Chapter 714 - 383: Crimson Flame, Fire Pillar, Method to Discover Class Requirements

Su Chen recognized it immediately. After returning from his previous outing, he had gathered intelligence on the weapons of all these Venerables.

"He actually gave it to me..." Su Chen muttered thoughtfully.

From the looks of it, the Spirit of Sun could not just do whatever he pleased. He seemed bound by certain rules; otherwise, there would have been no need to make a deal with Su Chen. He could have just issued a direct command.

This situation also benefited Su Chen. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to worry about any unexpected variables arising from this guy’s personal preferences.

"Understood. I will spare his life," Su Chen said as he picked up the weapon. He added, "However, I can’t make any guarantees about that guy outside."

"I will expel him..." the Spirit of Sun’s voice sounded somewhat muffled, as if he were in a terrible mood.

"Wait, I have a few questions for him," Su Chen quickly interjected.

The Spirit of Sun did not respond. A vortex of purple flames materialized beneath Su Chen’s feet and pulled him in.

"Is this the Fire Pillar?" Su Chen murmured to himself, having returned to his Cultivation Residence.

Taixuan Tianyi was still lying on the ground. Su Chen paid him no mind and first summoned the Residual Spirit.

"Taixu, why is the Spirit of Sun’s spiritual vessel a mere wisp of flame?"

Hearing Su Chen’s voice, the already anxious Residual Spirit jolted in surprise and hastily asked, "What happened? Did you win?"

His tone was urgent, showing his deep concern over the outcome of the battle.

"I won," Su Chen replied casually.

"That’s good." The Residual Spirit breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was currently still in Su Chen’s hands, it wasn’t entirely impossible to reverse the situation. If Su Chen lost his qualifications to be a Chosen One, it would bode ill for him.

His subsequent plans relied on using a Chosen One as bait. If Su Chen was disqualified from becoming one, those plans naturally couldn’t proceed.

Still, he was somewhat astonished. He hadn’t expected True Radiance of the Taixuan family to actually lose to Su Chen.

"I asked you why the Spirit of Sun’s spiritual vessel is a wisp of flame," Su Chen urged when he noticed the Residual Spirit’s silence.

Gathering his thoughts, the Residual Spirit explained, "Spiritual vessels come in all sorts of strange forms. The Purple Extreme World-Purifying Saint Monarch’s spiritual anchor has always been that wisp of flame."

"It’s always been a flame?" Su Chen asked, seemingly puzzled. "Then where are the profession requirements recorded? The vast majority of Morning Star Spirituality uses a Stone Slab detailing the profession requirements as their vessel, don’t they?"

"That’s why they are the Spirit of the Morning Star," the Residual Spirit replied dismissively. To him, this was basic common sense.

He elaborated, "The Purple Extreme World-Purifying Saint Monarch’s profession requirements are all stored within the Spirit of Sun’s memories. Once you are selected as a Chosen One, you will naturally learn of them."

"I see." Su Chen appeared to ponder this before finally asking in a slow, casual, and deliberately nonchalant manner, "Then is there any way to learn the profession requirements in advance?"

"Learn the profession requirements in advance?" The Residual Spirit was confused. "Without gaining approval, what use is there in knowing the profession requirements?"

"I have a profession that requires collecting High Tier profession requirements. Any random one will do. If it’s not possible, then forget it." Su Chen shook his head, unwilling to press the issue.

"Wait." The Residual Spirit’s heart stirred, and he suddenly said, "It’s not impossible."

"You have a way?" Su Chen asked calmly, though his heart gave a slight flutter.

The Residual Spirit mused, "If I can retrieve my remaining Origin Power and combine it with Divine Blood and Faith Essence, I might be able to deduce one or two profession requirements."

Knowing the profession requirements without being chosen was useless anyway. He didn’t mind using this as leverage to exchange for his Origin Power.

The method to become a Chosen One was his final trump card; everything else was of little consequence.

Su Chen pondered the idea of deduction. He thought of the Power of Taixu. So that was how it worked. But it seemed he still needed the Residual Spirit’s lost Origin Power.

Su Chen frowned slightly. This was going to be troublesome.

Initially, he had been wary that the group of Ancient Kings outside might draw connections to the Residual Spirit. That would lead them to deduce he was from the Dust Star Sea, which would ultimately point them to his true identity as Su Chen.

Because of this, even when the Residual Spirit had tempted him with a Morning Star Artifact last time, he had no intention of seeking out this Origin Power.

But now that the Ancient Kings had already suspected him, bringing up the Origin Power wouldn’t have as severe consequences.

Being thirty to forty percent suspicious was still suspicion; being seventy to eighty percent suspicious was also just suspicion.

