Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 607

Chapter 607: And They All Fell Down!

Surrounded by screams of agony and fear, Feng Yu felt frenzied.

Falling from a distance of a thousand meters, even if he was a 5-star master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert, he would be severely injured.

These spirit beasts had been properly tamed, and their flight should be extremely stable. Why would all of them fall simultaneously out of the blue?

“It must be that lad’s call!”

After a moment of thought, he quickly came to a realization. The last thing that happened before their plummet was that fellow’s call.

That call was reminiscent of the voice of a dragon. While humans might not feel anything from it, the spirit beasts facing it immediately felt an immense pressure pressing against them. Unable to withstand the pressure, they spurted blood profusely in midair. It was only out of sheer willpower that they were able to retain their consciousness at this point.

But knowing that this wasn’t the time to be thinking about all of this, he anxiously communicated with the spirit beasts beneath him.

“Hurry up and fly up…”

But to his agony, he realized that the spirit beast seemed to have gone into a state of shock. Not only did it not reply to his words, it was even trembling non-stop. Given its current state, it was clearly incapable of flight.

“Damn it!”

Seeing the ground approaching him swiftly, Feng Yu nearly spewed a mouthful of blood out of frustration.

What the heck was this?!

He had come over here prepared-the formation and Chen Mo-and he was confident that he would surely be able to obstruct the other party’s passage for sure. Never in his dreams could he have expected that the other party would possess a type of sound offense as well, and furthermore, from the looks of it… it was much more effective than his side’s!

Chen Mo’s melody was beautiful, and he could easily earn a fortune by performing concerts with this piece. On the other hand, the other party’s sound was like the call of the grim reaper, threatening to take their lives mercilessly…

“Hong Qian, I’ll be back!” Feng Yu roared furiously, but before he could finish his words, his body came to an abrupt halt, and an immense force rippled through his body.

Padah!

The sheer force of his crash created a colossal hole in the ground. A violent aftershock traveled through Feng Yu’s body, breaking nearly all of the bones throughout his body. Mouthful after mouthful of blood spewed freely from his mouth.

He had come to intercept Hong Qian and his group to prevent them from entering the capital, but in the end, not only did he fail in his mission, he even sustained such heavy injuries instead… Just the thought of it made his blood boil.

He struggled to his feet and scanned the surroundings, only to see Chen Mo and the others in a worse state than him. Lying on the ground, they were inhaling much more than they were exhaling. If emergency treatment wasn’t applied, they would all probably die here.

While they were all Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts, falling from such a high altitude was still lethal to them. If not for the spirit beasts cushioning their fall, they would have probably died on the spot.

“Damn it…”

The more he thought about it, the angrier Feng Yu felt. He quickly took out a recovery pill and fed it to everyone.

They had come over here confidently, thinking that they would be able to accomplish their goal easily. But in the end, they ended up being done in instead. Several spirit beasts had died from the impact, and even Feng Yu himself had sustained grievous wounds…

“Hong Qian and that fellow, I won’t let you go…” Feng Yu roared loudly in rage.

…

“All of them fell down?”

Watching as Feng Yu bellowed furiously below, Hong shi and the others stared at one another, dumbfounded.

They knew that Zhang shi was a formidable person, and they thought that he might be able to come up with some unique solution to their desperate situation. Who knew that his solution would actually be so unique…

To make more than a dozen spirit beasts fall from the sky with a roar, to the point that even their masters were unable to do anything about it… This was way too overpowered!

If that was the case, wouldn’t it mean that anyone who faced him on an aerial savage beast would face the threat of falling off his flight?

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Hong shi asked, “Are they… dead?”

No matter what, Feng Yu was a master teacher of equivalent standing as him. If he were to die from falling from a high altitude, he would probably become a laughingstock for the next few centuries.

“Unlikely, but even so… they will be in for a round of great suffering. Anyway, let’s put that aside for now. We should rush to the royal palace first. Considering how far the other party went to obstruct our advancement, something must have happened!”

Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

In truth, he had no choice but to resort to such a trick. While he was capable of flight, he couldn’t possibly expect to match a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert!

After some deliberation, this was the only feasible solution he had at hand.

As for whether the other party had crashed to their deaths, that was none of Zhang Xuan’s business.

Since they came over to pick a fight, they should have known the potential consequences that could befall them… And honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan thought that he had gone light on them.

“You’re right, let’s go!”

As a 5-star master teacher, Hong shi was not an indecisive or overly kind person either. Nodding his head, he instructed for his spirit beast to advance to Huanyu Capital.

Without Chen Mo’s zither influencing the spirit beasts, they swiftly recovered and advanced forward at a rapid pace. A few minutes later, a majestic building appeared before them.

Grand and refined, it exuded an incredibly noble atmosphere.

“This is the royal palace of Huanyu Empire. No aerial spirit beast is allowed to approach it, so let’s stop at the square in front!”

Hong shi pointed forward, and the spirit beast beneath him began descending slowly to the square outside the royal palace.

As soon as the group stepped away from the back of the spirit beasts, several master teachers dressed in robes quickly rushed forward to welcome them.

“Hong shi, you’re here…”

The one speaking had an emblem of 4 stars pinned on his chest-a 4-star master teacher.

“Zhuang Qin, didn’t I tell you to inform teacher of our arrival? Why did no one come to pick us up, and Feng shi and his group came over instead?”

Hong shi frowned.

Zhuang Qin wasn’t from Huanyu Empire but from Hongfeng Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. He was dispatched here earlier so as to take care of various arrangements.

The person who was supposed to liaise with Huanyu Empire in their stead was him.

“You met Feng shi?” Zhuang Qin’s face darkened. He immediately looked over worriedly. “He… didn’t do anything to you all, right?”

“Fortunately, he didn’t!” Hong shi shook his head. Then, with a perplexed expression, he asked, “What happened?”

“I reported to Wei shi the news of your arrival, and he dispatched aerial spirit beasts to us to pick you up. But who knew that… before we could even fly on those aerial spirit beasts, we were stopped by Feng shi… He’s a 5-star master teacher, so there’s nothing I could do about it,” Zhuang Qin explained with a look of difficulty.

He should have been the one to pick everyone up, but in the end… his aerial spirit beast ended up being snatched away, and he could only wait here nervously.

To his relief, it seemed like Hong shi and the others were fine.

“I heard from Feng shi that the total number of slots has been reduced by three. Is that true?”

Knowing that there was nothing that Zhuang Qin could have done in the situation, and there was no loss incurred from that encounter as well, Hong shi decided to let the matter go. Thus, he began asking about the slots.

“That’s true!” Zhuang Qin nodded. “Each of the Four Great Vassal States should receive three slots to train at the Cleansing Lake, and taking into account the three from Huanyu Empire’s royalty as well, that totals up to 15.”

Hong shi nodded.

It was no secret that the Cleansing Lake only had fifteen slots when the grounds were opened each decade, and thus, he knew of it as well.

“The distribution of the fifteen slots was decided by the founding emperor, and it has never been changed before. However… something happened this time round!”

After a moment of hesitation, Zhuang Qin began explaining, “Upon learning of that the Cleansing Lake is going to be opened, Princess Fei-er of Hongyuan Empire specially made the trip here, and she needs a total of four slots! The royal family has given up one slot, and they have decreed that the remaining three slots will be contributed by the Four Great Vassal States…”

“Princess Fei-er?”

Hong shi was taken aback.

If the other party was a princess of Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire, she should have no lack of cultivation resources. Why would she head to a Tier-2 Empire and vie for resources with the locals?

Not to mention, she even demanded four instantly!

Besides… Who in the world was this Princess Fei-er?

I don’t seem to have ever heard of her!

“Princess Fei-er… is a student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and from what I’ve heard… it seems like she’s a senior of Crown Prince Ye Qian…” Zhuang Qin replied awkwardly.

Even though his words were a little unclear, it didn’t take long for the crowd to understand the situation.

Crown Prince Ye Qian was a talented master teacher. Three years ago, he was recommended by Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion for further studies in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

And this Princess Fei-er, a student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as well, was his senior and an extremely famous figure there. Due to either Crown Prince Ye Qian being infatuated with her or some other purpose, he intentionally revealed to her the secret of the Cleansing Lake and invited her over in hopes of getting on her good side… As a result, such a situation occurred.

Considering her fame in the Master Teacher Academy, it was likely that she was at least a half 5-star master teacher. Considering her position as the princess of a Tier-1 Empire on top of that, she was indeed a person that the crown prince should get along with.

That was the reason why Feng shi said that the crown prince needed three more slots.

“To give out the slots of the Cleansing Lake to please the royalty of a Tier-1 Kingdom is fine by me, just that… how does His Majesty intend to divide the slots?” Hong shi asked.

To give out some slots to get acquainted with higher-ranked master teachers and higher-ranked empires was something understandable, and he could accept this part.

However… how were the three slots going to be divided among the Four Great Vassal States? Surely no Vassal State would be willing to give up their slots, so how would this matter be decided?

“His Majesty has instructed us to settle among ourselves, and there will be a banquet conducted by the crown prince in the Eastern Palace so as to determine the rules to solve this matter,” Zhuang Qin replied.

On the day that he reported that Hong shi was going to arrive today, Crown Prince Ye Qian fixed the date of the banquet for that night.

This was the reason why Feng Yu went so far as to obstruct Hong shi’s passage.

If they were unable to attend the banquet, without a doubt, the other three powers would surely have Hongfeng Empire fork out all three of their slots.

After all, each Vassal State was only given three slots once every decade, and thus, they were reluctant to fork out any slots. Since there was someone they could push everything onto, they were delighted to do so… Besides, who asked them to be late?

“This probably isn’t just Feng Yu’s intent. Those old fogeys of Qianfeng and Zhuyue probably contributed to this as well!”

Upon understanding what was going on, Hong shi harrumphed in anger.

Obstructing their passage was beneficial to the other two powers as well, and Fengyuan Empire was unlikely to go so far if they didn’t have any allies on their side. Most likely, the other representatives of the other three Vassal States had decided on this plan, and Feng Yu was only the one to execute it.

It was fortunate that Zhang shi was able to foil their plans. Otherwise, Hongfeng Empire would have had to give up all three slots!

If so, they would have made the journey here in vain.

“Since there’s some time before the banquet, you all should head to your allocated rooms to rest first. I’ll go and pay a visit to those old fogeys!”

Hong shi flung his sleeves.

He had his pride and dignity as a 5-star master teacher, so how could he possibly overlook it when someone schemed so blatantly against him? Naturally, he had to get back at them!

“I’ve already prepared your living quarters, it’s not too far away from here. I’ll show you the way!”

Knowing that he couldn’t interfere in a conflict among 5-star master teachers, Zhuang Qin could only change the topic and lead the group to their rooms. But all of a sudden, he thought of something and turned around to ask Hong shi with a doubtful expression, “Hong shi, from what I saw… Feng shi probably made a lot of preparations to intercept you. How… did you manage to get past them?”

“This…”

Hong shi hesitated for a moment before replying, “We were on our aerial spirit beasts when we met, and then… they fell down.”

“Fell down?”

Zhuang Qin was dumbstruck.

Chapter 608: Master Teacher Confrontation!

What the heck does that mean?

Did they fall from the back of their aerial spirit beast? Or did the spirit beasts fall along with them?

These spirit beasts were tamed by experts engaged by the Huanyu Empire royalty such that even non-beast tamers were able to drive them. The main purpose of this was to create a powerful army for aerial combat.

Even the weakest of Feng Yu’s group was a 4-star master teacher, how could a 4-star master teacher possibly allow himself to fall off the back of a spirit beast?

Zhuang Qin was bewildered by Hong shi’s words.

“There’s no need to bother about this, let’s head to our living quarters first!”

It was unlikely the other party would believe him even if he were to explain it to them. Thus, Hong shi decided to save his breath.

“Alright!”

Since Hong shi was unwilling to speak, Zhuang Qin didn’t push on. He led the group forward.

The living quarters weren’t too far away from the landing point. It was a mansion so vast that despite the huge size of their group, there would be no problem housing all of them in it.

Zhang Xuan took an individual courtyard for himself, Sun Qiang, and his students. It would be quieter this way, and he wouldn’t be interrupted when he was teaching his students too.

After settling everyone in, Hong shi and Zhang shi discussed for a moment to refine their plans before the former stomped out of the mansion.

Those fellows actually dared to scheme against him! No matter what, he had to return the favor!

