Nine Astra Skies

"An artifact spirit craves blood, so the most common method to awaken an artifact spirit is to douse it with blood. However, Tier Eight and above spirit artifacts require fresh blood from a very powerful combatant to be awakened. It might even need a primordial bloodline!" Master Qi said as he looked at Ye Chen. Although the dagger was a Tier Eight or Nine spirit artifact, Ye Chen did not seem to be excited at all and was terrifyingly calm. Master Qi grew even sure that he was not just an ordinary person. He carefully held the Blue Dragon Dagger in both hands and returned it to Ye Chen.

A treasure like this would cause many to covet it. However, Master Qi knew that if he coveted this treasure, he would end up with death.

'Artifact spirits crave blood? Blood from a combatant? Primordial bloodline?' Ye Chen had dripped his blood on the Blue Dragon Dagger before, but it was no use. 'Would Little Wingsy's blood have an effect?'

Ye Chen took the Blue Dragon Dagger. This dagger was too short to use for himself, so it was better to give it to Little Wingsy. He turned around and passed the Blue Dragon Dagger to Little Wingsy and said, "Little Wingsy, I'll give you this Blue Dragon Dagger. Why don't you try awakening the artifact spirit?"

"Okay!" Little Wingsy took the Blue Dragon Dagger from Ye Chen's hand.

"This Blue Dragon Dagger needs the blood of a powerful combatant to…" Master Qi was about to say something when his eyes suddenly widened at the Blue Dragon Dagger in Little Wingsy's hands.

Little Wingsy lightly scratched his finger on the Blue Dragon Dagger. Drops of fresh blood dripped on the Blue Dragon Dagger and blood-red veins instantly spread across the dagger. The Blue Dragon Dagger let out a dazzling light and with a "hum", Celestial Chi fluctuations scattered out. The entire Court of Treasures rumbled, almost collapsing from the force of the Celestial Chi.

"Sirs, you mustn't use martial arts techniques in the Court of Treasure!" Master Qi cried in alarm.

Ye Chen's eyebrows raised at the glowing Blue Dragon Dagger in Little Wingsy's hands. This dagger was indeed extremely powerful. If he had known that Little Wingsy's blood would be enough to awaken the Blue Dragon Dagger and make it so strong, he would have given Little Wingsy the dagger long ago.

"Little Wingsy, put away the Blue Dragon Dagger for now."

Little Wingsy looked at the Blue Dragon Dagger in delight. He had just wanted to try out the power of the dagger and was looking around for something to break, but after hearing Ye Chen's words, he agreed with a little disappointment and put the Blue Dragon Dagger away.

The Court of Treasures had almost collapsed. Master Qi felt like his heart almost jumped out of his chest. Just what was the origin of this child to be able to awaken the artifact spirit of the Blue Dragon Dagger? Did he have some sort of primordial bloodline?

What a terrifying artifact spirit energy! To the side, Young Master Lian, Countess Zilan, and the others were frightened. Just the artifact spirit energy had almost caused the Court of Treasures to collapse. That should not be possible for a mere Tier Eight or Nine spirit treasure.

A flash of enthusiasm flashed in their eyes. Ye Chen gave such an item to a five-year-old! Was that not asking to be robbed?

They had to get their hands on that dagger!

A weapon like that would surely become an inherited treasure even among their clans or sects! Greed welled up in their hearts when they looked at the Blue Dragon Dagger. They knew of almost all the combatants from the Central Empire's major sects, but they had never heard of Ye Chen. Furthermore, Ye Chen and Little Wingsy were dressed plainly, so they were even more convinced that he was from a remote country. Ye Chen had simply picked up a treasure by luck!

Of course, they still had some doubts in their hearts. They could guess that Ye Chen and Little Wingsy had some backings but they could not restrain their greed.

