Who is that youngster?

All the cultivators in the inn knew that the youngster couldn’t be an ordinary person if Fang Linhan took the initiative to challenge him to a duel.

Additionally, they had a feeling that he was unfathomable given his calm and nonchalant attitude when he faced Fang Linhan.

“Go and investigate who the hell that guy is!”

Very quickly, the cultivators left the inn in a hurry. Firstly, they were eager to find out Lin Xun’s background as soon as possible.

Secondly, they didn’t want to stay a second longer. Fang Linhan was so arrogant that he had scolded them without restraint just now. If they stayed any longer, it would be no different from wanting to be verbally slapped.

Fang Linhan paid no attention to the cultivators who left with their tails between their legs, but he shifted his gaze to the room where Lin Xun stayed.

“Interesting, besides Yue Jianming, there is finally another worthy opponent in the Fire Spirit Province…”

His eyes were shining with a gleaming radiance. He only retracted his gaze after a long while, smiling, and then he turned around and headed to his own room.

……

Kacha!

A series of cracking noises sounded in Lin Xun’s room. Nine grain-sized, jet-black god-devourer insects were happily feasting on something.

Within seconds, two pieces of mid-grade spirit accumulation jade were devoured in Lin Xun’s hand.

“Hungry…”

The nine insects produced a wave of emotion to tell him they were not full yet.

Lin Xun felt a headache coming. Although these little guys are only the size of a grain of rice, their appetite is terrifying. In just a few days, they have already devoured three pieces of mid-grade spirit accumulation jade.

It should be mentioned that a piece of mid-grade spirit accumulation jade contained three hundred to five hundred spirits!

In other words, three hundred to five hundred Spirit Sea level beasts and above had to be slaughtered to produce a piece of mid-grade spirit accumulation jade!

However, it only took seconds for the god-devourer insects to devour one piece, and they still weren't full after that…

How would Lin Xun’s head not ache?

When he wandered around the Flame Capital, he also inquired about and found that, unlike in the lower domain world, cultivators in the Ancient Wasteland Domain used aeth essence as a currency.

Ten high-grade aeth crystals were equivalent to one low-grade aeth essence.

One hundred low-grade aeth essences were equivalent to one mid-grade aeth essence.

One hundred mid-grade aeth essences were equivalent to one high-grade aeth essence.

The market price of one filled low-grade spirit accumulation jade was around one hundred low-grade aeth essences or one mid-grade aeth essence.

The price might not seem high, but if it was converted into high-grade aeth crystals, one low-grade spirit accumulation jade was equivalent to one thousand high-grade aeth crystals!

One thousand high-grade aeth crystals were enough to last Lin Xun one month for his cultivation needs. But that amount was equivalent to one hundred low-grade aeth essences or one low-grade spirit accumulation jade...

That comparison demonstrated the astonishing cost and value of spirit accumulation jade in the Ancient Wasteland Domain.

But that was only the value of a low-grade spirit accumulation jade.

A single mid-grade spirit accumulation jade cost ten mid-grade aeth essences!

This was equivalent to one thousand low-grade aeth essences!

Lin Xun’s face turned overcast at the thought of the nine god-devourer insects demolishing three mid-grade spirit accumulation jades in the past few days.

The investment they needed was too terrifying!

“It’s no wonder that god-devourer insects were also extremely rare in ancient times. Not just anyone would be able to afford to raise them…” sighed Lin Xun.

He had brought a huge amount of high-grade aeth crystals to the Ancient Wasteland Domain with him. These were all stored inside the Nameless Pagoda.

However, he found that even if he exchanged them all, he would at most receive five hundred low-grade aeth essences or five mid-grade aeth essences…

His wealth would only get him half a piece of mid-grade spirit accumulation jade!

The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt. They are just blood-sucking leeches!

“I need to hurry up and make money!”

After a long moment, he gritted his teeth and made a decision.

This wasn’t only to raise the god-devourer spirits, but to also make it easier for him to progress in the cultivation world of the Ancient Wasteland Domain.

Most importantly, aeth essence wasn’t just a currency.

It was a natural aeth material rich in pure aeth power. They were much more precious than high-grade aeth crystals and a necessity for Heaven Ascension and Cyclic Derivation cultivators in their daily training.

……

Early next morning, Lin Xun finished his meditation and went down to the first floor of the inn for a pot of tea.

He was a little puzzled as to why Xia Xiaochong hadn’t come back to find him. The training competition held by the four sects and three clans should have ended yesterday. Could something have happened to her?

“Young master, I am Ma Xingkong. I am now working for the Xiao Clan of the Fire Spirit Province. Can I ask for your name?” A middle-aged man suddenly went over to greet Lin Xun with a smile.

Lin Xun smiled and stated, “Lin Xun.”

As he answered, he noticed that several cultivators on the first floor of the inn were, whether intentionally or not, sizing him up.

