15 in 1

"What blood could it have been that could cause a Three-star Earth-God Instrument to voluntarily acknowledge her as its owner?!" Chen Xiaobei gasped.

Back in the Divine Dragon Ruin, the Green Dragon Emperor and the Vermillion Dragon Emperor had to offer a blood sacrifice to the sword before having to spend billions of Spiritual Stones to unleash the power of a Three-star Earth-God Instrument.

This Qin Yitian, on the other hand, became the master of a Three-star Earth-God Instrument from birth! The gods in the heavens must surely adore her!

"I'm not sure either…" Su Xiaoman said. "I have heard people say that she's the one in hundreds of millions Spirit Sword Master! Her family and Heaven Dominating Faction groomed and trained Qin Yitian like she's the finest of treasure!"

"Spirit Sword Master?" Chen Xiaobei scratched the back of his head. "Ah, forget it. We'll never have anything to do with Vermillion Phoenix anyway. We don't need to study this Qin Yitian! Did you find anything else?"

"Yup!" Su Xiaoman answered. "Do you see that young man covered in gold and jade? He's Jiang Songtao, the only son of Jiang Fengming, an equipment crafting master! The Jiang family assets are worth over ten billion. They are considered the top-tier family in Black Tortoise imperial city! The young master Jiang must have come here himself to collect materials for equipment crafting!"

"Ten billion?" Chen Xiaobei looked puzzled. "How could an equipment crafting master be so rich? Is the equipment crafting industry that lucrative over here?"

"Of course!" Su Xiaoman nodded. "Equipment crafting master, alchemists, Traditional Chinese medicine doctors, and talisman crafting masters – these are four of the most scarce major occupations! There are only a dozen or so in Black Tortoise's population of three billion people! That's why this vast market is dominated by a few talents!" Su Xiaoman explained. "Just like your wine, they are the only family of equipment crafting master! One million for a bottle, non-negotiable! The patient had to spend money and yet they are grateful to you! How could you not earn money with this system!"

"Makes sense!" Chen Xiaobei nodded.

It was just like oil back on earth which was monopolized by the few big kahunas. The profits they earned are generous, to say the least.

Chen Xiaobei pondered for a moment and asked, "Can you give me the specifics? How high is the equipment crafting industry's profit margin?"

Su Xiaoman answered, "I'll give you an example. The market price of a One-star Earth-God Instrument is 100 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones! In reality, you only need a small number of Earth-God items and a rather large number of Spiritual items to manufacture one! The actual cost of it is probably nowhere near one-tenth of the price that they are selling it for in the market!

"Above all, Earth-God Instruments are priceless most of the time. You may not be able to get one even if you have 100 million! Normally, you can only get it if you fork out two to three hundred million. That's twenty, thirty times the cost price! Almost the entire price is pure profit!"

"That's incredible!" Chen Xiaobei's mind was whirring. "I could earn a lot of money if I open an equipment crafting shop!"

"Childe Zhufeng, calm down! Equipment crafting may be profitable but the process is very difficult!" Su Xiaoman frowned. "It could take anywhere from a few years to a decade to complete the production of one Earth-God Instrument! Say you fail in the middle of the process, all the resources and energy you invested would be wasted! If everyone could craft equipment so easily, then this industry wouldn't have been so lucrative!"

Chen Xiaobei was not discouraged by this.

He had the Earth-God grade Green Jade Cauldron and Sanmei True Fire.

Last time, it took him only six days to complete the upgrade of his Nightstalker Outfit with the Earth-God material called Milky-Wat Patterned Cloth!

Chen Xiaobei already had all the hardware to craft equipment.

The only problem was that he did not have any blueprints of the equipment!

Like making medicine and pills, only with a blueprint could he pick out the few materials or ingredients he needed and craft them according to the specifications to complete an item with a Spiritual Attribute!

Only with a blueprint could Chen Xiaobei set up an equipment crafting shop with absolute confidence!

Then Chen Xiaobei's wealth would soar, and it would only be a matter of time before he became the wealthiest person in all of Black Tortoise!

"Childe Zhufeng? Stop daydreaming!" Su Xiaoman cried. "Look over there! I'm afraid we're going to have a problem!"

"Huh? What problem?" Chen Xiaobei turned to look, a furrow creeping into his brows.

Footnote:

Body like a demon's: The Chinese describe a beautiful girl with an attractive body using the phase 'Face like an angel and body like a demon.'Chen Xiaobei followed Su Xiaoman's finger and asked, "Where are they going?"

He was referring to Du Tiannan and Yun Ziqiao who had supposedly left yesterday after the incident at the store.

Du Tiannan was walking shoulder to shoulder with the Black Tortoise imperial city tycoon Zhu Youfu, addressing him as uncle, in a very intimate and friendly way.

Yun Ziqiao had employed her good looks to strike up a conversation with the equipment crafting master's son Jiang Songtao! Whenever she had a chance, she would exchange glances at him; probably even having the mind to make an intimate move!

"Zhu Youfu was worth a few billion, and the Jiang family's assets was worth over ten billion. Either one of them can cause us major trouble during the auction!" Su Xiaoman said worriedly.

"That's very likely…" Chen Xiaobei nodded. "But the auction is about to start. I don't have time to alter the situation. We just have to be cautious every step of the way!"

"I thought you always think three steps ahead?" Su Xiaoman pouted.

"I did." Chen Xiaobei said impatiently. "This happened so suddenly. I'm no prophet. How could I have predicted that this would happen?"

"That's true…" Su Xiaoman nodded.

"Childe Chen! Ms. Su!" Master Liu Si greeted with a broad smile on his face. "The auction is going to start soon! I've already arranged two VIP seats for you. You can go in now!"

"Let's go…" Chen Xiaobei nodded.

…

Under Liu Si's lead, they made their way quickly to the auction.

The Yellow Wind black market auction was conducted in a natural annular cave.

Considering its mediocre size, it could only seat about three hundred people.

Those who attended the auction were all affluent men and women. Unless they had a net worth of 500 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones, they would not have been allowed to enter the venue!

The combined buying power of these three hundred attendees far exceeded the three thousand who attended the auction in Black Tortoise imperial city.

As usual, Liu Si was being very hospitable.

"Please, please take a seat!" he chimed.

Once Chen Xiaobei and Su Xiaoman were seated, Liu Si had his boys bring them tea and dim sum.

"Liu Si, you go ahead and do what you need to do. Don't worry about us!" Chen Xiaobei waved him away.

"There's no rush, Childe Chen. I need to talk to you first!" Liu Si leaned in and whispered, "I reserved these two seats in secret. Actually, only guests with 1 billion or above of medium-grade Spiritual Stones are allowed to sit here… So, if people do talk to you later, you have to pretend you're very rich! If the beans are spilled, I'll be in a lot of trouble!"

Liu Si saw how young Chen Xiaobei was, and deduced that he could not possibly possess wealth over one billion medium-grade Spiritual Stones. As a precaution, he gave Chen Xiaobei a heads-up just in case.

"Alright." Chen Xiaobei nodded.

Liu Si continued, "Also, please don't simply call out during the auction. If you can't pay up, your cultivation will be destroyed and be banished forever from this place!"

A smiling Su Xiaoman nodded. "Don't worry! We won't do that!"

Like Liu Si, Su Xiaoman did not think that Chen Xiaobei could have amassed so many Spiritual Stones.

Nevertheless, Chen Xiaobei was not bothered to correct them. "Liu Si, did something happen? You're here, aren't you? Why do we have to be so polite?"

"You're right!" Liu Si lowered his voice even further. "The old master will be today. I have to behave myself!"

"He rarely comes, right?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"Not rarely, he practically never comes!" Liu Si said. "He's probably here today because of Qin Yitian!"

"Qin Yitian is that powerful huh?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

Liu Si nodded. "Qin Yitian is powerful but the Qin Family is even more powerful! The old master had always wanted to expand his black market business in Vermillion Phoenix. If the Qin Family gives them the green light, then it would be easier for us to manage the black market!"

Ding Ring Ring!!

Liu Si's phone suddenly rang.

Glancing at his phone, his face scrunched up immediately.

"Old master is here! I have to go welcome him! Remember what I told you. Don't break any rules!" Liu Si reminded them before leaving.

After a few minutes, all the seats at the auction were completely filled.

As expected, Du Tiannan sat next to Zhu Youfu on the opposing side, whereas Yun Ziqiao seated himself next to Jiang Songtao in the VIP seats right in front of Chen Xiaobei.

Wounds open when meeting enemies. They had only just taken their seats when Du Tiannan and Yun Ziqiao began unabashedly pointing fingers at Chen Xiaobei. Even an idiot could tell that they were badmouthing Chen Xiaobei.

Regardless, Chen Xiaobei was unperturbed.

Su Xiaoman, on the other hand, was getting agitated. "Childe Chen, do you have a plan in mind? What if they compete against you when you're bidding for the Black Water Stone? You might lose!"

"I haven't thought of anything yet," replied Chen Xiaobei as he shook his head. "Even if they don't compete against me, there are still many who would love to get their hands on the Black Water Stone… it sure won't be cheap…"

"Then what should we do?" Su Xiaoman nervously chewed on a nail. "What if you don't have enough Spiritual Stones to buy the Black Water Stone? It's going to be really difficult to find another one!"

"I know… It's not an ideal situation isn't it…" Chen Xiaobei said. "But we can only wait and see."

"Wait for what?" Su Xiaoman asked.

At that moment, a commotion was spreading from the door of the auction into the entire cave.

"Hey, look! Isn't that elderly gentleman the owner of the black market? Liu Si looks like a little eunuch next to him!"

"Yeah! That is the master behind the scenes of Yellow Wind black market! Heaven Dominating Faction's core elder and self-titled, Xuankong Zhenren*! Liu Si is just the guard dog who looks after the old man's house!"

"Who is that girl next to Xuankong Zhenren? She's so pretty! But… somehow, she makes me really uncomfortable!"

"Are you serious? You don't know the famous Qin Yitian?"

"She… She's that Heaven Dominating Faction's core disciple? Vermillion Phoenix Qin Family's number one prodigy? Qin Yitian?"

"Yes! That's her! You better don't stare at her like that! She might just claw your eyes out!"

"No, she won't… This is Yellow Wind black market! Would she dare to fight here?"

"She doesn't have to do it herself. She just needs to say the word and Xuankong Zhenren will fight for her!"

"This woman is too powerful… Better not mess with her…."

…

The chatters continued until Xuankong Zhenren and Qin Yitian walked up to the VIP seats in the center of the room.

Xuankong Zhenren raised a hand, and the noise was instantly hushed.

"The auction begins now!"

