Free Web NovelChapter 259: Chapter 254: Spirit Selection Guild
After tossing a Purple Elemental Crystal to the waiter, Mu Chen led Wan Xian’er over to Xu Fei. He sat down directly across from him without a word and poured himself a cup of tea.
Xu Fei glanced at Mu Chen and the young woman in the long purple dress beside him with a look of intrigue. But one glance at her was all it took for him to be utterly stunned. He felt as though he were gazing upon a Celestial Being, for the woman was simply too beautiful. Even Xu Fei, who had long resided in the Fenglan Imperial City, had never seen a woman so noble, so aloofly beautiful she could topple kingdoms.
Then he turned his gaze to Mu Chen. His striking blue hair was so unusual one would remember him after a single glance. His handsome, fair, and sharply defined features radiated a resolute and tenacious aura. His demeanor was calm and dignified, clearly marking him as no ordinary person. As someone who scouted Spirit Selectors, Xu Fei had seen all kinds of people, but he had met few who were as young and composed as Mu Chen. And among those few, Mu Chen was by far the most remarkable.
Seeing that Mu Chen remained silent, Xu Fei chuckled. "My young friend, I didn’t expect we’d meet again so soon."
Mu Chen smiled back. "Yes, what a coincidence."
Mu Chen’s reply was so concise that it left Xu Fei momentarily at a loss for words. Setting down his wine cup, Xu Fei said with a sigh of resignation, "I can see you’re not one for pleasantries, and neither am I. I assume you heard what the waiter said earlier. I came here looking for you. To put it bluntly, I have a favor to ask."
Mu Chen gave a warm smile. "I’ve only just arrived in Stone City, and you’re the first person I’ve met, Brother Xu. There’s no need to be so cautious. You said you have a favor to ask? What might that be?"
Xu Fei gathered his thoughts before speaking. "I watched your entire stone gambling process up close earlier. Forgive me for asking a bold question, but do you possess a Pupil Technique?"
’There’s no need to hide this. The fact that I have a Pupil Technique will come out sooner or later anyway.’ So, Mu Chen nodded. "That’s right. I do have a Pupil Technique, one I was born with."
Here, Mu Chen told a small lie. To protect himself, he had to make the origin of his Purple Sky Demon Pupils sound more mystical. Otherwise, if people found out he possessed such a uniquely powerful Pupil Technique, they would assume he had a Secret Technique for cultivating it. If they became determined to steal that Secret Technique, he’d be in a world of trouble with no way to clear his name. Therefore, he preemptively framed the existence of his Purple Sky Demon Pupils as something otherworldly.
Xu Fei was taken aback. "I see," he said, stunned. "It seems you are a person of extraordinary talent, truly blessed by the heavens."
Mu Chen laughed evasively. "Not at all. Because of these eyes, I practically have to live with them shut every day, otherwise people really would think I’m some kind of monster. Er, Brother Xu, perhaps you should just get to the point."
Xu Fei nodded with a resigned sigh. "Alright, I’ll be direct. I assume you overheard my conversation with Mouse while you were selecting Original Stones, correct?"
Mu Chen nodded. Xu Fei continued, "The Spirit Selection Conference. What I need your help with is this: represent Stone City and participate in the upcoming Spirit Selection Conference in the Imperial Capital."
Mu Chen was inwardly ecstatic. This was precisely the outcome he had hoped for by revealing his abilities. Outwardly, however, he put on a conflicted and troubled expression.
Seeing his expression, Xu Fei said urgently, "I know I shouldn’t be asking this of you, but so many years have passed... As Stone City’s representative for Spirit Selection, the pressure I’m under is immense. If I can’t improve Stone City’s reputation this year, I’ll probably be reassigned to a Border City."
Mu Chen asked, feigning confusion, "What exactly is this Spirit Selection Conference? It sounds like some kind of competition for Martial Artists."
Xu Fei explained, "You might not know this, my young friend, but every Empire has its own signature competitions—Martial Artist tournaments, Alchemy contests, even competitions of speed or strength. These are all ways to measure an Empire’s power. The Fenglan Empire specializes in stone gambling, so naturally, we have our own unique competition: the Spirit Selection Conference. You could say that the Spirit Selection Conference of the Fenglan Empire serves the same purpose as the grand Martial Artist tournaments in other Empires. If you achieve a high ranking, your family and your hometown will rise to prominence along with you. They might even get to move to the Imperial Capital and become a respected, influential family, admired by countless people!"
"Conversely, if your hometown consistently fails to achieve a good ranking, its status will steadily decline. Eventually, it might even be abandoned by the Empire, left to be isolated or even annexed by other towns. And you should know, annexation doesn’t just happen between Empires. The Natural Law of big fish eating little fish applies everywhere, even among the cities within our own Empire."
Mu Chen was taken aback. "So such a Law actually exists!"
