Covering the Sky: The Years I Was the Empress's Strictest Master

But as it turns out, this move was indeed very effective. At this moment, many of the prodigies in the arena looked at Tan Lin differently, clearly having misunderstood the relationship between the two.

And those who were touched by what just happened were far more than just the people on the surface.

At the same time, in the shadows of the Appreciation Pavilion.

Several elders of the Chi family, who were hiding here, looked at each other and remained silent for a few breaths.

Then, a subtle fluctuation of divine thought silently arose here:

"Old Qiang, what is the meaning behind Xuan'er's actions? Should we inform the patriarch?"

"What? Can't you see for yourself? Do you need me to analyze it for you..."

"Who wouldn't be surprised by this? This girl has only been staying at my Chi family for a few days, and she's already hooked up with the Chi family's jewel? But why does it look like Xuan'er is throwing herself at him?"

And that kid, he actually seems to be ignoring Xuan'er? That's outrageous!!

"Heh, what do you know? How old are these young people? Do they even know what love is?"

At their age, they might only have a vague, budding affection or attraction for each other, but in my opinion, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

It just so happens that the head of the family has been under too much pressure lately, so why not take this opportunity to relieve some of it? Isn't this so-called stone appraisal and exchange meeting held today only out of necessity?

"A pure, indestructible golden body is indeed worthy of Xuan'er. We will announce to the outside world that the two beauties of the Chi family have been betrothed. As for who the betrothed will be, we will not announce it for now, and let the outside world speculate..."

"Doing this might be seen as taking advantage of this child, and I'm afraid it could create a rift between him and the Chi family in the future."

"So what? You know, it's easy for a woman to pursue a man. If things continue like this, this guy will eventually completely win Xuan'er's heart."

"You stole the jewel of our Chi family, so what's wrong with collecting some interest now?"

"Then... shall I go to the Reception Hall to see the Patriarch?"

"Get out of here, get out of here..."

……

"Welcome to the Chi Family's Treasure Appreciation Pavilion..."

Outside, in the central open space of the Shangzhen Pavilion complex, an elder of the Chi family leaped onto the central jade platform.

With the divine runes surging, his voice was clearly transmitted to the ears of everyone present:

"Today's stone appreciation and exchange meeting aims to make friends through stones and discuss principles through inscriptions. It is specially designed for talented young people like you."

The rules of this gathering are simple: everyone relies on their eyesight and luck. There are thousands of strange stones and several ancient steles on the field, some of which were provided by the Chi family, and others were brought by the participants themselves.

Those who are interested can negotiate a transaction with the original owner. Once the transaction is completed, the unusual stone can be dissected and the ancient inscription studied on the spot...

All items traded during this meeting belong to the individuals involved. My family, the Chi family, merely acts as witnesses to maintain order.

If any disputes arise, they may be submitted to us for adjudication. We hope that everyone will refrain from making any disputes and avoid damaging the harmony between different lineages.

A moment later, the elder of the Chi family on the jade platform slowly finished speaking.

In an instant, the atmosphere here became extremely lively, and some undercurrents slowly surfaced.

"Come on, come on, let's go look at the rocks. I'll tell you, we just saw a stubborn rock..."

Many young cultivators could no longer contain themselves and left their seats to head towards the areas displaying strange stones and ancient steles.

"This must be Fellow Daoist Tan Lin, the contemporary master of the Immortal Golden Body. We only had a brief meeting and didn't have a chance to talk in depth. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Tan has any knowledge of the art of stone appraisal?"

Amid the clamor, a gentle voice rang out from not far away.

Meng Lu, the holy son of the Beidou Divine Sect, had somehow arrived near the elegant pavilion where Tan Lin and the Chi sisters were. He asked with a smile through the carved railing.

Behind him followed several young disciples of the Northern Divine Sect and other outstanding talents from various lineages, all possessing extraordinary bearing.

Inside the pavilion, Tan Lin, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly raised his eyes upon hearing the voice. He looked at the person who had entered and said calmly:

"The art of stone appraisal is vast and profound. I only have a superficial understanding of it and dare not claim to be an expert."

Meng Lu's smile remained unchanged.

"Fellow Daoist is too modest."

I heard that on your journey from the Southern Region, you had the foresight to spot a rare treasure in the Dark City of the Central Region, where you won a scroll of ancient incomplete scripture and a piece of Azure Warm Jade with fifty catties of Pure Source, which caused quite a stir at the time...

Today's gathering is a grand event, with numerous rare stones, many of which are hidden treasures. It is precisely those with discerning eyes like you who are here to appreciate them.

"Would you be willing to accompany us to see this? It would be good for us to broaden our horizons."

He adopted a very humble posture and spoke politely, as if he were sincerely inviting me.

Actually, there was no other way, because Xuan Yunzi had instructed him to cooperate with Shao Hanyun.

At this moment, this contact with Tan Lin is merely a preliminary step, a prelude to Shao Hanyun personally taking the lead later.

……

Chapter 127 There are still experts

however.

These words, when heard by those around them, carried a different meaning.

Meng Lu clearly used some rhetoric.

This is both a form of flattery to kill and a test.

If Tan Lin refuses, he will appear arrogant and aloof; if he agrees, it will be exactly what he wants...

Inside the elegant room.

Upon hearing this, Chi Xuan frowned slightly. She straightened her slender waist and stood up gracefully from her seat, about to speak up to defend Tan Lin.

Unexpectedly, Tan Lin calmly nodded:

"Since you have invited me, Master Meng, how could I, a humble countryman, dare to refuse your kind invitation? It would be a good opportunity for me to learn from you fellow practitioners."

As he spoke, he stood up.

