554. Chapter 538: Vying for Favor
In front of a stall that seemed to be selling secret manuals, seeing Wanrenwang stop, the female stall owner enthusiastically greeted him: "You're so handsome, if you practice the Sunflower Manual, you'll definitely become a great beauty! By then, you won't need to fight tooth and nail yourself, you can easily hook a rich guy..."
Wanrenwang's face darkened at the thought of becoming a great beauty. Seeing the words "To cultivate this technique, one must first castrate oneself" on the first page the female stall owner opened, he almost wanted to kill this woman with a palm strike!
"Handsome, her Sunflower Manual is an incomplete version. Come here, I have the complete Evil Dispelling Swordplay Manual..."
"Brother, just by looking at your expression, I know you're a hopelessly inflexible straight man, practically a terminal case of 'straight man syndrome'. What Sunflower Manual, Evil Dispelling Swordplay Manual? Aren't those scams? Don't listen to them, come to me, brother. I have the Esoteric Sect True Transmission Joyful Meditation Technique... Don't like that? I also have the 'Great Harmony of Heaven and Earth Yin Yang Union', which my brothers and I got from a martial arts world..."
Wanrenwang was covered in cold sweat as he passed through the group of enthusiastic peddlers. After browsing around and declining the enthusiastic sales pitches of many peddlers, Wanrenwang assessed his wallet. Just as he was about to go back, his gaze inadvertently swept across and he discovered in a corner of the square, on a stall, several fruits of strange colors and appearances were displayed.
Wanrenwang's heart stirred. He seemed to have seen this kind of thing on the Exchange List. Feigning indifference, Wanrenwang came before the small stall, pointed at the fruits on the stall, and asked the young girl stall owner with a pair of rabbit ears: "What are these things?"
The young girl stall owner, whose head was drooping little by little as she dozed off, instantly perked up upon seeing a customer arrive. She raised her head with a smile and said:
"Guest, these are Zoan-type Devil Fruits. Each one is 200 Contribution Points. We accept Lightning Attribute Kung Fu in exchange, not limited to Magic, Immortal Methods, or Martial Dao Manuals!"
Zoan-type Devil Fruit, it really is this thing. The exchange price on the Samsara Palace Contribution Ranking is 250 points, it's 50 points cheaper here, quite a bit cheaper than the Samsara Palace Contribution Ranking.
Wanrenwang had a rough idea, but this thing was basically useless to him.
"Guest, these two Devil Fruits are not recorded in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. How about taking a gamble? If it's an Ancient Species Devil Fruit, you'll make a huge profit!"
The Mink Tribe young girl stall owner was still working hard to promote her products.
Wanrenwang shook his head: "After consuming a Devil Fruit, one cannot touch seawater. Even an Ancient Species Devil Fruit is Chicken Ribs, it's really not worth it!"
Wanrenwang had seen the exchange description for Devil Fruits on the Exchange List.
The young girl argued: "That's only in the Pirate World. In Other Worlds, Powered Persons are not afraid of seawater! If you buy now, I can also give you a Cultivation Method for Armament Haki plus a Cultivation Method for Rokushiki, for a total of 300 Contribution Points!"
"Rokushiki, Armament Haki!" Wanrenwang stroked his chin, thinking to himself. He had seen these two Cultivation Methods on the Exchange List before, he didn't expect this small stall to have them too!
He immediately asked: "I don't have that many Contribution Points. I saw you said above that you can also exchange for Lightning Attribute Cultivation Methods!"
"Yes, you can, but ordinary Lightning Attribute Cultivation Methods won't do," the young girl stall owner waved her hand and said. "It must be at least a Three-Star Level or higher Cultivation Method!"
"Three-Star Level or higher?" Wanrenwang frowned. He didn't remember the Samsara Palace Exchange List having this explanation! The young girl stall owner looked at Wanrenwang's appearance and immediately said: "You're a newcomer, aren't you!"
