Chapter 75: What do you want Ghost Tomatoes for?
“Where is it? How big is it? Have you found any Blue Scale Stones?”
Cheng Hong Ling’s voice immediately rang out, showing how much she valued the Blue Scale Stone.
“It’s at the bottom of a valley, about thirty li from the village. That snake isn’t as terrifying as a mirage in the sky, but it still looks over a hundred zhang long. Its cultivation level is unknown. As for the Blue Scale Stone, I haven’t found any yet.”
Qi Huang reported everything she saw to her main body.
“Very good, if it’s only over a hundred zhang, then that’s within the normal size of a demonic beast.”
Cheng Hong Ling’s tone became confident. After a moment of thought, she said, “How about this, you continue to monitor there. Your main task is to figure out three things: first, the snake’s cultivation level; second, where the Blue Scale Stone is.”
“Yes!”
Qi Huang accepted the order and continued to hide in a high place to monitor.
And on this side, Cheng Hong Ling reported the information she obtained to Sect Leader Qin.
“A Blue Scale King Snake of over a hundred zhang, according to calculations, should have a cultivation level around the Huashen realm.”
Qin Quan estimated.
“If it’s only the Huashen realm, then we can definitely try.”
Cheng Hong Ling immediately made a decision.
“But the Huashen realm is still very dangerous.”
Xu Mei’s face showed worry because she knew her beloved disciple’s specific cultivation level.
“Master, this is much better than the mirage in the sky, isn’t it? If we want to obtain such heavenly materials and earthly treasures, how can we not take any risks?”
Cheng Hong Ling retorted.
Xu Mei wanted to speak but stopped. She understood the reasoning, but what could be done? As a master, she had to worry.
“If you have made up your mind, then I will fully support you.”
Qin Quan’s firm voice came from the side. He naturally understood that this girl in front of him was the hope of the HongHua Sect. If she were gone, then the HongHua Sect would also be gone.
…
At this moment, Qi Huang was carefully monitoring the giant snake in the sky. It would be more appropriate to call it the Serpent King. Since she didn’t know its specific cultivation level, she didn’t dare to get too close. She even used her spiritual sense very little, for fear of being discovered.
Another half an hour passed like this. Suddenly, Qi Huang saw ripples on the water surface near the large stone. A Blue Scale King Snake, as thick as a bowl, swam towards the large stone.
A short while later, the smaller Blue Scale King Snake swam to the side of the large stone and opened its mouth.
‘What is it doing?’
Qi Huang was very confused. She quietly lowered her altitude and focused her gaze. Then, to her disbelief, she widened her clear black and white eyes. She saw that the smaller Blue Scale King Snake actually had a Ghost Tomato in its mouth.
While she was spacing out, the Serpent King on the stone opened its mouth, gently sucked, and drew the Ghost Tomato over, swallowing it like a glutton.
‘The snake offspring and grandchildren outside must have been sent by it to find Ghost Tomatoes.’
Qi Huang realized. Just as she was feeling heartbroken, the Serpent King opened its mouth and spat out the seeds of the Ghost Tomato.
The Ghost Tomato seeds bounced a few times on the stone, then fell into the nearby lake with a splash.
Qi Huang quickly extended her spiritual sense into the lake. Although the lake water was four or five zhang deep, it could not block her spiritual sense at all. The bottom was perfectly clear.
After seeing the situation at the bottom of the lake, Qi Huang trembled with excitement, because there were more than ten Ghost Tomato seeds scattered densely at the bottom, some new and some old.
‘If I can gather them all and plant them, my spiritual sense will surely enter the Shentong Realm.’
Greed appeared on Qi Huang’s face. She wished she could rush down immediately and loot everything. However, reason suppressed her inner impulse. After all, she hadn’t found any trace of the Blue Scale Stone yet. Since she was here, she naturally wanted it all!
Another half an hour passed. The sunlight overhead was once again blocked by dark clouds, and the canyon became dark.
The Serpent King, unable to bask in the sun, wriggled its body with an unsatisfied expression. It stretched its head forward and, with a swish, darted off the large stone and plunged into the lake. Its huge body barely caused any splashing, moving as swiftly and smoothly as an eel.
Qi Huang looked at the exposed large stone, her pupils contracting violently, because in the middle of the large stone, there were scattered patches of deep blue.
‘What is that?’
