The greatest value of Six, Seven, Eight: Profound Energy's Tri-Unity.
But... the group of young bloodline warriors around Lei Longli, meticulously selected to one day become the backbone of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline family, were utterly swept away by the younger generation of the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors? This was unbelievable! No matter how one looked at it, it felt fake.
Even the Pan Mengshen squad, rumored to be the most likely to succeed Pan Hongji as the next head of the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline family, couldn't have achieved such a spectacular result—the complete annihilation of Lei Longli's core team!
Complete annihilation; the news alone was hard to believe.
Wiped out in less than a minute? Bao Longzhence almost cursed out loud, demanding to know what in the hell was going on!
Pan Hongji’s eyes were visibly wider than before. While he knew the Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline family was going to have an ugly showing, being swept clean? Wiping out Lei Longli’s carefully chosen youth in under a minute... this...
Prime Minister Li Chengliang, watching Pan Hongji’s beaming face, shook his head repeatedly. This head of the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors was usually such a composed man! Today, he finally lost his composure, unable even to hide his sheer delight.
However... Li Chengliang sighed. Although he was a civil official, he understood the immense power of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline. Such a rout was unprecedented even in historical records. The Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline warriors had been utterly disgraced today—the most shameful moment in their history.
Lei Longli’s face cycled rapidly from red to grey, then green, then white... stark white, as if he had just been pulled out of a barrel of flour.
The most shameful moment in the history of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline warriors meant that Lei Longli, the future successor, might just be the worst family head in the entire history of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline warrior clan.
Duan Fengbu'er was already overcome with mirth, the half-burnt cigarette dangling from his lips as he bent over, laughing uncontrollably and slapping the ground with his hand.
Li Ba watched the unfolding scene with a steady smile. What was the loss of one battle? He had seen countless ups and downs in a warrior's life. This defeat would serve to sober up these young men, and it would also allow him to clearly gauge the true value of the man named Qian Jin.
When a person recognizes shame, they can either sink or strive to rise!
Li Ba believed these young Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline warriors were not the sort to succumb to despair. On the contrary, they would now train with twice, three times, even ten times the spirit, desperately honing themselves to wash away this disgrace in the future.
Crack... crack... crack...
In the suddenly silent training ground, a series of sharp snaps echoed—the sound of knuckles cracking. People followed the source of the noise and were astonished to find it was coming from Lei Longli’s finger joints!
There was no burst of Dou Qi, no surging of the Battle Soul. Despite the quiet surroundings, people felt their breathing grow difficult, the air seeming to become incredibly heavy.
Lei Longli was enraged! He didn't need to unleash any power; his mere fury was altering the entire atmosphere.
Legend held that when a true Dragon opened its eyes, every living creature it perceived would experience a rapid heartbeat and an inexplicable sense of immense pressure.
This! This was Dragon Might!
It was also rumored that when a true Dragon became furious, even without exerting its power, the earth and air around it would tremble, and everything would naturally bow in submission.
This! This was Dragon’s Wrath!
With Dragon Might and Dragon’s Wrath manifesting simultaneously on Lei Longli, the crowd felt a primal fear, as if facing a rampaging behemoth with nowhere to hide.
Lei Longli was truly furious. Facing such a devastating defeat, if he could remain calm, he wouldn't be a Dragon, but a turtle...
Especially since... not far away, a young Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warrior was laughing so hard he could barely stand up.
Being utterly wiped out was humiliating enough, but to have someone laughing so brazenly nearby—Lei Longli’s shame and rage erupted together. Powerful Dragon Might surged outward from his body, causing those who had already retreated to pull back even further.
Duan Fengbu'er’s laughter ceased. He straightened up, the cigarette stub in his mouth now dampened by tears, and faced Lei Longli: "What? You want to fight me?"
Lei Longli silently shook his head slightly, his eyes holding a faint trace of disdain and coldness: "You are not yet worthy of my attention. When you reach the Saint realm, I will let you know..."
