Qi Ling-er discreetly snuck a glance at Zhang Xuan, but the latter showed no hints of wanting to reveal himself at all. While feeling impressed by the young man’s humility, she pondered for a moment before adding, “I got it through a friend for quite a hefty price. Each of them costs 1500 Divine Coins, and they aren’t readily available on the market either.”
“1500 Divine Coins? That’s not expensive at all. Tell your friend that our Qi Clan will take whatever all Beauty Pills he has in the future!” the middle-aged man said with a grand wave of his hand.
Even though the effects of the pills on him was limited, the fact that it had any effect at all was terrifying in itself.
One must know that the only one within the Qi Clan who was capable of doing the same was likely to just be the old ancestor.
If he could monopolize the distribution of the Beauty Pills to just within the Qi Clan, it shouldn’t take too long for the Qi Clan to rise through the ranks!
“I understand,” Qi Ling-er nodded.
She didn’t really expect the clan head to become the greatest buyer of their Beauty Pill. She flicked her wrist and took out the remaining Beauty Pills she had inside her storage ring, “I still have 14 of them here.”
“I’ll take all of them,” the middle-aged man said.
He took the jade containers from her and stashed them into his own storage ring before flicking his finger lightly.
In the next moment, Qi Ling-er sensed an additional 22,250 Divine Coins in her card.
The clan head had paid her for the Beauty Pill she had offered up to him as well. It would be beneath a God King to take advantage of a junior too.
“Thank you, clan head!” Qi Ling-er bowed deeply.
The true value in this transaction lay not in the money but the attitude of the clan head. Now that she had been given the Lucid Lunar Market, money would simply roll into her pockets even if she did nothing at all. However, the fact that she was in a business relationship with the clan head would increase her say in the Royal City greatly.
Those who intended her and her lineage harm would have to think twice before pulling off anything, or else she could possibly tap into this relationship to give them hell to pay for.
Nodding quietly, the clan head waved his hand to dismiss them before walking away.
He still had quite a few internal traumas that needed to be treated, so he was intending to find a quiet place to consume them. Perhaps, he might be able to further his cultivation a little.
It was impossible for him to become a Conferred God King anymore, but at the very least, he could become one of the top experts amongst the God Kings.
“Clan head…”
Qi Xun-er fell silent.
She thought that the clan head would punish Qi Ling-er sternly after ratting out on her, condemning the latter to a place where she would never see the light of the day. Yet, the tables turned on them. They ended up sustaining great losses instead.
Putting everything aside, the annual dividends from the Lucid Lunar Market was more than enough for a lineage to live extravagantly for decades.
And this was putting aside the influence and power that came from having the position. Where the money flowed, connections would follow.
“Qi Ling-er, you must be really smug right now. I don’t know what tricks you used to be able to last three hours in the Lucid Lunar Lake, and I don’t know how miraculous your Beauty Pill actually is. However, you can be certain that I, Qi Xun-er, will definitely get back everything that belongs to me!”
Leaving those words behind, Qi Xun-er turned around and left as well.
She had already lost this battle, so there was no point saying anything more than that. Since Qi Ling-er was already back at the Royal City, they were bound to clash more in the future.
She didn’t believe that Qi Ling-er would be so lucky as to outdo her each and every time!
Even as Qi Xun-er left, Qi Yue still continued standing on the spot. There was a contemplative frown on his face, as if he was trying to make sense of something. He looked at Qi Ling-er for a moment before turning his gaze to the quiet Zhang Xuan by the side.
Eventually, he shook his head and left the area as well.
He was much more farsighted than his younger sister. In his view, there was no point competing over something that was transient. As long as he could become a God King, all of the obstacles in his path would vanish from sight!
No matter how powerful one’s influence was, it would be futile if one didn’t have the strength to maintain it.
As long as one had sufficient power, everything else, be it money, influence, or connections, would all be within reach.
“Young Master Zhang, thank you for your help.”
After everyone else had left, Qi Ling-er turned to Zhang Xuan and bowed deeply.
If not for the young man before her, it was likely that she would have been trapped in Twilight City for life, having no choice but to serve as the manager of an underground black market for her entire life.
