directly.

His left arm instantly swelled, and the skin burst open.

A streak of emerald-white, tangible, and eerie Demonic Qi gushed out from his pores.

That Demonic Qi condensed into a giant claw, carrying a suffocating fishy wind as it swept toward the lotus petals in Chen Zhiwen's hand.

The speed was simply inconceivable.

This was not just a snatching attempt, but also a probe.

If Chen Zhiwen failed to react in time, this claw would likely tear off his entire arm along with the petals.

"Humph."

Chen Zhiwen showed a look of mockery.

He knew this beast wouldn't trade honestly.

Facing the approaching giant claw of Demonic Qi, he neither dodged nor evaded.

He simply raised his hand gently.

He seemingly casually sent those few lotus petals into the shimmering white flame that had been floating by his side.

Bone Spirit Crystal Flame.

This was a renowned existence on the Heavenly Earthly Exotic Fire Rankings.

A perfect combination of extreme cold and extreme heat.

It specifically countered sinister and demonic entities.

*Sizzle sizzle sizzle—*

The aggressive streak of emerald-white Demonic Qi had just touched the outer halo of the Bone Spirit Crystal Flame.

A sudden change occurred!

The originally agile and violent Demonic Qi seemed as if it had been hit by a freezing spell, instantly solidifying.

Immediately after.

A thick layer of white frost, emitting a bone-chilling cold, rapidly spread along the Demonic Qi.

*Hiss—!*

That Demonic Qi seemed to have a life of its own, actually letting out painful twists and shrieks.

It was like a live snake thrown into a frying pan.

It lasted for less than half a breath.

*Bang!*

A crisp sound.

The seemingly indestructible giant claw of Demonic Qi actually shattered directly.

It turned into countless tiny ice crystal fragments, scattering all over the ground.

And after those fragments hit the ground, they did not dissipate.

Instead, they rapidly reorganized and reshaped.

Ultimately, they turned into dozens of thumbnail-sized, emerald-green little lotus leaves.

They lay quietly on the cold stone floor.

Chen Zhiwen was slightly stunned.

"What kind of technique is this?"

He hadn't expected that after the Demonic Qi spewed by this Ox Yao was defeated, it would turn into this kind of physical substance.

Before he could get a clear look.

The "Liu Shengli" opposite him suddenly opened his large mouth.

A suction force was generated out of thin air.

The emerald-green little lotus leaves on the ground instantly turned into streaks of green light and were swallowed into his stomach in one gulp.

*Gulp.*

After swallowing those lotus leaves, "Liu Shengli's" expression improved slightly.

But following that was a surge of intense annoyance.

He stared fixedly at the Bone Spirit Crystal Flame beside Chen Zhiwen, the wariness in his eyes deepening by several degrees.

The move just now, though only a probe,

had indeed seen a wisp of his Origin Demonic Qi forcibly frozen and shattered by that flame.

That bone-deep chill made his left arm feel somewhat numb even now.

And at this moment, Chen Zhiwen was also secretly alarmed.

"The Physical Body strength of this Ox Yao is simply ridiculous."

"If that strike just now had been against an ordinary Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, even if they used a Magic Treasure to block, they would likely have been injured."

"But this guy actually withstood the extreme cold power of the Bone Spirit Crystal Flame using only a limb manifested from Demonic Qi."

"Although the Demonic Qi was frozen and shattered, it didn't hurt his foundation."

"As expected of an otherworldly Yao Beast that dares to call itself a supreme race."

After this round of confrontation, both sides had a clearer understanding of each other's strength.

The atmosphere returned once again to that delicate point of balance.

"Is this Fellow Daoist Ox's sincerity?"

Chen Zhiwen took the initiative to attack.

With a cold face, he accused,

"We agreed on a barter trade, so what? You want to just snatch it?"

"If that's the case, then this business is better left undone!"

Saying so, he made a move to put away the lotus petals in the flame and turn to leave.

"Wait!"

