Chapter 262: If the Genders Were Reversed, the Comments Would Explode |
The Innate Dao Body was traditionally possessed by the Jade Pool Holy Maidens. Cultivating with them allowed one to comprehend a first-grade cultivation technique.
And most importantly, this first-grade technique could evolve.
However, its evolution was incredibly difficult, like an endless abyss.
Even without evolution, the value of a first-grade technique was enough to tempt 99% of cultivators in the Nine Realms, including the most talented women.
Even if dual cultivation was required, it would still attract countless female cultivators.
If Mu Zhi’an was telling the truth, it would be worth trading even a Southern Wilderness secret technique and an Imperial-Grade Medicinal Herb for it.
However, the question was, was he telling the truth?
Regina stared at him, her beautiful, multifaceted eyes filled with doubt and disbelief. “If I remember correctly, the Innate Dao Body is a constitution exclusive to the Jade Pool Holy Maidens. You must be joking, Young Master Mu.”
She subtly withdrew her hand from his.
Regina bit her lip, her eyes moist and vulnerable as she looked at him. “I want to believe you, Young Master Mu, and I’m willing to share the Southern Wilderness’s secret technique with you. However, you don’t seem very sincere.”
“The Innate Dao Body is a constitution possessed by the Jade Pool Holy Maidens. Almost every cultivator in the Nine Realms knows that.”
She paused. “Are you saying you’re also a Jade Pool Holy Maiden?”
Her playful tone eased the tension slightly.
This was one of Regina’s tactics. Her beautiful face, melodious voice, and delicate demeanor made men subconsciously lower their guard.
And once their guard was down, they would be trapped in her web of charm.
“Miss Regina, since you’ve heard of the Jade Pool Holy Maidens’ Innate Dao Body constitution, have you ever wondered why the Jade Pool Holy Land doesn’t have a Holy Son?” Mu Zhi’an asked calmly.
Regina looked at him, her beautiful eyes clear. “Are you saying you’re the Jade Pool Holy Son, Young Master Mu?”
“I’m not the Holy Son, but you must have heard about the Jade Empress’s return a while back,” Mu Zhi’an said calmly.
Regina’s eyes flickered as she looked at him, remaining silent.
The Jade Empress’s return and the reconstruction of her immortal body had been a major event in the Nine Realms.
And after that, some cultivators from the Southern Wilderness had tried to hinder her return. The three powerful deities of the Southern Wilderness knew about this but chose to turn a blind eye, using it as a test.
When the Jade Empress returned to the Jade Pool, she hadn’t yet reconstructed her Vessel. Yet, that night, she suppressed several powerful cultivators who had attacked the Jade Pool. This news had shocked the Eastern Realm.
No one had been able to explain it, attributing it to the Jade Empress’s unparalleled power and her ability to unleash her potential in times of crisis.
However, after learning about Mu Zhi’an’s constitution, Regina had a suspicion. That night, the seemingly invincible fairy might have… with Mu Zhi’an…
“I obtained a portion of the Innate Dao Body’s Spiritual Energy. It’s currently within my Innate Celestial Furnace,” Mu Zhi’an said.
Regina gasped and looked up, her beautiful eyes filled with hope.
“Are you serious, Young Master Mu?!”
If that was true, it would explain why he had offered to trade the Innate Dao Body.
Even if he didn’t possess the Innate Dao Body constitution himself, he might have absorbed its power into his Innate Celestial Furnace…
Although she wasn’t sure if the Innate Celestial Furnace had such an ability, as Mu Zhi’an had said, he wouldn’t joke about something like this.
If he truly possessed the Innate Dao Body…
Regina crossed her long, fair legs, her fingers playing with a strand of hair as she silently weighed the pros and cons.
The Southern Wilderness’s secret techniques were incredibly valuable. They involved their cultivation system, and only a few people knew about them. Sharing this secret with Mu Zhi’an…
Suddenly, she felt a cold hand grasp hers. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up, meeting the young man’s gentle gaze.
“You possess the Soul Reading constitution, Miss Regina. You can see for yourself if I’m telling the truth.”
Mu Zhi’an released the aura he had been concealing within his Innate Celestial Furnace. The Spiritual Energy within it was different from before, emanating a captivating medicinal fragrance that intoxicated the senses.
Why does the Spiritual Energy within his Innate Celestial Furnace’s Celestial Vessel seem so much stronger than mine? It’s at least at the Nascent Soul level… ?
Regina looked at him strangely.
