Believe It or Not, It's Free Anyway

"In that case, I will respectfully comply."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen did not refuse, but instead sat down at the opposite side of the square table in a very generous manner.

His swift movements surprised Withered Leaf True Monarch slightly.

To remain neither humble nor arrogant, and to maintain composure in the face of an unfamiliar Nascent Soul True Lord, is itself a remarkable quality.

Many cultivators, let alone when facing outsiders, would involuntarily feel nervous even when they saw their own ancestor.

Therefore, Withered Leaf True Monarch became increasingly certain that Xiao Chen's background was not simple, which gave him such composure and confidence.

He reached for the teapot and poured a cup directly. "Young friend, you've arrived at just the right time; this tea has just been brewed."

"Try it while it's still warm; it won't taste as good when it gets cold."

Xiao Chen's gaze swept over the pale white buds floating in the cup, and a rich aroma mixed with the heat wafted towards him.

It's okay, he's not afraid of getting burned.

"Thank you for the tea, True Lord!"

With a polite greeting, Xiao Chen picked up the porcelain teacup and drank it all in one gulp. He immediately felt a stream of Pure Qi rising from his abdomen and heading straight for his sea of consciousness.

However, as it passed through the Divine Court Acupoint, the dormant Star Core within trembled slightly.

It immediately absorbed that Pure Qi, and its body swelled slightly.

Um?

Xiao Chen was somewhat taken aback. He should have gained some benefits from tasting high-grade Spirit Tea for the first time.

The Star Core actually snatched it away! What happened?

Fortunately, he soon felt that familiar sensation of Divine Sense refinement again.

Under normal circumstances, the range of Spiritual Sense Probe for an ordinary Late-stage Golden Core cultivator is about ninety miles.

However, thanks to the Starlight Baptism on Heaven Star Island, two months ago, which was half a year after Xiao Chen obtained the Star Core.

His Divine Sense Range has increased from the original sixty miles to eighty miles.

After breaking through to the Late-stage Golden Core last month, his total Divine Sense Range increased to a full hundred miles.

Although it seems that the increase from the original twenty miles has been reduced to only ten miles.

However, it's important to know that the larger the Divine Sense Range, the more difficult it becomes to increase.

After tempering its Divine Sense, the power within the Star Core had been exhausted, and it fell into a state of dormancy two months ago.

Unexpectedly, after absorbing that Pure Qi, I seemed to have been replenished.

They began to temper Xiao Chen's Divine Sense anew, slowly increasing its Spiritual Sense Strength once again.

I never expected that the Star Core could actually be charged and used.

But upon closer reflection, it makes sense. After all, back then, only the elites selected through multiple rounds of trials were qualified to receive the Starlight Baptism.

It's just that the Heaven Star Sect didn't mention such an important matter in the Inheritance Jade Slip.

Xiao Chen was right this time; it really was an oversight.

The main reason is that, for disciples of the Heaven Star Sect, since joining the Inner Sect, they have heard about the wonderful uses of Star Core from others many times, so there is no need to say more.

Even the opposing forces of the Heaven Star Sect back then were fully aware of these things.

It's likely that the person who left the Inheritance Jade Slip on the spot never imagined that such common knowledge would become High Antiquity secret millions of years later.

Fortunately, Xiao Chen was lucky; he stumbled upon this by accident.

In that case, he should consider collecting spiritual items to further aid in the recharging of the Star Core.

Of course, this is still more important than Nascent Soul Formation.

It's fair to say that I only paid attention to it while collecting items for the Nascent Soul Formation stage.

"Young friend, do you like this tea?"

"Withered Leaf True Monarch asked in a gentle voice, while carefully observing Xiao Chen's reaction," he said.

If Golden Core cultivator drinks Fourth-Order Spirit Tea for the first time, they will receive certain benefits.

Specifically regarding the Cloud Cliff Azure Leaf, since its function is to Spirit Transformation sense, Golden Core cultivator generally need some time to adapt to the increase in Divine Sense after drinking it.

It would take an ordinary cultivator at least fifteen minutes to recover.

