Chapter 21: Dare to Compete with Long Aotian in Spending?

Chapter 21: Dare to Outspend Long Aotian?

Tai Xuzi had no reason to doubt—a cultivator who had lost their heart would lose most of their common sense, making further cultivation difficult. Even with extraordinary fortune, how could Xie Xiyi possibly defy such a fundamental rule?

Pure joy surged in his heart as he transmitted, "Drip your blood onto it, and the contract will be sealed."

Xie Xiyi extended his hand, and a qi blade sliced his finger. Blood gushed out, but it wasn’t golden—instead, it was a thick, ink-like black, carrying an extremely sinister aura.

He dripped the black blood onto the contract and chuckled softly, "Like this?"

Tai Xuzi: "Hahaha! Yes! That's it! You’ve signed it! From now on, you are my servant! You must bow to me! Do you understand?"

Xie Xiyi: "I don't understand."

His tone drawled, "Why should I bow to you? You should be my servant instead."

Tai Xuzi froze, watching as the contract flashed with golden light and flew toward him. He instinctively reached out to catch it, only to see the characters on the contract distorted by that drop of black blood—now he was the one bound by the contract.

Instantly, the roles reversed.

Tai Xuzi went pale with shock, "You! How did you do that?! Didn’t you lose your memory?"

Xie Xiyi’s voice was amused, "I truly have no memory, but I’m not a fool—Hm? You’re at the Divine Transformation stage? Ah, a split divinity?"

"Come here." He reached out toward Tai Xuzi, who soon found himself uncontrollably flying toward Xie Xiyi.

Quickly, Xie Xiyi grasped Tai Xuzi’s neck, examining him like a curious toy, "Fascinating. So, reaching Tribulation Transcendence allows one to split into a Divine Transformation avatar. Hah, you’re quite cunning, only leaving a wisp of your spirit in this split divinity."

He smiled slightly under Tai Xuzi’s disbelieving gaze, his tone utterly delighted, "But it doesn’t matter. Even if it’s just a wisp of spirit, your true form has still fallen into my hands."

Tai Xuzi: "What?!"

The black mist around Xie Xiyi’s hand faded, revealing his pale, slender palm.

Tai Xuzi felt an indescribable, excruciating pain in his Spirit—this long-refined Divine Transformation split divinity was melting away—

Tai Xuzi gasped in terror, "What kind of forbidden technique is this? You’re not at the Golden Core Stage! What is your actual cultivation realm?"

Xie Xiyi said leisurely, "Of course, I’m at the Golden Core Stage. This cultivation level is perfect. If I were at Divine Transformation or beyond, everyone would fear me. Why would they walk right into my hands?"

He laughed again, "No matter who you are, since you’ve fallen into my hands, I’ll give you a proper ending."

In his panic, Tai Xuzi’s entire body melted away, leaving only a trace of Spirit—which Xie Xiyi promptly wrapped in a black talisman ring, clasping it within his bony fingers.

The great formation continued to operate, washing away Xie Xiyi’s memories over and over, yet he paid it no mind, walking casually within the array.

The black mist produced a piece of silver metal. Xie Xiyi took it and molded it in his hand for a long while, barely shaping it into a human form. "Kinda crude," he muttered to himself.

Smiling, he infused the trace of Spirit into the puppet. Black seal chains wrapped around it, embedding several forbidden curses within.

"Success," Xie Xiyi said contentedly, holding the puppet in his hand. He instructed it, "In half an incense stick’s worth of time, call people over. The more, the better."

*

After Xie Xiyi melted his split divinity, Tai Xuzi was totally baffled.

Immortal Lord Qingxuan watched him from the side and asked softly, "What happened?"

Tai Xuzi could no longer maintain his composure and shouted, "He—he—he's no Golden Core cultivator!"

Immortal Lord Qingxuan frowned slightly, "Senior Brother, get hold of yourself. You’re only half a step away from ascension. Even if Xie Xiyi isn’t at the Golden Core Stage, he couldn't possibly beat you."

