Chapter 402 – Gathering of Talents

Fire Orchid Trees were always full of scarlet radiance. Regardless of whether it was its branches or its leaves, they were all red like flames and gushing with scarlet multicolored radiance. They were also releasing a type of fragrance.

These types of trees lined the roads outside the courtyard. After all, the Fire Nation represented fire, so this kind of fiery red tree was extremely popular in the capital.

Shi Hao followed the ancient limestone road to the spacious manor. There were many people from all different races. Many creatures had very strange shapes, but not many people dared to mention it.

The great bronze gates carried signs of the passage of time. Even though there were soldiers standing guard, they didn’t stop anyone from entering because this gate was also a formation. Those that could walk through it could enter the courtyard.

“Wu, this is pretty special. This is a small delivery formation that was used in the ancient era for filtering out the elites within a sect. Only after cultivators reached a certain realm would they be able to pass through and be selected.”

Those that were able to come were all unordinary, especially the powerful races from outside this region. Arrogance was visible within their eyes and they didn’t pay this kind of formation much attention.

Most of the people had already entered. There were still a few that were stopped outside the formation and were unable to enter.

When Shi Hao stepped onto the formation, a hexagram flickered with radiance. Hazy mist swirled about, and he was sent inside. Soon after, he entered a courtyard.

Fragrance wafted through the air. There were all types of spiritual medicines, and everything that should be here was here. The courtyard was full of vitality. Those that entered would often feel as if they entered an ancient medicinal garden.

Shi Hao was astonished. There were a few bizarre plants and also many well aged spiritual medicines. They all wafted with medicinal fragrance.

The courtyard had been packed with people for a while already. They were all walking inside in groups, discussing among themselves.

Gathering in this type of place would naturally allow them to get to know many cultivators. They could expand their network, exchange precious objects, as well as other things. Coming here was an extremely good choice.

Of course, there would be no lack of disputes in a place like this. When cultivators gathered, a single word that irritated another party would create conflict, resulting in a battle of weapons and precious techniques.

“Yi, that short haired male is so powerful. He is definitely a great figure from the Western Paradise.”

“So strong! That is a white jade dragon elephant, yet it was subdued and brought in.”

The people here discussed while looking at an ordinary male that seemed roughly fourteen years old. He had short hair that wasn’t longer than an inch in length. When he entered his palm lit up. The light submerged a snow white dragon elephant that was releasing a powerful aura.

Everyone knew that white jade dragon elephants were the Western Paradise’s sect holy guardian beasts. They were rarely seen anywhere. This one was definitely a descendant of an ancient deity, yet right now, it had become someone’s mount.

Shi Hao nodded his head inwardly. This fellow’s strength was unordinary, and his status within Western Paradise was likely not normal. He actually wanted to find someone to discuss a few things with that sect. He wanted to know why they were roaming about like a group of bandits and slaughtering the creatures around Stone Country’s western border.

Even if they were searching for the supreme divine treasury, they still shouldn’t be acting like such. They’ve killed too many innocent people over many bloody instances. Shi Hao had wiped out a few of these roving groups before.

“Ao…” An overcast roar sounded. An entirely white tiger walked over from the formation. It seemed rather extraordinary and not young in age.

Everyone knew that it wasn’t willing to be just anyone’s mount. This was an extremely powerful race, a cultivator possessing the white tiger’s bloodline. If this creature’s blood became pure, then they would definitely be extremely powerful. No one would be willing to provoke such a creature.

“Fire Nation owes my clan an explanation. My clan’s geniuses entered your ancestral ground, yet they were killed without any news in return. This is intolerable.”

Shi Hao followed the cobblestone alley through the gardens. After entering an even larger courtyard, he heard these accusatory words. Many people gazed in that direction.

This was a scarlet haired male with fiery light around his entire body. The most unique trait was that he did not have a pair of legs, and instead, his lower body was that of a snake’s. It was scarlet and several zhang in length.