Only cultivators with inherently high Spiritual Sense Strength, or those with exceptionally high aptitude, will experience a shortened recovery speed.

Therefore, this can also serve as a way to test the waters.

And because such a test is also a benefit, it will not provoke any resentment from the other party.

"The tea has a rich aroma and a sweet, refreshing taste; it is indeed a top-quality Spirit Tea!"

Xiao Chen first praised the overall effect, then added specifically, "Especially after entering the mouth, the Pure Qi nourishes the Divine Sense, from which this junior has benefited immensely."

Pointing out specific advantages makes the praise sound reasonable, well-founded, and convincing.

Upon hearing Withered Leaf True Monarch's pupils contracted slightly, and he couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised.

Especially when she noticed that Xiao Chen's expression was clear and his words and actions were natural, and he didn't seem to be affected by the effects of the Spirit Tea at all, she was even more surprised.

But how could it have absolutely no effect?

With a quick thought, Withered Leaf True Monarch came up with two possibilities.

The first possibility is that Xiao Chen had already drunk the Cloud Cliff Azure Leaf before today.

And it wasn't just once.

Therefore, the effect of tea on him had diminished to the point of being negligible, which is why he was not affected.

The problem is, his decision to treat us today was a sudden whim.

The other party certainly didn't know that they had prepared Cloud Cliff Azure Leaf, so they couldn't have taken precautions in advance.

This can only mean that the forces behind Xiao Chen are far from simple.

They regularly supplied him with countless kinds of Fourth-Order Spirit Tea, including Cloud Cliff Azure Leaf.

Although such a practice is extremely extravagant, even a powerful organization like the Jade Leaf Commerce Association would find it difficult to afford.

Even the thought of it made Withered Leaf True Monarch Canye click his tongue in amazement.

But think back to the auction just now, Xiao Chen spent money like water, treating Spirit Stone as if they were nothing.

It seems that this possibility cannot be ruled out.

Previously, Withered Leaf True Monarch had also heard that because of their small population, the Hidden Dao Heritage adopted a high-investment elite route when cultivating successors.

The second possibility is that Xiao Chen is actually a Genius Cultivator with extremely high Spiritual Sense Strength.

That's why I withstood the buff from Cloud Cliff Azure Leaf and quickly regained my clarity.

However, according to Withered Leaf True Monarch's observation, Xiao Chen seemed to have returned to normal in less than a breath.

If that's the case, it only means that his Spiritual Sense Strength has reached an astonishing level.

Not only do they far surpass cultivators of the same level, but they can even be compared to Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivators who have just broken through to the next realm.

Hiss~, the thought of this possibility shocked Withered Leaf True Monarch even more.

This is absolutely terrifying!

Good heavens, this probing seems to have uncovered something incredible.

Well, let's not jump to conclusions yet.

Withered Leaf True Monarch considered it. Although the probability was low, what if it was just some kind of misunderstanding?

He decided to temporarily change his conversation plan and add another test step.

His eyes lit up, and he came up with a good idea.

.

"Young friend, you may not know this, but I don't have any other hobbies except collecting High Antiquity artifacts."

Withered Leaf True Monarch reached under the table and pulled out a box.

Upon closer inspection, Xiao Chen realized it was the Violet Star Radiance Box he had previously auctioned off.

Well, your chamber of commerce really did arrange for shills!

He clearly remembered that at the auction, the Violet Star Radiance Box was bought by a rogue cultivator.

But their reappearance here now suggests they're definitely in cahoots.

"Well, I had already thoroughly examined it before you arrived, young friend."

Unaware that Withered Leaf True Monarch Xiao Chen was already considering something, Lord Canye said to himself, "Based on my inspection, this box seems to be a complete set?"

"Sigh, I was just eager to find an answer."

"If you know the answer, please help me understand."

Of course, although he asked about the box, his real focus was on its origin.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen immediately understood.

It turned out that he was the discerning person Kuang Ruihong had mentioned, and that he had called him up because of this box.

Huh!

You're all in cahoots. That old man told me the box was only worth Fifty Thousand Spirit Stones; there's no exaggeration in that, is there?

