Nine Astra Skies

"That's right, it's the Storm Sword." Ye Chen smiled faintly.

Zi Lin shot Ye Chen a meaningful look. "Some time ago, the loss of the Storm Sword from the House of Storms created quite a commotion. To think that it's in Your Excellency's possession."

"Elder Zi Lin, surely you won't inform the House of Storms about this?" Ye Chen stared at Zi Lin.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency. My Spirit Artifact Council knows what's what. The Spirit Artifact Council doesn't have any particular regard for the House of Storms. No matter where it comes from, my Spirit Artifact Council only cares about business. A customer's privacy is our duty," Zi Lin said seriously.

From the previous transaction, Ye Chen had learned of the Spirit Artifact Council's code of conduct. Otherwise, he would not have whipped out the Storm Sword so casually.

Master Ming Hua swept his gaze across the Storm Sword, but nothing rippled across his expression. "This Storm Sword is a Tier Nine spirit artifact on par with the Celestial Ice Sword and the Searing Sun Sword. Still, it's augmented by a secret technique, so in terms of value, it's worth more than the Celestial Ice Sword and the Searing Sun Sword combined. It may be considered a decent treasure." He had seen all sorts of spirit artifacts before. Naturally, the Storm Sword would not astound him much.

"Master Ming Hua, please help me supplement these with the Sword Array Runic Seal. I thank you for your effort." Ye Chen smiled as he handed over the Storm Sword.

Master Ming Hua nodded and picked up all three swords. He started to brand the Sword Array Runic Seal upon their surfaces and Ye Chen handed sixty twilight gold ancient coins to Zi Lin. Another transaction was completed.

After around two hours, the Sword Array Runic Seals had been successfully branded upon the three swords.

Ye Chen picked them up and dripped the blood from his hand onto the Sword Array Runic Seal on the swords while mobilizing the Ternary Sword Array technique. The three swords seemed to gain a life of their own and flew up, humming. The Storm Sword was the main sword and the other two were ancillary swords. All three moved according to Ye Chen's will, swooping here and there, then landing by his side. They were just like his personal guards.

Ye Chen grinned in satisfaction. The Ternary Sword Array created from three Tier Nine spirit artifacts was dozens of times mightier than the Ternary Sword Array which Tuoba Yan had wielded. Not even the body of a Daemon King could withstand the slashing of these three Tier Nine spirit artifact swords!

Another deal was done. Zi Lin, who had taken the twilight gold ancient coins, smiled and glanced at Ye Chen. "I've already asked our apprentices to begin refining the ten thousand Tier Five spirit artifacts which will form the Thousand Sword Array. Fortunately, a few of our elders had a large amount of existing stock and we've purchased many from other factions as well. At last, we could just about gather ten thousand Tier Five spirit artifact longswords. I estimate that the refinement will be finished in just a few days."

"Elder Zi Lin, how long more do you think it will take?" Ye Chen asked.

"Five days at most, three days at least, "Zi Lin replied.

"I'll return after five days for the swords then." Ye Chen looked at Zi Lin.

"Very well. If we've exited the Soul Pagoda after five days, Your Excellency may locate our Spirit Artifact Council outside the Soul Pagoda too." Zi Lin nodded. They had already profited handsomely from Ye Chen. If Ye Chen did not arrive to claim his goods, they could still use those Tier Five spirit artifacts after erasing the Sword Array Runic Seals, so there was no need to worry. "Your Excellency, do you require our apprentices to escort you out?"

"There's no need." Ye Chen shook his head. With a "swish", he kept the three longswords into the armguard's space.

"Here's my name card. With it, Your Excellency may contact me through any apprentice of the Spirit Artifact Council. Please accept it." Elder Zi Lin respectfully offered a red name card. With a customer like Ye Chen, how could he let anyone else from the Spirit Artifact Council get involved?

Ye Chen nodded and accepted Zi Lin's name card. After bidding farewell to Zi Lin and Master Ming Hua, Ye Chen exited the large tent of the Spirit Artifact Council.

Ye Chen was not wearing the long robe of the Spirit Artifact Council, yet he walked out of the Spirit Artifact Council's camp. He quickly attracted a lot of attention. Wherever he went, people would stare at him.

"Ye Chen my boy, it looks like there are many interested in you. Among them, many are from various factions, so you should be careful. Also, can you hurry up and send away that little tyke Tong Tian and his disciples and descendants? I haven't been intimate with my lovely young partner for many days now. Do you want my balls to explode?"

Upon hearing Master Lion's words, Ye Chen was involuntarily speechless. It had only been a few days? Surely Master Lion was being too randy? Still, Tong Tian the Leo King and the rest were almost fully recovered by now. It was time for them to come out. Ye Chen ducked into a small trail and brought out Tong Tian the Leo King and the rest from the Heavenly Astra Seal.

"This is the sixth level of the Soul Pagoda?" Tong Tian the Leo King looked around, then turned back to Ye Chen. He had seen Ye Chen using a secret technique to change his appearance within the Heavenly Astra Seal. Therefore, he was not puzzled about Ye Chen's current appearance.

"That's right, we're on the sixth level of the Soul Pagoda." Ye Chen bobbed his head.

"For what happened in the Soul Pagoda's seventh floor, the Leo King's Palace owes Brother Ye a lifelong debt. In the future, if you have any command, my Leo King's Palace wouldn't hesitate to go through hell or high water to fulfill it!" Tong Tian the Leo King solemnly saluted with fist and palm.