At Xuankong Zhenren's direction, the auction officially began.

A stunningly fine female auctioneer walked on the stage. Her voluptuous body and short skirt turned heads before she even spoke.

When she did, a melodic voice greeted the audience, which somewhat lifted the tense atmosphere.

Without much delay, the auction items were taken out one by one.

While the Yellow Wind black market auction wasn't large by any means, the things they sold here were rare and premium products of impeccable quality!

The first item on auction was One-star Earth-God grade! Any conventional market would not carry this item, not even if you had the money!

Such was why only the wealthiest of the wealthy were allowed to attend the Yellow Wind black market's auction. Obviously, they were ones who had the means to buy these good quality items.

The final transaction price for the auction items beginning from the first were all well above 300 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones.

A Two-star Earth-God Instrument had even been sold for two billion medium-grade Spiritual Stones before.

Even if Chen Xiaobei did not buy the Black Water Stone, he would still be unable to afford this Two-star Earth-God Instrument.

All he could do was sigh and lament on his insufficient finances! If only. He made up his mind. Once he had dealt with this urgent matter, he needed to find a way to earn as many Spiritual Stones as possible!

Then, finally!

After all the One-star and Two-star Earth-God Instruments had all been procured, the time had come for the last epic item.

"Our honored guests! Please allow me to present today's last epic item!"

The pretty auctioneer smiled gracefully at the audience, drawing everyone's attention to the stage.

An equally attractive attendant carried a platter onto the stage, uncovered.

On the tray was a black jade the size of an egg. Water rippled on its surface, and it had a cold, dark-colored light glowing around it. One look at it could easily tell that it was definitely not a common item.

"I probably don't need to explain anything more about this auction item! Most of our honored guests today have come just for this!" The auctioneer introduced. "I would like to announce today's epic item, the Three-star Earth-God Black Water Stone! The bid starts at 100 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones! Each additional bid must not be less than 10 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones!"

Thrilled, Chen Xiaobei raised his hand. "I bid 110 million!"

Immediately, his enemy's eyes turned on him.

Du Tiannan grumbled, "Shishu Zhu! That is the asshole who humiliated me! Our families are long-time friends. You have to help me take him down!"

Zhu Youfu's thick sausage-like lips spread into a smile, "Don't worry, my dear! My ultimate target today is to get that Black Water Stone! Even if you didn't tell me that, I am not about to let that kid get it!"

Du Tiannan raised his chin and pointed a finger at Chen Xiaobei, "Hey kid, you want to buy the Black Water Stone? You've got to wait until your next life!"

Yun Ziqiao also shouted at the same time, cooing, "Songtao gege! That kid is very mean! Can you outbid him for the Black Water Stone? I really want to see his dismal expression!"

"No problem at all!" Jiang Songtao smiled. "To tell you the truth, my father recently decided to make a Two-star Earth-God instrument. He has everything he needs except for the Black Water Stone! That's why I brought 3 billion with me today! No one will be able to take it from me!"

"Wow! Songtao gege! I can tell you, that was manly!" Yun Ziqiao said adoringly.

Encouraged by the confidence boost, Jiang Songtao looked very pleased with himself.

Yun Ziqiao turned around and hissed at Chen Xiaobei, "Hey asshole! Did you hear that? The Jiangs are a top-tier family. They have really deep pockets and he's going to crush you like a bug!"

Regardless, in the face of Du Tiannan and Yun Ziqiao's taunts and insults, Chen Xiaobei was stoic with calm.

After all, his financial resource was limited. Even if he did his best, he would not be able to beat his opponent anyway. Using words to retort them was meaningless and useless.

"Great. Just great…" Su Xiaoman murmured with hints of despair. "I knew it. Showing off at this time will definitely bring trouble to oneself! We should've taken a step back yesterday. We shouldn't have made Du Tiannan and Yun Ziqiao slap themselves. Perhaps we should have all just talked it out!"

"Silly girl…" Chen Xiaobei sighed. "The Black Water Stone is extremely rare! Even without Du Tiannan and Yun Ziqiao, there would still be plenty of fat cats clawing each other for it!"

"That…" Su Xiaoman looked around.

Alas! That was the truth. Unfortunately for Zhu Youfu and Jiang Songtao, they were not the only ones as many of the guests were also eager to get their hands on this extraordinary relic.

"Young master Jiang! You are quite the madman!" A silver-haired man grinned. "Why don't you just bid three billion? I, Gui Sha will just bid a thousand more!"

Jiang Songtao swallowed. "There you go again, making jokes, Elder Gui Sha… There's no need for us to flash our trump cards so quickly, right?"

"Why not?" A bald hunk asked. "The Black Water Stone is very rare. I, Nine-Lives Dhutanga, have been waiting for thirty years for this! I'm not here to laugh and giggle with you lot! I've brought my entire fortune here today! I must get it, come what may!"

"Hehehe…." A woman as skinny as a stick laughed mockingly. "Nine-Lives Dhutanga, is your entire fortune as much as mine eh?"

"Huh?" Nine-Lives Dhutanga frowned. "Shitai White Bone! You… You too… want the Black Water Stone?"

"It's not just her… I will not give it up that easily either!"

"The Black Water Stone is priceless. I will fight hard to get it!"

…

All at once, nearly all the wealthy individuals in the VIP seats expressed a similar attitude – they all must, one way or another, have the Black Water Stone!

"Hey, asshole! You're so done! Hehehe…" Du Tiannan was still pointing his finger at Chen Xiaobei. "Silver-haired Gui Sha! Nine-Lives Dhutanga! Shitai White Bone! These are three evil persons that lead some top-tier factions! They are rich enough to go against the entire country! Compared to them, you are nothing!"

Yun Ziqiao was not about to be left out of it either. "Hey asshole! See? So many people of means are determined to get the Black Water Stone! The hammer price could be over five billion! You only added 1,000 to the starting bid! How pathetic! Wake up! This is a game for the wealthy, not a poor bastard like you!"

"It's over…" sighed a deflated Su Xiaoman upon hearing the extremely discouraging lingo.

Chen Xiaobei said nothing back. If he had had enough Spiritual Stones, he would surely have used them to smash Yun Ziqiao and Du Tiannan's faces in.

The problem was that Chen Xiaobei was simply not wealthy enough in comparison to all these magnates!

"Elder Xuankong," Qin Yiyian's eyes fell on Chen Xiaobei. "Who is that guy?"

"That's strange…" Xuankong Zhenren narrowed his eyes. "Yitian, you haven't spoken a word since the beginning and the first thing that came out of your mouth is to ask about some nameless nobody? What is it about him that draws your attention?"

Qin Yitian answered, "I don't think he's a nameless nobody! A nobody wouldn't be so calm and poised when people are mocking and taunting him in front of all these people!"

"Mm… That's true!" Xuankong Zhenren nodded, then he turned around and asked, "Liu Si! Who is that guy over there?"

Liu Si stammered, "He's my friend…"

"Friend?" Xuankong Zhenren's eyebrows went up. "I heard some chatter about how you helped a kid and caused the Du Family and Yun Family's juniors to lose face. Is that him?"

Liu Si swallowed. "You really do have such keen intelligence and excellent judgment! Nothing that happens in Yellow Wind black market can ever be hidden from you!"

"Liu Si! I appointed you to be the regulatory affairs manager because you observe the law faithfully, and because you are adaptable!" Xuankong Zhenren said. "The Du Family and the Yun Family may not be the top-tier families, but how could you offend these two families for the sake of a nameless nobody?! Be frank with me, what's so special about that boy?"

"I won't keep the truth from you! I helped him because he used a medicinal wine to cure my… injury…"

"Your injury?" Xuankong Zhenren repeated. "You mean the one you spent thousands on and sought the help of dozens and doctors but could not heal?"

"Yes… Yes…" Liu Si nodded. "His medicinal wine is really one of a kind. Not only was it excellent wine, but its medicinal properties were even more incredible… I could feel the healing happening almost immediately after drinking it!"

"It's really that incredible?" Qin Yitian studied Liu Si doubtfully.

"I would never lie to you!" Liu Si bowed his head. "This matter involves the happiness of the rest of my life. I don't simply make claims when it comes to this!"

"Alright!" Qin Yitian nodded. "I will go buy some of that medicinal wine off him later!"

"AH? No… Ms. Qin…" Liu Si shifted his weight to his other feet. "That medicinal wine is for men only… You cannot drink it…

Qin Yitian replied, "Apart from medicinal wine, his medical skills should also be pretty good, right?"

"Medicinal skills?" Liu Si quickly nodded. "Yes! And he's unusually good! The condition of my injury is embarrassing so I've never told any outsiders about it. He merely looked at my Qi, and didn't even take my pulse and he was able to tell me where am I hurting."

"What? He didn't even take your pulse?" Both Qin Yitian and Xuankong Zhenren exclaimed.

Seasoned as they were, they had never heard of such a thing.

"Yeah, he didn't!" Liu Si confirmed. "All he did was look at me. He told me about how my injury had worsen and even told me when I was injured! It was really incredible! That's why I stood by him against the Du and Yun family…"

Xuankong Zhenren nodded. "It sounds like he's a really gifted person! Liu Si, arrange a private meeting with him for me. I want to see if I could bring him under my wing!"

"Elder Xuankong! Don't you think you're taking this too a little simple?" Qin Yitian shook her head. "That young man's medical skills are rare! You could even say he's a godly doctor! If you can rope him in with just one meeting, I'm afraid there would soon be millions of people lining up to see him!"

"What do you mean?" Xuankong Zhenren frowned.

"There are only a handful of godly doctors in this world!!" Qin Yitian exclaimed. "People with such exceptional talents would never be willing to be placed under someone's wing! Being associated with him would probably be quite a feat in itself. To take him under your wing would be wishful thinking!"

"You have a point there…" Xuankong Zhenren frowned. "But what if that kid was just using some kind of illusion, a sleight of hand, and is not the real deal? Then wouldn't it be a waste of my time to show me his sincerity?"

"Since you have concerns about it, then let's make a bet! I bet that he's the real deal!" Qin Yitian declared as she stood up from her seat.

And as she rose, so did all the eyes in the cavern train on her, followed by pin-drop silence.

Qin Yitian was the only person at this auction who had equal footing with Xuankong Zhenren. No one dared to disregard her.

"Everyone!" Qin Yitian spoke in that cool, aloof voice of hers. "Can you please show my Qin Family from Vermillion Phoenix some face?"

The wealthy started to tremble in their seats.

Silver-haired Gui Sha was the first to respond. He got up from his seat and said, "You're too polite, Ms. Qin! The Qin family had been kind to me. Say the word, and consider whatever you want done!"

