Chapter 740: Seven hundred and forty, now there’s one more fighting for food!
Everyone was staring blankly at the shabbily dressed youth on the stage, many pondering in their hearts that it would be best for Yun Xiao to leave Yuyang City early before the end of the Spirit Fighting Conference, if he knows what’s good for him, or else he might face extremely cruel retribution.
Little did they know that Yun Xiao’s participation in the Spirit Fighting Conference was precisely for the reward given to the champion - without getting that reward, the Thunder Spirit Crystal, how could he possibly leave so easily?
As for the latent threat from Douling Commerce, Yun Xiao had also considered this, but many of his methods had yet to be revealed, especially his disguise and impersonation techniques. By then, even Lin Xuanhao may not be able to recognize him.
Ignoring the various gazes from all around, Yun Xiao slowly took a step forward and received the Fire Spirit Crystal that the fiery little bird was holding in its beak.
Seeing this scene, everyone was filled with emotion, secretly saying that Yun Xiao’s luck was either very good or bad. Not only did he win the battle today, but he also gained a Seventh Rank Advanced Fire Spirit Crystal.
They knew that the reward for the Qi Seeking Realm category in the Spirit Fighting Conference was only a Seventh Rank Advanced Thunder Spirit Crystal. Now, Yun Xiao had just made it into the top twenty and already obtained a Fire Spirit Crystal that could rival the championship reward, which made others envious.
However, when they thought of Yun Xiao offending Douling Commerce, they figured Xu Huan would certainly not let it slide without consequence, and that having treasures was of no use if one didn’t have their life to enjoy them - after all, once one’s life is lost, aren’t all possessions left for others?
Swoosh!
Amidst these unusual gazes, Yun Xiao sensed the familiar Fire Attribute aura, then stored it within his Waist Storage, and Red Feather also quickly vanished, returning to his body.
Today’s minor display of power by Red Feather gave Yun Xiao a deeper understanding of the legendary Ancient Heavenly Phoenix. Merely a Seventh Rank Low Level flame had made it so that the Seventh Rank Advanced Strange Spirit had no chance to resist at all. Was this the true strength of these ancient creatures?
Luckily, Red Feather was unlike the Golden Snake Worm and always obediently followed Yun Xiao’s commands. With such powerful force, it would undoubtedly become a strong hidden card for him in the subsequent battles of the Spirit Fighting Conference.
Yun Xiao’s next opponent was not associated with Douling Commerce, presumably because Xu Huan had been very confident in himself earlier and thought that Yun Xiao would certainly be defeated by him, and therefore he hadn’t made other arrangements.
After easily defeating this opponent, Yun Xiao glanced at several figures on the northern high platform and analyzed that there would be no issues with today’s battle, but the final few battles tomorrow wouldn’t be so easy.
He noticed Xu Huang’s attitude; it seemed fair and just, but in reality, it was full of treacherous schemes. After Xu Huan’s significant loss today, Douling Commerce would likely take action.
Since these two battles, Yun Xiao had already entered the top eight of the Spirit Fighting Conference, solidifying his dark horse status to the end, but the gazes of the onlookers were filled with strangeness.
If one performed brilliantly in the Spirit Fighting Conference but couldn’t leave Yuyang City alive, that was another matter. Many people described Yun Xiao’s performance as "a flash in the pan," seemingly not optimistic about his outcome.
Regarding all this, Yun Xiao didn’t pay much mind. After the day’s battles ended, he returned to the Lin Family’s attic with Lin Xuanhao, who was in a somewhat gloomy mood.
"Brother Yun Xiao, if you want to leave Yuyang City, my Lin Family has some secretive channels that you could use!"
It wasn’t until they had to part at the doorway of the room that Lin Xuanhao finally bit his teeth and spoke his mind, showing that he had hesitated for a long time.
"The Lin Family’s secret channels?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao turned around, first murmuring to himself, then smiled, "I have no intention of leaving Yuyang City for the time being, so don’t worry about me!"
To be honest, Yun Xiao felt somewhat moved. After all, he was just an outsider to the Lin Family, and those secretive channels must have been developed by the Lin Family over decades or even a century. Now, they were willing to use it to help him - an outsider, which showed that Lin Xuanhao truly regarded him as a real brother.
"But that Douling Commerce..."
Lin Xuanhao was somewhat anxious. He had witnessed Xu Huan’s hysterical behavior during the day. A person like that would certainly seek revenge. Right now, he was constrained by the Spirit Fighting Conference, but once it ended, even their Lin Family might get implicated.
Of course, Lin Xuanhao wasn’t afraid of the Lin Family getting involved; since he regarded Yun Xiao as a brother, all his concerns were for Yun Xiao’s well-being. He truly couldn’t understand - was the championship reward of the Seventh Rank Advanced Thunder Spirit Crystal more important than one’s life?
