Chapter 442 - 15 in 1

"You don't know your chalk from your cheese!" Fu Ziyun was annoyed. "I gave you a way out but you did not cherish it. I'll just go ahead and let Hong Tianmeng kill you then!"

The young maids glared at Chen Xiaobei with contempt in their eyes.

The middle-aged men standing at the entrance of the tent also wore mocking smiles on their faces while jeering, "How could such a stupid kid manage to catch a Cloud-riding Golden Antlers Deer? It must have been sheer dumb luck huh!"

Hong Tianmeng's minions waved their hands in the air, shouting, "Kill! Yong master! Kill him! Hahaha…"

Bro Huo's face was ashen. He was so afraid that silence had befallen him.

Hwaa….

Hong Tianmeng transformed into his Giant Rhinoceros image again.

One punch was a whopping 180,000 combat power. That was comparable to moving a mountain!

"You little twat! Watch me squash you into mincemeat!" Hong Tianmeng clenched his teeth, his eyes savage, launching all of his rage he had harbored against Fu Ziyun at Chen Xiaobei.

"Piece of junk!" Chen Xiaobei swung the buck around so that it rested on his left shoulder, and channeled Earth Ethereal Force with his right hand.

The Primordial Witch King Combat Enhancement Training Manual was launched.

200,000 combat power at full capacity! Wood Ethereal Force bloomed into a vibrant green giant hand, plunging down from the heavens like the Buddha's Palm from the movies.

Boom!

The giant palm slammed onto the back of the rhinoceros.

The surging rhinoceros was suddenly thwarted as if a giant mountain had crashed onto it, preventing it from moving.

Chen Xiaobei's combat power was in itself already stronger than Hong Tianmeng's! On top of that, the element of Wood trumps that of Earth!

The result of the fight was not a surprise at all.

Boooom!

The giant palm crushed the rhinoceros until nothing was left of it.

The crowd that had been watching exclaimed in astonishment, "Ho… How is that possible…"

A second ago, they all thought that Chen Xiaobei was a foolish idiot, having anticipated he was going to lose.

But right at this very second, the truth had now slapped them hard right across their faces.

The 'idiot' they had thought would die, actually possessed such terrifying strength.

Who really was this 'idiot' in question?

Smack!

A loud slap exploded on Hong Tianmeng's face.

With one hand carrying the deer, Chen Xiaobei sent a palm flying down hard on Hong Tianmeng's face.

Blood sputtered out of Hong Tianmeng's mouth as he spun round and around like a spinning top until he toppled over.

He fell to the ground with a loud thud. Hong Tianmeng's head throbbed profusely, and he was seeing stars. With a violent swing of his head, he threw up all over ground with a mixture of blood and broken teeth.

Chen Xiaobei's combat power was closer to that of Fu Ziyun, but he was elementally superior causing his attack to be doubled in effectiveness.

The damage he inflicted on Hong Tianmeng was clearly far more severe than Fu Ziyun's!

Everyone was shocked.

"Argghhh… this freaking hurts…" Hong Zhimeng cupped his face, and howled, "You f*cking twerp! How dare you hit me… Don't you know that Major General Hong is my father?! You will pay for this! You pay the most painful price for this!"

"How much of a price?" Chen Xiaobei asked indifferently as he walked over to his opponent.

"My father will make sure you are dead!" Hong Tianmeng roared. "He will beat you up and skin you alive! Finally, he'll crush you until all your flesh and bones turn into a slop and feed it to the dogs!"

"Mm, so I have to pay such a hefty price for simply slapping you?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"Yes! That's right!" Hong Tianmeng glowered. "My father is the Major General! Hitting me means hitting my father as well! This will not end well for you!"

"What if I kill you? What kind of price will I have to pay then?" Chen Xiaobei asked in a frosty tone.

"Wh… What? You… You want to kill me…" Hong Tianmeng's breathe quickened. "No! You wouldn't dare! Even Fu Ziyun wouldn't dare kill you! You wouldn't dare…"

Zing!

Chen Xiaobei kept silent, and only his hands moved – a swift swing of his black blade and crack!

"Arggggh…" Hong Tianmeng's head was severed. Blood sprayed out from his neck where his head used to be, soaking the ground with a red puddle.

"My god… That… That kid killed our young master Hong…"

Hong Tianmeng's minions screamed, shaking from head to toe. They were now flustered like children before an angry teacher.

They could not believe that Chen Xiaobei actually killed the son of Major General Hong.

He did not even blink while doing it!

"Who in the world is that kid? Who does he think he is?" Fu Zhuyun asked gravely.

His maids were as white as a sheet, as if haunted by the most frightful of ghosts.

Bro Huo was alarmed. "Doctor… You've gotten yourself into some serious trouble…"

"Bro Huo, you and I have only met this once. You're not involved in any of this! Just go!" Chen Xiaobei said. Though Chen Xiaobei spoke in a seemingly cold manner, he was obviously protecting Bro Huo from the receiving end of the Hong family's spite.

Bro Huo knew very well that he could not afford that. "I…"

He heaved a long sigh before quietly retreating.

Ding!

[For eliminating Third Generation Villain. You receive 30,000 merit points!]

Ding!

[Your current merit points total is 33,580,000; 11,420,000 points away from the next level.]

[Charm: 3,358,000; Luck: 3,358,000]

Chen Xiaobei did not absorb Hong Tianmeng's blood essence and spirit after killing him, so the merit points were transferred to his account immediately.

Qixi festival, Mid-autumn festival and the Gourmet Food competition were drawing near, and there were going to be a lot of Red Envelopes up for grabs.

It was only necessary for Chen Xiaobei to accumulate as much luck as possible.

"So, what do you say? Are you going to get lost or are you going to fight me?"

With one hand still holding the deer and the other grasping the black saber, Chen Xiaobei approached Fu Ziyun.

"I…" Fu Ziyun gulped. He could feel very clearly, experience the overbearing aura coming from Chen Xiaobei.

This aura had nothing to do with cultivation or age; it was solely built on a person's mental strength.

Fu Ziyun felt as if a primordial ancient beast was glaring at him, ready to tear him into pieces.

"Huh… Let's go…" Fu Ziyun turned away.

Chen Xiaobei paid no heed to him but turned his gaze towards the entrance of the tent and said, "I've come so submit my catch! Am I late?"

"No, no, no… Please come in! Come in!" The middle-aged men who had been watching nodded and bowed, before inviting Chen Xiaobei in.Inside the tent.

The person in charge of the competition came to meet Chen Xiaobei personally – he was exceptionally cordial.

After a series of registrations, the man handed Chen Xiaobei a piece of token made out of bronze with the words 'Saint Duke' etched on it.

"Please bring this token with you, and you can travel to Saint Duke's capital planet to join the actual martial arts contest, sir." The man said politely.

"Mm, is there anything else? If not, I shall take my leave!" Chen Xiaobei said.

"You can deal with this deer at your own discretion!" The man said.

"Okay." Chen Xiaobei nodded and then transfused three torrents of Ethereal Force into the deer.

"Gahh…"

The stag gasped for breath and was soon awake.

Swoosh!

Sensing something amiss in its environment, the Cloud-riding Golden Antlers Deer sprung instinctively onto its feet and bolted out of the tent, vanishing from sight.

This stag was astonishingly swift, akin to an elite at the peak of Ethereal Force.

The man stared after the vanishing stag, incredulous. "Ahh… Why did you release it? That stag is very strong! Once it's domesticated, it would make an excellent mount! Then anyone below God-Ascension won't be able to catch you!"

His fellow colleagues all seemed to share his sentiment that Chen Xiaobei had suffered a loss by letting the deer go.

But Chen Xiaobei answered indifferently, "To me, I wouldn't consider that very fast!"

After that, Chen Xiaobei left the camp grounds, leaving the man and his colleagues stunned.

While none of them said it out loud, they all felt the same way about Chen Xiaobei's response – he was too stuck-up! His combat power was only 200,000 yet he had the nerve to claim that the magical deer was too slow for him!

What they did not know was that under Bei Xuan, there were four God-Ascension cultivation demigod level Beast Kings. Any one of them could have easily overtaken the Cloud-riding Golden Antlers Deer.

Even if Chen Xiaobei wanted an animal to mount, it would at least have to be at a God-Ascension level and above – not lower!

…

Having left the camp grounds, Chen Xiaobei made a speedy return to Boulder capital city.

Of course, for the sake of Bro Huo's safety, Chen Xiaobei made no attempt to contact him.

With the token, no one was allowed to refuse him. He went through a special portal that led directly to Saint Duke Imperial City.

Since this place was at the very core of the starfield, the war had yet to spread here.

Majestic fortresses and bustling streets.

There were all sorts of people from different starfields and of different races.

Some were driving flying vehicles, while others were riding Spiritual Beasts. It all seemed very futuristic and dreamlike.

Chen Xiaobei felt as if he had entered a whole new world – everything was foreign and unfamiliar.

Of course, because he was in a rush, Chen Xiaobei did not hang around. Instead, he followed the directory next to the portal and found the usher in charge of receiving competitors.

He was a harrowingly thin middle-aged man, with a protruding mouth, a chin like an ape, and beady eyes which made him look somewhat unkind.

Chen Xiaobei went up to the man and greeted him, "How are you? This is my token."

"You're the tenth person?" The skinny slit-eyed man grabbed the token and said, "I'm the person in charge of welcoming the competitors from the elimination round, Liu Zijian! You can call me Master Jian!"

"Mm," Chen Xiaobei nodded but did not address him.

Liu Zijian narrowed his eyes at Chen Xiaobei, obviously displeased. Then he raised his hand towards Chen Xiaobei, rubbing his thumb against the rest of his fingers.

"What does that mean?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"We're all adults here! There's no need act like you don't know!" Liu Zijian rubbed his fingers again, and said a raspy voice. "The nine competitors before you all brought gifts. Don't tell me you didn't!"

Chen Xiaobei frowned. "I didn't!"

If Liu Zijian had done his job well, Chen Xiaobei would not have minded giving him a little something nice, but this Liu Zijian did nothing at all and was already asking for something upon first encounter. He even wanted to be called master! There was no way in hell that Chen Xiaobei was going to play along!

"You… How dare you refuse to give me face!" Liu Zijian had not expected Chen Xiaobei to reject him head-on.

Chen Xiaobei answered, "I do have a lot of Spiritual Stones on me. You just need to give me one reason why I should give you face!"

"I…" Liu Zijian faltered.

First, he had no status to speak of and second, he did not have any actual authority – he was just a small-time usher!

He had taken the opportunity to bully the competitors who were not from the imperial city. Since this was their first time there, uninformed of the rules and afraid to offend anyone, they compliantly gave him 'gifts'.

The nine competitors who came before Chen Xiaobei were all intimidated by Liu Zijian, and were forced to produce presents to him.

