Semi-Artifact

Nangong Zheng's presence was overbearing, his eyes blooming with cold light.

Liu Chengfeng met his gaze, bracing against the pressure without a hint of fear.

"The divine skills of the Empress of Qiuchi are indeed terrifying, but what if a demigod arrives?"

"A demigod?"

Liu Chengfeng immediately thought of the leader of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect.

"Within the Ancestral Hall, the most heart-stirring things are not the Crow Nest Tree, but the many treasures and demigod artifacts in the Hall of Sages."

"Demigod artifacts—"

Liu Chengfeng felt a chill in his heart; the Empress of Qiuchi had not told him about the Hall of Sages or the demigod artifacts.

"Senior, even if the Ancestral Hall is tempting, opening it is not a matter that can be accomplished overnight."

"I can wait, but can you? The longer it takes, the more likely it is that a demigod will truly appear."

The leader of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect had not yet truly become a demigod.

Liu Chengfeng realized this issue, and Nangong Zheng had also revealed this information to him.

Perhaps the day the leader of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect became a demigod would be the moment they made their move.

"Ha, ha, ha, since everyone is so anxious, then there is room for negotiation."

"What kind of room for negotiation?"

Nangong Zheng was surprised by the shift in Liu Chengfeng's attitude.

"The Ancestral Hall has been activated, but the Thunder Fire Eye must be filled before the gates can open; this is merely the entrance."

"Since everyone is interested in the Ancestral Hall, it just so happens that there are four Thunder Fire Eyes."

An idea formed in Liu Chengfeng's mind.

"What do you mean?"

"To live up to everyone's enthusiasm, everyone shall have a share: the Qiuchi Kingdom takes two, while the Nangong Clan and the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect each take one. How about that?"

"What are you planning?"

"This is the entry ticket. Does Senior dare to gamble with our Qiuchi Kingdom?"

"How shall we gamble?"

Nangong Zheng's eyes narrowed.

"The Nangong Clan is peerless in alchemy, so let us gamble on alchemy."

"Gamble on alchemy with us?"

Nangong Zheng thought he had misheard.

"Yes, gamble on alchemy—by refining pills at the Thunder Fire Eye."

"To open the Ancestral Hall, one must use earth fire to fill the Thunder Fire Eye. Whoever succeeds in refining their pill and fills more of the Thunder Fire Eye shall be the winner and may claim the Ancestral Hall for themselves."

"I will surely win."

Nangong Zheng knew the outcome of such a gamble without even thinking.

When it came to controlling fire and refining pills, no one under the Ancient Kingdom could compare to him.

"If Senior takes the field, is there even a need to gamble? I fear no one would be willing. For this gamble, each side shall send out a younger-generation alchemist."

"Why not?"

Nangong Zheng had no objections; even if he did not take the field, the disciples of his Nangong Clan could still look down upon all their rivals in alchemy.

"Is that all?"

"No, since it is a gamble, there must be stakes."

"What do you want?"

"Senior, if I am lucky enough to win, the Nangong Clan must give me a bottle of Triple-Refined Mountain Pill."

"Triple-Refined Mountain Pill—"

Nangong Zheng's eyes narrowed.

"Fine, no problem."

Although the Triple-Refined Mountain Pill was precious, it was not a difficult task for Nangong Zheng.

"Also, if I win, the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect and the Ancient Li Royal Court must never again be enemies with the Qiuchi Kingdom."

"That is impossible."

Nangong Zheng rejected it outright.

"Then they must never make things difficult for the Cloud Rising Sect."

Liu Chengfeng lowered the stakes.

"This is not something I can decide."

Nangong Zheng shook his head.

"Senior, whether you can obtain the Crow Nest Tree depends entirely on you."

Nangong Zheng let out a cold snort, clearly displeased.

"I have stated my conditions. If you are unwilling, then let us see if the Empress's spear is sharp enough!"

"Are you threatening us?"

Nangong Zheng's gaze turned icy, and the pressure of the Great Dao Divine Treasury bore down.

"Since we cannot reach an agreement, there is only battle. Surely you didn't come to my Qiuchi Kingdom just to sightsee?"

Liu Chengfeng remained fearless, retorting back.

"Fine, very well, it is a deal."

"It is a deal. We shall settle this at the Thunder Fire Eye."

"You are participating yourself?"

Nangong Zheng looked at Liu Chengfeng, expressing his doubt.

"Since I set the stage, I represent the royal family. What is wrong with me competing against you?"

"Are you an alchemist?"

"No, but I am cramming at the last minute. Learning alchemy now is not a difficult task."

"Learning alchemy at the last minute is not a difficult task?"

Nangong Zheng drew out his words, feeling somewhat insulted by this statement.

If alchemy were not difficult, the status of alchemists would not be so prestigious.

Nangong Zheng did not believe that someone learning alchemy on the fly could challenge the Nangong Clan and the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect.

