Chapter 203: The Million Spirit Stones I Just Got My Hands On Are Trying to Escape!

Chapter 203: The Million Spirit Stones I Just Got My Hands On Are Trying to Escape!

"Honored guest, please wait a moment while I retrieve the formation flags."

The Han Hai Ring was extremely valuable, so for security reasons, it had been placed inside a small defense formation connected to the entire Ten Thousand Immortal Pavilion's grand array.

After all, treasures like this were usually meant for display rather than actual sale, since ordinary cultivators rarely had the means to purchase them.

Considering that most sects had their own Forging Masters, the Xilai Ring was the main item being promoted.

The Han Hai Ring had been displayed here for over a decade, only ever drawing gasps like "So expensive!" or "Holy crap!"

The manager never expected it would actually sell one day.

He hurried to the back warehouse, opening chests and rummaging through storage to find the matching formation flags.

Meanwhile, upstairs, an attendant invited Xiao Chen to rest in the tea room.

"No need. I'll just take a look around at other items."

Xiao Chen declined with a wave, then began browsing the other treasures.

They were currently on the sixth floor. While nothing here could be called a world-shaking treasure, everything was worth thousands of spirit stones.

Half the items didn't even have price tags.

The other half contained nothing under ten thousand spirit stones.

On the left platform sat a bottle of Snow Lotus Elixir, selling for six thousand spirit stones per pill.

It was said that if a Golden Core cultivator took it for the first time, it could extend their lifespan by three years.

On the right platform was a box of Golden-threaded Honey priced at eighty-eight thousand spirit stones.

Xiao Chen walked over to examine the label. It weighed about three taels, exactly the same as the box he had previously obtained.

He originally thought it worth only sixty thousand spirit stones, but he didn't expect it to actually sell for eighty-eight thousand spirit stones.

Further to the right was a plate of Lishui Spirit Pearls, a common third-tier water-type Spirit Herb selling at thirty thousand spirit stones per pearl.

Next was a Lingji Zhuque Bi, four inches in size, exactly one size smaller than the one Xiao Chen possessed.

The price tag below it boldly stated one hundred eighty-eight thousand spirit stones!

Wow, at this rate, his own piece might sell for two hundred fifty thousand spirit stones.

Of course, Xiao Chen had no intention of selling it, planning instead to keep it for personal use.

Besides these rare Spirit Herbs,

the sixth floor also had a large bookcase filled with universal spells.

Universal spells referred to techniques that imposed no requirements on spiritual root attributes, allowing any cultivator to practice them.

Xiao Chen noticed that each spell only contained an introduction and partial general principles, meant to help cultivators understand its type and basic effects.

The complete spell content was stored in jade slips, requiring purchase before use.

He flipped through several Yellow Tier Spells.

They included both second-tier and third-tier spells, each with unique practical functions.

For example, the "Five-Color Truth-Seeing Spirit Eye" could enhance a cultivator's vision, similar to the "Truth-Seeing Spirit Eye" technique.

Another was the "Primordial Qi Grasping Hand", which could manifest a mana hand for moving heavy objects or capturing enemies.

Then there was the "Xuanzong Synchronization Secret Technique", an exquisite camouflage technique.

By adjusting one's mana fluctuations, it allowed blending into the environment or creating interference, effectively masking spiritual sense detection.

It had five cultivation stages: Initial Understanding, Partial Mastery, Refined Proficiency, Pinnacle Attainment, and Transcendent Mastery.

Reaching Partial Mastery alone could resist spiritual sense detection from cultivators of the same stage.

Mastering it to Transcendent Mastery could even block detection from early-stage Golden Core cultivators.

After reading the introduction, Xiao Chen's eyes lit up.

This was truly a valuable technique!

If he cultivated this secret technique, it would significantly enhance his survival capabilities.

Setting aside distant concerns, the Eastern Territory alone had many Fourth Stage Great Spirit Beasts that could pose threats.

Actually, Xiao Chen had originally planned to obtain some useful third-tier spells and Body Cultivation legacies in the Eastern Territory.

Since he encountered this technique today, he might as well acquire it together.

Glancing at the price tag, the Xuanzong Synchronization Secret Technique sold for a hefty one hundred thousand spirit stones.

Frankly, a single spell at this price was quite expensive.

After all, further cultivation would require additional time and resources.

