Clan Cultivation: My Intelligence Updated Daily

Chapter 195 The Transaction Between the Two Parties, The Illusory Butterfly

"Boom!"

As Razer continued to bounce on the stage, the hearts of all the cultivators in the audience were in their throats. Zhang Lingyu's performance was truly amazing, and for a moment they didn't know what to say.

"I underestimated him."

After a long while, Li Yanyun, who was seated in the head seat, finally let out a sigh.

Ge Tianxiong was destined to lose, but Zhang Lingyu didn't even use the Soul-Devouring Bees; he defeated his opponent with just a sword formation.

As the dust on the stage slowly dissipated, a burly figure covered in blood staggered into everyone's view. Ge Tianxiong was kneeling on the ground, one knee sinking into the bluestone slab shattered by the lightning.

The clothes on his upper body had long since turned to ashes under the impact, and only the outline of the spirit armor on his chest could still be recognized. However, it no longer had the dazzling brilliance it once had, and there were still many lightning snakes "sizzling" on it.

The Li family's Foundation Establishment cultivators believed that men could withstand lightning because of this spirit armor, but unfortunately, even with the protection of the spirit armor, the damage to their physical bodies is still significant.

"Cough cough."

Ge Tianxiong coughed up several mouthfuls of blood and tried countless times to stand up, but the lightning had greatly damaged his body. Every time he stood up, his legs trembled uncontrollably. If he hadn't tried his best to control them, he would have fallen to his knees.

After a dozen or so breaths, he seemed to have figured something out. He exhaled a breath of stale air and said in a deep voice, "I admit defeat. Clan Chief Zhang is indeed a dragon among men. I did not lose this battle unjustly."

The man clearly understood that Zhang Lingyu had definitely held back in that attack; otherwise, he would be lying here now as a charred corpse.

"This is so boring, why did you give up so easily?"

"I told you, Chief Zhang, that you can't judge a book by its cover. Some people always think their judgment is better than our ancestor's?"

"Hey, I remember you bet on Chief Ge to win just now. Now that he's lost, hurry up and hand over the stuff: 'Ten Bottles of Qi Gathering Pills'!"

"What gambling? Didn't the elders just say that gambling is forbidden? Anyone who gambles will have to stand in the corner and reflect on their actions!"

When Ge Tianxiong conceded defeat, the cultivators on the stands immediately sighed and dispersed in twos and threes, leaving only a small number of people arguing amongst themselves.

However, it is foreseeable that news of this battle will spread throughout Yuhu County within half a day, and then all the vassals of the Li family, as well as the Du and Huang families, will pay attention to it.

Of course, this also led to a decline in the Ge family's reputation.

"You're too kind!"

Zhang Lingyu nodded. As the spiritual barrier around the arena slowly dissipated, he was about to return to his previously arranged lodgings to rest when he was stopped by Li Yanshan, who flew down from the arena. The old man said:

"Lingyu, well done! The Master was right. It is we who lack the discerning eye to recognize talent."

"Senior, you flatter me. This clan chief Ge underestimated people. This is a good opportunity to teach him a lesson and let him know that people from small places are not to be trifled with."

"Absolutely! Absolutely!"

Li Yanshan chuckled twice, then composed himself and said mysteriously, "Lingyu, my clan patriarch wishes to see you. May I speak with you privately?"

"However, you've just finished a big battle, so it's not too late to rest for a bit before you go."

"Oh? What is it about?"

Zhang Lingyu's heart skipped a beat, but she instantly understood what was going on. It was simply because she had just revealed the Soul-Devouring Bee, and the other party had some ideas about it.

Now that we're on someone else's turf, it's probably impossible to refuse. However, if we want to get something in return, we should at least offer something in return.

"Hey, you'll find out when you get there, won't you?"

"Then shall we go now, as you suggest, senior?"

"good!"