’But that kind of thing never seemed to happen in the Xuanling Empire.’ Then, Mu Chen had a flash of insight as he considered the Xuanling Empire’s size and rank. ’The Xuanling Empire is simply too small; its towns have no concept of annexing one another. Besides, the Empire is already in a precarious position. How could Xuan Yin possibly allow such self-destructive infighting to occur?’
Xu Fei nodded. "This Law is even more common in large Empires. The Emperors even support this kind of competition. It prevents the populace from growing complacent and weak in a life of comfort. Only the constant threat of being annexed can ensure an Empire maintains its fighting spirit and vitality over the long term. But... Stone City, as one of the most remote towns in the Fenglan Empire, hasn’t placed in the Spirit Selection Conference for nine years. This is the tenth year. If we fail to rank again, a bloody reckoning awaits Stone City—abandonment and annexation."
"Although annexation might just mean a new name for the town and a different City Lord, for the native residents of Stone City, it is an undeniable humiliation. After the merger, you’ll always be treated as second-class. Because you come from a conquered town, you are deemed unworthy of the same rights as the victors. To lose your home, to lose your standing... it’s truly... difficult to accept. So, my young friend, I am begging you. Can you do me this favor and represent Stone City in the Spirit Selection Conference? Regardless of the outcome, I, Xu Fei, swear I will give you a handsome reward."
Xu Fei’s words were incredibly heavy, and Mu Chen could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth. After all, a person’s deep-seated concern for their homeland is impossible to hide. He thought of his own home; if the Xuanling Empire or Luofeng City were suddenly annexed by another Empire, and their people were reduced to second-class slaves, he would feel even more devastated than Xu Fei. Combined with the fact that he wanted to participate in the Spirit Selection Conference anyway, Mu Chen decided not to make things difficult for Xu Fei any longer. He nodded and said, "Forgive my earlier hesitation. I didn’t realize Stone City’s situation was so dire. I’ll do it, Brother Xu. But could you first explain the rules of the Spirit Selection Conference to me in detail?"
Hearing Mu Chen agree, Xu Fei was overjoyed. He laughed heartily and said, "No rush, no rush! I saw that you two are travel-worn and must have come a long way. Let’s talk while we eat." He then immediately turned and shouted, "Waiter! Quick! Bring us one of every signature dish you have!"
The waiter’s face lit up, and he replied with a grin, "Right away, sir! It’ll be out in just a moment." With that, he scurried off to the kitchen, presumably to inform the chef.
The Stone City Inn certainly lived up to its name as the best in the city. Their service was incredibly efficient, perhaps because there were no other diners at the moment. The dishes Xu Fei had ordered arrived within ten minutes. The sheer variety of rich delicacies amazed even Mu Chen—it was truly a feast with dishes from the land, the sea, and the air. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Xu Fei picked up his chopsticks and got straight to the point. "Since none of us are ones for formality, let’s just dig in. I’ll tell you the rules of the Spirit Selection Conference as we eat."
Mu Chen was quite hungry himself, so he placed some food into Wan Xian’er’s bowl before starting to eat as well. Xu Fei, smiling from ear to ear, began introducing the dishes as he spoke, "My young friend, I don’t believe I’ve caught your name yet."
Mu Chen took a sip of water. "I’m Mu Chen. You can just call me Mu Chen, Brother Xu. Being called ’my young friend’ all the time feels a little awkward."
Xu Fei laughed heartily. "Then I’ll call you Brother Mu Chen, and you just keep calling me Brother Xu. Speaking of the Spirit Selection Conference, it’s quite the grand annual event. To be honest, this stone gambling business isn’t unique to our Fenglan Empire. You can find enthusiasts all over the continent, it’s just especially popular here."
"As for the rules of the Spirit Selection Conference, it’s basically the same as regular stone gambling, just with some competitive elements added. For example, you might have to pick out the Original Stones containing Spirit Crystals from a pile of dozens within a time limit. Or you might have to select the highest quality Spirit Crystals, Attribute Spirit Crystals, or even rare forging materials, also under a time constraint."
"Of course, the stages are not as easy as you might think. To make things difficult for the participants, some Spirit Selection Masters will choose Original Stones that are deliberately misleading, with nearly identical textures and densities. You might be looking at two stones that appear identical, but one holds a Spirit Crystal and the other doesn’t. Being able to spot the difference comes down to the Spirit Selector’s skill and experience. And of course, those are just the easier stages. But in short, no matter what challenges they throw at us, as long as your Pupil Technique is strong enough, Brother Mu Chen, you’ll be able to achieve a good rank. For now, let’s eat. After the meal, I need to take you somewhere you must go before we can participate in the Spirit Selection Conference. There, I’ll explain more about the intricacies of stone gambling."
Mu Chen paused, surprised. "A place I have to go?"
Xu Fei smiled. "Of course. If you’re going to participate in the Spirit Selection Conference, you first have to become a registered Spirit Selector. And you have to register here, in Stone City. So after we eat, we’re going to the Spirit Selection Guild."
