07 Aug 2016
Using the Heaven Seizing Pill was the best retort. Especially since Yang Chen’s reputation of reading books was very well known, but this also saved him from having to explain too much.
“You really know how to deal with the blood phantom vine?”
After experiencing the problem regarding Sun QingXue’s cultivation method, Zhou Sulan was extremely cautious and asked again to confirm.
“I had come this time mainly to read the library collection, I had no previous knowledge of little Xue’s matter.”
Although he did not give a direct answer, Yang Chen made Zhou Sulan understand that he was completely earnest.
Zhou Sulan had some confidence in her heart that, since it was just the library, there wouldn’t be much of a problem. Sun QingXue’s matter was indeed unexpected and Yang Chen had never before come to the Clear Sky Sect. It was his first time, so it was completely possible that he did not know Sun QingXue’s circumstances.
Although, Zhou Sulan was relieved, she also intended to report Yang Chen’s matter to the higher ups. She had made up her mind, but it still depended on the higher ups. She was only a JieDan stage expert and still didn’t have the influence to make decisions for a peak YuanYing stage expert.
Very soon, Yang Chen was led to the main visitor’s courtyard of the Clear Sky Sect, in the front of the Clear Sky Sect’s sect master and a few YuanYing stage experts. After completing the proper salutations, Yang Chen put forth his plan of dealing with the blood phantom vine in exchange for a large number of miscellaneous books, which did not have any relation with the Clear Sky Sect’s cultivation.
Since this matter concerned the life and death of a YuanYing stage elder, even the sect master of the Clear Sky Sect did not dare to be careless. Even if Yang Chen’s words were a deluge of heavenly flowers, they still had to be checked seriously, and so she asked him clearly:
“This technique is something only this junior can perform.”
But Yang Chen would remain silent to death. What a joke, if he told them the method first, then what would be his use?
“Then how can you prove that you can handle the blood phantom vine?”
The mood of the sect master of the Clear Sky Sect was not good. A trifling Foundation stage youngster surprisingly dared to be impudent in front of her. If it were not for Yang Chen’s skill, she would have already made people teach a good lesson to this arrogant youngster. Naturally, she would make other people do this. This youngster did not have the qualifications to make her do it herself.
“Junior can experiment on the blood phantom vine surrounding Senior Hua’s body for senior to look, without getting in contact with Elder Hua.”
Yang Chen knew that, if he could not show them something, these people would not believe him. Using this method would not deepen Hua Wanting’s injury but it would prove his skill.
As expected, after Yang Chen proposed this method, the sect master of the Clear Sky Sect also began to exchange glances with the few elders in order to communicate. The elders were also present on the scene and had heard Yang Chen’s method, which appeared to be a dependable and feasible method, so all of them silently nodded towards the sect master.
“You only want large number of books from the library in return?”
The Sect Master was attentively watching Yang Chen’s eyes, as if wanting to find something from Yang Chen’s reply.
“Sect master must not underestimate these scrolls.”
Yang Chen replied with a smile:
“Perhaps in the eyes of seniors, these books are of no use, but for this junior they are the best method to expand my horizons. Last time, when refining the Heaven Seizing Pill, I had obtained the required inspiration precisely from the hoard of miscellaneous books of my master. This time, when referring to dealing with the blood phantom vine, occasionally I will have to refer to these.”
“What else do you want?”
Although Yang Chen had already stated his request indirectly, the sect master was still not convinced. How could the life of a peak YuanYing stage expert, extremely close to Da Cheng stage, be this cheap?
“If senior really thinks this is too little, then can you grant this junior the qualifications to participate in the Clear Sky Sect’s auction?”
Against what they had expected, Yang Chen was not even a little formal. Since they thought he was asking for too little, Yang Chen did not mind getting more. But the things he wanted had no relation with substituting Sun QingXue’s master.
Sun QingXue was really a girl with a rich background. From the beginning she had accompanied Yang Chen there, she had not even batted an eyelid, as if only treating Yang Chen as an acquaintance. She hadn’t even opened her mouth.
“Since you can find the method from the books, then someone among the thousands of disciple of my Clear Sky Sect can surely also find a method!”
This time, the sect master hadn’t said anything. Instead it was an elder sitting behind her, with her tone completely blunt.
“Oh, then forgive this junior for being rash, I will take my leave now!”
Yang Chen apologized, beaming with smiles. Saying his goodbyes, he turned around to depart, not dragging his feet in the least.
If they could have found a method, they would already have found it long ago, why drag it out until now? Yang Chen departing like this made the elder of the Clear Sky Sect remain dumbly rooted to the same place. Who could have thought that he would depart as soon as he said his goodbyes, without even explaining anything, how could he do this?
