As soon as this price was announced, almost everyone present widened their eyes and swallowed hard.
Two hundred thousand gold coins—this was a sum that could be described as astronomical. Few could remain calm and composed upon hearing it.
"Impossible, that's simply too much of a lion's mouth," others from the Xia Feng Academy objected.
"Right, it's practically robbery. How can it be like this?"
Two hundred thousand gold coins—this amount was far too enormous. Even all the members of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group were moved and envious.
Vivian bit her red lips lightly with her pearly white teeth, displaying a uniquely charming and captivating demeanor. She said softly, "Young Master, isn't this a bit too difficult for little me? Don't you think the price of two hundred thousand gold coins is too high? Do you really think a Xiantian demonic beast that has lost its demonic core is worth such a price?"
Faced with Vivian in such a charming state, an ordinary person would truly find it hard to be heartless enough to demand two hundred thousand gold coins.
Unfortunately, Ye Chen was no ordinary person. To him, beauty was but a fleeting illusion, and feminine charms held no sway whatsoever. His expression remained as indifferent as ever. "The price is set here. Whether you're willing or not is not my problem, but yours. It's up to you; I don't care either way."
Seeing Ye Chen's completely nonchalant attitude, Vivian couldn't help but slightly furrow her willow-leaf eyebrows. Although her companions were all advising her not to spend a huge sum to purchase it, thinking of the power of the Xiantian demonic beast, she ultimately gritted her teeth and nodded. "Young Master, we agree."
"No—"
"Miss Vivian, this absolutely must not happen!"
Everyone exclaimed in shock, especially the members of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group. They never expected Vivian to actually agree. One must know that two hundred thousand gold coins was a substantial fortune for any force. Who would be foolish enough to take it out just to trade for the corpse of a Xiantian demonic beast that had lost its demonic core? This was simply too outrageous.
However, Vivian shook her head at them all. Although two hundred thousand gold coins was very expensive, it wasn't unfeasible. Not to mention that the flesh and blood of the Xiantian demonic beast could be sold for a considerable price, the academy's mission required them to hunt a Xiantian demonic beast within the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, which was far too difficult for their group alone.
Compared to a nearly impossible mission, two hundred thousand gold coins, while expensive, was not unacceptable. Moreover, upon successful completion of the mission, the academy would surely grant a generous reward, so it wouldn't necessarily be a loss.
Ye Chen glanced at Vivian with slight surprise, not expecting her to actually agree. He asked somewhat skeptically, "Are you sure you want to buy it?"
Vivian nodded. "Young Master, we want to buy it. We'll take the Xiantian Giant Crocodile."
Originally, they had wanted the Furious Mountain Bear, but it had already been skinned by Ye Chen, so taking it now would be pointless. Moreover, the Furious Mountain Bear's head had been smashed to pieces, whereas the Xiantian Giant Crocodile only had some broken scales, making it relatively more intact.
"How shall we settle the payment?" Vivian asked.
Ye Chen thought for a moment. "Do you have a Purple Pattern Gold Card?"
Vivian looked at Ye Chen with slight surprise. "So Young Master also has a Purple Pattern Gold Card. That makes things much more convenient."
She took out a Purple Pattern Gold Card with two purple patterns, causing Ye Chen's gaze to sharpen. Through this two-pattern gold card, it could be seen that this Miss Vivian was definitely no ordinary woman; she had a significant background. Otherwise, she couldn't possibly possess a two-pattern gold card, even surpassing Li Yun by a notch.
While pondering, Ye Chen also took out his Purple Pattern Gold Card. Vivian aligned her card with Ye Chen's and swiped. Two golden lights flashed, and two golden stars appeared on Ye Chen's card, representing the deposit of two hundred thousand gold coins.
Now, his Purple Pattern Gold Card had a total of four golden stars, one of which was slightly dimmer than the other three, indicating less than ten thousand gold coins. However, the amount on the card had reached an astonishing three hundred and seventy thousand gold coins.
Vivian quickly glanced at Ye Chen's gold card and also learned his balance. But when Ye Chen looked at Vivian's Purple Pattern Gold Card, he was even more slightly taken aback. After transferring two hundred thousand gold coins, it still had five brilliant golden stars, meaning it held at least another five hundred thousand gold coins.
This young lady was not simple...
