A day later, Chu Xuan received two Fire Cloud Mushrooms from several cultivators. These spirit plants were similar to ordinary mushrooms, but entirely crimson in color, especially the caps, which resembled a fiery cloud, hence the name Fire Cloud Mushroom.
Fire spirits had an intense craving for this plant, though they hadn't yet reached the level of obsession, where they would do anything to get it. First, this was because the mushrooms had not aged enough. Only a hundred-year-old Fire Cloud Mushroom could attract fire spirits. A five-hundred-year-old mushroom would draw a large number of fire spirits.
Chu Xuan estimated that a thousand-year-old Fire Cloud Mushroom would be the key to attracting the attention of the Fire Spirit King.
Additionally, the correct preparation of incense powder was needed to truly create a beast-luring scent that would stir the fire spirits into a frenzy. However, thousand-year-old Fire Cloud Mushrooms were extremely rare.
The two mushrooms Chu Xuan acquired were of one hundred and two hundred years of age. For an ordinary cultivator, there would be no way to hasten the growth of the mushrooms. But Chu Xuan was no ordinary cultivator.
He returned to Blue Star, planting the mushrooms in the soil of Merit and surrounding them with a number of Fire Spirit Crystals. These crystals, derived from fire spirits, were the condensed energy of their fiery essence. They were invaluable to cultivators with a fire spirit root, those practicing fire-based cultivation techniques, or those crafting fire-related magical treasures.
By using so many Fire Spirit Crystals, Chu Xuan had artificially created a fire-spiritual Qi-rich environment. With the influence of the Merit Soil, the growth rate of the Fire Cloud Mushrooms was greatly accelerated.
Ten days later, the two-hundred-year-old mushroom had grown significantly larger. Its color had changed from a bright red to a purple-red hue, resembling a fire that had burned for a thousand years and was now on the verge of extinction. This was the appearance of a thousand-year-old Fire Cloud Mushroom.
Chu Xuan was satisfied and quickly harvested the mushroom, preparing to concoct the beast-luring incense.
Though incense powder and pills were not the same, they shared a similar principle. As a cultivator skilled in both alchemy and poison arts, Chu Xuan quickly grasped the technique after only a few failures, successfully crafting a small bottle of Fire Spirit Beast-Luring Incense.
"Hmm? Why does the Merit Soil look withered?"
Chu Xuan, noticing the state of the Merit Soil in the glass jar, immediately felt that it seemed to have lost its vitality, much like a cucumber that lacked water.
"Could it be that hastening the growth of these two Fire Cloud Mushrooms drained too much of the soil's fertility?" he mused.
That seemed plausible. Even in cultivation, the principle of energy conservation applied. The Merit Soil was able to hasten the growth of the mushrooms because it contained an immense amount of fertility. Now, after hastening the growth of both the Fire Cloud Mushrooms and the Spiritual Shadow Root, the soil's energy had probably been depleted.
"Next time there's a Merit Rain, I'll bring you along," Chu Xuan chuckled lightly, striding forward to return to the Starshatter Sea.
One day, Chu Xuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, feeling a bit of a headache. "I've got the things I need... but how do I sprinkle the beast-luring incense on him without him noticing?"
Although the other person was shameless, he was still a Deity Transformation cultivator. Getting the incense on him without being discovered would definitely be a bit tricky.
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Just then, a booming sound echoed from outside. It sounded like two cultivators were fighting in mid-air, and judging by the intensity, the battle was bound to be fierce.
Without a second thought, the cultivators inside Chu Xuan's shop dropped their demonic talismans and rushed out to watch the commotion.
Chu Xuan shook his head. "Young people, always so eager to watch the drama. What's so interesting about it? What if they get caught in the crossfire?"
"It's a battle between two Deity Transformation cultivators!" one of the onlookers exclaimed in surprise.
Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow and quickly rushed out, moving with speed.
"A battle between Deity Transformation cultivators? Where? Where?" he wondered as he scanned the sky. Sure enough, two figures were engaged in a fierce duel, riding their spiritual weapons, clashing with an incessant sound of metal and energy.
"That person on the left, wearing a stark white robe, thin and bony—looks like White Bone True Master!" someone in the crowd said.
"And the one on the right, who is he? I've never seen this Deity Transformation cultivator before."
"Yeah, I've never seen this one either. Could he be from the East or West Third Ring?"
"But didn't they say most cultivators from the East and West Third Rings were blocked from entering the island? How could a Deity Transformation cultivator have sneaked in?"
The cultivators around were in shock, murmuring among themselves.
Chu Xuan's eyes lit up when he saw the figure draped in a cloak—this was the very same shameless Deity Transformation cultivator he had noticed earlier!
He had been wondering how to discreetly apply the beast-luring incense, and now, it seemed that this person had been spotted by White Bone True Master!
This was great. He could save the precious incense for another time. But how had White Bone True Master discovered him? Could it be…?
Chu Xuan smirked to himself. "Could White Bone True Master also be hiding his cultivation and sneaking into the island?"
Thinking about it, it seemed perfectly reasonable.
A grand Deity Transformation cultivator, always involved in some underhanded deeds. Chu Xuan watched the spectacle with amusement, not feeling the least bit guilty. After all, he was just a small Nascent Soul cultivator—what could he have done wrong?
"Who are you? Why have you trespassed on Desolate Island?" White Bone True Master bellowed, his voice dripping with an icy menace.
"This is the sacred land of the Southern Third Ring cultivators! No one else is allowed to set foot here!"
He struck out with a massive, eerie hand formed of dark spiritual energy, his voice thunderous.
True Master Tiancang coldly snorted, still keeping his face hidden beneath his hood. With a flick of his hand, he effortlessly shattered White Bone True Master's gigantic palm.
However, his expression turned grim. He hadn't expected that in his mere attempt to gather information, he would run into another Deity Transformation cultivator—especially one who was also hiding his cultivation. The moment two Deity Transformation cultivators met, they could immediately sense each other's power. That was why a battle had erupted.
Now, the commotion had escalated far beyond his expectations, and this was bad for him. If more Deity Transformation cultivators from the Southern Third Ring were drawn to the scene, even though he was more powerful than them, he could still fall here.
True Master Tiancang thought for a moment, then unleashed a spell that pushed back the White Bone True Master. Taking the opportunity, he prepared to use his escape technique and withdraw.
However, White Bone True Master had no intention of letting him leave so easily.
In dealing with external Deity Transformation cultivators, he had a similar mindset to Yellow Spring True Master and Moon True Master—they all had the same stance. Now, an outsider had wandered in like an easy target. He wasn't about to let him slip away without extracting something.
With a growl, White Bone True Master summoned a pair of eerie, bone-white dragon claws.
"White Dragon Seize!" he cried.
"Stay where you are!"
The dragon claws expanded at a visible speed, rapidly moving to encircle True Master Tiancang from both sides. As they approached, waves of verdant light rippled outward from the claws, sapping the speed of True Master Tiancang's movements.
His expression changed slightly. This white bone artifact—made from who knows what demonic beast materials—actually had the effect of restraining his movements.
White Bone True Master was trying to trap him!
"To try and keep me here with your mere Deity Transformation Stage One cultivation? You're not worthy!" True Master Tiancang's voice turned cold with fury.
With a swift motion, he summoned a jade vial into his hand. Slamming it down, a foul-smelling dark green liquid sprayed from the vial in a vast torrent.
The White Dragon Seize, unable to avoid the spray, was covered in the liquid. Instantly, White Bone True Master felt his control over the claws weaken.
His face changed drastically. He fought desperately to retract the claws, but they struggled, the once unyielding strength of the artifact now faltering.