Chapter 103: Chapter 84 Collapsing Liu Tianzheng
On the not too distant platform, that Dao Li, although crawling, still towered over the seated crowd by several heads, resembling a gray boulder from afar.
At this moment, beside the stone, the air undulated, vaguely one could feel strands of Heavenly Mandate Vitality slowly drawing closer and seeping into it.
“Could it be… this fellow can actually absorb Heavenly Mandate Vitality?”
Liu Tianzheng’s heart “thumped!” at the thought.
When the Destiny Plate was driven by formation, the Heavenly Mandate Vitality was extremely chaotic. In such a state, it was impossible to discern with the naked eye who was absorbing it, or how much they were able to, unless one’s cultivation broke through to the Spirit Soul Realm, Eightfold Realm of Source Pool. Otherwise, even if one was very close, it was difficult to detect.
Exactly because of this, not even Dean Lu Mingrong noticed Zhang Xuan’s first absorption.
“Quickly, get the Assessment Stone…”
Knowing his own strength, and that steadfast watching still couldn’t confirm it, Liu Tianzheng hurried to give instructions.
The Assessment Stone was the device on the nine stone pillars of Baiyan Academy that could display how much Heavenly Mandate Vitality was absorbed, revealing real-time achievements, because the disciples needed to showcase their talent in order to choose a teacher, or to be chosen by one.
However, here, everyone was a wandering cultivator. If you have strong talents but no power to be noticed, it will bring calamity instead, so there was no such Assessment Stone during Source Pool evaluation here.
Now, to confirm whether his observations were correct, Liu Tianzheng could not care less about that.
“Yes!” Qin Lu hurried off and before long, returned carrying a not-so-large tombstone over.
Upon arriving, Liu Tianzheng took a deep breath and lightly placed his palm on it.
As strength flowed, the tombstone chimed softly, and immediately characters slowly emerged, displaying the rankings of those being assessed.
Name: Dao Li.
Forge: Two paths.
“???”
Liu Tianzheng was completely dumbfounded.
He had only faintly sensed that it seemed like Heavenly Mandate Vitality was being absorbed by this creature, but he hadn’t expected it to be true…
And most importantly, to be ranked first among this large group of people!
Though they were already of a certain age and hadn’t consolidated their Source Pool, their talent was definitely average, but at the very least, they were human! And now, they were being outdone by a horse…
Wasn’t it only Primordial Beasts that could absorb Heavenly Mandate Vitality?
In an instant, Liu Tianzheng felt a heaviness in his chest and found himself at a loss for words.
Glancing hurriedly over at the Dao Li in the distance, he saw it pause for a moment, its large eyes swirling chaotically, and just then, a hand slapped its head followed by a sound of Zhang Xuan’s displeased voice.
“Hurry up and consolidate your Source Pool, otherwise, the Heavenly Mandate Vitality will be absorbed by others soon…”
Hearing these words, Dao Li dared not retort, closed its eyes again, and the next moment, Liu Tianzheng saw the stone pillars in front of him stir.
Three paths!
Four paths!
Five paths…
In just a few short minutes, it has rushed to eight paths!
It was now a sixth-grade Origin Pool.
Seeing it earnestly absorbing, the young man nearby also sighed in relief and closed his eyes.
“A horse that not only can absorb Heavenly Mandate Vitality but also owns a Source Pool that’s suspected to be fifth grade…”
Liu Tianzheng swallowed his saliva, finding the reality unbelievable when suddenly an idea came to him.
“No, wait… did Lu Mingrong, Apothecary Chen Xiao know about this? Is that why they were so eager to pay for this horse?”
Even though Zhang Xuan’s talent in beast taming was quite good and could surpass the likes of Zhou Qun and others, it wasn’t enough to make Dean Lu Mingrong, City Lord Yu Longqing, and Elder Chen compete to foot the bill!
But if they knew this horse could absorb Heavenly Mandate Vitality, which meant… it could cultivate on its own and evolve into a Primordial Beast, doesn’t that explain everything?
“Damn it…”
Liu Tianzheng bit his teeth fiercely.
A thousand-li horse is only worth about a hundred thousand Origin Currency, and Dao Li was expensive because it had been on the battlefield and was a genuine warhorse.
He thought paying 320,000 to break even wasn’t a loss, but he never dreamed of this ability.
Primordial Beasts… Even the most common ones, if sold, are likely worth over a million.
He had accepted 320,000, seemingly breaking even, when in reality, he had incurred a huge loss of hundreds of thousands, if not a million!
“No wonder the entire School Head pressured Yue’er to take that guy as master, seems they had long discovered Dao Li’s difference and intended to deceitfully claim it…”
When one thing is understood, everything is understood.
Quickly piecing everything together, Liu Tianzheng felt a surge of anger churning within him, as if it could explode at any moment.
He thought he had made a profit, but it turns out he had been grievously deceived…
The more he thought about it, the angrier Liu Tianzheng got, and he couldn’t help snorting, “Lu Mingrong, Yu Longqing, you dare deceive me, I hope we don’t cross paths again, or I will demand an explanation…”
“Demand an explanation for what?”
Before he could finish speaking, a puzzling voice rang out.
Liu Tianzheng turned around and saw the two people he had just been talking about, Dean Lu Mingrong and City Lord Yu Longqing, had somehow already arrived in front of him.
“What to inquire about? Don’t you know for yourselves?”
Liu Tianzheng shouted angrily.
“You… know already?”
Only then did Lu Mingrong and Yu Longqing see that the Source Pool evaluation had started and saw the tombstone in front of Liu Tianzheng. They exchanged glances and their expressions changed at the same time.
“What, do you find deceiving me amusing?”
Seeing them admit it, Liu Tianzheng flung his sleeve.
“Not really, it’s just… the fewer people who know about this, the better. Otherwise, it will bring about a huge trouble. You surely understand that without me saying, don’t you?”
Lu Mingrong knew there was no point in hiding any longer, sighed, and couldn’t help shaking his head.
It wasn’t an intentional deception, but the talent of this creature was too terrifying. If it leaked out, the whole of Baiyan City would face a disaster they couldn’t bear.