Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Xiao Chen couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. This kind of shady business always followed the rule: cash on delivery.

If he actually took Chen Guangyu’s Iou, wouldn’t it be like holding a blank sheet of paper? If Chen Guangyu reneged, there was no way he could demand payment from the Chen family. Once things escalated, the sect elders would inevitably ask: How did he owe you money in the first place?

What could Xiao Chen say? If he told the truth, it might count as a confession. Worse, he might end up in the solitary confinement chamber on the back mountain for a decade-long "vacation" courtesy of the sect.

“That won’t be necessary,” Xiao Chen said. “Since Senior Brother only brought fifty spirit stones, we’ll just count it as fifty points.”

Chen Guangyu immediately reached into his robe and pulled out one hundred and fifty spirit stones, generous as ever. “Senior Junior Brother Xiao, come, count them.”

After verifying the amount, Xiao Chen retrieved Jade Tokens worth twenty-two points and bowed before leaving.

Once out of sight, he ducked into a secluded corner, pulled his hood back on, and circled back. He knew Chen Guangyu wasn’t the only one scrambling for Jade Tokens.

He deliberately kept two tokens and approached stalls manned by flashy-looking vendors in secluded spots. He specifically targeted cultivators at the Core Formation Mid-Stage—likely fellow disciples from the trial.

To his surprise, he managed to sell tokens worth forty-six points this way.

His actions soon caught Song Zhongming’s attention.

As the eldest son of the Song family’s eleventh branch, Song Zhongming had been unlucky, collecting only twenty points. He’d come to the open-air market to buy tokens but hesitated when he found no public sales. Without prior preparation, he felt lost.

Relying on his family’s resources would be embarrassing, but failing to secure enough points to stay in the top ten would be even worse. If he dropped to eleventh place among the seven Foundation Building Sixth Layer disciples, the shame would be unbearable.

Just as he stewed in frustration, he spotted a cloaked figure selling Jade Tokens in the southwest corner.

Compelled by instinct, he followed the seller discreetly. Watching token after token change hands, he finally stepped forward.

Xiao Chen had just finished his rounds when he noticed a well-dressed young man approaching.

“Senior Brother,” the man asked, “do you still have points to spare?”

“How many do you need?”

“I need a lot. A lot. Senior Brother, let’s talk privately.”

Song Zhongming glanced around and gestured toward a quieter spot.

Xiao Chen recognized him instantly and relaxed. They moved to a secluded grove.

“You might not know me, Senior Brother,” Song Zhongming said. “I’m Song Zhongming of the Song family. I need as many Jade Tokens as you’ve got.”

“You’re saying you’ve got the money?”

Xiao Chen remained skeptical of his resources. He shook the bundle in his hand. “Junior Brother Song, I’ve got plenty. Name your number—three spirit stones per point, guaranteed.”

Hearing the clinking of Jade Tokens, Song Zhongming’s respect grew. What power!

Then he realized—these were probably the ones who’d slaughtered all the spirit beasts, leaving him with a measly twenty points. He assumed Xiao Chen was just a middleman, backed by others. But priorities first.

“Then I’ll be rude,” Song Zhongming said, producing three middle-grade spirit stones. “I’ll take one hundred points.”

Now it was Xiao Chen’s turn to be impressed.

Everyone knew one middle-grade spirit stone equaled one hundred lower-grade ones. But in reality, it often took one hundred and three—or even five—to exchange for one. Their portability alone made them invaluable.

Xiao Chen quickly counted out one hundred points, adding two extra as a gesture of goodwill. “Junior Brother Song, here’s your hundred. The extra two are free.”

After the transaction, Xiao Chen watched Song Zhongming leave, shaking his head in admiration. Now that’s a real rich kid.

Now holding seventy-four points, Xiao Chen headed to the camp to check the current Top Ten rankings. A two-spirit-stone bribe to the registrar granted him access.

The first place was Jiang Si Xuan with one hundred and thirteen points. Eighth place had fifty-six, and tenth place barely thirty-nine.

For Xiao Chen, securing eighth place seemed feasible. Once Chen Guangyu and Song Zhongming submitted their points, tenth place would be theirs. But playing it that close felt risky.

Better to leave a buffer.
No, one spot isn’t enough. Two would be safer.

His eyes settled on sixth place—sixty-two points. Submitting sixty-five would secure his rank with nine points left to sell.

He waited until the afternoon, three quarters past the hour of Shen—half an hour before the trial’s end—to ensure no surprises. Then he submitted sixty-five points.

The next morning, he sold the remaining nine points while cloaked.

For Xiao Chen, the trial was over.

Thanks to his hextech reinforcement, he’d earned four middle-grade spirit stones and three hundred and thirty lower-grade ones. A typical Core Formation Mid-Stage disciple would need twenty years of frugal living to save that much.

Now, all of it nestled inside his fox-pelt bundle.

Later, when a solitary cultivator offered one spirit stone for the bundle, Xiao Chen refused. Though the materials alone fetched twenty-four spirit stones, he’d already grown indifferent.

After settling the transaction, he returned to camp, his mind now fixed on his cultivation.

Earlier, he’d worried about safety in the mountains. Now back at camp, the perfect opportunity had arrived.

To increase his chances, he took a Heyuan Pill and swallowed it whole.

The pill lived up to its reputation as a top-tier first-grade elixir. As soon as it dissolved, it transformed into a surge of pure spiritual energy. Xiao Chen even felt his dantian swell with pressure.

As he cycled his cultivation manual, he smoothly ascended to the Foundation Building Sixth Layer within three full cycles.

The Heyuan Pill’s effects lingered for half a day after the breakthrough, stabilizing his new realm.

Over the next few days, Xiao Chen immersed himself in cultivation until the trial’s conclusion and the announcement of rankings.

Half a month later, Steward Chen gathered the second sub-academy disciples once more, bringing the trial’s rewards.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end