A transaction was completed. Ye Chen's account increased by two hundred thousand gold coins, reaching three hundred and seventy thousand, making him a wealthy man.
Ye Chen also hadn't expected this Vivian to buy so decisively and transfer the money on the spot—truly displaying immense wealth and influence. He couldn't help but take another look at her.
With the transaction complete, the body of the Xiantian Giant Crocodile naturally became the property of Vivian's group. How they would transport it was not Ye Chen's concern.
The elite disciples of the Xia Feng Academy, led by Vivian, and some members of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group led by Li Wei, surrounded the body of the Xiantian Giant Crocodile. After all, this was the flesh of a Xiantian demonic beast. Although its value had greatly diminished without the demonic core, it could still be considered precious.
The group saw that the scales on the giant crocodile's head surface had shattered, leaving a bloody mess. Vivian, Li Wei, and others touched it and found the crocodile's head soft and mushy, completely lacking solid skull bones. They were deeply horrified.
Ye Chen's kick, seemingly casual, actually contained terrifying force. Even the hardest skull bone had been crushed by that stomp. The dreadful force directly shattered the Xiantian Giant Crocodile's head into a pulpy mess.
The more they understood, the more they were awed by Ye Chen's strength. He was simply a human youth more ferocious than a Xiantian demonic beast.
"Miss Vivian, how should we transport it back?" a young man inquired. The other academy men and women couldn't help but look at Vivian, their core figure.
The Xiantian Giant Crocodile's body was huge, about four zhang long and weighing several thousand jin. Transporting it back would be quite difficult.
Vivian remained silent for a moment, then looked at the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group's leader, Li Wei. "Captain Li, I'll trouble you."
Li Wei was momentarily stunned, then understood and nodded, agreeing on the spot. "Miss Vivian, please rest assured. Our Snow Wolf Mercenary Group will definitely transport the Xiantian Giant Crocodile safely to the designated destination for you."
Vivian nodded. "Captain Li, you can rest assured. The remuneration will certainly not be lacking. I can swear this in my name."
"Miss Vivian, you misunderstand. I have never doubted your credibility," Li Wei hurriedly shook his head, but he also broke into a smile, knowing there would be another substantial income.
A big client like Vivian was always generous. This transportation fee wouldn't be low.
At this moment, Ye Chen paid no attention to these people's actions. He simply took out a sharp dagger. With a single swipe, a cold light flashed as he cleanly sliced off one paw of the Furious Mountain Bear. The rest he stored in Old Yan's ancient ring without any reservation.
"A spatial artifact!?" Vivian, who had been keeping an eye on Ye Chen, couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
Spatial artifacts were dimensional spaces capable of storing items. Crafting such artifacts was not simple; it required a Martial God realm expert proficient in spatial principles to forge them, along with extremely precious materials.
However, Martial God experts specializing in spatial principles were exceedingly rare. Even searching the entire vast Tian Du Continent, such individuals could likely be counted on one hand. Not to mention the preciousness of the materials required, which made spatial artifacts incredibly valuable.
Who would have thought this mysterious youth actually possessed such a rare spatial artifact? Moreover, it could accommodate the massive body of the Furious Mountain Bear, indicating it must be of a high grade. Under normal circumstances, a spatial artifact capable of holding one cubic meter was already remarkable.
The more they learned, the more mysteries surrounded this youth. Whether it was his powerful combat strength that could suppress Xiantian demonic beasts or the various extraordinary aspects about him, it all made people feel increasingly reverent and fathomless.
As for exposing the spatial artifact, Ye Chen had absolutely no reservations.
Reservations were only for the weak. But when a person was strong enough, they could be without reservations.
Although Ye Chen hadn't grown to that point yet, at least facing these people was sufficient.
He used the dagger to swiftly skin the bear paw, leaving only the bone. Flesh, blood, tendons, and bones were all separated. Slices of crystalline flesh fell, shimmering with a fragrant luster.
The Furious Mountain Bear truly lived up to being a Xiantian demonic beast. Nourished by the flow of heaven and earth spiritual energy over the years, its flesh was crystalline and completely devoid of any bloody smell.
Ye Chen immediately set up a bonfire. Flames blazed fiercely as he took out a cauldron, placed it over the bonfire, and poured in sweet, clear spring water. He threw in the Furious Mountain Bear paw slices, cut into thin pieces, and directly began stewing bear paw.
