Invincible Soul Emperor-Chapter 185 IOU

Ye Qingchen was left somewhat speechless by Li Zongrui. Although Cheng Zhibin’s sharp words were aimed at him, they also reflected poorly on the Qingyun Sect. Only someone as tactless as Li Zongrui could fail to understand the hidden implications in Cheng Zhibin’s words.

Ye Qingchen sighed and walked toward Cheng Zhibin.

Cheng Zhibin sneered, "What? Getting angry out of embarrassment now? This is the Rising Sun Pavilion. If you dare to start a fight here, be prepared to face the wrath of the Rising Sun Pavilion!"

This was the source of Cheng Zhibin’s confidence. Fighting was forbidden within the Rising Sun Pavilion, especially during the sensitive period just after an auction. If the Rising Sun Pavilion couldn’t even ensure its guests’ safety, how could anyone feel secure shopping and bidding here?

Ye Qingchen laughed derisively and said to Cheng Zhibin, "Do you feel like you got ripped off spending six thousand low-grade Spirit Stones?"

Cheng Zhibin was taken aback by Ye Qingchen’s words, but he quickly convinced himself that Ye Qingchen was just bluffing. "Never mind that you spent six thousand on something that should have cost two thousand. Are you telling me you’re treating this worthless piece of rock like a treasure? I refuse to believe you can figure out any secrets in an item that even the Rising Sun Pavilion couldn’t identify!"

Ye Qingchen’s smile grew even more disdainful as he said playfully, "I actually find you rather pitiful now. You’re so short-sighted, yet you have the nerve to laugh at others? As for what’s inside the jade, I don’t deign to tell you, but I hope you’ll go home and educate yourself. Don’t embarrass yourself with your ignorance again. It’s not just a disgrace for you; it reflects poorly on your Sect as well!"

After saying his piece, Ye Qingchen departed with a hearty laugh. The Spirit Fire Seed is worth at least ten thousand low-grade Spirit Stones. I got it for only six thousand, a clean profit of four thousand! I couldn’t be happier. Only ignorant people like Cheng Zhibin and Li Zongrui would think I took a loss.

Seeing Ye Qingchen leave, Li Zongrui had no desire to linger. He warned Cheng Zhibin, "Watch your mouth in the future. If you dare to offend the Qingyun Sect again, you’ll regret it!"

With that, Li Zongrui also departed.

However, Cheng Zhibin didn’t hear Li Zongrui’s warning. His mind was replaying Ye Qingchen’s playful attitude and scornful words, causing his brow to furrow deeply. Remembering Ye Qingchen’s air of absolute certainty during the auction, Cheng Zhibin began to wonder if there really was some treasure inside that piece of jade. He had heard that some heavenly and earthly treasures could choose their own masters, only revealing their brilliance when they met their chosen one, appearing as nothing more than ordinary objects to others. Could it be that such a treasure was contained within the jade? He shook his head, dismissing the thought. Treasures of that caliber were the stuff of legend; how could one possibly appear here? In the end, unable to come up with another explanation, Cheng Zhibin could only conclude that Ye Qingchen must have been bluffing!

After leaving the auction hall, Ye Qingchen casually found a maid and asked for Qin Yue’s whereabouts. The maid, who had initially been dismissive, became extremely respectful upon seeing the private room token in his hand. "My lord, please wait here. I will notify Miss Qin Yue immediately."

Ye Qingchen nodded and found a place to sit and wait. The maid was so respectful because the auction had just concluded, and Qin Yue herself had been the auctioneer. Guests from the private rooms were considered VIPs of the event, so the maid naturally assumed there was some issue related to the auction and dared not show the slightest neglect.

Soon, led by the maid, Qin Yue arrived. She waved her hand, signaling for the maid to withdraw, then asked Ye Qingchen with a look of confusion, "What is it? Did you need me for something?"

Ye Qingchen smiled sheepishly and said, "Well, during the auction, I ran short of Spirit Stones, so I had to take an advance. I’ll be able to pay it back soon, but I wanted to find you first to write you an IOU."

Hearing his words, Qin Yue couldn’t help but chuckle. Pretending to be a little annoyed, she said, "You were looking for me just for this? Didn’t we already talk about it in the private room? There’s no need for such formalities between us."

Ye Qingchen shook his head solemnly. "A debt is a debt. It’s better if I write an IOU."

Qin Yue sighed and looked at him. "You cured my grandfather of his Fire Poison. That favor is worth far more than a few thousand low-grade Spirit Stones. Let’s not speak of this again."

Ye Qingchen nodded. He knew from her personality that she would never accept his IOU. It seems I’ll have to find another opportunity to repay her for these Spirit Stones in the future.

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Qin Yue asked, "You’ve been searching for the Thousand-Year Peony Heart Grass. Are you planning to concoct some kind of Spirit Pill?"

It was no wonder she would ask. The Thousand-Year Peony Heart Grass was incredibly precious, and Ye Qingchen was a genuine third-grade Alchemist, so her first thought was that he planned to concoct a Spirit Pill.

With Qin Yue, Ye Qingchen felt no need for secrecy, so he nodded and explained, "My cultivation has reached the peak of the Ninth Layer of the Martial Master Realm. To break through to the Great Martial Master Realm, a third-grade Breakthrough Pill would greatly increase my chances of success. I’ve been searching for the Thousand-Year Peony Heart Grass for a long time; thankfully, I finally found it here."

Qin Yue looked at Ye Qingchen in shock. She was already astounded that he had recently broken through to the Ninth Layer of the Martial Master Realm; she never imagined he had already reached the peak. That small difference should not be underestimated, as many people spent half their lives trying to take that step, only to fail. However, Qin Yue quickly recovered. She had witnessed so many extraordinary things happen around Ye Qingchen that she was almost numb to the surprise.

As if struck by a thought, Qin Yue said, "If you’re going to concoct the third-grade Breakthrough Pill, we happen to have a high-grade Alchemy Furnace here at the Rising Sun Pavilion that might help. Why not stay here and concoct the pill?"

Ye Qingchen hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Although the Breakthrough Pill was a third-grade Spirit Pill, its concoction difficulty was undoubtedly on par with that of a fourth-grade Spirit Pill. He had never attempted to concoct a Spirit Pill of this caliber before, and the help of a high-grade Alchemy Furnace would significantly increase his chances of success. After all, the herbs required for the Breakthrough Pill were exceedingly precious. He had spent a fortune to gather just a dozen or so sets of ingredients. If he failed, collecting them again would be incredibly difficult.