But it didn't matter. Since he had obtained so many spirit stones from the Cangyan Sect, he didn't feel any regret spending them.

This purchase would be covered by Jin Jian Zhenren.

Following the "since I'm here anyway" principle, he casually asked the waiting attendant, "Why don't I see any third-tier legacy cultivation manuals?"

The attendant bowed gracefully, "Legacy cultivation manuals involve a cultivator's foundational cultivation, which shouldn't be known by others."

"If an honored guest wishes to purchase cultivation manuals, please follow me to the private chamber."

If a cultivator purchased a spell, even if the information leaked, it would only mean losing a hidden trump card, not necessarily leading to death.

But if foundational cultivation methods were exposed, enemies could exploit weaknesses, creating real life-threatening dangers.

Therefore, most solitary cultivators were extremely cautious, hoping as few people as possible knew about their cultivation foundations.

The Ten Thousand Immortal Pavilion established private chambers specifically to address these concerns.

This minimized the risk of information leakage,

allowing solitary cultivators to feel at ease when making purchases.

After hearing this, Xiao Chen quickly understood, secretly admiring how thorough the Ten Thousand Immortal Pavilion's system truly was.

Of course, he himself had never been particularly worried about this issue.

After all, even if his cultivation method was exposed, it would only mislead enemies.

Without proper Hexcore Reinforcement, the situation would be completely different.

Still, while he wasn't afraid, Xiao Chen didn't act unusually, following the attendant's guidance into the private chamber.

A manager guarded the private chamber entrance.

Upon meeting, he handed Xiao Chen a list first: "This is our year's inventory list. Please review it first."

"If you find anything interesting, remember it, and we'll proceed to the inner chamber for the transaction."

This list contained not only legacy cultivation manuals but also special pills and unique spiritual artifacts.

For example, the "Butterfly Immortal Water" required only a single drop to kill a third-tier Yao Beast.

Or the "Five Elements Divine Thunder Pill", which released Metal Spirit Thunder when activated with true mana, capable of matching a late-stage Golden Core lightning cultivator's full power strike.

There was also the Bloodline Tracking Compass, which could pinpoint a family member's exact location within a thousand-mile radius by adding a drop of their blood.

Or the Fragrant Powder, which emitted a special scent on allies within a thousand-mile radius, preventing them from getting separated.

On the surface, these all appeared normal.

While buyers might not use them exactly as described, that was no longer the Ten Thousand Immortal Pavilion's concern.

Needless to say, even in this aspect,

the Eastern Territory's variety still far exceeded that of the Southern Domain.

Xiao Chen carefully browsed the list, gaining a general understanding of the available options.

However, since he had no specific needs, he ultimately chose only one yellow rank Body Cultivation legacy — The Nine Transformations Dragon Ascension Formula — priced at one hundred and eighty thousand spirit stones.

The creator of this cultivation manual had comprehended the Snake Molting Secret and studied the physique of true dragons, eventually summarizing nine stages of transformation from snake to dragon to refine the physical body. According to the records in the manual’s preface, completing all nine transformations would grant a cultivator strength rivaling that of a true dragon.

The only drawback was that this manual was quite demanding to cultivate. The creator himself had spent his entire life achieving only the ninth transformation on his deathbed, using it to breakthrough into the Golden Core Da Yu Man. Since then, no one else had ever reached this stage, making the true power of the ninth transformation uncertain.

Still, this posed no major issue for Xiao Chen. With his hex, he possessed a hundredfold cultivation speed. Moreover, as a Dual Cultivation of Body and Techniques cultivator, even if his Body Cultivation progress was slower, it wouldn’t hinder his ability to utilize his hex.

Therefore, choosing a cultivation manual with high potential was a natural decision — who knew when its true value might shine in the future?

After all, what was the point of mere bitter cultivation when one could cultivate through delicious feasts?

Upon hearing his request, the female attendant’s gaze softened as if her eyes were melting. She swayed her hips like a sinuous water snake while leading the way.

The Ten Thousand Immortal Pavilion naturally carried flesh, organs, and bones of three-grade Yao Beasts, primarily various sea creatures. Although Xi Lai Country had many land-based Yao Beasts, their cost-effectiveness was low. Land Yao Beasts were scarce, making them expensive by virtue of rarity. Conversely, many sea creatures were naturally massive, yielding far more Yao Beast meat.

