Chapter 476: This Isn’t Even Her Limit Yet (1)
After a moment, Zhou Ming led Lü Zhen into the guest room.
“Elder Zhou, how did it go?” Protector Hong asked anxiously.
“And what about Protector Hong?” Zhou Ming teased.
“What else? They didn’t even see the shadow of a Profound Being realm body protection talisman. I’m starting to suspect those were just rumors fabricated by bored individuals, making us happy for nothing. They should be cut into a thousand pieces,” Protector Hong said with hatred on his face.
“A thousand pieces?” Zhou Ming’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Elder Zhou, to be frank, if we can’t find that Profound Being realm body protection talisman, we’ll have to forfeit. You saw Qi Huang’s performance today. Forget about Immortal Seeds, even I couldn’t do anything against her. I don’t want the Shi Xin Sect to lose its future because of one Evergreen Convention,” Protector Hong said earnestly.
“Protector Hong, don’t worry. I haven’t failed my mission and have found several Profound Being realm body protection talismans,” Zhou Ming said unhurriedly.
“What? Really?” Protector Hong’s face showed a look of disbelief.
Zhou Ming didn’t waste any words and directly took out a talisman paper. A very powerful spiritual sense shield immediately appeared around his body.
“Protector Hong should also be at the late stage of the Huashen realm, right? You can try to test the strength of this body protection talisman,” Zhou Ming invited.
Protector Hong didn’t stand on ceremony and directly condensed all his spiritual sense to attack the shield. The result was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; it didn’t even cause a ripple.
“Haha, as expected of a Profound Being realm body protection talisman. Elder Zhou, you are truly skilled to have found it,” Protector Hong said, overjoyed.
“It’s alright. In this Yongning Prefecture Capital, if something exists, our Hu Xiao Sect can find it,” Zhou Ming said with a hint of pride, then put away the body protection talisman.
“I believe that. Your sect is the master of Yongning Prefecture and has many disciples. What can be hidden from your discerning eyes?” Protector Hong flattered, then cautiously asked, “I just don’t know what the specific level of the spiritual sense shield of this body protection talisman is, and whether it can deal with that little girl.”
“Don’t worry, this is a Profound Being realm third-layer body protection talisman, and the spiritual sense strength displayed by that little girl Qi Huang is only at the Profound Being realm first-layer,” Zhou Ming said confidently.
“If only it were true, but… I’m just worried she’s still hiding something. What if her spiritual sense strength is more than just the Profound Being realm first-layer?” Protector Hong pondered for a moment.
“So what? Doesn’t Protector Hong even have the courage to try?” Zhou Ming’s eyes revealed a hint of disdain as he continued, “You need to consider carefully. Once successful, with just this Profound Being realm body protection talisman, your Shi Xin Sect can secure first place in this Evergreen Convention.”
Protector Hong was slightly moved upon hearing this because he knew the other party wasn’t exaggerating. With the support of a Profound Being realm body protection talisman for their Immortal Seed, as long as the biggest obstacle, Qi Huang, was eliminated, the subsequent opponents would be nothing to fear.
“Of course, I’m not forcing you. If Protector Hong is unwilling to take the risk, you can choose to forfeit,” Zhou Ming said as he stood up. He had no interest in wasting more words with the other party, as there were plenty of tools available, and it wasn’t necessarily the Shi Xin Sect.
“Wait! I still plan to try,” Protector Hong said, rushing to stop him.
“Very good. I knew Brother Hong wasn’t someone who was timid and fearful. As the saying goes, ‘Fortune favors the bold.’ If you don’t even have this much courage, what can you achieve?” Zhou Ming said with a satisfied smile.
“It’s just that you worked so hard to find the body protection talisman, is it right for us to just take it for free?” Protector Hong probed further.
“Protector Hong, why are you being so polite? I said you are a distinguished guest, and as the local sect, the Hu Xiao Sect naturally needs to fulfill its role as host. You only need to give us back the capital we spent on purchasing the talisman paper,” Zhou Ming was not so kind as to give away the talisman for free.
“How much does this talisman paper cost?” Protector Hong asked cautiously.
“One hundred thousand taels of silver per sheet. How many sheets does Protector Hong need?” Zhou Ming seized the opportunity and made an exorbitant demand.
“How much?” Protector Hong’s old face immediately turned deathly pale with shock.
“One hundred thousand taels of silver,” Zhou Ming reiterated ruthlessly.
“This… This is too expensive.” Protector Hong’s face once again showed a look of difficulty. One hundred thousand taels of silver could buy a large mansion with three courtyards in the Imperial Capital, which was equivalent to a county’s annual tax revenue.
“It’s indeed not cheap, but this is a Profound Being realm body protection talisman, which is priceless and has no market. We spent immense effort to obtain it, and we bought it at this price. We are not asking for even a single copper coin more,” Zhou Ming lied through his teeth.
“Alas!” Protector Hong sighed. he never imagined that the other party’s asking price would be so high, far exceeding his ability to bear.
