Chapter 226: The Referees’ Compromise

Translator: Minotauruz

The truth of the matter was that Jun Xiaomo was neither filled with compassion nor an idiot. To begin with, the Novenary Immortalization Manuscript was useless to her since she already possessed a better refinement technique that was far more suitable to her current circumstances. There was no good reason for her to obtain another manuscript for a refinement technique that was not suitable for her.

Furthermore, it had to be said that there were distinctions between a demonic refinement technique and a spiritual refinement technique. Since the Novenary Immortalization Manuscript was awarded to her by the panel of referees, it could not possibly be a demonic cultivation technique. Thus, this manuscript was completely useless to Jun Xiaomo.

Most importantly, she knew that there were several sects in attendance who had already set their sights on the Novenary Immortalization Manuscript. As soon as the Novenary Immortalization Manuscript was revealed for all to see, Jun Xiaomo could practically feel the avaricious and scheming stares land on her body in the very next moment. This was particularly apparent from some of the smaller sects. After all, possessing one of these legendary Heavenly Arts manuscripts was a dream to these small sects.

Jun Xiaomo did not want to be made into a public enemy as a result of this refinement technique. At this point in time, not only was the Novenary Immortalization Manuscript useless to her, she knew it was like a hot potato in her hands.

Thus, she had decided to forgo the Novenary Immortalization Manuscript and request a different reward in exchange – she had hoped to use the Novenary Immortalization Manuscript to trade for the freedom of the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf.

Since she had already promised the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf that she would return it its freedom, she simply had to make good on her word.

Truth be told, she had never expected the competition organizers to capture and restrain the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf like that. After all, why would the competition organizers mind a spirit beast that was no longer a threat to anyone?

That said, when all was said and done, she had still been far too careless.

Had she known this was going to happen, she would have loosened the restraints on the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf before the competition ended so that the organizing committee would not have the opportunity to capture and bring it away.

Furthermore, the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf’s coat of fur and its core were both invaluable objects. Jun Xiaomo couldn’t imagine what kind of fate would befall it.

The chief referee immediately furrowed his brows when he heard Jun Xiaomo’s suggested terms of exchange. If Jun Xiaomo had asked for anything else in exchange for her present reward, perhaps he might not have such difficulty requesting to such a request. But Jun Xiaomo wanted the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf...

The greatest issue with the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf lay with the fact that it had been put through several rounds of refinement technique. Nobody could guarantee whether it would once again be subjected to its previous master’s control after it was freed and thus become a threat to innocent lives again.

Furthermore, the organizing committee had not been able to uncover who it was who had put the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf through these rounds of refinement technique to date. Even though they highly suspected the Eternal Summit Sect’s involvement in this matter, their few days of interrogation and investigations turned up no results and no clues at all.

Every single one of the Eternal Summit Sect’s Sect Leader, Sect Elders and disciples had disclaimed any liability in this regard with sincerity and conviction. Thus, the organizing committee did not manage to obtain any hard evidence that the Eternal Summit Sect had been behind it all.

In fact, the organizing committee was even slightly suspect that their initial judgment might have been wrong.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“I know what these esteemed referees might be thinking right now, but I can swear on my life and my cultivation that this spirit beast would never become a threat to anyone in the cultivation world.”

Swearing on one’s life and cultivation was an incredibly serious gesture of conviction. Although one would not in fact lose their lives or cripple their cultivation, but if something did go wrong, it would undoubtedly end up affecting that person’s cultivation.

“Even though you’ve made a solemn guarantee in this regard, we’re still rather powerless in this regard.” Another referee explained sincerely with some measure of difficulty, “This is simply a risk we can’t afford to take.”

“I’m only raising this as a suggestion – I understand that the discretion still lies within the esteemed referees’ hands. Besides, I’m using a legendary Heavenly Art to trade for the freedom of a Scarlet Heavenly Wolf – nothing else. To these esteemed referees, the exchange is but for a word on your end. Compared with other things I could have asked for, isn’t this far less burdensome and effortless on your part?”

In other words, this was hardly a bad deal for the panel of referees.

Jun Xiaomo’s breakdown of the matter touched the heartstrings of several referees and moved them. Truth be told, offering up a Heavenly Art as a reward for these competitions was truly far too extravagant. Since the recipient of this reward had decided to forgo it in exchange for far simpler terms, why would they not be pleased?

Jun Xiaomo took in the various expressions of each referee into her eyes, and the anxiety in her heart dwindled substantially.

The truth of the matter was that Jun Xiaomo did not bear much hope in her heart when she first raised this suggestion. She did not think that the odds of the referees agreeing to this request was very high.

The value of a Scarlet Heavenly Wolf was undoubtedly less than the value of a Heavenly Art manuscript. But there were other considerations involved which might mean that the panel off referees were unwilling to give up on the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf’s life.

But that said, Jun Xiaomo could tell that she had convinced a number of the referees at this moment.

The chief referee’s brows were still knitted tightly together. He neither evinced an approval nor a rejection of such a request. After a moment’s deliberation, he turned around and began to discuss in hushed voices with the other referees.

Jun Xiaomo was unable to hear what the referees were talking about, so she could only clench her fists tightly in eager anticipation.

Off the stage, several members of the audience continued to stare at Jun Xiaomo with glares as though castigating her for being an idiot or a lunatic.

They simply could not understand what Jun Xiaomo was thinking.

One incense stick of time later, the panel of referees had finally come to some form of conclusion. The chief referee turned around and faced Jun Xiaomo once more as he solemnly related to her their decision, “We cannot simply rely in your guarantee. After all, this matter involves the lives of others. That said, we’re willing to give you an opportunity to prove your point to us.”

