C25 Appraisal

The crowd instantly fell silent and turned their attention to Xiao Yu.

It was clear to everyone that it was Xiao Yu, not Ye Wenxuan, who suspected there was an issue with the Beast Spirit Bead. Otherwise, Ye Wenxuan wouldn't have sought Xiao Yu's assistance.

While some harbored doubts about Xiao Yu's claims, no one was willing to challenge him, especially since he was able to produce a Spirit-gathering Talisman. Therefore, everyone held their tongues, eager to hear his explanation.

"What a joke. How can you prove it? Moreover, who are you to question me?" Wang Fei was visibly nervous. He found it hard to believe Xiao Yu had the capability to prove anything, but Xiao Yu's confidence was unnerving.

"Feeling a bit uneasy, are we?" Xiao Yu could easily guess Wang Fei's thoughts; he was afraid Xiao Yu could actually confirm something was wrong with the Beast Spirit Bead.

"Why would I feel uneasy? But what happens if you fail to prove your point?" Wang Fei had no choice but to stand his ground. Rejecting Xiao Yu now would only raise more doubts.

His only hope was that Xiao Yu was merely posturing and couldn't actually demonstrate that the Beast Spirit Bead had lost its efficacy.

"If I can't substantiate my claim, or if I'm mistaken and there's nothing wrong with your Beast Spirit Bead, then I'll compensate you with ten Spirit-gathering Talismans as an apology," Xiao Yu stated calmly.

Despite his offer, Xiao Yu was confident in his position; regardless of his promises, Wang Fei wouldn't receive a single talisman.

"Ten Spirit-gathering Talismans?"

The mention of the talismans caused many to gulp. Currently, each talisman fetched a price between 30,000 and 50,000, with one recently trading for a staggering 70,000 crystals.

Given the scarcity of Spirit-gathering Talismans, even the wealthiest families couldn't purchase them, making ten talismans an enviable treasure.

Xiao Yu's ability to offer such a sum raised questions about his true identity. Could he really be just a servant from the Lin Family?

Many were taken aback, and quite a few regretted not befriending Xiao Yu sooner.

"What kind of transformation has he undergone?" Lin Xuehan mused in silence, her gaze flickering incessantly after Xiao Yu's declaration.

The fact that Xiao Yu could produce 100,000 crystals was surprising enough, but his promise of ten Spirit-gathering Talismans sent a shiver of excitement through her.

What did ten Spirit-gathering Talismans signify?

If used on her, these talismans could catapult her to new heights in no time. She could potentially join forces far stronger than the Imperial City Martial Academy.

One Spirit-gathering Talisman was worth a year of cultivation; ten would be like gifting her a decade of training. The implications were staggering.

In that moment, Lin Xuehan found herself reminiscing about the days she and Xiao Yu were childhood friends, the ancient techniques he taught her, and the rapid progress she made.

How did Xiao Yu come by such potent ancient methods? As a child, Lin Xuehan never pondered it much. After witnessing Xiao Yu's failure to form a Spirit River, she had dismissed the thought entirely.

But now, Xiao Yu appeared to have changed dramatically. Not only had he managed to form a Spirit River in a remarkably short time and achieved a level of cultivation, but he could also effortlessly produce ten Spirit-gathering Talismans!

Lin Xuehan had an inkling that Xiao Yu was harboring a profound secret.

With a soft sigh, she acknowledged that the Lin Family's past treatment of Xiao Yu, coupled with her own actions, had created a rift between them. Xiao Yu was unlikely to share his ancient techniques or the Spirit-gathering Talismans with her anymore.

A pang of regret surfaced in her heart; had she known the future, she would have treated Xiao Yu differently.

Yet, the feeling of remorse was fleeting. Powerful as the Spirit-gathering Talismans were, their efficacy was limited to the Spirit Origin Stage and held no value in the higher echelons of cultivation.

Her ambition was to become an unrivaled powerhouse, and the Spirit Origin Stage was merely a stepping stone on her path!

"Ten Spirit-gathering Talismans? Are you for real?" Wang Fei's eyes gleamed with avarice, yet he was acutely aware of the issue with his Beast Spirit Bead and remained silent for quite some time.

"Master Wang, if there's nothing wrong with your Beast Spirit Bead, this deal should be quite advantageous for you. I mean, we're talking about ten Spirit-gathering Talismans here. If you secure them, you'll be set. Could you at least give us an answer?" Ye Wenxuan interjected purposefully at that moment, aiming to back Wang Fei into a corner.

Wang Fei was seething with frustration, realizing he had reached a point of no return.

With Xiao Yu having put such an offer on the table, if Wang Fei now refused to have the appraisal done, it would be clear to all that he was the one with something to hide.

Even though no one present would dare confront him directly, alienating so many in this circle would make his life exceedingly difficult in the city from here on out.

Wang Fei was baffled by Xiao Yu's audacity. How could he so nonchalantly offer up ten Spirit-gathering Talismans? What exactly was his connection to Tianming Pavilion, and how did he manage to acquire so many of them?

He racked his brain but would never guess that Xiao Yu had inscribed the talismans himself and delivered them to Tianming Pavilion.

"Master Wang Fei, do you accept the terms and allow him to assess your Beast Spirit Bead?" Yan Ziyu asked, her captivating eyes lingering on Xiao Yu before turning to Wang Fei with a look of growing curiosity.

Her interest in Xiao Yu was piqued. Not only did he possess a Space Talisman, but he also had the expertise to evaluate Beast Spirit Beads?

"Fine, I'll accept. But if you fail to deliver an appraisal, you'll owe me ten Spirit-gathering Talismans as compensation!" Wang Fei declared through clenched teeth. His prolonged hesitation had caused suspicion to rise among the onlookers.

With no escape route left, he had to face the music; otherwise, it would be tantamount to confessing that his Spirit-gathering Talisman was a counterfeit.

Cheating at a Treasure-seizing Organization event would result in being ostracized by everyone.

Aside from these reasons, Wang Fei harbored a touch of greed. He doubted Xiao Yu's ability to detect any issues with the Beast Spirit Bead. If his suspicions were correct, he could effortlessly acquire Xiao Yu's ten Spirit-gathering Talismans.

"Hehe, I'm curious to see how one can identify the authenticity of such a precious Beast Spirit Bead," Yan Ziyu said with a light chuckle, her captivating eyes shimmering like water as she gazed at Xiao Yu.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement. Beast Spirit Beads were exceedingly rare, and most people rarely had the chance to even lay eyes on them, let alone know how to determine whether they had lost their effectiveness.

"Since you're all familiar with Beast Spirit Beads, you must be aware that, despite their value, there are some that have lost their life force, transforming into a deathly energy. These particular beads not only fail to enhance one's talents but can actually have detrimental effects," Xiao Yu explained.

He stepped forward, retrieved the Beast Spirit Bead from Wang Fei's box, and placed it into an empty cup.

Everyone watched with puzzled expressions, uncertain of how Xiao Yu intended to proceed with the identification.

"In fact, whether it's a Beast Spirit Bead or a Beast Element, there's a very simple method to check for the presence of essence energy," Xiao Yu said, his smile taking on an odd quality.

For some inexplicable reason, Wang Fei began to feel uneasy at the sight of Xiao Yu's grin, as if a foreboding event was on the horizon.

The others also sensed an uncomfortable tension, suspecting Xiao Yu was on the verge of revealing something significant.

What Xiao Yu did next left everyone in shock!

He actually opened his mouth and spat onto Wang Fei's Beast Spirit Bead!