Inside the palace atop the Panlong Mountain Range, the higher-ups of the Six Kings' Mansion and Zhang Fan's group gathered. Despite having just emerged from a fierce battle, with even the Six Kings' City reduced to ruins, their eyes held no sorrow, but rather anticipation and excitement as they gazed at Zhang Fan.
"Zhang Fan, can you truly refine Immortal-grade spirit pills?" Liu Mu, impatient, was the first to break the silence. Although he had always known Zhang Fan possessed exceptional alchemy skills, having received a bottle of top-grade spirit pills from him when they first met in the Wushan Starfield, the idea of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator refining Immortal-grade pills was beyond his comprehension, even with his knowledge. The difficulty was akin to a Nascent Soul cultivator being able to fight a Soul Transformation stage expert.
"Naturally, would I lie?" Zhang Fan chuckled, saying casually.
"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and refine a batch! Just give me a few bottles, and I can focus on my cultivation. If I can reach the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, I'll wield my thousand-pound greatsword and take on a whole horde by myself!" Liu Mu said with evident excitement.
"You want a few bottles?" Zhang Fan looked at Liu Mu, a hint of speechlessness in his voice. "Immortal-grade spirit pills are not easily refined, and besides, I don't have the time to refine them now."
"Aren't you planning to refine a batch of Immortal-grade spirit pills to boost our strength for the battle three months from now?" Liu Mu asked curiously, the others also turning their expectant gazes to Zhang Fan, sharing the same thought.
"Certainly not. Leave the battle three months from now to me. You can go play in the mud."
With that, Zhang Fan ignored Liu Mu's exasperated expression and turned to Ling Xiu. "Sovereign Ling Xiu, I need to go into seclusion for these three months. However, all my spirit crystals are depleted. Please help me exchange all these magical treasures for spirit crystals."
As he spoke, he waved his hand, retrieving a vast quantity of spiritual and heavenly treasures from his Star Constellation Space, piling them into a small mountain in the center of the palace.
"How many cultivators did he have to kill to amass so many magical treasures?"
"That long spear, isn't that Nangong Feng's treasure? That's a high-grade heavenly treasure!"
Most of the cultivators from the Six Kings' Mansion had not entered the Great Luo Realm. They had only heard that Zhang Fan had been on a killing spree inside, but seeing it firsthand was far more shocking than hearing about it. Such a hoard of treasures must have cost the lives of countless powerful individuals.
What they didn't know was that hundreds of flying swords were obtained after Zhang Fan slew the Supreme Elder of the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven after leaving the Great Luo Realm. Although the two sword formations had been shattered by the crackling beast's illusion and a large number of flying swords were destroyed on the spot, Zhang Fan had managed to salvage quite a few intact ones.
"Elder Zhang Fan, you are too kind. Just tell me how many spirit crystals you need, and as long as our Six Kings' Mansion can provide it, we will fulfill your request." Ling Xiu repeatedly demurred, valuing Zhang Fan more than the treasures, however precious they were.
"I need ten billion spirit crystals and a heavenly medicine that can enhance the soul." Zhang Fan's words stunned everyone in the hall.
Ten billion spirit crystals? What did that even mean? The average price of a high-grade heavenly treasure was around one hundred million spirit crystals. While the pile of treasures Zhang Fan had produced was valuable, containing seven or eight high-grade heavenly treasures, their total worth was only about five billion spirit crystals, still half of what he needed. Furthermore, the heavenly medicine Zhang Fan mentioned, capable of enhancing the soul, was exorbitantly priced, far more precious than high-grade spiritual treasures. For cultivators at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, soul power was paramount. A weak soul could not withstand the integration of the laws of the Dao, highlighting the immense value of such heavenly medicines.
Even Ling Xiu, who had braced himself, was momentarily stunned by Zhang Fan's request. He hadn't expected Zhang Fan to be so audacious, requiring ten billion spirit crystals for just a few months of secluded cultivation at the mid-Nine Tribulations stage. However, having come this far, he could only trust Zhang Fan. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Leave it to me. I will have it delivered to Elder Zhang Fan within three days." Ten billion spirit crystals was no small sum, and heavenly medicine that enhanced the soul was even rarer. He would need time to search for it.
Zhang Fan nodded and then asked, "Sovereign, how much do you know about those three factions? Besides their prominent powerhouses, how many hidden cultivators do they possess?"
Ling Xiu had previously mentioned to Zhang Fan that the Flying Immortal Mansion had a suspected Soul Transformation stage cultivator, but that was over a hundred thousand years ago. If that person were still alive, there would only be two possibilities. The first was that they had already broken through to the Soul Transformation stage. Zhang Fan considered this highly unlikely; if they had truly reached that level, they would likely have left the Wushan Starfield long ago. Zhang Fan leaned towards the second possibility: the individual had used special means to seal all traces of their existence, preventing even heavenly tribulations from sensing them, thus allowing them to survive for so long. Zhang Fan wasn't worried about this; even if such a person were powerful, having integrated ninety-nine percent of their soul and laws, their attempt to act would undoubtedly be sensed by heavenly tribulations. The probability of surviving the Soul Transformation tribulation before the soul and laws were fully integrated was minuscule.
Ling Xiu shook his head. "I cannot provide you with precise information, but I have a general idea." He continued, "Besides Bai Mengtian, the Flying Immortal Mansion has another half-step Soul Transformation expert: the previous Sovereign of the Flying Immortal Mansion. I vaguely sensed his aura when I visited the Flying Immortal Mansion."
"As for the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, apart from Fu Beichen, there are two other half-step Soul Transformation experts. One is the guardian of the Black Sand Cave, who is responsible for overseeing the prisoners there and rarely walks the mortal realm. The other is the previous Grand Elder of the Black Sand Grotto-Heaven. After reaching the half-step Soul Transformation stage, he abdicated to Nangong Pu and focused on his cultivation, rarely showing himself."
"As for the Sun Shadow Grotto-Heaven, besides Sima Cang, the other is Sima Cang's grandfather. After passing the position to Sima Cang, he also rarely appears in public."
"The Black Sand Grotto-Heaven had a half-step Soul Transformation expert skilled in sword formations, whom I killed," Zhang Fan stated. "It seems that was the one you mentioned."
"Killed?" Everyone looked at Zhang Fan with shock. A half-step Soul Transformation expert, killed just like that? They also understood that it must have been Fu Beichen who arranged the ambush for Zhang Fan, but they hadn't expected Zhang Fan's strength to be so formidable, capable of killing even a half-step Soul Transformation expert.
"Our Six Kings' Mansion also has three reclusive half-step Soul Transformation experts. However, they are in long-term seclusion, focusing on Dao cultivation and the integration of laws and soul. Unless the sect faces a life-or-death crisis, they will not easily intervene," Ling Xiu stated candidly, looking at Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan understood. This was likely the reason behind Ling Xiu's resolute attitude towards Bai Mengtian and others. Even if he and Liu Mu hadn't intervened today, Bai Mengtian and his ilk wouldn't have been able to annihilate the Six Kings' Mansion.