"No wonder Nan Tianba dared to swear the vicious oath that he would have no descendants; and that he was so utterly reckless, it turns out the Nan family had mostly been wiped out." Ye Qin mused inwardly, finally grasping a sliver more understanding of cultivation.

As Nan Tianba spoke, without realizing it, he began to stare blankly into the distance.

His gaze fixed upon a small patch of dewy grass in the field not far from the large stone stele.

Having been on this floating island for so long, the creature had first been busy chasing and biting Ye Qin, then chasing the white gleams, and finally being chased and bitten by Ye Qin, completely ignoring this small patch of field. Only when it grew bored of rambling aimlessly and had nothing else to do did it notice the abundance of delicate green blades sprouting in the nearby plot—and these were no ordinary mortal grasses.

"Dewfall Grass, a Grade One spirit herb, used in alchemy. How can there be so many here? Even in my Nan Clan's medicinal garden, we only cultivate a few dozen plants. Although Dewfall Grass is a low-grade spirit herb, it is notoriously difficult to grow, requiring abundant spiritual energy to thrive, and it takes ten years to mature, flower, and bear fruit. This small patch here, nearly a hundred stalks, would likely take over a century to reach this size."

Nan Tianba stared at the field, lost in thought for a good while, utterly astonished and bewildered.

He soon spotted a few small, bluish stones and a sliver of bluish stone marrow beside the plot, causing him to start slightly again. "Azure Rock, Azure Marrow. These spirit stones have a miraculous effect on the growth of Dewfall Grass. No wonder these grasses are flourishing so well."

Ye Qin suddenly interjected, "Old Ghost, that's Dew Grass, not Dewfall Grass. I have a volume called Illustrated Compendium of Rare Herbs; it records that Dew Grass is used to manufacture 'Clarity Heart Pills,' which are top-tier restorative medicines, specifically for curing Qi Deviation among Jianghu practitioners."

"Hmph, boy, you’re pretending to know what you don't. Only ignorant worldly mortals who know nothing of spirit herbs call it Dew Grass. What Clarity Heart Pills, what supreme restorative medicine for the Jianghu—it’s pure garbage! That’s just worldly people misidentifying spirit herbs and using them haphazardly. How could one waste a spirit herb specifically meant for immortal cultivators' alchemy to make Clarity Heart Pills? It wouldn't even realize one percent of its efficacy.

"Cultivators call it Dewfall Grass, using it to refine Dewfall Pills. This elixir is a high-grade spirit pill used in the initial stages of the Qi Refining Realm, from the first to the third layer, to enhance vital energy. You, a mere child who has just entered the second layer of Qi Refining, dare to flaunt your knowledge before this old man? Hmph, you’re inviting humiliation!"

Nan Tianba laughed triumphantly. He had been talking to himself for quite some time, finally managing to lure Ye Qin into speaking, and immediately countered with a loud retort.

Ye Qin froze for a moment. His face flushed. Instead of mocking, he had been mocked. He reluctantly shut his mouth. He had to admit that regarding the so-called world of cultivation, he truly knew nothing—far less than this old ghost who had lived for fifty or sixty years.

"Boy, let's make a deal. How about it? Your Five Elements spiritual root aptitude is truly abysmal. If you relied solely on your own cultivation, you probably wouldn't even reach the third or fourth layer of Qi Refining in a lifetime. If you agree to let the white gleam manifest again, this old man will reluctantly take you as a disciple and teach you how to cultivate. However, you must give me a portion of your white gleam."

Ye Qin let out a cold sneer: "My aptitude for cultivation is none of your business to judge. Furthermore, I and you are enemies to the death; how could I possibly become your disciple? You’re only at the third layer of Qi Refining. What qualifications do you have to be my master?"

Nan Tianba laughed awkwardly a few times: "Haha, I, Nan Tianba, once reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining. I was a formidable figure in my time, a senior in the cultivation world. Am I as worthless as you claim?"

One method failed; he immediately thought of another.

"Forget it. If you don't want to be my disciple, I won't force you. You cannot defeat me, and I cannot touch you. But since we are both trapped in this damned place, we must do something. Let's drop the apprenticeship talk. How about this: you share some vital energy with me, and I'll give you techniques. We'll trade. That should be acceptable, right?"

Ye Qin's thoughts began to stir.

The old ghost was extremely familiar with the matters of cultivation and should know many methods of practice and spells.

As for himself, he was merely a novice, completely bewildered on the path of cultivation.

With his current strength and means, he genuinely could not devise any way to kill this old ghost. Relying on biting alone would absolutely not work. The old ghost also had a mouth, and being bitten was truly painful.

Unless he could obtain that terrifying Fireball Technique from the old ghost and finish him in one go.

Ye Qin envied the power of that spell the old ghost possessed.

Being in a stalemate against such an old ghost within the Purple Mansion gave Ye Qin a strong sense of urgency. The moment he refined any white gleam, the old ghost would risk his life to snatch it away.

Unless he refused to refine it.

But continuing like this was ultimately not a solution.

The old ghost proactively requested a trade; it was worth considering.

Once Ye Qin had fully weighed these factors, he calmly stated, "Old Ghost, a trade is possible. But you must teach me the Fireball Technique first. Only then will I yield a portion of the white gleam to you. Otherwise, we discuss nothing."

Nan Tianba floated in mid-air, chuckling eerily, "Boy, you want to learn this Fireball Technique so you can use it against me? I advise you to give up that idea quickly. This is my life-saving spell; how could I impart it to you? Hide in the light barrier as deeply as you can, lest I get the urge one day and just kill you."

"Old Ghost, stop the nonsense. Will you trade or not?"

"No trade! Exchanging such a powerful offensive spell for your little bit of white gleam is far too dangerous. You can sleep soundly all day safe within that light shield, but I have nowhere to hide. Perhaps one moment of carelessness, and you'll have tricked me to death. Wouldn't that mean I sought my own doom? How could someone as wise and mighty as myself engage in such foolishness?"

Nan Tianba refused Ye Qin's demand without hesitation.

"However, I absolutely cannot pass on an offensive spell to you. Auxiliary spells, I can consider. I have a few decent supportive techniques that I can trade for your white gleam. Are you interested?"

Ye Qin fell silent. He gave no indication of accepting or refusing Nan Tianba's offer.

The floating island lapsed into silence once more.

Ye Qin waited a long time but did not hear Nan Tianba speak again.

He pondered internally: auxiliary spells must be the old ghost's bottom line. This old creature would likely never trade an offensive technique for vital energy; that would be no different from courting death.

Although he couldn't learn an offensive spell from the old ghost, learning a few auxiliary ones wouldn't be bad. It was certainly better than knowing nothing at all.