Chapter 207: Into the Secret Realm: the Womb Realm
“...”
Inside the temple, Chen Jingzhou, Cheng Dongfeng and the others were staring at Jiang He, taken aback.
Was that not too direct?
And Orirocks were priceless—who could even afford it?
Indeed, the elderly head monk was stunned as well.
Nonetheless, he soon smiled. “Mister Jiang, we at the Diamond Sect are only able to produce a hundred Orirocks each year, and it’s not even enough for our disciples’ cultivation...”
“Head monk, in the end, Orirocks are worldly possessions. As a prestigious school and a Holy Ground of martial arts, how could the disciples of the Diamond Sect be over-reliant on a worldly possession for their cultivation?”
Jiang He smiled in return. “Moreover, I believe that all trades are possible, and all it takes is for the buyer to pay as much as the seller asks for... and though Orirocks are cultivation resources, it dulls in comparison to life-saving items.”
With a flip of his hand, Jiang He whipped out a Strengthened Bezoar Detox Pill and placed it before the head monk, saying, “Please have a look, head monk. This is a Bezoar Detox Pill that I’ve developed through hardship and tears, and it cures all poisons!”
He then flipped his hand again.
Whoosh!
The Red Toad King’s corpse appeared in the temple, its gigantic corpse occupying most of the temple.
It was only because the temple was tall and large enough, or it would burst apart.
Jiang He got to his feet and approached the corpse, grinning. “This is the Red Toad King that was living in Lake Kanas, which I killed in pa.s.sing along the journey here... Of course, that’s not the point—the point is that the Red Toad King is highly venomous.”
The head monk’s eyes lit up in surprise.
He was aware of the Red Toad King since the Diamond Sect was not too far away from Lake Kanas, and now that the sect had opened its doors to outsiders, some of their elite disciples had left the mountain to learn about the situation in the mundane world around them.
And yet, the youth before him—a mere rank-nine had actually slain the Red Toad King, which was equivalent to a divine-tempest tier elite?
“Rank-nine novice, repelling Ciren Deji with a single palm and even slain the Red Toad King... where did this youth actually come from?”
The head monk, shocked and bewildered leveled a puzzled look at Jiang He... did he take out the Red Toad King’s corpse to tell him that he had leverage to trade with him?
Meanwhile, Jiang He had drawn out his Dragon-Slaying Saber and walked a lap around the Red Toad King while sensing it with his spirit, before eventually finding the creature’s venom sac.
He then cut it with the Dragon-Slaying Saber, breaking the venom sac.
Then, with a release of True Qi from his hand, he levitated the poison up in the air.
The violent poison was eating away at Jiang He’s True Qi with a gurgling sound—it would have instantly corroded the True Qi in an average rank-nine’s entire body, but Jiang He remained serene as he smiled, “Head monk, since I’m selling you the Bezoar Detox Pill, I naturally have to show you its effect.”
The head monk was stunned, though he also mostly understood Jiang He’s intention. However, before he could speak, Jiang He’s True Qi kicked up... and directly poured the venom down Jiang He’s open mouth.
“What the h.e.l.l!?”
Beside them, Chen Jingzhou and the others who had been confused in the first place were almost scared to death, while Cheng Dongfeng promptly dashed up to Jiang He, exclaiming urgently, “What are you doing, Jiang He? You just have to cultivate a little longer without the Orirocks! It’s not like it can’t be solved!”
“Mister Jiang He, please, spit that venom out right now. The Orirock excavation will begin at midnight when the Secret Realm opens—I could give you half of the hundred Orirocks this year if you really want it!”
Even the head monk was anxious now, and no longer as calm as he was.
Given how ‘demonic’ Jiang He proved himself to be, w.a.n.g Hou might really tear the Diamond Sect apart if he really died in front of the head monk’s eyes.
That left Jiang He between laughter and tears. “Head monk, Old Sheng, what are you trying to do?”
“I’m just trying to give a demonstration with Strengthened Bezoar Detox Pill...”
Even as he spoke, Jiang He smacked his lips, closed his eyes and carefully felt the scent of the Red Toad King’s venom before complaining, “That beast’s poison tastes terrible—it’s both bitter and fishy, and I would’ve added condiments if I knew.”
The head monk: ...
Cheng Dongfeng: ???
Everyone in the temple appeared utterly astonished, with Cheng Dongfeng gaping at Jiang He and asking seriously, “Jiang... Jiang He, you’re actually alright?”
“That’s the poison of one of the strongest Feral Kings...” The head monk added.
Jiang He continued to extend his senses over his body and laughed awkwardly. “No worries, head monk. I’m fine for now... what the h.e.l.l? Who was it who told me that the Red Toad King is extremely poisonous? Why isn’t the poison kicking in yet?”
Indeed, Jiang He was at a loss for words.
