ASER - Chapter 150
Chapter 150: Flood Dragon
In Zone One, Dantai Sheng never paid attention to such matters. The only things that might reach this young imperial prince were candidates who truly amazed him in aptitude or combat assessments. Moreover, for everyday trivialities, each Prince's Manor had specialized agencies to review and handle them, only forwarding matters deemed worthy of attention.
Someone like Chen Adiao, despite her immense popularity, had her strength assessed by the think tank. They found she focused on schemes and temperament, requiring attention, but not enough to trouble His Highness.
This was a matter for these advisors, while Seventh Prince Dantai Sheng's most important task at present was cultivation.
He had a mission.
Before the resurgence of spiritual energy, the Imperial Clan already knew about it and had made ample preparations. So, did the Imperial Clan also know about the Lushan Academy assessment?
Naturally, they knew. The average intelligence of the think tank members serving the Imperial Clan was no lower than that of the experts at the Central Academy of Sciences; each one was a shrewd individual.
However, when these shrewd individuals encountered an unorthodox character like A'Diao, a few particularly cunning and perceptive advisors did raise objections, suggesting the Seventh Prince pay attention, but they were overruled by others.
"It's not that we believe this person poses no threat. In fact, considering Chen Ran's official position and family capital, although Madam Xu's family is wealthy, no funds were invested in this Chen Adiao. We've thoroughly investigated the investments Chen Ran's capital made for his three children; though he tried his best, it was pitifully small, as he doesn't have much money. Overall, Chen Adiao's rapid development and the origin of her resources are not from the Chen family. We tentatively guess they came from Qu Jiangnan and Jiang Zhou, but these two belong to the Academy Alliance, and we cannot investigate their accounts without the Alliance's consent. However, this isn't important; her threat level is not yet close to that of Baili Huayue and others."
"His Highness's most important task is to suppress all factions, including the powerful nobles, imperial kinsmen, and Daoist sects, secure the first position, preserve the Imperial Clan's authority, and enter Lushan Academy as number one. Everything else is a minor detail."
"This stage actually emphasizes the literary exam. None of the prodigies previously noted as requiring attention have revealed their trump cards. What they've shown so far are basically insight and speed, never willing to engage in direct, life-or-death confrontations with others because it wastes energy... Therefore, the overall strength demonstrated has little correlation with aptitude."
"Let's still focus on Duanmu Qingyang, Baili Huayue, Qu Hanchuan, Wanqi Jian'ai, and He Sijian, as well as Xie San from the Chen Commandery Xie Clan. Strange, this person has suddenly emerged as a dark horse, jumping so high in the rankings. It seems he either bought scrolls through Song Ling and Chen Adiao, or, like Chen Adiao and her group, deliberately held back answers to boost his ranking at the last moment."
In the final ten-minute wave, A'Diao wasn't the only one who suddenly submitted answers to boost their ranking. It wasn't that these people deliberately colluded; A'Diao didn't have such connections.
Rather, many prodigies had noticed this exploitable point. To avoid having the quantity of their scroll resources scrutinized through their ranking and point increases, they silently completed the scroll answers but didn't submit them.
The reason Chen Adiao openly submitted purple-gold scrolls for points earlier was because she was ruthless, deliberately using herself as bait to set a trap and extort money.
"Besides Xie San from the Chen Commandery Xie Clan who must be suppressed, also keep an eye on Zhao Foshou. This person isn't good at the literary exam, but his aptitude and bloodline talent have always been hidden. Among the Four Great Daoist Families, the Zhao Clan is the most low-key. They formed a marriage alliance with the Xie Clan before the Imperial Clan could, which was cunning. This Zhao Foshou has a notorious public reputation; he might also be pretending to be weak to prey on the strong."
"Also, among those from humble origins, Mo Yuwo and Xia Sanlu are worth noting."
These people constantly exchanged intelligence. Comparatively, they were more wary of other non-imperial princely clans and powerful nobles, as these groups could most easily threaten the Tang Song Imperial Clan. As for disciples from humble origins, their strategy was to win them over.
A classic civil official family like the Chens, with no foundation, few connections, and even their collateral branches having died out—with Chen Ran being a man who maintained his integrity, was timid, didn't even dare to engage in corruption, and whose family was dirt poor—the Imperial Clan was not wary of them. On the contrary, they felt reassured.
The advisor who had argued for Chen Adiao's importance saw others list her name among those who could be won over as allies. Although somewhat uneasy, he couldn't win against the more influential voices.
His idea was to suppress this person in advance. If she was disobedient, they would resort to threatening the Chen family. After all, the Chen family had a weak foundation and was in the imperial court, making them easy to threaten and thus control.
But... no one paid attention, so there was nothing he could do.
On second thought, perhaps he was being too sensitive.
This Chen Adiao seemed cunning, but she hadn't acted ruthlessly to completely cut off the examination prospects of Baili Xianyun and the others. She probably had some sense of fear.