Originally the elders and the sect master had planned that one person would play the hero and one would play the villain and first grasp the method that Yang Chen knew. Although it was without success, the sect master did not care, but the elder felt somewhat wronged and wanted to haggle a little more over the price. She had only thought of suppressing Yang Chen’s arrogant attitude a little to make him know that he was not the only one who could haggle, but who would have imagined that, against all expectations, Yang Chen would not fall for his trick.
Yang Chen leaving so swiftly was against the expectations of the upper echelons of the Clear Sky Sect. Although they were desperate to know, they also had to maintain their demeanour. They also could not be too overbearing towards a junior who had come as a guest, most of all a junior who was someone whom Elder Wu regarded as important. And Elder Wu still hadn’t ascended.
The sect master hastily sent a meaningful glance towards Zhou Sulan. At this moment, only Zhou Sulan and Sun QingXue were suitable to call back Yang Chen. If other people present on the scene did this, what would remain of their face?
“Wait a minute, Fellow Daoist Yang!”
By the time Yang Chen had already departed to the door, Zhou Sulan hastily urged him, simultaneously also hinting towards Sun QingXue to step forward to stop Yang Chen.
“Elder Brother Yang, Elder did not truly think like that, you must not misunderstand.”
Sun QingXue also cleverly showed off in front of the Sect Master and the other elders, while at the same time also acting like a spoiled child, making Yang Chen loosen his guard:
“She was only worried about Elder Hua, that’s all.”
“Yang Chen, with regards to the Pure Yang Palace and the Clear Sky Sect, both are on friendly terms, if anyone wants to say anything, they can say without any restrictions, it should never go as far as departing because of one wrong sentence from one side!”
The Clear Sky Sect’s sect master had never thought before that, one day, she would talk to a Foundation stage junior with such amiable and friendly tone and moreover it was just her first time confronting Yang Chen.
The elder who had opened her mouth just a moment ago had already retreated behind the sect master’s body, not daring to say anything anymore. Her head had been dropping a little, but while nobody was paying attention to her, a trace of discontentment flashed through her eyes.
“Since you have already found the method, we will not need to spend the strength.”
On the sect master’s face was a sincere smile:
“Moreover, in accordance to what you have said, if you are able to deal with the matter of the blood phantom vine, you will get ten thousand books and the qualifications to the auction.”
“Senior, forgive this junior for being impudent.”
On Yang Chen’s face was a smile which seemed even more joyful compared to the sect master:
“Those were previous conditions, now it is twenty thousand books and the qualifications to the auction.”
Yang Chen, with a smile all across his face was just like a cunning profiteer at that moment. The kind of profiteer who didn’t mind making a counter offer when haggling, the kind of profiteer that any honest person would want to throw to the ground and kick to death.
The problem was, that the thing that they needed was in the hands of this profiteer and the starting price of that profiteer was moreover not that high, but when the Clear Sky Sect wanted to raise the price they had to pay even more.
Since they wanted to haggle with Yang Chen, this meant they had to accept Yang Chen’s conditions. For the Clear Sky Sect, the life of a peak YuanYing stage expert who was going to break through to the Da Cheng stage was worth far more than twenty thousand books. This was one of the reasons Yang Chen had dared to increase the price.
Regardless of whether Hua Wanting was tormented by the blood phantom vine and his cultivation entered Da Cheng stage, just Hua Wanting’s cultivation experience was equal to ten times the price asked for by Yang Chen. If the sect master of the Clear Sky Sect let this matter slip, let alone speaking of her face on the outside, just the voices of blame and reproach in the Clear Sky Sect would be too much for her to withstand.
“Twenty thousand books, I will immediately have someone prepare them!”
The sect master of the Clear Sky Sect who met losses and gains with equanimity, knew that their previous conduct definitely was not in accordance with a big sect’s style, so to prevent Yang Chen from increasing the prices again, she directly agreed to Yang Chen’s request:
“At what time, can we see the results of the tests you said you will conduct?”
“You can see it at any time!”
Yang Chen spoke directly, but within his heart, he was full of praise with regards to Sun QingXue’s behaviour just a moment ago. With just a sentence, she had been tactful enough to allow everyone, most of all that elder, to get out of an embarrassing situation and was moreover still able to show her concern for Hua Wanting. These few favours would surely benefit her in the future.
“And what if you are not able to resolve the blood phantom vine?”
The elder who had spoken just a moment ago, suddenly lifted her head, her two eyes intently watching Yang Chen. Together with the formidable pressure of the YuanYing stage bearing down on him. She wanted to see whether Yang Chen would lose his self control and be alarmed, otherwise she would not have said said anything again.
