"The Divine Consciousness Fruit—one of the most precious natural treasures in legend, ranked alongside the Divine Consciousness Grass as the Twin Treasures of Divine Consciousness." Bing Wushuang's voice, when he spoke, had begun to quiver with excitement.

"Tell me the details," Wei Zhao said offhandedly.

"The Divine Consciousness Grass tempers one's divine consciousness, whereas the Divine Consciousness Fruit, once consumed, can elevate a person's primordial spirit by an entire grade!" Bing Wushuang was not a man easily stirred to desire, yet the allure of the Divine Consciousness Fruit was boundless to any capable cultivator; the higher one's level of strength, the more irresistible that allure became.

To raise one's divine consciousness by a single grade meant something utterly different for a capable Foundation Establishment cultivator than for a hoary old Nascent Soul monster.

"Then... what happens if you eat more than one?" Wei Zhao asked.

"..." Ling Tianyou was momentarily taken aback by the question, then cut in with a strange look on his face. "This is the Divine Consciousness Fruit we're talking about—a rare treasure of the same order as the Divine Consciousness Grass, something you can't find even if you search for it. Being able to get a single one is already an enormous stroke of fortune. How is it that you don't even know this, Brother Lin?"

"What if you happen to be bursting with luck?" Wei Zhao was not about to give up.

"Then who knows? Maybe one fruit raises you one grade. But eat too many and you'd surely build up a resistance—who can say?" Ling Tianyou shook his head with a laugh.

Wei Zhao nodded. Seeing how everyone around him, Bing Wushuang included, yearned for it so, he could not help his curiosity. "The Divine Consciousness Fruit can raise one's primordial spirit by an entire grade. That's rare enough, to be sure, but in the end it's only raising the grade of the primordial spirit—not one's true level of strength. Is there any need to get this worked up?"

To his mind, the Divine Consciousness Fruit sounded mouth-watering, but if you came right down to its effects, it was not as solid a proposition as a Foundation Establishment Pill or a Golden Core Pill. There was no reason to be this excited.

"That's a novel way of putting it, Brother Lin. Once the primordial spirit rises, the rise in strength follows as naturally as water flowing through a channel. Every great sect and family in our remote Tai Gu backwater makes the cultivation of divine consciousness their cornerstone, so a higher grade of primordial spirit naturally means a rise in strength across the board. Besides, in a sense the Divine Consciousness Fruit has a tempering effect similar to the Divine Consciousness Grass—just not so extreme." Ling Tianyou explained, not a little astonished.

"I see." Wei Zhao understood at once. He had long known that the remote Tai Gu backwater and Cloud Terrace Island walked entirely different paths—the former specialized in divine consciousness, the latter in the physical body—and Ling Tianyou's words had only made it clearer.

As they were talking, Yu Hou over there raised his voice again. "Very well. Since you have all been able to come here, you surely know the rules, so I shall not waste words here and take up everyone's time. Three hundred spirit jades each, and you may enter."

Three hundred spirit jades did not sound like much. On Cloud Terrace Island it would have counted as a small sum, but this was the remote Tai Gu backwater, where spirit jades were far scarcer than Cloud Terrace Island could ever be. For the vast majority of people, this was already an astronomical price—and the crux was that it did not even guarantee finding a Divine Consciousness Fruit. It was nothing more than a ticket of admission.

Three hundred spirit jades for a ticket of admission—this had already reached a certain rarefied realm of extravagance. Across the whole of the remote Tai Gu backwater, those who could bear such a cost would not be many. From this one could see the caliber of the people present: even if their strength was not absolutely overwhelming, their status and standing were beyond any doubt.

When Yu Hou's voice fell, the vast majority showed no particular change in expression, but a small number did pale—Ling Tianyou among them.

"Wasn't it two hundred spirit jades? How did it suddenly become three hundred?" Ling Tianyou looked thoroughly sick at heart.

"Hm? Does Young Sect Master Ling not know? The rule was changed as of last year," Yu Hou explained.

"That... I truly did not know." Ling Tianyou could only smile bitterly. In the past he had always come with his master; only last year had he been away undergoing training in the secular world, and this time his master happened to be in seclusion healing his wounds, so he had known nothing of the matter at all.

"Ho ho, strange indeed, how strange. Surely the young sect master of the illustrious Thousand Blades Sect can produce a mere three hundred spirit jades? Today has truly been an eye-opener. No wonder your Thousand Blades Sect is sinking like the setting sun—and you still have the nerve to shout about a Thousand Blades Revival? If you can't even produce this little bit of spirit jade, I suggest you pack up and crawl back to the countryside to farm. Live off heaven's mercy—who knows, you might even scrape by as a petty landlord." A burly, broad-shouldered man strode over at these words and mocked him to his face.

At the sight of this man Ling Tianyou's face darkened. His name was Wei Yidao, one of the foremost of the younger generation of the Tyrant Blade Sect, with strength at the great perfection of Foundation Establishment. Since the Tyrant Blade Sect had feuded endlessly with the Thousand Blades Sect since ancient times, friction between the two was constant, and mutual hostility among their disciples was only to be expected—especially between these two, whose stations were so particular, making them flint striking steel.

Had it been an ordinary person mocking him to his face, Ling Tianyou's temperament was such that he would basically pay it no mind—but the other party was Wei Yidao. He could ignore the jeers and mockery of anyone, anyone at all, except Wei Yidao.

Crack! Without another word Ling Tianyou flung out a large pouch of spirit jades. By the sharp eyes of the crowd, it was plain at a glance: four hundred spirit jades exactly, not one more, not one less.

"A hundred extra? What's this? Flaunting your wealth?" Wei Yidao still wore that jeering look. Four hundred spirit jades was indeed no small sum out in the world, enough to overawe a great many people—but who among those present was an ordinary sort? Could people who could afford the admission ticket truly regard this little bit of spirit jade as worth anything?

"Is this for two, Young Sect Master Ling?" Yu Hou understood Ling Tianyou's intent. To repay a debt of having his life saved, Ling Tianyou had specially invited Wei Zhao to Taishé Island this time, and naturally he would cover the entry spirit jades as well; otherwise it would have been too petty.

"That's right. I just never expected it to have become three hundred..." Ling Tianyou could only smile bitterly. Apart from this pouch, he did have some more stowed on his flying spirit beast, but not as much as two hundred. This time he was truly stuck in a fix—a fine act of repaying a debt, and instead he had been made a laughingstock...

"So that's how it is. Then it is a bit of trouble." Yu Hou pinched his chin, somewhat put out. Ling Tianyou was no first-time visitor—practically an old acquaintance—and his relations with the Thousand Blades Sect had always been good. But one matter was one matter; surely he could not waive Ling Tianyou's two hundred spirit jades on that account?