Chapter 454: 455: Young Master, why are you always so strong and sturdy?
Liuren said with a grin that was not quite a smile.
“Hehe, Lady Liuren jests. While we may not have Spirit Stones on us, we do still possess some precious resources.”
“May I inquire how much Young Master Li desires?”
Upon hearing this, all the big shots cursed internally. It was well-known that the Vice Leader had a habit of borrowing without returning.
They had thought to pry some secrets out of Li Xiaobai, but rather than uncovering any secrets, they found themselves offering up Spirit Stones instead.
“A hundred million.”
Li Xiaobai replied directly without a second thought.
“You little rascal, why don’t you go rob someone?”
The group of patriarchs were furious. A hundred million top-grade Spirit Stones was not an amount their families could easily produce.
It was nothing short of extortion.
“Rob? How could that yield more than what the esteemed seniors are offering?”
“If the seniors are unwilling, then so be it, I’m afraid the Sea-Calming Divine Needle might not be summoned.”
Li Xiaobai shook his head with a sigh.
“Enough talk, bring out the resources. You bunch of parasites feast on the common people daily, now it’s time for you to pay up.”
Liuren chimed in as well. She didn’t care about Li Xiaobai trying to cash in on the opportunity—after all, it wasn’t her Spirit Stones that were being spent, so it didn’t pain her one bit.
As for the earlier promise to pay up, they hadn’t considered honoring it at all—no written agreement had been made, and no oaths taken. Did they really expect to fleece Aolai Country of the Eastern Sea just by running their mouths?
“I…”
“Alright then, to be fortunate enough to witness the second Sea-Calming Divine Needle is also a great opportunity for us. Here, I have a bottle of True Dragon Essence Blood. It’s diluted, but should be sufficient for the benefits you seek.”
“However, let me make it clear beforehand, if you can truly summon the Sea-Calming Divine Needle, all is well. But if you are deceiving us, even with the Second Leader of Aolai Country protecting you, we shall still see you slain on the spot!”
An elder, gritting his teeth, took out a white jade bottle and threw it to Li Xiaobai.
“True Dragon Essence Blood? Now that is some good stuff!”
“Rumors have it that it’s left by powerful beings from ancient times with Ancestral Dragon bloodlines. Although not pure, it’s so potent that even we could greatly benefit from it!”
“Looks like I can’t just bluff my way through today.”
The rest of the elders, shocked, were also inspired to follow suit, casually offering a dazzling array of treasures.
“A bottle of Azure Phoenix True Blood.”
“A Nine Revolutions Reincarnation Pill.”
“A bottle of Deep Sea Essence.”
“Ten jin of Purple Dragon Crystal Stone!”
“Ten jin of Circulated Elemental Magnetic Celestial Body!”
For the elders, parting with a few treasures was insignificant. Compared to the vast resources they had amassed over the years, these were but a drop in the ocean.
At this moment, they were more eager to know if the Sea-Calming Divine Needle truly existed. It may well involve some hidden secrets, and just knowing these things, they felt the trip would not be in vain.
As for the resources they had offered up today, they planned to find an opportunity to capture Li Xiaobai in the future, and glean all his secrets as well.
“I’m rich.”
Li Xiaobai gazed at the pile of dazzling treasures before him, his saliva uncontrollably dripping out.
He had seen plenty of treasures in the usual course of events, but the ones provided by these patriarchs clearly belonged to an entirely different league. Among them were casually mentioned the blood essence of Divine Beasts, while materials like crystal stones and stars were unheard of.
From the slightly pained expressions of the elders, it was not hard to tell that these were all valuable items.
And in the presence of the Vice Leader of the Eastern Sea, they couldn’t possibly offer anything less than genuine.
“Kid, you’ve struck it rich, huh? From now on, this old beggar will follow you. Just leave me some soup!”
The old beggar kneeling on the ground stared at the large pile of precious materials before him, his eyes bulging. He couldn’t move at all and could only stick out his tongue, gasping for breath, wishing he could lick up all these treasures.
“It’s just pocket change, you flatter me too much, Senior.”
Li Xiaobai put away the treasures and casually responded. Now that this old fellow had his eye on him, he would need to be on guard to avoid being tricked by him in the future.
“The resources have been presented. Can Young Master Li summon the Sea-Calming Divine Needle for us to have a good look?”
Liuren said with a smile.
This woman exuded a wild charm that men found irresistible, breathtakingly beautiful when calm, but all that fell apart once she took action.
“In that case, I shall oblige. It would be my honor to clear up any confusion for the Vice Leader of the Aolai Country,” Li Xiaobai said, seeing an opportunity to wrap things up. He looked around and nodded.
In an instant, the ancient ancestors of various clans burst into motion, retreating several hundred meters back, keeping their distance from Li Xiaobai.
Whether true or false, they still preferred caution.
Li Xiaobai found it rather amusing inside. These big shots were a little too cowardly. Indeed, the longer one lived, the more one feared death. No wonder Liuren alone could keep the crowd in check.
He quietly opened the System panel, navigated to the Divine Artifact section, and spent ten million high-grade Spirit Stones to purchase the Sea-Calming Divine Needle.
In an instant, a simple and unadorned metal rod appeared in Li Xiaobai’s hands. He swung it around a few times, the motion brisk and energetic, but there was no special occurrence.
“This thing is the Sea-Calming Divine Needle?”
“Isn’t this just a damn fire poker? How did it become the Sea-Calming Divine Needle?”
“This brat is clearly deceiving us, there’s no such thing as a Sea-Calming Divine Needle at all, he made it all up to fool people!”
“Hold on, how then do you explain the appearance of the Sea-Calming Divine Needle in the sky above Central Province?”
“Anyway, I definitely don’t acknowledge that this thing could be the Sea-Calming Divine Needle. Boy, spit out the treasures you swallowed up, and do it willingly, don’t make me take action!”
“Indeed, a mere fire poker to trick the Divine Beast essence blood from me? Your tactics are too despicable!”
“Are you mocking us?”
Looking at the blackish object in Li Xiaobai’s hands, the group of elders flew into a rage, having spent precious resources not for the sake of such a child’s plaything.
Liuren also flashed a hint of doubt in her eyes as she looked at Li Xiaobai, who didn’t seem to be faking it. However, the appearance of the rod really wasn’t impressive. Could such a thing be the Sea-Calming Divine Needle?
“Young Master Li, this is the Sea-Calming Divine Needle you spoke of?”
Liuren couldn’t help but ask, her brow slightly furrowed, feeling like she was being toyed with.
“Mhm, this is indeed the Sea-Calming Divine Needle, the real deal,” Li Xiaobai said casually, continuing to wield the rod carelessly, not paying any attention to the crowd.
One hundred swings!
Two hundred swings!
Three hundred swings!
“Boy, that rod of yours is black and obviously just a fire poker. Don’t try to fool us; kneel down and accept your fate quickly!”
The elders were boiling with anger and shouted in unison, displeased with Li Xiaobai’s attitude.
“This is the Sea-Calming Divine Needle, not a fire poker.”
Li Xiaobai continued to respond nonchalantly, focused on swinging the rod.
Four hundred swings!
Five hundred swings!
“How can you prove it?”
Li Xiaobai lifted an eyebrow and said lightly, “In my life, why should I need to prove anything to anyone?”