Chapter 358: Spirit Stone

Not only were those two depressed, but Mo Yu also felt her eyebrows twitching, nearly losing control.

She had already felt somewhat aggrieved by coming in person, but this fellow...

...acted completely indifferent!

When meeting for the first time, most people would at least pretend to be gentlemen, saying "Greetings, Princess Mo Yu" or "It's an honor to meet you." But he just blurted out, "Why are you here?"

Am I very familiar with you?

Did you think I'd come if my father hadn't specifically instructed me to?

She had seen rude people before, but never one so rude!

Mo Yu's chest heaved as she gritted her teeth in anger.

Remembering her father's instructions just before she came made her even more frustrated, forcing her to suppress her rage.

Her father had befriended this Teacher Liu and insisted she come early. The intention was simple: for them to get acquainted and ideally for something to develop between them.

This would greatly benefit her.

The royal competition was fierce. Although Mo Hongyi shared the Mo surname, he was not of the direct lineage. He was about to become a 2-star Master Teacher, and with his powerful talent, if he truly desired the throne, the so-called Crown Prince and other princes would be no match for him.

Perhaps only she, also a Master Teacher, could contend with him.

Therefore, Emperor Mo Tianxue intended to cultivate Mo Yu, hoping she would become a female emperor capable of resisting Mo Hongyi and preventing power from falling into outside hands. In this context, her future husband would be exceptionally important.

Currently, the most prominent young people in the entire Royal City were Master Teacher Zhang Xuan and this Teacher Liu.

Master Teacher Zhang Xuan held a high status, possessed great strength, and had a formidable teacher backing him. Even if a substantive relationship developed, he would be difficult to control.

Teacher Liu, however, was different.

Her father had specifically sent people to investigate him. He was a native of Tianwu Kingdom, unable to test for Master Teacher due to health reasons, and his cultivation was only at the early stage of Transcendent Mortal realm, not particularly high.

Originally, such a person would not have been suitable for Mo Yu. Yet, unexpectedly, his medical skills were extraordinary, and he even became the President of the Physician Guild.

Although physicians were not a combat-oriented profession, they were one that countless people dared not offend, as no one could guarantee they would never fall ill.

If this person truly formed a relationship with Mo Yu, her claim to the throne would be secure. Even if Mo Hongyi wished to usurp it, he would have to exercise caution.

It was for these reasons that Mo Yu suppressed her frustration and specifically came to invite him. She had expected him to be flattered and overjoyed, but never dreamed he would appear completely nonchalant.

She was a princess, a Master Teacher...

What kind of attitude was this?

She clenched her teeth and snorted.

She mentioned her father, believing that even if Teacher Liu was arrogant, he would show some deference. Instead, he frowned and said, "Your father? What does he want with me? I have things to do, I don't have much time!"

Zhang Xuan didn't care much for the so-called King of the Kingdom.

As a dignified 2-star Master Teacher, he indeed had the standing and arrogance to do so.

However, hearing this drove Princess Mo Yu to distraction.

Even if he was the President of the Physician Guild, his personal strength and rank weren't sufficient, making his title nominal. What right did he have to be so arrogant?

"No time to see my father..."

"So conceited, why doesn't he just go to hell..."

Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan, standing nearby, were also on the verge of spitting blood.

They had thought his complete lack of respect for the princess was astounding, but they never expected to hear him dismiss the Emperor in the same manner.

"Don't you fear angering Princess Mo Yu and being slapped to death?"

"My father came specifically for this, so isn't it inappropriate to refuse him like this?" Mo Yu ground her teeth and huffed.

"Uh... alright then, lead the way!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

It wasn't that he deliberately wanted to annoy the proud princess. Having traveled from the Beast Hall all the way to Red Lotus City, he was too accustomed to people coming to pay their respects, and for a moment, he hadn't paid attention to Teacher Liu's true identity.

However, it now seemed that the Master Teacher Pavilion's human skin mask was incredibly effective. Coupled with the flawless false identity, even she couldn't detect any flaws.

"Hmph!"

Mo Yu flung her sleeve and walked forward.

Watching them leave, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan exchanged glances.

Wasn't this guy just an ordinary teacher? Why could he make the Emperor personally come to visit, and even make Princess Mo Yu so angry without her erupting?

Not to mention a mere teacher, even Dean Xie probably didn't have this privilege, did he?

"Let's go take a look..."

Unable to contain their curiosity any longer, the two followed closely.

Outside the academy gate, a massive carriage was parked. Before Zhang Xuan and the others even reached it, the yellow curtain stirred, and a majestic-looking middle-aged man stepped out.

His eyes were like lightning, and his aura like a dragon's. Even before he drew near, he exuded a powerful oppressive presence. He was actually a peak Grandmaster realm expert, just one step away from Half-Saint.

"I presume this is President Liu..."

Mo Tianxue smiled and stepped forward to greet him.

He observed him carefully as he walked.

A moment later, admiration appeared in his eyes.

Holding a high position, he naturally carried an intimidating aura, which could cause even cultivators of the same rank to feel flustered.

The young man before him, though not old, was poised and composed, showing no hint of nervousness. This mental fortitude alone was beyond ordinary people.

He truly lived up to his reputation as the super expert who solved nineteen consecutive difficult cases on the Wall of Dilemmas. His courage and intellect were extraordinary.