The sect master was a little late in stopping her, the elder’s pressure had already come out, so she had no alternative other than releasing her own pressure to cut it off at midway. But unfortunately, she was a little late. The elder’s pressure had already reached Yang Chen’s body.
Just when the sect master and the other elders started lamenting in their hearts, believing that Yang Chen would be witlessly scared and lose his mind, they suddenly discovered that Yang Chen was just the same as normal. He basically did not care about the elder’s pressure and replied with a smile:
“If this junior cannot resolve the blood phantom vine, then be assured the blood phantom vine will be directly sucked in my body and I will die, what else can I say. All seniors, is this agreeable to you?”
Being ignored like this was like a tight slap on the face of the elder sitting behind the sect master, her whole face was flushed red. If it were not for the sect master and the other elders sitting in the room, maybe she would have already attacked him in rage. Allowing a Foundation stage youngster to ignore her like this, was seriously a little too hard for her to handle.
“This junior was formerly an executioner, so I’m innately not affected by killing intent or anything like that.”
While Yang Chen explained with a gentle laugh:
“Afterwards I had climbed to the peak of the Heavenly Stairs twice, so I am even less worried about any pressure pushing on me. Seniors should not jest with me!”
Once Yang Chen’s words came out, the elder who released the pressure was even more embarrassed, but she was unable to say anything. Her face had thoroughly turned red due to her embarrassment. She did not even intend to continue waiting for the results and directly left the room disappearing completely.
Once she walked out, apparently everyone’s mood relaxed. Yang Chen had already said clearly that if he was not able to resolve the blood phantom vine, it implied that the blood phantom vine would kill Yang Chen. Everyone clearly knew about this point, who in the room did not know the ferociousness of the blood phantom vine? Even a peak YuanYing stage ancestor had been tormented by it, then what about Yang Chen, who was just a minor Foundation stage youngster?
Sun QingXue knew for the first time that the blood phantom vine could be terrible like this. If Yang Chen was not able to resolve it, he would have to pay with his life.
She wanted to stop Yang Chen, that he should not do this by any means, but in front of the sect master and the other elders as well as her master, how could she have any chance to speak? She could only continue to worry within her heart and at the same time feel warm towards Yang Chen.
That one person was willing to risk his life by himself to assist her in changing her status in the sect. This kind of feeling was something she had never before come across in this sect. Even if her master loved her dearly, it was not to the extent of risking her life for Sun QingXue. How could Sun QingXue not be moved?
The sect master together with the elders did not dare to be careless with regards to the matter of Hua Wanting and immediately led Yang Chen to the gate of Hua Wanting’s courtyard. Everyone had a tacit understanding with each other and stopped at the doorstep.
After the blood phantom vine had coiled around Hua Wanting, she had rushed back to the sect with all of her strength. The blood phantom vine was extremely dangerous, even to the extent that the entire area in the vicinity of elder Hua Wanting’s courtyard had been sealed. People did not dare to go near it for a reason. Even if it were these elders or the sect master, they also did not dare to come in contact with him without the restrictions of a few spell formations.
Just outside of the innermost restriction, everyone could see the situation inside clearly. The entire courtyard was similar to a sea of blood. The red coloured vine covered up the entire area within everyone’s field of view. In the center of the courtyard, a figure was sitting upright, but it was already covered entirely by the blood phantom vine and the exact situation could not be seen.
Only one thing was sure, that it was elder Hua Wanting. Apart from any special circumstances, the blood colored vine required a large amount of spirit power and blood to survive. That the blood colored vine was thriving in this way clearly illustrated that Elder Hua was still alive and enduring the torment.
The sect leader and the elders did not feel good seeing this scene. It was also the first time for Zhou Sulan and Sun QingXue seeing such frightening circumstances. Zhou Sulan could still tolerate it, after all she had much more knowledge and experience, but Sun QingXue was forced to close her eyes.
“Elder Hua is inside.”
The sect master said, pointing towards the motionless silhouette with a gloomy tone. But she also gave Yang Chen a chance to retreat:
“Yang Chen, if you don’t have assurances, then you must not risk your life, I will not look into the words you said previously.”
After all, Yang Chen was someone Elder Wu thought very highly of and while Elder Wu had still not ascended, nobody wanted to be responsible for Yang Chen’s death.
“Senior, this junior has never withdrawn his words!”
Yang Chen smiled and afterwards, in accordance with the sect master’s instructions, he opened the first layer of restrictions and entered. After entering the final barrier, Yang Chen did not stop for one moment and directly rushed to enter that courtyard in large steps.
Once Yang Chen’s figure appeared in the courtyard, the blood phantom vine was like a hungry, carnivorous beast, which had seen fresh food. It directly rushed towards Yang Chen with an earth shattering might, wishing to cover him up.