Xu Qingzhi and Yuan Jinting were equally shocked when they saw Ding Xiuqing's transformation as if she was rejuvenated.
The two of them had shared a flat peach before, but the biggest feeling they had was the delicious taste that made their souls tremble, but they themselves didn't change much.
But when they saw the changes that had taken place in Ding Xiuqing's body, the two of them knew that the peach was probably not a mortal thing.
No wonder Zhang Ke looked so heartbroken for just a peach.
At this moment, Ding Xiuqing finally understood the difference between immortals and mortals.
It turns out that those legends are true, and there really is a magical elixir that can rejuvenate people.
Suddenly, he felt a desire to practice.
He wanted to truly understand this incredibly magical real world.
With a hint of expectation, Ding Xiuqing looked at Zhang Ke.
"Zhenjun, then...do you still have the peaches?"
The previous lessons were still fresh in his mind. He was worried that Zhang Ke would blame him for pushing too far, so he hurriedly explained:
"I am willing to use the 10%... no, 20% of the tax of the county that the True Lord rewarded to the True Lord in exchange for one, um... four peaches."
Zhang Ke looked at Ding Xiuqing with a half-smile.
"What do you want this peach for?"
Ding Xiuqing answered honestly:
"I have a younger sister who also has parents-in-law and her husband's family, so I want to ask the True Lord for some spiritual peaches."
Zhang Ke nodded slightly.
"You mean well, but you probably don't know what you just ate.
This is the spiritual root of heaven and earth. It takes a thousand years to mature. If you eat it, it will cut off the hair and cleanse the marrow. It will strengthen the root and strengthen the body. It will prevent all diseases and extend life by at least sixty years.
What you just ate was the last ripe peach in my hand."
Ding Xiuqing was shocked, bowed and saluted:
"Xiu Qing was reckless. Please don't blame me, my true lord."
Zhang Ke waved his hand casually and said:
"It doesn't matter. If you can give up such a huge benefit for your family, you can be considered a compassionate and righteous person."
After pondering for a moment, Zhang Ke continued:
"This peach tree is a spiritual creature under the rules of heaven and earth, and there is a certain chance that it may produce peach stones.
I can promise you here that if there is a True Monarch of Yuanshen in the Cave Heaven Realm in your family in the future, I will give him a peach core.
As for whether you can cultivate peach trees, it depends on the opportunities of your descendants."
Seeing that Ding Xiuqing seemed about to speak but held back, Zhang Ke explained:
"If there is no independent cave to isolate the inside and outside, the spiritual power and aura emitted by this peach tree will attract the covetousness of countless monsters and humans. If I give you the peach seed now, I will harm you."
Ding Xiuqing felt relieved, he believed what Zhang Ke said was true.
This item was not among his requirements. If he wanted to deceive himself, there was no need to give him this magical treasure.
Zhang Ke tapped the books on the desk with his right fingers, hesitated again and again, and said resolutely:
"In addition to the things I promised you before, I promise you another treasure."
As soon as these words came out, both Xu Qingzhi, Yuan Jinting, and even Ding Xiuqing were stunned.
Ding Xiuqing made three requests before. Limited to ordinary people's perspective, his three requests were a bit ridiculous.
But what Zhang Ke gave back was countless times more than what he asked for.
Not to mention anything else, just a permanent 30% tax in one county can make Ding Xiuqing's family the most prominent family in the nine counties of Penglai for generations.
This is the first time that the nine counties of Penglai have transferred such a large benefit.
It never happened in the past, and I'm afraid it won't happen in the future.
In addition, Zhang Ke also gave Ding Xiuqing a spiritual peach that can rejuvenate youth and a peach tree seed that can be used as an inherited treasure in the future.
Even Xu Qingzhi, who has worked hard for the sect for hundreds of years, has never received this kind of treatment.
Unexpectedly, this was not all, Zhang Ke actually offered a treasure in exchange.
Who knows what Zhang Kedu could call it a treasure?
