"Grandpa is taking some Spirit Tea to the market to see if he can trade it for some quality elixirs," Rong'er thought for a moment, then added, "Grandpa said this Spirit Tea should fetch some money, but not a huge amount. He heard that people from the great clans and major sects drink Spirit Tea every day." Lei Dong’s heart clenched, a faint, ominous feeling washing over him. Even in the Yin Sha Sect, he had never encountered such a Spirit Tea. While he didn't know its exact value, anything that greatly benefited the Divine Soul couldn't possibly be cheap. Lei Dong himself would gladly pay one hundred thousand Spirit Stones for an ounce of it, perhaps even more. What did they mean, people from major sects drank this daily? The Yin Sha Sect was a top-tier sect, yet Lei Dong never saw anyone drinking this every day. Gossip truly kills.

One hundred thousand Spirit Stones was no small sum, even for a minor magnate like Lei Dong. For the vast majority of poorer rogue cultivators, members of small families, or even cultivators from mid-level forces, this was a sum worth committing murder and robbery for. Moreover, this wasn't just about the tea itself; anyone knowledgeable would think of the very tea tree from which it originated.

Just like Lei Dong, near the Yin Sha Sect, he always hesitated to sell his High-Grade Spirit Ghosts. That was the very reason. If his Master knew he possessed one High-Grade Spirit Ghost, especially after his Master had gifted him another, and he tried to sell a third, no one could guarantee what might happen when the news reached his Master’s ears. Lei Dong admitted his Master treated him well, but when faced with absolute benefits, even familial bonds often proved unreliable, let alone a mere master-disciple relationship. Furthermore, the positive master-disciple relationship existed precisely because he showed immense potential and ability, promising great future assistance to his Master.

Rong'er’s grandfather rashly trying to sell this Spirit Tea was an utterly unwise move. If those who didn't know its worth ignored it, that would be one thing, but the more people recognized its value, the more likely trouble would arise.

"Rong'er, how high is your grandfather's cultivation?" Lei Dong frowned, asking again.

"Grandpa is very formidable; he’s already a master at the tenth layer of the Qi Refining stage," Rong'er replied, her expression filled with reverence, as if her grandfather were the greatest expert in the world. She then looked at Lei Dong, "Young Master Ding, I cannot discern your cultivation, but you must be at least at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, perhaps the seventh or eighth? You are truly amazing!" This remark left Lei Dong feeling somewhat exasperated. He usually interacted with the absolute elite among his peers, or those from similarly grand sects who had already achieved some success—Golden Core Ancestors, Foundation Establishment masters—he had seen too many of them. This caused him to subconsciously believe that everyone in the world was some kind of powerhouse.

When circles differ, views naturally diverge. For a moment, he found it slightly jarring to encounter people from rogue cultivator or small family backgrounds who conceptually viewed the late Qi Refining stage as already being an incredible powerhouse.

"Mhm, I am already at the eighth layer of the Qi Refining stage," Lei Dong couldn't bear to diminish her admiration for her grandfather.

"The eighth layer? That's truly amazing!" Rong'er looked at Lei Dong with a mixture of respect and envy. "Seeing as Young Master Ding is quite young, you stand a chance of advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage." "Well, uh, I suppose there's a chance," Lei Dong chuckled dryly, glancing at her twice. "You are young, and already at the third layer of Qi Refining. With abundant elixirs and resources, and if you work hard, you also have a chance to reach the Foundation Establishment stage." Lei Dong spoke truthfully; appearing to be sixteen or seventeen, reaching the third layer, even within a small family severely lacking in resources, suggested her aptitude wasn't poor. Perhaps it was even slightly better than his own mid-to-upper tier aptitude. If placed in a top sect like the Yin Sha Sect, her chances of achieving Foundation Establishment would be quite high.

"Thank you for the compliment, Young Master Ding. Grandpa says the same; he truly hopes I can cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage. That’s why he wanted to take the Spirit Tea to exchange for better elixirs," Rong'er’s cheeks flushed slightly as she mentioned the Foundation Establishment stage, seemingly filled with longing.

No wonder she refused the Mid-Grade Spirit Stones but ultimately accepted the bottle of elixirs. However, she wasn't losing out; that bottle contained the Foundation Establishment Pills leftover from his own time in the Qi Refining stage. While not as potent as the Creation Elixirs or similar items, for her current cultivation level, using such elixirs was already incredibly luxurious. That bottle would last her a good two years.

Just as Lei Dong was about to speak, his brow suddenly furrowed, and he looked up toward the distant sky: "It seems someone is approaching." "Could it be Grandpa returning?" Rong'er asked with a burst of joy.

"No." Lei Dong unfolded his spiritual sense, probing outward. A few breaths later, his expression darkened. "One at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, one at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, and another at the sixth layer of Qi Refining. None of them are your grandfather."

As Lei Dong spoke, the three figures arrived, hovering in the air outside the valley. Lei Dong had tried; looking into the valley from the outside rendered everything a blur, but from here, he could clearly see the three individuals suspended in mid-air. Before Rong'er could speak, the Foundation Establishment third-layer cultivator shouted, "Ying'er, open up quickly! Come in, come in! I am your Uncle-Grandpa Zhao. Something has happened to your grandfather."

