Chapter 317: "Classic."

Chapter 317: "Classic."

After a few breaths, Chen Qiu left the spot, leaving the rest of the matters to Little Shuai to handle. Judging by his red eyes, it was clear how much hatred he held towards the Qi Zong Patriarch. But it was understandable, given the circumstances.

After all, before the Artifact Spirit Senior appeared, this Artifact Spirit had been living a life of confusion and aimlessness.

He had never had any grand aspirations, and even his wife had passed away, leaving his life devoid of any joy. He was imprisoned in the secret realm, patiently waiting for his lifespan to run out.

It was only after the Artifact Spirit Senior's arrival that Little Shuai's life found a new direction.

The feeling of a guiding light appearing in the midst of a sea of suffering was akin to the bond between a father and son.

As for the storage ring containing 1.6 billion spirit stones, Little Shuai didn't even bother to find the shopkeeper. Even if he did, it would have been futile, as the restrictions set by a Celestial Immortal like the Qi Zong Patriarch were beyond the shopkeeper's ability to remove.

The shopkeeper simply didn't have the capability to undo restrictions of this level yet.

Little Shuai promised the Qi Zong Patriarch a way out in exchange for removing the restrictions himself.

Of course, this was a minor blemish on his record, one of the rare occasions where he didn't keep his word. But he hadn't killed the man, he had let him go, while Little Shuai hadn't shown the same mercy. Although the excuse was a bit cliche, it was hard to deny that it provided a sense of reassurance.

Sometimes, an excuse doesn't need to be original; it just needs to work.

These 1.6 billion spirit stones were divided into ten storage rings. It was evident that the Qi Zong Patriarch was truly worried about these spirit stones, as he hadn't stored them in batches or even given a single one to the sect elders or placed them in the sect's treasure vault.

He had carried them all with him.

However, this turned out to be convenient for Little Shuai, as he didn't have to search for them.

It was all good.

"After the Ascension Assembly, I'll continue my seclusion," Little Shuai said.

Inside the small world, Chen Qiu stood alone atop a mountain, gazing down at the Hundred Cities with a dazed expression. After Little Shuai personally took revenge on his enemy, it would be time to establish a clan and bring over all the awakened Artifact Spirits to settle in these hundred cities.

These Artifact Spirits were mainly the guardians of large secret realms, which meant that Little Shuai would have access to insider guides for many major secret realms.

He couldn't possibly visit all these secret realms himself, given their vast numbers.

But the disciples of Mock Heaven Sect could go there. By raising their cultivation levels and providing them with complete guides, they could easily obtain the best treasures from these secret realms, and all these gains would contribute to the sect's foundation.

The next steps were clear: establishing the Artifact Spirit clan and attending the Ascension Assembly.

After that, he would enter seclusion again, though he wasn't sure how long it would be before the Heavenly Dao awakened. No one had given him a clear timeline, and if it was just a matter of a few years or decades, it would be pointless to waste time, so he decided to give up and directly enter the Mock Heaven Palace, waiting for the next three million years.

Oh, right.

Chen Qiu sighed softly, remembering one more thing he had almost forgotten. The hostage situation with the Bai Family's daughter was manageable, but the matter of Jiang Buying was more complicated. The issue was that he didn't know the man's cultivation level or his intentions.

He was well aware of the man's goal—to obtain his current body.

This body was absolutely non-negotiable. Even if it meant witnessing the death of the Bai Family's daughter, he would never hand over this body. Otherwise, once Jiang Buying regained his peak strength, they would all be doomed.

He decided to test the waters and see how things played out.

After all, he still had some confidence, thanks to the Qi Zong Patriarch. In the face of three Celestial Immortal-level sword cultivator puppets, the Qi Zong Patriarch had no power to resist and was subdued on the spot!

Although puppets lacked the power of their equivalent-level cultivators, the overwhelming cultivation level and sheer numbers made up for it.

Before leaving Qi Zong, he had also taken their treasure vault, finding ten top-grade spirit stones within.

Tsk.

With this addition, he had activated another sword cultivator puppet, bringing his total to four Celestial Immortal-level sword cultivator puppets. With these four puppets escorting him, he felt a bit safer for the Ascension Assembly.

