Chapter 666: Warned
Chapter 666: Warned
Seeing the smiling Chen Xiao in the air frightened Situ Gang. He was about to rush out quickly to apologize. However, he seemed to recall something. The instant half his body came out of the water, he sank back into the lake.
Situ Gang’s current appearance was rather comical. After being knocked into the water several times today, he could not help his heart developing a shadow.
“Brother Chen, Situ Gang apologizes for my earlier rude words. I truly deserved that. However, please let me explain. I was dueling with Xiao Chen. Might I ask why you suddenly interfered?” Situ Gang said with a cupped-fist salute after suppressing the rage in his eyes.
Such a scene elicited a fervent gaze in Yu Zhiqiang’s and the other faction leaders’ eyes, an intense yearning stirring in their hearts.
This was a true inheritor. It did not matter if reason was on his side or not; if he kicked you, that was it. If you dared to cry out and say it was unfair, he would continue to kick you. Even if he severely injured you, there is nothing you could say.
Although the true inheritors were not as strong as those Martial Sage elders, they were young. All of them were no more than forty years old. Their talent was among the top. In the future, they would be the cornerstone of the Supreme Sky Sect. Their statuses were even higher than the elders’.
The true inheritors had the same powers as the punishment elders when dealing with inner sect disciples. They even had the right to decide the life and death of the outer sect disciples. The resources they enjoyed were also better than what those elders were given.
This was the goal of Yu Zhiqiang and the others, the reason they fought so hard.
Situ Gang had only been in the Supreme Sky Sect for two months. However, he already knew about the terror of the true inheritors. When he discovered that the person who kicked him was Chen Xiao, his temper immediately cooled.
Chen Xiao asked coldly, “Are the battle realms’ people all as shameless as you? Xiao Chen just finished a big battle with Gui Wu, yet you took advantage of the situation and still call this a duel?”
Situ Gang paled as he slowly flew out of the water. He glanced at Xiao Chen and said, “Very well. In that case, I will wait for you for two months. Xiao Chen, we will meet here again to finish our battle. Do you dare to or not?”
Xiao Chen replied indifferently, “Why would I not dare? If you want a fight, then it shall be as you wish. I will await you here two months from now.”
Originally, Situ Gang had planned to end this fight quickly to spread his fame thoroughly. With such an unexpected ending, he felt extremely frustrated. After snorting coldly, he slowly left.
In the distance, Yu Zhiqiang’s expression turned dour. He said, “Let’s go. We have to think of a way to deal with this brat while he has not matured yet. However, he has some unanticipated connection with Chen Xiao. We have to discuss this carefully when we return.”
The other faction leaders felt an active threat in their hearts. Their expressions all turned unsightly, far from the relaxed expressions that they had when they first showed up.
“Junior Brother Xiao Chen, are you not going to invite me over after I helped you out?” Chen Xiao turned around and smiled at Xiao Chen after he saw that everyone had left.
Xiao Chen pondered this, not knowing what to do. He had no connection with Chen Xiao at all. He did not know why Chen Xiao helped him. Even if Chen Xiao had not come, Xiao Chen was confident that he had had a sixty percent chance of defeating Situ Gang—although it would have meant the exposure of the Taiji Yinyang Flame Diagram and Return of the Azure Dragon.
Chen Xiao could tell what Xiao Chen was thinking. He smiled faintly and said, “There is no need to overthink this. Someone asked me to pass something to you. Helping you was just a matter of convenience.”
Xiao Chen felt even more suspicious. However, he could only push his suspicions aside and invite Chen Xiao into his courtyard.
Chen Xiao took a sip of the tea Xiao Chen brewed for him. Then, he took out a jade bottle and a brocade box. He said, “The brocade box has a stalk of Monarch Blood Grass. Consumption of it can bestow a trace of an ancient Monarch’s bloodline to a cultivator.