"What?" Rong'er's face instantly turned paper-white. She activated her movement technique and drifted toward the valley entrance.

Rong'er couldn't sense it, but Lei Dong detected a faint hostility emanating from the Foundation Establishment third-layer cultivator from a distance. However, he didn't stop Rong'er from opening the gate. Although one of the three was quite strong—Foundation Establishment third layer—Lei Dong paid them no mind. Instead, his figure subtly flickered, transforming into a faint, almost invisible phantom shadow, and concealed himself in a secluded spot.

Soon, Rong'er led the three inside, her expression fraught with anxiety, repeatedly pressing for details: "Uncle-Grandpa Zhao, what exactly happened to Grandpa?"

Upon entering the valley, the Foundation Establishment cultivator unleashed his spiritual sense, sweeping rapidly through the area. He found no powerful presences, only servants without cultivation. With that, they ceased any pretense. The Foundation Establishment cultivator glanced at the middle-aged man, the ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator, whose face twisted into a sneer: "Your deadbeat grandpa didn't know what was good for him; we sent him to see the King of Hell first. Little girl, if you are sensible, you will take us to seize those few Spirit Tea trees. If you are not sensible, we'll send you to join your deadbeat grandpa. Then we can search slowly; it's such a small place, are we afraid we won't find them?"

"You... you..."

Rong'er's face was bloodless, her complexion ghastly pale. In her distress, a mouthful of blood erupted from her lips. Her eyes fixed upon them with grief and fury: "You... you aren't Grandpa's friends? How... how could you do this?"

"Heh heh, little girl. One more word of nonsense, and this is called: a man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. You can only blame your deadbeat grandpa for not knowing how much this Spirit Tea is worth. That kind of tea tree is called the Bodhi Clear Heart Tea. Long-term consumption can continuously strengthen the Divine Soul and temper the spiritual consciousness. It is extremely rare in this world now; only a few branches are cultivated within the most supreme great sects. And your grandpa? He took it to trade with me for Foundation Establishment Pills, heh heh heh! It’s simply letting a treasure lie dormant! Truly, Heaven aids me! Obtaining this Bodhi Clear Heart Tea tree is equivalent to gaining an inexhaustible spiritual mine; family prosperity is in sight!" The Foundation Establishment cultivator named Zhao couldn't help but laugh maniacally. "Little girl, thank you so much. Your grandpa said you found it on the mountain. Good luck, haha, truly good luck!"

In Rong'er's eyes, alongside anger, there was regret and sorrow. She had thought she found a treasure, but who knew it would end up causing her grandfather's death? Not only that, but it had endangered her as well. Young Master Ding was right; people's hearts were unfathomable. Who would have thought that this Foundation Establishment expert, whom her grandfather highly respected and revered, this elder who usually appeared refined and upright, would commit such an act?

Rong'er felt utterly helpless. Letting them in was like inviting wolves into the fold. How could she resist them? Biting her lip hard, she chanted an incantation and flung a Fireball Spell toward them. Unfortunately, such a spell, even with her strength, was nothing for a Foundation Establishment third-layer cultivator to take seriously. He smiled contemptuously and blocked the attack merely with his spiritual sense. "You, like your grandfather, refuse to see sense. Forget it, I’ll send you on your way; we’ll find the trees ourselves."

After saying this, the relatively young cultivator at the sixth layer of Qi Refining smirked lecherously. "Grandpa, this little lass looks quite appetizing. Why not capture her and keep her as my concubine?"

The Foundation Establishment cultivator frowned slightly but conceded, "Very well, but you must lock her in the restricted area. Old Man Ouyang's granddaughter has decent aptitude, slightly better than yours. When you go back, have several children with her; hopefully, we can breed one with better talent."

"Shameless, despicable!" Rong'er was so enraged she nearly fainted, grinding her teeth so hard that blood beaded on her lips, glaring hatefully at the group. "Even as a ghost, I will never agree to your terms!" Saying this, she swiftly retrieved a crystal-clear miniature sword and lunged it toward her own heart.

Cling! The Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual sense solidified into substance and struck out, batting the small sword away.

"In front of me, if you think you can die so easily, you’ve got some nerve!" The Foundation Establishment third-layer cultivator raised his hand and slapped out a massive white hand, rapidly lunging to capture her. This technique was quite similar in effect to the Nether Ghost Claw. "Be good, return with me, and become my grandson’s sexual slave—work hard to bear several children for my Zhao family."

Suddenly, a gigantic green claw materialized out of nowhere, intercepting the white hand head-on. With a grab and a squeeze, there was a sharp snap, crushing the white claw into powder.

"Heh, if you can snatch her away from me, then I'll admit you have skill."

A sinister voice drifted out. With a flicker of shadow, Lei Dong had appeared before Rong'er at some unknown point, hands clasped behind his back, glancing dismissively at the Foundation Establishment third-layer cultivator.