"Is it that obvious?" Wanrenwang was startled, a cold light flashed in his eyes, then he looked at the young girl in front of him with a chuckle.
"Only newcomers like you don't know," the young girl said. "Over at the Exchange Hall, you can sell your Cultivation Methods to the Hall. The Reincarnation Butler will give the Cultivation Methods you sell a Rating. The higher the Rating, the higher the Contribution Points you get for selling them!"
The young girl pouted: "But setting up a stall here, most of what's sold are unrated Martial Arts Manuals. Don't listen to them boast about the Sunflower Manual and Evil Dispelling Swordplay Manual being so formidable; at most, they're one-star Secret Manuals. My Armament Haki is genuinely rated as a Three-Star Level good thing by the Reincarnation Butler!"
"Three-Star Level, then selling it for only 300 Contribution Points with the Devil Fruit, aren't you selling at a loss?" Wanrenwang sized up the young girl in front of him.
The young girl was a bit dejected: "Don't mention it. The Cultivation Methods for Armament Haki and Rokushiki are practically a dime a dozen. And I heard that Samsara Palace has already mass-produced Devil Fruits, so they don't sell for much anymore—"
The young girl seemed to realize she had let something slip and quickly covered her mouth with both hands! Devil Fruits mass-produced, Wanrenwang's smile became even warmer: "It seems the stall owner is quite well-informed!"
The young girl puffed out her chest proudly: "Of course! Do you know how many of our Mink Tribe work in the Heavenly Court? Twenty-three!"
"Although they all hold positions like Heavenly Soldiers, laborers, and pets, our Mink Tribe has connections up top!" The little rabbit thought about what her grandma had told her, and her small chest puffed up again! "Stall owner, I have a Lightning Attribute Cultivation Method here that hasn't been appraised by the Samsara Palace yet, but its Rating should be high! To be honest, stall owner, I'm new here. This is my first time in this Reincarnation Space. I'll give it to you in exchange for one Devil Fruit and this Rokushiki Cultivation Method!
Also, may I ask the young lady about some matters regarding this Samsara Palace!"
Naive, Wanrenwang sized up the little rabbit-eared girl in front of him. Through their recent conversation, he quickly figured out the young girl's personality.
At the same time, he also made a preliminary judgment about this Samsara Palace. If people with this kind of personality can survive here, it seems this Samsara Palace isn't some wicked place.
"You want to hire me as a guide!?" The Mink Tribe little rabbit's eyes instantly widened into perfect circles.
"I just want to ask the young lady to tell me about the matters of this Samsara Palace!" Wanrenwang nodded and said.
The Mink Tribe little rabbit put her finger in her mouth and hesitated for a moment. Looking at Wanrenwang's harmless face, she said: "Alright then, but it's agreed, only within this Samsara Palace, I won't go out with you!"
Although the little rabbit was naive, she wasn't stupid. In the Trading Plaza, there is Samsara Palace Restriction Formation protection. The life and property of Reincarnators are absolutely protected by the Samsara Palace.
Therefore, Reincarnators can boldly and confidently set up stalls and do business in the Trading Plaza. Even if they display the most precious treasures, they aren't afraid of being murdered and robbed.
However, it's different in a Cycle World.
In Cycle Worlds, although there are Heavenly Court Heavenly Rules Restraints, Reincarnators cannot massively slaughter Ordinary Persons, but there is no prohibition against Reincarnators fighting among themselves.
Especially when it comes to the interests of Contribution Points.
So in the Samsara Palace, there has always been a saying, unanimously agreed upon by Reincarnators: In Cycle Worlds, the greatest threat to a Reincarnator is always other Reincarnators.
After they made the Agreement, Wanrenwang and the Mink Tribe little rabbit found a Tea House in the Trading Plaza and sat down. They ordered a pot of Tea worth two Contribution Points and chatted as they drank.
