But alas, Xiqi Leopard was a Golden Core Great Cultivator and had every right to speak that way. Fang Qingyuan could only pretend he hadn’t heard.

Fang Qingyuan took out ten bottles of Blood Life Pills and placed them before Xiqi Leopard. The Bee Queen had refined these pills over a year ago. Out of a total of thirty-two bottles, Fang Qingyuan hadn’t sold a single one.

Xiqi Leopard inspected all the Blood Life Pills. Then, with a casual flip of his hand, the pills vanished. He then said:

"The pills are good. Do you want Demon Summoning Soil or Spirit Stones?"

Ten bottles of Blood Life Pills were worth two thousand top-grade Spirit Stones, or an equivalent value in Demon Summoning Soil. Compared to Spirit Stones, Fang Qingyuan had a much greater need for the Demon Summoning Soil.

Fang Qingyuan was about to say he wanted the Demon Summoning Soil, but just as the words were on the tip of his tongue, an idea struck him.

As a Golden Core Cultivator, Xiqi Leopard’s status in the Little Demon Abyss didn’t seem low. At that moment, Fang Qingyuan suddenly recalled the various events that had occurred since he arrived in the Iron Wind Islands, and a plan began to form.

’Zhao E Lian’s rapid rise, the Demon Sect on Fire Melt Island, the altar, the Demon Worm Death Water, the ruins for creating Demon Summoning Soil... is there a connection between them all?’

With this in mind, Fang Qingyuan decided to test the waters and asked:

"Elder Xiqi, I’d like to ask a few questions. You can answer as you see fit. Of course, information has a price. Feel free to use the value of these Blood Life Pills as payment."

A smile touched the corners of Xiqi Leopard’s mouth. He looked at Fang Qingyuan and nodded slowly.

Seeing this, Fang Qingyuan went straight to his first question:

"Over the past few decades, has the supply of Demon Summoning Soil in the Little Demon Abyss been increasing or decreasing?"

Xiqi Leopard’s expression suddenly turned serious. He hadn’t expected Fang Qingyuan to ask such a question. He thought Fang Qingyuan would ask about Magical Artifacts or perhaps some questions about cultivating with magical treasures.

However, this was a topic Xiqi Leopard was well-informed on, so he answered bluntly:

"For the past few decades, the supply of Demon Summoning Soil in the Little Demon Abyss was constantly increasing. It peaked seven years ago and has been in decline ever since. As of now, one tael of Demon Summoning Soil is back to the price it was thirty years ago."

After hearing this, Fang Qingyuan was lost in thought. ’The supply of Demon Summoning Soil increased for decades, so a cultivator must have been selling it in large quantities. The supply was suddenly cut off seven years ago. It seems the cultivator who was selling it suddenly stopped.’

He recalled that Zhao E Lian had been transferred to the Southern Border to serve as Sect Leader seven years ago. ’The cultivator selling off massive amounts of Demon Summoning Soil... it must be him.’

"My second question: has the cultivator selling the Demon Summoning Soil always been the same person?"

Xiqi Leopard gave Fang Qingyuan a deep look before replying:

"Although he changed his identity every time, he couldn’t fool the Abyss Lord. That’s right. For all these years, the cultivator selling off large quantities of Demon Summoning Soil has always been a single person. Every time he came, he would trade huge amounts of Demon Summoning Soil for various cultivation resources. Over the decades, he has nearly emptied the entire treasury of the Little Demon Abyss."

Xiqi Leopard was quite candid, not minding at all that he was revealing such inside information to Fang Qingyuan.

Upon hearing this, Fang Qingyuan’s mind was made up. ’For decades, Zhao E Lian has been consistently selling Demon Summoning Soil in exchange for the vast cultivation resources of the Little Demon Abyss.’

’The main currency in the Little Demon Abyss is Demon Summoning Soil. The various beings there covet it even more than Spirit Stones and other resources.’

’No wonder Iron Wind Island has risen so suddenly in the past few decades. With the resources of the Little Demon Abyss, even a place like Iron Wind Island was bound to flourish.’

’And the person visiting the Little Demon Abyss all these years has always been Zhao E Lian. He must possess a method for mass-producing Demon Summoning Soil.’

Fang Qingyuan thought of the altar on Fire Melt Island. ’The amount of Demon Worm Death Water it produces couldn’t possibly meet Zhao E Lian’s needs. Could there be other altars that I don’t know about?’

’Or, to take the speculation even further, what if Zhao E Lian has a Dead Water Demon Earthworm of his own? Such demonic creatures from an Otherworld are rare, but as a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator from the Beast Taming Sect, it’s possible he could have summoned one through a sacrificial ritual.’

’But Demon Worm Death Water alone isn’t enough to create Demon Summoning Soil. The method Zhao E Lian used for the rest of the process is something I can’t possibly guess.’

’Wait a minute. What role did the members of the Demon Sect play in all of this? And why did the Demon Tide erupt right after Zhao E Lian left?’

’Could Zhao E Lian have been colluding with the Demon Sect, and they provided the necessary help by refining the Demon Summoning Soil for him?’

As these possibilities churned in his mind, Fang Qingyuan realized he had been quiet for too long. He quickly continued with his questions:

"My third question: what are the origins of the Demon Sect on Fire Melt Island, and who are its members?"

