Volume 1, Chapter 232 – Battle Merit Hall

It had been more than a year since Shi Lan had last seen this betrothed of hers, with whom she had only crossed paths once, ever since their parting in Tenglong City.

Over the past year, Shi Lan had changed beyond recognition, and Lu Yueqing’s changes were no less considerable.

Standing before Lu Yueqing now, Shi Lan could clearly sense the aura seeping out from within her.

Ninth stage of the Innate Realm, at great perfection, her aura rising and falling unsteadily.

Shi Lan knew that feeling well.

Lu Yueqing’s current strength was already on the same level as Shen Tianlan, whom Shi Lan had first met at Sky Thunder Hall.

She was only half a step away from the Earth Fiend Realm.

At her age, calling her a heaven’s favored daughter would not be an exaggeration.

Although Shi Lan’s own cultivation had now reached the late Earth Fiend Realm, and great perfection was not far away, she still did not feel that she was particularly powerful.

This cultivation had been won through Samsara and the system, by crossing the gates of death again and again, almost trading her life for it.

Had anyone else lived through what she had, they would probably have died long ago. She had the system and Samsara as her backing, but no one else did. There was not the slightest possibility of replicating her path.

Wu Lingkong was not wearing battle armor. Instead, she had on a loose, light-blue robe. The iron crown still sat atop her head, and her ponytail was tied high.

Seeing Lu Yueqing at Shi Lan’s side, Wu Lingkong looked at Shi Lan in puzzlement.

“Your friend?”

“My betrothed.”

Before Lu Yueqing could react, Shi Lan tersely stated the relationship between them.

The expressions on both Lu Yueqing’s and Wu Lingkong’s faces turned strange almost at the same moment.

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“Chengtian Domain… truly is… extraordinary.”

Wu Lingkong drew in a light breath and looked at Lu Yueqing with some amazement.

Though she had heard of such things before within the women’s camp, they had always been spoken of in whispers, never openly brought into the light. Someone like Shi Lan, who could calmly state the truth so plainly, she had never seen even once.

Judging by Shi Lan’s reaction, this sort of thing must have been utterly commonplace in Chengtian Domain.

She really had underestimated Chengtian Domain. The people here were not only rough, but bold to an astonishing degree.

Lu Yueqing was quick-witted, and she understood almost instantly what Wu Lingkong was thinking. Years of cultivated composure collapsed on the spot, and she said with some irritation,

“Do not misunderstand. She and I…”

“I understand. You and she are just ordinary friends.”

Wu Lingkong nodded seriously, shifted her gaze away, and looked at Shi Lan, her eyes full of surprise.

After spending so much time with Shi Lan, she truly had not realized Shi Lan was this sort of person.

“Miss Lu, if your honored father has time in the coming days, I would like to pay a visit.”

Ignoring Wu Lingkong’s look, Shi Lan said sincerely,

“As for the ins and outs of the marriage arrangement between us, I will explain everything clearly in person. For the inconvenience caused to you and the Lu family, I will do everything in my power to make amends.”

“There is no need. I know where the Shi Residence is now. Three days from now, I will visit with my father. We can speak then.”

Lu Yueqing’s good upbringing quickly allowed her to regain her composure.

“Shi… Lan, you are the first person I have ever misjudged so badly.”

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The moment the words left her mouth, Lu Yueqing could not help but begin doubting her own judgment. She had always considered herself good at reading people, yet during all her interactions with Shi Lan, she had failed to see that Shi Lan was a woman. It was absurd to the point of ridicule.

Leaving that sentence behind, Lu Yueqing turned and hurried away, vanishing into the flow of people in the blink of an eye.

“This matter is not what you think. It concerns another young lady’s reputation, so it would not be appropriate for me to explain further.”

Wu Lingkong had sensed something was off and had just been about to ask more when Shi Lan shook her head and cut her off.

“How are your injuries?”

“Seven or eight parts recovered. That Water Spirit treasure ganoderma you gave me was, after all, a fourth-grade treasure medicine. Using it to treat injuries was really overkill.”

Wu Lingkong did not press any further. Instead, her expression suddenly brightened with excitement.

“The Demon-Suppressing Army has set up an exchange point south of Xianwu City. Do you want to come take a look?”

“An exchange point?”

“It’s the place where you trade battle merits for whatever you want. Haven’t you asked about it several times already?”

“Battle merits…”

…

To the west of Xianwu City, an enormous hall over a hundred zhang tall had appeared out of nowhere.

In front of the hall stood a stone stele. From a distance, it looked completely black. Only after walking a few steps closer could one see clearly that it was filled from top to bottom with layer upon layer of names, packed so tightly they covered the entire monument.

“This is a projection of the Heroic Spirit Stele. The original should be in the Imperial Palace of the Central Heaven Domain.”

Shi Lan and Wu Lingkong stood before the stele.

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Wu Lingkong looked at the stele with a rather complicated expression. The people inscribed on it were all comrades who had died in battle—her seniors, her peers, and her juniors.

“It is said that the original Heroic Spirit Stele is only two zhang tall, but everyone can see the person they want to see upon it. It is extremely wondrous. I have never seen it myself.”

Looking at the stele packed full of names, Shi Lan felt an inexplicable sense of oppression. What lay upon this stele was an endless heap of corpses.

“Battle Merit Hall…”

A flicker passed through Shi Lan’s eyes as she looked at the three simple characters above the hall.

Wu Lingkong pulled Shi Lan along and entered the hall.

The hall had three levels. The first level was completely empty, without a single figure in sight. Wu Lingkong did not even glance at it before heading straight to the second level.

The second level was very spacious. The people moving back and forth were dressed in all sorts of ways. Some were martial artists, while others were members of the Demon-Suppressing Army clad in battle armor. Even the items they held were different.

Broadly speaking, there were only two types: Martial Summons Tokens and Demon-Suppressing Tokens.

Not far away stood square platforms, each with a groove in it large enough to hold a Demon-Suppressing Token.

“It looks like the first level has these too. Why is no one using them?” Shi Lan asked in confusion.

“The first level belongs to the Demon-Hunting Camp. Although the people are not here… better not to mention it.”

Wu Lingkong shook her head halfway through speaking, then tugged Shi Lan forward a few quick steps to one of the platforms.

“You should have quite a lot of battle merits by now, right?”

“Not that many.”

Shi Lan shook her head and, following Wu Lingkong’s instructions, placed the Demon-Suppressing Token into the groove.

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“Thousand Commander Shi Lan…”

“Battle merits: 4,135,674 points.”

The information on Shi Lan’s battle merits appeared in her mind, and immediately afterward, the details of countless items flooded into her awareness.

Heavenly materials and earthly treasures beyond number, pills and treasures as far as the eye could see.

After only a quick glance, Shi Lan had already seen no fewer than ten immortal roots of at least the seventh grade. Naturally, each required an immense amount of battle merits.

As she skimmed through the information at a glance, Shi Lan suddenly paused.

“Transformed Demon King…”

“Great perfection of the Myriad Phenomena Realm.”

“Required battle merits: 18,300,000.”

This was the information on a peerless Demon King. Shi Lan clicked into it, then withdrew two breaths later.

It was a fox demon, breathtakingly seductive in appearance, radiating an astonishing aura of allure, as if it possessed a strange power that could steal souls.

However, it had already been suppressed by multiple seals and no longer posed the slightest threat.

A peerless Demon King here was no different from those heavenly materials and earthly treasures. It was merely an item.

Shi Lan had just exited the detailed information on that fox demon when, in the next instant, it showed that the fox Demon King had been exchanged away.

That person had not left behind any information. It seemed to have been a martial artist.