Just the Blue Dragon Dagger was enough to make these people think of killing and seizing the treasure. Ye Chen understood that continuing to get his artifacts appraised might cause some trouble. 'I want to leave but I believe these people won't be able to stop me! Even if they try to steal my treasure, I've recently reached a bottleneck in my cultivation so they shouldn't be able to stand up to me!' As long as no Daemon Kings or Godly Venerable Ones appeared, Ye Chen had nothing to fear. Even if Daemon Kings or Godly Venerable Ones appeared in the Central Empire, they were extremely rare.

"Master Qi, please help me appraise this item!" Ye Chen ignored the greedy eyes of those people and took out a mysterious tiny cauldron from the armguard space. The tiny cauldron was decorated with gold patterns that seemed to be covered in a layer of ash.

Seeing this item, Master Qi's eyes immediately grew serious. He carefully took the mysterious cauldron from Ye Chen's hands. He felt that his heart was about to stop. In just one day, he saw two treasures that were more valuable than the sum of all the treasures he had appraised in this entire year!

"If I'm not mistaken, this item is a relic from the Gulan Empire. It's called the Heaven Rumbling Cauldron. It was recorded in the history of the Gulan Empire but even the people of the Gulan Empire were not able to find out its use." Master Qi felt cold sweat soak his back. Would he be silenced tonight after appraising these two items? Incidents like that were not rare. Fortunately, he was not alone while appraising these items.

'Even the people of that time were unable to figure out what it's for?' Ye Chen nodded slightly. It seemed like this item was even more valuable than the Blue Dragon Dagger. The items he had fished out from Lake Nekros - the Blue Dragon Dagger and this Heaven Rumbling Cauldron - were extraordinary items. It did not stand to reason if the silk shirt he wore was only a Tier Five or Six spirit artifact. It seemed that he had underestimated the value of the silk shirt.

"Is a powerhouse's blood also needed to awaken this item?" Ye Chen took the Heaven Rumbling Cauldron and asked.

"It's impossible to awaken it. If the blood of a powerhouse was enough to awaken it, the people of the Gulan Empire would've done so already. There were far more amazing combatants then than there are now."

There was also Emperor Ming's Belt on his waist. Ye Chen pondered. There should be a limit to Master Qi's insight. Even if he recognized Emperor Ming's Belt, he might not know how to use it. In that case, there was no need to appraise it.

Ye Chen had already found out the use of the Blue Dragon Dagger as well as the origin of the Heaven Crumbling Cauldron. Today's trip was not in vain.

"Master Qi, how much is the appraisal fee?" Ye Chen asked.

"Let's call it a free appraisal today," Master Qi said politely and carefully.

Ye Chen was silent for a moment before tossing a small Heaven-Earth Pouch containing more than a hundred Chi-amassing Pills on the table. "Just take that as payment. Keep the change!" He turned and said to Little Wingsy, "Let's go!"

"Wait!" Young Master Lian, Countess Zilan, and the others immediately stood in Ye Chen's way.

"What do you want?" Ye Chen's eyes narrowed. A cold light flashed in his eyes.

"Dear friend, don't misunderstand. We're not trying to cause trouble. We only want to buy the Blue Dragon Dagger and Heaven Rumbling Cauldron from you. Just state a price!" Young Master Lian chuckled. While he was speaking, a figure had already flown down the stairs.

Ye Chen's eyes flashed coldly. 'They're trying to hold me back while they send a message back to their clans!'

"You want to buy it? Sure! How many Chi-amassing Pills do you have? Three million, five million, or ten million? If you don't have money, then stop making a fool of yourself!" Ye Chen crossed his arms across his chest and looked down on Young Master Lian and Countess Zilan.

Young Master Lian, Countess Zilan, and the others were very embarrassed. Previously, they had laughed at Ye Chen and called him a poor country bumpkin, but now, they could not fork out that many Chi-amassing Pills either.

