Chapter 140: Heading to the Magic City

Xie Shufen said anxiously, "Mr. Lin, let's talk things over. Everything is negotiable."

Guo Zong nodded repeatedly as well. The gigantic python was simply too terrifying—not only was its body massive, but it also had dragon horns growing on its head and eagle-like talons on its belly.

This was no longer a python; it was a horned dragon.

Lin Yi said calmly, "I accept the compensation, but as for joining your faction, I hope this is never brought up again."

The primary purpose of Xie Shufen's visit this time was to hope that Lin Yi would join the Red Skull.

The resources she offered as compensation to Lin Yi seemed impressive, but compared to a major faction like the Red Skull, they were somewhat insignificant.

However, with Little Black right within arm's reach, she truly hesitated and didn't know how to broach the subject.

"What should we do?"

Xie Shufen condensed the energy of heaven and earth into a thin thread and transmitted her voice to Guo Zong.

"I think we should let the matter rest for now. However, it seems we need to elevate our overall assessment of this Lin Yi significantly. In addition, we must report the matter of this black python to the boss as soon as possible," Guo Zong said.

"That's the only option left." Xie Shufen sighed helplessly.

If they were to provoke the other party further over this issue, the losses would far outweigh the gains.

Having made up her mind, Xie Shufen said, "Very well, Mr. Lin, we won't disturb you any longer. This is the compensation we promised you."

With that, Xie Shufen tossed out a storage pouch.

Lin Yi caught it and inspected it. The storage pouch had a capacity of only one cubic meter, making it the smallest kind available.

However, the cultivation resources inside were worth a fortune.

"Hmm." Lin Yi put the storage pouch away.

Xie Shufen and Guo Zong cupped their fists in farewell, then stepped into the void and departed swiftly.

No sooner had the two left Longhu Bay than Xie Shufen placed a call to Tang Sanjiang.

"Hello, boss, Lin Yi refuses to join the Red Skull."

Tang Sanjiang was not particularly surprised and said in a calm tone, "Geniuses always have their own pride; that's understandable. Find excuses to interact with Lin Yi more often, see what he needs, and remember that adding flowers to the brocade is never as good as providing timely help in the snow."

Xie Shufen felt somewhat awkward. The crux of the matter was that Lin Yi hadn't given her any opportunity to bring it up at all.

She softly said, "Um, boss, Lin Yi's potential probably needs to be elevated by another tier."

"Why do you say that?" Tang Sanjiang asked.

"The giant python in Lin Yi's possession—I don't know when, but it has transformed into a dragon."

Even now, whenever Xie Shufen recalled that giant python, she couldn't help but shiver.

Ever since she became a Spirit Venerable, aside from Tang Sanjiang, she had rarely feared anyone else.

"Are you serious?" Tang Sanjiang asked in a deep voice.

"How would I dare to deceive you about such a major matter?" Xie Shufen said.

Tang Sanjiang fell silent for a moment before saying, "Very well, both you and Guo Zong should return first. It seems we need to deliberate further on this matter concerning Lin Yi."

***

Time flew by, and the time for advanced training arrived quickly.

On this day, Die Niansong even brought along an eighteen or nineteen-year-old round-faced girl.

"Mr. Lin, this is Cai Jingjing, another talented individual from our Butterfly Valley. Don't let her age fool you; she is already a Grandmaster," Die Niansong introduced.

Cai Jingjing said with poise, "Hello, Mr. Lin. My name is Cai Jingjing. We've met a few times already—do you happen to remember?"

Lin Yi had some recollection; during the exchange meeting in Shan Province last time, Cai Jingjing had accompanied Die Niansong.

"A little," Lin Yi said. "When do we depart?"

"We can leave at any time. According to the latest notice, this advanced training will last for six months, and participants can withdraw at any time during the period. However, generally speaking, no one drops out voluntarily; most are eliminated," Die Niansong said.

"There's elimination?" Lin Yi asked.

"Yes. While the number of geniuses in a single province or city might be small, when you combine more than twenty of them, the total number is far from insignificant. The resources provided by the Martial Arts Association are limited, at which point the lowest-ranking individuals will be weeded out," Die Niansong explained.

***

Lin Yi nodded, indicating that he understood.

