Big Data Cultivation
Chapter 1168: The Sinister Soul Stone (Part 2)

Chapter 1168: Chapter 1168: The Sinister Soul Stone (Part 2)

"What do I want to know?" Feng Jun pondered for a moment before speaking, "I want to know, if I tell you where the Soul Stone is, would you resort to coercion or force?"

"Of course not," Huang Fu Wuxia and Kong Ziyi replied in unison, then exchanged a glance with each other.

The Soul Stone, on the Mobile Plane, is indeed priceless—at the very least, no one considers buying it at an auction; all the real effort happens outside the auction grounds.

This was also Feng Jun’s luck. If only one of the two were present, the situation probably wouldn’t have been this harmonious.

Relatively speaking, Huang Fu Wuxia seemed to lack a bit of confidence, but the fact remains—even the weakest Golden Core Family is still Golden Core.

After exchanging a glance, it was Kong Ziyi who spoke up first. "Mountain Master Feng, if you trust me, I hope you’ll let me see the Soul Stone first... Many elders of the Taiqing Sect have gone missing. I’m not looking for any profit, I just want to bring the elders back home."

Huang Fu Wuxia couldn’t help but speak up as well, "My Huang Fu Family has many missing elders too. Why should you get to see it first?"

It turned out that their ongoing silent rivalry wasn’t over obtaining the Soul Stone itself, but over what to do about the Yin Soul trapped within it.

Clearly, the chance that this Yin Soul belonged to either a Huang Fu ancestor or a Taiqing elder wasn’t very high. After all, so many forces exist on the Mobile Plane. Still... what if?

Feng Jun hadn’t considered this thoroughly. While the Soul Stone was indeed valuable, if it trapped a Yin Soul within, then the soul’s value might surpass that of the stone itself.

Thus, neither Huang Fu Wuxia nor Kong Ziyi made the first move—they were both calculating how this Yin Soul should be handled.

If neither of them had any personal stakes in this, the situation would’ve been easy to resolve. They could brainstorm together on how to eliminate the Yin Soul and figure out a harmonious solution for the matter.

However, once personal ties were involved, so too were positions and vested interests. Huang Fu Wuxia couldn’t help pondering: if this Yin Soul turned out to be an ancestor of the Huang Fu Family, she would undoubtedly fight for it. After all, the Huang Fu Family’s long-standing heritage had faced considerable knowledge gaps over the years.

Kong Ziyi’s thoughts weren’t much different from Chairman Huang Fu’s: the Taiqing Sect was the largest sect on this plane—or at least they thought so themselves. Few would dare scheme against them, but there were countless brave predecessors from Taiqing who had ventured into the unknown and never returned.

Aside from wanting to restore their own heritage, there was the added fact that many coveted the legacies of others.

Did the Huang Fu Family have no interest in Taiqing’s hidden knowledge? Or did Taiqing believe their own cultivation techniques were already so refined as to require no outside inspiration?

If this were truly just a matter of ownership over a Soul Stone, things would’ve been far simpler. It would’ve come down to bidding—and, at most, "Since both of us have a good relationship with Feng Jun, there’s no need to involve others. Let’s just bid against each other directly."

All these calculations, Feng Jun was utterly unaware of—and no one planned to tell him either. He could tell from their argument that something was amiss, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what he’d overlooked.

At this point, though, it was a bit too late to reanalyze everything. So, he spoke up instead, "Stop arguing, you two. This Yin Soul seems very weak to me. It’s unlikely to be your ancestor or any significant figure from your past."

Both women turned to him at once, speaking in unison, "What makes you think that?"

Feng Jun hesitated for a moment before pulling out the Spirit Beast Bag. "The Soul Stone is in here."

Kong Ziyi reacted immediately. "You mean... it can be stored in a Spirit Beast Bag meant for the Dust Cleansing Realm?"

"That’s right," Feng Jun nodded. "The Soul Stone can’t be stored in a Storage Talisman, but it can fit in this."

Both women were stunned. "The Soul Stone can’t be stored in a Storage Talisman?"

It turned out that while these two were well-versed in the lore surrounding Soul Stones, they hadn’t actually worked with one before and didn’t even know that it couldn’t be stored in a Storage Bag.

However, Huang Fu Wuxia quickly pieced it together. "Storage Bags can’t store living things... That must be the reason."

Kong Ziyi wasn’t far behind in her response. "Then, does that mean this Yin Soul’s cultivation is only at the Dust Cleansing Realm?"

Huang Fu Wuxia shook her head. "That seems impossible. At least, I’ve never heard of anyone in the Dust Cleansing Realm having a method to use a Soul Stone. Even Golden Core Masters rarely use them. What do you think, Sister Ziyi?"

Kong Ziyi shook her head as well. "I haven’t heard of such a thing either. But... is it possible to invite a Golden Core Master to examine it?"

Feng Jun frowned slightly. Inviting a Golden Core Master wasn’t a problem, but what if the master decided it was "destined" to be theirs?

Huang Fu Wuxia also frowned. "This... is something that could easily tempt a Golden Core Master. Why not entrust it to Tiantong Auction?"

Kong Ziyi gave her a helpless look. "Wuxia, that’s quite insincere of you. Could something like this Soul Stone really make it to the auction floor? Most likely, it’d be privately absorbed by Tiantong internally, wouldn’t it?"

