Library of Heaven's Path

by Little Merger

Traversing into another world, Zhang Xuan finds himself becoming an honorable teacher. Along with his transcension, a mysterious library appears in his mind. As long as it is something he has seen, regardless of whether it is a human or an object, a book on its weaknesses will be automatically compiled in the library. Thus, he becomes formidable. “Emperor Zhuoyang, why do you detes

15. 449

Library of Heaven's Path #Chapter 449: Appraiser Hall [2in1] - Read Library of Heaven's Path Chapter 449: Appraiser Hall [2in1] Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Chapter 449: Appraiser Hall [2in1]

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The cities that Zhang Xuan visited previously didn't have an appraiser guild, so he didn't expect to see an Appraiser Hall here in Honghai City. Since that was the case, they should conduct appraiser examinations here as well.

With this, Zhang Xuan could consider taking the examination so that he could conduct appraisals as a source of income.

Otherwise, even if he knew that the Soulless Metal Humanoid was here, he would have no money to buy it.

If anyone else were to know of his thoughts, they would definitely fall speechless.

Even though appraisers weren't part of the Upper Nine Paths, their examination was publicly known for its difficulty. Every appraiser would have to spend decades of their lives dedicated to the study of treasures before they could gain an in-depth understanding of the subject required to pass the examination.

Yet, this fellow wanted to take the examination just because he was short of money. If anyone else were to hear his words, they would definitely find themselves speechless.

"Let's go to the Appraiser Hall!"

With a plan in mind, Zhang Xuan immediately asked around for its location before heading over with the group.

The Appraiser Hall was grand and imposing. On top of being a guild for appraisers, it was also a massive trading market. All kinds of goods were placed on the counters, and a huge crowd walked in and out of the halls. Even before arriving at the location itself, Zhang Xuan already found himself awed by the bustle before him.

"This is a market managed by the Appraiser Hall. Most of the goods in here are authentic, having been verified by the Appraiser Hall, thus paving way for it to become the largest trading market in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!"

Seeing the astonished expression on the face of this incredible genius, Zhao Feiwu couldn't help but feel slightly gleeful.

Due to the unique nature of the occupation, the Appraiser Hall had become a symbol of trust among the population. Most of the objects that the Appraiser Hall dealt in were expensive before the appraisal, and thus, most people were willing to fork out an additional sum to ensure the authenticity of the goods bought. As such, the business conducted by the guild grew steadily over time.

This was precisely the reason why even though appraiser wasn't a member of the Upper Nine Paths, it was one of the most lucrative occupations.

Most master teachers preferred to take on this occupation as their supporting occupation.

However, appraising required one to have a deep understanding of the artifacts' history, background, purpose, material, origin... Only when one was able to apply such vast knowledge in appraising would one be able to achieve some accomplishments in the art. Even so, the further one climbed, the harder the examinations became.

Thus, even though there were many people who dreamed of taking the appraiser examination, there were very few who had managed to achieve a rank of 3-star and above. In fact, the number was even far beneath that of master teachers.

This was the main reason why there were very few Appraiser Halls on the continent, such that even a place like Tianwu Kingdom didn't have an Appraiser Hall. This was also why an impersonator like Mo Yang was able to win the admiration of so many people easily.

"Can appraisers ensure that their appraisals are accurate?"

Sun Qiang couldn't help but ask.

He had once operated a shop in a market, and thus, he knew a thing or two about imitations. So what if one was an appraiser? There was no one who could ensure that their judgement would be hundred percent correct all of the time!

After all, it was normal for a mortal to err.

Just like how it was impossible for one to tread along the riverside often and avoid getting wet, formidable appraisers couldn't possibly ensure that they wouldn't make a mistake in their entire life either.

"Appraisers are limited by their discernment ability and rank, so it is indeed impossible for them to guarantee that all of their appraisals are accurate. Under such circumstances, they would invite other appraisers to appraise it together, and if the invited ones are unable to give a concrete answer as well, they would simply give the client their evaluation on the artifact to serve as a basis for consideration." Zhao Feiwu said.

"But that's no different from giving no answer at all!" Sun Qiang shook his head.

"An appraiser is only allowed to make three judgmental errors throughout his life. Once they exceed this limit, they'll be stripped of their license. Thus, when stumbling across something they're unsure of, they won't give their judgement easily!" Jin Conghai interjected.

"Three times?"

"Un. From the moment one becomes an appraiser, every artifact that one appraises will be documented and filed. If something goes wrong with the artifact, it'll be considered as an error. Once the number of errors exceed three times, regardless of the rank of the appraiser, he'll be stripped of his license!" Jin Conghai continued.

Throughout his years, he had seen many appraisers being stripped of their licenses just because of a careless mistake.

Some of them had accrued prestigious reputations throughout their lives, only to lose it all due to a few careless mistakes.

Everyone fell silent.

Even though many people craved to become an appraiser, it seemed like this occupation wasn't as easy as it seemed.

Once the number of mistakes one committed exceeded three, one's license could be revoked... But who could ensure one wouldn't make any mistakes at all?

"Actually, all occupations are the same. The rules governing master teachers are even stricter; one's reputation could potentially be destroyed completely if they were to make a single mistake in their guidance, resulting in a loss in trust in one!" Seeing how everyone was sympathizing with appraisers, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Before he came to this world, his previous self also committed the same error. Due to misguidance, he caused a student's cultivation to go berserk, resulting in Zhang Xuan being unable to recruit even a single student after his arrival.

"Indeed, physicians are the same as well. A single error could possibly result in a death..." Zhao Feiwu nodded in agreement as she glanced at the youngster before her.

Even though he seemed to be around the same age as her, how was he able to solve the Innate Muscular Deficiency, that even 5-star physicians were helpless before, and treat her?

"So many things..."

"How beautiful..."

Just as Zhao Feiwu was contemplating over how the latter managed to learn his medical skills, the excited voices of Yuan Tao and the others sounded from behind.

While she was deep in contemplation, the group had already walked into the grand hall. Everywhere that the eye could see were vendors selling their goods, and the variety of goods covered dozens of occupations.

Medicine, pills, cauldron, weapons, formation plates... As though stars in the skies, they densely filled the hall within, making it hard for one's mind to process everything.

The treasures which were impossible to see under normal circumstances gleamed all around them, stimulating their minds.

"Those who are passing by, come over and take a look. This is the newest [Treasure Discerning Mirror]. It has the ability of determining the value of an artifact automatically, giving you assurance when you're buying other goods. It's only going off at ten spirit stones now! If you don't buy it, you'll be making a huge loss and putting yourself at risk of scams!" a young man shouted.

"Treasure Discerning Mirror?"

Zhao Ya and the others blinked their eyes in interest, and they prepared to head over.

"It's just an ordinary mirror, it's a scam. If that were really a Treasure Discerning Mirror, he wouldn't be selling the mirror here for ten spirit stones!"

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Even without using the Library of Heaven's Path, he could determine the value and background of some of the less potent artifacts via the Eye of Insight.

With just a single look, he could tell that the supposed Treasure Discerning Mirror in the young man's hand was a fake.

"A scam? Isn't everything in here authentic?" Zheng Yang couldn't help but glance doubtfully at Zhao Feiwu.

The other party had just said that the Appraiser Hall served as a guarantee for the authenticity of the goods here, so why would there be an imitation here?

"How many artifacts are there here?" Zhao Feiwu rolled her eyes as she gestured to the surroundings.

"There are at least several tens of millions of goods here, perhaps even a hundred million!"

Zheng Yang said, while taking a look around. "Furthermore, that is only as far as my eye can see. There are still some places beyond my view, so... there should be even more than that!"

Ads by Pubfuture

There were nearly a hundred thousand booths scattered throughout the market, and innumerable treasures were placed neatly on each booth. Tallying up the numbers, there was indeed a frightening number of artifacts.

"Indeed. Given how many artifacts there are here, the appraisers would die of exhaustion before they appraised everything here! Besides, there is a huge flow of goods in and out of the Appraiser Hall daily — How could it be possible to keep track of all of them?"

Zhao Feiwu chuckled, "By authentic, I mean the goods labelled with the insignia of the Appraiser Hall. It would be best for one to not buy any goods without this label, otherwise one would be putting themselves at risk of a scam!"

"Oh!"

The crowd nodded.

As the largest market in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there were too many vendors in the Appraiser Hall for them to take note of. Even if every single appraiser in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance were to be gathered here, it would be impossible for them to appraise everything here.

"But of course, if you find something suited for you, you can feel free to buy it. If you're worried, you can pay an exorbitant fee to have an appraiser upstairs appraise it. If it's authentic, then you're making a profit. Otherwise, you'll be making a loss!" Zhao Feiwu said.

Just like treasure speculation, buying something that hadn't been appraised was highly dependent on one's eye of discernment and luck. Without sufficient luck, all one could do was to lament over one's own misfortune.

"Appraiser sure is a lucrative occupation..."

Putting aside the commission fee from the market, the appraisal service they offer also made customers willingly part with their money in exchange for security. As expected of one of the most lucrative occupations in the world.

"Come and look, I have a [Water Continental Fish] here! As long as one holds this fish in one's mouth, one will be able to breathe freely underwater. It's definitely a treasure you must have!"

"Come and see this authentic [Antidote Grass]. It can cure one of the most commonly seen seventeen poisons. With just a low price, you can buy some assurance on your life!"

"I have the Celestial Stone here! It'll illuminate your path like the stars themselves if you take it out at night. Those passing by, please don't miss this ideal opportunity..."

...

Countless voices echoed in the bustling market. Treasures lay everywhere, and if one had come in alone and ignorant, it'll be impossible for one to determine the authentic from the fake!

Walking along the various booths, Zhang Xuan suddenly frowned and came to a stop.

On a booth not too far away, a gray-colored artifact, around the size of one's palm, appeared in his view.

Even though his Eye of Insight hadn't reached the highest level yet, and he was still a far way from matching up to the means of an advanced master teacher, he was still able to easily determine the origin and background of normal artifacts.

But for some reason, he was unable to assess anything about this piece of scale at all.

"That's weird!"

Zhang Xuan turned to examine it more thoroughly, but his eyebrows only furrowed deeper.

If he was unable to see through it, did it mean that it was an invaluable treasure? That it was far beyond his current analytical means?

"Friend, are you interested in my product? I can guarantee you that all of my goods here are authentic..."

Upon seeing that there was a customer, the vendor hurried forward and welcomed Zhang Xuan with a bright smile.

"Authentic?"

Zhang Xuan briefly looked through the other goods in the booth.

There were many goods in this booth, numbering up to at least several hundred thousand. Weapons, pills, armor... most of the things that one could think of were present here. While there were many authentic goods amidst them, there were plenty of fakes as well.

'All of my goods here are authentic'. Indeed, the words of a merchant couldn't be trusted.

Zhang Xuan browsed through the various goods around the booth as lines of insight rippled in his eyes.

He could see through the other objects easily, and there wasn't anything too valuable in its midst. Thus, his gaze didn't linger on them for too long before returning to the gray object. He immediately asked, "What is this?"

"This?"

The vendor was taken aback for a moment before a smile returned to his face. "Friend, you sure have good eyes. This is the most valuable item on my stand, and I've obtained it from the hands of a grave robber. I'm not too sure what kind of artifact it is. I've tried burning it and quenching it with water, but it doesn't leave a mark at all. On top of that, it's incredibly resilient, so I'm sure that it's definitely a top-notch treasure..."

"The most valuable item? Who do you think you are fooling?" Seeing the other party bragging about his goods, Zhao Feiwu harrumphed in disdain.

All vendors would often use this line in an attempt to drive up their prices.

What most valuable or most precious, one would truly be a fool if one were to believe it.

"How could I dare try to fool you all? This item is indeed very valuable! I've once had a 2-star appraiser to appraise it, but even he's unable to make a judgement on it as well!" The vendor spoke indignantly.

"Alright, how much does it cost?" Unwilling to waste time arguing with the vendor over such insignificant matter, Zhang Xuan asked.

"Since you're interested in it, it only means that you're fated with it. Thus, I'll sell it to you at a discount then. A hundred spirit stones!"

Upon hearing the other party asking about the price, the vendor's eyes lit up.

"What did you say?"

Zhang Xuan was taken aback, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

He thought that since it was a street side vendor, the goods should be cheap. At the very most, it should only cost one or two spirit stones, or perhaps even gold coins... Yet, to think that it was that expensive.

A hundred spirit stones...

Zhang Xuan had already used up the final few pieces he had on the way here. Even if he were to sell himself away, he wouldn't be able to rake up such a price!

As expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even the prices they offered were equally frightening.

"Don't fall for it. Such vendors often offer a high price to hoodwink others!"

Seeing the other party's dumbfounded look, Zhao Feiwu chuckled and sent a telepathic message over.

"Hoodwink?"

"I'll haggle for you, just wait and see. I'll definitely get a low price for you!" Zhao Feiwu declared confidently.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

To him, a hundred spirit stones was an astronomical price; it was impossible for him to take out such a sum. Since Zhao Feiwu was offering to haggle for him, he was willing to allow her to give it a try.

"There's no need for you to give us this kind of nonsense, it's not like we've never bought from the Appraiser Hall before. A hundred spirit stones can already be exchanged for ten 3-star Tutelage Jade Token, do you think this lousy good of yours is worth this price? Why don't you rob a bank instead?"

Gesturing grandly, Zhao Feiwu put on the airs befitting of a veteran trader and glared at the merchant, "Give us an honest price!"

"Gongzi, you must be jesting with me. The price that I offered is an honest one. Even though this artifact may seem like nothing much, I spent a huge fortune to purchase it, and I even tried to recruit a blacksmith to work on it, just that it didn't work out in the end. Even though I can't say for sure what it is, one thing I'm certain of is that it's definitely a treasure..."

Laughing dryly, the vendor gritted his teeth and said, "However... since gongzi is a frequent customer, I'll make an exception then. How about this, I'll allow you to offer a price, and if it's suitable, you can take it away. Otherwise, let's just forget it!"

"This is more like it. Since that's the case, I'll offer you fifteen spirit stones then!"

Ads by Pubfuture

Seeing that her 'old customer trick' was working, Zhao Feiwu gestured gleefully.

"Fifteen? Sigh, I guess this can be called fate as well. Alright then, I'll make a loss this time and sell it to you for fifteen!" The vendor said with a pained look.

"This works as well?"

Zhao Ya and the others staggered, and their eyes widened in shock.

Slashing the original price of a hundred to fifteen in an instant, they thought the vendor would surely fly into a rage. Yet, the other party agreed to it immediately...

This was way too incredible!

If they hadn't seen this for themselves, they would never believe it to be true.

"Un!" Seeing that the other party had agreed to it, Zhao Feiwu felt as though she had just won a war. She turned to look at Zhang Xuan gleefully and said, "Alright, you can pay up now!"

"Pay up?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He would love to pay up as well, but... fifteen spirit stones was a huge sum to him as well. Even if he were to sell all of his properties, he wouldn't be able to gather so much money.

"I think that fifteen spirit stones is still too expensive!" Zhang Xuan turned to look at the vendor.

"Fifteen spirit stones is too expensive? Friend, you must be joking. This is already the lowest price I can offer you..." The vendor smiled bitterly.

"That... It's indeed a fair price already. If you're interested, you should just buy it down!" Seeing that the other party was still trying to haggle even though she had even slashed the price down to fifteen, Zhao Feiwu's eyebrows shot up.

You're here to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid, right? Without several thousand or even ten thousand spirit stones, it's impossible for you to take it for yourself.

Even so, fifteen spirit stones for an object that interests you, and yet you still find it expensive?

"Is that so? Then, can you allow me to take a look so that I can get a clearer gauge on its price before we negotiate?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Sure!" The vendor handed the gray artifact over to Zhang Xuan.

Only upon taking a closer look was Zhang Xuan able to see clearly what it was.

It was around the size of a palm, and it took on a shade of dark brown. It was slightly arched, reminiscent of a giant piece of fish scale.

There were some unique inscriptions densely scribbled on the side that was bent in, and there were some parts that were blurred, making it impossible to discern what it was.

"Flaws!"

After taking a rough glance at its outer appearance, Zhang Xuan muttered silently.

Even though the Eye of Insight failed to work on it, the Library of Heaven's Path should be able to determine what the artifact was.

Hu!

A book appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path. Casually taking a look at it, Zhang Xuan's eyes immediately widened and his breathing hastened.

"This is indeed a treasure..."

On the book was a detailed introduction on the artifact, recording its name and flaws.

"Dragon Scale Protective Amulet, crafted by 6-star Craftsman Bai Xi two thousand years ago. It's capable of warding off the offense from a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert three times. Flaws: ..."

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly.

Putting everything aside, just its ability to ward off the offense of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert three times already made it a fearsome tool.

If he had obtained this artifact earlier, Lu Chong wouldn't have gotten injured and fall into a coma.

"I definitely must get this!"

Initially, Zhang Xuan only came over out of curiosity. He didn't expect it to be so valuable. Suppressing his agitation to prevent it from appearing on his face, he was just about to agree to the deal when another voice echoed.

"Fifteen spirit stones, is it? I'll take it!"

Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw a middle-aged man looking over with gleaming eyes, staring fixedly at the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet in his hands.

"Grandmaster Appraiser Liu Chang!"

The vendor seemed to recognize the other party and he hurriedly spoke up, "I would have given it to you straight since you're interested in this item. However, this friend here has set his eyes on it first, so... how about you two negotiate over this matter?"

"Grandmaster appraiser?"

Upon hearing how the vendor addressed the other party, Zhang Xuan immediately started assessing the middle-aged man.

There was an emblem pinned on his chest, on which, there were two bright stars.

A 2-star appraiser.

Appraisers would also stroll around this area sometimes to browse through the different artifacts and purchase items that interest them. If they were to stumble by some valuable treasure, they could make a huge killing as well.

Appraiser Liu Chang frowned. He turned to Zhang Xuan and ordered, "I'm interested in this item so give up on it!"

"Pardon me but I'm interested in it as well. I've no intentions on giving it up!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

You must be pulling my leg! If I didn't know what it was, I could have given it to you. However, now that I know how valuable this artifact is, I wouldn't give it up even if you were to beat me to death!

This artifact could potentially save my life three times, only a fool would give up on it.

"You refuse to give up on it?"

Appraiser Liu Chang harrumphed coldly. Ignoring Zhang Xuan, he immediately turned to the vendor and said, "Even though he has set his eyes on it, he hasn't paid up yet, right? It's only natural for the good to go to the highest bidder. How about this, I'll offer you fifty spirit stones so sell it to me!"

"50?"

"50?"

The vendor's eyes lit up.

He obtained this artifact unintentionally so he had no idea how much it was actually worth. In his view, it was definitely a good deal for him to sell it for fifty spirit stones.

Agitated, he quickly turned to the young man and said, "Friend, Grandmaster Liu has already made an offer, so... if you're not going to offer anything higher, I'll have to ask of you to return the object to me..."

Zhang Xuan turned to look at the vendor and said, "Since that's the case, I'll offer you a price too. If you find it appropriate, sell this item to me!"

"Alright!" The vendor nodded.

"Fifty gold coins!" Zhang Xuan declared.

"Fifty... gold coins?"

The vendor froze for a moment, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

The other party had offered fifty spirit stones, and yet you still dare to offer fifty gold coins? Brother, are you taking me for a fool?

Ads by Pubfuture

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 450: Grave Robber

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The gold coin was a generally accepted currency within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. However, along with the rise in the rank of the kingdom, its use grew less and less frequent.

One couldn't buy a spirit stone even with a million gold coin. To offer fifty gold coin for something valued at fifty spirit stones? You must be joking!

By the side, Zhao Feiwu's eyebrows twitched and she nearly puked blood.

It took her so much effort to haggle the price down from a hundred to fifteen, yet this fellow offered fifty gold coins?

It was just a moment ago that she said that the other party might as well rob a bank... Why does it feel like Zhang shi was the one who should be robbing a bank instead?

In a sense, Zhang Xuan's offer wasn't any different from daylight robbery.

"Fifty... gold coins?"

Appraiser Liu Chang was still worried that the other party might offer a higher price. Thus, when he heard Zhang Xuan's words, he nearly burst out laughing.

Where did this countryside bumpkin come from?

Spirit stones and gold coins were two different trading currencies with completely different values. I offered fifty spirit stones, yet you went ahead to offer fifty gold coins. Why don't you just tell the vendor to give it to you instead?

You sure are thick-skinned!

Appraiser Liu Chang glanced at Zhang Xuan in disdain.

To declare an offer of fifty gold coins so brazenly, you're probably the only one in the entire market.

"I apologize, but I'll have to turn down your offer..."

Recovering from his shock, the owner hurriedly shook his hands.

He'd thought that the other party was some rich gongzi, young master, or something similar. In the end, he turned out to be just some poor bloke.

To think that he had wasted so much time on the other party.

"Do you think that my price isn't high enough?" Zhang Xuan didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled calmly in response.

The vendor fell speechless.

This was no longer a problem of whether the price was too low or not, but that the offer was as good as offering nothing!

Have you ever seen anyone holding a stalk of grass to purchase anything?

"Appraiser Liu Chang, I'll be selling this item to you then. May I know if there's anything you're interested in as well? I'll wrap it up for you together..."

Having lost his patience for the countryside bumpkin, the vendor turned his attention to Liu Chang.

"Does that mean that you aren't going to sell it to me?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head and a look of pity flashed across his face. "Sigh, I was thinking that I could solve your insomnia and nightmares if you'd sold the item to me. Since you aren't interested, let's forget about it then!"

After leaving behind these words, Zhang Xuan placed the scale back in place, turned around, and prepared to leave.

"What did you say?"

The vendor had intended to ignore Zhang Xuan regardless of what he said, but upon hearing those words, his body immediately stiffened and his face turned pale, "Friend, please wait a moment!"

To cultivate was to go against heaven, forcibly absorbing the spiritual energy from environment to nourish oneself. Under normal circumstances, it was rare for one to suffer from insomnia and nightmares. But for some reason, for the past half a year, he found himself unable to fall asleep, and even if he managed to doze off, he would immediately be jolted awake.

If it was just a day or two, he would still be fine with it. Yet, it continued on consecutively for half a year. Despite his powerful cultivation, his mind was already reaching its limit.

Privately, he had consulted many physicians but they were all powerless against it. Yet, the person before him had pointed out his problem and offered to give him a solution to it. How could he not feel agitated?

"Recently, do you find yourself being jolted awake frequently, sweating profusely whenever it happens? Also, when you fall asleep, does your body convulse slightly?" Knowing that the other party would definitely stop him, Zhang Xuan smiled and turned around.

"You... how did you know?" The vendor's body trembled in shock.

Due to being unable to sleep, even though he could make up for his lack of rest through cultivating day and night, his face was still unnaturally pale.

Most physicians could tell that much, but... Waking up sweating profusely and convulsing in his sleep, these were symptoms that only he knew of. He hadn't told anyone about it before, not even his wife.

How did the other party learn of it? And to even point it out directly.

"I can solve your problem!" Zhang Xuan said calmly.

"Solve my problem?"

The vendor's body trembled in agitation, unable to believe that he would be freed from his agony.

"You are free to choose whether to believe my words or not, but... this is the only chance you're going to get. If you don't solve it soon, your lifespan will take a toll and you won't live for much longer!"

With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan spoke indifferently.

Even though Zhang Xuan wanted the Dragon Scale Amulet, he needed the other party to place his trust in him first. Otherwise, it would be futile no matter how much he spoke.

"I..." The vendor hesitated.

After a moment, he gritted his teeth, turned to the middle-aged man and said, "I apologize, Appraiser Liu Chang, but it seems like I can't sell this item to you anymore..."

Money was important, but what could be more valuable than one's life?

For the past half a year, plagued by this affliction, he had spent more than fifty spirit stones on consulting physicians but it was to no avail.

If the person before him could truly solve his affliction, then he didn't mind giving the artifact away to him.

As for whether he should believe the other party or not... Just by how the other party was able to determine the symptom of his affliction, his eye of discernment was already superior to the physicians he had consulted before. Perhaps... the other party might really be able to solve his affliction.

"Hmph, there are many untrustworthy fellows loitering around the markets nowadays. You should be careful!"

Not expecting his fifty spirit stones to lose out to the other party's fifty gold coins, Appraiser Liu Chang turned to Zhang Xuan and stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"I don't think that it's a concern of Appraiser Liu whether I am trustworthy or not!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually.

"Hmph, very well..."

With an awful complexion, Appraiser Liu Chang flung his sleeves and left.

It would be humiliating if a well-respected appraiser like him were to cause trouble just because he couldn't buy an item.

But of course, that was if he didn't know the value of the artifact he had just missed.

He had only wanted to buy it due to his curiosity after finding himself unable to identify the artifact.

In truth, he didn't really think that it was a huge loss just because he'd failed to obtain it.

Even so, to be outdone by a countryside bumpkin despite putting in so much money, he still felt a little enraged.

"Friend..."

Upon seeing Appraiser Liu leaving with a displeased expression, the vendor turned to Zhang Xuan.

If that fellow had truly been speaking just for the sake of it and was unable to solve his affliction, he really might burst into tears.

Offending a 2-star appraiser in this market was truly an unwise move.

"Don't worry, since I'm able to see through your affliction, I'll surely cure you of it. Show me your punching routine!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Yes!" Without much hesitation, the vendor began executing his fist art, causing a huge gust of wind to blow.

To think that even an ordinary vendor's cultivation would reach Half-Zongshi, as expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

With sufficient resources and master teachers, its overall strength was innumerable times above that of Tianxuan Kingdom.

"Alright, that's enough!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually.

As the other party's cultivation was far beneath him, Zhang Xuan was able to see through most of his problem through his Eye of Insight. Even so, if he wanted to cure him completely, he needed the help of the Library of Heaven's Path to determine the root of the illness.

"You've quite a few valuable objects on you, but if I'm not wrong... you obtained them through depraved means. The objects have an ancient tone to them, and there's a slight green shade to their surface. This is caused by a lack of air ventilation. On top of that, an aura of death is exuding from you... If I'm not mistaken, your expertise is digging graves!"

Walking up to the vendor, Zhang Xuan looked around before speaking nonchalantly.

"Yo-you..." The vendor's face paled, and he nearly fell to the floor in fright.

Digging graves was a nicer way to put it. In truth, he was a grave robber.

No matter how powerful an expert was, regardless of whether he reached Zhizun realm or Transcendent Mortal realm, it was impossible for him to escape the sands of time. Eventually, all would be swept away by the river of history. After their deaths, these people would be buried in a tomb along with their most prized possessions.

And it was exactly through digging these places and selling the artifacts of the dead that the vendor's business could grow to such a scale.

However, he had hidden this fact well. Many of his close friends weren't aware of it. Thus, having his main trade being exposed by Zhang Xuan left him light-headed, and he nearly fainted from shock.

"You don't need to worry, I've no interest in your business!"

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan continued, "I'm just talking about the origin of your affliction.

"If you'd only dug up ordinary tombs, there wouldn't be any problems at all. However, eight months ago, you dug up the grave of a Transcendent Mortal. Am I mistaken?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"This... No, you aren't!" The vendor clenched his jaws.

"Unfortunately for you, that Transcendent Mortal was betrayed by his wife and killed by his good friend, causing his resentment to linger in the world even after his death... If my judgement doesn't fail me, you must have taken a personal possession of his and carried it along with you." Zhang Xuan continued asking.

"... Yes!" The vendor nodded his head as he stared at that the fellow before him as though he had seen a ghost.

The other party's tomb was shabby and there was nothing of value there except for a personal amulet. Since it seemed as though it was at least worth something, he'd taken it along with him... How did this fellow know about something so private?

On top of that, to describe it so clearly as though he had seen it himself?

"It's precisely due to the resentment contained within this object that you found yourself suffering from insomnia and convulsions when you finally fall asleep... It's actually not too difficult for you to solve your problem. You just have to return to the tomb, pay respects to the owner, return the amulet, and treat his descendants well. If so, your affliction should disappear!" Zhang Xuan stated.

In truth, the affliction this vendor was suffering from was kind of similar to that of Apothecary Chen Xiao back then.

The latter took possession of an apothecary's cauldron while disregarding his promise toward the other party. As a result, he was cursed.

On the other hand, this vendor had been plagued with the resentment of a Transcendent Mortal expert for a long period of time. It would've been bizarre if there hadn't been anything wrong with him!

If he didn't resolve the issue soon, his longevity would definitely be reduced significantly. Most probably, in less than a few years, just as with Apothecary Chen Xiao back then, the aura of death would shroud him, claiming his vitality.

Zhang Xuan's words from before claiming that the other party wouldn't live for long wasn't just fear mongering.

"Master, thank you for your guidance!"

Given how the other party's analysis was spot-on, the vendor already felt significant trust toward Zhang Xuan's words, and he was filled with gratitude for him.

All along, he thought that it was a problem with his body. Never in his dreams could he have imagined that it would be due to this.

"This item... Master, please take it!"

Upon learning the method to curing his affliction, the vendor immediately passed the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet over.

He had no idea what use this artifact had, but no matter of how expensive it was, he didn't think that it could be more valuable than his life. In a sense, he had profited from this deal.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head and kept the amulet. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he took out a pile of gold coins. There were precisely fifty of them in the stack. "Here is your money!"

"There's no need for it..."

The vendor shook his hands, turning down the payment.

Rather than taking this measly sum of money, he might as well just give the amulet away. At the very least, he could win the goodwill of the other party in this way.

"Why is there no need for it? Since we've agreed on the price, if I don't pay you, wouldn't it be no different from robbery?" Zhang Xuan spoke righteously.

"This... Alright then!" Left with no choice, the vendor could only accept Zhang Xuan's payment.

"This works as well?"

Taking the entire happening into sight, Zhao Feiwu felt as though her understanding of the world was being overturned.

Buying a treasure worth fifty spirit stones for fifty gold coin, and for the seller to even thank the buyer for it...

That was way too incredible!

As the daughter of the alliance head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the princess of an empire... She had seen many formidable physicians, but to tell that someone was sick and even deduce that the other party was a grave robber...

You aren't a physician at all...

You must be a fortune teller instead...

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 451: Spirit Calming Grass

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Having bought the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet for fifty gold coins, Zhang Xuan bade the vendor farewell in satisfaction.

There was no one in the world who was completely healthy, and demanding compensation for treatment wasn't anything much.

Even if one was truly healthy, one would at least want to raise one's cultivation. Considering how even a 4-star master teacher wasn't capable of making a person achieve a breakthrough with just a short moment of guidance, Zhang Xuan's guidance was more than sufficient to replace a Tutelage Jade Token.

Even without money, Zhang Xuan was confident that he could buy this artifact for sure. Thus, he wasn't worried at all.

After walking around the market for a while longer, the group realized that there was nothing else of value left here. Thus, Zhao Feiwu said, "Let's go up and take a look. The treasures on the second floor are much more valuable than those of the first floor, and most of them have already been verified by appraisers!"

As such, the crowd headed up the stairs.

The second floor wasn't as chaotic as the first floor, where booths and shouting vendors filled the entire venue. The scale of the second floor was much smaller, and there were various stores in the area. The objects on display were clearly much more valuable than those on the first floor.

If what was sold on the first floor could be considered as miscellaneous goods, then those on the second floor could be considered as true treasures.

All the stores here had at least a hundred years of history to them, and regardless of whether it was their reputation or the goods that were on sale in their shops, they were much better than the booths on the first floor. Hung at the front of each store were all kinds of plaques, such as 'Master Mo Xiu's Appraised Treasures', 'Master Sun Xiang's Appraised Treasures', 'Master Hong Li's Appraised Treasures'...

All kinds of different goods were displayed in each store.

Even though these stores weren't large and the items inside weren't as many as the booths below, just the fact that it carried the name of the appraisers attracted the gazes of many, making them even more popular than the booths below.

"The largest store on the second floor is [First Class Pavilion, which is right in front of us. The items they sell, just like their name, are all top grade. Even though it isn't operated by an appraiser, it's the most bustling store here. In fact, appraisers also frequent there personally to trade for some treasures!" Jin Conghai said.

He had been here before so he knew quite a bit about this place.

As for Zhao Feiwu, she only knew about this location from some books so she wasn't too sure about the details.

"Let's go over and take a look!"

The primary objective of Zhang Xuan's trip here was the Soulless Metal Humanoid, so he wasn't really interested in the other miscellaneous stuff. However, since the supposed First Class Pavilion was right before them, it wouldn't hurt to take a look. Besides, he could also try asking about the Metal Humanoid there.

Walking past row after row of stores, it didn't take long before they stopped by a vast space with three gold words written on it. With just a look, Zhang Xuan could tell that the calligraphy had reached an extremely high level of artistic conception.

"To think that it would be an art piece of the fifth level!"

Zhang Xuan eyes couldn't help but light up.

He was a 3-star painter so he had an in-depth knowledge of calligraphy and painting.

The three large words 'First Class Pavilion' might seem simple on the surface, but the words were written with forceful and flowy strokes, giving a feeling as though the words would leap out at any moment just like an ascending flood dragon. It was clear that the words were anything but simple, and it had already reached the fifth level of painting.

At this kind of level, the words had already reached the level of Spirit Creation. Even if one were to look at it for an extended period of time, not only would one not feel fatigued, one would even feel refreshed and revitalized.

Just these three words were probably worth a huge fortune already.

As expected of the number one store in the Appraiser Hall, its scale sure wasn't anything that the other stores could match up to.

Walking into the store, Zhang Xuan saw several people strolling about the displays. Some of the customers dressed in appraiser robes were staring fixedly at the treasures before them with a tranced look.

All occupations were enjoyable when one could immerse oneself into it; appraising was the same as well.

Some of the most exquisite masterpieces were at a quality such that even the greatest craftsmen and blacksmiths could only create one in their entire lives. It was practically impossible to replicate it, and these were the treasures that left countless appraisers awed when they examined them.

"Welcome, may I know what you are looking for? I can guide you around if you need!" offered an attendant as he walked over.

"There's no need for that, we'll just take a casual look!"

Zhang Xuan shook his hands.

Then, he walked over to the various treasures displayed on the shelves.

They were indeed much more valuable than the artifacts seen below. All of the items carried a powerful aura, and they seemed to resonate with the spiritual energy in the air. Even without the Eye of Insight, it was apparent with a look that they were of great value.

Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan's gaze was on a chi (33.3cm) large cauldron, the attendant immediately walked forward and introduced, "This is the Divine Copper Cauldron. If you were to put spirit stones inside, it would automatically refine and cleanse it, making it easier to absorb the spiritual energy within it! Using this object, your speed of cultivation can be heightened by ten percent!"

"As for this, it's the Nine Dragons Cauldron. Every single mouth of the cauldron harnesses a surge of sword qi, making it a formidable weapon when it's activated. Even a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert would be killed swiftly before it..."

Upon hearing the introduction, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in awe,

Honestly speaking, all of these items were truly worthy of being classified as treasures. If placed in any of the Tier 1 Kingdoms, it could become a national weapon to deter aggressors.

But after taking a look at the price, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but smile bitterly.

None of these items were cheap. Putting everything aside, just the Divine Copper Cauldron was already worth two hundred spirit stones, and the Nine Dragons Cauldron was priced at three hundred and twenty spirit stones!

Even a Tier 1 Kingdom would be unable to fork out such a sum. Even if it was Xuanyuan Kingdom, its finances would probably suffer greatly for many years if it were to purchase it.

"This is the appraisal authentication certificate?"

Regardless of whether it was the Divine Copper Cauldron of the Nine Dragons Cauldron, there was a carved jade at its bottom which detailed the name of an appraiser, his evaluation, as well as his signature.

"Yes, most of the treasures of our First Class Pavilion will go through the hands of appraisers to have them authenticated. We will never deceive our customers!" the attendant said proudly.

"Un!"

Zhang Xuan nodded his head. Then, with a thought, lines of insight appeared in his eyes.

Eye of Insight.

He wanted to see if there was any treasure beyond his current means here.

It didn't take him long to scan through the artifacts in the room, and in the end, he simply shook his head.

There were many valuable treasures here, but there was nothing beyond him like the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet from before.

"Teacher, Appraiser Liu Chang..."

Just as Zhang Xuan was looking around to see if there were any treasures he had missed, Yuan Tao exclaimed in shock.

Following the direction of Yuan Tao's finger, Zhang Xuan saw a familiar figure.

It was the person who competed with him over the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet previously.

At this moment, his haughtiness and aura of superiority had disappeared. He followed behind an elder with a respectful look just like a humble student.

The elder was in his fifties, and he had an authoritative disposition to him. With a single glance, it was clear that he was a person who had been on a powerful position for a long period of time.

Right in front of the duo was an average-sized plant with a purple flower on top.

Amidst the petals, faint yellow veins could be seen, and it exuded a faint fragrance which left one in a tranquil state upon being breathed in.

On top of treasures, the First Class Pavilion also dealt in some of the rarer medicinal herbs.

"Ashen stems, slightly yellow leaves, petals divided by yellow veins... Could this be [Spirit Calming Grass]?" after a moment of hesitation, Zhao Feiwu asked.

"This gongzi indeed has good eyes. That's indeed Spirit Calming Grass. This is the only stalk within the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and our First Class Pavilion bought it at an exorbitant price. It's said to be exceptionally useful in nourishing one's soul, and rumor has it that it can even wake a dormant soul!"

The attendant chuckled.

"Wake a dormant soul?" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up, and unknowingly, his fists clenched tightly together.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 452: Purchasing a Herb at an Inexpensive Price (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

However, he quickly shook his head with a bitter smile.

Zhang Xuan had stumbled across the Spirit Calming Grass in one of the books he had read, and its main function was to calm one's spirit, allowing one to enter the state of Heart of Tranquil Water more easily. It didn't have the effect of waking a dormant soul.

Otherwise, given Zhang Xuan's understanding of herbs, he wouldn't be at a loss over the matter.

"Wake a person's soul? That's impossible!"

Zhao Feiwu frowned.

She had read many books regarding medicinal herbs as well, and she knew that the effects of this herb weren't as exaggerated as the attendant put it out to be.

"Normal Spirit Calming Grass indeed doesn't have that effect, but this one is different. It's the Emperor Spirit Calming Grass, and it grows by consuming the spiritual energy within spirit stones. As such, its properties have been enhanced to the point that it's highly effective even for Transcendent Mortal experts."

Upon speaking of this stalk of grass, the attendant's eyes began to glow.

"Consuming spiritual energy within spirit stones? It's fed using spirit stones?"

"Correct. From its germination, it's placed within a unique formation which extracts the purest spiritual energy contained within a spirit stone to provide the required energy for the Spirit Calming Grass's growth... And to grow to such a size, this Spirit Calming Grass has probably consumed over a hundred pieces of spirit stones. Considering the manpower and resources required to groom this herb, it's definitely an invaluable treasure!" the attendant explained.

Zhang Xuan was taken aback, "A hundred spirit stones just to groom a stalk of grass?"

Even Zhang Xuan had yet to expend so many spirit stones in his cultivation.

To think that a single stalk of grass would be treated even better than him. It was truly the case of a human being beneath a stalk of grass.

"Indeed. Due to the great care showered during its growth, its property has been enhanced greatly, granting it immense effects on one's soul!" the attendant said.

Even though Zhang Xuan was surprised, he didn't take the attendant's words at face value. Instead, he activated his Eye of Insight and took a closer look.

He had to determine for himself whether this stalk of grass was truly effective on dormant souls.

Soon, his eyes lit up.

Even though the medicinal herb was expensive, it wasn't beyond Zhang Xuan's current cultivation realm yet. According to the information reflected in the Eye of Insight... it was really useful toward dormant souls!

However, unlike what the attendant said, it couldn't wake dormant souls. Instead, it simply stabilized it, preventing it from dissipating.

Even though dormant souls were known to be souls that were sleeping, in truth, they were just too weak to be woken up.

It was just like how a severely ill patient was too weak to get up from his bed.

The great impact that Lu Chong's body suffered back then had caused his soul to dissipate. Even though Zhang Xuan had saved him swiftly, the other party still suffered great damage, and the strength of his soul was less than a hundredth of what it was previously. As such, it was unable to sustain the functions of his body, resulting in his coma.

Even though this Spirit Calming Grass didn't have the ability to wake Lu Chong up, it could stabilize his soul and even strengthen it slowly.

"I must get it!"

Zhang Xuan had no idea how he could wake Lu Chong up at this point, but one thing he was certain was that he couldn't allow his soul to grow weaker and weaker.

Since he had stumbled across this Spirit Calming Grass, he mustn't allow it to pass him by.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan turned to the attendant and asked, "This... How much does it cost?"

"This stalk of Spirit Calming Grass is one of the most expensive treasures in our First Class Pavilion. It's priced at five hundred spirit stones!" the attendant said.

"Five hundred?" Zhang Xuan's body shook.

He couldn't even take out five spirit stones at the moment, not to mention, five hundred...

You must be jesting!

Will you accept my five hundred gold coins instead?

Appraiser Hall... Why don't you call it Daylight Robbery Hall instead? Given how expensive every single one of your items are, how in the world do you expect others to buy it?

Surely there are very few customers who can afford that sum...

Just as Zhang Xuan was considering how he could lower the price to five hundred gold coins and take it down, a deep voice sounded in front of him, "Alright, I'll be taking that Spirit Calming Grass. Also, help me wrap up the Verdant Bamboo, Deep Accruing Grass, Yinyang Umbrella... that I've just browsed through as well!"

Lifting his head, Zhang Xuan saw that the one who had just spoken was the elder who came in along with Appraiser Liu Chang.

It seemed as though in the other party's view, five hundred spirit stones were no different from five hundred gold coins.

"Sure!"

Upon hearing the other party's words, the attendant serving the elder hurriedly took the various items that the elder pointed out excitedly.

The more the customer buys, the greater the commission of the attendant.

"I apologize but it's already sold... Customer, why don't you continue browsing around to see if there's anything that would interest you?"

The attendant who tagged along with Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment upon seeing that the Spirit Calming Grass had been taken away.

"There's no need for me to look any further, I want this herb..."

There was nothing else in this store that caught Zhang Xuan's eyes. As such, he walked forward and said, "Wait a moment!"

"It can't be that you're still interested in the Spirit Calming Herb?"

Seeing Zhang Xuan rushing forward and shouting 'wait a moment', the attendant beside him leaped in fright.

The other party had already said that he was taking it, if you were to insist on taking it away at this point, it'll be no different from theft... But more importantly, do you know who the other party is?

To rush over despite not knowing who the other party is, aren't you being too reckless?

Zhang Xuan's voice was bright and clear, and he immediately caught the notice of the elder and the others around him. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Appraiser Liu Chang began glaring at the other party.

He had just attempted to claim the item that the other party was buying. Could the other party be holding a grudge, so he wanted to do the same as well?

"What are you up to?"

Thus, Appraiser Liu Chang stepped in front and blocked Zhang Xuan's path.

Since he couldn't be bothered with Appraiser Liu Chang, Zhang Xuan turned to the elder and said, "I want this Spirit Calming Grass."

"We've already set our eyes on this herb, you should look for other items to buy!" Appraiser Liu Chang waved his hands.

"Even though you all have set his eyes on it, you all haven't paid up yet, right? It's only natural for the good to go to the highest bidder. As long as the price I offer is higher than yours, I should be able to take it, right?" Zhang Xuan replied Appraiser Liu Chang calmly.

"You..." Appraiser Liu Chang's chest rose and fell rapidly, and he nearly erupted on the spot.

Those words were extremely familiar to him; it was what he said to the other party just a moment ago.

It seemed like this fellow was really here to cause trouble.

Otherwise, how could even his words be identical?

Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai exchanged glances and smiled bitterly.

Zhang Xuan indeed wasn't one to let anyone who crossed him get away easily.

However, the elder didn't look like someone who lacked money. It would be no easy feat to purchase the item he had set his eyes upon!

"What is your offer then? Just to let you know, we're purchasing this Spirit Calming Grass for five hundred spirit stones!" Suppressing his fury, Appraiser Liu Chang harrumphed.

The fellow before had to hesitate even before a measly sum of fifteen spirit stones, so it was almost certain that he didn't have much money. To outbid them on this medicinal herb and take it away was surely impossible for him.

"Can you give this Spirit Calming Grass away to me?" Zhang Xuan turned to the elder and asked.

Even though Appraiser Liu Chang's standing was high, he acted subserviently before this elder. From this, it could be seen that the standing of the elder was far superior to Appraiser Liu Chang.

Also, the one who was buying the Spirit Calming Grass was the elder, so Appraiser Liu Chang probably had no say in this matter.

Since he had no say, what was the point of wasting time with him?

"I..."

Upon being ignored, Appraiser Liu Chang's face flushed bright red.

The elder had been watching the argument of the duo, and with his hands behind his back, he replied impassively, "He's my student so he has a say in whether I'll sell this medicinal herb or not. However, I do have a use for this medicinal herb and I don't wish to part with it. Thus, it doesn't matter how high a price you offer!"

"Student?"

Given that Appraiser Liu Chang was a 2-star appraiser, his teacher must be at least a 3-star or even 4-star appraiser.

