"Throw in that wood talisman, and we can talk." Seeing that his pressure tactic had worked, Lü Zhong stated his condition, gesturing toward the Amulet in the older female cultivator’s hand.

One look was enough to tell it was a high-quality item.

’If I can get my hands on it, it would neatly solve my problem of lacking an instantaneous defensive measure.’

This problem had persisted ever since he used up the Golden Palace Jade Talisman that Shuini had given him.

"This..." Lu Zhongzheng weighed his options.

After an intense internal struggle, he decided to meet Lü Zhong’s demand.

The reasoning was simple. A Wood Spirit Gang Protection Talisman could be acquired from the clan treasury, but Black Gold Insect Grass was not always available. Compared to completing his task efficiently and leaving a good impression on the clan’s Ancestor, the loss of the Protective Talisman was nothing.

Noticing Lu Zhongzheng’s gaze, the older woman sent him a voice transmission. However, she was quickly persuaded and handed the Wood Spirit Gang Protection Talisman to him.

Then, they established a Spirit Contract, completing the transaction.

"Thank you!" Lu Zhongzheng said with a cupped-fist salute.

His words held a double meaning. One was gratitude for Lü Zhong trading the Black Gold Insect Grass; the other was gratitude that he hadn’t attacked.

As for resentment, he felt none. After all, while the Lu Family’s Ancestor had a Golden Core cultivation, he would never intervene over such a trivial matter. And given his own strength, Lu Zhongzheng was eager to get on Lü Zhong’s good side; why would he rashly make an enemy of a powerful Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator?

In fact, a different idea was already beginning to take root in his mind.

Lu Zhongzheng was an accomplished alchemist and was at the point where he wanted to strike out on his own.

’Perhaps, by collaborating with the Chengde Commerce Association, I can finally shed my role as the family’s personal alchemy machine. Then, maybe I’ll get to keep a larger share of the Spirit Stones for myself.’

The moment the thought emerged, it became firmly planted in his mind.

When he looked up, he found that Lü Zhong and his companion were long gone.

...

The Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship skimmed across the sky, high above a glittering marsh.

The ship startled schools of large, ten-foot-long fish. They opened their great maws, filled with jagged teeth, and thrashed toward the Flying Ship. But in a flash, a red streak sliced past them, and the most succulent meat from their bellies vanished without a trace.

This was the fifth day since Lü Zhong and Yu Feng’Er had entered the Changchun Secret Realm.

They were still some distance from Overlapping Waves Sand, where the Purple Jade Spirit Marrow was located—a journey of roughly two days.

At that moment, onboard the Flying Ship, Lü Zhong and Yu Feng’Er had divided the labor.

One was responsible for slicing off the fish bellies, the other for grilling them.

By the time the Flying Ship landed on a deserted island, it was already filled with the rich aroma of grilled meat.

Lü Zhong took out the Cyan Grain Spirit Dew he carried with him and dripped a layer over the grilled fish bellies. The meat’s inherent fishy taste was instantly neutralized, leaving only the clean, fresh fragrance of the fish and the Spirit Dew.

"Mmm! This is delicious!" Yu Feng’Er’s eyes widened in surprise. She never expected the meat from those ugly fish to taste so rich and mellow. It was even more delectable than the Spiritual Food she used to eat back in her clan.

She ate one piece after another, simply unable to stop.

"Hey, save some for me!" Lü Zhong cried out, for once looking anxious.

Without waiting to see if the Spirit Dew had fully seeped into the meat, he immediately grabbed a piece of fish belly and began to devour it.

When it was all gone, he had an expression that showed he was not yet satisfied.

"Husband, should we go get some more?" Yu Feng’Er, still wanting to eat more, proactively suggested.

Lü Zhong shook his head. Seeing her confusion, he smiled and explained, "Too much of a good thing can be bad. If we eat more, we’ll just get sick of it. Rather than indulging our appetites, it’s better to preserve the memory of this delicious fish. Savoring that memory in our leisure time can be its own kind of pleasure."

It was the first time Yu Feng’Er had heard such reasoning. ’But thinking about it, it makes sense. When I was a child, there were so many things I wanted to eat. But after I grew up, I gradually lost interest in all of them. I suppose it’s because I could have them so often that I grew tired of them. The novelty that came from unfulfilled desire was gone.’

As a gentle evening breeze blew, the sky slowly began to darken.

Danger was also drawing near.

Thanks to her many days of intensive training, Yu Feng’Er was no longer the same person she once was. She noticed it quickly.

"Husband, over there..."

"Yes. It’s a massive Tier Two fish. Go and bring back its belly meat." Lü Zhong nodded, showing he had already spotted it. He informed Yu Feng’Er that this was her next training task, reminding her that this particular Odd Crow Demon Fish could spit poison darts that were extremely lethal, even to Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"Kill it, and your training will be over."

"Husband..." Yu Feng’Er whined playfully.

’Is he joking?’

From the results of her Divine Sense probe, the aura of the Fish Demon lurking underwater was nearly on par with a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. It was not something she could possibly handle on her own.

But Lü Zhong was unmoved.

He simply offered one more piece of advice: the Divine Soul of an Odd Crow Demon Fish was exceptionally weak.

As soon as she heard this, Yu Feng’Er understood how to deal with the massive fish.

She possessed an Ice Soul Spirit Body. If she could get close enough, she could unleash her Ice Soul Cold Qi and easily freeze the Demon Fish’s Divine Soul. At that point, the massive fish would be helpless, like a fish on a chopping block.

But that was easier said than done.

The reality was far different from the plan.

Yu Feng’Er tried several times, but each attempt ended with her being swatted away.

Just then, a green light landed on her, and waves of warmth spread through her body. The minor wounds on her skin began to heal. It was Lü Zhong, casting the Rejuvenation Skill from a distance.

The Rejuvenation Skill was the Yu Family’s sole ancestral Secret Skill.

It was more potent than the Blood Stopping Skill and was highly effective at healing wounds and staunching bleeding.

It had only taken Lü Zhong three days to learn the basics of the Rejuvenation Skill.

"Husband, watch me! I’ll succeed this time!" After resting for a moment, Yu Feng’Er once again took up her Green Vine Spirit Sword and engaged the thirty-foot-long fish in the water.

Instantly, water splashed everywhere and mud churned from below.

Just as Lü Zhong had said, the Odd Crow Demon Fish’s Divine Soul was extremely weak. Corroded by the Ice Soul Cold Qi, its Divine Soul was soon severely damaged. It became as helpless as a fish on a chopping block, completely incapable of resistance.