But Liu Zijuan did not receive a single thing from Chen Xiaobei. Instead, he had his nose rubbed in dirt.

"If you can't even give me one reason, then please refrain from wishful thinking. Do your part well, and avoid bringing trouble to yourself!" Chen Xiaobei cautioned.

"Kid, you are too presumptuous! I will remember you!" Liu Zijian peered at him. "Come! I'll bring you to your living quarters!"

Liu Zijian led the way, taking long strides.

Ding!

[Cultivation: Early phase of Ethereal Cultivation; Lifespan: 1,087 years; Health: 180,000; Combat power 180,000]

As he followed behind, Chen Xiaobei checked out Liu Zijian's cultivation and was secretly shocked.

180,000 combat power meant nothing much to Chen Xiaobei, but for a nobody, an usher being able have a cultivation as such was shocking!

Imagine how much stronger the first-rate elites of Saint Duke were!

Chen Xiaobei made a mental note to be vigilant in this unfamiliar territory rife with powerful elites; every move had to be made with precaution and he had to tread lightly.

They soon arrived at the living quarters.

It was a private villa with a well-tended garden, comfortable and quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the noisy downtown.

"This is where you'll be staying!" Liu Zijian snorted, and walked away, not bothering to say another word to Chen Xiaobei.

Chen Xiaobei could not care less for him either, and headed straight for the villa.

Once inside the garden, Chen Xiaobei was on high alert, carefully examining the place before entering the house.

Liu Zijian was just the kind of people who was annoying to deal with!

He had just offended Liu Zijian, so it was only necessary to be careful, just in case.

However, after a through inspection, Chen Xiaobei did not find anything unusual.

"Perhaps I've been thinking too much…" Chen Xiaobei shrugged, relaxing a little as he entered the house.

"After a day of troubles, I can finally have a good rest." Chen Xiaobei pushed open the door and walked into the living room.

The moment he walked in, Chen Xiaobei was greeted with an unexpected sight – right there in the living room was a young person in a nightgown.

"AHHHHHH!" The person screamed.

Chen Xiaobei just stared, too shocked to react."Ah!!!"

The scream was still ongoing.

"We are all men! Is it even necessary to shout so loud?"

Chen Xiaobei frowned, turned around, and he saw a teenager in his pajamas. His hair was short and looked a tad energetic. Besides, Chen Xiaobei noticed that a crimson coiling dragon tattoo on his left arm. Supposedly, he had the makings of a tough man but the way he screamed had made him look like a sissy!

"Damn! He doesn't even have an adam's apple! Plus, there is something wrong with his chest! He's pretending to be a man!" said Chen Xiaobei.

"You asshole! I'm going to kill you!"

The lady finally stopped screaming. Immediately, she turned around, took a long robe, and put it on her. She then lifted up her fist and came charging at Chen Xiaobei.

"So, you are in fact a woman…" said Chen Xiaobei, shocked.

This woman had a perfect symmetrical face and perfectly crafted facial features. Though she was skinny, she was still rather attractive. Right now, her eyes were a like a pair of knives; aiming squarely at Chen Xiaobei.

Swoosh…

She was about to land her fist on Chen Xiaobei's head.

Ding!

[Cultivation: Early phase of Ethereal cultivation. Lifespan: 5,633. Health: 200,000. Combat power: 200,000!]

"Eh?"

Chen Xiaobei was shocked to find out that the woman that he was checking had a ridiculous amount of lifespan. He was wondering if there was something wrong with his Netherspirit Battlescouter.

Roar!

At the same time, the sound of a dragon roaring could be heard coming out her fists. The coiled up dragon tattoo on her body started to ignite a flame! The fire was so flaming hot that all the furniture around her was burnt to ashes within seconds.

"Such a pure fire element attack!"

Immediately, Chen Xiaobei activated his Primordial Witch King Combat Enhancement technique to communicate with a water element to form his attack.

Swoosh…

Chen Xiaobei swung his fist and a water dragon was summoned to counteract the fire dragon that was charging at him.

BAM!

The water and fire dragons collided into each other. The aftershock that ensued was so powerful that the entire house was decimated and a terrifying crack was formed on the ground.

"This little lady is so damn powerful!"

Chen Xiaobei was forced to take three steps back to stabilize himself.

"Damn it…"

The lady was forced to take a dozen of steps back and she had to lower her body to balance herself. Though her cultivation was similar to Chen Xiaobei, a fire attack would always be weaker when it came to facing water attacks.

"Lady… This is all a misunderstanding… I have no intention to barge into your house…"

"Shut up! You are the lady here! Your whole family is made up of ladies!"

"Err… Do you want me to call you little bro?"

"My name is Lin Qingfeng!"

"Fine… Ms. Lin… Oh no… Title is not important! The reason why I barged into your house is because of a son of a bitch called Liu Zijian! He told me that this is where I'm supposed to live…"

"Are you an idiot? Why would you believe him?"

Considering that she had short hair and a dragon tattoo, Chen Xiaobei started to wonder that if she was a transsexual woman. Speaking of which, Chen Xiaobei was still at fault for trespassing someone's property.

"I don't want to argue with you! This is my fault! I will pay for your loss!"

"Do you really think that you can solve everything with money?!"

Once again, Lin Qingfeng ignited fire on her left arm.

"You still want to fight with me? Save it, I don't think you can defeat me!"

"I'm ranked eleven on the Nine Zones Leaderboards! I, Childe Qingfeng must live up to my reputation!"

Lin Qingfeng shouted once again and charged at Chen Xiaobei.

"Nine Zones Leaderboard? Childe Qingfeng?"

ROAR!!!

This time the dragon's roaring that came out from her arm was even louder than before. Seconds later, the crimson coiling dragon tattoo on her arm turned green and the flames became green as well. Its temperature was at least ten times higher than the crimson flame. Naturally, her combat power increased by a number of folds as well. The thing that shocked Chen Xiaobei the most was the green dragon scales that appeared on her left arm. Soon after that, green dragon claws started to grow out of her fingers. Seemingly, it was sharp enough to shred through everything in this world.

Ding!

[Cultivation: Early phase of Ethereal Cultivation. Lifespan: 5,633. Health: 200,000 (+100,000). Combat power 200,000 (+100,000)!]

"What the f*ck! How did you do that?! That's a huge boost of power!"

Judging by the stark transformation, it was extremely similar to Chen Xiaobei's Witch Dragon Transformation. However, its effect was completely different. If Chen Xiaobei's guess was right, there should be dragon's blood flowing in her body as well.

"You asshole! I'm going to kill you today!"

Swish!

Lin Qingfeng swung her claw at Chen Xiaobei. The green flame materialized into a giant dragon and flooded the entire area with green rays. Everything around the dragon was disintegrated.

"So, you really want to kill me? This is just a small misunderstanding! Is it worth it?"

"Kneel down and beg for forgiveness! And I might forgive you for that! You have one second to consider!"

"It's my fault for trespassing! However, the way you talk and act towards me are just too much! Don't blame me for hurting you!"

Chen Xiaobei then shouted, "Swallow! Four! Seas!"Zing!

The dragon charged toward its target, about to burn everything to ashes. With 300,000 combat power at hand, it could fight with an elite with later phase of Ethereal cultivation.

The razor claws looked as if it could slash through the shackles of time and space and in a swift moment, had already appeared before Chen Xiaobei, seconds away from decapitating his head from his neck.

"You f*cking pervert! You really don't plan to kneel down?!"

Ling Qingfeng's glare was like an ice-cold blade; but at the very last second, that iciness thawed a little.

Perhaps she had not wanted to kill Chen Xiaobei; maybe she was just trying to put the fear of God into him so that he would kneel down and admit defeat.

Clearly, it was easier to kill him than get him to kneel down!

"Swallow all Four Seas!"

Of course, Chen Xiaobei would not just stand there like a sitting duck. He was already rousing his Witch Dragon Blood.

Fwaaaaa…

Chen Xiaobei's face flashed purple and gold, and sharp purple-golden scales covered his skin like a face mask, obscuring the lower half of his face.

Roooooaaaar!

Chen Xiaobei lifted his head and let out an angry roar; with purple-golden razor-sharp teeth pushing their way out as he did.

"Wh… what is happening…" Ling Qingfeng gasped. "Could it be… You have dragon's blood too? That's impossible…"

The green dragon descended quickly, mouth open wide to finish Chen Xiaobei in one gulp.

This dragon contained 300,000 combat power, capable of shattering Chen Xiaobei's Ethereal Force Armor!

Under a circumstance that the Ethereal Force Armor was absent, the dragon's blazing fire could burn a person into ashes!

Chen Xiaobei was without his Ethereal Force Armor but instead of dodging, he raised his head and looked at the green dragon face to face!

Suddenly, he took in a deep breath, and from the scale-covered half of his face, his fangs suddenly blasted a mysterious energy – as if an actual dragon had just opened its mouth!

Fwaaaaaa…

That 300,000-combat power blazing green dragon suddenly disappeared into Chen Xiaobei's mouth, swallowed whole!

"Sw… Swallow… Ethereal Force… How is that possible… Am I hallucinating…" Ling Qingfeng stammered.

The green dragon had completely vanished, as if it was never there in the first place.

With the truth right in front of her, Ling Qingfeng could not believe it.

"Little girl, you cannot beat me!" Chen Xiaobei grinned, his purple-golden teeth flashing dangerously. "I don't want to bully you! How much is this villa? I'll pay you back! We'll just put this all behind us!"

"Who… Who said I can't beat you…" Ling Qingfeng pouted.

She was simply talking tough; not actually continuing the fight even though she still had 90% of Ethereal Force left in her Dantian.

Even if she did continue to release and utilize her Ethereal Force, she would just be 'feeding' Chen Xiaobei.

Ling Qingfeng understood that very well.

"Don't try to act tough!" Chen Xiaobei could see through Ling Qingfeng's thoughts. "You have dragon scales, I have them too. Who knows, we might have been a family 800 years ago!"

"Pfft! Who would want to be a family with a pervert like you?!" Ling Qingfeng rolled her eyes at him.

In truth, her curiosity was hooked at the mention of dragon scales.

She had searched her memory and confirmed that she had never heard of a Golden Purple Dragon.

Similarly, Chen Xiaobei also had a lot of questions.

What was with the dragon scales on her body? And how was it that she had over 5,000 years of life?

Also, he had a question about the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard. Which nine zones were there anyway?

Chen Xiaobei then said in a gentler tone, "We don't need to fight each other to the death! How much do you want to be compensated? I will pay you. After that, we can find a place to have a drink and talk about our lives and our dreams, and whatnot…"

Ling Qingfeng had no intention to fight anymore, so she waved her hand and the green scales disappeared. She too was burning with questions. "You don't need to pay me back for the house but drinks are on you!"

"Heh! Deal! I will pay for everything tonight!" Chen Xiaobei smiled at her. The purple-dragon scales on his face had disappeared too.

