Wu Xulong's words as Pavilion Master immediately drew a wave of ridicule.
"What the hell? How could a bottom-ranked branch pavilion in Tianchen City possibly have a Tier 3 Alchemist? What a braggart."
"Hahaha, the Elixir Competition hasn't even started, and the bull is already being blown."
Hearing the soft jeers around him, Feng Qiulin burst into laughter as well.
"I say, Wu Xulong, is there something wrong with your head? You actually claim he's a Tier 3 Alchemist."
"If this brat is a Tier 3 Alchemist, then I'm an Elixir Saint."
"Looks like your Tianchen City Branch is getting more and more downtrodden. You actually had to find a brat to participate in the competition."
Yang Lingtian's expression remained calm, and he had not said a word.
Because no matter how much he said, words were powerless. Only strength could speak for him.
Yang Lingtian said coldly, "You blind dogs who look down on others, we'll meet on the competition stage and see the truth."
He then looked at Wu Xulong. "Pavilion Master, let's go. There's no need to bother with these clowns."
Wu Xulong nodded and left with Yang Lingtian, swaggering away.
The two Feng Qiulin and his companion remained behind, cursing furiously.
After arriving at the inn, Yang Lingtian finally asked, "Pavilion Master, are you enemies with that pavilion master of the Mingkai City Branch? He started needling you the moment you met."
"We have some minor grudges, I suppose. Sigh, forget it. It's been a long time, and it's all in the past." Wu Xulong sighed.
Since Wu Xulong did not want to say more, Yang Lingtian stopped asking.
Instead, he changed the subject. "Pavilion Master, I want to walk around the imperial city by myself later."
"After all, it's my first time here. Everything still feels quite fresh."
"That's fine, but remember to bring the identity token you received earlier. Otherwise, you won't be able to enter the inn when you come back."
"Understood!"
Afterward, Yang Lingtian and Pavilion Master Wu Xulong each returned to their rooms.
After resting for a while, Yang Lingtian went out.
There was still some time before the Elixir Competition, so he took the opportunity to go out and see the splendor of the imperial city.
Walking along the streets of Moon Shadow City, Yang Lingtian looked left and right.
He had come to the streets to see whether he could find treasures like the black Golden Feather Stone he had encountered last time.
Clearly, there were far too many extraordinary people in the imperial city.
They were well-traveled and knowledgeable, so there was no chance of him finding a bargain.
Yang Lingtian wandered for most of the day without finding any rare treasures worth taking action over.
At that moment, he spotted an empty space in an area where people were setting up street stalls.
An idea struck him. If others could set up stalls, then he could do so too.
There were certainly many wealthy people in the imperial city.
And he had more than a dozen Low-grade Spirit Artifacts obtained from the Nascent Soul cave dwelling. Keeping them was useless anyway.
It would be better to set up a stall and sell them for Spirit Stones.
Once he had made up his mind, he went straight to the vacant spot and began setting up his stall.
However, he did not take out all the Spirit Artifacts. Instead, he brought out only one to start.
The Low-grade Spirit Artifact radiated a sharp aura and immediately drew attention.
The stall owner beside him stared at Yang Lingtian in astonishment, then looked at the Low-grade Spirit Artifact with shining eyes.
Although he was only at Qi Refining Level 9, he could still recognize the unique aura emitted by a Low-grade Spirit Artifact.
He had been setting up stalls for many years, but this was the first time he had seen someone put a Low-grade Spirit Artifact up for sale.
"Hey, kid, Low-grade Spirit Artifacts are so precious. Why did you bring one out to sell at a street stall?" the stall owner asked.
Yang Lingtian turned his head toward the stall owner and said with a faint smile, "I have too many Spirit Artifacts, so I brought one out to exchange for some Spirit Stones."
The stall owner looked at him contemptuously. "Kid, what kind of bull are you blowing? You have too many Spirit Artifacts?"
"You didn't secretly take your family heirloom from home to sell, did you?"
This stall owner was only at the Qi Refining Stage. In his eyes, a Low-grade Spirit Artifact already counted as a Supreme Treasure.
Even in the imperial city, only Golden Core experts and some Foundation Establishment cultivators with deep backgrounds could generally possess one.
In some lineages, a single Low-grade Spirit Artifact was even the treasure that guarded the entire lineage.
"You don't believe me? Why don't you buy them all, then?" Yang Lingtian said indifferently.
"I can't afford it. But, kid, let me warn you: putting such a precious treasure on display might attract the attention of local bullies. Be careful."
"Thanks for the reminder, but don't worry. If some bully really shows up, I can handle him myself."
Yang Lingtian's display of the Low-grade Spirit Artifact attracted many people's gazes.
However, most of the people on the street were ordinary mortals or low-level cultivators.
They knew they could not afford it and could only look.
At that moment, a luxuriously dressed young man walked over with several subordinates. At a glance, they were clearly wealthy scions of some lineage.
"Hey, stall owner, how much are you selling this Low-grade Spirit Artifact for?" the young man asked Yang Lingtian.
"Three million Low-grade Spirit Stones!" Yang Lingtian answered directly.
The Chen Family forged weapons. Once they had sufficient materials, they would occasionally forge Low-grade Spirit Artifacts for sale.
Therefore, they knew the price quite well. The base price of a Low-grade Spirit Artifact was generally three million Low-grade Spirit Stones.
The young man looked at Yang Lingtian, then at the Low-grade Spirit Artifact.
He said meaningfully, "Let me first see how this Spirit Artifact feels in my hand. You don't mind, do you?"
"Go ahead!" Yang Lingtian replied expressionlessly.
The young man then picked up the Spirit Artifact and examined it carefully.
