Seeking the Flying Sword Path

Qin Yun watched the four delegates in front of him take their seats. Once they were all seated, they remained courteous with one another but there was still a detectable hostility between them.

"Fellow Daoist Qin Yun, you previously mentioned that this decision would be made fair and square," said the gentleman.

"Fellow Daoist Bai, rest assured." Qin Yun smiled. "Since everyone is here, shall we begin immediately?"

"Let us begin."

"Fellow Daoist Qin Yun, feel free to make your requirements known."

Everyone present was extremely solemn. They were shouldering the responsibility of representing an entire faction.

Qin Yun removed the Cosmic Bag by his waist and stretched the bag’s mouth wide. Immediately, a massive bronze cauldron flew out. Qin Yun grabbed its legs and casually held the ten-foot-tall cauldron up. He swept his gaze at the four people and said, "Everyone, this is the transcendent-grade Dharma treasure, the Golden Core Cauldron."

The four trained their eyes on it. Although the Golden Core Cauldron appeared very ordinary at first glance, it became more profound the more they looked at it. All of its power was hidden within.

"What a precious treasure."

"It lives up to its name as a transcendent-grade Dharma treasure."

Everyone coveted it. An item like this was something only immortals could use. Only in such hands could excellent pills be refined.

Following that, Qin Yun stuffed the Golden Core Cauldron back into the Cosmic Bag and tied it to his waist before saying, "Alright, since you have seen it, I’ll make it clear now. All four of you already know my conditions. First, it has to complement the Nine Heavens Astral River Array. The requirement of the array formation is not that high. Its worth does not exceed that of a first-grade Dharma treasure. Second, a Yellow-scarved Strongman has to guard my Qin family for a hundred years. If there are no Yellow-scarved Strongmen that qualify, an equivalent power must be assigned to guard my Qin family. The rest will be up to each one of you."

"Once you have prepared your proposals, write them on a piece of paper," said Qin Yun with a smile. "When the time comes, I’ll choose the best of the four offers."

"Write it on a piece of paper?" The four were taken aback.

They originally thought they would make offers one after another.

"After you finish writing, you are not allowed to change it. The Golden Core Cauldron will be given to whichever offer out of the four suits me the best," said Qin Yun. "Of course, if I find all of the offers to be insufficient, I can also choose not to sell it. I’ll give everyone ten minutes, is that enough?"

"That’s enough."

The four immediately began their preparations.

All of them flipped their hands to produce a scroll. They cast a Dharma spell to prevent the others from probing and began to write on the scrolls the offers their factions could provide.

"What a calculating one, this Qin Yun. He gave us only one chance and we can’t take it back. I can only write down all the things the imperial government is willing to offer." When the incumbent Seventh Imperial Uncle looked at the scroll, he wrote down the offer that had been determined ahead of time while simultaneously using his transmission treasure to contact the imperial government, in order to see if the imperial government was willing to offer more.

The imperial government, Numinous Treasure Mountain, Primordial Chaos Sect, and Divine Firmament Chapter all did the same. As they wrote their offer, they contacted their superiors.

Qin Yun slowly enjoyed his tea while he waited in silence.

The imperial government’s Seventh Imperial Uncle was the first to stop. After he undid his Dharma spell, Qin Yun could see that his scroll had already been rolled up.

Soon, Elder Floating Steel from the Primordial Chaos Sect stopped and undid his Dharma spell. He grinned at Qin Yun. He was by far the ugliest person present, his face covered with a beard that resembled steel needles. It made him look pugnacious.

Daoist Bai from Numinous Treasure Mountain and Daoist Zhang from the Divine Firmament Chapter stopped nearly simultaneously and undid their Dharma spells.

"It seems all four of you are done writing." Qin Yun smiled.

"Yea." The four observed the rest beside them and nodded.

"Everyone, please hand me the scrolls," said Qin Yun.

The four solemnly passed their scrolls over.

When Qin Yun received them, he waved his hand and immediately spread the four scrolls out in front of him. Qin Yun observed them carefully but he had also used a Dharma spell to conceal them, preventing the others from seeing what was written.

"In terms of the quantity of treasure, the imperial government offered the most," thought Qin Yun. "However, the Divine Firmament Chapter seems bent on obtaining it. The number of treasures they offered ranks second."

...

As the four watched Qin Yun, they also looked at the four floating scrolls. However, Qin Yun had insulated the scrolls from their probes, keeping all of them in a state of suspense.

Divine Firmament Chapter’s Zhang Qingyou was very nervous. "Given the Yi family and Yi Xiao’s relationship, Qin Yun should be biased towards my Divine Firmament Chapter. Our offer is also extremely enticing. But I just do not know who this Qin Yun will eventually choose." After all, Qin Yun had never given any signal that might indicate his preference.

The other three were equally nervous.

"Phew." The four scrolls rolled up and landed on the stone table.

Qin Yun looked at the four and said with a smile, "I have perused each and every one of your offers. They are all excellent; however, I have decided who to sell the Golden Core Cauldron to."

"Who?" The four held their breaths.

"The Golden Core Cauldron will be sold to the Divine Firmament Chapter," said Qin Yun with a smile.

The red-haired man, Zhang Qingyou from the Divine Firmament Chapter was immediately overjoyed. However, the other three gave looks of extreme disappointment.

"Fellow Daoist Qin," Seventh Imperial Uncle could not help but comment. "You previously mentioned that you would decide this fair and square, but now you are giving it to the Divine Firmament Chapter directly. We all know of your relationship with the Divine Firmament Chapter. It would have been fine if you sold it to the Divine Firmament Chapter at the beginning, but since you invited the three of us here and declared that it would be done fair and square, it should be fair! I can’t believe that the Divine Firmament Chapter’s offer is better than my imperial government’s."