Otherwise, she would have eradicated them completely.
Look, the rankings of Baili Xianyun and the others weren't actually affected much, and she even indirectly helped the Imperial Clan suppress their upward momentum.
It was also because of this that the think tank believed this girl wasn't much of a threat.
However, an investigation was still necessary. This advisor still used his authority.
Toilet felt that A'Diao was far too calculating. Did you think she didn't want to eliminate Baili Xianyun and the others?
Eradicate them completely, eliminating future troubles forever.
But this person had known how to read people and weigh pros and cons since she was young. Within the Lushan trials, there was protection, but it only ensured her current personal safety. Although she was certain she could enter Lushan Academy, she didn't know how Lushan would treat these candidates differently.
The top-notch first, second, and third placers would naturally be treated as precious treasures. But if one was mediocre, would Lushan Academy resist the threats from families like Baili and Nangong for an average student?
A'Diao felt... there was no need to resist. These families wouldn't dare to completely lose face, because they wouldn't gamble their family's fate for a single bloodline disciple. After all, they weren't like the Han Clan with only one sole heir, nor like Chen Ran with only one useful son.
What A'Diao was truly wary of was the Imperial Clan.
The Imperial Clan still had some influence with Lushan Academy; otherwise, Lushan Academy wouldn't allow two imperial family members and a collateral imperial kinsman from the Dantai lineage to participate in the examination.
Wasn't this equivalent to letting the Imperial Clan fleece Lushan Academy?
She hadn't thought about it in detail before because she hadn't reached this level. When she climbed to Jinling Academy, she thought it would be fine to pass the major exam and get into the Three Famous Schools as soon as possible. Then she could break free from the Chen family, soar, and reach the peak of life as a rich, beautiful woman of her generation. But the higher she climbed, the higher the platform she stood on, the more she saw of this world's intricate power structure.
She could only repeatedly alter her future plans.
Plan three steps ahead for every step taken; now, A'Diao was looking ten steps ahead.
The upper limit at the end of these ten steps involved Lushan Academy and the Imperial Clan.
Firstly, the Imperial Clan was something she absolutely couldn't deal with now, so she had to avoid risks from this direction in advance. A specific reference was Qu Jiangnan; one only needed to look at her to know the outcome.
Wasn't she strong? Her own strength was at the Glimmer Realm expert level, and she would probably reach the Star Realm soon. She had a spiritual familiar, formidable combat power, the backing of Jiang Zhou and the Academy Alliance, connections with the Xie and Zhao families, and even the capital to associate with influential figures like the Xiao siblings. Yet, Qu Jiangnan still avoided direct confrontation and didn't dare to act against the Qu family, precisely because she was wary of the Imperial Clan.
When under someone else's roof, one has to bow their head.
So, A'Diao could only control risks, "KO" Baili Xianyun and others to gather resources, but she couldn't afford an open fallout. She had to play the game according to the current order established by the Imperial Clan's dominance, and ideally, align with their interests.
Therefore, when A'Diao saw through the Imperial Clan's political maneuvering—using powerful nobles and imperial kinsmen to counter Daoist sects and the Academy Alliance, while simultaneously worrying about these nobles and kinsmen climbing too high—she formed a plan.
So far, it seemed to be working. The Imperial Clan hadn't approached her, indicating they were temporarily reassured about her.
She just didn't know if they would try to probe further.
"Speaking of which, that old dog Chen Ran is still somewhat useful. A typical conservative high-ranking scholar-official, a politically reliable candidate for a cabinet position, he himself has no cultivation ability, few family members, and no complex marriage alliances. He's decent at governing localities, perceptive, and won't cross the red lines of the imperial court or the Imperial Clan. He's basically the type of 'worker' those in power prefer."
A'Diao looked at it from all angles; this was about the extent of old dog Chen Ran's usefulness.
But she predicted that after the Lushan Academy examination, she could distance herself from the Chen family. After all, the matter of that Chen family ancestor doing some wicked deed and getting cursed was also quite vexing for her.
Just as A'Diao had assessed the current situation and thought she could wait with peace of mind for Lushan Academy to send her reward, the phone rang.
A look at the caller ID: Driver Lao Wang.
A'Diao raised an eyebrow. Driver Lao Wang was currently affiliated with the old Jinling residence. Although he was her direct subordinate, because she had risen too quickly and Lao Wang had no cultivation foundation, there were many things he couldn't handle. He was a sensible man who had adjusted his role well, only serving A'Diao's affairs within the Chen family. Now that she was in Kyoto, if there was any matter, he would only go through the old Jinling butler step by step to reach her, not overstepping his position.
Therefore, the one using his phone to contact her directly... must be Chen Ran.
But on second thought, this old dog probably wouldn't dare to call her now. Astute as Chen Ran was, he knew he hadn't treated her well and feared A'Diao would retaliate once she became powerful. No contact meant safety, and family interests could still be aligned. Once contact was made, there would be risks, because he definitely couldn't predict A'Diao's current temperament and intentions.
