The Supreme Martial King Shocking All Realms Chapter 3286 - 3281: The Whereabouts of Bao Lu_1

"Indeed, this is the Brahma Horn of the Flame Spirit Race," Yang Chen confirmed.

The steward in green robes eyed him with suspicion. "How did you manage to acquire this horn?" he wondered aloud, then grumbled under his breath, "Forget it, that's not my issue. A Fantasy Horn trades for 2,000 Jiyu Essences. You certain about proceeding with the exchange?"

"Absolutely, I'm certain," Yang Chen responded.

With a flick of his wrist, the green-robed steward summoned a storage bag from nowhere. He gave it a gentle tap, and piles of Jiyu Essences materialized instantly.

These Jiyu Essences resembled delicate snowflakes, shimmering in a deep blue hue like the vast sea. Guided by the steward's control, they all flowed directly into Yang Chen's token.

Retrieving his token, Yang Chen examined it closely. The inner space brimmed with innumerable Jiyu Essences drifting through the void.

A closer look revealed:

Jiyu Essences: 2,871

Merit Grade: 0

Yang Chen blurted out in surprise, "Even with over 1,000 Jiyu Essences, why hasn't my Merit Grade moved from zero?"

"You believe it's that straightforward?" the green-robed steward scoffed at his innocence. "Think just piling up Jiyu Essences will bump up your Merit Grade on its own? That'd make swapping them way too simple, especially since your grade would already be higher by then."

Still puzzled, Yang Chen inquired, "So, what's the way to advance it?"

The green-robed steward answered curtly, "Easy enough. If you're willing, I'll handle the upgrade for you, but it'll cost 1,000 Jiyu Essences upfront."

A helpless grin crossed Yang Chen's face; he hadn't anticipated such a steep price for the upgrade.

Jiyu Essences served countless purposes, leaving it to each cultivator to choose whether to spend them on Merit Grade advancement. While some might waver, Yang Chen decided without delay.

"Go ahead and upgrade it," Yang Chen instructed.

Wasting no words, the green-robed steward subtracted the Jiyu Essences from Yang Chen's token and elevated his Merit Grade to the first level.

Checking the token once more, Yang Chen saw his Jiyu Essences had dropped from more than 2,000 down to just over 1,000.

Yet his Merit Grade had successfully risen from zero to one.

The tough climb to the first level stirred a wave of emotion in Yang Chen. For a fleeting moment, he couldn't resist asking, "What will it take in Jiyu Essences for the next upgrades?"

"Sub-hall has records for that. Check them yourself. Stop bothering folks," the green-robed steward snapped.

Yang Chen was merely another fresh face among the many the steward had dealt with, and he had zero patience for hand-holding them.

Resigned, Yang Chen realized clashing with the steward would only backfire on him.

Thinking that over, Yang Chen pivoted and departed, resuming his exploration of the Sub-hall.

Before long, he uncovered the details on Jiyu Essence costs for each Merit Grade step-up.

The figures left Yang Chen utterly stunned.

Each Merit Grade promotion demanded an immense quantity of Jiyu Essences.

Level 1: 1,000 Jiyu Essences.

Level 2: 5,000 Jiyu Essences.

Level 3: 10,000 Jiyu Essences.

By level 6, it soared to 100,000 Jiyu Essences.

Against his earlier guesses, even 200,000 Jiyu Essences would barely push him to level 6 at best!

The demands escalated wildly beyond that.

This covered just the ten Merit levels, excluding Protector Emperor. Advancing from Tenth-level Merit to Protector Emperor required vastly more Jiyu Essences, with challenges multiplying far beyond the leap from level 9 to 10.

Gazing at Heavenly Defender and Eternal Human Emperor, the totals were downright mind-boggling, beyond comprehension.

Yang Chen sighed deeply, "It's no surprise that even Princess Wenqi, at the Heavenly Extreme Realm, couldn't climb her Merit Grade to Protector Emperor in the Taiyuan Star System. Amassing enough for level 10 is already a terrifying achievement, much less Protector Emperor or Heavenly Defender."

That explained why Princess Wenqi had boldly promised no one would harm him after securing those two honors.

Who would risk it?

Those bearing such ranks in the Earth Spirit Hall were battle-hardened legends with endless victories. Even a seventh-level Merit drew awe, let alone the loftier status of Protector Emperor.

As Yang Chen reflected with a sigh, a fresh ambition took shape in his thoughts.

"Given where I stand now, tackling this level-four mission should yield about 50,000 Jiyu Essences in total rewards. The top payout comes from locating the Holy Maiden of the Flame Spirit Clan, offering 200,000 Jiyu Essences. Now that's a massive reward," Yang Chen murmured to himself.

Quickly, he dismissed the notion with a shake of his head.

"Got ahead of myself there. At my current Merit Grade, better to progress steadily," Yang Chen told himself, shaking his head again.

Should anyone overhear his musings, they'd surely mock him for overreaching.

Still, having committed to the quest for the Holy Maiden of the Flame Spirit Clan, he was determined to see it through.

Before diving in, though, he first had to track down the Eldest Elder of the Spirit Fire Clan, Wan Tianyu.

For unique missions like this one, the ultimate prize had to be redeemed through Wan Tianyu, so a meeting was essential.

Resolved, Yang Chen secured a map to the Spirit Fire World and headed toward Wan Tianyu's spot.

The map already pinpointed Wan Tianyu's dwelling. It sat atop Sky Opening Mountain, home to the Origin Ancient Tree—a site Mo Wenfeng had noted was reserved for those with Merit Grades of level 9 or higher.

As Yang Chen ventured forth, a recognizable figure caught his eye amid the Earth Spirit Hall crowd.

This turned out to be Heng Ye, the Ice and Fire Phoenix Clan individual he'd rescued earlier.

Spotting Heng Ye, Yang Chen instantly aimed to inquire about his Ice and Fire Sky Phoenix companion, so he approached and hailed, "Daoist Friend Heng Ye!"

Heng Ye froze briefly upon seeing Yang Chen, then asked, "Brother Yang Chen, how can I assist you?"

Noting Heng Ye's directness, Yang Chen gave a helpless shrug. "Daoist Friend Heng Ye, being from the Ice and Fire Phoenix Clan, could you possibly help me locate someone? Is that feasible?"

Heng Ye furrowed his brow and questioned, "Brother Yang Chen, do you know people in my Ice and Fire Phoenix Clan?"

"That's correct," Yang Chen affirmed.

Looking perplexed, Heng Ye probed, "Brother Yang Chen, who exactly are you trying to find?"

"She goes by Bao Lu," Yang Chen revealed.

At the mention of the name, Heng Ye appeared to recall something abruptly. After a flash of astonishment, he gritted his teeth and declared, "Apologies, I have no knowledge of her."

With those words, he spun on his heel and walked away without pause.

Yang Chen grew increasingly baffled by Heng Ye's actions. The man's background was odd enough, but this reaction struck as even more peculiar.