Chapter 1919: Do You Want to Vent Your Anger?

This was the second time he had heard of such a thing since entering the Upper Firmament.

Since he could use this to purchase pills of sufficient grade, he had to find it first to heal his injuries.

Once his injuries stabilized, he could absorb the free-floating spiritual energy in the air, transform it into Heavenly Dao true qi, resolve the hidden ailment in the person before him, guide his swordsmanship, and break the current deadlock.

"Xuanjiang City is too small to qualify for establishing a Divine Communication Hall, so there's no place to sell it... Thus, it's impossible to buy it!" Shan Xiaotian said.

Zhang Xuan was stunned.

If he couldn't buy it, what was the point?

"Is there any other way to obtain it?"

"There is... but it's extremely difficult!" Shan Xiaotian said. "When the Hongyan Trading Company was first established, to attract business, they left ten difficult problems, drawing countless people. The rewards varied, and the most challenging problem offered a Divine Communication Jade Talisman! The first nine problems have all been solved, but the last one... because it's too hard, many people have tried over the years, but none have succeeded!"

"Take me to see it!" Zhang Xuan said.

To be honest, even if there really was a Divine Communication Jade Talisman and he needed to buy it, he was penniless and couldn't afford it.

Solving a problem to get it was the most economical for him.

Knowing there was no other way, Shan Xiaotian had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Zhang Xuan was now too severely injured to walk, so they had to take a carriage.

After about an hour, a tall shopping mall appeared before them. They got off the carriage, and with Shan Xiaotian's support, soon arrived at the place in the Hongyan Trading Company where problems were answered.

Indeed, many people had gathered.

The prospect of obtaining a Divine Communication Jade Talisman for free was a great temptation for many.

"Alas, wrong again..."

"You've come more than ten times in two months and never succeeded once. Stop embarrassing yourself..."

"Am I embarrassing your family? And you dare to talk about me? Haven't you come even more often than I have?"

"If this problem were so easy to solve, it wouldn't have remained unsolved here for all these years..."

...

Soon, many people shook their heads, each filled with disappointment.

This place was somewhat similar to the Wall of Difficult Problems from before. Answering a question correctly would yield a corresponding evaluation standard to determine correctness. That was why many people came to try their luck.

On the way, through his conversation with Shan Xiaotian, he also learned how precious the Divine Communication Jade Talisman was. Each one was extremely expensive, and even ancient sages would find it hard to purchase.

According to the other's description, the price was so high that even if he had brought his previous spatial ring and sold everything inside, he might not be able to afford one.

Of course, through the conversation, he also gained a deeper understanding of the Upper Firmament.

Because beings in the Upper Firmament were exposed to mercury-like spiritual energy from birth, their physiques were far stronger than normal humans in the Master Teacher Continent, even surpassing the alien spirit race.

Like his predecessor, they were born with Saint realm strength and by adulthood, they would roughly reach Saint realm ninth level.

Shan Xiaotian, who was about to come of age but was only at Saint realm sixth level, was almost destined to have no great future.

Xue Qin, who had come to cause trouble earlier, was about the same age and had already reached Great Sage third level great perfection, making her one of the notable young talents in all of Xuanjiang City.

Xuanjiang City was only a small city, subordinate to Lingyun Sword Pavilion. An ancient sage was already considered an absolute powerhouse. The city lord, Xue Qin's father Xue Yao, known as the number one expert, was only at the same level as Zhang Xuan, just having reached ancient sage fourth level, Shattering Void initial stage.

Thus, once Zhang Xuan recovered his strength, no one in the city would be able to stop him.

"Let's see what kind of problem has stumped so many people..."

Shaking his head, he pushed these thoughts aside and looked up at the wall not far away.

"Refining [Peiyang Pill], even at the perfect grade, will result in uncontrollable yang force after consumption..."

He finished reading quickly.

The problem was simple: it concerned a special pill, the Peiyang Pill, and an issue in its refinement.

The Peiyang Pill was an essential medicine for cultivators of yang-attributed techniques, capable of making one's qi full and strength abundant.

Though the pill was excellent, its side effects were also pronounced. Even at the perfect grade, after consumption, yang force would accumulate and could not be vented, requiring one to seek a woman to release the fire. But once the fire was released, there would be significant loss.

Because of this, this pill was a problem that countless alchemists found difficult to solve. It had remained unsolved for who knows how many years, with no one succeeding.

"Peiyang Pill?"

After reading the content, Zhang Xuan also frowned.