“The jade bottle contains half a drop of Dragon Marrow, which will permeate into the cultivator’s marrow and change it, giving the cultivator a tenth of a dragon bone’s defense. Even if you spend several ten million Superior Grade Spirit Stones, you will find it hard to buy these two.”
A great upheaval rocked Xiao Chen’s heart. “Could these two items be for me?”
“Ha ha! That’s right. These two treasures are for you. Even I am envious of items of such caliber.” Chen Xiao smiled faintly. He was not lying when he said this. Several ten million Superior Grade Spirit Stones were still a hefty sum to true inheritors.
Furthermore, these two natural treasures would be hard to appraise in terms of Spirit Stones. Even if one had the Spirit Stones, they might not be able to buy it. Those who found such stuff would consume it themselves.
This bit of fortune came too abruptly. Xiao Chen found it hard to believe. He asked, “Senior Brother Chen, who sent these two items?”
Shaking his head, Chen Xiao replied, “I’m not sure. My First Senior Sister was asked to pass this on to you; she, in turn, entrusted me to do this. I do not know who gave it to you, either. However, First Senior Sister said that this person has a considerable background.”
The First Senior Sister Chen Xiao mentioned was the top true inheritor of the Supreme Sky Sect, Shui Lingling. She was also one of the seven giants of the Tianwu Domain’s younger generation. She was only second to the three Holy Land disciples—and no doubt a hero among the women.
Aside from its mysterious sect leader, another significant reason why the Supreme Sky Sect enjoyed greater prestige in the eighteen southern provinces than the other two Rank 9 sects was this girl’s strength and fame.
Even after Chen Xiao left, Xiao Chen could not figure out who was generous enough to gift him such valuable items. He did not remember interacting with anyone of the Kunlun Realm.
He put away the jade bottle and brocade box in the Universe Ring and said softly, “Never mind, there is no point in thinking too much. Coincidentally, these two natural treasures are very useful to me at the moment. Originally, I was slightly worried about not being able to cultivate to the peak of the Firmament Body Tempering Art’s sixth layer. I feel more assured now.”
After paying the rent for this courtyard, Xiao Chen only had a little over a million Superior Grade Spirit Stones left. He had made some calculations. If he spent this one million Superior Grade Spirit Stones to buy Medicinal Pills to aid his body tempering, he could reach only the middle phase of the Firmament Body Tempering Art’s sixth layer in the short term.
If everything went smoothly, the best result would be reaching the late phase of the sixth layer. Reaching the peak would be a dream. After Xiao Chen’s Vital Qi could output five hundred tons of force, he would have great difficulty raising it by ten percent.
With this Monarch Blood Grass and half drop of Dragon Marrow, all these problems would be solved. As for the identity of his benefactor, Xiao Chen would think about this later.
Xiao Chen entered the cultivation room and used the Spirit Vein dedicated for his use. After quickly replenishing his exhausted Quintessence, he immediately rushed to the herb store in the inner city, the place where he bought the Quintessence Gathering Pill back then.
The store was empty and quiet, there was no business. The staff and the owner all seemed bored and dispirited.
When the owner saw Xiao Chen walk in, his eyes lit up. He remembered that this was the valued customer who had once spent two hundred thousand Superior Grade Spirit Pills to buy two Quintessence Gathering Pills.
The owner promptly perked up, a smile filling his face. “It has been a while. Little Brother’s cultivation has advanced greatly. Congratulations!”
The owner’s eyes were very sharp. With one glance, he could tell that Xiao Chen had used the Quintessence Gathering Pill. Compared to the last time he came, Xiao Chen was now much stronger.
Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said calmly, “It is not really that great an increase. Please bring out all the Medicinal Pills and natural treasures you mentioned the last time.”
The owner was astonished. The items that Xiao Chen referred to cost about seven or eight hundred thousand Superior Grade Spirit Stones. Most normal inner sect disciples would not be able to bring out such an amount. Where did Xiao Chen get so many Spirit Stones from?”