"Liu Shengli" let out a muffled groan.

Although he wished he could tear the human before him into pieces, his desire for the snow lotus flower's Aura overrode his impulse.

He suppressed his anger and asked in a low voice,

"I was reckless just now."

"Tell me."

"What do you want to trade for?"

Seeing the other party yield, Chen Zhiwen stopped in his tracks.

He turned around, a victorious smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He didn't beat around the bush anymore.

Instead, he directly pointed his finger at the black storage ring on "Liu Shengli's" left hand.

"It's simple."

Chen Zhiwen's tone was firm and left no room for doubt.

"Undo the Divine Sense Restriction on it."

"Give it to me."

"I will select for myself."

"If you dare to play any more tricks or try to fool me with some trash,"

A cold light flashed in Chen Zhiwen's eyes.

"I will immediately destroy these few petals and turn around and leave!"

"At that time, even if you turn the entire Artifact Refining Alliance upside down, don't even think about finding another trace of the snow lotus flower!"

This move of cutting the ground from under his feet hit the mark.

"Liu Shengli's" expression froze.

He clearly hadn't expected Chen Zhiwen to be so resolute.

He hesitated for a moment, looked at the crystal-clear petals in Chen Zhiwen's hand, and then at the storage ring on his own hand.

Ultimately, greed triumphed over reason.

"Fine!"

"You're ruthless!"

He gritted his teeth and, with great reluctance, slipped the black storage ring off his finger.

With a shift of his Divine Thought.

He erased the Divine Sense mark belonging to Liu Shengli and also removed the layer of Restriction he had just set up.

"Take it!"

"Hurry up and choose!"

He casually tossed it, throwing the storage ring to Chen Zhiwen.

His urgent manner showed he was afraid Chen Zhiwen would go back on his word.

Chen Zhiwen caught the storage ring.

It felt cold and heavy in his hand.

He did not check it immediately but remained vigilant, splitting off a wisp of Divine Sense to carefully probe into the ring's space.

*Boom!*

As soon as his Divine Sense entered, he was dazzled by the mountain of treasures piled inside.

Within the massive space.

Spirit Stones were piled up like small hills, with countless High Grade and Medium Grade ones.

Various Magic Treasures, Medicinal Pills, and Spiritual Plants were arranged by category on rows of shelves.

It was simply a small mobile treasury!

"As expected of the Alliance Leader of the Artifact Refining Alliance."

"This net worth, even if placed in a major Sect like the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, would be among the top."

Chen Zhiwen was secretly delighted.

But he also knew that now was not the time to count his riches.

He had to be fast.

His Divine Sense swept through the space at high speed.

Filtering out the ordinary items, he directly locked onto the areas emitting powerful spiritual power fluctuations.

Suddenly.

His gaze fixed.

In a corner of the storage ring, five brocade boxes sealed with special Formations caught his attention.

The Aura leaking from them, though faint, was extremely heavy and sharp.

That was...

the scent of fourth-grade ore!

"Found them!"

Chen Zhiwen was wild with joy.

His Divine Sense instantly penetrated the gaps of the brocade boxes.

Sure enough!

Five Ores of different shapes, emitting terrifying Spiritual Pressure, lay quietly inside.

Each one was a top-tier primary material for refining fourth-grade Magic Treasures, which were used by Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators!

This kind of thing was almost impossible to find on the market.

Even if a single piece appeared at an auction, it could cause a bloodbath.

And here, there were a full five pieces!

"I'm rich!"

Chen Zhiwen suppressed the urge to swallow the entire storage ring.

He knew that one shouldn't be too greedy.

If he really tried to steal this storage ring, this Ox Yao would definitely go mad and fight him to the death.

It wouldn't be worth it if both sides suffered losses.

Wisdom lies in knowing what to take and what to leave.

Chen Zhiwen withdrew his Divine Sense and looked at the anxiously waiting "Liu Shengli."

He did not return the storage ring.