Drunken Immortals Restaurant.

Ling Qingfeng seemed to be very familiar with the place. Once they got there, she led him up to a private room on the second floor.

"Childe Qingfeng! A rare customer! What brings you here today?" The restaurant owner came to greet Ling Qingfeng personally.

"Skip the nonsense!" Ling Qingfeng snapped. "Bring me ten Drunken God brewed liquor! Serve me the most expensive dishes! Hurry up!"

"Yes, yes, yes…" The restaurant owner nodded. "Oh right, Childe Qingfeng, how many maidens would do you want me to send up to drink with you?"

"Well… I want your Mei (妹) ! Hurry up and bring the drinks!"

"My sister?!" The owner gulped. "But she's almost fifty years old… and she is nothing much to look at… Why don't I send a younger maiden instead?"

"You ignorant idiot! Get lost!" Ling Qingfeng shouted.

"I…" The owner swallowed, stole a glance at Chen Xiaobei and said, "Childe Qingfong, has your taste changed? I will leave now…"

Chen Xiaobei was completely stunned. "Miss… Childe Qingfeng, do you normally have maidens drink with you?"

"Why? Can I not?" Ling Qingfeng retorted.

The expression on Chen Xiaobei grew convoluted. "Are… Are you… a yuri?"

"Yuri? What does that mean?"

"It means… that you like women?" Chen Xiaobei spoke with care.

"So? Am I not allowed to?" Ling Qinfeng snapped, which meant that she had admitted to it.

"Can… Can… of course…" Chen Xiaobei shifted in his seat.

Ling Qingfeng liked women! No wonder she dressed herself up to look like a tomboy!

Chen Xiaobei studied Ling Qingfeng's exquisite, slender face, and felt a great loss.

A beautiful girl going out to get girls! What a waste of resources! Why deprive the poor single men out there?!

The dishes she ordered soon arrived.

Chen Xiaobei was suspicious at the beginning and was on high vigilance.

But after a couple of drinks, Chen Xiaobei realized that Ling Qingfeng was indeed quite a man. They were just fighting a while ago, but she had already put it behind them!

"Come! Come! Come! Drink this bowl! Let's talk serious business!" Ling Qingfeng raised the bowl and downed it.

"Mm, I have a lot of questions for you!" Chen Xiaobei nodded, raised his head and guzzled down the entire bowl."Let me answer first. I'm not born with dragon blood inside my body! My body was filled with dragon's blood after a vampire drained every single drop of blood from my body!" replied Chen Xiaobei.

"That's so magical! Then, do you know what kind of dragon's blood is that? I have never seen golden-purple dragon blood before!"

"I'm not too sure as well! I was simply at the right place and right time. If the process had been delayed for ten seconds, I'm afraid I would have been dead!"

Clearly, Chen Xiaobei knew that the dragon's blood in his body was a gift from the Prime of Tongtian. This was his secret and even if he told Ling Qingfeng about it; she would never believe it.

"Your dragon's blood is really unique! I will ask my grand elder about it when I return to Divine Dragon Starfield!"

"Divine Dragon Starfield?! You mentioned just now about Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard. Does Divine Dragon Starfield fall into one of the zones?"

"Yes! Saint Duke, Royal Azure, Tenshou, Neptune and Divine Dragon are part of the nine highest-tier starfields! Those who are 30 years old and below will be categorized on the Earth Leaderboard! As for 30 years old and above, they will be categorized on Heaven Leaderboard!"

"The royal family from Saint Duke has Saint Duke Bloodline in them! Since you can transform your arm into dragon's arm, does that mean you are part of the royal family too?"

"Yes! Dragon God, Third Duke is my father! Actually, all royal families from all nine starfields have their own respective bloodlines!"

"Apart from that, I think your lifespan has something to do with your bloodline, right?"

"My lifespan? How did you find out about how long I can live?"

Ling Qingfeng frowned and glared at Chen Xiaobei.

"Yes… I happen to have learnt a Qi Observation Skill, and I've found out that your Qi Field is at least ten times stronger than those that have the same cultivation with you!"

One should know that the lifespan of an elite at the early phase of Ethereal cultivation should be around 300 years. However, Lin Qingeng's lifespan was 5,633 years! Such a copious amount was rather baffling even for a well endowed Chen Xiaobei.

"That's right! A long lifespan is the trademark of royal families with Dragon God Bloodline! The more powerful your cultivation, the longer you can live!"

"I see now… you've also mentioned to me earlier about Neptune! I heard that the planet is filled with seawater, and there's no way that an ordinary human can step foot on the planet! How did that planet qualify to be listed among the nine most powerful starfields?"

"Heh, judging by what you've just said, I can presume that you come from a mid or low-tier starfield! There, be deep sea residents, where mermaids are live and breathe!"

"What? Mermaids?"

Immediately, Chen Xiaobei thought about Disney's The Little Mermaid!

"You are right! Mermaids! For the Neptune Tribe, all of them are half-fish half-human! With their Neptune Bloodline, many powerful elites have been born! Their combined strength allowed them to be placed among the top five most powerful starfields!"

"Why would you say that people who come from mid or low-tier starfields would not know about Neptune Starfield?"

"That's because the Neptune Starfield is filled with treasuries! And their ancestors had destroyed all the portal to cut off all the connection with the outer world thousands of years ago! Considering that fact, it's almost impossible for people who are from low and mid-tier starfields to travel to Neptune Starfield, not to mention that nobody would believe its existence anyway!"

"I see now!"

Some time ago, Chen Xiaobei mentioned that he wanted to travel to Neptune Starfield but Bai Zixuan refused to believe him. As for the treasuries that Ling Qingfeng had just mentioned, Chen Xiaobei knew that she was talking about the Ambergris. Of course, a 10,000 year-old Ambergris was useless to Chen Xiaobei now. Considering its value and significance, the royal family in Neptune Starfield must have had all the high-tier Ambergris stored in some high-security place. Otherwise, extremely powerful elites would definitely invade the starfields to look for all those precious Ambergris. For now, Chen Xiaobei had to deal with the martial arts contest first. He would have to delay the trip to Neptune Starfield.

"The most powerful starfield amongst the nine starfields should be Apocalyptic Starfield, right?"

"You are right! Apocalyptic Starfield is the place that you have to go through before you enter the Earth God Realm and you have to top the Divine Fate Leaderboard as well!"

"I know about all that except for Divine Fate Leaderboard! What is that?"

"There are 108 elites with God Ascension cultivation who are being listed on this leaderboard! All of them have the chance to become Earth God someday!"

"Damn! I didn't know there are so many God Ascension cultivated elites! If they all have the same cultivation and combat power, how are their ranks determined?"

"Right now, you are at the early phase of Ethereal cultivation! There's a long way to go before you can reach God Ascension cultivation! Don't think about that for now! Let's talk about something more practical! How did you anger that son of a bitch, Liu Zijian?"

"Well, you do know he is a son of a bitch huh! I didn't give in to his ego so he decided to pursue me and hurt me!"

"You sure have the guts! Though he is not super powerful around here, he can be really annoying! You are the first one who had the guts to go up against him!"

"Is he really that powerful here? Who does he work for anyway?"

"Saint Duke, Eighth Marquis, Luo Shanhe! I think you should avoid him next time for the sake of Liu Shanhe!"

"We will see! It's getting late now and your house is destroyed. Where are you going to sleep tonight?"

"This is not my house! It's a house for the contestants of the martial arts contest! I'm sleeping at your place tonight!"

"Hold on… Hold on… You want to marry Luo Puti too?"

"Why not?"Chen Xiaobei was growing increasingly uncomfortable. It was now apparent that Ling Qingfeng had also come to win over Luo Puti's heart.

The people of high-ranking starfields were really liberal indeed!

Ling Qingfeng had this dreamy look in her eyes as she spoke, "Not only is Saint Duke's Princess Luo Puti beautiful, but she's cold and steely like an ice mountain! It makes me want to subdue her and add her to my harem!"

This tomboy was indeed very good looking but the iciness and temper in her eyes were very similar to Luo Puti's.

"You have a harem…" Chen Xiaobei flinched.

For all intents and purposes, it would seem that people from high-ranking starfields were not only just liberal, but they were extremely freethinking as well!

"Let's not get into these useless things. Go back and have a good rest. We'll be going to the imperial city early tomorrow morning!" Ling Qingfeng got up, took out ten medium-grade Spiritual Stones, tossed them on the table and walked out.

"Didn't we agree that I was paying?" Chen Xiaobei caught up with her.

"That's such a small amount. Whoever pays makes no difference!" Ling Qingfeng said coolly.

Chen Xiaobei could not help but be taken aback.

10 medium-grade Spiritual Stones was equivalent to 10,000 low-grade Spiritual Stones!

At the moment, Chen Xiaobei had 192 million low-grade Spiritual Stones, but to him, 10,000 low-grade Spiritual Stones for food and drinks were exorbitant!

Now, Chen Xiaobei knew that a high-ranking starfield was an excellent place to earn an obscene amount of Spiritual Stones!

…

Ling Qingfeng brought Chen Xiaobei back to the villa. The building was now burnt to the ground.

All that commotion drew the attention of Saint Duke's government officials.

About a dozen soldiers in stellar uniforms had gathered at the scene, examining the remains, trying to figure out what had taken place.

The bastard Li Zijian was among the crowd. He looked rather pleased when he asked, "Baihu Fu, did you find any bodies?"

Bai Hu! A government official!

Apparently, a high-ranking starfield employed the same hierarchy as Greenhill's Black Phantom Bureau!

Baihu Fu walked from the scorched building, shaking his head. "No, we didn't find any bodies… Childe Qingfeng is the elite who's ranked eleventh on the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard, so how could she have died so easily?"

Liu Zijian smiled, "Of course Childe Qingfeng wouldn't die! I am talking about someone elses' body!"

"There are no bodies at the scene." Baihu Fu shook his head.

"What?! You have look again closely!" Liu Zijian's brows furrowed. "How could a an outsider in his twenties have survived Childe Qingfeng's hands?!"

Baihu Fu looked at the man. Once again, Liu Zijian had caused harm to someone.

But because Liu Zijian's master was Saint Duke's Eight Marquis, Baihu Fu could only open one eye but was forced to close the other. Liu Zijian would not be questioned.

"Lord Jian," Baihu Fu said. "We've searched the entire place. There really isn't a body! Perhaps Childe Qingfeng turned that person into ashes and left no body?!"

"Just keep searching! You will surely find some evidence!" Liu Zijian insisted stubbornly.

"Hey, jerk! Are you looking for me?" A voice suddenly called out.

Everyone turned their head to look when they heard the word 'jerk'.

Someone actually called Liu Zijian a jerk!

The audacity!