As the two men left, only Ge Tianxiong remained on the large arena. Two members of the Ge family, who had hesitated to approach, rushed forward to help him up after everyone had left.

"Chieftain, are you alright?"

"Don't worry, you won't die!"

Ge Tianxiong's expression was complicated. With the help of two clansmen, he slowly stood up, looked around at the empty place, and lingered for a long time. It wasn't until half an hour later that he said, "Let's go, let's go home."

......

The place where Zhang Lingyu met was another main hall, which was considered the Li family's private meeting place, and outsiders could not enter at all.

Choosing this meeting place shows that they are somewhat sincere.

When Zhang Lingyu and his companion entered the main hall one after the other, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Li family stood up and greeted them with smiles.

"We have come to pay our respects to Chief Zhang!"

"Clan Chief Zhang is quite capable. That Ge Tianxiong is usually incredibly arrogant. Today is a good opportunity to teach him a lesson that there are always people more capable than you."

Compared to the previous polite words, these words were much more sincere.

Even if Ge Tianxiong were in their family, he would be the number one person below the late Foundation Establishment stage. They had seen what happened just now, and now that it was their turn to go on stage, they might not be able to gain any advantage.

Moreover, the young man in front of them did not seem to have fully revealed his abilities.

"You flatter me, seniors. I was just lucky."

Zhang Lingyu gave a perfunctory reply and looked at Li Yanyun, who was seated at the head of the table, asking, "My lord, did you summon me here to exchange for the Soul-Devouring Bees?"

As soon as the three words were uttered, everyone immediately fell silent, quietly sitting down to sip their tea and await the transaction between the two parties.

"So clever..."

"So sensible..."

Looking at the young man before him, Li Yanyun knew he was worthy of being a clan leader. He could tell at a glance why he had been summoned. As for being sensible, Zhang Lingyu understood that he couldn't compete with the Li family, and refusing to hand over the man would only cause trouble for himself and his clan.

Taking the initiative now gives us some control.

"He's smart enough to know he can't ask for too much; he'll ask first."

Li Yanyun nodded and smiled:

"Lingyu is right. The Spirit-Devouring Bee is a rare and wondrous insect, ranking high on the list of wondrous insects. Its fearsome reputation has always been widespread in the cultivation world. Tell me, who wouldn't be tempted by it?"

Now that we've made it clear, we might as well stop hiding it.

However, instead of asking what the other party wanted in exchange, he inquired, "Could Lingyu tell me where these Soul-Devouring Bees came from?"

"This is no secret. When I was still in the late stage of Qi Refining, I trained in the Ten Thousand Spirits Mountain Range for a period of time, and by some twist of fate, I obtained this Soul-Devouring Bee."

"I see. Lingyu is so lucky. We are all so envious."

The Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Li family did not believe the boy was lying. After all, some of the spirit insects on the Strange Insect Ranking had appeared in the Ten Thousand Spirits Mountain Range in the past, and the family had tried to find them.

Unfortunately, nothing was gained.

"It seems we'll need to send more people in the future."

After making up his mind, Li Yanyun smiled and said, "Since Lingyu understands our intentions, I will not hide anything. We want to exchange some of the Spirit-Devouring Bees you have for our clan to cultivate."

"Of course, we won't take that Soul-Devouring Queen Bee; the ordinary one will do."

Unlike other spirit insects, the Soul-Devouring Bee is not difficult to cultivate. You only need to feed it various spirit foods, and then you don't need to worry about anything else. When the clan grows stronger, it will naturally choose a queen bee.

"That's good..."

To be honest, Zhang Lingyu was really afraid that the other party would ask for the queen bee. Even if he didn't want to give it to her, he was forced to do so under pressure. And what he got in return might not even be enough to raise the next queen bee.

In that case, I would suffer a greater loss than gain.

"What does Your Excellency intend to exchange for?"

