Record of a Demon's Cultivation-Chapter 417: Dragon Pattern Grass

Translator: Cinder Translations

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Granny Jin had managed to block the Lightning Strike with her skill, but her speed drastically slowed, and the distance between her and Song Wen quickly widened.

"Want to escape? Not so easy."

Granny Jin was unwilling to let Song Wen slip away so easily.

A cold gleam flashed in her eyes, and with a flicker of her body, she transformed into a streak of blue light and pursued Song Wen once again.

She had just chased for a few hundred steps when another Lightning Strike struck down.

Granny Jin had no choice but to gather her spiritual energy once more and fully defend herself.

This caused the speed she had just regained to sharply decrease again.

"Damn it!"

Watching Song Wen gradually disappear into the distance, already over a hundred paces away in the dark, Granny Jin's heart was filled with frustration. She cursed softly under her breath.

Although she was unwilling, she knew she couldn't catch up with Song Wen.

Reluctantly, Granny Jin turned around and headed in the direction of Fang City.

Seeing that his pursuer had stopped, Song Wen gradually slowed his pace.

He couldn't help but feel a bit of sentimentality in his heart.

Indeed, coveting others' things often leads to trouble.

Fortunately, the person Xing Xinxin had called was just a mid-Golden Core cultivator. If it had been a Nascent Soul cultivator, today might have been dangerous.

Suddenly, Song Wen realized that after reaching the Golden Core stage, his mentality had quietly shifted.

It seemed he was no longer as cautious as he used to be.

"In the future, I must not act recklessly like today."

Song Wen silently warned himself in his heart.

At the same time, he suddenly remembered something.

A yellow paper unexpectedly appeared in his hand.

The yellow paper was the fragment of the Corpse Curse Water, which was given to him by a little servant at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in the Dark Star Black Market.

At the time, the servant had mentioned that the Myriad Treasures Pavilion was part of the Xing family's property.

The servant had also repeatedly mentioned the word "miss."

Additionally, Xing Xinxin did not cultivate the proper techniques of the Xing family but instead practiced the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique.

Considering these clues, Song Wen suspected that Xing Xinxin was the "miss" the servant had mentioned and was the actual controller of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

"Perhaps I should go to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion to investigate."

Song Wen removed his mask, disguised himself as a young cultivator in his teens, and flew on his sword towards the Black Market.

...

"Granny Jin, how did it go? Did you capture that person?"

When Xing Xinxin saw Granny Jin return, she couldn't wait to ask.

Granny Jin shook her head.

"He escaped."

"What about the technique?"

"I couldn't get the technique either."

Xing Xinxin felt an immense sense of disappointment.

Granny Jin continued, "Miss, you misjudged him. He's not a corpse cultivator, but a righteous cultivator who specializes in thunder techniques."

Xing Xinxin frowned. "How is that possible? If he's a righteous cultivator, why would he repeatedly request corpse spiritual materials for transactions?"

Granny Jin replied, "I don't know. However, he escaped, and he may not give up easily. Miss, it's better to be extra cautious in the coming days. It's best to return to the family and continue your cultivation there."

"I understand, thank you for the reminder, Granny Jin."

Xing Xinxin responded casually.

The day before, she had returned to her family, and after requesting Granny Jin's help, she was called over by her father, Xing Gaohan, and scolded severely.

The reason was that she had gone crying to Xing Gaohan about being beaten up by Xing Chang.

This had already put Xing Xinxin in a very bad mood, and now that Granny Jin hadn't been able to bring back the technique, it had only made things worse, leaving her in an extremely foul mood.

Although she appeared respectful to Granny Jin on the surface, she was actually quite dissatisfied with her in her heart.

However, due to Granny Jin's cultivation level and the fact that she would need her help in the future, Xing Xinxin didn't show her displeasure.

Granny Jin didn't offer any further advice. She returned the thin veil artifact and a storage bag to Xing Xinxin.

Afterward, the two exchanged a few insignificant words.

Granny Jin then stood up and prepared to leave.

At this time, it was already the second hour of the day, and dawn was approaching. The black market would soon be closing.