Tai Xuzi: "No—"

Before he could finish, he suddenly smiled faintly, "True enough."

He took out a command jade, which glowed with light. Tai Xuzi said in a cold, stern tone, "All divisions of the Immortal Alliance, listen up! All cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage and above are to immediately head southwest and eliminate the Ghost-Faced Cultivator!"

Immortal Lord Qingxuan turned to him sharply, his cool composure broken, "Senior Brother, why?"

Tai Xuzi said indifferently, "The cultivators of the Immortal Alliance are just cannon fodder anyway. As long as we have chalcedony, we can have as many Nascent Soul Cultivators as we want."

Immortal Lord Qingxuan disagreed, "But these Nascent Soul Cultivators are the foundation of your power in the Immortal Alliance."

Tai Xuzi said, "Enough talk. I must see him dead!"

Immortal Lord Qingxuan paused slightly and fell silent.

*

Chi Yu hurried as fast as he could but hadn’t even covered half the distance when he noticed many cultivators streaking like comets toward Xie Xiyi’s location.

Chi Yu was horrified, "They’re all going to their deaths!"

Ling Hezhou felt the same dread, "Tai Xuzi is already at the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Even if he split off an avatar, it should have been at the Divine Transformation level. How could he still lose to that monster?"

Chi Yu asked curiously, "How do you know he lost?"

Ling Hezhou said, "The fact that he didn’t kill him in one strike is already mighty suspicious. I believe many observant folks can see it."

Ling Tian said, "Junior Brother, show some respect to the Sect Leader. Don’t address him by name directly."

Ling Hezhou muttered, "...His surname isn’t Tai, is it? My father said his birth name was Yuan Qiu, not Tai Xuzi. Those who change their names and surnames like this often turn their backs on their ancestors. He’s not a good person."

Ling Tian: "...You must never say that to anyone else."

Ling Hezhou said, "I know, of course I know."

Sometimes, Chi Yu felt a sense of inexplicable comfort having these two by his side—at least in this unfamiliar place, he wasn’t alone.

His speed was quite slow compared to the cultivators flying like shooting stars around him. After all, he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and his spiritual power was easily depleted, requiring occasional replenishment.

When he finally reached Xie Xiyi’s coordinates, he felt as if the world had lost its color.

Everything was stained crimson, and the ground was littered with dismembered limbs and remains.

Countless black rune orbs floated in the air, their talisman rings rotating to reveal the white Nascent Souls and Spirits within. In just a short time, Xie Xiyi had slaughtered all the arriving cultivators and captured their Spirits.

Chi Yu was terrified inwardly, but his expression remained calm. The corner of his mouth twitched as he tried to force a smile but failed.

He stood still for a moment, steadying himself, ignoring the severed limbs at his feet, and ran boldly toward Xie Xiyi’s direction, calling out cheerfully, "Boss!"

Xie Xiyi, who had been facing away, slowly turned around at the sound. His fierce ghost mask was splattered with several streaks of blood, and his crimson ghost pupils looked even more cold and ruthless.

The thick scent of blood and killing intent made the air around him feel like a mountain of knives and a sea of flames, unbearable to endure.

Chi Yu struggled not to show any unusual expression. He lowered his head briefly, then put on a cheerful face. He took out a bottle of wine from his Spatial Ring and offered it to Xie Xiyi, "Boss, I bought a specialty from Wangxian Zhou! This is Qianshan Brew, said to be a delicious spiritual wine!"

Xie Xiyi looked down at him slightly, a hoarse laugh escaping his throat, "You’re afraid? Your shoulders are trembling."

Chi Yu: "..."

Who the hell wouldn't be scared of this?!

Chi Yu swallowed hard and said, "Being scared is normal, right?"

Xie Xiyi said, "Of course it's normal. Poor thing, it must be rough having a boss like me, huh?"

Chi Yu: "..."

Something felt off. Even though he called Xie Xiyi "boss," Xie Xiyi had never actually acknowledged it before—so why was he admitting it now?

Chi Yu couldn't help but scratch his head. "It's... not too bad, I guess."

