Chapter 49: One Step to Reach Heaven

  "One gold coin." The stall owner was obviously very good at doing business, seeing Ning City and the girl in the cloth skirt holding one pearl flower each, he immediately opened his mouth wide.

  Moreover, nowadays in Nanyuan City, there are outsiders everywhere. Don't mention one gold coin, even if it's ten gold coins, as long as someone takes a liking to it, there will be people who buy it.

  The girl in the linen skirt's hand trembled slightly as she repeated in disbelief, "A pair of pearl flowers for one gold coin? How is that possible..."

  In her opinion, this pearl was exquisite and beautiful, but at most it was worth only a few dozen copper coins, not even one silver coin.

  The stall owner said slowly, "My pearl flowers are one-of-a-kind, absolutely no duplicates, and they're all handmade by the master craftsmen of the Imperial City. Can you say this price is expensive? Besides, I'm talking about one gold coin per flower, not one pair for one gold coin."

  Ning Cheng also knew that this boss was a big spender, but now even mentioning one gold coin wouldn't mean anything to him. A thousand gold coins would be nothing to him either. Moreover, the effect of gold coins on him was getting smaller and smaller. What he needed now were spirit stones, and even gathering aura stones wouldn't have much use for him.

  "Boss, I'll give you a gold coin, will you sell me these two pearl flowers?" The girl in the linen skirt looked at the pearl flower in Ning Cheng's hand, biting her teeth and saying. She came to Nan Yuan City this time to participate in the selection of Ming Xin Academy, but she loved this pearl flower too much, and holding it made her feel extremely calm, as if the pearl flower was made for her.

  She had never spent so much money on a small hair accessory from childhood to adulthood.

  "No way." The boss said resolutely, his gaze shifting towards Ning City.

  Ning Cheng could tell from the girl's tone that she really liked this pair of pearl flowers. However, this pair of pearl flowers was something he must have, and to see the same pair in Nan Yuan City was a surprise that couldn't be expressed. This wasn't something that could be represented by simply refining two pearl flowers; for Ning Cheng, it was a kind of fate from heaven.

  The girl also looked at Ning City with hopeful eyes, hoping that Ning City would give the pearl flower to her. She wasn't a fool and had obviously figured out that the owner of this stall raised the price not because the pearl flower was really so precious, but because someone was competing with her, and that person was now standing beside her.

  Ning Cheng cast an apologetic glance at the girl and said, "I'm really sorry, this pair of pearl flowers holds great significance for me. Could I ask you to spare them and let me have the pearl flowers in your hand? I'll give you another pair in return, and you can choose whichever one you like."

  The girl in the linen skirt looked quite rustic, but Ning City found that she was no less beautiful than An Yi. A pair of eyes were bright and clear, with an innocent gaze that seemed to be able to see into a person's heart, making it hard for people to refuse her. However, Ning City was certain that she had not cultivated before, without the slightest aura fluctuation on her body.

  After hearing Ning Cheng's words, the girl's eyebrows furrowed slightly. It wasn't because Ning Cheng was unwilling to transfer the Pearl Flower to her. She knew that in Nan Yuan City, only someone like her would value a single gold coin so heavily.

  She frowned because Ning Cheng said he would give her a pair of pearl flowers, which made her feel that this person was too frivolous. When a man gives pearl flowers to a woman, it's not something to be taken lightly.

  She shook her head and put down the pearl flower in her hand, saying, "This pair of pearl flowers shouldn't be separated anymore. Since it has meaning to you, I'll just give it to you."

  Her tone was soft and gentle, as if it were a matter of course that she would let Ning City have the Pearl Flower.

  Ning Cheng hastily took out two gold coins and handed them to the boss of the stall, only then did he thank the girl in the embroidered skirt, "Thank you very much, pick a pair of pearl flowers, I'll give them to you as a gift."

  The girl in the linen skirt directly refused this time, "No need, I like that pair of snowflake-shaped pearl flowers. I don't want anyone to give them to me either. I can afford two gold coins."

  Ning Cheng directly refused to accept it, letting him send a pair of pearl flowers that made him think of his sister Yu Lan to a stranger, which he was not willing to do.

  Someone on the side saw it clearly and sneered with disdain, "A man is actually competing with a woman for the pearl flower."

  The girl in the pleated skirt apparently feared causing more trouble and didn't dare say anything else, hastily turning around to walk into the crowd, quickly disappearing from view.

  Ning Cheng ignored others' words, he directly picked up the pearl flower and didn't leave. Instead, he asked the boss of that stall, "Boss, are all these people coming to Nan Yuan City here to participate in the selection of Ming Xin Academy? Although Ming Xin Academy is big, it can't accommodate so many people, right?"

  The boss of that stall earned two gold coins and was in a good mood. After listening to Ning Cheng's words, he immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, "How is it possible? Although many people come here, most of them are here to compete with us locals for business. Later you go to the Spiritual Roots Testing Plaza, where there are stalls from all over the place. The number of people that Ming Xin Academy wants has nothing to do with the number of people who come, but rather with their spiritual roots and comprehension."