Huang Fu Wuxia spread her hands. "I don’t want it to come to that either, but keeping this thing is dangerous. It’s better to handle it quickly... Mountain Master Feng, I want to know, do you intend to keep this item for yourself, or would you be open to selling it at the right price?"

Feng Jun considered her question, then slowly nodded. "If the price is right, of course I’d be willing to sell it. But it can’t be what you think is a fair price—it has to be what I think is fair."

Kong Ziyi, hearing his words, wasted no time in releasing a paper crane. "As long as there’s a chance you’ll sell it, leave the rest to me."

Huang Fu Wuxia’s expression instantly darkened. "Sister Ziyi, your hands are outrageously fast!"

She had been planning to contact her ancestor’s consciousness, but Kong Ziyi had already sent out her communication crane.

Kong Ziyi merely smiled. "I’m just asking for advice. I won’t directly say there’s a Soul Stone here."

Her paper crane sought Master Sumiao’s guidance, but since the master might still be at Mount Zhige, it could take some time to get a response. In the meantime, Kong Ziyi curiously asked, "How did you discover the Soul Stone?"

Feng Jun casually recounted his experience: he and Yang Shangren were conducting experiments in the wilderness when some ill-fated thieves targeted them... In any case, Yang Shangren could corroborate the story.

Feng Jun’s explanation sounded solid, and both women nodded as they listened. Finally, Huang Fu Wuxia suddenly asked, "How can you be so sure it’s a Soul Stone?"

Feng Jun had already anticipated this question. "I’ve seen this thing before in my sect. When I saw it this time, it looked familiar, so I identified it... You know my identification skills are quite decent."

Huang Fu Wuxia shot him a sidelong glance. "Your identification skills are more than decent—they’re freakishly good... Speaking of which, the Fang Market has seen a lot of traffic lately. I was just telling Sister Ziyi earlier that you should take us treasure hunting."

Feng Jun inwardly rolled his eyes. Please, I’m already in the second layer of the Dust Cleansing Realm—you want me to rummage through stalls aimed at Qi Refinement or even Mortal Transformation cultivators? Seriously?

If the rewards were as extraordinary as finding a Flowing Heart Thistle, it’d be worth losing face. But in the vast Cultivation World, how often do such treasures appear?

Kong Ziyi, however, cast him a thoughtful look. "You had access to a Soul Stone in your sect... It seems you were highly regarded."

In the Taiqing Sect, she had never seen a Soul Stone herself. She had only heard that Master Sumiao once obtained one, but the master had never shown it to her or even mentioned it.

She hadn’t thought much of it before, but now, knowing her own background, she couldn’t help but feel impressed. Feng Jun’s status in his sect must have been quite high.

While they chatted, Kong Ziyi finally managed to connect with Master Sumiao.

After listening to her inquiry, Master Sumiao pondered for a moment before responding, "It’s impossible for someone in the Dust Cleansing Realm to use a Soul Stone. Their Divine Sense wouldn’t withstand the Soul Stone’s pressure. Even if they managed to enter the stone, they’d be squeezed out or crushed into oblivion..."

"As for the fact that a Dust Cleansing-level Spirit Beast Bag can store a Soul Stone, the most likely explanation is... it’s housing a fragment of an incomplete Remnant Soul."

Master Sumiao also offered a suggestion: test whether the Soul Stone could fit into a Spirit Beast Bag meant for the Qi Refinement Realm. If it could, then the Remnant Soul contained within would pose little threat.

The three of them were intrigued by this suggestion. They had briefly considered something similar but dismissed it, thinking it best not to disturb the Soul Stone once Feng Jun had gone through the trouble of securing it in the Spirit Beast Bag.

But since Master Sumiao had suggested it, they felt emboldened to give it a try.

Finally, the master casually asked, "Is the Soul Stone’s owner interested in selling it?"

It was truly a display of the Taiqing Sect’s Golden Core Style—far superior to the Golden Cores from minor factions. Master Sumiao relayed all the crucial information first and only then inquired about purchasing, without betraying any desperation.

Kong Ziyi hesitated briefly before answering, "Master, didn’t you already obtain a Soul Stone twenty years ago?"

Even though Sumiao was far away, her deep connection with Kong Ziyi enabled her to sense the presence of others at the scene, including Feng Jun and Huang Fu Wuxia. Out of courtesy, she responded methodically.

"Ziyi, your comment misses the mark. True, I possess a Soul Stone already, but not all your martial uncles do."

Kong Ziyi nodded respectfully. "Understood, I will inquire for your martial uncles to see if the owner is willing to sell."

After the communication ended, Feng Jun decisively shook his head. "Since it’s not Master Sumiao herself that needs it, I’m afraid I must decline, Daoist Ziyi. You have martial uncles, but so do I."

Feng Jun had no strong objection to selling the Soul Stone, but knowing that Sumiao wasn’t personally in need of it meant she likely wouldn’t pay a premium. And since she already had one herself, Feng Jun felt much less obligated to entertain the idea.

A peculiar light flickered in Kong Ziyi’s eyes, but she ultimately nodded slightly. "This matter isn’t urgent. By the way, aren’t you curious whether the Soul Stone can fit into a Spirit Beast Bag for the Qi Refinement Realm?"

Without hesitation, Feng Jun retrieved the Soul Stone from the Spirit Beast Bag.

Huang Fu Wuxia and Kong Ziyi widened their eyes as they stared, unblinking, at the brownish stone.

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