The two delegates from Numinous Treasure Mountain and Primordial Chaos Sect looked expectantly at Qin Yun as well.

He knew he had to convince them of their defeat or they would not be pleased.

"I can let the three of you see the Divine Firmament Chapter’s offer. However, the three of you have to keep it a secret. After all, there are probably quite a number of great fiendish demons keeping watch over me," said Qin Yun.

"That is only natural."

"We will definitely keep it a secret."

Seventh Imperial Uncle and the other two agreed immediately.

In fact, Qin Yun did not mind showing them. Even if they did not keep it a secret, it was already a well-known fact that he had treasures that could match a transcendent-grade Dharma treasure.

Qin Yun picked up the Divine Firmament Chapter’s scroll and threw it straight out. It floated in midair and unfurled itself.

Seventh Imperial Uncle and company looked at it carefully.

"In terms of array formations, the Divine Firmament Chapter is willing to build an additional Galactic Swimming Dragon Array and Grand Astral Sea Array to complement the Nine Heavens Astral River Array," explained Qin Yun. "They will also be set up personally by Senior Yi. The synergy between the three array formations is really quite perfect."

How could it not be perfect?

The Nine Heavens Astral River Array was created by Patriarch Yi and Patriarch Yi had found two other array formations to complement it. Furthermore, he would personally set it up so it would naturally be the most optimal formation.

"As for the Yellow-scarved Strongman? Only Numinous Treasure Mountain and Divine Firmament Chapter have those," continued Qin Yun. "As for Numinous Treasure Mountain, be it the array formation or the treasures, their offer was inferior to the Divine Firmament Chapter’s."

"In terms of treasures, the imperial government has offered more than the Divine Firmament Chapter. Unfortunately, the imperial government’s offered array formation is slightly weaker. Secondly, the offer to station a Godfiend Guard is ultimately inferior to a Yellow-scarved Strongman. Furthermore, the amount of treasure doesn’t actually exceed the others by much. If the treasures offered were a lot more, I might have been moved. But since it’s just a little more, I’d rather have a better array formation and a Yellow-scarved Strongman. Therefore, I eventually chose the Divine Firmament Chapter," explained Qin Yun.

Seventh Imperial Uncle and company were rendered speechless as they read the scroll.

"Your Divine Firmament Chapter also has Yellow-scarved Strongmen?" Daoist Bai from Numinous Treasure Mountain could not help but comment.

"Our Ancestral Master Zhang refined it," said the red-haired man with a chuckle.

"Ancestral Master Zhang is indeed impressive. He actually managed to figure out the method to refine Yellow-scarved Strongmen," Elder Floating Steel from the Primordial Chaos Sect said with a sigh.

"The array formation offered had to complement the Nine Heavens Astral River Array, which was created by Senior Yi, so it’s only natural that the Divine Firmament Chapter had the advantage." Seventh Imperial Uncle was somewhat displeased. "Fellow Daoist Qin Yun, you were biased towards the Divine Firmament Chapter from the beginning."

Qin Yun shook his head. "The Nine Heavens Astral River Array was already given to me by Senior Yi! Furthermore, I had declared that it has to complement the Nine Heavens Astral River Array early on. If the imperial government had offered me a powerful array as well, I would probably have chosen the imperial government."

Seventh Imperial Uncle shook his head with a sigh.

He did not argue any further.

After all, the amount of treasures he had offered was only slightly more. As for the conditions regarding the array formations and the Yellow-scarved Strongman, they were inferior to the Divine Firmament Chapter, so he could only admit defeat.

Furthermore, the imperial government had specifically instructed that, although he was sent to vie for the Golden Core Cauldron, he had to maintain a cordial relationship with Qin Yun. "Qin Yun’s strength is extraordinary and he has astounding potential. If he survives the calamity of the fiendish demons, it would not be impossible for him to become a sword immortal that steps into the Dao. When that time comes, the imperial government could use the services of such a sword immortal."

The imperial government would use powers from all over the world to achieve its goals, after all.

...

The vying of the treasure ended with the Divine Firmament Chapter winning.

The Divine Firmament Chapter was naturally delighted. They sent an Essence Soul immortal to deliver the treasures to the Inspector Heavenly Alliance personally.

"This is my Zhang family’s third ancestral master. He is also our Divine Firmament Chapter’s Elder Power Extraordinaire," introduced Zhang Qingyou.

"Greetings Senior (Elder) Power Extraordinaire," greeted Qin Yun and Yi Xiao with a bow.

"Brother Yi has told me about the two of you." Daoist Power Extraordinaire was extremely refined as he said with a smile, "It’s truly a joyous thing, to find a Dao partner on the path of cultivation."

As he spoke, he took a Cosmic Bag from his waist and gave it to Qin Yun. "These are the treasures we agreed upon. They are all in there, so have a look."

After taking it from him, Qin Yun opened and probed it before he put it away with a nod.

"Show yourself, Yellow-scarved Strongman," Elder Power Extraordinaire said.

Phew!

Formless mist rapidly condensed into a silver-armored divine general that was ten feet tall. He had a fair complexion without a beard. He had a resolute and steadfast look with coldness exuding from his eyes.

Qin Yun’s eyes could not help but light up when he saw the Yellow-scarved Strongman. He exuded a powerful oppressive aura. It stemmed from his powerful, mighty body.

"This is Qin Yun," Elder Power Extraordinaire said as he pointed at Qin Yun.

"Greetings, Lord Qin Yun, I will be your subordinate." The Yellow-scarved Strongman cupped his hands and said respectfully. "I have received orders from Master to be dispatched as Lord Qin Yun’s subordinate. For the next hundred years, I will abide by Lord Qin Yun’s orders. When the term is up, I will return to the Divine Firmament Chapter."