So, why would this old dog take the initiative to call her now? And sneakily use Lao Wang's phone?
Unless... this was a necessary call.
A'Diao narrowed her eyes, deliberately letting it ring for a while with a cold gaze before answering.
She didn't speak, waiting for Chen Ran to speak first.
She needed to discern the meaning of this call.
Chen Ran's voice came through, "Um, Diaodiao..."
Upon hearing this soft, polite, and affected address, A'Diao knew something was wrong.
This old dog was warning her.
Her thoughts raced for a moment, then A'Diao said coldly, "What is it?"
"Firstly, Father is truly very happy. You're so formidable now, your performance this time was excellent. Father feels honored. But, Father must remind you, if any shady characters approach you, asking you to join something, don't agree."
"Are you talking about the Qu family? The Qu family did indeed contact me, that... Qu something-zhou."
A'Diao deliberately mentioned the Qu family to cause trouble for them—because their call was definitely being monitored by the Imperial Clan now.
Chen Ran: "Qu Hanzhou, that's the eldest son of the Qu family head by his primary wife."
Chen Ran was indeed quick-witted and perceptive. He immediately added details, also telling A'Diao—he knew about the Lushan examination situation. Because he knew, this call inevitably involved its hidden dangers.
For example...
A'Diao: "So impressive. No wonder he was so arrogant, even asking me to change my ID."
Chen Ran: "That ID of yours indeed is..."
A'Diao: "Is Father blaming me? If I didn't do this, how could I attract Lushan Academy's attention? I was nearly assassinated by the Baili family before, almost died. Luckily, Teacher Qu saved me. But indirectly, Teacher Qu's troubles with the Qu family... As her disciple, I can't completely disassociate myself. Now that I'm in Kyoto, I'm naturally scared, so I can only make my reputation bigger. The more famous I am, the more attention I get, and only then will the Baili and Qu families not dare to assassinate me."
Chen Ran: "Indeed, that's reasonable. These powerful nobles... It's regrettable that Father's official position is too low to protect you."
A'Diao: "Sigh, if Father works hard, you'll eventually rise. But will Eldest Brother's situation drag you down?"
Chen Ran: "I don't know. It's unstable for now, too complicated. Father can only be careful."
A'Diao: "That's why I have to get good results. Otherwise, if something happens to you, and with Eldest Brother in his state, I'll be at others' mercy. Besides, the Qu family seems to be involved with the Third Prince..."
Chen Ran: "Speak cautiously! Diaodiao, my child, you absolutely must not get involved with these princes. For an official, forming cliques for private gain is a major taboo. Loyalty to sovereign power should be paramount; everything else is unorthodox and evil! Remember this, remember this!"
A'Diao: "But... never mind. That's why I have to enter Lushan Academy. If there are any marriage alliance matters next, Father, please help me turn them down. I've noticed that the partners of these Lushan Academy teachers rarely have ties with the Imperial Clan or even imperial kinsmen. It's likely they also don't want to interfere with imperial power. Therefore, I cannot do so either."
Chen Ran: "Father also has this intention. I just fear some prince might take a fancy to you."
A'Diao: "I think so too. Unless this prince has... that hope."
Chen Ran's face changed in horror, and he rebuked angrily, "Outrageous! Diaodiao!"
A'Diao: "Never mind, let's not talk about it. Does Father have anything else?"
Chen Ran: "Also, Father is very curious, that 'barnacle' of yours is?"
A'Diao: "That is the secret technique the Qu family wants from Teacher. It takes a significant toll on the mental body. If not absolutely necessary, I would never dare to use it."
Chen Ran: "So that's how it is. No wonder the Qu family is so aggressive. Does it damage one's foundation?"
A'Diao was silent for a long time before saying, "It will affect... fertility."
Chen Ran: "What!!!"
A'Diao: "Simulating the barnacle's genetic strand, altering the sequence, each time it's activated..."
She briefly explained the principle. Of course, someone like Chen Ran who didn't cultivate couldn't quite understand, but he grasped the key point. "So, after many such genetic alterations, it will affect the genetic data, making it disordered?"
A'Diao: "Yes. Teacher didn't want me to learn it at first either, but didn't I offend the Baili family back then? Saving my life is more important than fertility."
Chen Ran: "You're only telling me this now..."
A'Diao: "I need some treasures to repair the damaged genes, but they can't be bought through ordinary channels. I need to use Father's connections to buy them from the internal marketplace for court officials. If the investment is large enough, perhaps it can be repaired in the future."
Chen Ran suddenly realized, "No wonder you wanted to extort... uh, no, to engage in cooperative transactions to get so much money. It was for this?"
A'Diao remained silent.
Chen Ran: "Father understands. So, the Qu family doesn't know about this?"
