Chapter 242: Fighting for a Token
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"It usually has incredible effects, especially for lower level Dragon Realm cultivators."
Su Yu was shocked, the Shentian Manor lived up to its reputation to specially collect Spiritual Jade and absorb spirit energy for the students' cultivation. This was something that the Liuxian faction could never have done.
"But the number of spiritual pools is limited and needs to be fought for," Zi Yunxiang said, a little worried. "Usually, half of the people present cannot enter the spiritual pools. There are many powerful fighters in the Shentian Manor. It is difficult to even fight for the right to enter a spiritual pool. You had best prepare yourself."
Su Yu nodded. "I understand."
Soon, Su Yu and Zi Yunxiang gathered at the center of the forest. The place was already packed with about a thousand people waiting!
What shocked Su Yu even more was that they all had terrifying cultivation levels! The lowest of them were Dragon Realm Level Four, and the highest had surpassed the Dragon Realm, their cultivation levels too high to be discerned! Their ages were also very young, the lowest being 14 to 15. The oldest of them all was not even 25! These were the geniuses of the Shentian Manor! They obviously did not want to miss the Jade Spiritual Pool that only opened once every six months!
In the middle of the crowd was an elevated stage. Atop the stage stood a few people. The one in front was none other than the tall Law Enforcer Su Yu had experienced conflicts with previously!
"Sir Yin Yu, you need to be careful later," Zi Yunxiang reminded as she furrowed her brow. "Li Chuan is very close to the Han family. Coupled with the fact that you offended him earlier, it's best not to offend him anymore."
Su Yu gaze turned cold, "He had best not offend me!"
"All right!" Li Chuan announced loudly. "Since everyone is here, we shall start to distribute the tokens!"
The people behind him took out 500 tokens of the same size. The 500 tokens had two different colors: red and white. There were 250 red tokens and 250 white tokens. Also, the red tokens had numbers from one to 250 on them, and so were the white tokens. In other words, there was a corresponding white token of the same number for every red token.
Zi Yunxiang said, "Because the number of spiritual pools is limited, we adopt a principle of two people sharing a spiritual pool. Choosing tokens of the same number would mean that the pair would share a spiritual pool. In the forest, there are 250 spiritual pools, but there are good pools and bad pools. The lower the number associated with the spiritual pool, the greater its effects on cultivation. The converse is true; anything outside of 200 basically has no effect on cultivation. Thus, remember to choose the lower numbers when fighting for a number token."
Su Yu nodded. "I understand!"
On the stage, Li Chuan surveyed the surroundings. He planted his gaze on Su Yu and Zi Yunxiang.
Finally, when he scanned past a far corner, his eyes flashed. This minute change in his expression did not escape Su Yu's notice.
Following the direction of his gaze, Su Yu was shocked to find out that that was where Han Xu was standing! He was blended into the crowd, fearless and occasionally glancing at Zi Yunxiang.
"Ready! Start!" Li Chuan announced loudly.
Pitter-patter—
The 500 tokens were hurled into the air.
At that moment, a thousand people took to the skies, fighting for a number token!
Su Yu's pupils turned into a crystalline color. The faraway small tokens were extremely clear in his eyes. With a single glance, he could see all of them.
His gaze scanned them quickly. In just a moment, Su Yu had clearly seen all of the tokens. But what shocked Su Yu was that there were no Number One tokens!
What was going on? Where were the Number One tokens?
Suddenly, Su Yu saw that Li Chuan was hiding a red token in his sleeve! The number on it was 'One'!
Cheating!
But wait! Li Chuan was not a student and could not enter the Jade Spiritual Pools, even if he had a token! He was helping someone else cheat!
Scanning the crowd, Su Yu locked his gaze on Han Xu!
It's him!
Li Chuan was cheating to help Han Xu! But what was Han Xu's motive?
At this moment, Zi Yunxiang had already charged to the sky, grabbing a few tokens!
With her abilities, there was not much contest for her tokens. But the tokens she grabbed were less than ideal. Zi Yunxiang abandoned them, continuing to search the chaotic surroundings for new tokens.
At this moment, a red token shot towards her back. Zi Yunxiang turned back and grabbed it, her face wearing a slight smile. The red Number One token! Li Chuan peacefully retracted his hand, and a playful look flashed past his eyes.
Su Yu looked on as it dawned on him what was going on. The white Number One token must have been in Han Xu's hands. This way, Han Xu would be at the same spiritual pool as Zi Yunxiang.
Understanding the reason behind the actions, Su Yu's gaze flickered, his crystalline pupils turning to look at Han Xu. He spotted an imprint of a token in his robes. With a thought, Su Yu's right eye shone with a weak red light. Space energy enveloped, and the token silently appeared in Su Yu's palms. Looking at it, he saw that it was the white Number One token!
Han Xu did not realize this. He stood relaxing confidently in the crowd. When he spotted Zi Yunxiang obtaining the red Number One token, an evil smile crept across his face.
"Sir Han, are you not going to contest for a token?" asked a student trying to get into Han Xu's good side when he saw Han Xu not moving.
Han Xu smiled. "Do I need to fight for a token? The spiritual pool that belongs to me cannot be taken by anyone else!"
After saying this, he crossed his arms, relaxing as he waited for the chaotic situation to die down.