On the Master Teacher Continent, he had seen countless pills, but he had never heard of this one.

The other party seemed to understand that many people were unfamiliar with this pill, so they left the specific recipe and refining methods.

He quickly recorded these into his library, and a book appeared.

"I see..."

Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

Although many of the herbs in the Upper Firmament differed from those on the Master Teacher Continent, and the refining methods were incomparable, the library was still effective. With a single glance, he could easily discern where the flaws and errors lay in the herbs and steps before him.

"Teacher... do you know how to solve this problem?"

Seeing his smile, Shan Xiaotian was curious.

He had studied it for who knows how long without results. Could the teacher have found the answer with just one look?

"I think I do..." Zhang Xuan confirmed his thoughts.

"Then... how do we solve it?" Shan Xiaotian asked, astonished.

"Actually, it's not as complicated as imagined. In the refining of the Peiyang Pill, there is an ingredient called [Scorching Fire Grass Root]. Just replace this herb with Spirit Mother Grass!"

Zhang Xuan explained in a low voice.

"Spirit Mother Grass... That is a pure yin-attributed herb. Can it be used to refine a pure yang-attributed Peiyang Pill?" Shan Xiaotian was taken aback.

Because of his chronic illness, he had a deep understanding of pills and herbs. Scorching Fire Grass Root, though inconspicuous among the many herbs, was an indispensable ingredient for refining this pill. Replacing it with pure yin-attributed Spirit Mother Grass would not only fail to form the pill but might even extinguish the yang fire, rendering the medicine ineffective.

"Solitary yin does not give birth; solitary yang does not grow. Although Spirit Mother Grass is pure yin in nature, it can neutralize with the main ingredient, Fiery Red Flower Leaf, tempering its medicinal properties. This way, the sensation of surging vitality will be resolved without consuming the medicinal power!"

Zhang Xuan said.

The balance of yin and yang was something that even some skilled alchemists on the Master Teacher Continent could achieve. It was surprising that no one in Xuanjiang City had discovered this. It seemed that while their cultivation levels were higher, in the spread of other professions, they were not as advanced as the Master Teacher Continent.

It was like in his previous life, where personal martial strength was negligible, but here, if you taught a chicken a lesson, it could become a world champion and crush you directly.

Yet in such an environment, the coverage of things like mobile phones and telephones made information exchange far more convenient than on the Master Teacher Continent.

Each profession has its specialization.

On the Master Teacher Continent, Confucius had pioneered countless professions, developing them for tens of thousands of years until they had reached maturity. Clearly, the Upper Firmament was far behind in this regard.

"This..."

Shan Xiaotian was still full of confusion and was about to ask when he heard a commotion behind him, and then a group of people walked in from outside.

“Who is this, so arrogant?”

A middle-aged man standing nearby frowned.

“Shh… keep your voice down. This is the strong cultivator from Lingyun Sword Pavilion who came to recruit menial disciples. He is said to have deep knowledge of alchemy…”

A man in the know quickly lowered his voice.

“A strong cultivator from Lingyun Sword Pavilion?” The middle-aged man’s face instantly turned pale. He swayed and hurriedly stepped aside to make way.

Lingyun Sword Pavilion held immense prestige in Xuanjiang City, and no one dared to challenge its authority.

Zhang Xuan turned to look.

It was a young man with a cold expression, dressed in gray robes, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old. A long sword hung at his waist, and his darting eyes flashed with a hint of cold light, giving an impression of decisive ruthlessness.

Though young, his cultivation was extremely profound, matching Zhang Xuan’s peak state—also at the fourth level of Ancient Sage, the Shattered Void realm.

Previously, not a single cultivator of this level existed in the entire Master Teacher Continent, yet here one could be seen casually… Truly, the Firmament was formidable.

“She…”

As he was marveling, he saw Shan Xiaotian clench his fists again, eyes reddening. Following his gaze, he noticed that Xue Qin, who had come to break off the engagement earlier, was standing among the crowd, closely following the gray-clad youth.

Her shapely figure was tightly wrapped in a light purple dress, her swan-like white neck exposed, and her head slightly raised, exuding a hint of pride and arrogance.

Being able to follow a strong cultivator from Lingyun Sword Pavilion indicated that her status was confirmed; in Xuanjiang City, she had truly risen above the crowd.

“A problem like this has stumped you for so long?”

Stopping, the gray-clad youth glanced at the wall and snorted: “Go write the answer. Just replace the scorching grass root with spirit mother grass!”

“Yes!”

Another young man behind him immediately stepped forward and hurried to the wall.

