Chapter 641: Meeting Gift

Hearing their conversation, Xing Yuan, who was standing to the side, felt a little lost.

The guy Princess Fei'er met was indeed despicable and shameless, which made sense. But who was this person Luo Qiqi met, that could make her worship him so much?

In fact… this was no longer just admiration, but infatuation!

“Despicable and shameless? What did he do to make you like this?” Luo Qiqi asked.

“He… he’s simply shameless…” The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and Princess Fei'er recounted the previous events.

“He wanted you to be his maid?” Hearing her words, Luo Qiqi’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

Who was she? The Sixth Princess of Hongyuan Empire, cherished like a treasure by His Majesty the Emperor. And Xing Yuan, who was nearby, pursued her daily but dared not even utter a boast… Yet someone actually dared to ask her to be his maid…

What audacity!

Besides, even if he did take her as a maid, was he sure he could order her around?

With a slight smile, she shook her head, “Actually, I think this person is quite formidable. To make our mischievous Princess Fei’er so angry, yet speechless, he must be very capable!”

“You…” Princess Fei’er pouted, “You’re just gloating, aren’t you? By the way, what happened with that person you mentioned?”

“Oh, today I went to the Alchemist Guild…” Luo Qiqi didn’t hide anything and recounted the day’s events in detail.

“He just watched you refine pills and casually pointed out over a hundred flaws? Guided you in alchemy to produce a sixth-grade medicine… And, and, the crucial part is he’s only twenty years old, isn’t that amazing?”

After hearing her friend’s words, Princess Fei’er’s eyes widened.

Luo Qiqi was her friend and a renowned alchemy master throughout the Master Teacher Academy, consistently ranking among the top few in almost every alchemy competition. For such a person to have over a hundred flaws pointed out in one go by someone else!

How powerful must that person be?

Not to mention her, even she herself couldn’t help but want to become his disciple.

“Yes, it’s true. Since I started cultivating, I, Luo Qiqi, have never truly worshipped anyone, but Teacher Zhang is the one I admire the most!” Remembering the young man’s confident face and handsome demeanor, Luo Qiqi couldn’t help but smile, a gesture she couldn’t suppress.

“Hmm, hearing you say that, I’ve started to admire him too. Next time you see Teacher Zhang, you must introduce me to him. I want to learn alchemy from him too!” Princess Fei’er said.

“Alright, and next time you see that guy, take me to meet him. I also want to see who dares to take our Princess Fei’er as a maid. If he doesn't have the skills, I’ll beat him until he doesn’t know up from down!”

“Mmm!” The two exchanged knowing smiles, their sisterly bond evident.

“Ahem, ladies, Crown Prince Ye Qian has prepared a banquet for us and invited us to meet the geniuses from the Illusory Feather Empire. We already accepted earlier, so shall we go take a look now?” Seeing the two girls growing merrier and completely absorbed in their conversation, Xing Yuan, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't help but speak up.

“Oh, right, the banquet!” Luo Qiqi suddenly remembered, “We definitely have to go, but we need to tidy up and change our clothes first!”

“Alright, if you’re going, I’ll go too!” Seeing her friend was going, Princess Fei’er also nodded. After chatting with her for a long time, her mood had improved significantly; she wasn’t as gloomy as before. Attending a banquet wasn’t a big deal.

Hearing that they needed to tidy up and change clothes, Xing Yuan slapped his forehead, feeling utterly despairing. Women changing clothes was absolutely the most troublesome thing. It seemed uncertain whether they would even make it to the banquet…

“The Crown Prince has arrived!”

While Xing Yuan was filled with helplessness, Crown Prince Ye Qian strode into the banquet hall.

“Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince!” Seeing him arrive, Master Hong and the others all rose and cupped their fists in greeting.

“No need to be formal!” After a brief greeting, Ye Qian walked to the head seat and smiled at the young man sitting nearby, “Senior Wu Zhen!”

“Hmm.” Wu Zhen replied, “Where are Xing Yuan and the others?”

“They’ll be here a bit later, Senior,” Ye Qian said.

“Oh.” Wu Zhen nodded and said no more.

Seeing that he remained silent, Ye Qian understood that the guest was letting the host take the lead. He immediately looked around, “The purpose of inviting you all here today, I believe, is self-evident.”

“We know!”

“We understand!” Luo Zhao, Chen Yue, and the others nodded.

“Good, since you know, let me first introduce Senior Wu Zhen. He is a second-year student from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and a five-star low-grade Master Teacher!” Ye Qian introduced.

Wu Zhen didn’t stand up, merely nodding to the crowd. As a top student of the Master Teacher Academy, he indeed possessed such arrogance.

“Five-star low-grade?” Hearing the introduction, Zhang Xuan looked at Master Hong beside him with a puzzled expression. Aren’t Master Teachers divided into initial, middle, late, and peak stages? What does ‘low-grade’ mean?

“Once a Master Teacher reaches five stars, progress becomes increasingly difficult!” Master Hong transmitted via voice.

“Hmm.” Zhang Xuan nodded. Becoming a five-star Master Teacher meant entering the upper echelons of the continent. Not only did cultivation become increasingly difficult, but rank advancement also became harder.