According to Badan, the highest cultivation level at the Assembly was usually Celestial Immortal, and the greatest opportunity was for a Celestial Immortal to break through to True Immortal. If one's cultivation surpassed the Celestial Immortal level, there was no point in attending.

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on a round stone, practicing his Heart Technique to rest and prepare for the upcoming Ascension Assembly in a few days. He also wanted to acquire a high-grade Heart Technique for himself.

For a normal person, a high-grade Heart Technique could significantly enhance their cultivation speed.

However, for Chen Qiu, his cultivation speed was primarily determined by the Codex Entry's effects, and while a good Heart Technique could further boost his progress, the improvement would be limited.

It was optional, really.

If the cost was too high, it wasn't worth it, but if he could obtain one for free, there was no harm in doing so.

Soon, the sun rose and set three times.

On this day, the entire Tide Immortal Plane was bustling with activity. Even the mortals living in Zhongzhou noticed the increased presence of immortals on the roads, especially in Zhongzhou City, the host city for the Ascension Assembly.

The Ascension Assembly wasn't held in Zhongzhou City itself.

It took place in an open area within the core region of Zhongzhou in the Tide Immortal Plane. As a Heavenly Dao event, no single faction was the organizer. Initially, upon their arrival, everyone would set up their immortal mansions and organize exhibitions to trade and exchange items with one another.

Over time, the Zhongzhou City was formed.

The history of Zhongzhou City dates back over thirty thousand years, and the original builder has long been forgotten. It has changed hands countless generations, and under years of restoration, every stone on the city walls exudes an ancient and profound aura.

"It's so lively here."

At this moment, Chen Qiu, Xiong Gao, and Fei Long stood at the city gates of Zhongzhou City. People came and went at the entrance, and the air was filled with the sounds of hawkers and lively chatter, creating a bustling atmosphere.

Occasionally, streaks of shimmering light flashed across the sky.

The modes of transportation of those arriving were incredibly diverse. Some rode in on immortal cranes, others hovered on flying swords, and some arrived in flying boats.

But the unusual ones were even more numerous.

For instance, there was a cultivator riding on a tombstone. According to Badan, this person was a well-known demonic cultivator, and the tombstone was his primary magic treasure. It could be used for long-distance travel, attack, defense, and support.

Another cultivator rode on a wooden flying sword. Badan explained that this person came from a wealthy background but had always been troubled by finding a mount with a higher level of prestige. One day, he realized that the simplest low-key approach was the most straightforward way to stand out. So, he switched to a plain and ordinary flying sword for transportation.

Additionally, there was someone seated in a palace, which was already one-tenth the size of the Cao Tian Palace. It truly blocked out the sky as it approached from a distance.

There was also a person sitting in a carriage pulled by several hundred girls.

Beside them was another carriage pulled by hundreds of bare-chested, muscular men.

Badan introduced that these two were Dao companions who both enjoyed playing with the act of copulation. They each had many pets, and they shared a similar taste in this regard.

Not everyone who came here was participating in the Ascension Assembly. Only those with a Celestial Immortal cultivation level could lead a group into the assembly, and not many had the qualifications to enter. Many came to serve those who were qualified.

They brought the treasures they had obtained over the years to find a suitable buyer.

"Today is just a minor gathering, not the main event."

Badan stood at the gate of Zhongzhou City, his face filled with a smile as he introduced to Chen Qiu, "Long ago, every time the Ascension Assembly began, people from all over would gather. Before the official start of the assembly, there would be a spontaneous market organized by the participants. This custom has been passed down."

"Before the Ascension Assembly, there will be a three-day minor gathering. These three days are unrelated to the Heavenly Dao, and they are organized by the participants themselves."

"There will be many markets, mostly private stalls. During this period, you can often find good items from old monsters who have been in seclusion for years. There will also be several auctions, and the items up for auction are all quite valuable."

"Senior, if you're interested, you can take a look around."

"Three days later, the Ascension Assembly will truly begin. At that time, the entrance to the city will be opened."

"The Ascension Assembly only opens once every ten thousand years. Apart from the assembly, for important events across the continent, like the Sword Cultivator Competition, various factions tacitly choose Zhongzhou City as the venue. Everyone acknowledges that events held in Zhongzhou City are more authoritative and formal. Over time, Zhongzhou City has become one of the most important main cities in the Tide Immortal Plane."

