"Brat, stop right there," Elder Yang called out after his initial surprise.
Ye Qingchen halted, puzzled, and turned to look at Elder Yang.
Could it be that this old man feels bad if I donât cause him trouble?
But when Ye Qingchen saw the astonished look in Elder Yangâs eyes, he rejected the thought.
After all, no matter how you look at it, Elder Yang seems to be the masochistic type.
In a flash, Elder Yang appeared before Ye Qingchen. His eyes shone as he gazed at the mysterious sword on Ye Qingchenâs shoulder, and he asked excitedly, "Brat, where did you get this sword?"
Ye Qingchen pursed his lips.
This mysterious sword has already made me a sucker once. Now that Elder Yang has brought it up, itâs like rubbing salt in a wound Iâd rather forget.
It wasnât that Ye Qingchen wanted to swagger around with the mysterious sword; the blade was simply too specialâit couldnât be put into his storage ring. He had no choice but to carry it all the way back. He couldnât just throw it away; after all, it had cost him 80,000 contribution points.
Seeing that Ye Qingchen didnât answer, Elder Yangâs voice grew louder. "Brat, Iâm asking you, where did this sword come from!"
Ye Qingchen noted Elder Yangâs anxious expression, which didnât look like he was trying to mock him. He paused for a moment before replying, "Where else could it have come from? I exchanged it at the Contribution Hall, of course. Did you think I stole it?"
Elder Yangâs gaze sharpened. "The Contribution Hall? There werenât any contribution points in that Divine Wood Order. How did you exchange for anything?"
When Ye Qingchen heard Elder Yang admit it so shamelessly, he flared up in anger. "So you *knew* there were no contribution points in that Divine Wood Order? Then why did you tell me, âGo on, the contribution points in this Divine Wood Order are enough for you to pick any treasure you fancyâ? Good grief! When I got to the Contribution Hall and made my choice, the administrator there nearly had me arrested and sent to the Enforcement Department for causing trouble! And you still have the nerve to bring this up?"
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Elder Yangâs face, but he pressed on anxiously, "This isnât the time for that. Tell me, how many contribution points did you spend on this sword? And where did you get them?"
Ye Qingchen pursed his lips.
This Elder Yang is not only unreliable, but he also loves to shift the blame. He just dodged my question by saying, "This isnât the time for that."
However, Ye Qingchen could also sense how seriously Elder Yang was treating the matter, so he answered, "It cost 80,000 contribution points. I had to trade several hundred Spirit Pills and dozens of Martial Technique manuals for them. What? Are you going to reimburse me?"
Elder Yang roared with laughter. "Just 80,000 contribution points for this sword? You hit the jackpot, kid!"
Ye Qingchen shot Elder Yang an irritated look.
If you want to call me a sucker, just say it. Donât tell me Iâve "hit the jackpot."
Besides, I heard this mysterious sword had been in the Contribution Hall for quite some time, always priced at 80,000 contribution points. As the Dean of the Divine Wood Academy, how could Elder Yang not know about this sword?
After all, many people had bought this sword only to return it for half the price. It was rather infamous in the Contribution Hall.
In fact, Ye Qingchen had truly misjudged Elder Yang. The Divine Wood Academy hadnât enrolled new disciples in a very long time, and given Elder Yangâs lazy nature, he certainly wouldnât have gone down the mountain to inquire about such trivial matters. Furthermore, from Elder Yangâs lofty perspective, he considered everything in the academyâs Contribution Hall to be junk. Why would he bother to check what treasures were being sold there?
This was also why Elder Yang had been so astonished when he first laid eyes on the mysterious sword.
Elder Yang paid no mind to Ye Qingchenâs glare. Laughing heartily, he snatched the mysterious sword from Ye Qingchenâs shoulder. He examined it from top to bottom, clucking his tongue in admiration. "Itâs true what they say about a foolâs luck! You lucky brat, youâve really stumbled upon a treasure this time."
Ye Qingchen grew curious.
Judging by Elder Yangâs expression, he doesnât seem to be joking. But so many people have appraised this mysterious sword and found nothing unusual. Why would he say Iâve found a treasure?
Seeing Ye Qingchenâs confused expression, Elder Yang sighed. "You, you... Just look at your face. I can tell you havenât discovered this treasureâs unique quality. If I told you this was a superior-grade True Weapon, would you still think you were a sucker?"
"What? A superior-grade True Weapon? Impossible! If it were, how could so many people fail to recognize it? How could it end up in my hands?" Ye Qingchen was astonished for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly.
The weapons on the continent were graded from lowest to highest quality: Spiritual Artifacts, Treasure Weapons, and True Weapons. Each of these tiers was further subdivided into low-grade, mid-grade, and superior-grade. In other words, a superior-grade True Weapon was one of the most powerful weapons on the entire continent!
How could others possibly fail to recognize such a valuable treasure? This was especially true for the Contribution Hall, which had everything, including dedicated Treasure Appraisers. They must have appraised this mysterious sword countless times, yet their verdict was always the same: its material was very special and incredibly hard.
Facing Ye Qingchenâs skepticism, Elder Yang snorted coldly. "What do they know about real treasures? To think something like this would appear in the Contribution Hall... Alas, what a miscalculation on my part." As he spoke, Elder Yangâs eyes kept darting toward Ye Qingchen.
This brat is my disciple now. It would be too embarrassing to ask him for it. Forget it, Iâll let the little rascal keep it.
Ye Qingchen still couldnât believe the mysterious sword was a superior-grade True Weapon. "But Elder Yang, I already tested it on the way here. The sword doesnât amplify Spiritual Energy at all. Other than being incredibly hard, I canât see anything special about it."
Elder Yang sighed. "This is a *damaged* superior-grade True Weapon. Otherwise, you wouldnât have gotten it so cheaply, you brat."
Ye Qingchen pursed his lips. "So what if itâs a superior-grade True Weapon? Whatâs the use if itâs damaged? If it canât amplify Spiritual Energy, itâs less useful than a Spiritual Artifact."
"Idiot!" Elder Yang couldnât resist rapping Ye Qingchen on the head. "What do you know! If it were completely and irreparably damaged, I wouldnât be this astonished. I have a way to restore it. Then it will be able to display the true power of a superior-grade True Weapon!"
"Teacher, you have a way to restore it!" Ye Qingchen gasped, his breathing growing heavy upon hearing Elder Yangâs words.