Almost compulsively, he kept offering the spirit wine. "Boss, want to try this specialty from Wangxianzhou?"

*Interrupting the spellcasting.jpg*

Xie Xiyi looked down at the bottle. "This thing reeks, just like those cultivators."

His mood was clearly off, as if he utterly despised what Chi Yu had given him. He drew Phantom Lightning and pointed it at Chi Yu—yet the sword hummed, its tip slightly bending and veering away.

Xie Xiyi murmured, "You're being restless—"

"Don’t want me to kill him? It seems you two are quite close."

Chi Yu: "??"

He couldn’t help but take a step back.

Xie Xiyi said cheerfully, "I won’t allow it, because I’d get jealous."

As he spoke, he turned to Chi Yu. "Now run. I’ll count to ten, then come find you. You’re only at the Foundation Establishment stage—if I catch you, you won’t retain your Spirit like those Nascent Soul cultivators. If you die, you die for real. Run."

Chi Yu: "??"

A look of shock spread across his face as he tried to appeal to Xie Xiyi’s conscience. "Boss! Wake up! I’m your sidekick!"

He hurriedly took out the Memory Orb and pleaded, "Boss, these are the music compositions for today, tomorrow, and the day after—I’ll give them all to you, okay?"

Xie Xiyi: "One."

Chi Yu: "..."

Xie Xiyi continued cheerfully, "Two."

Without another word, Chi Yu turned and ran. This madman—his craziness was so unpredictable!

Xie Xiyi called out from behind, "Don’t go that way."

Chi Yu ignored him until he reached a spot where he couldn’t move forward, only then realizing Xie Xiyi’s "advice" had actually been sincere.

Xie Xiyi’s voice carried over, "So stupid. How could I have such a foolish servant? I told you not to run this way, yet you did. You have zero trust in me."

Chi Yu: "..."

I’m screwed!

Ling Hezhou said urgently, "This is an array—you need to find the core. It’s usually at the center—"

Ling Tian: "No time! Take out all of your junior brother’s protective amulets!"

Chi Yu frantically pulled out his artifacts. Xie Xiyi’s voice drifted over lightly, "Nine... ten."

"Time’s up." Xie Xiyi flew to a spot not far from Chi Yu and took out Taowu skin to wipe the humming Phantom Lightning. "What a coincidence—you’ve entered an array I modified. I’ll give you an easy death."

He said cheerfully, "I added a Netherworld incantation to this array. Those at the Foundation Establishment stage can’t reincarnate like mortals after death. Consider this my... fond farewell, my servant."

Chi Yu, hands full of artifacts, dropped them all. His mind was screaming, "I’m done for!"

He knew all too well how terrifying Xie Xiyi’s forbidden curses were. None of his protective amulets would be of any use now.

Xie Xiyi snapped his fingers lightly, activating the array.

Golden light shimmered across the formation as chains slid out from all sides, about to bind Chi Yu—when suddenly, the earth shook violently. A brilliant light split the ground open and swallowed Chi Yu in an instant.

Xie Xiyi fell silent. After a moment, he said in a tone of disbelief, "Was that... a secret realm?"

But he quickly dismissed the idea. "It was a forbidden curse."

The moment the secret realm appeared, there was the power of a curse’s rule—subtle, yet impossible to ignore.

It was a forbidden curse he hadn’t mastered. This servant of his had secrets even he didn’t know.

Xie Xiyi chuckled softly. "Interesting."

Next time they met, he’d keep him.

But he needed a reason.

Xie Xiyi glanced at Phantom Lightning, still humming angrily in his hand, and murmured, "Alright, next time we meet, I’ll keep him—as your Sword Servant."

But Phantom Lightning only hummed even more discontentedly.

Not a chance!

*

Chi Yu landed on a patch of grass. The thick vegetation cushioned his fall, so he wasn’t too badly hurt, but he still felt dizzy. It took him a while to regain his senses.

Once his rationality returned, he suddenly felt a cold sensation in his ear. Reaching up to touch it, he realized it was blood—and the earring was gone.