Nine-Lives Dhutanga gulped. "Ms. Qin, you alone can have all the respect in this world. It's not necessary for you to use the name of Qin Family! This is getting really serious. Say no more. I will grant you this face!"

Shitai White Bones answered, "Who would dare refuse to give face to Qin Family? Ms. Qin, tell me what you need! I will do as you say!"

"That's right! We will give face to Qin Family!"

Zhu Youfu, Jiang Songtao and the rest of the VIP guests had very visibly pledged their allegiance. Not one person said 'no'.

"Good! Thank you, everyone!" Qin Yitian looked around at the people. "I was hoping that all of you will give up bidding on the Black Water Stone and stop raising the bid!"

Her statement yielded cries of surprise and questions.

Qin Yitian answered, "I don't wish to explain the reason behind my request, but I can say that you will benefit well if you to give face to our Qin family!"

"I give up!" Silver-Haired Gui Sha relented.

"We… We give up too…" said Nine-Lives Dhutanga and Shitai White Bone.

The three of them had previously been adamant and dead-set on getting the Black Water Stone. Now, they gave up on a very important bid just like that because of Qin Family. One could only imagine how powerful Qin Family was in this Jianghu.

"We all heard you, Ms. Qin… We give up… too…" The rest of the bidders were not as powerful as the first three. So, they dared not do otherwise.

"Good, I thank you all, once again!" Qin Yitian turned to the auctioneer and said, "As no one is bidding for the Black Water Stone, you can close the auction now!"

"Huh?" The auctioneer was startled. This was an unprecedented situation leaving her bereft of words to announce the abrupt closure of the auction. In a panic, she looked to Xuankong Zhenren for help.

Xuankong Zhenren made no comment but turned to Qin Yitian and said in an almost inaudible voice, "Yitian… Your good faith is going to cause the auction house to lose profit from the Black Water Stone. I'm afraid this will not do!"

But Qin Yitian did not relent. "Once this matter is concluded, Elder Xuankong can claim a piece of land from us and develop it into another black market!"

"Are you for real?" Xuankong Zhenren's eyes sparkled.

"Of course!" Qing Yitian answered. "You are my elder in Heaven Dominating Faction! But in Vermillion Phoenix, I can make decisions that concern you!"

"Good! Alright! It's a deal!" Xuankong Zhenren was overjoyed. He stood up and announced jovially, "I hereby announce that the Black Water Stone is sold for the price of 110 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones!"

All of a sudden, everyone fixed their eyes on Chen Xiaobei.

Chen Xiaobei was the first to bid, and following the not-less-than-10 million rule, he bid exactly 110 million!

Then, Qin Yitian stepped in and told everyone to stop bidding. As a result, no one bid higher than Chen Xiaobei.

Xuankong Zhenren himself concluded the transaction, and the Black Water Stone practically fell into Chen Xiaobei's hands!

"My… God… Am I dreaming?" Su Xiaoman could not believe what had just happened.

Half a minute ago, she was ready to throw in a towel. She did not think that Chen Xiaobei would win the bid for the Black Water Stone.

Considering the bleakness of the situation, Su Xiaoman never expected that things would take such an abrupt 180-degree turn!

"That's not possible… it's impossible… I must be hallucinating…" Du Tiannan's finger was still pointing at Chen Xiaobei.

A while ago, he had claimed that Silver-Haired Gui Sha, Nine-Lives Dhutanga and Shitai White Bone were some of the richest evil persons in this Jianghu! He also said that Chen Xiaobei was not a nobody when compared to them.

Against the odds, however, the three bosses had just given way to Chen Xiaobei. This served as a harsh, invisible slap across Du Tiannan's face.

"Hey! Idiot! Put your middle finger away!" Zhu Youfu grabbed Du Tiannan's finger. "If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

Du Tiannan held his breath nervously.

Yun Jiqiao's face was red as a tomato, and she was shaking.

"That guy… Who the hell is he…" Yun Ziqiao's muttered through quivering lips. "Qing Yitian actually used her family name to give him extra support… and Xuankong Zhenren closed the bid… He bought an item worth 5 billion for 100 million… now that's unbelievable…"

"Stupid woman!" Jiang Songtao scolded. "You're still hung up on lambasting that guy? Do you want to die?"

"Songtao gege, why are you suddenly so fierce…" Yun Ziqiao cooed.

"Go away! Don't call me gege! We're not that close!" Jiang Songtao said. "Even an idiot knows that man is a powerful and influential individual! If you want to continue to ridicule him, that's your problem! Don't involve me!"

"I…" Yun Ziqiao inhaled nervously. Her face was as pale as a sheet. "That… He won't kill me, right… I won't do it again… I won't…"

All the wealthy VIPs started looking up to Chen Xiaobei with respect and admiration. They were all secretly trying to guess who this Chen Xiaobei actually was!

Once again, Chen Xiaobei ignored them. He paid for the Black Water Stone and completed the transaction!

Now, there was only one last material he needed before he could upgrade his Netherspirit Battlescouter.

Once he had done that, he could choose his Heavenly Path Reward, then use the Ambergris to increase his cultivation.

"Excuse me, sir!" Qin Yitian walked up to Chen Xiaobei and said, "Now that the auction is over, can we chat in private?"

"That would be an honor!" Chen Xiaobei nodded. He turned to his companion and said, "Xiaoman, go find Liu Si. I will contact you later!"

"Alright." Su Xiaoman pouted as she watched Chen Xiaobei leave with Qin Yitian.

…

In the private VIP cave.

Qin Yitian and Chen Xiaobei sat opposed to each other, face to face.

"You really are an extaordinary person!" Qin Yitian said. "Most people wouldn't even dare look me in the eye!"

"Ms. Qin, your eyes are something out of this world!" Chen Xiaobei replied. "Most people see the austere exterior and shrink back, but I see a beautiful soul through your beautiful eyes! I just couldn't stop myself from looking at you!"

Qin Yitian was surprised by his answer but she did not show it. "To tell you the truth, I don't like slippery-tongued and smooth-talking people!"

Chen Xiaobei said, "I was just stating a fact. If you think I'm trying to hit on you, then pretend I said nothing!"

Qin Yitian did not know how to answer him so she changed the topic. "Why are you not surprised at all that I helped you? Did you expect it to happen?"

Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "It was outside of my expectation but it was within my reasoning!"

"Outside expectations? Within reasoning?" Qin Yitian's eyes flickered. "Let me guess! You used your exceptional medical skills to hook Liu Si, then cause trouble to draw attention so that Xuankong Zhenren will notice you. You wagered on him helping you because of your medical skills! That was your plan, right?"

Chen Xiaobei was impressed. "Ms. Qin! It's more difficult for smart women to get married! Your guess is accurate to the T. I'm beginning to feel a little unsafe! Nothing can escape you!"

Qin Yitian ignored his compliment and continued, "You said out of expectation because Xuankong Zhenren did not notice you for your medical skills! But it was within your reasoning because I did!"

Chen Xiaobei nodded. "Ms. Qin's eyes are great at noticing details like that! I'm impressed!"

Qin Yitian answered, "Since you've accepted my help, we're considered friends, right?"

Chen Xiaobei nodded. "Of course! Here's my phone number! You can contact me anytime if you need anything! Also, it's not limited to just medical help. I'm willing to help with any other matters!"

Qin Yitian looked pleased. "With your promise, I'm not worried anymore! Oh, right! I still haven't gotten to know your name!"

"I am Chen Zhufeng!"

"Zhufeng…" Qin Yitian echoed. "If there's nothing else, I'll leave now. I will be staying in Black Tortoise for some time. I might need you to come back to Vermillion Phoenix with me later!"

"I have one question!" Chen Xiaobei took out his list. "Can you please take a look at the things on this list and see if there's any way of acquiring them?"

Qin Yitian read the list, and her forehead creased. "These are all Three-star Earth-God Items. They are about as rare as the Black Water Stone!"

"So, you don't have any leads…" Chen Xiaobei said. "Never mind, I was asking, just in case. I wasn't really hoping for much!"

Xuankong Zhenren entered the cave, and asked, "Can I take a look at the list?"

"Of course!" Chen Xiaobei nodded. "If you can help me, I will make sure to remember your kindness!"

Xuankong Zhenren skimmed the list and said, "I don't know where to get these two Earth-God medicines, but I do know where to get the last Earth-God material on the list!"

"If you would be so kind as to enlighten me!" Chen Xiaobei beamed eagerly.

The cause for Chen Xiaobei's delight was because that item on the list was the final material he needed before he could upgrade the Netherspirit Battlescouter!

He had acquired everything on the list, and this was the one last thing he needed.

"Evil-spirit Warding Crystals!" Xuankong Zhenren read the list. "This is an extremely rare Three-star Earth-God item. The chances of finding its crude ore without an owner are close to zero!"

Chen Xiaobei said, "If that's the case, then we would have to look for those that possess this item!"

"That's right!" Xuankong Zhenren nodded. "To my knowledge, Royal Dome Starfield emperor's military tag is made of an Evil-spirit Warding Crystal! During a war, the military tag would be used to maneuver Royal Dome's hundreds of thousands of soldiers! When there's no war, it is stored inside the Royal Dome's exchequer!"

Chen Xiaobei's eyes lit up. "Thank you, elder! I know what I have to do now!"

Xuankong Zhenren gave him a questioning look. "What are you going to do? Break into the exchequer? Young man, unless you have a Three-star Earth-God backing you up, this rash move is going to get you killed!"

Royal Dome's Evil-spirit Warding Crystal had been made into the emperor's military tag. They would not just give it away like that. If Chen Xiaobei wanted it, the only way to get it was to rob the treasury!

This would mean that Chen Xiaobei was at risk of making the entire Royal Dome starfield his enemy!

Qin Yitian nodded. "Childe Chen! The all the Nine Zones starfields have Two-star Earth-God Divine Instruments to protect their pwn starfield! On top of that, they have Earth-God battle formations. With hundreds of thousands of men, their combined energy would be similar to a Three-star Earth-God! Even I wouldn't dare steal from them!"

"Thank you for showing concern!" Chen Xiaobei nodded. "I know what I'm getting myself into. I will be very careful!"

"Alright!" Xuankong Zhenren nodded. "Our Childe Chen here doesn't look like someone without tact. You should know what you have to do!"

Chen Xiaobei nodded again. "Thank you for the pointers, elder. I will return the favor when I get the chance!"

Xuankong Zhenren smiled and said nothing more.

Qin Yitian did not make any more comments either.

Chen Xiaobei treated Xuankong Zhenren and Qin Yitian very differently.

