Chapter 752: Discussion Pavilion (II)

"You're too weak." Lin Zheyu cast him a sidelong glance and shook his head slightly before turning around and continuing toward the Discussion Pavilion.

Collis laughed brazenly. "Too weak? Hahaha! I love arrogant fellows like you who look down on everyone. You would certainly make an amusing slave."

Lin Zheyu remained unmoved, acting as though they did not even exist. Being treated with such contempt greatly displeased Collis. Even after all that provocation, the man had completely ignored him.

"Hmph. Don't think you can escape simply by refusing to enter the arena. I'll be waiting for you there. Let's go!" Collis said coldly.

He watched Lin Zheyu's retreating figure with a sinister sneer, then waved his hand and left with the others. By then, Lin Zheyu was already far away. Collis's threats did not stir the slightest ripple in his heart. If they had not been in Black Tortoise City, Lin Zheyu could have crushed such a weak cultivator to death with a single finger.

"Wasn't that Collis, the genius of the barbarian Mond Tribe?"

"That's right. It was him."

"He's quite extraordinary. I heard that not long after breaking through to the Spirit Condensation realm, he already possessed the strength to slay a mid-stage Golden Core realm expert."

The cultivators watching from the surroundings began discussing among themselves.

The barbarians had two mainstream cultivation systems. One was the shaman path, while the other was the totem warrior path. The Spirit Condensation realm of the shaman system was equivalent to the Golden Core realm of the Immortal Dao.

"How did that martial artist offend him?" someone whispered.

"No idea."

"That martial artist looked unfamiliar. Is he from the Martial Alliance or one of the three ancient martial esteemed families?"

"He's a martial cultivation genius who joined the Martial Alliance not long ago. I once saw him working alongside Ji Ziyang and the others. His natural talent and strength should be quite impressive."

"Ji Ziyang? He has exacting standards and is extremely proud. If that martial artist earned his approval, he must be fairly capable. Still, he is no match for Collis."

"What's there to fear? At worst, he can simply refuse to enter the arena," a cultivator said with a curl of his lips.

"Things aren't the way they used to be. If Collis wants to force him into the arena, there are plenty of ways to do it."

"True..."

***

By the time Lin Zheyu arrived at the Discussion Pavilion, many cultivators had already gathered inside. Discussions of the Dao there primarily took three forms. The first was a public lecture delivered by an expert. An expert did not necessarily have to possess overwhelming strength. Anyone with unique insights and understanding in a particular field could qualify. Delivering such a lecture allowed the speaker to review and organize their own path while also subjecting it to the scrutiny and examination of others.

The second was a public discussion centered on a predetermined topic. The subject could be provided by the Discussion Pavilion's staff or proposed by one of the participants, after which everyone would discuss the Dao with that topic as the focus. The final form was a private discussion held within a small group.

"I disagree. Divine Power Crystals may be the best energy for dealing with demonic qi and yao, but many other forms of special energy can accomplish the same thing."

"That is certainly true, but those forms of special energy are far too difficult to obtain, let alone control."

"And Divine Power Crystals aren't difficult to obtain? If we didn't have..."

As soon as Lin Zheyu entered the Discussion Pavilion, the sounds of an intense debate reached his ears. The first floor hosted public discussions centered on questions provided by the Discussion Pavilion. The current question was how cultivators could exert their full strength when fighting yao in the demon realm.

"This form of discussing the Dao is rather interesting." Lin Zheyu found a seat in a corner and listened with great interest to the insights of the surrounding cultivators.

Many cultivators were doing the same as Lin Zheyu. Most ordered a pot of spirit tea or spirit wine along with a few small dishes, then leisurely listened to the discussion. Whenever they disagreed with something or found fault with another person's reasoning, they would voice their own opinions. This form of discussion was quite engaging, but it also had its drawbacks. Most of the participating cultivators were only at the Foundation Establishment realm or even the Qi Refining realm, so they could not offer particularly profound insights.

There are several more themed discussion halls, but it seems there is no need to visit them either, Lin Zheyu thought.

The threshold for these public discussions was low, as were the cultivation realms of their participants. They held little value for him.

Forget it. I'll treat this as a way to pass the time and visit the other venues once they open in a few days, Lin Zheyu thought.

He looked up at the light screen in the center, which displayed the topics of the public discussions currently underway in the various halls. Some of the topics were quite interesting. It would have been even better if any powerful cultivators were participating.

"The Essence of the Shamanic Dao and Its Positive Influence on the Immortal Dao...Oh? This topic is rather interesting. The speaker is an early-stage Golden Core realm cultivator from the Wei Family. A Golden Core realm cultivator?" Lin Zheyu's eyes brightened slightly. He had finally found someone a little stronger.

Although the speaker was only at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, that was still far better than listening to Qi Refining realm and Foundation Establishment realm cultivators. Moreover, the topic itself was quite interesting. As the most powerful immortal cultivation family in Great Wei, the Wei Family's cultivators were bound to possess extraordinary insights. With that thought, Lin Zheyu rose and walked toward the discussion hall.

***

Elsewhere in Black Tortoise City, inside a grand and luxurious residence.

A maid hurried in from outside and said respectfully, "Young Mistress, Woo Qianqian, a disciple of the White Tiger Sect, has come to visit."

The maid was remarkably strong. Her aura was no weaker than that of a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator.

The woman in the hall looked puzzled upon hearing the name. "Wu Qianqian? What is she doing here?"

The woman wore a fiery red dress that accentuated her voluptuous figure, and a scorching aura radiated from her body.

"She said she wishes to make a deal with you involving Tigerflame Pills," the maid replied respectfully.

A faint smile appeared on the woman's lips as she said, "Tigerflame Pills? They may not be particularly precious, but they are difficult to refine, and I happen to be short of this type of medicinal pill. It seems she made a point of looking into my needs. Let her in."

The woman's name was Xiao Yiqing, and she came from the Vermilion Bird Sect. She had worked with Wu Qianqian several times, but they were not particularly close and could only be considered casual acquaintances.