Chi Yu scrambled to his feet and started searching. The area was all grassland, making it extremely difficult to find an earring. Soon, he remembered something and called out, "Ling Hezhou? Ling Tian?"

Silence followed. Only the clear chirping of birds and insects filled the air—otherwise, everything was dead silent.

Chi Yu called out a few more times. Suddenly, a complaining voice reached his ears, "Hey, you—can you keep it down?"

Startled, Chi Yu turned to look. Two cultivators with loose hair in matching uniforms were staring down at him from a tree.

Chi Yu smoothly apologized and added, "I’ve lost two of my friends. I’m looking for them. Have you seen a red Soul Pearl earring?"

One of the cultivators said, "No. And I’m telling you, stop making noise. We’re waiting for the Five-Colored Lotus to bloom. It’s terrified of sound—any noise delays its flowering. Your voice carries too far; it’s already carried over there."

"Oh, oh, sorry," Chi Yu lowered his voice and continued, "Are you free now? Could you help me look for a red Soul Pearl earring?"

"Hey, are you deaf? I already said we’re waiting for the Five-Colored Lotus to bloom. Are you stupid or something?"

Chi Yu produced two top-grade spirit stones. "Help me find the red Soul Pearl, and these two top-grade spirit stones are yours as payment."

"..." The two cultivators with loose hair immediately changed their tune. "But then again, helping each other is a virtue. We’ll take the job."

One of them jumped down from the tree and reached for the spirit stones in Chi Yu’s hand. Chi Yu immediately pulled his hand back. "Help me find it first, then I’ll pay."

"Sure, man, a red Soul Pearl, right?" the cultivator said. "You're already a Foundation Establishment cultivator, why aren't you using your Spiritual Sense to search instead of crouching down like that and looking for it yourself for so long?"

Chi Yu replied sheepishly, "I haven't learned that yet."

Mainly, he appeared to be at the Foundation Establishment level, but he was actually just at Qi Refining, and he had been avoiding cultivation out of fear of reaching the Golden Core Stage.

The sky was somewhat dim, and it wasn't until the two cultivators came closer that Chi Yu noticed they looked exactly alike. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you twins?"

"Exactly! I'm the older brother."

"I'm the younger brother! Hurry up, so we'll help you look, but we still need to get back to waiting for the Five-Colored Lotus to bloom."

With that, the two cultivators cast out their Spiritual Sense, searching every blade of grass and flowers.

After a few moments, they said, "Nothing. There's nothing within a ten li radius."

Chi Yu gasped, "What?"

The older brother asked, "Which Zen School are you from?"

Chi Yu was confused, "What Zen School?"

The younger brother said, "Aren't you a disciple of the Zen School?"

Chi Yu replied, "No, I'm not!"

The older brother mused, "You might as well stop looking. This secret realm has always been unstable; the slightest misstep could get you kicked out. Your Soul Pearl probably isn't in the secret realm."

Chi Yu: "..."

He felt pretty down. The younger brother still had his eye on those Spirit Stones and came over in a friendly manner, throwing an arm around Chi Yu's shoulder. "Hey, even though we didn't find your Soul Pearl, this secret realm only opens once every fifty years. It's a rare opportunity! You could hire us—we can protect you until the secret realm opens again. How about it?"

Chi Yu said gloomily, "I just want my Soul Pearl. If it's not within ten li, then let's search the entire secret realm."

Gritting his teeth, he went all out, "Four top-grade Spirit Stones."

That's like 400 million RMB!

The two cultivators exchanged glances and whispered to each other, "Great, a high roller!"

"If he has four top-grade Spirit Stones, that means—"

"His net worth isn't just four top-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Even more! Dozens, twenties, hundreds! It's possible!"

"Who knew our luck would finally change, and we'd finally meet a moneybags! If we can't cling to that little prince, we can cling to someone else!"

"Perfect, we're going to get rich! Who cares about the Five-Colored Lotus? It only sells for 120 Medium-grade Spirit Stones at auction anyway. Forget it! Let's help this young lord find his Soul Pearl!"