"The Samsara Palace belongs to the Heavenly Court. It is one of the halls of Dou Niu Palace. It is said to have been personally crafted by the Great Heavenly Emperor Heavenly Venerable His Majesty, connecting the Myriad Worlds, and it is also the Training Camp where the Heavenly Court cultivates Immortals and Gods."
After a pot of Tea, Wanrenwang also slowly began to have a clear understanding of the Samsara Palace!
Whoosh—
Opening his eyes again, Wanrenwang was standing on the Arid Mountain Summit again. Everything that had just happened felt like a fleeting dream.
Samsara Palace, Reincarnators, and the dazzling array of various treasures in the Exchange Hall... Wanrenwang raised his Right Hand, the strangely shaped blue fruit in his hand reminded him that he wasn't dreaming.
"Samsara Palace, Immortal Destiny!" Wanrenwang muttered, his face flushed, his eyes shone with strange light, and excitement was unconcealed. Suddenly, he looked up at the sky and burst into loud laughter.
His laughter was clear and wild, filled with arrogance and defiance! "Sect Master!" A voice sounded beside him, interrupting his laughter.
"Brother Long! How long was I gone! That Immortal!?" Qinglong's voice sobered Wanrenwang, who had fallen into a frenzy.
Thinking of the mysterious Immortal who had bestowed upon him the Reincarnation Jade Talisman, Wanrenwang's complexion instantly turned pale. If he looked like this in the eyes of that Immortal...
"Brother Long, you disappeared for half a stick of incense's time, that Immortal has already left!" Qinglong told Wanrenwang what happened while he was gone.
One Shichen ago, a figure streaked across the Blood Sea, rushing straight towards the center of the Blood Sea.
"Hela!"
In the center of the Blood Sea, as soon as Acha appeared, she immediately raised her hand, and countless Profound Yin Divine Thunders the size of bushel baskets smashed towards Hela.
Hela sat on the Blood-Colored Lotus Platform, not flustered at all. She pointed her hand, and countless Blood Shadows around her converged, forming a blood cloud that enveloped the lightning striking towards her.
The countless Profound Yin Divine Thunders fell into the blood cloud. The blood cloud transformed into blood silk threads, covering the lightning. With just a twist, the lightning instantly vanished into nothingness.
While Acha was unleashing the Profound Yin Divine Thunders, her figure also disappeared from the Blood Sea, appearing in front of Hela the next instant.
One hand clawed towards Hela's face, while the other swung violently, a palm strike aimed at Hela's chest. Hela sat upright on the blood lotus. Seeing Acha's sharp fingernails about to scratch her face, she didn't panic. Exhaling, she spoke. Blood-colored lotus flowers rose from the Lotus Platform beneath her.
"Bang!" A loud noise. Acha's palm struck the blood lotus petals, and a huge shockwave burst forth. The space around them under this shockwave, like a glass mirror struck by a boulder, appeared with countless cracks.
The Gate of Asura opened by the Fulong Cauldron was even torn into a crack by this powerful shockwave, a crack as long and narrow as the East Africa Rift Valley.
Rumble rumble rumble—
The Blood River surged out along this crack, like a giant Blood River waterfall, as if the Zhu Xian World would turn into Avici Hell the next moment.
Dense crowds of ugly-looking Asuras, holding sai, followed the Blood River waterfall, cheering as they entered this fertile Mortal Realm... These Asuras, whose minds were only filled with slaughter, like river fish surging into the Ocean along the river water, were dissolved and devoured in streaks of Blood Shadow before they could understand what was happening.
The strike was ineffective. Acha looked at Hela sitting upright on the blood-colored lotus flower, and the Gate of Asura from which blood water continuously flowed. She didn't choose to attack again. Instead, she let out an annoyed shout: "We agreed, this World belongs to me!"
Hela reached out and brushed aside her black long hair, with a teasing look between her eyebrows: "Don't worry, I wasn't thinking of snatching ownership of this World from you! Just taking some things that don't belong in this World!"