"No need to wait for that day; now will suffice!" Duan Fengbu'er subtly engaged his ankles, leaping forward to land near Lei Longli: "You've reached Saint realm, right? I have to reach Saint realm before I can fight you?"
His Saint Artifact spear materialized in Duan Fengbu'er's hand. The Nine-Headed Serpent Battle Soul roared to life behind him, sending powerful currents sweeping in all directions—its imposing aura was tens of times stronger than the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline display moments before!
Both were Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors, and neither had reached the Saint realm yet! Yet, the gap between their peak Battle Soul strength was as vast as the distance between the stars and the earth.
The black Nine-Headed Serpent Battle Soul writhed wildly, moving as if it were not mere phantom energy but a physical entity. The instant the Battle Soul soared, it cut through the air, emitting piercing screeches, like a colossal Nine-Headed Serpent demon beast that had traversed the primordial wilderness, traversed time, and pierced through space and history to descend upon Duan Fengbu'er’s back.
"Not yet Saint, huh?" Duan Fengbu'er controlled the massive Battle Soul, slowly compressing it, shrinking it, and finally channeling it into the enormous, razor-sharp Saint Artifact spear: "Is reaching the Saint realm hard for me? Watch, I'll do it for you right now!"
The crowd was stunned watching this spectacle. A bloodline warrior achieving the Saint realm not through bloodline awakening, but by utilizing a Saint Artifact? This was excessive extravagance! With such formidable Battle Soul strength, he could likely reach Saint realm through bloodline power in a few more days. Why the haste? It seemed such a waste!
The spear, resembling a dragon lance, trembled incessantly. Strands of Saint energy mingled with the Nine-Headed Serpent Battle Soul, eliciting roars that sounded like dragons mixed with serpents. Duan Fengbu'er’s own power surged rapidly; everyone present could physically feel the escalation.
Duan Fengbu'er's body seemed like a bottomless black hole; his power climbed continuously, yet he did not instantly reach the Saint realm. This ascent took a full ten seconds.
Those short ten seconds felt as long as an era. Everyone watched in shock at the rapid increase in Duan Fengbu'er’s strength.
Crack... crack... crack...
Fissures began to spiderweb across the body of the Dragon Spear Saint Artifact. Black Nine-Headed Serpent energy burst out from the cracks, like a powerful demon monster that had been sealed for countless years, finally shattering its suppressive seal and tearing through the stars to reveal its ferocious face.
The black light intensified rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the Dragon Spear Saint Artifact was covered in dense, cracked lines. These lines shattered the next instant, exploding into countless fragments. The Nine-Headed Serpent Battle Soul erupted from the wreckage like a butterfly reborn from its chrysalis, or a demon king breaking free from confinement. It soared high into the sky above the shards, emanating the full aura of the Saint realm!
Climbing... climbing...
After reaching the Saint realm, Duan Fengbu'er’s power rapidly ascended again. He flung both palms wide open, and two massive black holes appeared in his palms, drawing in every fragment of the shattered Saint Artifact from the sky, swallowing them into his hands. His body seemed to undergo a second baptism by the remnants of the Saint Artifact.
At this moment, everyone present who had not yet reached the Saint realm felt an intense boiling within their bodies. In the ranks of the Exploding Bear bloodline warriors, several bear roars erupted in succession, and their wild, bloodline-fueled battle forms manifested.
Two Exploding Bear bloodline warriors broke through progress they had stalled for many years, instantly advancing to the Golden Battle Core stage. Moreover, one warrior already at the Golden Battle Core stage directly activated his bloodline power, manifesting a Black Bear!
The method of achieving the Saint realm for ordinary warriors was laid bare before everyone, revealing its unique might.
Regardless of whether they were ordinary warriors or bloodline warriors, everyone closed their eyes to sense the changes in the surrounding Yuan Qi and Dou Qi, feeling the surge in their own strength, striving to elevate, elevate, and elevate further.
The eight Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline warriors lying on the ground had forgotten their failure. They stared blankly for a second, stunned by the sudden awakening of power within them.
Then, these eight warriors immediately sat cross-legged on the ground, determined to cultivate the hard-won, immense power.
