Central Plains, Xuanhe Mountain.
This place was shrouded in clouds and mist year-round, with immortal cranes soaring in unison. The air was filled with a refreshing, rich aroma of medicinal pills. This was the Daoist field of Alchemy Emperor Wuchen, a peak Mahayana Stage powerhouse of the Xuanling Realm.
A streak of sword light pierced through the clouds, and Zhang Mingyuan landed steadily in front of the main peak's grand palace on Xuanhe Mountain.
Inside the grand palace, Wuchen, dressed in a spotless white Daoist robe, sat upright in front of a cauldron.
His posture was elegant, a warm, jade-like smile gracing his face, and his entire body exuded an otherworldly, ethereal aura.
Upon seeing Zhang Mingyuan enter, a flicker of complex emotion flashed deep within Wuchen's eyes.
But on the surface, he remained thoroughly graceful. He stood up and said,
“To what do I owe the honor of Immortal Lord Zhang's grand arrival? Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner.”
“May I ask what business brings the Immortal Lord to my Xuanhe Mountain?”
Zhang Mingyuan was a straightforward man and got straight to the point:
“Alchemy Emperor, name your price. I want your Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia!”
The warm smile on Wuchen's face froze slightly.
“Immortal Lord Zhang must be joking.”
“The Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia is my absolute pride and joy—an exceedingly rare, Immortal-grade spiritual plant. It is not for sale.”
“Oh, come on, we can negotiate the price! My Yunxue Immortal Territory is filthy rich. You can take your pick of any natural treasures!”
Zhang Mingyuan waved his hand, projecting the sheer aura of a wealthy tycoon.
Wuchen snorted coldly.
“When I say it is not for sale, it is not for sale.”
“Zhang Mingyuan, though you are a Red Dust Immortal, I am not someone who can be easily intimidated.”
“If you truly want this Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia, then have the guts to kill me and snatch it over my dead body!”
Looking at Wuchen's stubborn, unyielding expression, Zhang Mingyuan scratched his head, feeling a bit conflicted.
If anyone else had dared to speak to him like that, he would have already drawn his Dog Slaughterer Sword to teach them a lesson.
But facing Wuchen, he really couldn't bring himself to do it.
The scene from the day of his grand wedding with Su Jinxue couldn't help but flash through his mind.
To present Su Jinxue with a wedding gift, Wuchen had not hesitated to suffer a Dao injury just to refine two Fortune Red String Pills.
Since the man had gone to such lengths for them, if he still murdered him and stole his herbs, would he even be human?
Zhang Mingyuan sighed and threw his hands up helplessly.
“Alright, alright, I won't steal it from you.”
“But tell me, what on earth are you keeping it for anyway? What will it take for you to give it to me?”
Wuchen stood with his hands behind his back, speaking proudly:
“I am currently at the peak of the Mahayana Stage, only a single step away from undergoing my tribulation to ascend.”
“This Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia is the very ingredient I intend to use to refine a pill to prove my Dao when I ascend to immortality!”
“This concerns my path to immortality. How could I easily hand it over to someone else?”
Hearing this, Zhang Mingyuan found himself in a dilemma.
The greatest taboo in the cultivation world was severing someone's path of cultivation; it was no different from murdering their parents.
Since it was a treasure meant for Wuchen's ascension, it really wasn't right for him to force the issue.
“Fine. Since it's for your ascension, I won't take what you love.”
“I'll go figure out another way.”
Zhang Mingyuan waved his hand and turned to leave the grand palace.
Wuchen, watching Zhang Mingyuan's clean and decisive departure, was actually stunned.
He had thought this eccentric Immortal Lord Zhang would use his power to bully him, but he hadn't expected the man to be so reasonable, leaving without a fuss.
Wuchen's heart stirred.
As the Alchemy Emperor, he naturally knew that the Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia had one specific effect: balancing Yin and Yang to aid in dual cultivation.
“Wait!”
Wuchen suddenly called out to stop him.
Zhang Mingyuan paused, looking back in confusion.
“What is it? Changed your mind?”
Wuchen narrowed his eyes, a trace of suspicion flashing through them as he asked tentatively,
“Zhang Mingyuan, you are a grand Red Dust Immortal. Why exactly do you need this Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia?”
Zhang Mingyuan sighed, looking thoroughly depressed.
“What else could it be for? My wife and I have been cultivating the laws of the Heavenly Marriage lately, and the progress is outrageously slow!”
“An entire night of... cough, anyway, it's just very slow!”
“So I figured I'd find your Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia and take it back to refine a batch of Three Essences Concentric Pills along with the Yin-Yang Luan-Phoenix Immortal Grass and the Twin Concentric Lotus to speed things up a bit.”
The moment these words were spoken, the air in the grand palace seemed to freeze instantly.
The warm smile on Wuchen's face froze completely. His chest felt as if it had been struck hard by an invisible sledgehammer, the pain so intense he could barely breathe.
Laws of the Heavenly Marriage? An entire night? With his wife?
And who was his wife?
It was Su Jinxue, the woman he had yearned for over thousands of years!
