Chapter 2023: I Need to Make Money

At the Lingyun Sword Pavilion, he had challenged inner and core disciples, earning quite a few Sword Pavilion coins. However, before leaving, thinking they were of little use, he spent most of them on Immortal Origin Pills and gave them to Shan Xiaotian and Bai Ruanqing.

Even if some remained, they were stored in the Sword Pavilion's Divine Communication Jade Talisman and could not be retrieved.

In other words, at this moment, he was completely cleaned out, almost broke again.

But since spending money could allow him to ride the Seven Star Tower's flying immortal beast, the rest was simple. He wasn't leaving until tomorrow anyway; at worst, he could find a way to earn some.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look over: "About how much is needed?"

"This is a mount that only the master of the Seven Star Tower is qualified to ride, and it's flying to a place as far as the Star-Chasing Sea. At the very least... twenty thousand Divine Communication Coins!"

After calculating, the elder said.

"Twenty thousand?"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

A Divine Communication Jade Talisman for the True Immortal realm cost only two hundred each. Twenty thousand Divine Communication Coins could buy a True Immortal realm weapon.

Admittedly, the price was extremely high.

"Yes!" The elder smiled: "To tell you the truth, I take ten thousand, and the other party only needs ten thousand! But without my introduction, even if you had twenty thousand Divine Communication Coins, you might not be able to connect with the Seven Star Tower!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

He was just an outsider, knowing no one at the Seven Star Tower. Without relying on the other party, he wouldn't even know about this news, let alone make connections.

"Alright, I'll go prepare now, earn some money, and come back to find you later!"

Replying, Zhang Xuan turned and walked toward the meditation room.

Safety first; as long as he wasn't discovered by the Divine Hall, spending some money was nothing. As for how to earn money, as long as it was the Divine Communication Hall, there were open tournaments. With his ability to be invincible at the same level, earning money wouldn't be hard, right?

Without exposing the Sword Intent of the Divine, the Divine Hall might not be able to detect him either.

After setting up an isolation array in the meditation room, he moved his mind and entered it.

The virtual Divine Communication Hall was almost identical in layout to the outside world. He went directly to the open tournament area.

Biyuan City was a top-tier city on the continent, with experts as numerous as clouds. True Immortal realm powerhouses, considered top in some places like Wuhai City, were abundant here. Therefore, the open tournament was always packed.

After registering, Zhang Xuan waited less than ten minutes before arriving at the competition platform.

...

"Elder, is the Seven Star Tower really sending someone to the Star-Chasing Sea?"

After Zhang Xuan left, the waiter curiously looked at the elder nearby.

The Star-Chasing Palace didn't have a very good relationship with several of the other six major sects. Why send someone there?

"This is inside information; don't leak it! It is said that the sect master is going personally, apparently to discuss some important matter..." the elder said.

The Divine Communication Hall of Biyuan City was under his charge. His cultivation had long reached the peak of Immortal Lord, and he held a high status, but there were still many things about the internal affairs of the Seven Star Tower that he didn't know.

"Oh..."

Hearing it was a secret, the waiter dared not ask further. Smiling, he changed the subject: "I wonder if that guy just now can come up with twenty thousand Divine Communication Coins?"

"Ha!"

The elder sneered: "Without reaching the Immortal Lord level, no one can possibly produce that much!"

"Then..." the waiter blinked.

"Just to make him back off! Riding an ordinary immortal beast takes about a month and costs no more than two hundred, but this costs twenty thousand. Who would waste a hundred times the price to save just over twenty days?" The elder shook his head.

For cultivators at their level, a casual seclusion could last months... Would they be crazy to spend nearly twenty thousand Divine Coins just to save twenty-some days?

"That's true..." The waiter nodded. "And from his tone, it seems he doesn't have enough money. He asked you to wait here while he figures out a way to earn some."

The elder snorted: "The most profitable method in the Divine Hall is the open tournament, doubling bets starting from five Divine Coins. Even winning five in a row doesn't earn much! Besides, core disciples of the Seven Stars Tower often come to compete, and even winning four in a row is rare."

The Biyuan City Divine Hall intermingled with the Seven Stars Tower, so its disciples often came out to participate in the open tournaments.

With them in the fray, even winning four in a row was uncommon, let alone five.

"A bet of five Divine Coins per match, winning five in a row with doubling, only yields eighty Divine Coins—still far from twenty thousand!" The waiter chuckled.

This Divine Hall's open tournament challenge fee wasn't too outrageous, only five Divine Coins, which attracted more participants.

Winning one match doubled the bet, so the next challenger had to pay a higher price.

The elder smiled faintly: "Alright, I'll go rest now. Come get me if anything comes up..."

With that, without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked toward his room. After a few steps, he saw another waiter rushing over: "Elder..."

"What's wrong?"

Seeing his flustered look, the elder frowned.

"Someone just challenged in the Divine Hall and won... ten in a row!"

The waiter said hurriedly.

"Ten in a row?" The elder was startled. "It's been a long time since anyone won that many. Is it a Seven Stars Tower disciple?"

For Biyuan City, those who could win ten consecutive matches were almost always core disciples of the Seven Stars Tower.

