Human Spirit Body

This Purple-Clad Woman looked about twenty years old. She was truly stunning, breathtakingly beautiful!

Zhou Heng was devoted to martial arts. He merely glanced at her before turning away, then looked at Zhu Zhihe and the others. All four had stars in their eyes, utterly lovestruck.

"Quit making fools of yourselves and find somewhere to sit!" Zhou Heng hurriedly pulled the four of them over to an empty spot. A great many tables and chairs had been set up here for the occasion.

Once they sat down, a maid came over to serve them tea. The tea was emerald green and pleasing to the eye.

The Purple-Clad Woman was speaking about the art of tea, citing sources and making her case. The crowd nodded along repeatedly. The whole place was utterly silent, with only her voice, like celestial music, lingering in the air.

Zhou Heng glanced around. Everyone here was a martial artist. Though he couldn't name many of them, he'd seen quite a few once or twice before—they were Nine Spirits Sect disciples! In other words, most of the people here belonged to the Three Great Sects.

He'd left at an especially inconvenient time. The news that Miss Zixing was coming to Fengyu City must have spread just after he departed; otherwise, the Three Great Sects wouldn't have sent so many people.

The Purple-Clad Woman truly was breathtaking, especially with that otherworldly, ethereal air about her. It made her seem like a fairy from the highest heavens, beautiful as a dream, stirring people's hearts without their even realizing it.

Zhou Heng thought about how everyone around him was a martial artist, yet they were all putting on airs and pretending to be refined as they listened to someone lecture on the art of tea. He couldn't help but let out a snicker.

His laugh came out of nowhere. The Purple-Clad Woman's voice stopped at once, and she turned her lovely eyes toward him. "Young master, what did I say that was so wrong as to make you laugh?"

Whoosh! Everyone's gaze followed hers and fixed on Zhou Heng.

Zhou Heng's mind was already unshakably steady. Though hundreds of eyes were trained on him, his expression didn't change. Calmly, he said, "I just thought of something amusing. Miss Zixing, please continue!"

Who was this fellow, speaking to Miss Zixing so casually?

Everyone knew how noble Miss Zixing's status was. They all had to be cautious and deferential, afraid of offending the beauty. Yet this boy acted as if he couldn't care less!

Could he be trying to get Miss Zixing's attention with this lowly trick?

How shameless! How despicable!

In an instant, Zhou Heng became the sworn enemy of every man there. Quite a few women, however, smiled at him. The Purple-Clad Woman clearly outshone every other beauty, making her the women's common enemy as well.

The Nine Spirits Sect disciples all very deliberately turned away, pretending not to know Zhou Heng. They were thoroughly embarrassed by him.

The Purple-Clad Woman, however, was quite magnanimous. She paused only briefly before continuing her explanation of the art of tea.

"Zhou Heng, who would have guessed you were an expert in this field? I take my hat off to you!" Zhu Zhihe gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up, and Liu Yan and the other two were no less impressed.

Zhou Heng couldn't help feeling awkward. In these four fellows' eyes, were women all that mattered? He glanced around. There really were quite a few familiar faces here: Shi Qingfeng, Shen Xinqi, and even Jing Tian. Though they were listening to the Purple-Clad Woman talk about something wholly unrelated to martial arts, none of them looked impatient.

Still, the Purple-Clad Woman truly had an irresistible charm. Combined with her vast knowledge and her engaging, unhurried delivery, she held everyone's attention.

Zhou Heng couldn't understand it. Surely not everyone had come because of the Purple-Clad Woman's charm. He didn't know Jing Tian very well, but Jing Tian certainly wasn't the sort of man to bow easily to a pretty face!

And there were plenty of women present, too. Why had they come?

The Purple-Clad Woman spoke until nightfall before finally stopping. She took a sip of fragrant tea with exquisite poise, then clapped her hands. "I invited everyone here today not only to discuss the art of tea, but also for another matter—"

A maid in white immediately came forward with a tray and set it on the stone table before the Purple-Clad Woman. Something on the tray was hidden beneath a layer of red cloth.

"Our pavilion has long been searching for someone destined to us. Whoever can awaken this Spirit Crystal Pillar's unique response will become the master of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion!"

Her words crashed over the crowd like a landslide and a tidal wave. Everyone's face lit up with intense excitement.

Excitement, but no surprise?

Right. They must have known about it already. He just happened to have been away for the past few days, so he hadn't heard a thing.

A puzzle in Zhou Heng's mind was solved. No wonder so many people had come here. They were all hoping to find out whether they were the destined person the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion sought!

Just how wealthy was the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion?

No one could imagine. But one thing was certain: even the Three Great Sects combined couldn't rival the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion in Fengyu City!

And the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's businesses weren't limited to Fengyu City. They spanned the entire Hancang Kingdom. Becoming its master meant controlling the greatest wealth in the whole kingdom!

Would there ever be any need to worry about cultivation resources again?

That wasn't all. The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion made a fortune throughout Hancang Kingdom. Surely it had powerful forces backing it. Becoming its master meant having this terrifying power under one's command as well!

No wonder everyone had come. Such a temptation was enough to drive anyone mad!

The Purple-Clad Woman lifted the red cloth from the tray. Beneath it lay a crystal pillar, transparent from top to bottom, about a foot long and divided into three sections. She gave a charming smile. "It's simple. Just reach out and hold the Spirit Crystal Pillar!"