To Xuankong Zhenren, Chen Xiaobei merely said that he owed him a favor. Once it was paid, they would owe each other nothing.

But with Qin Yitian, Chen Xiaobei left her his phone number, volunteering to not only provide medical help but in other areas as well!

To Qin Yitian, this return of favor itself was worth what she did for Chen Xiaobei.

Their relationship was based on an exchange of benefits, not really any kind of friendship. Reciprocity of favor was far more important in this case.

After that, the three of them parted ways.

…

Chen Xiaobei returned to Black Tortoise Imperial City with Su Xiaoman.

There, both of them parted ways, and Chen Xiaobei headed straight for Saint Duke Starfield.

He arrived just in time to meet the deadline for the second task of the betrothal contest.

He just needed to rest for a night in Saint Duke's capital city. He would then head to the castle tomorrow and get ready for the third task!

Chen Xiaobei found an ordinary hotel to spend his night.

"I have 45 days left until my deadline with Lady Nuwo! My cultivation is still a whole chunk away from the peak of Ethereal Cultivation!" Chen Xiaobei was leaning against the bed, making plans.

"To break through to God-Ascension cultivation before the deadline, I will need to upgrade my Netherspirit Battlescouter as quickly as possible or I won't have enough time! not mentioning the time I need to do the upgrade. After receiving the final task for the betrothal, I should head to Royal Dome starfield to get the Evil-spirit Warding Crystal. Everything else should be left for later!"

The deadline was getting closer. Chen Xiaobei had to map out every step he was about to make and attempt to save as much time as possible.

Luckily, everything else he had to do after that was pretty much within his control.

If everything went according to plan, Chen Xiaobei was confident that he could ensure that Saint Duke was kept away from the fires of battle forever.

But there was one thing Chen Xiaobei was not sure about.

"The core members of Saint Duke's royalty are probably having a sleepless night…" Chen Xiaobei sighed. "Maybe, as Ling Qingfeng said, they would see me as Tenshou's mole… or perhaps they would have a meeting to discuss how to deal with me…"

About ten days ago, when Chen Xiaobei and Wugui Kojiro showed up together, Ling Qingfeng had mistaken Chen Xiaobei as a Tenshou spy.

Although he was able to prove his innocence through the auction, he could not explain his relationship with Wugui Kojiro.

This was because Chen Xiaobei had used the Heavenly Dog Biscuit to control Wugui Kojiro.

The Heavenly Dog Biscuit was a top-secret affair. He could not let any outsiders find out about it.

More importantly, with the war at bay, Saint Duke royalties were on their toes, all wary. Even if Chen Xiaobei were to tell them the truth, they would not believe him.

Owing to this, he would rather not explain himself. At the end of the day, the truth – cold hard facts would knock away all suspicions!

…

Saint Duke palace's secret meeting room.

It was deep into the night, but the lights remained burning in the meeting room. All of Saint Duke's core members were present.

"No one has said anything for nearly one hour now. Doesn't anyone have any solutions regarding the latest intel?" Luo Qiongcang held a stack of documents as he said, "About twenty days ago, that kid was seen with Wugui Kojiro at the Crimson Moon Auction House in Black Tortoise Imperial City. This proves that he's really Tenshou's mole!"

He continued, "Then, ten days later, this Tenshou spy returned to Divine Dragon starfield with Ling Qingfeng and stayed there for half a month! I have every reason to suspect that this mole has formed an alliance with the Dragon Emperor on behalf of the Tenshou Emperor! They will launch a joint attack on us soon enough! I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is the final juncture between life and death for Saint Duke's royalty! If we can't come up with a solution, we'll all be dead!"

Luo Qiongcang's brows were furrowed, and his face had soured into a sickly shade of green. The imminent danger ahead had caused him to lose all the composure an emperor should have.

"Brother… We really don't know…." Luo Shanhe said helplessly. "Tenshou and Royal Dome have been allies for a while now. Then the spy had just formed allies with Neptune and Divine Dragon… That's four starfields in total who are going to attack us… We're all going to die… There's no doubt about it!"

"You mean we should just give all of it up?" Luo Quingcang bellowed. "Then why the hell are we having this meeting? Why don't you all go clean your necks, and wait for the enemy to come and chop your head off!"

Luo Puti suddenly spoke, "Calm down, father…"

"Puti! Have you thought of something?" Luo Qiongcang leaned forward inquisitively.

The other core members of the royal family sat upright in their seats as well, ears pricked up.

Since the betrothal contest plans were decided, Luo Puti had been devising plans and drawing up her strategy behind the scenes. Both the first and second tasks were her ideas which had produced effective results with very clear and well-defined intentions.

On that account, her opinions were taken seriously and highly regarded.

"I don't have a solution yet… But, the situation is not as bad as you think!" Luo Puti said. "The first task earned us a lot of Earth-God grade materials. We were able to use this month to convert them into interstellar weapons enough for 100,000 men!"

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. Luo Puti's plan had indeed worked very well in their favor!

Luo Puti continued, "As for the second task, our goal was to incite opposition between the competitors and the Tenshou-Royal Dome alliance! According to our intel, when Feng Chongwu and Yun Changxiao were hunting for the Giant Barbarian Tiger, they were interrupted by Tenshou and Royal Dome soldiers and had sustained pretty serious injuries! Their sifu is a core elder of Heaven Dominating Faction! He will definitely avenge his beloved disciples! For the third and also final task, I am setting a forty-five-day time limit so that we can contact Feng Chongwu and Yun Changxiao's sifu and invite him to exact retribution with us! Getting this core elder's support on top of the Fengs and Yuns assistance will surely boost our combat force!"

After finishing her speech, Luo Puti received looks of approval and commendation.

She was not finished, however, and continued saying, "One final thing though – Helian Tulong! During the second task, no one from either Tenshou or Royal Dome dared to cross him! This tells us that the Helian Family is extremely powerful! Making Helian Tulong the Fuma will entitle us to the Helian Family's aid! Even if a war is to break out, we would at least have a chance!"

"Make Helian Tulong the Fuma?" Luo Shanhe looked confused. "But the third task has not even been announced or completed yet. What if he loses?"

"Don't worry!" Luo Puti replied. "The third task is for the contestants to present a betrothal gift that will win my heart! This is a very subjective assignment. I just need to say that Helian Tulong's gift moved me and he'll be crowned the winner!"

Luo Shanhe praised, "Luo Puti, that is a very well-rounded plan! It seems I was worried for nothing!"

Luo Qiongchang, however, did not share his brother's excitement. "What about that Tenshou spy?"

"He probably won't be back!" Luo Shanhe replied. "According to the reports, he left the ten-thousand mountains only a few days into the second task! There's no way he could've captured a Giant Barbaric Tiger!"

"That's true…" Luo Qiongcang nodded but heaved a sigh. "How unfortunate. The Giant Barbaric Tiger is made up of treasures! If that spy could bring one back, we can exchange it for even more interstellar weapons!"

"I think he'll come back!" Luo Puti remarked. "That Royal Dome spy Ximen Shuoxue didn't capture a tiger. He'll be eliminated from the competition! That Tenshou spy is their last pawn. They won't let him give up that easily!"

Luo Shanhe frowned. "You mean that Tenshou will find a way to help that spy to get a Giant Barbarian Tiger?"

"It's very likely!" Luo Puti nodded. "Since there's only one final task left, the Tenshou will want their spy to stay in the competition to beat Helian Tulong!"

"That can be easily taken care of!" Luo Qiongcang expressed. "If that Tenshou spy dares to come back, I will kill him myself! Then he won't be able to join the final round!"

"No! Don't!" Luo Puti shook her head. "I will decide the winner for the final round! Helian Tulong will win! We cannot kill that spy so Tenshou will still think they have a chance at winning the third round! If we kill that spy, we'll startle the enemy and they might retaliate and attack!"

Luo Qiongcang inhaled sharply. "That is a very rational thought! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have even thought of that!"

Luo Puti answered lovingly, "Father, you've spent half your life in battle. You're used the direct manner of solving problems. It's only understandable that you're not used to these kinds of labyrinthine plans!"

"That's true! All these fighting and warring has muddled my old brain!" Luo Qiongcang smiled. "We are so fortunate, though! The heavens have taken care of us and our ancestors have protected us when they allowed you to return to me! As long as you are here, things will take a turn for the better!"

Luo Puti merely nodded. An empty look in her eyes and a deadpan look accompanied her pretty face where delight should have been.

Luo Qiongcang waved his hand and announced, "Everyone, you may be dismissed. We'll do as Luo Puti proposed!"

The people left the meeting room assured by Luo Puti's sound analysis and steady plan.

When everyone had left, the Emperor turned to his daughter, a solemn expression on his face. "Puti, you did very well. You were able to dispel the core members' fears with a few words! If the plan goes well, we'll be able to survive this tribulation…"

"That is my duty…" Luo Puti's tone was sharp and chilly, showing no delight whatsoever at the idea of the plan succeeding.

Luo Qiongcang sighed deeply. "I know that this must be difficult for you… this being so unfair and all…"

"It's nothing! This is the path that I've chosen!" Luo Puti said icily. "For the sake of the 13 billion innocent citizens of Saint Duke! For the hundreds of Saint Duke's Luo Family members! For the sake of my foster parents, Luo Bin and Lin Xue! No matter how unfair it is to me, it is still worth it!"

"Mm… It's good that you have straightened it out with yourself…" Luo Qiongcang sighed again. "It's late. Go back to your room and rest! After collecting the Giant Barbarian Tiger, we'll need to go to Apocalypse Starfield to exchange them for weapons! We also need to contact the Feng Family and the Yun Family, as well as their Heaven Domination Faction's core elder… For the next 45 days, we're going to be really busy and very tired…"

"I know…" Luo Puti nodded somberly before leaving the room.

She had just stepped out of the meeting room when a red spider crawled out of her pocket, and climbed up her shoulders.

"Little Hong… There are only forty-five days left…" Luo Puti's tone was heavy and burdened. The icy coolness on her face melted away exposing barren exhaustion and loneliness.

"Arrgggh! For the 80,002th time, my name is not Little Hong!" The little spider gestured angrily. After he calmed down, he pondered while asking, "45 days to what? Complete your sentence!"

Luo Puti did not understand the creature so she said nothing else and dragged herself back to her room.

…

The second morning.

Chen Xiaobei arrived early at Saint Duke's palace. After flashing his Bridal Token, he was immediately escorted inside.

All the contestants gathered in the same hall.

There were fewer of them this time around – nearly half of them were absent.

Helian Tulong was present, of course, and he made sure to occupy the prime seat in the middle. An indifferent look on his face, it was coupled with a contemptuous stance.