  "Linggen Testing Plaza?" Ning City asked in a somewhat puzzled tone.

  The stall owner replied, "You shouldn't be here for the Ming Xin Academy selection, right? Those who come to participate in the selection usually go to the Linggen Testing Plaza for the first round of spiritual root testing. Only those who pass the first round have the qualification to enter Ming Xin Academy for the second round of spiritual root testing."

  After finishing, the boss was still afraid that Ning Cheng didn't quite understand, and with extreme pride said, "Our Ming Yi True Country's Ming Xin Three Star Academy this time recruiting disciples isn't simple. If you're selected, who knows, maybe you'll be able to ascend to heaven in one step."

  "Oh, what's going on?" Ning Cheng was really curious. Ming Xin San Xing Academy was selected, it must be a great honor and luck, but it wasn't like they were suddenly elevated to the sky.

  The stall owner was incredibly proud, as if the Mingxin Sanxing Academy was his own private property. "Have you heard of Huazhou? The Yixing Continent has nine major continents, and among them, Huazhou is one of the three lower-level continents with the thickest spiritual energy. If it weren't for its poor location, it could have been classified as a mid-level continent."

  "I know, I know, but I still need to ask for more details." Ning Cheng hurriedly lowered his posture and clasped his fists, saying that he really was going to Huazhou.

  The stall owner was very satisfied with Ning Cheng's attitude, and didn't even have time to attend to his own business. He carefully explained to Ning Cheng, "I heard that the five major five-star academies in Huazhou will be holding a low-level inter-academy competition three years from now. If any of these five-star academies win the competition, they will gain enormous benefits."

  These five colleges will simultaneously recruit the most outstanding disciples in Pingzhou, Yuanzhou and Huazhou three years later to compete for the top spot. Colleges that can participate in the selection of outstanding disciples are all three-star or above colleges. Mingxin College is naturally one of them, and as long as you are selected by Mingxin College, you will have the opportunity to go to Huazhou Wuxing College.

  "What great benefits did that academy gain?" Ning Cheng asked subconsciously, even the Five Star Academy was concerned about such a great benefit, he really had some curiosity.

  "This I don't know." The stall owner was rarely embarrassed.

  "I can tell you, but you need to sell me back that pearl flower you just bought." A hoarse humming voice sounded beside Ning Cheng.

  Ning Cheng turned around and saw a tall, sturdy young man. The young man was not only physically strong but also wore coarse linen clothes. Ning Cheng immediately guessed that this young man must have some connection with the girl in the linen skirt who had just left.

  Ning Cheng thanked the boss first, then turned to the young man and said, "Since you want the Pearl Flower, let's go somewhere quiet to talk."

  Zhu Hua didn't want to give in, but he also wanted to know some things. This young man seemed to have no background, and yet appeared to know more than the owner of this stall.

  The young man didn't think much and immediately nodded, "Alright, you lead the way. Whatever you ask, I'll tell you as long as I know, on one condition: you have to give me the Pearl Flower."

  He looked a bit silly, but Ning Cheng's purpose he had seen through at a glance.

  Ning Cheng did not bring the young man to the inn, now the inns and taverns of Nan Yuan City were already crowded with people, he went there but could not find a quiet place to sit.

  Ning Cheng brought the young man to a slightly quieter place and said straightforwardly, "Friend, that pearl flower has extremely important significance to me, I have no way of giving it to you. But I just arrived in Nan Yuan City, there are many things I don't understand, so I still need your guidance."

  He chose to ask this young man because Ning Cheng had seen that the other party was a very honest person and had not cultivated before. Asking him is safer than asking some cultivators, otherwise, an Qi gathering cultivator came to Nan Yuan City and didn't know about Ming Xin Academy recruiting disciples, it would definitely raise suspicions. If it were somewhere else, it wouldn't matter, but here he has an enemy, Lan Yue.

  After listening to Ning Cheng's words, a hint of gloom flashed in the young man's eyes. "Earlier, my sister found me and was somewhat depressed. From childhood to adulthood, I have never let her suffer any grievances. I asked her later and only then did I know that the Pearl Flower she had set her heart on had been bought by someone else."

  "How did you know it was me?" Ning Cheng blurted out, there were so many people on this street, and the girl in the linen skirt had walked away for a long time. He was delayed because he had questions to ask the stall owner. Logically speaking, this young man shouldn't have seen him buying things, and shouldn't know that he bought the pearl flower.

  The young man took out a handkerchief with some embarrassment and said, "I told her I would definitely help her get it back, so she drew a picture for me. At first glance, I recognized that the person was you..."

  Ning Cheng was stunned by the portrait on the handkerchief, wondering if there was anyone else in the world who could draw so skillfully. The portrait was rendered with just a few strokes, yet it perfectly captured his likeness on the handkerchief. This simple yet vivid depiction was comparable to, or even surpassed, the realism of photographs taken by digital cameras.

  Ning Cheng had always been proud of his exceptional memory and analytical skills, but today he realized that he was not the only one with such abilities. With just a glance, someone could sketch out every detail of his facial expression and features - how many geniuses could achieve this?