Chapter 110: Jealousy
Zhang Ruochen arrived outside the Divine Power Hall and looked at the six women and two men standing in a row, muttering to himself, "The West Courtyard truly is yin flourishing while yang declines."
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's arrival, many of those present showed expressions of envy and jealousy in their eyes.
The three female demons resided in the Dragon Martial Hall, and they had no objections to that. After all, the cultivation levels of those three female demon lords were right there—who would dare to refuse?
But everyone here was a top freshman. Why should Zhang Ruochen be allowed to live in Yellow Character Number One of the Dragon Martial Hall, while any other freshman who entered the Dragon Martial Hall would be driven out by the three female demon lords?
Among them, the most unconvinced was Yuchi Tiancong, because he had suffered the worst fate.
Two years ago, he had become the top freshman and entered the Dragon Martial Hall with high spirits. But on that very night, Huang Yanchen had broken his legs and thrown him out. Even the three thousand merit points he had received as a freshman reward were compensated to Huang Yanchen.
He had originally thought Zhang Ruochen's fate would be even worse than his. Yet a month had passed, and Zhang Ruochen was still living peacefully in Yellow Character Number One, as if the three female demon lords had never come to trouble him.
How could this be?
Yuchi Tiancong was deeply puzzled.
The moment Duanmu Xingling saw Zhang Ruochen, she noticed that the aura on his body seemed to have changed again. She took the initiative to ask, "Junior Brother, you haven't already refined that drop of Half-Saint True Liquid, have you?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded and smiled, "Indeed, I have fully refined it."
Duanmu Xingling was extremely shocked, her almond-shaped eyes filled with disbelief. "In just a little over a day, you managed to completely refine a drop of Half-Saint True Liquid?"
Even at her current cultivation level, she needed two days to fully refine a drop of Half-Saint True Liquid. Even if Zhang Ruochen's talent was exceptional, he was only at the Mysterious Extreme Realm later stage. How could his speed in refining Half-Saint True Liquid surpass hers?
Duanmu Xingling did not know that Zhang Ruochen possessed the Time-Space Crystal. While a little over a day had passed in the outside world, Zhang Ruochen had already cultivated for four days inside the Time-Space Crystal.
Zhang Ruochen said with a faint smile, "It was just a drop of Half-Saint True Liquid. If it were a drop of Saint Liquid, it wouldn't be so easy to refine."
Duanmu Xingling stared at Zhang Ruochen as if he were a monster. This guy had brought her too many surprises and shocks. How many more secrets was he hiding?
The nine people were arranged in the order they had entered the West Courtyard, so Yuchi Tiancong stood right next to Duanmu Xingling and clearly heard her conversation with Zhang Ruochen.
Yuchi Tiancong laughed, "Junior Brother Zhang, as far as I know, you've only been in the West Courtyard for a month. There's no way you could have received a drop of Half-Saint True Liquid as a reward from the academy. May I ask where you obtained your Half-Saint True Liquid?"
Xue Ling was also somewhat jealous of Zhang Ruochen. After all, even she had been driven out of the Dragon Martial Hall by Huang Yanchen and Duanmu Xingling, yet Zhang Ruochen could stay and cultivate there. How could she not be envious?
Xue Ling also showed a faint smile and said, "As far as I know, there are only two ways for students to obtain Half-Saint True Liquid. The first is naturally the drop the academy rewards to students each year. The second is to go to the Black Market, find an acquaintance, and buy Half-Saint True Liquid at a high price. Could it be that Junior Brother has connections in the Black Market?"
Xue Ling stood between Yuchi Tiancong and Zhang Ruochen. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a fairly beautiful face and a perpetual smile. Her appearance could be considered quite lovely, but compared to Duanmu Xingling and Huang Yanchen, she was still a step behind.
Xue Ling's words were quite venomous, as everyone knew about the antagonistic relationship between the Martial Market Bank and the Black Market.
If Zhang Ruochen had indeed purchased Half-Saint True Liquid from the Black Market, he would certainly come under suspicion from the academy's higher-ups. Although the higher-ups wouldn't expel him from the Martial Market Academy without evidence, Zhang Ruochen would never be able to continue cultivating in the Dragon Martial Hall from now on.
Zhang Ruochen did not speak, but Duanmu Xingling, standing nearby, was very displeased. She stared at Yuchi Tiancong and Xue Ling, her smile vanishing instantly, replaced by a coldness. "What do you two mean? Are you suspecting Junior Brother Zhang of being a Black Market spy?"
Xue Ling held a deep grudge against Duanmu Xingling. A year ago, it was Duanmu Xingling who had driven her out of the Dragon Martial Hall, saying her talent was too low to qualify for cultivation there.
Xue Ling laughed, "Senior Sister Duanmu, you misunderstand me. I never said Junior Brother was a Black Market spy. I'm just very curious about the source of Junior Brother's Half-Saint True Liquid. After all, Half-Saint True Liquid is so precious. If Junior Brother can really obtain it through other means, I would also like to buy a few drops from him at a high price."
Clearly, Xue Ling still harbored strong suspicions about Zhang Ruochen.
Yuchi Tiancong said, "Junior Brother, I too would like to know the source of your Half-Saint True Liquid. Could you sell me a few drops as well?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at the two people standing beside him and smiled, "Since you're so eager to know, I'll tell you. Actually, that drop of Half-Saint True Liquid was a gift from Senior Sister Duanmu when we first met. If you want to buy some, go ask Senior Sister Duanmu."
