The butcher, seeing Li Yuan Kun, was first stunned, then quickly knelt down, "Immortal Master!"
It turned out that a few years ago, Li Yuan Kun had passed by and saved the butcher's son, who had been possessed. The butcher remembered this vividly and recognized him at a glance.
Li Yuan Kun helped him up and smiled, "Do you remember what I told you back then? I said there might be a day when I would need this chopping block of yours."
The butcher nodded repeatedly, "I remember, I remember. If you need it, just take it."
Li Yuan Kun nodded and asked Ye Tian, "Little Ye, can you tell what it is?"
Ye Tian stared at the tree for a while and then asked the butcher, "Your family has been slaughtering and selling meat for four generations. This chopping block has been around for a long time, hasn't it?"
The butcher nodded, "My great-grandfather used it to butcher pigs. I don't know how long it was used before that, but in our family, it has been passed down for sixty-four years."
Ye Tian's hand rested on the chopping block, feeling its surface had become jade-like, completely different from an ordinary tree. He said, "This is truly rare. I've only read about this level of lightning-struck wood in books."
Li Yuan Kun nodded, "Little Ye, you certainly have a discerning eye. It is indeed a thousand-year-old Dragon Subduing Wood, with a wisp of spiritual consciousness nurtured within. It was struck by heavenly lightning, leaving only a trace.
By chance, half of its trunk was cut off and made into this chopping block. Soaked daily in pig's blood, it fused with the residual spiritual consciousness of the Dragon Subduing Wood, forming a Blood Spirit Pill. This Blood Spirit Pill is similar to the inner core of a demonic creature and is very valuable. However, I am not a physician and do not understand alchemy, so it would be of no benefit to me. That's why I brought you here."
Ye Tian bowed deeply to Li Yuan Kun, "Thank you, Master Li!"
Then he asked the butcher, "Boss, this chopping block of yours is a treasure. I'd like to buy it."
The butcher quickly said, "You are a friend of our benefactor. If you like it, just take it."
Ye Tian replied, "I don't accept favors without merit. You said this chopping block has been in your family for four generations, sixty-four years. How about this, I'll pay you one hundred thousand per year, for a total of six million four hundred thousand."
The butcher was startled, "Six million four hundred thousand? No, no, no, that's too much!"
Ye Tian wrote a check and handed it to him. He had arranged with the bank to be able to withdraw any amount up to one million within ten days.
He handed the check to the butcher, "Take this check and go to the bank specified within ten days to withdraw the money. I will take this chopping block with me."
After saying that, he lifted the chopping block with one hand and walked straight out. Guang Ji and Li Yuan Kun quickly followed.
Li Yuan Kun smiled, "Little Ye, how do you plan to use this Blood Spirit Pill?"
Ye Tian smiled, "I'll know once I see it. Let's hurry back and see what the Blood Spirit Pill looks like."
The car had a luggage rack on top. Ye Tian tied the chopping block to it. The three of them got into the car and headed for the Ye family's ancestral home.
Ye Tian wanted to return to the village so that Li Yuan Kun could inspect the Ye family's graves and discuss the matter of relocating them.
The car arrived in front of the ancestral home. Ye Tian carried the tree trunk into the living room.
Master Guang Ji circled the chopping block and said, "The item within makes this old monk feel apprehensive."
Ye Tian replied, "It has been soaked in pig's blood for nearly a hundred years, so it's inevitable that there's some malevolent energy."
As he spoke, he found a rusty cleaver, channeled his true essence, and struck it down hard.
"Crack!"
The chopping block, over a meter long, was split in two from the middle!
In the center of the chopping block, about half a meter from the ground, there was a fist-sized cavity. Inside, there was a shallow layer of bright red fresh blood. The moment the chopping block was split open, a blood-colored bead the size of a longan rolled out.
Li Yuan Kun picked up the bead, but then immediately dropped it, exclaiming, "Such strong malevolent energy!"
Ye Tian picked up the bead and felt a tingling sensation spread from his arm throughout his body. However, when he channeled his true essence, he immediately suppressed this power.
After observing it for a while, he placed the bead into a bottle and stored it.
Li Yuan Kun asked him, "Little Ye, with such strong malevolent energy, can it be used?"
Ye Tian replied, "It's fine, it can be dealt with. But I haven't figured out exactly how to do it yet."
Li Yuan Kun nodded, "It's good that it can be used. Otherwise, you would have wasted over six million."
Ye Tian bent down to examine the split tree roots. The roots had become jade-like, with a bright blood-red color and extremely beautiful patterns within.
He smiled, "This can also be used as medicine. Combined with that Polygonum multiflorum, it can be refined into a Blood Essence Pill!"