Upon hearing the elderly ginseng's cheerful mention of a deal, Shu Han couldn't help but frown. "Just moments ago, you old geezer wanted to kill me and absorb my essence. Now you're suddenly interested in striking a deal with me. How can I trust you?"

The elderly ginseng sat on the celestial soil of Earth Goddess, legs crossed, grinning, "Ah, my young friend, you misunderstand. Earlier, I regarded you as nothing more than an ant or mere fertilizer, unworthy of my full attention. But now that you've proven capable of dealing with me as an equal, you naturally have the status to negotiate. Don't be so stubborn. Don't let grudges from one moment affect the potential benefits of the next."

Shu Han snorted with a smirk, swayed by the ginseng's words. "Alright, senior. What kind of deal do you have in mind?"

Rubbing his hands together with avarice, the ginseng said, "Your pupil technique is indeed powerful. Would you be willing to pass it on to me? In exchange, I will allow you to harvest spiritual herbs from the divine light of Earth Goddess freely, and I'll even assist you."

At this moment, the Jade Rabbit stopped pretending to be dead within the jade pendant. Shu Han took it out, and it stood on his hand, baring its teeth and glaring angrily at the ginseng.

Seeing the Jade Rabbit, the ginseng laughed heartily, "Ah, so it's you, little rabbit. After so many years, you've finally come back. Come, let me have a few sips of your lunar essence!"

Shu Han was taken aback. It turned out that the Jade Rabbit originated from this Earth Goddess Garden and had been frequently bullied by this old ginseng. No wonder it played dead upon returning.

"How about my proposal, young friend?"

Shu Han shook his head, "I don't have time to harvest spiritual herbs from the divine light of Earth Goddess. If you want my Clear Bright Spiritual Eye technique, give me one of your roots in exchange!"

Upon hearing this, the ginseng's face fell, and he uncrossed his legs.

"Youngster, you don't understand the value. Do you know how many years it takes to regenerate such a root? A full hundred years!"

Shu Han retorted, "Yet you didn't hesitate to ask for sips of the rabbit's essence! Isn't that right, rogue rabbit?"

The Jade Rabbit nodded in agreement, clearly indignant.

The ginseng shook his head resolutely, "No deal! Offer something else. My roots are too precious. Your technique isn't worth that price."

"Really? If you lose a leg, you can regrow it. But my Clear Bright Spiritual Eye technique is one-of-a-kind in this world. Miss this opportunity, and you won't find it anywhere else! Furthermore, I'm not afraid to tell you that my Clear Bright Spiritual Eye is not yet fully mastered. If I were to perfect it, I wouldn't need to negotiate with you. One glance would be enough to petrify you! If you were to master the Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, it would undoubtedly enhance your illusory realm. By then, your realm would be truly unbeatable. I dare say its value far surpasses ten of your legs!"

The elderly ginseng became furious, "Can't you ask for something else?"

Seeing that the ginseng was still unwilling, Shu Han didn't hesitate and turned to leave. "If you're not willing, let's just part ways. I don't have time to haggle here."

With that, Shu Han prepared to dash out of the divine light of the Earth Goddess on his unstable cloud boat.

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"Fine! Deal! Kid, you're really pushing it!"

The ginseng revealed his true form, and a root naturally detached, flying into the divine light of Earth Goddess. He shouted, "Give me the technique first, and then I will hand over the root!" Shu Han laughed heartily, "So be it! The Clear Bright Spiritual Eye technique is yours, senior!"

With that, Shu Han tossed the printed technique to the ginseng. The old ginseng quickly checked it, scanning it with his old eyes, and upon confirming its authenticity, he showed a joyous smile. With a wave, he surprisingly retracted his root, reattaching it, and said, "This technique is truly a miracle! Kid, you're too naive, handing over the technique so easily. Now, I'm in a good mood, so get out!"

"You! Dishonorable!"