For the same grade of three-grade Yao Beast flesh, the cheapest land-based variety cost twenty spirit stones per jin, while the most affordable sea fish required only ten spirit stones per jin. Purchasing over one hundred jin earned a ten percent discount, and buying one thousand jin slashed the price to eight spirit stones per jin — an incredible bargain.

Just then, the manager arrived with the Han Hai Ring. Xiao Chen immediately pointed at the spirit fish before him and asked, “If I buy a large quantity, can you give me an even better discount?”

The manager hesitated for a moment before replying, “If you’re purchasing spirit fish flesh, regardless of the type or quantity, I’ll apply a 30% discount.” He had the authority to decide such discounts for major clients.

“Perfect. Then give me one hundred jin of each type of sea fish here.”

With such a generous discount, Xiao Chen decided to sample every variety available. There were thirty-seven types in total, originally priced at over forty-four thousand spirit stones. After applying the 30% discount and rounding down, the final cost was thirty thousand spirit stones.

“This is our White Jade Token.” After completing the transaction, the manager presented a token with both hands. “In the future, at any of our branch locations, presenting this token will ensure you receive the finest hospitality.”

Xiao Chen casually accepted the token and stored it in his Storage Ring.

The Han Hai Ring was three zhang square — a staggering 125 times larger than his original six-chi storage bag! It not only freed up the eight storage bags hanging from his waist but also easily accommodated the 3,700 jin of sea fish.

It was clear that for a long time to come, he wouldn’t need to worry about running out of storage space. The name Han Hai (“Vast Sea”) was truly well-earned.

With the Storage Ring secured, the first of his three major goals in the Eastern Territory was complete.

Next, it was time to head to the Baicao Forbidden Realm.

However, Xiao Chen didn’t rush out of the Imperial Capital. Instead, he slowed his pace, leisurely strolling through the Eastern Territory’s bustling streets, savoring the local culture and scenery.

The Imperial Capital’s population numbered in the tens of millions, a dazzling epitome of worldly splendor. Even in the Eastern Territory, such a place was rare — there was no need to hurry.

The streets were lined with diverse shops — besides the usual stores, there were elegant venues for poetry, wine, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Naturally, there were also pleasure houses, teahouses, entertainment quarters, and refined pavilions offering more sensual delights.

The vibrant scenery left Xiao Chen spellbound. He walked along the East Street for a full two hours before finally exiting the Imperial Capital.

Xi Lai Country lay fifty thousand li from Jingkong Sea. Thus, it took him six days to arrive near the sea, reaching his destination as the spring breeze of early March swept across the land.

It was precisely noon, the sun shining brightly.

Standing atop a cloud, he gazed afar. Ahead, the sea shimmered beneath the clouds, the horizon blending seamlessly with the azure sky. No wonder this place was known as “Jingkong” — the “Clear Sky.”

However, the beauty was marred by the heavily guarded coastline, with rune arrays deployed along the shores.

Numerous cultivators formed two long lines at a checkpoint, forced to undergo inspections.

There were four such checkpoints, strategically blocking the four relatively safe sea routes. Unless solitary cultivators dared to risk entering the territories of three-grade Yao Beasts or even Fourth Stage Great Spirit Beasts, there was no way to bypass these barriers.

The Three Great Clans had mobilized massive resources — even Golden Core cultivators couldn’t avoid the scrutiny.

“What on earth are they inspecting?”

Xiao Chen felt puzzled. None of the travelogues he’d read mentioned such measures in the Eastern Territory. Even Yu Cha Zhen Ren’s many stories hadn’t described anything like this.

He edged closer, activating his spiritual sense to observe the scene ahead.

A Divine Flame Summoning Banner floated above the checkpoint, bearing a large “Zhao” character — clearly representing the Zhao Clan, one of the Three Great Clans of Jingkong Sea.

Beneath it was a Wanted Poster ten chi tall, featuring a life-sized portrait. However, the face was blurred, as if obscured by mist.

“Oh, so they’re hunting a wanted criminal.”

Xiao Chen understood immediately, though curiosity stirred within him. “Why does this person look strangely familiar?”

His spiritual sense swept over the text, revealing bold red characters on a white background — Chen Xiao!

Three lines of smaller text followed:

This person has a Foundation Building Late Stage cultivation realm, suspected of possessing a wood spirit root.

