The Four Great Powers of Azure Mansion

Xia Zhiqiu found it intriguing and whispered something in Zhang Xuan's ear.

"This Examination sounds pretty exciting. By the way, is this how people in the Divine Realm give themselves nicknames? Bloody-Handed Butcher?"

Zhang Xuan remained unmoved.

"There are many strong individuals around; be careful later."

As they were talking, two figures crept over furtively.

One was thin and the other short, with shifty eyes, their gazes darting around in the crowd.

"How many? How many?"

The tall, thin man lowered his voice and approached Su Ye, acting mysteriously.

"You look unfamiliar. Is this your first time participating in the Star-Level Examination? I have connections."

Su Ye and the others were taken aback.

What connections?

"A strategy guide!"

The tall, thin man's eyes lit up, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

"A detailed guide to the Hurricane Secret Realm, including terrain, Astral Wind patterns, and dangerous areas. And more..."

He looked around, and lowered his voice even further.

"Information on all the experts participating in this Examination — their Cultivation Level, background, and specialties—is all clearly recorded."

Su Ye and the others were all taken aback.

To do something well, you must first have the right tools.

That makes sense... If you can know the intricacies of the Secret Realm and who your opponents are beforehand, you'll have a better chance of winning the Examination.

Zhang Xuan was particularly tempted.

He positioned himself as the team's Strategist.

Since he is Strategist, intelligence gathering is his primary responsibility.

How much is one serving?

As he spoke, Zhang Xuan was already preparing to take out his money.

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan's words, the tall, thin man immediately showed delight.

"Hehe, not much, just one Silver Moon Coin per set. You won't lose out on this deal, it's definitely a great value."

"One Silver Moon Coin..."

Zhang Xuan frowned slightly.

It's a bit expensive.

Meanwhile, Xia Zhiqiu had already exploded. His eyes widened and his voice rose.

"One Silver Moon Coin?! That's too expensive! Are you robbing me?"

All his wealth combined isn't even enough for a single Silver Moon Coin!

That's way too dark!

The tall, thin man looked embarrassed by his outburst.

"Young man, this isn't an exaggeration. Is your life more important than money? This strategy guide was obtained at great personal risk. With it, wouldn't your Examination be less dangerous? One Silver Moon Coin is a fair price."

Xia Zhiqiu was speechless. He was about to say something more when Mu Wanrou tugged at his sleeve and shook her head, meaning that he shouldn't rush to express his opinion.

Xia Zhiqiu then reluctantly shut her mouth.

It still hurts to spend the money.

Zhang Xuan's hand had already reached for the chip.

It hurts to spend the money, but we can't skimp on necessary expenses.

Several members of the team are Lower God. Going to the Hurricane Secret Realm is a life-or-death situation. The more information they have, the better their chances of survival.

He was willing to grit his teeth and pay that money.

"I..."

He was about to speak.

"I'll do it."

Su Ye spoke first, raising her hand to press Zhang Xuan down.

"A'Su..."

"No need to argue, I'll pay for it. One intelligence report will be used by the whole team. You can reimburse me after the Examination."

Upon hearing this, the tall, thin man burst into laughter, his eyes practically disappearing from his teeth.

"Great job! This guy's got guts for big business! Come on, cash on delivery..."

Before he could finish speaking...

"Brother!"

A loud, almost deafening shout came crashing down on him.

Su Ye and the others were all taken aback and looked in the direction of the sound.

A young couple was seen walking briskly towards them.

The man was tall and strong, with a square face that exuded a simple and honest boldness, yet his eyes and brows were not coarse. He wore a short, tight-fitting outfit with neat cuffs, and walked with Tiger Tiger Wind.

The woman beside him was pretty, with bright, intelligent eyes, like a wildflower blooming on Stone Slab, exuding a kind of Spiritual Energy.

The man walked up to Su Ye in a few steps, grabbed his hand, and squeezed it tightly, his grip incredibly warm.

"Brothers, I've finally found you! I've been looking for you for ages!"

The woman stood by, smiling and agreeing.

"Yes, yes, we've finally found you."

Su Ye:...?

Xia Zhiqiu:...??

Everyone:...???

Zhang Xuan took a half step back without making a sound, and reached for the Storage Bracelet.

The man completely ignored their reactions, turned around and glared at the monkey-faced man with the pointed mouth.

"Alright, alright, these are my friends. We have the guide now, we're not buying anything anymore."

The tall, thin man's expression changed.

Who are you? What business is it of yours whether they buy it or not?

The shorter guy next to him got angry and was about to curse.

"Yeah, where did this savage come from? Trying to steal our business, huh?"

Before he could finish speaking...

The man remained calm and slightly lifted his shirt to reveal a badge on his chest.

The badge is small, but the design is very clear... a coiled azure dragon, its body winding into a circle, with its head in the center, its mouth wide open, holding a dark golden bead.

The tall, thin man and the short man turned pale the moment they saw the badge.

"Azure Dragon Association..."

"Um."

The woman smiled, revealing two dimples.

Is there anything else?

"That's all! Sorry to bother you!"

The tall, thin man grabbed the shorter man and turned to run. After running seven or eight steps, he muttered some foul language under his breath, but he kept his voice down, clearly not wanting anyone to hear.

