Chapter 35

"Prince Hachioji's talent is indeed astonishing. If he works hard, he has the potential to reach the level of a First Rank Artisan within five years," Zou En praised.

Prince Hachioji's face showed even more pride.

Zhang Ruochen and Shan Xiangling walked over.

"Shi Yun Sect, Shan Xiangling, pays respects to Master Zou En. This is a letter from my father!" Shan Xiangling took out a letter and handed it to him.

Zou En opened the letter, read its contents, and then sized up Shan Xiangling. "Your father mentioned in the letter that your mental power has already reached the sixteenth level?"

Shan Xiangling nodded and said, "That's right!"

Zou En refolded the letter and said, "I can be considered an old friend of your father, the Sect Master of Shi Yun Sect. Since you have talent, I will naturally take you as my disciple. From today on, you are my nineteenth disciple."

Shan Xiangling was overjoyed and immediately bowed. "Student pays respects to Master!"

"That's wonderful! Junior Sister, I am also a disciple of Master Zou En now. In the future, we can cultivate mental power and learn about inscriptions and artifact refinement together!" Prince Hachioji said joyfully.

Shan Xiangling ignored Prince Hachioji and looked at Zhang Ruochen, introducing him to Zou En. "Master, this is the Ninth Prince of Yunwu County. He wants to learn about inscriptions from you!"

Zou En glanced at Zhang Ruochen and said, "I have two rules for taking disciples: no one over twenty years old, and no one whose mental power has not reached the twelfth level. If you don't meet the standards, even a prince has no right to be my disciple."

Prince Hachioji sneered. In his view, Zhang Ruochen's martial talent was indeed high, but his mental power might not be as good as his.

Zhang Ruochen looked at Zou En and said, "Sir, you misunderstood! I am not here to become a disciple, but to learn about inscriptions."

The other martial artists all showed great respect when they met Zou En, which made him accustomed to his high status. However, Zhang Ruochen spoke to him with a straight back, which naturally displeased Zou En.

Zhang Ruochen was not arrogant; he just wanted to communicate with Zou En on an equal footing. In terms of mental power cultivation, Zhang Ruochen was even stronger than Zou En, so there was no need to look up to him.

Zou En snorted and said, "Aim too high! To inscribe an emblem, you first need to cultivate mental power. The higher your mental power, the higher the success rate of inscribing emblems. If your mental power is below the fifteenth level, it is absolutely impossible to inscribe an emblem successfully."

"Young man, has your mental power reached the fifteenth level?"

Zhang Ruochen asked, "Your point is that if my mental power reaches the fifteenth level, I can learn about inscriptions from you?"

"Haha! Reaching the fifteenth level of mental power is just enough to be my disciple. To discuss inscriptions with me on an equal footing, your mental power must reach the twentieth level." Zou En said proudly.

Reaching the twentieth level of mental power generally means becoming a Second Rank Artisan.

After reaching the fifteenth level, each additional level of mental power is extremely difficult to achieve. Reaching the twentieth level is almost impossible. Otherwise, Second Rank Artisans would not be so rare, and even the entire Shi Yun Sect could not recruit one.

"Twentieth level? I'll give it a try."

Zhang Ruochen's gaze fell on a nearby spirit stone, and he walked over, lightly placing his palm on the surface of the spirit stone.

"Twentieth level? He has never cultivated mental power before, how could he reach the twentieth level?" Prince Hachioji's lips curled into a cold smile.

Zou En said, "What a madman! Even a talented mental power genius cannot cultivate to the twentieth level before the age of twenty."

Shan Xiangling showed a curious expression. She believed that Zhang Ruochen would not do something without confidence.

Could his mental power really be that extraordinary?

Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes and continuously injected mental power into the spirit stone.

"Whoosh—"

Rings of light immediately appeared on the surface of the spirit stone.

One ring, two rings, three rings...

Each ring represented one level of mental power.

When the number of rings on the spirit stone reached twenty, Zou En was so shocked that his jaw dropped, and he stared at Zhang Ruochen as if he were a monster.

"Impossible, impossible..." Prince Hachioji's face turned pale, and he kept muttering, unable to believe what he saw.