At this moment, Mu Zhi’an’s Innate Celestial Furnace constitution was completely exposed to her Soul Reading ability. Although she couldn’t see its form, she could clearly see the flow of Spiritual Energy within and the treasures it contained.
Her gaze fixed on Mu Zhi’an, and she remained silent for a long time.
Meanwhile, the woman in the blue dress, who had previously negotiated with Regina, paused, her gaze shifting towards the building where Regina resided, a hint of suspicion in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” the Holy Son from the World Sea asked.
The woman in the blue dress looked at Gu Hua, surprised. “Don’t you sense a peculiar Spiritual Energy emanating from Regina’s residence?”
He hadn’t noticed such a potent aura?
Logically, their sensitivity to Spiritual Energy should be similar…
“I don’t sense anything unusual. Could it be caused by Regina’s cultivation?” Gu Hua asked, confused.
The woman in the blue dress looked at the building for a moment, then shook her head. “No, it’s nothing.”
“Let’s go.”
…
Meanwhile, Mu Zhi’an concealed his Innate Celestial Furnace’s aura again and looked at the Southern Wilderness beauty. “Have you made a decision, Miss Regina?” he asked with a smile.
Regina continued to stare at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. After a long time, she finally snapped out of her daze.
“It seems you were telling the truth, Young Master Mu… You truly possess the Innate Dao Body,” she said slowly, her beautiful face now radiating the authority of a Holy Maiden.
“However, the Southern Wilderness’s secret techniques are very complex. Please allow me some time to consider. I’ll give you an answer before the Ascension Ceremony begins,” she added.
She glanced at him subtly.
Mu Zhi’an didn’t seem disappointed or frustrated. He simply smiled. “Alright, Miss Regina. Take your time.”
“However, I hope you can give me an answer soon. Otherwise, I’ll have to ask someone else.”
It seems he really needs the secret technique to conceal Heavenly Secrets… Regina smiled. “I understand. I’ll give you an answer as soon as possible.”
Mu Zhi’an smiled faintly, then casually changed the subject. “Those two people earlier, judging from their attire, they’re from the World Sea, right?”
Regina nodded slightly. “They want to form an alliance with me. If we encounter each other in the Martial Realm during the Ascension Ceremony, we can help each other.”
“If fate brings us together, Young Master Mu, I hope you won’t mind my company,” she said, her voice soft and melodious.
“You’re incredibly powerful, Miss Regina. I wouldn’t dare to mind your company. You’re the one who shouldn’t mind my meager strength,” Mu Zhi’an chuckled.
“We should help each other if we meet.”
Regina narrowed her eyes and smiled sweetly. “Of course.”
She was used to flattery, but hearing it from Mu Zhi’an made her feel a sense of warmth.
After chatting with Regina in the hall for a while, Mu Zhi’an excused himself and left.
Shortly after his departure, an elder silently entered the hall and saw the young lady sitting alone in a chair.
Her legs were crossed, her red dress revealing glimpses of her fair thighs. Her delicate feet were adorned with embroidered shoes, and she held a teacup in her hand, her eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought.
“Miss, he came to see you before the Ascension Ceremony. Is he planning to fulfill the agreement early?” Gulban couldn’t help but ask.
Regina snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head gently. “Mu Zhi’an is an intelligent man. He wouldn’t hand over the Rebirth Spiritual Energy before the Ascension Ceremony ends.”
“Then what did he come for?”
Regina looked at him and said, “He wants the Southern Wilderness’s secret technique.”
Gulban frowned and immediately said, “Absolutely not! If a Southern Wilderness secret technique falls into the hands of an outsider, who knows what he’ll do with it?”
“What is that Mu Zhi’an thinking, wanting our secret technique?” the elder continued.
Secret techniques were called ‘secret’ for a reason. They were confidential and important. Moreover, the Southern Wilderness’s secret techniques were related to their cultivation system. Only a handful of people in the entire Southern Wilderness knew about them.
“Is he trying to raise the price, using the Rebirth Spiritual Energy as leverage?” the elder guessed.
Regina shook her head and chuckled. “I told you, Mu Zhi’an is a smart man.”
“A smart man wouldn’t do something stupid or ask a stupid question. He knows I wouldn’t agree, even if he raised the price.”
Gulban shook his head. “Regardless, we can’t hand over the Southern Wilderness’s secret technique—”
“He offered to trade a first-grade cultivation technique for it.”
Regina looked at Gulban, her eyes as bright and beautiful as stars. “A first-grade cultivation technique that can evolve,” she said calmly.
Gulban froze, his breath catching in his throat.
