Chapter 478: Compensation Content

One minute earlier.

As four treasures successively emerged and appeared before him, even Zhang Xuan understood that they had recognized him and wanted to leave with him. Indeed, treasures, much like people, are created to demonstrate their worth. Trapped in the lightless Liu Shang Qu Shui, unrecognized by anyone—a treasured sword gathering dust, a bright pearl without luster—any sentient object in their place would surely feel immense resentment. Therefore, as soon as they were recognized, they all submitted.

"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony!"

A smile played on his lips as he swept his hand, collecting the emerging treasures into his storage ring. Each of these items had a clear designation, and even someone unfamiliar with treasures would know they were priceless, certainly not purchasable with just a few hundred spirit stones. It would have been foolish not to accept such valuable items once they had acknowledged him as their master.

No sooner had he put the items away, intending to wait for the next treasure to emerge, than the Liu Shang Qu Shui before him began to shake violently before coming to a complete halt, its water flow also ceasing.

"Could this thing be broken as well?"

His brows furrowed. The Liu Shang Qu Shui was powered by a formation array and, logically, should flow uninterrupted until all ten treasures had emerged. Why had it stopped after only four appeared?

"Let's see if I can fix it!"

Puzzled, he reached out to touch the stone platform before him. This object, like the assessment checkpoints for master teachers at the Master Teacher Pavilion, was likely a spiritual artifact designed to control the water flow and protect the treasures. Its sudden stop indicated a malfunction. However, that was of no concern; with the Celestial Grand Library at his disposal, any flaw or issue could be easily identified.

A book materialized, and he casually opened it, then picked up a brush and began writing. "Liu Shang Qu Shui control platform, low-grade spiritual artifact, uniformly distributed by the Treasure Appraisal Guild..."

As he rapidly jotted down a few flaws, he heard a roaring sound. The control platform shook continuously, emanating a peculiar sense of affinity towards him.

"This can be collected too?"

Zhang Xuan was surprised, sensing that this object exhibited the same attitude as the previous treasures. If this were true, it would mean he could also collect the treasures inside along with the platform?

"Let's try it!"

With a slight smile, he issued a mental command. True enough, the enormous Liu Shang Qu Shui offered not the slightest resistance and, with a whoosh, was absorbed into his storage ring.

"Holy cow! It actually worked..."

A smile played on his lips. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to see what else in the room he could identify and scavenge, the door creaked open, and Guild Leader Sai, along with Elders Lu and Chen, burst in.

"You, you..."

"You collected the Liu Shang Qu Shui as well..."

Staring at the now empty hall, the lips of the three four-star treasure appraisers trembled as they looked at the young man, as if he were a monster.

"We invited you to challenge the Liu Shang Qu Shui, not to completely clear it out..."

Previously, the room had resembled a miniature landscape, complete with rocks and flowing water... Now, it was a barren, empty chamber, utterly devoid of anything.

"This isn't challenging a trial; this is practically destroying the Treasure Appraisal Guild!"

"Master Zhang, the Liu Shang Qu Shui is... a treasure of the Treasure Appraisal Guild, symbolizing its prestige. Could you possibly leave it?"

Suppressing the urge to spit blood, Guild Leader Sai's face flushed crimson as he spoke. He had previously addressed Zhang Xuan as 'Brother Zhang,' but now he no longer dared. With a single move, Zhang Xuan had not only identified so many treasures but had even collected the control platform itself. His treasure appraisal skills were undeniably superior to Guild Leader Sai's. Addressing him as 'Brother' was no longer appropriate.

"'Leave it? It willingly acknowledged me as its master!' Zhang Xuan stared. Are you joking? With so many treasures, how could I possibly just leave them behind?"

"'This... I understand!' Guild Leader Sai's face flushed. Heavenly and earthly treasures belong to those worthy of them. As treasure appraisers, they understood that once these treasures acknowledged a master, they should respectfully step aside. Forcibly demanding them back would be no different from outright robbery. However... the Liu Shang Qu Shui was one of the Treasure Appraisal Guild's most valuable and iconic possessions. It simply could not be lost. Otherwise, even before the headquarters could issue a reprimand, he, as Guild Leader, would have to resign in disgrace. This would be akin to someone breaking into the Master Teacher Pavilion and taking all the spiritual artifacts used for their assessments. If word got out, they would be utterly ridiculed."

"Alright then, as long as Master Zhang agrees to leave the Liu Shang Qu Shui, our Treasure Appraisal Guild is willing to... offer compensation!" Guild Leader Sai hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"Compensation? You're willing to compensate me with spirit stones? Very well!" Counting on his fingers, Zhang Xuan calculated, "This Liu Shang Qu Shui contains ten treasures. I won't exaggerate the price; at five thousand spirit stones each, that comes to fifty thousand in total! And if we include this control platform... let's add another ten thousand! So, if you give me sixty thousand spirit stones, this item is yours!"

"Sixty thousand..."

The three master appraisers swayed simultaneously, their eyes reddening. They were the Treasure Appraisal Guild, not a bank... Even a bank wouldn't have that many spirit stones.

"'This... we truly cannot afford so many spirit stones...' Guild Leader Sai was so mortified he wished he could disappear into the ground. What a predicament. When no one could challenge the Liu Shang Qu Shui, they had all yearned for someone to succeed. Now that someone truly had, they were practically in tears, wishing it wasn't real..."