Instead, he spoke plainly:

"I, Chen, am an honest man."

"There's too much scrap metal here, and I don't care for it."

"I've set my sights on those five pieces of fourth-grade ore."

As soon as these words were spoken.

"Liu Shengli's" face instantly turned ugly.

"You certainly have the nerve to ask!"

"Those five Ores are Liu Shengli's lifelong collection, prepared for refining his Lifebound Treasure in the future!"

"Every single one is worth a fortune!"

"You want to trade five pieces for just a few measly petals?"

"In your dreams!"

Although he cursed fiercely.

"Liu Shengli" did not move to snatch it back.

Clearly, he also knew that although these five Ores were precious,

for him right now, they were far less important than the Aura of the snow lotus flower.

As long as he could improve his strength and stabilize his Divine Soul, there would be plenty of opportunities to snatch these worldly possessions back later.

"Then what is Fellow Daoist's opinion?"

Chen Zhiwen asked unhurriedly.

"Liu Shengli" took a deep breath.

He reached out and made a grasping motion from a distance.

*Whoosh whoosh whoosh!*

Three streaks of light instantly flew out from the storage ring in Chen Zhiwen's hand.

They floated between the two of them.

They were three brocade boxes.

The lids opened automatically, revealing their true contents.

The first piece was a fist-sized crimson crystal.

Its entire body seemed to burn with an inextinguishable flame, and the surrounding air was violently distorted.

burning heaven blazing crystal!

A fire-attribute top-tier fourth-grade ore!

The second piece was a stone as black as ink, yet its surface seemed to have water flowing over it.

It emitted an extremely cold and profound Aura.

black spring stone!

A rare mineral material with both water and yin attributes!

The third piece was a silver-white, strange metal with edges as sharp as a blade.

Just looking at it made one's eyes feel as if they were being cut.

peak blade stone!

The ultimate of the metal attribute, indestructible!

Each of these three was a top-grade primary material for smelting fourth-grade Magic Treasures.

"Just these three."

"Liu Shengli" stuck out his tongue and greedily licked his lips again.

His gaze was fixed on the lotus petals in Chen Zhiwen's hand.

It was as if they were no longer petals, but the most delicious delicacy in the world.

"Three fourth-grade ores."

"This is already a sky-high price."

"I want to trade for all the petals in your hand."

He paused, seemingly feeling that this expression was not precise enough.

So he added a specific number.

"One Ore for ten leaves."

"Thirty leaves in total."

"Not one leaf less!"

This price was actually far beyond the actual value of those few petals.

After all, they were just fallen outer petals; although they had the Aura of the fourth-grade snow lotus flower, their medicinal effect was not that exaggerated.

Trading them for three fourth-grade primary materials was simply a massive profit!

But for this otherworldly Ox Yao who urgently needed to stabilize its Divine Soul and adapt to the Physical Body,

this was perhaps the bottom line it could currently accept.

Chen Zhiwen looked at the three treasures floating in the air; although he was extremely excited in his heart, his face remained calm.

He was thinking.

Could he squeeze out a bit more profit?

Or...

should he just quit while he was ahead?

After all, those remaining two Ores were also beckoning to him. In the underground treasury, the atmosphere was eerie.

Three fourth-grade ores emitting terrifying energy fluctuations floated quietly in the air.

The crimson burning heaven blazing crystal, the pitch-black black spring stone, and the sharp peak blade stone.

Any one of them would be enough to make Nascent Soul Cultivators fight to the death.

But at this moment, they were like cabbages in a market, laid out on the table waiting for an unfair trade.

"One Ore for ten leaves."

"Thirty leaves in total, not one less!"

"Liu Shengli's" raspy voice echoed in the empty passage.

His eyes were filled with greed and urgency, as if as long as Chen Zhiwen nodded, he would immediately stuff these three treasures into the other's hands.

However.

Chen Zhiwen's reaction completely defied his expectations.

There was no bargaining, no feigned hesitation.