Daily life of a cultivation judge Chapter 1456: The request

"Regarding this vial of heart-quenching mulberry dew," Li Gang stated, presenting the vial, "the seller has put forth a list of desired items, with their value decreasing in order of importance."

"It is important to note," Li Gang continued, his voice even, "that the seller is currently absent. Therefore, the items are fixed, and no alternatives will be considered. Only precisely what is requested on this list will be accepted."

After ensuring his statement was understood, he proceeded: "The most crucial item on the list is the heartwood of a monarch-grade Four Skies Banyan Tree. Should you possess a piece from a top-tier monarch grade specimen," Li Gang paused, his gaze sweeping across the assembled individuals, "the seller has instructed that the exchange be immediate, and the remaining items on the list will be waived."

"So," he inquired, surveying the crowd, "before I go any further, does anyone here possess the heartwood from a top-tier monarch-grade Four Skies Banyan Tree?" He gestured around, adding, "If you do, this item is yours to claim."

Yang Qing observed with a contemplative expression, while familiar faces within the crowd exchanged quiet murmurs and knowing glances among themselves.

"The heartwood of the Four Skies Banyan Tree..." Yang Qing mused aloud. He had not anticipated this item being listed as the highest priority, or indeed, listed at all. While it was a respectable material, it was hardly extraordinary, nor did it seem to warrant the significant importance the seller of the dew had assigned to it.

In reality, the only individuals who would find considerable use for it were...

"Craftsmen," Yang Qing whispered, his eyes alight with a myriad of thoughts regarding the requester's unusual emphasis on the Four Skies Banyan Tree's heartwood. To be perfectly candid, even taking into account a top-tier monarch-grade specimen, the value of the heart-quenching mulberry dew far surpassed that of the heartwood; the proposed trade could hardly be considered equitable.

It was an undeniable truth that any cultivator would eagerly seize the opportunity to possess the heart-quenching mulberry dew. Natural treasures that aided in heart tempering were neither abundant nor commonly found. While not so rare as to elude discovery for centuries, they appeared infrequently enough that encountering one in trade or at auction was a far-from-ordinary event. Furthermore, among the plethora of heart-tempering treasures, the heart-quenching mulberry dew and its parent tree, despite the seemingly severe nature of its effects, offered a remarkably gentle method for tempering.

This was a rare treasure that carried minimal to no risk of fatality or irreversible harm. Whatever trials it imposed, it could correspondingly alleviate or restore, achieving a delicate yet flawless equilibrium between destruction and rejuvenation.

This was unlike other heart-tempering artifacts and natural treasures. If one failed to survive or overcome their effects, there was a distinct possibility of experiencing qi deviation, or suffering severe repercussions to one's cultivation, particularly if heart demons grew beyond the capacity to be restrained. More unstable cultivators had emerged from the use of heart-tempering artifacts and treasures than from curses or volatile cultivation arts combined.

And for those unfortunate souls who faced particularly cruel twists of fate, it would not be surprising for them to perish as a result of the ordeals imposed by these artifacts and treasures. Some became so unstable that they risked explosive disintegration, a fate narrowly averted by Wen Chang, the emerald leaf cow of the Green Fog Swamp Sect. Due to shock and her fragile mental state, she had become dangerously unstable in Yang Qing's courtroom, and would have likely detonated into fragments from her erratic Qi had Yang Qing not intervened.

Therefore, a substance like the heart-quenching mulberry dew, which mitigated or eliminated such risks while facilitating heart tempering, was something countless cultivators would desperately desire. Not to mention its other valuable properties, such as significantly elevating the likelihood of an artifact developing a spirit if its waters were utilized during the creation process. For artifacts that already possessed a spirit, immersing them in its waters deepened the spirit's comprehension of itself and the surrounding world, thereby strengthening it.

How many cultivators would resort to killing, theft, begging, or relentless toil for the mere chance to own an artifact with an awakened spirit? An artifact housing an awakened spirit was not only potent but possessed the capacity for growth, and through this growth, it could fortify its wielder in innumerable ways. Moreover, given that an artifact, provided it remained undamaged, possessed an infinite lifespan, it could ensure the continuity or preservation of a lineage through the transmission of the Dao or by safeguarding those to whom it was bound.

Numerous sects, clans, and organizations have endured through the ages, safeguarded by powerful artifacts passed down through generations, even after the loss of their most potent members.

Consequently, countless cultivators would eagerly seek the heart-quenching mulberry tree or its dew, which held the crystallized essence of its abilities. However, concerning the Four Skies Banyan Tree...