Shi Hao could tell with a glance that this was the flame python race from the flood region. He had once killed a young pure-blooded flame python in the Fire Nation’s ancestral ground and even ate a part of it himself. The remainder was brought back and eaten by Stone Village.

“Before entering the ancestral grounds, we have already stated that it was extremely dangerous and there was a chance of dying within. This was something that all of you agreed to.” A Fire Nation elder spoke.

“They shouldn’t have entered the ancestral grounds if they didn’t have the ability. Don’t randomly place blame after dying inside, it’s truly lacking in class.” Someone spoke from a hidden area and threw the blame right back.

“Heng!” The flame python race middle aged man coldly snorted. His head of scarlet hair danced about like snakes as he scanned the crowd. He wanted to find the one that provoked him.

“What is that smell? It’s so fragrant.” Suddenly, someone cried out in shock.

There were quite a few ancient trees, a few spiritual medicines, and there was naturally medicinal grass as well. However, once this fragrance pervaded the air, all of the other fragrances seemed insignificant.

“A stalk of star grass! It actually grew six leaves! Its medicinal fragrance is truly strong!”

Finally, everyone noticed that there was a stalk of grass at the corner of the courtyard. It released precious light and seemed quite extraordinary. This was where the fragrance originated from. This created a huge commotion, because four leafed star grass was already considered spiritual medicine. Under normal circumstances, it would be hard to grow even one more leaf.

This stalk of grass was quite old. A haze floated about the six leaves that were filled with stellar patterns. It was as if the galaxy was swirling about their surfaces, giving them a mystical and unique beauty.

“Yi, hold on, it has already grown the seventh leaf! However, it is only a bud.” There was someone who was able to see this astonishing detail and couldn’t help but cry out.

Everyone focused their attention on the medicinal plant and couldn’t help but cry out in shock. Sure enough, the fragrance was released precisely by that small bud as it spat out auspicious energy. It was currently growing, and that was why this kind of medicinal fragrance was being released.

“Rumor has it that an eight leaf star grass is a divine medicine. Fire Nation is quite formidable! There is actually a seven leaf star grass in this courtyard!”

Forget about those from the wasteland region, even the experts from outside this region were sighing with admiration!

“Truly respectable!”

“However, I heard that there truly was a stalk of eight leaf star gras inside the Northern Sea’s Kun Peng nest. Of course, the eighth leaf at that time had just begun to bud, but it could already be considered a near divine medicine.”

When the Northern Sea was brought up, there were immediately people who thought of Shi Hao. They said in a soft voice, “Many people believe that the little Stone might have grasped the true Kun Peng precious technique. It’s not certain whether this is true or false.”

When this topic was raised, an uproar immediately broke out here, for everyone knew that Shi Hao had visited the Kun Peng nest in the past. It was entirely possible that he obtained shocking benefits from that place.

“A year and half has passed since the battle of the two Stones. I wonder how that youngster is right now. He has never appeared since then. Could it really be like how the outside world predicted? The bigger Stone fell, and the smaller Stone was crippled?”

“Wasn’t there a youth that actually forced back the emperor blood feather race youth? It was even easier for him to sweep through the flaming bull race and black cloud race’s geniuses. Even a big figure from the Immortal Mountain had his mouth beaten. It might be the small Stone’s reemergence.”

When these words were spoken, there was immediately a cold snort that sounded from not far away.

The people from the Immortal Mountain had arrived. Among them, there was a middle-aged man whose gaze was especially cold. He swept his eyes over the numerous cultivators as if he was searching for something.

“Not just anyone can step on the sanctity of the Immortal Mountain, not even during the ancient era when saints struggled for power!” The middle-aged man spoke coldly.

The surrounding area immediately became quiet. No one dared to talk about their descendant getting his mouth beaten in secret any longer in fear of inviting trouble. They knew that the events from a few days ago were definitely not going to be settled peacefully. If that youth didn’t appear, then that was that; otherwise, the people from the Immortal Mountain would definitely take action and suppress him.