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony, “Zhang Xuan replied. “There’s one favor which I would like to ask of you. I am actually quite interested in the Lucid Lunar Lake, and I would like to give it a try.”
This was his motive for coming to the Qi Clan, and his goal was already right before him. It was inevitable that he would be tempted.
Zhang Xuan’s request shocked Qi Ling-er, such that her true emotions actually slipped onto her face for a moment. This was no simple request at all.
She hesitated for a moment before replying carefully, “The energies in the Lucid Lunar Lake are extremely violent. Those without the Qi Clan’s bloodline will face great danger in there!”
As someone who had experienced the Lucid Lunar Lake personally, she knew just how terrifying it could be. Without the protection of the bloodline, there was a good chance that one would be reduced to ashes as soon as one’s body came into contact with it.
“I’ll just give it a try. If there’s any danger, I’ll come up right away,” Zhang Xuan replied.
“Sigh… Alright then.”
Recalling that the young man before her was someone who possessed the bloodline of a God Monarch, Qi Ling-er knew that her worries were unfounded.
With a resigned nod, she added, “I’m sure you are aware that outsiders aren’t supposed to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake. I’ll stand guard for you outside, so make sure that no one sees you. Also, you mustn’t speak of whatever that happens here to anyone else…”
There were no restrictions that disallowed members of the Qi Clan from bringing the outsiders to the vicinity of the Lucid Lunar Lake, but allowing an outsider to go into it was, without a doubt, an infringement of the rules.
“Don’t worry, I don’t like drawing attention to myself either. I won’t say anything unnecessary to others,” Zhang Xuan replied with a reassuring smile.
Was it even necessary to voice that out loud to him? A person as low profile as him would never share such matters to others!
In any case, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath before walking into the lake.
Tzzzzzz!
He immediately felt violent energies that threatened to tear his body apart surging over in his direction. It felt as though he was facing spatial turbulence once more. In a matter of moments, his body had been torn to the point that fresh blood wouldn’t stop flowing from his body.
“Heaven’s Path zhenqi!”
With a thought, Zhang Xuan began driving his celestial energy through his body, nourishing and healing his tattered muscles.
However, the violent energies in the lake were simply too destructive. His rate of recovery was fast, but it wasn’t sufficient to stop his body from breaking down.
“Come out!”
Zhang Xuan brought Little Chick out from his dantian.
“What incredibly hot-tempered spiritual energy this is… I love it! Tear me into pieces and rip me apart, baby!”
Upon seeing the Lucid Lunar Lake, the little yellow chick’s beady eyes immediately lit up.
It unfurled its tiny wings and began waddling all around the lake.
“…” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows twitched.
The reason why he brought out the little yellow chick was to have it produce some chicken soup so as to boost his rate of recovery, but it actually started swimming around instead…
Remember your identity! You are a chicken, not a duck!
Chickens aren’t supposed to swim!
Just as Zhang Xuan was going to berate the little yellow chick, the latter suddenly lowered its head and dived into the depths of the lake.
Tzzzzz!
The lakewater bubbled as the violent energies shot toward the little yellow chick. As if it was struck by multiple arrows, it took only a few instants for it to be reduced into a huge cloud of crimson blood.
“This…”
Watching the sight from the shore, Qi Ling-er was utterly dumbfounded.
What the heck was that chick? Where did it come from? Why was it seeking to kill itself? Was it really that afraid of being slaughtered and eaten as food?
A bunch of question marks popped up endlessly on Qi Ling-er’s head.
“You useless wastrel!” Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears.
Can you at least show some basic pride and dignity? I brought you out to save me, but you ended up committing suicide instead…
Shouldn’t a legendary beast like you be more concerned about its reputation?
Zhang Xuan covered his head from the sheer embarrassment of being associated with a waddling furball of disgrace.
It seemed like he could only rely on himself then. Somehow, nothing ever went to plan whenever that darned chick was involved.
Gritting his teeth, he drove his celestial energy to its maximum in order to hasten his recovery to the greatest extent. However, it was around this moment that the unexpected happened.
The Lucid Lunar Lake suddenly began trembling nonstop, signaling that something was about to happen.