It was no wonder that he could buy a stalk of medicinal herb priced at five hundred spirit stones so easily.

"Doesn't matter how high a price I offer? That might not necessarily be the case!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Oh? Why don't you tell me your offer then?"

The elder looked at Zhang Xuan in interest.

The attendants spectating the commotion were also filled with curiosity.

That young man might be unaware of who the elder was, but they were extremely clear of his identity. Even if this elder wasn't the richest man in Honghai City, he wasn't too far away from it.

Even if one could offer up something that interested this elder, it would probably have an astronomical price.

Zhao Feiwu and the others were also intrigued and curious at the matter.

This fellow had bought the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet previously through his medical skills, so until now, they had no idea how much wealth this young man possessed. Since he was determined to buy this Spirit Calming Grass, he should at least take out a portion of his fortune now.

After all, without real money, the First Class Pavilion wouldn't sell something worth five hundred spirit stones to him?

Even if Zhang Xuan intended to talk his way out of it, these attendants weren't qualified to make the decision.

After all, such a sum of money was way beyond them as well.

Just as everyone was perplexed over this matter, curious to see what Zhang Xuan would do next, the young man in question declared confidently.

"I can offer five hundred gold coins!"

Pu!

Appraiser Liu Chang nearly spurted a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.

This again?

Is there even a point to be doing this?

When I offered fifty spirit stones to buy down that bizarre object, you offered fifty gold coins in exchange. This time, for such a valuable Spirit Calming Grass, you intend to use the same method as well...

Can we start conversing properly?

The mouths of the attendants watching the commotion also twitched violently.

The young man had spoken so confidently so they thought that he would offer a huge sum of money. In the end, to offer five hundred gold coins... You're here to cause trouble, right?

The attendant who had been waiting on Zhang Xuan ever since his entry felt so embarrassed that he wanted to find a pit to bury himself in.

He thought that Zhang Xuan would really be able to offer a price that no one could match up with, but to think that it was this...

Cough cough.

Even if you don't have sufficient money, you shouldn't offer something that can't even buy you a handful of dirt.

Just as the crowd was about to faint from the ridiculousness of the situation, Zhao Feiwu slapped her forehead and said, "Elder Jin, prepare to make a move. I'm afraid that if we don't protect him, he might end up being... pummeled to death!"

"Yes!" Jin Conghai nodded as he secretly propelled the zhenqi in his body, preparing himself to make a move at any moment.

He shared the same sentiments as 'gongzi'.

This elder was clearly of high standing, and to provoke such a person as well, Zhang Xuan was truly arrogant. In fact, he found it a miracle that the other party could survive until now given his character.

"Purchasing a Spirit Calming Grass for five hundred gold coins?"

As expected, the elder's face immediately darkened. His aura began gushing out like a gigantic torrent. Even though it was hard to gauge his cultivation realm, his strength didn't seem to pale to Jin Conghai in any way.

Most probably, the other party had at least reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan.

"Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Seeing how the other party admitted to it so candidly without the slightest hint of embarrassment, the elder harrumphed, "Do you think that the First Class Pavilion would reject an offer of five hundred spirit stones and sell such a valuable herb to you for five hundred gold coins instead? Who do you think you are? Do you think that you are the lord of Honghai City or the head of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?"

"I am neither of the two, I'm just someone who's interested in buying the Spirit Calming Grass."

Zhang Xuan shook his head calmly, "Besides, I intend to buy it from you instead of the First Class Pavilion! I believe that you'll definitely sell it to me for five hundred gold coins!"

"Buy it from me?"

The elder flew into a frenzy, and his facial muscles convulsed violently.

How can you be so sure that I'll be so cheap as to sell a medicinal herb worth five hundred spirit stones to you for five hundred gold coins?

You must be dreaming!

Chapter 453: Purchasing a Herb at an Inexpensive Price (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Even though he was rich, it didn't come from nowhere.

Naturally, he wouldn't be so foolish as to sell an item he bought for five hundred spirit stones for five hundred gold coins.

Was there something wrong with this fellow's head? Otherwise, how could one speak such foolish words?"

Turning his head to look at the young man, he saw the other party nodding his head with a smile, "Indeed!"

"Are you done yet? Do you know who my teacher is? How dare you speak such arrogant words here!"

Seeing how the other party was going overboard as to even provoke his teacher, Appraiser Liu Chang couldn't hold himself back anymore and stepped forward.

"Who your teacher is? Given his sharp eyes that could determine the crux of an artifact with a single glance, if I'm not mistaken... he must be an appraiser!"

Zhang Xuan glanced at Appraiser Liu Chang.

"It's good that you know that much. My teacher is..."

Liu Chang was just about to introduce his teacher's identity when the elder interrupted, "Alright, since you know that I'm an appraiser, you should know that I've no lack of money. Thus, you should know that it's impossible for me to sell something that I've already bought!"

He finally understood that that the fellow must have something wrong with his head. As he couldn't be bothered with to argue with a psycho, he turned to his attendant and said, "Wrap these items up for me and sent them over to my residence!"

"Yes!" The attendant nodded.

Before long, several stalks of herbs and artifacts were brought to one side to be packed.

Zhao Ya and the others sneaked a glance over and they were astounded.

Even though the elder didn't buy much, every single one of the item was exceptionally expensive. None of their prices were below three hundred spirit stones.

The total cost had already exceeded two thousand spirit stones. To spend so much money in one go without the slightest hesitation, the elder's wealth was indeed astonishing.

Facing such a person, their teacher actually offered to purchase a herb worth five hundred spirit stones for five hundred gold coins...

Wasn't that going a little too far?

Staring at their teacher doubtfully to see what he would do next, they only saw him placing his hands behind his back and shaking his head with a look of pity.

"Sigh, I thought that an appraiser would at least be a little sharper when purchasing something. To think that you would spend such a huge sum of money just to take away a fake. Your preferences... are indeed hard to understand!"

There was a hint of lamentation to his tone, as though disappointed by the other party's actions.

"Fake? Do you know who my teacher is? How dare you spout nonsense here..."

Appraiser Liu Chang thought that the other party would tone it down after his teacher had spared him. Yet, the other party still went on to utter such words. Liu Chang's face immediately darkened.

Are you done yet?

My teacher chose to let you off, and yet you still dare to say that he bought a fake. Are you seeking death?

"Sigh!" Zhang Xuan was completely unconcerned with the other party's reprimand and simply sighed once more. Shaking his head, he continued, "It's one thing for one's eyes to be bad, but to refuse to admit to it as well...

"More importantly, you still claim to be some incredible figure, how humiliating. Forget it, since you're unwilling to listen to my advice and insist on buying a fake, I won't be nosey then. Let's go!"

After finishing his piece, Zhang Xuan prepared to leave with Zhao Ya and the others.

"Hold it right there! Who did you say is buying a fake? If you don't clarify yourself right now, don't even think of leaving..." Seeing how the other party was hinting at his teacher buying a fake and shamelessly denying the matter, Appraiser Liu Chang couldn't hold himself back any longer and immediately stepped forward.

At the same time, his aura gushed out. Zhenqi drove through his body, granting him immense strength.

Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm!

Even though he was at the same realm as Ding Hong, he was a cultivator of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and was entitled to significantly greater resources than the latter, and as such, he was much stronger as well.

If he were to make a move, Zhang Xuan would probably find it hard to withstand his might.

Even so, Zhang Xuan remained completely nonchalant to the immense might the other party was exuding. Instead, he glanced at the other party disdainfully and said, "Why? Not only do you have bad vision, causing you to be unable to discern a fake good, you're also attempting to silence all those who those who advised you out of goodwill?"

Zhang Xuan had encountered many of such situations as Yang Xuan. Without such confidence, he wouldn't have been able to fool others with his act.

"Bad vision? Do you know who my teacher is? There are countless people in Honghai City who are begging my teacher to spare a glance at their artifacts..."

With a face reddened in anger, Liu Chang lashed out. However, halfway through his words, the elder walked over.

"Enough!"

Waving his hands casually to stop Liu Chang, the elder turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "You said that I've bought a fake, so may I know which one is it? Do you have any proof of it?"

Even though the elder had asked an extremely ordinary question, his tone carried deep confidence, exerting a huge pressure on Zhang Xuan. It felt as though as long as Zhang Xuan were to misspeak, he would immediately be punished.

"Proof? Are you sure you want to know?"

Zhang Xuan smiled.

"If your reasoning is sound and you have evidence of the matter, I'll admit to my vision being bad! However, if it ends up that you're only spouting rubbish to gain the attention of others, I can overlook it but... I'm afraid that Liu Chang might not share my sentiments!"

The elder's tone was filled with authority.

As an appraiser, being accused of making a flawed judgement was a huge matter. If the other party was truly speaking nonsense, even if he didn't make a move, his student, Liu Chang, also wouldn't let the other party off.

"This fellow sure knows how to cause trouble..."

Taking all of these into sight, Zhao Feiwu rolled her eyes.

In her view, if Zhang Xuan really wanted the Spirit Calming Grass, he should just take out the money required for it. To make an enemy out of such a powerful figure for it was the most foolish decision one could make.

Why must he cause trouble wherever he goes? Couldn't be learn how to stay still?

If only he was willing to take out the money, wouldn't the matter be solved easily?

If Zhang Xuan were to learn of the other party's thoughts, he would definitely burst into tears.

You are the daughter of the Alliance Head, the princess of the empire. It's easy for you to say those words since you don't lack money. If I had the money too, do you think that I'd be so bored as to put my life at risk just to act cool...

...

"Spouting rubbish to gain the attention of others? You're thinking too much into it!"

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and pointed at the pile of objects that the elder had just bought. "This Verdant Bamboo is something that you have just bought, right?"

"Indeed. Teacher spent three hundred spirit stones on buying this Verdant Bamboo. Just to let you know, it's the only one you'll find in the entire Honghai City!" Liu Chang sneered coldly. "Why, do you think that there's a problem with it?"

The item was right there and there was a label beneath it. There was nothing to deny about it.

Besides, Liu Chang didn't think that there was a problem with this object either. He had also taken a close look at that item and verified that there was no problem with it.

Ignoring the other party's words, Zhang Xuan circled around the bamboo, touched it with the tip of his finger, and as though having confirmed something, he smiled and asked, "May I know what the properties of the Verdant Bamboo are and what do you intend to do with this medicinal herb?"

"The Verdant Bamboo is a unique spirit medicine. Its leaves are the main ingredient to forging [Verdant Crystalline Pills]. This pill can nurture a Heart of Crystal within one to dispel one's inner demons, thus putting one in a state of calmness. It's exceptionally useful to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm experts.

"As for the stem, it's extremely tough and it can be used to forge the Spirit weapons [Verdant Bow] and [Piercing Arrows]. The Verdant Bow is a Spirit low-tier weapon, and when paired with the Piercing Arrows, it can easily pierce through one's body. Due to the extreme speed of arrow when the two are paired together, it's capable of killing one without even leaving behind a wound. It's one of the weapons that Transcendent Mortal experts are willing to fork out an exorbitant sum to buy.

"And of course, it has one last method of utilization; it can be used as a formation core. However, this property is significantly weaker than the former two and it's not worth mentioning at all!"

Stroking his beard, the elderly spoke impassively.

His composed voice was tinged with confidence as he revealed his broad knowledge on the matter.

Most people knew that the Verdant Bamboo was valuable but very few were aware of its uses. It was only because of his identity as an appraiser that he knew a thing or two about it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent a hulking sum of three hundred spirit stones to purchase it.

"Indeed, most people only know that the leaves of the Verdant Bamboo can be forged into a pill. Very few know that it can be forged into a bow, arrow and serve as a formation core as well. It's impressive that you know all of these!"

After praising the other party, Zhang Xuan's lips curled up and he continued on, "Since you know the various functions of the Verdant Bamboo, may I know if you're using it to lay out a formation, forge a bow and arrows, or forge a pill?"

Given that the stem and the leaves came from the same origin, the medicinal properties of the leaves could be best brought out if the stem was used as fuel for the pill forging process.

On the other hand, for the forging of the bow and arrow, the Verdant Bamboo would have to be nourished in a unique medicinal fluid when it's still in its freshest state. However, if one were to do so, the leaves would be mixed in with impurities, rendering it useless.

And similarly, if the Verdant Bamboo was used as a formation core, one would have to carve inscriptions on it. This would damage the leaves and bamboos, rendering it unusable for any other purpose.

Thus, even though the Verdant Bamboo had three uses to it, one could only choose one of it for each bamboo. If one attempted to be ambitious and use a single bamboo for multiple purpose, one might potentially end up simply wasting the bamboo instead.

"Of course it's for pill forging! Even though it isn't too bad to use it for the other purposes, the Verdant Crystalline Pill is still the most valuable of the three!"

A deep frown appeared on the elder's face. He had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, but even so, he still answered his question patiently.

The Verdant Crystalline Pill was a nourishment that was useful to even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm expert. Every single pill could fetch an astronomical sum; this wasn't something that the Verdant Bow or the formation could match up with.

If one wanted to maximize one's profit from the Verdant Bamboo, one should definitely choose to forge the most valuable Verdant Crystalline Pill.

After receiving the answer to his question, Zhang Xuan declared, "Since you're intending to forge Verdant Crystalline Pills, I can tell you upright that what you bought is a fake!"

"Fake? The Verdant Bamboo has a smooth green body, reminiscent of jade. There is a huge gap in between its leaves, and even the sharp edge of a blade cannot wound it. On every single division, there are three leaves, and each leaf has seven veins on it..."

This time, it was Liu Chang who replied. He swiftly stated the dozens of ways to appraise the authenticity of a Verdant Bamboo, and every single point that he mentioned matched the properties of the bamboo in his hand. "This is the way to ascertain the authenticity of a Verdant Bamboo. Even I can easily tell that it's definitely an authentic good, and yet you're saying that it's a fake? Fine, if this is a fake, why don't you tell me what's wrong with it?"

"Your method of appraising is indeed correct!" Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile, not refuting the other party's words at all.

"Ah? Since you know it, why do you say that it's a fake?" Liu Chang was taken aback by the other party's words.

"You've memorized it accurately, and your method of appraisal is correct as well. There's no doubt that this is a Verdant Bamboo!" Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly.

"These have been confirmed by our predecessors, how dare you try to deny... Huh? What did you just... say? If that's the case, why do you claim that it's fake..."

"Are you making a fool of us?"

Everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would deny the matter, but he admitted to it directly. For a moment, everyone was stunned.

Even Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai found their eyebrows shooting up.

You claimed that the other party had bought a fake, and yet, the next moment, you turned around and said that it is real... Even a person with dissociative identity disorder wouldn't be as fickle as you!

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 454: Purchasing a Herb at an Inexpensive Price (3)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Making a fool of you all? You are misunderstanding me!"

Even though the other party's face was turning green, Zhang Xuan didn't fall into a panic. Instead, he chuckled lightly and said, "I've only said that it's a fake because you are intending to use it to forge Verdant Crystalline Pills, I've never said that it isn't a Verdant Bamboo!"

Confused by Zhang Xuan's words, the elder and Liu Chang glanced at one another in bewilderment. Eventually, the latter couldn't hold it back any longer and asked, "What do you mean?"

The attendants, Zhao Feiwu, and the others were baffled as well. They had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to.

"Simple, there's no doubt that this is a Verdant Bamboo, but if you were to use its leaves to forge Verdant Crystalline Pills, I can guarantee you that not only will the pills be ineffective, one will even die upon consumption!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Death? You must be joking! Transcendent Mortals have the ability to communicate with the world and sense the surroundings. While it grants them great strength, it also makes them particularly vulnerable to external influences, making it easy for them to breed inner demons. The Verdant Crystalline Pill forges a Heart of Crystal within one, thus significantly reducing the damage one could suffer from inner demons. There's only benefits to be derived from its consumption, so how could anyone die from consuming it?" Liu Chang uttered in disbelief.

Even the elder couldn't help but shake his head.

As a Transcendent Mortal, one's will could meld together with one's environment to move the energy in one's surroundings. However, this made it particularly easy for inner demons to appear. The Verdant Crystalline Pill was the best medicine for one to dispel inner demons, and he had even consumed one himself. Its effectiveness was so great that he couldn't even put it into words, so how could one possibly die from it?

This was clearly nonsense!

Besides, as a skilled appraiser, he had also appraised the Crystalline Pill for others, and the other party had consumed it before him. There were no problems whatsoever with it.

To die from consuming it... was completely unheard of.

"Can you prove it?"

The elder turned to Zhang Xuan and harrumphed.

If the other party couldn't prove it, then he could only be spouting nonsense.

"If it were anyone else, there would be no way to prove it other than forging the pill and consuming it. However... it just happens that I do have a way to prove it!"

As though expecting the other party to ask this question, Zhang Xuan's lips curled up. He turned to Liu Chang and asked, "I'll have to trouble you to fetch a piece of leaf for me!"

Liu Chang turned to the elder, and upon seeing the latter nod his head, he walked over and plucked out a leaf.

"Try burning it with fire!" Zhang Xuan instructed.

"Teacher..."

The elder gestured toward him.

"Do as he says!"

Even though he didn't quite trust the other party's words, the other party's calmness had unnerved him.

If the other party were truly spouting nonsense, the other party would have surely flustered before his immense strength and authority. Yet, not only was the other party calm, his movements also exuded deep confidence. This casted doubt in the elder's mind.

Could the Verdant Bamboo... really be a fake?

But that's impossible!

He had specially examined it several times, and regardless of whether it was its stem, leaves, aura, degree of hardness... There were no problems whatsoever.

"Yes!"

Upon receiving his teacher's consent, Liu Chang nodded and took out an ignitable fire roll. Then, he turned to Zhang Xuan and harrumphed coldly, "This single leaf is worth at least dozens of spirit stones. If your words turn out to be a lie, I'll be expecting you to compensate our loss..."

There were only twelve leaves on the Verdant Bamboo. Given that the entire bamboo was worth three hundred spirit stones, every leaf was worth an exorbitant sum.

A single leaf was more than sufficient to purchase a city in Tianwu Kingdom.

In that sense, every leaf was literally worth a city.

Yet, due to this fellow's claim, they were going to burn a single leaf. The huge loss left even a 2-star appraiser like him with an aching heart.

"Don't worry, if there's no problem with the Verdant Bamboo, I'll surely compensate you. However... I'm afraid that you won't be saying such words in a moment's time," Zhang Xuan said.

"Hmph, let's see what you're up to then!"

Seeing the confidence on Zhang Xuan's face, Liu Chang harrumphed. He ignited the ignitable fire roll and placed it beneath the leaves.

Weng!

After around two minutes, just as Liu Chang was about to demand Zhang Xuan to compensate them, his hands suddenly jolted violently. The green leaf abruptly turned black and an incomparably pungent smell exuded from it. If there was hell in this world, this was probably what it would smell like. The sight felt extremely sinister.

"Ah..."

Shocked, Liu Chang subconsciously let go of the fire roll and the leaf.

"This..."

Jin Conghai and Gu Mu stared at one another in shock.

"Ah?"

The elder was initially looking at Zhang Xuan nonchalantly, but at this moment, his face abruptly warped in shock. He swiftly stepped forward to grab the leaf with his hands, and he stared at it with a grim expression, as though unable to believe the sight before him. "What a potent poison. If this were infused into the Verdant Crystalline Pill, not only would it not dispel one's inner demons, it would even seep into one's zhenqi, assault one's internal organs, causing one to die on the spot..."

As he spoke, cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

If the other party hadn't said anything at all and he'd taken the Verdant Bamboo back to have it forged into Verdant Crystalline Pills, many people would have died. At the same time, his reputation would be completely ruined!

On top of that, he was intending to consume one himself to try for a breakthrough into a higher realm...

If he were to really eat it... Putting aside his reputation and his standing, even his life would be gone.

"What's the meaning of this?"

The elder couldn't maintain his calmness any longer. He turned to look at the attendant with an incredibly awful complexion.

Dang lang!

Liu Chang's face was also incomparably dark. With a flick of his wrist, he drew his sword and pointed it toward the attendant, threatening to kill the latter as soon as the slightest bit of nonsense was uttered from his mouth.

If it were just a fake, they could only blame themselves for the lack of acuity in their judgement. However, it was clear that someone had laced the leaves of the Verdant Bamboo with lethal poison. From the start to the end, that young man had only moved his mouth, and only the attendant had come into contact with it. Who else could the culprit be if not him?

"Ah... Hall Master Sai, please spare me! I'm just an attendant, I've no idea what's going on. Besides, how could I possibly obtain poison of such high grade that even you're unable to perceive it..."

The attendant's knee immediately caved in, and he hurriedly kowtowed non-stop, pleading for the other party to spare him.

Other people might not know this elder's identity and the authority he wielded, but he was well aware of it!

To that elder, killing him was no different from killing an ant.

Thus, not daring to hesitate in the least, he immediately kneeled down and admitted his fault.

"Alright, he's indeed unaware of it!"

Recovering from his shock, the elder realized that he had also blamed the attendant erroneously. Thus, he gestured for Liu Chang to sheathe his sword.

Given the lethality and inconspicuous nature of the poison hidden within the Verdant Bamboo, it must be at least a grade-4 poison.

In other words, the one who poisoned the Verdant Bamboo was most probably at least a 4-star poison master. How could a person of that standing be willing to serve as a mere attendant in the First Class Pavilion? Besides, if the other party truly wanted to make a move on him, given how his guard was down just now, there was no need for him to go through so much trouble.

After all, he might not necessarily buy the Verdant Bamboo. Thus, the hypothesis that the other party had poisoned the Verdant Bamboo in advance to harm him didn't seem to hold.

"Hmph!"

Liu Chang sheathed his sword, but he still maintained an air of hostility.

The medicinal herb that his teacher bought was actually laced with lethal poison. If news were to spread, his teacher would be in great trouble.

To successfully lace a medicinal herb within the First Class Pavilion with poison, who in the world could it be?

And what did he hope to achieve from this?

"Little brother, thank you for your help!"

The elder turned to Zhang Xuan once more, and this time, instead of disdain and coldness, his gaze was filled with commendation and respect.

Even he was unable to discern any problem with this Verdant Bamboo. Yet, the other party was able to determine that there was a problem with it without even getting close to it. His eye of discernment was way too fearsome!

Most probably, the other party's appraising ability was even higher than his.

Fearsome!

"Now, it's been proved that the Verdant Bamboo is a fake, right?" Zhang Xuan glanced at the elder.

"Yes... It's a fake!" After a moment of hesitation, the elder nodded.

The main purpose of a Verdant Bamboo was to forge it into a pill to supplement one's cultivation. Yet, this stalk would kill the one who ingests it. In that sense, it could indeed be considered a fake.

"Actually, you need not blame him nor the First Class Pavilion. They weren't the ones who laced the Verdant Bamboo with poison. In fact, it wasn't the doing of a human at all!" Placing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan lifted his head slightly and spoke with composure.

"It wasn't the doing of a human?"

The elder was bewildered. Even Jin Conghai and Gu Mu couldn't help but turn their gazes over.

Other people might not know too much about poison, but the two of them were true poison masters. They had grown up alongside poison, and they possessed broad knowledge in the field.

The poison contained in the Verdant Bamboo was extremely bizarre. It had already melded within the veins of the leaves, making it extremely difficult to be noticed. On top of that, the poison was exceptionally potent such that it could even kill a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert easily. All evidence pointed to it being the doing of a 4-star poison master.

If it wasn't the doing of a human, then... where did the poison come from?

"Bring me the information on the production of the Verdant Bamboo!"

Instead of answering the crowd's doubts, Zhang Xuan turned to the attendant from before and instructed.

"Yes..."

Upon hearing the young man speaking up for him and the First Class Pavilion, the attendant flashed him a look of gratitude before hurriedly walking out. Not too long later, he returned with a book in his hands.

Most larger retailers would look thoroughly into the background of the artifacts they bought and compile it into a book so as to prepare their attendants for the questions of the customers.

This could enhance the value of the treasure and track down the source of the problem if a fault appeared in the goods.

"Read it out loud!" Zhang Xuan instructed.

"Un!" The attendant nodded. Flipping open the book, he began reciting, "Verdant Bamboo, originated from Hongxu Marsh. It was found by a merchant company and four months ago, the merchant company used a unique method to pick it and delivered it here..."

The information regarding the Verdant Bamboo was extremely detailed, and it even included details on who was the one who dug it out, who was the one who delivered it, where was the trade conducted, what kind of method was used to preserve its freshness...

All in all, the introduction took up more than several hundred words.

However, upon hearing the introduction, not only did the crowd not feel enlightened, they fell into even deeper confusion.

The Verdant Bamboo was extremely well-guarded and there was no chance for a poison master to lay his hands on it at all. Thus, this made the possibility of it being a human doing extremely unlikely.

But if it wasn't a human doing, then how did the poison get here?

"The lethal poison had seeped into the branches and leaves, but yet, there isn't any damage on the plant at all. In fact, it's impossible for one to discern that it's poisoned from its outer appearance. Even 4-star poison masters would require a long duration of time to achieve such a feat!"

Jin Conghai spoke with a grim expression. He was also intrigued by this matter.

If those records were real, there was indeed no way for anyone to strike at all.

After all, it was no easy task for even a 4-star master teacher to poison the Verdant Bamboo so inconspicuously.

One had to know that lethal poison had an adverse effect on plants as well.

"What's going on?"

The more Appraiser Liu Chang listened on, the more confused he became. Eventually, unable to withstand his curiosity anymore, he turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "You still don't understand?"

Zhang Xuan chuckled and said, "Fine, I'll explain the matter then! I believe all of us here should know what the specialty of Hongxu Marsh!"

"Specialty? That region seems to specialize in the production of [Withered Leaf Tea]... Could it be related to that?"

The elder couldn't help but turn to look at Zhang Xuan.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 455: Concrete News of the Soulless Metal Humanoid

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The Withered Leaf Tea, also known as the Withered Glory Tea, was a well-known specialty of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's Hongxu Marsh.

The tea grew in the marsh, and in a single year, there was only a single month that it would be alive. At any other time, it would be no different from a withered tree.

Dead branches growing leaves, one withered while the other glorified, life and death intertwined together in such a mystical manner; this was where the origin of the name of the tea came from.

Upon preparation, this tea could grant one the refreshing sensation of the four seasons, thus making it one of the most well-known tea throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

However, Hongxu Marsh was extremely dangerous. There were Transcendent Mortal experts who were devoured by the marsh, never to be seen on the face of this world every again. On top of that, there's only a month of harvest for the tea leaves and the production amount was extremely low. As such, very few people had a chance to taste it.

"Indeed, that place is known for the production of Withered Leaf Tea! But there's also an animal which lingers around the tea leaves... the Withered Leaf Snake!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Un!"

The crowd nodded in agreement.

The Withered Leaf Snake was a spirit beast which lived off the Withered Leaf Tea. It was a highly venomous spirit beast, and even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert would die easily if bitten by it.

"Could it be that the venom on the Withered Leaf Tea... comes from the Withered Leaf Snake? But that can't be! Even though the Withered Tea Snake's poison is lethal, it has a unique smell to it. On top of it, its saliva also leaves a mark, making it extremely conspicuous to the eye. However, there's no visible damage apparent on this Verdant Bamboo, and it looks as good as new..."

The elder couldn't help but remark.

The Withered Leaf Snake was an extremely fearsome adversary that even Transcendent Mortals had to be careful of, thus contributing to its great reputation. If the Withered Leaf Snake had left behind its saliva on the Verdant Bamboo, he would surely be able to tell so.

"It's not the saliva of the snake, but that... this Verdant Bamboo was the nest for the Withered Leaf Snake. In other words, this smooth-looking bamboo has had a Withered Leaf Snake slithering over it every single day," Zhang Xuan said with a grim expression.

"Ah..."

Hearing the words, the face of the attendant holding the records immediately paled, and he nearly stumbled over.

He was in charge of taking care of the bamboo, and he had been wiping it frequently in the past few days. The thought that it used to be the nest of a snake left him flustered and disgusted.

"As such, the excretions of the Withered Leaf Snake would stick onto the Verdant Bamboo, and over time, they would be absorbed and accumulate within the depths of the veins of the leaves!"

Ignoring the crowd's discomfort, Zhang Xuan continued, "As it's hidden very deeply within, it's impossible to notice it under normal circumstances and it won't have any adverse effects on individuals coming into contact with the bamboo either. However, as soon as the Verdant Bamboo comes into contact with intense heat, the poison will seep out, and all those who touches the poison will suffer greatly!

"If this Verdant Bamboo is only used as a formation core or a weapon, there wouldn't be much of a problem with it. However, it'll be disastrous if one were to use it to forge pills. Even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert would die instantaneously if he were to accidentally consume it! That's also the reason why I said that if you're intending to use it to forge Verdant Crystalline Pills, the Verdant Bamboo you're buying would be a fake!" Zhang Xuan explained.

"So that's the case!"

Upon coming to a realization, the crowd turned to look at the young man in admiration.

To be able to notice the poison hidden deeply within the Verdant Bamboo just by looking at it, how deep must his understanding of the properties of plants, their habitats, and origins be!

"Incredible!"

The elder clenched his fists tightly together.

Putting all other things aside, just the other party's eye of discernment was already far superior to his own.

"Gongzi is indeed formidable, you've truly taught me a valuable lesson today. Since you're interested in the [Spirit Calming Grass, allow me to gift it to you as a token of my gratitude!" the elder gestured grandly and said.

"Teacher..."

Liu Chang was stunned.

Just a moment ago, when that fellow said that he was offering five hundred gold coins to purchase the Spirit Calming Grass, he thought that there was something wrong with the other party's head. But thinking back on it now, the other party had probably already expected this sight then.

But still, the Spirit Calming Grass was something worth five hundred spirit stones! To give it away just like that... wasn't his teacher being a little too generous?

Even though the other party had helped him by pointing out that there was venom within the Verdant Bamboo, there was no need for such a generous token of gratitude.

"Could it be that... But how is that possible! How could he have predicted this too?"

Suddenly, Liu Chang recalled something and his entire body stiffened. Then, he began to tremble violently.

He suddenly understood why his teacher was being so generous.

An appraiser could only make three appraising mistakes in his entire life. Exceed that amount and one's qualifications would be revoked.

His teacher had appraised countless treasures, and he had already reached the limit of three mistakes. If he were to make another single error, he would be revoked of his license as an appraiser!

In other words, if the other party hadn't interfered and his teacher were to have this Verdant Bamboo forged into a pill, even if no one were to die from this incident, his teacher would still lose his appraiser qualifications.

Being in a high position for many years, it was unavoidable that he would offend many people and have many enemies. If he lost the protection of his identity, his enemies could potentially come straight for him. In other words... the other party had saved his teacher's life. Putting aside the Spirit Calming Grass, even if it was something even more valuable than that, his teacher would probably give it to him willingly.

But... the matter regarding his teacher reaching the limit of three appraising errors was only known among his teacher's close friends and kin. How did this fellow find out about it? And if he didn't know about it, how could he be so sure that his teacher would give the Spirit Calming Grass to him out of gratitude?

Recalling the encounter a moment ago on the first floor...

Could this young fellow be actually an incomparable expert appraiser?

As such a thought flashed across Liu Chang's mind, the hurriedly turned to look at the young man in an attempt to confirm his evaluation, only to see the young man reply with a righteous look, "How can I accept such a valuable present as a gift? Sun Qiang, pass this senior five hundred gold coins. We have to pay the sum that we agreed on so that this elder doesn't make a loss!"

Pu!

It was just a moment ago that Liu Chang thought that the other party was an expert, but upon hearing those words, Liu Chang's body swayed violently and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

The heck!

To speak such shameless words so brazenly, where is your dignity?

What was the difference between five hundred gold coins and not paying at all?

Was this how an expert should behave?

Hurriedly turning to look at his teacher, he saw his teacher wobbling unstably on his feet, and it seemed as though blood was welling up in his chest. His entire face steeled in frustration, "Gongzi, this is my heartfelt gratitude. There's really no need... for money!"

"Elder, there's no need to be so courteous with me!" The young man insisted. "Five hundred gold coins... is still within my means!"

"..." Liu Chang.

Any trash that you pick up from a battlefield would be worth that much money, of course it is within your means...

Knowing that he would definitely die of frustration if they were to continue quarreling on this matter, the elder chose to accept the gold coins. "I see that gongzi seems to be well-versed in appraising as well. May I know... who is your teacher? Could he be an appraiser as well?"

Liu Chang immediately became more attentive.

Given how the other party was able to discover a problem, which even his teacher couldn't notice, his mastery in appraising had reached an incredible level.

Such a capable young individual must have a peerless expert behind him. He was curious to know which grandmaster Zhang Xuan's teacher was.

"Our young master is Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, and his teacher is Master Teacher Yang Xuan." Sun Qiang stepped forward and introduced proudly.

"Master teacher?"

The elder froze for a moment before coming to realization. His respect for the other party deepened.

On the other hand, Liu Chang leaped back in shock.

If only he knew that the other party had this kind of identity, he wouldn't have dared to stand against him from the start.

Even though an appraiser was one of the most lucrative occupations, it still couldn't match up to master teachers.

It was just like a government official and a noveau riche; no matter how wealthy one was, the level of influence and prestige the two wielded were worlds apart.

On top of that, this appraising capability of this master teacher wasn't inferior to even that of his teacher.

"I see, that explains your acute eye of discernment. Please do pardon me for my previous rudeness!"

After recovering from his momentary shock, the elder clasped his fist and said, "I am Sai Xiaoyu. I am unbefitting of the address 'elder' so feel free to call me Brother Sai instead!"

The other party's appraising capability wasn't beneath him, and on top of that, he was a master teacher as well. The elder immediately thought of befriending the other party.

"Sai Xiaoyu? Could you be... Hall Master Sai of the Appraiser Hall?"

Upon hearing that name, Zhao Feiwu couldn't help but agitatedly ask.

As the princess of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and an avid reader, she knew quite a bit about the experts at the peaks the various occupations within the alliance.

It was said that the head of the Appraiser Hall was a man by the name of Sai Xiaoyu, and he was a 4-star pinnacle appraiser. He had appraised countless treasures throughout his life, and it was said that the Alliance Head Residence had hosted him as one of their esteemed guests before.

She thought that it would be nigh impossible to meet such experts, and never in her dreams did she expect to find one being taught a lesson and scammed of a Spirit Calming Grass right before her...

"The position of a hall master is just a result of my old buddies' flattery, it's not worth mentioning!" Upon being recognized, Sai Xiaoyu shook his head with a smile.

"I see, so it's Hall Master Sai. This is great, I just happen to have something that I require your help on."

Upon learning of the other party's identity, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up and he asked, "I heard that... a Soulless Metal Humanoid has been found in Honghai City. May I know if the news is true, and if so, where it is?"

This was the main reason why he came to Honghai City.

Since this person was the head of the Appraiser Hall, if the news was real, he would definitely be aware of it.

"Soulless Metal Humanoid? I see, Brother Zhang is here for that!"

Hall Master Sai chuckled upon coming to a realization. "The rumors are true, and it is currently in the Appraiser Hall right now. The auction would be carried out tonight."

"Tonight?"

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together, and a troubled look slowly crept onto his face.

It was already afternoon by the time the group arrived at Honghai City, and they spent quite a bit of time strolling around the Appraiser Hall as well. Judging from the current time, wasn't the auction about to start already?

Yet... he didn't even have a single spirit stone on him at the moment.

Without any money on him, he would probably be expelled right at the door, lest to say, participate in the auction.

One must know that it was a common procedure for larger auctions to demand an entrance fee so as to sieve out true buyers from the troublemakers. Otherwise, if everyone could enter freely, it might cause chaos in the auctioning.

"Indeed, it'll be conducted two hours later. If Brother Zhang is interested in the auction, I can reserve a suite for you!" Sai Xiaoyu said.

"I'll be thanking Brother Sai in advance then!"

Nodding his head in agitation, Zhang Xuan continued, "May I know how many spirit stones will it require to win the Soulless Metal Humanoid?"

Only with sufficient information could he make thorough preparations.

"The Soulless Metal Humanoid is something left behind by the soul oracles so it's rather difficult to estimate its price. Our primary evaluation has priced it at 1500 spirit stones, but considering the atmosphere in the auction, its final price will definitely be jacked up to at least three thousand spirit stones!"

Sai Xiaoyu explained before turning to look at Zhang Xuan with a smile, "Why? Is Brother Zhang interested in the matter?"

"I am. It's just that... I'm a little short on funds..."

Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly.

"Short on funds?" Sai Xiaoyu chuckled. "There's no need for worry about that. I have some savings of my own so I can lend some of it to you to make up for the amount you are lacking. May I know how much money are you short of?"

"You're willing to lend some money to me? Great!"

Zhang Xuan gazed at Sai Xiaoyu in gratitude, "I am still lacking three thousand spirit stones, can you... lend the money to me?"

"..." Sai Xiaoyu.

"..." Liu Chang.

"..." Everyone.

Chapter 456: Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Three thousand spirit stones should be sufficient for you to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid. To borrow so much money... Does that mean that you don't even have a single spirit stone on you...

A dark line streaked across Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai's foreheads.

It was no wonder why this fellow offered gold coins each time he tried to buy something. They thought that it was an eccentric quirk of an expert... But to think that there would be such a practical reason to it!

To think of buying the Soulless Metal Humanoid without any money on hand...

Just the thought of it left them faint-headed.

"Cough cough!" Sai Xiaoyu coughed. He nearly choked to death on the other party's words. "Brother Zhang Xuan, this... Do you not have even a single spirit stone on you?"

"That's right!" Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

He had only started with a total of ten or so spirit stones, and he had used it all in the midst of the journey. As such, his pockets were completely empty at the moment.

Even though he had almost a hundred million gold coins in his storage ring, gold coins weren't really in use here. In a sense, it wasn't wrong to say that Zhang Xuan didn't have even a single cent on him.

"This..."

Not expecting the other party to reply so candidly, Sai Xiaoyu's face turned so red that it nearly oozed blood.

In truth, it was only out of politeness that he offered to lend the other party money. After all, given the other party's capability, he was indeed a person worth befriending. Yet, the other party took it for real and asked for three thousand at a single go...

The heck!

Even though he was the head of the Appraiser Hall, he didn't have that much money on him either. Furthermore, he had just spent two thousand spirit stones and given away a stalk of Spirit Calming Grass...

Even if you wanted to exploit the rich, you should at least show some restraint!

"You don't have that much money? Never mind then. Is there any way to earn money swiftly in the Appraiser Hall?"

Seeing the other party's expression, Zhang Xuan immediately knew that the other party was surely unable to fork out this sum, and he shook his head in disappointment.

In truth, he was only giving it a try. He didn't really think that the other party would be able to loan him this massive sum of money.

Besides, the both of them had only just met. It would be bizarre if one was willing to lend such a huge sum to a stranger.

"A way to earn money swiftly? You wish to earn sufficient money now to join the auction two hours later to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid?" Sai Xiaoyu and the crowd nearly spurted blood.

That fellow sure knew how to dream!

If it was that easy to earn spirit stones, he, as the head of the Appraiser Hall, wouldn't have to come over here to browse through the various artifacts in hopes of earning a profit.

If there was truly such an easy way to earn spirit stones, he would have surely done it himself already. There was no reason to leave it for someone else.

"Un, I have to earn three thousand spirit stones before the auction!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

If he didn't earn this sum of money within the next two hours, he would be unable to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid and thus miss the opportunity to wake Lu Chong up.

"There's truly no way around it. You also know it yourself, three thousand spirit stones is a huge sum..."

Seeing that the other party was serious, Sai Xiaoyu shook his head helplessly.

Appraisers mainly earned their money through the price difference from buying and selling treasures. Even for Sai Xiaoyu, it would take several years before he could save three thousand spirit stones. Furthermore, it was assuming that he was lucky enough to stumble by cheap treasures and find suitable buyers.

Without meeting these two conditions, it would be impossible for him to earn money. In fact, it was often that he wasn't able to find any suitable buyers for the treasure that he bought.

To earn three thousand spirit stones in two hours... No one would dare to even dream of it!

"Teacher..."

But halfway through his words, Liu Chang abruptly interjected.

Turning around, he saw his student looking at him hesitantly, "I think that maybe 'that'... can earn one that much money within two hours!"

"That? Do you mean... [Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets]?"

Sai Xiaoyu's body jolted, but he eventually simply shook his head with a bitter smile on his face, "It's impossible for anyone to succeed in it! It has been many years since the establishment of the Appraiser Hall, but there hasn't been a single person who passed it yet..."

"But that's the only way for one to earn three thousand spirit stones within two hours. I don't think that there's any other plausible way other than that!" Liu Chang shook his head.

Even though being an appraiser was a lucrative occupation, spirit stones still weren't that easy to earn.

Usually, they would earn a commission determined by the value of the item. However, putting aside how there were very few valuable treasures to be appraised, there weren't many customers in the first place. After all, no one would be willing to spend their spirit stones if they could avoid it.

Thus, even if Zhang Xuan were to offer his service as an appraiser at this moment, it was impossible for him to gather three thousand spirit stones in just two hours.

"This..."

Sai Xiaoyu hesitated.

He knew that what his student said was true.

"Why? Do you have an idea in mind? What does Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets mean?" Zhang Xuan asked, having heard the conversation of the duo.

"Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is actually a trial for the 5-star appraiser examination. Once one passes the examination, one will be entitled to a massive reward accumulated within the Appraiser Hall over a long period of time. If I'm not wrong, it's worth... around five thousand spirit stones now..."

Since the other party asked about it, Sai Xiaoyu could only explain the matter.

"Trial?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. "There are rewards to taking high-tiered appraiser examinations?"

He had taken on the master teacher examination, beast tamer examination, painter examination, physician examination... But he had never heard of one earning rewards from taking on the examination.

If that was true, then he should indeed try taking on the appraiser examination.

"There's indeed a reward, but it is actually... prize money accumulated over time." Seeing through Zhang Xuan's thoughts, Sai Xiaoyu shook his head helplessly.

"Prize money?" Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in confusion.

Zhao Feiwu had read many books, but even she was unaware of the internal rules within the Appraiser Hall.

"Un, there are many appraisers in the Appraiser Hall, but... there's a limit to the knowledge an individual can wield. As such, appraisers often stumble by treasures that they were unable to be identified. Some of these treasures had been discussed by innumerable appraisers throughout generations, but no one was able to accurately identify what they were.

"Thus, in order to dispel their doubts, some of our predecessors chose to offer monetary incentives out of their own pocket to attract others to come forward, examine, and identify these treasures, as well as to encourage their juniors to study hard and solve these mysteries. However... even until date, no one has succeeded yet. As time passed, the reward grew larger and larger, and to date, it has already reached five thousand spirit stones!" Sai Xiaoyu said.

While the reward was indeed tempting... but how could be easy to identify the treasures that countless predecessors had failed to successfully appraise!

"There's such a matter?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.

This seemed somewhat similar to the Wall of Dilemma of the Physician Guild. No matter how impressive a guild was, there would always be problems that would stump them.

"Indeed! It has been long since the founding of the Appraiser Hall, and many talented appraisers have given it a try. However, no one had yet to succeed!" Sai Xiaoyu shook his head.

The reason why he didn't bring it up was simply because it was way too hard. He was the most impressive appraiser in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, but even he was helpless before it, needless to say, a youngster like Zhang Xuan.

"Yet to succeed? But since no one knows what those treasures are, how do you ascertain whether someone has succeeded or not?" Zhang Xuan asked in puzzlement.

Since even the predecessors were unable to identify those treasures, then who could confirm if one's answer was right or not? After all, if no one could identify those treasures, no one could say for sure whether one's evaluation was right or not.

"When a treasure reaches Sprit rank, it'll gain wisdom. As long as there's no mistake in one's description, one will be acknowledged by the treasure. Besides, we're all official appraisers. Even though we might not be able to identify the treasure, we're still more than capable of assessing and testing whether one's answer is correct or not!" Sai Xiaoyu explained helplessly.

These were basic facts that an appraiser should know, yet this fellow didn't even know about it at all? Was this fellow truly an appraiser who was more than capable than him?

"That's true..." Zhang Xuan came to a realization.

Even if a formidable appraiser was unable to identify the specifics of a treasure, they should still have a way to determine whether a person's evaluation was correct or not.

If they didn't even have this much skill, they would be unqualified as an appraiser.

"Alright, bring me over to take a look. I would like to give it a try!" Knowing that this method could bring him easy money, Zhang Xuan swiftly made up his mind.

"Brother Zhang, hold it for a moment. Allow me to finish my words first before you make your decision!" Seeing the other party deciding on the matter recklessly, Sai Xiaoyu hurriedly stopped him.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Even though there's a reward for this trial, there's actually stake involved. Every challenge requires one to put a hundred spirit stones as deposit! But of course, I can pay the deposit for you, so there's no need for you to worry about it." Sai Xiaoyu said.

"A hundred spirit stones?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

It seemed like there was no free lunch in the world.

He thought that he could join for free, but that didn't seem like it was the case.

