Chapter 708: 708 Have you investigated me?
"Kid, have you ever heard of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix?"
At a time when everyone was shaking their heads and sighing, the fat shopkeeper seemed to completely ignore the expressions of the people around him. Instead, his demeanor became serious and his tone extraordinarily grave.
"The Ancient Heavenly Phoenix? That fatso really knows how to blow his own trumpet!"
Suddenly hearing these four words, the onlookers first froze, then expressions of extreme peculiarity crossed their faces. Was this yet another earth-shattering bluff, following the last one about the Ancient Divine Beast Qilin?
On the Nine Dragons Continent, it is naturally the Nine Dragons that are revered, but beneath the nine divine dragons, there are some incredibly unique and powerful races; among them, the Ancient Qilin and Ancient Heavenly Phoenix.
According to legend, in ancient times, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan was a force that could contend with the Dragon Clan. Unfortunately, following a mysterious war, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan vanished, and since then, almost no one on the Nine Dragons Continent has been able to find any trace of them.
Everyone thought that at most, this fat shopkeeper would bluff by claiming that this old hen was a powerful Flying Beast Pulse Demon, but who would’ve thought he’d directly claim it to be an Ancient Heavenly Phoenix? Does he think that all the cultivators on Tenglong Continent are fools?
"So the shopkeeper means to say that this chicken is the legendary Ancient Heavenly Phoenix?"
Even in Yun Xiao’s eyes emerged a very strange glimmer. He himself knew that this old hen was no ordinary creature because of the Golden Snake Worm, but if this fat shopkeeper could also see these things, then his insight would be much stronger than his own, the Long Xiao Battle God.
"Although I dare not confirm that it is an Ancient Heavenly Phoenix, one thing is for certain: within this demon’s body, there must be a trace of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix’s bloodline. However, whether or not you can find it depends on your own destiny!"
This time the fat shopkeeper did not directly say that the old hen was an Ancient Heavenly Phoenix, but his implications were somewhat ambiguous, which undoubtedly made people even more itchy with curiosity.
However, aside from Yun Xiao, everyone else believed that the fat shopkeeper was just trying to trick them. A mere old hen was being touted as an Ancient Heavenly Phoenix, without the slightest change in his expression—his thick-skinned audacity was unmatched.
"Alright then, may I ask, shopkeeper, how much are you planning to sell this Vein Demon containing the bloodline of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix for?"
Yun Xiao completely ignored the eye signals that Lin Xuanhao was giving him. However, when mentioning the "old hen," he swallowed the last two words in time and instead referred to it as a "Vein Demon."
"My young brother, I can see you are sincere about this. Well then, if you can provide me with a non-consumable Earth Rank Low Level elixir, this uncommon Vein Demon with the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix bloodline is yours!"
Seeing that the young boy dressed in coarse clothing took the bait, a hint of triumphant excitement flashed in the narrowed eyes of the fat shopkeeper. However, the lion’s mouth price he quoted made the surrounding people gasp in shock.
"A non-consumable Earth Rank Low Level elixir? Why doesn’t the fellow just rob instead?"
For a moment, this thought surged in the minds of the onlookers because an Earth Rank Low Level elixir could only be refined by an Earth Rank Low Level Meridian Refining Master.
At least within Yuyang City, there probably would not be many Earth Rank Low Level Meridian Refining Masters, and seeking an Earth Rank Low Level elixir would undoubtedly require a steep price.
On Tenglong Continent, the most sought-after currency was no longer Universal Coins, which were only chased after by low-level practitioners. Those who had reached a certain level of power preferred bartering valuable goods.
After all, some things are serendipitous and cannot be sought, and Universal Coins cannot directly enhance one’s power. But elixirs are different, especially the non-consumable elixirs mentioned by the fat shopkeeper.
Even among elixirs of the same grade, the effects can vary greatly, such as the Overlord Body Pill that can enhance physical strength for a short period, or the Wind-controlling Pill that greatly increases a cultivator’s speed after consumption. These are all consumable elixirs that are used up after one dose.
Meanwhile, other elixirs are of the non-consumable type, such as the Treasure Pill, which can directly elevate one’s Meridian Qi Cultivation realm, or pills that permanently temper the body, whose value is incomparable to consumable elixirs and can be said to be vastly different from heaven and earth.
Take for instance the non-consumable elixir with which the fat shopkeeper demanded with lion’s pride—it would likely be worth more than double that of a consumable Earth Rank Low Level elixir.
At this moment, everyone believed that even if the young boy in coarse clothing had an interest in the old hen, he would surely be deterred by the astronomical price. The fat shopkeeper had overplayed his hand this time.
"An Earth Rank Low Level elixir, I truly don’t have one to give!"