Unexpectedly, this fellow had also spotted the crux of the problem at a glance, and his answer was exactly the same as the teacher’s. Shan Xiaotian, no longer able to care about anger, said anxiously, “We found the answer first…”

He had just been doubting whether the teacher was right, but now that this man from Lingyun Sword Pavilion had said the same, there was no doubt. However, once the other party wrote the answer, this Divine Communication Jade Talisman would fall into their hands, and they would never obtain it.

“Too late…”

Just as he was about to rush over, he felt his wrist tighten, held back by the teacher.

Shan Xiaotian looked up and saw that the young man had already finished writing and gently pressed his palm against the wall.

Hum!

A red light flickered and lit up.

“Correct?”

“As expected of a strong cultivator from Lingyun Sword Pavilion—he spotted the problem at a glance!”

“I’ve long heard that the strong cultivators of the Sword Pavilion are figures who stand above the clouds. Seeing it in person, the reputation is well-deserved…”

“The Sword Pavilion recruits very few people each time. I wonder how many from Xuanjiang City will pass this time! Only by becoming a menial disciple can one have the chance to become an outer disciple, then inner disciple, then personal disciple…”

“Probably no more than three! It’s always been like this…”

…

Everyone burst into an uproar.

A problem that had stumped Xuanjiang City for over a decade was solved so easily by the other party.

Truly worthy of a strong cultivator from Lingyun Sword Pavilion—extraordinary.

“Congratulations, sir, for solving the last problem of Hongyan Trading Company. This is the reward…”

Soon, a slightly plump middle-aged man walked out of the trading company with a smile, holding a wooden box in both hands, on which lay a palm-sized jade token.

Various talismans swirled around it, emitting a dense spiritual energy fluctuation.

“Is this the Divine Communication Jade Talisman?”

“A single one costs hundreds of thousands of divine communication coins?”

“I probably won’t be able to afford one in my lifetime…”

…

Although they were cultivators native to the Firmament, this item circulated only among the strong; there were only a few in all of Xuanjiang City, and many had never seen one.

Expressionless, the gray-clad youth picked up the jade token with two fingers, circulated his true qi at the fingertip, and slid it across to verify its authenticity. Satisfied, he nodded, flicked his finger, and sent it into Xue Qin’s palm behind him: “Take it…”

Xue Qin’s face flushed, and her breath immediately became rapid.

The gift from the other party was not only precious but also represented status and identity.

Passing the assessment to become a menial disciple was already enough to bring honor to one’s ancestors, and now receiving a gift… this honor would surely make countless people envious.

Clutching the Divine Communication Jade Talisman, Xue Qin quickly bowed: “Thank you, Senior Brother!”

After expressing her thanks, she was about to say more when she suddenly spotted Shan Xiaotian standing in the crowd. Her beautiful eyes flickered, and she stepped up to him, a mocking smile in her eyes, lowering her voice: “What, you want this Divine Communication Jade Talisman too? Too bad… it’s already mine! People should know their place. Don’t covet things you don’t deserve; it will only make you more disappointed!”

If before, she had worried that breaking off the engagement would harm her reputation, now, with the care of the Lingyun Sword Pavilion senior brother, she had reached another level entirely. This fellow could never catch up no matter how hard he tried!

They were people from two different worlds—what was there to fear?

Of course, almost everyone here was from the city lord’s mansion, and no one would dare spread the news.

As for the scattered cultivators who came to try their luck, a few words of warning would keep them tight-lipped. Besides, her voice was low; even if seen, no one would know what was said.

“You…”

Shan Xiaotian’s body stiffened.

He was humiliated again.

“Who is he?”

The gray-clad youth’s voice rang out.

“An ordinary friend from before…” Xue Qin stepped back and bowed deeply, her attitude completely different from how she treated Shan Xiaotian.

“Let’s go.”

Snorting, the gray-clad youth turned and walked out, with Xue Qin following closely.

“Teacher, I’m sorry…”

Trembling, after a moment, Shan Xiaotian turned to look at his teacher with an apologetic expression.

The teacher had already given the correct method; if not for satisfying his curiosity, this jade talisman would surely have been in hand.

“Giving away something so precious so casually, and making her obedient… Your former fiancée’s so-called menial disciple status doesn’t seem to have been obtained honorably…”

As if realizing something, Zhang Xuan smiled slightly and looked at his student: “Want to get even?”

“Get even?” Shan Xiaotian was startled.

The other party had already curried favor with that strong cultivator; how could they, with their strength, get even?