“What’s wrong? Are they sold out?” Xiao Chen frowned slightly when he saw the owner not moving.
In response, the owner came over, joy written across his face. He said loudly, “How can that be? Quick, bring out all the Medicinal Pills and natural treasures for body tempering for this young hero.”
Soon, many Medicinal Pills and natural treasures for body tempering filled the counter before Xiao Chen.
He looked through them casually and said, “You can remove all the Medicinal Pills that do not have any impact on Vital Qi capable of five hundred tons of force.”
The owner was even more astonished. This Xiao Chen looked quite young, probably only twenty-one or twenty-two. While it was not surprising for him to be an Inferior Grade Martial Monarch in the Tianwu Domain, his achieving five hundred tons of force with his Vital Qi at the same time was a frightening matter.
After some lower-quality Medicinal Pills and natural treasures were removed, Xiao Chen looked through the remainder carefully and selected a bottle of Spirit Freezing Pills first.
Tempering the physical body meant treating the body like a piece of iron. After casting it in intense flames and tempering it with a hammer for thousands of times, it could be refined into steel.
This process was incredibly painful. The further one went down this path, the more horrifying this intense pain would be. As a result, few cultivators were willing to spend time tempering their bodies.
A Medicinal Pill unique to the Kunlun Realm, the Spirit Freezing Pill could reduce the pain experienced during the tempering process. When used at the right moment, it was very effective. This Medicinal Pill was very expensive.
There were no more than three Spirit Freezing Pills in this bottle, but it fetched a price of one hundred and fifty thousand Superior Grade Spirit Stones, comparable to the Rank 8 Quintessence Gathering Pill.
Furthermore, it only served to reduce pain. Its effects were far from what the Quintessence Gathering Pill did for cultivators. The cost of tempering the body was flabbergasting.
After the Spirit Freezing Pills, Xiao Chen singled out a bottle of Dragon Jelly Ointment, which was made with Earth Dragon’s Blood and Fire Dragon Fruit and refined using a special method.
When placed in cool water, the Dragon Jelly Ointment would turn into a medicinal liquid. When the cultivator soaked in it, the Medicinal Energy within it would provide twice the results with half the effort for body tempering. There were many other similar items, but the Dragon Jelly Ointment was the best for Xiao Chen’s cultivation.
After that, Xiao Chen chose a Blood Refinement Pill. The Blood Refinement Pill had the same use as the Monarch Blood Grass. However, its effects were vastly different. Even so, that was not a problem. He could take the Blood Refinement Pill before taking the Monarch Blood Grass.
Finally, Xiao Chen picked a Yellow Spirit Flower, which had similar effects to the half drop of Dragon Marrow. However, as the latter was extracted from the bones of an ancient dragon, they were on entirely different levels.
The owner joyfully did some calculations. Then, he told Xiao Chen, “Altogether, they cost one million and six hundred thousand Superior Grade Spirit Stones. However, as you are a Supreme Sky Sect inner sect disciple, you only need to pay half, just like with the Quintessence Gathering Pills.”
Xiao Chen put away everything and then took out eight hundred thousand Superior Grade Spirit Stones. As he still had some Spirit Stones left, he was not in a rush to leave.
“Owner, do you know where I can buy Immortal Spirit Rings in the city and how much one would cost?”
The owner muttered, “The Immortal Spirit Ring…you definitely can buy it in the auction. However, it would be very expensive there. If you want to buy one, you can consider going to the western city and checking their miscellaneous goods street. That place even sells unknown treasures that people found in Remnants.
“As for the price, inner sect disciples do not enjoy any discount on items like that. An expensive one could cost several million Superior Grade Spirit Stones. The cheaper ones could go for several ten thousand Superior Grade Spirit Stones. The more expensive an Immortal Spirit Ring, the larger its capacity would be; of course, the greater the consumption as well.”