Chapter 344: Appraisal

The mist swirled, and the pillar of light gradually dissipated, revealing a young man dressed in a dark, wide robe.

He appeared to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with bold eyebrows and bright eyes, slightly sunken cheeks, a tall nose, and thin lips. His demeanor was gentle, carrying a distinct air of nobility. His robe bore no excessive decorations; the dark color was accented only with patches of deep red, but its very fabric exuded extraordinary quality. Hands clasped behind his back, he wore a long sword at his waist, its sheath a dark golden hue, coiled with a “five-clawed dragon.”

The newcomer showed no surprise. Upon seeing Meng Qi and the others, he nodded politely. “It seems we will be companions from now on.”

His tone was normal, lacking any overbearing aura, yet Meng Qi vaguely sensed that the man wasn’t as approachable as he appeared. Though seemingly amiable and refined, he likely harbored an air of superiority, merely choosing not to display it toward them.

Could it be that I instinctively feel a bit jealous and biased toward people with such an elegant demeanor? Meng Qi inwardly reflected, then smiled and asked, “May I ask how I should address you? And where are your former companions?”

Although the man might not necessarily tell the truth, Meng Qi wanted to at least determine whether his former teammates had been killed due to his actions, so as to avoid dragging them into trouble.

The man took a few steps forward, approaching Meng Qi and the others, but stopped at a distance of five feet, leaving a clearly defined gap between them—whether out of habitual caution or a dislike for being too close to others, breathing in their stale air. “After completing the death mission, our team initially proceeded smoothly. However, during the second round of the cycle mission, we overexplored the side quests, triggering an unexpected incident. We attracted the attention of another powerful team, one that included the official member of ‘Mythos,’ ‘Sky Thunder God.’ In the end, I was the only survivor.”

“Mythos?” Meng Qi asked, feigning ignorance.

Jiang Zhiwei and Ruan Yushu turned their gazes to their own feet, thinking that his act was too convincing!

The man smiled slightly. “Mythos is a secret organization. I don’t know its exact details, but I can confirm one thing: some of its official members are Reborn, and they are willing to recruit and cultivate new Reborn as probationary members. I was once invited, but I declined.”

“If you don’t know about ‘Mythos,’ it must be because you’ve grown rapidly and experienced fewer confrontational missions. Otherwise, you should have encountered probationary teams cultivated by groups like ‘Mythos’ or ‘Fairyland.'”

That’s more or less what I guessed… Meng Qi thoughtfully nodded. From this description, he realized that they would eventually have the task of guiding newcomers. However, the newcomers wouldn’t directly join the team but would instead establish some kind of connection, becoming their own probationary team, only joining after passing the death mission.

Why didn’t we have a guide back then?

Could it be because of the Little Jade Buddha?

The man stood with his hands behind his back, composed and steady, continuing, “As for how to address me, I am Zhao Heng from the Divine Capital.”

His expression was calm, and his words were concise, as if simply stating his name should be enough for others to recognize him.

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Meng Qi’s voice: “Zhao Heng from the Divine Capital? Have you heard of him?”

Meng Qi looked at Jiang Zhiwei and the others with confusion, wondering why the man seemed to think he was so famous.

Zhao Heng’s face twitched slightly, and after hesitating for a moment, he ultimately chose to remain silent.

Jiang Zhiwei slightly turned her head, trying to recall anyone from the Divine Capital that she knew, but finally frowned and said, “I haven’t heard of him.”

Qizhengyan, with his usual expressionless face, shook his head, indicating he didn’t know either.

Ruan Yushu pondered for a while before saying thoughtfully, “I only know that the Fifth Prince is named Zhao Heng, but he never walks the martial arts world and is not well-known.”

Zhao Heng quietly exhaled. “That is indeed me.”

Meng Qi immediately felt a bit excited. Upon hearing mention of the Fifth Prince, he recalled some information, as he had previously read through materials about the Divine Capital, though he had never connected it with any martial arts experts. He secretly transmitted his voice into Ruan Yushu’s mind: “Could it be that he’s the same Fifth Prince who was considered weak and with mediocre talent since childhood, deemed to have a bleak future?”