Qian Jin also closed his eyes. Excluding the dull Zhence, he was the only member of his squad who had not reached the Saint realm. Whether it was Czekerford, Duan Fengbu'er, or Fen Tucuangge, they all clearly could have waited longer before ascending.
Yet, each had chosen to step into the Saint realm at different critical junctures.
Czekerford in the Ancient Barren Sand Sea ascended for the better security of the group and to elevate everyone’s strength.
Fen Tucuangge saw several ordinary warriors around him achieving Saint realm; riding that fluctuation of surging Dou Qi and comprehension, he chose to help others by ascending himself.
Duan Fengbu'er? No one doubted his ability to reach Saint realm naturally. But in front of all these guests, and in the presence of the Emperor of the Zhence Dynasty, choosing to ascend now was not just a challenge to the younger generation of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon; it was also a way to let everyone personally benefit and witness the massive changes ordinary warriors could bring.
This change... could even influence many matters involving the Human, Demon, and Barbarian tribes!
This change further highlighted the importance of Qian Jin!
Everyone knew that the later one achieved Saint realm, the more profound their accumulated foundation would be, and the greater the insights they could grasp upon ascension.
Yet, no one needlessly delayed. Whenever the right moment arrived, someone would recklessly unlock the key to ascension.
Change... change... change...
Everyone present could feel their own transformation and witness the changes in those beside them, especially the bloodline warriors.
Medusa... Exploding Bear... Hidden Turtle... all manner of bloodline warriors were frequently activating their bloodline powers.
At this moment, Qian Jin's wedding had morphed into a joyous assembly where bloodline warriors collectively unlocked their powers, watching each other's physical transformations.
Duan Fengbu'er’s foundation was indeed immensely deep. His path to the Saint realm brought even more to others, prompting continuous moments of realization and growth.
Virtual Saint... Solid Saint!
Duan Fengbu'er floated suspended in the air, appearing like a king dominating the stars. Nearly solidified Dou Qi churned around him, and the energy form of the Nine-Headed Serpent Battle Soul behind him condensed, seemingly on the verge of transforming from an energy state into something truly solid.
True physical manifestation was impossible, but the degree of reality was as if the entity were alive.
One distinction between the virtual and the solid! With his powerful foundation, Duan Fengbu'er utilized the Dragon Spear to skip the Virtual Saint stage entirely, stepping directly into the Solid Saint phase.
"Noble Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline warriors," Duan Fengbu'er’s foot slowly touched the ground, "Now, do I have the qualifications to fight you?"
The crowd felt the surge in their power halt and opened their eyes, looking at Duan Fengbu'er, who now resembled a descending heavenly deity. They struggled to believe this was real.
Ascending... this was not just a simple ascension to Saint realm!
Pan Hongji nodded frequently. With such strength, Duan Fengbu'er was qualified to challenge any contender for the Newcomer King title for this generation.
"Qualified," Lei Longli's anger gradually transformed into yearning—a longing to face a truly worthy opponent. "Excellent, excellent. I truly did not expect the young Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline family to produce a young man of this caliber."
The onlookers instinctively tried to retreat further, but they realized that although the courtyard was large, the crowd was so dense they couldn't move back. The people on the outermost edge had their backs pressed against the courtyard walls.
Unable to retreat further, the people refocused their attention on the two figures, striving to suppress the excited churning in their hearts.
Lei Longli! The strongest of the younger generation of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline warriors!
Duan Fengbu'er! The Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warrior most highly regarded by Pan Hongji! Having reached the Saint realm at such a young age! He was likely the strongest warrior of the Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline family's younger generation as well.
The strongest younger generation Three-Headed Golden Dragon warrior against the strongest younger generation Nine-Headed Serpent warrior!
Such a matchup was usually only seen in the top eight, semifinals, or even finals of the Newcomer King Tournament.
A confrontation like this was enough to drive everyone in the Zhence Dynasty who followed the Newcomer King Tournament into a frenzy.
Even the family heads of the major bloodline warriors held their breath, concentrating all their attention on the two figures in the center of the arena. Even veteran powerhouses could not afford to miss a battle of this magnitude!
