I Was Forced To Marry The Phoenix Empress

Chapter 282: Debt

Reading those lines, Yi Chen turned to the next page as his eyes began scanning the next set of words.

I’ll start from the period you lost your consciousness...

When Yi Chen read those words, his curiosity was piqued as he read the following lines with greater interest.

...After failing to possess you, that remnant soul tried to possess me as well. Luckily, it was considerably weakened after its first failed attempt, and I was able to overpower it at the right moment and fully absorb its powers.

"That’s a relief..." Yi Chen sighed when he read that.

As to how much my powers have increased...Why doesn’t Young Master Chen try to take a guess?

*Chuckle*

Yi Chen chuckled as he read that. A few seconds later, he snorted while shaking his head.

"Look at her being playful as usual..."

His earlier dissatisfaction about her leaving without meeting him faded away, and he even became slightly curious as to how strong she had become.

"...Could it be that she has already entered the Core Building Stage?" he muttered with a trace of awe in his voice.

However, not indulging in that thought any longer, he focused his attention back on the letter.

...Since I don’t have another Sky Traversing Tapestry, you’ll have to return to Jade City without its aid. If you just use your movement technique, that would take you almost two months if no uncertainties arise.

If you follow that method, you’ll barely make it in time for the Heavenly Azure Dragon Sect’s entrance test, so here’s my suggestion.

About two hundred kilometres north of the Purple Carp Lake is the Black Rock Kingdom...

Yi Chen read through the following lines and nodded to himself.

"Yes, that indeed is a much faster method."

With that said, he turned to the last page and began reading.

Just like I had promised earlier, your reward for contributing the most in this mission is lying underneath your pillow. Do take care of it.

Along with that, I’ve also included something extra. There’s no hurry, so you can return what you owe when we meet again.

Then...See you soon, Young Master Chen.

By the time Yi Chen read the last line, a deep frown had formed on his forehead.

"What reward is she talking about?"

With those words, he grabbed the pillow and found a ring lying underneath it.

"Ah! So that’s what she meant..." he immediately recalled their little exchange back when they were heading towards the black temple.

"To think after all these years she still remembered it..." he shook his head with a smirk on his face while reaching for the ring.

Curiosity taking over him, he immediately checked inside, thinking about what exactly she meant by leaving something ’extra’.

Inside the fifty-metre cube space, the only thing present was a single golden card.

’This...’

Yi Chen couldn’t help but frown and took it out. The moment that card was in his hand, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity with it.

’Wait...this is actually my card,’ he muttered while confirming the same after checking his original storage ring.

"Then what did she mean..." he muttered with a frown and checked its contents.

The last time he did so, he still had around fourteen hundred High Grade Spirit Stones left with him. It was also at this moment that he was reminded of his promise.

’Ah! I promised to return the rest to her when we ar-’

However, before he could even complete his string of thoughts, the sight in front of him left him gobsmacked.

"T-This...just how many are these..."

Yi Chen muttered in astonishment as his eyes landed on the number displayed above in the space.

High Grade Spirit Stones: 500,000

Medium Grade Spirit Stones: 500,000

Now that she was already a First Heaven Ascension Expert, which in itself was an exemplary achievement even if she didn’t present the tomb’s core to her father, the heir’s seat was as good as hers.

Therefore, she didn’t mind giving almost the entirety of her savings to Yi Chen as a form of goodwill.

Witnessing the mountains of Spirit stones inside the golden card’s space, Yi Chen was immediately reminded of the words Gao Zhen had written in her letter as his expression faltered.

"...I haven’t even repaid you for those two thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, and now you’ve drowned me even further in debt."

Knowing Gao Zhen, he knew that she did this deliberately and couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement.

"A merchant until the end, aren’t you?"

He chuckled and placed the card back in the storage ring. Since he won’t be able to meet her again until the Silver Cloud Tournaments, there was no way for him to return these stones to her. Thus, he naturally planned to make full use of them.

Particularly now, as he was short on time.

Within one and a half years, he needed to not only enter the Qi Absorption Stage but also be among the top fifty cultivators in the Thousand Stars List.

To make up for the lack of time, wealth would definitely be of great help.

Even after reaching the Qi Absorption Stage, he would still be in great need of spirit stones.

Therefore, Gao Zhen’s actions ultimately helped him a lot.

"But...still."

He sighed the next instant while glancing at his cultivation progress.

== Meridian Refinement Stage ==

Level: Eleventh [5 / 40]

Mortal Meridians: 360 / 360

Godly Meridians: 45 / 160

Progress: 405 / 520

===========================

"Hopefully, I can get my hands on a speed buff...or else I’ll have no choice but to start exploring more tombs."

Not wanting to mull over these thoughts for any longer, he decided to freshen up and head towards the lake.

The moment the pearl-like water entered his vision, his worries left his mind as he dived into the cold water.

"WOOOOOOHOOOOO!"

He exclaimed in delight, feeling the soothing coldness of the water. Compared to the biting cold water of the Frozen Ice Realm, this was truly a heavenly feeling.

"Gosh! I finally feel alive!" he exclaimed while jumping to fall on his back again.

SPLASH!