In the Cultivation World, having a cultivation partner is extremely rare; the vast majority of cultivators are solitary figures. In their eyes, cultivation is far more thrilling than the dalliances of love.

Just then, a fellow walked in and whispered a few words. Mi Xiaojing, who was nearby, heard everything clearly and couldn’t help but glance at Yong Ji.

Yong Ji’s expression was calm as he said, “It’s Brother Zheng who has arrived. Please invite him in.”

Wei Zhen also nodded and said, “Senior Zheng is here. I’ll go welcome him. Teehee, we can’t neglect our guest.”

She got up and followed the fellow out. After a moment, she returned with Zheng Cong.

Upon entering, Zheng Cong laughed and said, “Brother Yong, you’re not easy to find, haha, but I’ve finally found a seller.”

Yong Ji, as usual, showed no change in expression. Mi Xiaojing’s heart skipped a beat; he remembered that upon entering Tianyuan Market, Yong Ji had approached Zheng Cong, attempting to purchase a small Flying Boat, but the deal hadn’t been struck as the terms were not agreed upon, and Zheng Cong hadn’t named his price.

“Not bad, that was quick. What’s the price?”

Zheng Cong chuckled, “Not expensive, not expensive at all!”

Yong Ji also smiled, “Hehe, how much is ‘not expensive’?”

Zheng Cong replied, “I specifically went to a Cultivation Sect to inquire about the price. Hmm, the price they gave was reasonable. I managed to haggle a bit, haha, I think Brother Yong will agree. It’s really quite cheap.”

Yong Ji suddenly felt a wave of disgust. He said with a smile, “Brother, don’t talk about how cheap it is. Without a price, how would I know if it’s cheap or expensive?”

“Sixteen thousand low-grade Spirit Stones! They originally asked for twenty-three thousand, and it took me quite some effort to get the price down.”

This was a truly exorbitant price, an outrageous rip-off. Yong Ji’s face darkened instantly. Do you really take us for fools? He said indifferently, “With that price, you can just relay one message to them.”

“What’s that?”

“We can’t afford it, let’s forget it. As for Brother Zheng, I will naturally offer a token of thanks.”

With that, he shut down all possibilities.

Zheng Cong was stunned, and then anger surged to his head. Are you playing me? He said with a forced smile, “This… isn’t appropriate, right? To say no to the purchase just like that, how am I supposed to explain this?”

Yong Ji replied with composure, “I only asked Brother to inquire about the price. If the price is right, we can talk. If it’s not, how can we talk? Besides, you’re the middleman. If the deal doesn’t go through, who do you have to explain to?” His tone sharpened.

Mi Xiaojing leaned on the edge of the table, propping his chin with his hands, curiously watching the verbal sparring. He even felt a bit excited, not knowing why himself.

Zheng Cong had ill intentions from the start; he just wanted to make a profit from the Spirit Stones, and his greed was too great, instantly turning Yong Ji off. After talking with Wei Zhen, Yong Ji had no intention of buying the small Flying Boat anymore. Hearing this price only diminished his interest further.

“I promised my friend, so of course, I have to explain to my friend. I thought you were definitely going to buy, so I finalized the deal!”

Yong Ji stared at him and after a long pause said, “Do you think I’m an idiot? Or are you the idiot?”

Zheng Cong laughed, “If it were before, I might have let it go. You had the support of the Heart Sect, but now that the Heart Sect is gone, do you still dare to be so arrogant with me? Haha, you’ll buy it whether you want to or not!”

Coercion!

Suddenly, Mi Xiaojing said, “Elder, is his brain sick?”

Luo Bo burst into laughter.

Wei Zhen stepped back a few paces, inwardly lamenting. She hadn’t expected that two Foundation Establishment experts would clash so fiercely after just a few words, neither willing to back down.

The atmosphere instantly tensed, especially with Mi Xiaojing’s remark, which made Zheng Cong’s veins throb with anger. He sneered, “Heh, even Foundation Establishment youngsters are getting arrogant now. Who are you talking about? Don’t you know how to respect your seniors?”

Mi Xiaojing, propping his chin, turned his head towards Zheng Cong and said indifferently, “I was talking about the shameless. I don’t know who’s taking it personally. If you want juniors to respect their seniors, it’s simple: act like one and be reasonable!”

Yong Ji sighed inwardly. Reasonable? The Cultivation World has never been a place for reason.

Only when power is matched does reason get a hearing. Without equal strength, there is no reason to be had.

As expected, Zheng Cong laughed heartily, “You, a junior, talking about reason with me? Haha, let me tell you a principle: dead men don’t reason!”

With that, Zheng Cong swung his hand to strike.

Even Yong Ji was stunned; he hadn’t expected Zheng Cong to actually make a move. In that instant, Mi Xiaojing’s body left the chair, and with a flick of his finger, a lotus flower shot out.Mi Xiaojing’s most detested act was the sudden killing of others, especially when the strong preyed on the weak. During his time at the Western Expansion Sect, he had once tasted the bitterness of being at the mercy of others. Now that he had the power to resist, he did so without hesitation.

Yong Ji finally reacted. When he saw the lotus that Mi Xiaojing had released, he too was startled. He grabbed Luo Bo with one hand and pulled Wei Zhen with the other, quickly retreating backwards.

Zheng Cong laughed heartily, “Seeking death!”

As a Cultivator at the Great Perfection stage of Foundation Establishment, he was not even afraid of Yong Ji, so why would he fear Mi Xiaojing, a mere junior at the Foundation Establishment stage? He was completely unaware of the terror of the Poison Lotus and thought he could simply smash it with a slap.

Pfft!

A palm strike shattered the Poison Lotus.

As the Poison Lotus broke apart, the Poisonous Threads instantly scattered, catching Zheng Cong off guard and splattering all over his face and head.

A piercing scream echoed; underestimating Mi Xiaojing, Zheng Cong had not activated any defenses. He felt that a single slap from him would be enough to severely injure Mi Xiaojing. If Mi Xiaojing’s strength had been any weaker, it wouldn’t have been strange for that slap to kill him. However, the outcome was completely different from what he expected.

These Poisonous Threads were different from those Mi Xiaojing had used before. They were formed after he absorbed the remnants of the Poison Lotus in Hidden Huo City, which had been left by Thousand Poisons, making them even more toxic and powerful.

One must know that the Poison Lotus of Thousand Poisons could directly kill a Cultivator at the Elemental Infant stage. Even against someone at the Foundation Establishment stage, and even if Zheng Cong was at the Great Perfection of that stage, he would still find it unbearable.

Zheng Cong’s movements froze instantly. With a palm raised upward, his face twisted in agony, he let out a continuous wail. The Poisonous Threads had already entered his body and were swiftly attacking his Golden Elixir.

Mi Xiaojing had released the Poison Lotus out of necessity. Zheng Cong’s actions had been too fast, leaving no time for careful thought. Although Mi Xiaojing could have used instant movement to dodge, firstly, he did not want others to know that he possessed an ancient escape talisman, and secondly, he was truly infuriated by the other’s arrogance—thinking he could kill at will, as if he had Mi Xiaojing completely under his thumb?

In a flash of thought, Mi Xiaojing released the Poison Lotus.

He hadn’t thought much about the consequences; it was, after all, the most powerful self-defense measure he had at his disposal.

Mi Xiaojing did not launch a second attack. After releasing the Poison Lotus, he retreated to a corner of the room.