"You will undoubtedly lose."

Even a genius alchemist of the younger generation would have no chance of winning against the Nangong Clan in an alchemy competition.

"It is too early to talk about winning or losing."

Liu Chengfeng was full of confidence, as if victory were already in his grasp.

Nangong Zheng was filled with suspicion, unable to imagine how someone who was cramming at the last minute could possibly defeat the Nangong Clan.

"Fine, we shall see who wins then."

This round, the Nangong Clan was certain to win.

"And what if you lose, Senior?"

Liu Chengfeng looked at Nangong Zheng with a faint, mocking smile.

"How arrogant—"

Nangong Zheng's expression darkened, his gaze cold and sharp.

"Senior, anything is possible."

Liu Chengfeng remained unmoved, speaking in a slow, leisurely tone.

"Who could possibly defeat my Nangong Clan?"

Nangong Zheng sneered. The alchemy techniques of the Nangong Clan were peerless; neither the Qiuchi Kingdom nor the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect were their match.

"I can."

Liu Chengfeng pointed at his own nose.

"My disciple is a high-grade second-tier alchemist. You, someone who hasn't even studied alchemy, want to beat him? You are dreaming."

Nangong Zheng gave him a cold look. It wasn't that Nangong Zheng looked down on Liu Chengfeng; it was simply an impossible feat.

"In all things, there is a possibility."

Liu Chengfeng's confidence made Nangong Zheng suspicious. He did not believe that anyone in the world could learn alchemy on the fly and surpass his disciple.

"Senior, if you lose, the Crow Nest Tree will have nothing to do with you, let alone the Crow Nest Heart Method."

Nangong Zheng let out a cold snort.

"Actually, even if you were to obtain the Crow Nest Tree, Senior, it is not certain you could comprehend the Crow Nest Heart Method."

This remark went too far. Nangong Zheng's expression shifted, his gaze turning murderous.

He was a powerhouse of the Great Dao Divine Treasury and a high-grade third-tier alchemist; how dare a junior question his talent?

"And the Qiuchi Kingdom could comprehend it?"

Nangong Zheng maintained his dignity and did not fly into a rage, merely sneering.

Apart from the ancestor of the Nangong Clan, no one had ever been able to comprehend the Crow Nest Heart Method beneath the Crow Nest Tree.

"Not the Qiuchi Kingdom, but yours truly."

"You—"

Nangong Zheng was taken aback, looking at Liu Chengfeng in disbelief.

"If I can win against you all just by cramming alchemy at the last minute, then comprehending the Crow Nest Heart Method should be child's play."

Nangong Zheng was suspicious and doubtful; he did not believe it, but Liu Chengfeng did not seem to be joking, and this was a wager involving the Ancestral Hall.

"Senior, haven't you been beating around the bush just for the Crow Nest Heart Method?"

"Not only can I give the Crow Nest Heart Method to you, Senior, but I can also refine and evolve it into the Sage Scroll Innate."

"Sage Scroll Innate! Impossible."

Nangong Zheng's mind reeled; the Sage Scroll Innate heart method of the Blood Sea Divine Treasury was the most supreme heart method in the Green Meng Realm.

In the entire Green Meng Realm, only the Divine Dynasty possessed it.

"Sage Scroll Innate, do you want it, Senior?"

This bait was thrown out, and it was explosive; Nangong Zheng stared fixedly at Liu Chengfeng.

If he possessed the Sage Scroll Innate heart method, he would have the chance to become a Fourth Refinement Alchemist, the highest level of alchemist in the Green Meng Realm.

Even the Divine Dynasty would scramble to recruit him and welcome him as an honored guest!

"This is an impossible thing."

Nangong Zheng was half-believing and half-doubting; the Sage Scroll Innate was something he didn't even dare to imagine.

"Success depends on me; what do you have to lose, Senior?"

"What do you want?"

Nangong Zheng still could not resist the temptation; the Sage Scroll Innate was too alluring.

"Let us make another deal. I can give the heart method to you, Senior. In exchange, you give me a promise."

"A promise? What kind of promise?"

"I haven't decided yet. When I come to redeem it, you must go all out."

Nangong Zheng pondered, while Liu Chengfeng remained calm and collected.

"Fine, I agree. If you can produce the Sage Scroll Innate, I will give you a promise!"

"Good, it's a deal. Senior, don't forget, we are on the same side."

"Wait until you win before you talk."

Nangong Zheng snorted coldly, still not believing him.

"What is difficult about that?"

Liu Chengfeng's confidence gave Nangong Zheng a sense of unreality.

With the agreement made, there was no need for further words, and Nangong Zheng departed.

"Senior, I leave the rest to you."

As Nangong Zheng left, Liu Chengfeng bade him farewell like an old friend.