"Since they are spirit insects, we cannot treat Lingyu poorly. Our clan has two spirit insects, the Thousand-Faced Illusion Butterfly and the Ice Soul Jade Cicada. Would you be interested?"

"The Thousand-Faced Illusionary Butterfly and the Ice Soul Jade Cicada, are you kidding me, sir?"

"We are all in positions of power; how can we speak so casually?"

Li Yanyun wasn't lying. Exchanging spirit insects for spirit insects was the fairest thing to do, but they could also forcibly use the power of the Golden Core Immortal Clan to exchange for something else, they just didn't want to.

As for the reason, it must be that they want to befriend the other party.

Li Yanshan told them privately that Master Xuanhao valued him highly and promised him a spot in the secret realm without him giving any gifts, and even gave him a Foundation Establishment Pill as a bonus.

Not only that, but it even implies a marriage alliance!

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, everyone understood that this meant their side was about to start investing in the other party.

At first, they didn't take it seriously, after all, they still looked down on Foundation Establishment cultivators from remote and impoverished areas. But the battle just now made them realize that this person was definitely not simple.

"A Golden Core is still a Golden Core; we lower-level cultivators are far inferior."

The reason for such a close relationship is simply that they value the other party's potential to form a core. If successful, the Li family will gain a solid ally.

At that time, whether in the Jade Light Pavilion or facing the Huang and Du families, they will be able to handle things with ease.

As for failure, they didn't care; at most, they would only lose one Foundation Establishment Pill.

Seeing the other party's serious expression, Zhang Lingyu gradually began to believe that he was not lying. The key was that the Thousand-Faced Illusion Butterfly and the Ice Soul Jade Cicada were not only spirit insects, but also spirit insects that could be listed on the list of extraordinary insects.

Although these two are lower than the Soul-Devouring Bee, they are still ranked sixty-third and seventy-first!

The Thousand-Faced Illusion Butterfly's ability lies in releasing colorless and odorless illusionary powder when it flaps its wings. Those who inhale it will fall into a state of drowsiness, or to put it simply, a feeling of being in a state of half-sleep.

Those with weak minds can even fall into a temporary illusion. What's even more troublesome is that this insect's aura can mimic the surrounding environment, making it extremely difficult to detect.

Of course, the above effects only apply to those with low cultivation levels or weak spiritual souls.

Even if a third-tier Thousand-Faced Illusionary Butterfly were in front of him now, Zhang Lingyu could detect it with his divine sense and take precautions in advance.

This is why it ranks so low. Of course, it can't be said that it's weak; it's still very useful when dealing with downgrades.

As for the Ice Soul Jade Cicada, like the Six-Winged Frost Centipede, it can only be found in the far north. Its method lies in the icy cold energy contained in its abdomen. Once the cold energy enters the body, it will invade the meridians and damage the physical body at an extremely fast speed. The key is that this poison can only be removed with pure yang fire.

Unless you find an ice cave, you can't cultivate them.

Since the Li family cultivated such talent, it's clear they must have paid a huge price to build an ice cave.

"May I take a look first?"

Zhang Lingyu was tempted by both options, but he didn't make a hasty decision, since seeing is believing and hearing is deceiving.

"Of course, someone, go and fetch the two spirit insects for us to examine!"

With a wave of Li Yanyun's hand, a Foundation Establishment cultivator below rose and left, returning in less than a quarter of an hour to present a jade box exuding a chilling aura and a storage bag.

"Clan Chief Zhang, please take a look."

Neither of them had set up any restrictions, and their divine senses easily penetrated through them, taking in all the spirit insects.

The Ice Soul Jade Cicada is entirely ice-blue, with wings sculpted like ice crystals and hexagonal jade patterns on its abdomen. As it rises and falls, it is exhaling and inhaling the cold air emanating from the jade box.

Although it had reached the late stage of the second tier, its aura began to weaken slowly in my perception, clearly because the cold energy in the jade box could not satisfy it.

