Free Web NovelChapter 2696: Chapter 2699: Battle-Forged Friendship
Inside the private room.
Jiang Chen sat cross-legged, eyes closed, focusing on his breath.
Pang Guang and the other person had left two hours ago, but Jiang Chen wasn’t anxious at all, calmly cultivating.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed, and Jiang Chen opened his eyes to look at the doorway.
Pang Guang entered the room, still wearing a hint of unshed anger on his face.
"What happened?"
Jiang Chen spoke softly.
Pang Guang looked apologetically at Jiang Chen and took out a Space Ring: "Brother Jiang, my apologies. The warehouse had several items, but when I went, I encountered Pang Lie and an heir from the Royal Mansions. When I attempted to take what Brother Jiang needed, Pang Lie deliberately argued with me, and that arrogant person from the Royal Mansions took it eventually. Sorry! I only managed to get these few items!"
Jiang Chen slightly furrowed his brow, took the ring, glanced at it, and couldn’t help but be stunned.
The ring was filled with dazzling divine light, originating from several items imbued with the essence of the Dao—a pool of clear spring water, a tender sprout, and a green bamboo. These three items were enveloped in the dense aura of the Great Dao, and surrounded by a colorful shield, they were entirely encased, with three spheres floating in mid-air.
Beside the three colorful spheres were ten Jiuyou Ming Grass beads!
"This..."
Jiang Chen’s expression changed: "The value of these three Dao-attuned spiritual objects—the Void Ancient Spring, the Thunderstrike Wood Regrowth Sprout, and the Life Sky Bamboo—already exceeds what I gave you, right?"
"It’s a little over, but it doesn’t matter. I can vouch to take it out; Brother Jiang need not rush to repay. Just return when you’re more financially comfortable."
Pang Guang smiled gently.
"How generous!"
A mocking voice sounded, and the private room’s door was pushed open. Pang Lie entered from outside.
"Pang Lie, you get out..."
Pang Guang was about to shout for Pang Lie to leave, but his expression changed upon seeing the people who came with Pang Lie.
Behind Pang Lie were four elders: Meng Tingchuan, Jiang Tiancheng, Sun Changming, and a hunched, extremely old man appearing very frail.
This wasn’t all. After the five entered the room, a frantic voice sounded outside the door: "Pang Lie, where is the person who snatched my Void Ancient Spring?"
Before the voice dropped, a young man in a lavish attire walked into the private room.
"Brother Tang, it was this person. Without the ability to purchase, yet came to borrow and snatch, seemingly knowing that Brother Tang needed the Void Ancient Spring and did it deliberately!"
Pang Lie smirked evilly, looking at Jiang Chen, seemingly speaking out of justice.
"Brother Tang, don’t listen to his nonsense. Brother Jiang told me long ago he needed the Void Ancient Spring; he only arrived today and didn’t intend to target Brother Tang!"
Pang Guang quickly spoke, bowing respectfully to the arriving young man.
"Pang Guang, during the candidate selection period, none of you candidates should guarantee loans; that’s the rule!"
The hunched old man cast a mild glance at Pang Guang, then turned to Jiang Chen: "Young friend, please hand over what Pang Guang gave you!"
Pang Guang’s expression changed, glaring fiercely at Pang Lie.
Both Meng Tingchuan and Sun Changming wanted to say something but glanced at the elder, sighed lightly, and showed an expression of helplessness.
"Is this how your Commerce Alliance does business?"
Jiang Chen coolly looked at the old man; although he couldn’t sense the elder’s realm, it didn’t hinder him from having no fear.
"Commerce Alliance does business—needs buying and selling; buying and selling, one buys to sell, young friend, are you buying?"
The hunched elder spoke indifferently.
"Jiang Chen, do you know the worth of the items you took? Three Dao-attuned spiritual objects, ten Jiuyou Ming Grass beads—this is nearly five million Dao Source Beads in value. Can you afford it?"
Pang Lie sneered.
"Can you afford it?"
Jiang Chen ignored Pang Lie and directly turned to the ever-silent young man.
"Presumptuous, do you know who this is? This is Tang King’s grandson, Tang Jie Tang Shao. Jiang Chen, don’t think because you’re from Changlin Academy you can be so arrogant here. Tang King is a Supreme Expert, ranked top ten in Canglan City, you..."
Pang Lie shouted.
"Shut up!"
Jiang Chen cast a cold glance at Pang Lie: "Did I say I’m not buying? Is this how your Commerce Alliance’s heir candidates treat guests? Do such candidates have the right to preside over the Commerce Alliance?"
"You..."
Pang Lie’s expression changed, glaring at Jiang Chen darkly.
If this matters gets out, it could indeed impact him negatively. Canglan City has many who came from Changlin Academy; though most studied in the academy’s early years, it’s been a hundred thousand years, yet precisely because of this, it easily triggers those experts’ nostalgia.
Therefore, Pang Lie didn’t dare to go too far.
"Lend me five million Dao Source Beads!"
Jiang Chen no longer paid attention to Pang Lie, turning to Tang Jie.
This Tang Jie was the same Tang Jie who was with Cheng Huang’er on the Abandoned Plains, part of the Canglan Army reserves.
"Whoa, you’re truly unceremonious, huh, how could I have so many Dao Source Beads?"
Tang Jie glared at Jiang Chen irritably.
The two had some minor disagreements before, but later they hunted Necro Spirits together in the city within the Central Region, forging a friendship.
The crowd was stunned for a moment, looking at Tang Jie in surprise.
"Brother Jiang, you all..."
Pang Guang turned to Jiang Chen, his eyes shining with delight.
"We hunted Necro Spirits together in the Abandoned Plains."
Jiang Chen explained a bit, glancing at Pang Lie, then Tang Jie, frowning: "Are you supporting Pang Lie?"
Pang Lie and the others froze, collectively looking at Tang Jie.
"Don’t say that; our Tang Family never meddles in such matters."
Tang Jie waved his hand, clearly aware Jiang Chen was inquiring about the heir contention matters.
"Do you...think she has five million Dao Source Beads?"
Jiang Chen hesitated slightly, speaking softly.
Pang Guang and others froze slightly; what’s going on? Is this about borrowing now?
Pang Lie sneered coldly—just a little Divine Infant Realm, a poor kid from Changlin Academy, dreaming of borrowing five million Dao Source Beads? Ridiculous!
The hunched old man glanced at Tang Jie, not prodding, instead showing interest as he watched Jiang Chen.
"Seriously? Are you trying to borrow Dao Source Beads from her?"
Tang Jie was momentarily stunned, full of surprise as he looked at Jiang Chen. He immediately thought of the person Jiang Chen referred to, feeling a chill.
Jiang Chen smiled wryly: "These items are truly important to me, and my ancestors...likely can’t produce so many Dao Source Beads, so...does she have them? The worth is unclear to me, hard to judge."
"If she wants to have it, then surely she can have it, but do you have such great ties?"
Tang Jie skeptically looked at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen whispered: "Let me try."
Extending his hand, a Message Transmitting Jade Slip appeared, and once Jiang Chen completely refined this jade slip, the Dao Rhythm on it had receded, rendering it hard for others to see at a glance it’s a cross-continent Message Transmitting Jade Slip.
However, swapping Primordial Spirit Imprints with another would still cause fluctuations.
