Chapter 0910: Emperor’s Melon

Chapter 0910: The Emperor's Melon

After seeing Teacher Li leave, Yu Shutian smiled at Qin Yun and said, "A-Yun, thank you!"

"Miss Yu, you sure attract a lot of trouble!" Qin Yun chuckled and shook his head.

"Indeed! It's driving me crazy! I've been at the Phantom Spirit Academy for two years and have almost gone through all the ancient texts here. It's about time I leave!" Yu Shutian sighed softly. "If I stay any longer, shameless men will keep proposing—or worse... It's bad enough when single men propose, but those who want me as a concubine are absolutely vile!"

Qin Yun laughed. "Who told you to be so outstanding and charming?"

Yu Shutian pouted. "You wouldn’t believe how vile Young Master Chu is! Not only does he want to marry me, but he also wants Ai Yuan, Tong Qinxin, and Ling Xinyun! He even bragged about marrying all of us at once!"

Qin Yun couldn’t help but laugh. "Don’t your friends fantasize about marrying a Martial King? Young Master Chu should be perfect for them!"

Yu Shutian shot him a glare. "If they marry him, I’ll cut them off on the spot!"

"It seems that Young Master Chu is truly revolting!" Qin Yun shook his head with a smile.

"Absolutely! That guy is well-connected, but because of his antics, fewer men come to bother me now—they’re afraid of offending him!" Yu Shutian said. "That Young Master Chu is insatiable. He’s already got several women fawning over him, yet he still has his eyes on me and Xiao Yuan!"

The courtyard gate suddenly opened, and three gorgeous women walked in—Ling Xinyun, Tong Qinxin, and Ai Yuan, all dressed in light blue gowns.

The styles of their dresses were different, but the color was the same, clearly coordinated.

"Xiao Tian, I forgot to ask you yesterday—what exactly is your cultivation level? How were you able to easily control that Martial King from the Black Cloud Gang?" Tong Qinxin asked as soon as she entered and saw Qin Yun in the hall.

"I never said I was weak!" Qin Yun grinned. "After all, I’m a distant cousin of the young lady’s family. I have some strength, or else I wouldn’t be qualified to be her page!"

"Xiao Tian, you’re really mysterious! The page your family sent you is quite capable!" Ai Yuan laughed.

"Ugh, that Teacher Li showed up again!" Yu Shutian huffed. "He was here to propose on behalf of Young Master Chu!"

Ling Xinyun said coldly, "Next time he comes, just throw him out!"

Tong Qinxin added, "That Young Master Chu is completely deranged! He stopped sending people after us but is still harassing you!"

"I just want some peace. I’m planning to leave the Phantom Spirit Academy," Yu Shutian said.

"Alright! If you do leave, let us know. We sisters will miss you!" Tong Qinxin said reluctantly.

Qin Yun saw the three of them out and closed the gate. He was actually quite eager for Yu Shutian to leave the academy.

"Miss Yu, hurry up and go! What’s keeping you at the Phantom Spirit Academy?" Qin Yun smiled.

"I’ve just gotten used to staying here and don’t want to move. If I leave, finding a decent place to live won’t be easy. Though there’s occasional harassment here, it’s very safe," Yu Shutian said. "Other places aren’t just unsafe—they also cost a lot of purple crystals!"

Qin Yun said, "No problem! I can arrange a safe place for you!"

Yu Shutian thought for a moment and replied, "A-Yun, you don’t need to arrange anything for me. I have my own plans—I want to take the Hundred Towers Sect’s entrance exam and become one of their disciples!"

"But isn’t that Young Master Chu a disciple of the Hundred Towers Sect?" Qin Yun frowned. "If you join, he’ll make your life hell!"

"The Hundred Towers Sect has a hundred towers! The one he’s in is managed by his grandfather. If I join, I just won’t go to his tower!"

"Besides, in the Hundred Towers Sect, the towers are spread apart and rival each other. He wouldn’t risk coming after me, and I’d have a place to stay!" Yu Shutian smiled. "I could even get you in!"

Hong Mengshu also planned to join the Hundred Towers Sect and had promised to take Qin Yun along.

Qin Yun grinned. "Alright then. If you can earn a place, give it a shot!"

Yu Shutian took out a golden card and smiled, "I secured my place long ago! With my strength, entering the Hundred Towers Sect is a piece of cake! Come on, let's leave Phantom Spirit Academy now and head to the Hundred Towers Sect!"

Qin Yun hadn't originally planned to go to the Hundred Towers Sect to find Hong Mengshu, but now that Yu Shutian was going, he had no choice but to follow her.

After packing up her belongings, Yu Shutian took Qin Yun and left Hundred Towers City, heading toward the Hundred Towers Sect.

The Hundred Towers Sect was located within a vast mountain range. As they approached, they could see towering spires piercing the clouds among the mountains.

These colossal towers came in various shapes—some square, some round—and each had its own distinct color.

Some appeared aged and weathered, while others gleamed brilliantly.

The only commonality was their immense size—each tower was over a kilometer wide and thousands of meters tall.

Even the older-looking towers felt solid and grand.

Within the Hundred Towers Sect, some towers stood close together, while others were spaced far apart.

