Free Web NovelChapter 260: Chapter 255: Luxury
"The Spirit Selection Guild?"
Mu Chen’s chopsticks, which were holding a piece of food, paused mid-air. He had only ever heard of the Mercenary Union and the Tripod Master Guild that Wan Xian’Er had just mentioned; he never expected there to be a Spirit Selection Guild. However, Mu Chen then recalled the special insignias on Jiang Tao’s and Song Ren’s cuffs, and understanding dawned on him. ’So Spirit Selectors have their own ranking system, too.’
Xu Fei grunted in affirmation. "Spirit Selectors also have corresponding ranks. For example, those two youngsters who were stone-gambling on the high platform earlier are both Second-Grade Spirit Selectors certified by the Spirit Selection Guild. In the Fenglan Empire, where stone-gambling is prevalent, they hold a certain status."
Mu Chen nodded. "I see. But I wonder how the grades of Spirit Selectors are tested and certified."
Xu Fei smiled. "Since the Spirit Selector profession exists, there’s naturally a method for certification. Martial Artists can be distinguished by their Primordial Power and Martial Artist Realm, and Cauldron Masters can be graded by the quality of the pills they refine. So, of course, Spirit Selectors can be ranked based on the speed and accuracy with which they assess Original Stones. As for the specific test, you’ll understand when you come with me for the Spirit Selector assessment in a bit."
A trace of interest appeared in Mu Chen’s closed eyes. He chuckled. "Now you’ve piqued my curiosity." With that said, they quickly finished their meal. No one brought up any more serious topics. Xu Fei, however, seemed exceptionally happy and drank quite a lot of wine.
After a few rounds of drinks, the three of them rose to their feet. Mu Chen turned to Wan Xian’Er beside him and said with some concern, "Miss Xian’Er, why don’t Brother Xu and I go to the Spirit Selection Guild by ourselves? You’ve been traveling for so many days and you must be tired. You should get some rest."
Wan Xian’Er was indeed tired. If they were going to the Tripod Master Guild, she naturally would have insisted on accompanying Mu Chen. But this time, they were headed to the Spirit Selection Guild, which, for a Cauldron Master like her, was undoubtedly a dull and uninteresting place. So, Wan Xian’Er nodded obediently, said her goodbyes to Mu Chen, and turned to head upstairs.
Still seeming a little worried, Mu Chen said softly, "Be careful. Try not to go out unless you have to. Also, there’s something interesting in the Storage Ring I gave you. You can check it out if you get bored." Without waiting for Wan Xian’Er to reply, Mu Chen left the Stone City Inn and joined Xu Fei, who was waiting outside. Together, they headed west.
The western part of Stone City was its very core. It was filled with a dazzling array of goods, bustling streets, and all sorts of stalls whose owners were constantly shouting out their wares. It instantly reminded Mu Chen of the marketplace in Luofeng City.
Perhaps because he was bored from the walk, Xu Fei took the initiative to tell Mu Chen about the origin of Stone City. It turned out that Stone City hadn’t originally been a city at all, but an Ore Mountain Range rich with Original Stones. However, due to the complex and rugged terrain, the earth’s crust was very unstable, leading to frequent earthquakes and even volcanic eruptions.
It was precisely because of these frequent natural disasters that the mountain range’s form was constantly changing. After tens of thousands of years of transformation, the terrain here finally reached a relatively stable state. At that time, Stone City’s first City Lord happened to pass by and discovered the place. Surrounded by mountains on all four sides, its terrain was easy to defend and hard to attack—a veritable natural fortress. And so, with a grand wave of his hand, he had it built into a fortress-like city.
Hearing this, Mu Chen couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement. The reason for his amazement wasn’t the town’s origin, but the first City Lord who had built such a massive city with a mere wave of his hand. ’Just how outrageously wealthy must he have been to pull off something like that?’
"Heh... and that’s the origin story of Stone City. I have to say, the road feels much shorter when you’re chatting. And look, we’re here. That’s the Spirit Selection Guild," Xu Fei said, pointing to a strange building in front of them.
He called it a strange building because it was essentially a giant, oval-shaped stone covering an area of over two thousand square meters. That was the impression at first glance, anyway. A closer look, however, shocked even the normally calm Mu Chen. It wasn’t just any stone—the massive structure was built entirely from stacked Spirit Crystals. It reflected the bright sunlight, scattering a seven-colored radiance and creating an impression of extreme opulence and luxury. freёweɓnovel.com
Mu Chen’s mouth fell open, but no words came out. Xu Fei stood to the side, smiling. "Pretty stunning, isn’t it? The first time I saw this building, I also thought it was incredibly peculiar. But it was only when I got closer that I realized how outrageously rich the Spirit Selection Guild is. You have to understand, a single Spirit Crystal is worth one hundred thousand Purple Elemental Crystals. This building is made of no less than tens of millions of Spirit Crystals. Can you imagine how expensive it was to build?"
Mu Chen nodded subconsciously. ’If someone was short on cash, they could just pry off a couple of these at night and be set for life.’ Of course, that was just a fleeting thought. The people who dared to construct such a building must have an extraordinary background; otherwise, they could never be so ostentatious.