Then, Badan apologized slightly, "Senior, I won't be accompanying you these days. I've brought many of my clansmen here, and I plan to show them the world."

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu didn't mind this at all. He said softly, "No need to accompany me. I'll wander around on my own. We'll meet again in three days."

"Okay, Senior, if you have any instructions, contact me at the first opportunity. I, Badan, still have some reputation in the Tide Immortal Plane, and many people will give me this face."

Badan still had some worries in his heart.

Although he deeply respected the senior and believed that the senior would achieve great things in the future, the senior's current cultivation level was indeed a bit low. In this situation, if some fool without foresight got into a conflict with the senior, it would be a real mess.

"No need."

Chen Qiu couldn't help but smile and wave his hand, "When idle, who would come to bother me? Not everyone is free."

"True."

After bidding farewell to Badan and the others, Chen Qiu, Fei Long, and the others entered the city first. Not only did they bring all the disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect, but they also had the same idea—to broaden their horizons.

This was the Fifth Rank Immortal Realm, and the Ascension Assembly was held only once every ten thousand years.

It was a grand occasion, not just for the disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect but also for Chen Qiu himself.

As soon as they entered the city, the bustling atmosphere was fully displayed. The shops were eye-catching, and the hawking voices filled the air. Each shop had a signboard displaying their specialties or dishes, using a simple sentence to concisely express their unique selling points.

"Wait a minute?"

Soon after entering the city, Fei Long noticed a signboard on the street with some information written on it.

"Temporary rental courtyard, 100 million medium-grade spirit stones for a week."

"Ordinary courtyard, permanent purchase 10 million medium-grade spirit stones; high-grade courtyard, permanent purchase 50 million spirit stones; top-grade courtyard, permanent purchase 100 million spirit stones (only one available)."

"What's this?"

Fei Long's face was filled with disbelief and shock, "We're all immortals, and yet they still play this game? Renting a courtyard for a week costs 100 million medium-grade spirit stones?"

"To buy a courtyard, the most expensive one costs 100 million spirit stones?"

"Do you believe I can build several courtyards with 100 million spirit stones?"

As his words fell, a young man sitting behind the signboard was about to stand up with a smile on his face. But after seeing the clothing of Chen Qiu's group and learning their cultivation levels from the sound transmission talismans in their hands, he sat back down with a forced smile and a hoarse voice.

"You all know what day it is, and it's not like you don't know that the rent is a bit higher. Especially since our temporary residence is an Upper-grade residence, this price isn't expensive at all."

"If you find it expensive, you can also stay at the inn or in your own Immortal Mansions. Oh, I forgot, you need to have reached the Immortal Human stage to have an Immortal Mansion. Since none of you have reached that stage, you don't have one."

"Then what should we do?"

"If you can't afford Spirit Stones and don't have an Immortal Mansion, you'll have to sleep on the streets."

Sound Transmitter.

In the Immortal Realm, if you want to do business, this item is a must-have. By sticking it on your palm, you can immediately know the cultivation level of anyone you talk to. Of course, if their cultivation is three major realms higher, you won't be able to detect it.

Aside from that, it's a normal detection tool created by the Tide Immortal Plane's "One-Word Sect." It's not too expensive, and it's quite useful. Even if you're not doing business, it's best to have one when you go out to avoid offending someone you can't afford to provoke.

Especially in recent times, many old monsters like to pretend to be crazy and eccentric, as if it makes them seem unfathomably profound. They deliberately wear tattered clothes, acting like a pig to eat a tiger, waiting for someone to come and provoke them. If you're unlucky enough to encounter such an old monster with a twisted sense of humor, you can only count yourself unlucky.

The Sound Transmitter can effectively solve this problem.

So, the cultivation levels of this group were immediately known. The highest among them was at the Tribulation Crossing Seventh Layer, with only a few at the Void Refinement stage, and the rest were all at the Incarnation Transformation stage. This clearly indicated that they were from the same village and had come out together.

He, at least, had reached the Immortal Human stage, so he naturally looked down on this group.

In his opinion, these people shouldn't have approached him in the first place; it was like asking for trouble.

When the young man finished speaking, Fat Dragon was slightly startled, but he couldn't help but smile and slowly rolled up his sleeves, looking at the boy sitting motionless on the chair.

"You're quite cocky, aren't you?"

