Chapter 70: Many Past Offenses

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Many Past Offenses

"Senior Brother, you must know about the mandatory Inner Sect Disciple trial that starts in September. Since I have this humble skill, I’m hoping to trade for more Body-Protecting Techniques."

Inside the Bamboo Garden, Liu Chen spoke slowly to Senior Brother Yang. This was a matter that required Senior Brother Yang to communicate with the True Disciples. Since Liu Chen wanted to acquire the resources he needed without revealing his identity, he figured it was best to be completely honest with Senior Brother Yang.

"What you just said is quite humbling, Junior Brother."

Yang Haichen fell silent. He was, of course, aware of the Inner Sect Disciple trial. His master had told him that the very reason he came here was to obtain more Spiritual Cuisine, thereby increasing his chances of surviving the trial.

According to his master, once the trial began, it wouldn’t be the simple clashes between Body Tempering Realm cultivators that he had envisioned. Those Inner Sect Disciples on the verge of a breakthrough would surely be the first to advance their cultivation after entering.

Aside from a few rare geniuses who had managed to transcend the limits of their Cultivation Techniques and forge their own path in the Body Tempering Realm, everyone else at that level would probably just end up as cannon fodder.

Since it was a trial, there were bound to be rewards and rankings. Although the specific rules were still unknown, the Three Immortal Sects would surely not allow their own disciples to slaughter one another. That meant their opponents would probably be those Evil Cultivators.

It was impossible not to feel pressure at the thought of facing those Evil Cultivators for the first time. In the past, with his status as either an Outer Disciple of Purple Cloud Valley or the Young Master Yang, he would never have had any dealings with such malevolent Evil Cultivators.

When it came to a true life-or-death battle, Yang Haichen wasn’t completely confident in himself.

Never mind a newcomer like him, who had only passed the Inner Sect Disciple assessment that afternoon; even the veteran Inner Sect Disciples of Purple Cloud Valley—and indeed, of the Three Immortal Sects—lacked complete confidence.

"Inner Sect Disciples like us, with our unstable foundations, need more Body-Protecting Techniques. The Spiritual Artifacts and even the Magic that True Disciples no longer need should be useful to us. As long as the price is right, I imagine someone will be willing to part with them."

Liu Chen paid no mind to Senior Brother Yang’s comment. In his view, his own strength was still lacking. He didn’t even have a decent Spirit Sword, to say nothing of a defense-type Magical Treasure.

"I think you might have misunderstood something, Junior Brother. A Spiritual Artifact usable by someone in the Body Tempering Realm costs one thousand Spirit Stones at most. To get their hands on a Second Grade Spiritual Cuisine, those senior brothers and sisters will likely have to pay the difference in Spirit Stones."

After hearing Liu Chen’s proposal, Yang Haichen sensed a problem. Within the Great Xia Dynasty, and even in the surrounding Cultivation Realm, there were no true Artifact Refiners. At best, there were only a few who were partially skilled.

Most Spiritual Artifacts were passed down from other regions. The reason you could see so many for sale in the Marketplace was because they were items accumulated and cast aside by generations of Cultivators. If you bought a Spirit Sword, it was no joke that the sword itself would outlive you.

"I don’t know much about these things, so I’ll leave it to you, Senior Brother. As long as the value of the items is roughly equivalent to two thousand Spirit Stones, go ahead and make the trade."

Liu Chen, for his part, had no intention of pretending to know what he didn’t. He had been cultivating in the back mountains all this time and was genuinely clueless about the prices in the Marketplace. But he was determined to acquire anything that could improve his ability to stay alive.

’Besides, I make the Spiritual Cuisine myself,’ he reasoned. ’A single portion only consumes a tiny bit of Spiritual Power, not even enough to require Spirit Stones for recovery. As long as there’s Spiritual Qi around, I can pretty much get it back in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.’

"Then why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for, Junior Brother? That will make it easier for me to negotiate with the True Disciples."