"May we ask for your name? We acted inappropriately earlier and hope you'll forgive us. If you're willing, why don't we go for a drink? I'll keep you company as an apology," Countess Zilan said coquettishly. Her eyes peered at Ye Chen, looking slightly shy.

With Countess Zilan's face coupled with her bashful appearance as well as such a sweet invitation, many men would be moved by her. However, Ye Chen was not.

Ye Chen did not have a shred of goodwill toward Countess Zilan. When he recalled how she had slandered Little Rou earlier, anger bubbled in his heart. "Tsk tsk, that pretty face is wasted just on me. If you're willing to take off all your clothes here, I'll stay and have a drink with you. How does that sound?"

Young Master Lian and the other four were flirtatious men who could not help but look at Countess Zilan at Ye Chen's words. If Countess Zilan stripped, how beautiful would her revealed figure be? Indecent images could not help but emerge in their minds.

Countess Zilan had a strong body and her figure was curvy and exquisite. Her voluptuous chest was impossible to hold with just one hand. She also had a plump and beautiful bottom that was wonderful!

Being teased by Ye Chen in public, Countess Zilan's face could not help but flush bright red. She felt the wandering eyes of a few men on her body and immediately glared at the people around her, growling, "What are you looking at? Keep staring or I'll gouge out your eyeballs!"

Young Master Lian and the others hurriedly averted their eyes awkwardly. They should be working together to hold Ye Chen here now. After all, they were from large clans and they were slightly fearful of what background Ye Chen had. They first had to hold Ye Chen back and wait for their clan's decision.

"They're not even allowed to look. What a shrewish woman you are. Tsk tsk, you plan to gouge out their eyeballs so they can't look at you? What if I want to look?" Ye Chen's eyes fell carelessly on Countess Zilan's body. "The clan I'm from has a secret technique that allows one to see through clothes! Why don't you let me take a look at your figure?"

Ye Chen's gaze landed on Countess Zilan's chest. He shook his head with a sigh. "What a good chest. I've never thought that Countess Zilan would've such good tastes. You even hung rings. Tsk tsk, there are even teeth marks. I wonder who the guest Countess Zilan entertained last night was."

Ye Chen's eyes seemed to be able to see through clothing. Countess Zilan felt like she was being stripped right in front of Ye Chen. Her face flushed at Ye Chen's words. There were a small number of nobles in the Central Empire who had such preferences. Countess Zilan was included among them.

They had never expected Countess Zilan to have such bold preferences. Young Master Lian and the others looked strangely at Countess Zilan.

Countess Zilan almost exploded in anger.

"You even scolded someone else as a whore and slut. I think Countess is talking about yourself, right? Looking downward, tsk tsk, your lower abdomen is flat without any fat. It's well maintained, your waist is slim and slender. How seductive. Any man would be blessed to marry a wife like you. However, be careful your wife doesn't cuckold you!" Ye Chen glanced at Young Master Lian and smiled. "Give me a moment. I'll continue looking downward and help you appraise her…"

Countess Zilan almost exploded in anger at Ye Chen's words. Now that Ye Chen had said such things, how was she supposed to continue being the countess? She could no longer endure it and screeched, "I'll claw out your eyes!" She pulled out a whip and she suddenly swung it at Ye Chen's eyes.

Ye Chen's eyes instantly cooled at the sight of Countess Zilan's whip whistling toward him. Countess Zilan finally could not endure it anymore. He said in a low voice, "I've also tolerated you for a long time. Since you made the first move, don't blame me for not being polite! I don't usually hit women, but since you slander Little Rou, I won't hold back!" Ye Chen's left hand caught Countess Zilan's whip and gripped it firmly. His right hand firmly slapped Countess Zilan.

With a "pak", Ye Chen's slap landed on Countess Zilan's face. Her left cheek immediately became swollen as tears welled up in her eyes. That slap definitely stung!

