I Can Extract Divine Power

Chapter 337 - 151: Chicken Dinner, Fantasy Version (Part 3)

The moment the Observatory member heard this, his eyes widened.

"So, Lord Feng, does that mean Shen Bai can truly Overcome Adversity and Attack Upward, even defeating someone in the Meridian Realm—that major watershed—while only at the Five Organ Realm?"

To be honest, the members of the Observatory didn’t believe the various legends about Shen Bai either.

Even the members of the Observatory in Yunxi State thought they were fake.

After all, the news was simply too shocking.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was that Feng Zheng believed it to be true.

Feng Zheng nodded. "True or false, who can say for sure? But I do want to keep an eye on Liu Wufeng’s special recruitment."

The Observatory member collected his thoughts and said, "Shen Bai hasn’t arrived at Cyan Spirit Mountain yet. Should I report to you, my lord, when he does?"

Feng Zheng shook his head after listening. "That won’t be necessary. If he comes, I’ll see him then. If not, there’s no need to go out of your way."

Upon hearing this, the Observatory member nodded. "In that case, I’ll get back to my duties."

Feng Zheng waved his sleeve, saying nothing more.

Soon, the Observatory member had left the space.

After the man left, Feng Zheng turned his gaze toward another entrance.

The room had three entrances in total. Yesterday, Feng Zheng had already ordered that no unauthorized personnel were to use one of the other entrances.

Not even members of the Observatory were permitted.

From that very entrance, a young man with a tall, straight posture, dressed in fine silks, slowly emerged, a folded fan swaying in his hand.

Dozens of masters followed at the young man’s side. The weakest among them were at the Meridian Realm, and there were even two at the Unity Realm.

Ouyang Wu was among them.

When Feng Zheng saw the young man emerge, he cupped his hands in greeting and asked, "Third Prince, I thought you were resting in your chambers. Why have you come out so soon?"

The panel of judges for this assessment included not only Feng Zheng, but also the Third Prince and the Sect Leaders of several powerful factions.

In truth, anyone with a bit of sense knew the Third Prince had a deeper motive for being on the panel. Feng Zheng thus adjusted his own attitude, striking a balance of being polite to the Third Prince without being cold.

Swaying the folded fan in his hand, the Third Prince said slowly, "I was originally going to ask Lord Feng about Shen Bai, but now, I already have my answer."

The Third Prince had already heard every word of the Observatory member’s earlier conversation.

Feng Zheng shook his head as the Third Prince spoke.

"Your Highness, Shen Bai hasn’t come to Cyan Spirit Mountain yet. Do you need me to report to you when he arrives?"

The Third Prince shook his head. "No, that won’t be necessary. I was merely asking out of boredom. It was just a passing thought."

A flicker of surprise crossed Feng Zheng’s face, but he didn’t press the matter.

Feng Zheng had long seen enough of power struggles to understand them all too well.

The Observatory was an institution that answered directly to the ruler of the Great Zhou Country. Feng Zheng had no need to be obsequious; the modicum of respect he showed was purely for the other party’s title.

After saying this, the Third Prince seemed to grow even more bored. He let out a yawn and started back the way he had come.

Before long, silence fell over the space.

Once the Third Prince had gone, Feng Zheng was lost in thought.

After a moment of careful thought, Feng Zheng wasted no more time on the matter and continued with his detailed arrangements.

...

Shen Bai’s presence on Cyan Spirit Mountain had stirred up all sorts of ideas in people’s minds.

At that very moment, at the foot of Cyan Spirit Mountain, Shen Bai and Ouyang Sword looked up at the peak before them and exchanged a glance.

"What a beautiful place. If I ever decide to live in seclusion, this would be a top choice," Shen Bai remarked casually, gazing at the lofty peak.

It truly was a fine place, with its beautiful mountains and clear waters. It was well-suited for a life of seclusion.

But Ouyang Sword seemed unimpressed. "It’s just average, I suppose."

Shen Bai was a little surprised by his reply. "Don’t tell me you’ve seen more beautiful mountains, Brother Ouyang?"

Ouyang Sword shook his head. "No, I haven’t."

"Then why do you say it’s just average, Brother Ouyang?" Shen Bai asked.

Ouyang Sword considered this for a moment before replying, "To me, no magnificent or perilous peak is as beautiful as the longsword in my hand."

Shen Bai was already used to this kind of answer from Ouyang Sword. Shaking his head, he set foot on the mountain path.

"Let’s go. Let’s see what this internal assessment is all about."

The two wasted no more time, quickly making their way up the rugged mountain path.

...

Before long, Shen Bai reached a point halfway up the mountain.

A huge platform had long since been cleared at this midway point, where a number of Observatory members who had arrived early were waiting patiently.

A dozen or so Observatory members from Yunxi State were verifying everyone’s identity, and Shen Bai’s was no exception.

Fortunately, Shen Bai’s background was clean, so after he was confirmed, he was allowed to enter.

The platform was growing more and more crowded, and Shen Bai’s arrival naturally drew the attention of the crowd.

Some regarded him with a hint of fear, some remained perfectly calm, and others looked at him with an unmistakable challenge in their eyes.

Shen Bai seemed oblivious to all these gazes.

Ahead, a few members of the Observatory had red silk ribbons tied to their right arms.

Everyone participating in this internal assessment was a colleague, so the members from Yunxi State had marked themselves this way for identification.