Feng Chongwu and Yun Changxiao were there as well except the two of them looked terrible. A simple observation would tell that they had suffered some pretty serious injuries.

Luo Shanhe was in attendance too, of course. He was standing at the door greeting the contestants. "Childe Zhufeng! You came! Please take a seat! Please!"

Saint Duke's intelligence had reported seeing Chen Xiaobei leaving the ten-thousand mountains way before the time was up. The assumption was that he did not manage to capture and kill a Giant Barbaric Tiger.

Naturally, Luo Shanhe did not expect him to show up.

Bt then again, against odds and as Luo Puti had predicted, he showed up!

"Why do you sound so surprised that I did?" Chen Xiaobei smiled at the man.

Helian Tulong interrupted with a deliberately loud cough. "Of course, he's surprised! It's a miracle that a weasel like you did not die in the hands of a Giant Barbaric Tiger!"

Feng Chongwu piped in, "I heard that this guy had only been in the mountains for only a few days before escaping the place. I don't see a single strand of cat fur on him. He must have just come for the buzz today!"

Yun Changxiao hissed, "Eighth Wangye, I propose that we check this guy's spiritual instrument storage first. If there's no tiger inside, he should not be standing here!"

Luo Shanhe nodded. "Childe Chen, since we're going to check everyone anyway, do you mind letting me check your storage ring first?"

"Of course not. Since I made an appearance here, I must be able to present a satisfactory answer to Saint Duke!" Chen Xiaobei then changed the subject, "But I am rather annoyed by the three men's remarks – I would like to make a bet with them!"

"Err…" Luo Shanhe was caught off-guard and found himself unable to make a decision.

"Alright! What do you want to bet on? I will accompany you till the end!" Helian Tulong welcomed the challenge with extreme confidence.

"Us too!" Feng Chongwu and Yun Changxiao chuckled. "Tulong, Chongwu and Changxiao, the top three in the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard! We are more than powerful enough to completely mess up your life!"

Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard

Behold, the leaderboard that included all of the strongest elites under thirty!

The people whose names were included on this list were favored by the gods and were said to have a bright future ahead. To place in the top three was even more of a privilege and honor!

Chen Xiaobei was only ranked eleventh on the board. The three men would not even consider him a worthy competitor.

None of them believed that they would lose to Chen Xiaobei's bet.

"Alright…" Luo Shanhe nodded. "Since the three young masters accept the challenge willingly, I will not oppose it. But I would like to remind all of you that while it is okay to make small bets, try to avoid damaging relationships!"

"Don't worry! My stake is very simple!" Chen Xiaobei smiled. "If I win, I want the three young masters' chairs to be thrown out!"

"What? Throw our chairs?" Helian Tulong echoed amusingly. "You mean you're sure that the Fuma position will be yours?"

"Of course!" Chen Xiaobei was frank. "Puti must be mine!"

"Pretentious fool!" Feng Chongwu hissed. "Take a look in the mirror and look closely – who the hell are you? You will never be Fuma!"

Yu Changxiao glowered, "Hey dumbass! There's a price to pay for gloating! What if you lose?"

"Doesn't matter." Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "You can do whatever you want!"

Helian Tulong chuckled sadistically. "Deal! You said it! If you lose, I will make sure that you know the price of dishonoring me!"

Feng Chongwu laughed along. "It looks like this piece of shit is dead! Anyone who dares cross Childe Tulong are all dead!"

Yun Changxiao asked eagerly, "Hey kid! Tell us, what is it that you want to bet on?"

Chen Xiaobei answered, the expression on his face unchanged. "The Giant Barbaric Tiger, of course! If I have the tiger, you all lose!"

Helian Tulong immediately protested, "That's not fair! Everyone here knows that you have had powerful backup! Even though you left ten-thousand mountains early, no one can attest to the fact that you did not get any help killing a Giant Barbarian Tiger!"

Chen Xiaobei grinned. "Then I'll add one more detail – If I can show you that I have a living Giant Barbaric Tiger in my possession, all of you lose!"

"What?!" chuckled an amused Helian Tulong who dissolved into laughter. "You captured a Giant Barbaric Tiger? Oh… This is the funniest joke I've ever heard! Hahaha…"

"Hey, kid! There is a limit to ostentatiousness and that is just stretching it!" Yun Changxiao said in a mocking tone. "No one in the Nine Zones could capture a Giant Barbariac Tiger alive and live to tell the tale! Even in Apocalypse Starfield, only one guy – the ancestor of Divine Tiger faction, had managed to do so before and that was three thousand years ago! Since then, no one has ever been able to do it! And here you are, claiming that you've managed to capture it?"

Feng Chongwu didn't bother to think far and went straight to shooting profanities. "Motherf*cking retard! A dumbass like you captured a Giant Barbaric Tiger alive? Why aren't you in heaven already?"

Chen Xiaobei did not react nor show contempt at the three men's mockery and insults. In fact, he felt like laughing. "Since none of you believe me, that will be the bet then! Follow me!"

With that, Chen Xiaobei walked out of the hall with long strides.

Helian Tulong remained in his seat, calling out, "Hey kid! Your show has come to an end! If you don't show us your live Giant Barbaric Tiger, I will hack you into unrecognizable pieces!"

Feng Chongwu and Yun Changxiao did not leave their seats either.

Such a gesture clearly displayed the confidence in their belief that Chen Xiaobei would never be capable of taking a living Giant Barbarian Tiger captive. Walking out of the hall would only be a waste of effort!

"Childe Chen…" called an equally doubtful Luo Shanhe. "If you can't do it, I can't protect you either!"

"Hehe, open your eyes and see!" Chen Xiaobei smiled, and flicked his finger.

Immediately, red and yellow lights began expanding from outside the hall, and it formed the outline of a tiger as big as a mountain!

The gigantic effigy was no less tall than 20 meters and no less longer than 100 meters!

Its limbs were like thick, humongous pillars and its fangs and claws were thicker than an adult human thigh!

The feline's long and absolutely enormous tail whipped back and forth, sweeping the pavilions nearby and sending them crumbling into the ground!

This golden-haired and crimson patterned giant of a tiger could be seen from every corner of the Saint Duke palace!

The sheer size of the colossal beast sent the palace maids and eunuchs screaming and running helter-skelter in a frenzy.

Even the soldiers on guard found no courage to draw close to the creature.

Luo Puti and Luo Qiongcang who were deliberating in the study room were startled at the sight of the giant beast. They instantly flashed out their Earth-God Instruments, ready for a battle.

Chen Xiaobei called out, "Eighth Wangye! Three princes! This is a living and breathing Giant Barbaric Tiger! If you don't believe me, come over and see for yourselves!"

"That… That…." mumbled a quivering Luo Shanhe who was standing near the door and trembling uncontrollably.

Anyone with perfectly good eyes could see that the creature standing in front of the hall was a real Giant Barbaric Tiger! The pair of perfectly good eyes would also confirm that this beast, which was equivalent to a One-star Earth-God, was very much alive and kicking.

Although Luo Shanhe was at the peak of God-Ascension cultivation with 500,000 combat power, without an Earth-God instrument, he would not be able to survive a Giant Barbaric Tiger's strike!

If the tiger fancied an attack, Luo Shanhe would not even have the time to take out an Earth-God Instrument considering they stood at such close range!

"My god… That… That is actually a living Giant Barbaric Tiger…" Both Feng Chongwu and Yun Changxiao felt their knees grow weak. All they could do was to keep themselves from falling off the chair.

It was then, in the ten-thousand mountains where due to Tenshou and Royal Dome's sabotaging efforts, both of them had nearly died in the jaws of a Giant Barbaric Tiger.

Their sifu came at the nick of time to kill the assailing tiger and saved their lives but the incident scarred them for life.

The two of them would buckle at the slightest mention of tigers – now, they were this close to soiling their pants as they witnessed the towering tiger just within reach.

"This is impossible…. This is impossible…" Helian Tulong muttered. "Giant Barbaric Tigers are wild and practically untamable! It would rather die in a battle than being caught alive by humans! This shithead has done what the elites of my family couldn't even do…"

Helian Tulong had employed many of his family's elites and two Earth-God instruments to complete the second task. The Giant Barbaric Tiger they were fighting had chosen to die fighting rather than surrender.

A very puzzled Helian Tulong could not understand how Chen Xiaobei was able to capture a Giant Barbaric Tiger.

Could Chen Xiaobei's backup be that much stronger than the Helian family?

Helian Tulong felt uneasy at the thought. He could not wrap his mind around the idea of how powerful Chen Xiaobei must be.

"Childe Zhufeng… Please… Please put the tiger away!" Luo Shanhe stammered. "It would be disastrous for our palace if the tiger becomes hysterical…"

"My little tiger is very well-behaved. None of you dare to touch it? Too scared?" Chen Xiaobei chuckled satirically before stuffing the Giant Barbaric Tiger back into his Infinite Space Ring.

Luo Shanhe breathed a sigh of relief and gave Luo Qiongcang a call to inform him not to send an army.

Chen Xiaobei returned to the hall and addressed the three young masters. "Gentlemen, as we have agreed, you do not have a place to sit here!"

Yun Changxiao and Feng Chongwu did not have to be asked twice. They both stood up immediately, afraid that if they angered him, Chen Xiaobei would release the Giant Barbaric Tiger to kill the both of them.

Chen Xiaobei ignored the two and walked up to the seat in the center. "Childe Tulong! Why are you still seated? Do you not acknowledge your defeat?"

"I…" Helian Tulong's face crumpled as if he had just tasted warm turd.

He had never had to admit defeat to anyone of the same age! Not in the Nine Zones at least! Not even in Apocalypse Starfield!

The first time he had lost to Chen Xiaobei was when the Earth-God material he brought was inferior to Chen Xiaobei's! That, to Helian Tulong, was already humiliating enough!

He did not expect to lose again this time, so soon and so badly!

On top of that, this time, the embarrassment was even worse – once he got up from his seat, he would not have a chair to sit on anymore!

He would have to stand aside!

As the Helian family's number one prodigy, the core disciple of Heaven Dominating Faction, and the champion of the Nine Zones leaderboard, Helian Tulong always had the main seat! In less ideal situations, he would at least be given the seats at the frontest!

Not having a chair to sit on was a first for him!

He had never ever suffered such opprobrium in his life!

From the bottom of his heart, Helian Tulong would rather die than concede.

But the bad name of being a sore loser was just too low a level for him to stoop to. If word got out about it, Helian Tulong's face would be sweeping the floor! The Helian family would not be able to bear such shame!

Above it all, Helian Tulong could not figure out who Chen Xiaobei was. He was also concerned about Chen Xiaobei's mysterious backup!