The three of them arrived at the airport, and a little over two hours later, they landed at Shanghai Airport.

Shanghai was the economic center of the Great Xia, bordering Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, with a total area of over six thousand square kilometers.

"Mr. Lin, let's first go to the Shanghai Martial Arts Association to register. If we haven't registered by eight o'clock tonight, our qualification for the advanced training will be revoked," Die Niansong reminded him.

"I'll leave it to you," Lin Yi said calmly. To avoid drawing attention, he had deliberately altered his appearance.

The Shanghai Martial Arts Association was not located in the city center, but rather underground in the suburbs.

Die Niansong was very familiar with the place, and before long, she led Lin Yi to the Martial Arts Association.

The Shanghai Martial Arts Association was noticeably much more grand and imposing than those in other provinces and cities. As soon as they entered the lobby, the dense spiritual Qi was so thick it was on the verge of forming a mist.

Cultivating here for a day could compare to more than ten days outside, which explained why everyone aspired to enter the Shanghai Martial Arts Association.

"Wow, there are so many people here." Cai Jingjing glanced around; nearly everywhere she looked was a sea of heads.

Fortunately, the Shanghai Martial Arts Association covered a vast area; despite the large number of visitors, it did not feel overly crowded.

"Mr. Lin, that's the registration desk over there. Let's head over."

Die Niansong pointed to a service counter not far away.

A queue over ten meters long had already formed there. The people in line all looked very young, and even the weakest among them possessed the strength of a Half-Step Grandmaster.

Just as the three of them were about to join the line, a sarcastic voice suddenly came from behind: "Oh my, if it isn't the trash from Butterfly Valley."

Lin Yi looked back and saw three charming women approaching. They were dressed in very sexy attire and possessed stunning figures.

The woman in the lead, wearing a halter top that exposed her midriff, had silver bells hanging from her wrists and ankles, which produced crisp tinkling sounds with every step she took.

Before Die Niansong could react, Cai Jingjing turned around and retorted angrily, "I was wondering who it was; aren't these the boudoir coquettes from the Joyful Valley?"

The Joyful Valley was a transcendent faction in Sichuan Province, and they had always been at odds with Butterfly Valley. Whenever the two sides met, a quarrel was naturally inevitable.

"Where did this little brat come from? Do you have any right to speak here?" The leading woman's face darkened; how dare this little girl call them boudoir coquettes?

If the Martial Arts Association didn't forbid fighting, she would definitely make this little girl pay dearly.

"What, am I wrong? Everyone knows your Joyful Valley goes around flirting with men everywhere," Cai Jingjing said, putting her hands on her hips and refusing to yield an inch.

The leading woman narrowed her eyes, then chuckled lightly: "Little sister, you probably haven't tasted a man yet, right? Would you like big sister to introduce a few to you? I guarantee it'll make you feel wonderful."

Upon hearing this, Cai Jingjing's face flushed red, and she retorted, "Shameless!"

Die Niansong, standing nearby, shook her head. Cai Jingjing was young after all, and was thrown off balance by a few words from the other party.

"Lu Qingwu, I don't have time to argue with you today," Die Niansong said coldly, then turned to Cai Jingjing and added, "Business comes first; don't let some small fry delay us."

Cai Jingjing's eyes curved into crescents, and she nodded, "Senior sister is right."

Watching Die Niansong's retreating figure, Lu Qingwu's face turned dark. The two of them had played off each other, treating the people of the Joyful Valley as mere small fry and walking right past them in utter disregard.

"Senior Sister Lu, are we just going to let them leave like this?" a woman dressed in a short black lace skirt asked with unconcealed reluctance.

"What else can we do? This is the Martial Arts Association; do you expect us to start a brawl?" Lu Qingwu gave the woman a sideways glance.

"No, Senior Sister Lu, I didn't mean that," the woman in the lace skirt hurriedly waved her hands.

Lu Qingwu's gaze turned gloomy. Suddenly, she caught sight of a handsome man in casual wear, her water-like eyes holding a trace of excitement.

She walked over briskly, and the other two women quickly followed.

"Brother Xie, why are you here too?" Lu Qingwu asked in a coy voice.

Upon seeing Lu Qingwu, the handsome man smiled faintly and said, "So it's Qingwu. Just came over to see if there are any good items here."