But thinking about it, it was to be expected. Without this restriction, all appraisers would be rushing to give it a try whenever they had the time, and the Appraiser Hall wouldn't be able to function normally anymore.

"Not only so, there's also a strict time limit to the challenge!"

Sai Xiaoyu continued, "Just as the name, Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, suggests, the treasures will be sent down to one via water, and one will be given ten breaths to assess and identify it at a river bend. After which, one'll have to point out the name and origin of the treasure immediately!"

"Point out the name and origin of the treasure within ten breaths? How is that possible?" Before Zhang Xuan could say anything, Zhao Feiwu had already exclaimed in shock.

To identify something, an appraiser usually had to do all kinds of assessment on the artifact, such as using a magnifying crystal, studying the patterns on it, and knocking on it to determine its constituents.

The identification of any treasure was a lengthy and troublesome process; even if one was familiar with the item, one would have to confirm it multiple times before coming to an evaluation.

Yet, to have to offer a correct answer in just ten breaths, that was outright impossible!

On top of that, one was supposed to identify a treasure that even the predecessors were unable to identify?

"Before the identification process, is there any tip or information available to one?" Zhao Feiwu asked.

If there was some information, one could at least prepare oneself and focus on the key points of the treasure immediately.

"There isn't! The main reason why we're reluctant to give out prior information is so as to not mislead the challengers!" Sai Xiaoyu said.

If anyone knew what the treasure was for sure, they would have long passed the trial. Since no one was able to identify the treasure, the information was bound to be incomplete. If so, there was a high chance it could influence the challenger's evaluation and impede them from coming up with the correct answer.

"That's true..."

Zhao Feiwu frowned deeply.

While the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets sounded like easy money, it was simply way too difficult. Putting aside 4-star appraisers, even 5-star appraisers would probably be stumped by it.

Just as Zhao Feiwu was about to turn to Zhang Xuan and advise him against it, the latter smiled lightly and replied, "Alright then, I wish to challenge this Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. I'll borrow a hundred spirit stones from you first, and after I'm done with it, I'll return you the sum multiple folds!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 457: Why Don't We Make a Bet Then?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Seeing the other party insist on it, Sai Xiaoyu relented, "If you really wish to attempt it, I can bring you over!"

Even though the young man before him was able to see through a problem that he couldn't discern, deep in his heart, he still thought that it was impossible for the other party to pass the trial. Thus, he didn't pay much heed to Zhang Xuan's declaration of paying him back multiple folds. Truthfully, he had already regarded the hundred spirit stones as a gift.

After putting away the items that he had bought, the group walked out of the First Class Pavilion and headed up the stairs.

The bottom two floors of the Appraiser Hall were markets while the floors beyond that made up their official guild. Walking into the lounge, they saw dozens of people lining up in two neat columns with all kinds of treasures in their hands.

These artifacts weren't too valuable; they were most probably ordinary goods that could be bought for just several spirit stones on the first floor.

There were two young men at the very front of the queue examining each of the customers' artifacts carefully. After assessing it closely, they would leave a mark on it and write an appraisal document.

Some of those who had their artifacts appraised left overjoyed whereas some left depressed.

Both fake and authentic goods were mixed up with one another in the market on the first floor; if one chose correctly, one could make a huge profit. Otherwise, one could only concede to their misfortune. Looking at the expression of the crowd, it was clear that a larger proportion of the people belonged to the latter group.

"There are some who feel worried even after buying their goods so they would come over here and have their items appraised. The ones conducting the appraisal on this floor are 1-star appraisers who have just passed their examination!" Sai Xiaoyu said.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had also seen the single shining golden star on the emblem pinned in front of the two young men's chests.

1-star appraisers were already capable of identifying some of the more common and simpler treasures, and the artifacts sent here were mostly of this tier as well.

"The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is in front, let's proceed on!"

The group didn't dawdle in the main lounge for too long. Under Sai Xiaoyu's lead, it didn't take long for them to arrive at a room.

"Hall Master Sai!"

"Teacher!"

Upon walking into a room, several elders immediately came forward and greeted Sai Xiaoyu respectfully.

As the hall master, Sai Xiaoyu wielded immense prestige in the Appraiser Hall. There were many 3-star appraisers who were his students, and they were indebted to him for his guidance.

Taking a glance in the room, there were only around six to seven people here. Puzzled, Zhao Feiwu asked, "How many appraisers are there in the Appraiser Hall in total?"

Upon hearing the question, a bitter smile appeared on Sai Xiaoyu's face as he shook his head, "Even though the Appraiser Hall sounds impressive, including me, there is only a total of three 4-star and eight 3-star appraisers. The others are all 2-star and 1-star appraisers!"

"So few people?" The crowd was taken aback.

Seeing the grandness of the Appraiser Hall, they thought that there would be at least a dozen of 4-star appraisers here. Yet, contrary to their expectations, there were only three of them.

It was no wonder why people said that it was hard to qualify as an appraiser. From the looks of it now, that didn't seem like just a rumor.

"Indeed!" Sai Xiaoyu shook his head. Changing the topic, he turned to the two 3-star appraisers and said, "Call Elder Chen and Elder Lu over. Tell them that someone is interested in challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets!"

"Challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets?"

The duo was taken aback. They hurriedly turned around and left.

As 3-star appraisers, they were well aware of the difficulty of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. It had been many years already, but still, not a single person had succeeded. To think that someone would still be interested in attempting it even now, he must be blinded by the immense reward.

Not too long later, two white-bearded elders walked over. Before they even reached the room, a rough voice had already sounded, "Hall Master Sai, someone intends to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets? Is it Old Hu or Old Du? Those two fellows haven't given up yet?"

The Old Hu and Old Du that he spoke of were 4-star appraisers from other branches.

They had visited Honghai City several times in hopes of clearing the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, but to date, they hadn't succeeded yet.

Only those two fellows had attempted the trial in the past few years. Most of the appraisers didn't bother trying, knowing the difficulty of the trial. Thus, as soon as the two elders heard that someone intended to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, they immediately thought of them.

"Hmm? Where are they?"

Looking around the room but not seeing the familiar figures he expected to see, the rough-voiced elder asked in bewilderment.

"Elder Chen, the challenger this time isn't one of them. It's this little brother here, Zhang Xuan!"

Seeing Elder Chen looking around in bewilderment, Sai Xiaoyu shook his head and stopped the latter.

"Him?"

Not only were the two elders stunned, the other appraisers in the room also had a confused expression on their face.

They thought that the one challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets would be some incredible appraiser, but to think that it would still be an immature fellow who wasn't even twenty yet.

Ignoring the crowd's reaction, Sai Xiaoyu introduced, "Brother Zhang, this is Elder Chen Yu. The one next to him is Elder Lu Xi. They are the other two 4-star appraisers of the guild!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Even if Sai Xiaoyu hadn't introduced them, Zhang Xuan had also guessed as much. Even though the two elders weren't dressed in the appraiser robe, their aura was incredibly profound and heavy. With just a look, it was clear that they possessed incredible cultivation that was on par with Jin Conghai.

Judging from their strength and their casual attitude before Sai Xiaoyu, it was clear that they were the two remaining 4-star appraisers.

"Hall master, what did you call him? Brother?"

Elder Chen was the first to notice Sai Xiaoyu's bizarre way of addressing Zhang Xuan, and he was puzzled by it.

As the head of the Appraiser Hall, his standing was so high that everyone, with the exception of them two, had to address him as 'teacher'. Yet, he actually addressed a young fellow as 'brother'... What could that young fellow's background be?

"Un, even though Brother Zhang is young, his expertise in appraising is in no way inferior to me!" Sai Xiaoyu chuckled.

"In no way inferior to you... Aren't you exaggerating it a little too much?" Elder Chen shook his head in disbelief. The other appraisers in the room shared his thoughts as well.

Rather than talent, appraising was more about experience and knowledge.

Knowledge formed the basis of an appraiser's evaluation, and only with boundless knowledge would one be able to reach great heights in the path of an appraiser.

Judging from this fellow's appearance, he seemed to be only eighteen or nineteen this year. Even if he had started studying from his mother's womb, at maximum, he only had twenty years to accrue knowledge. How could he possibly compete with Hall Master Sai, a 4-star appraiser who had devoted his entire life to appraising?

"It's true. A problem has occurred with the Verdant Bamboo that teacher appraised previously..." Seeing the doubt in the eyes of the crowd, Liu Chang quickly explained the happenings from earlier.

"You mean that... with just a look, he noticed the lethal poison contained with the Verdant Bamboo and determined that it wasn't suitable for the forging of pills?"

"This doesn't seem like the means of an appraiser, doesn't it?"

After hearing Liu Chang's story, not only were the crowd unimpressed, their bewilderment only deepened.

An appraiser would have to examine the bamboo carefully, perhaps taking some samples and experimenting with them even before coming to such a conclusion. Yet, to be able to determine so much with just a single glance... Why did he feel like a fortune teller instead?

"Alright, Brother Zhang, we'll open the chamber to the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets for you right now. You'll have to enter alone, and there'll be a total of ten treasures within. As long as you appraise a single one of them accurately, you will be considered to have passed the trial!"

Disregarding the doubtful looks from the crowd, Sai Xiaoyu waved his hands.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan replied.

It didn't seem difficult since he only had to identify one of the artifacts correctly.

"Let's begin!"

Sai Xiaoyu beckoned for Elder Chen and Elder Lu to the wall, and each of them took out a key and placed it into an aperture in the wall.

Jiya!

The wall parted, revealing a door within,

The artifacts within the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets were incredible treasures. Thus, for security purposes, only when the three keys were gathered could it be opened.

Without the three keys, even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert would be unable to enter.

With a flick of his wrist, Sai Xiaoyu took out a pile of spirit stones and placed it within a gray aperture on the wall. In an instant, it was as though a formation had been activated, and brilliant light shone from it.

"You can enter now!"

Sai Xiaoyu gestured.

Thus, Zhang Xuan began walking over. However, before he could walk through the door, Elder Chen stepped in front of him.

"Do you understand the difficulty of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets?"

Even though Hall Master Sai had just praised the other party, he still didn't think too much of this young man.

If Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was that simple, someone else would have succeeded long ago.

"I have no idea!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I have just heard about it, and it's said that as long as one clears the trial, one will be entitled to a reward of five thousand spirit stones. Thus, I decided to give it a try!"

"You dare to challenge it... right after hearing about it?"

Elder Chen felt his vision turning dark.

He thought that the other party might be genius who had prepared a long time for this since Hall Master Sai had brought him over. Yet, to think that he had come over right after hearing of it...

Also, what did he mean by five thousand spirit stones? It can't be that he was here for the reward, was he?

Elder Chen was furious.

The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets wasn't a mere challenge. It was a trial for 5-star appraisers as well, and as such, only 4-star appraisers were qualified to attempt it. Yet, to wish to challenge it just for the prize money, wasn't the other party taking this way too lightly?

"Hall Master Sai, to allow a person to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets just for the prize money, isn't this infringing on the prestige of the Appraiser Hall?"

Unable to hold back his rage, Elder Chen turned to Sai Xiaoyu to protest.

To wish to attempt a 5-star appraiser examination test just for its monetary reward, the other party was underestimating the occupation a little way too much.

"Elder Chen, you're exaggerating the matter. Brother Zhang is... is... here for the spirit stones, but he has the capability to back it up!"

Sai Xiaoyu intended to speak up for Zhang Xuan, but after a moment of hesitation, he realized that this fellow... was indeed here for the spirit stones!

"Capability to back up his words? Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was also known as Harmonious Stream of Flowing Leaves. Its meaning is simple; the challenger has to identify the type, name, origin, value, and various other properties of the artifact in the time that the artifact is flowing by... To challenge it just for the spirit stones, this..." Elder Chen protested furiously.

Interrupting the other party, Sai Xiaoyu said, "Enough, since the trial is already activated, let's just allow him to attempt it. Who knows, perhaps Brother Zhang might be able to induce a miracle?"

He didn't bear much hope for Zhang Xuan, but since he had agreed to give him a try, he decided to go through with it.

After all, the other party had done him such a huge favor. How could he face others if he couldn't even deliver what he had promised?

"Un!"

Seeing that Sai Xiaoyu had managed to keep Elder Chen in check, Zhang Xuan couldn't be bothered to say anything else. Thus, he stepped forward and entered the room.

Weng!

As soon as he entered, the doors behind him closed.

"Nonsense! This is truly nonsense!"

Elder Chen flung his sleeves in displeasure.

"This elder over here, do you mean that our young master will fail the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets?"

Just as Elder Chen was displeased with Hall Master Sai's actions and was about to protest, a nonchalant voice sounded from behind. Turning around, Elder Chen saw a plump man whose fat was trembling standing not too far away.

"Indeed, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets requires one to have a deep understanding of the art of appraising. Given how even Old Hu and Old Du weren't able to clear it, how can an eighteen or nineteen-year-old fellow like him clear the trial?"

Elder Chen harrumphed in displeasure.

"Since you're so certain of it, then... why don't we bet on it then?" the plump man said.

"Bet?" Elder Chen was taken aback.

"Indeed. I'll bet that our young master will surely be able to clear the trial while you'll bet for the opposite. As for the stakes... let's not make it too big. What do you think of three thousand spirit stones?"

The plump man stared at Elder Chen with a bright smile.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 458: Copper Hammer

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Not make it too big... and three thousand spirit stones?"

Elder Chen nearly fainted on the spot.

If he were to take out all of his assets, he could fork out this sum. However, he would be as good as bankrupt if he were to do so.

To take out so much money for a bet, you must be insane!

"Three thousand spirit stones... Do you have that much money?" Seeing that his old friend was placed in an awkward position, Elder Lu stepped forward to intervene.

"Of course I don't have that much money!" the plump man declared proudly.

"You don't have that much?"

Everyone fell speechless.

You spoke as though you had several ten thousand of spirit stones in your possession... Despite having nothing at all, you still dare to initiate a gamble, not to mention, to speak so brazenly. Aren't you being way too arrogant!

Zhao Feiwu slapped her forehead in frustration.

She had witnessed this fearless fool acting up many times, but still, she couldn't have imagined that he would go straight up to a 4-star appraiser and propose a bet... And more importantly, he didn't even have the money to pay up!

The heck, you sure are an incredible person!

"It sure is true, birds of a feather do flock together..."

She couldn't help but shake her head.

The young master of that plump man, Sun Qiang, was a fellow who seemed to fear nothing but peacefulness. Just a while ago, the young master taught Hall Master Sai a lesson in public, and now, the servant was going even further. Honestly, where did these two eccentric fellows pop out from?

"Since you don't have any money, why should I gamble with you?" Elder Chen replied with a steeled face.

"It's true that I don't have any money, but Hall Master Sai does. It's just three thousand spirit stones, he'll at least lend us this meager sum!" Sun Qiang smiled.

"..."

Hall Master Sai, who was watching the commotion by the side, didn't expect to get brought into all of the sudden. He nearly spurted blood.

He did say that he would lend some money to Zhang Xuan but that was more of a pleasantry. Yet, this master and servant duo took his words seriously; putting aside how one tried to borrow three thousand spirit stones from him for an auction, the other one was now trying to get three thousand spirit stones from him for a gamble... Do you all know what politeness is? Can you all show some restraint?

Do you all need to be so darned?

"I..."

Hall Master Sai was just about to explain when the plump man before him shook his hands casually and said, "Even if Hall Master Sai is ungrateful decides to disregard how our young master helped him, Zhao Feiwu gongzi would also surely loan the sum to us. It's just three thousand spirit stones, to gongzi, it doesn't mean anything much!"

"..." Zhao Feiwu.

I'm just an innocent passer-by, why did you have to involve me in the conflict...

Hall Master Sai's eyes also flipped over.

What do you mean by calling me ungrateful and disregard how your young master has helped me? Haven't I given him a Spirit Calming Grass already? In fact, I even suppressed all opposition and paid a hundred spirit stones for him so that he can enter the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets...

Is this not considered as repaying the favor?

The duo was just about to protest when Sun Qiang shook his hands and spoke up once more, "Look, neither of them are disagreeing with me. This shows that three thousand spirit stones mean nothing to them at all! Don't worry, if we were to lose, we'll surely be able to rake up the money to repay you. But as for you... You just declared so confidently that our young master will surely fail, it can't be that you're regretting what you said right now, can it? To think that you're a 4-star appraiser at that! To be unable to take out this little bit of money to prove yourself, how embarrassing..."

"You..."

Not expecting to be looked down on by a servant, Elder Chen's face flushed red in anger.

"What you? If you truly don't dare to gamble with me, then let's just forget about it. However, you'd better keep your mouth in check next time. Our young master is incredibly talented, and your insignificant Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets means nothing to him at all!"

Harrumphing coldly, Sun Qiang tilted his head upward arrogantly. He had complete confidence in Zhang Xuan.

"Fine, I'll wager with you then!" Seeing how the other party was getting more and more arrogant, Elder Chen couldn't hold himself back anymore.

As a 4-star appraiser, it was indeed embarrassing for him to argue with a servant. However, this plump man had truly gone too far.

His tone was contemptuous and his attitude was arrogant. On top of that, his disdainful glance... How did a 4-star appraiser like him, who was respected no matter where he went, become no different from a shameless beggar?

He could tolerate being looked down on by a 5-star appraiser, a 4-star master teacher, or even the hall master. However, being looked down by a fellow whose cultivation was only... only... He simply couldn't take this lying down!

"Not bad, does anyone else dare to wager with me? I thought that all of you doubted our young master's capability? It's not too late now. Otherwise, you won't get a second chance..."

Sun Qiang chuckled gleefully upon seeing that he had managed to hook this big fish. He immediately scanned the room for any potential customers.

"..."

Hearing that the fellow still wanted to wager with the rest of them, the crowd fell speechless.

"Look, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is beginning..."

Just as Sun Qiang was trying to dupe a few other people to wager with him, a voice amidst the crowd suddenly sounded. Everyone immediately turned to look at the wall, only to see it growing brighter and brighter, as though some formation was gradually whirling to its peak.

...

What that lay beyond the door wasn't another room but a garden. It was filled with flowers, and a faint aroma lingered in the air. There was a stream within the garden flowing from the distance, and a 'tik tak' sound echoed in the air as it struck against the rocks, forming a melodious tune.

The stream was winding, and right before Zhang Xuan was an arc that was sufficiently wide for an individual to stand on.

As soon as Zhang Xuan walked over, it was as though a formation was activated instantly. A leaf slowly flowed over from the distance.

A bizarrely-shaped object was placed on top of the leaf. Its irregular shape made it difficult for one to tell what it was.

"Seems like this is the artifact that I'll have to appraise..."

Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan realized that he couldn't see through the properties of the artifact and his eyes immediately lit up.

As expected of a treasure that stumped even 4-star master teacher. Even the Eye of Insight was unable to discern what it was.

Of the name, Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, goblets referred to wine cups and it was commonly used by literati. They would often sit by the stream and allow a goblet to slowly flow along with the currents, and whoever it reaches shall gulp down the wine and come up with a poem.

As most artifacts would simply sink due to their weight, the leaf of a Purple Mountain Tree was used to float them.

This leaf was extremely light, and it could easily keep one or two adult humans afloat on the surface of the water without any problem. This was also the reason why the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was also known as Harmonious Stream of Flowing Leaves.

"What in the world is that?"

Since the leaf hadn't reached Zhang Xuan yet, he could only assess the artifact by its shape and outer appearance.

It was around the size of a watermelon, and it was indigo in color. It seemed to be forged by some kind of special alloy.

After staring at it for a moment, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but shake his head.

He had never read any book on appraising so he wasn't too sure how appraisers work.

Given how many master appraisers couldn't identify these artifacts, how could an amateur like him possibly see through them?

"Forget it!"

Turning his head away from it, Zhang Xuan took out a paper and brush. Then, when the leaf finally reached him, he stretched out his hands to touch it.

Weng!

A book appeared in his mind.

The main reason why he dared to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was due to the Library of Heaven's Path. Otherwise, given his lacking appraising skills, he would surely be unable to identify even a single one of the artifacts.

Flipping open the book, Zhang Xuan began jotting down the details.

"Copper Hammer, crafted three thousand years ago by 5-star Blacksmith Duanmu Yiguang. Its material is an alloy consisting of thirteen rare minerals, Hundredwar Metal, Cleardust Sand, Indigold Metal... and crafted over a period of forty-nine days..."

...

While Zhang Xuan was writing on the book, the crowd outside was staring at the wall nervously.

Sun Qiang ran around to persuade others to wager with him but no one bothered with him. At this moment, everyone's attention was fixated on the wall. They wanted to know whether this young man could successfully identify an artifact and clear the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets.

"Judging from the time, the first treasure should have reached him already. Do you think he'll succeed?" an appraiser amidst the crowd asked.

"Succeed? You must be joking! Even Hall Master Sai has challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets multiple times but he was unable to identify a single one of the artifacts. This just shows how difficult the matter is. How could a young lad like him possibly succeed?"

"Putting everything aside, just look at that arrogant servant of his. Do you think that a real appraiser would have such an arrogant servant?"

"That's hard to say though. Since he's willing to propose this bet, it could only mean that he's confident..."

...

Everyone discussed with hushed voices.

Even the youngest of the appraisers in the room were in their thirties. They found it hard to accept that a lad who wasn't even twenty yet was challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets.

"Don't worry. If the artifacts in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets could be identified so easily, it wouldn't be taken as the 5-star appraiser examination!"

Seeing Elder Chen staring at the wall nervously as well, Elder Lu walked over and consoled him.

In truth, he didn't think much of Zhang Xuan either.

He had attempted the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets before, and putting aside how difficult it was to identify those peculiar artifacts, more importantly, the time which one had to examine them was way too limited. In just ten breaths, it would have already flowed away from one. How could one successfully appraise an artifact which one had never seen before in just ten breaths?

"Worry? What do I have to worry? He's just an ignorant brat. Even though he isn't an appraiser at all, he still dares to spout such arrogant words..."

Elder Chen harrumphed, but halfway through his words, a bell chimed and his body suddenly jolted.

Dong!

That sound came from the beyond the wall, and it seemed to resonate in the depths of one's soul.

"A chime? Did he fail?"

"Wait, that shouldn't be. Only after all of the artifacts have been appraised will a bell chime to indicate the challenger's failure. Judging from the time, he should have just barely appraised his first artifact!"

The crowd was taken aback. A confused look appeared on their faces.

The chiming of a bell usually meant that one had failed to identify a single artifact in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and that one had failed the trial.

Was it over already? But Zhang Xuan had only just entered a moment ago, and judging from the time, he should have only just appraised the first artifact!

"It's said that if one didn't offer the slightest appraisal on the first artifact, one will be declared to have failed the trial immediately!"

"There's such a saying?"

"Wait a moment. Now that I think about it, I recall reading it somewhere in the books before!"

Some amidst the crowd shouted and a bizarre expression immediately crept on everyone's faces.

Even if a challenger couldn't identify the first treasure, he could at least make a rough guess. If Zhang Xuan had really failed because he didn't write anything at all, that would be truly embarrassing!

Hualala!

Everyone immediately turned to look at Sun Qiang with eyes of sympathy.

Without a doubt, this fellow had lost tragically this time.

Dang lang!

But at that moment, the sound of a teacup falling to the ground echoed in the room.

Following which, everyone saw Hall Master Sai's body trembling ceaselessly, and his face gradually paled.

"That isn't... a chime. It's... Spirit Euphoria! In other words, not only did he manage to identify the artifact, he even gained the acknowledgement of the artifact's spirit!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 459: The Call of the Spirit, Acknowledgement of the Painting

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Spirit Euphoria?"

Elder Chen and Elder Lu stared at one another and froze. "How... How is that possible?"

"The chiming should be heavy and deep, but this sound is sharp and resonates with one's soul... Only the legendary Spirit Euphoria is capable of inducing such euphoria in one's heart..." Hall Master Sai said.

"This..."

The duo staggered.

Thinking back, given the agitation they had just felt from the sound a moment ago, it was indeed unlikely to be the doing of a bell chime.

Could it be really... Spirit Euphoria?

But how was that possible?

Elder Chen's face twitched, and his lips turned white.

He had just proudly declared that the other party surely wouldn't be able to identify even a single treasure, yet not only did the other party manage to do so, he even induced Spirit Euphoria...

Did he have to be so formidable?

"The Acknowledgement of a Treasure, Spirit Euphoria! This is the call that formidable spirit weapons induce when they're excited?"

"This-this..."

Hearing Hall Master Sai's words, all those who shot gazes of sympathy toward Sun Qiang were dumbfounded. It was as though someone had forced a turtle into their mouth, making it impossible for them to close it.

They thought that this fellow would lose so tragically that he might be leaving stark naked, but he managed to make such a huge comeback...

It was fortunate that no one was silly enough to wager with him previously. Otherwise, the one who would be leaving stark naked would be them!

As cold sweat drenched their backs, they subconsciously turned to look at Elder Chen, only to see his face steeled and his forehead marked with black streaks. He looked as though he would faint at any moment.

Three thousand spirit stones... Even though he was a 4-star appraiser, he was probably doubting the meaning of life at this moment.

Seeing everyone's expression, Sun Qiang asked in puzzlement, "What does Spirit Euphoria mean?"

Pu!

Elder Chen couldn't hold it back anymore and a mouthful of blood spurted out.

There was not a single appraiser who didn't know of Spirit Euphoria. In fact, even apprentices would be aware of it.

Yet, this fellow didn't know a thing at all...

It was one thing for him to lose to a 5-star appraiser or a formidable expert, but to lose to a servant who couldn't even compare to an apprentice...

Why was he so foolish as to be goaded into making the wager?

Seeing how the confused plump man was about to ask the frenzied Elder Chen about the matter, Liu Chang finally couldn't watch on anymore and hurried forward to explain, "You should know about how items can be divided into five tiers; God, Saint, Spirit, Phantom, and Mortal, right?"

"Un!" Sun Qiang nodded.

This classification wasn't a secret even in Tianxuan Kingdom. It was a common fact known to all cultivators.

"When an equipment reaches Spirit tier, it'll gain spirit. It's similar to the Spirit Creation of paintings. Even though it's unable to think like humans, it'll be able to recognize and acknowledge cultivators. This aspect is somewhat similar to having a beast tamer acknowledge one as its master."

Liu Chang continued, "Equipment that acknowledged a cultivator would release this kind of euphoric sound, and this is termed as Spirit Euphoria. As soon as it appears, a cultivator would be able to become the true master of the weapon by feeding it a droplet of his blood..."

"Become the true master?"

Sun Qiang widened his eyes in shock.

"Indeed... The artifacts on the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets are treasures that countless appraisers were unable to identify. To induce Spirit Euphoria right after he entered, could it be that... not only did he manage to identify the artifact, he even managed to analyze the strengths and flaws of it as well?

Liu Chang's face was filled with disbelief.

"Analyze the strengths and flaws?"

"Every top-notch equipment is forged with a blacksmith's heart poured into it, but due to the limitations of material and the skill of the blacksmith, flaws will appear on even the most formidable treasures. As long as this kind of flaws is made up for, the equipment could reach higher tiers.

"An equipment possessing spirit is aware of its own flaws, but as it's unable to communicate with anyone, it's unable to find a way to make up for them. Some experts could easily find these flaws and earn the acknowledgement of the spirit of the equipment. However, this is a skill that only high-raked blacksmiths possess. Why would it... appear in an appraisal?"

The more Liu Chang explained, the more confused he became.

The main responsibility of an appraiser was to determine the identity of an artifact and its background. As for the flaws and strengths of the artifact, that was beyond their means.

That was a skill that only skilled blacksmiths who had achieved a profound understanding of equipment would have.

Could it be that... the fellow inside wasn't just an appraiser but... a formidable blacksmith as well? Was that why he could easily identify the treasure and analyze its strengths and flaws?

Finally recovering from his shock, Elder Lu turned to his old friend and consoled, "The first artifact that appears happens to be an equipment. If he's a blacksmith, it's not too surprising for him to be able to identify it. However, an appraiser has to be more than capable of identifying weapons. Paintings, antiques, medicinal herbs, and even cultivation techniques and battle techniques... They must be well-rounded in all aspects. The ten artifacts of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets cover the various occupations. If he's just a blacksmith, he'll only be able to identify the first one..."

Blacksmiths had an in-depth understanding of equipment. It wasn't completely impossible for Zhang Xuan to be capable of identifying an equipment swiftly, find its strengths and flaws, and win its acknowledgement.

However, it was a pity that the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets tested one on one's appraising ability, not on one's understanding of equipment.

The ten artifacts didn't just consist of equipment. There were many other items as well. No matter how knowledgeable Zhang Xuan was in the field of equipment, he would only be able to identify one.

Elder Lu was in the midst of consoling his old friend when they heard the plump man beside them muttering to himself, "Right, didn't Hall Master Sai say that he would have cleared the trial as long as he could recognize a single artifact?"

Elder Chen had just barely calmed down when he heard those words and his face paled once more. Internally, he could feel his heart bleeding.

There had been not a single success case to the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets in the past. As such, as long as one was able to identify even one of the ten artifacts, it would be considered as a pass... In other words, regardless of whether Zhang Xuan was able to identify any other artifacts or not, he would have to part with his three thousand spirit stones!

...

While a huge wave of shock had washed over the appraisers outside, in the trial, Zhang Xuan stared at the bizarre metal hammer speechlessly.

"What are you calling out for? You scared me!"

After jotting down the details on the artifact from the Library of Heaven's Path, this toy suddenly began buzzing, causing him to nearly drop his brush in shock.

What the heck was it?

It wasn't like it was a clock, gong, or something. What was it trying to call out for!

Don't you know what is manners? It's rude to shout in public, you know!

'Forget it, I'll just write the names then...' Zhang Xuan thought.

There were seventy-two flaws on the Copper Hammer recorded in the Library of Heaven's Path, and if he were to jot down all of them, he would surely die of fatigue. Since he had written down its name, origin, and two to three of its flaws, it should be sufficient for a pass!

Putting down his brush, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze away from the Copper Hammer to wait for the arrival of the next artifact when 'hu!', the heavy lump of metal suddenly flew from the stream and landed right before him.

"What's going on?"

Zhang Xuan blinked in shock.

Why is a hammer like you jumping right in front of me instead of lying obediently on the tree leaf?

Just so you know, I'm not a female hammer!

"Forget it..."

Zhang Xuan was unable to comprehend the situation before him. However, since the previous tree leaf had already floated away and the next artifact was slowly flowing down, Zhang Xuan shook his head and turned his attention away.

Placed on top of the second tree leaf was a painting. It was emitting a faint glow.

The spiritual energy in the surroundings were automatically attracted to the painting, and incredibly realistic birds flew into the air, dancing with liveliness.

"It's at least a fifth level painting!"

As a 3-star painter, Zhang Xuan still possessed some understanding of painting. Even though the artifact was still a far distance away from him, he could already see what was incredible about it. At the very least, its grade was no lower than the fifth level.

He activated his Eye of Insight.

However, just like the Copper Hammer, he wasn't able to tell anything at all. In other words, the painting's value had surpassed the ability of his Eye of Insight.

Soon, the leaf reached his surroundings, allowing him to catch a clearer glimpse of the painting.

The painting was exquisite, but there was no signature left behind, making it impossible to determine whose work it was.

The birds flying above the painting also looked extremely foreign. Of all of the savage beasts that Zhang Xuan learned about from beast taming books, there was none that fits the shape.

In other words, not only was there no name for the painting, it was even impossible to determine what those birds were.

It was no wonder why so many appraisers before were unable to identify it.

"Flaws!"

Upon coming into contact with the painting, Zhang Xuan began moving his brush excitedly.

...

"Teacher, after the Spirit Euphoria, it's highly likely that the artifact will automatically acknowledge Zhang Xuan as its owner. If so, on top of paying the five thousand spirit stones, that artifact will also have to..."

Upon recalling something, Liu Chang hurried over to Hall Master Sai and brought up the matter.

Artifacts possessing spirit were able to choose their owner as they pleased. In other words, through this Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, not only did Zhang Xuan earn five thousand spirit stones from clearing the trial and three thousand spirit stones from winning the wager against Elder Chen, perhaps... he would be taking away the equipment as well.

What in the world was this!

When other people challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, they ended up paying a hundred spirit stones. On the other hand, not only did this fellow earn a huge profit, he even managed to steal away the various treasures in it...

The Appraiser Hall was truly making a huge loss this time around.

"Artifacts have their own spirit, and they are allowed to choose their owners. Even though these artifacts have been with our Appraiser Hall for many years, no one has been able to identify them. Now that someone is able to point out their identity and origin, it's only natural for them to be excited and want to acknowledge the person as their master. There's nothing we can do about this!"

Hall Master Sai had also considered this matter, and he shook his head helplessly.

Every single treasure in the Appraiser Hall was incomparably valuable, and if possible, he didn't wish for any of them to get out. However, since the other party had earned the acknowledgement of the spirit of the weapon, there was nothing he could do.

Seeing that his teacher was helpless toward this situation as well, Liu Chang asked worriedly, "Then... What if this happens to the artifacts later on as well?"

"Hehe, don't worry! The first artifact is an equipment so blacksmiths or those who possess a natural affinity toward equipment would be able to win its acknowledgement easily. However, it'll be different for the artifacts behind. There are antiques, paintings, as well as medicinal herbs... It'll be impossible for him to identify all of those treasures. Besides, even if he does, it'll be extremely difficult for him to earn the acknowledgement of their spirit. It wouldn't be a joke to say that it is practically impossible!"

Hall Master Sai smiled lightly, "There's no need to worry so much."

"That's true!"

Liu Chang was taken aback for a moment before recovering. Nodding his head, he was just about to say something when the spiritual energy before him suddenly rippled intensely and gushed straight through the closed doors.

Following which, everyone's eyes blurred for a moment, and countless birds formed by spiritual energy danced and chirped in the air.

"The Call of the Spirit, Acknowledgement of the Painting? This is a masterpiece painting acknowledging its owner?"

Hall Master Sai's vision went dark.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 460: Poor People Have It Rough

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The first five levels to painting were: Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, Breathtaking Verisimilitude, and Spirit Creation.

Upon reaching Spirit Creation, the beings within the painting would be able to absorb spiritual energy to reach higher levels. In fact, the entire painting would be granted spirit, and it would be able to find a suitable owner for itself.

In this sense, it was similar to formidable spirit equipment.

Before them, birds from a painting were formed by the gathering of spiritual energy, dancing and chirping energetically. Clearly, it had acknowledged the challenger within the trial.

This...

If it was an equipment or a person who possessed exceptionally affinity with equipment, the acknowledgement of the first artifact could be explained. However, it was completely different for a painting.

Painting was a refined sport, and it was the expertise of literati. No matter how strong one was, it would be difficult for one to earn the acknowledgement of a painting. The only way to earn its acknowledgement was to understand the true artistic conception contained within the painting and comprehend its true meaning.

But... for a painting which one didn't know the name, the content, or even the year of production... How could one possibly understand the intent behind it?

Could this fellow be a painter as well?

Only a true master in painting would be able to discern the thoughts of another painter in a painting that wasn't signed, sealed, or dated.

Everyone's eyes shot toward Sun Qiang, curious to hear his explanation.

Since this servant as so sure that his young master could pass the trial, he definitely knew a thing or two about it.

"Painter? Our young master is already one!"

Seeing the doubtful gazes from the crowd, Sun Qiang smiled gleefully. Placing his hands behind his back, he tilted his head upward proudly, "On top of that, he created a fifth level painting through a savage beast. To him, this is just a walk in the park!"

"Created a fifth level painting through a savage beast?"

Everyone's mouths twitched.

One would have to at least be a 3-star painter to create a fifth level painting. To do the same through a savage beast... How many stars would that require?

Even the 4-star painters that they knew weren't capable of such a feat!

"It just happens that he's knowledgeable in equipment and painting, this doesn't truly reflect his appraising proficiency. Perhaps... it might just be luck?" an appraiser amidst the crowd said.

However, after saying those words, putting aside whether there was anyone willing to believe his words, even he found his own words hard to believe.

Seeing how everyone was shocked speechless, and Elder Chen even seemed to be on the verge of collapsing, perhaps due to the sympathy he felt for his fellow appraisers, Hall Master Sai scanned the surroundings and said, "We'll know whether it's luck or not in the next artifact! If I'm not wrong, it should be a celestial treasure. These kinds of items appear randomly and no one can replicate them. No amount of prior knowledge of other occupations can help him on this... This is the purest form of appraisal!"

If it was truly luck, and Zhang Xuan had only happened to identify the first two artifacts due to his double identity as a blacksmith and painter, it would surely be impossible for him to do the same for the rest of the artifacts.

"I really do hope that he fails to identify the other artifacts. The artifacts in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets are all incredible treasure left behind by the predecessors, and every single one of them can fetch an astronomical sum. Two of them have already recognized him as their master. If this goes on, I fear that... our Appraiser Hall will go bankrupt!" Elder Lu muttered pitifully.

"That... That's true!"

Hall Master Sai's mouth twitched as well.

Just identifying the artifact itself was sufficient for one to pass the trial, but this fellow went ahead and had the artifacts acknowledge him as their master... They had already lost two artifacts. If this were to go on, it would be a huge blow to the Appraiser Hall despite its affluence.

"Don't worry, I've challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets before, and the third one is a celestial treasure."

Elder Chen finally managed to suppress his urge to spurt blood and gritted his teeth. "There are no records on what material it is made of, and it's even unclear as to whether it has a spirit or not. It'll be nearly impossible for one to identify it, needless to win, earn its acknowledgement..."

Celestial treasures were extremely rare in the world, and they weren't recorded in the books. As such, it was nearly impossible to call out their names. Furthermore, it was unclear whether it had a spirit or not. Thus, it was nearly impossible to have it acknowledge one as its master.

However, as soon as he said those words, a chuckle sounded.

"You mean that our young master won't be able to identify the object and earn its acknowledgement?"

The one who spoke was still Sun Qiang.

"Hmph!" Elder Chen flung his sleeves.

"There's no need for you to get displeased. How about this? I'll give you a chance to earn back your money. Let's continue to wager three thousand spirit stones; if our young master is unable to identify what the object is and earn its acknowledgement, we'll call off the debt. Otherwise, you'll owe me another three thousand spirit stones. How about it?"

Sun Qiang stared at Elder Chen with glowing eyes.

"I..."

Elder Chen's lips quivered. He wanted to agree to it but he didn't dare to do so.

He had just said that it was impossible for the other party to pass the trial but the fellow went ahead to earn the acknowledgement of two of the artifacts. Who knows what would happen this time?

"You're chickening out again? I'm giving you a chance but you sure don't know how to make use of it. With guts like yours, I truly wonder how you can call yourself a 4-star appraiser and a Transcendent Mortal expert!" Sun Qiang glanced at Elder Chen disdainfully.

"You..." Not expecting to be looked down by a servant twice in just a few short minutes, Elder Chen's face flushed red, and he looked as though he would faint from anger at any moment.

"Enough!"

At that moment, another fatty walked out from Sun Qiang's back and bellowed.

Seeing someone stepping out to speak up for him, Elder Chen heaved a sigh of relief. He was just about to thank the other party when he heard the other party's words, "You've to consider matters from Elder Chen's perspective as well. What if he doesn't have sufficient money to pay you back if, by chance, he loses? Butler Sun, you should learn to be more understanding. It isn't easy for him either. Poor people have it rough, you know... This can't be helped at all."

Pu!

After hearing those words, Elder Chen spurted another mouthful of blood.

At this moment, he was completely frenzied.

Appraiser was one of the most lucrative occupation in the world. As a 4-star appraiser, he was one of the top of the trade. Even though his wealth couldn't be said to be able to compare up to an entire nation, he wasn't too far from it.

Yet, someone was publicly saying that... he was poor.

Poor your head!

"Fine, let's wager then! Who's afraid of whom..." Unable to hold back his rage, Elder Chen bellowed.

"That's a promise then. However... what if you don't have any money to repay your debt after you lose?" Sun Qiang shot his accomplice, Yuan Tao, a look of approval and chuckled.

"I'll borrow it from Elder Lu then, there's no need for you to worry about that!" Elder Chen flung his sleeves.

"Elder Chen... You should reconsider the matter!"

Elder Lu's eyebrows twitched, and he hurriedly stepped forward to persuade the other party against it.

"Don't worry, I don't believe that that fellow can even identify a celestial treasure. If he really is able to do so, I'll just admit my misfortune..." Elder Chen clenched his jaws tightly.

As a 4-star appraiser, he wasn't a reckless person. However, the two fatties before him were simply too infuriating.

Besides, he truly believed that it would be impossible for that young man to identify a celestial treasure.

One must know that this artifact that stumped even a passing 5-star appraiser. How could a fellow who popped out from nowhere possibly know anything about it, let alone earn its acknowledgement?

Weng!

While he was still immersed in his thoughts, a crisp buzz sounded from the room. It was similar to the call from before.

"The Acknowledgement of a Treasure, Spirit Euphoria... He was acknowledged by the celestial treasure?"

Elder Chen's face paled, and he suddenly burst into tears.

To be able to win even the acknowledgement of a celestial treasure, what kind of monster was the other party? How in the world did he manage to do it?

Ding dong!

However, he wasn't stunned for too long. Various sounds echoed from within soon afterward. It didn't feel as though Zhang Xuan was in a trial; rather, it felt as though he was in a music room, and various melodies mixed in with one another.

"Hall master... I think we should forcefully terminate the trial!"

Hearing the various sounds within, Elder Lu couldn't hold himself back anymore and suggested.

"Terminate?"

"If we don't terminate it now, I fear that... our Appraiser Hall might be shut down by him..."

Elder Lu's lips twitched.

"This..."

Hall Master Sai's face steeled.

It would be formidable if anyone else can recognize one out of ten artifacts, yet not only did this fellow manage to identify all of them, he even won their acknowledgement in the midst of doing so...

If he were to continue on like this, he might really make a clean sweep of the treasures within the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets.

"You should quickly make up your mind! If he continues on like this, and claims all of the artifacts, what should we do in the future? Let's just terminate it now. In any case, he has passed the trial already anyway!"

Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, Elder Lu urged Sai Xiaoyu.

"Alright, let's have him stop now then!"

Knowing the severity of the matter, Hall Master Sai clenched his jaws.

Initially, he thought that the other party only visited the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets out of curiosity, and he would give up once he realized its difficulty. Who could have known that he would make the artifacts submit to him in an instant...

Seeing so many valuable treasures submitting to him, they were scared out of their wits. They didn't dare to allow him to proceed on with the trial.

Even though the Appraisal Hall was known for its affluence and immense collection of treasures, there was still a limit to it.

And the treasures that no one had been able to identify in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets were the height of the collection.

They could accept having one or two being taken away, but if it were all of them, then the overall fortune of the Appraisal Hall would be reduced immensely.

What in the world was this?

For the Appraisal Hall to be forced to a corner by just an individual, the thought of it felt ludicrous in itself. Yet, it was happening at this very instant.

"Fetch the keys!"

Since there was a way to activate the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, naturally, there was a way to stop it as well. However, similar to the activation process, it required the usage of three of the keys simultaneously as well.

"Alright!"

Elder Chen and Elder Lu hurriedly walked up to the wall, and stretching out their hands, they placed their keys into the apertures.

Jiya! Jiya!

Along with the insertion of the three keys, the formation immediately rumbled to a halt.

The radiance slowly faded.

"What... are you all doing?" Sun Qiang frowned.

"Don't worry, we've only stopped the formation. This won't hurt your young master at all!" Hall Master Sai said.

"To stop the formation because you can't afford to lose, the Appraisal Hall... sure is shameless!" Sun Qiang harrumphed.

Even though he hadn't heard their exchange, the meaning behind their actions was clear.

Clearly, they were scared of the young master taking away all of the artifacts inside so they didn't dare allow the trial to continue on any further.

"Cough cough, it's indeed our fault to forcefully terminate the trial. However, there's no need to worry. I'll make it up to your young master!"

Mocked in public, Hall Master Sai's face turned red.

It was just as the other party had said, these treasures were left behind by their predecessors and they were necessary to conducting the 5-star appraiser examination. As such, they truly couldn't afford to lose them.

However, forcefully terminating the trial like that was unfair to the other party as well. Thus, the Appraisal Hall could only find some way to make up for the other party's losses.

"Hmph!"

Sun Qiang harrumphed in displeasure. However, the formation was already stopped, and there was no way around it anymore.

"Alright, open the door!"

Once the formation was stopped, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets would automatically cease to operate, and the artifacts wouldn't appear anymore. Relieved, Hall Master Sai shook his hands with a smile.

Boom!

But at that moment, the ground shook, and everyone nearly fell down. After which, a thunderous chime reverberated within the room, leaving everyone nearly deaf.

"It's... the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets acknowledging its master. The heck!"

Hall Master Sai looked at the door and bellowed frenziedly.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 461: Compensation

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Returning back to a minute earlier.

After four consecutive treasures had leaped off the tree leaves and flown to him, no matter how foolish Zhang Xuan was, it was clear that these artifacts had acknowledged him and wanted to leave with him.

