Chapter 390: Chapter 142: Reversal of the Chase, a Painful Plea for Peace: Demon Marrow Gold and Seven-leaf Star Orchid

"When I return to the Demon Suppression Bureau, I will ’pay a visit’ to the Medicine King Valley with my brothers from the Bureau."

Hearing this, Baili Bing’s expression changed drastically, as if she had been struck by lightning!

She finally understood the gravity of the situation!

’This kid... he’s from the Demon Suppression Bureau!’

The Demon Suppression Bureau was famous for being fiercely protective of its own!

She had just been trying to hunt down and kill a member of the Demon Suppression Bureau. If word of this got back to the Bureau, and those butchers learned that the Medicine King Valley dared to make a lethal move against one of their own... even with the Medicine King Valley’s profound heritage, it could never withstand the Bureau’s wrath!

That would be an absolute catastrophe!

Besides, given this kid’s monstrous level of talent, his status within the Demon Suppression Bureau was likely quite high!

’When he’s fully grown, he’ll come to settle the score...’ Thinking of this consequence, Baili Bing couldn’t help but shiver.

But right now, the kid was already faster than her. Even if she wanted to escape, she might not be able to get away.

And as for capturing or killing him, that was completely out of the question!

The situation was both awkward and deadly.

With no other choice, Baili Bing suppressed the humiliation and rage in her heart. Forcing a strained smile, her tone softened considerably. "Little Brother, this was all a misunderstanding... I was momentarily confused and listened to malicious slander, offending you."

"I hope that you can be the bigger person and not hold this against me. The Medicine King Valley is willing to offer compensation to resolve this grievance."

Chu Fan just sneered, not saying a word.

Seeing this, Baili Bing knew that empty words were useless. Gritting her teeth, she took out a fist-sized piece of ore from her Sumeru Ring.

The ore was pitch-black, its surface covered in natural demonic patterns, and it emanated a pure, cold Demonic Qi.

"This is called ’Demon Marrow Gold.’ It’s an extremely rare Celestial Meteorite Iron that contains terrifying Demonic Qi. It’s a top-tier material for forging a Demon Divine Weapon."

Baili Bing said, holding back the pain of her loss, "I saw the Sword Technique you used just now. You can condense Evil Qi into a Blade Gang, so you must be following the Demon Dao path."

"If you fuse this Demon Marrow Gold into your weapon, it will definitely improve its quality and greatly increase the power of your Sword Technique!"

She held the Demon Marrow Gold in her palm. "I am willing to give this Demon Marrow Gold to you, Little Brother, in hopes of resolving the enmity between us. Let’s let what happened today be over. How about it?"

Chu Fan glanced at the Demon Marrow Gold. Even from a distance, he could sense the vast and pure dark energy within it. It was indeed an excellent match for the "Nine Blood Soul Blades" he cultivated.

But his face showed only disdain. "Is that all? You’re from the Medicine King Valley, a self-proclaimed Righteous Sect. This Demon Marrow Gold, filled with Demonic Qi, is useless to you. You probably even see it as an evil object."

"You think you can just fool me with a useless piece of rock you can’t even use, to atone for the crime of hunting down a member of the Demon Suppression Bureau? Do you think that’s possible?"

Baili Bing almost coughed up blood!

’Out in the world, this Demon Marrow Gold is enough to make countless Demon Dao masters fight to the death over it! It’s priceless! And in this kid’s mouth, it becomes a "useless rock"?’

But she was in a weaker position and needed something from him, so she could only suppress her anger.

"You must be joking, Little Brother..."

Baili Bing’s mouth twitched. She took a deep breath as if she had made a momentous decision, then took out a Cold Jade Box.

Inside the Jade Box was a plant. It was emerald green, shaped like a Lingzhi, and had seven leaves. Each leaf bore natural star-like patterns and radiated a vast, refreshing vitality and Spiritual Mechanism.

"This is the ’Seven-leaf Star Orchid,’ a supreme Treasure Plant that can help a peak Divine Power Realm cultivator break through to the Acupoint Realm!"

"This should be enough, right?"