Just listen to Zhang Ke say:
"I promise you that if your family produces the True Lord of Yuanshen in the future, the 'Xiantian Yiqi Southern Sect' will give him an innate spiritual treasure as one of the trading items of 'Yuanqi Theory'."
Ding Xiuqing is just an ordinary person, he doesn't know what an innate spiritual treasure means.
How could Xu Qingzhi and Yuan Jinting not know the preciousness of the innate spiritual treasure?
The two of them exclaimed in surprise.
"Master! Please think twice!"
"Master, no!"
Seeing the sudden change in the expressions and expressions of the two men, Ding Xiuqing immediately understood the weight of the treasure promised by Zhang Ke.
Not only did this not make Ding Xiuqing happy, but it actually gave rise to some fear and palpitations.
Zhang Ke gave too many benefits, and he said with some uneasiness:
"Zhenjun, I am already very satisfied. I don't need this treasure anymore, right?"
Zhang Ke waved his hand to stop Xu Qingzhi and the others from trying to dissuade him, and said gently:
"The story I told you three before actually has a follow-up..."
He let out a little breath and said:
"When the king swept across the kingdoms with antifreeze grease, the secret could no longer be kept.
When the news reached the ears of the fisherman and his family, they realized what they had missed.
Just for a small profit, they lost the opportunity to become a lord.
The fisherman's family came to the capital to find the king and told him that the oil formula was his ancestral heritage.
He demanded that the merchant be punished for his deceptive behavior and that the king grant his family the same territory.
But the king said that the oil formula was donated by businessmen, and the fisherman's family had not brought any help to the country.
Immediately afterwards, the fisherman and his family were kicked out of the capital.
The fisherman's family felt very unhappy.
Although after doing business with the businessman, they once ridiculed the businessman as a big fool.
But when the businessman obtained a territory with this formula, the fisherman and his family suddenly felt that they had been deceived.
Because they feel that if the merchants had informed them of this method at that time, their family would have been the ones to get the territory now..."
After hearing this, Ding Xiuqing and others already understood Zhang Ke's intention in telling the story.
"...So the fisherman and his family decided to take revenge on the businessman.
They burned their houses and killed their children who were no taller than a wheel.
Use the property exchanged by the merchants for formulas to build ships, recruit desperadoes, form a pirate team, and launch crazy revenge on the merchant's territory.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! In this way, the fisherman and the businessman became mortal enemies.
Haha, just because of this formula, the fate of many people has been rewritten.
I don’t want to comment on whose fault it is, but since there has been a precedent, I don’t want this story to happen to me again.”
Zhang Ke opened his white eyes and looked at Ding Xiuqing, and said slowly:
“I haven’t figured out how to use the mystery of ‘vital energy’ yet, nor do I know what impact it will have on the world in the future.
Just like a merchant offering a recipe, the king only received the reward because he won the war.
Note that you must carefully consider the time when he received the reward, which was after the victory of the war.
But if the king loses this war, what awaits him may be completely different.
No one can predict what will happen in the future.
Perhaps the secret of 'vital energy' is important and the sect will benefit from it.
This benefit may be huge, and it will be hundreds of times higher than what I have paid now.
But it may be very small, or even not as much as what I paid for it.
It may even be that the secret of 'vital energy' is worthless and will bring unpredictable disasters to the sect.
All these risks must be borne by us.
Today, for the sect to trade with you, I can actually only meet the three requirements you put forward.
Because you came up with it, just like the original fisherman selling the recipe to the merchant.
One is willing to buy and the other is willing to sell. This is a fair transaction.
But in the end, the fisherman took revenge on the businessman out of resentment.
The reason why I gave you millions of times what you asked for, even countless times.
It’s just for a little bit, when in the future the benefits produced by the secret of ‘vital energy’ will be countless times what you get now.
You will not think like the fisherman that the sect deceived you in this transaction.
I've made everything clear to you now.
Now I'll give you one last chance.
If you don't want to trade, you can take these with you..."
Zhang Ke said, pointing to the many books on the desk.
