In Zhongzhou.
A massive merchant ship sailed through the skies.
Zhang Tianxin was conducting business with the ship's crew.
"Blood Spirit Crystals - these form where spirit stone veins intersect with areas rich in blood essence, requiring centuries to develop. You've got quite the eye - only this small box is produced every five hundred years."
"And this - the Nine-Star Moonlight Metamorphosis Pill you requested."
Zhang Tianxin nodded, shifting his gaze to the man beside him.
Li Xuanxiao carefully examined each item, suddenly furrowing his brow. He picked up one Blood Spirit Crystal, scrutinizing it from all angles.
The cultivator across from them showed no concern.
Blood Spirit Crystals were exceedingly rare.
Few cultivators even knew of their existence.Determining authenticity was nearly impossible.
"This one's age seems questionable," Li Xuanxiao remarked.
"Oh?" The cultivator responded dismissively.
Li Xuanxiao calmly explained, "The blood veins inside should show long, continuous patterns after five hundred years, not these fragmented ones."
The cultivator's eye twitched as he reassessed Li Xuanxiao.
He'd underestimated this man.
"Must be my subordinate's mistake," the cultivator laughed awkwardly, producing another crystal from somewhere and placing it in the box before handing it to Li Xuanxiao.
Li Xuanxiao accepted the box.
Zhang Tianxin handed over a storage ring.
These treasures came at steep price - Tian Sha Hall had tripled their offer to secure the deal.
"Might I ask which sect you represent? Why the sudden interest in Blood Spirit Crystals?" The cultivator asked meaningfully, narrowing his eyes.
Zhang Tianxin countered, "Does your business require investigating customers' backgrounds?"
"Farewell."
Li Xuanxiao pushed open the door and strode out confidently.
Zhang Tianxin followed, relieved. Seeing Li Xuanxiao's confidence, he believed their leader would surely be saved.
Then Li Xuanxiao's voice suddenly resonated in Zhang Tianxin's mind:
"Danger! It's a trap!"
Zhang Tianxin's heart lurched.
"Kill the Tian Sha Hall members!!"
A furious shout erupted.
The whistle of flying swords followed.
Zhang Tianxin reacted instantly, swatting away the incoming blades with a backhand slap.
A magic net descended from above,
attempting to ensnare them.
Li Xuanxiao formed a sword finger, casually slicing through the net.
As more enemies closed in,
Li Xuanxiao and Zhang Tianxin exchanged glances before charging into the fray.
Now at the Transformation Spirit realm, Li Xuanxiao had been able to challenge Transformation Spirit cultivators even during his Nascent Soul stage. At his current level, few could withstand him.
"........."
Moments later,
Li Xuanxiao and Zhang Tianxin fought their way off the flying ship.
Zhang Tianxin coldly snorted, casually tossing a corpse overboard.
"Daring to oppose Tian Sha Hall? You've got a death wish!"
Someone shouted from afar, "Your Tian Sha Hall can't even save itself now!"
Zhang Tianxin frowned. "Seeking death!"
He flashed forward, his hardened body crushing the distant cultivator.
Yet Tian Sha Hall's situation was indeed precarious.
Since Di Nü Feng appeared during the Yellow Sand City incident,
publicly siding with the Shushan remnants,
Tian Sha Hall had faced relentless pursuit from the Extreme Demonic Hall.
Previously, Tian Sha Hall had managed to hide from Shushan's persecution.
Though forced into the open after Shushan's fall,
they now simply returned to the shadows -
at tremendous cost.
With Di Nü Feng's prolonged absence,
uncertainty plagued Tian Sha Hall.
Fortunately, the Extreme Demonic Hall's control over Zhongzhou paled compared to Shushan's,
and various factions harbored their own agendas.
".............."
Tian Sha Hall.
Li Xuanxiao tallied their gathered materials - still missing one crucial component.
Tian Sha Hall's reserves could cover everything else,
but the Extreme Cold Toad Venom proved elusive.
Sourced from venomous toads in the northern frozen wastes beyond Zhongzhou,
requiring three-thousand-year-old Frost Venom Toads
and advanced poison extraction techniques.
Despite multiple search parties dispatched by Zhang Tianxin,
no news had come.
With Di Nü Feng weakening daily
and other key materials ready,
Li Xuanxiao resolved to journey north himself.
"Di Nü Feng, no more using spiritual energy. Every expenditure deepens the poison," Li Xuanxiao instructed, sitting across from her.
"...Mhm~" Di Nü Feng listlessly acknowledged.
"Understood?"
"Understood."
"With bounties on your head, no more flaunting your identity or acting recklessly like before."
"Mhm, got it."
Li Xuanxiao produced a long headscarf and wrapped it around her.
"I've had Zhang Tianxin prepare a flying ship capable of traversing teleportation arrays. We're heading north to the frozen wastes."
"Mhm." Di Nü Feng nodded like a pecking chick.
Li Xuanxiao met her beautiful eyes.
He believed he'd never failed anyone in his life -
except Di Nü Feng.
Remembering their past, he chuckled softly,
marveling at fate's whimsy.
Once a self-righteous Shushan disciple who saw her as cultist scum,
now both were branded as demons.
Suddenly, he reached out and flicked her forehead.
"What?" Di Nü Feng asked.
"Nothing."
Li Xuanxiao said flatly.
Several days later,
they departed together.
"..........."
Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.
Goushengzi listened to continuous intelligence reports.
Though Li Xuanxiao had ordered Tian Sha Hall to proceed cautiously,
the required materials' uniqueness inevitably drew attention.
After contemplation, Goushengzi declared:
"It's the Serpent God's lifebound venom."
"That Shushan remnant was poisoned by the Serpent God?" Mozi asked.
"Impossible - he's not worthy. It's Di Nü Feng. That ancient serpent's venom isn't easily cured."
Goushengzi's gaze settled on Mozi. "The antidote requires specific ingredients. Whether he knows them... redeem yourself by trying your luck."
"This disciple will return with that Shushan remnant's corpse."