Chapter 153: 153. Chapter 151: Offering Assistance

153. Chapter 151: Offering Assistance

The four great families hated Ding Huan and Lou Buzhi with gritted teeth.

Under normal circumstances, they would carefully control who came to present treasures, aiming precisely to prevent this situation.

Yet, in the end, it still happened.

Unfortunately, allowing all treasure-holders from the Sixiang Star Continent to present their items was the decree of the higher-civilization elders—they could not alter it.

Now only one slot remained, and neither the four great families nor the three major sects dared the slightest carelessness.

For they longed for their own sect or family to produce someone who could enter the higher civilization to cultivate.

In the future, that person, once accomplished, could freely take family or sect members away from the Sixiang Star Continent.

The first to present a treasure was the Yu family, who offered a spiritual herb.

The herb's grade was not low, yet it received only sixty-five points.

This score still placed it among the top three of all treasures presented so far.

Yet, securing the sole slot with this score remained difficult.

The second to step forward was the Zuo Shi family.

They had just been scolded by Sang Yuhe, and now they were far more subdued.

Zuo Shiken presented a spiritual herb as well; it was well-preserved and clearly aged.

Sang Yuhe gave it the same score: sixty-five points.

The Tong family presented an aura-beast egg, though no one knew where they had obtained it.

The egg's grade was clearly average, scoring only sixty points.

Afterward, the Fa Sect, Sixiang Sect, and Xingqiao Guild presented treasures, none exceeding seventy points.

The highest was a black material from the Xingqiao Guild—Ding Huan did not scan it with his spiritual sense, so he did not know what it was.

Ding Huan was still wondering why Zhan Changjing hadn't presented a treasure when he saw Zhan Changjing produce a red mineral.

The red mineral radiated a faint heat; Ding Huan suspected it was no ordinary treasure.

Indeed, Sang Yuhe awarded it seventy-five points.

It seemed Zhan Changjing would take the slot—Ding Huan felt deeply uneasy looking at him.

Earlier, when the Zuo Shi family had targeted him, Zhan Changjing had sided with them.

That was bad enough, but it was the man's gaze that truly disturbed him.

When Zhan Changjing looked at him, it felt like being fixated by a venomous snake.

If he had to leave on the same ship as this man, Ding Huan feared Zhan Changjing might seize the chance to strike.

Yet he had no grounds to demand Sang Yuhe reject Zhan Changjing—after all, the mineral had the highest score.

"Haha, congratulations, Chief Zhan."

Zuo Shiken, knowing the Zuo Shi family had no chance, was the first to step forward and offer congratulations.

Everyone else understood the slot was Zhan Changjing's, and all rose to congratulate him.

Zhan Changjing bowed his fist:

"Thank you all. My material scoring seventy-five was pure luck. I believe next time, all of you will have a chance."

"Not so fast—my treasure has not yet been presented."

A sudden voice shattered the harmony.

"Ding Qi, Star Lord?"

Not only Zhan Changjing, but everyone else froze.

Ding Qi was indeed a Star Lord—but wasn't he just a puppet? How dare he present a treasure here?

Didn't this fool know how to write the word "death"?

Ding Huan chuckled inwardly—he finally understood why Ding Qi had clashed with Zhan Changjing.

It must have been over the treasure presentation and the contest for this single slot.

Even a Star Lord must present a treasure, and the five outside elders would say nothing.

To them, more treasures meant better—anyone could present.

Ding Qi produced a jade box and handed it to Sang Yuhe.

Sang Yuhe opened the box—inside was a belt.

Presenting a belt?

The patriarchs of the four great families and the leaders of the three major sects stared at Ding Qi as if he were an idiot.

Even if this belt were a magical artifact, it wouldn't impress the higher-civilization elders.

What do higher-civilization planets produce? Countless magical artifacts—and you dare present one as a treasure?

To everyone's surprise, Sang Yuhe did not dismiss it as worthless; instead, she examined it closely for a long while.

Then she said:

"A decent storage artifact. I give you seventy-five points."

So it was a storage item—but why was a storage item only seventy-five points?

If Ding Huan had to choose between the Star House and this belt, he would have chosen the belt without hesitation.

Indeed, upon hearing his treasure scored only seventy-five, Ding Qi's eyes flickered with disappointment—he concealed it well, and the feeling vanished instantly.

Sang Yuhe tucked the belt away:

"Now both Ding Qi, Star Lord, and Zhan Changjing, Chief, have seventy-five points. Only one slot remains—this is difficult. Who is willing to withdraw voluntarily?"

No one spoke—clearly, neither Zhan Changjing nor Ding Qi wished to step down.

"May I ask, Elder, could we combine our treasure with Chief Zhan's to boost his score?" asked Zuo Shiken, patriarch of the Zuo Shi family.

