Translator: CinderTL

"Ah!" Wang Qiuyue sighed.

"This ’Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secret’ demands an exceptionally high aptitude for thunder magic. Bai Wei and I simply lack the talent to cultivate this secret art."

As she spoke, Wang Qiuyue’s eyes suddenly lit up.

"Why don’t we sell it to the Profound Sky Sect? Those old fogeys have coveted the ’Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secret’ for ages, resorting to all sorts of underhanded tactics. But they’ll never obtain the complete version. Selling it to them would fetch an astronomical price."

"Qiu Yue, selling such a precious secret art to the Profound Sky Sect seems unwise," Bai Wei said, her voice tinged with worry. "What if they use it against our Spirit Jade Palace one day?"

Wang Qiuyue waved her hand dismissively.

"Few in the Profound Sky Sect could master it anyway. Besides, a single secret art won’t significantly enhance their overall strength. After the sale, we’ll divide the spirit stones equally among the three of us."

"I think it’s a viable plan," Song Wen chimed in.

"Gou Jun, you certainly have some courage," Wang Qiuyue remarked. "Unlike Bai Wei, who always hesitates and overthinks everything."

Bai Wei still felt uneasy, but seeing Song Wen and Wang Qiuyue’s agreement, she decided not to press the matter further.

"Do either of you recognize the origins of this object?" Song Wen asked, conjuring a stone statue before them—the Two-Faced Buddha.

Song Wen had always sensed that the Two-Faced Buddha and the Nun statues possessed significant origins, their true purpose far exceeding mere aura concealment.

He didn’t want such treasures to remain hidden, but lacking the knowledge to refine them, he turned to the two women for guidance.

Backed by the Spirit Jade Palace, their access to information and hidden knowledge far surpassed that of a rogue cultivator like Song Wen.

The women’s gazes were instantly drawn to the statue.

After a moment of observation, Bai Wei spoke first.

"The aura emanating from this treasure is remarkably strange. It doesn’t seem to belong to cultivators of the Human Race."

Her words immediately brightened Wang Qiuyue’s eyes, who had been frowning in deep thought.

"I remember now!"

Song Wen and Bai Wei turned to Wang Qiuyue, waiting for her explanation.

However, Wang Qiuyue deliberately created an air of mystery by asking in return,

"Do you know why this continent is called the ’Eastern Profound Continent’?"

Bai Wei replied, "Legend has it that the mystic realm is vast and boundless, containing continents beyond just the Eastern Profound Continent. Since our continent lies in the eastern part of the mystic realm, it earned its name."

Wang Qiuyue nodded. "To the west of the Eastern Profound Continent, beyond countless billions of miles of sea, lies a place called the ’Western Rong Continent.’ This is the territory of the demon race, teeming with powerful demon beast clans. Among them is an exceptionally formidable demon race known as the ’Willow Serpent Clan.’"

"According to legend, the Willow Serpent Clan possesses the bloodlines of both the Human Race and the divine beast Teng Snake, making them half-human, half-serpent beings. Their upper bodies, from the waist up, are indistinguishable from humans, with jade-like skin and exquisite features. Below the waist, their bodies are covered in silvery-green scales that shimmer gracefully as they move. Though demons, the Willow Serpent Clan values human form and prefers to transform into human shapes. The more advanced a Willow Serpent’s cultivation, the more breathtakingly beautiful their human form becomes."

"Furthermore, while the Willow Serpent Clan cultivates by absorbing heaven and earth spiritual qi, the power they cultivate differs from the demon power of ordinary demons. It is instead known as ’Primordial Force.’"

"Many years ago, there was a Teleportation Array connecting the Western Rong Continent and the Eastern Profound Continent. During that time, powerful cultivators frequently traveled between the two continents. Some members of the Willow Serpent Clan even visited the Eastern Profound Continent, bringing with them unique treasures from their homeland. Later, for reasons unknown, contact between the two continents ceased, perhaps due to malfunctions in the Teleportation Array."

"If I’m not mistaken, the stone statue in Gou Jun’s hand should be a mystic treasure of the Willow Serpent Clan."