He had swallowed the Red Toad King’s poison to demonstrate the effect of his Bezoar Detox Pill, but the poison’s effect was not taking hold, and he could neither eat nor put away the Bezoar Detox Pill in his hand.
“No worries, people. My cultivation is special in that it detoxes and heal wounds in the first place. Aside from the Dragon-Elephant Prajna, I’ve also cultivated the Indestructible Diamond technique of the Shaolin temple up to mastery, strengthening my physique and qi overwhelming. On top of that, I cultivated another profound physical art and had eaten many vegetables that clear body heat and detoxes, so my body is basically impervious to blades, water, fire, and poison. That’s why with my strong poison resistance, the venom would only take hold after a while.”
Jiang He had to brace himself even as he offered that explanation.
Even so, his words left everyone in the temple even more shocked and gasping in shock inwardly!
All of them watched with their own eyes that Jiang He ate the Red Toad King’s poison... and yet he was absolutely fine?
Wasn’t that poison resistance too frightening?
It was perfectly capable of killing a divine-tier elite!
Nonetheless, they waited for twenty minutes until Jiang He’s eyes lit up.
“The poison is finally kicking in!”
His face blackened in a split second, and the blackness soon covered his entire body in three seconds. Taking out a Bezoar Detox Pill once again, Jiang He smiled. “Look, head monk. I’m now poisoned until my face has gone black. Even so, only a single Bezoar Detox Pill which clears body heat and detoxes is needed...”
But even before Jiang He could finish his sentence or take the pill, he froze.
He could feel his True Qi and mana circulating in the instant that the poison kicked in, nullifying the Red Toad King’s poison immediately.
As the blackened qi on Jiang He’s face and body promptly receded, his lips twitched as he grinned and said reluctantly, “Head monk, does the Diamon Sect keep some poison that could be more powerful than the Red Toad King’s venom, given your thousand-year history? My poison resistance is too strong and the beast’s venom too weak, and it’s counteracted even before I could show you the effect of the Bezoar Detox Pill.”
It took a while for the head monk to react.
Even if he was Void-tier, he was left bewildered by Jiang He’s actions.
After taking a moment to compose himself, the head monk said, “Mister Jiang He... does your Bezoar Detox Pill really cure most poison?”
“Not most poison—all poison!”
Jiang He reminded him somberly. “It cures anything that is poisonous, though that might not apply if the tier of the poison was exceedingly high. Even so, I once cured Sichuan’s Long Mountain Lin off the Six-Eyed Desert Spider’s poison, and one pill was all it took to cure that top rank-nine poison.”
“Please wait for a moment, Mister Jiang.”
The head monk’s gaze shifted then and he left the temple, summoning a monk and giving them a few words of instructions before returning.
Then, just minutes after he returned, he saw two young lamas holding an old, unconscious lama to the temple.
“Mister Jiang, this is a brother of the Diamond Sect, who unfortunately ran into a centipede monster when he left the mountain a few years ago. It was powerful rank-nine Feral and its poison was frightening, could your Bezoar Detox Pill help?”
“Easy!”
Jiang He walked up, forced the old lama’s mouth open and stuffed in a Bezoar Detox Pill.
Then, helping the lama up and firmly slapping his back to help swallow the pill, the old lama’s vigor improved in no time at all. Just after he slowly opened his eyes and stared straight at the ceiling of the temple, he abruptly leapt up and exclaimed in surprise, “I’m not dead?”
That being said, his aura was rather weak when he leapt to his feet. Even so, by the time he walked several times around the temple, noticed the head monk and bowed, his aura had returned to the peak levels before he had been poisoned, and all traces of being poisoned was gone.
The head monk appeared stunned.
Delighted, Jiang He began to brag about the effects of the Bezoar Detox Pill, saying, “The centipede’s poison may have been lacking compared to the Six-Eyed Desert Spider, and feeding him an entire pill is rather wasteful... A third would have been enough.”
Inwardly, he breathed a long sigh of relief.
Fortunately...
He had finally demonstrated the effect of the Bezoar Detox Pill.
If he had known, he would have fed Cheng Dongfeng the Red Toad King’s venom sac, which would definitely have poisoned him instantly. Jiang He could feed him the antidote after that instead of going through the lengths he went before.
Meanwhile, the disciple had respectfully left with a wave from the head monk.
The head monk then turned towards Jiang He and exclaimed in surprise, “You truly exceed my expectations, Mister Jiang! Not only did you create a technique so divine and concoct such an astonishing antidote in your youth, even your cultivation is outstanding. You truly are the ace of a generation!”
“Just average, just average.”
Jiang He replied humbly. “I’m just a little multi-talented, it’s nothing so significant.”
His tone then shifted as he added, “Head monk, what do you think about the Bezoar Detox Pill then?”
“It’s certainly not bad. How many of these pills do you have, Mister Jiang?”
Jiang He’s glanced at his System Backpack and said, “I could provide twenty at the moment, and I’ll plant... I mean cook a new batch if you need more.”