Both Young Master Lian and Master Qi were slightly dazed. Countess Zilan was a beginner Earthly Venerable One. Even if she was not considered the best in her age group, it was already very good. However, the whip that Countess Zilan had used was easily caught by Ye Chen and he even easily threw a slap at Countess Zilan that she could not avoid. It seemed like Ye Chen's cultivation was much higher than Countess Zilan's.

Countess Zilan had been pampered since childhood. Even her father did not bear to hit her. However, she ended up getting slapped here. She trembled in anger and threw away her manners and shrieked, "You beast! How dare you hit me! I'll exterminate your entire family!"

"Exterminate my entire family? It seems that you people have a lot of experience there. Does exterminating families make you very imposing? I don't know if you'll be able to exterminate my family but you're certainly welcome to try." Ye Chen threw another backhand slap again. With a "pak", the other half of Countess Zilan also grew swollen.

Ye Chen was just teaching her a lesson. He was already showing mercy by not killing a woman like her.

Countess Zilan's cheeks were completely swollen. "I'll tear you apart!" She madly dashed toward Ye Chen.

"Madwoman!" Ye Chen threw out yet another slap. This slap was heavier and almost sent Countess Zilan flying.

Countess Zilan was almost knocked out. She finally grew afraid and did not dare to take another step forward. Ye Chen was too vicious and did not care about her status as countess at all. In Yun Yan County, she had always killed and stole. It was only her hitting others. No one had dared to bully her like this before!

"Are you all dead already? Come and help!" Countess Zilan shrieked indignantly.

Young Master Lian, Young Lord Mo, and the others hesitated. They did not know what Ye Chen's cultivation was and was slightly fearful.

"If you don't help me, I'll go back and tell my father. You won't leave Yun Yan County today!" Countess Zilan scolded in tears.

Young Master Lian and the others exchanged looks and gritted their teeth before charging at Ye Chen. After all, they were Earthly Venerable Ones who rarely encountered opponents of their age group. They guessed that Ye Chen would not dare to kill anyone in Yun Yan County, so they should just save Countess Zilan first. Otherwise, they would not be able to explain themselves to their clans later.

Seeing these people charging at Ye Chen, Little Wingsy also charged forward.

"You little brat, scram!" Young Master Lian swung a hand at Little Wingsy, wanting to swat him away. However, the back of his hand hit Little Wingsy's chest with a dull "thud" as if he slammed it on a steel plate. His right hand immediately grew numb. He looked at Little Wingsy, who remained unmoving.

"Don't call me a little brat!" Little Wingsy rushed up angrily and punched Young Master Lian.

Boom!

Young Master Lian was sent flying away, smashing into several shelves. The bottles and jars on the shelves smashed on him, shattering all over the floor. His face was pale as he held his abdomen. That punch almost caused him to vomit his own intestines.

Then, "bang bang bang", Young Lord Mo and the others were also sent flying.

Just who was this child? He was too terrifying! They stared at Little Wingsy in horror as if they had seen a ghost.

Even Master Qi was shocked by Little Wingsy's strength. Little Wingsy only seemed to be around five to six, but his strength was no less than a Heavenly Venerable One!

Little Wingsy seemed to be itching for more and rushed up kicking Young Master Lian and the others, only to hear them scream unceasingly. Not even a Mystique Venerable Rank combatant could take Little Wingsy's punches. If not for the fact that Little Wingsy was holding back, Young Master Lian and the others would have died with just one punch.

"I'm the young master of the Ashen Cloud Valley but you still dare to hit me? You're dead!"

Young Master Lian and the others kept shouting but what responded to them was only Little Wingsy's punches that rained down upon them. Their tone gradually softened as they were beaten close to death.

"Spare us, spare us!" Young Master Lian and the others were beaten black and blue and cried for mercy, no longer possessing any dignity.

Little Wingsy had always been a relatively violent child. Upon hearing Young Master Lian and the others crying for mercy, he stared at them and kicked several of their faces, causing blood to drip from their noses.