A'Diao deliberately sneered, "Teacher didn't say, but I think they definitely don't know. Otherwise, with such a huge hidden danger, and their family prioritizing males over females the most, what would they use it for? Wouldn't it mean ending their family line? Ah, no! I know what they want to do!"
Chen Ran: "Do what?"
A'Diao: "Are they... are they going to force the girls in their family to learn it? To completely exploit their value, using them like workhorses in a production team? Since they can't have children, they can only cling to the family and work hard for it."
Actually, that wasn't it. She thought the high-level officials of the listening intelligence agency would definitely think of a deeper implication.
Chen Ran fell silent at once, as if the thought was terrifying upon closer reflection. He said dryly, "Diaodiao, rest assured, even if Father were completely deranged, I wouldn't dare..."
Snap! A'Diao hung up the phone.
At this moment, the intelligence agency under the Seventh Prince's Imperial Clan think tank also heard the call end.
The advisor had an exceptional memory and had already memorized the entire conversation between the father and daughter. He quickly made the following judgments.
1. Chen Ran is an old fox in officialdom. He knew his call with Chen Adiao would be monitored, so he deliberately used a servant's phone. Therefore, this call has high credibility and was not a collusion between the two. However, a cautious check revealed that the father and daughter had no direct or other social media interactions during this period, making prior collusion impossible. Overall judgment: credible.
2. The Baili family and Chen Adiao indeed have enmity. Chen Adiao is worried about this. Her unruly behavior is for self-preservation, and she has weighed the pros and cons, wanting to enter Lushan Academy to save her life and secure her future.
3. The Qu family aims to obtain the secret technique from Chen Adiao and must know its contents. However, it's not to force its use on the family's women, because the Qu family's current plans for their girls are mainly for marriage alliances to consolidate power, and they always aim for the position of primary wife... Then why would they dare to offer Qu Jiangnan to the Third Prince? The Third Prince had explicitly stated his willingness to marry Qu Jiangnan as his primary wife. After all, whether in terms of background, bloodline, ability, or feminine charm, Qu Jiangnan was the Third Prince's optimal choice. If the Qu family knew this secret, wouldn't it... sever the possibility of the Third Prince having a legitimate heir? Ah, perhaps the Qu family's real investment isn't the Third Prince, but likely another prince! This Qu family is quite two-faced. However, this information is very valuable. It can be used as a weapon to make the Qu family and the Third Prince turn against each other, which would benefit the Seventh Prince's foundation.
4. However, regarding the suspicion in point 3, it must first be confirmed that the secret technique indeed affects fertility and wasn't fabricated by Chen Adiao.
Thus, this advisor further investigated A'Diao's purchasing channels and found that a month ago and recently, she had purchased many medicinal materials, some in large quantities, and some of these were indeed related to genes.
That was in the past; she couldn't have anticipated today's events to lay the groundwork for this. Therefore, it can be judged as credible.
Combining these four points, along with the advisor's prior investigation into the Chen family's secrets and knowledge of Chen Adiao's resentment towards Chen Ran and the Chen family, he deeply analyzed their personalities.
The father engaged in petty schemes and plotting but mistreated his most promising youngest daughter, hence his apprehension.
The daughter, having overcome hardship, is selfish and cold-hearted but values benefits. Currently, she only aims to climb to a high position. She has a high opinion of herself and only wants to marry a prince with the potential to become Crown Prince as his primary wife. Thus, she is eager to repair her genes for fertility. However, she is also unwilling to be used by Chen Ran, so her final words were a warning to him.
Conclusion: The Chen family is internally disintegrating, with poor relationships among family members, supported only by meager benefits and security. Such a family poses little threat. Chen Adiao is cunning, selfish, greedy, harsh, and ungrateful, with limited vision, but she doesn't want to defy the rules and can only maintain a tied relationship with Chen Ran. Overall judgment: this person can be used but should not be heavily relied upon or won over. She is unsuitable to be a prince's woman; otherwise, her ambition, coupled with her audacity to conceal fertility defects, would lead outsiders to perceive that the prince covets imperial power, inviting great disaster.
The advisor, holding his pen, finally felt relieved. Afterwards, he monitored new intelligence.
Chen Ran was gloomy. Later, he called Xu Ye, putting on the same hypocritical and affected act, but there weren't as many confidential exchanges as with A'Diao. However, it was clear that his second daughter was equally perfunctory towards him, her attitude even less feigned than Chen Adiao's.
Afterwards, this Chen Ran was quite something. He turned around and communicated with some of his superiors and colleagues, adopting the air of an authoritative scholar-official father, full of condescension towards his two daughters.
Advisor: "..."
This old dog truly has good fortune, but he's also truly despicable. However, an old official who can't rely on either his elder or younger son poses little threat.
Meanwhile, in the Governor's office, Chen Ran, likely in a gloomy mood, downed two cups of coffee. Later, he went to a restroom without surveillance. But at this moment, looking at himself in the mirror, Chen Ran finally heaved a long sigh of relief.
