Chapter 1640 (Raw 1622):
Xiao Chen sampled the tea and put down the teacup. Then, he looked at Ding Yuan and asked, "Is Chief Manager Ding of the Buddhist sect?"
"I can't really be considered to be. I spent a period of my youth in a Buddhist sect. I've already left the monastic order and returned to secular life. Now, I am just a businessman."
Ding Yuan's tone remained calm, not showing much fluctuation.
However, Xiao Chen did not care about that. For one to reach the late-stage Major Primal Core Realm in a Buddhist sect, one had to have lived for a long time and had high comprehension ability. Not just anyone could reach the late-stage Major Primal Core Realm.
Xiao Chen said, "Although you have returned to secular life, I believe that Chief Manager Ding still has Buddha in your heart. Your heart for Buddha has never changed."
A light flashed in Ding Yuan's eyes. He smiled without betraying any emotion. "How can you be sure?"
"The string of Buddhist prayer beads in Chief Manager Ding's hand. If your heart for Buddha is not resolute, how could you thumb through it every day and cleanse it of dust and dirt?"
"Your observation skills are pretty good. It is a habit formed when I was young, thumbing through the Buddhist prayer beads every night. I'm unable to change it. However, what are you trying to express by telling me all this? There is no need to beat about the bush; just speak straightforwardly."
Ding Yuan also put down his teacup and looked at Xiao Chen, performing a gesture of invitation.
Xiao Chen said seriously, "The problem of trust that Chief Manager Ding mentioned is indeed a difficult one. We have met only twice, and there is no reason for you to trust me."
Ding Yuan nodded and said, "That's right. It is impossible for me to take a risk for a person who I've met only a few times. If you went to the blessed land and stole secret manuals or did something disrespectful, I would not be able to escape death, either."
"Then, now, I will tell Chief Manager Ding that you don't have to worry about that."
Xiao Chen removed the Buddhist pendant on his chest. Then, with a thought, the black lotus mark on his chest appeared.
Many black lotus flowers formed a complicated Buddhist mark.
Ding Yuan's expression changed slightly as he muttered, "The Black Lotus Church's Black Lotus Holy Mark."
The moment the black lotus mark appeared, Xiao Chen made it vanish, putting the Buddhist pendant back on and suppressing it again.
"It looks like Chief Manager Ding recognizes this mark."
Suspicion flashed in Ding Yuan's eyes as he looked at Xiao Chen gravely. "Naturally, I recognize the Black Lotus Holy Mark. Those who are imprinted with the black lotus mark absolutely cannot escape the pursuit of the Black Lotus Church.
"However, why are you being pursued by the Black Lotus Church? Who have you offended?"
Xiao Chen retorted indifferently, "There is no need for you to bother about that. I want to enter the blessed land because I have a senior there who can protect me, to help me escape the pursuit of the Black Lotus Church.
"With this black lotus mark, Chief Manager Ding should be able to trust me now, right? I will definitely not do anything that will implicate Chief Manager Ding."
Ding Yuan's eyes sparkled as he said, "Alright, I'll believe you for now. However, you have to tell me what you can pay me."
What could Xiao Chen give?
Xiao Chen definitely could not give the golden Life Juice Source. That was too great a temptation. The other party would surely take the risk of killing him and searching him to rob him.
Having already been marked by the late-stage Major Primal Core gray-clad old man, Xiao Chen did not want to get marked by this Ding Yuan too.
Yet, the silver Life Juice Source seemed insufficient to interest the other party.
"If you want to interest me, you will have to take out one million Medial Grade Spirit Jades or an equivalent natural treasure or Profound Tool," Ding Yuan added unhurriedly, showing his huge appetite.
All in all, Xiao Chen's current wealth was about one million Medial Grade Spirit Jades. How could he give it all to Ding Yuan?
Fortunately, he had come up with a plan long ago. He said, "I'll give you a promise."
"Hahaha! What a joke! What can I do with your promise?"
The moment Ding Yuan said that, Xiao Chen released golden light from his eyes. The Great Desolate Divine Eyes instantly appeared.
"Whoosh!"
A soul-deep fear bloomed in Ding Yuan's mind, putting immense pressure on him.
"Boom!"
The string of Buddhist prayer beads released a brilliant light. At the crucial moment, a wall of light covered in scriptures appeared, hiding Ding Yuan from Xiao Chen's vision.
Ding Yuan pushed gently, and his body, as well as the chair he sat on, moved back several meters, putting a distance between himself and Xiao Chen.
Now, the Buddhist prayer beads that were in Ding Yuan's hand draped over his palm as he thumbed through them, slowly moving the beads one by one with his thumb.
Ding Yuan's body gave off layers of Buddhist Might, encasing the entire room with it.
After a while, the wall of light vanished, as did Xiao Chen's Great Desolate Divine Eyes.
However, Ding Yuan still maintained a distance from Xiao Chen, no longer as close as before.
Earlier, he had felt that his life was in peril. Even if the other party's Great Desolate bloodline was not of the top hundred, it was not far from it. Otherwise, the other party could not release such piercing Great Desolate Divine Eyes.