“Oh, Young Master Lin.” Ma Xingkong sat down opposite him and said thoughtfully, “Young Master Lin, I’ll be honest with you, I was ordered to come here to ask you whether you are interested in a duel with Fang Linhan?”

Lin Xun wasn’t taken aback. “Why did you come to find me all of a sudden?”

Ma Xingkong glanced around at first before he answered, “Young Master, we already know what happened in the inn yesterday. I heard that Fang Linhan challenged you, but you refused.”

Understanding dawned on Lin Xun’s face. “Indeed.” He nodded.

Ma Xingkong continued bluntly, “Young master, if you take the challenge and duel with Fang Linhan, regardless of the outcome of the battle, the Xiao Clan will reward you with one thousand low-grade aeth essences. But if you defeat Fang Linhan...” He gestured with his hand. “The Xiao Clan is willing to reward Young Master with one hundred mid-grade aeth essences!”

Lin Xun gasped inwardly. Having recently learned about the value of aeth essence, he knew that one hundred mid-grade aeth essences were a very juicy reward!

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“Of course…” Ma Xingkong continued, wearing a smile, “The Xiao Clan has a little request. If you agree, please fight Fang Linhan under the name of the Xiao Clan.”

The Xiao Clan wanted to use Lin Xun as a weapon to deal with Fang Linhan!

“Sorry, I have other affairs so I can’t help out,” Lin Xun directly refused. Although he was short of money, he didn’t want to be used as a knife for others.

Ma Xingkong stared at him blankly. Clearly, he didn’t expect Lin Xun to refuse so bluntly.

“Why don’t you think about it again? If you think the reward is not enough, we can negotiate further. Young Master, you must also know that our Xiao Clan is one of the four sects and three clans in the Fire Spirit Province. Given our incomparably solid foundation, I believe you won’t be disappointed with the reward.”

Lin Xun smiled and shook his head. “If money can buy a chance of winning, then the other forces would have already done so.”

Ma Xingkong sighed, got up, bid farewell and left.

However, to Lin Xun’s annoyance, as soon as Ma Xingkong stepped out of the inn, other cultivators came to chat with him one after another.

Just like Ma Xingkong, they represented different forces in the Fire Spirit Province and wanted to ask him to fight Fang Linhan in their name with promises and offers of extremely attractive rewards.

Lin Xun declined all their offers without thinking.

“Would you like a drink?” Suddenly, a tall and slender figure casually sat down opposite Lin Xun with a jug of wine and a cup.

His thick black hair flowed loosely down his black robe, and his slightly parted thin lips added to the crazed expression on his face. It was Fang Linhan, the successor of Eight Extremes Blade Temple.

“Thank you.” Lin Xun casually raised his cup and finished it in one gulp.

Fang Linhan smiled and poured him another cup. “Outwardly, you look no different from other people, but in my eyes, you are different from others. Whenever you have time, you can come to find me in the Flame Capital martial arena.” He rose to his feet and strode out of the inn with a jug of wine in his hand.

His mighty figure and majestic stride gave him an arrogant and conceited air.

“By the way, I will only stay here for another half a month at most.” Fang Linhan suddenly turned around and reminded Lin Xun.

Lin Xun only responded with a slight nod.

Fang Linhan smiled, turned around and walked out of the inn, disappearing into the sea of people.

“Let’s go. Let’s go take a look!”

“That guy is as arrogant as ever. I bet he is going to the Flame Capital martial arena to show off again!”

Cultivators hurriedly left the inn one after another.

From their conversations, Lin Xun learned that, ever since Fang Linhan had come to Flame Capital, he would duel against the younger generation of experts every morning in the Flame Capital martial arena. He wouldn’t leave the arena until dusk.

“Honing your own great dao with battles…you are indeed a battle lunatic...”

Lin Xun appeared pensive.

After waiting for several hours, he still saw no signs of Xia Xiaochong. He frowned. It’s no use to continue waiting.

He decided to find out by himself.

However, as soon as he walked out of the inn, exclamations spread throughout the street, followed by passers-by looking up to the sky.

Suddenly, a long and huge shadow was cast from the sky, like a blanket of thick black clouds. In truth, it was a fierce beast that blotted out the light of the sky with its tremendous body!

It had nine dragon heads and its huge body resembled a winding mountain, emitting a brilliant golden glow like it was crafted from gold.

A nine-headed golden flood-dragon!

A terrifying creature with a terrifying reputation in ancient times.

Rumor had it that each of its nine heads had mastered a different innate secret art, allowing it to manipulate thunder, lightning, wind and rain, maneuver in the sky and escape into the ground, and wield supernatural powers!

However, such a mythical creature was being used as a means of transportation! A divine palace was standing upright on its back!

The palace was glowing with divine brilliance. It looked spectacular and grand even if it was hundreds of feet away and high up in the sky.

A group of young men and women were standing in front of the sacred palace, chatting and laughing happily. They were all stunning with an extraordinary demeanor and appearance like a group of disciples of a celestial sect!