It had been a long time since someone had spoken to him like that, and he didn't feel angry at all; he only felt curious.

The Mock Heaven Sect disciples behind him also looked on with interest, their attention fixed on the boy.

Despite being watched by so many people, the boy didn't show a trace of fear. After all, with his superior cultivation, he had nothing to fear.

Chen Qiu didn't seem bothered either. He just smiled and waved his hand, signaling for everyone to continue walking. It was normal for merchants to judge customers by their appearance, and there was no need to get upset over such a minor matter.

Just then—

"Tsk."

A slightly crisp, mocking voice came from the side: "These days, anyone dares to come and join the fun at the Ascension Assembly. A bunch of Incarnation Transformation cultivators dare to come to Zhongzhou City at this time."

"Why don't you just stay in your village?"

Beside them, a young master dressed in luxurious robes was holding a girl's hand, with a group of servants following behind. The voice had come from the girl's mouth.

Seeing Chen Qiu and his group looking over, the young master said disdainfully, "What's the matter? You country bumpkin, do you have a problem?"

". . ."

Fat Dragon sighed and then raised his thumb, "Classic! This scene is too classic. It's been a long time since I've seen such a classic scene. Are you going to reveal your identity next?"

"Huh?"

The young master coldly laughed, "What identity do you have that makes you worthy of knowing mine? But even if I tell you, so what? My father is the Patriarch of the Chao Zong Sect, with late-stage Celestial Immortal cultivation. He's just a step away from the peak of the Celestial Immortal stage and is considered one of the top few powers in the entire Immortal Realm."

"Do you understand now?"

"Let's go."

Just as Fat Dragon was about to say something more, Chen Qiu waved his hand, signaling him not to waste his breath. Instead, he turned and continued walking deeper into the street, completely ignoring these people. Along the way, he continued to chat and laugh as he looked at the shops on the side of the street.

Not a single person became angry or dissatisfied.

If they were indeed at the Incarnation Transformation stage and were insulted like this, they might have felt truly helpless and bitter inside. That sense of powerless frustration would have weighed heavily on their hearts, making them feel extremely oppressed.

But they had Brother Qiu. With Brother Qiu's background, if he wanted to take action, these people would all die here. Even the Qi Zong Patriarch with his early-stage Celestial Immortal cultivation had been captured alive and brought back to the Mock Heaven Sect.

A giant wouldn't get angry at the provocation of an ant; he would only laugh and sometimes even be too lazy to bother stepping on them, as it would be a waste of time.

On the other hand, the young master who had been ignored by Chen Qiu and his group was becoming increasingly displeased, his face turning gloomy: "Good, good, good. A bunch of country bumpkins dare to put on such an act."

"Go and investigate these people. See which power they're from. If they're really here just to cause trouble and have no connection to any major power."

"Then don't let these people leave. Let them know that in the cultivation world, disrespecting seniors can cost you your life."

"An auction?"

As they strolled along, Chen Qiu stopped in front of an inn. In a moment, this inn would be holding an auction, selling various items like Essence Entry Slips, Heavenly Dao Treasures, and special Immortal Mansions.

"Let's go in and take a look."

Chen Qiu was quite curious and took large strides towards the inn's entrance. However, he was stopped by the inn's servant, who apologized, "Sir, we don't have enough seats in the main hall for all of you."

There were around forty to fifty people in their group.

All the core disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect were here, and with this number, the main hall indeed seemed too small.

"What about the private rooms?"

Chen Qiu hesitated for a moment before asking, still wanting to bring these disciples inside to broaden their horizons.

"There is still a box available, but Senior, the box requires verification of resources. At least 10 million medium-grade Spirit Stones are needed to enter."

"Oh."

Chen Qiu nodded and immediately tossed a Storage Ring into the servant's arms, casually saying, "There's no seal on it. Take a look and see if it's enough. Can you arrange a box for us?"

The servant took the Storage Ring and subconsciously scanned it with his divine sense. His expression became even more respectful as he replied seriously, "No problem. Please follow me, Seniors. I'll take you to the box."

A hundred breaths later...

Chen Qiu and his group were already seated in the box.

It had to be said that this tavern was truly enormous. From the entrance, it didn't seem that large, but upon entering, they discovered that the interior had many areas.

For example, there were several hundred guest rooms near the entrance.