Chen Xiaobei and Ling Qingfeng approached the house, walking shoulder to shoulder at a leisurely pace.

Even Ling Qinfeng winced at the name-calling.

Back at the restaurant, she had reminded Chen Xiaobei not to aggravate Liu Zijian again, but upon their meeting, Chen Xiaobei honoured him with the title 'jerk'!

Ling Qingfeng thought that she was already very uncompromising; who knew that Chen Xiaobei was even more so than she was!

"How… is it you…" Liu Zijian looked like he had just seen a ghost. "How are you still alive, and you're now with Childe Qingfeng?! Didn't Childe Qinfeng fight you?"

"Is your brain full of shit? If she didn't, then why would the villa be burnt to ashes?" Chen Xiaobei snapped.

"If that's true… There's no way you would still be alive!" Liu Zijian swallowed. "Childe Qinfeng is a young prodigy! If she attacks you, you're sure to be dead!"

The Saint Duke soldiers who had been listening in on the conversation nodded in unison.

Other than the 10 on the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard, no one under thirty years of age could compete with Ling Qingfeng.

"Mr. Chen is not weak. We came to a draw!" Ling Qinfeng said. "We had a good sparring session. And the result is a draw! After that, we went for a drink."

"What? A draw? How is that possible?"

The people all around looked cynical, especially Liu Zijian. His beady little rat eyes glared at Chen Xiaobei so hard it looked like they were going to explode.

To Liu Zijian, Chen Xiaobei was just another outsider in his early twenties with no faction background, nor any royal connections who had come to Saint Duke's capital planet through the elimination competition.

An inexperienced young man like that should have died in Ling Qingfeng's hands.

Liu Zijian thought that he had Chen Xiaobei all figured out; he did not even dream that it would possible for Chen Xiaobei to score a draw against Ling Qingfeng!

This indicated that this apparently unseasoned newcomer Chen Xiaobei, was going to be climb up the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard upon his debut!

He would at least be ranked ar eleventh place together with Ling Qinfeng!

The Saint Duke soldiers now looked at Chen Xiaobei with awe and admiration, and some even displayed fondness.

The Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard was an elite ranking for those under thirty.

Age was the biggest advantage of these elites on the leaderboard.

As long as their names were on the board, they would all be able to enjoy a limitless and optimistic future – a one in a million, blessed and favored by the gods!

As long as they did not come to a premature end, in the near future, those whose names were on the list would become the true master of a zone and completely dominate in their respective fields!

Liu Zijian was suddenly all chummy.

"Childe Chen! Childe Qingfeng!" He said with high esteem. "This… This villa is destroyed. I'll arrange new living quarters for the both of you immediately!"

"Mm, hurry up! I'm knackered!" Ling Qinfeng said.

For the sake of saving the Eighth Marquis' reputation, Ling Qingfeng deliberately changed the topic so that that Chen Xiaobei would not probe Liu Zijian further.

However, Chen Xiaobei was too occupied with the idea of entering the palace the next day to even care about getting even with Liu Zijian.

After that, Chen Xiaobei and Ling Qingfeng were later assigned to the villa that wasinitially prepared for Chen Xiaobei.

Although Ling Qingfeng was very attractive, Chen Xiaobei was not in the least bit attracted to her at all.

They slept separately and did not speak for the rest of the night.

The next morning, the air outside the villa was abuzz.

The time to enter the palace had arrived!

Chen Xiaobei and Ling Qingfeng walked out of the villa.

About ten people had now gathered outside.

They all looked pretty young – all under thirty.

From their clothing and their demeanor, all these people seemed to be of notable status and rank.

"They will all be competing in the martial arts contest!" Ling Qingfeng said. "Other than these ten competitors from the eliminating rounds, the rest have all come from royal families of high-ranking starfields or have a background related to a faction! There are even a few elites from Apocalyptic Starfield!"

"Wow, that is indeed a lot of people…" Disturbed, Chen Xiaobei quickly used his Netherspirit Battlescouter to find out everyone else's strength.

After scouting around, Chen Xiaobei determined that they were all pretty strong with considerably impressive cultivation.

As of now, Chen Xiaobei was considered to be the eleventh elite on the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard. Most of their cultivations were beneath Chen Xiaobei's.

Only a few of them caught Chen Xiaobei's attention.

"Who is that fellow in the yellow robe?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"You have a pretty sharp eye huh!" Ling Qinfeng said. "That is Saint Duke's faction's number one young master, Yuwen Yuanqing. He's ninth on the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard, and at the peak of Ethereal Cultivation with 330,000 combat power. Stay away from him!"

"How about that guy with the silver hair and black leather armor… who is he?"

"That guy is an even bigger of a deal!" Ling Qinfeng said grimly. "He's the young master of Royal Azure Starfield's number one faction, Ximen Shuoxue! He's twenty-eight this year, sixth on the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard and he's at the early phase of God-Ascension Cultivation with 500,000 combat power!"

"Isn't Royal AzureStarfield Saint Duke's enemy? Why are people from Royal Azure allowed to join the martial arts contest?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

Ling Qingfeng shrugged. "Royal Azure's faction leader vowed that once Ximen Shuoxue marries Princess Puti, he would be willing to intervene and give counsel to the Royal Azure in order to not resort to arms against Saint Duke."

"Can this verbal promise be trusted?" Chen Xiaobei frowned.

"Of course not." Ling Qingfeng said. "But the Saint Duke Imperial Family are not dumb. They probably have a solution for this."

"Mm, that's true…" Chen Xiaobei nodded. "What about that guy in red?"

Ling Qingfeng turned to look and answered. "That is the Neptune's youngest prince, Ao Liancheng! He's fourth on the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard, 600,000 combat power, at the early phase of God-Ascension. In the ocean, he can wield 700,000 combat power! Very scary!"

"He is from Neptune Starfield? Isn't he supposed to be half-human, half-fish? I can't tell…" Chen Xiaobei frowned.

"That's because he has Neptunian blood! You can only see his true form in the ocean!"

"Ahh.. no wonder…" Chen Xiaobei nodded, making a mental note to pay attention to this Neptune prince in preparation for his trip to Neptune Starfield.

Chen Xiaobei took another look around and found no one else stronger. "If Ao Liancheng is number four, then who are in the top three? Didn't they consider joining the martial arts contest as well?"

"Of course, they did. Because of their special status, they are probably living in the royal palace. You will see them soon!"

"Mm…" Chen Xiaobei nodded. "I am more interested in seeing Princess Puti…"

"Who isn't?" Ling Qingfeng's lips curved into a crafty smile. "I'm willing to bet that Princess Puti is 10 times prettier in person than she is in her pictures! No! Make that 100 times!"

Chen Xiaobei nodded. "Of course!"

After that, Liu Zijian arranged flying cars to chauffer all of the competitors to the royal palace.

The Saint Duke Royal Palace was magnificent, a grand and monumental masterpiece of architecture!

The atmosphere inside was a regal solemness and filled with a posh extravagance.

Liu Zijian had led the competitors into a large hall, having them seated soon after.

"All competitors, please wait in this main hall. The person in charge of this contest, Eighth Marquis will be here soon to give you further details on the contest!"

The hall was very spacious and resplendently furnished.

Naturally, Chen Xiaobei was seated next to Ling Qingfeng.

"It looks like Princess Puti won't be coming…" Ling Qingfeng sighed in disappointment.

"Do you know which palace is she living in?" Chen Xiaobei asked.

"Why do you want to know? Isn't enough that you trespassed my villa? Now you want to trespass the princess' palace? Don't say I didn't warn you – that's a crime punishable by death! Not only will the Emperor not forgive you, all the people in this room will treat you as public enemy!"

"Er… I was just thinking… I won't do it…" Chen Xiaobei looked disheartened.

"Eighth Marquis is here!" Liu Zijian announced melodiously like an eunuch.

Everyone's eyes turned towards the door.

A middle-aged man in a royal robe walked in.

Although he looked to be above 50, he still possessed an attractiveness much akin to a pretty boy.

Luo Shanhe!

According to the family's seniority, he should be Luo Puti's eighth uncle!

Walking behind Luo Shanhe were two young men in their late twenties.

When the people in the hall saw these two young men, they began to discuss among themselves.

"Feng Zhongwu! Yun Changxiao! They stayed in the palace!"

"What is so strange about that? They are Domination Heaven's Elder's favorite disciples!"

"Yeah! They are also ranked second and third on Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard! Of course, they would be given special treatment!"

"Yes… The both of them have the highest chances of marrying Princess Puti. We can never get the kind of treatment that they receive!"

Most of them were envious with a hint of adulation.

With that being said, Feng Zhongwu and Yun Changxiao's strengths were undebatable. No one would dare to go against them.

Even Luo Shanhe showed the both of them to their seats in deferential manner.

Ding!

[Cultivation: Middle phase of God-Ascension; Lifespan: 670 years; Health: 800,000; Combat power: 800,000]

Ding!

[Cultivation: Middle phase of God-Ascension; Lifespan: 642 years; Health: 800,000; Combat power: 800,000]

Chen Xiaobei checked their cultivation.

In a lower to middle ranking starfield, it would take a person 100 to 200 years to reach their level of cultivation. That was why, they were considered to be a one in a million!

Although their combat powers were 800,000 on the surface, for sure, they all had their own tricks up their sleeves.

"That's strange… Why did Helian Tulong come?" Ling Qingfeng wondered.

"Who?" Chen Xiaobei wanted to know.

Before Ling Qingfeng even had a chance to explain, she was interrupted by Luo Shanhe who got up from his seat abruptly, a genial smile on his face while calling out loudly, "Nephew Helian!"

A handsome young man in a black robe decorated with dragons strolled into the hall.

He was obviously late but he did not appear to be apologetic at all – his handsome face void of any expression.

Instead of getting angry, Luo Shanhe's smile only grew broader. "Nephew! Please come in! Please take a seat!"

"Luo Shanhe," Helian Tulong said, unimpressed, "In terms of seniority, my old father is one generation older than your previous emperor! You should be calling me Shishu!"

"I…" Luo Heshan swallowed nervously. "Helian Shishu please forgive me… I am Princess Puti's eighth uncle… I spoke without thinking…"

"We still don't know who will win today!" Helian Tulong said. "The day when I have officially married the princess, would be the day you can call me nephew!"

"Yes, yes, yes… That was so rude of me." Luo Shanhe quickly apologized. "Helian Shishu, please have a seat!"

Helian Tulong looked to be about in his mid-twenties but he had Luo Shanhe calling him shishu!

Instead of breaking into gossip upon watching the whole incident, the people in the hall sat in a hushed silence.

Helian Tulong must have come from a formidable background!

"Who is this guy? He's so full of it!" Chen Xiaobei whispered to Ling Qingfeng.