He had probably managed to muddle through.
But was he relaxed?
Not at all.
Still apprehensive.
Because his fear and caution towards his two daughters were genuine.
He understood all too well that the smarter and more formidable his two daughters became, the more his past actions would be detested by them. If he were truly an idiot, it would be one thing, but he was acutely aware that if his two daughters were to backlash, he and his family would be turned to ash and annihilated.
"Damn that Xun'er was harmed by someone's machinations, and Yangyang..."
Thinking of Chen Yang's aptitude test results, Chen Ran's blood pressure rose—because even a dog in the family probably had better cultivation aptitude than Yangyang.
It was too hard. Why was it so hard for him!!
Was he doomed to live under the shadow of his two terrifying daughters for the rest of his life?
Why did it feel like the tables had turned?
Just because he had oppressed, treated coldly, and disdained his two daughters in the past, he was now being oppressed, treated coldly, and disdained by them... But weren't other families like this too?
Why was he so unlucky!
Oh, it must be that their genes were too poor to produce such outstanding daughters.
Would it be better if they were married off?
But that wouldn't do. His two sons were already useless. Even if the eldest son had escaped a calamity, he couldn't cultivate and lacked deterrent power.
As for his beloved youngest son, forget it. He should just do more practice problems and try to get into a regular high school. He feared he might not even get into a regular high school, and his education would only qualify him for tightening screws in a factory.
So, these two daughters had to be treated very well. In the future, he would consider having sons-in-law marry into the family. He absolutely couldn't let another family benefit, otherwise, what about the rise and fall of his own family?
Too difficult!
The worried frown on Chen Ran's face needed no pretense. A voice came from the health wristwatch on his arm.
"Beep beep beep, Lord Chen, your blood pressure and heart rate have spiked to dangerous levels. Please take your quick-acting heart-saving pills immediately, otherwise you risk cerebral palsy, paralysis, or stroke... And a special reminder: every time you return home or face your two daughters, your physical and mental health are at their worst."
Chen Ran: "!"
He rushed out of the restroom to find his medicine.
Advisor: "..."
Is this Chen family toxic? But... it's inexplicably satisfying.
Meanwhile, although A'Diao had laid traps for the Baili and Qu families, laid the groundwork regarding Qu Jiangnan's secret technique, extricated herself, and even used the properties of medicinal materials needed for her past body conditioning and current premeditated plan as a disguise, her mood was just as foul as Chen Ran's.
It was just that the latter's mood stemmed from his troublesome daughters.
The former's was purely due to her rebellious thoughts.
"Damn it, I just stood out a little, and they investigate, investigate, investigate. If I had a background like Xie Jingyu's, would they dare? Definitely not! But if I don't have such a background, I'll have to live forever under its control and shadow. How can I be willing!"
"So what if they're princes? With equal resources, who would be more awesome is still unknown! I, Chen Adiao, have extraordinary aptitude and am exceptionally intelligent... Hah!"
"However, to resolve such a predicament... there's only one path left, isn't it? To..."
A'Diao suddenly realized her thoughts had reached a dangerous level. She narrowed her eyes, smiled, and silently recited the Dao De Jing a few times.
She put on an appearance of being pure-hearted and having few desires.
Toilet: "..."
But Toilet knew this person was an insidious and treacherous individual who could lie and act without batting an eyelid even before the Daoist Three Pure Ones or the Buddhist Tathagata.
The more pure-hearted and desireless she appeared now, the stronger her inner desires, and the more resolute and ruthless her thoughts.
Toilet: "Look on the bright side. At least you've now used Chen Ran and this imperial probe to create a cover for your bloodline work."
This phone call was like killing N birds with one stone. It also conveniently justified her spending so much money and laid the groundwork for the future.
Later, she wouldn't need to engage in further schemes. This intelligence agency, representing the Seventh Prince's interests, would use this information to deal with the Qu family and also prevent the Baili family from contacting A'Diao.
"It's just picking chocolate out of shit," A'Diao said, her emotions flat. The so-called ruler-parent-teacher system under imperial power was rather extreme, and could be very toxic when taken to extremes. So, when she couldn't resist the ruler, she couldn't expose her rebellious streak against paternal authority, or the ruler would deem her too great a hidden danger.
A thousand people, a thousand faces; she still had to show fear. For now, she had to present such a persona to the ruler's side.
Toilet: "..."
"Then look at your account balance. Adding the money Song Ling got from selling to Xie San and the others, you've earned 400 billion in this wave. Also, the reward is outside the door."
Beep beep, someone was at the door.
Someone from Lushan Academy had come to deliver something.
As soon as A'Diao opened the door, she instantly sensed that this person, who looked like a delivery man... was at the Glimmer Realm.
Lushan Academy was impressive; even their delivery personnel were Glimmer Realm? But it was probably because this reward was too important that a Glimmer Realm cultivator was sent to deliver it.