"...you can leave with these things.
I swear to you on the future path of a True Lord of Soul.
I will absolutely guarantee your safety and will send you and your family away from Penglai without forcing you."
Xu Qingzhi was so anxious that he even paid for the spiritual peach that would bring him back to his old age. If Ding Xiuqing really regretted it, the sect would suffer a huge loss this time.
Before she could speak, Yuan Jinting, who was sitting opposite her, stopped her behavior with her eyes.
Ding Xiuqing didn't expect that she would have a way out.
The story Zhang Ke told touched him a lot.
He inserted himself into the story and suddenly discovered that if he were the fisherman, he might not have done the same thing.
Although businessmen have achieved success with their own vision.
But sometimes people's hearts are narrow-minded and they will only view the world according to their own wishes.
Zhang Ke has now put all this on the table and made it very clear.
Now it's your turn to choose.
After a moment of silence, Ding Xiuqing asked strangely:
"Since the True Lord attaches so much importance to the mystery of 'vitality', why would you give me a chance to withdraw?"
Zhang Ke smiled slightly.
"I once said that the secret remained a secret only because no one exposed it.
Even if you don't want to trade today, someone else will trade with me in the future.
This time may be ten years from now, it may be a hundred years from now, but it may also be tomorrow, who knows?”
Ding Xiuqing's heart trembled, and she felt a sense of pressure and urgency.
Could it be that 30% of the county’s tax revenue from generations to generations will be taken away from me?
The human heart is like this, if you don't get something and if you lose it after gaining it, although the result is the same, the mood is definitely different.
Just like winning a lottery ticket, it is a good thing.
But if you are told that there are other people who may also win the lottery, it means that the wealth that should belong to you may be divided by others.
No one can keep his mind calm.
Just listen to Zhang Ke continue:
"Actually, I hope this secret can be cracked by a practitioner.
Because only practitioners can understand how much I have sacrificed.
But you are just an ordinary person, and I cannot let you understand what an innate spiritual treasure is and what the spiritual roots of heaven and earth are.
In order that your family will not be resentful because of this matter in the future, I will make this matter clear and clear.
So now I give you a chance to regret it.
It’s up to you to make the decision whether you want to trade or not!”
Ding Xiuqing turned his head slightly and looked at the forty-five counties in the [Xumitian Eye Formation] next to him. He thought of Zhang Ke's words before, and he had a clear understanding in his heart.
Compared with a county, perhaps the innate spiritual treasures and peaches are the most precious. This can be known from the expressions of Xu Qingzhi and Yuan Jinting.
But he really doesn’t know what the innate spiritual treasure is?
Alas! It would be great if I were a practitioner.
Ding Xiuqing shook her head, dismissed the useless thoughts in her heart, turned to look at Zhang Ke, and said firmly:
"I am willing to trade with the sect!
No complaints! No regrets!”
A smile appeared on Zhang Ke's lips.
"good!"
...
After the corresponding deed was signed, Yuan Jinting took Ding Xiuqing away from the back hall.
Xu Qingzhi put away the shadow beads and asked the doubts in his heart.
"Master! Innate spiritual treasures and spiritual roots of heaven and earth are so precious. Even ordinary middle-grade sects may not have these things.
Why do you treat this person so favorably?"
Zhang Ke held his chin with his hand and looked at the book "The Theory of Vitality" on the table, slightly lost in thought.
When Xu Qingzhi asked, Zhang Ke smiled and explained:
"When I was building the foundation, my master once said two words that have benefited me throughout my life.
Make a choice!"
Before Xu Qingzhi could speak, Zhang Ke continued:
"The ancients once said: You can't take advantage of everything, you can't enjoy all the blessings, and you can't use all the power.
Since you are in charge of the portal, you need to keep this principle in mind.
When doing things, don’t just focus on the immediate benefits. You must take a long-term view and know the trade-offs.
It is true that even without the innate spiritual treasure and heaven and earth spiritual roots, Ding Xiuqing would still trade with the sect.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! But there may be disasters in the future, just like the story I told."