Xiqi Leopard shook his head.

"This question, on top of the previous two... your Blood Life Pills aren’t enough to cover the cost."

Fang Qingyuan was taken aback. ’Are two thousand top-grade Spirit Stones that worthless?’

But on second thought, he realized it was normal for the price to be higher when the information concerned a Golden Core Cultivator. ’Besides, the master of that Demon Sect is probably a Nascent Soul Level entity.’

Just as Qingyuan was about to offer to pay the difference, Xiqi Leopard took out a jade slip and tossed it to him.

"The Demon Sect on Fire Melt Island has already been destroyed, so the value of this information has dropped considerably. This jade slip contains the intelligence we’ve gathered. Take it. With this, we’ll be even. Do you accept?"

Fang Qingyuan took the jade slip, more than happy with this arrangement. His true objective had been the answers to the first two questions; asking about the Demon Sect was merely a small ploy to misdirect Xiqi Leopard.

"Excellent. Our next trade will be in two years, for another ten bottles."

After saying this, Xiqi Leopard gestured for Fang Qingyuan to leave. Once Fang Qingyuan was gone, he took out one of the bottles of Blood Life Pills, tipped its contents into his mouth, and let out a sound of pure satisfaction.

A moment later, Xiqi Leopard’s body trembled slightly, and a crimson light flickered in his eyes.

...

After taking the Teleportation Array again, Fang Qingyuan returned to the Five Finger Peak Black Market. The moment he emerged, he immediately flew back to Golden Turtle Island to begin his secluded cultivation.

Inside his Quiet Chamber, Fang Qingyuan’s heart soared. He had originally planned to lay low in the Outer Sea for a decade or two before returning to the Southern Border, but he never imagined he would stumble upon Zhao E Lian’s secret.

In truth, Zhao E Lian’s activities couldn’t have escaped the notice of a truly attentive person. But his prestige and power were currently immense, and ordinary sect members would not want to provoke him without good reason.

The crucial factor was the attitude of the Nascent Soul Cultivators in the upper echelons. If a Nascent Soul Cultivator was determined to protect him, it would be difficult for the sect to punish Zhao E Lian, even if someone came forward with accusations and exposed his collusion with the Demon Sect.

A Late-stage Golden Core cultivator with an Early-stage Nascent Soul Companion Beast represented a pillar of the Beast Taming Sect’s strength. The sect would be unwilling to dispose of such an asset lightly.

Besides, there was no proof of his collusion with Demon Cultivators. The Demon Sect had already been wiped out, and without concrete evidence, no one could touch Zhao E Lian.

At this thought, Fang Qingyuan’s excitement cooled. ’I already know Zhao E Lian’s secret. I shouldn’t get too involved in the rest. The proper course of action is to report this to Lechuan and let a Golden Core deal with a Golden Core.’

’Otherwise, should a mere Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator like me lead the charge? Am I supposed to capture all the remaining members of the Demon Sect to serve as evidence against Zhao E Lian?’

’That’s asking way too much of me.’ Thinking of the Demon Sect, Fang Qingyuan’s eyes turned cold. ’The words of that Demon Cultivator on the Ten Thousand Miles Sound Transmission Talisman were awfully insolent.’

With that, Fang Qingyuan took out the jade slip Xiqi Leopard had given him and began to examine its contents.

...

A moment later, Fang Qingyuan lowered the jade slip.

The intelligence from the Little Demon Abyss was incredibly precise. The jade slip laid bare the entire history of the Demon Sect that had been entrenched on Fire Melt Island.

This Demon Sect was actually named the Demon Worship and God Impeachment Sect, and they specialized in summoning mysterious creatures from Otherworlds. The Demon Tide a few years ago was the result of several of the sect’s Golden Core leaders setting up an altar with offerings to summon a demonic beast from an unknown plane, one equivalent in power to a Mid-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Unfortunately for them, the moment this demonic beast arrived in the Cultivation Realm, it was suppressed by the combined forces of the Beast Taming Sect and the Great Zhou Academy.

The Golden Core leaders of the Demon Worship Sect were killed on the spot, and only a few insignificant members managed to survive.

That’s right. The Demon Cultivator who had killed Tuoba Ye and brazenly threatened Fang Qingyuan was classified as mere "small fry" in the jade slip’s report.

’If a Fake Pill Cultivator is considered small fry, then what does that make me?’

But when Fang Qingyuan saw the note at the end of the jade slip stating the intelligence was compiled by the Abyss Lord, it became easier to accept.

Fang Qingyuan didn’t know the cultivation realm of the Little Demon Abyss’s master, but he was certain the man was at least at the Nascent Soul realm. There were even rumors in the outside world that this figure was a Divinity Transformation Cultivator.

Fang Qingyuan put the jade slip away with a soft sigh. ’Even though I know the truth, there’s not much I can do. Only a Golden Core can be a match for a Golden Core.’

’For now, I should focus all my energy on raising my cultivation level and breaking through as soon as possible. Perhaps when I’m a Golden Core Cultivator myself, I’ll be able to play a more significant role in these affairs.’

With this thought, Fang Qingyuan calmly closed his eyes and began to meditate.