This eighth-grade spiritual grass was worth tens of millions of spirit coins per stalk, causing even Fang Taiyu some heartache.
However, to facilitate the business, he sincerely said, "Miss Su, if you need Phoenix Plume Grass, I can tell my father to send someone to deliver it."
The Fang family's sincerity was immense. Li Tianjue spoke up, "Thank you, Young Master Fang. If your father agrees, we are willing to purchase it at a price thirty percent higher than the market rate."
"Certainly, certainly. I'll contact my father later and wish you all a safe journey and a swift return," Fang Taiyu said with refined elegance. "By the time you get back, the Phoenix Plume Grass should have arrived, and then we can discuss the Rejuvenation Pill."
Su Luo was very pleased to have found a spiritual grass so quickly.
After leaving the city, the four embarked on a flying carpet measuring five meters long and three meters wide.
With nothing else to do, Su Luo casually inquired about Emperor Haotian's condition.
Since obtaining the Spring of Life, Emperor Haotian had hardly appeared, and no one knew how he was doing now.
Shangye Shaoqing fanned himself with his fan and said, "The Emperor is recovering well. The Spring of Life has stabilized his divine soul. Now, all that's needed is to refine a suitable body, and the Emperor can be reborn."
"Does it involve refining a corpse?" Su Luo could hardly imagine.
This was an evil art, after all. Did Emperor Rebirth require such a method?
"Of course not."
Fortunately, Shangye Shaoqing denied it and explained, "The physiques of ordinary people are too poor and would affect the Emperor's cultivation. Therefore, we must find some heavenly and earthly spiritual items, such as White Jade Divine Mud, Nine-Hole Spiritual Lotus, and about seventy to eighty types, to refine a new body suitable for the Emperor."
So that was it.
Su Luo felt fortunate once again that she hadn't been 'burdened' by the Emperor back then. Otherwise, the arduous task of collecting these dozens of spiritual items would surely have fallen upon her. It would cost no less than several billion spirit coins, enough to drain her to death!
Fortunately, Shangye Shaoqing was wealthy enough to withstand such expenditures for the Emperor.
After chatting for a long time, the flying carpet had already flown out of Jade Void City.
The journey was under a clear sky, but the wind was strong. Although the flying carpet didn't fly as high as a spirit ship, it lacked wind-deflecting formations. After only half a day of flight, Shangye Shaoqing's hairstyle was disheveled by the wind, and he dared not fan himself anymore, quickly releasing spiritual energy to block the wind.
"I say, Luoluo, you're too stingy. You're the steward of the Resource Hall, and you're only riding a flying carpet when you go out? Didn't you come back on a luxurious spirit ship last time?"
Shangye Shaoqing, who had never experienced hardship, couldn't help but complain. If it weren't for his pursuit of Su Luo and his desire to become the Emperor's disciple as soon as possible, he wouldn't want to suffer such hardships.
Su Luo rolled her eyes at him, "Those are two different things, Shangye. You don't know the cost of living if you don't manage a household. Do you know how much the vast Qingxu Heaven spends each month? Tens of millions! We must be frugal."
Although they had earned a lot from the Heavenly Pride Competition, that was all their personal property.
Li Tianjue had proactively contributed his share of the rewards, and Su Luo's earnings had all gone into the treasury. But thinking about the future, she felt a headache and dared not spend even a single extra spirit coin.
Fifth Senior Brother would need to take his fifth dose of medicine in a while, which was a huge expense.
Then there was the matter of purchasing spiritual herbs to detoxify the Third Elder this time, and she didn't know how many spirit coins it would cost. Arranging a formation for Second Senior Brother would also cost a considerable amount. She had asked the two deacons to sell some of the gems obtained from the ancient mining area, but they hadn't sold them yet.
Being the head of Qingxu Heaven was no easy task!
"If you can't stand it, you don't have to come," Li Tianjue, who had been cultivating with his eyes closed, suddenly said.
He looked at Shangye Shaoqing expressionlessly and said, "We are going out on business this time, not for enjoyment. The flying carpet is a bit crowded, perhaps you guys..."
"Hey, Brother Li! You're being too distant."