Normally, these experts would show up but rarely challenge repeatedly—after all, it was unfair to other cultivators, like a professional beating amateurs; winning wasn't even honorable. Had the rules changed?

"Not a Seven Stars Tower disciple. This is... what Zhao Meng said personally..."

The waiter replied.

Zhao Meng was a core disciple of the Seven Stars Tower, ranked quite high.

"This... let's go see!" Startled, the elder hurried back to his room, took out a jade talisman, and with a mental command, entered it.

He quickly arrived at the open tournament arena and looked up.

He then saw two figures locked in combat.

On the left, one in gray-blue robes wielded broad, sweeping palm strikes; on the right, a young man did not counterattack but swayed and dodged continuously.

"Is that Meng Han, the top-ranked core disciple of the Seven Stars Tower?"

"Yes, I didn't expect him to come in person!"

"This guy has challenged twelve matches in a row and won them all easily, including three Seven Stars Tower disciples. The top-ranked one couldn't sit still anymore..."

……

Just as he stepped before the stage, he heard murmurs all around.

"Is this the thirteenth match?"

The elder was stunned.

Hadn't the man before him just told him that someone had won ten consecutive matches? How had it become twelve consecutive wins?

"Just now, when I went to find you, he won two more matches..."

The attendant now understood, his face also filled with disbelief: "From the time I left to when I came back in, it was less than a minute..."

"..." The elder's mouth twitched.

Less than a minute, and he had consecutively defeated two core disciples of Seven Star Tower?

"Look..."

Just as he was filled with disbelief, he saw the young man who had been dodging all along suddenly throw a punch.

Bang!

Meng Han, the top-ranked core disciple of Seven Star Tower, then lay on the ground, twitching incessantly, his head already flattened.

"Defeated just like that?"

The elder was dumbfounded.

Meng Han, who had been at the top of the Divine Communication Hall's open competition for at least three years, never dreamed that as soon as he stepped onto the stage, he would be killed with a single punch by that fellow opposite him.

Too simple!

Not only was he shocked, but everyone below was also bewildered.

Defeated in one move... so thoroughly, no one believed it was real.

……

Seven Star Tower, Elder Hall.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Two middle-aged men were sparring, their auras clashing, the surrounding formations howling, occasionally flashing with patterns and light, surging power boiling.

The two appeared to be in their forties or fifties, but their cultivation had both reached the peak of Immortal Lord, every move carrying its own law.

Whoosh!

The green-robed elder's finger pointed just above the gray-robed elder's throat, less than a finger's width away.

"I lose..."

The latter nodded.

"You yield!" The green-robed elder breathed a sigh of relief and looked around: "Is there anyone else willing to compete with me?"

Silence fell.

"In this competition, Elder Hongwu ranks first. This time, he will accompany me to the Star-Chasing Sea!"

An old man walked out.

The master of the Seven Star Tower, Kui Xiao!

"Yes, Master!"

Everyone clasped their fists.

An hour earlier, the master had ordered all elders who had reached the peak of the Immortal Lord realm and were under a hundred years old to gather here for a martial contest. In the end, this Elder Hongwu came out first.

Therefore, everyone was convinced of his strength and had no objections.

"I have something to say to Elder Hongwu alone. The rest of you may withdraw..."

Master Kui Xiao waved his hand.

Everyone nodded and stepped back.

Before they reached the door, an elder hurried over: "Master... something has happened!"

"Oh?"

Master Kui Xiao frowned.

This elder before him was the Great Elder of the Seven Star Tower. Although his cultivation was not as high as his own, he had still reached the very peak of the Immortal Lord realm, unmatched by anyone.

With such strength, his mind had long been as steady as iron, yet now he came in haste—it must be something important.

"At the Tong Shen Hall in Biyuan City, an expert has appeared, issuing consecutive challenges. No one in the True Immortal realm can withstand him. He has already won thirteen matches in a row. Even Meng Han, our core disciple, stepped in and was defeated with a single punch..."

The elder lowered his voice.

"Meng Han was no match?" Master Kui Xiao was stunned.

Meng Han was not only the top core disciple of the Seven Star Tower but also his own disciple. Barring accidents, he was very likely to become the Great Elder, or even inherit his position!

With such strength, he was almost invincible in the True Immortal realm. To be defeated with a single punch... was it true or false?

"Let's go take a look..."

Unable to restrain himself, Master Kui Xiao said.

"Alright!" The Great Elder had long prepared a Divine Communication Jade Talisman and took it out directly.

Picking up the jade talisman, just about to enter it, he remembered something and looked at Elder Hongwu not far away: "You come along too!"

With that, he tossed one over.

"Yes, Master!"

Taking the jade talisman, Elder Hongwu nodded in agreement.

This sudden expert, who could even defeat Meng Han of the same level, made him want to see just how strong he was.

"What is the name of this person who defeated Meng Han?"

Biting his finger and dripping blood, preparing to enter the Tong Shen Hall, Master Kui Xiao asked.

"His name is..."

The Great Elder paused, thought for a moment, and said.

"Liu Yang!"