…

Not too far away from the mansion Zhang Xuan and group were living in, in a relatively vast room, two old men were looking at a young man who just walked in to report a matter to them with a deep frown on their foreheads. “What did you say? Hong Qian and his group have entered the city and are now in their living quarters?”

“Yes!” The young man nodded.

“Impossible. Didn’t Feng Yu go to stop them?” one of the old men exclaimed.

“Could it be that the both of them didn’t meet? No, that can’t be… There’s only one route from Hongfeng Empire to here. If Hong Qian wanted to enter the city, he would surely meet with Feng Yu. What’s going on?”

The other old man was also clearly a little skeptical of the news.

“This… I’m not too sure either. I’ve sent someone to check on it, and they should be reporting back soon!” the young man replied.

When Feng shi and these two elders were discussing, he was by their side, and judging from their plan, he felt that Feng shi would surely be able to intercept Hong shi’s group for a day. But before they could receive any news from Feng shi’s side, Hong shi had already appeared in the city… Even he, despite being the person reporting the news, found it inconceivable.

“Un, quickly look into it. What in the world is that Feng Yu up to?”

The first old man shook his hands to dismiss the young man. Not too long later, the young man returned anxiously. It seemed like the news he had received was so shocking that he couldn’t even keep his composure.

“You managed to dig up something? What happened?” asked the first old man.

The young man reported the news that he had just gathered.

“Feng shi and Hong shi did meet one another outside the city, but for some reason… Feng shi and his group lost control of their spirit beasts and fell from the sky…”

In truth, even he himself found this matter hard to believe.

“Fell down? Lost control of their spirit beasts? Does that even make sense?” The two old men stared at one another in bewilderment.

Are you jesting?

Those were the elite spirit beasts of Huanyu Empire, and they had been trained for a very long time. Even if something happened, they would surely bring their rider safely to the ground. To fall from the sky on such well-trained spirit beasts, surely you must be pulling our legs!

“There’s no mistake on the news… Speaking of which, someone was coincidentally walking by when that happened, and he used a Record Crystal to take down the situation then!”

The young man flicked his wrist and took out a crystal ball. “Our men managed to buy it with spirit stones!”

A merchant party happened to pass by the area during the confrontation between Hong shi and Feng shi, and out of fascination, they recorded the scene. After which, when the young man sent his men to investigate the matter, they managed to track down the merchant party and procure this Record Crystal.

In that aspect, they were truly lucky.

“Hurry up and play it!” said the first old man anxiously.

Nodding his head, the young man infused his zhenqi into the Record Crystal.

Weng!

Amidst a buzz, dozens of aerial spirit beasts suddenly came into sight.

The recording was taken a significant distance away from the confrontation, so there was no voice to be heard. Even so, it was clear that the both sides were clearly clashing with one another.

“It’s Feng shi and Hong shi!”

With a glance, the first old man immediately recognized the men standing on the spirit beasts.

They had known one another for several decades now, and they could identify one another even from afar.

“Chen Mo has made his move…”

The image swayed, and they saw a young man standing on top of a spirit beast taking out a zither and started playing. Following which, Hong shi attempted to destroy the zither with his sword qi, only to fail.

“Everything went according to plan. How did Hong shi get past them…”

The first old man was perplexed. He was in the midst of figuring what went wrong when Feng shi and the others abruptly plummeted from the sky. And then… a mushroom cloud of dust rose into the sky.

“This…”

The group stared at one another blankly.

What… just happened?

After recovering from the shock, the two old men quickly asked the young man, “What happened to Feng shi? How is he now?”

That was a distance of more than a thousand meters! To fall from such an altitude… he couldn’t possibly be dead, right…

“I’ve sent someone to bring him back… they should be returning soon!” replied the young man.

At that moment, the door opened, and Feng shi was carried in by a few other men.

The current Feng shi was bandaged tightly with a white cloth, as though a mummy. His face was stained with mud and fresh blood, and a huge bunch of his prided beard had fallen off. It was a huge contrast from his ‘enlightened sage’ image. If he were to sit by the streets, a passer-by might even throw him a gold coin out of pity for him.

“Feng shi, this…”

The first old man was flabbergasted by the sight.

“I… I’m going to kill Hong Qian and that bastard…”

Feng Yu roared furiously, but before he could finish his words, a cold voice sounded outside the main hall, “Kill me? Sure! I’m waiting for you right here, come!”

The few men quickly turned their heads around, only to see an old man walking into the room with a face livid with wrath. Who else could it be other than Hong shi?

“Hong shi…”

Seeing the man they teamed up to deal with standing before them, the two old men’s lips twitched.

“Hong Qian, you…”

Feng Yu gritted his teeth in anger.

“Humph!”

Ignoring the other party’s shock and anger, Hong shi flicked his wrist and took out a 5-star master teacher emblem. He flicked his forefinger with his thumbnail and a droplet of fresh blood fell onto the emblem. “I, 5-star Master Teacher Hong Qian, apply for a Master Teacher Confrontation against Master Teacher Feng Yu. I beseech for your approval!”

Hu!

The emblem shimmered brilliantly, and two giant words floated into appearance, “Permission granted!”

If irreconcilable conflicts occur between master teachers, they could apply for a ‘Master Teacher Confrontation’ with the headquarters through the emblem, and based on the relative strength of one’s opponent, the headquarters would determine whether to approve it or not.

Usually speaking, if both master teachers were of equal cultivation realm, the permission would be granted.

Rivalry is important for the growth of master teachers, especially with one’s peers. As such, the headquarters promoted such duels.

This was the reason why Hong shi’s duel application was granted nearly instantly.

“Master Teacher Confrontation? Permission granted?”

Seeing the two words on Hong shi’s emblem, Feng Yu’s vision went dark, and he nearly burst into tears.

I’m wrapped up like a dumpling, and there are broken bones throughout my body. Not to mention, I’ve suffered grievous external and internal damage. To fight against me at this moment… Doesn’t your conscience pang in guilt?

“The headquarters have already agreed to the Master Teacher Confrontation. Feng shi, stop putting on an act. Let our fists do the talking instead!”

Hong shi flung his sleeves majestically.

“I…”

Exerting pressure on the walking stick in his hand, Feng Yu stood up from the stretcher and exclaimed, “I’m severely injured, how do you expect me to fight with you…”

“Severely injured? Feng shi, your joke isn’t funny. I’ve heard that you were still in perfect condition when you left the royal palace two hours ago. In fact, you even offered some pointers to a guard. Since you didn’t do anything, how in the world did you get injured? To think that a proud 5-star master teacher would stoop down to even feigning injury just so to not face me in a fight. And you call yourself a master teacher?” Hong shi replied righteously.

“You…” Feng Yu’s lips twitched violently, and his eyes were about to pour.

He had secretly sneaked out to intercept Hong Qian and group. After all, this was an underhanded action, and if others were to learn of it, his reputation would be sullied.

Who knew that the other party would actually use this fact against him to claim that he was feigning injury… How could someone be so shameless?

You should be the more than aware whether I’m truly injured or not! I might not have fought with anyone, but falling from such a high altitude, it’s already by a huge stroke of fortune that I’m still alive at this point. How do you expect me to fight with you?

“Feng shi, I hope that you won’t make any more excuses!”

Harrumphing coldly, Hong shi replied, “If you refuse, I’ll report to the headquarters that you, who fears even a challenge from your fellow peer, aren’t worthy of your 5-star master teacher emblem.”

“Fine, fine! I’ll accept your challenge… Are you happy now?”

Feng Yu gritted his teeth indignantly.

If only he knew this would happen, he would have never done this. If one didn’t have any special reason to justify himself, one wouldn’t be allowed to turn down a Master Teacher Confrontation…

If Feng shi were to claim that he was severely injured, considering how this matter concerned a 5-star master teacher, the headquarters would surely look into it, and the issue of him obstructing Hong shi’s passage would be exposed. If so, he might be subjected to an even harsher punishment.

In other words, the other party had planned all of this to corner him!

What the heck was this…

“Since that’s the case, let’s start then!”

Bellowing furiously, Hong shi dashed forward and sent a kick over.

Sou!

How could the severely injured Feng Yu possibly protect himself? He was immediately sent flying into the sky.

Padah!

After flying several dozen meters high, he crashed back down into the ground and spewed mouthful after mouthful of blood.

He had just barely recovered slightly after consuming a recovery pill, but this kick had sent him back to square one. His face paled, and his vision was slowly darkening.

“I…”

Struggling to his feet, Feng shi was just about to speak when a humongous fist came flying toward him.

Peng!

Feng Yu was sent flying once more.

Pi pa! Huala!

The sound of fists and kicks digging into flesh sounded, and soon, all traces of humanity were beaten out of Feng Yu.

Hong shi had controlled his attacks well so as to maximize the other party’s suffering without worsening his current injuries too much.

For a proud 5-star master teacher to be schemed against, if he didn’t repay this favor, wouldn’t others think that he was an easy person?

Master teachers were humans, not saints! They couldn’t possibly accept and forgive when someone struck them in their faces!

In this case, tolerance is not a sign of magnanimity but weakness. If they couldn’t uphold their own dignity, how could they possibly protect Master Teacher Continent from the Otherworldly Demons?

It isn’t a crime to be good-tempered, but if one wishes to protect something, one needs to be strong.

Peng peng peng peng!

After a long round of beating, Hong shi finally finished venting his anger. Clapping his hands, he clasped his fist and bowed. “Feng shi, thank you for going easy on me!”

At this moment, Feng Yu was no different from Chen Mo and the others when they fell to the ground back then. He was breathing heavily but exhaling lightly, and it looked as though he might just breathe his last at any moment.

“You… Very well! Hong Qian! I, 5-star Master Teacher Luo Zhao, challenge you to a Master Teacher Confrontation right now. I beseech for your approval!”

Hong shi had beaten up Feng shi in the name of the Master Teacher Confrontation. His actions were within the rules, so there was nothing they could complain about. But after the ‘duel’ was over, the first old man immediately took out his emblem and challenged Hong shi.

He wanted to get back at Hong shi for Feng Yu!

Hong shi placed his hands behind his back and declared proudly, “My apologies, but I’ve just finished my battle with Feng shi and suffered grievous injuries in the process. I won’t be able to fight for the next ten years, so I’ll reject your challenge!”

“You…”

The trio staggered, and they nearly burst into tears.

Big Brother, can you get any more shameless than that…

Chapter 609: Hong shi’s Conditions

Severely injured…

Severely your head!

Could that battle between you and Feng shi even be called a battle?

More like a one-sided pummeling! Not a single droplet of sweat was produced in that fight, and yet you said that you were severely injured and can’t fight for the next ten years?

The one who is severely injured is Feng shi, alright?

Look at him… His eyes are even rolling up now…

On the other hand, you look perfectly energized after the duel, and the bright smile on your face is about to extend to your ears…

The more he thought about it, the angrier he felt. Master Teacher Luo Zhao bellowed furiously, “The both of us know very well whether you are injured or not. Why don’t you just say that you dare not accept my duel?”

“If you can really forsake your morals and dignity as a master teacher and take advantage of my weakness, then yes, I can accept your duel. But if that’s the case, I’ll decide the rules of the duel!”

Hong shi glanced at the other party calmly and continued, “We’ll both ride on an aerial spirit beast each and fight a thousand meters high in the air. Do you… dare accept my proposal?”

“You…”

Luo Zhao felt his head spin.

An aerial battle?

The sight that he had seen from the Record Crystal a moment ago was still engraved into his eyes. If he were to really fight with that fellow in midair, he would probably fall out of the sky just like Feng shi… and perhaps even suffer yet another round of beating afterward…

Putting aside teaching the other party a lesson, he might not even be able to survive the ordeal.

“You don’t dare?” Hong shi glanced at the other party with clear contempt in his eyes. “If you are that cowardly, don’t waste my time. You challenged an injured person, and yet, you dare not accept my proposal. How embarrassing!”

“…”

Luo Zhao’s face immediately turned crimson, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

The Hong shi he remembered should have been an honest and upright person, when did he become so shameless?

Harrumphing coldly, Hong shi continued, “Alright. Since you dare not challenge me, let’s get to the main topic at hand. You obstructed my passage in midair, foiling the fairness of our competition. I demand an explanation for this matter!”

The purpose of his visit was to demand an explanation. Now that he was done beating up Feng Yu, his anger had already subsided mostly… But he was still reluctant to let things end here.

Initially, he was going to stomp here right after settling everyone in, but Zhang shi stopped him and offered him some advice.

And it seemed like the advice did work out as well.