Shi Hao entered another courtyard since this place was rather big. The gardens occupied a large amount of space with pavilions everywhere. Most of the cultivators were split up into different regions.

His spiritual senses were extremely sharp, so he naturally heard what the middle-aged male from the Immortal Mountain said. The corner of his lips slightly moved, however, he didn’t pay it any attention. As long as they didn’t come knocking on his door, he wouldn’t bother paying them any attention.

As for the big red bird, he brought it in after tossing it into his sleeves. He didn’t want to be surrounded by people as soon as he entered.

“This grandpa is being suffocated to death…” The fellow was extremely resentful and made its way out from the sleeve. A streak of fiery light was released following its noise and diffused everywhere.

“Be careful! Don’t let others notice you!” Shi Hao warned repeatedly.

“Yi, isn’t that Heavenly Divine Mountain’s Yun Xi?” Someone said in amazement.

Yun Xi liked to wear purple-colored clothes. She was quick-witted and pretty. She carried the title of goddess in the Archaic Divine Mountains. Many creatures had asked for her hand in marriage, since she was extremely popular.

More and more people appeared in this courtyard. Not only were there pure-blooded creatures from the wasteland region’s Archaic Divine Mountains, there were also experts from all different races outside this region. There weren’t only youths here, since there were quite a few cultivators whose ages weren’t young.

“Heavens, a golden lion actually came! Do you guys see this? It has nine heads! That’s a nine-headed lion with a pure bloodline!” A few people cried out in astonishment.

Even the experts from outside this region were surprised. Everyone knew about the legend of the nine-headed golden lion’s bloodline. They were too powerful during the ancient era, and their ancestors had eaten archaic divine kings in the past.

In addition, they were one of the cultivation world’s ten great mounts. Even deities would become tempted if they saw them and would want to make them their own.

During the ancient era, the pure-blooded nine-headed lion was just too powerful. There were a few divine creatures that wanted to subdue it, but they were all killed instead and devoured as food.

If there was a list of races that almost everyone had heard of before, then the nine-headed lion race would definitely be ranked in the front. Their name truly rang loud.

This was a young nine-headed lion. The golden fur that covered its entire body was like silk, and it flickered with divine multicolored light. It was majestic and heroic as it walked over. A terrifying aura was being released from its body.

“Formidable! Pure-blooded nine-headed lions have practically disappeared from this world. This divine lion is walking on the path of pure blood evolution and is about to succeed. Extremely powerful!” Someone exclaimed in praise.

“Not bad, this is a golden bloodline that can continuously evolve. It will be able to bring out its race’s shocking divine might soon.” Even the creatures from outside this region gasped.

Once this lion successfully evolved, it would definitely exceed many of the pure-blooded creatures present here.

“Your highness and I have met before.” The nine-headed lion’s entire body was golden. After arriving in front of the Fire Nation princess, it gave its greetings.

Huo Ling’er smiled and replied, “It has been a while since the Hundred Shattering Mountains. I never expected you to become so powerful. You are about to evolve into a pure-blooded divine lion.”

“I was able to luckily obtain a few opportunities that made this path a lot easier.” The nine-headed lion laughed and said.

Everyone was surprised. They were clearly former acquaintances.

“The nine-headed lion is quite strong. It looks like it is cast from gold. Once its transformation is complete, its lineage will become noble to the extreme. If we can subdue it now, it will be truly great in the future…” A few experts spoke under their breath.

Many people trembled inwardly. If it turned into a pure-blooded golden lion, then that meant that once it matured, even deities would want to subdue it, for it was one of the most powerful mounts in this world!

“Wu, I’ve heard that this nine-headed lion has become sworn brothers with the little Stone. I wonder if that is true? If that is so, then it can’t be that hard to subdue him and make him my mount!”

There were people who laughed coldly and spoke these words, leaving everyone shocked.

It was clear that they didn’t only want this golden lion to become their mount, they also wanted to humiliate the little Stone. By making his sworn brother his mount, what kind of face would he have left?