Myriad Dragon Divine Sovereign

Atop Cliff Mountain.

Yann Chuxue gazed at the desolate mountain not far away, her sharp eyes as coolly detached as ever. ”Wen Qingye’s progress is truly astonishing,” she said. ”He actually managed to defeat Wang Chong, and Wang Chong’s cultivation is at the Ninth Heaven of Refining Essence.”

”What? Sis, is what you’re saying true?”

Yann Xiangyang snapped his head up and looked at Yann Chuxue in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Yann Chuxue nodded, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. ”This Wen Qingye is advancing far too quickly. I imagine it won’t be long before he reaches the Refining Spirit realm.”

Hearing Yann Chuxue’s words, Yann Xiangyang lowered his head and fell into deep thought for some unknown reason.

After a moment, Yann Xiangyang suddenly looked at Yann Chuxue, a teasing glint in his eyes. ”By the way, Sis, I heard Grandma has arranged a marriage for you.”

”Mm,” Yann Chuxue nodded, the coldness in her eyes not diminishing in the slightest.

Yann Xiangyang asked curiously, ”So, Sis, what do you think about it?”

”I don’t.”

.......

”Brother Wen, you really have me to thank. If I hadn’t gone to get Dean Nie, things would have turned out much worse for you.”

Wen Qingye returned to his pavilion to find a man standing beside it. The man was strikingly handsome, with bright, spirited eyes and a tall, straight posture. His purple robes danced in the wind.

”Who are you?” Wen Qingye asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Wen Qingye sensed a dangerous aura from the man. ’This person’s strength seems to surpass even Yangg Zong’s,’ he thought. ’And Yangg Zong’s cultivation is already at the Refining Spirit First Layer Heaven. This man is definitely stronger than that.’

The man said with a wide smile, ”My name is Shen Yanxing.”

Wen Qingye looked at the man before him. ’So this is Shen Yanxing, one of the four great geniuses of the Inner Courtyard, and also one of its most controversial figures.’

Shen Yanxing looked at Wen Qingye and chuckled. ”I heard Brother Wen has been asking about Innate Grass?”

Wen Qingye nodded, his eyes fixed on Shen Yanxing. ”That’s right. You know something?”

”I do know a little something about the Innate Grass, but...” Shen Yanxing glanced at Wen Qingye, his tone trailing off.

”Speak!”

A sharp glint flashed in Shen Yanxing’s eyes. ”In two months, the Flame Spirit Gold Water will have its annual eruption. I’d like Brother Wen to help me obtain it.”

”The day the Flame Spirit Gold Water erupts?” Wen Qingye’s eyes showed a hint of confusion.

”That’s right. Qig Mountain Academy is situated deep within the Hundred Break Mountains, controlling a vast territory, so naturally, it has some unique treasures. The Flame Spirit Waterfall is one of them. Every year, around the seventh day of the seventh month, Flame Spirit Gold Water erupts from the waterfall and continues for over a month. This Flame Spirit Gold Water is one of the world’s natural treasures and can enhance a person’s cultivation. The Flame Spirit Waterfall is also Qig Mountain Academy’s most precious Secret Land, so everyone from the Inner Courtyard will be there.”

Without hesitation, Wen Qingye nodded and said, ”Alright. When the time comes, I’ll help you get the Flame Spirit Gold Water.”

Wen Qingye knew that when a natural treasure like this appeared, it wouldn’t just be a drop or two. ’When I get it, I’ll just have to give a few drops to this Shen Yanxing,’ he thought.

”Good. In that case, I’ll tell Brother Wen what I know about the Innate Grass. It’s at the Divine Wind Commerce Association in Qiyang City and will likely be auctioned off soon. Brother Wen had best prepare early,” Shen Yanxing said with a smile.

”I understand,” Wen Qingye said, nodding with an unchanged expression.

Shen Yanxing looked at Wen Qingye and sneered internally. ’So what if I told you? That Innate Grass costs tens of thousands of Top-Grade Primordial Stones. Can you even afford it?’

”Well then, I’ll take my leave,” Shen Yanxing said, giving a fist-and-palm salute before departing.

Wen Qingye watched Shen Yanxing’s departing figure, his own eyes growing colder. ’This Shen Yanxing is quite the schemer,’ he thought. ’He just stood on the sidelines enjoying the show. It wasn’t until Yangg Zong showed up that he went to get Nie Qinglan. He was only trying to gauge my strength. It’s clear he’s a man with a complex mind, a master of calculation.’