"Delivered. Please inspect and confirm."
"Alright, thank you."
After the person left, A'Diao opened the square, anciently carved mahogany box, full of anticipation.
Her eyes fell upon it.
A vibrant scarlet hair ribbon.
It looked ordinary, yet faintly flamboyant.
A'Diao: "? SM bondage tape?"
Toilet: "???"
The moment A'Diao picked up the ribbon, it was activated, its spirituality connecting with her mental body.
Such strong spirituality! It directly suppressed her two Grade A spiritual cultivation items, the Heavenly Dog and the Ancient Spirit Gathering.
Supreme Grade A Spiritual Medium—Level 15 Crimson Lightning Thunder Flood Dragon Half-Dragon Tendon Fossil.
Holy crap! A spiritual cultivation medium made from a Flood Dragon tendon?!!!
Level 15, that's almost the level of a Jiaolong-type demonic spirit at the peak of the initial Star Realm and half a step into the Grandmaster Realm.
A Flood Dragon tendon, too powerful!
A'Diao and Toilet were overjoyed, because they both thought of this item's use—a dragon tendon, the main conduit of a Flood Dragon demonic spirit's bloodline essence.
"Lushan Academy sending me this reward clearly means they've investigated my cursed bloodline situation. Regardless of whether they think highly of me, or whether they'll halve my value because my cultivation upper limit is suppressed, their gift obviously considered my needs. This Lushan Academy is not bad; I can work with them."
"By refining it, I can temporarily substitute for my Glimmer Realm bloodline issues and unleash the bloodline secret arts appropriate for the Glimmer Realm. Moreover, the bloodline of a Level 15 Crimson Lightning Thunder Flood Dragon is more than sufficient, even far surpassing the ordinary human bloodlines of other Glimmer Realm cultivators."
Too powerful.
This third place was too valuable.
But A'Diao quickly thought again, "Did I suffer a loss? Scheming so much just for these 400 billion... I actually had a chance at first place."
Toilet: "You wouldn't have. First place would have been too much, touching the Imperial Clan's red line prematurely. You wouldn't do that. Besides, isn't your main goal Mental Power? Also, your bloodline plan currently needs funds; nothing can be done without money."
True. A'Diao knew that for resources, getting them when needed was key; timeliness provided the greatest efficacy.
Her biggest problem now was to sort out her bloodline, then break through to the Glimmer Realm, and ultimately stage a comeback.
"However, this thing is actually comparable in effect to my bloodline plan. With it, I could either abandon my bloodline plan and use this directly, saving trouble and effort. But there's another option—to elevate my plan, raising it by another three levels."
A smile flashed in A'Diao's eyes, but she also began to prepare.
The items needed in her plan checklist were divided into three parts.
One part, related to gene repair, would go through Chen Ran's channels.
One part, related to top-grade medicinal materials, would go through Huayao Bank's channels.
For the part that even Huayao Bank didn't have, A'Diao could only go to Kyoto's most high-end auction house.
"The original list could have all gone through Huayao Bank's channels. But with the addition of the Level 15 Crimson Lightning Thunder Flood Dragon Half-Dragon Tendon Fossil, the plan changed. It needs to be upgraded by another two levels, requiring material replacement. I need to switch to a Grandmaster-level Thousand Vine Heart-Meridian Sequence Plant Core and a Level 15 Flood Dragon Pill Fossil. But Huayao Bank doesn't have the materials I need; they've been bought by someone else."
These two treasures were items that only Grandmaster-level cultivators could afford. She was currently engaging in cross-class, above-standard consumption.
But there was no choice; she lacked bloodline power.
A'Diao checked the transaction records of Huayao Bank's core VIP marketplace and saw that these two items had been bought. Helpless, she could only consult the Tang Song Nation Regional CEO of Huayao Bank.
CEO: "The two types you want were bought three days ago by a core VIP buyer from Lie Qin Nation. We currently have no stock. If you really need them, our consortium can procure them, but it will take a month."
A'Diao: "I'm afraid that won't work."
CEO: "Then there are two other options. Currently, two places still have these types of treasures. One is the Black Mountain Auction House within Tang Song territory. They have it, but it's likely prepared for auction. You could buy it internally through connections, but you'd need to add a certain amount of money to intercept the auction. The second is the Black Mountain Auction House in Nan Jin Nation, but that's probably not suitable for you. Firstly, the location, and secondly, the auction is in half a month. Considering everything, the first place is more suitable for you."
A'Diao: "Then the first option. Can I go through internal channels with a Huayao VIP status?"
CEO: "Yes, I will write a letter of recommendation. As long as you can afford the price. My current recommended price is: their internal auction's expected price for both treasures combined should be around 300 billion. But if you want to intercept it, you'll probably need an additional 50 billion. If you negotiate carefully, 30 billion might be enough. It depends on how you negotiate."
Meaning, at most, it would cost 350 billion.
