Shen Xiang had easily slain twenty-three tenth-grade demonic beasts and swiftly returned to the original spot, waiting for Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De.
After about a day, Zhang De approached, his face beaming with joy. It was clear he had successfully completed his task.
"Old man Zhang, congratulations!" Shen Xiang said, smiling warmly.
"Hehe, same to you, Shen Xiang. You passed on your first try, and at such a young age! You have a bright future ahead!" Zhang De responded with a grin.
Yun Xiaodao had not yet returned, making both Shen Xiang and Zhang De a bit worried. However, they didn't have to wait long. Suddenly, an eagle screeched from the sky, followed by a triumphant laugh.
"Haha! I hit the jackpot!" Yun Xiaodao's voice rang out. Shen Xiang and Zhang De looked up to see a giant black eagle flying overhead, with a grinning Yun Xiaodao seated on its back.
Yun Xiaodao had actually managed to tame a black eagle! Taming a demonic beast was no easy feat, yet he had done it. He truly had struck it big.
All three of them had returned safely and full of gains. At this moment, Wu Kaiming and Elder Dan arrived in front of them.
"Take out everything you've gained and the beasts you've killed. As was stated before, any treasures you found are yours to keep, but they must be reported," Wu Kaiming instructed.
Shen Xiang brought out the twenty or so crushed Iron Armor Demon Bulls and the five Azure Profound Fruits, which stunned Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De. They were familiar with the Iron Armor Demon Bulls, knowing they were herd animals with strong defenses and fierce attacks. Yet here they were, turned into meat pancakes. From the looks of it, Shen Xiang had easily wiped them out in one go.
"Twenty of them? Shen Xiang, you're a monster!" Yun Xiaodao exclaimed as he took out two tiger-like demonic beasts and a large bear. He then hugged the black eagle beside him and said, "Old Black here is mine, right?"
"Of course!" Wu Kaiming laughed.
Zhang De had killed four giant wolves and obtained a 3,000-year-old Blood Ginseng, which was also quite a decent haul.
"Are you selling those Azure Profound Fruits?" Elder Dan asked, her eyes gleaming as she stared at the five fruits glowing with a bluish hue.
"No, I'm not selling," Shen Xiang immediately responded with a cold snort.
Azure Profound Fruits!
Zhang De and Yun Xiaodao were equally stunned. Shen Xiang had managed to acquire such rare treasures, making them secretly envious of his luck.
Although the Foundation Building Pill wasn't of a high grade, the ingredients required to make it were extremely rare, often even more so than those for higher-grade pills. One such ingredient was the Azure Profound Fruit, and since the Foundation Building Pill helped cultivators advance to the True Martial Realm, it sold for an exceptionally high price despite its low grade.
"If you sell it to me, I'll make Foundation Building Pills for you for free! I don't usually help others refine pills," Elder Dan offered, clearly very interested in the fruits. Although she had obtained a few Azure Profound Fruits in the past, they were used up quickly, and it had been ages since she last refined a Foundation Building Pill.
"If you hadn't been so difficult with me before, I might've given you one for free. But now, no matter what you offer, I won't sell!" Shen Xiang turned his head away, refusing to look at her.
Yun Xiaodao quickly tugged on Shen Xiang's sleeve, worried that he might anger Elder Dan further and cause more trouble for them.
"Fifty thousand crystal stones for one. Will you sell it?" Elder Dan sneered, clearly trying to tempt him.
"Nope," Shen Xiang firmly replied.
"One hundred thousand crystal stones. How about now?" she asked again, her tone colder this time.
"Deal!" Shen Xiang grinned widely. One hundred thousand crystal stones was no small amount, and he would be a fool to turn that down. Plus, it gave him a chance to get back at Elder Dan for her earlier attitude.
"Hmph, I'm not buying it!" Elder Dan huffed like a child, stomping her foot before turning to leave.
Shen Xiang smirked and muttered, "Tch, a woman who doesn't keep her word. She once said that if I beat her, she'd marry me. What if I manage to defeat her, and she backs out then?"
Hearing this, Elder Dan stormed back and coldly said, "Fine! One hundred thousand crystal stones it is. I'll buy it."
Shen Xiang felt an urge to tear off her mask; after all, she was the only female elder in the Taiwu Gate, and he was curious about her appearance.
"Are you on good terms with the Empress of Divine Weapon Heaven?" Shen Xiang suddenly asked, an idea forming in his mind.
"We're both women, so we get along well. Why do you ask?" Elder Dan replied.
"I'll give you two Azure Profound Fruits. In return, I want you to refine a batch of Foundation Building Pills. Give one to Xue Xianxian and another to Leng Youlan from Ice Wind Valley," Shen Xiang proposed, his eyes calculating.
At most, a batch of Foundation Building Pills could yield two pills. Typically, only one pill was produced, but Shen Xiang was confident that Elder Dan could refine two.
"I won't charge you crystal stones; just consider it my payment to you," Shen Xiang added. He didn't want to strain his relationship with Elder Dan, especially since he planned to join the Taiwu Pill Academy and stay within the Taiwu Gate for a long time. He knew he might cause trouble during his training on the Chenwu Continent and would need the Taiwu Gate's protection.
Wu Kaiming, Yun Xiaodao, and Zhang De all understood Shen Xiang's reasoning and fully supported his decision.
After a moment of silence, Elder Dan said, "Do you want to know why I dislike you so much?"
Shen Xiang shook his head and sighed, "I've been curious."
"Beat me, and I'll tell you!" Elder Dan replied as she picked up two Azure Profound Fruits. Her tone no longer carried the same hostility. She then asked, "What's your relationship with Leng Youlan? You already have Xue Xianxian as a fiancée, and yet you're still thinking of others. Men really are like this."
Shen Xiang hurriedly explained, "Youlan is my sworn sister. I was the one who sent her to the Taiwu Gate. At the time, I didn't know about Taiwu Gate's rules, so she ended up at Ice Wind Valley. That place is too far, and I can't reach it for now. As her sworn brother, I must take care of her, so I'm asking Elder Dan for help."
"Hmph, sworn sister? That's just an excuse. Who knows what you're really thinking?" Elder Dan huffed and walked away, her tone containing a trace of jealousy...
"Big Brother Shen... I've always called you that, haven't I? Are you accepting new younger brothers?" Yun Xiaodao asked with a grin, his eyes glued to the three remaining Azure Profound Fruits.
Shen Xiang rolled his eyes and said, "You're already filthy rich, so stop eyeing my little treasures!"
"Big Brother Shen, taking in a sworn sister sure seems to have ulterior motives," Yun Xiaodao muttered. He was well aware of Leng Youlan's reputation, just like Xue Xianxian, as one of the most talented among the younger generation.
Wu Kaiming cleared his throat and said, "Shen Xiang, it's good that you've resolved things with Elder Dan. Now, I congratulate the three of you on becoming inner disciples of the Taiwu Gate. You can take half of the demonic beasts' corpses with you and follow the little fatty to get familiar with the Inner Martial Academy."
After collecting half of the demonic beast corpses, the three left the mysterious realm with excitement. Zhu Rong was already waiting for them outside.
Since Zhu Rong and Yun Xiaodao were on good terms, he had been assigned to guide Shen Xiang and the others into the Inner Martial Academy.