’My current strength is only at the Refining Essence Seventh Layer Heaven, yet Shen Yanxing has already set his sights on me. He just wants to use me as a shield.’

”Flame Spirit Gold Water... I know more about it than you do!” Wen Qingye suddenly laughed.

Wen Qingye gazed into the distance. Now that he had news of the Innate Grass, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

........

Qiyang City was one of the seven largest cities in the Celestial Martial Country. It was also the biggest and liveliest city in the vicinity of the Hundred Break Mountains, and the Divine Wind Commerce Association was located right here.

Wen Qingye looked at the magnificent city walls ahead. People and carriages bustled back and forth; it was indeed much larger and more prosperous than Feiyun City. The wide streets were incredibly lively.

Wen Qingye casually found an inn and went inside.

”What can I get for you, sir?” a waiter greeted Wen Qingye enthusiastically.

Wen Qingye replied casually, ”Just bring me some of your house specialties and a jar of wine.”

”Right away, sir!”

”Hey, did you guys hear? About the alchemy duel between the daughter of the Xia Family Patriarch from Feiyun City and Master Liu Qing?”

”Of course I heard! How could I not? The loser had to cut off their own limbs! The story has spread through several surrounding provinces. I hear even the Royal Family is trying to recruit her.”

”That Xiaxia is too incredible. Eighteen years old! A Fifth-Grade Alchemist at eighteen! I’ve never seen such a monstrous alchemy prodigy!”

”Yeah, they say she has the most potential in our entire Celestial Martial Country to reach the rank of King-Grade Alchemist.”

”I wonder who this Xiaxia is. She must be some kind of reclusive master.”

”That Liu Qing is a hard man, too. He cut off his own four limbs on the spot. Impressive. A true man.”

.....

As Wen Qingye raised his wine cup, he heard the crowd’s chatter. His brow furrowed, but then a wave of relief washed over him.

Just then, the waiter walked over with an apologetic look. ”Sir, I’m very sorry, but all our tables are full. I was wondering if this gentleman could share your table?”

Wen Qingye looked up at the man standing next to the waiter. He was handsome, but his expression and entire being radiated a natural coldness.

”Be my guest,” Wen Qingye said nonchalantly, not refusing.

Upon hearing this, the man sat down immediately and said coldly, ”Bring me some of your signature dishes and a jar of Huadiao wine.”

”Yes, yes, right away,” the waiter said with a smile.

The man sat across from Wen Qingye, a cold glint in his eyes that warned strangers to keep their distance. He didn’t say a word, a long spear resting by his right hand.

’This man... so cold!’ Wen Qingye thought, raising an eyebrow. The man seemed to have an innate coldness about him, one that chilled you to the bone.

If Guu Lei was merely quiet and unsmiling, then the man before him seemed incapable of speech and unwilling to smile.

Soon, the man’s food arrived.

It was the same food, the same wine, yet the two of them didn’t exchange a single word.

After a while, Wen Qingye finished eating, stood up, and left.

Back in his room, Wen Qingye began to process the information he had gathered along the way.

This auction was merely the Divine Wind Commerce Association’s monthly event, not a particularly grand affair. However, the news about the Innate Grass had generated a lot of hype.

Besides being able to powerfully heal injuries, the Innate Grass could also strengthen one’s constitution. Its uses were neither great nor small; those who needed it, needed it desperately, while for those who didn’t, it was like a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, but a waste to throw away.

Be that as it may, quite a few people had still shown up for it.

Furthermore, the Divine Wind Commerce Association didn’t seem simple. The association had three auction houses in the Celestial Martial Country, and the one in Qiyang City was the smallest. It also seemed that the Divine Wind Auction House had some powerful backing, making it a force to be reckoned with.

Wen Qingye took a deep breath. If the price of the Innate Grass was too high, he was prepared to just take it by force.

’Because I must have the Innate Grass, no matter what.’

Wen Qingye had already investigated thoroughly. The Divine Wind Commerce Association didn’t have many experts on site at the moment. There was only one Martial Artist at the Peak of Refining Spirit Second Layer Heaven. A Refining Spirit Fourth Layer expert and a Refining Spirit Fifth Layer Heaven expert had gone to the Imperial City to escort a shipment. This should be the best opportunity.

The auction was still four days away. Wen Qingye planned to use these four days to cultivate and see if he could break through to the Refining Essence Eighth Layer Heaven. Only by reaching the Refining Essence Eighth Layer Heaven would Wen Qingye be confident that he could make a clean getaway.