"Leo King, it's nothing," Ye Chen said. Tong Tian the Leo King was so serious that Ye Chen was at a loss for words. "What do you plan to do next?"

"I'll head to Thunder Cliff and reclaim my subordinates, then return to the Leo King's Palace to sort things out. If there's a chance, I'll battle the Wolven Kingdom again, to the death!" The Leo King's eyes flashed with a cold, determined look. His brother had died at the hands of the Wolven Kingdom. This grudge must be avenged.

"In that case, Leo King, we'll part ways here. If chance allows, we'll meet again. Moreover, please take care of Qing Yu. He's the elder brother of my friend," Ye Chen said.

"Brother Ye, please be rest assured." Tong Tian the Leo King nodded.

"Farewell then." Ye Chen looked at Ji Lei and the rest, saluting with his palm and fist.

"We'll meet again!" Ji Lei and his group bid Ye Chen farewell.

Qing Yu saluted too, saying to Ye Chen, "If you meet Little Ning, Brother Ye Chen, please tell her to return for a visit."

"I'll surely do that." Ye Chen nodded. At the thought of Little Tanuki, there was a somewhat hollow feeling in his heart.

Just then, Ye Qiu walked up toward Ye Chen. She wore a tight-fitting purple outfit that was rather charming. Although she was only fourteen or fifteen years old, she was developing the graceful figure of a woman. She was only shorter than Ye Chen by a head. Her body was hugged by the purple fabric and there were subtle curves in front of her chest. She was already rather womanly.

Ye Qiu suddenly stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on Ye Chen's cheek. Her fragrance drifted over. Ye Chen was stunned. He would never have imagined that Ye Qiu would be this straightforward.

"Brother Ye Chen said that he wanted to marry Ye Qiu. Is that true?" Ye Qiu blinked her bright, clear eyes, staring at Ye Chen.

"Uh, that…" Ye Chen laughed awkwardly. He had only been joking when he said all that.

However, Ye Qiu grinned craftily, her cheeks reddening slightly. She seemed a little shy as she tiptoed and breathed into Ye Chen's ear. "I know that Brother Ye Chen was only joking then. But if Brother Ye Chen wants Ye Qiu, Ye Qiu will surely agree. I'll always wait for you!"

With that, Ye Qiu turned and fled far away, before turning back and shooting him a sweet smile. Then, she vanished into the distance.

To think that Ye Qiu was this frank and straightforward. Ye Chen looked up, staring at her graceful departing figure, her feminine perfume still lingering in his nostrils.

Ye Chen shook his head laughingly. They had only met for a few days. He guessed that in less than a year or two, this little lady would forget all about him. Furthermore, he was not in the habit of exploiting underage girls. In his heart, Ye Qiu was merely a cute little sister.

Ye Chen watched as the Leo King and the rest left. Thereafter, he turned and walked off. He was going to the market to see if he could use the twilight gold ancient coins and other items to exchange for treasures he could use. Moreover, he wanted to find out how the seven factions had fared after entering the Soul Pagoda's seventh floor. What was the situation now and would they continue to the eighth floor?

A few hours elapsed in a flash.

As Ye Chen strolled along in the market, he felt a few pairs of eyes constantly observing him. These were Mystique Rank forces. Ye Chen did not think anything of them and continued walking alone.

There were many items for trade in the market, most of which were exchanged for Tianyuan ancient coins or medicinal pills.

It seemed like someone was collecting Tianyuan ancient coins on a massive scale. Who knew what they were going to use the Tianyuan ancient coins for? Could it be the Spirit Artifact Council?

To the Spirit Artifact Council, collecting Tianyuan ancient coins was profitable because they could smelt these Tianyuan ancient coins, then forged them into spirit artifacts. At first, the Spirit Artifact Council was covert and hidden, but after what had happened in the Soul Pagoda this time, the Spirit Artifact Council was ready to go public. Now that they had done so, other factions had no reason to keep staying hidden.

Who knew what sort of consequences the Soul Pagoda would bring? Ye Chen recalled the golden eggs he had smashed. Even Master Lion was afraid of those golden eggs. He wondered what they contained.

Presently, some Mystique Rank experts were converging upon Ye Chen. There were around ten of them. They were led by a middle-aged man dressed in silver armor, who had a boorish appearance and unkempt hair.

"Does he have any sort of background?"

"We've tracked him for a few hours. He has always been by himself. We didn't see him in contact with any factions!"

"This guy was in touch with the Spirit Artifact Council's elder. To be able to get an audience with the Spirit Artifact Council's elder, the items he had traded must be extraordinary!"

The silver-armored middle-aged man shot Ye Chen a glance, then made a few gestures. Their group swiftly circled Ye Chen, trapping him in the middle.

Upon seeing this troop, the passersby stepped back and watched from the sidelines, afraid of inviting trouble.

"This guy is in deep trouble. I know these people, they're from the Sand Beast Clan!"

"The Sand Beast Clan is one of the ancient bloodlines among the beast clans. They've always been tyrants. If anyone offends them, they wouldn't rest until he's dead. Plus, the Sand Beast Clan has a few supreme powerhouses that haven't shown themselves. Even the Tribunal Council is apprehensive toward them."

"I heard that this time, only five Daemon Kings from the Sand Beast Clan arrived, so they weren't qualified to enter the Soul Pagoda's seventh level with the other factions."

"This guy has been targeted by the Sand Beast Clan. He's a goner!"