Behind the guest rooms were more areas, such as a courtyard in the style of a club and a venue specifically for hosting various events like auctions, capable of seating over a thousand people, with a total of twenty boxes.

Each box could accommodate a maximum of 100 people.

Their box was filled with their group, but it didn't feel crowded at all.

"This is really nice."

Fat Dragon sat on a sofa made from Monster Beast fur, feeling its soft texture. He casually picked a grape from the fruit plate and popped it into his mouth, then exclaimed, "This fruit is quite delicious, Bear Gao. Take a look and see if you can transplant some for the Mock Heaven Sect. It's better than our Spirit Fruits."

"Reporting to Elder," Bear Gao replied hastily, "I'll research it after I go down."

Just then...

The scholar suddenly spotted a group of people entering the venue, grumbling and looking quite displeased. They sat in the hall, constantly shifting in their chairs, appearing extremely impatient.

These people were the same group that had mocked them before—the young master and his companions.

They were the ones whose father was the Patriarch of Chao Zong.

At this moment, it seemed like they were either upset because the boxes were full or because they didn't have enough Spirit Stones on them, forcing them to sit in the hall, which made them feel uncomfortable and embarrassed, leading to their grumbling.

"Qiu Ge, look over there."

"Tsk."

Chen Qiu glanced over casually and couldn't help but laugh when he saw the scene. He immediately waved his hand to signal a servant from the box to come over, "Send this fruit plate to the man in yellow sitting in the hall."

"Just say it's a reward for him."

"Yes."

The servant nodded and then whispered, "What should I say when he asks about your name?"

"Just say it's the Nameless One."

"Understood."

"Oh, and bring a few more plates of fruit for us as well."

"Okay."

"Huh?"

The young master, who had been sitting in the hall feeling agitated, saw the fruit plate brought by the servant and was slightly taken aback, "Are there fruit plates in the hall too?"

"No, this is from a figure in one of the boxes upstairs who admires you and wants to reward you."

"Oh?"

A flash of surprise and excitement crossed the young master's eyes. He coughed lightly and sat up straight, looking in the direction of the box the servant indicated. He gave a smile that he believed was perfectly warm and gentle, neither too proud nor too humble, and bowed with both hands clasped in greeting towards the box.

This gesture showed that he was well-mannered without being overly humble.

He felt like giving himself full marks for his well-balanced behavior.

He wondered who the big shot in the box was. The person had noticed him in the crowd and sent a fruit plate as a gesture of goodwill.

He couldn't help but ask, "Do you know who is in that box?"

The servant was about to shake his head, but he quickly retrieved a Storage Ring from his sleeve without leaving a trace. He coughed lightly and whispered, "I don't know, but they are indeed unfamiliar faces. They are not from Zhongzhou City, most likely a big shot from elsewhere."

"During the Ascension Assembly, the requirements for boxes have been raised to 10 million medium-grade Spirit Stones."

"One must have that much Spirit Stones to be allowed into the boxes."

"The big shot in this box casually tossed out a Storage Ring, and it contained over 100 million Spirit Stones. I don't know the rest, but this person is indeed a big shot. He also instructed me that if you ask for any other name, just say it's the Nameless One."

After saying this, the servant left the fruit plate and departed.

The young master was left sitting in his original spot, his eyes filled with awe.

A Storage Ring casually thrown out contained over 100 million Spirit Stones? What kind of Storage Ring was that? It was definitely not of low grade, and normally, no one would put all their Spirit Stones in one Storage Ring.

They were usually kept separately.

Having over 100 million Spirit Stones in a Storage Ring meant that this person's net worth was at least 500 million Spirit Stones.

Such wealth was already considered extremely rich.

More importantly, Spirit Stones and net worth were not the same. Chao Zong was a large sect, but for them to take out 500 million Spirit Stones at once was like a fantasy, unless they started selling off sect assets.

This person was not from Zhongzhou City, and they had come for the Ascension Assembly. A big shot of this caliber had noticed him in the crowd and sent a fruit plate as a gesture of goodwill.

Could it be that he had something special and worthy of admiration, something even he himself hadn't discovered?

The young master looked at himself up and down with a dazed expression, hesitating about whether he should go to the box to pay his respects and offer a cup of wine. But soon, he thought of a better idea!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end