The chief referee’s first statement had caused Jun Xiaomo’s heart to sink like a rock to the depths of a vast ocean of hopelessness. That said, the chief referee’s latter words once again raised her up from the mires of despondence and reignited the flames of hope in her heart.

It was good that the panel of referees had decided on a compromise.

“I wonder how these esteemed referees want me to prove the point to them?” Jun Xiaomo bowed politely and made a fist and palm salute as she queried.

“It’s simple. You must cohabitate with the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf for one day with no barriers or any forms of protection between the two of you. If it neither attacks you nor brandishes any hostility against you, you’ll have proven your point to us.”

The sight of the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf’s obedience towards Jun Xiaomo had left an indelible impression in the hearts of the referees so much so that they were willing to offer her an opportunity to prove her point to them.

Jun Xiaomo nodded her head immediately, “Alright, that won’t be a problem. I humbly thank the esteemed referees for offering me this opportunity.”

As soon as Jun Xiaomo responded in the affirmative, everyone in the audience unanimously thought the same way – Jun Xiaomo has gone mad. How could she think of accepting such conditions?!

At the same time, there were some others like He Zhang who began to curse in their hearts and hope that Jun Xiaomo would be torn to shreds by that fanatic spirit beast.

Thus, the panel of referees led Jun Xiaomo down a winding path as they arrived at an idyllic place at the corner of the Heavenly Crane Mountain. Jun Xiaomo took a look at her surroundings as she chuckled bitterly to herself – Fortunately, this isn’t the marshlands.

In all honesty, she did not wish to step foot into those marshlands ever again. Even though she possessed a reasonable amount of fortitude against the nauseating and disgusting creatures within, the prospects of encountering all kinds of disgusting and goosebumps-inducing creepy crawlies would still cause her to lose her appetite.

Roar! Jun Xiaomo heard the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf’s roar even before they drew near its enclosures. Its roar was even filled with pain and indignation.

Jun Xiaomo grew anxious and she immediately picked up her pace and hurried over to where the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf’s roar came from. After making another turn, she saw a wounded Scarlet Heavenly Wolf glaring viciously in confrontation against a group of people that had surrounded it.

“What are you doing?!” Jun Xiaomo cried out with indignation. She had never expected the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf to still be tormented by mischief-makers even after it had been captured.

Had she known this was going to happen, she would have thought of a far quicker method to rescue the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf with.

Despite Jun Xiaomo’s approach, the group of mischief-makers were hardly anxious at all. In fact, they immediately looked towards Jun Xiaomo with a vicious grin on their faces. One of them even raised his hand and motioned to attack Jun Xiaomo.

Jun Xiaomo immediately tensed up her body. She was just about to resist and defend herself when she saw someone else step right in front of her and block the oncoming attack.

The tens of referees had arrived closely behind her!

As soon as they discovered that Jun Xiaomo possessed strength in numbers, the assailant was immediately taken aback. He quickly reassessed the situation and discovered that none of the referees were any weaker than them – it would be wise not to provoke them any further.

Thus, the leader of the pack of mischief-makers gritted his teeth, before signaling to his men, “Let’s go!”

As he finished speaking, they all retrieved Teleportation Scrolls from their Interspatial Rings and tossed them onto the ground. Several bright blue lights flashed out, and the group of mischief-makers were gone.

Before Jun Xiaomo and the others were able to react, the mischief-makers had disappeared.

The chief referee furrowed his brows as he walked forward. He had never expected anyone to trespass the enclosure that they had used to restrain the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf like this.

In the end, the panel of referees had been far too careless as well.

Roar! When the chief referee drew near, the injured Scarlet Heavenly Wolf roared furiously, and the flames on its body burgeoned once more.

It was evident that this encounter with the mischief-makers had reignited its fury against humans. If not for the presence of sequestering formation arrays around it, there was no doubt that it would have directly lunged at the chief referee and the rest!

The chief referee had congealed some power on his palm. He was just about to knock out the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf when Jun Xiaomo stopped him in the nick of time.

“Senior, could you let me give it a shot?” Jun Xiaomo spoke earnestly to the chief referee.

The chief referee furrowed his brows as he responded, “Do you understand what you’re doing? This spirit beast is extremely dangerous – it’s not something you’ll be able to deal with alone. Furthermore, after what has just happened, I’m afraid that it might be incredibly difficult for you to gain its trust once more.”

“I understand that. But I still want to give it a shot.” Jun Xiaomo smiled.

She did not want the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf to become a pointless sacrifice as a result of human ambition and greed. As long as there was a trace of hope to save this Scarlet Heavenly Wolf’s life, she would cling fervently to it.

The chief referee sighed once as he gave in, “Then suit yourself. But don’t say I didn’t remind you – once you enter the domain of the formation array, we’ll no longer be able to protect you.”

“I understand.” Jun Xiaomo nodded her head calmly.

She had a good understanding of the discipline of formation arrays, and she naturally appreciated this.

So what if it’s dangerous? I’ve still got to give it a shot to know whether it’s going to work or not.

Once Jun Xiaomo made up her mind, the other referees no longer obstructed her. Then, Jun Xiaomo retrieved a recovery pill from her Interspatial Ring as she slowly made her way over towards the Scarlet Heavenly Wolf’s enclosure.

ROAR!!! The Scarlet Heavenly Wolf did not lower its vigilance just because the person who had approached it was Jun Xiaomo. In fact, the hatred and agitation in the depths of its eyes had already burgeoned.