Volume 10, Chapter 650 – The Eight Layer of Heavenly Tribulation Realm

Qi Huang snapped her eyes open and stared at the room of the waking world; a chill truly crept through her heart. She had been on the verge of reaching her target, only to regain consciousness at the most critical moment.

‘Sigh! Could it really be as Cheng Ling said, that I’m destined to become a complete woman?’

Disheartened, Qi Huang could not help herself. After all, she was already not far from complete feminization, yet the chances of dreaming of Cheng Ling were growing smaller and smaller. She did not know whether there would be another chance at all.

‘No. As long as I haven’t completely feminized, I can’t give up!’

Steadying herself, Qi Huang went to find her family and laid out everything she had seen in her dream without holding anything back. Although this “dream” had not achieved its purpose, it had yielded a great deal of useful information.

“I never imagined there would be something like ‘cleanups’ even beneath the Five Elements Heavenly Dao. That means until we possess absolute strength, we must never clear away all the Yin energy of this world. Otherwise, Heavenly Servants will be summoned immediately.”

Even the aloof Cheng Hongling was shaken.

“That’s right. A single Heavenly Servant wiped out the cultivators of an entire world in a short span of time. That kind of power leaves even the strongest immortals in the dust. And above him there seem to be even stronger lackeys of the Heavenly Dao. Our world absolutely couldn’t resist them!”

Qi Huang echoed, her tone grave.

“Then what about ordinary people? Are they to be tormented by Yin energy forever?”

Cheng Yuan asked in worry.

“Right now we can barely protect ourselves. This isn’t the time to fret over the common folk. Only by racing against time to become stronger can we solve the root of the problem.”

Qi Huang gave a brief explanation, then added, “We’re almost out of Heaven-Deceiving Water. I must raise my realm to the eighth layer of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm as soon as possible, then head into the cosmos to search for more. Otherwise, the Heavenly Dao’s pawns could discover us at any moment.”

Her family thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

Qi Huang knew it was time to harvest the crop, so she even shut down the Honghua Sect’s ghost tomato purchasing point.

At the Imperial Capital’s Immortal Alliance sub-altar, Elder Zuo’s largest batch of ghost tomatoes had ripened, more than two hundred thousand in all. Most had come from seeds provided by Qi Huang. They packed the entire mountainside in dense profusion, each one dewy and bursting with juice. From afar it was a swath of dusky violet. If he hadn’t activated a grand formation to screen out spiritual senses, the spectacle would likely have caused a sensation across the cultivation world.

Elder Zuo looked out over the sea of ghost tomatoes stretching beyond the horizon; the wrinkles on his old face vanished beneath his grin, because he knew he was looking at a mountainside of silver taels.

“Each one can sell for thirty taels. Two hundred thousand of them will sell for six million taels of silver. After shaving off the cost of seeds, labor, and fertilizer, I can still net seven to eight hundred thousand taels.”

Rеаԁ оո КαtReαdіngСаfе

Hoeing diligently while cheerfully doing the math, Elder Zuo felt more and more that his vision had been farsighted. If he hadn’t steeled himself back then to buy those two hundred thousand seeds, he probably wouldn’t have earned so much even by being a ‘vegetable farmer’ for another ten years.

“Elder Zuo… Elder Zuo… bad news!”

Just then, a trusted aide came hurrying pell-mell into the field.

“What is it? Your parents died? For a dignified Immortal Alliance disciple to panic like this. Are you trying to make our Alliance lose face?”

Elder Zuo frowned and scolded.

“Please quell your anger, Elder Zuo!”

The aide forced himself to steady down and then said, unhurriedly, “Elder Zuo, the Golden Fortune Auction House and the Honghua Sect have both stopped purchasing ghost tomatoes.”

“What?”

Pa! Elder Zuo’s hoe dropped to the ground. He stumbled forward, grabbed the aide by the collar, and snapped, “Say that again.”

“Elder Zuo! Calm down! The Alliance’s reputation matters!”

The aide struggled to remind him.

“How much is the Alliance’s face worth?”

Elder Zuo flung the aide to the ground and demanded harshly, “You just said the Golden Fortune Auction House and the Honghua Sect have stopped buying ghost tomatoes. Is that hearsay, or did you go and verify it yourself?”

“Of course I verified it personally. Didn’t I go under your orders with several thousand ghost tomatoes to sell at the Golden Fortune Auction House? Who would have thought we’d be turned away at the door. They said they’re no longer accepting ghost tomatoes. Afraid I couldn’t report back, I rushed over to sell to the Honghua Sect, but met with the same result.”

The aide hurriedly explained.

“Did you ask carefully whether this is a temporary suspension or a permanent shutdown?”

Elder Zuo pressed on, unwilling to give up.

“They said they won’t be buying ever again.”

The aide reiterated.

“It’s over.”

Rеаⅾ оո ΚаtRеаdiոɡСαfe

Elder Zuo’s face instantly went ashen. He slumped into a chair like a lost soul and, moments later, tears streamed down his old cheeks. Those five million taels of silver were his lifetime savings, and now they had gone straight down the drain.

“How could I have been so foolish!”