Ling Qingfeng whispered back, "The Helian family is the top family in Apocalyptic Starfield! Helian Tulong was recognized as the most outstanding prodigy of the family in the past millennium! He's 25 years old this year and he is the core disciple of Dominating Heaven Faction! He is number one on the Nine Zones Earth Leaderboard!"

"So young and he's already Dominating Heaven Faction's core disciple?!" Chen Xiaobei exclaimed.

Greenhill Starfield's Wei Zhonglie was at least 300 to 500 years old, and he was also a core disciple of Dominating Heaven Faction!

From this, one could see why Helian Tulong was recognized as the number one gifted prodigy!

It was no wonder that even Luo Shanhe had to address him with such reverence.

Chen Xiaobei looked at Helian Tulong's cultivation.

Ding!

[Cultivation: Later phase of God-Ascension cultivation; Lifespan: 1,009 years; Health: 1,200,000; Combat power: 1,200,000]

And then he looked at Luo Shanhe's cultivation.

Ding!

[Cultivation: Pinnacle phase of God-Ascension cultivation; Lifespan: 1,897 years; Health: 1,500,000; Combat power: 1,500,000]

Luo Shanhe was clearly much stronger than Helian Tulong but he had to submit to the young man – the reason behind this was simple enough!

Helian Tulong's family and faction's background were superior to Luo Heshan's.

But more importantly, as he was a youth full of vigor, Helian Tulong had a bright future ahead of him.

If Luo Heshan displeased Helian Tulong today, he could be displeasing the future number one elite!

That was no one else in the hall dared to aggravate Helian Tulong.

"Aren't you going to announce the rules of the martial arts contest? Hurry up and get on with it!" Helian Tulong settled down on the main seat. "If this is just purely a martial arts contest, I'm not pointing any fingers, but you can all go home!"

Helian Tulong had an overwhelming advantage over all the other competitors, and therefore harbored the absolute confidence.

Luo Shanhe sat down next to him. "No… This is not purely a martial arts contest of course! As everyone has heard, our Saint Duke Imperial family has Saint Duke blood but only his majesty, the Emperor and Princess Puti carries with them Saint Duke's bloodline! That is why Princess Puti's marriage is a momentous and cardinal matter for the entire Saint Duke! It has to be executed with extreme prudence! For that very reason, this martial arts contest will have three elimination rounds to test each of the candidate's competency, and to also choose a prince consort for the Emperor who would be most beneficial to Saint Duke!"

Everyone understood what he meant.

Saint Duke was in a precarious situation. If Tenshou and Royal Azure launched the second joint attack, Saint Duke could be completely destroyed.

That was why Saint Duke needed to find a prince consort who was well equipped; enough to turn the situation around in a jiffy.

Family, background, status, authority, wealth, strength – these were all the criteria for assessment.

"Today, I will be announcing the first task!" Luo Shanhe said. "Within 7 days, find 100 catty of Earth-God grade materials. Be it gold, wood, water, fire, earth elements – there would be no categorical specification nor restrictions in the method of acquisition. Upon completion, you will be able to move on to the second round of elimination!"

Almost half of the competitors began to complain with noisy whispers.

"What kind of joke is this?! Beyond the Earth-God realm, Earth-God grade materials are extremely rare items! 100 catties?! I can't even find 1 catty!"

"I know right?! Even if I sold my entire household's worth, I won't be able to exchange them for 100 catties of Earth-God grade materials!"

"Saint Duke really is ambitious! They want to reap all Earth-God grade materials which can be used to forge Earth-God instruments which could be traded with other starfields for the latest interstellar weapons!"

"That's right! They are just using this competition as a front to hoard all the rare resources, and prepare for any major battles ahead!"

"Yeah… But Earth-God grade materials are don't grow on trees! Where are we going to find 100 catties of them?"

"You're right… I won't be able to acquire any…"

"It's not just you! I don't think anyone here could! Even if they could, using that to exchange for a wife would still be a great loss!"

…

Those who voiced out were clearly those who either could not complete the task or were not determined enough so much so that they thought it was not worth exchanging Earth-God grade materials for Luo Puti.

"Those who cannot complete or do not wish to complete the task can leave now!" Luo Shanhe was unbending. "Not only does our princess Puti carry within her Saint Duke's bloodline, but she is also an out-of-this-world beauty, and her talent allows her to increase her cultivation with lighting speed! In the future, princess Puti could very well become the Empress of Saint Duke! If you are not earnest enough, you are not qualified to talk about marriage with her!"

Luo Puti had Saint Duke's bloodline. If anything were to happen to the current Emperor, Luo Puti would become the Empress by default!

Whoever married Luo Puti would also be marrying the entire Saint Duke Starfield!

The value of this engagement was beyond comparison! Not even the 100 catties of Earth-God grade materials could not compare!

Helian Tulong was the first to leave the hall.

"I will be back after seven days!" he said without expression.

"We will also do our best! We'll try to complete the task before the seven days ends!"

The others in the hall proclaimed uncomforably.

Chen Xiaobei, on the other hand, was stumped. "Where am I going to find 100 catties of Earth-God materials?"

After they left the palace, Ling Qinfeng told Chen Xiaobei, "I can't help you with this one. I would need to pick my family's treasury clean to get 100 catties of Earth-God grade material!"

"I understand…" Chen Xiaobei said. "This matter is extremely inconvenient, especially since we are not in the Earth-God realm…"

"I know right." Ling Qingfeng agreed. "We'll see. It would be a pretty impressive situation even if only a third of the competitors return after seven days!"

"Well, I better not keep you. You should return to Dragon God Starfield. See you when I see you!" Chen Xiaobei bid her farewell.

"Mm, I hope I can see you after seven days!"

After Ling Qingfeng left, Chen Xiaobei wandered around the streets of Saint Duke's Imperial City alone but he was not in the mood to experience the city's charm and business. His mind was too preoccupied with figuring out where to find so many Earth-God grade materials.

Money? Impossible…

The dinner last night had already cost 10,000 Spiritual Stones! Buying Earth-God grade materials would probably cost up to 1 billion! With the amount of Spiritual Stones Chen Xiaobei had, he could barely even afford one or two catties, much less 100 catties!

Ask for Diao Chan's help? No…

Diao Chan was just a new kid on the block in the Earth-God realm. She had barely even settled down and was already helping him keep an eye out for Little Fox. She did not have time or energy to spare to help him find Earth-God grade materials.

"It looks like my only hope is the Three Realms Red Envelope group!" Chen Xiaobei frowned. "The first elimination round ends in seven days. Qixi Festival is on the sixth day… There's going to be a Red Envelope snatching session… I got it!"

Chen Xiaobei took out his phone as he walked, checking in to the Brotherhood group.

Chen Xiaobei: Brothers! Are you all here? I would like to ask for a favor from you!

Monkey King: Just tell us! We're brothers! There's no need for all that formality!

Yanwang: Yeah! We're brothers! You don't have to explain yourself! Just tell us what you need!

Chen Xiaobei: There will be a Qixi festival Red Envelope snatching session in six days. Can you guys please send Earth-God grade materials in your Red Envelopes?

Xiao Tianquan: Earth-God grade material? God Chen, why would you need that rubbish?

Chen Xiaobei: 😅 That's trash to you deities, but to us common people, they are treasures!

Goddess Chang'e: That should be easy. We can all send out Red Envelopes filled to the brim with Earth-God grade materials. The problem is, a lot of people are involved in the snatching session… You might not be able to get them…

Monkey King: Why go through all that trouble? There are Earth-God grade materials everywhere in the heavenly realm! I can just send a Red Envelope to you!"

Yanwang: No! Monkey King! You cannot!

Monkey King: Why not?

Yanwang: Just yesterday, Qianliyan sent Xiaobei a God's Eye Talisman, and Shen Gongpao found out about it! He made Qianliyan pay 3 million merit points as a penalty! If it were not for the fact that the Celestial Court still needed Qianliyan in the upcoming calamity, Shen Gongpao would've put him into prison!

Chen Xiaobei: What? Really? Bro Yanwang, are you sure this is true?

Xiao Tianquan: One hundred percent true! Ever since Sheng Gongpao lost in the King of Glory competition, he has been looking for a chance to get his revenge! Yesterday, God Erlang had to accompany them to catch Qianliyan!

Chen Xiaobei: That's strange! This is such a big matter – why didn't Qianliyan tell me about it?

Yanwang: Don't underestimate Qianliyan. He may not hold a high position in the Celestial Court but he is very loyal! He had claimed full responsibility!

Monkey King: That tyke of a Shen Gongpao! He just likes bullying honest people! I am not afraid of him! Xiaobei, hang on for a minute! I'll go find some Earth-God grade materials now!

Xiao Tianquan: Monkey King! Don't be foolish! Shen Gongpao has already reported the matter to the Primordial Lord of Heaven! Right now, The Six Saints are listening to the Ancestral Lord's sermon! If you anything wrong now, the Primordial Lord of Heaven will take the opportunity to make a fuss and clamp down on Lady Nuwo!

Monkey King: I…🤨

Chen Xiaobei: Monkey King! Everyone! Listen up! Please don't do anything rash! The Qixi Festival begins in six days! You'll just need to send the Earth-God grade materials in the Red Envelopes. I only need to get one to be able to complete the task! There's no need for all of you to take such risks!

Monkey King: Alright … I may not be afraid of getting in trouble, but I cannot let anything happen to sister Nuwo… I'll just wait until Qixi festival then!

Chen Xiaobei: Alright! That's settled then! I will pay Qianliyan back; all the 3 million merit points! He's loyal , and I cannot be so unreasonable!

Xiao Tianquan: Don't! Jieism and Chanism are not on good terms, and Qianliyan didn't contact you to avoid arousing suspicion! If you sent him merit points at this point of time, you're only going to do him more harm than good!

Chen Xiaobei: Alright… I will always remember this his kindness. I will pay him back next time, when I get the chance!

Xiao Tianquan: Don't worry! Qianliyan is very generous. I heard that you gave him some world class delicacies. It seems it was worth the punishment!

Yanwang: Delicacy? What delicacy? 🤤

Chen Xiaobei: Haha, that's a secret for now! Won't there be a gourmet food competition after the mid-autumn festival? I'm planning to enter the competition with that dish!

Yanwang: You're making me really hungry! 🤤🤤🤤

Chen Xiaobei: Be patient. That is my secret weapon!

Monkey King: Yeah! Just reign it in first. Don't ruin Xiaobei's plan!

Yanwang: Alright! Alright! I'll wait… I really hope I can speed up time so the competition can take place as soon as possible!

Chen Xiaobei: Haha! Don't worry! You will have your fill then! I have some things I need to attend to. Talk to you again soon!

After he put his phone away, Chen Xiaobei suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He was walking and typing away, and had eventually, without him even knowing it walked into a secluded street corner.

Twenty or more men had gathered around him.

Two men emerged from the group.

