Yuan Qinghua stuck out his thumb and praised Xu Yi. “You have good thinking, Brother. I have had countless customers and many fans of gambling among them, but few as farsighted as you. Indeed, there is a clever rule that prevents this loophole. Please look to the left of the flagpole, Brother. There is a long table and an old man in a square hat. He is the cultivation tester. Before a duel, both parties are to present a drop of blood to be tested. As a practitioner’s cultivation level increases, the changes are evident in the blood. Between practitioners of different cultivation levels, the thickness and colour of blood would be different. Through a blood test, they can confirm that the cultivation level of both parties is equal.”

Xu Yi relaxed a little more when he heard this. He was not simply asking too many questions. It was just that this was a matter of life and death to him, and he had to be cautious. If there were loopholes in the regulations, and the Black Dragon Hall had all intentions to do him in, they could simply send in an expert at the Qi Ocean stage. If that happened, it would be useless no matter how he planned or prepared.

After a few more questions and finding out that his customer was truly not interested in placing bets, Yuan Qinghua finally gave up. He began to inquire instead about Xu Yi’s cultivation level and what he needed to get from his trip into the city.

“What, you… you are actually a practitioner at the peak of Body Forging! May I ask how old you are, Brother?”

Yuan Qinghua’s eyes were full of surprise. This customer in front of him, although looking a little down and out, definitely did not look old at all.

“I have passed the age of thirty!” Xu Yi said calmly.

In actual fact, he had only just passed his eighteenth birthday. The reason why he did not want to reveal his actual age was simply because he did not want to attract unnecessary trouble.

The good thing was that he now sported a scraggly beard, looking decrepit and a lot older than he was.

But even so, it was enough for Yuan Qinghua to jump in surprise. “One cannot judge a book by its cover indeed. From what I know, across the entire Guang’an City, the number of people who have reached the peak of Body Forging before the age of thirty can be counted with one hand, and all of these are the sons of noble families. Brother Yi, for you to achieve such levels of cultivation at such a young age, you would surely shine brightly when you achieve greater heights along the path of the Martial Way in future. Let me congratulate you in advance! I hope to have more of Brother Yi’s support in future!”

Xu Yi had not expected this guy to be such a bootlicker. In a serious tone, he said, “You’re getting a bit too far-fetched here. It’s getting late; let’s talk after we get things done.”

Yuan Qinghua sensed the unhappiness in Xu Yi’s voice, and he felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly agreed and stopped saying anymore nonsense. Leading Xu Yi across the bridge, they headed towards the central street.

After a short while, Yuan Qinghua pointed to a door ahead of them. “Brother Yi, as long as you enter this place, you will be able to gather all the things that you need. And I promise you, the prices and quality of the goods here will be good.”

The shop in front of them was indeed very large. Its front entrance was fifteen meters wide, and the purple gold Nanmu doors were ten meters high, with four of them in total. Even their door sills that were a foot high were made out of gilded copper.

In the middle of the entrance was a broad and shiny signboard placed at the top. Written in beautiful calligraphy were the words “Linglong Hall”!

When one’s eyes stopped on the words, they seemed to come to life, turning into a meandering dragon, flying around the sign and forming the words “Linglong Hall” again when it gathered in the middle. It was truly mysterious and awe-inspiring.

“Brother Yi, don’t take this signboard lightly. This magical array was made by a master craftsman with precious jade from the East Sea as the main material. It was outlined with magical runes and made with three green gold snake demons before being completed. In the whole Guang’an City this is the only such piece.”

Noticing Xu Yi’s interest, Yuan Qinghua spared no saliva and began to introduce the signboard to him.

“Snake demon? Could it be that such monsters exist in this world?”

Xu Yi’s heart leapt in surprise, but he did not say anything.

After seeing Liaochen’s spirit, he was pretty much immune to things like ghosts and spirits. Even when it came to things like monsters and demons, he had some mental preparation.

Also, his time was short, and he was not willing to waste any more words on this issue, hence why he chose to hide it and not bring it up.

The moment he entered, Xu Yi’s eyes could not stop staring. Even though he had seen plenty of splendid hotels in his previous life, he was still stunned by the scene before him.

It was a wide hall over hundreds of meters across. There were pillars of white jade, a floor covered in black steel, golden dragons flying above on the ceiling ,and fiery phoenixes on the walls. It was an architectural marvel with treasures laid out everywhere making for a magnificent sight.

When the two of them entered, there were already quite a number of people in the hall. They were gathered in small groups scattered across the place.

What was most amazing was that not a single customer was left alone. Each one of them was followed by a staff member. Just from that alone, one knew that Linglong Hall truly lived up to its name.

Indeed, just moments after they entered, a female staff member quickly stepped towards them. She wore black robes and had brown hair and a stunning figure. Before she reached them, she was already wearing a smile that could not possibly get any brighter. “Welcome, guests. Is there anything I can help you two with?”

“Is this the place for talking? We shall talk in the VIP room!”

Yuan Qinghua’s tone was scathing, speaking as though his whole body was flowing with splendour. Gone was the meek disposition he wore when he was at the city gates.

“Distinguished guests! Please follow me!”

The brunette smiled even wider. She puffed up her chest, making it look even fuller, then stared deeply into Yuan Qinghua’s eyes with her own beautiful eyes, making full use of her womanly appeal.

Linglong Hall had a rule whereby anyone who spends over a hundred gold coins at one go would have the right to enter the VIP room. Although Yuan Qinghua did not have such means, he was well aware of such a rule.

Since Xu Yi had promised him that he would definitely spend at least two hundred gold coins today, he had to take this opportunity to borrow Xu Yi’s wealth and flaunt it a little. If he missed such an opportunity, it would truly be a waste.

Very soon, the brunette brought the two of them into an elegant room. Shortly, two beautiful ladies came in with trays of tea, fruits, and snacks, all of them delicate and exquisite.

Since coming to this world, this was the first time Xu Yi had enjoyed such excellent service. He had a straightforward personality and did not stand on ceremony. What he saw pleased him greatly. He took a few sips of the tea and two of the snacks, which tasted pretty good. But because they were nothing too special, he stopped there and lay back lazily in his chair.

What he did not realize was that carefree manner made Yuan Qinghua break out in cold sweat. His face was flushed.

Beside them, the brunette also stared with wide eyes. In her mind, she wondered whether or not she should call in the guards to have these two men thrown out.

She had worked in Linglong Hall for many years and had entertained numerous distinguished guests. None, however, would attack the tea and snacks in such a manner.

She even suspected that these two were simply trying to cheat their way here just to have an eye-opener…and also to get some free food and drinks.

However, her professionalism prevented her from doing anything rash. The brunette forced a smile and said, “My two distinguished guests, how exactly may I be of service?”

Yuan Qinghua was already extremely nervous. Her asking seemed to be a perfect way to cover the embarrassing situation. He quickly replied, “We need top grade Red Training Grass, Hundred-Year Golden Snake Eyes, King Bear Gall…”

At one go, Yuan Qinghua listed out seven materials — the exact supporting ingredients needed for practicing the Raging Force Mantra.

The moment he finished those words, the brunettes forced smile suddenly vanished. She shouted for the two attendants earlier and ordered them to serve a better tea instead. Then, she politely confessed that she needed time to check for these items and would give them a reply as soon as possible.

After the two attendants brought them their new tea, the brunette returned, walking briskly. “My apologies for making you wait. I am very sorry but we are temporarily unable to supply all of the materials that you require. We are currently short of Hundred-Year Golden Snake Eyes and King Bear Gall. Would you like to buy the other five items first? When the remaining two items are back in stock, I will inform the two of you immediately.”