As expected by everyone, after a brief pause, the young boy in coarse clothing said something similar to what they were all thinking, because even if he truly had an Earth Rank Low Level elixir, it would be unlikely to use it to trade for an old hen, wouldn’t it?
In fact, Yun Xiao really didn’t possess an Earth Rank Low Level elixir. You see, his Meridian Refining Technique was only at the Spiritual Rank Advanced level, and it was impossible to refine an Earth Rank Low Level elixir until his Power of Soul reached the Earth Rank Low Level.
If he were to be specific, Yun Xiao indeed had a Low-level Heavenly-grade Five Elements Pu Pill, which he had unintentionally refined while at the Xuanyue Imperial City Meridian Refining Master Guild.
However, taking out a low-level Heavenly-grade Pill at this moment would be too shocking and unconventional. Yun Xiao did not want to become the target of others’ covetous glances, especially since he could not ensure a complete retreat when facing some of the strong cultivators from the Tenglong Continent right now.
"Ptui, what a jinx, a bumpkin without even a low-level Earth Rank pill, is just a waste of my damn time!"
Hearing Yun Xiao’s words, the fat shopkeeper spat on the ground and cursed loudly. He initially thought he had encountered a simpleton with money to burn but turned out to be just a poor bumpkin without a penny to his name.
"Giggle!"
Just at that moment, the old hen that had been standing still suddenly turned its head and clucked twice towards Yun Xiao. This scene, in the eyes of the fat shopkeeper, undoubtedly stirred up more anger.
"What are you clucking for? Following a pauper like him, you’ll starve to death sooner or later!"
The fat shopkeeper grumbled and cursed, losing interest in paying further attention to Yun Xiao after learning that he had no money. Though he was cursing the old hen, his words were taking a swipe at Yun Xiao as well.
"Heh-heh, just because I don’t have any low-level Earth Rank pills, doesn’t mean we can’t continue discussing business, right?"
Yun Xiao, with his deep and calculating mind, was completely unfazed by the shopkeeper’s insults. Instead, he revealed a faint smile, and his words ignited further curiosity among the surrounding onlookers.
These people were all familiar with the fat shopkeeper’s greed for money. If one could not present something of interest to him, he wouldn’t agree to do business—even if it was indeed a genuine old hen.
"Kid, if you can’t produce a low-level Earth Rank pill, then scram quickly. I don’t have time to waste on you!"
The fat shopkeeper lifted his head and glared sideways at Yun Xiao with a tone laced with a heavy threat. After all, he was a true cultivator at the Peak of the Spirit Vein Realm.
"Boss, if I’m not mistaken, you weren’t always this fat, were you?"
Just as the crowd expected the roughly dressed young man to back off due to the difficulty, the young man suddenly uttered such a statement. Then they saw the fat shopkeeper’s body tremble violently, his eyes fixating on the speaking youth as if to devour him.
"So it turns out that this dead fatty’s eyes can bulge out this big?"
At this moment, the crowd was somewhat startled, because the fat shopkeeper’s eyes were no longer mere slits but bulged out large like walnuts. How he managed to do that was anyone’s guess.
However, the miraculous scene lasted for barely two breaths. In the next moment, the fat shopkeeper’s eyes narrowed again, and a subtle dangerous aura entwined around him.
"Kid, have you been investigating me?"
A low voice emerged from the fat shopkeeper’s mouth, and from his tone, the people around could sense a trace of gloominess—as if this young man in rough clothes had touched upon one of his great secrets—which he had just blurted out in front of everyone.
"Investigating you? You’re thinking too much!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Xiao simply shook his head and then, with a focused gaze and a serious tone, said, "I not only know you weren’t always so fat, but I also know it’s because you ate something that you became like this. Am I right?"
As soon as Yun Xiao spoke, the area nearby suddenly turned somewhat quiet. Everyone stared blankly at the fat shopkeeper, wondering what he might look like if he slimmed down.
"How... how do you know that?"
Compared to the bystanders, the fat shopkeeper was genuinely shocked by Yun Xiao’s words. If the fact that he was a skinny man not too long ago could be learned through certain channels, then the reason for his sudden change in appearance was something known only to himself.
Even his closest friends and relatives didn’t know why he became obese overnight. Such a secret was not something he would carelessly talk about.
"If I’m not mistaken, you currently think that being a bit fatter doesn’t affect your cultivation or anything else, right?"
Yun Xiao didn’t care about the expressions of the bystanders or the shopkeeper; he continued to speak firmly, and his voice dropped much lower, suggesting ominously, "If you continue to think this way, I am certain that within a month, you will suddenly die violently, and not even immortals could save you!"
"What?"
These thunderous words exploded in the fat shopkeeper’s ears like a bombshell. Yun Xiao was right; he had indeed thought that way before.
After eating that thing, his body just became fatter, but every other bodily function and meridian Qi remained unaffected, which had led him to never take it too seriously.