After all, treasures were crafted with a purpose in mind and they craved to display their value.

Being trapped within the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets for a time so long that swords were buried in dust and pearls lost their glow had left these artifacts' spirits indignant.

As such, as soon as they were identified, they immediately submitted to Zhang Xuan.

"I won't hold back then!"

His mouth slowly curled out as he stretched out his hand and swiftly kept the treasures who leaped off the leaves into his storage ring.

Even though Zhang Xuan wasn't very knowledgeable about treasures, he could tell that they were valuable based on their descriptions in the Library of Heaven's Path. In any case, they were definitely worth more than a few hundred spirit stones.

He would be insane to turn down these valuable treasures.

After putting away those objects, while he was waiting for the next artifact to appear, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets suddenly shook and stopped. The flow of water also abruptly halted.

"Could it be that... this artifact has something wrong with it as well?"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was driven by a formation, and logically speaking, its flow shouldn't stop until all ten of the artifacts appeared. Why did it suddenly stop when only four had appeared?

"Let me see if I can fix this!"

Doubtful, Zhang Xuan stretched out his hands and touched the stone pedestal.

The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets should be similar to the various trials of the master teacher examination. Most likely, it was a Spirit tool used to control the water flow and protect the treasures.

Since it came to an abrupt stop, it probably meant that it was malfunctioning. However, Zhang Xuan wasn't worried at all. After all, he had the Library of Heaven's Path. As long as it was a flaw or loophole, he could easily determine the problem and find a solution to it.

Hu!

A book appeared, and browsing through it, he picked up his brush and started writing some words down.

"The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is a Spirit low-tier tool, and it's a part of the Appraiser Hall..."

Right after writing just a few flaws, a buzzing sound echoed and the entire place began to shake, as though expressing its intimacy toward Zhang Xuan.

"This toy can be taken away as well?"

Sensing that the attitude of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was similar to that of the artifacts he identified before, Zhang Xuan was astonished.

If he could take the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets away, didn't it mean that he could claim all of the treasures here in one ago?

"Let's give it a try then!"

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan issued the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets a command, and as he expected, it didn't try to resist him at all.

'Hu!'

The entire tool was placed inside his storage ring.

"What the heck?! It really worked..."

The edges of Zhang Xuan's lips crept upward. Just as he was about to see if there was anything else of value in the room...

'Jiya!'

The door opened abruptly and Hall Master Sai, Elder Lu, and Elder Chen rushed in.

"Yo-you..."

"You took the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets as well..."

Upon seeing the empty room, the lips of the three 4-star appraisers quivered. They stared at the young man before them as if he was a monster.

Are you sure you're here to challenge the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and not to sweep away everything within it...

A moment ago, there were still mountains, flowing water, flowers... But all that was left now was an empty room devoid of anything.

You aren't here to challenge the trial but to take away everything of value in the Appraiser Hall!

"Zhang shi, the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets is... property of the Appraiser Hall. It represents our prestige and dignity, I beseech you to leave it behind..."

Holding back the urge to spurt blood, Hall Master Sai uttered with a scarlet face.

It was just a moment ago that he addressed Zhang Xuan as Brother Zhang, but at this moment, he didn't dare to do so anymore.

Not only did the other party manage to claim so many treasures in a single move, he even took away the operating table as well. The other party's mastery of appraisal was definitely way above of his... He was no longer qualified to call the other party brother anymore.

"Leave it behind? But it has willingly chosen to acknowledge me as its master!" Zhang Xuan glared at the other party.

You must be joking! How much do you think these treasures are worth? How can I simply leave them behind?

"That... I know!" Hall Master Sai's face was flushed.

The ownership of artifacts usually hinged on a single word — affinity.

All of these artifacts had acknowledged Zhang Xuan as their master, and this showed that he had affinity with them all. As an appraiser, Sai Xiaoyu should be more than aware of this. If he were to force the other party to hand it over, that would be no different from stealing.

But... the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets was one of the most valuable treasures of their Appraiser Hall so they couldn't afford to lose it. Otherwise, even before the headquarters dismissed him, he would probably have to resign from his seat for the discontentment of the other appraisers in the hall.

It was just like someone claiming and taking away the Spirit tool used to operate the various tests in the Master Teacher Pavilion.

If word were to spread out, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely become a laughingstock.

After a moment of hesitation, Hall Master Sai said, "How about this, as long as Zhang shi is willing to leave the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets behind, the Appraiser Hall is willing to... compensate your losses!"

"Compensate? You wish to pay me spirit stones? I'm fine with it!"

Zhang Xuan started counting on his fingers, "The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets contains ten artifacts. I won't demand too much so I'll go by the estimate of five thousand spirit stones for each of them. Totaling them up, it's only fifty thousand spirit stones! As for this operating platform... I'll take it to be ten thousand then! Thus, as long as the Appraiser Hall pays me sixty thousand spirit stones, I'll return everything back to you!"

"Sixty thousand spirit stones..."

The three appraisers trembled and their eyes turned red.

They were the Appraiser Hall, not a bank... Besides, even if they were the bank, they wouldn't be able to fork out so many spirit stones either.

"This... We truly aren't able to take out so many spirit stones at the moment..." Hall Master Sai felt so embarrassed that he wished that there was a hole in the floor that he could dive into at this very moment.

What the heck was this.

When no one was able to clear the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, he wished that some challenger could simply overcome it. Yet, now that someone had succeeded, he found himself on the verge of tears, wishing that it was just a dream...

"You can't take it out? Alright then. If you all can take out the following items, I'm willing to fork out the items in return!"

Seeing the tearful faces of the three great 4-star appraisers, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for them to fork out so many spirit stones. Thus, after a moment of hesitation, he proposed, "Firstly, help me find as many Transcendent Mortal cultivation techniques and battle techniques as possible, the more the better. Other than that, I want the Soulless Metal Humanoid and all books related to soul oracles. Similarly, the more there are, the better it is!"

Actually, Zhang Xuan didn't really need the treasures within the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets.

If he really wanted to earn spirit stones, there were various means for him to do so.

There were only two priorities for him at the moment. The first was to find a way to wake up Lu Chong's dormant soul and bring him out of his coma, and the second was to raise his cultivation and advance through the master teacher ranks so that he could become a 9-star master teacher before reaching thirty.

Treasures and spirit stones were just means to these ends.

"This..."

He thought that the other party would say something overboard, and upon hearing that he only needed these few items, Hall Master Sai was taken aback.

Even though they were the Appraiser Hall, they still had quite a decent collection of Transcendent Mortal cultivation techniques and battle techniques.

And as for books on soul oracle, even though this occupation no longer existed and there were many contentions regarding its existence, the Appraiser Hall still had a few books on the occupation... Just that, it was hard to gauge whether the information was true or not.

Honestly speaking, these items... weren't worth much. There was no comparison between them and those treasures in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets.

Having witnessed the greed of the other party for himself, he thought that the other party would be willing to stoop to even unscrupulous means to earn spirit stones. Since he had earned the upper hand this time, he thought that the other party would raise some outrageous request that would cause the Appraiser Hall's bankruptcy. Yet, to think that... it would be just these few items.

This... Was there a problem somewhere?

Seeing the bewildered faces before him, Zhang Xuan asked, "What, can't you do it?"

"I can find a few of the others, but regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid... As it doesn't belong to the Appraiser Hall - someone is just keeping it with us at the moment for the auction - I can't say for sure how it'll be auctioned and how much it'll be auctioned for!" Hall Master Sai said.

The figure he had given for the Soulless Metal Humanoid before was just a rough estimate. Even if the Appraiser Hall were to speak on Zhang Xuan's behalf, it was hard to tell whether the seller would be willing to sell it to him. Thus, they couldn't give their word on this matter.

But of course, this was just a conservative way of putting it. In comparison to other powers in the region, the influence of the Appraiser Hall was immense. On top of that, the item was to be auctioned on their territory. If even the Appraiser Hall couldn't get it, it would be even more unlikely for others to lay their hands on it.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan said, "There's no problem about that. Didn't you say that the clearing the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets would entitle me to a reward of five thousand spirit stones? I'll bid for it myself! You just have to gather the other things that I asked for. The quantity for each of those books mustn't be any less than a thousand!"

"A thousand books?"

Hall Master Sai's face went pale.

He thought that the other party was just asking for a few dozen books. To ask for a thousand of them in one go, what did he wish to do with them?

He thought that the other party was letting the Appraiser Hall go by not insisting on the sixty thousand spirit stones, but it seemed like things weren't as easy as he thought.

"Books on soul oracles are rare even when considering the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance. At best, we'll just only be able to find... a few dozen of them. As for Transcendent Mortal cultivation technique manuals, if it's only Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm manuals, I think we'll still be able to find above a thousand of it."

"But for 2-dan Origin Energy realm, the quantity is significantly lower. My estimate is that we'll only be able to find around five hundred of them. As for 3-dan Yin-Yang realm, while there are a lot of them in the Myriad Kingdom City, in Honghai City... it'll already be great if we can gather a hundred of them!"

Doing a rough estimate, Hall Master Sai explained the circumstances for each of the items.

Even though the Honghai City was a massive city in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it was still inferior as compared to that of the Myriad Kingdom City. As such, it wasn't as easy to gather over a thousand manuals here.

This was especially so for Transcendent Mortal 3-dan cultivation technique manuals. Even if one were to search through all of the powerful clans in the city, it would be hard to find a hundred of them. On top of that, every single clan valued their manual as their greatest treasure and they didn't allow it to go out into the public. Even if the Appraiser Hall were to exert its influence, it would be hard to gather them.

"That's fine as well. I'll take whatever that's available, so go ahead and look for them!"

Knowing that he was limited by the geographic boundaries and that it was already great if he could gather this much here, Zhang Xuan nodded and agreed to it. Then, flicking his wrist, he took out the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets.

He was willing to return this to the other party, but as for the other four artifacts that had already acknowledged him, they shouldn't even think about it.

"Thank you Zhang shi!"

Hall Master Sai heaved a sigh of relief and clasped his fist.

"Don't worry about it. Alright, I would like to get the five thousand spirit stones from clearing the trial now!"

Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

"Un, I'll go get it for you now!" Hall Master Sai walked out. Not too long later, he returned, and with a flick of his wrist, a bunch of spirit stones appeared in front of him. The spiritual energy in the surroundings immediately rippled, forming a mini tornado.

Scanning through it and confirming that there were around five thousand spirit stones in the pile, Zhang Xuan chuckled and put it all away in his storage ring.

After keeping the items away, Zhang Xuan was about to say something when Sun Qiang walked up and said, "Young master, this Elder Chen has just lost to us in a bet and he owes us six thousand spirit stones!"

"Bet? Six thousand spirit stones?"

Taken aback, Zhang Xuan turned to the elder and exclaimed, "To offer six thousand spirit stones in a single go, Elder Chen, you are indeed much more generous than Hall Master Sai!"

"Generous?" Elder Chen cried.

How was this generosity? How did it feel more like suicide...

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 462: Celestial Designer's Mechanical Container

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

From Sun Qiang's explanation, it didn't take long before Zhang Xuan understood the happenings of the entire incident.

"Not bad, you did well. The only thing pitiable is that the number of spirit stones at stake were too few. No matter what, it should be at least ten thousand!"

Not expecting for Sun Qiang to perform so excellently, earning so many spirit stones for him through a wager, Zhang Xuan looked at him in commendation.

"Ten thousand!"

Elder Chen's lips twitched once more.

Six thousand was sufficient to leave him so frustrated that he felt like committing suicide already. If the debt was truly ten thousand, he would have already run away.

"Since I've the wager, I won't refuse to pay up. However..." Stepping forward, Elder Chen gritted his teeth and said, "My total fortune only adds up to around three thousand spirit stones. As for the rest... Can you allow me to repay it back in a year's time?"

"A year's time? A year later, it would be useless even if you were to give me twenty thousand spirit stones!"

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

It had only been two to three months since his journey started in Tianxuan Kingdom. A year later... He could foresee that three thousand spirit stones would just be an insignificant sum to him.

"I..."

Elder Chen's face flushed red.

As a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert and a 4-star appraiser, he was a respectable figure. If he were to refuse to pay up after losing a wager, even if the other party didn't do anything at all, he would die from the humiliation.

Besides, if his trustworthiness was brought into question, his career as an appraiser might come to an end.

Thus, after hesitating for a moment, he clenched his jaws and said, "Even though I don't have many liquid assets, as a 4-star appraiser, I do have some treasures in my possession... How about this, I'll allow you to pick any item among my treasure as compensation for the three thousand spirit stones!"

Appraisers were very similar to antique collectors. Even though they might not have many liquid assets, they had quite a valuable inventory in their home.

These items were treasures that he had slowly accumulated over the course of his life. If not for being forced into a corner, he would never bear to take them out.

"Treasure? Let me take a look. If it's suitable, I can strike off your entire debt of six thousand spirit stones for it!"

Knowing that this person would surely have some valuable possessions having dealt in artifacts his entire life, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

"Alright!"

Knowing that it was impossible to avoid this anymore, Elder Chen flicked his wrist.

Hualala!

Before long, a pile of treasures appeared before the crowd.

There were antiques, paintings, weapons, sets of armor, as well as some bizarre clay molds.

There were all kinds of treasures within Elder Chen's collection, and astonishingly, its total value seemed to exceed even that of the shops on the second floor.

"I only have these, feel free to choose..."

Elder Chen forcefully put on a generous front and gestured.

These were his prized possession, and he couldn't bear to part with any single one of them. However, what else could he do having lost the wager?

It simply wasn't worth shattering the reputation that he'd built up over the course of so many years due to a wager.

"Let me take a look!"

Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan began browsing through the various artifacts on the ground.

A moment later, he shook his head in disappointment.

Most of these items were rare and valuable but to Zhang Xuan, they didn't hold much meaning.

In contrast to these items, spirit stones were much more practical to him.

Zhang Xuan turned to look at Elder Chen helplessly and said, "You only collected these few useless toys over the course of your entire life?"

"I..." Elder Chen's face flushed in embarrassment. Knowing that the other party was a grandmaster appraiser and his eye for things exceeded even that of the hall master, he couldn't protest at all.

He had treasured these possessions as though they were his own children, yet the other party viewed them as nothing but useless toys. He couldn't help but feel slightly awkward.

"Elder Chen, why don't you take out that object that you obtained just a while ago? If... Zhang shi likes it, he might even trade it for six thousand spirit stones."

Just when Elder Chen was at a loss, he heard Elder Lu's telepathic message.

"That object?"

Recalling something, Elder Chen hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he said, "Zhang shi, please hold on for a moment. I have an object that I've been unable to identify ever since I received it. I'll bring it over now. If even that doesn't interest you, then I've nothing else to offer you anymore!"

"Alright!"

Hearing that the other party still had another treasure, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

He wasn't in a hurry anyway.

Elder Chen turned around to leave, and around half an hour later, he returned, and with a flick of his wrist, a black object appeared before him.

It was a fist-sized black sphere, and no matter how one looked at it, it seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary ball of lead.

"You call this a treasure?"

Sun Qiang took a glance at it and protested, "Elder Chen, aren't you trying to take advantage of us if you wish to use this to call off the entire debt?"

"I..." Elder Chen's face flushed.

"You're misunderstanding Elder Chen!" Hall Master Sai said. "This object was dug up from an ancient tomb ten years ago, and even though it doesn't seem like anything much, it's invulnerable. We've tried quenching, burning, slashing, and smashing but nothing could leave a mark on it. We've studied it innumerable times but we weren't able to determine what it is."

"Since you don't know what it is, how can you say that it's a treasure?" Sun Qiang refuted.

"You can't really put it that way. It could be possible that it is an ore that no one has ever seen before. If one used it to craft a weapon, one would surely be able to forge a top-notch weapon," Hall Master Sai said.

"Use it to forge a weapon? Putting aside whether it's possible or it, it'll surely be a troublesome and lengthy process..." Sun Qiang harrumphed.

"Enough. Allow me to take a look at it first!"

Interrupting Butler Sun's words, Zhang Xuan stepped forward.

He had tried to examine the metal ball with the Eye of Insight, but to his astonishment, he realized that he was unable to see anything about it.

In his time in the Appraiser Hall, he learned that the true treasures were among the objects that he couldn't see through with his Eye of Insight.

Thus, he grabbed the ball and muttered 'flaws' internally.

Hu!

A book appeared in the library. Zhang Xuan quickly flipped it open.

"Celestial Designer's Mechanical Container, forged by the Celestial Designer Institute with complex mechanical systems. It can't be opened without knowing the specific sequences required to do so. It's likely that some important treasure is hidden within it. Flaws..."

After which were the various flaws of the object.

"There are only seventeen flaws?"

Even though the Library of Heaven's Path didn't label the value of the object and Zhang Xuan had never heard of the Celestial Designer Institute, he was still astounded by the number of flaws contained in the object.

The flaws that the Library of Heaven's Path could detect ranged from the material of the object to the technique used to craft it, covering nearly all fields possible.

Take the first artifact from the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, the Copper Hammer, for example, even though the Eye of Insight couldn't determine any problem with it, the Library of Heaven's Path was still able to find a total of seventy-two flaws.

But of course, it didn't mean that the fewer flaws there were, the more valuable an artifact would be. It was also related to the complexity of the artifact.

The more complex an artifact was, the more likely it was that there would be flaws in it.

This object was known as the Celestial Designer's Mechanical Container, and based on its description, it was clear that there was a system far more complex than the Copper Hammer contained within it.

Yet, despite being more complex than the Copper Hammer, there were so few mistakes with it. Didn't that mean that the value of this object far surpassed that of the Copper Hammer?

Treasure!

This was definitely a treasure!

"Zhang shi, are you able to determine what this artifact is?"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had examined the object for a long time already, Elder Chen couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

Hall Master Sai and Elder Lu also turned over as well.

They had studied this artifact for many years, and they had utilized all means available to them to examine it. However, they were still unable to come to a conclusion. The fellow before him had such a great appraising ability that he could even earn the acknowledgement of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets. Perhaps, he might really be able to see through it.

"I'm not able to tell what it is exactly as well so I might require some more time to examine it."

Understanding the logic of keeping one's wealth a secret, Zhang Xuan chose to hide the matter. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Alright, even though I'm unable to determine what this artifact is, I think that there's something deeper to it as well. I'll trade this for six thousand spirit stones then. What do you think of it?"

"Fine!"

Not expecting that this artifact could replace the six thousand spirit stones, Elder Chen heaved a long sigh of relief. At the same time, he secretly sneaked a glance at the plump servant.

The one that he wagered with was this fellow. Would he protest to such a decision?

As a master teacher, Zhang shi should still pay some consideration to his reputation. Even if this artifact wasn't worth the price, he wouldn't pursue the matter in the future. However, this servant was different.

He was afraid that the other party would continue arguing with him. If that was the case, he would be put in truly tight a spot.

However, after taking a glance, he saw the plump servant standing quietly at the side, not interfering in his young master's decisions at all.

"It seems like he respects his young master quite a lot!"

Seeing that the plump servant had decided to stay out of this matter, the tenseness finally left Elder Chen's body.

In truth, even though part of the reason why Sun Qiang didn't speak up was out of respect for Zhang Xuan, the main reason was because he knew that the young master was smarter than him and would never allow himself to be on the losing side of a deal. Since the young master was willing to purchase this ball for six thousand spirit stones, it could only mean that its value was way beyond that amount.

Since that was the case, why should he interfere in the matter?

"I've already sent some men to gather the books that you want. It'll probably take around three days!"

Seeing Zhang Xuan keep the ball into his ring, Hall Master Sai chuckled, "The auction is about to start. Shall we go over?"

All in all, the time they had spent here totaled up to nearly two hours. Judging from the time, it was indeed about time for the auction to start.

If they were to head over immediately, they would barely make it for the opening.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

The main goal of his journey here was the Soulless Metal Humanoid. It was imperative that he attended the auction so that he could obtain the item.

Thus, under Hall Master Sai's lead, the group hurriedly headed to the auction hall.

The auction hall was located on the second floor, not too far away from the First Class Pavilion. Before the group even reached the auction hall, they could already see a huge crowd gathering outside.

It seemed like the items offered in the auction were extremely attractive. There were many powerful and affluent individuals and powers here.

Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan swept across the crowd and saw dozens of Transcendent Mortal experts. In fact, most of them had reached 2-dan and 3-dan.

As expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The number of experts were indeed incredible.

"Isn't the auction hall operated by the Appraiser Hall?"

Following behind Hall Master Sai, the group managed to enter the venue without any hiccups. Not too long later, they arrived at a relatively large suite. At this moment, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but raise a question.

They were in the Appraiser Hall, so logically speaking, the auction hall should belong to them as well. Yet, why did they require an invitation letter to enter the venue?

Could it be that the Appraiser Hall didn't have a stake in the auction hall?

"No, the auction hall isn't operated like us. It's similar to the First Class Pavilion; it's only in a working relationship with the Appraiser Hall. We're in charge of appraising their artifacts while they are responsible for finding buyers and customers to conduct the auction... After all, we don't have sufficient manpower and energy to manage all of these miscellaneous affairs!" Hall Master Sai answered.

The strength of an appraiser lay in appraising and determining the value of an artifact. As such, they might not be as adept at running a business.

Thus, it was much better to leave it to the veteran merchants instead.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 463: The Auction Begins

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"No wonder..."

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

If this auction hall was operated by them, they would have been able to arrange a meeting between him and the buyer; his chances of getting the Soulless Metal Humanoid would've been much higher.

"Have you all appraised the Soulless Metal Humanoid? May I know the story behind it?"

Since the auction hadn't begun yet, Zhang Xuan asked about the Soulless Metal Humanoid.

After receiving the five thousand spirit stones reward, he'd repaid the loan he borrowed from Hall Master Sai and compensated him with an additional hundred spirit stones.

Thus, he had a total of 4800 spirit stones on hand at the moment. Even though Hall Master Sai was rather confident that it was sufficient for him to take away the Soulless Metal Humanoid, Zhang Xuan still felt that he should listen to the details to make a judgement himself.

"Alright!"

Hall Master Sai nodded. "Around a month ago, an elder came to the Appraiser Hall and requested that I appraise an artifact. The artifact seems to have been forged out of gold, and it's shaped like a puppet. After much assessment and contemplation, I determined that it is the legendary Soulless Metal Humanoid. I sought Elder Lu and Elder Chen's opinions on the matter before coming to a final verdict!

"That metal humanoid is incomparably resilient, and most probably, it was crafted by having a human swallow metal while they were still alive before proceeding to use a special secret art to forge the puppet. Its body is wholesome, thus preventing the slightest bit of aura from leaking out. A formation is constructed within its body, and one can control it through spirit stones. In terms of strength, it possesses a might comparable to a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert."

"While they were alive... Was the Soulless Metal Humanoid crafted out of real human bodies?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He had only heard about soul oracles from Pavilion Master Luo so he wasn't too sure about the details. When he heard about the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he thought that it would be a man-made object just like those puppets he met in the Master Teacher Pavilion when he was taking the master teacher examination. However, Sai Xiaoyu's words seemed to hint at something very different.

"Of course it isn't. Man-made puppets, just like other crafted tools, will gain spirit over time. As such, it's impossible for a human's soul to delve in it. Even if one managed to do it, one's control over the puppet would still be lacking. This is similar to weapons and armor; even though they are convenient to use, one still isn't able to manipulate it as easily as one's own limbs." Hall Master Sai said.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

No matter how adept one was in using tools, it could never match up to the level of control one had over one's own limbs. A man-made puppet followed the same rule as well. Even if one could drive it with one's soul, one wouldn't be able to move it as seamlessly as one's own body.

"However, the Soulless Metal Humanoid is different. It's crafted using the body of a living human coated with metal. Not only is its defensive and offensive capability impressive, more importantly... it can contain a soul perfectly, making it easy for a cultivator to drive it. Legend has it that even though soul oracles had outstanding control over their souls, their physical bodies were extremely weak. As such, they possessed such powerful physical bodies with their souls to grant them immense power, thus making them a subject of fear." Hall Master Sai explained.

Zhang Xuan finally came to a realization, and he was astounded.

To craft a living human into a puppet to protect oneself... This occupation sure was bizarre and vile.

"The reputation of soul oracles was put alongside poison masters in ancient times, they were the two most feared occupations. It is said that soul oracles, with their powerful souls, could forcibly extract a cultivator's soul from his body and forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid through their empty body. In fact, some of the more powerful soul oracles were even able to create a fearsome army of metal humanoids."

Hall Master Sai continued, "This was the reason why it was struck down by the other occupations. The Master Teacher Pavilion personally led the other occupations on a crusade against it and destroyed the soul oracles, thus terminating their heritage. I only learned of the existence of the Soulless Metal Humanoid by flipping through innumerable ancient books. Otherwise, I would have probably just thought of it as an ordinary puppet."

Suppressing his anxiety, Zhang Xuan asked, "I heard that this occupation... possesses the ability to wake dormant souls. May I know if it's true?"

Even though Luo Qianhong was a 3-star master teacher, his knowledge of this subject was definitely inferior to Hall Master Sai. Thus, Hall Master Sai's evaluation was likely to be much more accurate.

"The soul is a very complicated and profound subject. Only 7-star master teachers would begin to dabble in the subject. Otherwise, no matter how strong one was, even if one were a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan pinnacle expert, one wouldn't dare to touch in this field. The only exception to this rule are the soul oracles! Those of this occupation could even extract the soul from a living body, so waking a dormant soul should be a simple feat to them." Hall Master Sai replied with a grim expression.

Upon hearing the other party confirm the matter, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

"Alright, the auction is starting!"

While the duo was speaking, a commotion had sounded below. Turning around to take a look, the host was already on the stage.

Taking a closer look, the host was no other than Elder Chen.

As a 4-star appraiser, an elder of the Appraiser Hall, his words felt more credible and persuasive, and in such auctions, trust was an important factor to hiking up the prices.

"The items on auction today cover weapons, armors, antiques, paintings, celestial treasures, the ancient Soulless Metal Humanoid, and such, totaling up to a number of 35 artifacts. Every single one of them has been approved by the Appraiser Hall, and we can guarantee their authenticity."

Elder Chen's gaze swept across the crowd with majesty.

As soon as he reached the stage, he turned into that indomitable 4-star appraiser. Not a hint of that fellow who was forced to a corner by Sun Qiang and ended up spurting blood about remained.

"35 artifacts? So many?"

"Of course, the auction of the Appraiser Hall is only conducted once a year. As such, all of the artifacts put up for sale are invaluable treasures!"

"I've prepared a very long time for this auction, there are some things among the 35 artifacts that I'm determined to get..."

...

After hearing the introduction, the crowd fell into a commotion.

The auction was around the size of an ordinary sparring field. People of Hall Master Sai's standing were allocated a suite whereas ordinary customers were seated below.

Some of these people were itinerant cultivators, and some of them were guests of prestigious clans as well. In any case, all of them had prepared a long time for this auction, determined to obtain the object of their desire.

Looking through the window, Hall Master Sai commented, "It seems like the allure of the Soulless Metal Humanoid is great. There are many experts here!"

"Indeed!" Jin Conghai nodded in agreement.

He was a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert, and he had followed the alliance head for quite a period of time. As such, he knew most of the reputable experts in the alliance.

Even though this auction was conducted in Honghai City, scanning across the room, he could see many experts whose strength was on par with him, some exceeding him even.

It was impossible for so many powerful experts to be gathered in an ordinary auction. Most likely, they were all here for the Soulless Metal Humanoid.

"I'm afraid that three thousand spirit stones might be insufficient to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid!"

Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly after scanning the room.

His previous judgement was that the metal humanoid should be only worth around 1500 spirit stones. Even if the price doubles due to the heated atmosphere in an auction, it'll only cost around 3000 spirit stones. However, considering the number of experts that were here for it, it probably wouldn't be easy to win the bid at that price.

"Let's wait and see then! If I really don't have sufficient money, I'll be depending on Hall Master Sai to loan me some then!" Zhang Xuan chuckled.

"Ah..." Hall Master Sai rolled his eyes. To think this fellow hadn't forgotten that matter yet.

"Everyone, please remain silent. The auction will be starting now. I'll be bringing up the first item now!"

After allowing everyone to vent their astonishment, Elder Chen smiled in delight and gestured grandly.

Huala!

A stone pedestal below slowly rose up, revealing a narrow and long jade box.

Opening the jade box, a transparent plant appeared before everyone's eyes. It exuded a bone-chilling frost that seemed to reach straight into one's soul. Even when looking at it from afar, the crowd couldn't help but feel as though they were about to be reduced into pillars of ice.

"This is a five-hundred-year-old Glacier Spirit Grass, and it has exceptional effects for those who cultivating ice attribute cultivation techniques. If one were to forge it into a pill, one's cultivation would surely rise immensely. The minimum bid is 220 spirit stones, and every increment must be no lower than 20 spirit stones!"

"Glacier Spirit Grass? This is the main ingredient for the grade-4 Ice Soul Pill! Not only is it useful for those cultivating ice attribute cultivation technique, it is also extremely useful to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm cultivators!"

"Indeed, this is truly a treasure! As expected of the auction conducted once a year by the Appraiser Hall. Even the first item is exceptional!"

"I'll be taking this Ice Spirit Grass, 240 spriit stones!"

"You think you can buy a five-hundred-year-old Spirit herb with just that bit of money? Dream on, 260 spirit stones!"

"Hah, it's mine! 300 spirit stones..."

Even though the first artifact was only a Spirit herb, it immediately heated up the atmosphere.

The Glacier Spirit Grass was an extremely herb in itself, needless to say, one that had reached a maturity of five hundred years. In the end, the hammer price was 540 spirit stones!

"As expected of an auction conducted in the Appraiser Hall, it sure is lively..."

Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan was impressed.

Based on his estimations, this Glacier Spirit Grass was only worth 300 spirit stones at maximum. Yet, it was hiked up to a whole 540 spirit stones. That was almost a single fold of his estimated price. Just like Hall Master Sai had said, it probably wouldn't be easy for him to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid.

After which, the second item was brought out. It was a unique mineral which raised the enhanced the durability and sharpness of a weapon greatly if a sliver of it was added during the crafting process.

As soon as the mineral appeared, the atmosphere immediately became even more elevated than when the Glacier Spirit Grass appeared.

What that accompanied cultivators through their days were weapons. The stronger their weapons, the greater their ability to protect themselves. As such, who would be willing to miss such a good item?

It didn't take long for the price to exceed 600 spirit stones, and eventually, a middle-aged man claimed it at a price of 720 spirit stones.

"The third object is a long sword known as [Cold Yin]. It was crafted by a 4-star pinnacle Blacksmith, Jiu Muzi. He gathered a total of 37 minerals, one of which is the extremely valuable Cold Yin Rock, before managing to forge the weapon. It contains an extremely strong yin attribute within, and if a cold attribute cultivator were to wield it, its might would be increased by several folds, allowing one to bring out fighting prowess far exceeding their limits!"

Elder Chen slowly drew the sword from its sheath, and an incredibly cold gleam immediately escaped into the room, leaving shivers down the spine of whoever it shines upon.

"This is a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, and it can cut through metal as easily as though mud. The minimum bid is 500 spirit stones, and every increment must be no lower than 50 spirit stones

"Cold Yin sword? I heard that it's an extremely powerful sword suited for females!"

"A Spirit intermediate-tier weapon is more than sufficient for the usage of a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert. Given that, 500 spirit stone isn't too expensive. I want it!"

"Don't even dream of competing with me, I'll be taking this sword down for my companion. 550 spirit stones..."

...

The cold gleam of the sword brought heat to everyone's gazes.

Zhang Xuan's eyes also lit up upon seeing it. Thus, he turned to Zhao Ya and asked, "That weapon is indeed not bad. Zhao Ya, do you want it?"

Zhao Ya possessed the Pure Yin Body, and this sword happened to complement her constitution. If she were to wield it, her battle prowess would surely leap greatly.

"Teacher, I think you should save the money to purchase the Soulless Metal Humanoid instead to save Lu Chong. I... don't need it!"

Zhao Ya shook her head, but her eyes were filled with desire.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 464: Let Me Give It a Try

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Even though Zhao Ya found herself desiring this sword greatly, she knew that the reason why her teacher came to Honghai City was to obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid. If he were to lack the funds to purchase it due to buying this sword for her, he would definitely regret it for life.

Knowing Zhao Ya's thoughts, Zhang Xuan said, "It's sufficient that you like it. If we end up having insufficient spirit stones, we can just find some other ways!"

It wasn't easy to come by an equipment that was compatible with one, and as such, Zhang Xuan didn't purchase many items for his students. Since he had managed to stumble by one for Zhao Ya, he was determined to buy it for her.

"Find some other ways? What other ways are there now?" Zhao Ya was taken aback.

For this five thousand spirit stones, her teacher had gone to the extent of nearly tearing down entire Appraiser Hall. Where else could he obtain even more spirit stones?

After all, he couldn't possibly tear down this auction hall.

"Simple!"

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan gestured to Sun Qiang and said, "Get the one in charge of the auction over here!"

"Yes!"

Sun Qiang blinked his eyes in incomprehension.

Even so, since the young master had issued such an instruction, he must have his own purpose. Thus, he immediately left to get the person over.

Zhao Ya and the others stared at one another in confusion... Did their teacher really intend to tear down this auction hall?

Not too long later, Sun Qiang brought a middle-aged man back with him.

Logically speaking, given the middle-aged man's standing, he wouldn't allow himself to be summoned by just anyone so easily. However, this was Hall Master Sai's suite so he had no choice but to comply.

"Hall Master Sai!"

Upon walking into the room, the middle-aged man immediately turned his sight onto the elder.

"Manager Luo, you're here. Allow me to make the introductions, this is Zhang shi!"

Hall Master Sai chuckled. "Zhang shi, this is Manager Luo Qin. He's in charge of the matters regarding the auction, and if you've any problems, feel free to approach him!"

"Zhang shi?"

Only then did Luo Qin notice that a youngster was seated right beside Hall Master Sai, and on top of that, his disposition didn't pale in comparison to Hall Master Sai. Clearly, he was of esteemed standing as well.

"May I know the reason why Zhang shi is looking for me?"

Stepping forward, Luo Qin clasped his fists and smiled.

"Oh, I would like to add an additional item into the auction!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Add an additional item?"

Luo Qin was taken aback for a moment before a look of difficulty appeared on his face, "This... the auction has already started, and I'm afraid that it's too late to add anything in..."

To only bring up the matter now, you must be pulling my leg!

Besides, who knows whether the object you are adding in is valuable or not. If it turns out to be fake, won't the reputation of the auction be destroyed?

"Don't be in such a hurry to deny it. Why don't you take a look first before making up your mind?"

Anticipating the other party's response, Zhang Xuan smiled nonchalantly. He waved his hands to interrupt the other party.

"Alright then!"

He didn't think that Zhang Xuan would offer anything that would interest him, but considering how the other party was a Hall Master Sai's guest, and Hall Master Sai even went to the extent of addressing him as 'shi', the other party's standing must be rather high. Thus, Luo Qin nodded his head.

Hall Master Sai also turned his gaze over. He was curious to see what this young man could take out.

Logically speaking, if he had any treasure, he would have brought it up already. He wouldn't have to go through the trouble with the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets.

Hu!

Before everyone's intrigued gazes, the young man took out an item. Upon seeing the appearance of the item clearly, Hall Master Sai's body shook and he nearly coughed blood.

What was in the young man's hand was a painting. It was the second artifact of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets.

"It's this. Is it possible for you to put it into the auction as well?" Zhang Xuan asked.

The most valuable objects on him were naturally the treasures he received from the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets.

Given how those artifacts were able to the trial for the 5-star appraiser examination, they must be of great value. Purchasing one or two swords with the sum earned from these artifacts shouldn't be too difficult.

This was the reason why Zhang Xuan could remain calm even though he knew that the money he had on him was probably insufficient to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid.

"Zhang shi, this artifact... is incomparably valuable. I think you should just keep in instead..."

Hall Master Sai chuckled awkwardly as his heart bled profusely.

That was a treasure belonging to their Appraiser Hall...

It is one thing that the artifact to acknowledge and follow a new owner, but for you to sell it off at the very next moment... What the heck is this!

"If you think that it's a pity to see it sold... Hall Master Sai can buy it back! After all, we're friends. I won't demand too much; 5000 spirit stones will do..." Zhang Xuan chuckled.

"Cough cough..." Hall Master Sai's face turned red and he choked on his saliva. Eventually, he shook his head helplessly and said, "Alright, you should continue on with whatever you're intending to do..."

He couldn't even take out three thousand spirit stones at the moment, how in the world could he afford to buy this painting?

Even though he was unwilling to see the treasures of the Appraiser Hall being leaked out, there was nothing he could do.

"If you doubt the authenticity of this artifact, you can feel free to have Hall Master Sai appraise it!" Having received Hall Master Sai's approval, Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Qin and said.

"There's no need to appraise it, this painting is definitely real. I can tell so much..." Unrolling the painting and taking a glance at it, Luo Qin nodded his head.

As a manager of an auction hall, his appraising ability was above average as well. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing if he couldn't even identify a real treasure when it was placed before him.

The painting before him had a profound aura to it and concentrated spiritual energy was gathered around it. The birds in the painting felt as though they would soar out at any moment. Even a fool could tell that this was a valuable masterpiece.

"Alright, take it to the auction then! It'll be best if it can fetch 5000 spirit stones." Since the other party could recognize the value of the painting, Zhang Xuan could save the hassle of explaining. Thus, he dived straight into the matter.

"This..."

Upon hearing the other party's words, Luo Qin hesitated for a moment before saying, "Zhang shi, even though this painting is of extremely high grade, selling it for 5000 spirit stones... would be impossible!"

"Oh? Then how much can it fetch?" Perplexed, Zhang Xuan asked.

He wasn't too sure of the prices of artifacts, especially in terms of spirit stones. He thought that since this artifact was found in the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, it should be an incredible treasure. Thus, its value should exceed at least five thousand... But yet, this fellow said that it was impossible.

What was going on?

"At the very most... It can only fetch 500 spirit stones!" Luo Qin's face reddened.

"500?"

Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. "This painting came from the hands of a 5-star painter, and it also possesses a spirit. Not only can it absorb spiritual energy from the air to nourish itself, it also contains the essence of the world that is valuable to cultivators. Even Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts would benefit greatly from looking at it for extended periods of time, so... how could it be worth only 500 spirit stones?"

After the verification from the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan could tell that it was authentic, and it was a treasure left behind by a 5-star painter. The grade of the painting had reached the sixth level pinnacle, and it was just a step off from the legendary seventh level.

Yet, it was only worth 500? You must be kidding me!

"Indeed! Who do you think you are fooling? How can such a great painting be worth only that much money?" Sun Qiang and the others also found the matter hard to believe.

"Zhang shi, calm down. Listen to my explanation first!"

Luo Qin hurriedly bowed and explained awkwardly, "The painting is exquisite and majestic, and it clearly carries the disposition fitting of a great painter. However... it doesn't have a name, and it isn't signed off either. This causes the value of the painting to drop tremendously. In truth, the art industry is somewhat similar to the antique industry. What that determines the value of an artwork isn't really the quality of the painting itself but the reputation of the artist. If this painting was created by a famous painter of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it can easily fetch 5000 spirit stones... But under the current circumstances, even 500 is a positive estimate!"

Upon hearing the explanation, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He immediately turned to Hall Master Sai, only to see the latter nodding his head.

"There's such a matter as well?" Zhang Xuan fell speechless.

Thinking about it, it did make sense.

After all, paintings weren't like weapons or medicinal treasures. The latter was truly beneficial to a person's cultivation whereas the former was more of a personal interest and hobby or an individual. If it wasn't the work of a famous painter, the collection value of the work would immediately plummet.

"This painting is the work of a 5-star Grandmaster Painter Wu Xuanzi from eight hundred years ago. Is he not considered as a famous painter?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Wu Xuanzi? Of course he's considered as a famous painter. In fact, he's the very first 5-star beast tamer of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. If this is truly his work, it'll be worth more than 500 spirit stones. Just that... even though he possesses a great reputation, he didn't live in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance for too long, and he left behind very few works as well..." Luo Qin froze for a moment before asking, "How can you prove that this painting is his?"

Wu Xuanzi was an unparalleled figure in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance eight hundred years ago. Despite not having reached two hundred, he had already brought his art of beast taming and painting up to 5-star.

However, it was a pity that he left behind too few works in the world. Most appraisers couldn't discern his handwriting or his habits, and as such, it was difficult to determine whether this painting was a work of his or not.

"Ah..."

Zhang Xuan was stumped.

He only knew of the origin of the painting via the Library of Heaven's Path, but... how in the world was he supposed to prove this fact to others?

Wu Xuanzi didn't leave behind many works so it was hard to draw a comparison between his works. Otherwise, this painting wouldn't have remained unidentified for so long a period of time in the Appraiser Hall.

"Unless... a formidable painter bestows a name upon this painting. Even if the painter's reputation isn't as striking as Wu Xuanzi, as long as they're around the same level and the name he bestows bring out the true disposition of the painting, the title should be recognized by the spirit of the painting and the value of it will immediately increase by several folds... But even so, it'll probably only fetch around two thousand spirit stones at best!" Luo Qin said.

"Name? Brings out the true disposition of the painting?"

"Un. Bestowing a name to a completed painting isn't a simple matter. Everyone has different thoughts, and there could many multiple interpretations to a single painting. If one's line of thoughts differs from the original painter by even the slightest, one would be unable to earn the acknowledgement of the spirit of the painting! If so, not only would the value of the painting not increase, it'll even cause a fall in the artistic conception of the original painting, thus resulting in a massive plummet in its value!"

Luo Qin explained. "Thus, the only way is to first understand the background of the painter to attempt to get into his line of thoughts. Only then can one come up with a name that could bring out the true disposition of the painting and boost its value. Otherwise..."

Even though Luo Qin didn't finish his words, the meaning he wished to convey was clear.

Ten thousand people viewing a single painting would generate ten thousand different thoughts.

To fathom the thoughts of another, how difficult a task it was! In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that it was nearly impossible!

"You're saying that... if one could emulate the original author's understanding of the painting and bestow a fitting name to the painting, there's a chance that it could bring out its true disposition?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"That's right... If one understands the thoughts of the original painter, meaning Wu Xuanzi's thoughts, and write them down on the painting, it'll definitely allow the value of the painting to soar. However, putting aside how it's impossible to verify whether it's a painting left behind by Wu Xuanzi or not, even if it is his work, he is well-known for keeping a low profile. As such, his background, the condition, and state he is in when he paints are completely unknown to others... And to make things worse, this painting is extremely bizarre as well. It's difficult to even identify the species of the birds in the painting... To fathom the painter's thoughts on top of that, it is impossible!"

Luo Qin shook his head.

Even though he had only taken a look, based on his many years of experience, he could tell that it was impossible to fathom Wu Xuanzi's thoughts.

"Impossible?"

After hearing Luo Qin's explanation, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. Then, a smile slowly crept onto his face.

"Since bestowing a name will boost the value of this painting...

"Let me give it a try!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 465: Rousing from the Drunken Dreams

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"You?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Hall Master Sai's eyes even rolled around.

Based on what Sun Qiang said, the other party was a painter. But... even if the other party was a painter as well, to fathom the true meaning behind a painting made eight hundred years ago... That was an impossible task!

Furthermore, the birds in the painting were neither spirit beasts or savage beasts; since it couldn't be identified at all, how could one bestow it with a name?

Putting aside how the painting wouldn't fetch a high price, more importantly, it was a crime to ruin such a valuable art piece!

"This..."

Luo Qin scratched his head in embarrassment, not knowing what to do.

The main reason why he explained the entire matter so carefully was so as to dispel the other party's thoughts. Who knew that his words would only egg the other party on...

Are you that frenzied for money?!

If it was that easy to come up with a title that would bring out the true disposition of the painting, there would have been at least a single success case in the past few years.

Hu!

Disregarding the crowd's response, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a brush. Then, he placed the painting on a table in the room.

It might be difficult for others to fathom the thoughts of the painter and find a suitable name for this painting, but he was different!

The Library of Heaven's Path could provide him with the ideal name immediately!

If he were to write the name, he would surely be able to bring out the true disposition of the painting, thus inducing a leap in the value of the painting.

"It can't be that... you're serious about doing it!"

Seeing Zhang Xuan dab his brush in ink, Hall Master Sai hurried forward to persuade him otherwise.

"You should reconsider your actions, that's... a supreme treasure left behind by our predecessors..."

This treasure had been passed down within the Appraiser Hall from generation to generation. To have it destroyed right before him... He couldn't allow himself to simply look on by the side.

"Since it can raise the value of the painting, why shouldn't I do it?" Zhang Xuan chuckled.

"But what if you fail..." Hall Master Sai was agitated. He was just about to continue speaking when Sun Qiang walked up to him with a heated gaze.

"Hall Master Sai, judging from your experience, it seems like you think that our young master will fail. If so... why don't we wager on it then? There's no need to make it too big, three thousand spirit stones will do!"