Since this matter concerned his ultimate goal, he had to find a way, even if it meant taking a risk.

His eyes narrowed as he asked, "Your Origin Power is in the hands of the Hanhai Emperor. If I trade with them directly, they will likely connect the dots to you. My identity might be exposed, and when that happens, you won’t meet a good end either.

"Is there a simpler method? Although I want to complete that profession, this approach is far too risky."

Su Chen threw the problem back at the Residual Spirit. This guy was very clever; he could be the one to figure out how to swindle that item away from them.

Hearing this, the Residual Spirit fell silent. That item had been stripped from his own body, after all. No matter what method they used, it was inevitable that people would trace it back to him.

Outside the hall, the Ancient Kings watched the gradually dissipating scene with grave expressions.

"To think he actually lost," the Profound Celestial Ancient King murmured. This outcome had greatly exceeded their expectations.

Taixuan Tianyi’s accumulation and foundation were profound enough to make even them take notice, yet he had still lost at the hands of this "Taixuan Hong."

Not only had he lost, but he had been defeated cleanly and decisively. It only took two punches to completely reverse the tide of the battle.

"Does anyone still suspect that he is Su Chen?" the Bronze Ancient King suddenly asked, his voice flat. "This has absolutely nothing to do with Su Chen’s profession characteristics. He excels in speed and physical strength, so he should belong to the Body Refining Professions."

They had all witnessed Su Chen’s battle with King’s Shadow at the Peak Star Conference.

If they were forced to draw any similarities, they could only say that both had ended their battles using their fists.

However, even the Zhenwu Ancient King couldn’t bring himself to make such a forced comparison.

"What a piece of trash," the Zhenwu Ancient King said coldly, naturally referring to Taixuan Tianyi.

The other Ancient Kings were somewhat rendered speechless. At the same age, they would have been far from being Taixuan Tianyi’s match, so naturally, none of them bothered to bicker with the Zhenwu Ancient King.

The Star Dome Ancient King said hesitantly, "It’s a pity that Taixuan Tianyi failed to bring this Taixuan Hong out. As for the method to leave..."

The Profound Celestial Ancient King, however, didn’t seem to mind. "If he brought him out, we would have a way to talk to him. Since he didn’t, we just have another way to talk to him."

"That may be true, but this person is clearly young. What if he holds a grudge against us because of this and refuses to speak..." the Holy Cauldron Ancient King expressed his worry. Among themselves, they were used to fighting and making peace constantly—one second they would be going for the kill, and the next they would be greeting each other with smiles. It was something they had long grown accustomed to. However, a young person might not necessarily be able to swallow such a slight.

The Profound Celestial Ancient King shook his head and chuckled softly, "This young friend is not an impulsive person. Furthermore, our continued presence here brings him no benefit either."

"Mhm. Let’s go have a chat with him, then."

The figures of the group descended.

Meanwhile, deep within the Punishment Hall of Copper Heart.

The atmosphere here was solemn and heavy. Qin Yun was still sitting cross-legged in her cell.

Qing Cang paced back and forth with a dark expression, his gaze occasionally darting toward Qin Yun in the cage. She kept her eyes lowered, making it impossible to read any abnormalities from her demeanor.

Standing beside him were Lin Langtian, who had recently been transferred back, and a robust, muscular man. Both of their expressions were equally grim.

Suddenly, footsteps rang out. It was Wu Feng, dragging Zou Wen—who looked like a dead dog—into the room. Zou Wen’s body was covered in wounds, with some of his flesh severely mangled and flayed open.

He Chengying’s gaze fell on Zou Wen, a flash of fury momentarily passing through his eyes.

Zou Wen managed to lift his head with great effort and looked at He Chengying. A fleeting look of guilt flashed in the depths of his eyes before disappearing entirely.

Wu Feng said in a deep voice, "There is a brand on his Spirit Body, so we could only force a confession out of him through other methods. What Venerable Qin Yun said is eighty to ninety percent true."

"Zou Wen..." A trace of heartache flickered in He Chengying’s eyes before he turned to Qing Cang. "Senior Brother, it’s my fault for failing to discipline my subordinates."

"You can’t be blamed for this," Qing Cang replied. Though his expression remained ugly, he shook his head to comfort him. "I’ve seen Zou Wen’s file. He is likely a high-level sleeper agent planted by the Royal Court. Such moles might not even be activated once in decades or even a century. They are simply impossible to defend against."

Lin Langtian whispered, "Since what Zou Wen said is true, this matter will likely be very troublesome. Rebel God, Profound Turtle, and Peng King are probably not far from the Sect anymore. We need to make plans early."