Qi Huang’s heart began to beat uncontrollably. She couldn’t care about anything else. She quietly lowered her altitude and probed with her spiritual sense. Soon, she saw the blue “spots” clearly. They looked like jade, with scale-like patterns distributed on them. Except for the color being darker than the Blue Scale Sword, they were exactly the same. They were out of place with the rough stones around them, as if they had been forcibly embedded.
‘This is Blue Scale Stone!’
Qi Huang was overjoyed, not only because she found the Blue Scale Stone, but also because there were quite a few of them. Although they looked like spots from high in the sky, when she probed with her spiritual sense, she realized that each one was as large as a washbasin, and there were about four or five of them in total.
“I’ve hit the jackpot this time! Not only did I find so many Ghost Tomato seeds, but I also found so much Blue Scale Stone!”
Qi Huang was so excited that her body trembled. She immediately reported the situation to her main body.
“How much Blue Scale Stone is there?”
Cheng Hong Ling excitedly inquired.
“It looks like there’s probably a few hundred to a thousand catties.”
Qi Huang estimated.
“A few hundred to a thousand catties?”
Cheng Hong Ling confirmed in disbelief, her voice trembling slightly. Then she shared this news with the people around her.
“According to the legends in the Cultivation World, these heavenly materials and earthly treasures are usually not in large quantities. Finding a few catties would be considered fortunate. This time, we’ve clearly struck gold.”
Qin Quan’s face turned red with excitement.
“With this Blue Scale Stone, Hong Ling will have a much greater chance of winning the next Evergreen Convention.”
Xu Mei’s already rosy cheeks became even more alluring, truly possessing a timeless charm.
“Alright, have ‘Main Body’ return. We need to make a detailed plan.”
Qin Quan impatiently instructed Cheng Hong Ling.
Qi Huang returned to the village not long after. All the disciples’ faces were filled with excitement, especially the female disciples.
Qin Quan quickly summoned the high-level figures to a courtyard to discuss. Everyone’s expression became serious, after all, the meat was in front of them, but whether they could eat it was still unknown.
“There are only about a thousand to eight hundred catties of Blue Scale Stone, so there’s no need for too many people to go. Those with low cultivation levels will not only be in danger but will also be too conspicuous.”
Cheng Hong Ling proposed first.
“How about this? Half of the people above the Body Refining realm will stay in the village, and the other half will go to the snake’s nest. Those below the Body Refining realm don’t need to go.”
Qin Quan then arranged.
“Moving this much Blue Scale Stone is indeed enough, but if a battle occurs, wouldn’t it be better to have more people?”
Xu Mei asked with concern.
“No need. If we really fight the Serpent King, no matter how many people we send, it will just be a futile sacrifice.”
Qin Quan gave a self-deprecating smile. The HongHua Sect was weak, and as its Sect Leader, he was the most ashamed.
Next, Qin Quan took out five Ghost Tomatoes from his bag and handed them to Qi Huang, then instructed, “Starting tomorrow, you will stake out in that canyon. Once you see the Serpent King, immediately go and lure it away. After it leaves, we will find a way to dig out those Blue Scale Stones and take them away.”
Qi Huang took the Ghost Tomatoes, her eyes shining. Then, she took the opportunity to bargain, “Can I have these things afterward?”
“What do you want these things for?”
Cheng Hong Ling, who was beside them, questioned first, clearly displeased with the clone’s tendency to want everything. She was, after all, a pure and chaste immortal.
“I… I like them, isn’t that enough?”
Qi Huang stammered vaguely.
Cheng Hong Ling’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a displeased expression appeared on her pretty face. She thought, “This guy definitely has a secret!”
“These things are very dangerous. Are you sure you want them?”
Qin Quan asked with concern.
“Yes!”
Qi Huang nodded like a pecking chicken and thus obtained ownership of these Ghost Tomatoes without any suspense.
From that day on, Qi Huang went to the canyon every day to stake out, and the people participating in the operation moved their tools a few li away to lie in ambush.
Heaven rewards the diligent. On the fourth morning, the clouds cleared and the fog dissipated, and the sunlight shone down. The Serpent King reappeared on the stone to bask in the sun.
“It’s here! Get ready, I’m going to lure it.”
Qi Huang informed the HongHua Sect members. Then, she took a deep breath, took out the bag containing the Ghost Tomatoes, and opened it. Then, she plummeted down towards the Serpent King below like a meteorite, praying inwardly, “Heaven bless me, success or failure depends on this.”