He glanced suspiciously at the Withered Leaf True Monarch, out of the corner of his eye.

However, Withered Leaf True Monarch was also secretly watching Xiao Chen, and thus immediately caught that look in his eyes.

He was testing the waters, and when he noticed the suspicion in Xiao Chen's eyes, he immediately became serious, thinking that his thoughts had been seen through.

Wow, are young people these days all this amazing?

He disguised himself so well, yet the other party still saw through him on the spot?

"This box is indeed a set of twelve, corresponding to the twelve signs of the zodiac."

Xiao Chen carefully considered his words before replying, "However, I don't usually pay much attention to this kind of thing, so I don't know much more about it."

He really didn't know much about these things, and didn't know how to say more.

However, these words carried a lot of hidden meaning in the ears of the Withered Leaf True Monarch.

From his perspective, Xiao Chen first pointed out the number of boxes and their symbolism, indicating that he actually understood these things.

Then he deliberately said that he didn't care about these trivial matters, implying that there were many such things at home and that he didn't need to care about their origins.

Finally saying "I don't know" is actually a small form of rebuttal.

The key point lies in the word 'Ji' in front of it.

It means I've already figured it out; you're testing me.

I originally knew more about the situation, but because you were testing me, I 'don't' know anymore.

In addition, Withered Leaf True Monarch also noticed Xiao Chen's humble yet arrogant attitude throughout.

This shows that he is very confident, and it also reflects that he is indeed of extraordinary background and not afraid of himself at all.

Actually, this is all Su Li's fault.

Xiao Chen initially held Nascent Soul True Lord in high esteem, but after spending several months with Su Li, he had completely lost his awe.

After all, Su Li usually doesn't act like a True Lord at all.

So, without realizing it, he lost the same awe he had shown to the other Nascent Soul True Lord.

Furthermore, Xiao Chen also had the Night's Edge as Life-Saving Trump Card, so he naturally spoke with confidence.

The worst outcome would be nothing more than running away.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and Xiao Chen has already accumulated a lot of experience in running away since arriving in the Eastern Domain.

"It really is a complete set. Looks like my taste is pretty good, haha."

Withered Leaf True Monarch chuckled twice, then changed the subject. "Since you've told me this news, young friend, I'll also give you some news in return."

Actually, he has two choices now.

The purpose was to give Xiao Chen a Show of Force, to make him realize his true identity Nascent Soul True Lord, and then to call out the people behind him to negotiate.

Or, as initially agreed, the two could refrain from discussing their identities.

By offering Xiao Chen a favor, you can build a better relationship with him in the future.

After careful consideration, Withered Leaf True Monarch decided to try to ease the tension.

After all, based on his speculation, Xiao Chen's lineage should be Lineage inheritance, rather than a sect-style lineage.

Therefore, it is impolite to criticize someone's direct descendants, and it can easily leave a bad impression on both parties.

Then Withered Leaf True Monarch smiled and said, "Recently, someone discovered the Yin Spirit Calamity at sea."

"Upon investigation, it turns out that this was a sign that a New Ruin was about to open on the outskirts of the Demon Subduing Sea in the southeast."

"The time will be approximately five months from now, which won't conflict with the Cangran Secret Realm two months from now."

"If you're interested, young friend, you can go and join in the fun."

oh?

Xiao Chen was somewhat surprised. He had just come to have some tea and ended up getting free intelligence?

Something's wrong. Something's very wrong.

Why would Withered Leaf True Monarch be so kind to me for no apparent reason?

First, he poured Spirit Tea, then he delivered intelligence, and his tone even seemed to carry an encouraging tone.

He was a little confused, but still bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, True Lord."

With Withered Leaf True Monarch poured another cup of Spirit Tea, saying, "Young friend, there's no need to be so polite. Have another sip to soothe your throat."

"I had a very pleasant conversation with you today, young friend. If you have any other collectibles in the future, feel free to bring them over for me to see."

He actually wanted to get more information out of her, but since he had already been exposed halfway through, it wasn't appropriate to continue today.

Otherwise, it would seem too deliberate and could easily arouse suspicion.

Especially when dealing with intelligent people, one should not be too hasty.