"'You can't afford them? Very well then, as long as you can provide these specific items, I can forgo the spirit stone compensation!'" Seeing the other party in utter distress, and the three four-star treasure appraisers frantic, Zhang Xuan knew they couldn't possibly produce that many spirit stones. After a moment of hesitation, he continued, "First, help me find cultivation techniques and martial arts for the Transcendent Mortal realm, the more the better. Second, I want a Soulless Golden Figure and all books concerning Soul Oracles. Again, any amount you can find!"

In truth, whether he kept the Liu Shang Qu Shui and its treasures was of little importance. If he truly desired spirit stones, he could find countless other ways to acquire them. The most important things for him now were only two: first, to discover the method to awaken a dormant soul and cure Lu Chong; and second, to advance his cultivation, become a master teacher, and strive to reach the Nine-Star rank before the age of thirty. Treasures and spirit stones were merely auxiliary tools; no matter how valuable, they paled in comparison to these two goals.

"These..."

He had expected the other party to demand something exorbitant, so Guild Leader Sai was stunned to hear that it was only these items. While they were the Treasure Appraisal Guild, they could still find some Transcendent Mortal realm cultivation techniques and martial arts, and these were not considered particularly precious. As for books about Soul Oracles, although the actual existence of this profession was controversial, the Treasure Appraisal Guild did possess some relevant texts... However, these were often vague, and the accuracy of the information was unknown. Honestly, these items... were not worth much. Compared to those treasures or the Liu Shang Qu Shui, their value was significantly lower. Having previously seen him obsessed with wealth, willing to do anything for spirit stones, Guild Leader Sai had expected him to make exorbitant demands again, perhaps even bankrupting the Treasure Appraisal Guild. Unexpectedly... he had only asked for these few items.

"This... there wouldn't be any catch, would there?"

Seeing Guild Leader Sai's face full of doubt, Zhang Xuan looked at him.

"'We can find some of the others, but regarding the Soulless Golden Figure... this item is not owned by our Treasure Appraisal Guild; it's on consignment. I cannot guarantee how it will be auctioned or what price it will sell for before the auction begins!'" Guild Leader Sai said hurriedly. The Soulless Golden Figure was a consigned item, and its exact selling price was only an estimate. Even if the Treasure Appraisal Guild participated in the bidding, there was no guarantee they could acquire it. Thus, he couldn't promise a 100% success rate. Of course, this was merely a conservative statement. The Treasure Appraisal Guild's financial power was immense compared to other forces, and with the auction taking place on their own territory, if they couldn't acquire it, the chances of anyone else succeeding were even slimmer.

"'That's fine. Didn't you say there's a reward of five thousand spirit stones for clearing the Liu Shang Qu Shui? I can buy it myself! As long as you can gather those few items I just mentioned, with at least a thousand copies of each!'" Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before speaking.

"A thousand copies?"

His eyebrows twitched, and Guild Leader Sai's face turned green. He had assumed Zhang Xuan would be satisfied with merely a few dozen copies, but to ask for thousands—what did he need so many books for? He had believed that by not demanding sixty thousand spirit stones and instead opting for these items, Zhang Xuan was being lenient with the Treasure Appraisal Guild. Now it seemed this condition wasn't so easy to fulfill either.

"'As for Soul Oracle books, not only do we not have many, but even in Myriad Kingdom City, you'll certainly find only a limited number—at most, a few dozen copies. Regarding Transcendent Mortal realm cultivation techniques, for the first stage, the Longevity realm, we can find over a thousand copies; after all, this level is quite common, and there are many techniques available. As for those for the second stage, the Vitality realm, they are relatively rare; we don't have that many—at most five hundred copies. For the third stage, the Yin-Yang realm, many can be found in Myriad Kingdom City, but here... finding a hundred copies would be considered excellent!'"

After a careful calculation, Guild Leader Sai thoroughly explained what could be found. Although Honghai City was a major city within the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it was ultimately not as powerful as Myriad Kingdom City itself. Even if secret manuals existed, it would be impossible to find thousands at once. Especially for those of the Transcendent Mortal Third Stage, each copy was highly treasured by various prominent families and never disseminated. Even with the Treasure Appraisal Guild's intervention, finding a hundred copies would be considered a significant achievement. And that would entail searching through all families with deep foundations.

"Very well, then. Go find them quickly!"

Understanding the limitations imposed by the local environment, Zhang Xuan acknowledged that finding this many was already commendable. He nodded in agreement, and with a flick of his wrist, the Liu Shang Qu Shui reappeared. He was willing to return this item, but they could forget about the four treasures that had acknowledged him earlier.

"Thank you, Master Zhang, for your understanding!"

Guild Leader Sai breathed a sigh of relief and quickly cupped his fists in respect.

"'No problem. Now, quickly give me the five thousand spirit stones for clearing the trial!'" Zhang Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

"'Understood, I'll go retrieve them for you right away!' Guild Leader Sai walked out and returned shortly after. With a flick of his wrist, a pile of spirit stones appeared before them, their spiritual energy surging like a hurricane. A quick mental scan confirmed there were exactly five thousand. With a slight smile, he collected them into his storage ring.

After collecting the items, Zhang Xuan was about to speak when Sun Qiang walked in.

"'Young Master, Elder Chen here just lost a bet and owes us six thousand spirit stones!'"

"'A bet, six thousand spirit stones?'" Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned. He looked at the elder nearby, his face full of surprise: "Six thousand right off the bat! Elder Chen, you are indeed far more generous than Guild Leader Sai!"

"'Generous?' Elder Chen nearly wept. This wasn't generosity; this was ruinous..."