It was said that each tower had at least one legendary Half-Immortal serving as its Tower Master. Some even had two or more Half-Immortals.

As a result, the Hundred Towers Sect was essentially composed of many small power groups, resulting in constant infighting. They only united when their collective interests were threatened.

This system had its advantages—resources were earned through ability, allowing each tower to grow at a balanced pace. When threatened by outside sects, the Hundred Towers would join forces, forming a formidable force.

Hundred Towers City was built by the sect, but outside the mountain range where the Hundred Towers Sect was located, there was also a small city called Prodigy City.

However, to enter that city, one needed an invitation card.

The invitation card, the one in Yu Shutian's hand, signifies the qualification for the assessment.

With an invitation card, one can bring another person inside.

This City of Talents is specifically prepared for geniuses undergoing the assessment.

Those who obtain an assessment card are either exceptionally gifted or have substantial backgrounds, and most are very wealthy.

Qin Yun followed Yu Shutian into the City of Talents, strolling down the streets where martial emperors and kings were everywhere, and although half-immortals were less common, they could still be encountered.

The Xuan Domain is divided into nine zones, each with a large population.

Baita City oversees one of these zones, and the people gathered here are all outstanding figures from the Baita Zone.

Qin Yun took out his sound-transmitting conch and sent a message to Hong Mengshu, asking, "Mengshu, where are you? I've arrived at the City of Talents!"

Hong Mengshu quickly replied, "Brother Yun, are you outside the city? I'll come out and bring you in right away!"

"No, I'm already inside!" Qin Yun said, "Where are you within the city?"

"Ah? How did you get in..." Hong Mengshu was somewhat surprised.

"I came in with a friend! She's also preparing for the assessment, and I'm bringing her to find you!" Qin Yun explained.

"Alright, I'm at the Immortal Transformation Tower. I'll wait for you at the entrance!" Hong Mengshu responded.

Yu Shutian led Qin Yun down the street, inquiring about the cost of staying at an inn, which were all quite expensive.

A single room costs over ten thousand purple crystals per day!

Yu Shutian wasn’t as rich as the rumors made her out to be, so she pinched pennies.

"Miss Yu, I'll take you to a friend of mine!" Qin Yun suddenly called out. "She's waiting for us at the Celestial Ascension Tower!"

"The Celestial Ascension Tower? That's extremely expensive! It costs tens of thousands of purple crystals a day!" Yu Shutian exclaimed in a low voice upon hearing this. "Let's not go there. I don’t have many purple crystal coins—I can’t afford it! I’m sure I can find a cheaper place!"

"Don’t worry about the crystals!" Qin Yun laughed. "We can just go!"

Even if they had to pay, Qin Yun would cover it—he had billions to burn!

"Really?" Yu Shutian had her doubts initially, but remembering that Qin Yun had befriended someone like Lei Xiong, she believed him.

After asking for directions to the Celestial Ascension Tower, the two hurried over.

The Celestial Ascension Tower was towering and entirely white, as if carved from white jade, wreathed in a faint, misty luminescence. It was stunning—no wonder it was so expensive.

Hong Mengshu, in a red dress, her hair in twin tails, spotted Qin Yun and Yu Shutian and jogged over.

"Qin Yun!" Hong Mengshu giggled, then looked at Yu Shutian and smiled. "Is this your friend?"

"Yes, Miss Yu! She's my friend, Hong Mengshu—a real troublemaker!" Qin Yun pinched Hong Mengshu’s cheek and laughed.

"I'm Yu Shutian, nice to meet you!" Yu Shutian also smiled sweetly, greeting her warmly.

Hong Mengshu grinned. "Miss Yu, let’s talk inside—it’s a zoo out here!"

Qin Yun and Yu Shutian followed Hong Mengshu into the Celestial Ascension Tower, ascending to a high floor and entering a lavish suite.

Hong Mengshu’s master, Granny Wang, had pull within the Hundred Towers Sect and had secured an extravagant suite.

"Mengshu, Miss Yu is also taking the trials. Share your experience with her!" Qin Yun said.

"The Hundred Towers Sect is recruiting two hundred disciples this time—two per tower! Twenty thousand aspirants in total will participate!" Hong Mengshu quickly shared what she knew. "Miss Yu, what say we team up in the same tower? Since you're Brother Qin’s friend, we can bring him along and watch each other’s backs!"

Yu Shutian had the same thought and smiled. "Great! I was thinking the same!"

"You two chat here. I’ll go buy some things and be back soon!" Qin Yun said.

Qin Yun left the Celestial Ascension Tower alone and headed to the local Arcane Glyph Hall to purchase some pre-forged artifact components.

He wasn’t unwilling to refine materials himself, but buying pre-made ones and then modifying them would save time.

The Arcane Glyph Hall was bustling.

As soon as Qin Yun entered, he saw a counter displaying many withered, melon-sized fruits—large like pumpkins, requiring both hands to hold.

A crowd had gathered around the pumpkin-like fruit.

Curious, Qin Yun approached and heard an elder say, "This is called the Emperor’s Melon. It can grow Emperor Source Stones inside! Usually, there are ten melons on one vine, but only one contains an Emperor Source Stone!"