"Fine, you got me!" Helian Tulong hissed through gritted teeth. When he got up from the chair, not forgetting to give Chen Xiaobei the stink eye.

Chen Xiaobei could not be bothered to reciprocate. He sat down on Helian Tulong's seat and said, "Eighth Wangye, can you announce the third task now?"

"Hold on…" Helian Tulong walked quickly up to him and said, "I still have to check the three young masters' games!"

Helian Tulong, Feng Chongwu, and Yun Changxiao, the top three elites of the Nine Zones Earth leaderboard, were all standing. Luo Shanhe did not know whether he should sit or stand. It was all very awkward for the poor man.

But the moment he saw Helian Tulong staring daggers at him, he abandoned his seat and stood with the rest.

All three young masters and Saint Duke's Eighth Wangye were on their feet in the grand palace' hall while Chen Xiaobei sat comfortably in the main seat with an 'If I can't do it, who can?' gesture.

Moving quickly, Luo Shanhe checked all three storage bracelets and took the three Giant Barbaric Tigers in them.

"Eighth Wangye!" Helian Tulong said in a frosty tone. "Do you plan to take that kid's tiger?"

Luo Shanhe answered, "I was thinking about that… but the problem is… I can't control a living Giant Barbaric Tiger…"

"That's not what the rules say!" Helian Tulong was obviously very displeased with the answer.

"I…" Luo Shanhe was lost. He did not know how to handle a situation like this.

"Rules are dead. Humans are alive. We'll just be flexible and be accommodating, can't we?" Chen Xiaobei retorted.

"The second task is a comparison of strength. I definitely have the strength to kill the tiger, but since I can't turn in a living tiger, I'm willing to pay with Spiritual Stones! Saint Duke is using tiger carcasses to exchange for Spiritual Stones anyway!"

"You can pay with Spiritual Stones?" Luo Shanhe's eyes lit up. "No problem! We'll do that! We'll just convert the tiger's value into Spiritual Stones!"

With the war at bay, Saint Duke was frantically looking for buyers interested in tiger cadavers and beast cores. They would then get paid in Spiritual Stones and use them to buy weapons.

The traders were aware of Saint Duke's situation and would use Saint Duke's desperation to lower the price. Saint Duke would have to suffer some pretty serious losses as a result.

Chen Xiaobei's willingness to pay with Spiritual Stones was like music to Luo Shanhe's ears.

"The Giant Barbaric Tiger has the health of an Earth-God. You can even say its entire body is made up of Earth-God grade materials!" Chen Xiaobei said. "But, the tiger is not an Earth-God. Even if its parts are made into an instrument, it would not have the Special Abilities of an Earth-God level instrument! So, for the entire body of the Giant Barbaric Tiger, including its core, I will pay 500 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones! What do you think, Eighth Wangye?""No problem! No problem at all!" Luo Shanhe's delight was written all over his face. He had not expected Chen Xiaobei to make such a high offer!

Like what Chen Xiaobei had explained, although the Giant Barbaric Tiger had Earth-God health and its pelt and bones akin to Earth-God material, they were not actual Earth-God materials. When made into instruments, they would be devoid of Earth-God abilities.

That was why, in the market, an entire Giant Barbaric Tiger carcass was valued no more than 300 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones.

Chen Xiaobei had offered to pay 500 million!

That was way beyond Luo Shanhe's expectations!

500 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones was equivalent to 5 trillion low-grade Spiritual Stones! Even the royalties of the Nine Zones would not be able to cough up so many Spiritual Stones in one breath!

For Saint Duke, this would mean being able to equip a company of 3 million soldiers with the best weapons in all of the Nine Zones!

Luo Shanhe himself even began to question if Chen Xiaobei was indeed a Tenshou spy!

Spending such an amount would mean completely emptying the Tenshou's s exchequer and still owing a sum!

If Chen Xiaobei was the enemy's spy, why would he be willing to hand over such a large number of Spiritual Stones to the adversary? That would be extremely irrational and foolish!

"Eighth Wangye! How could you believe such sacrilegious bullshit? Don't you think you're being a little too naïve?" Helian Tulong scowled. "Even I would have to borrow from my family's fortune to pay 500 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones! How could this kid's backup compare to our family?"

"I…" The excitement on Luo Shanhe's face was instantly wiped off. "Childe Chen! You're not joking about paying 500 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones, are you?"

Clearly, between Chen Xiaobei and Helian Tulong, Luo Shanhe was more inclined to trust the latter.

In his subconscious mind, he had already pre-conceived that Helian Tulong was the default Fuma, and Chen Xiaobei was just a wretched Tenshou spy!

Luo Shanhe was now unconvinced that Chen Xiaobei could pay Saint Duke the 500 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones he promised.

In spite of knives pointed at him, Chen Xiaobei did not bother to justify himself. He waved a hand and thousands of Spiritual Stones came pouring out of his Infinite Space Ring!

The stones were as big as a fist, crystal clear and trickling with Spiritual Qi that was denser and purer than those of medium-grade Spiritual Stones!

"Good heavens… That… Those… Those are high-grade Spiritual Stones!"

The people in the hall exclaimed.

Feng Chongwu and Yun Changxiao held their breaths.

"High-grade Spiritual Stones! These are genuine, honest-to-goodness high-grade Spiritual Stones!" Luo Shanhe's cried in excitement. "Childe Zhufeng! You… You're too generous! This sum of Spiritual Stones means a lot to us! It could even help us turn the war situation around!"

Chen Xiaobei made no further comment and said, "There are 50,000 high-grade Spiritual Stones over here. You can count them, Eighth Wangye!"

"Oh… Alright…"

Luo Shanhe kept the Spiritual Stones in his storage bracelet and before confirming the sum through a Spiritual Connection.

"It checks out! That's exactly 50,000 high-grade Spiritual Stones – not one less!" Luo Shanhe could barely control his emotions. "Childe Chen! You've really given me such a big and wonderful surprise! On behalf of the Saint Duke imperial family, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

"You don't have to thank me!" Chen Xiaobei shrugged.

"No… This is impossible… I must be imagining things… This can't be happening…" Helian Tulong looked ridiculous with his mouth ajar and eyes wide open in bafflement. Hot flushes were rising from his neck to his face, coloring them a bright red.

After all, he was the one who pulled Chen Xiaobei's chains and cast doubt on Chen Xiaobei's ability to pay 500 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones!

50,000 high-grade Spiritual Stones was equivalent to 500 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones, which in turn, carried the value of a whopping 5 trillion low-grade Spiritual Stones!

Out of the three types of stones, high-grade Spiritual Stones were the scarcest and the rarest.

There was practically none to be found in the nine major starfields.

Even in Apocalypse Starfield, only in Green Dragon continent was the stone a more common thing. The high-grade Spiritual Stones were not within sight in Vermillion Phoenix, White Tiger nor Black Tortoise.

Even if Helian Tulong had an extra brain, he would never have guessed that Chen Xiaobei actually possessed 50,000 high-grade Spiritual Stones!

In fact, Chen Xiaobei did not appear to be afflicted nor disinclined to give up the 50,000 high-grade Spiritual Stones! He gave the impression of someone who had only taken out 5 low-grade Spiritual Stones!

Helian Tulong found himself questioning if even the wealthiest of the wealthy in Apocalypse Starfield could have done what Chen Xiaobei did without being the slightest bit affected.

What he did not know, was that Chen Xiaobei considered giving the 50,000 high-grade Spiritual Stones to Saint Duke as giving it to Luo Puti. Such was why Chen Xiaobei did not so much as blink.

Moreover, Chen Xiaobei still had another 50,000 high-grade Spiritual Stones, 508.9 million medium-grade Spiritual Stones, and roughly 160 million low-grade Spiritual Stones in his Infinite Space Ring.

Chen Xiaobei was loaded. That 50,000 high-grade Spiritual Stones was a negligible sum to him.

"Alright! Now that we're done with that, can you please announce the third task now?" Chen Xiaobei asked Eighth Wangye.

"Of course! Yes, of course!" Luo Shanhe could not stop smiling. "The third task is very simple. All you need to do is prepare a dowry or betrothal gift. You have forty-five days to complete this task. The person whose gift can win Princess Puti's heart will become Saint Duke's Fuma!"

Feng Chongwu frowned. "This task sounds easy, but in reality, it's very difficult. How are we supposed to know what Princess Puti likes?"

Yun Changxiao nodded in agreement. "Yeah. And there are too many variables for something like this. The final winner will be decided by Princess Puti alone. That doesn't sound very fair!"

"Heh, this task is simple! Saint Duke's biggest threat right now is Tenshou and Royal Dome! My family can help Saint Duke eliminate these threats!" Helian Tulong announced confidently. "Even if I return 45 days later, empty-handed, Princess Puti will still choose me to be the Fuma! Our Helian family's resources and connections are the best betrothal gifts! Hahaha…"

Helian Tulong left the hall, still laughing vaingloriously.

Luo Shanhe stifled a gasp. He did not think that Helian Tulong would be smart enough to read Saint Duke's mind.

Feng Chongwu and Yunchangxiao looked at each other and came to the same conclusion that even if the both of them participated in the final round, it would only be for mere formality!

They all knew that Helian Tulong was right, and conceded to that fact.

Chen Xiaobei was not concerned about the third task at all. In fact, he was very hopeful. "Eighth Wangye! Will Princess Puti appear in person on the day of submission?"

Luo Shanhe nodded. "Yes, Princess Puti will be here in the flesh to choose the Fuma of her favor!"

This was the answer that Chen Xiaobei had been hoping for.

"Alright, see you in 45 days!" Chen Xiaobei's smile was wide and beamy. "I'll be bringing a betrothal gift that will shock the entire Nine Zones!"

After that, Chen Xiaobei left, leaving behind a stunned Luo Shanhe. He wondered what Chen Xiaobei was going to bring along with him.

Could it be a generous gift? Or perhaps an interstellar earth-shattering battleship?

…

Chen Xiaobei made his way to Royal Dome where Ximen Shuoxue was waiting.

The name Childe Zhufeng was beginning to be known and the Royal Dome intelligence agency had acquired Chen Xiaoebei's picture.

For the ease of travel, Chen Xiaobei made sure to make a new mask and put on a disguise, creating a whole new identity to enter into Royal Dome without much suspicion.

Upon walking the streets of Royal Dome capital city, Chen Xiaobei's impression could only be summed up as one word – chaotic.

So, he asked his companion, "Royal Dome should be the most prosperous and orderly in all of the Nine Zones, right? Why is the capital city in such a mess?"