Taken aback, Zhang Xuan quickly took a look around him, only to see that the lake he was in shaking so vigorously that it felt as if an explosion was going to happen anytime soon.
How did this happen? Zhang Xuan was frenzied.
The previous time this happened was at the Cleansing Lake of Huanyu Empire. Back then, it was due to he and his clone absorbing too much energy, and he admitted that it was indeed his greed that led to such a situation too.
But he hadn’t even begun cultivating after entering this Lucid Lunar Lake! He was too preoccupied with fending against the violent energies within that he didn’t even have the time to pull anything off!
It is one thing if I have tried to suck the lake dry and ended up succumbing to it, but I haven’t done anything at all… This is injustice!
Why the heck is the lake exploding?
It really has nothing to do with me this time!
Zhang Xuan felt so stifled that he could lose his mind. He knew that the God King from before would really rip him apart if the lake in front of him were to really explode, so with a deep sigh, he attempted to leap out of the lake to stop whatever that was happening first.
But before he could even get up, the energies rumbling within the Lucid Lunar Lake suddenly gushed in his direction, sealing the space around him. In the blink of an eye, he found himself unable to move at all, as if someone had used a rope to tie him up.
Just like that, he was robbed of his ability to escape too!
“Shit!” Zhang Xuan cursed.
He was already going to leaving, so why was the lake still latching onto him like a relentless ex?
He tried to free himself from the restraints of the lake, but the violent energies were way more than what he, as a low-tier Celestial God, could deal with. He felt as if he was stuck in the midst of a whirlpool, and it was already taking his all trying not to get swept away by it, let alone escape from it!
Tzzzzzz!
The energies finally collided onto Zhang Xuan’s body from all directions, and in that instant, he felt many hands pulling his body with insane force, trying to tear him into pieces.
Even the Heaven’s Path zhenqi was helpless against a force of such magnitude.
Qi Ling-er was able to persevere in the lake for over three hours using just a surge of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, but that was mainly because her bloodline had the ability to calm the violent energies within the water.
On the other hand, the violent energies seemed to be reacting explosively to his presence, almost as if they were trying to decimate an unwelcome intruder. Facing the full aggression of the lake, there was only so much that the Heaven’s Path zhenqi could do.
Peng peng!
Fresh blood flowed out of Zhang Xuan’s body, and he started to feel a little light-headed.
“Will I really die just like that?” Zhang Xuan felt like crying.
It was one thing if the Lucid Lunar Lake didn’t welcome him, but it even trapped him and tried to explode on him like a suicide bomber! It was almost as if it would only be satisfied after he died.
This won’t do. Should I just use the golden page to smash the entire lake? Zhang Xuan thought.
He had wanted to reserve the golden page for stronger opponents that he could very well encounter in the future, but it would all be futile if he were to lose his life to the lake. Given the current circumstances, he really didn’t know what else he could do.
Gritting his teeth, he was just about to deploy the golden page he had just received when a thought flashed across his head.
“The Lucid Lunar Lake reacts explosively against those who didn’t possess the Qi Clan’s bloodline. Even though I don’t have the Qi Clan’s bloodline, I should be able to disguise myself as having one through the disguise amulet Ruoxin has given me. Would that stop the aggression of the lake?”
Back then, he had used the disguise amulet to take on the persona of Luo Tianya, and he was even able to dupe artifacts that assessed one’s bloodline. Perhaps, it might just work here as well.
Knowing that time waited for no one, he immediately changed the aura of his spirit and zhenqi as soon as the thought emerged in his head.
In the blink of an eye, his presence became rather similar to that of Qi Yue and the middle-aged man from before. The aura of the Qi Clan’s bloodline suffused from his presence.
Weng!
As soon as he began to disguise himself, the rumbling lakewater began to gradually calm down a little, and the violent energies crashing into him reduced significantly. It seemed like his identity was being recognized.
“It worked…” Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he wiped the cold sweat off his head.
He wasn’t too sure about how effective disguising his bloodline would be, but it was great that it worked out in the end.
And now that he was finally out of danger, the notion of leaving the Lucid Lunar Lake also slipped from his mind as well.
He began to absorb the energies surging in from the water, and the cells in his body began on an endless cycle of breaking down and reconstructing themselves, becoming more resilient and powerful.