"..." Hall Master Sai's body swayed.

What the heck was this!

Can't at least one of you two be normal?

One insisted on bestowing a name on the painting while the other one was challenging him to a wager so confidently... What's wrong with you two!

Hall Master Sai's complexion was extremely awful. He was tempted to accept the wager but upon recalling the tragic fate that befell Elder Chen, he backed down.

This fellow was an incredible figure who could win even the acknowledgement of the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets... Perhaps, he might really find the words to bring out the true disposition of the painting.

"Regarding the wager... I'll pass!"

With a pale face, Hall Master Sai backed down.

"Ah?" Taking this scene into sight, Luo Qin widened his eyes in shock.

Hall Master Sai clearly didn't believe that Zhang shi could come up with a correct name, and he was determined to stop him. Yet, with a word from a servant, he immediately backed down from fear...

What was going on?

When did the hall master become so easy to talk to?

Just as Luo Qin was perplexed over the situation, he suddenly felt a violent disturbance in the spiritual energy in the air. It seemed to be to be gathering at an area not too far away from him, and vaguely, he could hear the chirping of the birds.

Qiu qiu qiu!

The sound was crisp, and even though it wasn't too loud, everyone within the auction hall could hear it clearly.

"Ah..."

Following the direction from where the sound came from, he realized that in his short moment of hesitation, that Zhang shi had already finished writing a name on the painting. Upon 'seeing' it, the birds chirped and flew excitedly, as though delighted to be given a name.

"This is... Elation of Unearthed Disposition, Enlightened Spirit? The heck... What the heck is going on?"

Luo Qin's mouth twitched in agitation, and his body trembled violently.

"Enlightened Spirit... That is a work of the seventh level, a masterpiece that only a 6-star painter can produce..." Hall Master Sai's vision went dark.

He had just thought that the other party would fail when the other party came up with a name that not only brought out the true disposition of the painting, he even induced the phenomenon 'Elation of Unearthed Disposition, Enlightened Spirit. This... Was this really happening before him?

The first six levels of painting were as followed: Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, Breathtaking Verisimilitude, Spirit Creation, and Spirit Wisdom!

Normal 3-star painters could only produce a painting at the level of Spirit Creation, and a Spirit Wisdom painting could only be created by the hands of a 4-star and 5-star painter.

Going beyond the sixth level, Spirit Wisdom, the seventh level was a realm that only 6-star painters could hope to reach... Enlightened Spirit.

At this level, all of the living objects within the painting would come to life, and they would possess their own intelligence and they could acknowledge their own master. In fact, they could even soar out of the painting and they wouldn't disappear even after a day or two...

In other words, a painter who had reached this level of enlightenment could easily draw out birds and soar to the skies.

It was said that a formidable 6-star painter had once drawn a crane on a wall, and it materialized from the wall. Then, riding on the crane, he soared into the distance, leaving behind the legend of Soaring on the Heavenly Crane.

Initially, this drawing should have only been at sixth level pinnacle, and it was still a far way off from reaching the next realm. Even if the name one came up with was able to bring out its true disposition, it should only have added slightly to the harmony of the painting...

Yet, Zhang Xuan's name allowed it to immediately surpass its limits and reach the seventh level instantaneously...

The heck!

Am I insane, or is this fellow mad?

Are you a monster? How in the world... did you manage to do it?

Hall Master Sai's body froze and his eyes were filled with frenzied. At the same time, relief gushed through his body. He felt that it was a blessing that he didn't wager with Sun Qiang. Otherwise, he would probably end up in the same state as Elder Chen...

Actually, the frenzy wasn't just limited to the group in the suite. The entire auction hall also broke out in commotion. The ongoing auction for the [Cold Yin Sword] also abruptly came to a halt.

The dancing birds weren't just limited to within the suite; they flew through the windows and danced around the auction hall. The bright red flying birds resembled mini suns in the evening, illuminating the entire place with its brilliance.

"What... are those?"

"These birds are illusory beings. Someone has created a painting of the seventh level..."

"A seventh level painting? A 6-star painter? Th-this..."

"Which senior is it? Is this painting for sale? If it is, I'll be willing to put all of my fortune into it..."

"So do I!"

...

The dancing birds formed a spectacular sight within the auction hall. Everyone's eyes reddened in excitement.

Even the most formidable painter in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was only at 4-star pinnacle.

The legendary Wu Xuanzi from eight hundred years ago had reached 5-star, but it was a pity that... he didn't leave behind any works.

Yet, a work that could only come from a 6-star painter had suddenly appeared in the room. How could the crowd not go into a frenzy?

"This... It can't be the doing of that Zhang shi, could it?"

The host, Elder Chen, upon seeing that no one's attention was on him, immediately turned to look at the suite where the birds appeared from and he immediately frowned.

That was the hall master's suite... He couldn't think of anyone else other than that unfathomable young man who could cause such a huge commotion.

...

While the crowd outside had fallen into a frenzy, Zhang Xuan, who had just completed the painting, kept his brush and smiled at the dumbfounded Luo Qin, "May I know if this painting is worth 5000 spirit stones like that?"

"Five thousand? Worth, it's definitely worth that amount..."

Recovering from his shock, Luo Qin hurriedly nodded his head.

Just a named sixth level pinnacle painting was already worth 5000 spirit stones. A painting of the seventh level... Even if it was sold for 10,000 spirit stones, there would probably be someone who would be willing to fork out the sum!

Just by casually writing a few works, this young man had raised the value of the painting by twenty times. This... It would be a gross underestimation to say that his words were worth gold!

Fearsome!

Curious to know what it was that the young man wrote that transformed a sixth level pinnacle painting into a seventh level one, they hurriedly turned their gazes to the painting. However, upon taking a look, their bodies swayed and they nearly fell to the floor.

It was just five squiggly words — [Rousing from the Drunken Dreams]!

These five words weren't written in any conventional form of calligraphy; rather, it felt as though it was written right after one woke up from a drunken stupor. Even though it was squiggly, there was exquisite in a very different manner. Not only weren't they out of place, it seemed to complement with the bizarre birds on the painting, harmonizing the painting into one entirety.

"Rousing from the Drunken Dreams? This is the name of the painting?"

Luo Qin grabbed his hair frenziedly.

If it was anyone else, they would surely be racking their brains to think of the origin of the bizarre birds, given that they were the main theme to the painting.

Yet, this fellow simply went on to write Rousing From the Drunken Dreams... And what was even more frightening was that... he was right!

Could it be that... the legendary Wu Xuanzi drew this painting right after he woke up from a dream after drinking the previous day?

If that was the case, wasn't this way too difficult to guess!

Furthermore... how in the world did this fellow know about it then?

"Indeed, this painting is indeed made by Wu Xuanzi right after he woke up from his drunken stupor!" Zhang Xuan confirmed everyone's doubts.

Unable to accept this outcome, Hall Master Sai asked, "But... but... what spirit beasts are those birds? Why haven't I heard of them before?"

He had stumbled by this painting back then when he was challenging the Harmonious Stream of the Flowing Goblets, and for this, he had flipped through innumerable books, but he was unable to find an answer.

Since this was Wu Xuanzi's work, these birds should at least have a name.

"Oh... They're called White Purity Birds!" Zhang Xuan said.

"White Purity Birds? That can't be! White Purity Birds have long wings, purple beaks, golden claws, red head, and they're slightly plump as well. Not only does these birds not possess those unique traits, they clearly possess a slim physique..."

This time, the one who spoke was Zhao Feiwu. She felt that there was a clear problem in Zhang Xuan's analysis.

The White Purity Bird was a commonly seen spirit beast, and its unique characteristics made it extremely easy to identify. On the other hand, these bizarre birds didn't possess a sliver of those characteristics, so how could they be White Purity Birds?

If those were really White Purity Birds, Hall Master Sai and the others would have long identified the painting.

"Oh, when Wu Xuanzi drew this painting, he was still slightly intoxicated so he depicted the White Purity Birds inaccurately, resulting in their current forms..." Zhang Xuan explained.

"Inaccurate depiction?"

At that moment, everyone trembled in shock.

Who could have thought that a 5-star painter would make such a fundamental error!

"Indeed. When he woke up from his stupor, he realized how ridiculous his drawing was, and he thought that if it were to get out, it would surely affect his reputation. However, he found it a waste to tear it apart as well. Thus... he removed his name and signature, thus resulting in this incomplete work!" Zhang Xuan said.

It was recorded amidst the flaws in the Library of Heaven's Path. Initially, when Zhang Xuan first saw it, he felt that it was ridiculous as well.

But this was the truth.

If it wasn't so ridiculous, Wu Xuanzi would have surely left behind his name, and the painting would have never reached the Appraiser Hall.

"Th-this... is the result of your appraisal?"

Hall Master Sai's teeth clattered together, as though fearful of the terrifying monster before him.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 466: Our Young Master Is Buying It!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

As a 4-star pinnacle appraiser, he had a deep understanding of the occupation. It was already formidable if one could determine who the painter was based on the brush stroke. To determine that the painting was drawn when the painter was drunk, and that he had removed the title and his own signature from it... Was this truly humanly possible?

Hall Master Sai wasn't the only one harboring such thoughts. Zhao Feiwu, Luo Qin, and the others were also dumbfounded by the sight before them. They stared fixedly at Zhang Xuan, determined to find out how he managed to deduce this much.

"Hehe!"

Meeting their gazes, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. "Appraising isn't just about identifying a treasure and its origin. More importantly, one should guess the thoughts going through the mind of the creator, and only then can one gain a deeper understanding of an artifact!

"This painting may seem well-organized, but in truth, it's extremely inconsistent. One of the basics of painting is balance, but this painting is high on the left and low on the right, giving a feeling that it is tilted toward one side. Clearly, the person drawing isn't steady on his feet. It is very likely that he was lying on the paper. Also, look at this area, that area, and that area. It's clear those portions can only be drawn when one is lying down...

"Also, the bizarre birds have short wings, white beaks, black claws, black heads, and a slim body. It doesn't resemble White Purity Birds at all, and it is impossible to tell what species it is with a single glance!

"However, if one were to take a closer look, there are reeds and blooming purple flowers all over the painting. Those two are the favorites of White Purity Birds. And most importantly, every single of those birds has a stalk of grass in its beak!"

Zhang Xuan pointed.

And just as what Zhang Xuan had said, every single bird in the painting had a stalk of grass in their mouth.

"This grass bears a striking resemblance with Riverleaf Grass. The Riverleaf Grass contains lethal poison, and there isn't a single spirit beast that enjoys eating it. As such, it causes some confusion. However, what if these were White Jade Stem instead?

"The stems of the White Jade Grass resemble the Riverleaf Grass a lot, and there are even medicine suppliers intentionally mixing the two together to earn a larger profit margin... While the White Purity Bird wouldn't even touch the Riverleaf Grass, the White Jade Stem is its favorite food..."

"This..."

Hall Master Sai and Luo Qin's bodies froze.

The other party's words were logical and rational. By following his analysis, one can easily conclude that the birds were White Purity Birds.

"Now that we've confirmed the species of the bird, the rest is simple. If one pays careful attention, one can see that the painting is completed in a single breath. Unlike usual paintings, an outline wasn't drawn beforehand. As a talented painter who is capable of producing a work of the sixth level, how could he possibly neglect such fundamentals? More importantly... there are even traces of corrections being made to the birds! Following the previous line of thought, it can be deduced that this painting was done when the other party was in a drunken state!

"After deducing this much, it isn't that difficult to fathom its origin..."

Zhang Xuan's lips curled up.

He wasn't just spouting nonsense. As a painter with capability of 3-star and above, given that he knew the result in advance and the flaws listed in the Library of Heaven's Path, it wasn't too difficult for him to notice the various peculiarities with the painting.

Otherwise, it would be nigh impossible for one to link all of these peculiarities together.

"Th-this..."

Seeing how Zhang Xuan explained the entire matter calmly, everyone in the room was frenzied.

At this very moment, Hall Master Sai realized that the other party's appraising ability wasn't just slightly higher than his; the two of them weren't even on the same level.

"I must report it to the headquarter immediately. With his eye of discernment and capability, he should be qualified as a 5-star appraiser at the very least... or perhaps even higher!"

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Hall Master Sai made up his mind.

This fellow's capability had already surpassed the level within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He was in no way inferior even when compared to a 5-star appraiser.

Given how talented the other party was, he had to report the matter up swiftly so that he wouldn't be buried amidst dust.

"Alright, let's not delay the auction. Take it over!"

After he was done with his explanation, Zhang Xuan took a glance outside and saw that the entire auction hall had been alarmed by the commotion he caused. Thus, he shook his hands casually and sat back down.

"Yes!" Finally recovering from his shock, Luo Qin carefully rolled the painting, kept it, and backed out of the suite.

Not too long later, Elder Chen shocked voice sounded, "I believe everyone here witnessed the spectacle just a moment ago. A painting of the seventh level has been created, and all of us here were privileged to watch this phenomenal sight!

"The painting itself came from a grandmaster painter from eight hundred years ago, Wu Xuanzi, and another rising painter has bestowed it with a name and triggered a Spirit Euphoria, allowing it to make the breakthrough from the sixth level pinnacle!

"This is the very first seventh level painting created in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. It's a result of the perfect harmony between the older and current generations. I can't say for sure whether there'll be any more of such miracles in the future or not, but without a doubt, this is unprecedented in history!"

The more Elder Chen spoke, the more agitated he became. "And now, the owner of the painting wishes to auction it off. The starting bid will be 8000 spirit stones, and each increment must be no less than 1000. Let the bidding begin!"

"That painting is really up for sale? Great! I want it..."

"8000 spirit stones is the starting bid? It's a little expensive, but it'll be worth the price. Hurry up and inform the clan of the matter. Even if we have to mortgage our old residence, we've got to obtain it!"

"No matter the price..."

...

Hearing that the painting was up for sale, everyone below fell into a frenzy.

A painting of the seventh level had never appeared in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance before. If one could obtain a painting of such level, it would be worth if even if one had to go into bankruptcy.

Putting everything aside, it was highly likely that the price could increase by several folds when selling it in the future.

"I offer 9000!"

"10,000!"

"11,000!"

...

The price rose swiftly.

"This..." Seeing the frenzy below, Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in shock.

Given how Hall Master Sai could only produce three thousand spirit stones, he thought that 5000 would be the limit already. Never in his dreams did he expect to see the price soar to beyond 10,000.

"Just like Elder Chen and the others, I spent most of my money on the collection of treasures. As such, I don't have many spirit stones on me. Besides, I'm only an individual while they represent an entire power or a prestigious clan..."

Noticing Zhang Xuan's doubt, Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly.

Logically speaking, given how lucrative appraising was as an occupation, these 4-star appraisers should possess immense wealth. At the very least, they should be able to match up to those bidders below.

But unfortunately, they spent all of their wealth collecting treasures. As such, their liquid assets were severely limited. Three thousand was already the limit of their wealth.

Furthermore, the clan that those bidders below could have thousands of years of history behind them. The wealth that a clan could accumulate over such a long period of time was astonishing. While Hall Master Sai and the others would find it hard to take out 10,000 spirit stones, to those below, it only meant a short moment of financial difficulty. As long as they managed to find a buyer for it, not only would they recoup their losses, they would even earn a huge profit.

...

Within a suite in the auction hall.

A young man was currently seated right in front of the window. He carried a majestic and lofty aura reminiscent of a noble dragon.

Standing behind him was an elder. Even though he was completely motionless, his very presence felt like an endless abyss, leaving one unable to determine the depth of his strength. It was likely that his cultivation was superior even when compared to Jin Conghai.

"A seventh level painting? Interesting!"

Looking at the [Rousing from a Drunken Dream] that Elder Chen took out, the eyes of the young man gleamed.

The elder bowed.

"Young master, are you interested in it?"

The young man nodded.

"A seventh level painting is a valuable treasure even to the elders of the sect. If I manage to buy it, it'll surely be extremely useful to my supporting occupation as a painter."

"Alright, I'll buy it then!"

Nodding his head, the elder prepared to offer a price.

"There's no rush to it. We can make our offer after the commotion below dies down." The young man waved his hands casually.

"Yes!" The elder hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Just that... I'm afraid that if the price reaches way too high, we might not have sufficient spirit stones to take down the Soulless Metal Humanoid..."

"The Soulless Metal Humanoid is linked to the soul oracles. As long as we take some useful information back to the sect, my standing will surely surge greatly... Once I earn the recognition of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it'll just be a matter of time before I become the number one expert of the younger generation."

The young man chuckled, "But... there's no need to worry about it. I've already looked into the matter regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid, and the fellow auctioning the item doesn't seem to intend to sell it for spirit stones."

"He isn't selling it for spirit stones?"

The elder was taken aback.

If a person took an artifact out for it to be auctioned, shouldn't the purpose be profit? To refuse spirit stones as payment, what did that mean?

"I heard that fellow's longevity is reaching its limit. As long as his bottleneck continues to confine him, it'll be futile no matter how much spirit stones he has in his possession. Seems like you got it. Indeed, what he wants is a Tutelage Jade Token; the higher grade it is, the better it is," the young man said.

Even though spirit stones were valuable, there was a limit to what they could do.

If one's cultivation was stuck at a bottleneck, one's longevity would remain at a standstill. If so, it would just be a matter of time before one was reduced to dust... Once one died, what use would money be?

One might as well trade it for Tutelage Jade Tokens. In the off chance that one managed to achieve a breakthrough, one could even extend one's longevity. In any case, it was way better than hoarding spirit stones.

Besides, with a higher cultivation, it was much easier to earn money.

No matter where one went, strength was still the most important factor one needed to possess. Everything else was just secondary.

"If he only needed Tutelage Jade Token, then this matter is indeed easy to settle... Young master is a talented master teacher yourself. To guide a cultivator from this kind of small place and help him achieve a breakthrough shouldn't be too difficult!"

Upon coming to a realization, the elder smiled.

"Of course. After all, I'm aiming for the top five places in the Master Teacher Tournament this time around!"

The young man declared confidently.

"Young master possesses unparalleled talent. Regardless of whether it's your Soul Depth or your understanding toward martial arts, you are far superior to the others. I think that even the first three places won't be too difficult for you!" the elder said.

"First three... It'll be hard to say. Those few aren't easy to deal with. However, I'm not afraid of them. Let's see who will get the upper hand then!"

The young man's expression turned grim for a moment before he shook it off and turned his attention back to the auction hall. "Alright, it's about time. Make an offer! Right, I still have some uses for spirit stones so don't waste them."

"Yes!"

The elder nodded.

At that moment, the price had already come to a standstill. Before such a price, the affluent clans and powers had no choice but to back off.

"20,000 calling once. 20,000 calling twice. Is there anyone who can offer a price higher than this? If not, this Rousing from the Drunken Dreams will be going to this friend from the Suite 14..."

Elder Chen scanned the surroundings.

...

"20,000 spirit stones? To think that a painting could fetch such a price..." Zhang Xuan's eyes glowed when he heard the final price below.

"Indeed, it seems like no one else can compete with that anymore. 20,000 spirit stones... This is truly a huge sum!" Sun Qiang nodded excitedly.

Before the duo could finish their words, the voice of an elder sounded.

"Wait a moment, I offer 21 4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens. Our young master will be taking that painting!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 467: Bidding For The Soulless Metal Humanoid (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"21... 4-star Tutelage Jade Token? In terms of spirit stones, that will be 21,000 spirit stones! What a generous offer!"

"Incredible! Tutelage Jade Tokens are incomparably valuable, especially those belonging to 4-star master teachers. Even though the price is publicly known to be 1000 spirit stones per token, the price in the black market has already reached up to 1200. 21 of those would mean a hulking sum of around 25,000!"

"Seems like no one will be able to top that price..."

...

Upon hearing the offer, the auction hall flew into an uproar.

In truth, the most common currency on the continent wasn't spirit stones but Tutelage Jade Tokens.

A 4-star Tutelage Jade Token could be traded for a hundred 3-star Tutelage Jade Token; a 3-star Tutelage Jade Token could be traded for a hundred 2-star Tutelage Jade Token... So on and so forth. And with ten spirit stones, one could buy one 3-star Tutelage Jade Token.

Thus, going by the proportions, a 4-star Tutelage Jade Token was worth 1000 spirit stones, and on top of that... they weren't readily available.

One must know that of the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there were only ten or so 4-star master teachers. On the other hand, there were billions of cultivators... Considering the proportion of the two, one could imagine how lacking the resource was.

Usually, if a cultivator were to obtain a 4-star Tutelage Jade Token, they would use it for themselves. Thus, it was hard to find one even in the black markets. Yet, that person in the suite actually offered 21 of those tokens just to buy a single painting. This incomparably generous act made everyone felt frenzied.

"Incredible!"

Hall Master Sai's eyebrows twitched as well.

Even those of his cultivation would benefit greatly from the guidance of a 4-star master teacher.

The value of 21 4-star Tutelage Jade Token clearly exceeded that of 20,000 spirit stones by way too much.

Just as Hall Master Sai was about to turn to the young man to congratulate him on his massive profit he had just earned, the other party's complexion darkened and he cursed out loud.

"The heck!"

At this moment, Zhang Xuan was undergoing a breakdown within.

The reason why he took this painting out was so that he could earn more spirit stones to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid, as well as to fuel his future cultivation.

He was just delighted by the windfall of 20,000 spirit stones when that fellow wrecked his dreams.

21 4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens...

Why in the world would I want your Tutelage Jade Tokens?

Even the lesson of a 6-star master teacher would be useless to me!

No matter how formidable a master teacher was, even if it were Empyrean Kong shi himself, they couldn't guarantee that the contents of his lesson would be entirely correct. However, the Library of Heaven's Path could!

As long as a something written had no errors or flaws, it must be correct.

As long as he had this with him, there was no master teacher, no matter how formidable he was, who was qualified to become his teacher?

That fellow actually hoped to purchase his painting using this toy? Zhang Xuan felt so stifled that he was about to explode.

What that left him even more speechless were the countless gazes of envy from the surroundings... Envious your head!

Zhang Xuan was on the verge of crying.

"Zhang shi, those are 4-star Tutelage Grade Tokens! Countless people dream of it, you..."

Seeing Zhang Xuan's reaction, Hall Master Sai was perplexed.

Everyone wanted to get their hands on some Tutelage Jade Tokens; even low ranked master teachers hoped to receive the guidance of higher ranked master teachers. Yet, this Zhang shi... Why did he seem so unhappy?

Wasn't it something to be overjoyed about?

Suppressing his dismal, Zhang Xuan said, "Hall Master Sai, I'll have to trouble you to send a message to Elder Chen to say that... I don't need the Tutelage Jade Token. I only want spirit stones!"

"You only want spirit stones?"

Hall Master Sai was taken aback.

Indeed, the actions of a genius couldn't be understood by mortals such as him...

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Alright then!"

Seeing the other party insist on it, Hall Master Sai could only agree to the matter.

...

"21 4-star Tutelage Jade Token, let's see who else can compete with me!"

Seeing the uproar in the hall right after his bid was announced, the young man's mouths crept upward.

Master teacher was a lucrative occupation, and this Tutelage Jade Token was the main reason behind it.

But of course, this token couldn't be given out as one pleased. There was a limit to how much Tutelage Jade Token a master teacher of a certain rank could distribute each year, and this was regulated by the Master Teacher Pavilion. If one's quota exceeded the limit in the first year, he would have to cut down on the next year.

After all, master teachers couldn't possibly spend all of their time conducting lessons. They had to cultivate too, and there were many other things they had to attend to as well.

To give out 21 Tutelage Jade Token at a single go, that was nearly half a year of lessons for him!

"21 4-star Tutelage Jade Token, is there anyone who can offer a higher bid? If not, this painting will be going to the friend in Suite 23..."

Elder Chen was clearly stunned by this sudden generous offer as well. However, after a moment of daze, he hurriedly recovered and continued on. However, just as he was about to declare the results, he suddenly heard something and his body froze.

Then, with a bizarre face, he shouted, "Is there anyone who is offering a price above that of 20,000 spirit stones? If not, this painting will be going to the friend in Suite 14!"

"What?"

The young man was just swelling in pride at having bought the painting when he heard those words, froze, and nearly keeled over.

What was going on?

"Our young master has just offered 21 4-star Tutelage Jade Token. Does that price not exceed 20,000 spirit stones?" The elder couldn't help but ask. "If that's insufficient, we can still raise the stakes!"

"Oh, that friend over there, I apologize but the seller has just told me that he's only accepting spirit stones!" Elder Chen replied.

"Only accepting spirit stones?"

The young man felt his head spin.

There was actually such a foolish person in the world?

With so many Tutelage Jade Tokens, not only could one from a 4-star master teacher, one could befriend him as well. Yet, this fellow actually turned it down... and went for the cheaper spirit stones instead?

"That's right. Are there any higher bids? If not, this painting will be going to the friend in Suite 14!" Elder Chen continued.

The person in Suite 14 was a renowned painter. He thought that he would surely lose the bid given how the other competitor had offered so many Tutelage Jade Token. He didn't expect to make such a sudden comeback; he was overjoyed.

"Sold!"

After confirming that there would be no one offering a higher price, the painting was eventually dealt at with a price of 20,000 spirit stones.

"Damn it, damn it!"

The young man's face steeled, and he was on the verge of going on a rampage.

4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens were goods that were highly desired but in short supply no matter where one went; yet, over here, he failed to trade them for the item he wanted. This made him infuriated.

"Go and check the identity and the background of the one who sold the painting!"

The young man instructed.

"Yes!" The elder walked out, and not too long later, he returned.

"Reporting to the young master, the painting is sold by the people within Suite 1. If I'm not mistaken, the seller seems to be a friend of the head of the Appraiser Hall, Hall Master Sai. As for his identity, I wasn't able to get any information on that at the moment!"

"Suite 1?"

Narrowing his eyes, the young man harrumphed.

"Young master, now that the painting is bought away by someone else, what should we do?" the elder asked.

"Let's put that aside for the moment and focus on obtaining the Soulless Metal Humanoid first!"

The young man was frustrated, but knowing that there was no helping it, he shook his hands.

Once the hammer was struck, no matter how prestigious his standing was, he couldn't reverse the decision.

If the seller insisted on dealing in spirit stones, then no matter how formidable he was, there was nothing he could do about it.

"Alright then!"

The elder also shook his head helplessly.

...

The auction continued on. After selling away the painting which had caused such a huge commotion, the Cold Yin Sword was put on sale again, and eventually, Zhang Xuan took it for a price of 700 spirit stones.

The artifacts that came afterward didn't cause as much of a storm as Zhang Xuan's painting.

Even though they were valuable, they were incomparable to a seventh level painting.

On top of the Cold Yin Sword, Zhang Xuan bought another two artifacts—a spear for Zheng Yang and a body plate for Yuan Tao.

The total price of the two objects was around a thousand spirit stones so it was still within an acceptable price range.

As for Liu Yang and Wang Ying, as there was nothing suitable in the auction, Zhang Xuan wasn't able to buy anything for them.

"Now, the final object of the auction, as well as the one everyone has been anticipating for, the Soulless Metal Humanoid!"

As Elder Chen spoke, a stone pedestal slowly rose, and a figure seemingly crafted of gold donning a full body armor appeared before the crowd.

Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over as well.

It was indeed no different from a human; the only difference was that a huge quantity of metal had been added into the body, enhancing its defense.

Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan soon shook his head in disappointment.

Clearly, this object was beyond his current analytical ability. He wasn't able to discern anything about it at all.

"This Soulless Metal Humanoid has undergone a collaborative appraisal by Hall Master Sai, Elder Lu, and myself, and we've confirmed that there's no mistake about it. This is the guard of the ancient soul oracles and it possesses unimaginable value."

Elder Chen introduced. "However, I'm afraid that I am not in charge of this one. The owner of the Soulless Metal Humanoid has decided to sell it for himself. He intends to trade it for a treasure he needs... Let's invite the auctioneer up on stage then!"

Following which, an old man walked in from the back of the round stage.

This old man had a white beard, his skin was slightly loose, and he carried a slightly archaic aura with him. With just a glance, it was clear that he was advanced in age.

"Hmm?"

Activating the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan took a glance at the old man and he immediately frowned.

Even though the old man's cultivation seemed to have reached Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle already, for some reason, Zhang Xuan was still able to discern some things about him via the Eye of Insight.

Under normal circumstances, the Eye of Insight should only work on those of a small cultivation realm above him. Given that Zhang Xuan was current at Half-Transcension realm, he should only be able to peer into the flaws of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator.

But for some reason... He was able to see some problems from the other party. This was extremely peculiar.

"That is the person who discovered the Soulless Metal Humanoid?"

"It seems so. Who knows what kind of luck he has to stumble by it. Once he sells it, his wealth will surely increase by leaps and bounds!"

"Indeed, why do I not possess such luck..."

...

Upon realizing that it was a decrepit old man who'd found the Soulless Metal Humanoid, a commotion broke out amidst the crowd.

"Everyone, please calm down. Since everyone is interested in buying this object, let's listen to what he intends to exchange it for. Regardless of whether it is on your own or with your clan, as long as you can produce the item he needs within a single day, you can feel free to make an offer!" Elder Chen said.

"Alright!"

Upon hearing that the conditions for participating was so lax, everyone was overjoyed.

Initially, just like Hall Master Sai, they thought that the other party would be trading it for spirit stones. Thus, they brought a huge fortune out with them. Yet, the owner was actually intending to trade it for another object. This had caught them off guard.

However, upon hearing that they would be given time to prepare whatever that was needed, they regained their spirit.

Who of those who could participate in this auction didn't belong to an influential power?

As long as the other party could name out the treasure, they were confident that even if they couldn't find it, they could at least find some news on it.

Stepping forward, the old man said, "It is very simple. Everyone here can feel free to offer anything that you can produce within a single day, and if it satisfies me, I'll make the trade immediately!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 468: Bidding For The Soulless Metal Humanoid (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Feel free to offer?"

"As long as he's satisfied, he'll make the exchange? What kind of condition is this?"

"Could it be that this fellow is lustful, and we have to prepare some ladies for him?"

"Indeed, this condition is way too bizarre. After all, you can't possibly expect us to fathom his thoughts to give him something he desires!"

...

Upon hearing the bizarre condition of the auction, everyone was dumbfounded.

In an auction, one would usually demand spirit stones, Tutelage Jade Tokens, or valuable objects. Never had they heard of an auction which the condition was 'as long as I'm satisfied'.

What if that person was unable to find something that satisfies him? Would he refuse to sell it then?

What the heck was this?

"Interesting!"

In Suite 23, the young man had finally recovered from his shock. The anxiety from his eyes disappeared, and a slight smile crept onto his face.

"Interesting?" The elder was puzzled.

"The reason why he made this condition is so as to hook a big one!" the young man said.

"Young master, you noticed something about the auction?"

"Simple. As we're dealing with artifacts here, the value might be subjective as people have different needs. As such, interested buyers can only raise their bids to their upper limit in hopes that the artifact they offer will satisfy him."

The young man chuckled, "This way, the price will soar. All kinds of treasures will be offered, and all he needs to do is to choose the one that is the most valuable and useful to him."

"This..." The elder was stunned.

That was indeed the case.

There were some treasures hoarded by some of the influential powers that one couldn't obtain by normal means. If they were unwilling to take it out, those items would never see the light of the day.

However, for this Soulless Metal Humanoid, there was a good chance that they might take those treasures out. If so, this method of conducting the auction would bring the owner even greater value.

"Let's forget about that for now, let's see what those people have to offer!"

Knowing the other party's motive, the young man chuckled silently.

...

"Something that would satisfy him?"

Hearing the condition, Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"What arrogant words! Even though the Soulless Metal Humanoid is valuable, it's just an ancient relic now. Who knows whether it still can be used or not? The only reason why most people are interested in it is because it came from the ancient soul oracles!"

Zhao Feiwu harrumphed.

In truth, the Soulless Metal Humanoid was no different from a slightly more advanced puppet, wielding the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan. If not for research purposes, there was no one who would spend a fortune to purchase it.

With a few thousand spirit stones, one could easily hire several Transcendent Mortal 3-dan experts already.

"You're wrong... What they truly wanted isn't the Soulless Metal Humanoid but the heritage of the soul oracles!"

Hall Master Sai shook his head.

"Heritage?"

Zhao Feiwu turned to look at Hall Master Sai in bewilderment.

"Un, I've examined the Soulless Metal Humanoid and even though it was forged a very long time ago, it's in extremely good condition. If one were to study it carefully, one might be able to uncover the way to forging it! While this puppet only forms a small part of the strength of the soul oracles, it could still become a huge source of fortune," Hall Master Sai said.

"So what if one uncovers the way to forging this puppet? Would one really... use a living human being to forge this darned puppet?" Taken aback, Zhao Feiwu frowned. "If the Master Teacher Pavilion were to learn of it, they would surely eliminate that person."

"It's not to forge the puppet..."

Hall Master Sai shook his head and explained, "There's a limit to a person's lifespan. However, a person's soul can continue existing for a very long time as long as it's well cared for. Four hundred to five hundred years wouldn't be a problem at all. If one learns the way to crafting it, one might learn how to transfer one's soul into this puppet as well. In the ancient times, when the Master Teacher Pavilion was on a crusade against the soul oracles, they managed to escape on many occasions making use of this method..."

"Transferring one's soul to the Soulless Metal Humanoid to sustain oneself?"

Zhao Feiwu widened her eyes in shock.

Even though she had read a lot of books, this was the first time she was hearing of such a peculiar notion.

"That's right!" Hall Master Sai nodded.

He only found out about this after reading through many books concerning the Soulless Metal Humanoid while he was doing his research.

The powers who were interested in it also managed to grab hold of this news through certain means, and thus, they went to great extents to prepare for this auction. After all, there were very few people who could resist the allure of an extended lifespan.

This was especially for those who were reaching their limit. Even if they had to give up on their humanity to live for just another decade or so, they would be delighted to do so.

"If that's the case, then this auction will surely raise a storm..."

Hearing the conversation of the duo, Zhang Xuan sighed.

If that was truly the case, many people would surely be frenzied over the Soulless Metal Humanoid. If so, the price would surely rise to an astronomical sum.

"Since no one is making an offer, allow me to go first!"

Just as the crowd was contemplating over the matter, an elder below raised his hand and shouted.

"It's the Gold Saint Phantom Hands, Liao Yuxi! He had made a name for himself a hundred years ago—to think that he isn't dead yet!"

"If he were to go first, he might possibly come up with a price that no one will be able to top!"

"Let's just watch on first..."

...

After getting a clear glimpse of the elder's appearance, the crowd immediately discussed with hushed voices.

Gold Saint Phantom Hands was an expert whose name induced fear across the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance a hundred years ago. Everyone had thought that he was already dead since it had been a century since he had disappeared from the public eye. Yet, to think that not only was he alive and kicking, he even attended this auction and became the first one to make his offer.

As an expert who had lived for so many years, no one would believe it if he said that he had nothing valuable on him.

Scanning the surroundings, the Gold Saint Phantom Hands Liao Yuxi said, "The Ursae Majoris Umbrella!"

"Ursae Majoris Umbrella? What's that?"

"It's a Spirit intermediate-tier equipment crafted in reference to the Alpha Ursae Majoris star of the Big Dipper constellation. It is aligned with a formation, and it's an incredible treasure that is both suited for offense and defense. A hundred years ago, the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance trembled before its name. To think that that legendary weapon would appear here!"

"If one were to exchange it for spirit stones, its value would be inestimable..."

...

After hearing Liao Yuxi's words, the faces of the people who recognized the treasure were astonished, and disbelief marked their faces.

"The Ursae Majoris Umbrella might be incredible, but it's definitely not enough to trade for this Soulless Metal Humanoid. Allow me instead! Old mister, judging by your weak aura, you must be in poor health. I have a Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng here. Even if you're nearing the end of your lifespan, if you were to consume it, you will definitely be able to live for another decade or so!"

Before the crowd could recover from their crowd, another cold voice echoed.

Everyone turned their gazes over. The one who had just spoken was a middle-aged man with thick, black eyebrows. He was dressed in a luxurious robe, and he had an arrogant expression on his face.

"It's the Herb Emperor of the Great Herb Gazebo! That is a Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng! It is much more valuable than the Glacier Spirit Grass sold previously, and even the Ursae Majoris Umbrella cannot compete with it!"

"Indeed, the idea of trading with other artifacts is indeed insane. It's just the second offer, but it has already locked out innumerable competitors!"

"How can we compete with this? A Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng isn't something that one can obtain from the market with just money..."

...

Upon hearing the offer of the Herb Emperor, a commotion broke out once more.

Even the eyebrows of the old man on the stage twitched a little. However, he soon calmed down.

Clearly, this wasn't the item that he was in desperate need of.

"The Thousand-Year-Old Blood Ginseng might sound incredible, but if a person who doesn't know how to process it consumes it outright, not only will his lifespan not be expanded, he might even die from the violent energy contained within the herb. Rather than that, don't you think that the grade-4 pinnacle spirit pill [Duodecennial Longevity Pill] is better? Not only does it enhance one's lifespan by twelve years, there are no side effects at all. Isn't it clear which one is better with just a single look?"

An elder harrumphed.

"It's the head of the Apothecary Guild..."

"Duodecennial Longevity Pill, the pill famous for being able to extend a person's lifespan by twelve years... Even though it's a grade-4 pill, it's a known fact that one has to be at least a 5-star apothecary to successfully forge it! What a generous offer this is!"

"Insane, everyone has gone insane..."

Even though only three people had made their offers, the atmosphere had already reached a new high.

There were many powers here who had made ample preparations beforehand and they were confident of obtaining the Soulless Metal Humanoid. However, at this moment, they felt an immense pressure weighing down on them.

"Blood Ginseng and Duodecennial Longevity Pill? As long as one's body is incompatible with either of them, it'll become a deadly poison. I have a Spirit-tier cultivation technique here that is suited for all constitutions. One's cultivation will surely soar swiftly with this! The best way to ensure one's longevity is for one's cultivation to grow!" another person said.

"Cultivation techniques are profound. Without many years of hard work, how can one possibly achieve a breakthrough? On the other hand, I have a grade-4 Bottleneck Breakthrough Pill here. The bottleneck that has been impeding your cultivation all along will be destroyed in an instant, allowing your cultivation to rise accordingly..."

"Don't listen to them! I have a Myriad Manifestation Design. It'll definitely grant you immense power to dominate others..."

"I have..."

Slowly, all of the powers raised their offers without holding back at all.

There were several powers here who was in no way less affluent than the Appraiser Hall here. Naturally, the artifacts they had to offer were unimaginable.

"Alright, everyone!"

Just as everyone was in the middle of bickering with one another over whose artifact was better, a calm voice sounded. It was from the old man on the stage.

Upon hearing him speak, everyone quickly quietened down.

"All of the items you all have offered are valuable, but it's a pity that those aren't what I wanted."

The old man shook his head.

A person among the crowd harrumphed in displeasure.

"Those aren't what you wanted? Then what do you want? If you were to tell us, I believe that at least one of us here can offer it to you."

"Indeed, just say it. Even though we're interested in the Soulless Metal Humanoid, we don't have the time to be wasting here with you!"

Seeing that the other party had turned down all of these invaluable artifacts, everyone howled in anger.

It's true that we are interested in buying the Soulless Metal Humanoid, but we don't have the time or effort to be guessing your thoughts. Is there even any basis to what you're doing?

Or are you trying to play us like fools?

"I..." After hesitating for a moment, the old man opened his mouth to speak but his entire body abruptly froze. Then, he slowly closed his eyes and mouth, not saying a word at all.

"What is that fellow doing?"

"Does he think that we're jokes?"

"Damn it!"

Not expecting the other party to still be playing such games, the fury of the crowd surged.

If not in consideration of the location, they might have rushed forward to beat him up.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Xuan found the other party's abrupt freezing to be extremely bizarre. But just as he was about to use the Eye of Insight to take a closer look, his mind suddenly jolted and a book appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path.

"That person executed a battle technique?"

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

There were only two reasons behind the appearance of a book in the Library of Heaven's Path. Given that he wasn't in physical contact with the other party, the only possibility was that the other party was using a battle technique.

To think that just shutting his mouth was a battle technique in itself... This was way too bizarre!

"I should take a look at the book first!"

Even though Zhang Xuan was perplexed, he knew that there was no point pondering over the matter. Thus, he turned his attention to the Library of Heaven's Path and browsed through the book.

After flipping through the book, a bizarre expression appeared on Zhang Xuan's face.

"Such a matter can happen as well?"

Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in disbelief.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 469: I Can Help You Get It Out

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

While Zhang Xuan was slightly dumbstruck from the content of the book, that old man had already recovered from his bizarre condition. With a pale face, he surveyed the surroundings and said, "I understand the purpose behind why everyone wishes to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid. If any of you can bring me the treasure I want, on top of this Soulless Metal Humanoid, I'll bring him to the place where I unearthed the metal humanoid as well so that he can explore the secrets of the soul oracle!"

"What?"

"Legend has it that the Soulless Metal Humanoids will accompany their soul oracles' side, buried along with them even upon death... If it's the place where he unearthed the metal humanoid, doesn't it mean that it's the tomb of a soul oracle?"

"After the soul oracles were destroyed by the Master Teacher Pavilion, their heritage disappeared from the world. Even if we can't obtain their heritage, as long as we manage to uncover some information on that ancient occupation, there will surely be many people who would be willing to buy that information for hefty sum."

"More importantly, soul oracles were known for being the most lucrative occupation in ancient times due to the nature of their powers. Even appraisers aren't a match for them. If we were to unearth the tomb of a soul oracle, we would surely obtain a massive fortune."

"Indeed, anyone who gets this opportunity will strike it rich!"

...

Initially, everyone was rather displeased with the old man due to his ridiculous auction proposal. However, after hearing those words, everyone began trembling in agitation.

The responsibility of the Master Teacher Pavilion was to enlighten the world, and they believed in equality in education as well. Unless truly necessary, they would never make a move against other occupations. Back then, it was due to the soul oracles pushing things too far that they were exterminated.

Even if someone were to obtain their heritage now, as long as they didn't use it for malicious intentions, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldn't interfere in the matter.

In fact, if one were to make use of this opportunity well, one might even be able to win the grooming and protection of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

Besides, given that an intact Soulless Metal Humanoid was dug up, the soul oracle buried in the tomb was likely to be extremely powerful before his death. If they were to find the tomb, even if they failed to obtain the soul oracle's heritage, they would at least be able to find a whole mountain of treasure that was sufficient to send others frenzied.

"I must obtain it!"

"Indeed. But... so many invaluable treasures have been turned down already. The other party doesn't seem to be interested in anything at all! Does he expect us to give our entire clan away?"

"Give our entire clan away? That is provided he's willing to accept it first..."

...

After a short moment of excitement, the crowd fell back into a dilemma, and they rubbed their glabella in stress.

That fellow simply refused to say what he wanted. Everyone here had already offered about everything that could be offered. Was it because the artifacts they offered weren't valuable enough, and he wanted to go for something better?

"I have the seedling of a Thousand Leafed Tree here. Would you be interested in making a trade for this?"

Just as the crowd was in a dilemma, an impassive voice sounded from one of the suites.

"Thousand Leafed Tree?"

"That legendary spirit tree that can fight and guard over a clan?"

"On the single trunk on a Thousand Leafed Tree, there are a thousand branches, and on each of those branches, there are a thousand leaves. After it reaches maturity, just like any Spirit tool, it'll instinctively protect its owner. On top of that, the Thousand Leafed Tree possesses an astonishing cultivation that is on par with even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Clarifying Turbidity realm expert!"

"If one were to plant the seedling in one's clan, a hundred year later, the clan will be blessed with a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan guardian which would devote its life to protecting the clan. This is an ultimate treasure that all big clans are vying over!"

"This is way better than those Spirit weapons, pills, and cultivation technique manuals. Who is in that suite? To think that he would be willing to bring out such a valuable treasure!"

...

There was a limit to a person's longevity; no matter how powerful one was, there would eventually come a day which one would have to die. As such, it was impossible for an expert to watch over his clan forever.

But the Thousand Leafed Tree was different. In a hundred years, one would gain a powerful guardian that could ensure the prosperity of the clan for the next hundred years.

It was no different from having a powerful expert looking after one's clan at all times.

Given such, how could the crowd remain calm before such a treasure.

To trade it for a Soulless Metal Humanoid... This was truly a losing deal.

"This... He can't possibly reject this as well, can he?"

The crowd turned to the old man on the stage, curious to see how he would react.

The Soulless Metal Humanoid was valuable, but it wasn't anything much compared to the Thousand Leafed Tree.

Given the vast difference in the value of the two artifacts... Even a fool would know what to choose.

"I apologize but I'm not interested in the Thousand Leafed Tree."

Just when everyone thought that a new owner of the Soulless Metal Humanoid had been determined, the old man shook his head once more.

"He's not interested?"

"He rejected it outright? This... If it was me, I would have definitely made the trade immediately!"

"Such a waste..."

...

Clearly, the crowd didn't expect that even a Thousand Leafed Tree seedling would be insufficient to move the old man. At this moment, they felt a little frenzied.

