I cultivate the Chaos Technique

The massive body of the two-tailed human-faced scorpion lay on the ground, its limbs twitching slightly, surrounded by blood and carnage. Zhang Yifan stood beside the corpse, his brow furrowed, pondering how to maximize the use of this demonic beast's carcass. The inner core of the two-tailed human-faced scorpion was priceless, a treasure coveted by cultivators, while its flesh, though not as precious as the inner core, was extremely effective for refining certain pills and feeding spirit beasts. Seeing that the Beast Taming Sect members had lowered their guard, Zhang Yifan chuckled inwardly; these people didn't understand what "a pie falling from the sky" meant.

Just as he was about to dismember the corpse and extract its inner core, Hu Yiman's voice suddenly came from behind him: "Junior Brother Zhang, the flesh and blood of this double-tailed human-faced scorpion are of great use to our Beast Taming Sect in taming spirit beasts. I hope you will grant my request."

Zhang Yifan's hand paused slightly. He looked up at Hu Yiman, his expression still calm, but several thoughts raced through his mind. This Holy Maiden of the Beast Taming Sect was quite clever; she had actually taken the initiative to speak, so it seemed she truly cared about the beast's flesh and blood. But since she had asked him for help, he couldn't easily agree. Zhang Yifan knew that maximizing his own benefit was the key.

“Senior Sister Hu, if your Beast Taming Sect wants this flesh and blood, I can naturally give it to you. However…” Zhang Yifan paused, revealing a meaningful smile, “Senior Sister should know that the inner core of this Twin-Tailed Human-Faced Scorpion is not easy to obtain, and its flesh and blood are also rare treasures. If you want me to give it up, you have to make me feel that it’s worth it, right?”

His words were unhurried and calm, yet carried a subtle pressure that made Hu Yiman's heart tighten. She quickly composed herself and forced a smile, saying, "Junior Brother Zhang is absolutely right. Our Beast Taming Sect does indeed desire the flesh and blood of this demonic beast, and we are willing to pay the corresponding price."

Hu Yiman cursed inwardly; Zhang Yifan was indeed a troublesome character. If it weren't for the circumstances, she would never want to deal with someone like him who was only after something. After a moment's thought, she coughed lightly and said, "How about this: we'll exchange a piece of information for this flesh and blood. I guarantee it will satisfy you."

"Oh?" Zhang Yifan gave a nonchalant look. "A message? It depends on what kind of message it is. If it's something unimportant, then it's not very interesting."

Seeing his reaction, Hui Man's eyes flickered, and she changed the subject, her tone suddenly becoming serious: "This news is related to your senior sister, Lin Qingzhu."

"Lin Qingzhu!" Zhang Yifan's heart jolted. His senior sister's name struck him like a heavy hammer. In that instant, he almost lost control of his emotions. Lin Qingzhu—this name meant so many complex emotions to him. He had been separated from his senior brothers and sisters since arriving in the secret realm. Now, Zhang Yifan only wanted to reunite with them as soon as possible. He had been secretly searching for their Xiao Luo, but to no avail. How could he not be moved upon hearing this name now?

Despite the turmoil within him, Zhang Yifan's expression remained calm, as if those three words held no importance for him. He narrowed his eyes slightly and said indifferently, "Oh? News about Senior Sister? That depends on what kind of news it is for me to think this deal is worthwhile."

Hu Yiman smiled inwardly. She had already caught the fleeting flicker of emotion in Zhang Yifan's eyes, knowing she had grasped his weakness. She understood that while Zhang Yifan appeared calm on the surface, his heart was already stirred by his senior sister's name. She smiled gently and continued, "Junior Brother Zhang, this information is not easy to obtain. If you are truly interested, I can tell you the location where she was last seen—the Shadow Bamboo Sea."

"The Shadowy Bamboo Sea?" A strange light flashed in Zhang Yifan's eyes. That place was located on the southern border of the Heavenly Absolute Secret Realm, rumored to be shrouded in eerie mist year-round, teeming with demonic beasts and riddled with secret realms, making it almost uncharted territory. If Lin Qingzhu had truly appeared there, just how many secrets were hidden within?

Zhang Yifan's mind was in turmoil, but his face remained calm: "Shadow Bamboo Sea? This news is interesting. However, information about a location alone is not enough for me to give up the flesh and blood of the Twin-Tailed Human-Faced Scorpion. After all, I can find it myself, why bother my senior sister to tell me?"

Hu Yiman frowned slightly. Zhang Yifan was indeed difficult to deal with, giving her no chance to relax. She cursed inwardly, then changed the subject with her smile: "Since that's the case, our Beast Taming Sect is willing to add one hundred mid-grade spirit stones as an exchange. What do you think, Junior Brother Zhang?"