“The rate at which my body is getting tempered is amazing!”
Zhang Xuan could feel himself evolving with every breath that he took. His slightly apprehensive eyes began to light up in anticipation.
At the rate he was going, he should be able to push his physical body to a level surpassing that of ordinary Celestial Gods in less than ten minutes!
It was no wonder why the Lucid Lunar Lake was so highly-acclaimed for its ability to temper one’s body.
High risk high reward. Even though he had nearly lost his life back then, he felt that the result was worth the danger.
Otherwise, he would probably have to spend many days figuring how he could strengthen his body.
Low-tier Celestial God realm primary stage!
Low-tier Celestial God realm intermediate stage!
…
He reached low-tier Celestial God realm pinnacle in the blink of an eye, but his physical body was still growing stronger by the moment. Vaguely, a golden glow emerged from the depths of his muscles, forming a bridge that enhanced the compactness of his body.
Even though he had no idea what it was, its existence felt incredibly natural to him. The golden glow allowed him to channel his physical strength wherever he wanted, granting him far greater fighting prowess than before,
…
“Brother, I really can’t accept this!”
As soon as they returned back to their rooms, Qi Xun-er shattered all of the flower pots and tea set in the room to vent her anger.
After all of the preparations she had made to seal Qi Ling-er’s fate, she would have never thought that the situation would bite back at her.
“There’s no point losing your temper now. In the end, it’s all because you don’t understand Qi Ling-er as well as you think you did. Treat it as an expensive lesson and never underestimate your opponents ever again,” Qi Yue said with a wave of his hand.
The main reason why everything turned out the way it did was because Qi Xun-er was unable to gauge Qi Ling-er’s capability accurately.
If only she had done some investigation beforehand, she could have found out about Qi Ling-er’s newfound abilities and prepared better against it.
“I know. I understand all of that, but I just feel so indignant inside!” Qi Xun-er exclaimed.
She had to take a few deep breaths before she finally calmed down a little.
“I grew up with her, so I knew the extent of her capabilities very well. There must be something more to the growth of her talent. The Beauty Pill, is it? Hmph! I’ll investigate it right now to see who is the one forging that stuff!”
As the person who was managing the Lucid Lunar Market before it was passed on to Qi Ling-er, Qi Xun-er was no mediocre character as well.
“Un. Other than that, you need to look into the person that was following her earlier too. I recall that his name is Zhang Xuan,” Qi Yue said.
“Brother, are you suspecting that fellow is her backer?” Qi Xun-er asked doubtfully. “But he looks ordinary!”
Qi Yue shook his head and replied, “In terms of cultivation, he’s only a low-tier Celestial God. From that aspect, he does appear to be no more than an ordinary cultivator. However, he is simply too composed. Even I would feel my soul shuddering a little when I am standing before the clan head, but that fellow was able to remain perfectly calm. I felt no hint of anxiety or nervousness from his soul. There might be more to him that we think!”
“This…” Hearing her brother’s words, Qi Xun-er quickly recalled what had happened earlier, and looking at the matter from her brother’s perspective, it did seem weird for the young man to act in such a manner.
“You’re right. He seems too composed for someone of his strength, and I realized that… he’s quite a hottie too!”
Qi Yue’s eyebrows twitched violently upon hearing those words.
“Alright, let’s not discuss that anymore. None of that is any of our business at the moment. The important thing at hand is to raise our cultivation as quickly as we can. She has already become a Celestial God, so if you don’t double your effort, you might lose your standing before the clan head very soon.”
“I get it…” Qi Xun-er replied with a deep sigh.
Just as she was about to continue speaking, the ground suddenly started tremoring. The spiritual energy in the air suddenly began surging swiftly in a certain direction, as if something major was happening.
Hu!
Qi Yue stood up and swiftly discerned the direction in which the spiritual energy was moving toward, “It’s the Lucid Lunar Lake. Let’s go!”
Without waiting for Qi Xun-er, he immediately rushed out of the room.
The place where they resided wasn’t too far away from the lake. Moving at their top speeds, it took him only a few breaths to arrive at the destination. There, he saw a young man standing in the middle of the pool while Qi Ling-er sat on the shore, looking at her surroundings uneasily.