What in the world did he want?

"I'll repeat my words once more. As long as anyone can bring out an object that interests me, I'll trade for it immediately. This is a competition over the value of the objects!" The old man shook his hands.

"Interests?"

Hearing those words, everyone fell silent. For a long while, no one made any offer.

You asked for us to offer something that would interest you, but yet, you refused to tell us what is it that you want. Even if we were to continue making offers like that, who knows whether or not we will ever be able to find something that'll interest you. Why in the world did the auction hall bring such a weirdo in?

Glancing at Luo Qin, Elder Chen said, "Manager Luo, in my view, this fellow is here to cause trouble. Besides, I don't think that the auction can benefit from a trade of goods. So, why did the auction hall take up this deal?"

The other party was clearly here to cause trouble!

Who in the world auctions items like that?

Besides, under normal trades, the auction hall would usually claim a small commission from the sales to earn a profit. However, given that the other party was trading the Soulless Metal Humanoid for another artifact, how was the auction hall supposed to claim a commission off the price?

"He isn't causing trouble, he has already paid an advance of 5,000 spirit stones!" Luo Qin shook his head.

"He has already paid even though his item hasn't been successfully auctioned yet?" Elder Chen was taken aback.

Even he was unable to take out so many spirit stones in a single go! To pay this sum in advance... Wasn't he worried that the Soulless Metal Humanoid might not be sold?

"Indeed. So no matter how he auctions his item, the auction hall won't make a loss at all." Luo Qin said.

"Then... What does he really want?"

Elder Chen was perplexed.

Since the other party was able to produce 5,000 spirit stones in a single go, it was highly likely that he didn't lack money at all. On top of that, all of the artifacts offered previously were invaluable treasures that had encompassed all sectors, and yet he turned down all of them, even the Thousand Leafed Tree... So what was his goal in conducting this auction?

"I have no idea either. Ever since his arrival, he has spoken less than ten words to me so how could I possibly know what he's thinking of!"

Luo Qin smiled bitterly.

He was the manager of the auction and the sales of the Soulless Metal Humanoid was mainly arranged by him. However, his interactions with the seller were terribly limited.

They had barely traded more than a few words.

And thus, the other party's thoughts and wants remained an enigma to him.

...

"To turn down even the Thousand Leafed Tree, interesting!"

The young man from Suite 23 chuckled lightly.

He was the one who made the offer for the Thousand Leafed Tree previously. This object was of great value, and even three Soulless Metal Humanoid couldn't match up to a single one of it. Only a top-notch genius of a prestigious sect like him was able to take out an item of such quality easily.

But it was a pity that the other party wasn't interested in it at all.

"Young master, it doesn't seem like he's trying to hike up the price," the elder beside him said.

Previously, the young master said that the reason why that fellow refused to reveal what he wanted was so as to hike up the prices, but from the looks of it, that didn't seem to be the case.

After all, in terms of price, what else could beat the Thousand Leafed Tree?

To turn down even this object, this only went to show that his motive could be to find something that he really needed.

"Regardless of what he needs, he surely won't be able to turn this down!"

Flicking his wrist, a jade token appeared in the young man's hand.

Upon seeing the item, the elder was taken aback. He uttered in shock, "Young master, this item is incomparably valuable. Are you sure... that you want to make an offer with it?"

"That's right!"

A glint flashed across the young man's eyes, and his lips curled up slightly, "Since he has even refused the Thousand Leafed Tree, I can't think of anything else that might interest him."

The elder hesitated. "But... this item is useful to you too..."

"If I have any problems, I can consult teacher straight. So in truth, this item isn't of much value to me!"

The young man waved his hands and said, "Make the offer!"

"Yes!"

Seeing the determination on the other party's face, the elder knew that it was impossible to convince him out of it. Thus, nodding his head, he stepped forward to the windows and bellowed, "A half 5-star master teacher long-range Tutelage Jade Token!"

...

Everyone in the auction hall was wracking their brains to fathom what that fellow on the stage want when the voice sounded. A short moment of silence, and a huge uproar was suddenly generated.

"Half 5-star master teacher? What does that mean?"

"When a master teacher reaches 4-star and above, the difficulty to advance through the ranks would become exponentially more difficult. As such, there were many people who ended up being stuck at 4-star pinnacle their entire life, unable to make a breakthrough. However, there are clearly masters teachers who possessed teaching capability above ordinary 4-star pinnacle but simply haven't reached 5-star yet... Thus, this rank was born!"

"There isn't a half 5-star master teacher in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even though half 5-star master teachers are, in the truest sense, 4-star pinnacle master teachers, the value of their Tutelage Jade Tokens far surpasses those of ordinary 4-star pinnacle master teachers... Putting everything aside, even the 21 Tutelage Jade Tokens offered before cannot compare up to this in value!"

"I see. Then what is a long-range Tutelage Jade Token?"

"When one obtains an ordinary Tutelage Jade Token, one can look for a master teacher and request for two hours of his time for a one-to-one guidance session. However... finding this master teacher is likely to expend a significant length of time. On the other hand, a long-range Tutelage Jade Token isn't restricted by this limitation. A sliver of the master teacher's soul has been infused into the jade token, and when one drips a droplet of blood on it, one will be able to enter an illusionary classroom where one's problems can be solved.

"In other words, as long as one possesses this item, it's as good as having a half 5-star master teacher around you. No matter what cultivation problem one has, one can enquire about it at any moment. Even though it's just a one-time use object, its value is unimaginable!"

Being able to undergo the guidance of a half 5-star master teacher on the spot and running around the world with the jade token in hand to look for the specific half 5-star master teacher were two vastly different concepts.

The value of this jade token definitely far surpassed that of the previous 21 jade tokens.

Having understood this, everyone turned to the old man on the stage to see how he would choose.

If he were to reject this as well, then no one here would probably be able to produce a treasure to his liking.

"This..."

The old man also clearly didn't expect the person from the suite to take out such a valuable object. Hesitation clearly surfaced on his expression, and after a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I'll agree to the trade!"

"He agreed to the trade?"

"Well, I can't imagine him doing otherwise..."

Hearing that the other party had agreed to it, even though the crowd was a little disappointed, they knew that the value of this jade token was simply too great for anyone to resist.

"This is more like it..."

The young man from Suite 23 chuckled lightly upon hearing the old man agree to it.

He had even gone to the extent of taking out this treasure. If the other party still continued to turn him down, there would be nothing else he could do.

Just as he was preparing to go down and conduct the trade with the old man, a nonchalant voice suddenly sounded from Suite 1.

"There's no need to rush into an agreement, I haven't made my offer yet!"

"You? Do you think that you can produce something even more valuable than my Tutelage Jade Token?"

The young man stood up in displeasure.

"I can't say for sure whether the thing I can offer is of greater value because my offer is only a single sentence..."

A calm voice sounded, "I can help you... get it out!"

"What did you say?"

Hearing those words, the old man standing on the stage suddenly froze and his face paled. Then, he began to tremble non-stop.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 470: Zhang Xuan's Move [2in1]

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Help you get it out?

The entire auction hall fell silent. The respectable figures of Honghai City stared at one another with so much frustration that they were about to explode.

What the heck was this situation?

Who in the world was that hero in Suite 1?

Your interest...

... is way too heavy!

More importantly, he didn't seem to be in the least embarrassed spouting such dirty words in public; on the contrary, he spoke forcefully and proudly...

Big brother, where in the world does your confidence come from?

Pu!

Hearing those words, the young man from Suite 23 immediately spat out the mouthful of tea that he had just drunk at the elder opposite of him.

The heck! I gave out a long-range Tutelage Jade Token—that is literally worth cities, and its value doesn't lose out to even a Spirit high-tier equipment... If you had made a normal offer, I would still overlook it. After all, it's a fair competition. I can only concede if my financial ability is unable to match up to yours.

But... 'help you get it out', what the heck was that?

The fellow selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid was already in his declining years, and he looked as though he could pass away at any moment. Yet, you want to help him g-get it out?

Am I being too dirty-minded or is your taste really that heavy?

"That..."

The elder beside the young man wiped the tea off his face, and it took him a long moment before he recovered from the shock. "Young master, that person doesn't have long to live so I doubt that he would be tempted by the pleasures of the body. Besides, even if he is interested, he could simply head to a brothel. Why should he resort to finding a male..."

"Cough cough..."

After a bout of violent coughing, the young man finally managed to prevent himself from choking to death. "I know that much. Just that... that fellow from Suite 1 sure is an incredible fellow to be able to say such words... It seems like we aren't the only one astounded by his words. Even that old fellow up there is about to faint!"

"Indeed! No normal cultivator would accept such a depraved offer. How can someone be so shameless?" the elder replied indignantly. In the midst of his words, the ruckus below suddenly disappeared, and following closely, an agitated and excited voice sounded.

"Mister, do you... mean your words?" The old man on the auction stage was trembling in excitement. His face was flushed, seemingly unable to believe the other party's words.

"Of course I do! As long as you pass the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me, I'll try my best to help you get it out!" the calm voice from Suite 1 replied.

"Alright then, I'll agree to it!" Upon hearing the other party's confirmation, the old man nodded his head immediately.

Pu!

"If only I'd known earlier, I would have prepared a few beautiful girls... or perhaps dashing men..."

Hearing the old man agreeing to the matter readily, everyone felt blood welling up in their chest and they nearly fainted.

This works as well?

Cultivation technique, weapons, Thousand Leafed Tree, and even a half 5-star long-range Tutelage Jade Token... You turned all of them down just for this? Your interest sure is unique!

To abandon all of these treasures just for a short moment of pleasure... More importantly, the other party is a male... You have truly opened up our eyes today.

What is even more impressive is how the fellow in Suite 1 can speak such words in public without the slightest bit of embarrassment...

And most importantly of all, how could you tell that the old man on stage has such an interest?

Could it be that you are also...

Everyone shuddered.

"He agreed to it?"

The young man from Suite 23 trembled. For that moment, it felt as though the skies were rumbling.

Did he really come to a prestigious auction or was this truly a place for such exchanges?

Putting aside how his 4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens were turned down from spirit stones, now, even his Thousand Leafed Tree and the even more valuable half 5-star long-range Tutelage Jade Token was rejected, all for just... a moment of relief!

Their world horizons shattered in an instant.

"He... agreed to it!" The elder uttered through trembling lips.

"Damn it! If only I knew that that fellow has such interests, I wouldn't have wasted so much effort!" After a moment of dismal, a vicious glint flashed past the young man's face, and he turned around to command. "Make the offer saying that we can help him get it out as well. Furthermore, we'll agree to all conditions he sets, regardless of what poses he wants!"

"Young master, you..." The elder's body froze. "Isn't your sacrifice... a little too great?"

To go so far for a Soulless Metal Humanoid... Young master sure is vicious to himself!

"Sacrifice? Sacrifice your head! Do you expect me to do it? You think that I, Song Chao, a 4-star master teacher, would do such a thing? You must be joking! If someone has to go, it'll be you. As long as he agrees to sell the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me, you'll have to serve him well!"

The young man, Song Chao, harrumphed.

"Me?" It was just a moment ago that the elder thought that the young master was extremely noble, but after hearing those words, he shuddered and nearly burst into tears.

Do you have to be so callous?

I watched you grow up from young boy to a young man, and I've followed behind you for so many years. To sell me like that... surely this isn't right...

Who did I offend? I'm already so old and yet I still have to give up my reputation and decency... to not please a young lady but a... decrepit, old man?

"Hurry up! Once they conduct the trade, it'll be too late!" Seeing the other party's warped face, Song Chao hurriedly urged him on.

"Yes!" Even though the elder was reluctant to do so, he still stepped forward to the window and said, "Our young master wishes to make an offer. He's willing to help you get it out as well!"

"Ah? Another one?"

"The heck! There's another one who has given up on his decency as well? How in the world did a normal auction hall turn into a location where such deals are made?"

"Are they all mad?"

The entire auction hall flew into a frenzy.

To think that there would be another one to make such an offer. Where's their pride? Where's their common decency?

For this Soulless Metal Humanoid, you all are willing to give up even your dignity?

While the stage below was in a frenzy, in Suite 1, Zhang Xuan was also perplexed. He stood up and facing the suite which had just made the offer, he asked, "You can help him get it out as well? How do you intend to do it? Shall we compete to see whose technique is better so that he can make a better choice?"

Based on what he knew, it should be very hard to get that thing out. Even with the omniscient Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan still found the matter troublesome. Thus, he was curious to see what kind of method the other party was going to use.

Pu!

Hearing those words, Song Chao felt as though a snake was diving around in his chest, and he nearly tore his hair out with his hands.

Can you at least have some pride?

To compete over whose technique is better... Is it really alright for you to say such things in public? Do you have to be so fierce?

Furthermore, what is there to compete about it? The main issue at hand should be just to satisfy him, right?

The mouth of the elder beside Song Chao twitched, and tears streamed down his face. Doomed, he knew that his reputation would surely be tarnished at this point...

"Why? You can't say anything? To make such a claim despite being incapable, are you intentionally trying to jack up the price?" Upon seeing that there was no response from Suite 23, the person from Suite 1 continued.

"I-I... What other kind of techniques can I use? Of course it's the one that everyone knows of..." Seeing that the elder had been shocked speechless, Song Chao couldn't hold himself back anymore so he harrumphed.

"The one that everyone knows of?"

Hearing the other party's frenzied words, Zhang Xuan was even more perplexed, "What kind of method is that? You should clarify yourself. He has been plagued by an evil spirit and he's currently going through great anguish. What method do you intend to use to get it out? If it is feasible, I'm willing to let you give it a try first."

"Plagued by an evil spirit? Get it out? Th-this..." Song Chao's body swayed and his face paled. If there was a hole in the ground, he would definitely jump in this very instant.

What the heck was this!

Can your words not be that darned?

You kept saying 'get it out' so I thought you were talking about that... I was even willing to have my close subordinate give up his decency to compete with you and it turned out to be getting an evil spirit out...

You must be toying with me!

"So it's to force an evil spirit out..."

"The plague of an evil spirit is incomparably dangerous. Under such circumstances, one's life hinges by a thread. It's no wonder that person is refusing all treasures. After all, given that his life is in danger, what use are those treasures? What he wants is probably a way to expel the evil spirit, but if that is the case... Why didn't he say anything?"

"That is exactly what stumped me as well... However, being plagued by an evil spirit is an extremely rare occurrence. I've only read about it from some ancient books, how in the world did that fellow manage to stumble by it?"

"Soul oracles are skilled in attacking the souls of others. He must have suffered the retaliation of the evil spirits from the soul oracle whose tomb he dug up..."

...

Hearing the words of the person from Suite 1, everyone came to an understanding and wiped away their cold sweat.

So it wasn't what they were thinking. What the other party meant was to get the evil spirit out. It seemed like they were the ones who were corrupted...

"I see..."

Hall Master Sai heaved a huge sigh of relief and his face flushed red.

Zhang shi's previous words had nearly scared him to death. He had really thought that the other party had such heavy preferences... Only after hearing this did he come to a realization.

In truth, Zhang Xuan also didn't expect his words to incur such a huge misunderstanding. His mind had been too absorbed into getting the Soulless Metal Humanoid that he'd failed to consider the possible innuendo in his words.

Just like everyone guessed, the reason behind the affliction of the old man selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid was indeed vengeance from the soul oracle whose tomb was dug up. With his life at stake, it was natural that no treasure would be able to interest him. It was because he had been trying to suppress the evil spirit through the use of battle technique that the Library of Heaven's Path compiled a book on him.

It was because of that that Zhang Xuan could comprehend what was happening.

Recovering from the awkward atmosphere, Song Chao asked, "Based on what I know, the plague of an evil spirit concerns the subject of souls. Since you said that you are able to... get it out, does it mean that you are skilled in that subject?"

Due to the intricacies behind souls, even master teachers would be stumped before this problem. Based on the other party's voice, he seemed to be rather young. Thus, Song Chao was curious to know what method the other party in mind.

The crowd immediately turned their gazes over, and even the old man on the stage seemed a little anxious at this point. He was worried that the man in the suite was just making empty promises.

"The plague of an evil spirit is similar to a lethal poison corroding one's soul. There's nothing I can do about that!" The voice from the suite echoed.

"Nothing you can do about that? Then..." Everyone nearly fainted. The other party had declared so confidently a moment ago and yet he was saying that he was helpless at this point in time. Wasn't this change in attitude a little too rapid?

Having his hope shattered when it was so close to him, the old man couldn't retain his calmness. He immediately asked anxiously, "Then why did you say that you can help me get it out..."

"Since I can discern your condition and describe it so aptly, naturally, I have my own means!"

Man from the suite chuckled.

"This..." The old man was baffled.

The other party had clearly stated that he was helpless toward the plague of the evil spirit. But now, he was claiming that he had a solution in mind. Was that fellow playing him a fool or was there some secret meaning behind those words that he failed to comprehend?

Just as the old man was still stuck in bewilderment, the voice from the suite continued, "Alright, hand the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me and I'll solve your problem. There are too many people here so it's not convenient for me to go into detail!"

"Alright!" After a moment of hesitation, the old man surveyed the surroundings and bowed, "I thank everyone here for participating in the auction of the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Pardon me, but I've managed to find a buyer already. Thus, I can only apologize to everyone here!"

After finishing his words, the old man grabbed the Soulless Metal Humanoid.

Hu!

With a light smile, the old man put the metal humanoid lying vertically on the stage away before walking off.

"Young master, what do we do?"

Seeing that the buyer had been confirmed, the elder in Suite 23 started to panic.

The young master had come over excitedly with a huge fortune in hand just to buy this Soulless Metal Humanoid but in the end... he didn't manage to spend a single cent. He could still accept it if the other party's financial ability was above that of his, but the problem was that... the other party managed to win over the metal humanoid with just a single word without spending a single cent...

The more he thought about it, the more dismal he felt.

"What else can we do? Are you able to expel the evil spirit plaguing him?" Song Chao asked with a darkened complexion.

"I... can't!" The elder shook his head.

The plague of a spirit involved the subject of soul. Even though his cultivation and knowledge were impressive, there was nothing we could do about the seller's problem as well.

"Forget it. Go and look into who the person in Suite 1 is. We'll decide on our actions afterward!" Song Chao instructed.

"Yes!" The elder nodded his head.

If he didn't even know who the enemy was, how could he make suitable preparations?

"To be capable of produce a seventh level painting, discern that the seller is plagued by an evil spirit, and show no interest in 4-star Tutelage Jade Tokens... That person in Suite 1 sure is a mysterious figure. Investigate him! Make sure to dig up every single bit of information about him!"

Song Chao wasn't the only curious one. Everyone in the auction was also dying to know whom that formidable figure in Suite 1 was, especially given how he was able to get Hall Master Sai willingly share his suite with him.

...

"This is the Soulless Metal Humanoid?"

In a vast room in the Appraiser Hall, Zhang Xuan studied the puppet on the floor in interest.

The sale of the Soulless Metal Humanoid meant that the auction had come to an end. Under Manager Luo's lead, the old man was brought to the room.

The metal humanoid was around the size of a real human but its physique was much more muscular. As though crafted using metal, its skin was also gold in color. It was hard to tell the person's original appearance under the metal coating.

Knowing that this wasn't the time to be examining the object, Zhang Xuan stored it in his storage ring right after confirming the product was authentic. Then, he turned to look at the old man before him.

"Mister, please cure me of my affliction!" The old man hurriedly clasped his fist.

In truth, after seeing that the other party was a young man, he suffered a breakdown.

After all, no matter how talented a person was, his extent of knowledge was still limited by his age. He thought that the person who was able to tell that he was plagued by an evil spirit should at least be an old man who was beyond his sixties... He didn't think that the other party would be so young, and he found it hard to believe that such a young person could cure him of his affliction.

If not for the other party pointing out his condition accurately, he would have surely thought that this was a scam.

"Un!"

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan started circling around the other party silently. Then, lifting his eyebrow, he said, "Hall Master Sai and Elder Jin, I have something that I would like to trouble you two!"

"Zhang shi, there is no need to stand on ceremony. Feel free to speak whatever that's on your mind!"

The duo nodded.

Even though each of their cultivation was higher than the lad before him, the latter had simply performed too many extraordinary miracles. They didn't dare view him as a junior.

"Simple..." Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over.

"This..."

Hearing Zhang Xuan's message, the duo stared at one another in shock.

After a moment of hesitation, Hall Master Sai awkwardly asked, "Zhang shi... Surely this isn't good?"

"Just do as I say. I know what I'm doing!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Alright!"

The duo gritted their teeth.

Seeing the look of difficulty on the faces of the two elders, everyone was perplexed, especially the old man selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid.

Does my treatment require the help of these two?

"Pardon me!"

Just as he was perplexed, he heard Hall Master Sai and Jin Conghai harrumph at the same moment. Then, the duo lifted their palms and two surges of zhenqi surged into the surroundings, sealing the entire area from the world.

"What are you all trying to do?"

The old man frowned.

Through this action, the duo had sealed his path of escape.

In other words, they planned to make a move on him!

"Do you all... intend to steal the Soulless Metal Humanoid?"

Upon realizing something, the old man's eyes narrowed.

The Soulless Metal Humanoid was incomparably valuable. As just a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator, he was still a far way from becoming one of the top experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He knew that if he were to spread the word, there was a high possibility that someone might come after him for it.

Thus, as soon as he obtained the object, he immediately rushed to the Appraiser Hall. He felt that given the Appraiser Hall's reputation, they shouldn't conduct despicable acts like stealing the goods of its customers. Yet, to think that... the respectable hall master would make a move on him himself!

"Zhang shi..."

Luo Qin also didn't expect such a sight to occur and his face paled. To think that Zhang Xuan would resort to this eventually!

If the Appraiser Guild were to commit such actions, the reputation of the auction hall would also go down to the drain. An auction hall that had lost its credibility would surely lose all of its customers.

"Don't worry. If I intended to kill him, he would already be long dead. There would have been no need for us to seal his surroundings at all." Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes.

No matter what, he was a master teacher. The other party should have been able to see through the benevolent face he had, why was the other party treating him as though a villain who would resort to such petty crimes?

To kill a person and rob him of his possession... To think that you can even think of this!

It was just a Soulless Metal Humanoid. Its value still wasn't sufficient for Zhang Xuan to go to such an extent.

"That's good..."

Hearing Zhang Xuan's promise, Luo Qin heaved a sigh of relief. Turning around, he saw Hall Master Sai and Elder Jin making a move simultaneously. The old man could barely take two blows before he was subdued. Then, the duo sealed his cultivation, leaving him completely powerless.

These two were top-notch experts. With their strength, dealing with a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator was a walk in the park.

Seeing that the other party had only sealed his cultivation, the old man knew that he was overthinking it and he heaved a long sigh of relief. But still, baffled by the condition, he asked, "What do you all intend to do?"

"Didn't you ask me to expel the evil spirit in you? If we don't limit your movement, how can we expel the evil spirit?"

Zhang Xuan smiled.

Hearing that the sealing of his cultivation was a necessary procedure to expelling the evil spirit, the old man nodded his head and said, "I see! I'll be depending on you then, mister!"

"Un!"

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan stepped forward. The edges of his lip slowly curled up as he raised his hands.

Pah!

His palm struck the other party's face.

"You..."

The strike had caused the old man to flip on the spot and crash onto the floor. Dumbfounded, the old man stared at Zhang Xuan with widened eyes.

What was going on?

In exchange for the Soulless Metal Humanoid, you are supposed to expel the evil spirit within me. Yet, you had someone seal my cultivation first before... then came over here to slap me... What are you up to?

The old man was just about to ask about the situation when a kick came flying toward him.

Peng!

"What is going on..."

His words were jammed back into his mouth by the kick, and he was sent flying a few meters away.

Struggling to his feet, the old man's eyes were filled with fury. He was about to turn insane at any point now.

But of course, he wasn't the only one that was about to turn insane. Everyone in the room looked as though they had seen a ghost.

This was especially so for Luo Qin. At this point, he nearly couldn't hold back his tears anymore.

Didn't you say that... you aren't intending to kill the other party and steal his possessions? Even if you aren't going to kill him, beating the other party up and taking his possession like that... isn't alright either...

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 471: Do You Dare?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Peng peng peng peng!

With his cultivation sealed, how could the old man withstand Zhang Xuan's attacks. In just a few moments, he was reduced to a pig head.

"I want to kill you..."

The reason why he brought the Soulless Metal Humanoid here was so that he could be cured of his affliction. Yet, he was beaten up like that instead. Unable to hold himself back anymore, the old man clenched his teeth in anger and his eyes turned bloodshot.

"Kill me? I thought you wanted to use my hand to kill him? Why do you want to kill me?"

Smiling faintly, Zhang Xuan looked at the old man with a look of leisure.

"W-What are you saying? I don't know what you are getting at!"

Hearing those words, the old man panicked for a moment. However, he concealed it swiftly.

"You don't know? Coming over here to possess another person's body and going to the extent of trying to eradicate his soul... and you tell me that you don't know anything at all?"

Zhang Xuan's lips curled him in disdain.

"Possess?"

Jin Conghai, Hall Master Sai, and the others were taken aback. They glanced at the old man once more, but this time, with wariness.

Possession was the means of a soul oracle, and it was also known as 'borrowing a body to reanimate a soul'. Just as the name hinted at, a soul oracle whose lifespan was coming to an end could forcefully suppress or a destroy a person's soul and make use of their body to come alive again.

This was an extremely mysterious and vile process.

"Don't worry, he hasn't succeeded yet!" Seeing the wariness in everyone's eyes, Zhang Xuan chuckled. "If he had succeeded already, there'd be nothing I could do about the matter anymore."

Zhang Xuan had previously said that he couldn't do anything if the old man was plagued by an evil spirit, and these words had left everyone stumped. However, it seemed that instead of being plagued by an evil spirit, this fellow was possessed instead.

"You... Don't spout nonsense! I am myself, and I've only been plagued by an evil spirit..." The old man clenched his jaws.

"You've been plagued by an evil spirit?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head. Circling around the old man with his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan said, "I don't know what method you used to suppress the original host's soul, but I can still roughly tell what happened.

"Despite coming to the auction hall to sell the Soulless Metal Humanoid, you refused to say what you wanted and kept everyone guessing... If I'm not wrong, at that moment, the original host's soul is still in control of the body. It wasn't that he didn't want to say anything but that you were exerting a pressure on him to prevent him from speaking up!

"Under the pressure from everyone else, he grew agitated and this created an opening for you to strike... Then, you said that you'd take the person who managed to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid to the tomb of the soul oracle. If I'm not mistaken, you probably intended to lure someone there and activate some traps so as to claim the bodies of a few more experts!"

Zhang Xuan harrumphed. "Otherwise, how could a person who is on the verge of death due to being plagued by an evil spirit in the soul oracle tomb propose to head there a second time? Unless he's masochistic and eager to die, there's no way a rational person would do so!"

"This..."

Jin Conghai and Hall Master Sai shuddered in shock.

Previously, back in the auction hall, under the intense questioning of the crowd, the old man did seem to intend to say something, but his body simply shook and he fell silent. Afterward, he immediately mentioned the issue regarding the soul oracle tomb.

Thinking back, it did seem slightly bizarre.

Even though the old man managed to obtain the invaluable Soulless Metal Humanoid in the soul oracle tomb, he was possessed as well, putting him on the verge of death. It didn't make any sense for him to want to return back to such a dangerous place.

It was clearly a huge flaw in logic.

It was a pity that everyone had been blinded by the heritage of the soul oracle and the treasures contained within the tomb and failed to consider this logic lapse.

"I only intended to hike up the prices..." the old man said.

"Hike up the prices? Alright!"

Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. "Elder Jin and Hall Master Sai, may I trouble you two to release the seal on him?"

"Release the seal?"

The duo was taken aback.

Even though Zhang Xuan seemed to have struck the old man viciously, they were actually just superficial wounds. Once the seal was released, the other party would regain the cultivation level of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. If so, Zhang Xuan surely wouldn't be a match for the other party.

"Don't worry!" Knowing what the duo was worried about, Zhang Xuan shot them a reassuring gaze.

"Alright!"

Even though Zhang shi was still young, he never did anything he wasn't certain of. Thus, the duo let go simultaneously.

Hu!

The seal suppressing the old man's cultivation vanished and strength returned to his body.

"Humph, since you all aren't capable of expelling the evil spirit at all, I'll be taking my leave. Farewell!"

After the seal was released, the old man heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to leave.

However, barely after he took two steps, a young man blocked his path.

"Hah, with just your cultivation, do you think that you can stop me?" the old man sneered coldly.

Even though he couldn't tell the exact strength of the young man before him, from the fact that he got others to fight in his place, he could deduce that the other party's strength was inferior to his.

"Give it a try then!" Zhang Xuan didn't bother saying anything unnecessary. Lifting his leg, he sent a kick toward the other party.

"Humph!"

The old man's complexion darkened. His palm immediately struck forward.

However, before he could strike anything, he felt an ache at his chest.

Peng!

He was sent flying, and he crashed heavily to the ground.

"You..."

The old man narrowed his eyes.

"Are you very surprised?" Zhang Xuan stepped forward and lifting his hands, he struck the other party.

Pah!

The shape of a palm was printed on the face of the old man as he fell back down to the ground.

"This..."

The crowd stared at one another.

"A Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator isn't able to match a Half-Transcension cultivator. Wha- what... is going on?"

"I don't understand either..."

The old man clearly possessed the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. When he was sealed, everyone had witnessed the immense strength that he possessed. How in the world did he get subdued so easily? It was as if he couldn't retaliate against a Half-Trancension cultivator at all!

Even though Zhang shi possessed the strength beyond that of his cultivation realm, dealing with a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator would already be tough. Smashing a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator like that so easily was completely out of the question.

"Could it be that teacher has grown stronger again?"

In contrast to everyone's shock, Zhao Ya and the others looked excited.

Their teacher's ability to achieve breakthroughs as easily as drinking water had left a lasting impression in their mind. Seeing the Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator being crushed so easily made them think that Zhang Xuan had achieved a huge breakthrough once more.

"No, that's not it... It's the old man who has become weaker! His current fighting prowess is only that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator!" Zhao Feiwu said.

Due to the limitations of her physical body, she had never cultivated before. Even so, having read through innumerable books, her knowledge and eye of discernment were extraordinary.

"Un, gongzi is right. His current fighting prowess is at most Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage only. Just that... for some reason, I can certainly feel the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle flowing within him!" Jin Conghai said.

"Despite having the cultivation of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle, his fighting prowess is only that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage. This..."

Hearing those words, Zhao Ya and the others were baffled.

Luo Qin was also bewildered.

"Did you hear that? I'm not the only one who has noticed it. Everyone can tell as much too. What else do you have to say?"

Halting his attack, Zhang Xuan smiled at the old man whom he had just beaten up.

"It's because... I'm injured. That's why I can't display my full strength..."

The old man gritted his teeth.

Having predicted that the other party would surely bring up such an argument, Zhang Xuan refuted, "Even if you're injured, it's impossible for your strength to fall by two realms!"

"Zhang shi, what's going on?"

Seeing that the old man was unable to explain himself, Hall Master Sai couldn't hold back his curiosity anymore and asked.

"Simple. The strength of the soul possessing and the person being possessed are of different cultivation! If I'm not mistaken, the one possessed has the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle whereas the soul possessing only has the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage!"

Zhang Xuan continued, "Even though he has taken over the body already, he hasn't adapted fully to it yet. On top of that, my pummeling has made it harder for his physical body and soul to harmonize with one another. As such, even though he is able to move the body easily, he isn't able to move the Origin Energy in the other party's body, thus resulting in his weakness!"

When Zhang Xuan first saw the old man on the stage of the auction hall, he managed to see numerous flaws through the Eye of Insight. This, in itself, had created doubts in his mind.

Under normal circumstances, given his current cultivation, he would only be able to peer into the flaws of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage cultivator at most... Yet, he was able to see the problems of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle. Thinking about it now, it was probably due to the soul that had possessed this body being of Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage.

From the very start, it was extremely rare for a soul to have high affinity with the body possessed. The trauma caused to the body under such a state would result in the body rejecting the soul of the possessor... And thus, even though the old man clearly had the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle, he was unable to display it at all.

"Y-you..."

The old man's face paled.

He could have come up with a logical excuse for it if he had sufficient time. However, now that everything was explained so rationally, even if he were to explain now, it would already be too late.

After all, the injuries dealt to him previously were just superficial wounds. To a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator, those were negligible.

"There's no need for you to be so surprised. The reason why I said that an evil soul is plaguing you is so as to lower your guard. This way, you'll think that this is a good opportunity to get rid of the other soul competing with you over the body through my hands... Am I right?"

Zhang Xuan pushed on.

Even though the other party had managed to take over the old man's body, he had yet to eradicate the original host's soul. In fact, the original host's soul was still on the upper hand just a moment ago.

Otherwise, the old man wouldn't have been able to bring the Soulless Metal Humanoid here and auction it for a way to suppress him.

The plan of the possessing soul was indeed brilliant. If it was anyone else, they would have surely fallen for the trick and killed the original host's soul, thus completing the possession. But... it was a pity that he met with Zhang Xuan.

There was nothing that could conceal itself from the heavens. Putting aside a soul, even a speck of dust couldn't escape from its sight.

"You... Since you've managed to see through it, there's no need for me to hide any longer. That's right, I possessed this fellow!"

Seeing that there was no way to hide anymore, the old man stood up and harrumphed coldly.

"To think that it is really true!"

"A Transcendent Mortal 1-dan soul possessing a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle cultivator's body..."

Hearing the other party agree to it, everyone's faces turned pale.

There were almost two realms of difference between Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary and Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle. That was an entire world of difference in terms of fighting prowess. It was a gap that was impossible to breach. Yet, the soul still managed to possess the body successfully...

How in the world did it succeed?

That was way too fearsome!

"It's good that you've admitted to it! In truth... all those that I said before are just my conjectures. If you didn't admit to it, I would have no way of proving the matter..." Zhang Xuan said.

What Zhang Xuan said was the truth.

The Library of Heaven's Path only reflected flaws. It wouldn't analyze a situation or provide answers for Zhang Xuan.

He only deduced the entire situation by stringing all of the flaws reflected together through logic. He also didn't expect that... he would be spot-on.

"You..."

The old man's face reddened and he nearly spewed blood.

If only he'd known that it was a conjecture, he would have never admitted to it.

Now, it would be hopeless even if he tried to deny it...

"There's no need for you to act so gleefully!"

Narrowing his eyes, the old man tossed aside his dismal and sneered coldly, "My soul is in control now. Even if you know that I've possessed the body, what can you do? Do you intend to kill me? Or rather, I should ask...

"Do you dare?"

Chapter 472: Possessing Sun Qiang

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The soul that is in control effectively becomes the owner of the body. If another soul couldn't make it in time to fill up the gap following that soul's expulsion, there was a high possibility that the body might die, thus becoming a corpse.

At the very least, at the current situation, even though the previous host's soul was suppressed, it still stood a chance. Once the body became a corpse, he would be doomed.

"Zhang shi, the study of the soul is an incomparably complex subject. Even gods dare not claim to fully understand it. Given that he's in control now, if the other soul is unable to take back control in time... that would be no different from murder!" Hall Master Sai's expression turned grim.

"Indeed! You should think twice!" Luo Qin also panicked.

Everyone knew that the old man was here to conduct a trade. If he were to die here, the reputation of the auction hall would fall into the gutters.

"I should indeed think twice!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

They were right. The topic of souls was incredibly profound—conventional rules may not necessarily apply to it. If Zhang Xuan fails to resolve the issue properly, the old man might become an idiot or even worse, meet his demise. If so, it would be hard for him to avoid responsibility.

"Many people know about our trade. If anything happens to me, the Appraiser Hall and auction hall will be doomed!"

Seeing the hesitation in everyone's eyes, the old man chuckled, "Why don't I suggest something? Let's continue on with our trade. I'll give you the Soulless Metal Humanoid but... in exchange, you have to eradicate the soul of the previous host for me! In the end, regardless of whether you are trading with me or him, you will obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid, so why should you take the risk?"

There was nothing for Zhang Xuan to lose from accepting his deal. On the contrary, if he were to insist on saving the previous host, it was one thing if he succeeded, but what if he were to fail?

"Zhang shi..."

Luo Qin looked at Zhang Xuan anxiously.

He was a businessman and, in his view, there was nothing profitable from going through so much risk to save a mere passer-by.

In any case, everyone only knew that this fellow was plagued by an evil spirit. Regardless of which one was killed, as long as he walked out of the Appraiser Hall alive, the auction hall's reputation could be retained.

"Your words do make sense! My goal is the Soulless Metal Humanoid so there's indeed no need for me to take this risk."

Sighing, Zhang Xuan eyebrows shot up and he glanced at the old man indifferently, "However, did you just say that there's nothing I can do? I happen to have just thought of one method and I would like to give it a try..."

"Try?"

Not expecting the other party to want to make a move despite having persuaded him the entire time, Luo Qin's face reddened in panic.

Are you trying it out just for fun?

You do know that a life is at stake here right...

"Gongzi..."

Worried, Jin Conghai turned to gongzi in hopes of getting him to convince Zhang Xuan otherwise.

But this time, Zhao Feiwu waved his hands grimly and said, "Don't. This is the responsibility and mission of a master teacher. This isn't something he should avoid!"

Behind the respect and prestige master teachers possessed was heavy responsibility.

Zhang Xuan didn't know the name and background of this old man, and he never even interacted with him before. However... if he were to overlook his life and death, what would be left of his morals?

How could an immoral person enlighten the world and guide his students?

If one is upright, his intentions will be obeyed without a command. If one isn't upright, his command will not move anyone.

Guiding a student wasn't just about imparting him the best cultivation technique so that they could grow strong. More importantly, one had to instill the correct values in them.

Otherwise, even if they were to mature, they would only become scum and bring harm to the world. If so, master teachers would lose their purpose of existence.

"This..."

Jin Conghai froze, and he clenched his fists tightly.

As a poison master, he could resort to underhanded tricks to achieve his goals. However, the other party was different. He was a master teacher whose responsibility was to enlighten the world. If he were to cower before difficulty, how could he win the hearts of his student?

...

The old man didn't expect for Zhang Xuan to adamantly choose to deal with him despite the advantages and disadvantages being set out clearly. His face darkened and he said, "So, you intend to stand against me?"

"Stand against you? You're thinking too much. I just want to expel you. After all, this body doesn't belong to you!"

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and a few silver needles appeared on his palm.

"Silver needles? You intend to use this to deal me, a soul?"

He thought that the other party had some idea in mind but after seeing what the other party took out, the old man burst into laughter.

Those needles might be able to heal one's physical injuries and resolve one's cultivation bottleneck... But to deal with a soul? You must be joking!

It was as though using an arrow to shoot a fly — futile.

Disregarding the old man's contempt, Zhang Xuan infused a surge of zhenqi into the needles and flicked his finger. A cold gleam flashed as the needles shot through the air.

"Needles are completely ineffective against souls..."

Seeing that Zhang Xuan really intended to use those needles to deal with the old man, Hall Master Sai slapped his face.

Given how confident the other party was, he thought that he might have some good idea in mind. In the end, it seemed like the other party intended to just try everything that seemed plausible.

Hall Master Sai had read quite a few books on soul oracles and so he knew a bit about souls. Souls were intangible and coming into contact with it through material objects was impossible.

It was just like using one's sword to cut air. Even if the needle struck the old man, it would be ineffective on the intangible soul. Perhaps, it might even cause meridian blockage, resulting in internal injuries for the body.

"To expel a soul, one has to prepare plain clothes, yellow amulets, an altar of tributes to the heavens, and a formation as well. There's no way a silver needle can work..."

Knowing that the method wouldn't work, Hall Master Sai shook his head. He immediately revealed everything he knew in hopes that Zhang Xuan could follow the conventional method. However, halfway through his words, he gulped down a mouthful of saliva and started trembling. "How... is this possible?"

As soon as the silver needle pierced into the arrogant old man's body, the latter's face immediately paled.

Fear surfaced in his eyes. He wanted to escape, but he fell to the ground instead, convulsing ceaselessly.

With just a single needle, the other party's soul lost control?

This... How in the world did he manage to do it?

If souls were that easy to deal with, soul oracles wouldn't have been such a feared existence back then so as to require the Master Teacher Pavilion to make a move personally.

"Y-your zhenqi..."

While Hall Master Sai and the others were overwhelmed with shock, the old man was frenzied.

He had just said the silver needle would be useless when such a situation occurred. The intense fear he felt made him shriek uncontrollably.

What he feared wasn't the silver needle but... the other party's zhenqi!

That zhenqi seemed to carry a bizarre strength that expelled souls. Upon contact with it, his soul felt as though a bottle of hard alcohol being set ablaze. The excruciating pain made him feel as though he was being torn apart.

'This is... superior zhenqi?' The elder narrowed his eyes and a thought appeared in his head.

Legend had it that due to the inconceivable purity of superior zhenqi, it possessed the ability to ward off evil. This was also the main reason why despite the incredible means of the soul oracles, they still chose to avoid crossing the paths of master teachers back then.

Just that... superior zhenqi was something that very few people in the Master Teacher Pavilion possessed, inherited only by the descendants of the Kong shi and his students. Why in the world did this fellow possess it as well?

Could this fellow be a descendent of Kong shi's lineage as well?

If that was the case, he was truly an existence to be feared.

He had only barely escaped from the eerie tomb and he just had to meet with this person. Fate sure was cruel!

"No, if this continues on, I'll surely die..." As the number of silver needles on him increased, zhenqi was constantly being transmitted over via the tip of the needle, threatening to tear him apart. The old man's eyes turned crimson.

Superior zhenqi was the bane of soul oracles. If this were to go on, there would be only one result — he would be incinerated into oblivion.

"I have to find someone to possess..."

Knowing that he would surely crumble if this were to go on, the old man bore with the pain and silently assessed the group before him.

Continuing to remain in this body would only lead to his death. The only plausible course of action at this moment was to possess someone else and find a way in the future to exact vengeance.

But even if he were to successfully possess someone here, he had to make sure that the bizarre young man wouldn't find out. Otherwise, if the other party were to launch another course of attack on him, he would still be doomed.

"Damn it... To force me into possessing another body once more, I'll never forget this grudge!"

Even though he had made up his mind, the old man's heart was dripping blood.

Possession wasn't as easy as it sounded. Every single attempt at possession would cause immense damage to his soul. Not only would his cultivation fall, his soul would also be significantly wounded as well.

Before possessing the body of this old man, his cultivation was actually at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan primary stage. However, after the possession, his cultivation fell by two cultivation realms to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan primary stage.

In other words, even if he were to succeed, his cultivation would plummet sharply. Perhaps, it might fall by another two cultivation realms once more, falling down to Zhizun.

"It'll have to be one of them..."

Roaring furiously, he looked around and finally found an ideal target.

Of the entire room, the weakest one should be Zhao Feiwu who had never cultivated before. However, she had quite a few treasures on her that made it difficult for even a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan to kill her, lest be said, an incomplete soul like him.

Thus, the only viable targets were Zhao Ya, Sun Qiang, and the others.

Their strengths were at Zongshi realm so even if his cultivation fell once more after possession, he would still be able to suppress them easily.

"He is the one..."

The old man's eyes glowed as he focused his attention on a plump man standing not too far away.

That fellow's cultivation was the lowest of the group, and judging from the dull-witted expression on his face, he seemed to have the lowest wariness of the group. Thus, it should be easiest to possess his body.

"Possession!"

Having chosen a target, the old man immediately acted, knowing that he might lose his chance if he were to dawdle.

Hu!

His soul immediately converted into an intangible smoke which gushed straight toward the plump man.

Putong!

As soon as the soul left, the old man's body immediately froze and fell motionless.

"He's gone..."

Upon seeing the changes, Hall Master Sai cheered in delight.

The lack of reaction meant that there was no soul to control the body at the moment. Most probably, the possessing soul was driven into a corner some method of this Zhang shi, leaving it with no choice but to escape.

When the young man said that he was going to give it a try, Hall Master Sai thought that the possibility would surely be extremely slim. Never in his dreams did he expect that the other party... would succeed so easily.

"Un..."

Then, the unconscious old man suddenly jolted and his eyes slowly opened.

As the possessing soul escaped, the original soul was finally free of its shackles, allowing it to regain control over the body.

"I am itinerant cultivator Luo Zhu. Thank you Zhang shi for saving my life..."

Even though his soul had been suppressed during this period of time, he was still able to see the entire proceedings clearly. He knew that if it wasn't for this young man's persistence, the one to die would have surely been him.

No amount of words could express the gratitude he felt for the other party.

Standing up, he was just about to express his deep gratitude when a sound echoed not too far away.

Ah choo!

A plump man standing a short distance away suddenly felt a gust of chill and shivered.

"This is bad, h-he is being possessed!"

Hearing the sneezing sound, the old man Luo Zhu suddenly remembered something. His eyes narrowed and he immediately exclaimed.

A cultivator's body is tempered by zhenqi, making them invulnerable to common illnesses. Under normal conditions, they would never sneeze.