Shan Xiangling was also shocked, staring at Zhang Ruochen with her beautiful eyes shining.

When the spirit stone showed twenty rings, Zhang Ruochen stopped releasing mental power and withdrew his hand.

Zou En could tell that Zhang Ruochen was holding back, and his mental power was definitely more than twenty levels.

His attitude changed completely, and he immediately approached, smiling. "I didn't realize that His Highness the Ninth Prince is a mental power expert. I apologize for any offense. Please don't take it to heart."

At just sixteen years old, to have mental power exceeding the twentieth level, his future achievements would be unimaginable. He might even need Zhang Ruochen's guidance in the future, so he immediately changed his attitude and approached Zhang Ruochen.

Zhang Ruochen said, "I just want to learn about inscriptions and the techniques of inscribing emblems from the Master."

"No problem! His Highness the Ninth Prince, please follow me. We will go to a quiet place to discuss mental power and inscriptions." Zou En said with a smile.

Zhang Ruochen nodded and followed Zou En into a hall of the Inscription Guild. Shan Xiangling immediately followed.

...

After leaving the Inscription Guild, Prince Hachioji's face was dark, and he was extremely angry.

"How dare he! Zhang Ruochen, that waste, used to not dare to retaliate when I slapped him. Now he's riding on my head. How could his talent be so high? How could it be?"

Prince Hachioji gritted his teeth in hatred and suddenly saw a gilded chariot parked outside the Inscription Guild.

It was Zhang Ruochen's chariot!

At that moment, Yun'er was sitting in the driver's seat, quietly waiting for Zhang Ruochen, occasionally looking towards the Inscription Guild.

Seeing Prince Hachioji approach, Yun'er's face showed fear, and she immediately bowed. "I pay respects to His Highness the Eighth Prince!"

Prince Hachioji's face was cold. "I want to return to the palace. Take me back."

Yun'er's face showed difficulty, and she said fearfully, "But... but this is His Highness the Ninth Prince's chariot..."

"Slap!"

Prince Hachioji slapped Yun'er, sending her flying three meters away.

Yun'er's face swelled and bled, a handprint immediately appeared, and she spat blood, feeling dizzy and as if her jaw had dislocated, thinking she was about to die.

Prince Hachioji stepped on Yun'er, his face twisted. "The Ninth Prince is a prince, but am I not a prince? You are just a servant, and you dare to defy my orders? Do you think I can't make your parents into food for beasts and turn you into the cheapest prostitute? Hmph!"

After saying this, Prince Hachioji turned and climbed into the chariot, shouting, "Drive! If you offend me, I'll make your life worse than death."

Yun'er was terrified. She was just a servant, and Prince Hachioji could destroy her family with a word.

She struggled to stand up, enduring the pain on her face, and sat in the chariot, driving towards the palace.

...

Prince Hachioji sat in the chariot, clenching his fists, his eyes filled with a dark expression. "Zhang Ruochen, you must have obtained some incredible treasure. Otherwise, it's impossible for you to become so powerful in just three months."

"I still have a chance. As long as I control Consort Lin and use her life to threaten him, he will definitely hand over that treasure. Once I get that treasure, my cultivation will also advance rapidly, and I will become a martial expert."

"When I become a martial expert, the first person to die will be Zhang Ruochen. And that bitch Shan Xiangling, I will make you my plaything. Ha ha!"

The streets at night became increasingly deserted.

Two black-clothed men stood on the roof of a building, watching the gilded chariot passing below.

"Is that the Ninth Prince's chariot?" one of the tall, thin black-clothed men asked darkly.

He carried a steel wire bow and ten thunder arrows, exuding a cold killing aura.

The other short, fat black-clothed man sneered. "It must be. Look at the palace maid driving the chariot; she matches the portrait given to us by Miss Han. She is the Ninth Prince's servant. The Ninth Prince is in the chariot right now."

"Hehe! Assassinating a prince is so exciting! Once we complete this mission, Miss Han will definitely give us a generous reward."

The tall, thin black-clothed man drew a thunder arrow, placed it on the bowstring, and aimed at the gilded chariot!

...

This chapter is for yesterday. Today, there will be two more chapters!