Otherwise, if Hong shi had acted as he originally planned to-barging in here and criticizing the group-not only would the other party simply forget it after a night’s rest, his own anger wouldn’t be quenched either.

In fact, if the three of them were to gang up on him, he might even be put in a disadvantageous position.

But now, having gotten back at Feng shi through the Master Teacher Confrontation and silencing the others by proposing an aerial duel, the momentum was with him.

“Explanation? You still want an explanation?”

Luo Zhao and the other master teacher stared at one another, and they nearly exploded from anger.

You came here and pummeled Feng shi to the point that he is teetering on the brink of death already, and yet you still demand an explanation?

“Simple. Since you used an underhanded method to stop us, I want a compensation! How about this, I won’t go too far-500 middle-tier spirit stones and we’ll call it quits. I won’t report this matter to teacher or His Majesty. Otherwise, I’ll cause a huge fuss and see who’s at fault here!”

Hong shi waved his hands.

In truth, he had little fear even when facing another three master teachers of equivalent standing as him. No matter what, Zhang shi was a person whom even Pavilion Master Mo of Hongyuan Master Teacher Pavilion was willing to offer a high-tier spirit stone to get acquainted with. If this matter were to blow up, these three fellows would surely be the ones suffering in the end.

“500… middle-tier spirit stones?”

The bodies of the duo shuddered.

They might be 5-star master teachers, but they didn’t have too many middle-tier spirit stones in their hands either. One to two hundred middle-tier spirit stones were already a huge amount of wealth to them. To demand 500 in a single breath… this was no different from daylight robbery!

But it was true that they were at fault in this matter.

Going by their original plan, after this fellow lost his three slots, he would surely be too ashamed to face anyone, and thus, he would leave silently. On top of that, even if he were to protest, it would only reflect his own weakness…

Yet, not only did this fellow end up fine, he even came here, and standing on the moral high ground, they couldn’t even rebut at all.

The stifled feeling squeezing them made them feel extremely uncomfortable.

“I admit that we did act inappropriately in this incident, but Hong Qian, I advise you not to go too far. In any case, aren’t you perfectly fine in the end? There’s no need for you to go so far and create an irreconcilable grudge among us!”

Luo Zhao flung his sleeves.

“We’re all proud 5-star master teachers here. You’ve already got your revenge, what else do you want? Do you really want to make an enemy out of all of us?” the second old man replied with a flushed face.

“Why? Are you unwilling to pay? Or do you not have the money to do so?” Hong shi said with his hands behind his back.

“Humph, middle-tier spirit stones are precious even to 5-star master teachers like us. Can you even take five hundred middle-tier spirit stones out at once?”

Luo Zhao harrumphed.

“Fine. I heard that the crown prince is going to hold a banquet tonight to discuss the matter regarding the three slots. Since you all arrived early, surely you must have heard something! As long as you tell me how this matter is going to be resolved, I can drop this!” Hong shi replied.

Even a 5-star master teacher would find it hard to fork out 500 middle-tier spirit stones!

The urgent matter at hand was actually to figure out how the matter regarding the three slots was going to be resolved so that he could make some preparations beforehand.

“This…”

Luo Zhao and the other old man stared at one another for a moment before eventually shaking their heads.

“The crown prince didn’t reveal how he intends to resolve this matter, so we have no idea as well…”

“If we knew how it was going to be resolved beforehand, we wouldn’t have to resort to such a risky plan.”

While the crown prince was their junior, he was also a talented student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. They didn’t dare to pull their weight before him.

“You don’t know?” Hong shi frowned.

“That’s right!” Luo Zhao answered

Hearing their answer, Hong shi could only shake his head helplessly.

The other party’s words sounded logical. If they had known what was going to happen, they would have simply prepared beforehand instead of risking themselves and going to such lengths to stop him.

Luo Zhao hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“How about this? Even though we don’t know what the crown prince is going to do later on, I can tell you about the matter regarding Princess Fei-er and the other three slots. This is a matter that took us a lot of investigation before successfully uncovering.”

“Alright then. As long as you tell me all that you know, we’ll strike off everything that has happened!” Hong shi nodded in agreement.

It was just a matter of time before Zhang shi and the others would head to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Since Princess Fei-er was a student of the academy as well, knowing her background could potentially help them in the future.

“Un. Princess Fei-er is the sixth princess of Hongyuan Empire. Even though she’s still young, she has shown outstanding talent as a master teacher. Despite being only twenty-four this year, she has already received her 5-star master teacher emblem!” Luo Zhao revealed.

“A twenty-four-year-old… 5-star master teacher?”

Hong shi narrowed his eyes.

As a 5-star master teacher himself, he knew how hard it was to reach this rank. On top of outstanding talent, one had to reach astounding proficiency in five different supporting occupations as well, reaching the rank of 5-star in each of them.

He had spent a hundred and sixty years before succeeding, and yet, the other party actually accomplished it by twenty-four…

It was hard for him to believe it.

“Even Zhang shi would find it hard to rival such genius!” Hong shi smiled bitterly.

True geniuses are indeed fearsome.

“Yes. It’s precisely due to this that Crown Prince Ye Qian wishes to get on good terms with her and asked His Majesty for four slots!” Luo Zhao nodded.

When he learnt of this news, he was also astounded. If not for his strong mental fortitude, he might have collapsed from shock then.

A twenty-four-year-old 5-star master teacher… He would have never been able to imagine this to be true in the past.

“But why would Princess Fei-er require four slots?” Hong shi asked in bewilderment.

He had posed this question to Zhuang Qin as well, but perhaps due to his lower standing, he was unable to obtain certain classified information. Since Luo Zhao knew what was going on, it would be best to clarify the situation with him.

“Tagging along with the princess are her friend and two other fellow peers of the academy. It seems like they are carrying out some kind of mission at Verdant Mountain, so the crown prince invited them over here as well. Otherwise, there’s no reason for the princess of Hongyuan Empire to make her way here just for the Cleansing Lake,” Luo Zhao replied.

Hong shi nodded in realization.

Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire could be considered as a sizeable power even throughout the Master Teacher Continent. There were at least hundreds of Tier-2 Empires like Huanyu under its command, and if not for some compelling situation, there was no reason for her to specially make the trip here.

While the Cleansing Lake had mystical effects, this was mainly limited to only Consonant Spirit and Cosmos Bridge realm experts. On top of that, even though it was considered as a treasure in Huanyu Empire, there were many artifacts in a Tier-1 Empire that could easily replace it. There was no need for them to make such a long journey here just for this purpose.

“Do you know the identity and names of the others?” Hong shi asked.

“Princess Fei-er’s friend is known as Luo Qiqi. According to what I heard, it seems like she’s a princess of a certain Tier-1 Empire as well. As for the details, given how the royal family seems to be keeping it confidential, we also dare not look into it. However, it seems like her ranking as a master teacher doesn’t pale to Princess Fei-er at all, and her cultivation even surpasses the latter. Based on my estimates, even the four of us combined might not even be a match for her!” Luo Zhao said grimly.

He had only met Luo Qiqi once, but he could tell that the latter’s cultivation had reached an astounding level.

At the very least, he knew that he wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

“As for the remaining two, they are both fellow classmates of the princess. They’re both males, and their cultivation realm is comparable to the princess as well. More importantly, they carry a noble disposition, so I guess that they have a powerful background as well. As for their names…”

Luo Zhao pondered for a moment before continuing, “One seems to be called Xing Yuan while the other one is called Wu Zhen… Just as with Luo Qiqi, the specific details on them elude me as well!”

“Luo Qiqi, Xing Yuan, and Wu Zhen?”

Hong shi nodded.

Since all of them came from the Master Teacher Academy, they had to be master teachers. Also, considering they were classmates of Princess Fei-er, they must be 5-star master teachers as well.

Considering their capability despite their young age, they would surely achieve great things in the future.

Naturally, Huanyu Empire wouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to get acquainted with them.

It was no wonder why Crown Prince Ye Qian went to the extent of offering the slots for the Cleansing Lake.

Recalling another matter, Luo Zhao anxiously informed him, “Right, I also heard that Princess Fei-er has a bad temper, and Luo Qiqi has an extremely cold disposition. If you meet them, it would be advisable for you to not to offend them. Otherwise, Huanyu Empire wouldn’t survive their wrath!”

“Offend them? Don’t worry, even if we were to meet, it’s impossible for us to offend them!”

Hong shi chuckled earnestly, “After all, we’re all honest men!”

Chapter 610: Mystical Treasure Hall

Stretching his back, Zhang Xuan walked out of his room.

Cultivating an entire month on the journey here had left him rather exhausted.

“Teacher!”

Upon walking out of his room, Yuan Tao immediately rushed forward with a bitter face.

“Teacher, somehow, I feel that… my cultivation seems to have slowed. For some reason, I find myself unable to concentrate…”

Zhao Ya and Lu Chong’s departure had left an immense pressure of the four remaining students. For fear of lagging behind, Yuan Tao had been working extra hard, but for the past half a month, it was as if he had been shackled, preventing him from advancing no matter how hard he pushed.

Afraid that his teacher might reprimand him, he also dared not ask Zhang Xuan about it.

But eventually, he came to the limit of his tolerance.

The final trigger was Wang Ying’s recent breakthrough. If he didn’t solve his issue soon, the gap between him and the others would widen significantly.

“There’s no need to worry. I know of your condition, and it’s not due to your lack of concentration or talent. Rather… your cultivation has reached a point where if you don’t further awaken your Emperor’s Bloodline, it will hinder your future progress!” Zhang Xuan replied.

He had noticed Yuan Tao’s condition a few days ago on the back of the spirit beast.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t working hard enough, but that the bloodline running through his body was shackling him.

If one possessing a unique constitution were to fully awaken their potential, they would be able to achieve breakthroughs as easily as eating and drinking. But if they were to be unable to do so, it would bind them instead, rendering their cultivation useless.

Due to the very low number of people possessing unique constitutions, it was extremely difficult to find a clear heritage to awakening them. As such, many talented individuals had found their hopes being snapped due to being unable to find a way to awaken their unique constitution further or lacking the required resource for it.

This was precisely the reason why Zhang Xuan eventually agreed to allow Zhao Ya to go to the Glacier Plain Court.

The Glacier Plain Court had a complete heritage for the Pure Yin Body and plentiful resources to groom her. This was much better than Zhang Xuan fumbling around for a solution.

The current Yuan Tao was also facing such a problem. He had awakened his physical constitution by twenty percent and reaching Transcendent Mortal 2-dan primary stage was already his limit. If he wanted to grow any further, he would have continue awakening his unique constitution. Otherwise, his Emperor’s Bloodline would shackle his acupoints and meridians, preventing him from making any progress.

If he could cultivate the complete version of Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he wouldn’t face such problems at all. It was a pity that he could only learn the simplified version.

Zhang Xuan had been thinking over the matter for the past few days, and he found a few viable solutions.

“Alright. Relay my instructions to Sun Qiang, tell him to find out if there’s any place that sells artifacts around here. I’ll look for some artifacts that can resolve your problem!” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Yes!”

Seeing that his teacher already knew about the matter, Yuan Tao felt a little embarrassed. He quickly left, and a while later, he returned with Sun Qiang beside him.

“Young Master, I’ve had someone look into the surroundings, and there’s a ‘Mystical Treasure Hall’ in the vicinity, and you might find what you want there!” Sun Qiang replied.

Knowing his job as a butler, he had been gathering information ever since the group arrived here, and he learned quite a few things as well.

“Mystical Treasure Hall?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

“That’s right. The Mystical Treasure Hall sells all kinds of unique and valuable artifacts. There are even a few whose worth is comparable to a Spirit high-tier artifact. However, what is bizarre is that… the owner never sells the goods. Rather, he gives it to those ‘fated’ with him!” replied Sun Qiang.

“Gives away?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

No matter how many valuable, unique collectibles, artifacts, and wealth one had, wouldn’t one go bankrupt if one were to give away everything?

“That’s right. But while I use the word ‘gives’, there’s actually a price to pay.”

Seeing the look of disbelief on the young master’s face, Sun Qiang chuckled. “It’s said that there are two rows of stone pillars within the Mystical Treasure Hall. Through some unknown technology, there is an artifact hidden within each stone pillar, and those who intend to obtain any goods from the store would have to identify the artifacts inside the stone pillar. The store works by a progressive point system. The first artifact identified from the stone pillar will award one point, the second artifact identified will award two points, the third artifact identified will award three points, so on and so forth. In other words, once one identifies one’s fiftieth stone pillar, one will be awarded fifty points straight!

