A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Seeing that Zhou Ping had put away the animal hide magic artifact, Qin Zhong stroked his beard, nodded in satisfaction, and then put the dark green puppet into his storage bag.

"Junior Nephew Zhou, this transaction between us is entirely voluntary and there is no coercion involved. Just tell the truth if anyone asks."

Seeing that Qin Zhong had put away the puppet, Zhou Ping quickly nodded in agreement as he spoke in a manner that was half casual conversation and half a reminder.

"Yes, yes, yes, I am extremely pleased with this deal between Uncle Qin and me, and I would not dare to speak recklessly."

"Uncle Qin, I have another request, and I hope you will be generous enough to grant it."

Seeing Qin Zhong's satisfied expression, Zhou Ping quickly pressed his advantage.

"Oh? Is there anything else, Junior Nephew Zhou? We've had a very pleasant time together today, so why don't you just say it while I'm in a good mood?"

Qin Zhong raised an eyebrow, wondering what Zhou Ping was up to, and asked with a smile.

"Uncle Qin understands this Purple Juice Thunder Fruit better than I do. To achieve any results, one would need to consume a considerable quantity. Therefore, I know I do not have the ability to obtain enough Purple Juice Thunder Fruit, which is why I did not make a hasty choice just now."

"I'm really itching to try this spiritual fruit. I wonder what it tastes like? Could you please give me one as part of this transaction? That way, I'll be able to taste this legendary and exotic spiritual fruit and have something to brag about to my fellow disciples."

Zhou Ping stared longingly at the three purple spiritual fruits on the table, licking his lips like a country bumpkin.

Upon seeing this, Qin Zhong pondered for a moment, feeling that he had already taken a considerable advantage of the other party in today's transaction. However, it would be impolite to refuse a spiritual fruit whose spiritual energy was depleted.

In any case, a single spirit fruit is dispensable to him, as it cannot improve his cultivation or physical body in any way. It's perfectly acceptable to treat it as a favor.

"Since Junior Nephew Zhou has spoken, I, as an elder, cannot be too stingy. Please take this fruit."

Qin Zhong flicked his finger, and one of the three spiritual fruits on the table flew towards Zhou Ping. Upon seeing this, the latter was overjoyed and hurriedly reached out to catch it.

"Thank you for your generosity, Uncle Qin. I will always remember it."

Zhou Ping's grand ceremony undoubtedly pleased Qin Zhong, who was opposite him.

"Alright, this transaction is now complete. I won't stay any longer. You still have to handle the entry procedures, which are quite tedious. There's no need to see me off."

After speaking, Qin Zhong strode out of the house, mounted the three-colored spirit bird that had been waiting outside, and flew away into the distance without looking back.

Zhou Ping clasped his hands slightly and bowed his head in farewell. Only after seeing that the other party had flown far away did he excitedly raise his head and hurriedly return to the house.

In this transaction with Qin Zhong, judging solely by the value of the items, it may seem that he suffered a significant loss, but for Zhou Ping, it was undoubtedly a huge gain.

His initial choices of the Golden Marrow Pill and the animal hide artifact seemed to be two well-considered options, but in reality, they were a smokescreen set up to eventually obtain the spiritual fruit.

These three purple juicy thunder fruits have almost no value to ordinary people.

Qin Zhong was naturally well aware of this.

If Zhou Ping really chose the Purple Jelly Fruit, it would make him question his motives.

Over the years, many forces have coveted the Qin family's Purple Cloud Spirit Tree, but after the Qin family cultivated and planted it themselves, they discovered that the seeds of these spirit fruits could not cultivate Purple Cloud Spirit Roots at all, so they did not pay much attention to the control of the spirit fruits.

This spirit tree is said to have been found by an ancestor of the Qin family by chance in a secret realm, and then transplanted to the Qin family's ancestral land. It was not cultivated.

Therefore, this spiritual plant was given a unique name.

With the backing of the Qinglian Xuanzong sect and numerous experts within the clan, plus a Core Formation stage ancestor in charge, ordinary forces really wouldn't dare to extend their reach towards them.

Yuan Zhengze specifically mentioned this item to Zhou Ping, which naturally meant he knew it very well. Every time the spirit tree bore fruit, a significant portion of the fruit would be sent to the Qinglian Xuanzong sect, where it was already well-known.

Zhou Ping was unaware of these secrets, which is why he was so cautious. He possessed a mysterious agarwood, which was his greatest secret. Whenever it came to matters involving fertilization and cultivation, he would be extremely careful, not daring to arouse even the slightest suspicion.

With this spiritual fruit, he can try to cultivate the Purple Cloud Spirit Tree. If he can successfully cultivate it, he will be able to obtain Purple Thunder Fruit continuously.

For others, consuming Purple Nectar Thunder Fruit to increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment might seem unrealistic, but for Zhou Ping, it's simply a matter of quantity.

He believes that as long as the quantity is large enough, its unique characteristics can definitely be extracted!

Now Zhou Ping has all the spiritual plants needed to refine the Golden Marrow Pill. He only needs to cultivate them one by one before he can begin refining the pill.

Originally, he didn't need to exchange for the pills from Qin Zhong anymore, but considering his rapid growth in cultivation and the fact that his spiritual root was already known to everyone, it would inevitably arouse suspicion from the crowd.

After all, it is impossible for a Qi Refining cultivator with a pseudo-spiritual root to improve their cultivation too quickly, unless they possess a rare treasure or obtain a great opportunity.

Regardless of the situation, Zhou Ping did not want people to focus their attention on him, which is why he took the action of exchanging for the Golden Marrow Pill.

With this bottle of Golden Marrow Pills, even if he cultivates to the late stage of Qi Refining, he will have a legitimate excuse and justification. He only needs to attribute all the credit to Qin Zhong's bottle of pills. With reason and evidence, everyone will be convinced.

As for the animal hide magic artifacts, Zhou Ping used them entirely for his own safety.

Since entering the world of cultivation, he has never had a peaceful day. After seeing the mask-like magical artifacts in Guiyuan Pavilion, he has longed for such artifacts for a long time.

Now that Qin Zhong has something similar in his possession, he certainly can't miss it.

With this item, he could greatly help to conceal his identity, and no matter what he did in the future, he would have a considerable guarantee of safety.

After thinking it over, Zhou Ping took out a jade box and sealed the Purple Thunder Fruit again. He had no plans to stimulate the growth of the Purple Cloud Spirit Tree until he had a firm foothold.

Then, he picked up the animal hide artifact. Qin Zhong hadn't specifically mentioned how to use it when he left, so it must have been relatively simple.

Zhou Ping unfolded it and gently covered his face with it. In a flash of inspiration, the animal skin disappeared without a trace.

Out of curiosity, he hurriedly went to the bronze mirror and looked closely. Suddenly, a handsome man with fair skin and delicate features appeared in the bronze mirror.

In the bronze mirror, the handsome man's eyes were wide open, his face showing surprise.

Even so, he still appeared exceptionally handsome.