Those with keen intuition sensed that this was the beginning of a new round where the warriors of the Ten Great Bloodline Families would challenge the status of the Three Ultimate Bloodline Warriors once more.
In every generation, the warriors of the Ten Great Bloodline Families would challenge the warriors of the Three Ultimate Bloodline Families, just as every generation of the Fen Tu family warriors challenged the bloodline warriors.
For countless years, even without unleashing their ultimate bloodline powers, the Three Ultimate Bloodline Warriors had always defended their title as the strongest, relying on their inherent advantages.
Perhaps the peak experts of the Ten Great Bloodline Families were separated from the Three Ultimate Bloodline Warriors by only a sliver of power when the latter hadn't awakened their ultimate abilities, but that sliver was a chasm separating heaven and earth.
Just as the Fen Tu family challenged the bloodline warriors, the warriors of the Ten Great Bloodline Families challenged the experts of the Three Ultimate Bloodline Warriors with even greater tenacity.
Dragon versus Serpent Hegemony! The four words rapidly formed in everyone's minds. The Nine-Headed Serpent bloodline warriors had always been hailed as the imperial bloodline power among serpents, while the Three-Headed Golden Dragon had always been called the king of the Dragon Blood Warriors!
Under everyone’s intense focus, almost no one noticed a woman walking into the courtyard entrance once more. She moved forward casually. Although the path before her was crowded, she gave no impression of struggling or forcing her way through.
She simply walked, her body never making contact with anyone around her, holding a yellowed scroll in her hand, moving forward silently. A unique aura completely shielded everyone who might have otherwise touched her.
With ease and composure, she walked through the crowd.
Jiu Yang Fenghua!
Mu Ne Zhence’s eyebrows jumped. He had met this woman once when he was very young. Although years had passed since they last met, her distinct temperament was unforgettable after just one encounter.
The successor of the War God bloodline family always exuded an ineffable quality, as if she existed outside the mortal realm, yet the mortal realm itself could not approach her.
Transcendence! Her features weren't the most stunning, but her transcendent aura made her far more captivating and memorable than many great beauties.
Jiu Yang Fenghua noticed Mu Ne Zhence’s attention and smiled, nodding to the Imperial Prince. She gently clasped the yellowed scroll in her hands, her gaze sweeping lightly over Qian Jin, her star-like eyes flickering with subtle inquiry and curiosity.
Any expert reaching a certain level of strength develops a unique physical sensation when their body is scrutinized by an intentional gaze.
But the protagonist of today’s wedding seemed completely oblivious—an expert had just looked at him with notable interest.
Jiu Yang Fenghua’s jade-like fingers gently pinched the yellowed scroll, her brows conveying her curiosity. Was this the rumored Qian Jin? He seemed a bit different from the legends.
Mu Ne Zhence watched Jiu Yang Fenghua with appreciation. This was the successor of the War God bloodline family! She always expressed her thoughts openly through her expressions, never feigning depth or concealing her curiosity and confusion like so many others, only to scheme later.
Boom!
With a sound like a clap of dry thunder, the brilliant and dazzling Three-Headed Golden Dragon Battle Soul erupted behind Lei Longli!
Dragon! A creature that had existed only in legend for countless years!
Dragon! No one had ever seen a living specimen, regardless of the secret realm explored.
People wishing to see the form of a Dragon usually only found it in the imagination of an artist's brush. To see a Dragon resembling a true, living being... one could only look at the Battle Soul of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon bloodline warriors.
As Lei Longli’s Battle Soul soared, countless blue electrical sparks and flares coiled around it, emitting crackling sounds.
Compared to the wild nature of the Nine-Headed Serpent Battle Soul, the Three-Headed Golden Dragon Battle Soul exuded an aura of supreme sovereignty. The moment one saw it, they would instinctively lower their heads, unwilling to provoke its majesty.