“One can trade the points obtained from the identification of the artifacts for any treasure placed on the shelves of the Mystical Treasure Hall. With sufficient points, one can obtain anything one wants! However… one has to pay ten middle-tier spirit stones before attempting the identification, and if one is able to identify even one of the artifacts hidden in the stone pillars, the spirit stones will be refunded. On the other hand, failure to do so means that the spirit stones go to the shop!”

“Oh!”

Zhang Xuan came to a realization.

In other words, the shop was leveraging on the curiosity of others to create something similar to a gambling den.

The artifacts were hidden in the stone pillars, making it nearly impossible to identify them through guesswork. Earning points would surely be difficult. Even though ten middle-tier spirit stones weren’t much, the shop should be rather profitable if it could attract a crowd.

In a sense, it was somewhat similar to the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet in Honghai City Appraiser Hall.

It hinged mainly on one’s eye of discernment.

It might be difficult for anyone else to identify those artifacts, but to Zhang Xuan… those were as good as giveaways!

With a touch, a book would be formed in the Library of Heaven’s Path, and he would be able to identify even the eighteen generations of one’s ancestors. To him, identifying an artifact in a stone pillar was a walk in the park.

“Let’s go and take a look. If there’s anything useful to Yuan Tao, we can try to obtain it! If not, we’ll just continue looking around.” Zhang Xuan showed a slight smile.

To awaken Yuan Tao’s physical constitution, certain unique items were required. If the Mystical Treasure Hall possessed these items, Zhang Xuan would identify the artifacts in some stone pillars to obtain them.

While it was likely that Zhang Xuan would be able to easily identify everything in the shop, he didn’t think that it was appropriate for him to do so. After all, a master teacher should behave in a way befitting of one. It would be inappropriate for him to grab all of the treasures of another when the other party was simply conducting his business.

Besides, in a foreign place such as Huanyu Empire, it was best for him to maintain a low profile.

“Yes!”

Nodding his head, Sun Qiang walked forward and led the way.

Since they were looking for a treasure relating to Yuan Tao’s constitution, naturally, he tagged along as well.

The Mystical Treasure Hall wasn’t too far away from the royal palace. After a short twenty-minute walk, they found themselves standing before a majestic, towering building.

Three grandly written words, ‘Mystical Treasure Hall’, were written on a board hung above the entrance. These words absorbed spiritual energy from the surroundings, and it felt as though they would leap out from the surface at any moment.

“A sixth level calligraphy?”

Upon seeing it, Zhang Xuan was stunned.

A sixth level calligraphy has already reached the level of Spiritual Wisdom. Even a 5-star painter would find it hard to produce a work of this tier.

Seeing such a work before entering the Mystical Treasure Hall, Zhang Xuan’s interest in it intensified.

Walking through the door, they arrived at an exceptionally vast main hall. There were shelves placed by the walls, and all kinds of artifacts filled its surface.

The three men walked over to take a closer look.

Sword, painting, chess, ore, spirit beast fur…

There were indeed all kinds of treasures here.

“The golden talon of a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Foxeagle Beast?”

Walking along the shelf, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a stop.

Placed on the shelf before him was a meter-long, giant, golden talon, and it felt both cold and sharp.

The Foxeagle Beast was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan spirit beast. Not only were there very few of them, they were also extremely cunning. Even the Beast Hall would be troubled to find one of them, needless to say, capture or kill one.

And the talons of this rare beast were exceptionally valuable treasures. This was especially so for those that were golden in color-it was the ideal material to forging a Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle weapon.

Many people would die to obtain even just a small piece of its talons, and yet, there was a complete one here. Its price was inestimable.

Lowering his head to take a closer look, he saw a goatskin label placed beneath the claw, and written on it was, ‘Golden Talon of the Foxeagle Beast, 1!’

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask Sun Qiang, “What does this ‘1’ mean?”

Sun Qiang pondered for a moment quickly before replying.

“The one refers to the number of points required to trade for it!”

“One can trade for this with just a single point?”

Zhang Xuan was stunned.

The Golden Talon of a Foxeagle Beast was incomparably rare and valuable. If one were to put it in an auction, it would be worth dozens of spirit stones. And yet, one could trade for it with just a single point. Wasn’t the worth of the points here a little… way too high?

“The items on the first floor can be traded with just one point. The higher one ascends, the more valuable the items become.”

Sun Qiang smiled.

“I can trade for any one of these items with just one point?”

Shocked, Zhang Xuan breathed in a large mouthful of cold air.

He suddenly could see why anyone would come and try their luck despite the seeming impossibility of the task. The items on display were simply too valuable!

Moving along, Zhang Xuan saw a few more valuable items whose worth weren’t beneath that of the Foxeagle Beast’s talon and labeled on the goatskins beneath them were ‘1’ as well.

Impressed, Zhang Xuan exclaimed, “Impressive. This place indeed lives up to the words ‘Mystical Treasure’!”

Soon, he finished looking around the first floor.

Even though the items on the first floor were indeed valuable, none of them were truly effective in awakening Yuan Tao’s unique constitution.

The Emperor’s Bloodline was special even among unique constitutions. While Zhang Xuan wasn’t too sure what items would work, he had a rough idea in mind.

“Let’s move on to the second floor!”

Knowing that there was nothing he needed on the first floor, Zhang Xuan lost his interest.

To Zhang Xuan, no matter how good an artifact or item was, its worth couldn’t possibly exceed that of spirit stones or cultivation technique manuals.

As such, he didn’t bear much interest in such stuff.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned the artifacts he claimed from the Harmonious Streaming of Flowing Goblets back to the Appraiser Hall back then.

The three men moved on to the second floor.

There were significantly fewer people on the second floor, and the number and variety of items were also more limited as well. But with just a glance, it was clear that the items here were much more valuable.

There were many one-of-a-kind artifacts and items that, despite Zhang Xuan’s extensive knowledge, he couldn’t name.

“This is… a painting of the seventh level?”

Soon, Zhang Xuan saw a painting of the seventh level. Judging from its quality, the painter who created it must be at least 6-star in rank. The animals and plants inside were so lifelike that it felt as though they were truly living beings that would leap out of the painting at any moment.

A painting at the level of Enlightened Spirit already possessed spirit and sentience, and the creatures within were capable of leaving the painting on their own accord.

Taking a closer look, he saw a line of words written on the goatskin below, “Proud Conception of Spring and Autumn, 2!”

“It’s worth only two points?”

Zhang Xuan was astonished.

This painting was much better than ‘Rousing From the Drunken Dreams’ that was auctioned in Honghai City back then.

After all, the creation of that painting was a mistake in itself. Even though it barely managed to reach the seventh level under Zhang Xuan’s hands, it was ranked amidst the lowest within that tier, and it was eventually sold for only twenty thousand low-tier spirit stones, which was equivalent to two middle-tier spirit stones.

On the other hand, this was a masterpiece left behind by a 6-star painter. If placed in an auction, its price would surely soar above fifty middle-tier spirit stones. To think that its value would only be ‘2’ here…

This Mystical Treasure Hall was indeed fearsome. The range and value of the treasures displayed here had far exceeded his expectations.

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to continue browsing around, a faint voice echoed from the stairway, and soon, two figures could be seen walking over.

“How can one find anything good in this remote place? If there’s anything you want, I can get it for you after we return!”

Chapter 611: Inner Core of Great River Snake

It was man and a lady. The both of them carried a dignified air around them.

The lady walking in front was dressed in light-yellow, tight-fitting clothes that outlined her beautiful figure. Her long, black hair that fell on her shoulder contrasted with her fair skin, and she had a slender waist where one could easily hold. Her outer appearance was in no way beneath that of Mo Yu or Zhao Feiwu.

The man beside her seemed to be in his thirties. He had a broad figure with a well-defined face. There was a hint of authoritativeness etched between his brows, indicating that he was likely to be a person of high standing.

Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan wasn’t interested in the other party’s appearance. In terms of beauty, there was no one who could compare up to Zhao Ya, and Mo Yu and Zhao Feiwu were top-notch beauties as well. Yet, he didn’t pay much heed to the three of them, so of course he wouldn’t gawk at a lady whom he didn’t recognize.

But taking a look at the other party’s cultivation, he was shocked.

Even though the two of them were young, their cultivation was exceptional. They gave a feeling reminiscent of the deep ocean or endless abyss; they were definitely stronger than Hong shi.

“Transcendent Mortal 6-dan?”

Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.

Of the twenty-eight regional powers, even the strongest expert hadn’t reached Transcendent Mortal 6-dan. Yet, just by walking around town, he had already met with two of them. Not to mention, the both of them were extremely young as well. As expected of Huanyu Capital, it was indeed filled with experts.

As expected, the might of the capital far exceeded that of the Vassal States.

“There’s no need for it. If you’re bored, you can return first!” the beautiful lady replied impassively, snubbing the other party’s goodwill. From the look of it, the duo didn’t seem to be close.

“Hehe, how could I possibly be bored? If you wish to look around, I’ll accompany you!” The man laughed awkwardly.

The duo continued walking around the shelves to take a look. Zhang Xuan couldn’t be bothered with the duo anymore, and he continued browsing through the items.

To awaken the Emperor’s Bloodline, he would require the blood essence or inner core of spirit beasts with similar attributes, or some unique medicinal herb, ore, and such. But these items were extremely rare and finding them was no easy task.

“Purpledawn Pearl? This artifact can cleanse the dirt from the person carrying it, thus making them immaculate!”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes fell on a round pearl.

He had read a record of it before. It was a peculiar artifact that specialized neither in offense nor defense, but even so, it was an accessory that cultivators liked to carry around.

After all, the one wearing it could keep their clothes in pristine condition, thus maintaining a glowing appearance even without bathing.

“To think that this item would actually be a ‘2’ as well…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

To think that a seventh level painting would be of the same price at this item.

It seemed like the Mystical Treasure Hall didn’t arrange artifacts by value but by rarity.

While a Purpledawn Pearl couldn’t be said to be a necessity for cultivators, it was an extremely rare artifact, and it was deeply fancied by most ladies.

After all, given the broad continent, a single flight could easily take days, and during which, one would be unable to bathe. The feeling of being dirty would feel incredibly uncomfortable to some. However, with this artifact, one could remain clean at all moments; needless to say a month or two, even if one were to walk around in the same clothes for an entire year, one’s appearance would still be immaculate.

It was highly-valued precisely because of its rarity.

Even so, part of the reason why it was priced equally with the painting was also because paintings were impractical in battle. As such, its value was beneath that of weapons and other practical mystical artifacts.

However, this restriction was only limited for paintings up to the seventh level. Once a painting reached the eighth level or even higher, it would gain the ability to realize illusions. For example, some of the more formidable paintings could even form a massive city that could trap a cultivator within it for an eternity to come. As such, the value of eighth level paintings was immeasurable.

Every single occupation that had been officially recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion wields immense might upon reaching its pinnacle. Ordinary men can’t hope to stand against such mystical abilities.

Taking the Celestial Chess for example, it was said that those who had reached the highest level in it would be able to manipulate the world as though it were their chessboard. Taking the stars as the stones, they could maneuver the essence of the world and reverse yin and yang.

However… it was a pity that what Hong shi received was an incomplete manual. Even the inheritance from the puppet was incomplete, thus making it impossible to unleash such might.

Looking on, Zhang Xuan soon browsed through all artifacts in the second floor, but he was still unable to find anything suitable. Thus, along with the other two, they proceeded up to the third floor.

The artifacts on the third floor were much more valuable. The labeling of each artifact was no longer uniform; some were labeled with a ‘3’, some a ‘4’, and some a ‘5’.

Walking along the shelves, Zhang Xuan saw a sixth level painting labeled ‘4’. It was even more expensive than the seventh level painting from before!

Perplexed, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before coming to a realization.

Even though this painting might be a tier lower than the previous one seen, it was a masterpiece left behind by a very famous painter in Huanyu Empire. This piece was said to be a magnum opus that he put his final breath into drawing after suffering fatal injuries in a duel. Contained within it was the lingering will and resentment of a 5-star painter, thus making it exceptionally valuable. Naturally, its price would also be marked up to reflect that.

“Hmm? This is a Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle sword?”

Soon, Zhang Xuan saw a weapon on the shelf.

His swordsmanship was impressive, but he had never been able to find a suitable weapon. If he could wield one fitting of his current cultivation, his fighting prowess would surely soar significantly.

This sword was even higher ranked than the ones he had seen at Honghai City. Its sharp, cold gleam could induce a freezing sensation in those that set its eyes upon it.

