Chapter 193: Dan Fei’s Sincerity
This storage ring was indeed a good item. With a flick of Dan Fei’s slender fingers, Jiang Chen caught it in his hands and accepted it unceremoniously.
In his past life, it had been a common occurrence for him to play with such items. Such a crude and simplistic storage ring like this one naturally proved to be easy for him to manipulate.
He played with it for a bit and looked it over. There wasn’t much storage s.p.a.ce but it would be sufficient.
“Darned brat, you accepted it with a thick skin and you don’t even thank me?” Dan Fei was slightly surprised to see that Jiang Chen understood how to use the storage ring with no pointers, and in fact, seemed quite adept at it.
Jiang Chen chuckled, “Didn’t you say that this was payment? Since it’s payment and not a gift, why do I have to thank you?”
“Are all men this shameless?” Dan Fei was a bit speechless.
“I don’t know about others, but I value my face. Sister Dan Fei, I’ve heard that you’ve always partic.i.p.ated in the Autumn Hunt solo. Why would you want to form a team this time?”
Dan Fei rolled her eyes at Jiang Chen, “Do you simply want to imply that you possess boundless charisma?”
“Heh heh, isn’t that the case?” Jiang Chen chuckled merrily.
“Stop flattering yourself. All men are the same in my eyes. Alright, I don’t have time to chatter meaninglessly with you. Since we’re forming a team, there are some things I don’t want to keep from you.”
“Are we finally getting down to business?” Jiang Chen still carried on in that heartless bent.
“Jiang Chen, would it kill you to be serious?” Dan Fei’s gorgeous eyebrows flicked upwards. “This time, I only have one goal in partic.i.p.ating in the Autumn Hunt, and that is to catch a baby spirit animal of the spirit rank.”
“A baby spirit animal?” Jiang Chen was a bit surprised, “Is there anything special about that?”
“Yes, it is quite important.” A very grave expression appeared on Dan Fei’s jade-like face. “I’ve failed the first two times and hence, I must succeed this time.”
“Why?”
Although a baby spirit animal was quite precious, it wasn’t to the point of catching it being a must, was it? Not to mention that although a baby spirit animal was rare, it wasn’t as if it was something that could only be found in the maze realm, wasn’t it?
Dan Fei’s charming eyes focused on Jiang Chen, “Jiang Chen, you can’t breathe a word of what I tell you today, do you understand?”
“Then don’t tell me.”
“Jiang Chen!” Dan Fei was a bit infuriated. “Can’t you display the dependability of a man!”
Jiang Chen smiled, “Would I lack the proper grasp of what can and cannot be spoken? Why do you feel the need to emphasize this again?”
“Alright.” Dan Fei’s lips moved. “I was wrong then. You must surely be thinking that a baby spirit animal can be obtained in the outside world, so why go into the maze realm? This is obviously a superfluous move, right?”
“Is it not?” Jiang Chen truly did think so.
“If it was just to keep it as a pet, there is indeed no difference. But, these baby spirit animals are different. The lordmaster wants to study them.”
“Study them?” Jiang Chen was baffled. What was there to study about a spirit animal?
“Yes, study. Actually, the lordmaster has had some results already, but because this matter holds great weight, the lordmaster has never announced it to the public.”
“Just what’s going on here? Can’t you tell me everything in one go?”
“Results of studies show that the baby spirit animals in the outside world basically remain at the spirit rank when they’re mature, even if they were born into the spirit rank. They don’t have much potential to evolve. Although their strength did increase, there wasn’t much evolution in their bloodline. Spirit animals from the maze realm however, are different. Their strength increases at a rapid pace, and their bloodlines actually automatically evolve!”
“This is to say that the Phoenix-Dragon was most likely obtained from the maze realm? Did you enter the maze realm thirty years ago? Or did the honored tutor enter it?”
Dan Fei’s white jade-like cheeks darkened. “Jiang Chen, am I that old? I wasn’t even born thirty years ago! The lordmaster was already a spirit king thirty years ago, how could he enter? The Maze Realm Autumn Hunt is barred to all pract.i.tioners past the small spirit realm stage.”
The spirit realm had a total of nine levels. Levels one to three were called the small spirit realm.
Levels four to six were of the earth spirit realm.
Up to level nine was the sky spirit realm.
Past the ninth level was the peak of the spirit realm which is also hailed as spirit king. A pract.i.tioner at this level was at the peak of realm and could set foot into the next realm at any moment.
“The Maze Realm Autumn Hunt would actually exclude pract.i.tioners above the small spirit realm?” Jiang Chen felt vaguely curious. A strange dimension like this was rather uncommon.
In this regard, this maze realm wasn’t just typically odd.
Ordinarily speaking, secret realms were just an independent s.p.a.ce, one created by a super strong art or ability. Restrictions for minimum allowed strength often existed.
However, restrictions for a maximum amount of strength were relatively fewer.
“Yes, therefore, the strongest who can enter the Autumn Hunt this time are those of the third level spirit realm. Those stronger will be unable to make it inside.” Dan Fei explained. “The Phoenix-Dragon was a baby that someone obtained from the inside thirty years ago and gifted to the lordmaster.”
“The lordmaster has raised this Phoenix-Dragon for thirty years. He’s discovered that when the Phoenix-Dragon was a baby, it was considered to be in the first level spirit realm at most, perhaps a half step spirit realm even, because apart from having a spirit ocean and a consciousness, it was practically a blank piece of paper. However, thirty years later, the current Phoenix-Dragon has strength equivalent to fifth level spirit realm and can be placed on par with a human earth spirit realm pract.i.tioner.”
When Dan Fei mentioned the Phoenix-Dragon, a trace of desire also flashed through her limpid eyes.
