Martial Saint through Reading

Chapter 361: Chapter 276: Seeking Treasure—Five-Colored Fire Feather (Part 2)

"However, you still need to wait a bit," the steward looked at the young man in black, "This knight arrived earlier."

"What do you mean? Still have to wait?!"

The man in the yellow robe stood up, anger showing on his face, while the guard behind him looked ready for a fight.

"I don’t mind waiting," Chu Ming spoke slowly in the tense atmosphere.

The steward of the Heavenly Inquiry Tower was momentarily stunned.

"Hmph!" The man in the yellow robe snorted coldly, "What, does the Heavenly Inquiry Tower strictly follow a first-come-first-serve basis?"

The steward first bowed towards the young man in black, then led the man in the yellow robe out of the guest room.

Chu Ming glanced sideways, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"Seventh Prince..."

The man in the yellow robe was indeed the current Seventh Prince.

He took a step back, not because he feared trouble, but because he wanted to see what the Seventh Prince was doing at the Heavenly Inquiry Tower.

Under the exploration of the Sword Gourd Spirit, the strength of the Heavenly Inquiry Tower was indeed formidable.

The steward was a strong practitioner at the late stage of Upper Meridian Unlocking Realm, and there were more than ten practitioners of the Meridian Unlocking Realm in the shadows, including experts even in the Late Middle Stage of Lower Realm.

Beyond that, Chu Ming also detected someone at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm!

Even so, a prince of the Great Qin Dynasty would not usually come outside the Imperial City to seek treasures.

There was only one possibility: the Heavenly Inquiry Tower held treasures that even the Imperial City found hard to obtain.

"Heavenly Inquiry Tower... Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm..."

According to Chu Ming’s knowledge, within the Great Qin Dynasty, those at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm were almost all gathered at the Astronomical Bureau.

Those outside the court, beneath the Imperial City’s feet, were not incorporated...

Furthermore, besides practitioners at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, the Sword Gourd Spirit also detected several rare Primordial Qi Warriors, the strongest of whom had reached the late stage of the Fourth Realm, the Primordial Qi Lake Realm.

Everything seemed to indicate that the Heavenly Inquiry Tower’s background was astonishing.

During his contemplation, the Sword Gourd Spirit detected the steward of the Heavenly Inquiry Tower already leading the Seventh Prince to an adjoining hall.

Adjoining Hall.

"What does your excellency require? Cultivation technique? Elixir? Weapon?"

The man in the yellow robe did not answer, but instead waved his hand, and the guard behind him presented a jade pendant.

Upon seeing the jade pendant, the steward of the Heavenly Inquiry Tower immediately stood up and slightly bowed, "I did not realize Your Seventh Highness was gracing us with a visit, forgive the lack of a proper welcome."

The Seventh Prince stared at Steward Wan, maintaining his bowed posture for a while, as if only speaking after releasing the tension from earlier waiting, "No need for formalities, Steward Wan."

"Thank you, Your Seventh Highness."

Steward Wan straightened his posture, his tone respectful, "I wonder what brings Your Seventh Highness to the Heavenly Inquiry Tower...?"

"To inquire about a treasure, of course," the Seventh Prince’s gaze shifted, "The Heavenly Inquiry Tower is spread across the Zhou Country, claiming to possess all the treasures under heaven, which makes me very curious."

"Is Your Highness seeking a gift for Empress Dowager Duaan?" Steward Wan immediately realized something.

"Hehe," the Seventh Prince chuckled softly, "They all say the steward of the Heavenly Inquiry Tower has sharp discerning eyes, and seeing it today, it’s truly extraordinary."

"Indeed, I am here for a gift. Does Steward Wan have any recommendation?"

Upon hearing this, Steward Wan contemplated for a while before slowly speaking, "Does Your Highness know anything that Empress Dowager Duaan fancies?"

The Seventh Prince shook his head.

As the Empress Dowager of the Great Qin Dynasty, she had seen all kinds of treasures; what preference is there to speak of?

The so-called preference often stems from a lack of something.

What could the Empress Dowager lack? There was nothing she didn’t have!

"That makes it a bit troublesome."

Steward Wan flipped through a booklet in his hand for a long time before closing it, bowing to the Seventh Prince, "Your Highness, what do you think of the Ghostly Sea Rhyme Xia Ni?"

"Ghostly Sea Rhyme Xia Ni?" The Seventh Prince raised an eyebrow, "Can the Heavenly Inquiry Tower find this item?"

"If Your Highness needs it, then we have it."

"Rumor has it that the Rhyme Xia Ni is found a thousand miles beneath the sea in the Ghostly Sea, where it is dark as an abyss and exotic beasts run rampant, even those at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm dare not venture too deep."

"The Heavenly Inquiry Tower indeed lives up to its reputation, being able to find the Ghostly Sea Rhyme Xia Ni that preserves beauty, rejuvenates vitality, enhances the body, and extends life," the Seventh Prince praised.

"Your Highness overpraises," Steward Wan bowed.

"Then I’ll take the Rhyme Xia Ni."

"..."

Meanwhile, in the guest room.

Chu Ming’s expression changed slightly.

"Ghostly Sea?"

"Cangqian Continent... Ancient Profound Western Continent... Ghostly Sea..."

No wonder the Seventh Prince would come to the Heavenly Inquiry Tower; the Ghostly Sea Rhyme Xia Ni is a treasure that allows ordinary people to preserve beauty and extend their lifespan.

Ordinary people are physically weak and cannot compare to martial artists; many treasure medicines and elixirs beneficial to martial artists cannot be consumed by ordinary people.

For instance, the Essence Increasing Elixir refined by The Medicine Maniac is only used by those in the Meridian Unlocking Realm.

Weaker martial artists not only cannot increase their lifespan but might even have their bodies collapse due to the overpowering medicinal strength.

There are also instances like the millennium Crimson Beauty Leaf found in Lindu County, which ordinary people can only wear as decoration; the elixirs refined from it have properties that even martial artists cannot withstand.

The Silver Moon Thief Zhuge Rui’s Yangtian Elixir, made to treat his brother Zhuge Chen, is more balanced; it stripped the Crimson Beauty Leaf of most of its properties to achieve this.

Stripping away properties means sacrificing the important effects of the treasure medicine.

Treasures and elixirs that increase a martial artist’s lifespan are undoubtedly valuable, but those that can also extend an ordinary person’s life are even more precious.

The Empress Dowager, soon to celebrate her sixtieth birthday, is just an ordinary person.

"..."

In the adjoining hall.

"Your Highness, while we have the Ghostly Sea Rhyme Xia Ni, it is not here; it must be transported from another country."

"How long will it take?"

"About three days. Your Highness can come and pick it up then."

"Alright."

"...."

The Seventh Prince departed, and the steward of the Heavenly Inquiry Tower led Chu Ming to the adjoining hall.

"What does your excellency require? Our Heavenly Inquiry Tower holds all the treasures of the world, elixirs, cultivation techniques..." The opening was the same.

"The Fire Feather of the Five-Colored Firebird," Chu Ming said.

"Fire Feather?" The steward of the Heavenly Inquiry Tower was momentarily stunned, then a smile appeared on his face, "We have it."

The Fire Feather of the Five-Colored Firebird was originally not available here at the Heavenly Inquiry Tower, but just a few days ago, an artifact refiner came to inquire about it.