Back then, when Luo Zhu was being possessed, he also sneezed. Given that the fellow had just left and this plump man immediately sneezed, it was clear that he was trying to take over the body of the latter!

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 473: Nourishment of the Oracle Soul, Leap in Cultivation

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

To think that this fellow would still try to possess other people despite having been driven off by Zhang shi, Luo Zhu's face immediately paled.

"Possession?"

Everyone was taken aback.

The soul was an intangible matter. As such, when the possessing soul left the old man's body, no one could tell where it went.

"That's right. Back then, when I was possessed, I also sneezed. That fellow must have surely entered his body..."

Luo Zhu hurriedly pointed toward the plump man.

"Me?"

Naturally, the plump man was Sun Qiang. He was just watching the young master flaunt his immense capability in expelling the soul when the old man pointed a finger toward him. Taken aback, he blinked his eyes innocently and said, "I've been possessed?"

Shouldn't possession result in a tug between the souls? If so, why was he still standing completely fine here?

"That fellow is incomparably cunning. He must have known that Zhang shi would expel him as soon as he takes control of your body. As such... he chose to hide within your body!" Luo Zhu said.

Having been possessed once before, he'd learned quite a bit about the means of the soul oracles.

"Hide?" Sun Qiang scratched his head.

"That's right. Given the size of a human body, once he decides to conceal his presence, it'll be impossible to find him..." Luo Zhu panicked.

If an intangible object like a soul were to really try to conceal itself, it could be lying practically anywhere within a person's body. Even the most formidable of people wouldn't be able to sense it at all. This way, it would be equivalent to this plump man being equipped with a ticking time bomb. He could possibly be possessed at any moment!

Luo Zhu felt incredibly guilty. It was due to helping him that another person got harmed.

"If that's really the case, the situation is really bad then..."

Hall Master Sai clenched his fists tightly.

Based on the few books that he had browsed through in the past, it would be one thing if the possessing soul were to make a move and forcibly wrestle for control over the body, but if the soul decided to conceal itself and make use of the other party's body to nourish itself as though a leech, that could prove to be troublesome.

Under such circumstances, it was like a virus lying dormant in your body. If the illness hadn't even struck yet, even the best of physicians couldn't possibly treat you!

Zhang Xuan harrumphed and said, "He has decided to hide himself? He sure is bold!"

He didn't expect the other party would dare possess Sun Qiang right after he had expelled him from the old man's body. If he had known about it earlier, he would have sent a torrent of his zhenqi in to destroy his soul instantly.

But still, this problem wasn't too difficult for him. Even 7-star master teachers who were known to specialize in the subject of souls might find it difficult to find a hiding soul but he was different.

With the Library of Heaven's Path in hand, there was no flaw that he couldn't find. A mere hiding soul was nothing before it!

"Sun Qiang, execute a punching routine!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Yes!"

Nodding his head, Sun Qiang's clenched fists shot out, creating a huge gust of wind in the surroundings.

Upon seeing his fist technique, the mouths Jin Conghai, Hall Master Sai, and the others twitched.

To think that a Zongshi realm expert would still be using a Mortal low-tier battle technique... They found it hard to look at those incredibly crude and simple moves.

Even 5-year-old kids were able to execute several of these kinds of battle techniques in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet this fellow was using this... Just the thought of it left them light-headed.

"I've been too busy with my cultivation technique recently that I neglected my battle techniques..."

Sun Qiang could tell what everyone was thinking through their expression and he felt a little embarrassed.

Even though his cultivation had soared during this period of time, he didn't cultivate any new battle techniques to match his newfound strength. He was still stuck with the moves he'd used back in Tianxuan Kingdom.

Naturally, before the experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the battle techniques of an unranked kingdom meant nothing at all.

Given the other party's battle technique and his slightly unsteady cultivation, they could easily wipe out dozens of him with just a single finger. Recalling how they were actually scared by this fellow back then in the Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall, Jin Conghai and Gu Mu felt a little awkward.

"Alright!"

Ignoring the expression of the crowd, Zhang Xuan had already managed to find the location where the soul was hiding after a book was compiled in the Library of Heaven's Path. Taking out a silver needle, he immediately pierced it into the spot.

Puhe!

As soon as the silver needle pierced into Sun Qiang's body, a piercing scream echoed from within.

"Y-you... How did you know I was here?"

An agitated ripple of a soul echoed by everyone's ears as though a voice.

Clearly, that fellow who possessed Sun Qiang didn't expect to be found in an instant.

"If you get out now, I will spare your life!"

Zhang Xuan harrumphed as zhenqi rumbled on the tip of the silver needle.

"Get out? Humph! Since you want to destroy me, let's die together then! This fellow is only of Zongshi realm; I might be unable to devour Luo Zhu but devouring this fellow still isn't a problem at all! Even if you were to kill me, what you will be left with is just a corpse!"

The frenzied thoughts of the soul came gushing out.

"Don't harm the innocent..." Luo Zhu anxiously stepped forward.

Even he had nearly failed to hold on while wrestling control with the other party. Given how this plump man was only at Zongshi realm, if the other party were to really attempt a possession, the plump man's soul would surely be completely devoured in an instant.

"It's too late to beg with me now..."

Along with the furious howling of the soul, a powerful aura abruptly engulfed Sun Qiang, striking his consciousness, attempting to devour him altogether.

"Since I'll die anyway, I'll recoup my losses by dragging one or two down with me! After killing him, I'll devour the others as well. How are you going to do about it? Do you think you can be bound down a soul? Haha... Ah? The heck! What is this? AH... SAVE ME..."

Just as the soul was gleefully trying to devour Sun Qiang whole, a frightened scream suddenly echoed.

Following which, everyone felt the aura of the incomparably arrogant and powerful soul shatter apart, as though a balloon placed atop of a pot of sizzling oil.

"This... What happened?"

Luo Zhu was dumbstruck.

Hall Master Sai and the others also widened their eyes in shock.

They had clearly felt the soul's killing intent for themselves previously. Why did it suddenly begin to shout in agony, as though it had seen a ghost?

Did Zhang shi do something?

Everyone hurriedly turned to look at Zhang shi, only to see him dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what was going on.

Turning to look at Sun Qiang once more, his eyes were widened and he shook his hands frantically, "It wasn't me..."

Boom!

Before he could finish his words, the aura of the plump man suddenly surged as though he had eaten some incredibly nutritious tonic. His cultivation realm soared swiftly from Zongshi realm primary stage.

"This is... Nourishment of the Oracle Soul, Leap in Cultivation?"

Luo Zhu and Hall Master Sai's vision suddenly turned dark simultaneously.

"What does that mean?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"While ordinary cultivators cultivate their physical bodies and zhenqi, soul oracles are different in the sense that they cultivate their souls. Their entire cultivation is contained within their soul such that even if they were to possess someone, they could recover back to their original strength swiftly..."

Luo Zhu's lips turned pale, "Now that soul oracle's soul has been destroyed, his entire cultivation has been reduced into nourishment for your servant's body..."

"There's such a matter as well?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"Indeed. The strength of soul oracles is derived purely from soul energy, and it has no attributes whatsoever. It is compatible with all cultivators, and there is no threat of a conflict at all... If I'm not mistaken, your servant's cultivation will surely increase by leaps and bounds!"

Even until now, Luo Zhu still had a dazed look on his face as he stared at the ignorant Sun Qiang.

What kind of monsters did he meet this time?

A young man who wasn't even twenty yet was able to expel the possessing soul of the soul oracle from him with just a silver needle. His servant turned out to be even more formidable. A soul oracle tried to devour him, only to end up being devoured himself...

"H-he... was able to devour even a soul oracle?"

Gu Mu and Jin Conghai, who was just making light of Sun Qiang a moment ago due to his mediocre battle technique, suddenly turned pale.

Soul oracle was one of the most fearsome occupations in the ancient times. Back then, even the reputation of the poison masters paled to them. There were no experts who wouldn't tremble before them... And yet, this fellow devoured one of their members as though it was nothing at all...

Did you have to be so monstrous?

It was no wonder why you acted so arrogantly at the Poison Hall back then... it seems like you have the capability to back your actions!

"His soul cultivation is currently at an unfathomable level, make sure not to offend him in the future..."

Clenching his fists tightly, Jin Conghai hurriedly instructed his student through telepathy.

Even Luo Zhu, a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle expert, was helpless before the possession of the soul oracle, and he could only be tortured day and night by it.

Yet, this fellow, despite possessing only the cultivation of a Zongshi realm, was able to kill the other party so easily. The strength of his soul must have reached an astounding level.

"If even the servant is so formidable, how powerful must the young master be?"

Thinking so, Jin Conghai turned to look at the young man not too far away in awe.

Since even a mere servant could devour a Transcendent Mortal realm soul oracle so easily, the young master must be even more formidable than that. It was no wonder why he was adept in so many occupations and his eye of discernment was extraordinary. Perhaps, even though his cultivation seemed to be only Half-Transcension before them, his true strength might be far beyond that.

Just as he was overwhelmed by shock, Sun Qiang's rising aura finally came to a halt.

From Zongshi realm, his cultivation surged swiftly and broke through the bottleneck of a Half-Transcension, thus successfully advancing to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan!

Even though the cultivation of a soul oracle would plummet after a possession... that fellow was devoured even before he had a chance to possess him. In other words, the energy his soul harnessed was still that of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan.

Having devoured the entire strength of a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan soul, Sun Qiang's cultivation managed to soar above Zhang Xuan's, reaching Transcendent Mortal 1-dan intermediate stage.

However, as this energy came from an external source, Sun Qiang's ability to drive it was still immature. As such, his fighting prowess was still far beneath Zhang Xuan.

"M-my cultivation..."

Sensing the change in his body, Sun Qiang blinked his eyes blankly.

Even until now, he hadn't made sense of the situation yet.

Wasn't that fellow going to devour him?

Did the other party's compassion suddenly work up, and knowing that since he was going die, he allowed himself to be devoured instead?

"It's... the zhenqi that young master left within me!"

Quickly turning his gaze into his body, he soon came to a realization.

Back then, when he went to Xuanyuan Kingdom Poison Hall, fearful for his safety, the young master had left a surge of zhenqi in his body.

However, he ended up not using it in the end, and gradually, he forgot about the matter.

And previously, when the soul tried to devour him, the surge of zhenqi immediately gushed forward to protect him, reducing the assailant into ashes.

In reality, his guess was spot-on. That was indeed the case.

When Zhang Xuan treated Luo Zhu previously, in order to prevent the other party from realizing the uniqueness of the Heaven's Path zhenqi, he only infused a tinge of it in each silver needle. On the other hand, he'd left an entire surge within Sun Qiang's body. That was a difference in quantity of nearly a thousand times... The soul of that soul oracle had already been wounded before so how could it possibly survive that onslaught!

"Thank you, young master..."

Coming to a realization, Sun Qiang was just about to run forward to thank the young master for saving his life when, unbeknownst to him, the calm young master was already standing before Luo Zhu.

"Elder Luo Zhu, is it? May I ask you where did you capture the soul oracle from? Can you get a few more here so that my students can make a breakthrough in their cultivation as well?"

"..." Luo Zhu.

"..." Hall Master Sai.

Chapter 474: The Bizarre Soulless Metal Humanoid (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Other people would tremble in fear upon hearing the reputation of the soul oracle, escaping as far as they could. And yet, this fellow actually wanted to obtain a few more so that his students could make a breakthrough?

Everyone felt their lower jaws falling to the floor, and they nearly spurted blood.

If anyone else had said such words, they would definitely doubt if they had gone mad. However, after the incident with Sun Qiang, they knew that the other party was making an earnest request...

Capturing soul oracles to raise one's cultivation...

Big brother, are you treating that fearsome occupation as a nourishment pill?

Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, Luo Zhu hurriedly explained, "That... Zhang shi, the soul oracles have already died out; it's been that way since ancient times. The reason why this one was still alive is probably because it made use of some secret art to put itself in a dormant state, and I only happened to wake it up unintentionally... There won't be many of such exceptions in the world."

Soul oracles didn't number many, even during the ancient times, and after the crusade the Master Teacher Pavilion launched against it back then, those who survived could be counted on one's hands. To find even one required immense luck. Did you think that they are like potatoes and carrots on the street, and you can easily fill a sack of them anywhere?

To find a few to augment the cultivation of your students...

You sure know how to dream!

"There aren't many of them? That's truly a pity..."

Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment.

Seeing how easily Sun Qiang advanced from Zongshi realm to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan as easily as though eating or drinking... If he were to manage to obtain a few of them, he wouldn't have to worry about the cultivation of Zhao Ya and the others. If they could reach Transcendent Mortal realm, they would surely be a great assistance even if they were to reach the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

Knowing that finding other soul oracles depended heavily on luck, Zhang Xuan decided not to dawdle on the topic. Thus, he turned to Luo Zhu and asked, "Right, about the soul oracle tomb where you found the Soulless Metal Humanoid, can you tell us your story?"

The others were also intrigued by the matter.

Where in the world did this fellow obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid from, and how in the world did he end up getting possessed by a soul oracle?

"I can only blame my own greed for the matter! I found some possible clues to a soul oracle tomb on an ancient book and thinking that there might be invaluable treasures housed there, I went over... in the end, I did manage to find a few Soulless Metal Humanoids. However, right after I kept one of them, I was possessed by the soul oracle there. Flustered, I immediately escaped..."

Luo Zhu's face turned red in embarrassment.

His experience was rather similar to what the others guessed. He managed to find a soul oracle tomb so he entered it in search of treasure. Yet, he couldn't have expected that a soul oracle was lying in wait for a victim.

After wrestling for many days, he felt that the other party was getting stronger and stronger, and he sensed that he would be doomed if this were to continue on. Thus, he immediately headed over to the auction hall so as to make use of the Appraiser Hall's reputation to gather a larger group of people interested in the soul oracles here in the hope that one of them could cure him of his affliction.

It was fortunate that his luck wasn't bad; he managed to meet Zhang shi.

Otherwise, if it were anyone else, the other party would have surely traded with the soul oracle and destroyed his soul instead.

After hearing the other party's experience, Zhang Xuan asked, "I would like to take a look at the soul oracle tomb and see if I can find their heritage. Can you bring me over?"

The reason why he came to Honghai City was to find the heritage of the soul oracles so as to find a method to wake Lu Chong up. Since there was an opportunity right before him, naturally, he couldn't simply let it go.

"Go to the soul oracle tomb?" Luo Zhu's body trembled in fear.

The previous experience had already left him wary of the location. As such, he couldn't help but feel intense fear from the thought of having to return there.

"If you're worried, you can just tell me the location. I can head there alone."

After hesitating for a moment, Luo Zhu clenched his jaws and said, "That... There's no need for that! Since Zhang shi has saved me, my life belongs to you. If you really intend to head there, I'll lead you over!"

If not for this Zhang shi, his soul would definitely have been eradicated. The huge favor that the other party had shown him was definitely beyond the value of a mere Soulless Metal Humanoid.

"However... Zhang shi, you have to be careful. That place is treacherous so I think that it would be best for you should make some additional preparations beforehand. Otherwise, I fear that... even with your extraordinary capability, you might still be caught off guard!"

Recalling the various sinister encounters in the tomb, Luo Zhu's heart shuddered.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

To be capable of becoming one of the most feared occupation during the ancient times, soul oracles were anything but simple. Even though the Heaven's Path zhenqi had played a part as to why Sun Qiang could devour the soul oracle so easily, more importantly, that fellow's soul had already declined to a very weak state after innumerable years of existence.

On top of that, he had wrestled control with Luo Zhu for such a long period of time so it wouldn't be wrong to say that he was already wearied out. Thus, it wasn't surprising for him to be defeated so easily.

But it was a different matter venturing into the tomb. It was impossible to know if there were more soul oracles in the tomb, and if so, their means and their strength. As such, this journey was fated to be a difficult one.

After contemplating for a moment, Luo Zhu said, "I will make the preparations for the items required now so let's set off in three days' time!"

Having explored the soul oracle tomb, he had a rough idea on the various objects that soul oracle feared. However, these objects weren't sold on the market so he had to make them himself.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

It worked with him as well since the cultivation techniques and battle techniques he'd asked the Appraiser Hall for hadn't arrived yet, and there were various matters he had to attend to here as well. As such, an interval of three days was perfect for him.

"Then... I'll be taking my leave then!"

After chatting for a moment longer and knocking into place the various details regarding the visit to the soul oracle tomb, Luo Zhu clasped his fist and left.

After Luo Zhu left, the room fell silent. With a reddened face, Hall Master Sai asked, "Zhang shi, the bizarre heritage of the ancient soul oracle intrigues me as well so... I wish to take a look as well. Would you mind if I were to accompany you on the journey?"

He failed to be of any use for the purchase of the Soulless Metal Humanoid this time around and yet he was requesting to be allowed to enjoy the rewards as well. As such, he felt a little embarrassed.

However, the soul oracles had left an astounding legend in history and as an appraiser, he didn't wish to miss a chance to come into contact with it in close distance.

"Zhang shi, I wish to take a look as well..."

Luo Qin hurriedly chirped in too.

Since there were profits to be derived from it, the auction hall wanted to have a stake in it as well. The soul oracles specialized in the study of souls, and one could only render their services if one were to offer a huge amount in tribute to them. Thus, many soul oracles possessed a huge wealth. If he could obtain some of them, the auction hall would surely reap huge profits.

"You wish to take a look as well?" Zhang Xuan frowned for a moment before his eyes abruptly lit up, "Sure! However, I advise you all to prepare sufficient spirit stones beforehand. This way, if there are any treasures there, you can buy it on the spot!"

These two were definitely wealthy people. If there was anything of value in the tomb, he could sell it to them straight and earn some profits.

Currently, gold coins were already useless to him. If he could obtain some more spirit stones, it would surely benefit both the cultivation progress of him and his students.

"Yes!"

The duo nodded their heads in agreement.

If anyone were to say such words, the both of them would definitely leave the other party searching the floor for their teeth.

But after witnessing Zhang shi's incredible capability that could eradicate even a soul oracle easily... they didn't dare to harbor such thoughts anymore.

To be acknowledged by the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, discerning that Luo Zhu was possessed immediately... and not to mention, he was a master teacher. Given all of these, it was clear that the other party wasn't someone they could trifle with.

After confirming the matter, Zhang Xuan turned to Hall Master Sai and asked, "Right, may I trouble Hall Master Sai to bring me to your library? I wish to look through the books concerning soul oracles!"

Since he had come to the Appraiser Hall, naturally, he should also pay their library a visit as well. A deep knowledge on appraising and soul oracles might just serve him well in the future.

"That's not a problem at all!"

Hall Master Sai was still fearful as to what ridiculous request Zhang Xuan might ask of him but after hearing that it was just to look through the books, he heaved a sigh of relief and agreed with a smile.

The young man before him possessed appraising capability above that of his. Even without permission, he also possessed the qualifications to enter the library.

"That would be great! Also, may I trouble Hall Master Sai to prepare living quarters for my students and Zhao gongzi so that they may rest?"

Zhang Xuan requested once more.

Right after their long journey from Xuanyuan Kingdom, they immediately visited the Appraiser Hall and attended the auction... At this moment, everyone was already feeling slightly fatigued.

Hall Master Sai nodded his head and backed out. Not too long later, he led the group into a few quiet rooms.

Right after entering one of the room, Zhang Xuan immediately called Zhao Ya and the others to gather by his side.

"The soul oracle tomb is a treacherous place so you have to raise your cultivation as much as possible in these few days so that you all can ensure your own safety."

Even a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle, Luo Zhu, had fallen prey to the threats lying within the tomb. His students were only at Zongshi realm at the moment, thus putting them in a very vulnerable position. They had to raise their cultivation quickly or else they would just end up as baggage.

"Feel free to use the spirit stones as you all like. Within three days, all of you must reach Zhizun realm. Otherwise, I won't allow you to come with me!"

Throwing a bunch of spirit stones to each of them, Zhang Xuan instructed.

Previously, due to his lack of wealth, he felt reluctant to even use the spirit stones himself and thus, his students had never really come into contact with them as well. However, after the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and the auction, Zhang Xuan had more than twenty thousand spirit stones in hand at the moment. With such wealth at hand, he wouldn't be stingy with his own students.

"Yes!" After hearing their teacher's instruction, the group immediately clenched their jaws in determination.

The breakthrough from Zongshi realm to Zhizun was difficult. However, their teacher had already deciphered and analyzed the various cultivation problems they were facing and might face. In addition to that, they were also cultivating the cultivation technique their teacher tailored for them. With so many spirit stones in their hands now, if they were unable to accomplish such a simple task, they would be too ashamed to address Zhang laoshi as their teacher.

"Alright, go and cultivate!"

After which, Zhang Xuan left the room and following behind Hall Master Sai, he arrived at the Appraiser Hall's library.

Appraising covered a huge range of topics—culture, history, painting, antiques, equipment... The knowledge in the subject was unimaginably vast and so, the Appraiser Hall's library had much more book than the libraries of other occupation.

Upon stepping into it, Zhang Xuan was immediately stunned by the immense size of the library.

Compared to this library, the Tianwu Kingdom's book collection vault and even Xuanyuan Kingdom's Master Teacher Pavilion weren't worth of mentioning.

"Time to begin!"

Zhang Xuan began collecting the books into the Library of Heaven's Path.

Hualalala!

After spending nearly an entire day's time, he managed to duplicate all of the books in the library into the Library of Heaven's Path.

Returning back to his room, Zhang Xuan realized that his body was fatigued and even staying awake was a chore.

After traveling here from Xuanyuan Kingdom, visiting the Appraiser Hall, challenging the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets, and participating in the auction, Zhang Xuan was extremely exhausted. His physical exhaustion didn't amount to much but overuse of his Eye of Insight had depleted his Soul Depth. On top of that, he had collected a vast quantity of books in a short period of time and this had left him completely fatigued.

Thus, he went to sleep and only on the second day's afternoon did he manage to recover.

As long as he didn't hurt his foundation, his Soul Depth would naturally recover with sufficient rest.

"Let's see if I can find any clues from the Soulless Metal Humanoid!"

After waking up and stretching his back, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and a giant metal humanoid appeared in front of him.

Ever since he bought it from the auction, he hadn't gotten a chance to examine it closely yet. Since he was free at the moment, he decided to give it a good look. Perhaps, he might be able to find some clues that could give him a deeper understanding of the soul oracles.

The gold humanoid lay there quietly in front of Zhang Xuan, no different from a lifeless puppet. After observing it for a moment, Zhang Xuan was unable to discern anything peculiar about it. Thus, he placed his finger on the puppet.

"Flaws!"

Hu!

A book appeared in his mind.

Flipping it open, Zhang Xuan began reading through his contents and slowly, his eyebrows knitted together. A bizarre expression appeared on his face.

"Th-this... How is this possible?"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 475: The Bizarre Soulless Metal Humanoid (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

A detailed introduction on the metal humanoid was written in the book.

"Grade-1 Soulless Metal Humanoid, a unique puppet crafted by soul oracles. It possesses its own consciousness and one can control it via fusing their soul into it. There's a spirit stone formation placed within its body which allows for its strength to be enhanced even without cultivating. If several metal humanoids were to be controlled simultaneously, it would form an incredible fighting prowess. Flaws: ..."

Possesses its own consciousness?

What does that mean?

Could it be that this fellow was still alive? Otherwise... How could it possibly possess its own consciousness?

Zhang Xuan continued reading on.

"... Flaw 4, its soul has been willingly stripped from its body, leaving behind only a sliver of inextinguishable flame of life within its body. Thus, it cannot regain sanity. Flaw 5..."

"Could it be that..." Suddenly recalling something, Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

Legend had it that the Soulless Metal Humanoids were crafted using living human beings. Initially, Zhang Xuan still held some doubts toward this matter as legends tended to be exaggerated. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like it was true.

The main reason why an inextinguishable flame of life within the body was probably prevent the body from rotting. In essence, the metal humanoid was no different from a person in a vegetative state. While it was a corpse on the surface, its body still retained equal flexibility as it did when it was still alive.

A person's body was intricately linked to the soul. Once a soul was lost, a person would die and their soul would gradually decay. But if that were to happen, how could one forge the metal humanoids?

Putting everything aside, it would take some time to coat the entire body with metal. If body were to be completely dead, it would probably decay before one could succeed in the process.

Clenching his fists tightly, Zhang Xuan was angered by the cruelty of soul oracle when he suddenly noticed something and shook his head, "That isn't it. Their souls were stripped from them with their consent. Could it be that these people had done so willingly?"

It was written in the book from the Library of Heaven's Path that these people had allowed for their own souls to be extracted.

In other words, the soul oracles didn't force this fate on them. The original host of the metal humanoids had consented to the matter themselves. That was also why an inextinguishable flame of life could be left behind. Otherwise, if they were to struggle, there was an extremely high chance that the entire soul would be destroyed.

If that were to happen, it would be impossible to preserve the body, lest to say, forge a metal humanoid.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xuan deduced most of the matter. "Legend had it that some influential powers groomed teams of loyal death soldiers who would lay down their lives for their masters. The original host of this metal humanoid was probably the same as well. Groomed by the soul oracles, the purpose of their lives was to turn into metal humanoids and serve them for all eternity..."

Since most large powers chose to groom death soldiers, there was no reason why the soul oracles wouldn't. Besides, this type of occupation specialized in subject of souls. Brainwashing a cultivator to have them accept having their souls taken away from them was also a possibility.

Fearsome!

Sinister!

To be able to make someone willingly allow himself to be turned into a puppet, soul oracles were indeed fearsome.

He was just considering whether he should capture a few of them to devour them so as to raise his cultivation. However, after learning about their callous means, he shuddered... It was best for him not to take the risk!

Continuing on, he soon finished browsing through the books.

There wasn't anything much noteworthy in the latter part of the content. Most of them were just on the flaws of the Soulless Metal Humanoid and the method to drive them.

"It's a pity that I can't use it..."

After reading through the contents, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment.

The soul oracles specialized in the study of souls, and their souls were capable of leaving their body to control the puppet. However, Zhang Xuan wasn't capable of doing so.

Throughout his cultivation, he had never come into contact with any books detailing the cultivation of one's soul. In other words... even though he had reached Half-Transcension already, his soul was still firmly integrated in his body. He couldn't operate the two of them separately.

This was just like driving a car. In order to drive a car, one had to get onto the driver's seat first. If one's soul couldn't leave one's body, one wouldn't be able to enter the metal humanoid to drive it.

In truth, Zhang Xuan had been thinking that if he could control it, it would be equivalent to gaining a Transcendent Mortal realm death soldier. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like it was nothing more than a dream.

His soul was still locked in his physical body, unable to leave its restraints. In other words... this puppet was completely useless to him now!

Admittedly, if he were to meet with danger, he could still use it as a shield.

Cough, cough.

After going through so much trouble, he only ended up buying a shield... Just the thought of it left him faint-headed.

"Keep!"

After taking another look, Zhang Xuan verified that there was no important information to be derived from the Soulless Metal Humanoid and thus, he put it away within his storage ring. Then, flicking his wrist, a round ball appeared on his palm.

It was the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container that Elder Chen had used to repay his debt.

"There's a flaw here, here, and here as well..."

Touching the round lead-like object, Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into the various location of the flaws detailed in the Library of Heaven's Path.

There was only a total of seventeen flaws so it didn't take him too long to finish the job.

Kacha!

A mechanical sound suddenly echoed from the sphere in his hand. It sounded as though something was being unlocked.

"This..."

Zhang Xuan leaped in shock.

From the outer appearance, the artifact was no different from a lead ball. There wasn't the slightest gap or slit on it, causing him to suspect that it was just an ordinary ball of metal.

He didn't expect that it could be opened.

"How exquisite..."

Lowering his head to take a look, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but compliment, "Could it be that this Celestial Designer Institute is something similar to the Beast Hall and Apothecary Guild, that it is somewhere celestial designers gather?"

Having duplicated the books throughout the entire Appraiser Hall, even though he hadn't assimilated all of the knowledge yet, he'd learned of another incredible occupation — Celestial Designer!

This occupation didn't possess too much fighting prowess. Rather, the field they specialized in was machinery, and they belonged to the Lower Nine Paths.

It was said that the most elusive secret weapon, the most complicated puppet, and the toughest armor all came from their design. Even though blacksmiths were capable of forging powerful equipment and tools as well, if one wanted to bring out a greater prowess from these equipment and tools, one had to find a celestial designer for a blueprint.

Most top-notch experts would choose to hire both a celestial designer and a blacksmith simultaneously when they wanted to craft their personal weapon. The tools designed by celestial designers tended to contain innumerable tricks within them, making it difficult for one to guard against such tools.

Taking Zheng Yang's spear for example, he had to fix the spear himself manually each time he wanted to wield it, making it an exceptionally troublesome process. However, if a blacksmith were to craft something based on the design of a celestial designer, it could end up being an object similar to a chopstick that could extend to more than a zhang long (3.33m) upon a light click.

Another example was this Celestial Designer Mechanical Container. The flaws recorded in the Library of Heaven's Path were probably the weaker points at which it was linked at. Only when exerting pressure precisely at these points could one open it properly.

Otherwise, no matter how powerful one was, one could do nothing about it. And if one were to use excessive strength, one might end up ruining the object contained within it as well.

"What kind of valuable object was stored in this container?"

Curious, Zhang Xuan pried the Celestial Designer Mechanical Container open.

The moment he came into contact with this object, the Library of Heaven's Path immediately gave him the evaluation saying that 'Celestial Designer Mechanical Container, forged by the Celestial Designer Institute with complex mechanical systems. It can't be opened without knowing the specific sequences required to do so. It's likely that some important treasure is hidden within it!'

Since it was an artifact stored in such an exquisitely-made container, it was unlikely for it to be anything ordinary.

Opening the box, a thin layer of beastskin was placed within it. Zhang Xuan couldn't tell what kind of beast the fabric was made of but one thing that was certain was that it was extraordinarily durable. It was clear that it had been kept for innumerable years already but yet it remained completely undamaged.

He carefully lifted it up.

"Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps? What's this?"

Five large words 'Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps' were written on the very top of the beastskin.

Reading on, a poem appeared in Zhang Xuan's sight.

"A cloud of red dust for three thousand li, treading to the clear skies with a smile!"

Beyond the poem detailed the origin of the beastskin.

"The Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps originates from Sage Zhong, one of Kong shi's students. On the day which he successfully mastered the technique, shouldering a massive mountain, with a single step, he appeared three thousand li away and soared into the vast skies. With the grace from Sage Zhong, our lineage is bestowed with the first scroll of Heaven Ascending Steps to pass on to our descendants so I hope that you can treasure this scroll. In order to prevent it from landing into the hands of outsiders, it's placed within a Celestial Designer Mechanical Container so that no one except for those who carry our bloodline are capable of opening it..."

"It's a movement technique?"

Coming to a realization, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

Given that this was the creation of one of Kong shi's students, the value of the battle technique was unimaginable.

It was no wonder why it was placed within a Celestial Designer Mechanical Container.

Under normal circumstances, this container could only be opened with a unique method that only those who bear the bloodline of their lineage knew of. Naturally, Zhang Xuan had no idea what that method was.

The only reason why he could open it was due to him finding the flaws of the object through the Library of Heaven's Path.

It was just like a typical security system in his previous life. One could unlock it if one knew the password but even if one were to forget it, one could still ask for an administrator to help them unlock it.

That was the privilege that Zhang Xuan was using now.

The Library of Heaven's Path was able to see through the very core of the container, allowing Zhang Xuan to strike accurately at its fundamental flaws. Thus, no matter how tightly-sealed or intricate the container was, it didn't make a difference to him.

"I wonder if there are any flaws in the battle technique left behind by Kong shi's student!"

Holding the secret manual, Zhang Xuan muttered 'flaws'.

It had already become a habit of his to check if there were any flaws in a battle technique.

Since this skill was created by Kong shi's student, it must be of an unimaginable tier... However, no matter how powerful a skill was, it was impossible for it to be completely flawless.

Hu!

A book appeared in Zhang Xuan's mind. He hurriedly flipped it open to take a look.

"Only 42 flaws?"

Swiftly flipping through the book, Zhang Xuan was astonished.

As expected of a movement technique created by Kong shi's student, it was indeed a fearsome existence. Having only 42 flaws in a high-tier technique was truly a formidable accomplishment.

In the battle techniques that Zhang Xuan had flipped through previously, there were at least several hundred flaws. This was the reason why every single battle technique required more than a thousand books to form the flawless Heaven's Path battle techniques.

Yet, this battle technique only had 42 flaws. This clearly reflected how formidable a battle technique it was. If knowledge of it were to be leaked out, it would surely cause massive bloodshed.

"But there are still so many flaws in there, how am I supposed to learn it..."

It was one thing if Zhang Xuan didn't know that there were any flaws in there, but now that he knew, his face immediately turned bitter.

No matter how delicious a fruit is, once you know that there are worms within, it will be impossible to whet your appetite.

Zhang Xuan was too used to his cultivation techniques and battle techniques being flawless. Knowing that there were more than forty flaws in the technique, even though he knew that it was a powerful skill, he was still unable to get past this and learn it.

"Right, Heaven's Path Movement Art is also a type of movement art. Perhaps I might be able to fuse them together!"

Heaven's Path Movement Art was a technique created by compiling innumerable movement technique secret manuals together. Even though it only consisted of the bare basics, it was the fundamentals to the very essence of the world. Perhaps, the both of them could be fused together to make up for the flaws of the Heaven Ascending Steps.

"Compile!"

Placing the two books together, Zhang Xuan willed.

Hu!

A new book appeared.

Zhang Xuan immediately flipped through it.

"Three flaws? Great! Even though there are still three left, it's still an acceptable number..."

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

Even though there were still three flaws left, there wasn't any major mistakes to it anymore, making it worthwhile to learn. At the very most, he would just have to collect more movement technique secret manuals and try to fuse them together with the Heaven Ascending Steps.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan began browsing through the contents.

With a single look, his eyes narrowed and his lips went pale.

"Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps — Parallel Heaven Scroll. Could this be... flight?"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 476: Song Chao Wishes to Guide Zhang Xuan (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Parallel heaven, in order words, to stand on equal footing with the heavens.

Ordinary cultivators, even Transcendent Mortal experts, were incapable of flight. They still had to rely on aerial savage beasts to reach the skies. Yet, this cultivation technique claimed to be able to parallel the heavens. Didn't this mean that one would be capable of flight after learning the battle technique?

Flight had always been one of the greatest dreams of humans. Be it his previous life or his current one, Zhang Xuan had always possessed a yearning to soar through the skies. Thus, upon seeing the content, he couldn't help but feel agitated.

"A smile in the red dust, soaring alongside the wind. Parallel Heaven Scroll, upon mastery, grants one the ability of soaring in the skies, standing alongside the heavens..."

Zhang Xuan swiftly continued reading on.

"Incredible..."

Reading the contents within carefully, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt as though a new perspective to his understanding of cultivation had been unlocked.

Flight was something that even Transcendent Mortal 9-dan experts were incapable of. Legend had it that only upon ascending beyond the Transcendent Mortal realm would one be capable of the feat. Yet, it was detailed here that as long as one cultivated properly, a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, or perhaps even a Half-Transcension like him, would be able to step into the skies!

"Transcendent Mortal cultivators strive to comprehend the essence of the world, thus granting them a certain level of control over their environment. By gathering this energy and molding it, one would be able to step on thin air and ascend to the skies!"

This was the main concept behind the scroll.

If it were any other Half-Transcension cultivator, they would definitely be unable to comprehend such a deep cultivation technique. However, Zhang Xuan was different. Given that most of the flaws had been resolved by the Library of Heaven's Path and the deep knowledge Zhang Xuan contained in his head, even though there were some intricacies here and there, they weren't sufficient to impede his progress.

"When one falls into the water, one can ascend upward by stepping against the water. Even though water is lacking is solidity, it is still able to make one float... and air is capable of the same feat as well! As long as one finds the correct method to driving the energy of the world, stepping against the air to float one isn't a difficult task at all. This is also what it means to mold energy with one's cultivation..."

After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan breathed out a mouthful of turbid air and his eyes lit up.

"Incredible! To think that there would be such a formidable battle technique in the world!"

As expected of Kong shi's student, Sage Zhong's comprehension of the heavens had reached an unthinkable level.

All of the battle techniques and cultivation technique he had seen before paled far too much before it. There was no basis of comparison at all.

The scroll had opened an entirely new world before him, granting him a much deeper understanding of battle techniques and cultivation techniques.

"It's a pity that this is only the first scroll. I wonder how profound the latter ones might be!"

Zhang Xuan sighed in lamentation.

After he finished browsing through it, he came to a realization. This Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps was only an introduction formula. It was only suited for Transcendent Mortal cultivators, and after going beyond that realm, it would become redundant.

That was because beyond Transcendent Mortal, one would gain the capability of flight. Even if one had mastered the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, at best, it would only augment one's flight speed by a small bit.

"I should give it a try..."

After resting for a moment, Zhang Xuan reorganized the Parallel Heaven Scroll before sitting down to drive his zhenqi according to the formula detailed in the scroll.

Even though he was still at Half-Transcension only, he already possessed a certain level of control over his surroundings. At this very moment, all of his attention and energy throughout his body was focused at a single point.

Hu!

Zhang Xuan's meditating body gradually lifted up, as though a balloon rising up from the bottom of the water.

Putong!

But barely after three breaths, he immediately fell down and began panting heavily.

"What fearsome expenditure..."

Zhang Xuan's face turned pale.

Just to hold himself in the air for three breaths, he had sapped his zhenqi dry. This Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps sounded incredible, and being capable of flying in the air was also extremely incredible, but the zhenqi expenditure was simply way too exaggerated!

If he could only sustain it for such a short period of time, he would come falling down to earth before he could do anything in the air.

"Looks like... this is still a rather useless battle technique for me at the moment..."

Zhang Xuan was disappointed.

He thought that he would be able to soar into the heavens right after mastering it but from the looks of it... he was expecting way too much!

A flight that could only be sustained for three seconds was futile. No matter how high he could soar, after three seconds, he would come crashing back to earth due to lack of zhenqi.

What in the world was this? He'd learned such a formidable battle technique... But in the end, it was completely useless; he could reach even greater heights just by jumping. On top of that, he would come crashing down right after three seconds... At this very moment, Zhang Xuan made up his mind not to use this technique in public so as to not embarrass himself.

Grabbing a few spirit stones, Zhang Xuan frenziedly absorbed the spiritual energy within them; it took him an hour before he fully recovered.

In the end, the main problem was that his cultivation was too low, resulting in him possessing insufficient zhenqi to upkeep with his expenditure.

If he could bring his cultivation realm up a few notches, it might become much easier than him to execute the technique.

After studying the technique for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan evaluated that he wasn't suited to using the battle technique at the moment so he stretched his back and walked out.

"Young master, there's a fellow outside insisting on meeting you. I've already chased him away three times but he still shows up every single day... Should I inform Elder Jin so that he can toss the other party out?"

Right after walking out, Sun Qiang hurriedly walked up and spoke with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Someone is insisting on meeting me?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He didn't know anyone here so why would anyone come here to look for him?

"I don't know who he is either. I've asked him several times but he simply refuses to speak. Just looking at his arrogant face makes me feel so infuriated..." Sun Qiang harrumphed.

"Arrogant?" Zhang Xuan felt even more perplexed.

There was someone in the world who could be more arrogant than this Big Brother Qiang here?

It was truly incredible that someone could annoy him to such a point.

"Is that person still around?" Intrigued, Zhang Xuan asked.

"Yes!"

"Lead me to him!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

"Un. He's at the lounge!" Sun Qiang pointed.

The living quarters that Hall Master Sai assigned them was an independent residence with seven to eight bedrooms and an average-sized lounge.

Stepping into the lounge, Zhang Xuan saw a young man sitting on one of the seats. An elder stood behind the young man, and the aura shrouding him was vague and barely discernible, revealing his extraordinary cultivation.

It was the young man and the elder of Suite 23.

...

Seated in the lounge, Song Chao felt a little frustrated.

That day, when the item he wanted was intercepted by Suite 1, he had felt extremely displeased. Thus, he secretly had his men look into the matter and he finally managed to track the other party down.

The one who was with Hall Master Sai then was a master teacher named Zhang Xuan. As for his specific identity, there wasn't sufficient information to make any conclusion.

Upon hearing that the other party was a master teacher, Song Chao immediately heaved a sigh of relief.

If the other party was of any other identity, he wouldn't be in a good position to do anything. But for master teacher... As a 4-star master teacher, he definitely ranked within the top in Myriad Kingdom Alliance. He didn't think that a fellow who wasn't even twenty yet could be a match for him.

Master teachers viewed hierarchy very strictly. Since the other party's ranking was lower than him, this matter would be easy to solve.

Thus, he excitedly came knocking on the other party's door but in the end, all three trips of his ended in futile...

And more importantly, that butler of his even viewed him as a scammer and tried to chase him out... If not in consideration of his identity, he would have long slapped the other party to death.

"Young master, do you think that... he'll sell it to us?"

Seeing the frustration in the young master's eyes, the elder couldn't help but ask.

The reason why they made the long journey here was due to hearing rumors regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Yet, the young master ended up being outbid on the auction. Thus, he looked into the background of the buyer and came knocking in hopes of being able to buy it down... But given how the other party bought it at an exorbitant price, why would he be willing to sell it to them?

"Humph, he doesn't have a choice in the matter! As long as he's a master teacher, I have a way to make him sell it to me!" Grabbing the armrest of the chair, Song Chao's face turned frosty.

"Does young master have an idea in mind?" The elder's eyes lit up.

"Of course. As a 4-star master teacher, I'll definitely be able to easily see the flaws in his cultivation. As long as I offer his guidance, he'll definitely hand it over obediently..."

Song Chao's mouth curled up.

It was impossible for a cultivator to possess no flaws with his cultivation at all. As a 4-star master teacher, he was more than confident of guiding a small figure who wasn't even twenty yet on his cultivation.

The moment he helps the other party achieve a breakthrough, the other party would surely be filled with gratitude for him. Putting aside the Soulless Metal Humanoid, it was even possible for the other party to kowtow on the spot and beg him to take him in as his student.

"That's true..."

After a moment of silence, the elder slowly nodded his head in agreement.

Master teachers did possess the capability and charisma to do so. The reason why he willingly followed the young master wasn't just because of the debt of gratitude he owed to the young master's clan; more importantly, it was because of this.

Following behind a master teacher was an opportunity in itself. Listening more to the words of a master teacher could help one to avoid straying on the wrong path on one's cultivation, allowing one's cultivation to rise swiftly.

"Young master, they are the ones who wish to meet you!"

Just as the elder was wondering whether they would be able to meet Zhang shi today, the butler's sound echoed and two men walked into the lounge.

The one walking in front didn't look too old, seemingly below twenty. From the looks of it, he must be that legendary Zhang Xuan.

"You're looking for me?"

Upon stepping into the lounge, Zhang Xuan's confusion deepened. He had never met these two before. What business could they have with him?

"That's right. I am 4-star Master Teacher Song Chao!" Song Chao stood up and gestured grandly.

"4-star master teacher?" Zhang Xuan froze for a moment before quickly clasping his fist. "Oh, Zhang Xuan pays respect to Song shi!"

He didn't think that this fellow who didn't seem as though he was thirty yet would actually be a 4-star master teacher. As expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it was indeed filled with talents.

"Un!" Seeing that the other party's attitude was not bad, Song Chao nodded his head in satisfaction. He was just about to bring out the disposition of an elder and guide the other party when a set of footsteps sounded outside.

"Zhang shi, you're finally out! All of the items you asked for have already been gathered..."

Hall Master Sai walked in.

Upon walking into the room, Hall Master Sai saw Song Chao and clasped his fist, "Sai Xiaoyu pays respect to Song shi!"

Hall Master Sai had met Song Chao over the past two days, while the latter was trying to look into Zhang shi's affairs.

After greeting the latter, Hall Master Sai immediately turned his attention to Zhang Xuan and delightfully passed a storage ring over to him with a fawning look.

"You've gathered everything? So fast?"

Didn't you say that it'll take three days? It has only been slightly more than two days but you're already done?

Taking the storage ring, Zhang Xuan swept through the contents within with his mind and realized that it was filled entirely with cultivation technique and battle technique manuals. In total, they added up to more than ten thousand books.

There were cultivation technique manuals on Transcendent Mortal 1-dan, 2-dan, and 3-dan.

But just like what Hall Master Sai said before, the quantity of the books reduced as the level of the cultivation technique manuals went up.

But even so, it was already a huge harvest.

From the looks of it, he should be able to compile a perfect Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm cultivation technique.

"You did well!"

Smiling slightly, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in commendation.

"Since I've already given you my word, it's only right for me to do it to the best of my abilities..."

Hall Master Sai replied in delight after receiving the commendation. After which, with a flick of his wrist, he took out an emblem and said, "Zhang shi, I've reported the matter regarding how you passed the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets to the headquarters, and this is the 5-star appraiser emblem that they have bestowed to you..."

