C15 He Had to Get It Done Today

Inside the quiet inn, only Hsiao Yan and Soong Yuan were present.

"I'm fine," Hsiao Yan assured, slowly waking and regulating his breath. He smiled faintly at Soong Yuan, whose expression was laced with concern, and explained, "Last night, I completely drained my Vital Spirit while forcefully practicing my cultivation technique, which caused a backlash. Consequently, I've lost all my cultivation for seven days. Hehe, I'm just like you now, at Zero Cultivation."

"And after seven days?" inquired Soong Yuan.

"I'll rest and recuperate over these days, and then I should return to my original strength."

"Oh, that's good to hear."

Soong Yuan was relieved and proceeded to fill Hsiao Yan in on everything that had happened under the Celestial Thunder Killing Array at the Thousand Thunder Inn after Hsiao Yan had fainted.

After hearing the account, Hsiao Yan nodded appreciatively. "You adapted well to the circumstances, making the most of your combat skills. Soong Yuan, you've done remarkably well."

"Hehe, and I got some decent spoils too," Soong Yuan boasted with a chuckle, pulling out the Ghost Fire Blade, Samadhi True Fire Fan, and Universe Compass.

The Ghost Fire Blade and Samadhi True Fire Fan were both High Grade Magic Artifacts, a hundred times more powerful than Soong Yuan's Intestine Breaking Blade and Thousand-cauldron Umbrella.

Magic treasures are ranked from Magic Artifact to Spirit Treasure, Treasure Artifact, Profound Artifact, Dao Artifact, and Immortal Artifact, with each major category further divided into Low Grade, Middle Grade, High Grade, and Top Grade.

In the current market, most magic treasures for sale are Magic Artifacts, with Spirit Treasures being incredibly rare. Even in a large city like Appropriate Prosperity City, the most prominent shops have never had Spirit Treasures in stock. A cultivator desiring a Spirit Treasure usually has only two choices: commission one from an Artifact Refining Great Master at a significant cost or engage in the dangerous pursuit of killing and looting for one.

Soong Yuan had unexpectedly come into possession of two high-grade magic artifacts, valued at a staggering 10,000 Spirit Stones—almost as much as his father's annual income. It was clear that he had hit the jackpot this time.

He gleefully inspected his new acquisitions.

Meanwhile, Hsiao Yan, who had been lying quietly on the bed, suddenly sat up with a look of deep concern. "Soong Yuan, the Universe Compass you acquired might be a fake."

"What?"

Soong Yuan was taken aback but quickly composed himself and thought it through. The Universe Compass was essential to Qian Xiaoruo as well. How could it be that after such an elaborate and flawless scheme involving the Maze Illusion Array, Hundred-plate House, Seven-poison Illusion Array, and Celestial Thunder Killing Array, the most crucial Universe Compass was inadvertently left behind?

"There must be a problem."

Soong Yuan hastily took out the Universe Compass and activated the Magic Spell. In a moment, a faint light began to emerge on its surface, eventually forming an expansive map of the Crystal Shattering Mountain Range... "Just as I suspected, it's a fake," Soong Yuan said gravely.

"At this moment, Qian Xiaoruo's image in Soong Yuan's mind couldn't be worse.

"If this Universe Compass is a fake, then the real one is definitely still with Qian Xiaoruo," Hsiao Yan speculated. "Qian Xiaoruo's goal in setting up this trap was probably to pass the trouble onto someone else. She was mainly worried that someone might be able to detect the Universe Compass. Even if she hid in Multicolored City and kept a low profile, she wouldn't be able to hide. So, she decided to reverse her strategy, acting boldly to lure everyone out and test them. Whoever has the means to detect the Universe Compass will be the one to get it."

Soong Yuan nodded in agreement with Hsiao Yan, analyzing the situation with a cool head: "Whoever obtains the Universe Compass becomes the target of all, and Qian Xiaoruo has cleverly shifted that trouble onto someone else. Moreover, what she's passed on is a fake Universe Compass. However, strictly speaking, it's not entirely fake; it was originally genuine."

"Clearly, Qian Xiaoruo tampered with a small part of the detection magic array within it, making it difficult to notice the forgery with a simple test. Even the Universe Crystal Ball was fooled into thinking it was real. Fortunately, at Soong Family Village, I made a deal with an old woman who then shared the true magic spell for using the Universe Compass with me. Only by using it today was I able to discern its authenticity. Otherwise, if the Compass had fallen into the hands of the Blazing Fire Sect, they would only realize it was a fake on Yin Yang Day when they tried to use it to locate the Boiling Spring and failed."

"It seems Qian Xiaoruo must have had two Universe Compasses made, tampering with one and setting a trap in Multicolored City to pass the problem onto someone else."

Damn it.

Fuming with anger, cursing, and complaining, even imagining getting back at Qian Xiaoruo a hundred times did nothing to help.

I needed to calmly think about the next steps.

"What's the current situation outside?" Hsiao Yan inquired, maintaining his composure.

"The situation is chaotic, with rumors flying," Soong Yuan reported calmly. "The Thousand Thunder Inn is in ruins, and I've killed two Vice Sect Masters of the Blazing Fire Sect. Many of their Elite Disciples and over a dozen independent cultivators also perished in last night's Celestial Thunder Killing Array. The survivors who withdrew halfway through are still after the Universe Compass, so it's quite disorderly out there."

"Some are sensing the complexity and danger of the situation and have chosen to leave Multicolored City. Others are loudly demanding vengeance against Qian Xiaoruo. There are whispers that she perished in last night's array, and the Universe Compass was destroyed. Yet others believe Qian Xiaoruo has fled Multicolored City with the compass. Many speculate that the compass has been stolen and that Qian Xiaoruo is secretly searching to reclaim it. There's a myriad of rumors."

"The Blazing Fire Sect's reaction is the most peculiar. They suffered the greatest losses last night, and I've heard their Sect Master, Qian Ji, has just advanced to Foundation Stage Level Five this morning, making him the top expert in Multicolored City. But, despite it being morning, Qian Ji has yet to make a move. Contrary to what many might expect, there's no city-wide manhunt to avenge the one-eyed man, Sunn Liang, and the twenty Elite Disciples who died. It's unclear what the Blazing Fire Sect is planning."

The Blazing Fire Sect isn't significant, and Multicolored City is just a small town. Although they claim to be the top sect in Multicolored City, they pale in comparison to the Thousand Thunder Sect—it's like comparing ants to an elephant. So even if they suffered a great loss at the hands of Qian Xiaoruo, they might not dare to seek revenge," Hsiao Yan said, fixing Soong Yuan with a steady gaze. "What's important is you. What's your next move?"

After a moment of silence, Soong Yuan decisively said, "I have the Universe Crystal Ball, which can sense the Universe Compass within a hundred paces. So I'll take it step by step, combing through Multicolored City to pinpoint the location of the Compass."

"It's definitely still with Qian Xiaoruo."

"I can handle Qian Xiaoruo."

"How will you manage that?" Hsiao Yan's brow furrowed with concern. "You're only at Body Refining Grade One Level Three, and you've exhausted the Spirit Sword Intent I gave you, as well as all the treasure artifacts and talismans your parents prepared for you. You..."

"I still have three Innate Divine Thoughts at my disposal. They're an invincible force," Soong Yuan said with a chuckle, keeping his cards close to his chest.

Soong Yuan then highlighted another pressing issue: "Time is of the essence. I must locate Qian Xiaoruo and secure the Universe Compass today."

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