131: Finalizing the cooperation

Night.

Several Trainees from Da Xia were collecting star tear orchids, while Xiao Weiqing and Teng Hai sat below the hillside.

"Teng Hai, have you seen this symbol?"

Xiao Weiqing drew a symbol of a small cat.

"A cat?"

Teng Hai shook his head. "No."

Xiao Weiqing nodded, feeling no disappointment. The Ruin was so vast that it would be strange if he found Huang Yitong right away.

"Xiao Weiqing, what level has your strength reached?" Teng Hai asked.

In the daytime battle, the strength Xiao Weiqing displayed was almost overwhelming; Wu Yi had no power to resist, and the crucial thing was how composed Xiao Weiqing remained.

"Beating you would definitely be easy."

Teng Hai was choked up and almost couldn't swallow his breath.

"Can you die if you don't show off?"

Teng Hai and Xiao Weiqing actually didn't interact much initially. They met twice on the Sky Ladder and Teng Hai was defeated both times. The more Teng Hai thought about it, the angrier he got, since he was the one with the Level 6 Extraordinary Talent.

Later, Teng Hai repeatedly challenged Xiao Weiqing, but Xiao Weiqing wasn't interested. Teng Hai reluctantly paid to spar with Xiao Weiqing, and Xiao Weiqing certainly wouldn't refuse such a good deed of receiving free points.

As time passed, Teng Hai discovered that the gap between himself and Xiao Weiqing hadn't shrunk; instead, it was widening.

This made him unable to accept it for a time.

Xiao Weiqing didn't reply, instead asking, "Do you know where the nearest Base is?"

"Northeast direction, about 20 kilometers away."

"This patch of star tear orchids is almost finished being collected. We're returning to the Base the day after tomorrow. Do you want to come along?"

Xiao Weiqing nodded. "Sure."

"Have you encountered any Trainees from our Luo Jiang Academy?"

Teng Hai said, "I don't know. There should be some in the Base, but their strength shouldn't be high, so I don't have much of an impression of them."

Given Teng Hai's strength, he only pays attention to those with Level 6 Extraordinary Talent. Trainees with Level 5 Extraordinary Talent only warrant a glance, and he doesn't pay much attention to them.

"What, with your strength, you still need to find teammates?"

"Is there some Opportunity you're unsure about? Do you want to cooperate with me?" Teng Hai guessed.

"You? No."

Teng Hai was so angry that he instantly stood up.

"Xiao Weiqing, can you even talk properly?"

"I can't?"

"I can't?"

Xiao Weiqing nodded. "Mhm."

"Damn!~"

Teng Hai was both angry and helpless.

"However, I have a piece of news that should be helpful to you. How about a bottle of star tear orchid?" Xiao Weiqing tempted.

"You're robbing me! Do you know that there are less than five bottles of star tear orchid in this entire patch?"

Xiao Weiqing said, "This news is absolutely worth the price."

"Don't even think about it."

Teng Hai stood up to leave. He didn't believe Xiao Weiqing; if there was such an Opportunity, why wouldn't Xiao Weiqing go himself?

"Fire."

The foot Teng Hai had lifted hung in the air.

"Exotic Fire!"

Xiao Weiqing uttered two more words.

Hearing this.

Teng Hai's foot, which had just stepped out, retracted.

He slowly sat down.

"Cough... cough... Xiao Weiqing, are you serious?"

Exotic Fire holds a fatal attraction for everyone with a Fire-based Extraordinary Talent.

Whether it's refining it oneself or extracting its unique qualities to reinforce one's own flames, it can greatly enhance a person's strength. The previous example of Zhou Ming is proof of this.

"Mhm, I saw it with my own eyes."

"Then why didn't you take it? Don't tell me you don't need it?"

Xiao Weiqing shook his head. "That Exotic Fire seems ordinary and wouldn't help my True Fire much."

"What do you mean? It wouldn't help your True Fire much, but it would help my Ghostly Nether Flow Fire?" Teng Hai looked unconvinced.

Xiao Weiqing didn't speak, giving Teng Hai a look that implied, *What do you think?*

"Fine, my Ghostly Nether Flow Fire is indeed ordinary."

Teng Hai slumped his shoulders, looking a bit dejected.

Ghostly Nether Flow Fire sounds impressive, but its Innate Skill is actually flashy, and its killing power isn't as strong as imagined. While stronger than ordinary fire, its advantage lies only in its strangeness, and the increase in strength is limited.