A reward of ten thousand spirit stones for verified information leading to capture!

An immediate reward of one hundred thousand spirit stones for delivering the live target!

???

Xiao Chen froze mid-step.

Wait a second — isn’t this about me?

There was no doubt. The clothing depicted on the Wanted Poster was an exact match for what he’d worn at Xuantian Immortal Palace.

Xiao Chen’s brows furrowed sharply. What was the Zhao Clan’s game? Had they set their sights on his legacy?

Back at Xuantian Immortal Palace, Zhao Yangming had attempted to interfere with his comprehension, only to be expelled by the palace itself. Clearly, they hadn’t given up.

Even after all this time since entering Xuantian Immortal Palace, they were still hunting him. They’d even established these checkpoints, disrupting normal cultivator traffic for the sake of a one-hundred-thousand-spirit-stone bounty. They were truly going all out.

Was this really necessary?

Evidently, the Three Great Clans thought so — and had already taken decisive action.

Damn it! Xiao Chen cursed inwardly, turning to fly back.

Now that he’d spotted the checkpoint, there was no way he’d recklessly expose himself.

Fortunately, he’d discovered this early. He just needed to return to the Imperial Capital and purchase a Face-Changing Technique to resolve this inconvenience.

As for whether there might be other problems later, at worst, he could just counter every move.

But of course, checkpoints like this wouldn’t only set up visible guards—they’d also have hidden sentries rotating every three months.

The current on-duty sentry was Clangolden Corecultivator Zhao Hongwen of the Zhao Clan.

He had hidden himself in a mountain crevice over fifty kilometers beyond the checkpoint, monitoring the movements of passing cultivators.

When he saw Xiao Chen suddenly stop from afar, suspicion immediately arose. Seeing him turn back, with a figure nearly identical to Chen Xiao’s, Zhao Hongwen’s heart leapt—got him!

After all, that million-spirit-stone bounty was jointly offered by three clans, and it applied to him as well.

Zhao Hongwen’s mind surged with joy. Without hesitation, he burst from his hiding spot, ready to intercept Xiao Chen and claim the reward.

But the next moment, he was shocked to find the opponent’s speed far faster than ordinary cultivators.

Before he could even shout a warning, Xiao Chen had already streaked past him like a meteor.

No good! The million spirit stones were slipping away!

Zhao Hongwen panicked instantly. He waved his hand, hastily summoning the Dual Cloud-Piercing Spirit Shuttle issued by his clan.

The Cloud-Piercing Spirit Shuttle was a specialized spiritual artifact. Its primary function was to exponentially boost a cultivator’s speed, making it easier to cross the vast seas spanning thousands of kilometers in the Eastern Territory.

Zhao Hongwen skillfully channeled a torrent of true mana into the shuttle. In an instant, his figure transformed into a streak of white light, chasing after Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen had originally been controlling his speed, subtly distancing himself from the crowd.

To avoid drawing attention, he had deliberately suppressed his pace.

He never expected a beam of white light to chase him directly—it was clearly targeting him.

Clearly, his cover was blown.

Since the enemy’s strength and numbers were unknown, this place was no longer safe. The best course of action was to flee.

Thinking this, he immediately activated Chasing Stars and Racing the Moon, doubling his speed.

To avoid fully revealing his escape capabilities, Xiao Chen held back, using only eighty percent of his power.

Even so, he instantly widened the gap between himself and the pursuing white light.

This sudden acceleration left Zhao Hongwen, who was chasing him, stunned once again.

What incredible speed!

And if he wasn’t mistaken, the opponent hadn’t even used a spirit shuttle—his escape technique alone had surpassed the shuttle’s speed!

Could this Chen Xiao actually be a cultivator specializing in escape techniques?

Zhao Hongwen inhaled sharply, forming a hand seal to activate the sealing formation on the spirit shuttle.

As everyone knew, some spiritual artifacts had dual forms to address cultivators’ insufficient true mana.

The Dual Cloud-Piercing Spirit Shuttle he was using was a premium artifact.

Its fully activated Spirit Ascension Form could rival the escape techniques of Golden Core Da Yu Man cultivators at the Grand Mastery stage.

Initially, to conserve true mana for suppressing Chen Xiao’s potential resistance, Zhao Hongwen had only used the shuttle’s standard form.