“Yes, that’s him. After turning eighteen, his health miraculously improved, and his martial arts progress was rapid. If the current crown prince encounters any misfortune, he would be one of the strong contenders.” Ruan Yushu affirmed Meng Qi’s hearsay.

“I see, no wonder…” Meng Qi suddenly understood. It must have been the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation that improved his health and enhanced his talent.

The two then separately shared Zhao Heng’s information with Jiang Zhiwei and Qizhengyan.

Zhao Heng silently watched them discuss, his expression a mix of coldness and helplessness. Even though they were using secret voice transmission, was it really appropriate to gossip about him right in front of him?

“We should treat the new companion with fairness, maintain caution, observe his actions, and ensure that our four-man team can complete the mission on our own.” Meng Qi’s secret voice transmission wasn’t just for gossiping; soon, he and the others reached a consensus on how to approach the new member.

He stepped forward, closing the distance slightly, and bowed. “So you are the Fifth Prince. I am but a humble villager from the mountains, a lowly martial artist. I apologize for my earlier rudeness.”

As Meng Qi approached, Zhao Heng slightly frowned and imperceptibly took a step back before nodding slightly. “No problem. May I ask for your names?”

“I am Su Meng. This is Jiang Zhiwei from the Sword Washing Pavilion, Ruan Yushu from Langya, and Qizhengyan from the Huanhua Sword Sect.” Meng Qi didn’t hide anything.

As teammates, they would inevitably fight together. Even if someone changed their appearance, their martial arts origins, combined with their usual behavior and speech, would eventually reveal their identities. It was better to be honest from the start.

Zhao Heng’s expression slightly changed. Despite his good manners, facing two top-tier martial artists on the Human List naturally shocked him. No wonder their team had rapidly advanced without experiencing many confrontational missions.

“So it’s the Immortal Swordswoman, the Crazy Blade, and the Descending Demigod in person.” He sighed, then smiled at Ruan Yushu. “Dear Yushu, I once held you in my arms. Who would have thought you’d grow up so quickly.”

Ruan Yushu was born in the Divine Capital, where her father once served as an official. He is now the governor of Pengzhou.

“Greetings, Fifth Prince.” Ruan Yushu elegantly bowed but showed no sign of familiarity, as she had returned to her hometown at the age of two.

Zhao Heng was not offended and chuckled. “I roughly know your strengths and martial arts styles. I have fully opened the nine orifices and have a connection with heaven and earth. I have cultivated parts of the ‘Incomparable Manual,’ and I have also exchanged for some supreme techniques. I am proficient in palm strikes, boxing, and swordplay.”

What he said were things Meng Qi could have guessed. Meng Qi smiled and asked, “Your Highness, we have exchanged for mission information. Would you like to share it with us by contributing Virtue Points?”

Zhao Heng smiled. “I was planning to share it with you anyway. I exchanged for it after the last mission. Oh, and let me give you a tip: ‘True Demon of the Extreme Heaven’ has at least the strength of an Outer Scenery expert at the second level, and among the Seven Demon Generals, at least two are Half-Outer Scenery experts.”

“Have you been there?” Meng Qi was slightly surprised, silently grumbling in his mind, “Sharing information directly—what a generous and wealthy guy…”

Zhao Heng nodded. “I once had a mission there and witnessed the grand scene when the demon realm portal opened, but at that time, I didn’t have the strength to get involved.”

“We’re planning to exchange for items that can counter evil forces. Would Your Highness like to join us?” Meng Qi, without showing any prejudice toward the new companion, warmly invited him, showing fairness and openness.

Zhao Heng gently shook his head with a smile. “No need. I already exchanged for them last time.”

What a real aristocrat… Meng Qi thought about his own limited Virtue Points and couldn’t help but feel both envious and “jealous.”