A'Diao had a clear idea now, but she asked one more question: "What is the background of Black Mountain Auction House?"
If someone like Zhou Yi was already a top elite among the younger generation of a country, the ceiling for self-made individuals, whose personal abilities and track record could investigate geniuses like Baili Xianyun who only had family protection, then this consortium CEO, firmly established as a national head, could completely dominate Zhou Yi. So, he understood A'Diao's meaning.
CEO: "The Alliance of Daoist Sects. And this group is also the entity most capable of acquiring resources. Many treasures circulate among them, so they can evade the probing of various national imperial clans and even the Academy Alliance. Their relationship with national sacred lands like Lushan Academy is also the best; they are closely connected."
A'Diao had an epiphany.
The Black Mountain Consortium, represented by Black Mountain Auction House, and the Huayao Consortium, represented by Huayao Bank, were both top-tier conglomerate forces spanning three nations. They did not serve the imperial clans of various countries and also had close cooperative relationships with national sacred lands like Lushan Academy.
Then there was even less need to mention the imperial kinsmen and powerful nobles below them.
Then she could rest assured.
A'Diao: "Alright, thank you."
CEO: "You're welcome. By the way: Zhou Yi is a junior fellow student of mine; our relationship is decent. He understands business ethics and noted some information with me in advance. However, my relationship with him is purely personal and does not affect our business dealings. Please rest assured, Your Excellency. This relationship note has also been recorded in the core VIP transaction code of conduct. If there are any adverse effects, an audit and investigation can be conducted based on this code."
This was something A'Diao hadn't expected. She suddenly understood and, for a moment, felt that such service-oriented major powers were much more comfortable to deal with. Through various transaction networks, they naturally knew her identity but pretended not to, adhering to regulations. But look at the Imperial Clan—ptooey!
Toilet: "The Imperial Clan is so dominant. Have you thought about what to do in the upcoming assessments? Are you really going to be subservient to others?"
A'Diao narrowed her eyes and, instead, smiled.
"Lushan Academy sending me this is a hint. I suspect the rewards it sent to the top fifty people are all very good—it doesn't want those surnamed Dantai to enter Lushan Academy."
"Benefiting from Imperial Clan resources while also wanting to monopolize Lushan Academy's benefits—there's no such easy deal in the world. What I need to do is raise my own value to the highest, hitting the exact point that tempts Lushan. What I deserve, I will get."
"Moreover, while these princes act dominantly towards their subordinates, they themselves are in a precarious situation."
"Their situation isn't necessarily better than mine."
For an entity like the Imperial Clan, there were far too many exploitable "bugs."
As A'Diao was thinking, her wristwatch beeped with a notification: The second examination, the aptitude assessment, is scheduled for three days later. Further notification will be given in three days.
So, were these three days for the nationwide audience to travel to Dunhuang?
A'Diao smiled faintly.
She had seen it early on; Lushan Academy's activities were linked to the tourism route for the Dunhuang Grottoes... Lushan Academy was truly impressive; who knew how much benefit they reaped from it.
Attracting investment and generating top national popularity—the profits probably far exceeded her 400 billion.
The next day, A'Diao obediently cultivated at Lushan Academy. But an unremarkable pretty boy wearing a floral shirt and red shorts arrived in Kyoto aboard the Qingzhou Governor's official ship.
After A'Diao's confirmation, Heaven on Earth allowed Governor Zhao Ritian in, making it seem as if the two had made contact, to ensure Chen Adiao was still at Heaven on Earth.
But in reality, as soon as Zhao Ritian entered, he gave her an anonymous bank card with 100 billion and a large batch of spirit cores and material resources. These were all proceeds from his responsibility of eliminating various bandits and clearing out lairs within the five prefectures.
The medicinal materials among them were all obtained by "Zhao Ritian" through various channels according to A'Diao's needs, effectively evading detection.
In total, A'Diao now had 500 billion in funds, 12,000 level-six spirit cores, some level-seven spirit cores, and a pile of medicinal materials she needed.
Currently, she was only missing those two treasures from the Black Mountain Auction House.
"It's a pity I can't create another clone; otherwise, it would be completely foolproof. My cultivation level is still too low. My mental body is sufficient, but my cultivation is not."
A'Diao sighed, but she scanned a foreigner's corpse that Zhao Ritian had traded to her, directly transformed into this person, took their identification documents and other items, and activated the ability from Space Notebook Volume Two—Fixed-Point Spatial Marker Teleportation.
Buzz. A'Diao herself vanished into thin air, while Zhao Ritian stayed at A'Diao's place, eating and cultivating.
Swoosh. A'Diao appeared at the Kyoto Starship Terminus, at a spot marked by Zhao Ritian. She invisibly boarded a starship heading to Lie Qin Nation. After arriving in Lie Qin Nation, she then openly, using this person's Lie Qin national identity, took a starship back to Kyoto.