As Granny Jin stepped out of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, a Foundation Establishment cultivator in his teens brushed past her and entered the building.

"Excuse me, does your shop have Dragon Pattern Grass?"

This was the young cultivator asking the little servant.

Granny Jin didn't pay any attention to this. Her figure transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the horizon.

Song Wen noticed Granny Jin's departure and couldn't help but reveal a barely perceptible smile at the corner of his mouth.

Earlier, he had only been guessing, but now he was sure that Xing Xinxin was definitely inside the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

"Our shop has Dragon Pattern Grass. How many years of herb age would the senior like?"

The servant's words pulled Song Wen's attention back.

"What is the oldest age you have?" Song Wen asked.

"We have Dragon Pattern Grass with a maximum of five hundred years of herb age, although it's a bit expensive," the servant replied.

Song Wen raised an eyebrow in surprise. He didn't expect the Myriad Treasures Pavilion to have Dragon Pattern Grass of such a high age.

Dragon Pattern Grass can enhance the bloodlines of demonic beasts.

In the year since arriving in Fang City, Song Wen had tried several methods, but none had shown signs of advancing his Sacred Gu.

Thus, he thought of using Dragon Pattern Grass to enhance the Sacred Gu's bloodline, thus promoting its evolution.

"How much is the five hundred-year-old Dragon Pattern Grass?" Song Wen asked.

"Two thousand spirit stones per plant."

Dragon Pattern Grass was only a level-5 spiritual herb, and it could only be consumed by demonic beasts. Although it was five hundred years old, the price was still quite high.

"How about one thousand spirit stones?" Song Wen inquired.

The servant apologized, "Senior, I'm sorry. This price was set by the owner, and we do not negotiate."

Song Wen nodded. "How many five-hundred-year-old Dragon Pattern Grass plants do you have in stock?"

The servant's eyes brightened. It seemed he had encountered a major customer.

"We have eight plants, senior."

Song Wen shook his head. "Only eight? That's a bit too few."

"How many Dragon Pattern Grass plants does senior need? I can ask the manager to arrange for more from other places," the servant asked.

"Fifty plants," Song Wen said.

The servant's expression immediately brightened. Fifty plants of five-hundred-year-old Dragon Pattern Grass was worth a hundred thousand spirit stones.

Making this deal would earn him quite a reward.

"Senior, please follow me to the tea room in the back courtyard to rest for a moment. The Dragon Pattern Grass will be brought here in less than a quarter of an hour."

Song Wen naturally agreed.

Under the servant's lead, they quickly reached the back courtyard.

The back courtyard was surrounded by rooms on three sides, with a neat layout.

There were artificial hills and green trees in the courtyard, making it a tranquil environment.

The servant led Song Wen into a tea room on the west side, brewed him some spiritual tea, and reminded him not to wander around before leaving.

Song Wen picked up the tea and leisurely sipped it.

To avoid alarming anyone, he refrained from carelessly using his spiritual sense to scan the courtyard.

A small bug, the size of a sesame seed, quietly crawled out of the tea room.

Half an incense later, the Sacred Gu returned.

From the Sacred Gu, Song Wen learned the general situation in the back courtyard.

The tea rooms on the east and west sides had no abnormalities inside.

The row of buildings on the north side had formations and restrictions, preventing any probes from detecting movements within.

Song Wen released the Sacred Gu again, instructing it to hide within the artificial hill in the back courtyard.

Fifteen minutes later, the servant and a Foundation Establishment female cultivator appeared.

The servant introduced the female cultivator as the manager of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

"Daoist friend, we have fifty plants of Dragon Pattern Grass here. Please check them."

The female cultivator placed five large jade boxes on the wooden table beside Song Wen.

Song Wen opened the five jade boxes and checked each one.

Each box contained ten Dragon Pattern Grass plants, and all of them were five hundred years old.

Song Wen took out one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones and handed them to the female cultivator, then collected the five jade boxes.

"Welcome, Daoist friend. Please visit again next time."

As Song Wen stood up to leave, the female cultivator smiled and said.

