Chapter 288 289: Forced Purchase, Pressure from the Saint
Li Huiran led the way, with her secretary Xiaoyu at her side.
Only then did the middle-aged man, an Apostle of the Illusory Sect, bow to Li Wang. "Greetings, Master of Illusion!"
Li Wang dismissed him with a wave of his small hand and looked up at Chen Dong. "That woman seems to have something else on her, like a Divine Soul Spirit Body or something!"
Chen Dong nodded. "I sensed it too!"
Murong Qing smiled. "You two can stop worrying. That's an Artifact Spirit! See the item in her hand? It's the Artifact Spirit for that."
Hearing the words "Artifact Spirit," Chen Dong instantly released his True Qi, creating a barrier around their group to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
It was no wonder he was so tense. In this End of the Dharma Era, where all implements were generically referred to as mundane weapons, Magical Artifacts, or Divine Artifacts, an item capable of producing an Artifact Spirit was anything but ordinary. In his mind, anything with an Artifact Spirit was a Spiritual Treasure—the stuff of legends.
Since it was an Artifact Spirit and not some vengeful wraith, his worries subsided, and he followed them.
Outside VIP Room 8, an elderly guard confirmed Li Huiran's identity before letting her and Xiaoyu inside. When another figure approached, the old man instinctively moved to stop them, but one look at the masked Child of Calamity sent him trembling as he hastily stepped aside.
This VIP room was a significant improvement over Room 72 in both decor and space. Without the large viewing window at the front, it could have passed for a luxurious living room.
Cai Feiyu, dressed in a black dress, sat on the central sofa with three elderly guards standing behind her. Sensing the intensity of their True Qi, it was clear that all four guards—including the one outside—had reached the Celestial Spirit Realm.
Cai Feiyu frowned slightly at the sight of so many people, especially the legendary Child of Calamity. Still, she maintained a magnanimous air. "I had intended to arrange a more elegant venue for our discussion, but a pressing family matter has come up. Whatever you came to discuss, my dear, please speak freely."
Li Huiran didn't beat around the bush. "I want to buy the Floating Cloud Umbrella from you."
Cai Feiyu paused, then smiled. "If you wanted it, why didn't you continue bidding back then?"
Li Huiran frowned slightly. "I didn't have enough money with me."
Cai Feiyu's expression slowly grew serious. She glanced at Chen Dong, then back at Li Huiran, her eyes seeming to ask, 'Isn't he rich?'
"He arrived too late," Li Huiran replied without a second thought.
Cai Feiyu nodded, her eyes narrowing. "But I don't want to sell." She'd heard of the Jiangzhou Li Family, but it was Li Huiran's other identity that she had to take seriously: a high-ranking member of the Illusory Sect.
'The Child of Calamity is here with a high-ranking member of the Illusory Sect, and the woman who embraced him is here too.' This strange group forced Cai Feiyu to think. 'What do they want the Floating Cloud Umbrella for? Could this umbrella be more than just an ordinary Divine Artifact? Is there something else to it?'
After a moment's hesitation, Li Huiran spoke. "Miss Cai, in your hands, the Floating Cloud Umbrella is nothing but a piece of junk. You can't even channel True Qi into it properly to use it as a weapon. Why not sell it to me?"
'So it's true!' Cai Feiyu didn't even need to test the Floating Cloud Umbrella to know that Li Huiran was telling the truth. Otherwise, Li Huiran wouldn't have come here in the first place. This confirmed the umbrella held a secret, which only solidified her decision not to sell.
With that, Cai Feiyu stood up. "My apologies, Miss Li, but I have no intention of reselling it. Please see our guests out!"
Li Huiran gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing with anger. "Miss Cai, you may want to research the umbrella's secrets for yourself, but have you heard the saying? 'Possessing a treasure invites disaster.'" With that, she gave Chen Dong a meaningful look.
Chen Dong froze, coughing twice as he failed to react for a moment. 'This is the first time I've ever seen Li Huiran threaten anyone.'
Cai Feiyu's brow furrowed, and her voice turned cold. "Miss Li, what is that supposed to mean? Do you truly believe your Illusory Sect is so powerful? That may be the case in Jiangzhou, but it won't be enough to threaten me in Qianzhou!"
A beat too late, Chen Dong finally played his part. True Qi erupted from his body, and a terrifying pressure instantly descended upon Room 8, bearing down most heavily on Cai Feiyu and her people.
Cai Feiyu, who was only at the Grandmaster Realm, collapsed back onto the sofa, her face a mask of terror. A sudden, intense urge to urinate shot through her, forcing her to clamp her legs together and desperately hold back. The three Celestial Spirit Realm guards were instantly slammed to the floor, struggling to prop themselves up on their hands.
Chen Dong's own aura wasn't this powerful on its own, but when combined with the lingering might of a Saint, he could effortlessly generate such oppressive force. And this was not even his limit. After traveling the world for three months and saving countless lives, Chen Dong's Saint Dao had reached a terrifyingly high Realm. The crimson Holy Emblem between his brows was the mark of a Saint recognized by the Celestial Dao itself.
Suppressing her terror, Cai Feiyu gritted out, "Are you going to kill me right here?"
Li Huiran's expression was intent. "I only want the Floating Cloud Umbrella!"
Cai Feiyu squeezed her legs tighter, while one of the guards on the floor cried out hoarsely, "Miss..."
"Alright, the umbrella is yours!"
As she spoke, the pressure in the room vanished. 'A few more seconds and I would have been publicly humiliated!'
They all gasped for breath, drenched in sweat as if they had just been pulled from the water. Cai Feiyu tried to stand and retrieve the Floating Cloud Umbrella, but after two attempts, she found she couldn't.
Chen Dong located it with his senses and beckoned casually. A red umbrella flew out from the wooden box behind one of the guards and landed in his hand.
Li Wang pumped his fist and laughed gleefully. "Haha, that's more like it! We should just take things by force!"
Chen Dong winced. 'It seems Corpse Dove has been rubbing off on the kid.'
Li Huiran shot Chen Dong a fierce glare, as if blaming him for corrupting the child. She then turned back to Cai Feiyu, her expression once again cold. "What's your account number? I'll transfer you the money."
Cai Feiyu stared blankly at Li Huiran, a storm of complicated emotions raging within her. 'You... you literally just stole it from me, and you're still going to pay?!'