His name was Xie Xiaosheng, and he was the adopted son of Xie Shufen from the Red Skull.

He possessed exceptional talent and had already reached the seventh layer of the Grandmaster realm by his thirties. Breaking through to the Spirit Venerable realm in the future was an absolute certainty for him.

Lu Qingwu leaned in close, blew a gentle breath into Xie Xiaosheng's ear, and asked, "Then have you found any good things, Brother Xie?"

The corners of Xie Xiaosheng's mouth hooked upward, and without any hesitation, he put his arm around Lu Qingwu's slender waist and said, "I actually did find a good thing."

"What is it?" Lu Qingwu asked with curiosity.

"Isn't it you?" Xie Xiaosheng said with a mischievous smile.

This remark elicited a giggle from Lu Qingwu. She smiled and said, "Brother Xie, help me teach a few people a lesson, and I'll let you do as you please tonight."

Xie Xiaosheng gave Lu Qingwu's slender waist a light pat and said, "I knew you didn't come over with good intentions. But I like it. Tell me, who on earth is so bold that they dare to bully my little darling?"

"It's people from Butterfly Valley," Lu Qingwu said.

"Butterfly Valley?" Xie Xiaosheng looked somewhat puzzled.

"They are a transcendent faction from Shan Province, and they've never gotten along with our Joyful Valley," Lu Qingwu explained.

"Oh." A trace of disdain flashed in Xie Xiaosheng's eyes.

Although Butterfly Valley belonged to the transcendent faction, judging by his background and status, they were merely nouveau riche who had crawled out of some rural backwater—not worth his notice.

"Don't worry, darling. Once they leave the Martial Arts Association later, I'll help you teach them a proper lesson," Xie Xiaosheng promised.

"Hehe, Brother Xie is the best," Lu Qingwu said coquettishly.

"Need you say it?" Xie Xiaosheng's hands began to wander restlessly.

Lu Qingwu felt her body go soft and hurriedly said, "Let's wait until we're outside. Brother Xie, I'm going to register first."

"Mm." Xie Xiaosheng nodded.

***

Over on Lin Yi's side, the registration process was quite swift. After waiting in line for about ten minutes, it was their turn.

The person managing the registration desk was a white-haired old man with the strength of a Half-Step Spirit Venerable.

"Where is the roster?" the old man asked calmly.

"Right here."

Die Niansong quickly handed over three copies of the roster.

The old man glanced at the lists twice and stamped them.

With the registration completed, the three of them left the Martial Arts Association.

Die Niansong asked, "Mr. Lin, shall I show you around Shanghai?"

She frequently visited the place, so she was very familiar with everything in Shanghai.

"No need to rush. Do you know where the martial arts trading market is located here?" Lin Yi asked.

"I know. Mr. Lin, I was originally planning to take you there to take a look first," Die Niansong nodded.

The three of them walked directly toward the destination. Fortunately, as martial artists, their pace was quite brisk.

Half an hour later, the three arrived at the martial arts trading market.

The trading market was held within a private estate and ran continuously from nine in the morning until six in the evening.

Moreover, the rules of this trading market were extremely strict; ordinary people were strictly prohibited from entering, and only martial artists were allowed through.

Just as Lin Yi and Die Niansong were preparing to enter, a middle-aged man at the entrance directly blocked their path and said, "Hold on, kid, you can't go in."

Before Lin Yi could speak, Die Niansong's willow-like eyebrows arched, and the aura from her body pressed directly down toward the middle-aged man.

"He is my... well, friend. Why isn't he allowed in?" Die Niansong asked in an icy tone.

The middle-aged man was inwardly horrified, never expecting that such a stunning and beautiful woman would possess such terrifying strength.

The sheer aura alone gave him the feeling of a impending mental collapse.

This had to be a Grandmaster.

Yet his own strength was merely that of a Half-Step Grandmaster, so he hurriedly lowered his posture and said, "Miss, the rules of the martial arts trading market forbid ordinary people from entering. Your friend here..."

Die Niansong naturally knew this rule; no matter how wealthy a tycoon with billions of assets might be, if they weren't a martial artist, they wouldn't be allowed through.

The problem was that Mr. Lin had already killed several Spirit Venerables. If he counted as an ordinary person, then did any martial artists even exist in this world?