Ding Yuan nearly lost his calm.
"I really misjudged you. Which one of the Great Desolate bloodlines do you have?" he asked.
Right now, the Dragon Race had only six bloodlines remaining. The Azure Dragon bloodline went extinct long ago.
Hence, Ding Yuan could not identify Xiao Chen's bloodline. It seemed like the Dragon Race's bloodline, but none of the six Dragon Race's bloodlines matched it.
Xiao Chen replied calmly, "Everyone has their own secrets. Sorry about that, Chief Manager Ding."
Ding Yuan was stunned for a while. Then, he smiled. "That's true. This is your secret; I'll not ask too much. Very well, I'll accept your promise. I hope that you will not disappoint me."
By opening the Great Desolate Divine Eyes and showing his Azure Dragon bloodline, Xiao Chen proved his value and potential. Ding Yuan considered for a while and accepted Xiao Chen's offer.
If Xiao Chen fell in the future, this offer would be worth nothing. However, if he became a Cloud Sea powerhouse, or an even higher existence, the value of this promise would be immeasurable.
It was the nature of businessmen to take risks; they liked to gamble. Ding Yuan was the same. Without hesitating, he agreed.
"Go back first and wait for my news. After I connect with my contacts, I will send someone to inform you."
Xiao Chen stood up and said, "In that case, many thanks. This is my first time visiting you, so here is a small gift from me."
He set down a jade bottle filled with silver Life Juice Source before performing a cupped-fist salute and leaving.
Once Xiao Chen was gone, Ding Yuan opened the bottle and saw what it contained. Then, he revealed a smile. Now, he was even more confident of Xiao Chen's future.
The final doubt in Ding Yuan's heart no longer existed.
"Men! Contact the Profound Cloud Sect's Elder Liu!" Ding Yuan immediately took action.
—
In the following days, everyone's preparations continued methodically. The repairs and upgrades to the Black Cutlass were nearly completed.
When Luo Nan and Fei`er learned that they did not have to worry about not being able to enter the blessed land, they started working on potential problems that they might encounter on the journey, preparing for those.
Under Master Jin's direction, Xiao Suo led his crew and helped with the upgrading of the Black Cutlass pirate ship.
Without having to worry about all sorts of minor matters, Xiao Chen continued firming up his cultivation.
As he worked on digesting the various benefits that the Life Juice Source brought, he vaguely felt the bottleneck to the Primal Core Realm.
Inside Xiao Chen's dantian, Yang Essence Energy and Yin Essence Energy mixed with his Veritable Essence Energy, forming a perfect Taiji diagram.
That vivid and lifelike Taiji diagram was like a poetic ink painting, bringing the incredibly berserk and horrifying energies of the ten-thousand-year-old Baleful Yin Energy and the Heavenly Yang Pill into an unbreakable balance.
The problem of exploding, which those disciples who consumed the Heavenly Yang Pill in the past had, would definitely not happen to him.
The balance of Yin and Yang energies in Xiao Chen's body was even more perfect than that of Primal Core cultivators.
There was no need to worry about a Yin-Yang imbalance causing his energy to turn chaotic and explode.
More importantly, Xiao Chen's physical body had been through many rounds of cleansing by the Life Juice Source. His physique was already as strong as Major Primal Core Venerates'.
Even if he exploded by some chance, his entire body would not be broken. He would not die on the spot; at worst, he would just faint, severely injured.
—
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Chen had already stayed in this Pirate Hall for one month.
The upgrading of the Black Cutlass was completed. After thanking Master Jin, he got the brothers who had been busy all this time to take a rest first.
Then, Xiao Chen went to the most mysterious lower deck of the Black Cutlass alone.
A strange formation plate floated in the center of the extremely sinister and evil Immemorial Demon Soul Formation.
Now, one would discover that the Yazi Beast—a Great Desolate Eon ferocious beast—carved on the obverse had one and a half of the pearls on its neck lit up.
The difficulty of lighting up the pearls was greater than Xiao Chen expected. The Cold Steel Eagles fed it with ferocious beast blood every day and still had difficulty sating its appetite.
More importantly, the Yazi Beast Demon Soul was becoming pickier. After one pearl lit up, the Minor Primal Core ferocious beasts barely had any effect anymore.
Now that Minor Primal Core ferocious beasts no longer had any effect, only Major Primal Core ferocious beasts could contribute to lighting up the pearls.
Xiao Chen did not fear meeting the gray-clad old man after leaving the Pirate Hall, but he did not wish for any accidents to happen.
He needed to make sure that everything was within his control.
Xiao Chen took out a small knife and cut his palm. A drop of blood slowly fell towards the formation below.
Before the blood landed on the formation, the entire Immemorial Demon Soul Formation churned restlessly, shining with a red light, looking very sinister.
In the blood mist filling the air, the illusionary Yazi Beast Demon Soul smiled sinisterly as it watched the blood fall. An evil look flashed in its eyes.
