"Then I'll trouble Elder He." Xu Ping thanked him.

Afterwards, the two discussed some specific details of the transaction, and once confirmed without error, they cut off the transmission.

At this moment.

Beside him, He Chen couldn't hold back any longer and smiled, "Xu Ping is hooked now, right?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Yan's lips curved into a sly smile, "This is just the beginning. Once he uses the calming incense for cultivation over a period, that's when he'll truly be caught, allowing me to manipulate him at will."

"Oh?"

He Chen was momentarily stunned, then reacted, "Could it be... there's something wrong with the calming incense you gave Xu Ping?"

With a calm expression, Hua Yan replied, "The incense itself is without issue, of course. It's of absolute superior quality, but there's just a minor side effect when using it to aid in cultivation."

"Once someone over-relies on the calming incense during cultivation, they become addicted."

"Addicted?"

He Chen frowned slightly, "With the strong will of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, mere addiction shouldn't be a big deal, right?"

"Ordinary addiction is naturally not an issue for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator."

"But this is Sea of Consciousness addiction; it's entirely different. Not just Foundation Establishment Cultivators, even Fake Pill Cultivators can be affected." Hua Yan confidently stated.

"I see!"

He Chen suddenly understood, his doubts dissipating, a cold smile unconsciously appearing on his face, "Once he's addicted, he'll be at our mercy."

The thought of the wealth a Third-rank Lower Grade Talisman Master could bring made his heart feverish.

Not just Fake Pill Cultivators; even Golden Core Cultivators would be powerless in the face of addiction.

...

...

Meanwhile.

In the cultivation chamber within Thousand Leaves Mountain, Xu Ping slowly put down the super long-distance sound transmission talisman, a cold murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"Sea of Consciousness not compatible with cultivation technique? Hmph, there's no such coincidence in this world!" Xu Ping snorted coldly in his heart.

Clearly, he had been set up, and quite badly too.

The other party definitely plans to use this so-called "calming incense" to control him like a puppet, turning him into a tool they can endlessly extract benefits from.

The deliberate arrangement for He Chen to deliver the calming incense made it all the clearer to Xu Ping.

Hua Yan's move was simply out of fear of him, in case he discovered the truth and turned against them.

Given He Chen's status as an outer elder of the Luoyun Sect, even if Xu Ping was furious, he wouldn't dare to openly act against him.

At this thought, Xu Ping sighed, "Ah, these old schemers in the Cultivation Realm, their traps are hard to guard against."

Who knows, there might be more issues with the calming incense Hua Yan gave him.

And He Chen is no good either.

He surely knows about all this.

The two are definitely in cahoots.

But what can he do?

Could he possibly kill them both?

.....

...

Five days later.

"Friend He, I eagerly await your good news." Hua Yan smiled, personally seeing He Chen off at the mountain gate of Earth Soul Mountain.

"Rest assured."

He Chen was confident, speaking with certainty, "Even if Xu Ping senses something amiss, he'll surely not dare act rashly against me."

"Even if I gave him several guts, he wouldn't dare provoke lightly; otherwise, it's seeking his own death."

"I naturally believe this, otherwise I wouldn't trouble you, Friend He, with delivering the calming incense to him."

Hua Yan nodded slightly, then added, "However, if Xu Ping thinks exchanging one Third-rank Lower Grade talisman for three sticks of calming incense is too expensive, feel free to give him all five sticks I gave you, to ensure the matter is settled."

"Understood, I take my leave then." He Chen nodded, then rode his spiritual boat and slowly headed toward Thousand Leaves Mountain.

After He Chen's silhouette completely disappeared from view, Hua Yan turned and returned to the cultivation chamber.

His remaining stock of calming incense was running low; he needed to quickly refine another batch.

Entering the cultivation chamber, Hua Yan expertly retrieved an alchemy furnace.

With a focused expression, he skillfully added various materials into the furnace in a specific order.

He grasped the timing and quantity of each material precisely and accurately.

Time swiftly passed, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had gone by.

That day at Shen hour.

Hua Yan was fervently refining the calming incense when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Knock knock!"

"Lord of the Mountain..." a cautious voice called from outside.

Hua Yan halted his actions, his brow furrowing instantly, filled with displeasure, he shouted, "Didn't I already instruct not to disturb me unless it's urgent!"

"Lord of the Mountain, it's truly a big matter this time!" The voice outside the cultivation chamber instantly turned exceedingly anxious, tinged with urgency.

Hua Yan's brow furrowed even tighter, as if it could crush a fly.

He lightly waved his right hand, a burst of spiritual power surged out, and the heavy stone door slowly opened automatically.

A plain-looking, unremarkable middle-aged man stood respectfully outside.

"What exactly is this big matter?" Hua Yan said coldly, his gaze piercingly fixed on the middle-aged man.

"Lord of the Mountain, there's a Fake Pill Realm person I've never met who instructed me to deliver something to you." The middle-aged man trembled as he spoke, his face full of reverence.

"An unfamiliar Fake Pill Cultivator? Wants you to give me something?"

Hearing this, Hua Yan's expression was slightly stunned, curiosity rising within him, bemused.

After a brief thought, he asked again with a frown, "What does he want you to deliver?"

"It's a box, Lord of the Mountain." The middle-aged man hurriedly answered with reverence.

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