If it weren’t for his limited Virtue Points, why would he have to exchange the Jiezi Ring? He could have just given the Virtue Points to Jiang Zhiwei and the others, keeping that convenient and practical item for himself!

However, even if he had done that, he would only have about a thousand Virtue Points left after exchanging all his items like the ‘Farewell at the Edge of the World’ dart and ‘Spring Breeze Softening Bone Mist,’ barely enough to afford even a ‘Great Rejuvenation Pill’ after pooling resources for the mission information and the Demon-Subduing Pagoda.

Comparatively speaking, the ‘Great Rejuvenation Pill,’ replacing the Left-Hand Sword, completing the nine postures, acquiring the ‘Heavenly Five Thunder Strike’ technique, and accumulating points for the ‘Eight-Nine Mystical Art’s Outer Scenery Chapter’ were all more important than the Jiezi Ring. After all, there might be another chance to obtain it in the mission world, and even in the Six Gates, it could be acquired at a relatively “low price.” Therefore, after careful consideration, Meng Qi took out his calligraphy scroll titled “Who Am I, Who Is Me” and exchanged it for the Jiezi Ring.

He placed the calligraphy and the mysterious accessory from Jiang Hengchuan inside the room at the Reincarnation Plaza to avoid being “tracked.”

Seeing that Zhao Heng would not participate, the four began their own discussion.

Qizhengyan, with his usual unchanging expression, said, “Although I was eager to come to this Eastern Yang Mansion affair, I ultimately was unable to make it in time. I am already very satisfied with obtaining the ‘Donghua Qing Shu’ and the formula for the ‘Eastern Longevity Pill.’ I feel unworthy of receiving Virtue Points, so I plan to exchange for items that everyone can use. Hmm, similar to Miss Ruan, I will choose the ‘Purifying Pill’ and the ‘Demon-Dispelling Talisman.'”

Considering that Qizhengyan had traveled a long distance but arrived too late, Meng Qi, along with Ruan Yushu and Jiang Zhiwei, decided to share the Virtue Points with him anyway, since they would all be pooling resources, which was essentially using it for themselves.

After the exchange, Qizhengyan was left with only eighty Virtue Points.

Meng Qi stepped into the central pillar of light, closed his eyes, recalled Duan Rui’s nine postures, and requested an appraisal:

“The first volume of ‘Yi Jin Jing’ (Muscle Transformation Sutra), a fragmentary version, is worth 6,300 Virtue Points and can be exchanged for 3,200 Virtue Points. If you wish to complete and adjust the correct sequence, it will cost 2,500 Virtue Points. Once completed and the sequence is adjusted, it will be considered an exchanged item and cannot be taught to others.”

The voice of the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation echoed in Meng Qi’s mind, momentarily leaving him shocked. It was truly the ‘Yi Jin Jing’! And it really required the correct sequence!

The ‘Yi Jin Jing’ was a supreme auxiliary martial arts manual, highly effective even for experts at the ‘Dharma Body’ level. It was worth a total of 150,000 Virtue Points, divided into three volumes, each of which could be exchanged separately. The third volume required 100,000 Virtue Points, the second volume 40,000, and the first volume 10,000.

Although Meng Qi had already transcended his mortal body, the ‘Yi Jin Jing’ was terrifying in that it could still enhance his abilities further—not only improving his innate talent but also elevating the rank of his martial arts techniques, breaking through previous limitations. While the ‘Eight-Nine Mystical Art’ was considered the highest among the Six Paths, it might not have much effect, but his sword techniques, blade techniques, and lightness skills could be significantly enhanced, transforming the mundane into the miraculous—for example, advancing the ‘Solitary Sword’ from breaking Qi to breaking Form, and even breaking the ‘Unity of Heaven and Man!’

Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough Virtue Points… Meng Qi, of course, wanted to complete the entire manual before exchanging it, as it would be extremely difficult to obtain again in the future.

“But why does the ‘Yi Jin Jing’ become a demonic technique if practiced in the wrong order?” Meng Qi asked the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

“This information is worth 3,000 Virtue Points.” The Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation replied flatly.