Chapter 397

“Very important?”

Xu Yan raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“Yes, very important!”

Shen Haizhou hastily nodded.

“But this is what you’ve compensated me with, it belongs to me now…”

Xu Yan calmly stated.

“I’ll buy, I’ll buy!”

Shen Haizhou quickly interjected.

An amusement flickered across Xu Yan’s face. “How much do you think it’s worth then?”

This put Shen Haizhou in a tough spot. If he offered too low a ransom, it would feel like insulting his own collection. Wouldn’t it also be considered an insult by the other party?

If he offered too high, it would invariably sting.

After a moment’s thought, he gritted his teeth and held up one finger.

“Deal, a million Spirit Crystals then!”

Xu Yan immediately agreed.

“No, not that, I meant…”

Shen Haizhou was dumbstruck.

I meant ten thousand Spirit Crystals, you just blurted out a million Spirit Crystals?

Could this thing really be that valuable in your eyes?

“What, you didn’t mean one million Spirit Crystals? If this thing isn’t worth a million Spirit Crystals, then what’s the use of having it? Do I look like I am short of Spirit Crystals?”

Xu Yan frowned, sounding displeased.

“It is, it is!”

Shen Haizhou gritted his teeth. After all, he was the eldest son of the distinguished Shen family. A mere million Spirit Crystals was nothing much.

Moreover, he had put a lot of effort into collecting these treasures.

If they were destroyed, he didn’t know how much time and effort it would take to collect them again.

Xu Yan patted the box, a smile playing on his lips. “Then hand over the money.”

“I don’t have that many Spirit Crystals right now.”

Shen Haizhou’s face was a picture of embarrassment.

“Then I guess I should just throw it away.”

Xu Yan motioned as if he was about to throw the box into the Black Cloud Swamp.

“I have money, I have money, just give me a moment.”

Shen Haizhou quickly spoke up again.

Then, he rushed over to Dai Jun.

“Lend me a million Spirit Crystals.”

Dai Jun turned green, fuming in rage, “No, I’m not lending!”

“Hmph, lending to you is a privilege. It’s an honor for a second-rate family like yours to lend money to a first-rate family like mine. Do you, Dai Jun, want to give up the honor of the Dai family?”

Shen Haizhou arrogantly retorted.

Dai Jun was so angry that he felt like he was about to explode. He gritted his teeth: “No. Not lending!”

With Shen Haizhou’ s attitude, would he even pay back the money if he borrowed it?

Shen Haizhou sneered, “You, Dai Jun, dare disrespect my family’s Refining God Heavenly Man, that is a grave disrespect. You, a second-rate family member, how could you dare talk about my first-tier family’s Refining God Heavenly Man and defy our norms!”

” If you refuse to lend, get ready to bear the crime of disrespecting the Refining God Heavenly Man of a first-tier family!”

Dai Jun glared angrily at Shen Haizhou, gritting his teeth: “Shen Haizhou, don’t push your luck. When have I ever disrespected the Refining God Heavenly Man? Your behavior is what is truly staining your family’s reputation!”

“Enough talk! Either lend me the money or I’ll go to the royal family of Zheng country and tell them how the Dai family disregards the social order, despises top-tier families, acts arrogantly, and assembles followers to bully Seahouse Zhou…”

“Fine. I’ll lend it!”

Dai Jun’s face changed repeatedly, gritting his teeth and finally saying.

This Shen Haizhou, he really is shameless!

He was really afraid that Shen Haizhou would stir up trouble, causing changes in marriage alliance negotiations between his Dai family and the royal family of the Zheng country.

Dai Jun, gritting his teeth, took out all the Spirit Crystals and Spirit Tickets carried by both his followers and himself. He could only barely make up one million Spirit Crystals.

“Write a promissory note!”

Dai Jun demanded with a stony face.

“Are you degrading me, Shen Haizhou? I’m the eldest son of a first-tier family.

I am a person of my word. By questioning me, you’re questioning the Shen Family’s reputation. Who gave you such audacity?”

Yet Shen Haizhou jumped to his feet, shouting angrily at him.

Damn it!

Dai Jun was seething so much he wanted to tear Shen Haizhou into pieces.

Shen Haizhou returned cheerily, trading back his precious collections from Xu Yan’s hands.

As for the one million Spirit Crystals?

It wasn’t his money, so he wasn’t hurt at all.

As for the matter of repaying, he put it out of his mind. Did he, the esteemed eldest son of a first-tier family, ever default on a debt without proof?

He must be getting tired of his life!

With the dissipation of the poisonous miasma of the Black Cloud Swamp, Black Rock Mountain became clearly visible. Standing in the center of the swamp, the massive black mountain seemed as if it was built from ink.