The Battle Soul, suffused with an aura of invincibility, instantly manifested the presence and might of the War Saint level, and this might rapidly expanded, bursting forth without apparent limit. The colossal Thunder Soul Domain fully unfolded, and visible blue lightning wrapped around Lei Longli and the massive Three-Headed Golden Dragon Battle Soul.
The two auras collided like two wild bulls, causing visible ripples in the air around them. People instinctively leaned backward.
The battle of Dragon versus Serpent Hegemony was about to fully commence!
"Wait a moment!" Mu Ne Zhence leaped forward rapidly, his supreme Battle Soul manifesting behind him—a figure clad in imperial robes, resembling a mortal emperor. The powerful force of his Battle Soul forcibly inserted his body between the two opposing auras, his face contorted slightly under the pressure.
A Battle Soul? A Supreme Battle Soul! Although Mu Ne Zhence was a prince, he was merely an ordinary warrior. How could he have reached the peak of the Battle Soul stage? The bloodline warriors present were simultaneously stunned, staring dumbfounded at Mu Ne Zhence, who had inserted himself between the two immense auras.
A Supreme Battle Soul was already hard to believe, but even more astonishing was his ability to withstand the clash between these two powerful fields of energy.
Many bloodline warriors present, possessing Supreme Battle Souls themselves, immediately began assessing if they could withstand the collision between those two energy fields.
Some even questioned whether they could squeeze between the two zones without being smashed flat against an impenetrable wall, like an ordinary person hitting solid rock.
Now, an ordinary warrior had not only squeezed in but possessed the strength of a peak Battle Soul at such a young age, causing many bloodline warriors to feel profound shame.
When two supreme powers clashed, their overwhelming strength usually overshadowed lesser Battle Soul warriors. However, Mu Ne Zhence’s display forced the crowd to feel astonishment.
This astonishment soon shifted toward Qian Jin.
Everyone knew now that the Sixth Prince, Mu Ne Zhen Ce, had spent a significant amount of time with Qian Jin. This former expert of the Dou Xin level, who had now condensed a Dou Hun, and was even at the peak of the Dou Hun tier, was clearly inseparable from Qian Jin.
People began to believe that even a pig, if it stayed beside Qian Jin long enough, could eventually become a super magical beast, perhaps even the legendary Fiery Magic Boar King!
"Are you trying to tear this place down?" Mu Ne Zhen Ce shouted, standing between the auras of the two men. "This isn't the Newcomer King arena, and there are no defensive magic shields from the mages reinforcing the perimeter. The leaked airflow from your clash could easily kill a whole crowd here."
The onlookers felt cold sweat break out behind them—yes! That was right! If these two actually fought, the residual shockwaves from their confrontation could be lethal!
Nearly dying? Many swallowed hard, secretly thanking fate for having survived their trip through the Star Pass and returning alive.
"Little Li Zi, withdraw your power," Li Ba’s voice sounded slowly. "If you want to prove you're not trash, go prove it at the Newcomer King competition. This is Qian Jin’s wedding."
Lei Long Li ceased the power he had only partially unleashed, retracting his Dou Hun back into his body.
Duan Feng Bu Er sighed inwardly, regretting that he wouldn't get to see the true strength of this Bloodline Warrior, hailed as one of the strongest among the younger generation.
Jiu Yang Feng Hua calmly surveyed Duan Feng Bu Er, then glanced at Lei Long Li, lightly squeezing the yellowed scroll in his hand again. "The Newcomer King competition, it seems, is far more interesting than I initially imagined."
"Kid Qian Jin," Li Ba said with a chuckle, looking at him. "How about it? Let these few youngsters follow you around and learn for a few days?"
Lei Long Li offered no further objection this time. Duan Feng Bu Er’s high-profile ascension to Sainthood had already shown everyone that achieving Sainthood via the shattering of a Soul Weapon Saint Artifact brought immense, immeasurable benefits to those around them who had not yet reached that level.
The ancestor of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon clan was openly courting Qian Jin!
The crowd had lost count of how many times they felt fortunate to have attended this wedding!
To have the ancestor of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon family openly solicit Qian Jin in front of everyone was purely to build up Qian Jin's prestige.