This also revealed an implicit message to Mu Chen: the Spirit Selection Guild must hold an extraordinary status in the world of Martial Artists as well.
"Let’s go in. The assessment area for Spirit Selectors is deeper inside." After speaking, Xu Fei led Mu Chen through what appeared to be an entrance gate made of Spirit Crystals. The moment he stepped inside, Mu Chen saw a peculiar symbol, similar to the hammer emblem of the Shanjin Commerce Association. To Mu Chen, it looked like an eye. This eye was incredibly lifelike, as if it were a real eye of flesh, blood, and spirit. When he met its gaze, Mu Chen had a very strange feeling, as if someone was staring at him.
Mu Chen shook his head, pushing the thought aside. He gave a self-deprecating smile and didn’t dwell on it.
Continuing forward, after passing through the main gate, Mu Chen followed Xu Fei through another, and a brand new, dazzling world appeared before his eyes.
"This... This... Isn’t this a bit too luxurious?" Mu Chen rubbed his nose and said with a wry smile.
Inside the Spirit Selection Guild, nearly every single object was crafted from Spirit Crystals—the counters, desks, chairs, bookshelves, decorations, and lamps were no exception. Mu Chen even spotted Attribute Spirit Crystals in some of the light fixtures. ’I’m starting to suspect the wealthiest power on the continent isn’t one of the two major commerce associations, but this Spirit Selection Guild.’
Xu Fei laughed heartily. "This is just the Spirit Selection Guild in Stone City. If you were to go to the Imperial Capital, the dazzling light would blind you. But you get used to it."
With that said, Xu Fei pulled Mu Chen over to a translucent, crystalline counter. Behind it sat an intellectual-looking woman wearing scholarly glasses. Her long hair was tied back, and her head was lowered as she read a file-like form. Mu Chen didn’t know what it was about, but the woman was completely engrossed, not noticing their arrival at all.
Xu Fei cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Miss Yu, Miss Yu!"
After being called twice, the woman finally lifted her head reluctantly. Seeing it was Xu Fei, she said flatly, "Oh, it’s you, Xu Fei. What do you want? If you’re here to find some guild apprentices for the Spirit Selection Conference, then I advise you to go back. The Elder said so."
After speaking, the woman went back to looking at the form in her hands, seemingly ignoring Mu Chen completely. Xu Fei’s expression turned a little sour, but he didn’t dare say anything. After all, the Spirit Selection Guild was his direct superior. Unless he was willing to renounce his title as a Spirit Selector, he had to swallow his anger.
Xu Fei gave an awkward smile. "Miss Yu, it’s not like that. I’m here to bring someone for the Spirit Selector assessment. I’ll have to trouble you to make the arrangements."
The Spirit Selection Guild was relatively empty at the moment, so Xu Fei’s voice quickly spread to every corner of the hall. At the same time, many of the people walking about the hall stopped in their tracks.
Someone was here for the Spirit Selector assessment—this was the first time it had happened all year. To even qualify for the assessment, one had to possess a Pupil Technique. Across the entire continent, people with Pupil Techniques were exceedingly rare; you might not find one in ten thousand people, and it had to be an assessment-type technique on top of that.
This caused everyone to shift their gaze to Mu Chen. But with his eyes tightly shut, Mu Chen looked as if he were asleep. He didn’t look like someone about to take the Spirit Selector assessment at all.
The woman called Miss Yu looked up at Mu Chen strangely and said with a smile, "Stop joking. I, Yu Lei, have been an examiner for many years, and this is the first time I’ve seen a candidate with their eyes closed. Are you sure you’re not pulling my leg?"
Xu Fei shook his head. "Everyone has their own quirks. This young man is really here for the Spirit Selector assessment. It’s just that his Pupil Technique is a bit peculiar, so he often needs to keep his eyes closed. Yu Lei, please just make the arrangements."
Yu Lei shook her head. "You’d better not be lying to me. Otherwise, I don’t care if you’re a Fourth-grade Spirit Selector or Stone City’s representative. If this gets too embarrassing, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself."
With that, Yu Lei reluctantly got up. After giving Mu Chen another indifferent glance, she swayed her pert little hips and headed for the second floor. Xu Fei looked at Mu Chen with a wry smile and said apologetically, "The people at the Spirit Selection Guild are a bit hostile toward me right now. They probably think Stone City’s recent decline in status is my fault, so a lot of people here don’t like seeing me. It seems I’ve dragged you into this as well." ƒгeewёbnovel.com
Mu Chen smiled and shook his head. "I’ve seen and experienced this kind of thing plenty of times. It doesn’t really bother me anymore. As long as you can demonstrate a strength they don’t possess, their tune will change soon enough. So don’t worry about it, Brother Xu. Let’s go."
Xu Fei was taken aback, his estimation of Mu Chen rising yet again. ’To have such a calm and composed disposition at his age... this young man is destined for great things.’ Thinking this, Xu Fei led Mu Chen toward the staircase made of Spirit Crystals to head up to the second floor.