“Glacier Rain Sword, 6!”

Such was written on the goatskin label beneath it.

“It is actually worth six points?” Zhang Xuan was stunned.

He had seen many Spirit intermediate-tier weapons in the shop, but those were only labeled ‘1’. Yet, this sword was actually priced at ‘6’, wasn’t this a little way too exaggerated?

Sensing Zhang Xuan’s doubt, an attendant walked over to him and explained, “Gongzi, this sword was personally forged by Master Blacksmith Hu Qingzi, and it is an ‘Upgradable Artifact’. It can undergo another round of tempering, thus making it incomparably valuable. It is nothing like those ordinary weapons displayed below!”

“Upgradable Artifact?” Zhang Xuan froze for a moment before nodding his head.

While he had never officially learned smithing before, he had collected quite a few books on the topic, and he knew of the various jargons in it.

Typically, a weapon was considered to be complete once its form became fixed. If one were to put it through another round of tempering, there was a good chance it might lose its sharpness and be rendered useless.

But Upgradable Artifacts were different. If one were to find better ores in the future, one could meld it into the artifact during the tempering process, thus raising the weapon’s quality and possibly its tier.

In other words, while this artifact might be a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon at the moment, it was impossible to predict how strong it could become in the future. In that sense, it was indeed worthy of its pricing of ‘6’.

“Hmm? The inner core of a Great River Snake?”

While Zhang Xuan was interested in the sword, he wasn’t in a rush to obtain it. Instead, he continued looking on, but right after he barely took two steps, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Placed on a shelf not too far away was a round inner core of a spirit beast. It was crimson in color, and it exuded a searing aura.

The inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast, Great River Snake.

The Great River Snake was a spirit beast that lives in marshlands in mountain valleys. It had thick scales that granted it incredible defensive capability. But while its body was cold as though metal, its inner core was fiery like coal, leaving one with a sensation as though one would be incinerated.

“The Great River Snake possesses the Dragon Bloodline, so it should be able to awaken Yuan Tao’s Emperor’s Bloodline!”

Zhang Xuan smiled.

While the Great River Snake was considered to be a type of snake, it possessed the bloodline of a flood dragon. On top of that, it was also a spirit beast possessing superior defensive ability, which was aligned with the Emperor’s Bloodline.

Lowering his glance to take a look, he saw the label on the goatskin: ‘Inner Core of a Great River Snake, 10!’

“Ten points… But it’s indeed worth this much!”

Only a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert could hunt and procure the inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast. As such, it was no surprise that it would be labeled ten.

‘I’ll be taking this!’ Zhang Xuan made an internal decision. ‘However, the searing aura of the inner core is too strong, and I’ll need some medicinal herbs to mediate its properties. I wonder if I can find anything suitable here!’

Having found something suitable for Yuan Tao, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He continued to browse through the shop in hopes of finding a medicinal herb with mediating properties when a faint voice suddenly sounded.

“I want this Sorrow Severing Grass. How much is it?”

It was the voice of a female. Glancing over, it was the dashing man and beautiful lady he had met back on the second floor. Unbeknownst to Zhang Xuan, the both of them had come up to the third floor as well.

“Sorrow Severing Grass?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Sorrow Severing Grass was a medicinal herb possessing cold attribute. It had a gentle nature, and it was exceptionally potent in neutralizing fiery properties. On top of that, it nourished and formed a layer of protection around one’s inner organs and meridians, thus making it the best possible medicinal herb to go along with the inner core of Great River Snake.

“Replying this lady over here, our Mystical Treasure Hall doesn’t sell our treasure through normal means. If you wish to purchase anything, you will have to earn points and trade for it.”

The attendant managing the third floor quickly hurried over and explained.

“Points? What do you mean by points?” The young man beside her frowned.

“Our Mystical Treasure Hall has two rows of stone pillars on the fourth floor, and sealed within them are artifacts of all kinds. If one successfully identifies them within the time limit, one will be given points. The more artifacts one recognizes, the more points one earns…” The attendant quickly went through the rules.

It was exactly the same as how Sun Qiang described it, but it was even more detailed.

“How troublesome! But since it’s just identifying artifacts, there should be no problem at all!”

Hearing that there’s such a complex procedure in work here, the young man frowned. But following which, his face beamed with confidence, and he turned to the lady before him and said, “Sixth… Young Mistress, wait here for a moment. I’ll bring some points to you right now!”

A look of displeasure flashed across the face of the lady known as the Sixth Young Mistress upon hearing her companion’s words.

“I don’t need your help. I’ll earn the points myself!”

Waving her hands, she turned to the attendant and said, “Lead the way. I wish to take a look!”

“Yes!”

Seeing that someone was interested in challenging the stone pillars, the attendant quickly led the duo up to the next floor.

“Let’s follow them!”

Zhang Xuan beckoned for the other two.

The aim of his visit here was to find something to awaken Yuan Tao’s unique constitution, and to procure those items, he would need to earn points as well.

Following behind the attendant’s group on to the fourth floor, a vast room appeared before him. Dozens of stone pillars were placed neatly in two rows in the middle. They had a smooth exterior, and it was impossible to tell how it was carved. There were a few people shaking their heads before the stone pillars, depressed.

“There’s no need to be depressed, it’s fine to not identify anything!”

The chuckle of an old man sounded in front.

It seemed like these fellows who were shaking their heads had challenged the stone pillars only to end in failure.

Zhang Xuan glanced over and realized that they were wearing the robe of their occupation-appraiser. In fact, two of them were even 4-star appraisers!

Considering how even a 4-star appraiser failed in this challenge, it seemed like this test wasn’t as easy as it looked.

“Hall Master, these two wish to challenge the stone pillars as well!”

The attendant walked over to the old man and gestured to the young man and young lady.

This old man was the hall master of the Mystical Treasure Hall, Gan Yiping.

“Alright…” Gan Yiping nodded. Turning his head over, he smiled. “I’ll have to trouble you to pay the deposit first!”

Zhang Xuan froze for a moment before a sheepish expression covered his face.

‘Deposit? Right, I forgot that I don’t have any money to pay the deposit…’

Chapter 612: Challenging the Stone Pillars

Too intent on winning some points, Zhang Xuan forgot that he only had a high-tier spirit stone on him.

Even though he had procured 600 middle-tier spirit stones from Fleeting Cloud Sect and the other powers previously, he had already used up all of them before reaching Huanyu Empire. The current him was as good as bankrupt.

The young man, unaware of the rules, asked, “How much is the deposit?”

“Ten middle-tier spirit stones!” Gan Yiping replied.

“Here you are! The both of us want to give it a try!” Without asking any questions, the young man flicked his wrist and passed twenty middle-tier spirit stones over.

Others would have to sell all of their property just to gather twenty middle-tier spirit stones, and yet, it seemed to be nothing to this young man at all.

Grabbing the spirit stones, Gan Yiping chuckled. Gesturing to the stone pillars, he went through the rules. “Contained within these stone pillars is an artifact each. There’s a hint inscribed on each of the stone pillars, and based on that, one has to deduce what kind of artifact is hidden in it.”

“Every challenger is only given an incense’s time, and as long as one successfully names the artifact, the stone pillar will break apart. The more stone pillars that break apart, the more points one will earn!”

“Alright!”

Nodding his head, the young man turned to the young lady beside him and said, “Sixth Young Mistress, wait here for me. I’ll return quickly!”

After which, he walked over to the stone pillar.

Zhang Xuan and group also looked at him curiously.

They knew of the rules, but it might still prove to be useful to see how the challenge would go and how difficult it would be.

Standing before the first stone pillar, the young man read the hint inscribed on it before circling around the pillar. Slowly, a crack appeared on his confident face, and confusion started to seep through.

There wasn’t any unique mark on the smooth stone pillar, making it impossible to see, feel, or even determine the shape of the artifact at all. To guess the identity of an artifact through a layer of stone was more difficult than he had expected.

Walking another two rounds around the stone pillars, his face turned livid.

He had just boasted in front of the sixth young mistress that he would be back soon. He thought that he could return with some points to win the favor of the beauty, and yet, he ended up being unable to recognize anything at all. He would be extremely embarrassed if he were to return like that!

Scratching his head, the young man began to panic. He placed his palm on the stone pillar and tried to infuse his zhenqi in. However, the stone pillar seemed to possess the ability to ward off zhenqi, rendering his actions futile.

“This…”

Soon, he tried everything he could think of and he indignantly turned to look at Gan Yiping.

“Hall Master, there’s nothing distinctive about your stone pillars at all. How are we supposed to guess?”

Isn’t this a scam?

How in the world do you expect me to guess what is within the stone pillar without any conclusive clue?

Even a 6-star appraiser would be helpless before these stone pillars!

“Gongzi, you need not panic. There’s a clue on the stone pillars, you can make a deduction based on it!”

As though having guessed that the other party would say these words, Gan Yiping smiled faintly.

“Make a deduction?”

Turning to look at the words on the stone pillars, the young man’s confusion only seemed to deepen. Seeing that an incense’s time was about to pass, he could only grit his teeth and make some guesses. “Sword… saber, medicinal herb, wooden bat…”

He listed several things at the top of his mind consecutively, but there was no response at all.

“Time’s up!” Gan Yiping shook his head with a bitter smile.

He could tell that this young man was extraordinary, and he thought that the other party’s presence could finally bring some progress to the uncovering of the stone pillar. But from the looks of it now, he was thinking too much into it.

“Alright…”

With a scarlet, stifled face, the young man walked back with an awkward expression.

What was this? He thought that it would just be like normal treasure speculation, and with his capability, he would surely be able to easily determine the type and name of the artifact. After winning some points, he would be able to buy whatever the sixth young mistress wanted and win her heart. Who knew that his attempt would end in such tragic failure?

His attempt to show off only ended in humiliation.

Sensing the other party’s poor mood, Gan Yiping consoled him.

“Gongzi, you need not be disheartened. I found these stone pillars in some ruins a long time ago. I don’t know who left them behind, but they seem to possess some mysterious ability. Despite observing them daily over the course of fifty years, I was only able to decipher three of them!”

“Fifty years? Three?” The young man was taken aback.

“Indeed. Only after knowing what the artifact inside is, along with its precise effects, can one open the stone pillars. I’ve tried all kinds of ways to open them throughout the years but to no avail. That is the reason why I opened this Mystical Treasure Hall to borrow the wisdom of others.”

Gan Yiping shook his head. “Actually, there’s no need for you to worry. The rule of an incense’s time is only to allow the others behind to take a look as well. Since you’ve already paid the deposit of ten middle-tier spirit stones, you can copy the text imprinted on the stone pillar to take back with you. If you were to decipher it, you can return anytime, and I won’t charge you the deposit again.”

“Return anytime?” The young man shook his head. “We’re only passing by Huanyu Empire, and we won’t be staying for too long. Besides, I’m only interested in that single medicinal herb!”

If not for the sixth young mistress insisting on coming here, given his identity and pride, he would have never come to such a remote location.

While this Mystical Treasure Hall possessed plentiful of valuable items, given his family background, it wouldn’t be too difficult for him to find and obtain something similar to them as well.

“Alright!”

Seeing the lack of interest in the latter, a hint of disappointment flashed across Gan Yiping’s eyes. Shaking his head, he said with a slightly downcast voice, “I’ve devoted half of my life to these stone pillars… it seems like I’ll have to carry my regrets with me to my coffin!”

“His lifespan…”

Hearing the other party’s lamentation, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but shake his head.

While this old man possessed extraordinary strength, there was a declining air shrouding his body. Clearly, his lifespan was reaching its limit.

Upon stepping into Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, one’s level of existence would undergo a qualitative breakthrough, thus increasing one’s lifespan significantly. Living to two hundred wouldn’t be a problem at all.

After which, with a rise in cultivation, one’s lifespan would also increase correspondingly, but the increase would be minimal. As such, unless one advanced to Saint realm, one would only be able to live to two hundred or so, three hundred if one maintained one’s physical condition well.

This old man’s lifespan was beyond two hundred and fifty, and it was clear he was nearing his end already.

Having dug out so many mysterious stone pillars, he was determined to uncover the secrets behind them. Yet, his own capability proved to be limited, so he could only establish with Mystical Treasure Hall and put out all of the treasures he had collected throughout his lifetime to attract others.

As for the deposit of ten middle-tier spirit stones, it was actually just a benchmark. Otherwise, if everyone were to come and try their luck every day, the truly capable appraisers might find themselves being squeezed out.

