Chapter 334: Making an Outrageous Demand

Seeing Tong Yao, Hua Changxi felt somewhat embarrassed: "I wonder if it's still not too late for me to say sorry?"

Tong Yao sensed Hua Changxi's remorse and smiled: "I'm fine, but as for the Great Elder... when you meet him shortly, he will inevitably scold you a few words."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi quickly said: "I am willing to pay compensation for soaking in the hot spring."

Leading Hua Changxi away from Tang Gu, Tong Yao spoke as they walked: "With the water level in the Hot Spring Pool dropped, the Great Elder will definitely demand an explanation from you; you... need to be mentally prepared."

Hearing these words, Hua Changxi hurriedly explained: "I didn't mean to." She paused, then gauged Tong Yao's expression: "The water level in the Hot Spring Pool should be able to rise back up, right?"

This was a question Tong Yao could not answer; he likely did not know either.

However, recalling Elder Yiming's reaction upon learning of the Hot Spring Pool's dropping water level—though somewhat displeased, he hadn't been overly angry—Tong Yao guessed that the pool should be able to recover.

Yet these words were not suitable to tell Hua Changxi, so Tong Yao merely smiled and shook his head at her.

Seeing this, Hua Changxi immediately sensed she was about to suffer a heavy loss.

Suddenly, a thought struck her; she thought of Jing Liao and Yan Zhenzhen.

"Tong Yao, I'm a bit afraid to meet Elder Yiming alone; call Jing Liao and Zhenzhen to accompany me and bolster my courage."

With Jing Liao and Yan Zhenzhen watching from the side, surely Elder Yiming wouldn't dare to make such an outrageous demand.

Tong Yao chuckled: "Do you know how long you soaked in the Hot Spring Pool?"

Hearing him ask this, Hua Changxi felt a bad premonition: "How long did I soak?"

Tong Yao: "You soaked for over half a month; today is already the seventh day of the first lunar month."

Hua Changxi paused in surprise: "So much time has passed; even the New Year has gone by."

Speaking of the New Year, Tong Yao added: "On New Year's Eve, your third brother came looking for you; your family probably wanted you to return home for the celebrations."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi fell silent; not returning home on ordinary days was one thing, but not going back even for the New Year would surely displeased her family.

As they spoke, they arrived at the teleportation array; saying nothing more, the two stepped into it.

Emerging from the teleportation array, Tong Yao took Hua Changxi directly to the Hall of Deliberations to meet Elder Yiming.

"Great Elder."

"Hua Changxi pays respects to the Great Elder."

Elder Yiming looked at Hua Changxi with a smile that didn't reach his eyes: "Young Friend Hua, was the Hot Spring Pool comfortable to soak in?"

Hua Changxi offered no defense: "Great Elder, entering the Hot Spring Pool without your permission was my fault; I am willing to provide compensation."

Elder Yiming snorted: "The Hot Spring Pool has dropped nearly ten meters; whether it can recover in the future remains unknown. What do you intend to use as repayment?"

Tong Yao felt Elder Yiming was being somewhat too harsh and wanted to speak up for Hua Changxi, but Elder Yiming shot him a warning glare.

Seeing Hua Changxi hanging her head in silence, looking guilty, Elder Yiming struck while the iron was hot and continued asking: "Young Friend Hua, you refined that drop of Zhu Que essence blood I gave you inside the Hot Spring Pool, didn't you?"

Hua Changxi said nothing, which counted as admission.

Elder Yiming asked again: "Did you obtain any inherited divine abilities from Zhu Que?" His tone carried a trace of eagerness and expectation barely perceptible to others.

Hua Changxi glanced at him but still said nothing.

It was Tong Yao who recalled the earlier scene of 'Hua Changxi manipulating flames to devour flames,' and he looked at her thoughtfully.

Elder Yiming seemed unconcerned with Hua Changxi's answer and continued speaking on his own: "Whether or not you obtained Zhu Que's inherited divine abilities, refining Zhu Que essence blood in the Hot Spring Pool must have consumed a vast amount of the pool's energy."

"The drop in the Hot Spring Pool's water level is merely the most superficial consumption; in places we cannot see, who knows how much of the Qisheng Palace's foundation has been 'stolen'?"

Hearing the Great Elder even use the word 'stolen,' Tong Yao could no longer hold back: "Great Elder..."

"Silence!"

Elder Yiming glared fiercely at Tong Yao; could he not see Hua Changxi's guilty expression? This proved his words were not wrong.

"Young Friend Hua, you and Tong Yao are friends; I believe you did not intend this."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi nodded repeatedly.

Seeing her reaction, Elder Yiming's expression finally improved slightly: "I trust Young Friend Hua would not willingly take advantage of Qisheng Palace for free."

Hua Changxi nodded again; just as she was about to speak, Elder Yiming cut her off.