Finally, 500 people had obtained a token.
Li Chuan said, "Now we will start the pairing process."
"Number 250, step forward!"
Two people went up to the stage, comparing their tokens.
"Go to the spiritual pool numbered 250 to cultivate!"
Whoosh—
The two entered the deep end of the forest, much to the envy of the students who had not managed to obtain a token.
"Number 249, step forward!"
Whoosh—
"Number 248, step forward!"
Time passed, and one by one, red coins were paired with white.
"Number two, step forward!"
Two young ladies went up the stage, comparing their tokens and then leaving, much to the envy of those present. The spirit energy harbored by the Number Two spiritual pool was alarming. But the most alarming of all was the Number One spiritual pool! It was rumored that the spirit energy within it was ten times greater than that of the Number Two spiritual pool!
"Number One, step forward!" Li Chuan said with a slight smile.
Zi Yunxiang had a calm smile as she walked up the stage daintily. Her beautiful eyes surveyed the surroundings. Who was the one who would be sharing the spiritual pool with her? In her heart, Zi Yunxiang hoped it was a female. Even though the spiritual pools were quite big, the bathers' clothes inevitably got wet when submerged into the pool. A male partner would make it a little awkward.
Finally, the crowd parted. The crowd automatically made a path for a noble sir to cross. To the envy and the shock of the crowd, the noble sir smiled as he walked up the stage.
"To think that it is Sir Han that got the Number One spiritual pool! The heavens are so unfair!"
"That's right! He already has all the resources he needed for cultivation. To be so lucky as to get the Number One spiritual pool, too!"
"And Zi Yunxiang, the housemaster's daughter also got the Number One spiritual pool! Can't they give the rest of us a chance?"
An onlooker chuckled. "But do you guys realize that those two are fated for each other? Both of them are descendants of extremely powerful elders and attained the Number One spiritual pool at the same time."
"That's right! Do you suppose there will be something going on between them at the spiritual pool?"
Zi Yunxiang's smile turned rigid, her eyes filled with disbelief. The person sharing the spiritual pool with her was not only a male but the last person she wanted to see—Han Xu!
Han Xu, on the other hand, was jovial as he walked up to the stage. He chuckled, "Xiang-er, this is fate."
Cut Zi Yunxiang was intelligent. Her expression turned cold. "You tampered with this?"
Han Xu shook his head. "Do you have proof?"
Zi Yunxiang was furious. She thought back to the weird way she had obtained the red Number One token. This had most certainly been arranged by Han Xu behind the scenes! But she did not have any evidence. She could only be angry as she glared at the other party.
Li Chuan maintained the attitude as an official, laughing as he said, "To think that the two who were paired together are Sir Han and Miss Zi! How compatible."
Zi Yunxiang had a look of disgust. "Speak less or choose your words more carefully!"
Li Chuan continued laughing. "I am merely speaking the truth. To be able to form a pair amongst 500 people is an act of Heaven! Do you not think so, Miss Zi?"
Zi Yunxiang's nostrils flared a bit. She clenched her teeth, suppressing the feelings of injustice boiling within her. She turned to face Han Xu. "You had best know your limits. If you commit any indecent acts, you very well know what the outcome would be!" Zi Yunxiang did not hesitate to warn Han Xu.
What she got back was Han Xu's jovial laugh. "Xiang-er you misunderstand me. I am deeply in love with you. How could I do any dirty deeds to you? I think that my sincerity toward you has touched the heavens, and thus, they have granted us with this fate."
Zi Yunxiang was disgusted, feeling uneasy that she would be sharing a spiritual pool with him.
Li Chuan smiled. "All right, you two can set off, what a pair made in Heaven…"
Han Xu had a jubilant smile. "Let's go, Xiang-er."
Zi Yunxiang paused for a moment, her heart full of unwillingness and bitterness. If it weren't for the sake of her cultivation, she could hardly bear the thought. She shifted her legs, forced to set off with Han Xu.
But at this moment, a light grunt came from within the crowd.
"Wait!"
Han Xu and Zi Yunxiang stopped in their tracks.
Han Xu's eyebrows creased, his expression turning cold. "What do you want?"
Su Yu did not look at him, instead locking his gaze on Li Chuan on the stage. "Did you forget something?"
"What did I forget?" Han Xu froze, then reacted to Su Yu's accusation, lightly grunting. "You think that Miss Zi would cheat to enter the Number One spiritual pool?"
Su Yu shook his head. "Of course not, I can trust Miss Zi's character. The one I don't trust… is Han Xu!"
Hearing this, Li Chuan's expression turned sinister. "Insolence! How can you smear Sir Han's name?"
Su Yu's expression turned cold. "You are the insolent one! Even as a Law Enforcer, you do not do things according to the law. Instead, you have cheated in broad daylight! To suck up to Han Xu, you even disregarded the rules of the Jade Spiritual Pool! Speak! Who gave you the guts to blatantly disregard the law of the Shentian Manor?"
Li Chuan was incredibly frustrated. He had known that the Number One white token was in the hands of Han Xu, and in a moment of carelessness, he had forgotten to check their tokens. He had not expected Su Yu to catch on to this.
"Nonsense!" Li Chuan scolded. "Sir Han is noble and unsullied. How could he be framed by the likes of you?"