Nangong Zheng snorted coldly; this was completely different from what he had imagined when he arrived, and he had actually agreed to it.

The feeling of being led by the nose by a junior made him unhappy.

"What a fine display of using public office for private gain."

After Nangong Zheng left, Empress of Qiuchi stared coldly at Liu Chengfeng.

"My Empress, weren't you in seclusion?"

Liu Chengfeng looked at Empress of Qiuchi with a half-smile.

Empress of Qiuchi's expression remained unchanged, cold as frost, her imperial bearing overbearing.

"Using the Ancestral Hall as a wager to seek personal gain is a grave crime."

Empress of Qiuchi's gaze was like a blade, striking fear into others.

"Your Majesty, you were the one who gave me full authority. Besides, you didn't tell me about the Hall of Sages or the semi-divine artifact; I don't intend to be led by the nose."

Liu Chengfeng was not afraid, meeting her gaze with a cold laugh of his own.

Empress of Qiuchi's gaze remained cold and sharp, the icy aura making one shudder.

"When the Hall of Sages was built, the sages and worthies gathered treasures, techniques, and secret manuals to be stored here, waiting for future generations to comprehend and obtain them."

Back then, the Qiuchi Kingdom royal family gave up the Fire Spirit Pool and opened the Water Spirit Pool, and the sages contributed their own treasures and secret manuals to benefit their descendants.

"Including a semi-divine artifact."

"That is correct, the Bashan Night Rain Bell, which can be called the national treasure of the Qiuchi Kingdom."

Empress of Qiuchi admitted.

"Could it be that you, my Empress, have never thought of taking this semi-divine artifact for yourself?"

Liu Chengfeng narrowed his eyes.

"That's not right. Since it was obtained through enlightenment, Empress of Qiuchi, what a clever scheme you have. You intended for me to retrieve the demi-artifact for you from the very beginning."

Liu Chengfeng felt a chill in his heart; the Empress of Qiuchi had been plotting against him from the start.

"I don't like the feeling of being calculated."

Liu Chengfeng gave a cold laugh, his eyes turning icy.

"This is a collaboration, a win-win for both sides."

Pressed by Liu Chengfeng, the Empress of Qiuchi's expression turned cold, her posture one of condescension, her aura overbearing.

"Then let us cooperate with sincerity."

Liu Chengfeng's temper flared as well; his eyes turned fierce like a tiger's, his aura savage. He straightened his chest and stepped toward the Empress of Qiuchi, unafraid of her imposing presence.

"If Your Majesty does not treat me with sincerity, then we shall part ways!"

Disliking being schemed against by the Empress of Qiuchi, Liu Chengfeng was ready to flip the table; at worst, he would simply stop playing.

As this man pressed in, standing mere inches away, his aura was fierce, like a tiger descending from the mountain, savage and disdainful.

The Empress of Qiuchi had never been pressured like this by anyone, the scent of a man rushing toward her.

The Empress of Qiuchi's heart trembled, momentarily stunned by his masculine spirit.

Immediately, the Empress of Qiuchi regained her composure, remaining cold as frost, her imperial bearing restored.

"Very well, from now on, everything will be discussed with you."

The Empress of Qiuchi nodded, agreeing to Liu Chengfeng's demand.

The Empress of Qiuchi had agreed so readily that Liu Chengfeng was taken aback, looking at the peerless beauty before him, so close that her delicate fragrance filled his nose.

Liu Chengfeng couldn't help but swallow hard.

"What are you thinking—"

The Empress of Qiuchi was slightly angry, her coldness biting.

"Since you recruited me as your Prince Consort, we are husband and wife. Between a husband and wife, isn't it normal to think of such things?"

Liu Chengfeng felt a bit awkward, but he couldn't afford to lose, so he puffed out his chest.

The Empress of Qiuchi snorted coldly and took a step back, refusing to let Liu Chengfeng get closer.

"If you compete in alchemy against the Nangong Clan, I fear you are certain to lose."

"Your Majesty, who are you looking down on? Is alchemy harder, or is creating an innate talent harder? Alchemists are common, but geniuses who can create innate talents—are they common?"

Liu Chengfeng's arrogant words left the Empress of Qiuchi speechless.

It seemed that was indeed the case.

"There are four Thunder Fire Eyes: one with the Nangong Clan, one with the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect, one you occupy, and what about the last one?"

"What does my dear wife think?"

The Empress of Qiuchi's gaze was like a blade, unhappy with these words, as if she wanted to strike him down.

"The Grandmaster Mansion."

"We truly have a meeting of minds as husband and wife. Since Ye Ziyang holds an Ancestral Hall Talisman, shouldn't we keep him steady?"

"Isn't that exactly what Ye Ziyang is thinking as well?"

"Let's not turn on each other just yet; we can wait until both sides hand over their Ancestral Hall Talismans before we fall out. Your Majesty, isn't this just buying us time?"