“Qi Ling-er actually allowed an outsider to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake? Hahahaha! She has really courted her own doom this time around!”
At this moment, Qi Xun-er also arrived at the scene. Seeing the same thing in front of her, her eyes lit up in agitation.
It just happened that she was looking for a way to curb the rising Qi Ling-er when such a thing happened. The act of allowing an outsider into the Lucid Lunar Lake was a huge infringement of the Qi Clan’s rules. No matter how highly the clan head valued Qi Ling-er, she would still be severely punished for this act.
Wuuuuuuu!
Just as Qi Xun-er’s heart was thumping in excitement at the fate that would soon befall Qi Ling-er, many gusts of wind suddenly echoed in the air. Following that, the clan head and many high-tier Celestial God realm elders arrived by the Lucid Lunar Lake as well.
When they saw the sight before them, their faces immediately turned livid.
The Lucid Lunar Lake was one of the most important resources to the Qi Clan. While there was no rule preventing outsiders from observing it, outsiders were strictly prohibited from entering the premises.
Yet, not only had an outsider entered the waters this time around, he even created such a huge commotion in it, leaving the lake on the verge of explosion. This was unforgivable!
“What is going on here?” the clan head harrumphed furiously.
He had barely returned back to his accommodations and was preparing to study the Beauty Pill carefully when he suddenly felt a disturbance in the spiritual energy around him. So, he rushed over as quickly as he could.
“Clan head, Qi Ling-er has allowed an outsider to enter the Lucid Lunar Lake!”
Knowing that this was a golden opportunity to do her archnemesis in, Qi Xun-er hurriedly stepped forward and reported with a clasped fist.
The clan head looked over and saw a young man standing in the middle of the lake with his eyes tightly sealed. It seemed like he was struggling to fend off the violent energies colliding into him within the water.
“Preposterous!”
Seeing that an outsider was really trying to cultivate inside their Lucid Lunar Lake, the clan head immediately blew his top, “Qi Ling-er has really allowed her pride to get to her! Men, arrest her and send her to the Punishment Bureau! She is to be punished for revealing the clan’s secrets and colluding with outsiders. There’s no need to interrogate her. She will be stripped of her identity as a core member right away!”
It was just a moment ago that he felt that Qi Ling-er had some potential, but in the next moment, she actually dared to pull something like this off. She was really courting her own death!
“Yes!”
Excited, Qi Xun-er volunteered herself and walked right up to Qi Ling-er.
It was only upon hearing the footsteps did Qi Ling-er notice the crowd, and her face immediately paled from fright. She quickly kneeled onto the floor.
“Hehe, Qi Ling-er. I didn’t think that you would be so eager to die that you would plan your own downfall in such a spectacular manner!”
Qi Xun-er was just thinking about how she could return the favor to Qi Ling-er, but who could have thought that the latter would do something like this right after?
With a derisive chuckle, Qi Xun-er was just about to make her move to apprehend Qi Ling-er when she suddenly felt an overwhelming power descending from the sky.
Raising her head, she saw an elder descending to the ground. His aura was so powerful that it caused the space around him to waver.
This elder had a clean white beard, and he was dressed in simple clothes. Despite so, the sharp and regal gaze he used to assess everything around him gave him an air of authority that surpassed that of the clan head.
“Paying respects to the old ancestor!” Qi Xun-er immediately kneeled down and paid her respects.
The others, including the clan head, swiftly did the same as well.
The elder was no other than the strongest person in the Qi Clan, Conferred God King Qi Meng!
“What happened?” Qi Meng’s gaze eventually fell on Qi Xun-er as he asked.
“Old ancestor, an outsider has snuck into our Lucid Lunar Lake. I was just about to arrest him…” Qi Xun-er replied anxiously.
If even the old ancestor was getting involved in this matter, Qi Ling-er was definitely doomed. No one would be able to save her.
“An outsider?”
Qi Meng slowly turned his gaze to the lake, and in the next instant, his eyes narrowed in astonishment. He quickly kneeled to the ground, and with a quivering voice, he spoke, “Conferred God King Qi Meng of the Sky of Drifting Specters pays respects to…
“… God Monarch!”