After their exchange, the brothers became even more enthusiastic. The younger brother grabbed Chi Yu's hand and said warmly, "We'll help you look. This secret realm isn't small, so just stand behind us, and we'll take you around."

The older brother asked, "What if someone else took it?"

Chi Yu was also worried about that, "Then we'll take it back. Four top-grade Spirit Stones should be enough for you to use force, right?"

"Definitely enough!" The brothers beamed.

"By the way, I'm Suo Luo."

"I'm Qi Ye."

Suo Luo was the older brother, Qi Ye the younger. Qi Ye asked, "How old are you now?"

Chi Yu replied, "I'm 14."

Qi Ye: "Huh? I read your bone age; you should be 17, right?"

"Ah?" Chi Yu was stunned. He opened his system panel and saw that the number 14 had changed to 17.

He realized it was because of Xie Xiyi's array. In just a few seconds, he had aged three years, showing how terrifying that restrictive curse was.

Chi Yu felt conflicted but not entirely surprised. Their relationship was never one that could coexist harmoniously.

In fact, Chi Yu low-key hoped Xie Xiyi would die early so he could complete his mission and go home.

He quickly shook off this momentary melancholy and calmly corrected himself, "I forgot, I'm 17."

The brothers had another hushed exchange, "17 years old and at Foundation Establishment—you know what that means, right?"

"We must cling to this heavy hitter."

"Let everyone know we've clung to a wealthy patron and make those who called us penniless nobodies eat crow!"

Suo Luo said with a smile, "Come on, we'll take you to find the Soul Pearl."

Both of them were at the Golden Core Stage and perfectly capable of sword flight, so they lifted Chi Yu onto a sword and flew off with him.

As they flew, they asked Chi Yu, "By the way, what's your name?"

Chi Yu was about to answer when his gaze shifted, and he stammered, "My name is Long Aotian."

Haha, fake name engaged.jpg

"Long Aotian? Wait, aren't you a Zen cultivator? Don't you have a religious name?" Suo Luo said.

Chi Yu was puzzled, "No, my hair is a bit short, but I'm definitely not a monk though."

Suo Luo said, "That's not what I meant. This secret realm is only open to Zen cultivators. If you're not a Zen cultivator, how did you get in?"

"Uh." Chi Yu scratched his head. "The ground split open, and I was sucked in."

Suo Luo: "Oh, I see. This secret realm is very unstable; that sort of thing happens."

After flying for a while, Suo Luo said, "I can't do it anymore, my head's killing me. Switch, switch."

A Golden Core cultivator's Spiritual Sense couldn't be extended for too long; overusing it could harm their cultivation base.

So the brothers took turns, sweeping the whole secret realm from their flying sword. Finally, they came to a conclusion, "Nothing. There's really nothing in this secret realm. Of course, it's also possible you maybe dropped it outside."

Chi Yu then remembered the blood on his ear. Could Xie Xiyi have yanked it off when he wasn't paying attention?

He opened his panel to check Xie Xiyi's coordinates and was horrified to find that Xie Xiyi's coordinates had disappeared!

Chi Yu punched the panel a few times, but it stayed blank, not budging, not even showing.

Chi Yu fumed, This damn system is totally useless!!!

The brothers watched Chi Yu swinging at nothing, shared a look, and had another silent conversation, "Uh oh, there might be a few screws loose in his brain. He got his age wrong earlier too."

"We probably won't get the Spirit Stones, what should we do?"

"What do you mean, what should we do? If we can't get them now, we'll just wait. He's so generous—as long as we cling to him, won't we have a good life?"

With that, the twins radiated warmth like a spring breeze, tolerating all of Chi Yu's unreasonable requests.

The three days in the secret realm passed quickly. Chi Yu couldn't help but make the difficult request for them to check over and over again, even grilling every passing Zen cultivator they came across.

The Soul Pearl had indeed vanished without a trace. Chi Yu could no longer feel comfortable spending Ling Hezhou's wealth.