Actually, this was because Lin Xuanhao didn’t understand Yun Xiao very well. This reincarnation of the Long Xiao Battle God did not think little of his life but had his own resolve. That Thunder Spirit Crystal was crucial for his sixth Ancestor Vein, and finding one himself could take God knows how long.
"There’s nothing to fear from Douling Commerce; the bigger a tree gets, the more wind it draws, and they sure do treasure their own feathers!"
Yun Xiao reached out, patted Lin Xuanhao’s shoulder, and said these words with thoughts of that night when Xia Yong and Xu Huan came to visit.
If Douling Commerce truly acted without restraint, with Yun Xiao only at the Qi Seeking Realm Early Stage of Cultivation, he couldn’t possibly stand against two Seeking Origin Realm experts. The fact that they didn’t take any action suggests they have many considerations.
After consoling Lin Xuanhao for a while, Yun Xiao didn’t say much more and returned to his room. Seated cross-legged on the bed, in the palm of his right hand now lay a fiery red crystal.
Sigh...
As soon as Yun Xiao took out the fiery red crystal from his Waist Storage, a suction force burst forth from the palm of his right hand, bringing a hint of a smile to his face.
"I knew you couldn’t resist!"
Yun Xiao, of course, knew that it was the Golden Snake Worm, Xiao Wu, coming out to snatch up the meal again; however, his expression soon turned to one of stupefaction. This time, it wasn’t just Xiao Wu latching onto the power—it was also the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix chick, Red Feather.
"Great, another contender for the feast!"
Sensing two immensely strong Devouring Powers, Yun Xiao knew he had to act fast, or he’d be left without even a drop to drink. Without hesitation, he began to circulate his Ancient Dragon Taming Technique and joined the fray for the crystal.
The Seventh Rank Advanced Fire Spirit Crystal contained most of the power that the Strange Spirit had before its death, and even though it was refined into a Meridian Spirit by Xu Huan, to maintain the Strange Spirit’s energy flow, the Fire Spirit Crystal still remained within the Meridian Spirit. In the end, it fell into Yun Xiao’s lap.
Oh no, not just to Yun Xiao alone—it was a windfall for one man and two mystical creatures, all vying with each other. The energy within the Fire Spirit Crystal was swiftly halved.
In Yun Xiao’s sensing, the fastest at devouring this time was surprisingly the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Red Feather, who was merely a few days old. Despite his and Xiao Wu’s struggle, they couldn’t match Red Feather’s effortless intake.
"It must be due to its ultimate Fire Attribute!"
With this thought, Yun Xiao understood something. It seemed that the Golden Snake Worm was not of the Fire Attribute, and as for himself, it was unclear which attribute he possessed. Even though he had a Fire Attribute Ancestor Vein, his body was not of the Fire Attribute constitution.
Therefore, in the absorption of the Fire Spirit Crystal’s energy, naturally, Red Feather, with its innate Fire Attribute body, had the upper hand, which left both Yun Xiao and Xiao Wu feeling somewhat downcast.
Especially for Xiao Wu, who had always had the advantage when vying for energy with Yun Xiao, never did it expect that the arrival of Red Feather would suddenly put it at a disadvantage. It was an act of fate.
While Yun Xiao was in his attic room absorbing the energy of the Fire Spirit Crystal, within the grand hall of Douling Commerce in Yuyang City, a conversation—or perhaps a plot—targeting him was quietly unfolding.
...
The third floor of the Douling Commerce!
In a spacious room, two figures stood; one old, one young. If outsiders were present, they would recognize them. They were none other than the branch Chairman Xu Huang and his son, Xu Huan.
"Father, I was wrong!"
Seemingly sensing the suppressed extreme fury emanating from his father, a sudden fear arose deep within Xu Huan, causing him eventually to relent and admit his fault with a bowed head.
"Wrong? You tell me, what exactly did you do wrong?"
Instead of dissipating, the smoldering anger in Xu Huang’s eyes remained, and he merely replied quietly, prompting Xu Huan to tremble and feel compelled to answer.
"I was wrong to take action after failing in the Spirit Fighting Conference, damaging the reputation of the Douling Commerce!"
At this moment, Xu Huan also realized why his father was so angry. He still found it puzzling—why had he lost his mind at that moment?
"Xu Huan, do you really think that I’m angry because you acted and damaged the reputation of the Douling Commerce?"
But as soon as Xu Huan’s words fell, his father spoke in a deep voice, confusing him. Was it not for that reason?
"What makes me angry is that even though you did take action, you failed to ensure a one-strike kill, allowing Yun Xiao to still hop around alive. Do you understand? This is the real reason why our Douling Commerce’s reputation has been tarnished!"
Xu Huang’s following words filled Xu Huan with disbelief. He never expected his father to be so furious for this reason.
"Anyone who offends my Douling Commerce deserves to die, and Yun Xiao is no exception!"
As Xu Huan contemplated this, his father’s voice, once again issuing a stern tone, brightened his eyes, as if the great loss he had suffered this time would soon be recovered.