“It’s alright, it’s alright—twenty pills are enough.”
The head monk promptly waved him off. Twenty pills of such unparalleled effect would already fetch a king’s ransom, and he definitely would not be able to afford more.
He then asked, “Are Orirocks all you need, Mister Jiang? How much would you be willing to trade for?”
“Five Orirocks for one Bezoar Detox Pill... would that be asking too much?”
In truth, Jiang He was rather apprehensive about that exchange.
After all, the Bezoar Detox Pills were too easily available, and he could grow a tree full of those after buying just one box at the pharmacy... would it not be too greedy on his part if he exchanged for five Orirocks with one pill?
He was therefore completely unaware that the head monk became even more delighted at his price... in the end, the cultivation improved from five Orirocks was very limited for a divine-tier martial artist, whereas a Bezoar Detox Pill could save a life when it matters. It was simply outstanding value!
Hence, he summoned one of the high monks in the temple, gave a few instructions.
Soon, the monk returned with a hundred Orirocks, which Jiang He collected before handing 20 Bezoar Detox Pills to the head monk.
“Hold on...”
He suddenly realized something and asked in surprise, “Head monk, didn’t you mention that you could only excavate the Orirocks after the Secret Realm opens at midnight? These one hundred Orirocks are...”
The head monk, who was beside himself in pleasure believing that he had just made a killing, simply explained in response, “We do limit our excavation to a hundred Orirocks each year, but the Diamond Sect has been saving up in the last few years and had some left.”
“...”
‘What the heck!
‘Does this lama even speak a single word of truth?’
Nonetheless, when it came to Orirocks, it was certainly the better the more he had.
“Are you still selling?” Jiang He hence asked. “Head monk, how many Orirocks do you have left? Can I trade for all of them?”
“Counting in the hundred we’ll excavate after the Secret Realm opens at midnight, there would be around a hundred and eighty... Mister Jiang, do you have more detox pills?”
Jiang He shook his head, saying, “I won’t be trading Bezoar Detox Pills this time.”
“Could you have other treasures then, Mister Jiang?”
“Orirocks!”
With a wave of his hand, Jiang He took out 200 Orirocks from his System Backpack and said, “I’ll trade two hundred Orirocks for your one hundred and eighty. What do you think?”
The head monk: “...”
What have you been smoking?
In fact, even Cheng Dongfeng and the others were dumbfounded.
Trading 180 for 200... does Jiang He not know how to count?
Even so, as Jiang He insisted on trading, the head monk was forced to say, “If that’s so, let’s trade a hundred and eighty for a hundred and eighty.”
Jiang He was delighted at that.
As a matter of fact, he had procured four hundred Orirocks thanks to the four he planted before.
However, the ‘crops’ from his farm could not be used as seeds, which was why Jiang He had no use for the four hundred Orirocks he had.
On the other hand, the Orirocks of the Diamond Sect were different.
When he returned and planted these 180 Orirocks, he would get 18000 in return.
In the process of planting one Orirock, he would earn around 10000 Farm Points, 1000 EXP, meaning that he would be earning 1.8 million Farm Points from these 180 Orirocks.
“This one hundred-and eighty, when added to the one hundred I received before and the other hundred that Minister w.a.n.g promised me means I would have a total of three hundred and eighty Orirocks... that means three point eight million Farm Points. What an earning, what a killing!”
***
Soon, midnight arrived.
The head monk led the many Diamond Sect high monks to a mountain cavern behind the temples.
The cave had a plaque adorned over it, inscribed with the words ‘Womb Realm’.
Jiang He’s gaze twitched in surprise. “The Diamond Sect’s Secret Realm is in this cave?”
The head monk, having had a drastic change of opinion towards Jiang He after presuming that he had taken advantage of him, explained, “The Womb Realm is a legacy of the Diamond Sect’s founding masters, and it’s a world of its own inside, with its own stars, sun, moon, as well as mountains and rivers—and the qi in this world is dozens of times more concentrated than it is outside, making easier to understand the universe within. Some Floral Spirits would grow within as well, and all of those are treasures.”
He then walked up, moving in synchrony with the other Diamond Sect high priests to release their aura, casting a special Buddhist technique into the cavern.
The mountain shook in that instant, and a bright myriad-colored light shone over the mouth of the cavern.
A high monk entered, and left soon came out with a hundred Orirocks.
Then, the Diamond Sect disciples who were to cultivate in the Secret Realm this time entered—there were thirty of them, the weakest of them being a rank-seven while the strongest being a divine-tempest tier elite.
It was after they had all entered that the head monk said, “Mister Jiang, lady, and gentlemen... if you please.”
Cheng Dongfeng and the others were rather excited.
After all, they had only heard of the microworld and the Secret Realm, but never really entered one.
On the other hand, Jiang He was rather thrilled, and as he stepped into the cavern, he could not help muttering, “I wonder what the scenery in the Womb Realm would be like...”