But now, seeing the million-spirit-stone reward slipping further away, he could no longer hold back.

He decisively triggered the Spirit Ascension Form of the Cloud-Piercing Spirit Shuttle, determined to claim the reward.

Hmm?

Could Eastern Territory cultivators’ escape techniques really be this powerful?

Or was he just unlucky, happening to encounter an escape technique expert?

Xiao Chen’s spiritual sense detected the white light behind him accelerating again. He furrowed his brow.

But no matter what, this couldn’t continue. It seemed he could no longer hide his strength.

Without further hesitation, he unleashed his full power, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.

Leaving only Zhao Hongwen alone, stunned in the wind.

Damn it! This is impossible!

How could a Golden Core cultivator possibly outpace a Dual Cloud-Piercing Spirit Shuttle?

If cultivators could reach such speeds, what was the point of spirit shuttles?

Since the invention of the Dual Cloud-Piercing Spirit Shuttle, such a scenario had never been heard of.

Before today, if someone had told Zhao Hongwen that a person could outpace a spirit shuttle, he’d have thought them mad.

But now, he felt like he was the one going mad: “My million spirit stones! Aaaahhh!”

Losing a million spirit stones was a bitter pill to swallow.

Zhao Hongwen stood frozen for a moment before suddenly recalling he should report to his clan: “Right! There’s still a ten-thousand-spirit-stone clue reward!”

By now, he was completely certain—the person who escaped was Chen Xiao.

Once he calmed down, the truth became obvious.

Only the supreme secret techniques from the Xuantian Immortal Palace could grant a Golden Core cultivator such speed. Only this explanation made sense.

No other possibility existed.

Besides, how long had it been since the Xuantian Immortal Palace’s emergence?

For the opponent to have breakthrough to Golden Core so quickly, it must be related to the palace’s secret techniques—almost certainly a direct connection.

Realizing this, a fiery gleam flashed in Zhao Hongwen’s eyes.

If he could obtain the Xuantian Immortal Palace’s legacy, he might breakthrough to Golden Core and achieve the True Sovereign Position, ruling over the Jingkong Sea in glory.

But even now, opportunities remained.

By helping his clan capture Chen Xiao, he might earn some guidance in return.

As Zhao Hongwen daydreamed, he retrieved a specially crafted Voice-Transmitting Spirit Sword.

The Voice-Transmitting Spirit Sword was another special spiritual artifact designed to transmit messages over vast distances.

It could fly to designated locations and automatically seek out pre-set recipients within a hundred-kilometer radius.

The sword could carry a cultivator’s voice recording, and high-end versions could even project a short mana-formed image.

This communication method was also extremely secure.

Without specific secret techniques, even if intercepted, the message’s contents would remain undecipherable.

The only downside was the exorbitant price—ordinary solitary cultivators couldn’t afford them.

Zhao Hongwen fired off three Voice-Transmitting Spirit Swords in succession, sending this intelligence simultaneously to his clan’s ancestral founder, the clan lord, and his second uncle.

This was both to prevent interception and to document his status as the first discoverer.

Soon, aside from the Zhao Clan’s ancestral founder, who was in secluded cultivation, the other two recipients successfully received the transmission.

Zhao Clan’s lord, Zhao Chenghan, immediately summoned the clan elders for a meeting.

Upon learning that Chen Xiao had finally surfaced, the Zhao Clan erupted in excitement.

“Hah! Heaven rewards the diligent! I always knew someone that prominent couldn’t stay hidden forever.”

“Excellent news! Now that we’ve found his location, what are we waiting for? Let’s mobilize immediately!”

“Hold on. For two years, he’s hidden within the Jin Xia Sect’s territory without a trace. Someone might be secretly protecting him. Rushing in recklessly might complicate things.”

“Correct!”

Zhao Chenghan nodded. “This opportunity is critical—it could even serve as a gift for the True Sovereign. As long as our Zhao Clan secures the leading credit, that’s sufficient.”

“I propose we notify the Chu Clan and Wen Clan, coordinating forces to pressure the Jin Xia Sect. What do you all think?”

The elders exchanged glances, then spoke in unison: “The clan lord’s wisdom is unparalleled!”

Soon, the three clans reached an agreement and mobilized their forces together.

(This chapter has been heavily revised, which may cause some inconsistencies with previous annotations.)

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end