Chapter 382

Chapter 382: Guardian (Part 2)

Qianshan Pavilion.

The building stood thirty zhang tall, and from the top floor, one could enjoy a view of half of Wailing City. The gentle night breeze, the joyful toasts, and a table full of exquisite delicacies made one feel as if they were attending a celestial banquet.

After a few rounds of drinks, Wang Chen recalled a question, "What is a guardian?"

Earlier, Zuo Qingcheng had mentioned that he was Zuo Xiaomo’s guardian, but Wang Chen had no idea what that meant.

Zuo Xiaomo set down his goblet, scratching his head sheepishly, "It’s a bit of a long story."

Wang Chen chuckled, "We have plenty of time; let’s take it slow."

He had already sensed that Zuo Xiaomo’s invitation to Wailing City wasn’t merely about gambling for jade at the celestial market.

There was something weighing on this Zuo family disciple’s mind, most likely connected to this "guardian" matter.

Wang Chen’s intuition was correct.

It turned out that Zuo Xiaomo was currently an Outer Sect preparatory disciple of the West Sea Sect, and he aimed to "become official," which required passing the outer sect assessment.

This year’s assessment was set in the Nine Dragons underground palace!

The Nine Dragons underground palace lay hidden three hundred miles south of Wailing City, buried beneath the ruins of a vast ancient city. Its scale was immense, and to this day, less than a tenth of it had been explored.

This sprawling subterranean palace was protected by restrictions that still functioned; the higher a cultivator’s cultivation level, the greater the suppression they faced upon entering.

Once, a Golden Core true master led an expedition into the palace and never returned!

However, this didn’t mean low-level cultivators could navigate the palace safely. The underground space was teeming with spirit beasts and giants, and Evil Spirits occasionally appeared, making it an extremely perilous place.

Since its discovery centuries ago, the West Sea Sect had never ceased exploring the Nine Dragons underground palace. Yet, after suffering significant losses, they adopted a cautious, step-by-step approach.

They gradually excavated the site and even opened a few entrances for loose cultivators and disciples from smaller sects to venture inside.

Though the Nine Dragons underground palace was fraught with danger, it also concealed many treasures.

Among them was the ancient sealed jade.

Additionally, the palace was designated as a location for disciple assessments by the West Sea Sect.

And Zuo Xiaomo intended to participate in this year’s assessment.

"I’ve been in the outer sect for three years," he said with a bitter smile. "I failed the last two assessments, and if I fail again this time, I’ll have to leave the sect."

This situation was quite similar to Wang Chen’s. The West Sea Sect was vast, with over a million Outer Sect Disciples, and the competition was cutthroat.

Failing to pass the assessment after three years meant inevitable elimination!

"So this time, I must succeed with unwavering resolve!"

A guardian was a fellow disciple who accompanied Zuo Xiaomo during the assessment.

Guardians weren’t there to help the examinee complete tasks; their role was to provide rescue when the examinee faced insurmountable danger.

The entire process was recorded using memory stones, which were later submitted to the sect for evaluation.

Since lives were at stake, the choice of a guardian was of utmost importance.

Zuo Xiaomo spoke earnestly, "Brother Wang, I would like to ask you to be my guardian. Would you be willing?"

Wang Chen pondered for a moment and asked, "Why choose me?"

He believed that given Zuo Xiaomo’s status, finding a guardian with a higher cultivation level should not be a problem.

Zuo Xiaomo smiled wryly and replied, "All the trustworthy guardians I could have asked have already been taken!"

The Zuo Family was a large clan, with over a hundred thousand members when counting both the main branch and the branch families. Many of these young disciples were also students of the West Sea Sect and would participate in this year’s examination.

Zuo Xiaomo held a low status within the clan and had significant conflicts with Zuo Qingcheng and others, which led to his difficulty in finding someone to ask.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t find a Purple Palace cultivator, but the issue was that a guardian had to be reliable; he couldn’t possibly entrust his lives to a stranger!

Wang Chen, curious, asked, "Do you really trust me that much?"

He had only met Zuo Xiaomo by chance, and they didn’t share a deep bond.

"Yes!"

Zuo Xiaomo answered frankly, "I feel like I’ve known you forever. I believe you are not the kind to forget righteousness for personal gain, so I am willing to entrust my life to you."

After a pause, he added, "You can rest assured; I will not let you suffer any losses."

As he spoke, Zuo Xiaomo took out a storage bag and placed it before Wang Chen. "This is the deposit."

Wang Chen wasn’t familiar with the "market rates" for guardians and didn’t look inside the storage bag to see what it held.

He thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Alright, I will accompany you when the time comes."

According to Zuo Xiaomo, the sect would not set an impossible task for the disciples to test them; passing or failing mainly depended on how they performed during the task.

The Nine Dragons underground palace had been explored for hundreds of years, and everyone was well aware of which areas were accessible and which were dangerous.

No one would risk their lives recklessly.

The guardian was essentially a safety rope, only needed in case of emergencies.

Wang Chen agreed to Zuo Xiaomo’s request partly because Zuo Xiaomo had helped him a lot. It was only right to repay this favor.

"That’s great!"

Zuo Xiaomo exclaimed, looking relieved.

Although Wang Chen’s cultivation level was only at the first level of Purple Palace, in the unique environment of the Nine Dragons underground palace, the difference between the first level and the second or third level was minimal.

Coming from a remote place, entering the inner sect of the West Sea Sect as a loose cultivator proved he had exceptional abilities.

Once this was settled, Zuo Xiaomo felt a wave of relief, called over a tavern worker, and ordered two jars of spiritual wine.

He and Wang Chen enjoyed a hearty drink together.

By the time Wang Chen flew back to his home in West Sea City on his sword, it was already late at night.

Fortunately, the sect didn’t check for drunk driving, or he would certainly end up in a little black room for being intoxicated while flying.

Arriving home, he brewed a pot of spiritual tea and then opened the "deposit" that Zuo Xiaomo had given him.

Inside the storage bag, there were a thousand Intermediate Spirits!

At the current market price, a thousand Intermediate Spirits could be exchanged for a hundred twenty thousand spirit fragments.

And this was just the deposit!

Wang Chen immediately felt his previously empty storage bag starting to refill.

He hadn’t made the wrong decision in taking this job.

After putting away the storage bag, Wang Chen took out the ancient sealed jade he had won in the bidding at the celestial market.

His intention for bidding on this sealed jade was not just to support Zuo Xiaomo; it was far more than that!

The moment it was displayed on the stall, Wang Chen felt a jolt at his brow. The Ancient Stone Tablet that resided in his Sea of Consciousness suddenly trembled as if waking from a deep slumber.

Even though it quickly fell silent again, Wang Chen sensed something unusual.

That was why he decided to bid on the ancient sealed jade.

He suspected the sudden reaction of the Ancient Stone Tablet was directly connected to this item!

Even if he was mistaken, the cost of a few tens of thousands of spirit stones was something Wang Chen could afford.

But if it was just as he thought…

Holding the ancient sealed jade in his hand, Wang Chen decisively infused a trace of his mana into it.

Crack!