Unable to obtain even a single point, the young man glanced at the young lady apologetically.

“Sixth Young Mistress, I’m truly sorry…”

“I’ll take a look!”

The difficulty of the challenge had piqued the competitive spirit of the sixth young mistress. She immediately proceeded over to the first stone pillar, and upon seeing the words, a deep frown appeared on her forehead as well.

It didn’t take long for an incense’s time to pass, and she couldn’t help but shake her head in disappointment.

Clearly, she was helpless before the stone pillars as well.

“A pity it is!”

Seeing how the both of them failed to decipher the stone pillar, Gan Yiping sighed.

The duo’s cultivation and disposition were extraordinary, and without a doubt, they were clearly rare geniuses. He thought that they would be able to bring some kind of breakthrough to this research, but who knew that they wouldn’t be able to solve even a single one of these pillars.

“Hall Master, pleased to meet you. I’m a master teacher!”

Seeing that the sixth young mistress failed as well, the young man stepped forward, flicked his wrist, and an emblem appeared in his hands.

“5 stars…”

Gan Yiping’s eyes narrowed.

He was able to tell that there was something extraordinary about the duo with a single glance, but he thought that they were just esteemed nobles from a prestigious clan. Never in his dreams did he expect that they would be 5-star master teachers!

If a master teacher of this caliber were to enter the capital, even His Majesty would have to welcome them with the most elaborate of ceremonies.

“That’s right. We’ve came to Huanyu Empire to deal with some matters. Your Sorrow Severing Grass is of utmost importance to me, so may I humbly request you to sell it to me. I’m willing to offer double, triple, or even quintuple the price!”

Seeing that the other party seemed to be stunned by his identity, the young man nodded his head in satisfaction.

No matter where a 5-star master teacher went, he would be well-respected.

“You wish to buy my Sorrow Severing Grass?” Gan Yiping asked.

“That’s right!” The young man nodded. “I truly have an important need for that herb, so I hope that you can grant my request!”

A moment later, Gan Yiping said, “How about this? I won’t accept your money, but as long as you conduct a lesson for me, I don’t mind giving the Sorrow Severing Grass to you!”

His lifespan was already nearing its limits, and if he could achieve a breakthrough, he might still be able to live for a couple more years. Since the person before him was a 5-star master teacher, there was a chance that the other party might be able to help him.

Besides, it had been twenty years since the Mystical Treasure Hall opened, but no one had yet to decipher the stone pillars. Waiting on like that might be futile. Instead of obstinately sticking to his rules, he might as well give it away generously in exchange for getting acquainted with a 5-star master teacher.

“Alright!”

Initially, the young man didn’t bear much hope. Thus, upon hearing those words, his face flushed with delight, and he hurriedly nodded his head.

A lesson didn’t mean anything much to him.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony!” Gan Yiping waved his hands casually. Turning to the attendant, he instructed, “Go down to the third floor, wrap up the Sorrow Severing Grass carefully, and pass it to this gongzi…”

“Yes…”

Nodding his head, the attendant was just about to leave when a voice sounded.

“Wait a moment!”

Following which, a fatty stepped forward.

Sun Qiang!

The young master was here to look for certain items to help Young Master Yuan Tao awaken his unique constitution. While the young master didn’t say anything, he noticed that the latter’s eyes had stopped at the Sorrow Severing Grass for a slightly longer period of time. Clearly, it had caught his interest.

If the other party were to take this one away, it would be difficult to procure another one. Naturally, Sun Qiang had to stop him.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing a fatty step forward to interfere in his business, the young man frowned.

“Nothing much, I just think that this is a little unfair!”

Sun Qiang turned to the elder and said, “As the owner of the Mystical Treasure Hall, since you established the rule that one can only trade for artifacts with points, you shouldn’t make an exception for someone. Otherwise, that would compromise the integrity of your business!”

Since he had established rules, naturally he had to follow them. If he were to change his rules every now and then, how could he possibly expect others to follow them?

“Rules do need to be followed, but my lifespan is already coming to an end. Since there’s little hope of deciphering the stone pillars… so I’ll give up then. From today onward, the Mystical Treasure Hall will be closed. Since I’m shutting down my business, the rules shouldn’t matter anymore, right?”

Sighing, Gan Yiping shook his head.

His lifespan was reaching its end, and nowadays, he felt his spirit drained. After decades of effort ending in futility, he knew that his chances were slim. Reluctant as he may be, he knew that it would be wiser for him to give up now.

“Little hope of deciphering the stone pillars? That’s because our young master hasn’t made a move yet! As long as he steps forth, everything you have here will be deciphered!”

Sun Qiang harrumphed.

The sixth young mistress’s face darkened upon hearing those words, and she harrumphed coldly.

“Everything deciphered? You sure speak arrogantly!”

Chapter 613: A Bet With Sixth Young Mistress

This Sixth Young Mistress had just returned from the stone pillars, so she was unaware of the discussion the young man had with Gan Yiping.

Having taken a look, she realized that she was helpless before these stone pillars as well.

Even a knowledgeable genius like her was helpless before these stone pillars, and yet, this fellow actually bragged that he would be able to easily decipher everything… Intense displeasure immediately struck her, and she retorted angrily.

“Who do you think you are? Am I talking to you?”

Sun Qiang glanced at the Sixth Young Mistress with a proud stature.

“You…”

The sixth mistress was taken aback.

“What you?”

Sun Qiang flung his sleeves and tilted his head upward proudly. “Can’t you see I’m in the midst of talking to the hall master? This is no place for a fellow like you who couldn’t even decipher a single stone pillar to interrupt!”

“What did you say?”

The Sixth Young Mistress nearly fainted from anger. To think that a 5-star master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert, would actually be looked down on by a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan butler. Her chest puffed up in anger, and she nearly exploded on the spot.

“Audacious!” Hearing the lady he was courting being insulted, the young man exclaimed in anger.

“Audacious? You still dare to speak? Just because I didn’t talk about you, you think that you’re any better than her? You also failed to solve any stone pillars and earn any points, and on top of that, you even tried to bend the rules after your failure… Do you think you are impressive just because you have that bit of money?”

Sun Qiang harrumphed in disdain.

What the heck do they think they are? Despite looking so decent, they actually tried to bribe the owner after their failure, even using their position to threaten him… How embarrassing!

You are just a 5-star master teacher. Before our old master, even Hongyuan Empire’s Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, dare not utter anything!

“You…”

Seeing the other party’s contemptuous glance, both the young man and the Sixth Young Mistress were about to go insane.

They were both incredible geniuses, people who would be respected no matter where they went. And yet, at this very moment, they were actually looked down by a mere butler. If not for their etiquette as a master teacher and nobles holding them back, they would have surely flown into a temper.

“Since you said that your young master is able to decipher the stone pillars, where is he? Why don’t you invite him over to give it a try?”

Flinging his sleeves, the young man harrumphed. “I sure would like to see whether he’s as incredible as you make him out to be!”

Even he himself couldn’t decipher a single stone pillar, and yet this fellow dared to boast that his young master could solve everything cleanly. Are you jesting?

“This…”

At this moment, a helpless voice sounded by the side.

“The young master he’s speaking of… seems to be referring to me!”

Following which, a young man with an awkward expression stepped forward.

After hearing the hall master promising to sell the item, Zhang Xuan wanted to step forward to say a thing or two. However, Sun Qiang managed to beat him to it, thus resulting in such a situation.

This fellow had been rather reliable recently, so Zhang Xuan thought it should be fine for him to do the talking. Who knew that the other party would actually have him pinned on a stake with just a few words…

What the heck was this?

If you speak like that, how am I going to keep a low profile?

“So, you are the one… who can decipher all of the stone pillars?”

The Sixth Young Mistress harrumphed coldly. “Arrogant!”

She thought that the young master the other party talked about was some incredible figure, but it turned out to be a young man who wasn’t even twenty yet. She couldn’t help but feel repulsed by the other party.

As a princess, not to mention one blessed with good looks, she had faced pursuers of all kinds. The most common type was those who thought that they were superior to others, such as this young man standing right before her at this moment! They liked to pretend they were something beyond their ability despite their ignorance. In her view, such actions were nothing more than foolishness!

“This… it’s just words of flattery from my subordinate, please don’t take it seriously!”

Seeing how he was detested before he could even say anything, Zhang Xuan waved his hands sheepishly.

Upon having his words refuted by his young master, Sun Qiang panicked, “What words of flattery? Young master, those are just mere stone pillars, you should be able to decipher them easily! You should show these greenhorns what true capability is!”

“Alright, stop spouting nonsense!”

Zhang Xuan’s face darkened. “Didn’t you hear that? The hall master has said that these stone pillars are hard to decipher. Despite fifty years of effort, only three of them have been solved to date. How could I possibly solve them easily?”

“Young Master…”

“Enough!” Interrupting the other party’s words, Zhang Xuan turned to the trio and apologized, “Pardon me, it’s due to my negligence that my butler got ahead of himself!”

“Humph!”

Seeing the other party admit his mistake, the young man and the Sixth Young Mistress’s complexion improved slightly, and they tilted their heads up proudly.

“It’s normal for a subordinate to speak up for his master, you don’t have to worry about it!” Gan Yiping replied.

It was normal for a subordinate to be in awe of their master and believe that their master was capable of anything.

“Thank you, Hall Master, for your understanding!”

Seeing that the awkward situation had been resolved, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Then, facing Gan Yiping, he asked, “So, Hall Master… I would like the Great River Snake’s inner core, Sorrow Severing Grass, and Frost Rain Sword. How many stone pillars will I need to decipher?”

“…” The young man and the Sixth Young Mistress staggered.

Right after reprimanding his subordinate for spouting nonsense, he actually went ahead and asked which stone pillars he had to decipher… as though he could decipher as many stone pillars as he wanted…

Do you have some compulsive disorder for boasting?

Do you really think that you can decipher as many stone pillars as you want?

“How many stone pillars… do you need to decipher?”

Gan Yiping’s eyebrows twitched. While he was displeased by the other party’s arrogant words, he replied to the query, “The Great River Snake’s inner core is worth ten points, Sorrow Severing Grass seven points, and Frost Rain Sword six points. All in all, you would need 23 points. The point awarding system is such that the first artifact identified grants you one point, the second artifact two points, the third artifact three points… so on and so forth. You’ll have to decipher at least seven stone pillars before you’ll have enough points!”

“Seven stone pillars?”

Hearing that it was exactly as Sun Qiang said, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Scratching his head, he asked, “So… Can I give it a try?”

“Sure!”

Gan Yiping nodded.

“Also, there’s another matter which I hope you can excuse me for…”

Seeing the other party answering his question so candidly, Zhang Xuan felt even more embarrassed. “I heard that as long as I decipher a single stone pillar, the deposit of ten middle-tier spirit stones will be returned. In other words, the challenge will be free as long as I can decipher a single pillar… Would it be fine if I go ahead without paying the deposit? At the very most, I’ll decipher more so as to make it up to you…”

“…”

Gan Yiping, the Sixth Young Mistress, and the young man stared at one another and nearly spurted blood.

When they heard this fellow reprimand his fat subordinate, they thought that this young fellow was at least rather humble and polite. Who knew that he would spout such arrogant words in the very next moment…

Decipher more so as to make it up to him…

Your head! Do you think that deciphering these stone pillars is a child’s play?

They thought that the fatty from a moment ago was arrogant, but his young master topped that…

“How conceited!”

A hint of wrath appeared on the Sixth Young Mistress’s face. “It sounds like you’re saying that you can decipher as many stone pillars as you want?”

“I’ll just try my best…” Not expecting a request on his part would make the other party so angry, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“Fine. Since you’re so confident, why don’t we have a bet?”

Seeing how the other party still refused to take back his word despite having it so clearly pointed out to him, the Sixth Young Mistress clenched her jaws in anger.

“A bet?”

Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in surprise.

What does he challenging the stone pillars have to do with her? Why is she proposing a bet?

“That’s right. I’ll pay the ten middle-tier spirit stone for you, and for every stone pillar you decipher, I’ll pay you a hundred middle-tier spirit stones… On the other hand, if you fail, I’ll still be magnanimous and bear the cost for you. However, you’ll have to kneel down and reflect on your arrogance! How is it, do you dare take on the bet?”

The Sixth Young Mistress harrumphed.

Despite knowing nothing at all, how dare he speak of the challenge so lightly? Aren’t you being too arrogant!

If I don’t teach you a lesson now, your head might become so big that you won’t even remember yourself!