Though they hadn't found the Soul Pearl, Chi Yu still paid the twins 500 Medium-grade Spirit Stones.

After receiving their payment, the twins treated Chi Yu even better. Brother Suo Luo comforted him, saying, "Why not find someone to figure out where that thing went? You've come to the right place—our Zizai Zhou has plenty of talents and mystics, many who are adept at divination."

Chi Yu was stunned, then asked incredulously, "What did you say this place is called?"

Suo Luo paused before answering, "Zizai Zhou."

Chi Yu: "..."

Where the hell had he ended up? Wasn't he supposed to be in Immortal's Hope Land?

Suo Luo was ready to act. As soon as they left the secret realm, he dragged Chi Yu off to find someone to perform a divination for him.

They rode their flying swords like a gust of wind, arriving swiftly at the foot of a mountain. There, a kid was already waiting—around twelve or thirteen years old, with hair tied up in a high ponytail rather than left loose.

"Zhi Guan, divine for him where his Soul Pearl has gone," Suo Luo said, pushing Chi Yu forward.

Chi Yu smiled politely at Zhi Guan. "Hello, what do I need to provide?"

Zhi Guan pursed his lips, took out a disc engraved with complex markings, and gestured with a knife.

Chi Yu understood. "Drop blood onto the disc?"

Zhi Guan nodded.

Chi Yu took the knife, swiftly cut his finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the snow-white disc.

The blood quickly spread, and the disc gave off a faint glow. Zhi Guan studied it carefully, occasionally forming hand seals.

Chi Yu held his breath in anticipation and waited. After a long while, Zhi Guan finally looked up, pressing his lips together as he gestured.

Chi Yu couldn't help but glance at the twins. The younger brother stepped forward to translate: "Zhi Guan says the item isn't lost—it's still with you. But you'll need the right opportunity to retrieve it."

Zhi Guan smiled and nodded.

Chi Yu was half-believing, half-doubting.

Perhaps his doubt was too obvious, because Zhi Guan's face flushed slightly, and he looked a little upset.

Qi Ye spoke up for Zhi Guan: "Don't let his age fool you. His family practices the Great Divination Art, and he comes from a reputable orthodox sect. He's never been wrong about these things. Zhi Guan, why don't you show him another reading? Tell him about his situation."

This was a bit of a shrewd move. He exchanged a knowing smile with his brother—this was the perfect opportunity to size up their benefactor!

With Chi Yu's consent, Zhi Guan lowered his head and began calculating again.

After a while, Zhi Guan started gesturing once more—

The twins were stunned. He really was a total sugar daddy!

Suo Luo translated: "Your family is extremely wealthy, but you have no connection with your parents. You grew up with your elders. In this life, you'll have countless friends and plain sailing. The only obstacle you'll face is in matters of the heart—a great love calamity—"

There was a way to avoid it: never set foot in Zizai Zhou.

Qi Ye didn't translate that part. If their benefactor believed it and left, what would happen to the two of them?

Absolutely not a word.

Zhi Guan shot him a displeased look, but Qi Ye pretended not to see it.

After sharing a few more broad details, Chi Yu was finally convinced.

He couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. "I'm sorry! I'm actually a materialist warrior."

Zhi Guan smiled shyly.

Qi Ye said, "In that case, there's no need to worry. By the way, why don't you come study at the Zen School? It's all the rage now to come to Zizai Zhou for further study, and you're at just the right age."

Chi Yu felt like he'd heard this somewhere before. After a moment, he recalled—Ling Hezhou had said the same thing.

Zizai Zhou really was a wonderful place. The spiritual energy was even denser than in Immortal's Hope Land, and the impurities in his spiritual platform seemed to have been swept away. He felt incredibly light and cheerful.

Chi Yu was tempted.

But he was still worried about Ling Hezhou and his brother. As for Xie Xiyi—he was so tired, ugh, he wasn't in a hurry to complete the mission just yet. He needed to boost his cultivation first.

Villain, you're done for! Your personal editor has quit.jpg

He asked Zhi Guan again, as if to confirm, "Is the Soul Pearl really with me?"

