Huang Xiaolong shook his head and laughed hearing Xue Puti's generous offer, "No need". Li Lu's shadow appeared in his mind.
Xie Puti chuckled at Huang Xiaolong's reaction, "I've heard about your story. Is it because of that girl that the Deities Templar took away, Li Lu?"
Huang Xiaolong didn't want to talk about it, so, changing the topic, he asked, "Do you know which auction house keeps grade one spirit stones?" The Xie Family had a broad intelligence network and Xie Puti could have some information about this.
"You want to buy grade one spirit stones?" Xie Puti was surprised. He continued, "Grade one spirit stones are very scarce and the three top companies in our Duanren Empire rarely auction them, but I know of a place that has them."
"Oh, where is it?" Huang Xiaolong's interest rose.
"Sin City, the Bedlam Lands!" Xie Puti lowered his voice as he said the name of the place.
Huang Xiaolong's brows creased into a furrow.
Zhao Shu had mentioned about this place to him. Bedlam Lands was the most violent, chaotic, complicated, bloodthirsty, and heinous place in the Martial Spirit World. Everywhere, every day was complete balagan filled with killing, thievery, and vile, corrupted morals.
There are three main continents in the Martial Spirit WorldㅡSnow Wind Continent, Star Cloud Continent, and Ten Directions Continent. 1 Other than these three continents, there were also many dangerous and forbidden lands.
And this Bedlam Lands sat in between the Snow Wind Continent and Ten Directions Continent, also an ancient battlefield ruin of the primordial God Tribes. Its land area was filled with thick dead air and demonic air. The climate was of polar extremes, from frozen ice lands that stretched as far as a thousand li to scorching plumes of magma, hotter than a furnace, and there were wide barren plains that bore no living beings.
Because of these unique characteristics of the Bedlam Lands, none of the three continents or neighboring empires bothered themselves with it. In short, all three continents washed their hands off the Bedlam Lands.
Amongst all the wicked chaos, Sin City prevailed and stood above others as the largest domain in the Bedlam Lands.
Huang Xiaolong and Xie Puti drank as they talked, three hours passed by the time they left the wine house. Outside the entrance, Xie Puti suddenly said, "It's been a long time since the two of us sparred, how about a match?"
Huang Xiaolong was stumped with the sudden request, but he refused, "Next time, I have something to do." He feared Xie Puti would receive too big a blow if his current strength was revealed.
However, Xie Puti insisted vehemently, "No way, I had just broken through to Xiantian Third Order a few days ago, today I absolutely must spar with you as revenge for the Imperial City Battle three years ago!"
Huang Xiaolong looked at Xie Puti seriously, "Must we really spar?"
Xie Puti nodded solemnly: "We definitely must!"
It didn't take them long to get to a secret battle chamber in Duanren Institute. The Duanren Institute constructed two types battle stages within its grounds; the open battle stage and the secret battle chamber. Students were allowed to use these stages to spar with other students; for those who wished to keep things low profile, the secret battle chamber was an option.
Both of them entered the secret battle chamber together, yet barely ten minutes later, both were seen walking back out again. Xie Puti was swollen in the face with black and green bruises and a slight limp in his gait. All the while, a strange expression hung on his face as he glanced at Huang Xiaolong from time to time. He was depressed, frustrated, and many complex emotions all rolled into one.
Huang Xiaolong looked at Xie Puti saying, "I've said next time, you were the one who insisted to spar."
Xie Puti cursed wryly, "Damn, you freak actually broke through to the Fourth Order?! It seems hardly possible anymore to avenge myself in the future!"
After entering the secret battle chamber earlier, Huang Xiaolong merely exposed a Xiantian Fourth Order's strength. Even so, Xie Puti was beaten up to the point he was crying for mercy within ten minutes. His situation could only be described as miserable, he couldn't put even an inch of resistance in front of Huang Xiaolong.
That year, during the Imperial City Battle, Huang Xiaolong defeated Xie Puti with the strength an order lower, at Xiantian First Order. Now that Huang Xiaolong's strength exceeded his, all his dreams of revenge were pulverized into powdered dust.
Hearing Xie Puti claiming his strength to be Xiantian Fourth Order, Huang Xiaolong did not clarify the misunderstanding, it would only rise more unnecessary issues if Xie Puti knew the truth: not only had he broken through Xiantian Fifth Order, his strength was actually closer to a peak late-Xiantian Fifth Order, Xie Puti might start knocking his head against walls.
"I have some injury healing pellets, do you want some?" Huang Xiaolong grinned as he took out a small jade bottle from the Asura Ring.
Xie Puti grumbled as his hand reached out to take the bottle, "Couldn't you be a little gentler."
Huang Xiaolong laughed: "Then I'll be gentler next time."
A cold shiver ran down Xie Puti's back hearing this. He quickly shook his head and waved his hands vigorously, "Forget it, no matter who I find to spar with, I won't be looking for you!"
Both broke out in laughter.
Moments later, Xie Puti left the Duanren Institute, while Huang Xiaolong made his way to the Institute's library.
At the library entrance, just as Huang Xiaolong wanted to step in, he was stopped by one of the students on guard. The student librarian looked at Huang Xiaolong up and down as he stated, "Are you a new student? Don't you know the Institute's rules? To enter the library, all students must display their student badge and wear the Institute's robe."
Huang Xiaolong's brows scrunched slightly.
Indeed, there was such a rule in Duanren Institute, however, under normal circumstances, the student librarians wouldn't really request every student that enters the library to be in robes and have the Institute's badge on display. Because no one dared to disguise as a Duanren Institute's student unless they felt they had lived enough.
'But… this student librarian doesn't recognize me? It has only been two years since I have left the Institute,' Huang Xiaolong touched his chin as this thought crossed his mind.
"I don't have the Institute's student badge on me right now." Huang Xiaolong said, and he was telling the truth.
However, though he may not have the Institute's student badge with him, he did have Duan Ren's Golden Token and was pondering if he should take that out instead. Unfortunately, the student librarian's actions were quicker. Sneering, he said: "Don't have your student badge on you? Little rascal, I think you aren't our Duanren Institute's student at all! How dare you disguise yourself as one of our Duanren Institute's students!"
Huang Xiaolong was struck dumb at the accusation, a wry smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Yet the student librarian was emboldened and continued, "Little rascal, you're really looking for death daring to disguise as our Duanren Institute's student! Come, you're coming with me to the Penalty Hall!" His hands reached out, wanting to capture Huang Xiaolong.
This student librarian didn't seem weak, a strong gust of wind formed as his fingers bent into a claw shape, reaching out. Huang Xiaolong stood calmly, waiting. When the student librarian's hand drew close before him, Huang Xiaolong raised his palm and gently pressed forward, instantly shattering the claw attack.
The student librarian felt an overwhelming force surging towards him, pushing him back again and again until he reached the corner. Being repelled so easily by Huang Xiaolong, the student librarian was surprised and angry at the same time. He made a second attempt to detain Huang Xiaolong, a glaring light burst out from his body, going out at full force.
"Wait!" Huang Xiaolong shouted.
It was ignored by the student librarian, his palm continued to aim at Huang Xiaolong, stronger than before, laced with a trace of killing intent.
Detecting this, Huang Xiaolong's eyes grew cold as his patience wore thin. When the student librarian got close enough, Huang Xiaolong's body swayed to the side, his palm snaked out and landed a palm strike on his chest.
The student librarian screamed, his body thrown far back. His scream attracted the attention of others, thundering footsteps rushed in from all directions towards the library's entrance.
1. Used to be Shifang Continent