"Since we are all friends, Qisheng Palace will not take advantage of you; simply tell me, or tell Tong Yao, the method for fusing the Seven-Colored Strange Fire into the Great Sun Divine Flame, and we shall consider the matter settled."

Hua Changxi: "..."

Tong Yao couldn't help but raise a hand to cover his face.

As expected, the Great Elder truly... was making an outrageous demand!

Hua Changxi paused for several seconds before recovering; looking at Elder Yiming, she said: "Obtaining the method to transform the 'Seven-Colored Strange Fire into the Great Sun Divine Flame' was a matter of chance; back then, I nearly lost my life because of it."

"Yes, I did consume some of Qisheng Palace's resources while in the Hot Spring Pool; this I do not deny. However, while I was cultivating, Qisheng Palace also benefited; in other words, I gave back to Qisheng Palace."

These words made Elder Yiming's eyelid twitch; he thought of the sudden calming of the earth fire vein, yet he remained stubborn orally, not pressing further on what exactly happened, and simply demanded: "Just say whether or not you will provide compensation."

Seeing Hua Changxi remain silent, Elder Yiming began speaking to Tong Yao with sarcasm.

"Hmph, to think you considered certain people your friends, yet they didn't even give a word of notice before using your belongings, and after using them, aren't even willing to provide compensation; your judgment in choosing friends is truly..."

Tong Yao knew Elder Yiming was using these words to provoke Hua Changxi; he had experienced the Great Elder's tactics before.

Similar rhetoric had been used on Jing Liao and Yan Zhenzhen as well.

Tong Yao felt somewhat ashamed...

Seeing Tong Yao in such difficulty, and recalling how much she had indeed benefited within the Fusang Divine Tree space, Hua Changxi pondered for a moment before looking at Elder Yiming and saying: "I can tell you the method for transforming the Seven-Colored Strange Fire into the Great Sun Divine Flame."

Hearing this, Elder Yiming's eyes instantly brightened.

Hua Changxi added: "However, Qisheng Palace must give me ten magical artifacts of fifth grade or above."

Elder Yiming's expression visibly collapsed: "Ten magical artifacts, and fifth grade or above? Young Friend Hua, why don't you just go rob Qisheng Palace's treasury?"

Hua Changxi's eyes darted; she seemed somewhat eager to try.

Seeing this, Elder Yiming's face darkened further; feigning hesitation, he said: "Qisheng Palace's fifth-grade treasury can be opened for you, but you may select only one magical artifact from within."

Hua Changxi refused: "One is too few; at least five."

Seeing Hua Changxi bargain by cutting his offer in half, Elder Yiming struggled hard to keep the corners of his mouth from lifting: "Two items; at most, you may choose two."

Hua Changxi: "Three items. That is the bottom line; not one less, or there is no deal."

Elder Yiming: "Fine, three items it is!" To hesitate even a second would be disrespectful to Hua Changxi's decisiveness.

Hua Changxi: "..."

Elder Yiming also felt he lacked dignity and quickly added a few words to save face: "Since you are a friend of Tong Yao, the Artifact Saint Palace can afford to suffer a small loss."

Tong Yao could not accept this: "Elder..."

"Silence!"

Elder Yiming rebuked Tong Yao, then looked at Hua Changxi with a smile: "Young Friend Hua, will you tell me, or will you tell Tong Yao?"

Hua Changxi kept a wooden expression, extended a hand, and said, "Give me the Taiyin Stones. I will use my divine sense to carve the imprint for you."

Hearing this, Elder Yiming and Tong Yao immediately exchanged astonished glances.

Elder Yiming laughed: "I do not have any Taiyin Stones on me. Wait here; I will go fetch some for you."

Hua Changxi spoke quickly: "Elder, I am not yet fully familiar with manipulating divine sense. To ensure you obtain the method for converting the Seven-Colored Strange Fire into the Great Sun Divine Flame sooner, you had better bring me several extra Taiyin Stones as spares."

"..."

Elder Yiming wore a wooden expression, remained silent for a moment, then said, "The Artifact Saint Palace treasury does not hold many Taiyin Stones either. I must first search to see if we have enough."

Only after he left the main hall did Tong Yao ask, "You can manipulate divine sense?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "Can you not?"

Tong Yao shook his head: "The Artifact Saint Palace has methods to strengthen the soul, but manipulating divine sense requires corresponding cultivation techniques."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi nodded and said nothing more.

Seeing this, Tong Yao did not press further, merely saying, "Later, I will accompany you to the treasury to select magical artifacts. At that time, I will explain everything to you in detail."

Seeing him act as though she had suffered a loss and he owed her compensation, Hua Changxi's eyes turned, and she smiled: "If you truly feel I have suffered a loss, then just gift me an extra magical artifact."

Tong Yao refused without hesitation: "That will not do."

Seeing such decisiveness, Hua Changxi was choked with anger: "I see it now; every single one of you is an award-winning actor!"

Too embarrassed on the surface to refuse, yet unwilling to actually provide compensation—was this not clearly just a performance?