"That's simple!" Ximen Shuoxue answered in a whisper. "About ten days ago, I poisoned Royal Dome's current ruling prince. This is already the second prince who has been assassinated in a short few months! The upheaval from the previous prince's death hasn't even subsided when this mishap struck again! That's why this place is in chaos!"

"Tell me more in detail!" Chen Xiaobei demanded.

"While the imperial court and the public were still in shock, the high officials and nobles secretly banded up and are attempting to crown a new prince. The people panicking at a rumor that's being passed on the streets right now. They say the death of both the princes was the result of internal strife within the imperial court. There was even talk that the emperor might be murdered and the old dynasty would be replaced with a new one!"

Ximen Shouxue looked uneasy and continued. "The military is unstable. The 10 million Royal Dome soldiers know that the enemy's spy in hiding inside Royal Dome. If a war breaks out, chances are that they won't even get to fight. The imperial court, the people, the military – these three are the foundations that make every starfield! With its foundation wobbling, how could Royal Dome be not thrown into chaos? This is why the imperial court has called off the second-joint attack! The war would have to wait for a while!"

"Very good!" Chen Xiaobei nodded approvingly. "That is exactly what I need! This makes things easier for me!"

"Childe Zhufeng, you haven't told me what you plan to do here in Royal Dome."

"There will be three jobs that need to be done! We'll do them one by one!" Chen Xiaobei answered.

"The first one has to do with the prince who was assassinated!"

"It's related to the dead?" Ximen Shuoxue scratched his head.

"That former prince married Saint Duke's fake princess! She was the one who killed him! The two people who came with her are our first objective!"

"I got it!" Ximen Shuoxue raised his hand. "Her foster parents Luo Bin and Lin Xue! When that pseudo-princess was favored, these two people were given very high positions in the capital city. On New Year's Day, my family even had to bring gifts and visit them!"

"Are they dead or alive?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"Very much alive!" Ximen Shuoxue was very sure of it. "These two have been locked up in the deepest parts of the warden's prison. Royal Dome is going to use them as hostage to blackmail Princess Puti!"

"Let's go!" Chen Xiaobei said. "Our first mission is to save these two people!"

"But… How…" Ximen Shuoxue frowned. "The prison holds some of the most dangerous and important criminals. Not only is it heavily guarded by soldiers, but it's also protected by a formation! In the event of a break-in, all the elites of Royal Dome capital city will rally there! We won't be able to escape!"

"You don't have to try to convince me!" Chen Xiaobei almost shouted. "No matter how difficult or how dangerous it is, I have to save Luo Bin and Lin Xin from that prison!"

"But why?!" Ximen Shuoxue looked at his master quizzically. "Being absolutely honest, Luo Bin and Lin Xue are just the right-hand people of the Saint Duke imperial court! They have no blood relation whatsoever with Princess Puti! They are useless as hostages against Saint Duke! Childe Zhufeng, you don't have to risk your life to save them!"

"You don't understand! To Puti, her foster parents were more like her real parents than her actual parents, not to mention more important too!" Chen Xiaobei sighed. "Back on earth, in her arduous search for her foster parents, Puti's entire temperament changed, and her youth was sacrificed. She never stopped searching though. In the end, after a life-risking expedition, she finally found where her foster parents had been all this time! Unfortunately, when she came to Saint Duke, Luo Bin and Lin Xue were at Royal Dome! As a result, she never got the chance to see them. Her only wish has not been realized even after so many years. If I don't save Luo Bin and Lin Xue, Puti's entire effort would have been wasted! She would be very sad. She might even suffer a complete breakdown! As her man, I am responsible for her wellbeing. I have to help her achieve her greatest wish!"

Hence the saying, 'To put oneself in another's shoes'– if Chen Xiaobei was the one who lost his parents, he would have turned the world upside down and butcher every single one of his enemies!

That was why Chen Xiaobei had to rescue Luo Bin and Lin Xue. He wanted to fulfill Puti's longstanding wish, and protect her so that she would not have to go through all the pain and suffering again.

Ximen Shuoxue still looked worried. "I understand your reasons for doing it but Royal Dome's prison is not your everyday kind of dangerous! If we go in, not only will we be unable to save anyone, but we might even trap ourselves inside!"

Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "You don't have to come. I can get it done myself!"

"No… I'm not afraid of death…" Ximen Shuoxue said. "If you have decided, I will follow you to the end!"

Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "I didn't mean that you're afraid to die. It's just that I have no need of you! All you need to do now is to bring me to the prison! Keep your phone on. I will tell you the plans for our second mission later!"

"Understood…" Ximen Shuoxue nodded.

Although he was still worried about Chen Xiaobei's safety, the Heavenly Dog Biscuit he had eaten caused him to be 100% loyal and obedient to Chen Xiaobei. He had to follow Chen Xiaobei's wishes unconditionally!

…

Ximen Shuoxue was very familiar with Royal Dome capital city and quickly led Chen Xiaobei to his destination— Royal Dome's prison.Childe Zhufeng, we're here! There are 8,000 soldiers inside and outside guarding the 3-kilometer perimeter around the prison. There is also a hidden alarm formation. It's impossible to get inside!" Ximen Shuoxiao said grimly. "On top of that, if you get caught entering or leaving, you'll be surrounded by dozens of prison wardens! Even a fly wouldn't be able to escape!"

"Okay." Chen Xiaobei nodded. "Go wait for me in a safe place. I'll contact you when I'm done."

Chen Xiaobei put on his upgraded Nightstalker outfit.

"That…" Ximen Shuoxue gasped.

"Bye." Chen Xiaobei stepped forward and the surface of the Nightstalker outfit rippled.

Like a chameleon, the pure black Nightstalker outfit took on the colors of its environment. However, when compared to the reptile, it was way more realistic and blended better with the surroundings.

After that, Chen Xiaobei put on a ghost mask which was perfectly camouflaged as well.

He was now almost completely invisible. It was certainly not an exaggeration to say that unless someone touched him, no one would be able to tell that he was there. The camouflage effect of the Nightstalker's new Special Ability and its stealth were pretty much the same.

But before the upgrade, however, the Nightstalker outfit's disguise did not work during the day. After the Milky-Way Patterned Cloth was incorporated into the original Nightstalker outfit, that no longer was a problem. It offered a flawless cover that even allowed its user to attack in camouflage mode! Similar to the Trump Card Assassin, it was extremely lethal and deadly.

…

In the next instant, Chen Xiaobei leaned against the corner of a wall and slipped into the prison without anyone even noticing!

In stealth mode, the Nightstalker outfit's appearance was not constant.

Owing to this, as Chen Xiaobei moved along the wall, his outfit would change rapidly to mimic the patterns of the bricks on the wall. The effect that it produced was flawless.

Dressed in the Nightstalker outfit an paired with boots and gloves, Chen Xiaobei was as silent as the night even when he shuffled along the ground hurriedly.

While the prison was teeming with soldiers and guards, no one noticed Chen Xiaobei's presence.

Making his way inside, Chen Xiaobei used his Golden Gaze Fiery Eyes to steer clear of all the formations, doing all that without breaking a sweat.

The task of getting into the prison might be an impossible feat for most people, but with these two cheat codes – the Nightstalker outfit and the Golden Gaze Fiery Eyes – it was child's play.

Even with all the cheats considered, the process of searching for the right people took Chen Xiaobei quite a bit of time. He had practically never met Luo Bin and Lin Xue before and was forced to inspect each cell one by one.

Fortunately, Chen Xiaobei had been informed that due to Luo Bin and Lin Xue's special identity, they were locked up together in the deepest parts of the prison. It was obvious then, that a man and a woman sharing a cell in this place was out of the ordinary. This logic helped Chen Xiaobei to identify Luo Bin and Lin Xue.

On top of that because of the airtight security in the prison, the chances of intruders getting in were practically zero! Naturally, there should be no one guarding the surroundings of the cell.

"Xiao'er!" Chen Xiaobei thought in his mind before Xiao'er flew out of the Myriad Beasts Ring onto the lock of the prison door. It took the creature only a minute to chew into the Earth-God material alloy lock.

"Bro Bei! Bro Bei! I got through!" Xiao'er punched the air excitedly. "Your ring is incredible! I'm not even at Ethereal Cultivation yet! Isn't that awesome? Hurry! Put me back! I want to continue my sleep… Oh, I mean… cultivate!"

"Lazy bug!" Chen Xiaobei laughed and returned Xiao'er into the Myriad Beasts Ring.

The Myriad Beasts Ring really was quite something. Its user or owner only had to put in Spiritual Stones to increase the healing process and cultivation speed of the Spiritual Beasts! Best of all, it allowed Chen Xiaobei to bring his Spiritual Beasts with him wherever he went! It was a very practical tool!

Chen Xiaobei gingerly pushed open the unlocked door, tiptoed inside and then quietly closed the door behind him. Although he had already seen the condition of the cell earlier on, the sight of it up close had Chen Xiaobei burning with anger. The cell was dark, damp and smelled of stale blood and rotten food.

Both a man and woman were tied to a cross with their heads drooping and their breathing labored. They showed no response upon Chen Xiaobei's entrance. Their condition could only be described as 'completely covered in blacks and blues'!

Wounds, large and small, carpeted their skins. There was not a patch of skin on them that was left unscathed.

Even the ragged prison clothes they were wearing were discolored with large blotches of black. The stains were not from dirt but the result of being soaked, again and again, in blood. Each new layer caked over the old so much so that the red had continued to darken until no longer recognizable as blood.

In the months they had spent inside this prison, they were made to suffer barbaric tortures which left them barely alive! If it were not for the fact that the Royal Dome authorities wanted to use them as hostages, they would have been tortured to death.

"F*cking Royal Dome dogs! They are monsters! If Puti sees this, her heart will surely break…" Chen Xiaobei let his words trail off. He could hear the blood rushing up his head, burning hotly in his ear.

If Chen Xiaobei's parents were the ones put through the same torture, he would have wiped out the entire Royal Dome capital city and eradicate from them from the universe!

Luo Bin and Lin Xue were more important to Puti than her birth parents.

If she had seen the condition they were in, Luo Puti would go into a mindless rage and do something even crazier than what Chen Xiaobei would have done! That was exactly why Chen Xiaobei had to rescue Luo Bin and Lin Xue.

Ensuring their safety would mean giving Luo Puti peace of mind so that she would not need to endure another round of emotional hurt and suffering again.

Chen Xiaobei cut the prisoners free with his Dragon's Edge.

Astonishingly, even the loud sounds of chains clattering did not wake them. It was plain to Chen Xiaobei that their injuries must be extremely severe. He took out about a dozen Taiyi Life Enhancement pills and a dozen more Spiritual Medicine and began to treat them.

