The Supreme Martial King Shocking All Realms Chapter 3286 - 3281: The Whereabouts of Bao Lu_1

"Indeed, this horn is the Brahma Horn belonging to the Flame Spirit Race," Yang Chen affirmed.

"How did you manage to get hold of this horn?" Doubt flickered across the face of the steward in green robes, before he grumbled, "Whatever, it's not my business. You can swap a Fantasy Horn for 2,000 Jiyu Essences. Are you certain about proceeding with the exchange?"

"Absolutely, I'm positive," Yang Chen confirmed.

With a flick of his wrist, the green-robed steward summoned a storage bag out of nowhere. He tapped it gently, causing a vast quantity of Jiyu Essences to materialize.

Resembling delicate snowflakes in a vivid blue hue like the deep sea, the Jiyu Essences were directed by the green-robed steward straight into Yang Chen's token.

As Yang Chen retrieved his token and examined its contents, he saw it brimming with innumerable Jiyu Essences drifting amid the shadows.

A closer look revealed:

Jiyu Essences: 2,871

Merit Grade: 0

Amazement prompted Yang Chen to inquire, "How come my Merit Grade remains at zero despite possessing over 1,000 Jiyu Essences?"

"Do you believe it's so straightforward? That piling up Jiyu Essences would instantly boost your Merit Grade? That'd render trading them far too simple, especially once your grade had already climbed," the green-robed steward scoffed, eyeing Yang Chen's innocence.

Baffled by this, Yang Chen pressed, "So, what's the method to advance it?"

"It's straightforward enough. If you're willing, I'll handle the upgrade for you, though it'll cost you 1,000 Jiyu Essences upfront," the green-robed steward answered curtly.

A wry grin crossed Yang Chen's face; he hadn't anticipated such a steep price for the upgrade in Jiyu Essences.

Given their versatile applications, cultivators faced the choice of whether to elevate their Merit Grade. While some might waver, Yang Chen resolved the matter without delay.

"Go ahead and upgrade it," Yang Chen instructed.

Offering no more words, the green-robed steward subtracted the Jiyu Essences from Yang Chen and elevated his Merit Grade to the first level.

Inspecting his token once more, Yang Chen noted his Jiyu Essences had dwindled from more than 2,000 down to just over 1,000.

Yet, his Merit Grade had successfully advanced from zero to one.

The arduous path to merely the first level stirred a wave of emotion in Yang Chen. In that instant, he couldn't resist asking, "What quantity of Jiyu Essences will be required for subsequent upgrades?"

"Books detailing that are available in the Sub-hall. Check them yourself. Stop wasting folks' time," the green-robed steward snapped.

Yang Chen was merely another fresh face among the many the green-robed steward had dealt with, and patience for such novices was in short supply.

Resigned to the situation, Yang Chen realized clashing with the green-robed steward would prove futile, ultimately harming only himself.

Thus resolved, Yang Chen pivoted and departed, resuming his exploration of the Sub-hall.

Before long, he located the details outlining the Jiyu Essence costs for each Merit Grade advancement.

The figures that met his eyes left Yang Chen utterly stunned.

The Jiyu Essence demands for progressing through Merit Grades were staggeringly immense.

Level 1: 1,000 Jiyu Essences.

Level 2: 5,000 Jiyu Essences.

Level 3: 10,000 Jiyu Essences.

By level 6, a whopping 100,000 Jiyu Essences were demanded.

Against his earlier calculations, even 200,000 Jiyu Essences would barely propel him to level 6 at best!

The escalation intensified beyond that point.

This pertained solely to the ten tiers of Merit, excluding the Protector Emperor rank. The Jiyu Essence toll to ascend from Tenth-level Merit to Protector Emperor dwarfed all prior hurdles, its challenge multiplying exponentially past the leap from level 9 to 10.

Gazing upon the prerequisites for Heavenly Defender and Eternal Human Emperor, the quantities loomed as utterly colossal, bordering on the inconceivable.

Yang Chen sighed deeply, "It's no surprise that even a powerhouse like Princess Wenqi, at the Heavenly Extreme Realm, failed to attain Protector Emperor status in the Taiyuan Star System. Accumulating sufficient Jiyu Essences for level 10 is a monumental achievement in itself, without dreaming of Protector Emperor or Heavenly Defender."

That explained Princess Wenqi's bold guarantee: with those two honors secured, no one would lay a finger on him.

Who would risk it?

Bearers of such prestigious titles in the Earth Spirit Hall were battle-hardened legends, victors of endless conflicts. Even a seventh-level Merit commanded respect; the loftier realms of Protector Emperor inspired awe beyond measure.

As Yang Chen reflected with a sigh, a fresh ambition ignited within him.

"In my present circumstances, tackling this level-four task ought to yield about 50,000 Jiyu Essences in total rewards. The top prize lies in uncovering the Holy Maiden of the Flame Spirit Clan's location, offering 200,000 Jiyu Essences—a truly lavish sum," Yang Chen murmured to himself.

Moments later, he dismissed the notion with a shake of his head.

"I've grown overly ambitious. Given my current Merit Grade, better to progress steadily, step by step," Yang Chen chided himself, shaking his head once more.

Should anyone overhear his musings, they'd mock him for overreaching wildly.

Nevertheless, having committed to the mission of locating the Holy Maiden of the Flame Spirit Clan, Yang Chen was determined to see it through.

Prior to that, however, he first needed to seek out Wan Tianyu, the Eldest Elder of the Spirit Fire Clan.

For missions of this caliber, the ultimate reward had to be collected directly from Wan Tianyu, necessitating an initial consultation.

Armed with this plan, Yang Chen acquired a map directing him to the Spirit Fire World and embarked toward Wan Tianyu's abode.

The map already pinpointed Wan Tianyu's dwelling at Sky Opening Mountain, home to the Origin Ancient Tree—a site Mo Wenfeng had described as reserved exclusively for those boasting Merit Grades of level 9 or higher.

As Yang Chen ventured forth, a recognizable figure caught his eye amid the Earth Spirit Hall.

This turned out to be Heng Ye, the member of the Ice and Fire Phoenix Clan whom he had previously rescued.

Spotting Heng Ye, Yang Chen promptly sought news on his companion from the Ice and Fire Sky Phoenix lineage, approaching to hail, "Daoist Friend Heng Ye!"

Heng Ye's eyes widened in surprise upon recognizing Yang Chen, and he queried, "Brother Yang Chen, what brings you to me?"

Noting Heng Ye's directness, Yang Chen offered a helpless shrug, "Daoist Friend Heng Ye, as a member of the Ice and Fire Phoenix Clan, I was hoping you might assist in tracking down a certain individual. Would that be feasible?"

Furrowing his brow, Heng Ye questioned, "Brother Yang Chen, do you know someone from my Ice and Fire Phoenix Clan?"

"That's correct," Yang Chen affirmed.

Wearing a perplexed expression, Heng Ye probed further, "Brother Yang Chen, whose location are you seeking?"

"She goes by the name Bao Lu," Yang Chen revealed.

The mention of the name jolted Heng Ye, as if a memory resurfaced. After a fleeting moment of shock, he gritted his teeth and declared, "Apologies, but I have no knowledge of her."

With those words, he spun on his heel and strode away without pause.

Yang Chen grew increasingly perplexed by Heng Ye's actions; the man's background had seemed odd enough, but this reaction bordered on bizarre.