"Humph, if you wanna fight, find someone more powerful. Your level of strength is too boring!" Little Wingsy said while kicking Young Master Lian's buttocks. Young Master Lian and the others whimpered and cried.

To the side, Master Qi had just moved a step when an energy immediately locked onto him.

"Master Qi, do you want to make a move as well?" Ye Chen asked coldly.

Master Qi felt that the strength of this energy had far exceeded his own. If he were to do something, he definitely would not be Ye Chen's match. He smiled wryly and said, "You've misunderstood. I'm not your opponent. I merely want to resolve the feud between the two sides. Please have mercy!"

"Are you afraid your Court of Treasures will be damaged? I'll compensate you for any damage caused!" Ye Chen said casually. He slapped Countess Zilan several times and said coldly, "Weren't you going to exterminate my family? Go on."

Countess Zilan saw Young Master Lian and the others got beaten to the point of tears and finally understood that Ye Chen was not someone she could provoke. If the little boy by Ye Chen's side had this much strength, would that not mean that Ye Chen was even more terrifying? She was frightened by Ye Chen's fierce appearance.

"I'm the daughter of Earl Yunyan…"

Countess Zilan had not finished speaking when Ye Chen sent another slap her way.

"You… I…" Tears streamed down Countess Zilan's face. She wanted to speak but was also afraid that Ye Chen would slap her again.

"What's so great about the Earl? The one I'm beating right now is you!" Ye Chen saw that Countess Zilan had not learned her lesson. With just a few slaps, Countess Zilan's beautiful face had swollen to the point where maybe even her father would not be able to recognize her. "It seems that you won't learn your lesson even after death. Do you think you're all that just because your father is the Earl? If I kill you now, it'll be too late for your father to take revenge later. I'll take off all your clothes and tie you up, then I'll let my flying mystical beast take you on a tour around Yun Yan County before slowly eating you."

"So, what if you're beautiful? You're just a lump of meat. Speaking of which, my flying mystical beast hasn't eaten anything for several days and is probably hungry," Ye Chen said nonchalantly.

"I'm begging you, please don't kill me. I'll do anything you want." Countess Zilan wailed in fear. Although her personality was slightly provocative, she was just a woman and could not withstand Ye Chen's intimidation. The thought of being eaten by a mystical beast made her turn pale in fright.

Ye Chen could not help but frown at Countess Zilan's words. He had no interest in Countess Zilan at all. Seeing her miserable state, Ye Chen decided that she had learned her lesson. Ye Chen did not want to kill anyone, especially a woman.

"Countess Zilan, right? I'll spare your life today. Perhaps killing amounts to nothing in your eyes. After all, you casually said you'd exterminate my family. However, if I ever hear you say you'll kill again, the next person who ends up dead will be you. Not even your father will be able to protect you!" Ye Chen snorted coldly.

If Ye Chen had said these words when he first entered, Countess Zilan, Young Master Lian, and the others would probably laugh at him. Now however, with the strength shown by Little Wingsy and Ye Chen, they did not dare to doubt him. To have such strength at such a young age, they could not imagine just how powerful his background was!

"I've never exterminated anyone's family before." Countess Zilan's face was full of tears. She would never dare to provoke someone like Ye Chen again.

"I'll be staying at Yun Yan County tonight. If you want revenge, then you're welcome to send your clan's combatants. However, the matter will not be settled so easily then." Ye Chen scoffed coldly as killing intent flashed in his eyes.

Countess Zilan and Young Master Lian's hearts chilled at Ye Chen's look.

Countess Zilan, Young Master Lian, and the others were not stupid. Who would they dare to go searching for trouble? Although a high-grade treasure was important, it was not as important as their lives!

"We wouldn't dare!"

"We'll never dare again!"

Countess Zilan, Young Master Lian, and the others hurriedly said, horrified. They were all beaten miserably.