Xu Qingzhi's jewel-like eyes flashed with a trace of evil aura.
"In that case, why not..."
She didn't say what she said clearly, but how could Zhang Ke not know the meaning behind her words? He smiled and shook his head.
"Actually, I had the same thought as you today.
When he made that request to test me, I was really ready to kill him.
Even in the later period, I had the thought of killing him at least five times.
This is the safest, simplest and safest method.
But in the end I was still willing to pay a huge price to trade with him, do you know why?"
This is also what puzzles Xu Qingzhi the most.
Zhang Ke has never been an indecisive person, but he doesn't know why he is so tolerant of Ding Xiuqing today.
"Please let me know, Master!"
Zhang Ke said sincerely:
“Throughout my practice, I have understood a truth.
Magical power is no match for wisdom, and wisdom is no match for destiny!
Qingzhi, have you ever met a kind of person, that kind of person who is extremely lucky and can pick up treasures every time he falls?"
Xu Qingzhi nodded and said:
"Although I have never seen it, I have heard of it."
Zhang Ke reached out and picked up a book on the desk, gently rubbed it in his hand, and said in a leisurely tone:
"Back then, I was trapped by a snake demon, and hundreds of people were with me.
But in the end, only one other person and I survived.
In the past, I always thought that I relied on my own efforts to survive. In fact, the related reasons are far more than that, and there is also the rescue of the two ancestors of the sect.
If it weren't for the two ancestors who rescued me, I would have been eaten by the snake demon sooner or later.
But later I also thought about it, why did the two patriarchs go to save me?
Could it be that every time something happened to a disciple, the sect’s Yuanshen Zhenjun would risk his life to rescue him?
I think this is impossible. Apart from the fact that I am a disciple of the sect, there is another reason, that is, I have already shown some of my abilities before.
From the sect's perspective, if I are rescued, I may make greater contributions to the sect in the future.
It’s not just about friendship, it’s also about benefits.”
Xu Qingzhi was shocked. The incident of Zhang Ke being rescued by the sect's soul inspired generations of people.
Even now, every time he thinks of this matter, Xu Qingzhi feels proud to be in such a sect.
But listening to Zhang Ke's words now, this strong sectarian friendship has been reduced a bit.
But actually this is the real reason.
If you don't show corresponding value, don't expect others to treat you like a treasure.
"With all the connections between us, I persisted and waited until the sect came to rescue me.
The cycle of cause and effect, this is what I call destiny.
In that incident, the sect's True Lord Yuanshen was the one who disturbed the thread of fate in my mortal situation.
Then, I went to seek revenge on the snake demon, and she died at my hands, so I was the thread that disturbed her fate.
This is the reason why the two of us formed a relationship in the first place.
It’s destiny and calamity!”
Xu Qingzhi was silent. These things were at a high level and were not something she could understand now.
Then I heard Zhang Ke say:
"I met a man who had terrible luck.
When someone wants to attack him, even if he stands there motionless, the opponent will create all kinds of chaos on his own.
Either the mana operation failed, or the spell failed.
The whole world is protecting him from harm.
Even when this person says that you will fall, even if it is flat ground, you will never stand up, you will only fall again and again.
And when he takes action, he can kill his opponent at will, no matter how far away he is.
This is destiny!"
"Ss—!"
Xu Qingzhi took a breath. If there really is such a person, once he becomes an enemy, he will definitely die.
Suddenly her heart moved and she lost her voice:
"Is this the kind of person Ding Xiuqing is?"
Zhang Ke slowly shook his head and said:
"I don't know either, but every time I have the thought of killing this person, there will always be a throbbing in my heart.
It seems like something bad is going to happen."
Then Zhang Ke was silent for a moment and suddenly said:
"How much do you know about the power of merit in heaven and earth?"
Xu Qingzhi was stunned and said hesitantly:
"Could it be the feedback given by the will of heaven and earth after making contributions to this world?"