"May I ask what His Majesty the Emperor seeks from me?" Zhang Xuan asked, looking over in confusion.

"President Liu, your astounding achievement of solving nineteen consecutive problems on the Wall of Dilemmas has always been something I deeply admire. I happened to be passing by today and wished to invite you to the Royal Palace so I could extend my hospitality."

Mo Tianxue said.

"The Royal Palace?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I apologize, but I have something urgent to do at the Alchemist Guild and might not have time. I appreciate your kind invitation."

He indeed had no time for the Royal Palace, as he still needed to go to the Alchemist Guild to find spirit-infused herbs and then return to his residence to teach Zhao Ya martial techniques.

"He rejected His Majesty's invitation?"

Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan, who had just arrived nearby, heard this and instantly recoiled in shock.

This Teacher Liu was truly audacious!

Not only was he disrespectful towards Princess Mo Yu, but he even directly refused the Emperor's personal invitation...

"Since President Liu has matters to attend to, I won't impose. This is a small token of my regard, please accept it."

Hearing his refusal, Mo Tianxue didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled slightly, and a eunuch stepped forward, presenting a jade box.

Although the Physician Guild was within the Royal City, reaching the position of its President gave him the standing to be treated as an equal.

With a gesture.

The eunuch opened the jade box, and a rich spiritual energy surged out, causing everyone's blood to stir with excitement.

Inside the jade box lay a translucent, walnut-sized stone that glittered like a diamond under the sunlight.

"A Spirit Stone?"

"It is a Spirit Stone!"

Upon seeing this item, Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan both trembled, their eyes lighting up with fervent desire.

Spirit Stones were rare special minerals, even in Conferred Kingdoms, found only in places where spiritual energy converged. Each piece was incomparably precious, extremely difficult to obtain, and considered a supreme treasure for cultivators.

It was said that these stones were only exchanged among the highest echelons, having value but no market. Even a 2-star Master Teacher would find it impossible to acquire one. Yet, unexpectedly, His Majesty the Emperor had casually produced one and presented it to Teacher Liu!

This gift was simply too grand!

If it had been them, they would probably have been instantly overwhelmed with excitement, unable to control themselves, losing all sense of direction.

They hastily looked at Teacher Liu nearby, only to see him completely unperturbed, showing no reaction whatsoever.

"No wonder... Teacher Liu's composure alone is admirable!"

Witnessing this, both were utterly impressed.

This was a Spirit Stone! Any cultivator seeing one would typically have their breathing quicken and find it hard to control themselves. For Teacher Liu to remain unfazed, that alone warranted such respectful treatment from His Majesty.

Just as they were secretly lamenting the undeniable differences between people, they heard the young man nearby look over with a puzzled expression and ask, "What is this?"

*Thump!*

Their vision swam, and they nearly cried.

They had just been utterly impressed, but it turned out that Teacher Liu... didn't recognize it at all!

They had wasted their expressions for nothing...

"Cough, cough!"

Mo Tianxue, who had been looking proud and hoping to see Zhang Xuan's shock, nearly choked on his saliva, utterly speechless.

A Spirit Stone! Even if one hadn't seen one, they must have at least heard of it!

This President Liu, so proficient in the medical arts, yet... he hadn't even heard of this item...

Although Zhang Xuan had read many books in the Master Teacher Pavilion, the knowledge from these books hadn't integrated into his own memory; it only appeared when he actively searched for it. Ordinarily, he wouldn't be clearly aware of such knowledge.

It was like some search engines from his previous life: one could search for a lot of knowledge and learn unknown things anytime, anywhere, but the prerequisite was knowing what to search for. Otherwise, it was useless!

In other words, even though this knowledge was in his "library" and could be accessed at any time, it wasn't truly his.

This was exactly the situation now. Suddenly seeing a translucent stone, even with countless books in his mind, he wouldn't know which one to consult or how to match it.

"This is a Spirit Stone. It contains abundant spiritual energy that can make cultivation twice as effective with half the effort..."

Mo Tianxue explained.

"A Spirit Stone?"

Now that he knew the name, with a thought, a relevant book immediately appeared in his mind. Zhang Xuan casually "opened" it.

Indeed, he saw a detailed description: "Spirit Stones are minerals formed from concentrated spiritual energy, containing abundant spiritual energy. Used for cultivation, they can resolve the issue of scarce spiritual energy in the air..."

"This..."

Blinking, Zhang Xuan's face flushed.

He had just been looking for spirit-rich elixirs. With this item, why would he still need to go to the Alchemist Guild?

He could completely absorb its spiritual energy to break through to the peak of the Grandmaster realm!

"Thank you!"

Knowing the item's preciousness, Zhang Xuan didn't wait for the other party to finish explaining. He reached out, took it into his palm, and immediately put it into his storage ring.

Seeing him go from composed indifference one moment to grabbing it instantly, as if afraid someone would snatch it, drove Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu mad.

What the heck, did his demeanor have to change so fast?

Just as they were wondering if he was perhaps a little schizophrenic, they saw the young man before them place his hands behind his back, his eyes gazing distantly at the sky, an profound and faraway expression on his face, like an otherworldly master rarely seen in a century.

"I won't accept your item for nothing. How about this, I can provide you with a free medical consultation and treatment once!"

Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu were speechless.

Zhao Wuxing and Liu Changyan were speechless.