"Yes, we are willing to augment our treasures onto the clan leader's treasure." The rest of the people also chimed in one after another.

Ding Huan was taken aback — were these clans and sects really so united?

However, once he saw Zuo Shiken's expression, he immediately understood.

These bastards really are terribly selfish. As long as they send Zhan Changjing away, they'll be rid of one strong expert pressing down on their heads.

Regardless of whether Zhan Changjing's Danyun realm is real or fake, Zhan Changjing's strength is clearly a level above theirs.

Since they can't leave themselves, sending Zhan Changjing away will make their voices much louder when speaking in the Four Directions Star Land.

Sang Yuhe nodded:

"That can be done, but your treasures all scored below seventy-five. Even if stacked, at most you can add another five points, bringing Zhan Changjing's treasure score to eighty."

Eighty points is enough.

Several clan leaders and sect masters all expressed agreement with this score.

A flash of unwillingness crossed Ding Qi's eyes. He had prepared for many years for today, only to have his carefully chosen storage belt score a mere seventy-five.

Just as Sang Yuhe was about to announce the results, Ding Huan suddenly stepped forward and bowed:

"Senior Sang, if my treasure still has points to spare for the three of us, I'd like to give those points to Star Lord Ding."

Ding Huan knew the risk he was taking by saying this was very great.

But he had to take that risk. If Zhan Changjing went along, he would definitely be plotted against by Zhan Changjing on the way.

Besides, when the Zuo Shi family went after him earlier, only Ding Qi had not helped the Zuo Shi family.

Better to take the risk now than to take chances on the ship.

"This…"

Sang Yuhe turned her head to look at the others.

After the few of them conferred quietly among themselves, Sang Yuhe nodded and said:

"Your Immortal Demon Pill is indeed a fine thing. Although you brought quite a few people, we can still add ten points for you."

"Many thanks, seniors." Ding Huan quickly bowed in salute.

It looked like, with his joining in, the fight between Ding Qi and Zhan Changjing would not happen.

In truth, even if a fight broke out, Ding Qi would not fear it. By Ding Huan's estimate, Ding Qi would hold the upper hand when fighting Zhan Changjing.

Ding Huan chuckled inwardly. The number one expert of the Four Directions Star Land was definitely not Zhan Changjing, but rather the unassuming Ding Qi.

He just didn't know whether Ding Qi's method of stepping beyond Foundation Establishment was a realm he had created himself, or whether Ding Qi had always known the realm beyond Foundation Establishment.

Judging from the reactions of these experts, they too seemed not to have discerned Ding Qi's cultivation realm.

Hearing that Ding Huan had helped him once, Ding Qi was overjoyed and cast Ding Huan a grateful look.

Zhan Changjing, on the other hand, swept a murderous glance at Ding Huan.

Ding Huan simply pretended he hadn't seen it. I'm about to leave the Four Directions Star Land anyway — what can you, Zhan Changjing, do to me?

After collecting the treasures from the four great clans and three major sects, the middle-aged man declared in a clear voice:

"This Four Directions Star Land treasure offering ends here. We'll meet again in a hundred years. Those who have obtained a quota, follow us."

After speaking, the middle-aged man led the way out of the City Lord's residence, and the other four followed behind him.

Ding Huan quickened his steps to catch up.

"Friend, if you give me your quota, I'm willing to trade you the position of sect master in exchange."

A square-faced man quickened his pace to walk alongside Ding Huan and said in a low voice.

"Not trading." Ding Huan gestured to Qi Xinyue and walked even faster.

A flying ship several times larger than Ding Huan's Blue Star ship flew in from the interstellar plaza of the Four Directions Star Land and stopped directly on the enormous plaza outside the City Lord's residence.

As the five experts from the higher civilization boarded, Ding Huan brought Qi Xinyue and Lao Liu and followed them onto the ship.

After them came Ding Qi and Lou Buzhi, along with seven genius disciples.

As Ding Huan boarded the ship, his hand unconsciously brushed the outer edge of the ship, and at the same moment he carved a few spiritual sense imprints here.

Worried that the ship's excessive speed through the void might cause his spiritual sense imprints to vanish, he even seeped the imprints inward.

Only after the ship's hatch closed did Ding Qi cup his fist toward Ding Huan:

"Many thanks, friend."

Ding Huan waved a hand:

"Brother Qi, we share a surname after all. If I can help, naturally I should help."

Sang Yuhe walked over:

"Ding Huan, take your friends to Room Yi-1. Ding Qi, you and Lou Buzhi go to Room Yi-2. The rest of you go to Room Yi-3 and Room Yi-4.

Remember, unless there's something special, don't come out of your rooms at will."

Everyone hurriedly answered in the affirmative and headed off to their respective rooms.