Chapter 733: Thunder-Calling Flower

Yan Buji took Huang Tianshangren along to do business with the demon race, which also gave him a way out.

Soon after, they learned that City Lord Xiong Feiyu, who resides in the capital city, had summoned them for a meeting.

"I'm not a sect member, Huang Tianshangren, I've met the City Lord."

"Great Sinful Sect's Yan Buji, I've met the City Lord."

City Lord Xiong Feiyu nodded: "You two have just arrived, and I have a matter to entrust to you both."

"The City Lord says it's fine; if we can help the City Lord, that's naturally the best," Huang Tianshangren laughed.

Yan Buji also nodded, not knowing what the City Lord was planning.

Xiong Feiyu rose and led the two to a room in the City Lord's mansion. The room was filled with many rare treasures, and Yan Buji's eyes immediately caught sight of numerous glowing relics.

Xiong Feiyu walked with a steady, powerful stride toward the antique desk, his gaze focused and resolute. As he approached, he extended his right hand, gently pulled open a drawer, and carefully retrieved an item. The item resembled a fully bloomed flower, vivid and lifelike; yet upon closer inspection it was entirely carved from fine white jade, warm and smooth, emitting a faint sheen as if it contained mysterious power.

"Is this… Jade Thunder Flower?" Huang Tianshangren exclaimed in surprise.

Yan Buji furrowed his brow, thought carefully, then suddenly seemed to recall something and said, "Legend says it was born from a heavenly calamity, the Eight‑turn Celestial Material Jade Thunder Flower that blooms in the Thunder Pool?!"

Yan Buji's eyes flashed with excitement, but of course he dared not stare longer; even if he could take it, he wouldn't.

In his early years of wandering, Yan Buji acquired many ancient texts recording rare celestial materials; the Jade Thunder Flower was also listed, said to be a top‑tier Thunder Dao celestial material that can not only forge the legendary Eight‑turn Soul‑Returning Celestial Pill, but also serve as the primary ingredient to craft an extremely powerful Thunder Dao celestial accumulation!

Of course, though this treasure is rare, it carries great danger; it is said that anyone lacking sufficient strength to wield it may cause it to explode and die.

Yan Buji wasn't entirely clear on the specifics, but he knew that ordinary cultivators could not obtain the Jade Thunder Flower.

"Hehe," Xiong Feiyu chuckled. "This item resembles the Jade Thunder Flower, but it is not that; it is a peculiar spiritual material that grows in the Thunder Punishment lands, which we call the Thunder‑Calling Flower."

"A spiritual material?" Huang Tianshangren asked curiously. "I've truly never seen such a material before."

"Hmm, it's a spiritual material newly cultivated by the Royal Court. However, we need a peculiar human artifact as an aid; are you familiar with a spirit wine called 'Drunken Immortal'?"

"Drunken Immortal Wine?" Huang Tianshangren and Yan Buji said in unison, exchanging a glance.

If they only sought the Drunken Immortal Wine, why display this Thunder‑Calling Flower to them?

Huang Tianshangren couldn't help but fall into thought, and Yan Buji beside him asked, "City Lord, are you speaking of the Drunken Immortal Wine from the West Sand River Basin?"

"I don't know either, but I've heard it's a food‑path spiritual material with no grade distinction," Xiong Feiyu waved his hand. "So, can you obtain it?"

"Well…," Huang Tianshangren hesitated, then asked, "City Lord, if you need to purchase Drunken Immortal Wine, just let us know. As for this Thunder‑Calling Flower…"

Xiong Feiyu smiled: "To be honest, this Thunder‑Calling Flower was just cultivated, but we haven't found a suitable way to use it. It's not as good for alchemy or forging as other materials of the same grade. Supposedly it requires Drunken Immortal Wine to be properly utilized, but I think we could hand it to you; if you can find a proper application, that would be an agreement between us."

Huang Tianshangren nodded: "If we discover a way to use it, we will certainly inform the City Lord."

"Alright, I happen to have two more, so I'll give them to you."

With that, Xiong Feiyu handed a Thunder‑Calling Flower each to Yan Buji and Huang Tianshangren.

Afterwards, the two left the City Lord's mansion and went to a tavern to discuss the matter.

Recalling the time he had previously set an ambush with the designer against Yan Buji and thus knowing some details, Huang Tianshangren asked, "Hall Master Yan, do you have Drunken Immortal Wine in your possession?"

"I do have some, but not much left," Yan Buji didn't hide it, after all they had once been enemies. But now the situation was different; Yan Buji sought the Great Mysterious Ping from Huang Tianshangren and wouldn't easily turn hostile.

He still had to smile and cooperate with him, making money together.

Huang Tianshangren could see that Yan Buji seemed to have some different thoughts, and awkwardly said, "Hall Master Yan, don't take offense; the events of those years were indeed a commission I received…"

Yan Buji waved his hand, cutting off Huang Tianshangren's explanation: "Those are past matters; I'm not that petty to fuss over them. Since now you, Yellow Heaven Dao friend, are working with me, why bother with that? It would only make me seem petty."

Huang Tianshangren smiled and nodded: "Yes, I was being petty. But why do you think the City Lord gave us this Thunder‑Calling Flower?"

"Hmm, I guess he wants to use our hands to open the human market?" Yan Buji thought.

"Is that so?"

"The demon race can't have cultivators who aren't eyeing the human market; since we can do business with the demon race, they will surely try to promote their goods. This Thunder‑Calling Flower is peculiar; I wonder what its effect is…" Yan Buji carefully sensed the Thunder‑Calling Flower in his hand.

The item was entirely jade, faintly emitting the sound of wind and thunder; holding it felt warm, like a certain type of warm jade fire.

Huang Tianshangren pondered, took a petal, and crushed it into powder in his hand.

Suddenly!

Crack!

A crackling sound erupted from Huang Tianshangren's hand; the lightning burst from the Thunder‑Calling Flower couldn't harm him, but it made his pupils instantly contract:

"I understand!"

"Oh?" Yan Buji looked at him curiously. "How?"

"Hall Master Yan, why not try it yourself, and you'll see why the City Lord gave us this thing!" Huang Tianshangren laughed.

Yan Buji, curious, followed Huang Tianshangren's previous action and tried.

As he crushed the petal, Yan Buji felt the electric current from the Thunder‑Calling Flower surge into his pores, yet it didn't damage his skin, not even the tiny vessels, and instead forced out some black sludge.

"This…" Yan Buji's pupils contracted: "Is this thing used to cleanse the body?!"

"Indeed, if I'm not mistaken, this Thunder‑Calling Flower has little effect on the demon race but is highly suitable for us humans!" Huang Tianshangren laughed.

"So the City Lord uses this to attract our attention? He wants us to buy large quantities and sell them to the human race?" Yan Buji smiled.

That aligns with my earlier speculation.

But Huang Tianshangren shook his head: "No, this also involves another issue."