Xiao Chen understood the implication in his words that he was being asked to leave, so he politely bowed and said goodbye, "I am very pleased to have been entertained by the True Lord today."

"If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely come to visit you again, True Lord."

He then got up to say goodbye, making sure to close the door to the cubicle behind him.

After leaving Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Xiao Chen went straight back to the inn.

However, after walking only a few steps, he saw a group of cultivators gathered together ahead.

He went over to take a look and found that it was a brand new notice, and it came from Esteem Truth Temple.

The content was very simple: it was news that Purple Sun True Monarch had advanced to the Nascent Soul and was preparing to hold Nascent Soul Ceremony in the Southern Marsh Sea.

Interestingly, this notice references the promotional methods used in previous auctions.

The first half introduces the time and place, while the second half features a simple map.

Judging from the map, the Nascent Soul Ceremony was not held at the gate of Esteem Truth Temple.

Instead, they chose Red Flower Island, located on the border of the Listening Wave Sea and Southern Marsh Sea, which is only about 100,000 li away from Listening Wave Island.

The timing was also very close, just three days later.

Xiao Chen had learned about this Nascent Soul Ceremony in advance from the confiscated invitation, and at the time he was curious as to why the time was set so tight.

Seeing this now, I immediately understood that this was intentional.

This large-scale auction had been in preparation for three years and attracted countless cultivators from the surrounding area.

In particular, many independent cultivators from various places traveled long distances to come here.

By scheduling the Nascent Soul Nascent Soul Ceremony at this time, Esteem Truth Temple can easily attract these cultivators and indirectly increase its popularity.

.

Of course, if attending a grand ceremony requires giving gifts, no one would be in a rush to go.

Therefore, the notice specifically stated that guests did not need to bring gifts.

Moreover, not only do you not need to bring gifts, but you also get a free banquet.

Furthermore, a True Monarch Preaching will be added at the end of the ceremony.

At that time, the newly promoted Purple Sun True Monarch will personally share his cultivation process, as well as his insights on forming the Golden Core and the Nascent Soul Formation.

All independent cultivators are welcome to attend and listen in, and other True Lord are also welcome to join us for a Dao Discussion.

The reason so many independent cultivators are gathered here is because everyone is captivated by the final True Monarch Preaching.

Which rogue cultivator wouldn't want to hear Nascent Soul True Lord preach?

Even among sect disciples, not everyone can frequently see their own Grand Elder, let alone share cultivation insights.

Normally, I wouldn't even dream of such a wonderful thing.

Despite Xiao Chen's hearing this, many people remained skeptical.

"If you ask me, Esteem Truth Temple is just a name; it won't actually share anything useful."

"That goes without saying, there's no such thing as a free lunch."

"All crows are black; they'll definitely keep any good stuff hidden away and won't tell people like us."

"That makes sense. We'd probably just be wasting our time going there."

But despite their talk, everyone seemed rooted to the spot, staring at the notice, unwilling to leave.

Many people were still muttering to themselves.

"Since Esteem Truth Temple has said this, they shouldn't ruin their own reputation, right?"

"I agree. So many like-minded people have already seen it. Does Esteem Truth Temple really think it can fool the world?"

"That's Nascent Soul True Lord. Even the most trivial things he says are incredibly helpful to us."

"If what they say is true, then it will be too late to regret it if we miss out."

These words seemed to have a magical power, drilling straight into everyone's ears.

Even Xiao Chen was somewhat tempted. If Purple Sun True Monarch was really willing to share some Nascent Soul Formation formation, he would like to go to the scene and listen to it for himself.

Regardless of what they say or whether they hold back, it might come in handy.

Besides, they don't need to give gifts.

What's that saying again? -- Since it's free, you might as well believe it a little.

I took a close look at the map and noted down the approximate location of Red Flower Island.

Xiao Chen turned and walked out of the crowd, returning to the inn's courtyard.

Once inside the shielding formation, he began to consider the intentions of Withered Leaf True Monarch and his own next course of action.

First of all, as that rogue cultivator said, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Therefore, there must be an underlying reason why Withered Leaf True Monarch is trying to win me over.