“You’ll pay me hundred middle-tier spirit stones for every stone pillar I decipher?”

Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw two rows consisting of a total of nearly a hundred stone pillars, and his breathing hastened. “Are you certain?”

If every single pillar was worth a hundred middle-tier spirit stone and he deciphered all hundred pillars, wouldn’t that add up to ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones?

If he could earn that many spirit stones, he would have no worries for his future cultivation…

“Of course! Why? Are you intending to chicken out? If you dare not accept my bet, I advise you to act humble the next time around!”

The Sixth Young Mistress waved her hands.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan replied, “It’s not that, I just fear that you might default on your debt…”

That was ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones! Zhang Xuan found it hard to believe that the other party would be able to produce so many spirit stones.

“You…”

The Sixth Young Mistress’s eyes reddened in anger.

She was a proud 5-star master teacher, not to mention, she had an incomparably noble identity as well. How could she possibly default on her debt?

Gritting her teeth, she replied, “You need not worry. I, Yu Fei-er, never go back on my words! Since I dared to propose this bet, naturally, I won’t default on my payments. Rather, I hope that you will hold on to the end of your promise and kneel down later on!”

“It’s good that you won’t default…”

Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan glanced at the stone pillar with shining eyes before turning to Gan Yiping and clasping his fist. “As long as I identify the artifact inside the stone pillar, it’ll automatically burst apart, am I right?”

“That’s right!”

Gan Yiping nodded.

“That’s good!”

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked over to the first pillar.

The moment he approached the pillar, he immediately understood why the young man and the Sixth Young Mistress’s faces would turn awry here.

The words inscribed on the stone pillar were, by no means, a hint. Rather, it was written in an unknown language that simply baffled those looking at it.

If one couldn’t even understand the words inscribed, naturally, it would be impossible for one to guess the meaning behind them… Under such circumstances, it would be a wonder if one could still identify what was within the stone pillar.

Seeing how that fellow dared to accept the Sixth Young Mistress’s bet, the young man sneered coldly.

“He sure is an arrogant fellow!”

He had undergone the challenge personally, and he knew how difficult it was to identify the stone pillar. He believed that even if a 6-star appraiser were to come here, he would only end up staring blankly at the stone pillars, confused. How could a lad who wasn’t even twenty yet possibly decipher them?

Without a doubt, that lad would surely end up kneeling before the sixth young mistress!

“Just because he managed to achieve something minor at his young age, he became complacent and began boasting around. This will teach him that there’s always a mountain higher than the other!”

The Sixth Young Mistress also harrumphed coldly. She stared at the young man intently with her eyes, and just as she was about to say something, the latter turned around with a smile.

“Can I start now?”

“Feel free!”

Lighting an incense, Gan Yiping nodded his head.

“Alright then…”

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan tapped the first stone pillar with his finger and said, “This is the Golden Heptahearts Shuttle!”

Kacha!

In an instant, the stone pillar before him was reduced into dust. Following which, a golden-colored shuttle-shaped weapon appeared before everyone’s eyes.

“This is the Purple Sunset Meteor Hammer…”

“This is the Steel Bone Fist Imprint…”

“This is the Connected Hearts Bowl…”

Proceeding forward, Zhang Xuan would tap on each stone pillar, and those that came into contact with him shattered immediately. Rock fragments flew as if a grand parade welcoming him.

Chapter 614: Taking You In As My Maid

“H-how is this possible?”

The Sixth Young Mistress and the young man stared at one another as their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

They had just checked the stone pillars themselves and tried all kinds of appraising methods, but to no avail. Eventually, they even resorted to random guessing, not not even that worked. They assumed that this fellow would be the same as well, but who could have thought that… without even examining the stone pillars, just by tapping on them and calling out names…

… the stone pillars would explode!

Are you serious?

Are you sure you aren’t hacking?

“Th-this…”

Gan Yiping’s eyes nearly popped out from his sockets.

While he didn’t say anything previously, the truth was that he shared the same thoughts as the Sixth Young Mistress and the young man. Who knew that this fellow… would actually be so formidable!

With just a tap, he could identify whatever that was within the stone pillars. His speed was so fast that it was astounding. How in the world… did he manage to do it?

Fifty years of effort, and he only had three pillars deciphered…

And yet, just within twenty breaths, the other party had already deciphered thirty… no, forty, fifty pillars!

He was doing it even faster than they could see the artifacts!

When the butler said that his young master would be able to decipher everything, he thought that the latter was just boasting. Only at this moment did he realize that not only was the butler not boasting, he could even be said to be humble…

This isn’t deciphering anymore, he is sweeping through everything here!

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Gan Yiping said, “This… Young lady, it seems like you have lost the bet…”

“…”

It was only with Gan Yiping’s reminder did the Sixth Young Mistress recall the bet she had made just a moment ago. Realizing the implications, her body swayed, and her vision went dark.

Considering her standing, she did possess a sizeable wealth. However, she only had a few hundred of them on hand. As such, anything above a thousand would already be beyond her at the moment. Given a single stone pillar was worth a hundred middle-tier spirit stones, fifty of them would spell a debt of five thousand…

If she knew that he was that formidable, she would have never made the bet!

Wasn’t she just finding trouble for herself?

With a face as bitter as a bitter gourd, the Sixth Young Mistress was on the verge of tears. Clenching her teeth, she spoke up. “Pause for a moment, I’ve something to tell you…”

“Something to tell me?”

Zhang Xuan came to a stop.

With a scarlet face, the Sixth Young Mistress said, “Yes. You’ve already made your point, and I understand that you’re a capable person. There’s no need for you to continue on!”

It was a moment ago that she was gleefully making this bet with the other party. To renege on her promise now made her so embarrassed that she would dive deep into the ground in this very instant if she could.

“You understand that I’m a capable person? I doubt that. Don’t worry, I’ll be done soon!”

With a bright smile, Zhang Xuan lifted up both of his hands and touched the stone pillars on both ends simultaneously and started running.

“Rain Assembling Thorn, Knocking Wood, Hundred Stem Scarlet, Three-leafed Golden Thorn Immortal…”

Peng peng peng peng!

The stone pillars on both ends exploded relentlessly, revealing an artifact one after another.

Five breaths later, Zhang Xuan finally came to a stop.

Clapping his hands, Zhang Xuan smiled.

“Alright, I’m done…”

Hualala!

Before him stood a hundred or so collapsed stone pillars, and the artifacts hidden within them were shining with a brilliant glow.

While these artifacts were not exceptionally powerful, they were still at a decent level. They could fetch a sizeable sum when sold.

“It has only been… less than a minute!”

Looking at the incense not too far away, only a small portion on top was burnt. Yet, within this short period of time, that fellow actually managed to decipher every last one of the stone pillars. The surroundings turned completely silent with the exception of the clattering of teeth.

They had seen plenty of formidable people throughout their life, but this…

“That… Hall master, after deciphering so many stone pillars, I should be able to take those three items, right?”

Zhang Xuan walked up to the old man and asked.

“Er…”

With a twitching mouth, Gan Yiping quickly turned to look at the attendant beside him and clenched his jaws. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and wrap everything in the shop up for this young master over here! From today onward, he is the new owner of the Mystical Treasure Hall…”

“Yes!”

The attendant quickly rushed down the stairs.

“Hall Master?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“Yes. Going by the cumulative score system, the points you’ve accrued through breaking all 110 stone pillars adds up to more than six thousand…”

Gan Yiping nodded.

Honestly, with six thousand points, even if he were to put all of the treasures in his Mystical Treasure Hall together, it wouldn’t be sufficient to compensate the other party…

It would be a huge stroke of fortune if someone could decipher even one of these pillars, and this fellow actually managed to decipher 110 of them in a single breath. He felt as though everything he had known was being flipped upside down, and this left him terribly frenzied.

But after his frenzy came excitement.

While he did lose his entire wealth in a breath, the doubt that had been lingering in his heart for several decades had finally been resolved. He felt as though he would be content even if he were to die at this very instant.

“Thank you…”

Clasping his fist, he bowed deeply.

Fifty years! It had been an entire fifty years!

Ever since he obtained these stone pillars, he had been devoting his entire life to breaking them. He thought that he would end up carrying these doubts and regrets into his grave, but who knew that… this young man would actually resolve what would have been his greatest regret in less than a minute.

With the secrets of these stone pillars unraveled, he would have no regret even if he were to die at this very instant.

“Young Master… is the new owner of the Mystical Treasure Hall?”

“Despite having all of his wealth taken away, the hall master still thanked teacher?”

The dumbfounded Sun Qiang and Yuan Tao stared at one another blankly.

They came here to buy a couple of items, and yet, they ended up swiping everything within the Mystical Treasure Hall clean… Not only so, the hall master even thanks them for that. As expected of their young master and teacher, he truly couldn’t be comprehended through common logic.

“Didn’t you say that you would pay me a hundred middle-tier spirit stones for each stone pillar I decipher? I’ve deciphered more than a hundred of them, but I’ll give you a discount… ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones!”

After trading some pleasantries with Hall Master Gan, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the Sixth Young Mistress.

Rather than the artifacts in the Mystical Treasure Hall, he was more interested in the spirit stones.

“I…”

With a face flushed red, the Sixth Young Mistress’s body trembled.

She had thought that the other party would have been unable to even resolve a single one of the pillars, and she could have the other party kneeling before her to teach him a lesson. How could she have ever known that…

Not only did the other party decipher every last one of the stone pillars in the store, he even became the new owner of the Mystical Treasure Hall…

What in the world was this?

If only she’d known the other party was so formidable, she would have never gotten ahead of herself!

Ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones… Even if she were to take out everything in her possession, she still wouldn’t have that much!

“Why? Do you intend to go back on your words?”

Noticing the other party’s silence and pale face, Zhang Xuan frowned.

If not for the other party insistently interfering in his affairs, going to the extent of even making this bet, he wouldn’t have bothered with her. Since she had tried to make him kneel through the bet, she should suffer the consequences of her own actions as well.

“I’ll help the Sixth Young Mistress pay for her debt…” Seeing that the woman he was courting being forced to a corner, the young man stepped forward with gritted teeth.

Honestly speaking, he couldn’t afford ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones either.

But at this point, it mattered not anymore. If he could win the other party’s heart by standing up during her times of crisis, it would be worth it no matter how heavy a price he had to pay.

Of course, he had thought of refuting the bet. But the conditions were stated clearly, and if it was known that respected 5-star master teachers like them actually went back on their words, how could they face others in the future?

If the headquarters were to learn of this matter, they might even face punishment.

Only one who holds oneself with dignity would be qualified to teach others. If one couldn’t even uphold the end of one’s promise, who would dare to allow one to be a teacher?

“I don’t need your help!”

Before the young man could finish his words, the Sixth Young Mistress gritted her teeth and said, “I’ll repay it myself!”

After which, she lifted her gaze and looked at Zhang Xuan. “I’ll repay all ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones to you. However… I don’t have that much money on me at the moment, so you’ll have to give me a few months’ time!”

She couldn’t even take out a thousand spirit stones at the moment, needless to say ten thousand. However, while ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones was a huge sum, her family was more than capable of repaying it.

“A few months?”

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “If it’s in a few months’ time, I’d surely be able to take out ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones easily. By then, your debt would mean nothing to me!”

Huanyu Empire was just a small stop for him before heading to Hongyuan Empire. He wouldn’t even remain here for half a month, let alone a few months.

Besides, it had only been half a year since he started cultivating, and who knows how far he would reach in a few months’ time. By then, chances were that he wouldn’t even need middle-tier spirit stones anymore.

Along with the raise of his cultivation, his Heaven’s Path zhenqi was becoming purer and purer, the requirement demanded of the spiritual energy he absorbed was increasing swiftly as well. Even though he was only at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle at the moment, he had already realized that the middle-tier spirit stones were gradually losing their effectiveness.

It wouldn’t be long before it would become completely ineffective, just like how low-tier spirit stones were to him.

If it’s going to be useless to me in a few months’ time, what is the point of you returning me the debt then?

“You… Then how do you intend to resolve this matter?”

The Sixth Young Mistress gritted her teeth.

“This…”

Zhang Xuan frowned.

The other party had made this bet confidently a moment ago, saying that she would definitely be able to repay the debt. Who could have known she would be so poor?

If he had known beforehand, he would have never made this bet with her and bring himself so much trouble.

“Didn’t you say that you would make me kneel if I lost just now?”

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan replied, “Alright, I won’t make you kneel but I’m lacking a maid to serve me tea at the moment. I’ll put you under Sun Qiang’s command, and as long as you do well, we can forget about the ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones!”