"It's alright… You'll both be alright…" Chen Xiaobei muttered under his breath; the grizzled expression on his face reflecting the grim, unlit room.

Luo Bin and Lin Xue were hurt badly. An ordinary doctor would definitely not attempt to cure them. Instead, they would have advised the patient's family to prepare for their funeral. Luckily, Chen Xiaobei was known as a godly doctor. He could basically cure any injury with the medical knowledge and Spiritual Medicine that he possessed. Most importantly, as Luo Bin and Lin Xue were not yet too powerful, that could only mean Chen Xiaobei's Taiyi Life Enhancement Pill would work very well on them.

Immediately, Chen Xiaobei fed them a Taiyi Life Enhancement Pill each. After that, he crushed the rest mixing them with other Spiritual Medicine. He then applied the crushed medicine on their wounds. At the same time, Chen Xiaobei applied employed his acupuncture skills to cure their internal injuries. All things considered, everything had gone really smoothly.

Considering Luo Bin and Lin Xue's large number of severe injuries, it took Chen Xiaobei three full hours to cure them completely. In the midst of curing them, he could barely control his anger. From their life-threatening injuries, he saw that whoever who tortured them must have been inhumane. Luo Puti's family was now Chen Xiaobei's family as well. His anger had motivated him to make Royal Dome pay dearly for what they did.

"Erm…"

Cough…

Cough…

"We are… still… alive…"

Slowly, Luo Bin and Lin Xue regained their consciousness. The first thing that they did was look at each other. Both of them seemed to have a hard time believing that they were still alive.

"You… Who are you?" asked Luo Bin.

"My name is Chen Xiaobei… And, I'm a friend of Luo Puti from Earth."

Chen Xiaobei then took off his mask to let Luo Bin and Lin Xue look at him.

"Puti…"

Luo Bin was shocked at first before it slowly turned to sadness.

"Where is Puti now? How is she doing? Did she get herself involved in the Nine Zones conflict? I have not seen her for a few years. I think she should be taller now, right? And, I'm pretty sure she's even prettier now!" asked Lin Xue.

Though Lin Xue was Luo Puti's stepmother, the love that she had towards her was definitely unquestionable. The first thing that she asked when she regained her conscious was about Luo Puti. Lying beside her, Luo Bin did not say a single word. Staring at Chen Xiaobei, Luo Bin was hoping he would tell them something about Luo Puti. One could see that the two of them cared about Luo Puti more than themselves. For the sake of Luo Puti, they had decided not to have their own kids. That explained why she looked for them so frantically when she found out they had gone missing.

Chen Xiaobei was the kind of person that cared a lot for family love. He knew what the love between Luo Puti and her parents was like.

"The two of you, please don't worry! Puti is alive and well! She is now back in Saint Duke. Also, her princess title is hers once again! Tenshou and Royal Dome have not launched any attacks on Saint Duke so far, so Puti is absolutely safe! The moment the two of you step foot in Saint Duke, you will be able to reunite with her!"

"This is great…. This is really great! Puti is fine!"

Lin Xue and Luo Bin could not help but let out tears of joy.

"Childe Chen! Thank you so much for risking your life to save us! And thank you for telling us about Puti's wellbeing. We will repay your kindness in our next lives!" said Lu Bin.

"Uncle Luo, why would you say something like that? I will definitely bring both of you back to Saint Duke safe and sound! There are good lives waiting for you guys!"

"Childe Chen, you don't have to comfort us. Royal Dome's security is extremely tight! It will be almost impossible to bypass all of them! Besides, the two of us are seriously hurt! Coming along with you will only slow you down!"

"That's right… We are happy to know that Puti is doing fine… Now, we can finally die in peace… Childe Chen, please be safe! You don't have to worry about us anymore!" said Lin Xue.

"So, you find it hard to believe that I can bring the two of you out of this place safe and sound huh?"

Immediately, Chen Xiaobei took out his Verdant Emperor's Divine Gourd from his Infinite Space Ring.

"Please just come with me! I will definitely make sure that you can reunite with Puti! And I will solve the conflict in the Nine Zones! I will make sure that Saint Duke will get to enjoy permanent peace!"

"How… How is that even possible?"

It was hard for them to imagine a youngster like Chen Xiaobei could deliver on what he just promised.

"Please… come inside the gourd first!"

Chen Xiaobei opened the gourd and both of them were sucked in. Knowing that they were now safe, Chen Xiaobei could finally carry out the next step of his plan. He then took out his cellphone to contact Ximen Shuoxue.

"Childe Chen! Is everything okay on your side? Do you need me help?" asked Ximen Shuoxue in a nervous manner.

"Everything is okay here! Next, we have to execute the second step of our plan! I need you to step out right now and pay attention to the palace. Follow Royal Dome's emperor the moment he comes out of the palace!"

"What?! Childe Chen, how did you know the emperor is coming out? I have not received such news…"

"Just trust me! I will contact you again later!"

After that Chen Xiaobei hung up the call, put on his mask, and took out his Chaos Blood Sword. It seemed that a storm was brewing, coming right at Royal Dome.

Swoosh…

Chen Xiaobei withdrew ten million low-grade Spiritual Stones from his Infinite Space Ring.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

After he crushed all of it, an ocean's worth of Spiritual Qi was unleashed. Immediately, the Chaos Blood Sword absorbed all of it. Amongst all of the ring's items, the Chaos Blood Sword, Blood God's Deity Killing Painting, and Ying Zhen's Black Coffin had absorbed a million Spiritual Stones before. That would also mean the attack that Chen Xiaobei had unleashed earlier was worth around two million low-grade Spiritual Stones!

Right now, it had absorbed another ten million Spiritual Stones. In other words, it could unleash another 12 hits, giving it the strength of a One-star Earth God!

"It's time to avenge Puti's stepparents!"

Chen Xiaobei walked out of the prison cell and prepared to unleash all his rage on enemies that he was about to encounter.

"My sword will rise from the abyss and blood will spread in Royal Dome!" shouted Chen Xiaobei and dashed at his enemies.

Swoosh!

The sound of dragons resonated through the air. Chen Xiaobei's intense ferocity had spread to every corner of the building. The ice-cold prison had now turned into a living hell!

Swish!

Chen Xiaobei swung his Chaos Blood Sword. The Sword Qi exuding from it gave the impression that a demon overlord was ready to tear the space into half!

ROAR!

ROAR!

ROAR!

Seconds later, the Sword Qi became nine Crimson Dragons, seemingly strong enough to be able to turn the entire prison into ashes!

Rumble…

The walls crumbled and the floors cracked open! It was as if the entire prison had just experienced a most terrible earthquake! Before anyone could realize it, the whole place had turned into a ruin! Naturally, all its prisoners were now buried under all those broken walls. Of course, their injuries were not as severe as Luo Bin and Lin Xue. With their high cultivation, they would live. The reason why Chen Xiaobei destroyed the entire prison was to simply create confusion. Now that most of the prisoners were buried, Royal Dome would have a hard time looking for the whereabouts of Luo Bin and Lin Xue. Of course, the officers would not know Chen Xiaobei had already long rescued them.

Swish!

After the prison was destroyed, the nine Crimson Dragons combined into one humongous Crimson Dragon that possessed an outlandishly powerful Sword Qi! At the same time, the Chaos Blood Sword consumed millions more of Spiritual Qi to infuse the force of Earth-God into the Sword Qi! Chen Xiaobei then struck the warden's building with all his might!

As the dust cleared, an abyss dozens of meters deep could be seen where Chen Xiaobei had struck. With the Sword Qi in dragon-form continuing its charge forward, the abyss was still extending.

BAM!

Rumble!

The castle-like structure in front of Chen Xiaobei had now been slashed into half! The two halves of the building then lost their balance and collapsed to the ground.

"Oh god… What is going on? Why has the great hall collapsed?! There are at least a few hundred officers still inside the building!"

Outside the building, all 8,000 Royal Dome soldiers screamed in shock. Before the building collapsed, all of them were carrying out their duties at their own posts. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of residents from the Royal Dome's capital city sensed that something had gone wrong with the warden building. One should know that this building was one of the most important places in the Royal Dome's capital city.

Seeing that the building had been destroyed by Chen Xiaobei with his sword, it had brought great shame to the Royal Dome's royal family. In other words, Chen Xiaobei had just declared war on the entire Royal Dome Starfield!

Red alert!

Red alert!

Red alert!

The sound of alarms going off had ceased the silence of the capital city. Unquestionably, every single soldier and elite would flood the warden building within the next minute. The first force of fighters that would reach to fight Chen Xiaobei would be the 8,000 Royal Dome soldiers and elites that stationed at the warden building.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

The sound of a series of explosions could be heard coming out from the ruin. Hundreds of officers that worked in the building were walking out from the ruin. These were officers that managed to survive the attack and were at least elites with Celestial Cultivation! Amongst them, there were a handful of elites with Ethereal Cultivation and three elites with God Ascension Cultivation!

"Elder Ming! What… What is going on right now?" asked a God-Ascension cultivation Earth God in a polite manner.

"The attack that hit the building was at least at Earth-God level, and I have never seen such powerful Sword Qi before! Whoever that unleashed this powerful attack must have been extremely powerful!" replied Elder Ming.

"No way! Elder Ming, you are now 500 years old! You are far more experienced than all of us here! How is it possible that you have never seen anything like that?" asked another Earth-God with crimson armor.

"I believe our attacker is from Apocalypse Starfield or perhaps the Earth-God Realm! Of course, I have never seen anything like it!"

"I see now! I thought Luo Qiongcang from Saint Duke Starfield had come here to rescue his people!" said another Earth-God clad in black armor.

"Luo Qiongcang? He does not have the guts to do so! He only has two Two-star Earth-God items! We have three with us here! With the Spiritual Qi that we own, Luo Qiongcang would only end in death if he dares to come here!"

"That's right! We can capture him if he comes here! We will torture him like how we tortured Luo Bin and Lin Xue! I… Ahhh…!"

Before Elder Ming could finish his sentence, he let out an agonizing scream.

Phissh!

A black saber penetrated his back and came flying out of his chest.

"You… Who are you…" asked Elder Ming while turning around to look at his back.

"Me? I'm the ghost that haunts you!" said Chen Xiaobei with a mask on him.

"Ghost… That haunts me?!"

Elder Ming had allowed fear to take over him completely. With his heart penetrated, his Blood Qi's flow was completely blocked. Now, there was no way he could attack Chen Xiaobei since he was on the verge of dying. Death was the only thing that awaited him.

Swish!

Without saying a single word, Chen Xiaobei exerted his full strength into his saber and severed Elder Ming into half.

"Oh god… This… This… This…"