The Prodigies War

As Lin Xun neared his home, he heard loud clunks and bangs.

In the courtyard, Xia Zhi was repeatedly beating a piece of armor with a giant hammer, producing a shower of bright sparks every time.

Xia Zhi was small and slender and was only around five to six years old. The giant rugged hammer looked very unharmonious in her fair and slender hands.

However, the way she repeatedly struck the armor in a unique and relaxed rhythm made it obvious that the giant hammer was as light as an embroidery needle in her hands.

Lin Xun recognized the armor. He had personally constructed it a few days ago using the one-horned lizard’s scales. It was the armor that weakened the attack from Lian Rufeng when they fought a few days ago, but it had been damaged as a result.

Lin Xun was surprised to see Xia Zhi taking the initiative to repair his armor.

Lin Xun went over to take a closer look at the giant hammer and his eyes widened in shock. The head of the hammer looked like a lump of iron and was covered with several fingerprints.

“You made this?” asked Lin Xun.

Without stopping, Xia Zhi nodded and said casually, “I don't have a hammer so I made one by myself.”

Lin Xun let out a gasp of amazement. That’s iron! She molded a giant hammer with just her hands?!

He stared at Xia Zhi in a daze while muttering inwardly, Could there be an ancient beast concealed in her delicate and beautiful body?

Xia Zhi suddenly dropped the giant hammer and handed the armor to Lin Xun. “I’ve repaired it. Try it on.”

Surveying the newly constructed armor, Lin Xun couldn’t help smiling. He complimented, “ I didn't expect you to have such good skills.”

Xia Zhi ignored him and strode into the house. “I’m going to sleep. Lin Xun, remember to prepare something for me to eat. I will be hungry when I wake up.”

Bang!

She closed the door.

Lin Xun shrugged his shoulders. He had grown used to Xia Zhi’s independent personality, which was completely different from other children.

His gaze drifted down to the giant hammer. He tried to pick it up but it was so heavy that it wouldn’t budge an inch!

Lin Xun was astonished. He gripped the hammer tight and gathered all his strength as well as aeth power to barely just lift the hammer. It had to weigh at least two hundred and fifty kilos!

Boom!

Lin Xun relaxed his grip and the giant hammer dropped and smashed a hole in the ground.

“She really is a little monster!”

As Lin Xun thought of how Xia Zhi molded the giant hammer with her hands, his face lit up and he grew curious of Xia Zhi’s background.

“I’ll ask her when she wakes up.”

Lin Xun stopped thinking about the hammer and went into the kitchen to prepare food. Then, he seated himself in the courtyard. He flipped his hand and a copper coin emerged in his palm. He moved it closer and examined it.

It was his first time seeing a real copper coin. The coin, which was around the size of a baby’s palm, was entirely dark yellow and gave off a warmth in his hands.

From what Lin Xun knew, the Ziyao Empire’s money was made from a special mixture of ground Cloud Aeth Stone, a special ore, and dozens of other materials such as gold, silver and copper. It was then subjected to a number of complex and strictly-monitored refinement processes. It was impossible for the outside world to grasp the empire’s unique money-making method.

The currency of the Ziyao Empire was divided into gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins, and the exchange ratio was one to one hundred.

All coins were engraved with a symbol unique to the Ziyao Empire on both sides.

For example, the front of the copper coin in Lin Xun’s hand was composed of three parts.

The cluster of violet glory flowers burning like flames represented the imperial family of the Ziyao Empire.

The majestic azure deer looking up into the sky represented the best academy in the empire, the Qinglu Academy.

The sacred sword overflowing with vigor as it pierced the sky represented the military of the Ziyao Empire.

In addition, on the fringe of the three parts were beautiful cloud-pattern branches and leaves, which represented the upper-class nobles, aristocratic families and clans who had made outstanding contributions to the Ziyao Empire.

The other side of the copper coin was engraved with a landscape consisting of misty mountains and mighty waves, which held an unfathomable meaning.

Lin Xun didn’t know what the landscape on the back of the coin represented but he knew it was undoubtedly meaningful.

Yong!

Lin Xun blew at the copper coin, producing a unique but pleasant noise. This is a Ziyao coin. I will need the support of Ziyao coins if I want to continue to live or cultivate in the Ziyao Empire.

From Wu Henshui’s storage ring, Lin Xun had unexpectedly received a total of 1,500 copper coins, which was equivalent to fifteen silver coins.

The empire’s money was worth a lot. For example, three copper coins could buy two hundred and fifty grams of aeth grains. The thumb-sized Feiyun Fire Copper that Lin Xun had shown Xiao Tianren could be exchanged in the Qingyang tribe for thirty copper coins, which was equivalent to the value of 2.5 kilos of aeth grains!

However, Lin Xun had little knowledge about the exchange value of various items in the Ziyao Empire, and of course he didn’t know what 1,500 copper coins could buy.

