Chapter 240: Danhuo

He Pingsheng came here primarily to purchase the 【Tianxiang Doukou】.

The chance of encountering it on the first day is very low.

Better to rent a house first.

He took Qiao Huizhu and walked to the back of those merchant associations.

Indeed, there was a dedicated hall for housing rentals behind.

"Every house here is divided into two levels, and each contains a second-rank Spirit-Blocking Array!"

"Once inside, reside with complete peace of mind—we guarantee your privacy absolutely!"

The beautiful female cultivator behind the counter looked earnestly at He Pingsheng and Qiao Huizhu.

He Pingsheng asked: "What's the price?"

The female cultivator said: "One hundred spirit stones per day!"

Sssss…

That price!

It's truly expensive.

Even someone like He Pingsheng found it expensive.

Qi Refining cultivators could never afford it.

But He Pingsheng certainly wasn't short on funds, so he promptly pulled out one thousand five hundred spirit stones and rented it for fifteen days.

After receiving the token and finding his temporary lodging, He Pingsheng didn't trust the establishment's array, so he added several of his own arrays within it.

Spirit-Blocking Array, Illusion Array, Defense Array, and Spirit Gathering Array—all were installed.

And a warning array as well.

This would prevent Foundation Establishment disciples from peering in, and even if a Jin Dan cultivator scanned with spiritual sense, the warning array would alert him in advance.

If a Nascent Soul cultivator scanned, there was nothing to be done.

But it didn't matter—he had no intention of using the Treasure Basin here anyway.

Rest for one day!

The next day, the Skull Mountain Fair officially began.

He Pingsheng brought Qiao Huizhu back to the vast thousand-zhang trading square.

Seeing the countless stalls crammed across the square, Qiao Huizhu gasped, mouth open: "So many people?"

"So spectacular!"

It truly was spectacular.

She added: "If every commandery had such a fair, it would be quite fun!"

"Come on!" He Pingsheng grabbed her hand, bypassed the stalls, and hurried into a nearby shop.

"Shopkeeper!"

He looked at the shopkeeper behind the counter and asked directly: "Do you have second-rank material 【Tianxiang Doukou】?"

"Tianxiang Doukou?" The shopkeeper shook his head: "I've heard of it, but I've never seen it—none here."

"Good."

He Pingsheng pulled Qiao Huizhu into the second merchant shop.

He went from shop to shop, checking them all.

Nothing.

Some shopkeepers, well-traveled and knowledgeable, had seen Tianxiang Doukou; others had never laid eyes on it, and some hadn't even heard the name.

He Pingsheng couldn't help feeling disappointed.

If they don't have it here, could it possibly be on the stalls outside?

"It's fine, younger brother…" Qiao Huizhu smiled at He Pingsheng: "If we don't find it, we don't find it—there'll be other chances. Right now, I can still cultivate just fine!"

"That's true," He Pingsheng took a deep breath: "I know you can cultivate now, but once you reach Nascent Soul, your spiritual roots must transform into Dao Roots to perceive the laws of heaven and earth—only through enlightenment can you advance. Without spiritual roots, how can you enter Nascent Soul?"

Qiao Huizhu said: "I never planned to reach Nascent Soul. I'm serious."

"In this cultivation world, prodigies are countless; people like me with my roots and talent are as numerous as fish crossing a river. How many ever climb to Nascent Soul? Husband, spending centuries with you is more than enough for me!"

"Why worry about what happens a hundred years from now?"

"Don't say that!" He Pingsheng interrupted her: "Cultivate hard—you will reach Nascent Soul!"

"Come on, let's browse the stalls."

The items on the stalls were wildly varied—plenty, chaotic.

Anything strange or bizarre could appear—only what you couldn't imagine was missing.

Yet after wandering for a long while, He Pingsheng saw no one selling Tianxiang Doukou.

But at the stall of a fat Foundation Establishment Level 12 cultivator, he saw something peculiar.

On the stall sat a bottle.

A jade bottle.

The mouth was open, and a crimson flame rose from within, three feet tall.

It was fully three chi tall.

"What is this?" He Pingsheng stared in shock at the flame.

If this were a lamp, the flame was far too large.

And how could fire arise inside a bottle?

As he spoke, his spiritual sense swept into the bottle and found half a bottle of ordinary first-rank spiritual liquid.

The flame was drawing spiritual power from the liquid to sustain itself.

"Danhuo…" The fat vendor glanced at He Pingsheng and replied, then grinned: "Young brother, interested?"

As he spoke, the fat man's eyes kept flicking toward Qiao Huizhu!

No help for it!

After restoring her original appearance, Qiao Huizhu was still too stunningly beautiful.

"Danhuo…"

He Pingsheng suddenly understood.

He had read about Danhuo in the book 【Miscellaneous Records of Cultivation】.

Danhuo refers to the flame that emerges on a cultivator's Golden Core after reaching Jin Dan, formed by channeling spiritual power into the core.

This flame has no offensive power.

But it can be used for alchemy.

It eliminates the hassle of using wood.

Compared to firewood alchemy, its advantage: easier control of heat.

Its drawback: consumes too much of one's own spiritual power.

Jin Dan cultivators with Fire Spiritual Roots often skip firewood entirely and use Danhuo directly.

Some Foundation Establishment disciples can also use Danhuo for alchemy.

Though they lack Golden Cores and cannot generate Danhuo themselves, they can assimilate another's Danhuo for their own use.

For example, this Danhuo—if assimilated—would let He Pingsheng summon Danhuo anytime, anywhere for alchemy.

With his spiritual sense, he could control the heat.

Unlike firewood, where he must add or remove fuel to adjust temperature.

Danhuo is convenient and precise, reducing alchemy difficulty and improving success rate.

As for drawbacks?

He Pingsheng had none.

His dantian was vast and deep; his internal spiritual power could easily sustain it.

"Brother, is this Danhuo from a human or a beast?" He Pingsheng bowed to the fat cultivator.

The fat cultivator said: "Young brother knows quite a bit—correct, this flame was extracted from a beast's core!"

"My master slew a Jin Dan beast, a 【Fire Lie Mouse】, last year—this Danhuo was drawn from its beast core!"

"Once assimilated, it will permanently reside in your dantian and can be summoned at will for alchemy!"

Danhuo's offensive power is weaker than even the basic spell 【Fireball】, so no one uses it as a weapon—it's used solely for alchemy.

"Want it? I'll give you a discount." The fat cultivator stared at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng was naturally tempted.

But this flame, though merely a wisp, contained some mysterious law-force—it was a third-rank item, surely not cheap.