After a while, his expression suddenly changed, and he demanded, "Isn't this the Low-grade Spirit Artifact that went missing from my family last night?"
"Little brother, explain yourself. How did this Spirit Artifact end up in your hands? Could it be that you stole it?"
Yang Lingtian's expression shifted slightly when he heard this. He instantly understood that this fellow was trying to frame him.
The stall owner selling medicinal herbs beside them seemed to have suddenly realized something. "So this Low-grade Spirit Artifact isn't yours?"
"No wonder you brought it out to sell. I was wondering—who would take their own Spirit Artifact and sell it like some street junk?"
With the neighboring stall owner chiming in, everyone present felt that the accusation made sense.
Yang Lingtian sneered at the young man. "Tell me, which of your dog eyes saw me steal your family's Spirit Artifact? If you're going to speak, you need evidence."
"How dare you speak to our young master like that? Our young master is Tianxiong Lie, the son of the head of the Tianxiong Family!" the subordinate beside him shouted first.
"What Tianxiong Family? I've never heard of it. If you want to buy it, then buy it. If not, get lost." Yang Lingtian responded without the slightest courtesy.
Seeing that revealing his identity had failed to frighten the other party, Tianxiong Lie said furiously, "You're from out of town, aren't you?"
"You don't even know my Tianxiong Family? Our family is a powerful lineage with a Golden Core peak ancestor guarding it."
"I say this Spirit Artifact was stolen by you, so it was stolen by you. Now I'm taking back what belongs to my family."
A sharp glint flashed through Yang Lingtian's eyes. He reached out swiftly and snatched the Spirit Artifact back from Tianxiong Lie's hand.
His speed was simply too fast. Tianxiong Lie did not even have time to react.
While Tianxiong Lie stood there stunned, Yang Lingtian said coldly, "How laughable. If your family is so powerful, how did your Spirit Artifact get stolen?"
After coming to his senses, Tianxiong Lie said angrily, "Kid, you'd better know your place. Don't lose your life in the imperial city over a single Low-grade Spirit Artifact."
"You're trying to rob me by force?" A chill surfaced in Yang Lingtian's eyes. Then, the aura of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage erupted in an instant.
Everyone present changed expression. None of them had expected Yang Lingtian to be a Foundation Establishment expert.
At that moment, two figures suddenly charged over from the distance and blocked Tianxiong Lie.
The two cultivators who had appeared out of nowhere were at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. They were clearly guards secretly responsible for protecting Tianxiong Lie.
Tianxiong Lie and his other few subordinates were only at the Qi Refining Stage.
Although there were many Foundation Establishment cultivators in the imperial city, they were still quite rare in proportion.
Therefore, it was extremely unusual for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to set up a street stall. Tianxiong Lie had originally thought Yang Lingtian was only at the Qi Refining Stage as well.
With the two Foundation Establishment guards appearing, Tianxiong Lie gained confidence.
He ordered the two Foundation Establishment guards, "This brat dares to look down on my Tianxiong Family. Seize him for me."
Just as the two Foundation Establishment experts were about to move, a deep voice rang out.
"Stop!"
Then, a figure descended from the sky, radiating the powerful aura of a Golden Core expert.
The newcomer was none other than Wu Xulong.
When he saw that Yang Lingtian had not returned for a long time, he had grown worried that something had happened and gone out to look for him.
He had sensed the aura Yang Lingtian released earlier, so he had hurried over.
Golden Core experts were also top-tier powerhouses in the imperial city. Any lineage with a Golden Core expert stationed there could be considered a sizeable lineage.
Wu Xulong released the aura of a Golden Core expert, causing Tianxiong Lie and the others to change expression.
Not knowing what relationship this newcomer had with Yang Lingtian, Tianxiong Lie cautiously asked, "I am a member of the Tianxiong Family. May I ask what relationship this Golden Core True Person has with this little brother?"
Even when facing the Tianxiong Family, Wu Xulong felt somewhat wary.
However, as a Golden Core expert, he could not lose the imposing dignity of a Golden Core expert when facing juniors.
"You don't need to know. However, this seems to have been a misunderstanding just now. Young Master Tianxiong Lie, why don't you let it go?"
Tianxiong Lie glanced at Wu Xulong. He did not want to provoke a Golden Core expert, so he prepared to withdraw.
At that moment, another voice rang out.
"Hahaha, who would have thought that someone claiming to be a Tier 3 Alchemist would actually come to the street market to set up a stall!"
"This is truly unheard of. What a disgrace!" A figure slowly emerged from the crowd.
When Wu Xulong saw this person, his brows furrowed. It was his nemesis, Feng Qiulin.
"Feng Qiulin, this has nothing to do with you. Don't meddle," Wu Xulong said sternly.
Feng Qiulin ignored Wu Xulong and continued speaking to the crowd.
"Everyone may not know this, but this is Wu Xulong, the Pavilion Master of the Tianchen City Branch of the True Elixir Pavilion."
"And this little brother setting up a stall claims to be a Tier 3 Alchemist. He was brought here by Pavilion Master Wu to participate in the competition."
Wu Xulong's expression turned ugly. Feng Qiulin clearly wanted to make him the laughingstock here, mocking him through insinuation.
Sure enough, the moment those words left his mouth, jeers erupted from the onlookers.
"What the hell? How noble is a Tier 3 Alchemist? How could one possibly come out to set up a street stall?"
"Exactly. He claims to be a Tier 3 Alchemist? He's so young, yet he's already become a swindler."
"Pavilion Master Wu actually brought him to participate in the Elixir Competition. Isn't he ashamed?"
"I heard that the Tianchen City Branch has ranked at the bottom for several competitions in a row. This time, they probably have no hope and simply found someone at random."
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