Could it be that he misunderstood because he stood out too much at the auction?

Considering the recent emergence of Hidden Dao Heritage, Xiao Chen could easily guess that the other party might mistakenly believe that he also came from a certain force.

Therefore, he had already started thinking about how to deal with the situation before he even went upstairs.

The original plan was to imitate the successor of the Flame Manipulation School and say something like, "My master forbade me to reveal his name to outsiders."

The problem is that Withered Leaf True Person didn't inquire about his own background, which is very strange.

Wow, that seems like a high-level maneuver; I don't quite understand it.

Xiao Chen scratched his head, deciding to ignore all the fancy stuff and focus his main energy on Nascent Soul Formation.

Regardless of any underlying issues, as long as you Nascent Soul Formation, none of these problems will matter.

In the Cultivation World, power is the foundation of everything; it can solve 99% of the world's problems and troubles.

"But the ceremony is in three days, so why don't we go to Red Flower Island first?"

Xiao Chen originally planned to purchase Coarse-grained Twisted Leaf nearby, but taking a detour might waste his time.

Even though at his speed, he could travel 100,000 miles in a day.

Three days is more than enough time to buy something nearby.

However, if we consider the possibility of Fortune-Bringing Boy" appearing along the way, then we can understand the situation.

This puts a lot of pressure on us.

"Anyway, it's nothing valuable, so it should be the same going to the Southern Marsh Sea."

To be on the safe side, Xiao Chen finally decided to go to Red Flower Island first.

The plan then changed to first attend the Nascent Soul Ceremony, then find a market to buy Coarse-grained Twisted Leaf, and incidentally inquire about Alchemist.

Then the Cangran Secret Realm will open in two months, so go find the Dao Comprehension Crystal.

The other one is the New Ruin five months later, which is also simple; just follow the chronological order.

Having clarified his next goals, Xiao Chen deliberately took a walk in the square in the center of the island.

He pretended to have purchased a magical item to make sure his whereabouts could be seen by someone with ulterior motives.

Then he flew away on his sword, heading towards Red Flower Island.

There are also some rules to follow when using a sword. First of all, you can't go too fast, otherwise other Golden Core cultivator simply won't be able to keep up with your speed.

Secondly, it can't be too slow, otherwise it will look too fake.

Three hours later.

"Huh, why isn't anyone chasing after us?"

Xiao Chen looked around but couldn't see anyone. "Could it be that the atmosphere in the Cultivation World has suddenly improved?"

Previously, Spirit Communication Pavilion's intelligence also indicated that there were many Bandit Cultivator Listening Wave Sea.

I never expected that despite my previous display of wealth, no one would bother me.

In fact, at the beginning of the auction for the Four Seasons Frost Fruit, quite a few cultivators did plan to 'rob the rich to help the poor' after the auction.

However, after the exorbitant price of four million was finally demanded, no one dared to even consider it.

Carrying so many Spirit Stone on one's person indicates either that one has a protector secretly Dao Protector, or that one has some hidden trump card to rely on.

In either case, their coming would be tantamount to suicide.

After slowing down again and leisurely strolling for two hours, Xiao Chen, somewhat regretfully, accelerated towards Red Flower Island after confirming that no one was following.

Then, on Red Flower Island, I ran into someone I knew.

Well, a semi-acquaintance in two senses.

Lao Qi, who had previously managed to obtain a whole bottle of Crimson Moon Dew in the Guiyun Secret Realm, now had no trace of his lower body, including his internal organs.

Only his upper body was washed ashore by the waves onto the beach at the edge of Red Flower Island.

With Xiao Chen holding two million Spirit Stone, no one dared to harbor any ill intentions; even those who deliberately Bandit Cultivator couldn't find him.

But for Lao Qi, the immense wealth he had once enjoyed turned into a death sentence, proving the adage that fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune.

Now, dying far from home, there's not even anyone to collect my body.

Comparing the two, Xiao Chen couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

As it turns out, the prevailing attitudes within the Cultivation World have never changed.

The reason for the different results is simply because the two people had different Cultivation Realm.

That's all.