Yang Qing understood its capacity to harmonize with various forms of the wind element. Just as different types of yin energy exist, so too do distinct manifestations of wind. The Four Skies Banyan Tree could absorb a significant number of these, refine them, and harmonize them within its heartwood. This process fosters an environment conducive to easily comprehending the Dao of Wind, thereby facilitating the cultivation of arts and spells associated with that Dao.

While not universally applicable, it established an exceptional setting for understanding and nurturing movement arts. Furthermore, it could offer insights into other domains by harmonizing the diverse forms of the wind element.

Beyond aiding in cultivation, Yang Qing recalled Chief Song Quan's passionate discourses on various spiritual woods and their potential uses. During these lengthy explanations, the Chief had mentioned that wood from the Four Skies Banyan Tree was an excellent material for constructing courtyards atop high peaks. Its remarkable ability to draw in and harmonize different types of wind energy also made it a natural spirit-gathering array.

It was when arrays were discussed that the Chief casually remarked how flying ferries, particularly those of decent quality, would benefit greatly from having their main structures constructed entirely from Four Skies Banyan wood, with the cores of their formation arrays anchored by the heartwood, where the tree's most potent abilities resided.

Should one lack sufficient wood from the Four Skies Banyan Tree for the entire hull, possessing its heartwood and incorporating it into one of the formation cores would disseminate the tree's beneficial effects throughout the ferry. This would render the vessel as effective as if it were entirely built from the banyan wood, irrespective of the hull's material.

The affinity of both the wood and heartwood with wind would render those ferries swifter and more responsive. Given that most flying ferries bore wind-related runes inscribed on their bodies, utilizing banyan wood with its heartwood anchoring the formation core would amplify the runes' efficacy and ensure smoother operation. The combination of heartwood and wood enhanced ferry speed and maneuverability. Even the warning and surveillance arrays performed optimally on these woods, increasing the ferries' capacity to react to sudden changes.

At this juncture, Chief Song Quan looked at him with a knowing glint in his eye and a sly, half-smile—a rare expression on the perpetually stern elder's face. He then stated that the banyan wood and heartwood possessed all the characteristics Yang Qing greatly admired: enabling swift escapes, significantly aiding in danger detection, and achieving all this at a considerably reduced cost.

He recognized his listener well, as these qualities resonated deeply with Yang Qing's values. The sole drawback was its unsuitability as a storage container; using it as a wine gourd for wines, teas, or juices would corrupt their flavors, rendering them bland. However, for any other purpose—from constructing a cultivation room or ground to aid in comprehending movement arts or wind-affinity arts, to building flying ferries or formations aligned with wind—it was exceptional.

Yet, it wasn't exceptional enough to warrant a trade for heart-quenching mulberry dew. Not unless... not unless one possessed such a desperate need for its specific abilities that the deal became overwhelmingly worthwhile.

Yang Qing murmured, a frown creasing his brow as he found the entire situation perplexing.

The following minutes only deepened his confusion. After no one presented a top-tier monarch-grade heartwood from a Four Skies Banyan Tree, Li Gang proceeded down the list of requested items. Every subsequent item he mentioned invariably demonstrated significant value in the construction of a flying ferry. Whether it were crown leaves of a Soaring Cloud Cypress, wood from a Floating Reedwood Tree, sap from a Thundervein Camphor Tree, or a Stormbreath Thunder Pearl, all were materials that would find extensive use in the creation of a flying ferry.

The Stormbreath Thunder Pearl possessed the ability to absorb lightning and fierce winds, converting such energy to propel ships. The sap derived from the Thundervein Camphor served as excellent ink for inscribing wind and lightning-based runes. Furthermore, wood treated with this sap exhibited significantly enhanced resistance to fire and lightning-based assaults. The Floating Reedwood shared properties akin to the Four Skies Banyan; ferries fashioned from its wood achieved remarkable speed both airborne and on water, owing to the wood's dual affinity with water and wind elements. Lastly, the crown leaves of the Soaring Cloud Cypress proved ideal for camouflage. Their properties could conceal any object from detection by spiritual senses, visual arts, and other spells, even preventing the triggering of formation arrays entirely, rendering the covered item as intangible as clouds.

Had the heartwood of the Four Skies Banyan Tree not been listed first, Yang Qing might not have considered the other items as potential materials for a flying ferry. Each possessed distinct value beyond shipbuilding, but his discovery of the banyan heartwood illuminated a singular connection, suggesting the seller's primary intent involved flying ferries.

As for the reasoning behind this, Yang Qing could only speculate. Perhaps the seller harbored the outlandish idea of gifting the Bluefin Escort Agency a flying ferry as amends for the abduction of its founder, his disciple, and their two vessels. A preposterous thought, Yang Qing mused, offering a wry smile at the notion.