As for the Thousand-Faced Illusion Butterfly in the Spirit Beast Pouch, its wings are semi-transparent and seven-colored, with the colors flickering and gradually turning black, echoing the interior space of the Spirit Insect Pouch.

"So small and barely noticeable."

This Thousand-Faced Illusion Butterfly has reached the early stage of the third rank. If it were in the outside world, he wouldn't be able to detect it at a glance.

Seeing Zhang Lingyu's meticulous expression, the others did not rush to urge him. These two were the result of the Li family's considerable efforts over hundreds of years, so they were not worried that he would not be tempted.

Both are quite effective, but they are still far inferior to the Soul-Eating Bee, which not only saves a lot of manpower and resources, but also plays a huge role on the battlefield.

"If we train more queen bees, dealing with the Du and Huang families will be much easier in the future. Even if we can't kill Foundation Establishment cultivators, we can certainly kill your Qi Refining cultivators, right?"

The Foundation Establishment cultivators smiled silently, and after a while, the other party spoke:

"Esteemed seniors, I am willing to exchange this Thousand-Faced Illusionary Butterfly."

"it is good."

Zhang Lingyu's choice was within everyone's expectations. The Ice Soul Jade Cicada is extremely difficult to cultivate. In addition to establishing a suitable living environment, one must also search for various ice-attribute spiritual objects.

Even they are having a huge headache over this, let alone a mere Foundation Establishment family.

The Thousand-Faced Illusion Butterfly is not easy to cultivate, but the required spiritual items are not too difficult to collect. When used in conjunction with the Soul-Devouring Bee in battle, it can have an unexpected effect.

Seeing that the other party had made up their mind, the Foundation Establishment cultivator took the jade box and spirit insect bag from Zhang Lingyu and quickly left. After all, this Thousand-Faced Illusion Butterfly was at the early stage of the third rank, comparable to the Soul-Devouring Bee Queen.

It was truly remarkable that the Li family was willing to exchange spirit insects for it; how could they possibly give away the ones they had painstakingly cultivated?

When the Foundation Establishment cultivator reappeared, he held a jade slip in his hand and smiled:

"Clan Chief Zhang, this spirit insect pouch contains six early-stage second-tier Thousand-Faced Illusion Butterflies. Please keep them safe. As for this jade slip, it contains the experience of my Li family's cultivation over many years, which you may use for reference."

"I will always remember the nobleman's kindness."

Zhang Lingyu accepted it solemnly. The Li family had really gone all the way in doing good deeds. If it were any other family, they would probably just dump the spirit insect on you and leave you alone.

"Lingyu, there's no need to be so polite. If you have any questions, feel free to send someone to ask. If the spirit item hasn't been found yet, you can also buy it from my family. I will definitely sell it as an original."

"Thank you, sir."

Zhang Lingyu expressed his gratitude and, without hesitation, took out three thousand spirit-devouring bees from the spirit insect pouch at his waist, while simultaneously erasing his own divine soul imprint on them.

Without their master, the Soul-Devouring Bees were thrown into chaos. Although their gluttonous nature led them to target the Foundation Establishment cultivators present, fear ultimately prevailed over instinct, and they could only dart around the hall.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator's face lit up with joy. He immediately mustered his magic power to drive the Soul-Devouring Bees into the Spirit Insect Bag. After checking that there were no abnormalities, he nodded to Li Yanyun.

At the same time, Zhang Lingyu took out a jade slip and handed it to the other party, saying, "This is my experience in cultivating spiritual peaks over the years. Although it cannot compare to that of nobles, it is still a token of my appreciation."

"Lingyu is very thoughtful."

Li Yanyun smiled and agreed. After putting away the jade slip, he continued, "Lingyu has just gone through a fierce battle, and now that you've come all this way, she must be in dire need of rest."

"We have prepared excellent cave dwellings. Please go and rest there quickly. We will discuss the matter of the secret realm again in five days!"

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