"Xiao Mei, you haven't seen anything like this?" Ye Chen inquired curiously as he saw her gaze fixated on lush greenery and clouds.
Hearing him Li Mei came out of her thoughts and replied.
"The outside world is not beautiful like this. There is a lot of dust, and most of the forest is cut down to prevent fierce beasts from residing and praying on the humans. So, it's rare to see mountains and forests like this," she replied as she rested her head on his chest while watching the scenery with a little fear.
Ye Chen smiled when he saw her like this.
"Don't worry, you won't fall," he assured, ruffling her hair while commanding the eagle to fly towards the sect.
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"Hey, look, isn't that a white eagle?"
"Yeah, it is, and it's heading towards the treasure pavilion!"
The disciple below pointed at the white eagle, which flew at low height.
They were curious about who was on top of it, but no one was able to see anything from below.
Nevertheless, it didn't stop them from following the eagle and heading towards the treasure pavilion.
…
Swoosh!
The eagle flapped its massive wings as it landed in front of an exquisite, six-story-tall, luxurious pavilion.
This was the treasure pavilion Ye Chen's destination.
"Xiao Mei, let's go," he said softly before jumping from the back of the eagle along with her.
She was still in his arms, and only when she landed on the ground did she realize that she had been hugging him the whole journey.
'Ahh~ What did I do?!' She thought with embarrassment, her face flushing red as she tried to separate from him.
However, Ye Chen held her firmly so she wasn't able to escape and could only look at him with a glare.
"Senior brother, let me go! Everyone is watching us," she said anxiously, feeling the gazes of male and female disciples who watched their interaction along with jealousy and hatred.
But Ye Chen didn't care and smiled in response.
"Xiao Mei, you want me to let go because everyone is watching us?... What if there is no one? Does that mean I can hold you like this as long as I want?" he inquired with a smirk as he gazed into her beautiful, anxious eyes.
This made Li Mei's face flush red like tomato, and her small heart started to race rapidly.
"S-senior brother! Don't say like that!" She exclaimed with a nervous look as she tried to get away from him; however, it was useless because he was stronger than her.
'Ugh, why is it like this? We are both at the fourth stage of Qi gathering,' she thought with a complaint and continued to resist without answering him.
It would be a lie to say that she didn't like the feeling of getting hugged by him; however, she was too embarrassed to do admit this because of that she could only resist.
Ye Chen knew she was shy, so he didn't force her and released her from his arms.
After this, he led her inside the treasure pavilion while ignoring the gazes of jealous disciples.
"Argh~ that devil's spawn, how could he have all good things?"
"Damn it, I never hated any person in my life; he is the devil!"
"Of course he is! Didn't you hear this guy took the quota of mystic pond from Hu Tian? Now left with no choice, Hu Tian had decided to compete with new disciples for the last quota."
"What?! that's unfair? Hu Tian is at the fifth stage of Qi gathering; moreover, he already learned some martial arts!"
"Humph! If you are dissatisfied, then get stronger and beat him. Also, let's hurry inside; I saw Hu Tian entering the treasure pavilion just a while ago. There might be a good show to watch, hehe~"
"Yeah, let's see Hu Tian beat out the shit of that devil! Let's go, we can't miss this!"
The male disciples whispered with jealousy and hatred before hurriedly heading inside the pavilion with excitement.
The female disciples also followed the suit; however, their faces were laced with worry, and some even sped away to inform the elders.
…
"50 low-grade spirt stones for this trashy old cauldron! Are you kidding me? Why don't you rob me directly?" Hu Tian, which meant Lu Feng shouted with dissatisfaction when he saw the attendant stating the price.
However, he was just acting since he didn't want anyone to know that the cauldron was special and had a secret.
The female attendant didn't know this; nevertheless, she remained calm and answered.
"Young master, this cauldron was found inside an ancient ruin and is made from unknown metal. Although it can't handle too much refining, it is worth it because it has a rich herb presence, which will make refining easier for any beginner alchemist," she explained with a smile.
Hearing her, Hu Tian displayed a difficult face, as if he was making a hard decision.
"Okay, I will take it," he said after a moment.
The female attendee immediately let out a smile and was just about to say something when a voice interrupted.
"Wait! I want that cauldron!" Ye Chen said as he walked towards them, with Li Mei following behind.
Watching him, Hu Tian's eyes narrowed, and a frown appeared on his face.
'What's this feeling—it's like he is not a human?' He thought to himself before looking at him coldly.
He wanted that cauldron, and there was no way he would give it away.
"Pack the cauldron for me! I want to see how he will take something that is mine!" he stated with a cold look.
Hearing him, the female attended was stunned, but before she could say something, Ye Chen took out a red token with the word 'Sect Elder' engraved in it.
"I suspect this cauldron is poisoned, so to avoid the death of fellow disciples, I will purchase it before destroying it. Also, this little dog is not as rich as me; just throw him out of the pavilion and get me the cauldron," Ye Chen replied with a carefree look and a mocking smile.