He didn't care about these calculations at all; what he cared about was how much profit these people represented from the causal chains they could generate for him this time.

Chi Yao and Chi Xuan exchanged a glance, then silently stood up.

The latter's heart was secretly tied to Tan Lin, and naturally he didn't want to see the other party suffer a loss later.

However, the former was worried that the latter would cause trouble by using Tan Lin to create some complications and affect the long-standing friendship between the Chi and Xiang families.

Seeing this, a barely perceptible hint of smugness flashed across Meng Lu's eyes, but he then slightly turned his body, still maintaining a humble posture:

"Two fairies, Fellow Daoist Tan, please."

Tan Lin showed no politeness and strode out, while the two stunningly beautiful girls beside him remained silent.

Soon, the group headed towards the area displaying unusual stones.

A large crowd had already gathered here, commenting on the stones of various shapes and sizes, and using various secret techniques to examine them. The atmosphere was lively.

"The stone's patterns resemble dragons, and it faintly emits the sounds of wind and thunder. There is a very high possibility that it contains Wind and Thunder Essence Gold!"

A member of the Northern Plains aristocratic family pointed to a large, bluish-gray rock on the jade platform and began to speak eloquently, drawing agreement from several others:

"Yes, I think so too..."

"I disagree. The wind and thunder patterns are too deliberate and appear superficial."

However, the dark, dull stone beside it, though seemingly ordinary, possessed a restrained, malevolent energy from the earth's veins, perhaps containing a hidden jade of the underworld.

Among the crowd were some who possessed ancient texts on "stone appraisal" within their respective lineages, and were well-versed in this field, and they spoke up to refute these claims.

"Hehe, fellow Daoist, you are mistaken..."

The Northern Pride scoffed, wanting to argue with him.

Just then, someone nearby suddenly whispered:

"Look! The Holy Son of the Heavenly Martial Holy Land has made his move!"

"What? Song Zecen, such a key figure, has already been eliminated?"

"I heard that their holy land was lucky back then and obtained a lot of 'Source Technique Inheritance' left over from the last turmoil."

This stone appraisal and exchange event was rumored to have been organized by the Martial Saint Land in conjunction with various sects to put pressure on the Chi family. They probably wanted to shine at the event and win the heart of the Chi family's noblewoman.

Wow!

shuh...

The murmurs continued, and everyone's eyes shifted, turning to look at the source of the noise.

On the other side, Song Zecen walked to a strange stone about half a person's height, its entire body crimson like fire crystal, his expression solemn.

Although the stone has natural patterns of a vermilion bird spreading its wings on its surface, and ordinary people can see that it is extraordinary at a glance, those who are experts in this field all know that rare stones cannot be judged by ordinary theories.

Some stones may appear magnificent on the surface, but inside they are just a pool of watery, alien material.

Therefore, Song Zecen did not rush to use his source technique. Instead, he walked around the stone three times, sometimes bending down to examine the patterns and sometimes closing his eyes to sense the energy within the stone.

despair!

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes in everyone's sight, and suddenly pointed his fingers like a sword, with pale golden divine power flowing from his fingertips, and then gently touched a certain spot on the stone skin.

hum...

next interest.

The crimson stone trembled slightly, and the Vermilion Bird patterns on its surface seemed to come alive, radiating a scorching heat. A faint, clear bird's cry could be heard from within.

"The Vermilion Bird Burning Heaven Stone?! It must contain a ball of Southern Bright Fire essence, and if we're lucky, there might even be a trace of 'Vermilion Bird True Blood'..."

"A learned and talented young man squinted his eyes and said."

Of course, the Vermilion Bird True Blood he spoke of could not possibly be the blood of an immortal spirit.

Perhaps it was just the essence and blood of a Vermilion Bird-like divine bird at the level of a Great Sage or Quasi-Emperor from a distant past.

Even so, their value at this stage is immeasurable!

"Senior Brother Song has a good eye!"

"As expected of someone with the Tongwu Xuan Body who also cultivates Origin Techniques, his ability to sense the energy within strange stones is extraordinary!"

People from the Heavenly Martial Holy Land and some allied forces all praised it.

Amidst the praise, Song Zecen revealed a wild and unrestrained smile. He looked at the plaque next to the strange stone, which displayed the price marked by the original owner of the stone.

Twenty catties of divine energy!

This price is considerable, but if it truly yields the essence of Nanming Fire or even the true blood of the Vermilion Bird, its value is merely a drop in the ocean.

After a moment's hesitation, he gestured to his attendants to pay the bill.

"Senior Brother Song is so magnanimous!"

"Quickly, cut the stone open and take a look!"

However, under the expectant gazes of everyone, Song Zecen hesitated for a moment, and only after seeing Chi Yao and Chi Xuan walking over did he personally take charge of cutting the stone.

His technique was skillful, his knife flashing like lightning as he carefully peeled away the stone's outer layer.

rustling... rustling...

As the stone skin crumbled into dust, the intense heat of the place intensified, a crimson light emanated from the stone, and the liquid inside could be vaguely seen flowing. The birdsong also became clearer.

"It's coming out?! At least it's fire-element divine material that can be used to forge sacred weapons!"

Everyone around instinctively held their breath.

A hint of excitement flashed in Song Zecen's eyes.

If such a harvest were to be obtained, it would amount to almost half of his entire fortune, given that he is currently only at the half-step Immortal Platform level.

however.

As he made his final cut, completely peeling away the core of the strange stone.

laugh……

With a soft sound, the strange stone deflated like a punctured balloon.

The imagined essence of Nanming Fire or the true blood of the Vermilion Bird did not appear.

At the heart of the stone was only a fist-sized, dull-colored, reddish-brown gelatinous substance, emanating unstable fire-elemental spiritual energy.