His first thought was: Absurd!
There were only a handful of first-grade cultivation techniques in the entire Nine Realms. Even within the Two Polarities Sect, there might only be one or two in the Book Pavilion. And Mu Zhi’an was offering one, a first-grade cultivation technique that could evolve…
It was preposterous.
“You don’t actually believe him, do you, Miss?”
Gulban’s old face creased with worry. “How could a fourth-grade Core Formation cultivator possess a first-grade cultivation technique? Even if he did, he would have already used it himself. Why would he keep it until now?”
“And it can evolve? Does he even believe his own words?”
Regina glanced at Nigati, who was hiding by the doorway, and said calmly, “I just confirmed it. Mu Zhi’an wasn’t lying.”
Her words made the elder’s heart skip a beat. Nigati’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Then, a surge of jealousy filled his heart.
A first-grade cultivation technique… If he could obtain it, wouldn’t he be able to crush all other cultivators at the same level in the Ascension Ceremony? And it could even evolve!
What a generous offer… If it were him, he would have already cultivated the technique himself. Why would he trade it away?
“What are you planning to do, Miss…?” Gulban asked after a long silence, finally calming down.
Such a high-grade cultivation technique… Not only Regina, but even the deities of the Southern Wilderness would be tempted.
The stronger the cultivator, the more they could unleash the power of a first-grade technique. And this one could even evolve… What would it become? The thought alone was exciting.
“He has many secrets. I’ve told him I’ll give him an answer before the Ascension Ceremony.”
Regina smiled sweetly, her slender fingers tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“The fact that he came to see me today means he needs the Southern Wilderness’s secret technique to conceal something from the heavens.”
“So let’s wait and see.”
She chuckled seductively. “Perhaps he’ll come back to me tomorrow, desperate for an answer.”
…
Meanwhile, Mu Zhi’an and Wei Mengrou had just left the building and were walking across the plaza in front of the Hall of Unity.
Along the way, Wei Mengrou couldn’t help but glance at Mu Zhi’an, seemingly preoccupied with something.
“Why are you staring at me, Mengrou?” Mu Zhi’an finally asked.
Wei Mengrou stopped and turned to face him. “The Southern Wilderness’s secret techniques are closely guarded secrets, but she agreed to consider your offer… How did you convince her?”
Logically, Regina should have refused outright, especially when it involved a secret of the Southern Wilderness. Yet, she had agreed to consider it… Mu Zhi’an must have offered her something tempting, something she couldn’t refuse.
But what had he offered…? The maid couldn’t figure it out.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t do anything immoral. I just gave her an offer she couldn’t refuse,” Mu Zhi’an said with a reassuring smile.
If the genders were reversed, this scene would have exploded with comments.
The ‘female lead’ Mu Zhi’an, for the sake of the ‘protagonist’, reluctantly makes a ‘deal’ with the blonde, well-endowed Holy Maiden from the Southern Wilderness. When the ‘protagonist’ expresses concern, he smiles weakly and says it’s nothing…
The only difference was that this was all part of Mu Zhi’an’s plan. Regina hadn’t coerced him into anything.
“However, Regina probably won’t accept my offer so quickly,” Mu Zhi’an continued.
“How do you know?” Wei Mengrou asked, her eyes filled with doubt.
“We sought her out, which means we need something from her.” Mu Zhi’an looked up at the cultivators flying in the sky above the Hall of Unity, his gaze lingering on the alluring figure of the woman in the blue dress who had left earlier.
“In a negotiation, appearing to make concessions first can lead to concessions from the other party.”
“The more convincing the act, the greater the concessions you can obtain.”
“If I were Regina, I would use this opportunity to gain more benefits, whether it’s my affection or…”
Regina wanted to perfect her Soul Reading constitution before the Ascension Ceremony, but she knew Mu Zhi’an wouldn’t agree.
However, this deal was an opportunity for her.
For example, she could request that, in addition to the Southern Wilderness’s secret technique, he also help her perfect her constitution before the Ascension Ceremony began.
“You already have a plan, don’t you?” Wei Mengrou said, glancing at him. Seeing the smile on his face, she knew what he was thinking.
“The Southern Wilderness isn’t the only place with techniques that can conceal Heavenly Secrets. They don’t know that we’re actually interested in the black mist. They just think we want a technique to conceal ourselves,” Mu Zhi’an said.
“So, all we have to do is let Regina know that the Southern Wilderness’s secret technique isn’t a necessity, but a substitute.”
“Then, the deal will be sealed.”
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