Baili Bing’s heart was bleeding. These two items, especially the "Seven-leaf Star Orchid," were things she had obtained only with great difficulty, and now she had to hand them over.

But if the Demon Suppression Bureau came knocking, she would lose a lot more than just a pound of flesh...

"This thing..."

Chu Fan sensed the immense Spiritual Mechanism within the "Seven-leaf Star Orchid" and knew it was extraordinary. It was far more precious than any of the Treasure Plants he had received from Madam Zhang.

He pondered for a moment, then pointed to a flat stone not far away. "Put the items here, then retreat ten zhang."

Baili Bing did as she was told, placing the Demon Marrow Gold and the Cold Jade Box on the stone. Then, her figure drifted back until she was over a hundred zhang away.

After confirming there were no traps, Chu Fan’s figure flashed to the side of the stone, and he quickly knelt to inspect the two items.

Finding nothing wrong, he swiftly stored them in his Sumeru Ring.

He knew perfectly well that with his current strength, even if he used all his trump cards, he could at best kill someone at the Fifth Level of the Divine Power Realm by fighting above his station. But against an Acupoint Realm expert, even one at the First Heaven, he would ultimately fall short.

Pushing her to this point was already his limit.

If this continued and she became desperate enough to use a forbidden technique, the outcome would be uncertain.

Quitting while he was ahead was the best strategy.

When Baili Bing saw him take the items, a great weight was lifted from her heart.

Although it pained her immensely, she had at least resolved a potential catastrophe.

She forced a smile and was about to turn and leave this place where she had suffered so much humiliation.

Unexpectedly, Chu Fan suddenly spoke up. "What’s your cultivation level?"

Baili Bing was slightly startled. After a moment’s hesitation, she answered truthfully, "Acupoint Realm, First Heaven."

She had expected him to show some fear or perhaps offer some pleasantries. Instead, she heard Chu Fan let out a soft "Oh," before commenting in a slightly regretful tone, "Too weak..."

Baili Bing’s mouth twitched violently, and fury instantly blazed in her eyes!

’You, a mere Spirit Awakening Realm cultivator, dare to call someone in the Acupoint Realm weak?’

’An Acupoint Realm expert can crush someone in the Spirit Awakening Realm as easily as crushing an ant!’

’You take my treasures and then you dare to humiliate me?’

But before she could retort, Chu Fan slowly added, his voice not loud, but stabbing into Baili Bing’s heart like a sharp knife, "Can’t even defeat someone at the Second Heaven of the Spirit Awakening Realm... Truly too weak."

"...!" Baili Bing almost spat blood again. She was trembling with rage, her face alternating between pale and ashen.

She clenched her fists so tightly her nails nearly dug into her flesh.

But thinking of the Demon Suppression Bureau, of that bizarre Evil Qi Blade Gang and his Ghostly Body Technique, she ultimately forced herself to swallow the humiliation.

Gritting her teeth, she turned into a streak of light and fled without a backward glance, afraid that if she stayed a moment longer, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from attacking recklessly.

From far away, Chu Fan’s lazy, mocking voice drifted clearly back to her, drilling into her ears...

"So this is the Acupoint Realm?"

Hearing this, Baili Bing staggered, nearly plummeting headfirst to the ground!

...

Meanwhile, Chu Fan turned back toward the Chaotic Stone Forest.

’A place that can hide such a terrifying skeletal demonic beast, and with such astonishing Evil Qi... that place isn’t simple.’

’Even if I don’t find any good treasures, picking up the White Bones of that skeletal demonic beast might be useful.’

’Those White Bones were as hard as metal, able to withstand even that woman’s Sword Qi...’

’And the vast Evil Qi contained within them can’t be wasted.’

In the past, when he absorbed Evil Qi, he had relied on the medicinal power of Tianxing’s half-stalk of wild mountain ginseng to dissolve it.

But now that he was cultivating the "Demon Dragon Celestial Spirit Scripture," he would eventually be able to transform his Qi Sea into a Divine Sea, which could accommodate any type of energy between heaven and earth...

’A little Evil Qi? What’s there to be afraid of?’