Hela seemed to dislike that the Space Rift was too small. With a wave of her finger, Blood God Clones condensed from the boundless Blood Sea and surged back into the Gate of Asura.
"You didn't want to sit in the position of Emperor of Fengdu, and when I sat in it, you couldn't stand it. We clearly agreed this World belongs to me, but you still came to cause trouble. Hela, do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
Acha saw Hela's teasing expression and could no longer hold back. She immediately sent out another palm strike.
Hela saw Acha attacking. This time, she didn't use the Lotus Platform beneath her to block. Her figure flashed, and she directly raised her palm to meet it.
"In this Blood Sea, you are no match for me!"
Their palms met, and Heaven and Earth fell silent, like the silence before cicadas chirp in summer, or like a nuclear bomb exploding underwater, which would unleash a giant wave the next moment.
Crack!
The space structure of this World seemed unable to withstand the aftermath of their clash, and faintly emitted a sound like a main beam breaking.
"Sigh! When other people's wives fight, they pull hair and slap faces. But you two, you're trying to destroy the World!"
A certain man watching the battle saw this scene, let out a bitter smile, and waved the fan in his hand.
In Qinglong's eyes, the Immortal before him just flicked his folding fan, and the boundless blood cloud that filled the sky instantly disappeared.
Such great power!
As Wanrenwang listened, his heart was filled with both fear and unease, but also yearning. At the same time, an indescribable excitement lingered in his heart.
He tightly gripped the jade tablet in his hand. Reincarnator, huh! Xiao Chi, wait for me!
"Hmm? Where did they go?"
Above the Blood Sea, Gu Zi Yun was secretly lying on a Golden Lotus Flower Platform nearby, tearing open a bag of potato chips, eating potato chips and eagerly preparing to watch Hela and Acha engage in magical combat.
Suddenly, both Hela and Acha disappeared. Gu Zi Yun swept her Divine Sense and noticed a familiar figure on an Arid Mountain Summit in the distance. Her figure flashed, appearing beside Tang Song as if teleporting.
"Uncle! Why are you here?"
Gu Zi Yun blinked her big eyes, directly hugged his arm, and her greasy hand was about to wipe on his Daoist Robe. The Dust Repelling Formation on the Cloud Water Azure Sky Daoist Robe automatically activated, instantly making her hand clean.
"Where did you put the two elder sisters? Can you let them out?"
"Bang!" Tang Song directly flicked her forehead hard with his finger. "I think you just like watching excitement and don't think matters are big enough," he said. "You simply want to see them fight!"
"Oh! Uncle, let me see!" she pleaded. "A God King who rules Hell in The East and a Goddess who rules the Underworld in The West, I've always been curious who is stronger between the two of them!"
Gu Zi Yun rubbed her forehead that had turned red from the flick and vigorously shook Tang Song's arm.
Qinglong beside them, with eyes looking at his nose and nose looking at his heart, lowering his head, seemed to have seen nothing and heard nothing.
"This Immortal with a great background seems to be quite fond of women. There are also many female disciples with outstanding looks in the sect. I wonder if there's an opportunity." Qinglong was scheming in his heart.
When Qinglong could no longer hear the two of them talking, he came back to his senses. Carefully raising his head, Tang Song's figure was no longer in front of him.
Hela and Acha only felt a sudden shift of Heaven and Earth, and before their eyes was already a vast Space.
With a bang, the aftermath of their clash finally fully erupted. But that strike, which was enough to shatter the space structure of the Zhu Xian World, was like a breeze passing by, having no influence whatsoever.
The two exchanged one bout. Hela retreated dozens of zhang away. Acha's dress sleeve was shattered, revealing a fair arm.
Hela looked at the Star Sea above her head and the ostentatious three hundred and sixty-five great stars, and pouted: "Are we still fighting? That guy is here!"