It really was simple. Someone soon volunteered and stepped forward, placing a hand on it, but nothing happened.

One, two, three—more than a hundred people tried, yet the pillar remained completely still.

That was only natural. If the "destined person" were so easy to find, the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion would already have a master. There would be no need for this scene.

Zhou Heng didn't think he would be the lucky one and had no intention of going up to try. To his surprise, Zhu Zhihe and the other three didn't move either. He'd thought they were finally showing some restraint, but when he asked, he learned that wasn't the case at all: all four had already tried.

He really shouldn't have put his faith in those four!

"Eh—"

Sudden exclamations rang out around them. Zhou Heng looked up and saw the crystal pillar glowing green, its light dazzling.

Could it really be such a coincidence? Had the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's destined person finally appeared?

Zhou Heng's gaze shifted upward. The person holding the crystal pillar was Jing Tian!

"Good heavens, what powerful Bloodline Power!" Zhu Zhihe exclaimed.

"To awaken Bloodline Power without even reaching the Spirit Gathering Realm—this fellow's talent is extraordinary!" Yu Zhenye was equally shocked.

Zhou Heng was puzzled. "Isn't he the person the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion is looking for?"

"No!" Zhu Zhihe shook his head. "Green light represents a wood-type constitution. This fellow's a lucky one—he actually possesses Bloodline Power. If he can break through into the Spirit Gathering Realm, his future will be boundless!"

"...Could you explain that in words people can understand?"

"Uh, if your ancestors included someone incredibly powerful—powerful beyond belief—their descendants might inherit a portion of their strength. Or you could call it a special ability, or a martial technique. It can be used in all sorts of marvelous ways. People born with this kind of good fortune are called Spirit Bodies," Zhu Zhihe said, scratching his head.

"The most obvious thing is that Spirit Bodies have a much easier time breaking through realms than ordinary people. You could even say they have no barriers at all. They could lie around sleeping all day and still keep breaking through!"

"However, this ability usually doesn't manifest until after reaching the Spirit Gathering Realm. To awaken it while still in the Body Refining Realm means his Bloodline Power is extraordinarily strong!"

Zhou Heng looked across the faces of the four of them. "What about you?"

Zhu Zhihe and the others all shook their heads. Then Liu Yan said, "We might have Bloodline Power in us, but we won't know until we've reached the Spirit Gathering Realm!"

So even if they possessed Bloodline Power, it was nowhere near as powerful as Jing Tian's.

"Wait, why is only the bottom section of the Spirit Crystal Pillar lit up?" Zhou Heng's sharp eyes immediately caught the detail.

"That depends on the strength of the Bloodline Power. The first section lighting up means this kid has a Human Spirit Body. Judging by the brightness, he's nearly at the peak of the Human Spirit Body level!" Yu Zhenye chimed in.

"What about the second and third sections?" Zhou Heng pressed.

The second section lighting up meant an Earth Spirit Body, and the third meant a Heaven Spirit Body!

"Zhou Heng, don't underestimate a Human Spirit Body. Even if you gathered every martial artist in Hancang Kingdom, there wouldn't be more than ten thousand Human Spirit Bodies, let alone ones this powerful!"

"He's probably reached nine stars, maybe even ten!"

"And an Earth Spirit Body... Supposedly, only Princess Shuiyue, the current princess, possesses such a terrifying constitution!"

"Princess Shuiyue entered the Spirit Gathering Realm at fourteen and reached the Initial Division Realm at seventeen. She can transform into a golden sword, indestructible and able to pierce through anything. She's invincible among those of her own level and can even defeat someone a minor realm above her!"

Zhu Zhihe and the others were utterly awestruck, filled with reverence for Princess Shuiyue.

Initial Division Realm!

Didn't that mean she could sweep through all of Fengyu City by herself?

"May I ask your name, young master?" the Purple-Clad Woman asked Jing Tian softly. Her gentle, moving manner made countless men jealous, but what could they do when they didn't have such heaven-defying talent?

"I am Jing Tian." In the Purple-Clad Woman's presence, Jing Tian showed not the slightest sign of being bewitched. He remained calm and composed, as though he didn't care at all how beautiful or dazzling the woman before him was.

"Master Jing, although you aren't the person our pavilion is looking for, awakening Bloodline Power in the Body Refining Realm is truly a gift of heaven! This card..." The Purple-Clad Woman held out a crystalline white card to Jing Tian. "It's a VIP Card from our pavilion. You can use it at any branch of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion in Hancang Kingdom and receive a thirty-percent discount on everything!"

Hiss, a thirty-percent discount on everything—that was a generous offer!

The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion had no shortage of genuine treasures, often worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of taels of silver. That thirty-percent saving would be enormous!

Jing Tian didn't refuse. He accepted the card and cupped his fist. "I humbly accept. Thank you, Miss Zixing!"

He calmly returned to his seat, leaving the others calling him a fool. If they were in his place, they would seize the chance to fawn over the Purple-Clad Woman. With the shock of possessing a Human Spirit Body, maybe they could even make the beauty's heart flutter!

The "test" continued, but after Jing Tian, no one else managed to awaken the Spirit Crystal Pillar.

"Zhou Heng, your turn!"

Zhu Zhihe and the other three began egging Zhou Heng on.