Seeing that Li Tianjue was about to drive him away, Shangye Shaoqing stopped complaining and chuckled awkwardly, "I was just saying. Isn't there a small town ahead? We can go there to rest for a while..."
"Keep flying."
"..."
Shangye Shaoqing was utterly speechless.
Well, it seemed he would have to meditate on the flying carpet overnight. He might as well accept his fate.
Fortunately, Su Luo's patience had its limits, and it was far from the extreme frugality of Li Tianjue. Towards evening, the group landed in a small village and found a household to stay for the night. After eating their fill and resting, they would continue their journey the next day.
The following day, they were only half a day's journey away from the Seven Stars Sect.
The Seven Stars Sect was located in the Lingxiao Kingdom, a third-rate small country. Due to its affiliation with the Primordial Sacred Land, it had become the foremost sect in the Lingxiao Kingdom, dominating all other forces internally.
"Second Senior Brother, how are things? We're almost there."
Su Luo took out a sound transmission jade pendant and inquired about Chu Tianshu's situation.
Immediately, Chu Tianshu's complaining voice came from the jade pendant, "Don't even mention it, I was almost infuriated to death! Youyoulanzi, that old lecher, actually tried to peep at Wen Dai'er bathing last night. I wanted to break his legs, but that woman wouldn't allow it."
"It's not that I wouldn't allow it, it's just that important matters come first, and we can't act rashly. Tianshu, you know my heart..." Wen Dai'er's charming voice sounded from the jade pendant, likely held close to Chu Tianshu's face, making everyone hear it so clearly.
Su Luo and the others seemed to visualize an intimate scene.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. He's not called Crown Prince Chu anymore, but Tianshu. These two!
"Hey, don't talk nonsense. It's broad daylight, aren't you ashamed!"
"Alright, I'll talk to you tonight."
"You, what are you doing... Hey, Junior Sister, stop talking, I still have things... Mmph mmmph mmmph, Wen Dai'er, let go..." Chu Tianshu's voice suddenly cut off, and the sound transmission jade pendant fell silent again.
On the flying carpet, Su Luo and the others looked at each other, unable to help but laugh.
Tang Xiaoguo's face turned red, "How could Second Senior Brother, in broad daylight, just..."
Shangye Shaoqing looked strangely and said, "I didn't realize it. Crown Prince Chu usually acts so upright and has always said he doesn't like Miss Wen. But when no one is around, they are so unrestrained. Tsk, tsk, men."
That was clearly the sound of a muffled mouth. He wondered if the two had already started kissing.
"It seems that when Second Senior Brother and the others return, good news is imminent," Su Luo couldn't help but say, hoping that Second Senior Brother would put aside his pride sooner and not let down Sister Wen's deep affection.
Li Tianjue remained silent, only glancing at Su Luo from the corner of his eye.
He was reminded of her lips again.
Like flower petals...
Finally, after two days of arduous and economical flight, Su Luo and her party arrived at the Lingxiao Kingdom.
"We've finally arrived, we've finally arrived."
Shangye Shaoqing was almost depleted of spiritual energy, having consumed five spirit-replenishing pills, his pale face looking sickly.
However, Li Tianjue remained composed. Even though he had also maintained his spiritual energy throughout the journey, protecting Su Luo and Tang Xiaoguo, he showed no signs of depletion.
A dilapidated city gate appeared before them, with three characters carved on it: 'Lingxiao Kingdom'.
Du Wei's eyes widened, "This is the Lingxiao Kingdom? Why is it so impoverished?"
The city walls were built with gray giant stones, three zhang high, indicating past glory. But now they were covered in cracks, and any cultivator of the Venerable realm could punch a hole through them with ease.
The few guards at the gate wore old leather armor, listlessly holding rusty spears, chatting and laughing about something.
Su Luo was also surprised. While the Lingxiao Kingdom was a third-rate small country, it shouldn't be this poor.
It was even more desolate than the Yun Cang Kingdom.
"The Seven Stars Sect sells spiritual grasses and is the foremost sect of the Lingxiao Kingdom. Why is the Lingxiao Kingdom so poor?" she said as she walked towards the city gate, and soon discovered some abnormalities on the main street.