Hearing this, Song Wen's lips curled into a strange smile. He nodded without speaking and continued walking toward the exit of the shop.

(End of the Chapter)

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Translated (4) Series, (1.8K+) Chapters, (2.25M+) Words.

Translator: Cinder Translations

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After leaving the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, Song Wen did not go far and instead wandered around the nearby shops.

By the time the sky began to brighten, and the black market was closing, there was no movement in the back courtyard of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

Shops were closing, and the black-market guards appeared, starting to drive away the cultivators. Song Wen had no choice but to leave the black market as well.

Not long after he exited the black market, dense fog rose, enveloping the entire black market.

This was the black market's illusionary maze. The maze allowed exit but not entry, preventing cultivators from entering the ghost market during the day.

Song Wen found a hidden crevice in the rocky cliff on a mountain behind the black market. He concealed his aura and hid inside.

With the help of the Sacred Gu, his spiritual sense could extend over thirty miles, covering the entire ghost market.

As long as Xing Xinxin exited the ghost market maze, he would be able to detect it immediately.

Because Xing Xinxin had a treasure to conceal her aura, Song Wen worried that he might not be able to sense her, so he left the Sacred Gu to monitor her.

Song Wen thought he would have to wait for a long time, but to his surprise, two hours later, the Sacred Gu appeared outside the maze.

A few dozen steps ahead of it, a veiled figure of Xing Xinxin was flying on a sword towards the east, away from Fang City.

She flew east for nearly ten thousand miles and arrived at the bottom of a vast chasm.

The bottom of the chasm was dark, damp, and filled with an eerie, unsettling atmosphere.

Xing Xinxin was clearly familiar with the place, making her way to a cave at the bottom of the gorge.

The cave had no formation restrictions, yet Xing Xinxin did not rush in.

She stood at the entrance and called out loudly.

"Poison Old Ghost, come out. Miss has something to discuss with you."

"Hehehe... Miss Xing, you honor me by visiting my poison pit. What business do you have?"

A hunched figure slowly emerged from the dark cave.

The figure was a frail old man in a tattered gray robe, with skin clinging to his bones, making him appear exceptionally thin.

His eyes were sunken in their sockets, like two black holes.

His fingers were long and dry, resembling withered branches.

Xing Xinxin looked at the old man's repulsive appearance, a flicker of disgust passing in her eyes, though she quickly concealed it.

She glanced around the gloomy bottom of the gorge.

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's go into your poison pit," she said.

The Poison Old Ghost raised his bony, dried hand, gesturing toward the cave entrance.

"My poison pit has no restrictions. Miss Xing is welcome to enter as she pleases."

"Without your permission, entering your poison pit casually would be like asking for death," Xing Xinxin replied.

After speaking, she took a step forward.

But after just a couple of steps, she hesitated and stopped. She took out an antidote pill and swallowed it.

Seeing this, the Poison Old Ghost suddenly burst into a strange laugh.

A two-foot-long centipede crawled out from his gray robe, climbing up his thin face and entering his mouth.

He bit down, and greenish liquid splattered, staining his yellowed teeth.

Soon, there was the sound of crunching as he chewed.

"If you keep eating those disgusting insects in front of me, I'll break every tooth in your mouth," Xing Xinxin angrily cursed.

"Alright, alright, I won't eat them anymore," the Poison Old Ghost replied.

As they spoke, the two quickly ventured deeper into the cave and came to a large cavern several acres in size.

Inside the cavern, there were giant spiders the size of washbasins, centipedes several feet long, and vividly colored poisonous snakes.

"Miss Xing, now that we're inside, can we talk? What brings you personally to my humble abode?" the Poison Old Ghost asked.

"Do you have anything here that can amplify a woman's desire? It must be something that leaves no trace, something undetectable," Xing Xinxin asked.

The Poison Old Ghost's right hand suddenly revealed a black ceramic bottle.

"This is the Peach Blossom Love Poison! For cultivators below the Golden Core realm, just inhaling a wisp of it will make their desires uncontrollable and hard to suppress."