In addition to copper coins, Lin Xun also acquired a bag of aeth herb seeds from the storage ring. The majority of the seeds weren’t particularly valuable but were essential for cultivation.

Lin Xun had no intention of planting them because the process of growing aeth herbs was very complicated and required a special aeth plant master. These herbs had a long growth and maturation time and could only be harvested in three to five years. Some rare aeth herb seeds took hundreds or thousands of years to mature.

If Lin Xun's guess was correct, an aeth plant master was among the subordinates who Wu Henshui brought with him.

The bag of seeds had no importance to Lin Xun and so he intended to sell it for money.

What made him happy was the aeth herbs in the storage ring. All of them were rare varieties. Some could be used to strengthen one’s body and some for improving one’s cultivation base. Additionally, Lin Xun found bottles of medicinal pills.

They were all valuable treasures. Wu Henshui was an eighth-layer True Martial Stage cultivator and so the items in his collection wouldn’t be ordinary.

Lin Xun organized the items in the storage ring, and seeing that there was still a lot of space inside, he also stored the Skybreaker Blade.

“Now that I have this storage ring, it will be easier when I deliver goods to the Qingyang Tribe. At the very least, I won’t be robbed.”

Lin Xun carefully hid the ring. He knew that many people would recognize the ring given the fact that Wu Henshui was the chief steward of the Wu’s Apothecary in the Qingyang Tribe. He didn’t wear it on his hand since it would draw too much attention.

“These swift wind boots are of poor quality but they’re still considered a type of aeth tool equipment. Too bad it’s too big for me. I should sell it instead.”

After some deliberation, Lin Xun removed the boots on Lian Rufeng and decided to sell them. He tossed them into the storage ring.

After sorting out all the items, Lin Xun stretched for a long while and felt much more relaxed.

His next priority was to train. As for the matter about the Feiyun Fire Copper mine, he decided to leave it to Village Chief Xiao Tianren.

Lin Xun counted the days and realized that more than two months had passed since the last test of the Great Azure Cloud Path. In less than half a month it would be the time to take the second test in the Omega Secret Realm

Lin Xun didn’t dare to neglect that matter.

After all, he had received a Little Divine Meditation Art as reward for passing the first level. He wondered what sort of benefit he would receive when he passed the second.

He was filled with anticipation.

……

When evening came, Xia Zhi woke up and sat down at the stone table in the courtyard. Soon, Lin Xun brought over the food that he had prepared earlier in the day.

A few days ago, the village had a good harvest of aeth grains and many villagers gifted Lin Xun with bags of aeth grains as well as the meat of over thirty beasts. He didn’t need to worry about food for some time.

The only thing that troubled Lin Xun was Xia Zhi’s increased appetite. She had to eat an extra bowl of grain and meat almost every day.

Her little stomach was almost like a bottomless abyss.

At the rate of her appetite growth, Lin Xun couldn’t guarantee how long the food at home would last.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry about it for now.

While eating, Lin Xun casually asked, “Xia Zhi, where are your parents?”

Chewing a chunk of aromatic meat, Xia Zhi just shook her head.

Lin Xun continued to ask, “What about your home? Do you remember?”

Xia Zhi thought for a while and shook her head again. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve lived with Uncle Bear in the mountains.”

She spoke with a calm and serious tone, but Lin Xun assumed a complicated expression. This little girl has been living in the mountains since she was a child.

“Who is Uncle Bear?”

“You met him the other day.”

Lin Xun’s mind quivered. The barbarian bear that he saw in the ancient forest the other day flashed in his mind. He couldn’t help exclaiming in shock, “You mean the savage beast that the brute warrior killed?”

Xia Zhi frowned, raised her head to look at Lin Xun and said seriously, “You can't say that about him.”

Lin Xun quickly apologized. “I didn’t mean to be disrespectful.”

In truth, perplexed feelings crept into his heart. Xia Zhi was actually brought up by a bear. No wonder she said something so complicated and obscure when I first met her in the mountains... Wait!

No!

Xia Zhi wasn’t speaking animal language but a completely different language.

“I don’t know who the brute warrior is, but one day I will kill him to avenge Uncle Bear,” vowed Xia Zhi, her bright jewel-like eyes unwavering.

After saying that, she quickly buried her head in the food again.

Interrupted, Lin Xun forgot to ask Xia Zhi how she learned the language she used to speak. Instead, his mind drifted back to the battle between the Spirit Sea cultivators.

The battle was between an azure-robed, sword-wielding expert who was clearly from the Ziyao Empire and an expert called a brute warrior who likely wasn’t from the Ziyao Empire.

Lin Xun still remembered that the brute warrior wanted to kill Xia Zhi and not him!

The brute warrior’s action, coupled with the fact that Xia Zhi spoke an unfamiliar language made Lin Xun conjecture that Xia Zhi was from somewhere outside of the Ziyao Empire.