She arrived at the Black Mountain Auction House in Kyoto that afternoon.
Although Black Mountain was said to be trustworthy and could evade imperial investigation, A'Diao still made thorough preparations.
What if she ran into an acquaintance here?
In a secret VIP room at the Black Mountain Auction House, A'Diao, wearing a black mask and holding the CEO's letter of recommendation, met face-to-face with the head of the Black Mountain Auction House.
The other party held a high position and significant power. Naturally, he wouldn't care about the identity of the person holding the recommendation letter. He understood industry rules; a recommendation letter plus funds were sufficient. When doing business, why would you care about someone's identity, or whether they had hemorrhoids?
Originally, this Boss of Black Mountain wanted to try and haggle the price a bit.
The bottom line for a buyout was 30 billion; he wanted to push it higher, preferably to 40 billion... then his commission would be much higher.
"A 350 billion buyout. I'm doing this for someone else, and the goal is to get it done. If we can't agree, I'll wait half a month and go to Nan Jin. It'll be settled then, a done deal."
Her casual offer, which was essentially a 30 billion concession from further haggling, stunned the Boss of Black Mountain. He once again raised this client's perceived level, secretly wondering if this person was a trusted aide sent by the imperial kinsmen of Lie Qin or one of their most powerful nobles.
Because Lie Qin lacked these kinds of materials, they had specially come to Tang Song to buy them, but they also didn't want to expose their identity, as it was a cross-border transaction.
"Mr. Li Si, you are indeed straightforward. Alright, I will submit this transaction application immediately. We can ensure the deal is completed shortly."
The contract and other documents had been prepared long ago; after all, the Huayao CEO had contacted them in advance.
Ten minutes. They went through each procedure at the fastest speed. The transaction was quickly confirmed, funds were transferred, and the items were obtained.
Less than 20 minutes had passed since A'Diao arrived at the Black Mountain Auction House.
She would rather spend an extra 20 billion to eliminate all risks; absolutely no unexpected trouble could arise. The fact that people from Lie Qin were also buying this kind of item indicated that top-tier bloodline treasures were scarce, at least in Lie Qin. Especially for demonic spirit types like Jiaolong, this was a rare opportunity not to be missed. What if someone from the same batch of Lushan Academy exam students suddenly needed it too?
With the matter settled, A'Diao felt relieved and was about to leave, but the Boss of Black Mountain invited her to participate in the upcoming auction and even gave her a core VIP card.
Its benefits were similar to Huayao's.
In fact, the bloodline plan materials A'Diao currently needed, as well as the Grade B formula materials, were all complete. But she still had 150 billion in funds on hand, and she pondered how to spend it.
It seemed Toilet could be upgraded. Would any new abilities emerge? What if there were needed materials? She would have to run to the auction house again or wait for a delivery from the Huayao Consortium, which was a bit troublesome.
A'Diao pretended to answer a call and went to the restroom. She converted all the spirit cores Zhao Ritian had brought into energy points. Adding to her existing 600 million energy points, she was still short by over 100 million, so she emptied out all the spirit cores she had on hand, barely managing to gather 2 billion energy points.
Originally, she had planned to use these spirit cores to make talismans, but now they were all used up.
Level: 14 (Current Energy: 0/10 Billion Energy Points, an additional 200 million energy points are required to upgrade to Level 14. Note: Level 14 provides 100,000 cubic meters of storage space. At Level 14, all exchanged skills will automatically be upgraded by +30 levels by absorbing ambient spiritual energy.)
Mental Power: 13 Billion.
Synchronized Spiritual Energy Release: 200,000 strands.
Exchanged Skills:
Fused Spiritual Plant Custom Attack Mode, Rallying Troops and Summoning Generals, and all other skills like 101, 202, 303... all at max level and finally Lv. 30.
Exchangeable Skills:
1: Bloodline Origin Array (Awakens bloodline talent, enhances bloodline power, forms a corresponding bloodline array diagram. Specific origin array category depends on the specific bloodline type aptitude. Exchangeable for 10 billion. Upgrades once every 50 levels.)
A'Diao: "???"
"Damn it, Toilet! You really offer things based on my Mental Power foundation, insisting on emptying it out! But why offer such an awesome secret technique locked to a bloodline I don't even have yet?!! And you only offer one, nothing else!"
"Fuck you!"
Without a bloodline, even if awakened, it's useless.
Not buying, not buying, buy my ass!
A'Diao, who had been excited, was suddenly jolted as if by cold water. After going out, she was about to bid farewell to the Boss of Black Mountain, but suddenly a subordinate came over and mentioned a batch of skeletal remains resources to him.
A'Diao: "?"
Holy crap!
They have this too?
Which ancient ruin or old grave was raided?
Then I'm definitely not leaving.
Thinking of the meridians and spiritual threads within her body, A'Diao felt she hadn't reached the point of excavating the limits of her mental body... Spend 150 billion in one go!
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