As the Poison Old Ghost spoke, his face was filled with a lecherous smile.

"May I ask who it is that you're trying to deal with? Is it worth going through all this trouble, Miss Xing?"

Xing Xinxin replied, "Don't ask about my business."

After scolding him, she continued.

"If it was just some aphrodisiac, I wouldn't need to travel so far to your poison pit. Aphrodisiacs are too easy to neutralize, and even if it works, it can easily be detected. Do you have something more covert?"

The Poison Old Ghost said, "The item you seek is not impossible to find, but it's hard to cultivate. I only have one plant."

"Do you think I would be short of spiritual stones?" Xing Xinxin replied, slightly displeased.

"How could I dare? Please follow me, Miss Xing."

The Poison Old Ghost walked to a corner of the cave and gently pressed on the stone wall. A stone door, about ten feet high, opened.

He entered first, with Xing Xinxin following closely behind.

Beyond the stone door was a cavern about a mile wide.

The ceiling of the cavern was embedded with fist-sized crystal stones, emitting a faint glow.

The light from the crystals intermingled, casting a green hue across the entire cavern, making it appear deep and grim, giving the entire place an eerie and sinister atmosphere.

Inside the cavern, hundreds of medicinal plants were growing.

These were all highly poisonous plants.

The Poison Old Ghost pointed to one of them.

This plant was about two feet tall, with a flower the size of a fist blooming proudly at the top. The petals glowed with iridescent, multicolored light.

"This is the Illusory Love Flower, a unique medicinal plant I personally cultivated. It is one of a kind in the world, and this is the only one in existence."

"The scent of this flower is a kind of illusionary poison that directly affects a cultivator's soul. It creates mental illusions, stirring up desires, and once the deed is done, there is no trace left to be detected."

Xing Xinxin smiled faintly, clearly satisfied with the Illusory Love Flower.

"How do I use this poison?"

"All you need to do is collect the scent and seal it in a jade vial. Let the target inhale it, and it will work," the Poison Old Ghost replied.

Xing Xinxin said, "Who would be foolish enough to hold a jade vial and sniff it?"

The Poison Old Ghost replied, "If you want to poison someone without them knowing, it's simple. Just pluck a petal and place it in their room or cave. The scent will slowly spread, and over time, they will naturally fall victim to the illusionary poison."

Xing Xinxin nodded. "That sounds perfect. Give me a petal."

The Poison Old Ghost shook his head. "That won't work. The illusionary poison from the petals cannot be stored, as it will dissipate. If you want to use the petals to poison someone, you must take the entire plant."

Xing Xinxin turned around, her sharp gaze piercing the Poison Old Ghost's ugly face.

Her instincts told her that the Poison Old Ghost was not being truthful.

He wanted her to buy the entire Illusory Love Flower simply to extort more spiritual stones.

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However, this was something she absolutely needed, so she reluctantly accepted his outrageous price.

"How much do you want in spiritual stones?" she asked, a bit irritated.

"One hundred thousand spiritual stones!"

"Just for this worthless plant, you're asking for one hundred thousand spiritual stones?" Xing Xinxin questioned, her face full of anger.

The Poison Old Ghost wore a sly grin.

"There is only one in the world. Miss Xing, take it or leave it."

Looking at the Poison Old Ghost's smug expression, Xing Xinxin felt an impulse to slap him.

But then, she thought of her father, who had cried in front of her, his face full of sorrow, telling her about the wrongs she had suffered. (TLN: I'm confused about who's who here)

A surge of anger rose within her.

Her beauty was the greatest strength against her father, but it was also her greatest vulnerability.

As long as her father's pure heart was corrupted, her beauty would become her original sin.

She gritted her teeth and spat out a few words.

"Fine, deal."

TL/N: I think she's trying to get even with Shan Yue by giving her an aphrodisiac, or giving her father the aphrodisiac? Honestly, I'm confused. If any of you understand, let me know...

(End of the Chapter)

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Read (RDC) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c614.

Early Access at $5.

Translated (4) Series, (1.8K+) Chapters, (2.25M+) Words.