Yang Haichen nodded. He wasn’t particularly worried about his own safety; the Yang Family would surely make preparations for him. Now that he had become an Inner Sect Disciple, it might be an exaggeration to say the resources at his command had increased tenfold, but any resource the Yang Family could procure would undoubtedly be given to him first.

A Patriarch could only maintain the family’s stability, and there was always the risk of incompetence. But if he successfully became a True Disciple and the Yang Family became integrated into Purple Cloud Valley’s interests, only then would the Yang Family truly rise to prominence.

"Prioritize buying a Spirit Sword. If a senior brother is selling Swordsmanship techniques, you can buy those too. If the Spiritual Cuisine isn’t enough to cover the cost, Senior Brother Yang, you can pay with Spirit Stones first. As for Magical Artifacts, it’s best if they are for defense. And for Magic, prioritize purchasing life-saving techniques."

Liu Chen reflected on his goals. His core objective was survival. Only by first ensuring he stayed alive would he have the opportunity to deal with Junior Sister Ye’s problem, which meant finding a way to teach a lesson to, or even eliminate, the members of the Nangong Family participating in the trial.

"Understood. Just wait for my good news, Junior Brother."

Yang Haichen nodded. Although the requests weren’t specific, he understood the gist. Junior Brother Liu’s core desire was to survive, and beyond that, to get a Spirit Sword.

"I’ll be troubling you then, Senior Brother."

Liu Chen saw Senior Brother Yang out of the bamboo forest. Watching his retreating figure, Liu Chen had the sudden urge to take a trip to the Marketplace. ’But that can wait until after the Inner Sect Disciple trial,’ he decided. ’By then, most of the Magic I’ve mastered should have transformed into my own unique techniques.’

’Besides, I’ll likely have advanced to the Meridian Passage Realm by then. I’ll just have to replace any Magic or Spirit Swords I get soon after.’

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"Junior Brother, please wait!"

Yang Haichen had just left the back mountains when he heard a somewhat familiar voice. A moment later, a True Disciple appeared before him.

"Senior Brother, there’s no Spiritual Cuisine for sale today."

Yang Haichen didn’t know who this person was. Most True Disciples never gave him their names; they typically vanished the moment a transaction was complete.

"I’m not here to buy Spiritual Cuisine. You mentioned bartering before, Junior Brother. I was wondering, what exactly does that Spirit Chef need?"

Huang Haixuan was a little disappointed, but he quickly remembered his true purpose for being there. This wasn’t a question just for himself, but one shared by all the True Disciples of Purple Bamboo Peak. The reason he was the one asking traced back to the incident at the plaza.

With the help of his peers from Purple Bamboo Peak, he had finally figured out who had taken the opportunity to make a move on him. The price for that information was finding out what the Spirit Chef needed.

"Besides a Spirit Sword, what that Spirit Chef wants most are Body-Protecting Techniques."

Yang Haichen had no intention of hiding anything. Even though he was an Inner Sect Disciple now, concealing Junior Brother Liu’s true needs would be like undermining his own foundation. Furthermore, if he offended a True Disciple at this juncture, his future would likely be difficult, even with his master’s protection.

"I see. Thank you, Junior Brother."

Huang Haixuan nodded and vanished from Yang Haichen’s sight, just like usual. This time, however, his tone had been a little more courteous than before.

’I should contact the family now.’

The obvious shift in attitude felt strikingly real to Yang Haichen, but he quickly shook his head. Compared to all these complicated matters, the upcoming Inner Sect Disciple trial was far more important.

The Inner Sect Disciple assessment had safety measures in place, but the Inner Sect Disciple trial could only be validated through iron and blood.

"Congratulations on becoming an Inner Sect Disciple, Senior Brother Yang. Please forgive any offenses I may have caused in the past..."

When Yang Haichen met the messenger disciple from Purple Bamboo Peak, the change in the disciple’s attitude was even more pronounced.