This is what Xiao Weiqing discovered after sparring with Teng Hai a few times, let alone comparing it to his True Fire.

"Half a bottle."

"You know, these star tear orchids aren't just mine. They have to be divided among everyone."

Xiao Weiqing nodded. "Alright, you owe me a favor."

"Okay, I'll count it as owing a favor."

Teng Hai said through gritted teeth, pulled half a bottle of star tear orchid from his pocket, and handed it to Xiao Weiqing.

Xiao Weiqing tucked the star tear orchid into his pocket and said:

"To the south, about 120 kilometers away, there is a small Base. There is a Volcano there, and at the center of the Volcano is a stalk of Exotic Fire."

"However..."

Teng Hai's heart skipped a beat. In any matter, the words "but," "however," and "yet" are the most dreaded.

"However, what?"

"A Flame Viper is guarding it."

"What strength level?"

"Just the Fourth Realm."

Xiao Weiqing said lightly, as if a Fourth Realm Flame Viper was not worth mentioning.

"Hey? What are you doing? Let go, let go..."

"Xiao Weiqing, you're a human! Give me back the star tear orchid!"

"A Fourth Realm Flame Viper, and it's in the center of a Volcano? Are you telling me to go die?"

"I wondered why you didn't take it yourself. I truly believed your evil intentions when you said you were kindly giving me a bargain. Quickly, give me back the star tear orchid!"

Teng Hai immediately regretted it and reached out to pull Xiao Weiqing's clothes.

"Stop, stop pulling! I'll help, can't I just help you?"

"Fine, then we'll depart tomorrow."

Xiao Weiqing shook his head.

"No, I need to find someone. We'll go after I find her."

"What if someone else takes it?"

Xiao Weiqing said, "If even I am not confident, who else could possibly take it?"

"There is always someone better, and a sky beyond the sky. Don't you understand this principle? Xiao Weiqing, you will suffer a loss sooner or later if you act like this."

"I know, but that Base is located on the edge of the Ruin. Currently, a pair of siblings from the Vermilion Bird Nation are eyeing the Exotic Fire, but their strength is insufficient."

Teng Hai countered, "Can't they Call for Backup?"

Xiao Weiqing was silent for a few seconds. "How about this: one week. If I haven't found the person from our academy, I'll come back for you, and we'll go together then."

"Alright." Teng Hai nodded in agreement.

"But let's clarify first: if we seize the Exotic Fire, we split it fifty-fifty, and you must pay me points of equal value."

Teng Hai pondered. "Fine."

"Wait? That's not right! If we split the Exotic Fire fifty-fifty, you also got half a bottle of star tear orchid from me for free."

"You can't calculate it like that. I don't have a strong need for the Exotic Fire, or else I wouldn't let you have it. But you are different. Think about it, isn't that reasonable?"

Teng Hai was silent. "Is that how it is?"

...The next day.

Xiao Weiqing didn't wait for Teng Hai and the others but left first. He needed to find Huang Yitong as quickly as possible. Huang Yitong had told him that her Blazing Winged Tiger, which she was dating online, had a special condition.

It required a place with extremely dense Fire Element to descend, and that Volcano perfectly met the requirement.

It took two hours.

Xiao Weiqing arrived at the Base Teng Hai had mentioned.

Xin Du Base. This Base was not small. The electronic sign displayed 164/320.

Xiao Weiqing swiped his Wristband to enter.

He arrived at the Hall where people gathered.

"Xiao Weiqing?"

"Brother Qing, over here."

People from Luo Jiang Academy recognized Xiao Weiqing at a glance and waved, calling out.

The people in the Hall immediately looked toward Xiao Weiqing.

"It really is Xiao Weiqing."

"I didn't expect to run into him here."

Many Geniuses from Da Xia recognized Xiao Weiqing, and even more recognized his Blade.

"Xiao Weiqing? Da Xia's Xiao Weiqing?"

"I heard this person is very strong, defeating several people with Level 6 Extraordinary Talent using only a Level 5 Extraordinary Talent."

"Hmph, doesn't that just prove that Da Xia's Level 6 Extraordinary Talents are incompetent? What is there to brag about?" someone sneered.

People from other Nations in the Hall scoffed at the rumors about Xiao Weiqing.