26: The domineering Xun Xiuyuan

Xun Xiuyuan's words were like a nuclear bomb exploding on the spot.

"Innate? You've reached the Innate Realm? An Innate Realm expert under twenty?"

As an Immaculate Realm expert, Elder Yang naturally heard him, but it was just a normal rhetorical question after the initial surprise.

"Grandpa, not twenty. Xun Xiuyuan is the youngest among all of us who went in, he's only sixteen."

Yang Guhong said softly, standing beside Elder Yang.

Bi Qing also gaped, even putting aside the right to distribute the massive amount of ningshen crystals they had obtained.

He quickly walked up to Xun Xiuyuan: "Xiuyuan? You've already reached the Innate Realm? Did you cultivate with ningshen crystals inside?"

A chorus of discussions erupted among the Pass Lords present.

"How is that possible? Refining ningshen crystals doesn't happen that fast. It takes us at least two days to refine one."

"Exactly! He was only in there for a total of seven or eight hours. It's impossible for it to be that quick."

"He probably has naturally strong spiritual power. People like that have appeared before."

"Yes, it can only be that!"

Xun Xiuyuan shook his head, looking at Bi Qing: "Pass Lord, I don't even know how to use ningshen crystals, and I don't know how I advanced either. Perhaps my spiritual power is just naturally strong."

Since it was hard to explain, he just went along with the discussions and made a vague statement.

Elder Yang thought to himself: This Xun Xiuyuan's cultivation talent is too powerful. The family must be notified to win him over as soon as possible.

When Xie Nanqiao heard that Xun Xiuyuan had reached the Innate Realm, the envy in her eyes was unconcealed, even carrying a hint of admiration.

One must know that martial artists from first to seventh rank could all be advanced by simply piling up resources. No matter how poor their aptitude, as long as resources were sufficient, they could advance to the Martial King Realm.

However, cultivation built entirely on resources would not have a stable foundation, so everyone in the Abyss would choose to cultivate step by step, slowly tempering their bodies.

But advancing to the Innate Realm was not so easy. The difficulty of cultivating spiritual power was one thing, but breaking through the physical bottleneck was even harder.

The Innate Realm was also the watershed between high and low ranks. As long as one could enter the Innate Realm, a martial artist's lifespan would greatly increase. Subsequent cultivation would simply be a matter of slow accumulation.

The key was a sixteen-year-old Innate Realm expert—truly unheard of.

Xie Lin also knew how beneficial a genius like Xun Xiuyuan would be to the family, so he immediately stepped forward to get acquainted with Xun Xiuyuan.

After his surprise, Elder Yang no longer dwelled on it and directly began the distribution of the ningshen crystals.

Bi Qing received a spatial artifact from Elder Yang, containing 29,150 ningshen crystals. Bi Qing felt a moment of daze looking at the ningshen crystals piled up like small hills inside.

He took out twenty ningshen crystals and handed them to Chen Feng, Pass Lord, the Pass Lord of Pingcheng Pass, who was standing nearby. Then he handed the spatial artifact to Xun Xiuyuan. There were too many; it was better to let Xun Xiuyuan distribute them himself.

Chen Feng, Pass Lord looked at the twenty ningshen crystals Bi Qing handed over, his face as black as the bottom of a pot. He sighed, but still accepted them.

What he was thinking was: "Damn Xun Family, a bunch of idiots. Just wait until I get back, I'll deal with you."

He couldn't think about it; the more he thought, the angrier he got. Looking at the glaring 58,300 on the screen, it was truly infuriating.

Wang Junlin also received sixty-six ningshen crystals from Elder Yang.

Seeing Wang Junlin holding the ningshen crystals, Xun Xiuyuan strode up to him and stared intently.

Wang Junlin watched Xun Xiuyuan stand before him, his calves trembling, because the pressure Xun Xiuyuan exerted on him was too strong; he felt like kneeling.

In reality, Xun Xiuyuan was using the power of heaven and earth to pressure him, which was why Wang Junlin's sensation was so pronounced.

Steadying his mind, Wang Junlin asked: "What do you want?"