“Go!”

The arrogants from all forces ordered the Martial Artists searching the pathway to advance to Black Rock Mountain.

It was in anticipation when all the trail-blazing Martial Artists reached Black Rock Mountain safely, without any mishap, then everyone followed, soaring through the sky and flying toward Black Rock Mountain.

Xu Yan proceeded, leisurely and steadily, neither the first nor the last.

Black Rock Mountain was as black as ink, a more prominent chunk of boulder was at its waist.

“Open the tomb entrance.”

An arrogant commanded.

The pathfinding Martial Artists took out their weapons and exploded with momentum, attacking the protruding black stone.

Boom!

Shattered stones flew all over, a layer of black dust billowing in the air.

Some of those shattered stones shot towards two of the pathfinding Martial Artists, who promptly blocked the flying shards.

At first, they paid no mind, assuming that the force behind flying shards was limited and could be easily repelled.

However, with a sizzling sound, the broken stones seemed to corrode their powers, closing in instantly. They were caught off guard, and there wasn’t enough time to dodge.

Boom!

They released all their strength in an attempt to form a defense.

Sizzle!

Yet, the shards were akin to red hot irons thrust into grease, instantly piercing the defense and hitting their bodies.

“Ah!”

Piercing screams echoed as both Martial Artists dropped to the ground.

“Help me!”

The locations on their bodies shot by the shards were pitch black and rapidly spreading.

What was even more terrifying was that after falling to the ground, a sizzling sound was heard. Their clothes were getting corroded; and soon, their skin was exposed.

Upon contact with the black stone, their entire backs turned black instantly and continued to spread throughout their bodies.

Within just a dozen breaths, the two Martial Artists had turned into a black- charred state, their breathes faint, unable to utter a word.

“Black RockMountain is lethal all together, be careful not to touch it.”

A chill filled the hearts of the arrogants.

The trail-blazing Martial Artists have now become very cautious, dealing with the flying shards diligently.

One misstep, and the same fate would befall on them as the two Martial Artists.

Shattered stones whirled around, black dust filling the air.

With a loud explosion!

The boulder disappeared, revealing a circular entrance.

The gaping circular entrance of about the height of a man, appeared as though it was used by a gigantic snake. The arrogants were delighted, this seemed to be the tomb of Qing Tianjiao indeed.

“Enter!”

The pathfinding Martial Artists, one after the other, leapt off the ground to avoid touching the walls and headed into the cave. The arrogants followed suit, carefully entering one by one.

“Brother, after you!”

Shen Haizhou said, grinning.

“You first.”

Xu Yan was not in a rush and replied.

“Alright, alright.”

Shen Haizhou stepped into the entrance and Xu Yan entered last.

As they delved deeper, the cave grew as dark as ink, and even the Martial Artists could only proceed relying on their senses.

One of the men at the front of the pathfinding group took out a Luminous Pearl.

A hint of light flickered in the darkness.

Continuing ahead, the man at the front holding the Luminous Pearl suddenly collapsed.a plop! Those following behind were taken aback.

Under the illumination of the Luminous Pearl, the fallen man was seen lifeless, his face pale. Unknown to them, he had unknowingly been poisoned.

“We can’t use the Luminous Pearl, it provokes the poison!”

The third Martial Artist whispered with a sinking voice.

He looked terrified. Through the light emitted from the Luminous Pearl, he saw strands of a black substance that seemed to follow the light and rush into the man’s body.

“Keep moving!”

A heavenly man behind them commanded in a heavy voice.

The exploratory Martial Artists continued to move forward, leaving behind a single pitch-black corpse.

The cave was drenched in darkness, and nobody dared to use the Luminous Pearl to light the way. They relied only on the Martial Artists’ extraordinary vision and acute senses to keep moving forward one step at a time.

Xu Yan was at the very end. He had taken the Detoxification Pill, had an Antipoison Pill in his mouth, and after a quick assessment, he concluded that these toxins, albeit fierce, could still countered by the Detoxification Pill and the Antipoison Pill.

With this in mind, he felt reassured.

A snake about the length of a man, crystal-clear as jade, with a small bump on its head, crawled to the bottom of Black Rock Mountain and came to the entrance of the cave.

A pair of eyes emitted a coldness.

With the hissing of its tongue, it murmured softly, “This belongs to me, nobody can covet it. I am the descendant of Qing Tianjiao, I have the blood lineage of Jiao.

“Once I obtain the body of the Jiao dragon within, my blood lineage will purify further, and I will be able to break through to the fifth level!”

The crystal-clear snake moved towards the cave, and as it entered the pitch- black cave, the initial jade-like body gradually darkened, turning black, and disappeared into the darkness.