Such solicitations could easily be handled privately, yet they were done so openly—the gesture of goodwill was overwhelmingly clear.
"Very well, I also believe these few individuals hold considerable potential."
Qian Jin replied politely to Li Ba, but others perceived his words with a different feeling; it sounded exactly like a senior elder evaluating the younger generation of eight Three-Headed Golden Dragon Bloodline Warriors.
If it were Pan Hong Ji saying it, it would be one thing, but for Qian Jin to say it too? They looked younger than Qian Jin, by rights!
The eight Three-Headed Golden Dragon warriors desperately wanted to retort, but glancing at the Nine-Headed Serpent Bloodline Warriors behind Duan Feng Bu Er who had treated them like playthings, and then looking at Fen Tu Kuang Ge, they simply couldn't find anything to say.
"Right, then it's settled," Li Ba kicked one of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon warriors in the rear, sending him running forward. "I leave these uninspiring brats to you. I’m relying on you to make them look a bit more decent for this old man. Being embarrassing now is better than having your head chopped off by the Demon Race on the Human-Demon Battlefield and someone cashing in the bounty."
The other seven Three-Headed Golden Dragon warriors walked dejectedly before Qian Jin, bowing respectfully, stripped of the arrogant pride they carried when they first entered with Lei Long Li.
"Excuse me..." Pan Hong Ji coughed to draw everyone's attention. "As the officiant, may I now invite the brides out."
The brides...
Everyone looked at Qian Jin with envy. To be a man who had achieved such success was beyond measure: leader of several major powers, possessed formidable strength himself, surrounded by friends of staggering genius, and marrying three wives at once!
The wedding guests knew the identities of the three brides: one was a magic prodigy, one was Fabreidis's daughter, and the last managed a rapidly expanding commercial guild.
Approaching the magic prodigy or Fabreidis's daughter would be difficult, but there were avenues to curry favor with Luo Qing Qing!
Do business with the Luo family guild! Offer them generous discounts, purchase necessary materials exclusively from the Luo family guild—over time, relationships would naturally form, perhaps leading to an opportunity to buy, or even commission, Qian Jin, the Guild Leader, to forge a treasured heirloom Soul Weapon.
Of course, if their future descendants followed the warrior path, then the most crucial opportunity lay in... gaining entry to the place where ordinary warriors achieve Sainthood...
That kind of advancement truly could not be bought, no matter how much money one possessed!
In this moment, the greatest authority Qian Jin held in everyone's eyes was no longer his leadership of several major guilds, nor Li Ba's favor, nor the alliance with the Serpent Emperor, but his ability to grant access to the Sacred Ascension grounds for those who hadn't yet attained Sainthood.
This power, even the current Emperor, Bao Long Zhen Ce, could not truly resist.
The onlookers pondered how they could establish some connection with Qian Jin to pave the way for their families' futures. Everyone knew now that linking with Qian Jin meant a future of absolute brightness for their lineage.
Under Pan Hong Ji’s direction, the wedding ceremony finally returned to its proper course and proceeded smoothly.
Qian Jin and his party were escorted into the bridal chamber, and the atmosphere in the venue surged to an even higher pitch. People either discussed among themselves how to attract Qian Jin's attention for better cooperation, or remained lost in thought.
Some of the quicker thinkers had already managed to inquire from the attending warriors about the identity of the man sitting in the place of honor, who looked quite like a rustic bumpkin: Rodriguez.
Qian Jin's earliest mentor!
Oakland? A small, obscure country town whose name they had never heard?
The fact that Qian Jin had invited him with such solemnity demonstrated that he was not someone who forgot kindness. Such a person presented a clear opportunity!
The dozen or so quickest individuals instantly surrounded Rodriguez, toasting him while showering him with endless inquiries.
"Principal Rodriguez, I've heard your name mentioned more than once! Is your school still accepting students? My son has reached school age, I wonder if your school could accommodate him? Although my son’s aptitude can hardly compare to Guild Leader Qian Jin’s."
"This..." Rodriguez was stunned, his vision slightly blurring. How could so many people rush him at once?