“Therefore, to better differentiate ranks, Master Teachers from five stars onwards are divided into three levels: low-grade, high-grade, and consummation!” Master Hong explained, “This way, it also corresponds better with cultivation! For example, I am currently at Transcendent Mortal 6-dan, considered a five-star low-grade. When I reach 7-dan, I’ll be high-grade, and 8-dan will be consummation! Of course, as cultivation improves, one’s insight and knowledge must also increase, otherwise, they wouldn’t be worthy of these rank divisions!”

Zhang Xuan understood. After entering the Transcendent Mortal realm, one Master Teacher rank generally corresponded to three minor Transcendent Mortal levels.

For example, to become a four-star Master Teacher, one must possess cultivation at Transcendent Mortal 2-dan or above. Transcendent Mortal 2-dan, 3-dan, and 4-dan were all four-star Master Teachers, while Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, Harmonizing Spirit realm, could be considered half-step five-star. Reaching 6-dan, one would become a full-fledged five-star Master Teacher.

Of course, to become a five-star Master Teacher, cultivation was only one requirement; assessments were also necessary.

“Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy uses these divisions to separate students into grades. Most of you who have just entered are at four-star peak or half-step five-star, which makes you first-year students! Becoming a true five-star Master Teacher qualifies you for the second year, five-star high-grade for the third year… and so on!” Master Hong continued to transmit, “Hongyuan Academy has a total of six grades, which means that even a six-star Master Teacher can still be a student!”

“Students who are six-star Master Teachers?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes widened.

As expected of a Master Teacher Academy, it was truly powerful! It was foreseeable that there would be countless Master Teachers and an abundance of so-called geniuses within it.

Originally, he hadn’t been very interested in this academy, but hearing this introduction, he actually felt a sense of anticipation. A place where so many Master Teachers gathered, perhaps… he could find a way to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison! Even if not, studying alongside so many Master Teachers would certainly allow his rank to increase rapidly. It would be much better than exploring alone.

“We have long heard of Master Wu’s reputation. He is a top-ranking figure among the second-year students at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. It is my immense fortune, Luo Zhao of Qianfeng Empire, to meet you!”

Hearing the Crown Prince’s introduction, Luo Zhao stood up smiling. “As hosts, how could we greet you empty-handed on our first meeting? Some time ago, during my travels, I happened to acquire a few Sangque Seeds in the Western Sang Lands. I’d like to offer them to Master Wu and the esteemed friends from Hongyuan Academy, as a small token of our regard!”

As he spoke, he flipped his wrist, and a string of bright red, lotus-seed-like objects slowly floated towards Wu Zhen on the stage, guided by his *zhenqi*.

“Sangque Seeds? A supreme spiritual item that only grows near the nests of Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beasts, the Celestial Sparrows? It’s said that consuming this item can clarify one’s mind and significantly aid in the advancement of a Master Teacher’s mental fortitude… To give away several at once, what a precious gift!”

“That’s incredible, these are truly good things…”

“As expected of the Hall Master of the Qianfeng Empire’s Master Teacher Hall; his generosity is extraordinary from the start…”

Seeing what he produced, everyone was astonished, their eyes filled with fervent desire. Even Zhang Xuan and Master Hong exchanged glances, both frowning. Sangque Seeds were truly remarkable treasures, their value no less than the Luo Serpent’s core. To produce them and give them away like this, it seemed Luo Zhao had prepared well in advance.

“This guy wasn’t truthful…” His expression grim, Master Hong clenched his fists. When they had caused trouble earlier in the day, the other party had only revealed who the four people invited by Crown Prince Ye Qian were, saying nothing else. He had thought they truly knew nothing, but it turned out… they had secretly prepared gifts long ago!

Gaining the first advantage meant gaining every advantage. Now, even if he wanted to find something, it was too late.

“Sangque Seeds? These are indeed good things. I shall accept them on behalf of the Sixth Princess and the others!” Seeing the approaching items, Wu Zhen’s eyes lit up. He reached out and caught them in his palm. A look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. These items were extremely rare; even in the Hongyuan Empire, obtaining them would be quite troublesome for him.

“Master Luo has prepared a gift, so how could we from the Chasing Moon Empire fall behind? This is the Star-Moon Bodhi I found at the bottom of the Wuling River after ten days and nights of searching! I offer it to Master Wu as well, and hope you’ll accept it!” With a flick of his finger, four pearl-like objects floated over, shimmering with a warm luster and vibrant colors.

“Star-Moon Bodhi? Those are the seeds of the Star-Moon Tree, with only one growing every thousand years, formed by absorbing the essence of the stars and moon. The power contained within is no less than the core of a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan peak spirit beast. Regularly meditating with it can help one comprehend the stars and broaden one’s mental fortitude, making it more vast and boundless!”

“The value of this item is arguably on par with the Sangque Seeds!”

“It’s more than just on par, it could be said to be even better! It seems Master Chen also came prepared!”

“They’ve all brought such valuable items, what will Master Hong do?” Seeing Master Chen also produce such a precious treasure, Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai exchanged glances, their brows furrowed in concern. It seemed that the verbal provocations earlier were just appetizers; the true killer move was here. Since the others had all brought treasures, what would Master Hong do?

While they were worrying, they saw Feng Yu, whose face was still swollen, also take out a treasure and hand it over, its value no less than the previous two.

“Heh heh, Master Hong, since it’s our first meeting and we’ve all presented tokens of our goodwill, what about yours?” Seeing that the others had finished presenting their gifts, Luo Zhao chuckled softly and looked over.

*Swish!* Everyone’s gaze converged on Master Hong.