Zhang Ke said ‘hmm’ and said:
"If the mystery of 'vitality' will affect the development process of the entire world in the future.
Do you think Ding Xiuqing, as the person who has figured out the secret of 'vital energy', will also be blessed with luck?
The greater the influence of Yuan Qi on the future of the world, the greater its merits.
I doubt that if I really attack him, someone will suddenly jump out and rescue him.
Even if I can really kill him.
Under the cycle of cause and effect, will someone who is favored by the fate of heaven and earth appear in the future and come to seek revenge on me?"
Xu Qingzhi finally understood why Zhang Ke paid such a high price to trade.
But looking at Zhang Ke's appearance at this time, she clearly noticed something was wrong with him.
Zhang Ke seemed to be trapped in a cycle of self-denial, and he began to doubt his own actions.
"Doom?
Destiny?
Could it be that everything that is happening now was predestined?
If this is the case, then what is the meaning of my practice?"
Looking at Zhang Ke, who had a blank look in his eyes and kept mumbling to himself, Xu Qingzhi felt a chill in his heart.
‘Intelligence and vision impairment!’
The road to spiritual practice is never smooth sailing.
No matter how high your level of cultivation is, you will always encounter situations that are contrary to your own ideas and that you cannot understand.
This phenomenon is called ‘impairment of knowledge’.
If you can't get out of this state, your cultivation level will decline and you will be unable to move forward, or your thinking will be confused and you will fall into the trap of inner demons and go to extremes.
In fact, this situation is foreshadowed.
In the void, Zhang Ke transformed and disappeared among the Zerg. At the critical moment, he stabbed the Zerg half-lord with a knife and was almost killed by him. Zhang Ke fell into a kind of self-doubt.
If he had not taken action against the Zerg half-lord, he would naturally not suffer its revenge.
This is the causal relationship between the Zerg half-lord and Zhang Ke.
For Zhang Ke, he is the doom of the Zerg half-lord, and similarly, the Zerg half-lord is also his doom.
Although Zhang Ke survived that time, even he didn't understand how he survived.
Since then, there has been a fear in his heart.
It's just that maybe even he doesn't understand this mentality.
But it was another thing that aroused his tribulation.
When Zhang Ke heard Hei Wuchang say the name of the tenth palace among the Ten Lords of Hell in the Plain of White Bones, the ‘King of Wheels’.
He has actually fallen into self-denial.
Why is it such a coincidence that my name as ‘King of Wheels’ coincides with the name of Lord Yama of the Tenth Palace?
Why did I enter the Plains of Bones by chance?
Why did it happen that the "Ghost Gate" opened during that time period and led me there?
Why...
Countless coincidences were like threads woven into a web, trapping Zhang Ke in it.
Is all of this really a coincidence?
Or maybe the thread of fate has already woven everything, and I just reached these nodes step by step.
If Zhang Ke is in the sect, there may be elders from the sect who can help him clear up his doubts and provide answers in time.
But Zhang Ke has been like a rotating gear in these years, either actively or passively, never resting for a moment.
Until I met Ding Xiuqing today.
The secret of ‘vitality’ has been analyzed.
An ordinary person actually did something that countless practitioners have failed to do.
This made Zhang Ke feel as if there was a hand in the dark that was pushing something to come to him.
At this moment, Zhang Ke suddenly felt the emotion of 'catastrophe' and 'fate' in his heart.
This thought continued to extend, eventually causing Zhang Ke to fall into a cycle of self-denial.
Xu Qingzhi was shocked when he saw Zhang Ke's appearance at this time.
At this time, the sect was in a state of turmoil. If something happened to Zhang Ke, a disaster would befall the 'Southern Sect' immediately.
Regarding the 'cause and effect' theory that caused Zhang Ke's confusion, Xu Qingzhi both agreed and denied it.
Now only by solving the confusion in Zhang Ke's heart can he be freed from this prison.
His mind was racing for a moment, and Xu Qingzhi suddenly said:
"Master, which came first, the chicken or the egg?"