"Please don't make things difficult for yourself... Even if my son's aptitude isn't the best, isn't there a way through sponsorship?" The fat old man who spoke first feared Rodriguez would refuse. He knew perfectly well that the dilapidated school might be at rock bottom now; in the past, even if Rodriguez knelt before him begging, he wouldn't send his child there.
But! Now, Rodriguez had taught a student named Qian Jin! Even if Oakland Academy was currently poor, who could say it wouldn't be exceptional in the future?
Qian Jin had placed Rodriguez in such an important position today; in the future, when everyone knew Qian Jin hailed from the Oakland Magic and Warrior Academy, it would instantly transform from a low-tier school into a prestigious academy in the Zhen Ce Dynasty!
The speaker understood clearly that if that day came, even if he knelt on the ground, holding out gold coins with both hands before Rodriguez, this bumpkin principal might still refuse his child.
"Ten thousand gold coins? Even fifty thousand gold coins... as long as my son..."
"I offer one hundred thousand! I am willing to sponsor one hundred thousand gold coins! Fatty Kailin, the price you quoted is an insult to Principal Rodriguez, and an insult to the Oakland Magic and Warrior Academy, a prestigious school of the Zhen Ce Dynasty!"
"I offer two hundred thousand in sponsorship fees..."
"I'll give two hundred thirty thousand..."
Those gathered around Rodriguez immediately began a series of escalating bids, all to leave the deepest impression on the principal's mind. Even a passing mention of their name during a future conversation between the principal and Qian Jin would be incredibly significant.
Duan Feng Bu Er looked at the surrounding merchants, a happy smile on his face. "Tell me, do you know who the biggest tobacco merchant here is?"
"Tobacco merchant? That would certainly be Old Daddalas!"
Duan Feng Bu Er followed the direction indicated by the crowd's fingers, smiled, said thanks, spread his arms wide, and walked toward a slightly thin elderly man nearby. "Mr. Daddalas, hello! I am Qian Jin's very, very, very best friend—so close we could share the same underpants—Duan Feng Bu Er..."
Daddalas’s expression froze upon hearing Duan Feng Bu Er's words. He couldn't fathom why this 'best friend' of Guild Leader Qian Jin would approach him, a mere tobacco merchant.
"Nonsense! I am Qian Jin's best friend."
Those gathered around Cheek Florett stared blankly at this young man who looked so handsome and seemed incapable of uttering vulgarities.
"The best friend... should be me, right?" Fen Tu Kuang Ge asserted his claim without hesitation.
"Although I have known Qian Jin for a shorter time than you..." Mu Ne Zhen Ce fanned himself gently. "I believe my bond with Qian Jin is deeper than yours."
"Bullshit!"
This time, Duan Feng Bu Er, Fen Tu Kuang Ge, and Cheek Florett expressed the same sentiment regarding the Sixth Prince's ostentatious display of camaraderie.
The onlookers were stunned again. The relationship between these three and the Sixth Prince, Mu Ne Zhen Ce, seemed extraordinary. To dare say 'bullshit' to the Sixth Prince in such a setting—what kind of friendship was that?
Pan Hong Ji stood beside Bao Long Zhen Ce, gently nudging the current Emperor's side and whispering, "Envious?"
Bao Long Zhen Ce nodded in complete agreement. "Youth is truly wonderful."
Li Cheng Liang, standing nearby, earnestly corrected the Emperor. "Your Majesty, it should be friendship that is truly wonderful."
Bao Long Zhen Ce smiled at the straightforward minister beside him. Every time he made a mistake or said the wrong thing, this man was the first to correct him. Was that not also a form of friendship? Being Emperor was lonely; having someone who dared speak frankly to him was truly rare.
"You are my friend too, you know."
"Your subject is just your subject, Your Majesty."
Bao Long Zhen Ce stopped pressing the issue with Li Cheng Liang. At least the entire court recognized that this Prime Minister was not just a Prime Minister, but also a friend to the current Emperor.
:Begging, give us some more! This is so satisfying to read. RO