The ginseng laughed heartily, "This is a lesson for you, consider it a favor in return!"

Shu Han looked at the jubilant ginseng and couldn't help but pull out a bottle of elixir, saying, "Ah, I knew you'd pull a stunt like this. But I forgot to tell you, just having the technique isn't enough. The key to the Clear Bright Spiritual Eye is the formula for the Clear Spirit Potion. Without this potion, it would be in vain even if you cultivate your eye pop out! If you don't believe me, give it a try!"

"You tricked me, kid!"

The ginseng immediately showed a gritted teeth expression.

Shu Han snorted coldly, "Who tricked whom? Now you have the technique, but I got nothing!"

The ginseng waved his hand, presenting his root to Shu Han, "Fine! Take the root, but give me the formula quickly! We'll keep our word this time!"

Holding the root, Shu Han carefully inspected it. He split it in half; one part went into the black jar, while the other half was offered to the Jade Rabbit. The rabbit squealed in delight, hugging and gnawing on the root, making the ginseng cringe in pain.

"You're feeding my leg to a rabbit! What a waste!"

The ginseng was so furious he was almost smoking. Previously, he absorbed the rabbit's essence, but now the tables had turned with the rabbit nibbling on his leg.

Overwhelmed with anger, he finally said, "Whatever, feed it to the rabbit or use it to brew wine, it's none of my business. Just give me the formula now!"

Shu Han chuckled, "Did you get it wrong? Your root was exchanged for my technique, not the formula. The deal is done now. Why should I give you the formula?"

"Damn kid! I'll get you for this!"

The elderly ginseng's anger soared, with violent blood-red beams of light spraying from his body. Shu Han hurriedly activated his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye and urged, "Stop! Don't attack! I mean, we can negotiate another deal!"

Hearing this, the ginseng momentarily suppressed his anger and asked, "What do you want now?"

"Earth Goddess' Celestial Soil."

"You must be mad! That's where I've taken root, nothing can replace it! Moreover, I can't move the Celestial Soil!"

Shu Han chuckled, "I'm not asking for all of it. Just a pinch is enough. It won't destabilize your foundation."

Just a pinch?

The ginseng, puzzled, replied, "What use is a bit of Earth Goddess' Celestial Soil? Without a significant amount, one can't cultivate spiritual herbs. If you're using it for refining tools, the quantity is too small to be effective."

"How I use it is my business. So, deal or no deal? Again, I don't have patience."

The ginseng pinched a bit of the Earth Goddess' Celestial Soil and threw it to Shu Han, remarking, "Deal! I played no tricks this time. If you dare to deceive me, even at the cost of half my lifetime's cultivation, I'll make sure you meet your end!"

Catching the pinch of soil felt like Shu Han had just caught a large boulder. He was overjoyed, putting it into his storage bag, then tossed a bottle of potion and its formula to the ginseng.

After examining the potion and formula, the ginseng was wary. Seeing this, Shu Han couldn't help but say, "Stop examining it. It's genuine. Unlike you, I keep my word."

"Ha! Trust you? With all your tricks?" The ginseng continued, "I still don't trust you. Why not stay until I've mixed a dose? Once I've verified its authenticity, you can leave."

Shu Han waved dismissively, "No way! I'm in a hurry. I don't have time for your nonsense. I swear in my life that the formula is genuine. Otherwise, may the heavens strike me down!"

"If oaths were reliable, the cultivation world wouldn't be full of deception," retorted the ginseng. He tried tempting Shu Han, "Young man, just stay a bit longer. Once I've verified the formula, I'll give you a millennium-old spiritual herb. How about that?"

Shu Han was about to decline when suddenly a jade pendant on him shone brightly. Shangguan Ruolin emerged, leaning weakly against Shu Han. She gathered all her strength to resist the cold and whispered, "She's here, Shu Han. She's here! I can sense her!"

His heart sank as if he'd been thrown into an ice cellar.

"What? So soon?"