Extravagant!
Both the elite disciples of the Xia Feng Academy and the members of the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group were dumbfounded. They had seen extravagance, but never to this extent.
Daring to stew the flesh of a Xiantian demonic beast—there really weren't many people in this world bold enough to do this. After all, this was the flesh of a Xiantian demonic beast, not something money alone could buy. It belonged to those with the strength to have the privilege of tasting it.
Even among those Heaven-tier Academy elite geniuses of the Xia Feng Academy, probably few could afford to eat it. It was too extravagant.
Yet, looking at the bear meat stewing in the cauldron, an incredibly tempting aroma wafted out. Upon smelling it, one couldn't help but feel their mouth water, swallowing repeatedly, wishing they could rush forward and snatch a bite.
Truly a fierce man. The Xiantian demonic beast, which ordinary people would pale at the mention of, had become stewed meat. The aroma was truly rich, too tempting.
If not for knowing how terrifying Ye Chen's true strength was, those present wouldn't have cared about so many reservations; they would have swarmed forward and devoured it all.
Vivian was also greatly surprised, startled by Ye Chen's bold action. He really was a fierce man.
But smelling the aroma of the stewed bear meat from the cauldron, even a young lady of her extraordinary background couldn't help but swallow slightly. It was truly too tempting. After all, such meat wasn't something one could eat just because they wanted to; it depended more on luck. Unless one reached Ye Chen's level of strength, capable of hunting Xiantian demonic beasts, would they have the qualification.
In the iron pot, Ye Chen sprinkled some precious materials, including spirit herbs, stewing the divine essence within the bear meat until it burst forth with even more fragrant aroma. Those who smelled it couldn't stop drooling.
Ye Chen turned his head and glanced at Vivian. "Do you want to eat?"
Vivian was taken aback, not expecting Ye Chen to take the initiative to speak. But she also nodded. "May I?"
"Taste if this piece is cooked." Ye Chen took out a pair of jade chopsticks, directly picked up a piece of bear meat from the cauldron, and stuffed it into Vivian's red lips. "How does it taste?"
The faces of several young men from the Xia Feng Academy slightly changed. Ye Chen's action was clearly somewhat presumptuous. Feeding a piece of meat into Vivian's small mouth like this resembled an intimate gesture between lovers, making them feel angry.
A woman like Vivian, beautiful, generous, with extraordinary talent and background, was the object of admiration for these people. Now, she was being treated presumptuously in public—how could they not be angry?
Although they felt shocked and angry, facing Ye Chen, who could even beat a Xiantian demonic beast to death, they couldn't help but feel timid, not daring to take any action.
As for Vivian, who was stunned by Ye Chen's sudden, lover-like intimate gesture, a charming blush appeared on her tender cheeks. How could she have expected Ye Chen to be so bold, feeding her in public like this, as if they were lovers?
But when she saw the clear, flawless look in Ye Chen's eyes, she knew it was just an unintentional act on his part.
Vivian chewed the meat slice lightly, finding it sweet and delicious, juicy, rich in fragrance, leaving a lingering taste. She said sincerely, "It's really good."
Ye Chen nodded, also picking up a piece of meat to taste. The flavor was indeed quite good. He then said to Vivian, "If you want to eat, feel free. Consider it an extra benefit for buying the Xiantian Giant Crocodile."
Vivian was momentarily stunned but didn't decline. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke. "Young Master, could you give little me a bit more? My companions..."
"As you wish." Ye Chen naturally knew Vivian was also concerned about her other companions from the Xia Feng Academy. He didn't stop her, letting her take the meat. After all, he figured they wouldn't dare eat too much.
Moreover, the price of two hundred thousand gold coins far exceeded the value of that Xiantian Giant Crocodile corpse. He didn't mind sharing some bear meat for them to taste.
Hearing this, Vivian was greatly delighted. She took out an exquisite jade bowl and picked up quite a bit of bear meat. Finally, with Ye Chen's permission, she even brought a basin, filling it almost halfway. The fragrant aroma wafted everywhere as the elite disciples shared the meal.
Although the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group's leader was tempted, and the other mercenaries were also eager, no one dared to speak up. Because this mysterious youth hadn't taken the initiative to offer, they simply couldn't step forward and ask. They could only watch with envy, swallowing their saliva, then taste their own rough dry rations, feeling waves of bitterness.