Song Wen frowned slightly.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, does this mean only the Willow Serpent Clan can unlock the true power of this artifact?"

"Unless you can cultivate Primordial Force, otherwise..." Wang Qiuyue paused, considering her words carefully. "I recall reading in an ancient text that the blood essence of the Human Race can stimulate its power to some extent."

Wang Qiuyue’s eyes suddenly lit up with excitement, eager to test this theory.

"Gou Jun, why don’t you let me try using my blood essence?"

"There’s no need to try. Blood essence can indeed activate this artifact," Song Wen said, his tone tinged with disappointment.

Since only the Willow Serpent Clan’s Primordial Force could fully activate the stone statues’ power, the value of the Two-Faced Buddha and Nun statues had plummeted.

Wang Qiuyue’s gaze remained fixed on the Two-Faced Buddha before Song Wen, the light in her eyes gradually dimming.

Clearly, Song Wen hadn’t allowed her to use her blood essence to activate it, leaving her somewhat disheartened.

Noticing this, Song Wen asked, "Fellow Daoist Wang, are you particularly interested in this item?"

Wang Qiuyue replied, "Naturally, I’d want to see something that only exists in ancient texts."

"In that case, I’ll gift this Two-Faced Buddha to you," Song Wen said, and the statue slowly floated toward Wang Qiuyue.

"You’re really giving it to me?" Wang Qiuyue asked, her face lighting up with joy.

"It’s just a foreign artifact," Song Wen said. "Feel free to take it."

The Two-Faced Buddha wasn’t a high-level treasure, so gifting it to Wang Qiuyue was merely a way to repay some of her past kindness.

Moreover, Song Wen had no reason to doubt Wang Qiuyue’s claims about the Willow Serpent Clan and the Two-Faced Buddha.

Wang Qiuyue was known for her integrity; she wouldn’t fabricate lies for such a relatively insignificant treasure.

As for why the Two-Faced Buddha had appeared in the Lower Realm, Song Wen theorized that Xu Geng and his group must have brought it down long ago.

"Then I won’t stand on ceremony," Wang Qiuyue said, gleefully stowing away the Two-Faced Buddha. She continued, "Oh, right! After your last failed body integration, you asked about heaven-and-earth spiritual treasures that could enhance one’s aptitude. The Willow Serpent Clan possesses a Spirit Herb called the Yaoguang Lotus. It’s said that consuming it can cleanse the marrow, reshape the bones, and reconstruct the spirit root. However, the two continents have severed all contact, and a vast sea region separates them..."

"Yaoguang Lotus!" Song Wen silently committed the name to memory. Instead of pressing for more details, he shifted the topic. "What do you two know about the Wu Clan of Wushang Lake?"

This was one of Song Wen’s primary reasons for visiting the women today.

Lan Chen had died at the hands of Wu Bo, the Wu Clan’s Ancestor. Now that Song Wen had advanced to the Body Integration Stage, it was time to plan his revenge.

Although Mo Yexue had promised to gather intelligence on the Wu Clan, her Divine Transformation cultivation realm limited her access to critical and core information about such a powerful family.

"But the Wu Clan under the Myriad Swords Pavilion?" Bai Wei countered.

"Exactly," Song Wen confirmed.

"Why are you inquiring about the Wu Clan?" Bai Wei pressed.

"Some personal matters. Forgive me for not being able to elaborate," Song Wen replied.

Seeing Song Wen’s reluctance, Bai Wei didn’t press further.

"The Wu Clan is affiliated with the Myriad Swords Pavilion and has no dealings with the Spirit Jade Palace. I don’t know much about them, and I suspect Qiuyue doesn’t either. However, our sect has specialists who monitor the major powers of the Southern Nether Continent year-round. They must have detailed intelligence on the Wu Clan. If you need it, I can send a message to Xu Mengyu and have her retrieve a copy for you."

"Then I’ll trouble Fellow Daoist Bai," Song Wen said.

"It’s a small matter. No need for formalities."

Bai Wei retrieved a Communication Jade Slip and began transmitting a message.

(End of the Chapter)

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