Wuchen's mind involuntarily conjured Su Jinxue's cold, peerless face. But in reality, she had already become someone else's bride...
And even...
Wuchen felt a sweetness rise in his throat as his blood surged. He nearly sprayed a mouthful of blood right onto his cauldron.
He took several deep breaths, forcing down the agonizing, heart-wrenching pain.
But... this was something Jinxue needed.
If this immortal herb could help her...
Wuchen's mind plunged into an incredibly brutal internal conflict.
On one side was his path to immortality, which he had pursued for countless years; on the other side was the need of his past beloved.
In the end, Wuchen let out a bitter laugh, a trace of deep, lingering sorrow flashing through his eyes.
“Forget it...” Wuchen let out a long sigh, looking as though he had aged ten years in an instant.
With a wave of his sleeve, a jade box radiating a strange halo flew out of his storage ring and landed steadily in Zhang Mingyuan's hand.
“Take it.”
Wuchen turned around, his back looking incredibly lonely.
“Since... since she needs it, I shall part with it.”
The poor Alchemy Emperor. Just moments ago, he had been unyielding and righteous, ready to die. Yet, the moment he heard Su Jinxue's name, his mental defenses crumbled, and he abandoned all resistance.
Zhang Mingyuan took the jade box and opened it. Inside lay an immortal herb shimmering with dual-colored light and shadow—the Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia.
He was stunned. Looking at Wuchen's lonely back, a wave of warmth inexplicably rose in his heart.
This guy, despite being his “old rival in love,” was truly sincere toward Su Jinxue.
For Su Jinxue's sake, he was even willing to give away his ascension treasure. He was a real man!
“Good brother!”
Zhang Mingyuan shouted, walking right up to wrap an arm around Wuchen's shoulder.
Wuchen stiffened all over, trying to shake him off in disgust: “What are you doing! Let go of me!”
“Don't be so polite!”
With a grand wave of Zhang Mingyuan's hand—clatter!
Like a sudden downpour, countless natural treasures radiating terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations piled up, filling the grand palace.
A Ten-Thousand-Year Nine Underworlds Ice Lotus, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Ginseng, top-grade Star Marrow... taking out any single one of these items would be enough to trigger a bloody storm in the Xuanling Realm.
“I, Zhang Mingyuan, never take things from others for free!”
Zhang Mingyuan thumped his chest, speaking with towering generosity:
“Take these. Consider it an exchange for your Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia!”
“From this day on, I've officially decided we are friends!”
“If you ever run into any trouble in the Xuanling Realm in the future, just mention my name, Zhang Mingyuan, and I'll have your back!”
Without waiting for Wuchen to react, Zhang Mingyuan transformed into a brilliant streak of sword light and soared into the sky, rushing back to the Yunxue Immortal Territory in a hurry.
Wuchen stood blankly on the spot, staring at the mountainous pile of top-tier medicinal herbs on the floor.
The rich medicinal aroma had nearly materialized, completely submerging the grand palace.
He fell into deep thought.
The combined value of these natural treasures was more than enough to buy ten Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonias.
“This guy...”
Wuchen sighed with a complex expression.
“Though he behaves eccentrically and has a sharp tongue, he is quite upright and honest.”
“No wonder... Jinxue fell for him.”
Wuchen shook his head. The resentment in his heart seemed to have dissipated quite a bit with the appearance of these natural treasures.
He bent down, preparing to collect these precious medicinal herbs.
Just then, a sudden, sharp sound of rushing wind echoed from the sky.
“Whoosh!”
Zhang Mingyuan returned as quickly as he had left, landing steadily right in front of Wuchen.
Wuchen was startled and paused his movements.
“Why have you come back? Don't tell me you feel you gave too much and want to go back on your word?”
“No, no, not at all.”
Zhang Mingyuan rubbed his hands together sheepishly, chuckling.
“Well... Old Chen, here's the thing.”
“Although my cultivation is high, my alchemy skills are practically non-existent.”
Wuchen: “...”
Zhang Mingyuan shoved the jade box containing the Twin Shadow Symbiotic Begonia, along with the other two immortal herbs, into Wuchen's arms, speaking with complete self-righteousness:
“You're the Alchemy Emperor! The number one alchemist in the Xuanling Realm!”
“Since you're already doing a good deed, see it through to the end! Help me refine this Three Essences Concentric Pill!”
“Crack!”
The bluestone slab beneath Wuchen's feet instantly shattered into powder.
He glared deathly at Zhang Mingyuan, his fists clenching until they cracked. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his once warm, jade-like face was now contorted like a malevolent ghost.
This was going too far! This was simply going too far!!!
It was one thing to take the love of his life!
It was another to take his ascension immortal herb!
But now, this man who had stolen his beloved actually wanted him—the former love rival—to personally refine the very pill they would use for dual cultivation!!!
“Zhang! Ming! Yuan!”
Wuchen gnashed his teeth. His peak Mahayana Stage spiritual energy surged out of control, causing the entirety of Xuanhe Mountain to shake violently.
“I'll fight you to the death!!!”
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