Chapter 635: Fire Glowing Tiger Blood Stone Acquired

Shhh…

All eyes turned to He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng was startled!

He hadn't expected Gu Song to be the first to ask him to produce something for trade.

And… what should he produce?

"Dragon friend?" Gu Song's lips curled in a cold smile: "Are you truly a metallurgist?"

"Don't tell me you don't even have a decent metallurgical material?"

He Pingsheng said: "Of course not!"

As he spoke, he pulled a section of purple wood from his ring space.

The wood was about three feet long, etched with streaks of thunder patterns.

The moment he placed it in the void, torrents of heavenly lightning coalesced around it.

They formed arcs of lightning that shot outward from the wood into the surrounding void.

This item was fifth-rank; He Pingsheng didn't know its name, having acquired it years ago in a trading hall at the Immortal Ship Plaza in Tianpeng Imperial City.

Back then, the female cultivator had called it Thunder Peach Wood.

A piece of peach wood with faint thunder patterns emerging on its surface.

Later, when He Pingsheng had nothing better to do, he tossed the Thunder Peach Wood into the Treasure Basin for enhancement—and it split into two pieces, the thunder affinity on the wood growing denser and the thunder patterns multiplying.

"This is…"

Everyone stared in shock at the wood before He Pingsheng.

"Sun Peach Heavenly Wood!" Gu Song exclaimed: "This is Sun Peach Heavenly Wood—and a supreme-grade specimen! Though merely fifth-rank metallurgical material, it is exceedingly rare!"

"Dragon friend, do you understand this Sun Peach Heavenly Wood?"

He Pingsheng smiled: "How much do you know?"

He didn't directly answer Gu Song's question—he truly didn't know much about this so-called 【Sun Peach Heavenly Wood】.

Gu Song took a deep breath: "In the Spirit Realm, there exists a kind of wood called 【Ten-Thousand-Year Thunder Peach Wood】. In truth, this Thunder Peach Wood is a type of peach wood!"

"A spiritual peach!"

"As the spiritual peach grows, it easily attracts lightning strikes. If a Thunder Peach reaches ten thousand years of age and endures tens of thousands of lightning strikes, the highest branch will naturally acquire lightning affinity—when cut down, it becomes the 【Ten-Thousand-Year Thunder Peach Wood】."

"But… only after enduring a million years of lightning baptism can a single branch emerge like the one before you—the 【Sun Peach Heavenly Wood】!"

He Pingsheng understood.

In truth, Sun Peach Heavenly Wood, Ten-Thousand-Year Thunder Peach Wood, and Spiritual Peach Wood were all the same thing.

Only the duration of lightning baptism differed.

"This material is the supreme primary ingredient for crafting talismans that repel evil!" Gu Song said: "If used as the main material, it can forge mid- or even high-grade 【Ancient Treasures】. Because it naturally carries lightning, it is the ultimate counter to yin-evil spirits and demonic entities!"

"Dragon friend, what material do you seek in exchange for this Sun Peach Heavenly Wood?"

At Gu Song's question, everyone turned to He Pingsheng with eager eyes.

They all wanted it.

For metallurgists, such a supreme-grade material must be obtained at all costs.

He Pingsheng thought for a moment: "I seek a piece of 【Fire Glowing Tiger Blood Stone】…"

Though everyone was fixated on the Dragon Scale Immortal Wood, He Pingsheng knew that revealing the 【Fire Glowing Tiger Blood Stone】 would inevitably spark speculation.

But there was no choice!

He couldn't let fear make him forget his original purpose for coming here.

Indeed!

The next moment, Gu Song chuckled: "So… Dragon Zhe, your fortune is extraordinary—you obtained Dragon Scale Immortal Wood in the Yinming Imperial Palace, didn't you?"

"You're gathering materials to forge a 【Death-Substitution Puppet】, aren't you? If I'm not mistaken, you're only missing this 【Fire Glowing Tiger Blood Stone】?"

Shhh…

Almost every eye turned to He Pingsheng.

A Death-Substitution Puppet!

What was that?

It could save your life!

Though useless to Body Integration and Mahayana cultivators, it was crucial for Soul Transformation and Void Refinement!

With it, you gained an extra life.

As a metallurgist, who wouldn't want to try forging such a legendary item?

True… Dragon Scale Immortal Wood wasn't rare in the Spirit Realm.

After all, nine out of ten Mahayana Emperor cultivators ended not in ascension, but in death!

So Emperor bones were plentiful—and Dragon Scale Immortal Wood wasn't scarce.

Yet even so, it wasn't enough to satisfy the top families across the continents.

In truth, among mid- and even high-tier cultivators, Dragon Scale Immortal Wood was rarely seen.

"Friend, you jest!" He Pingsheng said: "【Fire Glowing Tiger Blood Stone】 isn't used solely for forging 【Death-Substitution Puppets】. Among sixth-rank materials, it is a supreme yang substance, capable of balancing yin materials during forging, playing a critical role in the process!"

"Circumstances requiring this material are countless!"

"Why assume I'm forging a Death-Substitution Puppet?"

He Pingsheng replied calmly and firmly.

His reasoning made sense.

"Alright," Gu Song said: "Who among you has 【Fire Glowing Tiger Blood Stone】?"

Immediately, a woman stepped forward: "I have it!"

She wore a blue Dao robe and had an ordinary face.

"I have a sizable piece of Fire Glowing Tiger Blood Stone, but… it is sixth-rank material."

"Your Sun Peach Heavenly Wood is only fifth-rank!"

"Would you consider adding something else?"

He Pingsheng shook his head: "No additions…"

As if!

Though the rank differed, his Sun Peach Heavenly Wood was supreme-grade.

And it was the primary material.

Far rarer.

The Fire Glowing Tiger Blood Stone, though sixth-rank, might not even surpass the Sun Peach Heavenly Wood in value.

"Alright," the woman said: "I'll trade."

She pushed forward a palm-sized crimson stone toward He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng likewise handed her the Sun Peach Heavenly Wood.

The trade was complete!

The materials for forging the 【Death-Substitution Puppet】 were finally complete.

Next step: forging.

He Pingsheng had studied metallurgy and puppetry for nearly a century—he knew he might not succeed in forging a true 【Death-Substitution Puppet】.

But it didn't matter.

Even if it failed, enhancing it in the Treasure Basin would still work.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've obtained what I needed!"

"Now, you may proceed as you wish."

After securing his item, He Pingsheng simply lay back.

He wouldn't trade for anything else, no matter what appeared.

After all, he had no intention of ever pursuing metallurgy again.

No need to invite trouble.

"Hehehe…" Gu Song smiled casually, though inwardly he was displeased with He Pingsheng—he couldn't voice it now, so he merely nodded: "Next, I have something here—take a look…"

"Those interested may bid!"

Gu Song placed a dark, murky material before himself.