"What do I want? All of my companions' ningshen crystals were extorted by you. Shouldn't there be compensation?"

Xun Xiuyuan said lightly.

Although Wang Junlin was terrified by Xun Xiuyuan's oppressive aura, there was no precedent of people from the Abyss submitting to people from the City Pass. He could only turn his pleading gaze to Xie Lin, who had come to pick them up.

Xie Lin, after all, was an Immaculate Realm expert and could still stop Xun Xiuyuan if he wanted to.

Xie Lin saw Wang Junlin's gaze and chose to ignore it, pretending not to see.

Wang Junlin, helpless, could only shout: "Senior Xie, you represent the Abyss in picking us up, so you should protect our safety."

Xie Lin cursed internally but smiled outwardly: "Nephew Wang, what's the matter?"

If Xun Xiuyuan hadn't revealed his cultivation and talent, Xie Lin might have offered some protection out of consideration for them being from a fellow Abyss family.

But now, to ask Xie Lin to offend a sixteen-year-old Innate Realm expert for someone from the Wang Family? How could Xie Lin do such a foolish thing?

Xun Xiuyuan would likely go to the Abyss very soon, as that was the main battlefield between humans and exotic beasts. By then, it would be too late to try and win him over.

"Senior Xie, this Xun Xiuyuan wants our ningshen crystals. I hope you can help us."

"I came to pick you up, and I will naturally protect your lives. Other personal grudges are none of my business."

Xie Lin's meaning was simple: as long as Xun Xiuyuan wasn't planning to kill him, he wouldn't interfere.

Wang Junlin and Xun Xiuyuan both understood the underlying meaning in Xie Lin's words.

Helpless, Wang Junlin took out four ningshen crystals and handed them to Xun Xiuyuan.

Xun Xiuyuan scoffed: "I don't agree with this compensation method."

Wang Junlin was instantly furious. As someone from a prominent Abyss family, yielding to someone from the City Pass was already a great loss of face. What more did he want?

"We only took eight ningshen crystals from that girl at the time. Half of it was given to the committee, so there are only four left. Do you still want eight? Xun Xiuyuan! Don't push your luck."

"My companion told me you extorted 133 from him. Since half has to go to the committee, then just give me sixty-six, and I won't make things difficult for you."

Xun Xiuyuan said calmly.

Wang Junlin was instantly enraged and was about to utter a threat when Xun Xiuyuan spoke again.

"If you don't give them, I'll take them from your corpse. See if your Senior Xie can stop me. I mean what I say. My friend is not someone just any tom, dick, or harry can touch."

Wang Junlin was intimidated by Xun Xiuyuan at this moment. He didn't feel that Xun Xiuyuan was bluffing; he felt that if it weren't for the crowd, Xun Xiuyuan would have already acted.

Xie Nanqiao's eyes lit up when she heard Xun Xiuyuan's words. "Dominant! I love it!"

She shouted, "So cool!" looking like someone who enjoyed a good spectacle.

Xie Lin gave Xie Nanqiao a speechless look upon hearing her.

Wang Junlin hesitated for three seconds, and seeing Xun Xiuyuan growing increasingly impatient, he pulled out his spatial artifact and handed it to Xun Xiuyuan.

Xun Xiuyuan glanced at it and then handed it to Bai Xiaoou.

Fearing more trouble, Xie Lin immediately organized the Abyss disciples to gather and return to the Abyss at once.

After the Abyss disciples gathered, Xie Lin summoned a giant flying bird. All fifty disciples boarded it, and there was still plenty of space.

Xie Lin left directly after getting on.

Xun Xiuyuan held the note Xie Nanqiao had slipped him before leaving. He opened it and saw it was a phone number.

He had thought it was a love letter; he had been happy for nothing.

As the people from the Abyss departed, the people from the City Pass also left in small groups with their respective Pass Lords.

Just as Bi Qing was about to leave with Xun Xiuyuan and Bai Xiaoou, Elder Yang walked over.

Elder Yang said with a chuckle: "Little Bi, wait a moment. I'd like to chat with Young Friend Xun. Would that be convenient?"