The first person was dressed in white holding a white fan with an air of aristocracy about him. He was the Fu Zhiyun that Chen Xiaobei met in Boulder Planet yesterday!

The other person had rags for clothes, and his body was covered in wounds; his face swollen. He had clearly been beaten up fairly recently.

"Bro Huo!" Chen Xiaobei recognized the person immediately.

That was none other than the Bro Huo who had so kindly helped Chen Xiaobei back in Boulder Planet!

Even though Chen Xiaobei had made sure that Bro Huo kept his distance so that he would not be compromised, he had still unintentionally become the victim of the enemy's grudge!

Chen Xiaobei quickly grabbed Bro Huo and retreated.

"Bro Huo! Take this medication!"

Chen XIaobei took out a Taiyi Life Enhancement Pill and some healing Spiritual Medicine.

"Thank you… Thank you, doctor…" Bro Huo nodded weakly. After he took the medicine, he was pleasantly surprised. "Good heavens! What have you given me? I could feel my injuries healing gradually!"

"Alright. Enough talking. You need to rest!" Chen Xiaobei turned around to face the other person, his eyes were dark with anger. "Hey, Fu! How would you like to die?"

Chen Xiaobei had always been loyal to his friends and family. Those that threatened to hurt them would be hunted down by him indefinitely.

Although Chen XIaobei had only known Bro Huo for less than half a day, he already saw him as a friend.

Chen Xiaobei couldn't just let slide the fact that Fu Zhiyun had beaten Bro Huo up so badly.

Of course, Fu Zhiyun was no fool either. Since he had come to Saint Duke Imperial City to challenge Chen Xiaobei, he was was prepared.

"How do I want to die?" Fu Zhiyun sneered. "This is Saint Duke Imperial City! You are just a low-life from some low-ranking starfield! Do you think you can kill me? How presumptuous of you!"

The twenty other people surrounding them laughed along with Fu Zhiyun; their eyes digging hungrily into Chen Xiaobei as if he was lunch.

"Go ahead and bring out your backup! You bunch of rotten eggs can't touch me anyway!" Chen Xiaobei could read him like a book.

Back on Boulder Planet, Fu Zhiyun was so afraid of Chen Xaiobei that he ran away with his tails tucked between his legs.

Fu Zhiyun would not have dared to appear before Chen Xiaobei without someone powerful to back him up.

"Hehe! You guessed correctly! My backup will be here soon!" Fu Zhiyun laughed. "Don't say I didn't give you a chance. All you have to do is admit like a god boy that I am the one who caught the stag, and that you are just a little thief who stole my pass to the Battle For the Bride competition. Then, perhaps, I'll let both of you live! Or else, both of you will have to die!"

"Based on my understanding, Saint Duke Imperial has laws! How are you going to get away with killing the both of us?" Chen Xiaobei said icily.

"Hehe, the law can't touch me!" Fu Zhiyun snorted. "If you just cooperate and admit, everyone will be happy! If you refuse to cooperate, not only will I kill both of you, but I will also get my hands on Saint Duke's government office's records! On it, will be a statement of your confession and your fingerprints!"

"So, your backup is from the government office?!" Chen Xiaobei was starting to fret a little.

"Doctors… No… Commoners don't struggle against government officials! Just do as he says…" Bro Huo said nervously. "The government office is where the officers of Saint Duke work. If a fight breaks out, the government will see you as the enemy! You really do not want that!"

Chen Xiaobei's frowned deepened.

Although he did not like Bro Huo's timidness, he had to admit that what Bro Huo said made perfect sense.

Chen Xiaobei could go head to head against Fu Zhiyun's backup but he could not afford to do that with the government!

If a fight were to break out, Chen Xiaobei was definitely going to be the losing party. He might even lose the chance to continue in the Battle for the Bride competition!

"So, are you scared now?" Fu Zhiyun's smile was gorwing smug by the minute. "You have 2 minutes to live. Once my backup gets here, it'll be your funeral!"

Chen Xiaobei grew silent, trying to figure out a way to solve his situation.

"Miracle Doctor… Just promise him… If you wait any longer, we're both dead…" Bro Huo urged.

Some distance away from the street corner, a man about eight feet tall in a red robe looked over at them.

"Prince, what are you looking at?" A guard in black uniform asked.

"The man in red robe narrowed his eyes. "I think I heard the words, Miracle Doctor'!"

"Miracle Doctor?" The guard furrowed his brows. "It's just a bunch of hooligans yakking away. What Miracle Doctor could there be?"

"That young man. I saw him earlier! The man in the red robe said. "I saw him at the Imperial Palace!"

"There is no such person in our database! He must be one of those people that had been asked to fill in the pool of elimination rounds! I don't think he will affect the competition!"

"Let's take a look! I think that there's more to this kid!"

"I really cannot see how much more there could be to this… kid!" The guard said cynically.

"First, he was walking very closely with Ling Qingfeng!" The man in red robe said.

"No way… what would that sinner Ling Qingfeng, that reprobate actually do near a man? This is breaking news!" The guard clicked his tongue in wonder.

"Secondly, look at the injured man next to him!" The man in red squinted. "For the past 10 seconds, as we were talking, his Blood Qi looks to have improved a lot!"

"You mean that… that kid really is a Miracle Doctor?" The guard asked, still filled with disbelief.

"I sincerely hope he is! If his majesty's illness is not cured, I'm afraid that Neptune will fall into a catastrophe!"

"That…" The guard swallowed; his eyes shivering with fear.

Back at the street corner.

Fu Zhiyun chuckled, "Hey kid! My backup is here! The two of you idiots can die now!"

Zing! Zing! Zing!

The twenty people surrounding them all drew out their weapons.

"Thirteenth uncle! You're finally here!" Fu Zhiyun walked up to the middle-aged man in shiny silver attire.

"Oh no… that… That's Baihu!" Bro Huo was disheartened. "Not only does that person have the authority to inspect and arrest, but he can also sanction a person to jail! He can kill us, and then simply assign a crime to our names! To make things worse, it would be considered legal and he will even receive a merit for it!"

On the other side, the guard and the men in red were observing the situation.

The guard asked, "Prince, that kid looks like he's in trouble. Should we help him?"

"There's no need to get involved. If he can't even solve such a small problem, then he's not the Miracle Doctor that I need!"

"Yes… but then again…" The guard sounded worried. "An outsider is no match for a Baihu!"

"If he can't fight, then he should just die." The man replied.

At the street corner.

"Hehehe… I gave you a chance but you did not appreciate it!" Fu Zhiyun sneered. "Thirteenth uncle! That's the idiot who stole my card to enter the Battle for the Bride competition! Help me kill him, quick!"

The middle-aged man looked terrified. "Chen… Childe Chen…"

"How are you, Baihu Fu!" Chen Xiaobei really was worried just now. But when he saw the middle-aged man, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He was the Baihu Fu who came to investigate the burnt down villa.

"Thirteenth uncle… You know this little shit?" Fu Zhiyun asked.

Smack!

The man said nothing but sent a hardy slap across Fu Zhiyun's face instead!

"Owww…" Fu Zhiyun screamed, as he fell to the ground. When he opened his mouth, two large teeth fell out. "Uncle… Why did you hit me?"

"Open your stupid eyes and take a good look!" Baihu Fu said. "This is the man who shares the eleventh place on the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard with Childe Qingfeng – Childe! Chen!""What?! Eleventh on the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard?! How is that possible?" Fu Zhiyun wondered aloud. "I don't believe it… I don't believe this at all! If he is that strong, then why did he have to join the elimination competition anyway? He is just a low-ranking starfield commoner! His combat power is only 200,000!"

The twenty people standing there did not believe it either. How could a young'un like Chen Xiaobei possess the strength to sit on the eleventh spot of the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard?

"You impudent brat! How dare you speak of such conceited nonsense! I will teach you a lesson on your father's behalf lest would you bring disaster to our Fu family!" Baihu Fu roared, and then started pounding and kicking Fu Zhiyun.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Baihu Fu was not just putting on a show. He really did give Fu Zhiyun a mighty good beating until Fu Zhiyun was screaming and rolling all over the floor with his hands around his head.

"Could… Could thirteenth uncle be right…? Could that kid really be ranked eleventh on the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard?!"

Fu Zhiyun's men wondered in a worrisome note, suddenly filled with a deep sense of fear.

In the Fu family, Baihu Fu was a lower-middle core member and Fu Zhiyun was the family heir.

Baihu Fu would not have been so heavy handed with the boy unless the person that Fu Zhiyun had wronged was a powerful person that the Fu family could not afford to be enemies with.

The twenty men trembled as they put away their weapons and began to slowly step backward. There were billions of people in the nine zones. Those who could get on the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard were people with a bright future. They were considered as a one in a billion prodigy! With that, no one dared to lift a finger on Chen Xiaobei.

"Miracle Doctor… You… really are…" Bro Huo stared at Chen Xiaobei, lost for words.

On the other side.

The guard in black seemed troubled. "That's impossible… Our intel collection is first-class… Yet we have nothing at all on this kid…"

"I knew there was more to him!" The man in red robe said. The expression on his face was unreadable. "Who knew that there would be an elite like him under the age of thirty outside of the nine zones! Even in Apocalypse Starfield, there's no one of the same age who could compare to him!"

The guard nodded. "Did he come from a rock? How did he suddenly rise all the way up to number eleven on the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard… It seems almost unbelievable…"

"Come on, let's go talk to him!" The man in red robe said. "He is qualified to be my friend!"

"Yes, sir!" The guard followed behind.

"Thirteenth uncle… Have mercy… Oww… I will die if you keep hitting me… Oww! I won't do it again… I swear… I won't… Ow…!!!"

Fu Zhiyun's face had ballooned with ugly shades of blue-black, his white clothes now soiled in patches of dust and blotches of blood. Even as he was screaming, blood poured from his mouth. His injuries were really quite severe.

"Apologize to Childe Chen! I will stop hitting if forgives you!" Baihu Fu bellowed.

"Have mercy, Childe Chen… I was wrong… I won't do it again… I beg you please… forgive me… I will die if this continues…" Fu Zhiyun dared not say anything otherwise.

Chen Xiaobei raised his eyebrow at him. "I can forgive you but I have two requests! First, you battered up Bro Huo badly, so you have to pay 800,000 Spiritual Stones in medical fees! Second, I want you to arrange a job for Bro Huo. If he is involved in any accidents, I want the entire Fu Family to be buried next to him!"

"I'll pay… I'll pay 1 million low-grade Spiritual Stones…" Fu Zhiyun cried.

Bro Huo was confounded.

He was a merely a frontline soldier on the peripheral planet of Saint Duke Starfield. Never in his life had he seen what 1 million Spiritual Stones looked like.

Now, he was still trying to digest the fact that Chen Xiaobei had just made him a millionaire in a single dictation!