“The Phoenix-Dragon is of an ancient bloodline and thus innately possesses the ability to evolve. What’s so strange about that?” Jiang Chen actually felt there was nothing to uncommon about this either.
“The lordmaster has received more than just the Phoenix-Dragon from the maze realm in his current age. All of them have the ability to evolve their bloodlines. This is something that our local spirit animals don’t possess at all. Although the increase in strength and speed are similar between the two types, the evolution of bloodlines means that their potential will increase in the future. This is completely different. Jiang Chen, do you understand what I mean?”
Jiang Chen found it privately laughable. Would he not understand? Old tutor Ye Chonglou may not understand all that he understands.
“Sister Dan Fei, what do you think the final potential of that Phoenix-Dragon will be in the end?”
“According to the lordmaster’s estimations, its potential could even surpa.s.s the lordmaster’s accomplishments. The lordmaster is at the peak of the sky spirit realm right now, respectfully hailed as a spirit king by others. However, the lordmaster postulates that this Five Winged Phoenix-Dragon has a certain potential to advance to the saint rank. A saint rank spirit animal is equivalent to a venerated origin realm human pract.i.tioner.”
When her words traveled here, Dan Fei’s tone was suffused with yearning. From her mouth, the words of “venerated origin realm pract.i.tioner” seemed to be words to address G.o.ds that shouldn’t be blasphemed as she voiced them carefully and piously.
Except, when Dan Fei saw Jiang Chen’s diffident expression, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Jiang Chen, do you understand or not?”
“I do.”
“If you do, then why don’t you have any reaction at all?” Dan Fei said ill temperedly.
“It’s because I understand that I have no reaction. What kind of reaction do you think I should have? Must I yell and holler exaggeratedly and have an unimaginably queer expression on my face? And then should I display unlimited yearning like you? Am I only able to understand if I react like that?” Jiang Chen felt this was hilarious.
“Isn’t that the case?” Dan Fei thought this was all rather matter-of-fact.
“Bulls.h.i.+t. That’s called pretending to understand when you don’t. You don’t truly understand. The Five Winged Phoenix-Dragon is an ancient bloodline at the very least, does it only have that little bit of potential in your eyes? Just a spirit creature who can breakthrough to the saint rank? It looks like you truly don’t understand the true potential of an ancient bloodline.”
“What… what do you mean?” Surprise flickered across Dan Fei’s elegant face.
“You still don’t understand what I’m saying? Don’t make such unreasonable comparisons for an ancient bloodline. Although the Five Winged Phoenix-Dragon is an ordinary ancient bloodline, just about any ancient bloodline has greater potential than an ordinary spirit animal, and more than just a little!”
“Jiang Chen, you’re always talking about ancient bloodlines, and you also mentioned the matter of bloodlines evolving last time. This is why the lordmaster wanted us to form a team. Jiang Chen, since you also understand these things, why don’t you help me? We can team up and research this together. If our studies produce a saint rank spirit creature, then the martial dao situation of the neighboring sixteen kingdoms will be utterly changed!”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Chen had discovered that the changes in topic in this conversation with Dan Fei whipped along with lightning fast speeds. They’d just been talking about spirit creatures and had suddenly leapt to the martial dao layout of the sixteen kingdoms.
“Don’t you understand? The strongest in the sixteen kingdoms are the four hidden sects, the Precious Tree Sect, Purple Sun Sect, Flowing Wind Sect, and Myriad Spirit Sect. The four great sects have a similar level of strength and each have their own areas of focus. However, the strongest pract.i.tioners amongst the four great sects are only of the minor origin realm. If we can continuously raise saint rank spirit creatures that are on par with origin realm pract.i.tioners, wouldn’t that be enough to change the martial dao layout of the alliance of the sixteen kingdoms?”
Dan Fei became more and more agitated as she spoke. She felt extraordinarily accomplished when she thought of that wondrous future. When she thought of that great future and of the fact that she was one of its creators, she knew her name was sure to go down in the annals of history of the sixteen kingdoms.
Dan Fei felt that Jiang Chen had no reason to turn down from being part of such a glorious matter.
“Well? Jiang Chen, don’t you feel a sense of duty in matters like these?” Confidence brimmed in Dan Fei’s beautiful eyes.
Jiang Chen rubbed his nose and smiled ruefully, “Changing the martial dao layout of the sixteen kingdoms?”
“Yes.” Dan Fei nodded.
“What does this have to do with me? Whether or not the martial dao layout of the sixteen kingdoms changes or not doesn’t seem to have much to do with me.” Jiang Chen couldn’t help but say so.
“You…” A layer of frost immediately covered Dan Fei’s beautiful features. She stood up huffily. “Jiang Chen, do you have any sense of responsibility at all? Are you even a disciple of the sixteen kingdoms?!”
“I… of course I am. But is it really that important to change the layout of martial dao?” Jiang Chen found it a bit incomprehensible.
Dan Fei was truly exasperated at Jiang Chen’s failure to measure up to her expectations. Her graceful figure trembled a bit in her anger. “Jiang Chen, can you not disappoint me this much?”
“Alright.” Jiang Chen was at a loss for words. “I’ll try my best due to the storage ring, anyhow. However, I’ll be frank, you aren’t allowed to interfere with what I do in the maze realm after we enter, and you aren’t allowed to question me either.”
The sun immediately parted the clouds on Dan Fei’s face when she heard Jiang Chen agree to help. She spoke with a happy smile, “Alright, then it’s settled! As you help me catch a baby spirit animal, you can do whatever you want!”
Dan Fei immediately discovered that Jiang Chen had a few hints of a meaningful smile on his face when she said the last four words and immediately knew that she seemed to have spoken in error. Like the autumn moon, her face immediately flushed bright red.
Partic.i.p.ate in the short story contest celebrating 200 SOTR chapters!