Yuchi Tiancong and Xue Ling were stunned by Zhang Ruochen's words. Their gazes turned toward Duanmu Xingling, clearly not believing him.
How precious was Half-Saint True Liquid? Even Duanmu Xingling only received eight drops a year. How could she give something so valuable to a junior brother who had just entered the West Courtyard?
Not only Yuchi Tiancong and Xue Ling didn't believe it, but the other students also didn't. All eyes turned to Duanmu Xingling.
Duanmu Xingling smiled, "That's right! That drop of Half-Saint True Liquid was indeed a gift from me to Junior Brother Zhang."
Hearing this, Yuchi Tiancong seemed to finally understand something. He thought to himself, "No wonder Zhang Ruochen can stand firm in the Dragon Martial Hall. So he has Duanmu Xingling as his backing. She's even willing to give him Half-Saint True Liquid—their relationship must be extraordinary."
"With Duanmu Xingling's exceptional talent and stunning beauty, how could she take a liking to him?" Yuchi Tiancong grew even more jealous of Zhang Ruochen, wishing he could take his place.
Huang Yanchen pulled Duanmu Xingling aside, a sharpness in her eyes, and said in a low voice, "Xingling, you haven't actually fallen for that lecher, have you?"
Duanmu Xingling chuckled, "Not quite yet!"
Huang Yanchen was displeased. "You gave him Half-Saint True Liquid, and you still deny it? That lecher has bad conduct and flirts with everyone. If you give your heart to him, you'll cry yourself to death in the future."
Duanmu Xingling's smile bloomed like pear blossoms. She raised her slender, snow-white wrist and shook the Space Jade Bracelet in front of Huang Yanchen's eyes. "The treasure he gave me."
Huang Yanchen felt Duanmu Xingling was beyond saving. She pressed a finger against Duanmu Xingling's brow. "Xingling, he gave you a broken jade bracelet, and you're this happy, even giving him a drop of Half-Saint True Liquid? If he gives you something even more precious, won't he trick you into bed? Wake up—don't let that lecher fool you!"
"What do you mean, a broken jade bracelet?"
Duanmu Xingling glared at Huang Yanchen, took the Space-Time Jade Bracelet off her wrist, and handed it over. "Inject your true qi into the bracelet, and then tell me if it's a broken jade bracelet."
Huang Yanchen looked disdainful, not believing Zhang Ruochen could give Duanmu Xingling anything valuable. She assumed it was just a low-grade defensive True Martial Treasure.
Despite thinking this, she still injected her true qi into the bracelet.
"Whoosh!"
A faint layer of light appeared on the bracelet's surface.
Huang Yanchen's expression gradually turned serious. She reached her delicate hand toward the bracelet, and her fingers passed directly through the glow, entering a vast inner space.
"A space treasure!"
Huang Yanchen was completely stunned. If the Space Jade Bracelet weren't in her hand, she would have thought she was dreaming.
She never imagined she would see a space treasure with her own eyes in her lifetime.
"Did he really give you this Space Jade Bracelet?" Huang Yanchen asked, full of envy.
Duanmu Xingling squinted and smiled. "Chen Jie, give me back the Space Jade Bracelet first."
Huang Yanchen gripped the Space Jade Bracelet tightly, stroking it repeatedly, deeply enamored. Reluctantly, she returned it to Duanmu Xingling.
At that moment, a sour feeling arose in Huang Yanchen's heart. Looking at her good sister, she actually felt a trace of jealousy. "Xingling, don't reveal this Space Jade Bracelet. If someone with ill intentions sets their sights on it, it will bring you big trouble."
Duanmu Xingling was very clever and naturally sensed Huang Yanchen's emotions. She smiled, "As far as I know, Zhang Ruochen has more than one space treasure."
Huang Yanchen's beautiful eyes lit up. "Really?"
Duanmu Xingling said, "Otherwise, would he casually give me a Space Jade Bracelet?"
The trace of jealousy in Huang Yanchen's heart gradually dissipated, replaced by a cold expression. "I see. You deliberately showed off the Space Jade Bracelet in front of me. Aren't you afraid I'll snatch it from you?"
"Why would you snatch it from me? Go snatch it from Zhang Ruochen! With your relationship with him, getting a space treasure from him shouldn't be a problem." After saying this, Duanmu Xingling even winked at Huang Yanchen. Then she returned to the entrance of the Divine Power Hall to wait for it to open.
Huang Yanchen glanced at Zhang Ruochen, scanning him from head to toe, before returning to stand beside Duanmu Xingling.
Zhang Ruochen felt that Huang Yanchen's gaze was very strange, as if she wanted to devour him. He found it inexplicable—had he provoked her?
Just then, three more young students arrived outside the Divine Power Hall: Zi Qian, Prince Huo Xing, and Yao Qingtong.
"Why are there three more freshmen?" Xue Ling stared at the three approaching newcomers, very displeased.
Yuchi Tiancong frowned repeatedly. "Isn't it only the top freshman each year who can enter the Divine Power Hall to cultivate? What are they doing here?"
Zhang Ruochen seemed to understand something and nodded slightly.
Yuchi Tiancong and Xue Ling, though top freshmen, had only passed the third level of the second floor of the Martial Tower.
Zi Qian, Prince Huo Xing, and Yao Qingtong had all passed the first level of the third floor of the Martial Tower upon enrollment. Although they weren't top freshmen, their talent surpassed half of the top freshmen present, so they naturally qualified for special admission to cultivate in the Divine Power Hall.