"5-star emblem?" Taking the emblem from the other party's hand, as expected, Zhang Xuan saw five bright stars on the surface of the emblem.

This almost felt like a dream. To think that he would become a 5-star appraiser just by clearing the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet.

Wasn't the appraiser examination a little too easy?

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 477: Song Chao Wishes to Guide Zhang Xuan (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"The Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet is a test for 5-star appraisers, and it's of extreme difficulty. Under usual circumstances, one would have passed the test just by successfully appraising a single object. Yet, you managed to appraise three of them and even to the extent of... having the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet operation table acknowledge you as its owner. If you can't even qualify as a 5-star appraiser with that..."

Seeing through Zhang Xuan's thoughts, Hall Master Sai smiled bitterly.

Honestly speaking, in his view, even the rank of a 5-star appraiser seemed to be an understatement of the other party's ability.

Just through his appraisal, he could make those invaluable artifacts acknowledge him as their master. That as a skill that only appraisers of 6-star and above possessed.

But of course, the Honghai City Appraiser Hall wasn't of sufficient rank to apply for a 6-star emblem.

"Does appraiser have no demand on one's cultivation?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

Master teacher, apothecary, beast tamer, physician... All of these Upper Nine Paths occupations were very demanding on one's cultivation. Without a sufficiently high cultivation realm, no matter how capable one was in the occupation, one would still be unable to progress through the ranks.

It was just like how even though Zhang Xuan caused such a huge uproar in Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild back then, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild was only able to grant him the position of an elder and his ranking was still pending to date.

To be suddenly given the ranking of a 5-star appraiser just like that, wasn't it making a little too light of the occupation?

"The main responsibility of an appraiser is to appraise artifacts. As such, there isn't any specific requirement to one's cultivation. In truth, most Middle Nine Paths and Lower Nine Paths occupations work in the same way as well. Only the occupations of the Upper Nine Paths have such rigorous restrictions on one's cultivation!" Hall Master Sai explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

While the duo was chatting so happily, Song Chao's vision was turning dark and he nearly fainted from anger.

No matter what, he was a 4-star master teacher, a pinnacle existence within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Putting aside how that Zhang shi ignored him right after greeting him... To think that Hall Master Sai would do the same as well! Furthermore, for the two of them to be chatting so happily in his presence, disregarding his existence...

Wasn't this blatant disregard for him?

Previously, he thought that the butler must have a screw loose to have tried to attempt to chase him out. But now, from the looks of it... it was probably the owner's influence!

To think that the two of you would disregard a 4-star master teacher and chat so happily together like that, do you all not even know basic courtesy...

"Hmph!" Unable to hold it in anymore, Song Chao flung his sleeves and tilted his face upward. Placing his hands behind his back, he spoke furiously, "Zhang shi and Hall Master Sai, a 4-star master teacher is in your presence. Is this how you treat your guests..."

But before he could finish his words, the elder beside him said awkwardly, "Young master, they have already left..."

"Left?"

Taken aback, Song Chao quickly turned his head around, only to see Zhang Xuan and Hall Master Sai walking out of the room with a smile on their faces.

Having obtained the cultivation technique and battle technique manuals he had been waiting for, Zhang Xuan was eager to compile the Heaven's Path Divine Art to make the breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. Thus, how could he possibly be willing to stay here a single moment longer?

"You..."

Song Chao was on the verge of spewing blood.

It was one thing to disregard his presence, but to leave without saying a word... It was clear that they had forgotten about him, a 4-star master teacher! Damn it!

Were they simply too brave or was he really that insignificant?

"Hold it right there..."

Bellowing furiously, his figure blurred and as though an apparition, he flitted a distance of several dozen meters in an instant and blocked the path of the duo.

His cultivation was immediately revealed as soon as he used his cultivation technique.

Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm primary stage!

"Zhang shi, do you know that there is a fatal flaw with your cultivation technique, and your life is hanging by a thread?"

Knowing that violence should be the last option, Song Chao suppressed his anger and donned the disposition befitting of an expert.

"My cultivation technique?"

The cultivation technique Zhang Xuan practiced was derived from the Library of Heaven's Path so how could there possibly be a flaw in it?

But a moment later, Zhang Xuan immediately comprehended the situation.

Flaws in one's cultivation technique were an unavoidable problem for all cultivators. The other party was probably trying to use words to hoodwink him before using some method to find a flaw in his cultivation technique so as to offer him some pointer.

There were some master teachers who used this method to have the person they had set their eyes on to have him acknowledge them as his teacher.

In fact, Zhang Xuan had done so himself as well. Back then, Wang Ying fell for the exact same trick.

"That's right. If you wish to overcome your current realm, I can lend you my assistance. If so, you can avoid many unwanted hassles!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was hooked, Song Chao felt gleeful. With an earnest expression on his face, he was just about to randomly spout some common problems in cultivation so further enhance his credibility when the young man before him stared at him with a frown.

"Song shi, do you feel an aching pain in your [Huihai Acupoint] and frailty in your [Baichi Acupoint] that results in you being unable to focus your attention?"

"I'm talking about your problems so you should..." Song Chao was just about to reprimand the other party when he suddenly realized something and his body froze. "How do you know about it?"

Recently, during his cultivation, he found that he was unable to gather zhenqi in his Huihai acupoint, and whenever he did so, he would experience a sharp pain as though someone was tearing it apart. His Baichi acupoint also felt a little feeble, thus making it hard for him to concentrate.

This was precisely the reason why he took this trip out, unintentionally heard news regarding the Soulless Metal Humanoid, and came over here. Otherwise, as a talented 4-star master teacher, how could he have the spare effort to be wandering around?

"Not only so, when you cultivate, do you feel a numbness in your left thigh and your right leg often convulses?"

Zhang Xuan continued.

"I..." Song Chao's face slowly turned pale.

That was spot-on.

"If I'm not mistaken, your cultivation technique should be [Supreme Art of Heaven's Frost]. There's no mistake with your cultivation method and your cultivation technique, at Spirit intermediate-tier, is rather powerful as well. However, it's a pity that... three months ago, in an attempt to forcibly raise your cultivation, an error occurred which resulted in your meridians being blocked by the frost element of your cultivation technique. The direct result of that is numbness in your left thigh, convulse of your right leg, frailty in the Baichi acupoint, and sharp pain in the Huihai acupoint!"

Zhang Xuan analyzed calmly.

This fellow had just executed his battle technique to block their way, and this had caused a corresponding book to be compiled within the Library of Heaven's Path.

"Then... is there a way to resolve this problem?"

Song Chao asked anxiously.

The other party had described his current physical condition accurately. However, there wasn't a clear solution for the blockage of his acupoints. Even his teacher, a half 5-star master teacher, was incapable of solving the problem so he could only let it recover gradually with time.

Thus, Song Chao had given up all hope and decided to simply wait it out. Yet, this young man here had identified all of his symptoms clearly... How in the world did he manage to do it?

"Five thousand spirit stones. I'll help you solve your problem and achieve a breakthrough!" Zhang Xuan spoke impassively.

"Five thousand?" Song Chao hesitated.

"If I'm not mistaken, you should have consulted a few other people on your problem but they are all helpless before it. If you don't use my method, you'll need at least an entire year to recover. I'm sure you know the consequences of not cultivating for an entire year!" Zhang Xuan was in no hurry at all.

"Alright, here is the spirit stones. I beseech Zhang shi for your guidance!" Soon, Song Chao gritted his teeth and replied.

With a flick of his wrist, a bunch of spirit stones fell to the floor. In an instant, dense spiritual energy gushed into the air.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. He swiftly kept the spirit stones in his storage ring before saying, "The cure is extremely simple. You just have to drive your zhenqi along this meridian..."

"To offer pointers to even 4-star master teachers? Exactly how highly ranked is this Zhang shi..."

Hall Master Sai widened his eyes in shock.

He already knew that Zhang shi was extraordinary but still, he didn't expect it to such a degree.

This Song Chao was a 4-star master teacher, and yet, his cultivation errors could still be pointed in an instant. On top of that, Zhang Xuan was able to solve the problem that had plagued the former for such a long period of time! Through this, it could be deduced that Zhang Xuan's capability had reached an astounding level.

The body of the elder in the lounge froze, and his hyperventilation nearly acted up.

The young master had gone over to offer guidance to the other party in hopes of winning the other party's gratitude and earn the Soulless Metal Humanoid. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he became the one being guided instead? And on top of that, to be paying money as well...

What was with this sudden twist?

Even though he had witnessed the sight with his own eyes, he still felt as though he was going mad.

"... Alright, just cultivate using the method I just told you and your affliction will definitely be solved within three days!"

While the duo was shocked speechless, Zhang Xuan finished his guidance.

"Thank your Zhang shi for your guidance..."

After memorizing the method the other party spoke of, Song Chao felt awed. He subconsciously clasped his fist in gratitude.

"Un!"

Replying with a nod, Zhang Xuan continued walking on.

Any other master teacher would definitely find it hard to determine the cause of Song Chao's affliction. However, once the cause was determined, solving it became much easier. Given how the other party was a 4-star master teacher, he should be more than capable to tell whether what Zhang Xuan said was true or not.

"Young master... Aren't you going to ask for the Soulless Metal Humanoid from him? Why did you end up paying him instead..."

After Zhang Xuan left, the elder hurriedly walked up.

"Ah?"

Song Chao was suddenly jolted from his trance.

For some reason, when he was listening to the other party's analysis and guidance previously, he unknowingly fell into a state of trance.

"This is... Impartation of Heaven's Will? He used Impartation of Heaven's Will on me? And I actually fell for it?"

Upon realizing something, Song Chao's mouth twitched and he nearly fainted on the spot.

Even though the other party's analysis and guidance were spot-on, logically speaking, he shouldn't have obeyed every single word the other party said, going to the extent of even paying money. The only logical explanation for it was that... the other party had used Impartation of Heaven's Will on him!

That was an ability unique to master teachers. As long as one's words were true, one would be able to stimulate the zhenqi within the bodies of others' and induce unconditional trust within others, making others follow one's orders obediently.

His original intention was to offer guidance to the other party and yet, he ended up falling for the other party's Impartation of Heaven's Will instead... Song Chao felt as though he was going insane.

However, as a 4-star master teacher, Song Chao's Soul Depth had reached 12.0. For the other party to be able to induce unconditional trust in him through the Impartation of Heaven's Will, didn't that mean that the other party's Soul Depth was higher than his?

Are you for real?

"On top of that, just Impartation of Heaven's Will by itself is insufficient... More importantly, one has to have the acknowledgement of the predecessors! Those who have been acknowledged of the predecessors of the Master Teacher Pavilion will possess a disposition that induces deference in others... Could it be that this fellow had earned the acknowledgement of even more predecessors than me?"

Song Chao's fist clenched tightly together once more.

Master teachers were exceptionally sensitive to this kind of disposition, thus making it much easier for them to listen to the words of acknowledged master teachers.

This was also why it was said that even without the master teacher emblem, those who had been acknowledged by the predecessors could be easily recognized by their peers.

Song Chao was an incredible young genius who had been recognized by nine predecessors during the ritual, and as such, his sect had sent him to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament... Yet, such a figure was sent into a trance just by a single word. Didn't this mean that the other party was acknowledged by even more predecessors than him?

B-but...

How was this possible?

Where in the world did this fellow come from? How could he be so formidable?

Song Chao was dumbfounded.

Chapter 478: Formation Master Guild

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Young master, have you... asked about the Soulless Metal Humanoid yet?"

Seeing the young master's slightly trembling body, the elder knew that the young master would surely lose his sanity if they were to continue discussing this topic. Thus, he hurriedly changed the subject.

"Ah? I... forgot!"

Song Chao's body swayed weakly.

He only had time to say a single sentence before the other party began pointing out the various symptoms he was suffering from. After that... he fell to the onslaught of words and lost himself.

Putting aside the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he didn't even manage to speak much.

How was he supposed to ask the question when he was in a trance?

"Then... I'll try asking..." the elder said slowly.

"Un, go on... Be careful!" After hesitating for a moment, Song Chao nodded his head.

He was a little fearful at the moment already. He was scared that if he were to go over again, he might be bewitched by the other party's words once more. Thus, it might be wiser to send his subordinate over instead.

But... Given that the other party was able to give him a lesson via the Impartation of Heaven's Will and determine the root of his problem, the other party's ranking as a master teacher was definitely above his. It was natural for a person of such capability to want to retain the Soulless Metal Humanoid to study it. If so, how could the other party possibly give it up to him?

"Yes!"

The elder nodded his head. He hurriedly walked over to Zhang Xuan who had already traveled a very far distance away during this period of time. "Zhang shi, we wish to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid. May I know if... you're interested in selling it? Our young master is willing to offer two half 5-star master teacher Tutelage Jade Tokens for it!"

"Forty-thousand spirit stones!" Zhang Xuan came to a stop.

"This price is already extremely high. Even our young master only has three of such Tutelage Jade Token... Wait a moment, what did you say?"

The elder thought that Zhang shi would reject him outright, but contrary to his expectation, the other party tossed out a price so candidly. Taken aback, the elder attempted to verify the matter by asking, "You're saying that you're willing to sell it to us at... forty-thousand spirit stones?"

Hu!

Before he could finish his words, a shadow flashed across his eyes and a Soulless Metal Humanoid appeared on the floor.

"If you can produce the spirit stones, you can take the metal humanoid away. I won't be accepting any Tutelage Jade Token. If you don't have the money to pay up... I'll have to ask of you to leave!"

Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

He was in a rush to compile and study the Heaven's Path Divine Art, and he didn't want to waste any time dawdling here.

Since Zhang Xuan had already examined the Soulless Metal Humanoid already, it was of no use to him anymore. Rather to keeping it with him, he might as well sell it for a profit.

"...So simple?"

Standing behind, Song Chao had thought that the elder would surely fail. Never in his dreams did he expect the matter would be so simple...

If only he'd known that the fellow had the intention to sell it, he wouldn't have tried to act cool and insist on offering guidance to the other party. In the end... not only did he fail in his deed, he became the one being taught instead...

He had truly embarrassed himself greatly today...

Song Chao felt frenzied.

As a master teacher, he was always able to perceive the intentions and meaning behind the actions of others. Yet, this fellow before him didn't seem to obey any common sense at all. It felt as though he was knocking his head on a rock, every interaction with the other party simply left him faint-headed.

"Zhang shi, are you serious in selling the Soulless Metal Humanoid to me for forty-thousand spirit stones?"

Unable to hold back his agitation, Song Chao stepped forward.

"If you can't afford it, the deal is off!"

Putting away the metal humanoid into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan prepared to leave once more.

"I'll buy it..."

With a reddened face, Song Chao hurriedly spoke up.

Huala!

After saying those words, a mountain of spirit stones immediately appeared before everyone's eyes. It totaled up to exactly forty-thousand.

"Un, the metal humanoid is yours then!" Taking the spirit stones, Zhang Xuan tossed the metal humanoid to the other party's side, turned around, and left.

"Thank you, Zhang shi..."

Grabbing over the Soulless Metal Humanoid, Song Chao quickly placed it into his storage ring, fearful that the other party might change his mind. However, right after he kept the item, he suddenly froze. An urge to bash his head into the nearest pillar suddenly gripped him.

"I fell for his trick again! My forty-thousand spirit stones..."

How could he not even have tried to haggle with the other party? Clearly, he had fallen for the other party's Impartation of Heaven's Will once more, resulting in him taking out the sum immediately...

Thpse were his total savings throughout the years. To think that he would be sapped dry by the other party in an instant... Why did it have to be so damned?

What kind of monster was the other party?

"Congratulations, young master. You finally managed to obtain the Soulless Metal Humanoid..." The elder clasped his fist.

"Scram!"

Song Chao was already in a very bad mood, and when he heard the congratulations, he immediately erupted.

"Keng... alright!"

Perplexed, the elder scratched his head doubtfully. What was wrong with the young master? Did he... damage his brain somehow?

...

While relishing in the joy of having just earned forty-thousand spirit stones with little to no effort, Zhang Xuan returned back to his room. With a flick of his wrist, several rows of bookshelves appeared before him.

With this, he wouldn't have to worry about having insufficient spirit stones for his cultivation in the short term.

The pressing matter at hand was for him to read through more books so that he could raise his cultivation.

Sliding his finger across the rows of books, identical books appeared in his head.

Soon, all of the cultivation technique and battle technique manuals that Hall Master Sai had collected were replicated within the Library of Heaven's Path.

"Compile!"

Placing all of the Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm cultivation techniques together, Zhang Xuan willed.

Hu!

An entirely new book appeared before Zhang Xuan's eyes.

Picking it up, he began flipping through it.

"Transcendent Mortal, also known as Surmounting Mortality and Mortal Metamorphosis, refers to the stage where one evolves beyond the limits of mortals. One's level of existence will be increased significantly. In order to transcend mortality, one has to abstain from inferior mortal sustenance and feast on the spiritual energy in the air instead. Those who consume material sustenance are intelligent but die, those who consume spiritual energy are intelligent and lasting..."

The content of the book appeared in Zhang Xuan's eyes.

After an unknown period of time, he breathed out a mouthful of turbid air and opened his eyes.

He had finished comprehending the essence of the Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Heaven's Path Divine Art, and he was ready to cultivate it now.

"Let's begin!"

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he flicked his wrist and a spirit stone appeared in his hand. Driving his zhenqi according to the method detailed in the cultivation technique, he began absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stone.

Kacha!

Two breaths later, the spirit stone in his hand was reduced to powder.

"Hmm? This..."

Zhang Xuan's face twitched.

Spirit stones were a natural product of the world. They contain spiritual energy and each of them are crystal clear... Going by logic, it should be exceptionally tough. Why did it simply crumble all of the sudden?

Lowering his head to assess the situation, a bizarre expression soon surfaced.

"The spiritual energy within... has been fully absorbed?"

Looking at the crumbled spirit stone on the floor, it was completely white, reminiscent of ashes. Clearly, the spiritual energy within it had been devoured completely.

"This... How many spirit stones will I require to make the breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan?"

Zhang Xuan felt faint-headed.

He thought that several hundred spirit stones would be sufficient for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. Given that he had several ten thousand in his possession now, it should be a piece of cake. However, it seemed like he was severely underestimating his consumption rate.

Transcendent Mortal meant evolving beyond mortality.

His body had been tempered by Heaven's Path zhenqi, making it far superior to that of ordinary humans. As such, the difficulty in him making the leap from a mortal to the next realm was hundred times greater than them as well.

It was easy to expand a ditch of one-meter radius wide by twofold but expanding an ocean by twofold... was exponentially more difficult!

That was exactly the case with him.

Nourished by the Heaven's Path zhenqi, his physical body and soul had undergone a qualitative change, making him invincible among his fellow peers. However, this also made it harder for him to make the final breakthrough.

"If I were to absorb them one by one, it would just be a matter of time before I died of exhaustion..."

Zhang Xuan had several ten thousand spirit stones at the moment. It should be sufficient to fuel his breakthrough, but... the spiritual energy contained within these low-tier spirit stones was limited. On top of that, his consumption was extremely great... If he were to go on like that, having to pause his cultivation to replace a broken spirit stone every two breath, it would be incredibly inconvenient!

Who knows how long it would take for him to reach Transcendent Mortal realm if he had to do it that way?

Even if there was sufficient water in a bottle to alleviate one's thirst, if one could only drink a drop at a time, one would still die of dehydration!

In other words, Zhang Xuan had to find a way to extract the spiritual energy from the spirit stones so that he could cultivate continuously without pause.

"Formations!"

Frowning, an occupation suddenly appeared in Zhang Xuan's mind.

Holding a spirit stone one at a time to cultivate wouldn't work out at all. There was only one way if Zhang Xuan wanted hundreds or even thousands of spirit stone to provide him spiritual energy simultaneously... Formations!

Back then, after eradicating the Lin Clan, Zhang Xuan had read through several books regarding formations and learned that some of the more formidable Spirit Gathering Formations were capable of extracting spiritual energy from spirit stones and gather them in the area.

If he had this kind of formation, he could simply put spirit stones in it and the spiritual energy within them would be extracted automatically. If so, his cultivation would become much smoother.

"I should go and look for some formations!"

Zhang Xuan stood up.

Along with the rise in his cultivation, his requirement for spiritual energy would increase exponentially as well. Even if he had sufficient spirit stones, cultivation would become terribly inefficient.

Walking out of the room, Zhang Xuan went to look for Hall Master Sai.

"Hall Master Sai, may I know if there is a Formation Master Guild in Honghai City? If so, could you take me over, please?"

Hall Master Sai looked at Zhang Xuan and asked, "As a large commercial city, there's no reason why Honghai City wouldn't have a Formation Master Guild. Does Zhang shi intend to purchase formation plates in preparation for the trip to the soul oracle tomb?"

Formation plates were a miniaturization of a formation and could be easily carried around with one. Even if one weren't a formation master, one could still activate it by infusing one's zhenqi into it. As such, it was one of the most sought-after product in the Formation Master Guild.

The trip to the soul oracle tomb was filled with dangers. With a formation plate in hand, Zhang Xuan would gain another assurance on his survivability.

"Formation plate? Right, I also wish to see if there's anything suitable there to buy!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

If he could find a Spirit Gathering Formation plate, he could easily carry it around and use it whenever he needed it. That would surely prove to be convenient.

"I am old buddies with the head of the Formation Master Guild, Guild Master Zheng Jingfeng. He has the highest tiered formation plates in the entire Honghai City. Allow me to take you there, I'm certain I can get you something you'll be satisfied with!" Hall Master Sai said.

"I'll be depending on Hall Master Sai then!" Knowing that this was a gesture of goodwill from the other party, Zhang Xuan didn't turn it down.

Due to the unique role that the Appraiser Hall played in Honghai City, it was located at the center of the various guilds. As such, it wasn't too far away from the Formation Master Guild. In just ten minutes, they had already arrived at their destination.

Previously, at Tianwu Kingdom, Zhang Xuan had paid the Formation Master Guild a visit to gather the books contained within. Compared to the magnificent infrastructure standing before him at this very moment, the Tianwu Kingdom felt nothing more than a crude shack.

The gates to the guild were tall and majestic, and an Eight Trigram was imprinted on it, creating a profound and mysterious air to it.

Stepping into the guild, Zhang Xuan immediately felt the air around him change. The temperature was comfortable, the air was slightly moist, and the surroundings was concentrated in spiritual energy. It felt as though one had walked into a garden in spring, and an indescribable sensation of relaxation and tranquility swept over him.

"This..."

Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes.

It was already late autumn, and winter was able to set in soon. How could this area be warm as though spring?

"The Formation Master Guild has set up a formation here so that it'll be permanently spring in here..." Seeing Zhang Xuan's expression, Hall Master Sai understood what Zhang Xuan was thinking of and stroked his beard. "Don't worry, this formation will only put one in a comfortable position. It doesn't possess any offense capability so there's no need to worry!"

"To set up such an elaborate formation just for comfort... As expected of the Formation Master Guild!" Zhang Xuan commented in awe.

To control such a huge formation so precisely such that it was limited to the interiors of the guild was a difficult feat. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance Formation Guild was indeed formidable. Just this formation itself was probably grade-3 pinnacle or perhaps even grade-4!

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 479: Give Me a Moment

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The vast lounge was filled with a huge crowd walking to and fro. There was a long queue in front of the front counter.

Formation plates, weapon, and pill, these three were known as the necessities for a journey. However, the variety and number of formation plates that the Formation Master Guild sold everyday was limited so there was often a long queue of people hoping to buy just one.

"Paying respects to Hall Master Sai!"

Walking around the crowd, before Zhang Xuan and Hall Master Sai could reach the reception, a young man had already walked forward to welcome them.

"I have some matters to ask of Guild Leader Zheng, I'll be troubling you to lead the way." Hall Master Sai waved his hands.

"My teacher is currently in the midst of inscribing a formation plate. I'll lead you there now!" The young man smiled and led the way.

Walking along the stairs up to the second floor, it didn't take long before they arrived at a room. Formation plates of all sizes were placed around the room, and at the very center sat an elder who was busy carving something.

A formation required a formation core and formation flags to be placed in a manner that complemented the geographical terrain to maximize its might. As such, setting one up and activating it were extremely troublesome processes, and only those who were well-versed in it were capable of the feat.

Formation plates were much simpler in comparison. One just had to inscribe a miniaturized version of the formation on the unique round plate, and just by infusing one's zhenqi into it, one would be able to trigger it.

But formation plates had two major flaws to them.

Firstly, due to its size, it was unable harmonize with the surroundings and thus, it typically only contained around half the might of an ordinary formation.

Secondly, every usage would result in immense damage to the formation plate. As such, it was limited by the number of uses, and while five times was the maximum, it was often the case that the formation plates broke after the first use.

While the flaws couldn't be said to be insignificant, its benefits still far outweighed its disadvantages. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people queuing up for it.

Its greatest strength lay in that anyone, even those who were completely unknowledgeable in formations, could use it. Secondly, it was convenient to carry around and it could be activated quickly and easily — one just had to infuse zhenqi into it — thus, making it a valuable tool in times to danger.

The elder in the room seemed to be in his sixties but there wasn't the slightest trace of facial hair on his face. His large hand was holding a small carving knife, and he was carefully carving a plate.

The creation of a formation plate was an extremely complicated process. After all, what one was trying to do was to condense a massive formation into a round plate around the size of one's palm. The difficulty of the task was obvious with just a single thought. With the slightest mistake, the inscribing process might very possibly end in failure.

Inscribing formation plates was somewhat similar to forging pills. Even 4-star formation masters couldn't claim to be able to succeed all the time. The creation of every single plate was an extremely effort and time-consuming process.

"Teacher, Hall Master Sai is here!"

Walking into the room, the young man bowed.

Putting down the carving knife, the elder raised his head, looked at his old friend, and smiled. "I've always been the one to look for you in the past, what brings you here today?"

"I have something that I have to request of Guild Leader Zheng this time!"

Hall Master Sai nodded before introducing, "This is Zhang shi. He hopes to purchase a formation plate, and after some consideration, I felt that the items you sold here are the most reliable of them all so I brought him over!"

"Zhang shi?"

Guild Leader Zheng stood up and assessed Zhang Xuan with a doubtful expression.

He knew the temper of this old friend of his very well. The latter was an extremely proud person, and he acted extremely casually even with him. Yet, when the latter was introducing the young man, he spoke with a very grave and earnest tone which left him intrigued.

Taking a closer look, he couldn't find anything unique about this young man. One thing notable was that he was unable to see through the cultivation of the latter, but even so, given how his actions weren't aligned with the flow of the world, it was clear he hadn't reached Transcendent Mortal realm yet.

A young lad who hadn't reached Transcendent Mortal actually made his old friend act so respectfully?

"May I know what kind of formation plate Zhang shi is looking for? Confinement Formation, Slaughter Formation, Illusion Formation... I've a few of those in stock!" Even though Guild Leader Zheng was perplexed, he had only just met the other party and it would be rude to ask of it before him.

"What I wish to find is a... Spirit Gathering Formation!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Spirit Gathering Formation?" Guild Leader Zheng was perplexed. "... There's no such formation plate. Usually, it's set up at a certain fixed location..."

Spirit Gathering Formation was mainly used for cultivation, and normally, it would be set up by some influential powers at a specific location to groom their talents. On the other hand, formation plates were often viewed as an offensive or defensive measure.

Thus, very few people would inscribe a Spirit Gathering Formation on a formation plate, and even he, the guild leader of the Formation Master Guild, had never done it before.

In truth, Guild Leader Zheng wasn't the only one who was surprised. Even Hall Master Sai was taken aback.

Hall Master Sai had thought that Zhang shi was buying a formation in preparation for the exploration of the soul oracle tomb. However, from the looks of it now, it didn't seem like that was the case. After all, what was the use of a Spirit Gathering Location in there? Was he supposed to throw it in to gather 'spirits' and capture soul oracles?

"There's no such item?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"Indeed. I've never drawn it before. If you really require it, I can draw one for you. However, it'll take some time!" After a moment of hesitation, Guild Leader Zheng said.

The purpose of a Spirit Gathering Formation was to gather spiritual energy. As such, one would be affected by the disturbances in the spiritual energy while inscribing the formation plate. As Guild Leader Zheng had never tried it before, he didn't dare give his word.

How long will it take?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"This... I've never inscribed it before so I might take some time to grasp it properly. At worst, it might take an entire month. However, if no hiccups occur, I should be able to finish it within... half a month!" Guild Leader Zheng said.

"Half a month?" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Too long.

He was supposed to meet Luo Zhu tomorrow and set off for the soul oracle tomb. Before that, for his and his students' safety, he had to at least reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. By the time the formation plate was done, it would already be too late.

"Why? Do you doubt my capability?" Seeing Zhang Xuan's action of shaking his head, Guild Leader Zheng's face darkened.

Of all things, to be buying a Spirit Gathering Formation formation plate... do you even know the slightest thing about formations? If not for my old friend making this request of me, I'd definitely have thrown you out instantly!

Yet, you still dare to shake your head at me?

"Oh, I'm not saying that you can't inscribe it!"

Hearing the displeased edge in the other party's voice, Zhang Xuan realized that the other party was mistaken. Thus, he immediately clarified sheepishly, "It's just that I think your speed is a little too slow. Half a month... is a little bit too long. I really have urgent use for the formation plate now. If you can finish it within two hours, I'm willing to pay a little more!"

"Too slow? Two hours?"

Guild Leader Zheng's face immediately steeled. Flinging his sleeves, he bellowed, "Hall Master Sai, is this your guest? I don't welcome him here! Xiaowu, send our guest out!"

Two hours?

Do you think that inscribing formations can be done as easily as eating or drinking?

Putting aside the Spirit Gathering Formation which he had never inscribed before, even Confinement Formations and Slaughter Formations which he was familiar with would require at least a week time to inscribe. On top of that, that was assuming that his full concentration was into the task such that he didn't make the slightest error.

Otherwise, even one month would be insufficient to inscribe a single formation plate.

And that was still if he did it himself. If it was a 3-star formation master of the guild, it would take at least half a month to inscribe a single formation plate.

Yet, this fellow wanted it done... within two hours?

Are you here to make a fool out of yourself or are you trying to mock me?

"Yes..." The young man who brought the two of them in walked over and gestured, "This way please!"

In truth, the young man was also dissatisfied with Zhang Xuan's atittude.

He was a 2-star formation master and inscribing a single formation plate would take him more than a month. Yet, this fellow expected his teacher to finish one within two hours. Clearly, he wasn't a customer but a troublemaker.

"Guild Leader Zheng, please calm down."

Not expecting his old friend to chase them away all of a sudden, Hall Master Sai immediately walked up with a flushed face, "Zhang shi is just unfamiliar with formations. In terms of appraising ability, he's a 5-star appraiser who has passed the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblet. His capability is far above me!"

"5-star appraiser?"

Guild Leader Zheng leaped in shock.

He thought that his old friend was so fearful of Zhang shi due to the latter's prestigious background. Never in his dreams did he expect the other party to be a 5-star appraiser!

With just this identity, there was no one who would dare to trifle with him in Honghai City. It was no wonder why he dared to spout such arrogant words.

"Un!" Hall Master Sai nodded his head.

While master teachers immersed themselves in multiple occupations, they were, by no means, omniscient. Zhang shi's words had clearly reflected his position as an amateur in the occupation.

And his guess was right. Even though Zhang Xuan had read through the books in Tianwu Kingdom Formation Master Guild and assimilated them, due to the guild being of too low tiered, there wasn't much information on formation plates detailed within them. Thus, even though those were basic information, Zhang Xuan was unaware of them.

"Pardon me, I was unaware of Zhang shi's identity!"

Upon knowing that the other party was a 5-star appraiser, Guild Leader Zheng immediately reined in his previous attitude and bowed respectfully with a clasped fist.

While the ranking of an appraiser didn't tie in with one's cultivation, it was still a respected occupation due to its involvement in dealing with precious artifacts. Even as the head of the Formation Master Guild, he didn't dare to offend the other party easily.

Not to mention, the other party was still a master teacher on top of that.

"You're being too polite!"

Zhang Xuan waved his hands, not paying it any heed. After some contemplation, he asked, "Since it's impossible to succeed within two hours, may I ask you to sell me a set of Spirit Gathering Formation's formation flags, core, and blueprint instead?"

Since there was no formation plate to be sold here, he could try doing it himself instead. As long as he had the formation blueprint, flags, and core in possession, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to succeed.

"Formation blueprint, flags, and core? We do have them but if one isn't an official formation master, they'll be completely useless..." Guild Leader Zheng said.

Formations had to be laid out in a way that aligned with the environment. If one didn't know the slightest thing about formations, it would be useless even if one were to obtain the formation blueprint, flags, and core.

If one could simply forge it with just these three items, they, as formation masters, would have already gone out of business long ago!

"It'll suffice as long as you sell it to me. I'll find a way myself after that!" Knowing what the other party was worried about, Zhang Xuan continued.

"This isn't a problem of whether I am willing to sell or not..."

Seeing the other party insist on the matter, Guild Leader Zheng's face darkened. He couldn't help but shake his head.

Why did Hall Master Sai bring such an unreliable lad here?

Formation flag, core, and blueprint were useless in the hands of ordinary people. Furthermore, they were extremely expensive... It was truly a waste of resources in the hands of the other party.

Besides, while I could sell the formation flags and core to you, the blueprint... That is something similar to pill formulas. There are strict rules within the guild, and as long as one isn't an official formation master, one would be prohibited from looking at it, needless to say, sell it.

From the previous exchange, it was clear that this fellow was a person who didn't know a thing about formations.

Putting aside selling formation flags and core, formation blueprint... Aren't you dreaming?

If anyone could simply look at the blueprints and buy them as and when they please, what kind of prestige would the guild retain?

"How about this? If you can set up a formation and prove that you're an official formation master, I'll let you see the formation blueprint and record it down. I'll also sell the formation flags and core to you... But if you can't do it, you'll have to drop the matter!"

Shaking his head, Guild Leader Zheng gave an ultimatum.

"If I can set up a formation, you'll sell them to me?" Zhang Xuan stared at the other party.

"That's right!" Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head. Then, a slight frown appeared on his face as he continued, "Why? Is Zhang shi a formation master as well?"

But before he could finish his words, Zhang Xuan had already shut his eyes.

"... Give me a moment!"

Chapter 480: Perfect Harmony, Absence of Ripples

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Give you... a moment?"

Guild Leader Zheng's body swayed from side to side.

Why did it feel like this fellow didn't understand human speech?

I asked whether you are a formation master and yet you replied with 'give me a moment'...

What does that mean?

Do you mean that you aren't one now, and a moment later you'll be one?

Aren't you just pulling my leg?

All of the Upper Nine Paths occupation required one to put in immense effort before one could qualify as a member. Even a genius would require several years of perseverance to succeed.

Yet, this ignorant fellow actually said give him a moment...

Give you a moment for what? For you to embarrass yourself?

Besides... Closing your eyes?

Close your head! What the hell are you up to?

Guild Leader Zheng's face twitched. If not for the fact that the other party was a 5-star appraiser, he would have surely kicked the other party out already.

"Old Zheng, I think you'd better prepare the set of formation flags and the core!"

Seeing that his old friend was coming to the limit of his tolerance, Hall Master Sai stepped forward and advised.

"Prepare?"

"Indeed. If Zhang shi said so, he must have a plan in mind. Besides, it wouldn't be too much effort to prepare a set!" Hall Master Sai replied.

He didn't know where did Zhang shi's confidence come from, but after witnessing the various miracles the other party had produced, his trust for the other party had nearly reached an unconditional level.

This was a person who could even teach a 4-star master teacher. Somehow, Hall Master Sai didn't think that it would be surprising if he learned about formations on the spot and succeeded.

"Alright, I'll believe you this time! Xiaowu, take out the formation flag and core for the Spirit Gathering Formation you have been using to practice over the past few days!"

Seeing the deep trust his old friend had in this young man, Guild Leader Zheng shook his hands in frustration.

"Yes!" The young man flicked his wrist and a bunch of objects appeared on the floor.

Formations were built using formation flag and formation core.

These two were crafted using unique materials. There were differing attributes to them depending on the formation they were used for.

Xiaowu was a 2-star formation master and recently, he had been practicing a graded-2 Spirit Gathering Formation. Thus, he had been keeping a set of it in his storage ring.

After the various objects were taken out, the crowd turned to that fellow, only to see that his eyes were still tightly shut. It was hard to tell what he was doing.

"Could it be that... Zhang shi intends to learn about formation on the spot? But even if he were to learn it right now... he should at least be browsing through books or consulting a teacher. To be standing blankly on the spot, what is he up to?"

Hall Master Sai was perplexed.

The study of formations involved innumerable profound secrets. Thus, it was imperative for one to find a formidable teacher to learn about the basic properties of geography, five elements, yin-yang. This was the first time he had seen someone learning by standing idly with a dazed expression.

But if he wasn't studying, what else could he be doing?

Everyone was perplexed.

In truth, it was exactly as everyone was thinking. Zhang Xuan was studying formations.

Previously, he had gathered quite a few books on formations in the Library of Heaven's Path. However, he hadn't organized and read through them yet.

At this moment, with his attention immersed within the Library of Heaven's Path, all of the books regarding formation floated before him.

"Compile!"

With a silent mutter, a book with the words 'Heaven's Path Formation Art' appeared before him. He quickly flipped it open.

A vast sea of knowledge came gushing into Zhang Xuan's mind.

"Since I've already assimilated these knowledge, I'm only reorganizing them at this moment. Thus, it's much simpler and more efficient..."

Previously, back when he was in Tianwu Kingdom, he had used the golden page to assimilate the knowledge of formations, pill forging, medicine... contained within the books he duplicated into the Library of Heaven's Path. Even though he had never gone through them before, the knowledge was already imprinted in his head.

With this serving as a foundation, learning the Heaven's Path Formation Art became extremely easy.

Knowledge flowed through his mind, and in just ten breaths, he had already mastered it.

If it was an occupation he was completely ignorant about, it would have taken at least two hours. But with a strong foundation built from the prior knowledge obtained through assimilation, all he had to do was to do was to reorganize the information.

Hu!

Opening his eyes, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd.

"Are the formation flag and core here already? Do I set up the formation here?"

"Cough cough..."

Guild Leader Zheng was just waiting to see what intentions the other party had when the other party suddenly opened his eyes and said such words.

Just a moment ago, he was still completely ignorant about formations... And after shutting his eyes for a moment, he wanted to try his hand on setting up a formation already... Fine! I would like to see what kind of formation you set up!

"Since you think you're ready, you can just set it up here!"

Suppressing his rage, Guild Leader Zheng flung his sleeves and harrumphed.

"Alright!"

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked over to grab the formation flag and core.

Seeing his actions, putting aside Guild Leader Zheng, even Xiaowu's face was streaked with dark lines.

The very first step one should do before setting up a formation was to study the surroundings and measure the positioning of the formation. Through this, one would be able to tap into the natural flow to generate energy for the formation. Only then would one set up the formation accordingly to gather that energy. This fellow didn't even bother taking out his compass to make measurements. The first thing he did was to dive straight at the formation flag, as though a glutton seeing a pile of meat... You call this setting up a formation?

You must be kidding!

Even pigs would be able to fly if you can set up a formation like that.

"Hall Master Sai, what kind of person... did you bring here this time?"

Harrumphing angrily, Hall Master Zheng sent a message to the Hall Master Sai telepathically.

"Zhang shi... is a truly formidable person!" Hall Master Sai replied with a slightly reddened face.

He had only been in contact with this Zhang shi for a few days. From the first time they met at the First Class Pavilion, the other party had barged through the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets and nearly tore down the entire Appraiser Hall through that... he even managed to solve the issue of a possession by a soul oracle! Such a talented person shouldn't do something he was unconfident in. Why did he simply seem so unreliable at this moment?

He knew that there were three things one had to do before setting up a formation. Firstly, one had to take out a compass to measure the magnetic field and the concentration of spiritual energy in the air. Next, one had to measure the size of the formation and deduce the various problems that could occur when the formation fused in with the surroundings so as to make precautions beforehand. Finally, one would calculate the specific locations which the formation core and flags had to be placed at before proceeding on to set up the formation.

Putting aside 1-star and 2-star formation master, even his old friend, the guild leader, had to spend a significant amount of time preparing beforehand. Without an hour or two of preparation, it would be impossible for him to set up a formation successfully.

Furthermore, this was only for the most basic formations. For those that spanned over several hundred meters or even several thousand meters would take at least several years of conception and deduction before there was a possibility of success.

Yet, this fellow... without a compass, without any deduction process, and without examining the grounds, went straight for the formation flag and core...

He was taking this way too lightly!

"Formidable? You call this formidable? Hmph, I don't care whether he is a 5-star appraiser or not. Later, when he fails, take him away. Our Formation Master Guild doesn't welcome such a frivolous person!"

Guild Leader Zheng harrumphed.

"This..." Hall Master Sai was placed in an awkward position. Just as he was about to speak in Zhang shi's stead to salvage his reputation, the voice of the latter echoed.

"Done!"

"Done? What's done?"

Taken aback, the duo quickly turned their heads over.

The formation flag and core that Zhang Xuan just picked out had been tossed out, and it stabbed upright into the ground not too far away. It was arranged in a very unique position within a circular radius of six to seven-meter.

"Didn't you ask for a Spirit Gathering Formation? I've set up one for you!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Set up one? This is a Spirit Gathering Formation?"

Hall Master Sai looked at the layout before him with a dazed expression.

The positioning of the formation flag and core did resemble a Spirit Gathering Formation...

But he didn't understand too much about formations so he couldn't make a clear judgement. As such, he quickly turned his eyes to Guild Leader Zheng.

"You might have gotten the shape but the intent is lacking! You call this a formation?" Flinging his sleeves, Guild Leader Zheng's eyebrows shot up.

Seeing the other party flying into a rage, Hall Master Sai asked, "Why? Is there a mistake with what Zhang shi set up?"

"Xiaowu, come and give me your evaluation of this formation!"

Instead of replying, Guild Leader Zheng placed his hands behind his back and harrumphed.

"Yes!" The young man, Xiaowu, walked forward.

"The position of the formation core and flag are correct. However... a formation doesn't work just by following the layout in the blueprint strictly. More importantly, it has to be capable of stimulating the spiritual energy in the environment!"

Xiaowu analyzed confidently.

"Stimulating the spiritual energy in the environment?"

"That's right!" Flicking his wrist, Xiaowu took out a compass. With that object in hand, his disposition immediately changed. It was a just a moment ago that he seemed like a mere follower but at this instant, he carried the airs of a true formation master.

"Look at what he has set up. There isn't even the slightest disturbance in the spiritual energy in the air at all. In other words, the formation flags aren't placed in the most accurate positions to complement the environment. Naturally, his formation doesn't hold any power at all, and this is what we call... an ineffectual formation!"

"Ineffectual formation?"

"Un. Since it's a Spirit Gathering Formation, it should gather the spiritual energy in the air as soon as it is laid out. The spiritual energy in the air should be drawn in as though a typhoon in the water and gather in this region. But this... the spiritual energy is showing no signs of gathering at all. In other words, he has only emulated the shape of the formation in the blueprint instead of setting up a formation!" Xiaowu said.

Positioning the formation correctly didn't equate to setting up a formation. Even though it sounded extremely profound and complex, this was actually basic knowledge that all formation masters, even if one was an apprentice, would know.

It was just like how an apothecary wouldn't necessarily form a pill even if they were to follow the sequence recorded in a pill formula perfectly.

A formation blueprint was just a fixed arrangement. For a formation to work, one had to align it with the environment.

"Well-said! Alright, Zhang shi, in consideration that you're Hall Master Sai's friend, I will overlook this farce; you should leave!" Hearing his student's analysis, Guild Leader Zheng could tell that he had improved significantly during this period of time and he nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Farce? How is this a farce?"

Zhang Xuan didn't expect the formation that he had set up with such great effort would be considered as a farce.

"Your formation failed to draw in spiritual energy from the surroundings. Shouldn't this be sufficient to show that your formation is nothing but a farce?" Seeing that the other party refuse to accept his own failure, Guild Leader Zheng was displeased.

"Oh... You mean this. I was afraid that you can't see it properly so I stopped the formation for the time being!"

Zhang Xuan thought that the other party was referring to something else so he shook his head. Then, he stomped his foot on the ground.

Weng!

A ripple slowly spread out from his feet, striking the formation not too far away. Then, with a slight buzz, the entire formation was immediately shrouded with spiritual energy.

Huhuhu!

The surrounding spiritual energy gathered toward the center of the formation as though pulled in by a hurricane, leaving a sharp pain as it brushed by the faces of the group.

"Th-this..."

It was just a moment ago that Xiaowu was gleefully pointing out the other party's errors. Upon seeing this sight, he was shocked to the point that his lower jaw was about to fall to the ground.

"This is... [Perfect Harmony, Absence of Ripples]. Even though it doesn't disturb the environment, it causes a huge uproar when activated... a perfect formation? H-how is this possible?"

Guild Leader Zheng shrieked hoarsely.

He stared at Zhang Xuan in shock, as though he was looking at a monster.

Report chapter Comments