Zhi Guan nodded very seriously. He wouldn't make a mistake on such a simple question.

"Alright then." Chi Yu felt a weight off his mind and smiled. "I'll study here then. But how do I get started? Do I need to pay any fees?"

Suo Luo said, "It's simple. You just need to take a trip to the Heart-Proving Platform."

Chi Yu was a bit skeptical. "That's all?"

Ling Hezhou had said Zizai Zhou was very hostile to outsiders now and hard to get into.

Suo Luo replied confidently, "That's all."

The twins volunteered, "We'll take you there."

Zhi Guan followed along as well. Seeing how young he was, Chi Yu couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle his hair affectionately. He took some treats from his Spatial Ring and handed them to him.

Zhi Guan was surprised but accepted the treats. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything, only giving a shy bow of thanks.

The twins watched this exchange and whispered to each other: "A Spatial Ring!!!"

"He's filthy rich!"

"So incredibly rich, ahhh."

Spatial Rings weren't cheap. The vast majority of cultivators could only afford low-cost storage pouches. The next level up from Spatial Rings were portable cave mansions, which were not something cultivators below the Divine Transformation stage could possess.

It seemed even the little crown prince didn't have a Spatial Ring.

"We must latch onto this benefactor!" Suo Luo said.

"Absolutely!" Qi Ye emphasized.

Their spiritual senses met in a cheerful exchange, brimming with joy.

Halfway there, they encountered an acquaintance.

Though Suo Luo and Qi Ye weren’t fond of each other, they were quite sociable and greeted the person with cheerful smiles. "Hello, Junior Brother Xuan Ji."

The man named Xuan Ji, with his hair tied up, had an exceptionally handsome face—as noble as jade mountains, as radiant as moonlight on a cold river, with a divine aura. Beneath his stern eyebrows were a pair of brilliant golden eyes, adding a touch of nobility to his otherwise simple attire.

He carried himself with an innate elegance that clearly set him apart from those around him. Hearing Suo Luo and Qi Ye’s greeting, he politely responded, "Senior brothers, hello."

His gaze swept over Chi Yu with cool indifference before he stepped aside and continued on his way.

A young attendant followed behind him, only at the Qi Refining Stage, panting heavily from the climb and repeatedly calling out, "Your Highness, wait for me!"

Without even glancing at them, the attendant hurried after the cultivator.

Suo Luo curled his lip and whispered to Chi Yu, "He’s from Dongjing Continent, said to be the crown prince of some mortal dynasty. Look at him—bringing an attendant along to cultivate Zen. Such a pampered noble."

Qi Ye added, "And I’m sure he doesn’t even remember our names!"

But Chi Yu noticed something different. "As a crown prince, he naturally carries himself with royal bearing—it’s a habit that’s hard to shake. And look, his attendant dares to speak to him so casually, which shows he’s usually kind and forgiving with his subordinates."

He sighed admiringly, "He’s a good person."

Suo Luo: "…"

Qi Ye: "…"

They whispered to each other: "Not good, he seems to like that little crown prince."

"Geniuses naturally find common ground."

"But that little crown prince is still annoying. 'Senior brothers, hello'—we have names! I’m Qi Ye, you’re Suo Luo. All this time, he’s never once used our names! How rude!"

"Let’s keep disliking him!"

"Right, keep disliking him!"

Setting that topic aside, they brought Chi Yu to the Platform of Proving the Heart, where a Zen master sat yawning. Seeing Chi Yu, he handed him a jade token and told him to enter on his own.

Chi Yu glanced at Suo Luo and Qi Ye. The brothers encouraged him, "Go on, don’t worry, there’s no danger."

Reassured, Chi Yu took the token and went inside.

Half an hour later, he emerged from the platform and noticed the brothers’ subtly strange expressions. "What’s wrong?"

The Platform of Proving the Heart was a large-scale illusion realm with a randomized process, and those outside could see what kind of illusion the person inside experienced.

Chi Yu had been assigned the Three Sufferings and Eight Sufferings—the most difficult illusion.

