The Sword God of the Universe
Chapter 517: Look Down on

Chapter 517: Chapter 517: Look Down on

Zhou Shangyun had not yet answered when he saw a figure quickly emerge from the enormous stone gate.

"Prince! Jing Yan!"

The person who came out was none other than Li Xingjiu, the former president of the Alchemist Association in Lanqu County City.

The three greeted each other briefly.

"We are now heading to the Golden Sparrow Commerce," Li Xingjiu told the two.

A guard clad in blue armor, after checking Li Xingjiu’s residence permit, said, "Alchemist Li Xingjiu, although these two are your friends, they are not residents of Pill Country. To enter Pill Country, each of them still needs to pay five Top-grade Spirit Stones."

Zhou Shangyun smiled and casually took out ten Top-grade Spirit Stones.

Knowing Zhou Shangyun, the entry fee was five Top-grade Spirit Stones per person. If one didn’t know someone from Pill Country, the fee would be ten Top-grade Spirit Stones each.

Seeing Zhou Shangyun had paid the entry fee, Jing Yan said nothing. After all, given his relationship with Zhou Shangyun, it didn’t matter who paid the fee. Both of them wouldn’t care about a few Top-grade Spirit Stones.

Li Xingjiu led them through the stone gate and only then did the vast city atop the mountain reveal its true face.

Jing Yan also marveled, finding it somewhat unbelievable that such a city could be built atop a mountain.

"There are still two months until the start of the Pill Spirit Conference."

"Jing Yan, you want to participate in the Alchemy Ceremony. I have already recommended you to the president of the Golden Sparrow Commerce. You can represent the Golden Sparrow Commerce at the Alchemy Ceremony, which will earn you a certain remuneration," Li Xingjiu said. "During this time before the Alchemy Ceremony, both you and the Prince can stay within the Golden Sparrow Commerce."

"Thank you, Alchemist Li Xingjiu," Jing Yan bowed in thanks.

On the way here, Zhou Shangyun had already informed him about this.

With Zhou Shangyun’s recommendation, a Prince of the Commandery, Jing Yan could choose to participate in the Alchemy Ceremony on his own or represent a faction from Pill Country. If representing a faction, especially one for which he was not originally an alchemist, that faction would naturally provide a certain compensation.

After all, representing a faction at the Alchemy Ceremony and achieving a good rank would greatly enhance the prestige of that faction.

Soon after, the three of them arrived in front of a magnificent building. Li Xingjiu brought them inside and then left them in a room while he went to report to President Bai Lan.

Half a day passed before Li Xingjiu returned.

"Jing Yan, Prince. I am very sorry. The president is currently busy, so it might be a while longer," Li Xingjiu said apologetically.

"It’s no trouble," Jing Yan said with a wave of his hand.

"This is the Golden Sparrow Commerce, the third-largest commerce in Pill Country, and the president is a big shot on the Heavenly Origin Continent, so waiting a bit more won’t hurt," Zhou Shangyun also said with a smile.

Even in front of Zhou Shangyun, the president of the Golden Sparrow Commerce was a significant figure.

A day passed quickly!

Two days passed!

Three days had gone by!

Jing Yan and Zhou Shangyun gradually became impatient. The president of the Golden Sparrow Commerce was really putting on airs. Jing Yan came to the Golden Sparrow Commerce to prepare to represent them at the Alchemy Ceremony. It was somewhat unreasonable for the president to leave him hanging like this.

Li Xingjiu’s apologies grew more frequent, but there was nothing he could do. He did not have a high position within the Golden Sparrow Commerce, and he certainly could not influence the president’s decisions.

On the fourth day, finally, someone came over and said that the president had time now and asked Jing Yan and the others to come for a meeting.

Inside a spacious room, Jing Yan, Zhou Shangyun, and Li Xingjiu entered.

As soon as Jing Yan entered, he saw three people sitting in the room. An elderly man wearing a dark gold robe was seated in the chair of honor opposite them, and there were also two others sitting on either side.

The three newcomers entered, but the trio in the room didn’t stand up or show any intention to do so. They simply glanced at Jing Yan.

"Alchemist Li Xingjiu, is this young man Jing Yan?" the elderly man, Bai Lan, squinted at Jing Yan and asked.

"Yes, this is Jing Yan, and this is Zhou Shangyun, the Prince of Lanqu County," Li Xingjiu introduced Jing Yan and Zhou Shangyun.

"Hmm!" Bai Lan nodded slightly.

"President, looking at this alchemist called Jing Yan, he doesn’t seem all that special! Alchemists like him are a dime a dozen in Pill Country. Are you really going to have him represent our Golden Sparrow Commerce in the Alchemy Ceremony?" the person sitting on the left side frowned and said to Bai Lan after glancing at Jing Yan.

Hearing this person’s words, Jing Yan’s brow also furrowed slightly.

He was already somewhat displeased. They had waited more than three days just to meet the president of the Golden Sparrow Commerce, and now, hearing such disrespectful remarks, Jing Yan was somewhat annoyed.

Zhou Shangyun was also displeased. He was, after all, a prince of a commandery, an official personage, and there were only ninety-nine commanderies on the whole continent. After they entered, the three people in the room hadn’t even stood up, and even after learning his identity, none offered him a seat.

Bai Lan heard the man’s words and chuckled lightly before shaking his head.

"It’s not the same. Although there are quite a few Third-level Alchemists in their twenties in Pill Country, all these alchemists have been exposed to a lot of Alchemy Dao from a young age, so their 고풅gression in 날dao is naturally smoother. Jing Yan, coming from a place like Lanqu County and becoming a Third-level Alchemist before he was twenty, shows that his talent in Alchemy Dao is indeed strong," Bai Lan slowly explained.

While it seemed like a compliment to Jing Yan, Jing Yan and the others could tell that President Bai Lan looked down on Lanqu County.

Zhou Shangyun’s face also darkened slightly; he was the Prince of Lanqu County, and being openly scorned about Lanqu County in his presence was not something he appreciated.

Li Xingjiu was also somewhat embarrassed, as he too was an alchemist from Lanqu County. However, he was evidently more accustomed to it. Having moved from Lanqu County to Pill Country and joined the Golden Sparrow Commerce over three years ago, he had been undervalued by Pill Country alchemists more than once or twice. Those people simply looked down on alchemists from small commanderies.

"Jing Yan! Alchemist Li Xingjiu must have told you that you can participate in this Pill Spirit Conference’s Alchemy Ceremony on behalf of my Golden Sparrow Commerce. My Golden Sparrow Commerce is willing to pay you a remuneration of 100,000 Spirit Stones. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to join the Golden Sparrow Commerce," Bai Lan promptly said to Jing Yan.