"I will arrange a job for him!" Baihu Fu said. "From now on, Ah' Huo will be working with me as an orderly in the government office! If he performs well, I guarantee that he will be promoted to a higher post!"

"I… I can join the government? And… and have a chance of getting a promotion? My god… Am I dreaming…" Bro Huo's eyes were parted so wide they looked like they would fall out of the sockets.

The government office was Saint Duke Imperial City's heart where countless people cracked their heads in trying to get a job there.

A person like Bro Huo from humble origins without a rich historical background or well-heeled connections could never ever dream of landing a job in the government office.

But Chen Xiaobei had just paved such a bright and promising path for him!

Bro Huo felt as if he was dreaming – an extremely impossible but wonderful dream!

"Ah Huo! You're not dreaming! Come with me! I will take care of everything!" Baihu Fu beat his chest as a gesture of promise.

"Al… right…" Bro Huo managed to softly croak, an almost demented smile hung on his lips.

He had never thought that due to Chen Xiaobei's appearance in his life, it would become so drastically different.

It felt like he was sitting on a rocket, blasting off into the skies!

"Childe Chen… Can you forgive me now…? I'm dying here… I really am dying…" Fu Zhiyun begged, still throwing up mouthfuls of blood. It was pitiful and pathetic sight.

Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "Alright. Since you're so well behaved, I'll let this matter pass!"

Only when Chen Xiaobei said that did Baihu Fu stop his beating. "Childe Chen, if there's nothing else, I'll take this brat back to have his wounds tended to, and then set Ah Huo up with a job!"

"Go ahead!" Chen Xiaobei waved his hand. "Bro Huo, if things here are not to your liking, give me a call anytime!"

"Miracle Doctor…" Bro Huo cupped his fist and bowed to Chen Xiaobei. "Thank you, Miracle Doctor! I will always remember your kindness!"

Because of Chen Xiaobei's support, Bro Huo could enjoy comfortable and fair sailing days in the government office.

Bro Huo had no idea how he could ever repay such a big favour. He could only keep this close to his heart and hopefully, be able to have a chance to repay Chen Xiaobei in the future.

After that, everyone left with Baihu Fu.

Chen Xiaobei did not leave. He turned around to face the corner of the street and said, "Friend, since you've already come, why don't you just show yourself?"

The man in the red robe and his guard walked out.

The man smiled, "Allow me to introduce myself – I am…"

Chen Xiaobei cut him off. "I know you. You are the youngest prince of Neptune, Ao Lianchang! Fourth on the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard!"

"Childe Chen knows me! What an honor!" Ao Liancheng smiled. "But, I haven't gotten to know you yet, Childe Chen. Can we be friends?"

"My name is Chen Zhufeng from the Northern Wilderness Starfield. I'm just a nobody." Chen Xiaobei shrugged.

"You're too humble!" Ao Liancheng smiled. "If a nobody could be ranked eleven on the Nine-Zones Earth Leaderboard along with Ling Qingfeng, then wouldn't that make all the other hundreds and millions of young people in the nine zones as insignificant specks of dust?"

Chen Xiaobei made no comment about it. "I'm ranked at the eleventh place, and you're number four. Why would you want to make friends with someone ranked lower than you?"

As the Chinese proverb says, one who is unaccountably solicitous must be hiding evil intentions.

Ao Liancheng was a God-Ascension cultivation elite – why was he so eager to make friends with Chen Xiaobei?

Chen Xiaobei could not help but feel suspicious.

"Well, since you asked, I'll just be frank with you!" Ao Liancheng answered. "I saw everything that had just happened! Childe Chen is very compelling, very manly, and you're loyal to your friends! Childe Chen's character is exactly to my liking! That's why I want to be friends with you!"

"That's it?" Chen Xiaobei raised his brows at Ao Liancheng.

"Hehe, Childe Chen, you really are something. I do indeed have a selfish motive, and it seems I can't even keep that from you!" Ao Liancheng's smile grew stern. "Just now, that friend of yours called you Miracle Doctor, and I saw with my own eyes that your friend's injuries had healed rapidly! I was hoping to invite Childe Chen along to Neptune Starfield with me!"

"Why? Are you hiring me for my medical services?" Chen Xiaobei looked puzzled. "But you look well! You're very healthy!"

"No… It's not for me…" Ao Liancheng said. "But for his majesty, our holy emperor! I hope Childe Chen will grant me this favor!"

Chen Xiaobei studied Ao Liancheng's face. Surprisingly, he did not seem to be lying. Also, Chen Xiaobei had plans to go to Nepture Starfield anyhow. With Ao Liancheng escorting him, his trip would be smooth sailing!

"Alright! I can go back with you!" Chen Xiaobei nodded. "But I cannot guarantee that I can cure your holy emperor!"

"Understood…" Ao Liancheng nodded. "None of the renowned doctors in the nine zones can cure him! That is why, even if Childe Chen can't cure him, we won't have any complaints! In fact, we will even pay you handsomely for your service!"

"Alright! You are a reasonable man! I can go with you!" Chen Xiaobei nodded.

Afterward, Chen Xiaobei followed Ao Liancheng to the portal and quickly arrived at the peripheral planet east of Saint Duke Starfield.

After that, they took Ao Liancheng's spacecraft to Neptune Starfield.

The flying vehicles of high-ranking starfields were more than a hundred times faster than those in Northern Wilderness Starfield.

However, the distance between the starfields was not at all close! Even at warp, it took them the better half of a day to arrive at Neptune Starfield!

If someone from a lower-middle starfield were to take their own flying vehicle to Neptune, it would take them at least a hundred to a few hundred days to reach their destination. On top of that, they might not even be able to find whatever they came to look for when they arrive at the vast ocean starfield.

For thousands of years, almost no one would willingly make a trip to Neptune. That was why gradually, as time passed, the merpeople became mythical legends that no one would believe.

If Chen Xiaobei had not seen them with his own eyes, he would not have believed it either.

Chen Xiaobei looked out the window and spotted a blue planet.

"Is that a Neptune Starfield planet?" he asked.

Planet Earth was also blue but among all the blue, you could see big pieces of land.

On this planet, however, there was not a single terra firma to be seen. It was just a sea of blue in its entirety.

The legends were accurate – the planets in Neptune Starfield were completely covered in ocean water. On such a planet, the common man would have no place to set foot.

"Yes, that is the outermost planet of Neptune!" Ao Liancheng nodded, taking out a small vile and passing it to Chen Xiaobei. "Because the planet is made up of just water, you'll have to take one of these Fish Breathing pills!"

Chen Xiaobei accepted the bottle and took a whiff. "Fish Breathing pills? What is that?" He could tell that it was not poisoned but he was uncertain about its effect.

Ao Liancheng answered, "Fish Breathing pills, as its name suggests, would allow people to breathe freely underwater like fishes! There are seven pills in the vile. You just need to take one every day to make sure that you are able to function as usual while you're underwater!"

"Understood." Chen Xiaobei nodded while putting the pills away.

"Childe Chen, we're going into the water soon. You have to take one first or you might suffocate later!" Ao Liancheng warned.

"It's no problem at all. I'm very good when it comes to water. I'll give it a try first. When I really cannot hold my breath anymore, I'll take it!" Chen Xiaobei smiled.

The truth was, Chen Xiaobei had Little White Dragon's Hydrophobe Orb in his stomach. His water ability was way better than any fish. He did not need the Fish Breathing pills at all.

This pill was special, however, and it was impossible to obtain them anywhere else even if you had the money.

That was why Chen Xiaobei made up an excuse to keep it. His friends might have use of it the next time.

The flying vehicle came to a stop above the water.

Ao Liancheng and his guard left their seats, and began to strip off their clothes, revealing toned, muscular bodies.

"Neptune Blood! Release!" Both of than uttered those words, and something magical happened!

Distinct, angular red fish scales sprouted all over Ao Liancheng's upper body like a suit of crimson golden armor!

Simultaneously, his arms, legs and back grew bright red fins shaped like blades, making his suit-armor look even sharper!

On the other hand, the upper half of the guard's body remained the same. His legs, however, multiplied into eight, tensile and elongated tentacles equipped with suckers!

"Wow! That's really half-human, half-fish! The world is really full of wonders!" Chen Xiaobei could only stare. It was like watching a fantasy film!

"Hehe, don't be too surprised, Childe Chen. You'll meet even more interesting merpeople in the ocean later!" Ao Liancheng smiled as he unlocked the cabin door and dove into the water.

The octopus man smiled, "Childe Chen, please go ahead. I will put this flying vehicle away."

"Oh…" Chen Xiaobei shook his head to refocus and then jumped down after Ao Liancheng.

"Childe Chen, hold my hand, I'll dive with you!" Ao Liancheng reached out a scaly hand.

Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "No, it's alright! I'm very good in the water!"

"Childe Chen, you should go with the prince!" The octopus man said. "With a human's swimming speed, you'll only reach the bottom tomorrow morning!"

"That may not be the case!"

Chen Xiaobei shot him an enigmatic smile.

"May not be?" smiled the Octopus man. "Childe Chen, I'm afraid you don't understand that the oceans in Neptune Starfield are the deepest, most expansive in the human realm*! The deeper we go, the greater the pressure would bear down on you. It would difficult for a human, even one with a high cultivation level to swim quickly to the bottom!"

"I already told you that I'm good with water!" Chen Xiaobei answered calmly. "If you don't believe me, we can race each other!"

"Are you sure, Childe Chen? Are you sure you're not just joking?" Octopus man chuckled. "This is the first time in my life that I'm hearing a human challenging a merperson to a swimming race!"

"Childe Chen, don't be stubborn!" Ao Liancheng was also very amused. "Every race* has its own strengths; the merpeople's strength is water! The oceans are the merpeople's homeground! You are the first person to have ever challenged a merperson in his backyard!

Chen Xiaobei merely shrugged at the comment. "Childe Liancheng's cultivation is higher than mine so I cannot compete with him, but I am confident enough to compete with Brother Octopus."

"Childe Chen, you are our honored guest but…" Octopus man frowned. "I must tell you this, however – you're being a bit too ostentatious!"

"You think I'm being ostentatious?" Chen Xiaobei's eyebrows raised. "Does Childe LiangCheng think so too?"

Ao Liancheng smiled. "It's a little rude for me to say this, but to be honest, a human challenging a merman to a swimming race undoubtedly is quite the ostentatious move indeed!"

"Alright! Since both of you think that way, why don't we place a bet?" Chen Xiaobei grinned. "Brother Octopus and I will dive 3,000 meters deep. The first person to reach wins! If I lose, I will fulfill any request you have but if I win, you'll have to give me a 100,000 years Ambergris!"

"What?!" Ao Liancheng and Octopus man stared at each other, a strange expression adorning their faces.

"Why? Are you guys afraid?" Chen Xiaobei challenged.