Acha also glanced at the seemingly real stars above her head and let out a cold laugh: "The place is empty now, isn't that perfect! It also saves us from being restrained!"
Acha pointed with her hand, releasing all one hundred and eight Nether Yin Spirit Swords she had refined over the past hundred years. Only to see the entire sky filled with green light sword shadows. Ghost fire floated, yin wind was mournful, and there were mournful cries and fierce roars. From within surged countless ferocious phantoms like poison dragons, long snakes, Demon Gods, ghosts and monsters, Impermanence, Ox-Head, Horse-Face, and so on, all wrapped in green light, covering a vast area and completely enveloping Hela within.
These one hundred and eight Yin Spirit Swords were crafted by Acha using the Essence of Yin Kui and Yellow Springs Fine Iron, and commissioned eighteen Crafting Masters from the Heavenly Craft Hall to forge them together. Each one is comparable to an Illusionary God Magic Treasure.
In recent years, Acha has been vying for authority with the Underworld and Underworld Administration in many Cycle Worlds, engaging in continuous battles, killing countless Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Black and White Impermanence, and Demon Gods, sealing their Nascent Divinities within. The power of this set of Magic Treasures under Acha's nurturing can be imagined.
"Disobedient people get spanked on the rear!"
Hela stretched her tendons and bones, seemingly not bothered by the surrounding green light sword light. She also summoned a treasured sword carved from blood jade to block Acha's attack. Only to see the sky filled with red light and green light, intertwined. They went back and forth, locked in an intense battle.
"Hela, you're going too far!" Acha gritted her silver teeth, filled with rage, and further activated the Yin Spirit Swords.
It's just that the cultivation bases of the two were evenly matched; it was hard to tell who would win for a while. To be precise, Hela's cultivation base was slightly higher than Acha's.
After she devoured her counterpart, her cultivation base had been refined over a hundred years, devouring the essence blood and souls of billions of living beings. She already faintly possessed the strength to achieve Golden Immortal.
However, after Hela realized Tang Song had arrived in This World, she didn't want to reveal too much of her cultivation base. She knew that guy would definitely play favorites, and this Acha in front of her was the person he put forward to restrain her.
So Hela, while blocking Acha's attack, teased Acha with her mouth: "We're sisters after all. I was even willing to share Surname Tang with you, but you're unwilling to part with a few ugly Asuras. How about I give these Asuras back to you, and you give me the next opportunity for Soul Dual Cultivation with Surname Tang!"
"Hmph!"
Acha gave a cold snort: "This isn't about a few Asuras. If you really want them, I can give them to you. You secretly came to This World without even saying hello. Taking without telling is stealing, don't you know that?"
Seeing that Hela's Divine Ability and Magic Power were superior to her own, she couldn't do anything about it, but she wasn't willing to give up and insisted on teaching her a lesson. Acha directly summoned four bone banners as crystal clear as white jade.
At first glance, the four white bone banners were only about three inches long, palm-sized!
Acha chanted something under her breath, a stream of Primordial Qi spurted out, and the four Ghoul White Bone Banners directly transformed into four white bone banners that were neither banners nor canopies, neither flags nor parasols, about ten feet high, surrounded by faint Nether Black Qi.
Within the white bone banners, eight Ghost God True Forms gradually merged into one, forming an Emperor Phantom behind Acha, wearing an Emperor's Crown and a Dragon Robe. This phantom walked towards Acha step by step, gradually merging with her.
Empowered by the Ghoul White Bone Banners, Acha's aura instantly surged, instantly possessing combat strength close to that of a Golden Immortal.
"Ghoul White Bone Banner! You're going all out!"
Hela saw Acha summon the Ghoul White Bone Banner, a cold light instantly flashed across her smiling face. She stepped forward, and a vast ocean of Blood Sea instantly appeared beneath her feet. Dense crowds of Blood God Clones instantly covered more than half of the Space.
(end of chapter)