Su Ye and the others looked at each other, still in shock.

The man then turned back, his fierce expression vanishing, replaced by a hearty laugh, and patted Su Ye on the shoulder.

"Brother, don't mind. I just saw that you were all Human Race and was worried you might get scammed since it was your first time out here, so I just helped you out."

"Don't worry, my junior sister and I just couldn't stand those two swindlers, so we helped you out. We didn't mean anything by it."

"Let's get to know each other."

He patted his chest.

My name is Shi Meng.

He then pointed to the woman beside him.

"This is my junior sister, Liu Qingqing."

Su Ye and the others then realized what was happening, and their initial wariness dissipated considerably.

Thank you.

Su Ye smiled and extended her hand to shake his.

"Su Ye."

After exchanging names, the atmosphere quickly warmed up.

Xia Zhiqiu was someone who couldn't keep a secret; once her curiosity was piqued, she immediately leaned in and pressed for more information.

"Brother Shi Meng, were those two just now scammers? Was that travel guide fake?"

Shi Meng laughed heartily.

"The strategy guide isn't entirely fake. But they specifically target newbies like you who are Examination for the first time. It's called 'information asymmetry business,' understand?"

Actually...

Shi Meng chuckled.

"Once you become Blood Bounty, you can go to the Blood Bounty Pavilion in the Virtual Divine Realm and directly apply for the Examination materials. The introductions to the Secret Realm are all public information; there's no need to waste that money."

"As for the 'information on the top participants in the Examination '..."

He curled his lip, looking disdainful.

"That's pure fabrication. Real masters register discreetly; nobody knows who's coming. There's no such thing as a special summary of master participants. It's pure nonsense."

Upon hearing this, everyone was left speechless, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Well, I almost paid my dues for a single Silver Moon Coin.

Zhang Xuan's face flushed slightly...

He considered himself Strategist, yet he almost stumbled on this matter.

Thank you both.

Zhang Xuan spoke sincerely, his tone becoming more serious.

"Thanks to you all so much today."

"Oh, don't be so polite!"

Shi Meng waved his hand dismissively, quite heartily.

"We're all Human Race when we're out in the world, it's only right to lend a hand."

After laughing for a while, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but glance at the Emblem they had just displayed and offered a reminder.

"But... those two left after you scared them away, they shouldn't come back to cause trouble, right?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingqing gave a charming laugh, a laugh tinged with a playful nonchalance.

"Them? They wouldn't dare."

Shi Meng smiled and proudly displayed the Emblem on his chest again.

"We are from the Azure Dragon Association Azure Mansion. They only ran away because they saw this badge."

Xia Zhiqiu immediately perked up.

"Four major powers? Which four?"

Liu Qingqing was stunned for a moment, somewhat incredulous.

"You... don't even know the four major powers?"

Xia Zhiqiu scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile.

"Well... we've been left to cultivate in the Secret Realm by our elders, and we just came out."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Meng and Liu Qingqing's expressions changed slightly.

He was kept in the Secret Realm by his elders to cultivate until he reached the God Level before being released to roam freely... This is not something an ordinary family could do.

The two exchanged a glance, and the same thought crossed their minds.

Could these young people be descendants of some powerful Family or sect?

To be able to cultivate all the way to the God Level in the Secret Realm before being released, what kind of strength and background must the elders behind them possess?

With this suspicion in mind, the two became even more enthusiastic towards Su Ye and his companions.

"Then I'll have to tell you all about it."

Shi Meng slapped his thigh, suddenly intrigued.

And so, in the noisy hall of the Blood Bounty Pavilion, Shi Meng and Liu Qingqing, one after the other, explained the ins and outs of the Azure Mansion to Su Ye and the others in great detail.

The four major powers of the Azure Mansion are the Azure Dragon Association, the Hundred Knife Association Society, Cloud Sea City, and Lightning Hall.

The two also discussed in detail the four major powers' operating styles, bases, taboos, and so on.

Su Ye and the others listened attentively, and gradually gained a better understanding of the various forces in the Azure Mansion.

It turned out that the waters of the Azure Mansion were much deeper than they had imagined.

The situation in the Azure Mansion was finally gradually revealed by the two of them.

"Oh, right."

Liu Qingqing's eyes darted around, and she made a suggestion with a smile.

"Let's exchange Virtual Divine Realm IDs. If we run into each other during the Star-Level Examination, let's look out for each other."

Shi Meng nodded and readily agreed.

"That's right, if we've met here by chance, we're friends. If you encounter any trouble in the Secret Realm, just go find someone from our Azure Dragon Association and mention my name, Shi Meng. They will naturally offer their protection."

Thank you!

Su Ye and the others sincerely thanked them and also felt a great liking for the two senior and junior siblings.

The group exchanged IDs and chatted for a few moments before going their separate ways to attend to their own business.

The registration process was completed quickly.

Su Ye carefully put away the voucher and Blood Bounty Emblem, glanced at the few companions behind him who were still excitedly discussing, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Everyone, let's make one last push before the Examination officially starts in two weeks!"

"A'Su is right, even last-minute sharpening can make a sharp blade. Let's go, let's give it our all!"

"Just do it!"

"Rush!"