Chapter 495: Chapter 484: The Sword Cultivator’s Father
The moment the jade box was opened, a peculiar fragrance wafted out, and Ye Qiu’s expression turned solemn.
The pearl inside the box was moon-white, about the size of a fingertip, and bore a merfolk’s mark that, at first glance, seemed alive and swimming within the pearl.
"Merfolk Inner Core?" Ye Qiu looked at the Shopkeeper in surprise, not expecting him to produce such an item.
Upon hearing this, a hint of pride appeared on the Shopkeeper’s face: "Elder has sharp eyes; it is indeed a Merfolk Inner Core."
Ye Qiu picked up the pearl, from which a ripple of Divine Soul emanated, carrying feelings of unwillingness, regret, and madness.
"The Divine Soul of this merfolk has not yet dispersed." Ye Qiu’s expression grew even more serious. A merfolk of such cultivation that could leave a Divine Soul imprint on its inner core after death was no trivial matter, and what could be the Shopkeeper’s purpose in offering such a precious item?
Even though he guessed the Shopkeeper might have other motives, Ye Qiu was still unwilling to give up, for he faintly felt it was connected to the merfolk treasure since acquiring the pearl.
"Speak then, what do you seek?" Ye Qiu didn’t put the box away, intending to keep an alternative path open. If the Shopkeeper’s intentions were excessive, he could simply spend more time searching elsewhere.
"Elder is wise, indeed I have a request," said the Shopkeeper, standing and bowing to Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu moved aside, his gaze cold as he watched him: "Don’t rush to salute me, I haven’t decided to agree yet."
Undiscouraged, the Shopkeeper began to share his predicament: "Elder might not be aware, but this pearl was brought back by my father from the outer sea. However, three hundred years ago, after he brought back this pearl, he delved deeper into the inner sea and never returned. Before leaving, my father didn’t mention his purpose, but I vaguely feel it was related to this Merfolk Pearl."
"Are you asking me to search for your father’s whereabouts?" Ye Qiu frowned, "The outer sea is vast and boundless, how am I to search? What if I can’t find him? Won’t I be wasting time on a fruitless endeavor in the outer sea?"
Upon hearing this, the Shopkeeper gave a bitter smile: "Elder, rest assured, I will not have Elder search aimlessly, nor will I delay your valuable time."
As he spoke, he produced a soul token: "This is my father’s soul token, into which his lifeblood has been dripped. Elder, if you carry this, there will be signs when you near him. If Elder can bring back my father, not only will I gift this Merfolk Inner Core to you for free, but I will also offer additional rewards. If Elder does not meet my father, consider it funding for Elder’s journey. Upon Elder’s return from the outer sea, just return the soul token and Merfolk Inner Core, is this acceptable to Elder?"
"Your father is not dead?" Ye Qiu looked at the soul token in wonder.
"Not dead, but the light on the soul token is growing weaker; I fear my father may not hold out much longer." As he spoke, an increasingly intense look of worry appeared on the Shopkeeper’s face.
As the Shopkeeper had put it this way, Ye Qiu found no reason to refuse. After all, it would be convenient to manage, but he remained curious as to why the Shopkeeper trusted him so readily.
"Aren’t you afraid that I’ll disappear with the Merfolk Inner Core?"
The Shopkeeper smiled bitterly: "I really have no other choice. There are younger family members that need my care and I can’t leave them behind. Decades ago, I even asked Dao Yuan True Man from the Wuji Sect to search, but to no avail. Today, when Elder arrived, for some reason my heart began to pound madly; perhaps this indeed represents my father’s hope."
People of Cultivation deeply trust their own intuition. After listening, Ye Qiu’s thoughts took a turn, and he became even more interested in his journey, wondering whether it was really possible for him to easily snatch away Lin Shen’s possession—who is known as the Child of Destiny in this world. But all evidence suggests that it is not entirely impossible.
"Since you trust me so much, I will accept this task," Ye Qiu said, placing the Jade Box containing the Merfolk Inner Core into his Storage Ring, "I swear by the Heavenly Dao that I will do my utmost."
The Shopkeeper never expected Ye Qiu to take it so seriously, as he was merely clutching at straws. With this, hope burgeoned in his heart even more.
"Then I wish the elder a smooth journey and may all your wishes come true."
"I also wish you success in all your endeavors."
After saying these words, Ye Qiu left the shop and never revealed his true identity from beginning to end.
As Ye Qiu set off towards the outer sea, another member of Tianyan Sect, Ye Sheng, had just successfully advanced to the Qi Refining Fifth Level. However, attracting more attention than him was Lin Shen, the Direct Disciple of Master Wu’an of Four Seasons Peak.
Almost everyone in Tianyan Sect knew Lin Shen had Five Spirit Roots, yet within only two months, he reached the Qi Refining Second Level, rivaling the cultivation speed of those with Single Spirit Roots, which almost made everyone gaze in awe.
If he hasn’t used any Elixirs to enhance his cultivation, then he must certainly have an Exotic Treasure. Could Master Wu’an really allow his Direct Disciple to recklessly use Elixirs to hasten growth? Thus, it is very likely that Lin Shen possesses an Exotic Treasure.
Everyone was itching with curiosity, but due to the formidable presence of Master Wu’an, no one dared to inquire, let alone rob him.
The sect does not allow disciples to fight privately. Disputes must be settled at the Martial Arts Training Platform. Anyone caught fighting privately risks having their cultivation nullified and being expelled from the sect—at worst, both body and Divine Soul could be destroyed. Therefore, unless one can act very discreetly, nefarious deeds are out of the question.
Thus, all they could do was look on enviously, and those with sly intentions even tried to instigate Ye Sheng against Lin Shen.
Ye Sheng, the son of Ye Qiu, who is moreover the Direct Disciple of Perfected Ming Shi from Artifact Refining Peak, holds a higher status than Lin Shen by identity, and is endowed with a Heavenly Spirit Root by nature. Now, with Lin Shen’s cultivation speed surpassing his own initial pace, comparisons between them were inevitable, and there were even voices suggesting that Ye Sheng was inferior to Lin Shen, provoking him to confront Lin Shen.
"Little junior brother, you are practicing the sword again," worried by the increasingly wild rumors, Jin Quan, the senior brother from Artifact Refining Peak, hurried to Hidden Sword Peak early in the morning.
Before leaving, Ye Qiu had provided Ye Sheng and Perfected Ming Shi with the privilege to enter Hidden Sword Peak. Thus, armed with the pass jade from his master, Jin Quan had unimpeded access, although the winds at the peak were so strong that he needed to channel his true essence just to stand firm.
This made him admire his junior brother even more, who managed to practice the sword diligently every day.
Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng did not stop his actions and continued to wield his sword meticulously.
Sensing this, Jin Quan stood aside to avoid disturbing him, planning to speak after his practice was over. The more he watched, the more shocked he felt inwardly, and he became increasingly dismissive of those rumors.
His junior brother had to refine artifacts and practice the sword daily. Beginning his cultivation at the age of eight and barely at the age of ten, he had reached the Qi Refining Fifth Level. Even if Lin Shen had a fortuitous adventure, even if his comprehension was high, his junior brother would not fall short when compared to others.