The more he thought about it, the angrier Elder Zuo became, and he gave himself a vicious slap.

“Elder Zuo, if the Golden Fortune Auction House isn’t buying anymore, what will you do with all these ghost tomatoes?”

After a long while, the aide asked cautiously.

Elder Zuo looked at the ghost tomatoes covering the mountains and plains; the more he looked, the more they offended him. He snarled, “Dig them all up! Get rid of the eyesores!”

“Elder Zuo, wouldn’t that be too great a waste? Should we ask around to see if anyone else wants them?”

The aide, unable to bear it, offered a suggestion.

“Who besides Cheng Hongling would want such poison? Do you want them? No? Then I’ll sell them to you, only ten taels each!”

Elder Zuo demanded with a ferocious look.

“I… I don’t want them!”

The aide shook his head again and again.

“Why not? This elder has run into trouble. Shouldn’t you, as disciples, be sharing my burdens? You have to take them. Ten each per person to start buying. No upper limit.”

Elder Zuo issued the domineering order.

“Elder Zuo, you might as well just kill me.”

The aide was on the verge of tears.

“Scram!”

Elder Zuo bellowed.

“Yes, yes, yes…”

Like a general amnesty, the order sent the aide scuttling away on hands and knees.

Elder Zuo’s anger ebbed a little. Looking at the ghost tomatoes spread over the mountains, he also felt reluctant. After all, he had poured his effort into them; destroying them outright would be too great a pity, so he could not bring himself to make the decision.

Rеaⅾ on КatRеаⅾіnɡСafе

A few days later, a disciple ran into the Immortal Alliance branch to inform Elder Zuo that someone had come to purchase ghost tomatoes.

“What? Invite them in at once!”

As though grasping at a life-saving straw, Elder Zuo hurried to usher in the person who wanted to buy. He did not even bother with secrecy anymore.

Naturally, the visitor was Qi Huang!

“How is it you?”

Elder Zuo froze the instant he saw Qi Huang.

“So Elder Zuo still remembers me. What an honor.”

Qi Huang teased.

“How could I forget? I spent my life’s savings buying your ghost tomato seeds, and now the Golden Fortune Auction House has stopped purchasing. This elder is bankrupt.”

Elder Zuo ground his teeth as he spoke.

“How regrettable.”

Qi Huang sighed in affected sympathy.

“Just ‘regrettable’ and that’s it? Can your conscience live with that? You must take responsibility.”

Elder Zuo clung to her like a scoundrel.

“Yes, my conscience has been wracked with guilt, that’s why I’ve come to buy the ghost tomatoes.”

Qi Huang played along.

“That’s more like it.”

Elder Zuo let out a long breath of relief and then asked, “So how do you intend to purchase my ghost tomatoes?”

“One tael of silver per piece.”

Qi Huang named her price.

Reаd οո ΚаtRеαⅾіոɡСаfе

“What did you say?”

Elder Zuo sprang up from his chair. Like a bull, his eyes flushed red as he roared, “Why don’t you just rob me? You sold me the seeds for twenty-five taels each, and now you want to buy the fruit back for one tael apiece? Look at what the sun has done to my face! A dignified Immortal Alliance elder has become a vegetable farmer. People who don’t know better would think I’d lost my job. And you dare take advantage of me?”

“Elder Zuo, get this straight: ghost tomatoes are of no use to me. I’m doing this purely out of goodwill. If you agree, you might salvage a bit of retirement money. If you don’t, I won’t force it, just keep them for tomato-and-egg stir-fry.”

With that, Qi Huang made to leave. Those ghost tomatoes were right under her nose; she had plenty of ways to get them and had no need to tangle with this old fellow.

Inside, Elder Zuo wrestled fiercely with himself. Selling would be a huge blow to his pride; not selling would mean losing everything.

“Elder, getting some of your money back is better than nothing.”

The aide at his side hurried to remind him.

Elder Zuo clenched his teeth and said, “Stop! Deal!”

The corners of Qi Huang’s lips lifted slightly. Not long after, she acquired those two hundred-plus thousand ghost tomatoes at the cost of just over two hundred thousand taels of silver.

Although Elder Zuo had gotten the money, his expression looked worse than if his parents had died. Five million taels had turned into two hundred thousand, over a twenty-fold shrinkage. No one could laugh at that.

“Elder Zuo, you’d best keep those ghost tomato vines. I have reliable news that the Golden Fortune Auction House has only suspended purchases and will soon reopen.”

Afraid she might not be able to scoop up bargains later, Qi Huang offered the kindly reminder.

“Really?”

Elder Zuo’s eyes lit up. If that were the case, he still had hope of recouping his losses.

“Of course. Within ten days the Golden Fortune Auction House will resume buying ghost tomatoes. You’ll see if you don’t believe me.”

Qi Huang gave a definite timeframe, then left the Immortal Alliance branch.

Back home, Qi Huang began using the ghost tomatoes without pause. When she had finished all two-hundred-odd thousand of them, her divine sense broke through in one fell swoop to the eighth layer of the Heavenly Tribulation Realm.

“Time to head into the cosmos and take a look.”

Gazing at the vast starry sky, Qi Huang’s face showed a look of anticipation.