Ao Liancheng hesitated for some time before saying, "Childe Chen, it appears that you do not understand the current condition in Neptune! We don't even have a 30,000 years Ambergris to spare!"

"Why… Why is that?" The disappointment was evident on Chen Xiaobei's face.

Chen Xiaobei had hoped that he could increase his cultivation as quickly as possible using high-grade Ambergris. Woefully, Ao Liancheng had just shattered his dream of that ever happening!

Ao Liangcheng answered. "That information is kept secret – it has something to with our holy emperor's illness! If you could cure his royal highness, I will tell you everything! Should anything happen to him, this secret will be buried forever, and our race will face the risk of extinction!"

"Extinction? That drastic?!" Chen Xiaobei was suddenly worried.

Ao Liancheng smiled comfortingly. "Don't worry, Childe Chen. The danger is there but we should be fine for the time being."

Chen Xiaobei's forehead wrinkled. He found it difficult not to worry.

If even the Neptunes could not save themselves, what would happen to him should he get entangled in their affairs?

"Childe Chen! There really is no need to worry! I can vouch for your safety!" To lighten the mood, Ao Liancheng steered the conversation in another direction. "So that bet you were mentioning just now. Are you still on? Don't tell me you're scared now!"

"Scared? Such a word does not exist in my dictionary!" Chen Xiaobei said with full confidence.

"Alright! The conditions are the same except we'll have to raise the stakes!" Ao Liancheng said. "If my bodyguard loses, I will agree to fulfill an attainable request you have! If you lose, I won't pay your consultation fee!"

"Alright! I concur!" Chen Xiaobei answered.

Although he may not obtain the Ambergris, he could at least ask for Ao Liancheng's help to find the emperor of Greenhill.

This had to do for the sake of Bai Lingsu and girls' safety – this was of paramount importance.

"Then, I'll go wait at the 3,000-meter mark first! The first to arrive wins!" Ao Liancheng smiled. He dove into the ocean so quickly he was but a blur of a red, leaving a crimson trail behind.

Chen Xiaobei could not help but exclaim, "Wow! So fast!"

Ding!

[Cultivation: Early phase of God-Ascension cultivation; Lifespan: 1,317 years; Health: 600,000 (+100,000); Combat power: Health: 600,000 (+100,000)]

Chen Xiaobei checked Ao Liancheng's cultivation again.

It was as what Ling Qingfeng had said: In the sea, Ao Liancheng could wield 700,000 combat power.

On top of that, the ocean was the merpeople's domain. The crushing pressure from the depth and the resistance of the seawater were barely an impediment for them.

In the vast ocean, Ao Liancheng was undefeatable to those of the same cultivation level.

Ding!

[Cultivation: Pinnacle phase of Celestial cultivation; Lifespan: 104 years; Health: 130,000 (+50,000); Combat power: Health: 130,000 (+50,000)]

Octopus man's cultivation, on the other hand, was much lower. His bloodline was nowhere near Ao Liancheng's either.

Nevertheless, with all things considered, Octopus man was not to be underestimated.

In the ocean, he could compete with an Ethereal Cultivation elite with 180,000 combat power.

As a matter of fact, Chen Xiaobei's combat power was 180,000.

But after he had consumed the Blood Emperor's neutron, his health was increased to 200,000. With the enhancements gained from the Primordial Witch King Combat Enhancement Training Manual, he could then wield a whopping 200,000 combat power!

That was going to be Chen Xioabei's basis for winning!

Not knowing this, Octopus man even teased, "Childe Chen, should I give you a ten-minute head start?"

Chen Xiaobei shrugged. "That won't be necessary. When Childe Liancheng gives the signal, we'll start together!"

Octopus man chuckled, "Won't that make me a bully then?"

"You should save that speech after you win. Who knows, you might have spoken too soon!" Chen Xiaobei said playfully.

"Alright! If you insist, I won't go easy on you!" Octopus man smiled. "Don't blame me for beating you later!"

"Hehe." Chen Xiaobei smiled back at him, unfazed.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, a red light shot out from the deep end of the ocean. It was simply a harmless beam – Ao Liancheng's signal for them to begin the race.

Whoosh!

Octopus man's eight tentacles stirred under the water, and off he went, pulsating away deep into the ocean as a black shadow.

Whoosh!

Chen Xiaobei was just as focused. He quickly dove into the water, wielding all his might.

At the initial 1,000-meter mark, the water pressure and the water-resistance were not too bad. Chen Xiaobei and Octopus man were racing each other shoulder to shoulder.

"You… Aren't you human… How could a human…" Octopus man stared at Chen Xiaobei, who was swimming next to him. He was completely baffled that a human could swim as quickly as he could. He had never heard or seen anyone like that before… until now!

Chen Xiaobei merely responded with a smile, and a confident, "The best part is yet to come!"

"Best part? What best part? Did you mean… You could swim even faster? No… That's impossible… I'd rather believe that birds can swim than believe that…" Octopus man shook his head, focusing his energy on his swimming, making use of every ounce of energy in his body.

"The seawater's effects on merpeople are small, but they're not completely unaffected." Chen Xiaobei said, maintaining speed while matching his pace alongside octopus man.

"What… do you mean?" Octopus man asked.

"You will know soon!" Chen Xiaobei smiled to himself.

They were both very fast. Soon, they were already swimming beyond 1,000 meters. The water pressure and the water-resistance gradually increased by the meter.

As Chen Xiaobei had said earlier, seawater's effects on merpeople may be small, but they were not completely immune to its effects either.

Based on that premise, Octopus man began to slow down a little.

Whereas, Chen Xiaobei's speed was completely unaffected, and remained constant.

Slowly but surely, Chen Xiaobei began to surpass Octopus man.

"My god… Am I dreaming… Are you not affected by the water pressure and resistance… That doesn't make sense…" Octopus man's eyes widened in astonishment.

"I already told you that I'm good when it comes to water!" Chen Xiaobei said with a quiet smile.

"Is this a matter of skill… You're not human! You are not human!" Octopus man shouted in shock.

"Don't be so surprised!" Chen Xiaobei said. "This is not my fastest speed yet!"

"What? You can be faster still?" Octopus man's eyes were as round as saucers.

Both of them had already pased the 2,000-meter mark. The pressure and the resistance greatly intensified, inflicting a crushing force that was many times greater than the surface.

Octopus man was also gradually slowing down.

Chen Xiaobei said to him, "You're too slow. I can't keep waiting for you anymore. I'll be going first."

Whoosh!

Chen Xiaobei increased his speed, leaving Octopus man in his dust.

"Tha… That…" Octopus man broke down, and cried, "Oh god… Oh heaven… Am I really part fish?"

Before the race, he even said that humans could never beat a fish, and had even told Chen Xiaobei in the face that he was being ostentatious.

But now that the truth was set before him, Octopus man found himself proven wrong.

He even began to compare himself to Chen Xiaobei, thinking that Chen Xiaobei was more of a merperson than he was and that he himself was a fake fish!

3,000 meters underwater.

"How… Is this possible?" Ao Liancheng spotted Chen Xiaobei's silhouette but there was no sign of Octopus man, which meant that Chen Xiaobei was way faster than Octopus man.

Even Ao Liancheng, a God-Ascension level elite who was born in a high-ranking starfield and had seen all sorts of wonders was completely floored by what he was witnessing.

"Childe Liancheng, I won this round! You won't backtrack on your promise, will you?" Chen Xiaobei swam towards Ao Liangcheng, a smile on his face.

"No… Why would I do that… I just think that your speed is incredible…" Ao Liancheng exclaimed. "This is 3,000 meters underwater… A normal human being would've died under such tremendous pressure… Even human elites would have trouble with their movement… but you…"

"Like I mentioned, I'm really good in the water!" Chen Xiaobei grinned.

"No… That's not it! There must be another reason why you're able to swim this fast!" Ao Liancheng said with conviction.

"Childe Liancheng is really sharp-witted!" Chen Xiaobei beamed. "But this is my secret – I cannot reveal it to you!"

His secret was the Hydrophobe Orb, of course!

In the water, Chen Xiaobei could control the seawater's resistant force.

Under normal conditions, Chen Xiaobei could cause the resistance of the surrounding waters to increase so that he could float.

But for the race, he dropped its resistance all the way down to zero.

On top of that, Chen Xiaobei's cultivation was much higher than the Octopus man's.

For those very reasons, Chen Xiaobei's speed of diving was much faster.

Chen Xioabei would never tell anyone about his Hydophobe Orb, of course.

Ao Liancheng frowned. "Childe Chen! You really do know how to keep people in suspense! You piqued my curiosity and then refused to reveal the answer… This need to know is killing me…"

Chen Xiaobei just shrugged in response, shooting him an apologetic smile.

"My prince… I… I lost…" Octopus man was in tears when he arrived, having to admit his defeat.

"You don't need to tell me! I've already seen it!" Ao Liancheng said. "Childe Chen is not a common man. Go back and tell everyone that they are not allowed to offend Childe Chen!"

"Yes, your highness…" Octopus nodded. His eyes wandered to Chen Xiaobei, and they were filled with respect and awe.

"Let's go! Let's continue downwards!" Ao Liancheng said. "This planet is in the periphery of Neptune. The ocean is ten thousand meters deep. There's a portal at the bottom that connects to the Neptune Capital Planet! The holy emperor resides there!"

The three of them went deeper at a reasonably slow pace so that Octopus man could keep up.

Ao Liancheng said, "I lost the bet just now. If Childe Chen would like to make a request, please do not hesitate to ask. As long as it is within my ability to fulfill it, I will not refuse it!"

"I would like you to help me find someone!" Chen Xiaobei answered almost immediately. "He is the emperor of Greenhill Starfield. He came here a few months ago!"

"No problem!" Ao Liancheng agreed instantly. He turned to Octopus man and said, "Once we return, you are to instruct the intelligence division to look into this matter!"

"Yes, sir!" Octopus man nodded. "Childe Chen, do you have any other information that may be useful for our search?"

"No…" Chen Xiaobei shook his head.

"With so little information… I'm afraid it's going to be really difficult…" Octopus man said. "There are hundreds of planets in Neptune. It's going to be like finding a needle in a haystack…"

"What nonsense!" Ao Liancheng scolded. "If it was easy, would Childe Chen have asked us to help? Upon our return, take my token and inform all the Elders of the planets to arrange for a search!"

"Yes… I understand!" Octopus man swallowed. He rarely saw this side of Ao Liancheng.

He could tell that Ao Liancheng really favored Chen Xiaobei.

At the bottom of the ocean.

For the first time in his life, Chen Xiaobei saw with his own two eyes, an underwater world crowded with so many half-human, half-fish aquatic citizens similar to that of Donghai Dragon Palace in "Journey to the West".

This was just the starting point.

After they had gone through the portal, Chen Xiaobei would see the core of Neptune Starfield, before catching a glimpse of the real Crystal Palace!