Chapter 229

Chapter 229: A Bold Visit

Half an hour later, the Four True Immortals of the Four Seas Alliance left the Crystal Palace treasure ship in high spirits, soaring away on their swords.

Fang Lie gazed contentedly at the five small wooden boxes on the table. Each was roughly a foot long, containing translucent spirit pearls. The pearls varied in color by element—green for wood, blue for water, yellow for earth, red for fire, and gold for metal.

Every pearl measured precisely one fen in size, not a hair more or less. Each bore a golden seal inscribed with divine patterns. Even through the seal, the pure spiritual energy within could be faintly sensed.

These spirit pearls were created by refining spiritual energy from spirit stones, intended for high-level cultivation and crafting treasures. Despite their abundance of energy, raw spirit stones contained impurities. Cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage or higher required utterly pure spiritual energy for advancement—any impurity risked hindering their progress.

Thus, those at the Purple Palace stage and beyond no longer absorbed energy directly from spirit stones. Instead, they purified it first. Over time, purification methods grew swifter and more sophisticated.

By the True Immortal stage, cultivators learned that spiritual energy compressed to one fen in size would naturally solidify into spirit pearls. Further refinement increased both size and purity. Eventually, people began crafting portable spirit pearls to replace bulkier spirit stones in major transactions.

Standard measurements emerged:

– A one-fen *small spirit pearl* equaled 10,000 high-grade spirit stones.

– A two-fen *normal spirit pearl* equaled 100 small spirit pearls.

– A three-fen *large spirit pearl* equaled 100 normal spirit pearls.

Purple Palace and Nascent Soul cultivators typically used small spirit pearls. Wind Tribulation Immortals and Fire Tribulation Immortals required normal pearls for effective cultivation, while Thunder Tribulation Immortals depended entirely on large pearls.

Beyond cultivation, spirit pearls served many purposes—alchemy, treasure refinement, Formations, restoring Magic, powering mechanical puppets, and more. Yet producing them demanded great effort: only high-grade spirit stones could be used, as lower grades contained too many impurities. After shaping, divine patterns were etched onto each pearl to preserve its energy for millennia.

Breaking the seal released the energy over a century, rendering the pearl useless for trade. Combined with the labor-intensive process and scarce materials, this made spirit pearls rare commodities—especially wood-element pearls, valued at twice other elements.

To appease Fang Lie, the Four Seas Alliance gifted him 100 pearls of each element—a haul worth hundreds of billions of low-grade spirit stones, equivalent to a dozen mid-sized shops. Still unsatisfied, Fang Lie squeezed three Fifth Rank Fire-element Treasures from them.

The four scoundrels had anticipated his demands. Though costly, the treasures remained within their means. They promised delivery to Qingyu Island within days.

Fang Lie wasn’t worried they’d back out, so he agreed with satisfaction.

Thus, the War between Fang Lie and the Four Seas Alliance concluded with Fang Lie’s victory.

The Four True Immortals were shrewd. After resolving their feud with Fang Lie, they swiftly displayed their merchant cunning by proposing an exclusive partnership to sell his spirit pills.

Fang Lie didn’t particularly care who bought his pills, but a long-term collaborator sounded useful.

The Four Seas Alliance’s vast resources meant they could supply massive quantities of low-rank spirit herbs and Demon Pills—exactly what Fang Lie urgently needed.

Relying solely on the Mo Fang Shop’s slow collection efforts would never meet his demands.

When they tentatively made their offer, Fang Lie immediately showed keen interest. After negotiations, they struck a deal:

The Four Seas Alliance would fully supply Fang Lie’s alchemy materials, while Fang Lie agreed to sell them seventy percent of his spirit pills.

However, Fang Lie demanded payment not in spirit stones, but in Fourth-Rank or higher materials or spirit pearls.

This agreement satisfied both sides. Fang Lie gained both practice opportunities and a flood of high-rank materials, guaranteeing a swift rise in wealth.

For the Four Seas Alliance, the materials they gave up paled in comparison to the value of Fang Lie’s supreme-quality spirit pills.

With the Great Pill Master Fang Lie as their backer, their business was poised to thrive.

Crucially, Fang Lie’s fearsome reputation now served as a potent protective talisman. By spreading news of his affiliation, the Alliance could deter many troubles.

For issues too minor to involve their Thunder Tribulation Immortal backers, they could now approach Fang Lie. Given their partnership, he’d likely intervene if the reward sufficed.

After finalizing the deal, both parties dispersed. The Four True Immortals returned to manage the aftermath, while Fang Lie didn’t head back to Qingyu Island. He had other business to settle.

Days later, Fang Lie reached a small island spanning mere hundreds of miles. Its single small mountain and pristine landscapes gave it delicate beauty.

This was Qingning Island, retreat of Mr. Suan Mei. Protected by an illusion formation, it barred entry to the uninvited.

Having obtained access methods from the Four Seas True Immortals, Fang Lie easily guided his Crystal Palace treasure ship to the island’s dock.

Stepping ashore, Fang Lie entered a bamboo pavilion housing a table. Behind it sat a gaunt, weathered man wearing a plum blossom hairpin so lifelike it seemed real, emitting a light plum scent. This sixth-rank magical item belied its wielder’s power.

Mr. Suan Mei maintained his imposing air, keeping his eyes half-closed despite his guest’s arrival.

Fang Lie sat directly across, coldly assessing this master of Yi Numerology. The old man appeared utterly ordinary.

Finally, Mr. Suan Mei broke first: "Know the rules? Payment comes before calculations!"

"No money," Fang Lie stated bluntly.

"Then why come?" Mr. Suan Mei roared. "Mocking me?"

"Wrong." Fang Lie leaned forward. "I’m here to settle scores."

"Bold!" The old man’s eyes snapped open. "First in decades to dare speak thus! Let’s see if you’ve three heads and six arms!"

But upon seeing Fang Lie, his anger evaporated. "You’re Fang Lie?"

"How’d you guess?"

"Who else in Wanxing Sea has wings and one eye?" Mr. Suan Mei retorted. "Here about the Four Seas Alliance location calculation?"

"So you admit your fault."

"Fault? They paid, I calculated—simple transaction!"

"Not that simple." Fang Lie smirked. "You think yourself above consequences?"

"Consequences?" Mr. Suan Mei scoffed. "A Qi Sea realm ant threatens a Wind Tribulation Immortal?"

Fang Lie studied the Qing Feng aura swirling around the old man—his cultivation surpassed even Immortal Han Xuan’s. Victory through force was impossible.

"True, I can’t beat you," Fang Lie conceded. "But can your son withstand me? Bring him out—kill him, and we’re even."

"Absurd!" Mr. Suan Mei thundered. "Targeting Juniors isn’t honorable!"

"Honor?" Fang Lie’s smile turned icy. "You endangered my family. Why shouldn’t I exterminate yours?"