To Chi Yu, it felt like a gradually fading dream, but those outside saw clearly: he could let go and move on, open-hearted and pure, with the heart of a child.

The Zen master gazed at him deeply and handed him a jade token. "Go to the Way of Truth Zen Hall."

Suo Luo exclaimed, "It’s actually a Dao-named hall!"

The Zen master thought for a moment and handed him another token. "This is your dormitory."

Chi Yu accepted it, clasped his hands together. "Thank you, Master."

Suo Luo and Qi Ye were both a bit disheartened. The Dao-named halls were gathering places for prodigies, and the Zen School provided excellent cultivation resources.

Of course, that wasn’t the main point—the main point was that the little crown prince was also in a Dao-named hall! If Chi Yu went to seek patronage, he’d most likely run into the little crown prince.

Chi Yu said, "Anyway, let’s go to the dorm first."

It felt a bit unreal to him. He asked Suo Luo and his brother, "I don’t have to pay? No tuition or accommodation fees?"

The brothers understood and explained, "No need for spirit stones. Food, clothing, and lodging are all covered by the Zen School."

Chi Yu was surprised. "It’s that good?"

"Yes, actually, Zizai Continent is extremely wealthy. You might not know how expensive a single Bodhi tree leaf sells for here—it can fetch as much as twelve top-tier spirit stones at outside auction houses. Even then, it’s highly sought after but rarely available because Zizai Continent doesn’t allow the sale of Bodhi tree leaves."

Chi Yu had heard from Ling Hezhou that the Bodhi tree was the same as the pipal tree, but the Bodhi tree also had an advancement process. At its final stage, it was called Prajna, and once it reached that level, it became a sacred relic, enshrined by the Buddhist sect in their treasure pagodas.

Next, the brothers filled Chi Yu in on the benefits of the Zen School. He learned that food, clothing, supplies, and lodging were all free, and the Zen School even provided cultivation resources.

No wonder so many rogue cultivators yearned for Zizai Continent—they could cultivate and benefit from resources simultaneously, which was incredibly rare.

Having recently experienced Wangxian Continent’s "air tax," Chi Yu now felt dazed by such generous treatment, as if floating on a cloud.

He’d really come to the right place!

Now at 16 years old, he wasn’t afraid of cultivating anymore, though reaching the Golden Core in two years was still a bit of a pipe dream.

Chi Yu happily followed Suo Luo and Qi Ye to his dormitory. Before he could even enter, someone pushed the door open from inside, and the two collided.

"Sorry!" Chi Yu quickly apologized, looking up to see a familiar face—the crown prince of the mortal dynasty he’d met earlier on the mountain path. "It’s you! We saw each other on the mountain path earlier. Hello, Senior Brother."

Xuan Ji glanced at him indifferently and said flatly, "You’ve got the wrong room."

Chi Yu: "What?"

He took out his wooden token and checked it against the door number. "No, it’s this room. See?"

As he spoke, he thrust the token toward Xuan Ji.

Xuan Ji glanced down at it, his expression cool. "500 medium-grade spirit stones. You move out."

Chi Yu: "?"

Daring to compete with Long Aotian in throwing money around? How audacious!

Chi Yu happily pulled out one top-tier spirit stone, lifted his chin, and said with a hint of smugness, "One top-tier spirit stone. You move out."

The corner of Xuan Ji’s lips lifted slightly, his voice clear and cold. "Little Qiu, take the spirit stones."

The young attendant beside him answered, "Yes, sir!" darted out from behind him, snatched the top-tier spirit stone from Chi Yu’s hand, and said brightly, "Alright, I’ll move out right now! Please wait a moment!"

Chi Yu: "…"

Chi Yu asked in disbelief, "This is your dorm?"

The attendant blinked innocently. "Yes, this is my dorm."

Chi Yu clutched his chest. "Then... what about him?"

The little boy said, "The prince's quarters are elsewhere. How could our prince possibly live in such a shabby hut?"

Chi Yu: "..."

Wow!

I was deceived!

Aaaaaah!

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