Even if the other party couldn’t fork out the money, he couldn’t let this matter go just like that!

The other party had spoken so arrogantly a moment ago, trying to teach him a lesson. Since that was the case, he would return it to her.

Besides, considering how the other party had achieved a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 6-dan despite her young age, she must be of considerable standing. With such a subordinate, he would be able to solve many of his problems.

Before the young lady could speak, the young man beside her leaped in shock and exclaimed, “Maid? You want to take Sixth Young Mistress in as your servant? Do you know who she is…”

Sun Qiang interrupted the other party’s word.

“Who she is? No matter how incredible she is, can she be more incredible than our young master? It’s your fortune that our young master is accepting you in as his maid. If you are unwilling to accept, why don’t you try repaying your debt first?”

Young Master is Old Master’s direct disciple, and his standing could be said to be even above Pavilion Master Mo. You should feel honored that he’s accepting you as his maid, to think that you still dare to talk about identity…

Know your place!

“I shall have you know that the Sixth Young Mistress is the pri…”

Hearing the fatty’s words, the young man harrumphed, but before he could finish his words, the Sixth Young Mistress interrupted him.

“Enough!”

Gritting her teeth, the Sixth Young Mistress turned to look at Zhang Xuan proudly and said, “It’s impossible for me to become your maid, and ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones aren’t enough for that either. Change your terms!”

“You aren’t willing? Kowtow then!” Zhang Xuan replied impassively.

Chapter 615: Princess Fei-er

“You…”

The Sixth Young Mistress clenched her fists so tightly that her nails sunk deep into her flesh. Her face was dark, and her eyes were clouded with intense resentment. If she could, she would have dashed forward to slice this man into countless pieces.

She would never accept being a maid, and kneeling was a humiliation so great that she would rather die.

Clenching her jaws so tightly that her teeth might chip from the sheer force, the Sixth Young Mistress held back her wrath and spoke once more.

“Choose something else…”

Hearing the other party’s complaints, Sun Qiang interjected with a look of displeasure.

“Our young master has given you a lot of options already. To turn down everything, are you trying to be difficult? Since you refuse to kneel and won’t become a maid, our young master still needs someone to warm his bed for him. Do you want to take on that job? As long as you please our young master, ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones are nothing!”

What the heck is this? You should be thankful that Young Master’s temper is good! If it were me, I would have never given you any other alternative!

“What did you say?”

The Sixth Young Mistress’s eyes immediately turned red, and her hands trembled in rage.

“Which part of what I said do you not understand?” Sun Qiang shook his head. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he said, “Young Master, since this fellow is being difficult, can you allow me to deal with her?”

“She’s your underling, feel free!” Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchalantly.

Even though Sun Qiang might get reckless at times, he did possess wits when it came to dealing with others. He must have an idea in mind.

“His… underling?”

Hearing those words, the Sixth Young Mistress nearly puked blood.

She thought that the reason why this young man wanted to accept her as his maid was because he felt lust for her, considering her beautiful appearance. Who could have thought that she couldn’t be any more wrong? He actually wanted her to come under this shady-looking person of a butler…

Besides, what is with your nonchalance?

Do you know who I am… Even the emperor of Huanyu Empire would have to welcome me with the grandest of ceremonies! If I were to tell you, you would surely faint from shock!

To actually be subjected to such conditions… What a tremendous humiliation!

“Thank you, Young Master!”

Turning to the Sixth Young Mistress, Sun Qiang measured her from head to toe and frowned. “Your appearance is sub-par, so I doubt our young master would want you to warm his bed. You should just serve him as an ordinary maid!”

“Sub-par? Would not want me?”

Blood gushed into the head of the Sixth Young Mistress, and she nearly exploded.

You actually dare to evaluate an appearance such as mine ‘sub-par’? Are you saying that intentionally to anger me?

Little did she know that Sun Qiang actually meant what he said.

The young master’s students, Zhao Ya and Wang Ying, had appearances that didn’t pale to her at all. Even Mo Yu and Zhao Feiwu possessed superior grace as well. But even so, Young Master still remained unmoved.

Considering that, how could he possibly be interested in such an obstinate and domineering lass?

“Considering that you’re doing this to repay your loan, we should talk about the duration too… Let’s make it five months! Since you owe Young Master ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones, over a course of five months, that would be equivalent to a wage of around sixty-six middle-tier spirit stones each day. I’ll round that up to a seventy!”

Counting with his fingers, Sun Qiang said, “But of course, if you feel indignant having to serve as a maid, you can purchase ‘days off’ by repaying your debt. On those days, you’ll be able to do whatever you want to do.”

“Seventy middle-tier spirit stones a day? Purchase ‘days off’?”

The Sixth Young Mistress was taken aback.

“That’s right. On the days that you’re off, you won’t be considered a maid. In other words, you are paying the ten thousand middle-tier spirit stones over a course of five months. Anytime within the five months, if you find sufficient money to repay your debt, you can back out of your responsibilities. As for why it’s seventy spirit stones a day instead of sixty-six, considering that we’re going by a daily basis, naturally, it should be more expensive. If you wish to go by month, I could lower the charge!” Sun Qiang replied.

“Daily basis, pu…”

Initially, the Sixth Young Mistress still found the idea acceptable, but upon hearing this part, she nearly fainted.

What does it sound as though she’s some kind of commercial good for sales?

Paying by daily and monthly basis…

The more she thought about it, the more frenzied she felt. She was on the verge of explosion.

However, after her anger subsided, she gave it some thought, and honestly speaking, she did find this solution acceptable to her.

She would never be willing to lower herself to serving as a maid for five months, but if they were going by a daily basis, as long as she could get past the first few days, her family should be able to send some spirit stones over to free her from her suffering!

“Alright, I’ll agree to it!” Having thought things through, the Sixth Young Mistress nodded her head, giving her consent.

“Good!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes couldn’t help but light up upon hearing Sun Qiang’s arrangements.

As expected of a merchant, his means were indeed extraordinary.

It would be difficult for anyone to take out ten thousand spirit stones in a breath, but if they were to split it over a longer duration, the repayment would seem much more reasonable.

The concept of interest payment wasn’t widely used in this world, but as an astute businessman, he knew how to use his words to shape the conditions into something the other party could accept. Not to mention, he even managed to hike up the price at that.

“Sixth Young Mistress!”

Not expecting that she would agree to such terms, the young man accompanying her panicked.

Others might be unaware of the Sixth Young Mistress’s identity, but he knew it very well. For a person of her standing to serve as a maid… You must be jesting!

If news were to spread, the royalty of Huanyu Empire would probably go insane.

The Sixth Young Mistress harrumphed.

“I’ll deal with my own affairs!”

“But…”

Veins were popping from the young man’s temples.

Interrupting the conversation between the duo, Sun Qiang said, “Enough. If the both of you have anything to say, put it off for now. From this moment onward, you’re our young master’s maid. If you don’t have money to repay your loan, prepare whatever you need and follow us back to the residence!”

“There’s no need for that. I’ll pay for ten days first!”

Harrumphing coldly, the Sixth Young Mistress flicked her hands, and a pile of middle-tier spirit stones appeared before the eyes of the crowd. Counting it quickly, there were exactly seven hundred of them there.

“Un!”

Sun Qiang’s eyes lit up. He turned to look at Zhang Xuan, and the latter said, “You should take them for now!”

“Yes!”

Sun Qiang quickly put the spirit stones into his storage ring before turning to look at the young lady once more. “You seem to be from a prestigious family, so I doubt that you will do anything as foolish as running away. But even so, we still need a guarantee. Thus, you’ll need to leave something valuable with us, and after the five months are up or when you’ve repaid your entire debt, we’ll return the item to you!”

“You…”

The Sixth Young Mistress’s eyebrows twitched violently.

It was already sufficiently humiliating for her to have to agree to serve as a maid, and yet, the other party was even worried that she would escape… How infuriating!

But she knew that these two were fearless thugs, and arguing with them would only shorten her own lifespan. Thus, she flicked her wrist and took out an emblem.

Five bright stars shone brightly on them.

Her 5-star master teacher emblem!

“This emblem represents my identity. Surely it should suffice as a pawn for my debt!”

“It will do!”

Sun Qiang took it and placed it in his storage ring.

He was surprised to learn that this young lady was a 5-star master teacher as well, just like the young man.

But in his view, 5-star master teachers were nothing to fear as well. As the butler of an 8-star master teacher, if he couldn’t even face a 5-star master teacher with nonchalance, he should have quit his job ages ago.

“Humph!”

Seeing how that fellow took her emblem without the slightest fear or astonishment, the Sixth Young Mistress froze for a moment. An awful complexion slowly spread across her face before she turned around and stomped out of the store.

She couldn’t stay here even a moment longer. It was no longer about her loss in the bet but that… she couldn’t stand facing these two anymore!

What the heck was with them?

She thought that a young 5-star master teacher like her would be respected and feared no matter where she went, but… the other party looked as though they didn’t even give a damn. It was as if her identity was nothing more than a wisp of wind to them.

An intense feeling of indignation left her so frustrated that she could spew a bucket of blood.

“Sixth Young Mistress…”

Seeing his companion leave, the young man froze for a moment. Then, turning to Zhang Xuan and Sun Qiang, he threatened menacingly, “The both of you… just you wait!”

Leaving behind those words, he hurried down to catch up with Sixth Young Mistress.

“Sixth Princess, those two fellows sure don’ know their place. Why don’t I get Ye Qian to have them beheaded?”

A glint flashed across the young man’s eyes as he harrumphed.

This time, he addressed the young lady before him not as Sixth Young Mistress but as Sixth Princess.

If Crown Prince Ye Qian of Huanyu Empire was here, he would have surely recognized the ‘Sixth Young Mistress’ as Hongyuan Empire’s Princess Fei-er! And the young man beside her would be her fellow classmate, 5-star Master Teacher Xing Yuan!

The both of them were strolling around when they caught sight of Mystical Treasure Hall. Curious, the both of them walked in. Little did they know that they were just moments away from suffering both financially and mentally!

Noble from birth, she was a great princess whom even the emperor of Huanyu Empire would have to regard with utmost respect. To think that she would actually end up as a maid. This was a huge humiliation!

“As an esteemed princess, a 5-star master teacher, should I kill someone just because I lost a bet?”

Princess Fei-er abruptly came to a halt, and her eyebrows shot up.

“This…”

Xing Yuan’s face reddened.

Losing was embarrassing in itself. If she were to kill someone due to that, even if no one would ever learn of it, she would never be able to come to terms with it.

“But even so… we can’t let this thing go. That person is simply too arrogant and infuriating!”

Xing Yuan gritted his teeth.

“He’s indeed infuriating, but admittedly, he does possess incredible capability. Against the stone pillars which even you and I are unable to decipher, he actually deciphered 110 of them in less than a minute… Furthermore, did you see the nonchalance on his butler’s face when he saw my 5-star master teacher emblem? The both of them are unlikely to be ordinary. Tell Ye Qian to look into their identity!”

Princess Fei-er gestured.

She didn’t agree to the arrangement out of recklessness.

Having reached 5-star, her Soul Depth had already exceeded 15.0, allowing her to separate her emotions from rational thinking. The master-and-butler pair might not anything special in terms of their cultivation, but their calm disposition that couldn’t be fazed by anything wasn’t normal.

Most likely, there was something deeper to them.

Besides, she was also curious to know how the other party deciphered those stone pillars so easily.

“Alright!” Xing Yuan nodded.

…

“Gongzi, may I know how to address you?”

After watching the Sixth Princess and Xing Yuan leave, Gan Yiping swiftly regained his composure, and walking up to Zhang Xuan, he clasped his fist and bowed.

“You can call me Zhang Xuan!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“So, it’s Zhang gongzi. Here are all of the artifacts our Mystical Treasure Hall possesses. You’ve accrued more than sufficient points from deciphering the stone pillars, so these are all yours…”

The attendant had already packed everything neatly into a storage ring and passed it over.

“Un!”

Grabbing the storage ring, Zhang Xuan took a look into it and saw several shelves of precious artifacts inside.

“But if you were to give all of these to me, what will happen to your Mystical Treasure Hall?” Zhang Xuan asked with a slightly embarrassed look.

To tell the truth, he had little interest in these artifacts. However, rules were rules, and it would be impolite for him to refuse it. Thus, he was put in a difficult position.

If he were to accept it all, wouldn’t the business of the Mystical Treasure Hall collapse instantly?