Zhang Yifan remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was astonished. One hundred mid-grade spirit stones were a huge sum for any cultivator. Even as the Holy Son of the Lingyun Sword Sect, he received only that many mid-grade spirit stones annually from the sect. Hu Yiman had casually offered such a condition, clearly determined to obtain the flesh and blood of the two-tailed human-faced scorpion.

However, Zhang Yifan wouldn't easily show his delight. He smiled nonchalantly, "One hundred mid-grade spirit stones? Senior Sister Hu is indeed generous. But since we're talking about a deal, it has to be something I feel is more worthwhile."

Seeing that he still wouldn't budge, Huiman grew anxious. Why was this guy so difficult to deal with! One hundred mid-grade spirit stones was already the limit she could offer; she couldn't afford any more. After a moment's thought, she decided to try a different strategy.

“Junior Brother Zhang, your requirements are really high. But…” She smiled, then suddenly lowered her voice, with a hint of mystery, “I’ll tell you another secret, and you’ll definitely be even more interested in this deal.”

Zhang Yifan's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked at her with feigned incomprehension: "Oh? What other secrets are there?"

Hu Yiman stepped closer, a teasing smile in her eyes, and whispered, "According to our Beast Taming Sect's intelligence, Lin Qingzhu's appearance in the Shadow Bamboo Sea seems to be related to an extremely rare divine beast."

"A divine beast?" Zhang Yifan's heart skipped a beat; this was significant information. Why would Lin Qingzhu seek out a divine beast? Did her actions conceal a greater secret?

Seeing Zhang Yifan's interest, Hu Yiman continued, "This divine beast is said to possess ancient bloodlines and the ability to communicate with spirits and control energy. If we could obtain its help, it would be enough to change the fate of the entire sect. Tell me, is such news worth giving up your flesh and blood?"

Zhang Yifan maintained his smile, but his mind was racing. This news was indeed extremely valuable, and if he could use it to find his senior sister, he could not only solve the mystery of her disappearance but also potentially obtain the power of a divine beast. This was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He nodded slowly, pretending to be casual as he said, "Alright, considering Senior Sister Hu's sincerity, I'll give you this flesh and blood. However, I still need to see the spirit stones before I feel at ease."

Upon hearing this, Hu Yiman was overjoyed and immediately took out a brocade pouch from her storage bag. Inside, shimmering with spiritual light, were the one hundred mid-grade spirit stones she had promised. She handed the pouch to Zhang Yifan and said with a smile, "Junior brother, please take a look. These one hundred mid-grade spirit stones are absolutely true."

Zhang Yifan took the brocade pouch, shook it gently, and immediately felt the rich spiritual energy inside. He nodded, a satisfied smile on his face: "Senior Sister Hu really keeps her word, which I admire."

Hu Yiman breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Junior Brother Zhang, this time we've both gotten what we wanted. I hope we'll have the opportunity to cooperate again next time."

Zhang Yifan smiled slightly, but his gaze lingered on her face for a moment. He thought to himself, "This woman is indeed shrewd. It seems she sees me as a potential partner. But that's fine too; there will be more opportunities for cooperation in the future."

Just as Zhang Yifan was about to leave, he seemed to remember something and suddenly spoke up: "Senior Sister Hu, this Shadow Bamboo Sea is no ordinary place. Without guidance, it will probably take me quite a while to find its location. Since your Beast Taming Sect is so well-informed, could you provide some specific clues?"

When Hu Yiman heard Zhang Yifan bring up the matter, she had already anticipated his question and smiled gently, saying, "Junior Brother Zhang is indeed very thoughtful. In that case, this **map** is yours." She took out an antique-looking bamboo scroll from her storage bag and handed it to Zhang Yifan.

Zhang Yifan took the bamboo scroll, a slight thought crossing his mind. He unfolded it and saw that it was indeed a map of the Shadow Bamboo Sea. The map detailed the various dangerous spots in the bamboo sea, and even marked some locations where demonic beasts roamed. This map was undoubtedly extremely valuable information; without it, even if one entered the bamboo sea, the search process would become extremely difficult.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Sister Hu." Zhang Yifan put away the map, a faint smile still on his face, but he was even more satisfied with this transaction.

Hui Man nodded slightly and smiled, "Junior Brother Zhang, you're too kind. If there's an opportunity, we can continue to cooperate in the future."

Zhang Yifan nodded, turned, and left with light steps. Hu Yiman watched his retreating figure, her heart filled with satisfaction. She knew that although this transaction seemed profitable, it was difficult to gain a complete advantage against a shrewd cultivator like Zhang Yifan. However, she believed that there would be many more opportunities to hone her negotiation skills in the future.