“What? Is there still room for hesitation? You should be well aware of the rewards for first place in this Evergreen Convention. Those are treasures that are priceless and have no market. Coupled with the rewards in the subsequent rounds, this is far more than a hundred thousand taels of silver,” Zhou Ming began to hawk his wares.
Protector Hong’s expression became thoughtful upon hearing this. After a moment, he slammed the table and said, “Stop talking, I’ll take it.”
“Refreshing! How many sheets does Protector Hong need?” Zhou Ming’s face showed a hint of a playful smile.
“What? Elder Zhou found more than one talisman?” Protector Hong asked in surprise. They had been inquiring in the prefecture capital for several days and hadn’t even seen a shadow of it.
“As many as you need, I have that many,” Zhou Ming boasted, although he actually only had three talismans.
“I truly admire Brother Zhou,” Protector Hong said with genuine emotion, then gave a self-deprecating smile. “I wish I could have more, but my purse is empty. Give me two for now.”
“No problem,” Zhou Ming quickly handed over two talisman pouches to Protector Hong. These body protection talismans were the same as protective talismans; as soon as they were taken out of the pouch, they would activate immediately. If they were crushed, they would become invalid.
…
“How strong are these immortals? Just by their spiritual pressure alone, they can extinguish all life within a radius of dozens of li.” Qi Huang lay on the bed, and unexpectedly, her main body sent her a mind transmission.
“I don’t know, I haven’t seen them either,” Qi Huang replied truthfully. However, the figure of Lu Yao immediately appeared in her mind. Although she didn’t know the specific cultivation level of this zombie girl, being able to shatter space with one hand meant she had definitely reached the strength of an immortal.
“My current cultivation level is at the initial stage of the Huashen realm. My spiritual sense can now affect physical objects. Compared to that ‘immortal might,’ I’m worse than an ant. Do you think I can really become so powerful in the future?” Cheng Hong Ling asked uncertainly.
“Of course, you must have confidence in yourself,” Qi Huang comforted her.
“But the problem is, how much time can the Lü Family give me? Even if Elder Zuo can really secure ten years, with my current cultivation speed, I will at most reach the middle stage of the Huashen realm. By then, not to mention erasing my name, I might not even be able to enter the Lü Family’s main gate,” Cheng Hong Ling replied noncommittally.
“It’s okay. The door you can’t enter, I’ll take you in. The name you can’t erase, I’ll uproot the Immortal Tablet. I keep my word,” Qi Huang promised without hesitation.
“Thank you! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Cheng Hong Ling said after a moment of silence.
“Do we need to be so formal between us? Without your ‘face,’ I wouldn’t be where I am today either,” Qi Huang said modestly.
“Speaking of that ‘face,’ have you ever considered something? Why could that ‘face’ of mine integrate into your body? And it could even change my gender and appearance, almost like assimilation. That’s not the ability of a clone!” Cheng Hong Ling suddenly asked.
“I don’t know either,” Qi Huang replied after a long period of thought, but she always felt that there was a great secret hidden within this.
…
The next day, Qi Huang and the members of the Hong Hua Sect arrived at the Immortal Alliance branch hall early. Today, she would face her second opponent in this round, the Shi Xin Sect.
“Do you think the Shi Xin Sect still dares to fight Junior Sister?” Ruan Lingyu asked curiously.
“Definitely not. If I were them, I would definitely choose to forfeit. Knowing there’s no chance of winning, only a fool would attack a stronger opponent!” Wang Zong replied without hesitation.
“That’s if they haven’t obtained that so-called Profound Being realm body protection talisman. Otherwise, they will definitely hold onto a sliver of hope,” Yun Fei added.
“That’s right. Once they eliminate me, with the Profound Being realm body protection talisman, they can basically secure first place. So they will definitely take the risk and try,” Qi Huang agreed.
…
“Why haven’t the Shi Xin Sect arrived yet? Could they be scared to fight?”
“Impossible. Even if they were scared, they would still have to come to sign the contract.”
“Haven’t you heard? The Shi Xin Sect has already obtained a Profound Being realm body protection talisman. They aren’t here now because they aren’t scared, but because they are confident.”
“What? There really is a Profound Being realm body protection talisman? I thought it was just a rumor. We haven’t seen any sign of it for so many days.”
“What’s so strange about that? Profound Being realm body protection talismans aren’t like common cabbage you can find a basketful of just by strolling around the street.”
“There’s suspense again. I wonder who will win.”
“No matter who wins, they have basically secured first place in this Evergreen Convention. Other sects can’t deal with Profound Being realm spiritual sense at all.”
“That’s not necessarily true. Qi Huang has a grudge with the Immortal Alliance, so Elder Zuo and Steward Cai will definitely try to obstruct her in every way possible.”
“Exactly, no matter how strong she is, do you really think she can fight against those who set the rules? It’s basically impossible for her to get first place, otherwise, where would Elder Zuo put his face? Where would the prestige of the Immortal Alliance lie?”
…
Just then, discussions from the surroundings could be heard intermittently.