This was the difference in being human.
After a satisfying meal, everyone from the Xia Feng Academy had a lingering fragrance on their lips and teeth, having enjoyed a bear meat feast they would never forget in their lifetime.
Similarly, Ye Chen silently packed up all his utensils without a word and was about to leave. At this moment, a pleasant fragrance wafted over—it was Vivian.
She moved her lotus steps lightly, approaching Ye Chen's side, her beautiful hair fluttering in the wind. "Young Master, are you leaving?"
Ye Chen nodded in acknowledgment.
Vivian remained silent for a moment before suddenly speaking. "Young Master, may I ask your esteemed name?"
But Ye Chen shook his head. "There's no need for you to know this. We are merely passing acquaintances. What my name is need not be known; perhaps we will never meet again."
Ye Chen's refusal was beyond Vivian's expectations. For some reason, a trace of despondency she herself didn't understand flashed deep in her eyes.
Finally, just before parting, Ye Chen suddenly said, "Do you still plan to linger in the Demonic Beast Mountain Range?"
Hearing Ye Chen take the initiative to speak, Vivian's small face immediately blossomed into a smile, her eyes sparkling with a uniquely moving charm. "We've obtained the Xiantian demonic beast's body and don't plan to stay long. We'll pick a few spirit herbs and leave within the next few days."
Ye Chen said, "Let me give you a piece of advice: it's best to leave the Demonic Beast Mountain Range as early and quickly as possible. Otherwise, retreating later will become very troublesome."
Vivian's expression changed drastically. "Why?"
"Because the most terrifying demonic beast turmoil is about to occur. By then, who knows how many lives will be lost? So I advise you to leave sooner rather than later."
Demonic beast turmoil!?
Everyone's expressions changed drastically!
Demonic beast turmoil—every occurrence in history represented a colossal disaster, bringing calamity to countless people and causing terrifying loss of life.
During the turmoil, countless demonic beasts from the Demonic Beast Mountain Range would frantically charge into human towns, wreaking havoc and destruction, resulting in loss of life, mountains of corpses, and seas of blood—a disaster on the scale of a natural calamity.
Every occurrence resulted in massive losses. Even though the Xia Feng Kingdom stationed hundreds of thousands of heavily armored troops here year-round to suppress and resist the demonic beast turmoil, there would still be extremely severe and heavy casualties. This was no exaggeration.
It could be said this was one of the most dreaded topics in the entire Xia Feng Kingdom.
Whether it was the Xia Feng Academy elites or the Snow Wolf Mercenary Group members, all turned pale at the mention, feeling horrified. Some were even scared to the point of turning pale.
Seeing that Ye Chen didn't seem to be joking, Vivian couldn't help but ask, "Young Master, how do you know this?"
Ye Chen said, "There's no need for you to know this. Believe it or not, it's up to you."
Although everyone didn't want to believe it, an expert like Ye Chen didn't seem to be joking, nor would he necessarily fabricate lies to deceive them, as there was simply no need.
But just thinking of the four words "demonic beast turmoil," many couldn't help but tremble in fear, as if already foreseeing the terrifying mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
"The advice has been given. Whether you stay or leave is up to you." After tossing out this sentence, Ye Chen strode away directly until his figure completely disappeared from everyone's sight.
"What should we do?"
The others couldn't help but ask Vivian. Among the Xia Feng Academy group, she was the leader. The Snow Wolf Mercenary Group was also hired by her. At this moment, everything had to follow her command.
Vivian said, "At this point, we should hurry and leave the Demonic Beast Mountain Range. That mysterious young master probably isn't lying, and there's no need for him to lie. Anyway, there's no need to stay any longer. We've obtained the Xiantian demonic beast's body and can return to the academy to report mission completion."
This decision received unanimous agreement from everyone. Perhaps, ultimately, it was because of Ye Chen's words.
The impact of the demonic beast turmoil was too great for them. Many among them wished they could leave the Demonic Beast Mountain Range immediately, fearing the turmoil would descend at any moment.
"There's no time to delay. Leave as soon as possible!"
Vivian said, immediately leading the group to transport the Xiantian Giant Crocodile's demonic body and quickly depart from the Demonic Beast Mountain Range.
On a distant towering tree, Ye Chen stood silently at the treetop, gazing far into the distance at Vivian's departing group, remaining silent for a long time...