NOVEL NEXT Chapter 836: Reward
Aside from the three Exquisite Azure Sky Pills, the ten suits of white armor also appeared to be quite remarkable.
At a glance, there didn't seem to be anything special about them, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that these suits of armor were woven out of countless tiny scales, all of which were etched with even tinier runes that were giving off radiant white light.
The golden longswords were also radiating dazzling golden light, within which a projection fo a wyrm and a giant elephant could be seen, prowling around while roaring incessantly.
"Thank you, Father," Shi Zhanfeng said as he accepted the reward with elation.
Everyone was very envious to see this, including Shi Chuankong, and it seemed that Shi Zhanfeng had been given a very handsome reward.
In contrast, Shi Pokong and Shi Jingyan remained quite composed, and it was unclear what they were thinking.
"What is this Exquisite Azure Sky Pill, Fellow Daoist Shi? It is some type of dao pill?" Han Li asked through voice transmission.
"The Exquisite Azure Sky Pill is not a dao pill. Instead, it's one of the most sought after pills for bodily refinement. Tens of thousands of years ago, my father ventured deep into the Ten Hazards Mountain Range and personally slew a Great Encompassment Stage Azure Devilish Cow, then used its blood essence in conjunction with hundreds of different precious ingredients to refine eighty-one Exquisite Azure Sky Pills over the course of centuries.
“All of my siblings and I were given one pill each, and many more have been given out as rewards since then, so there can't be many left now. As long as one is using a suitable cultivation art, taking a single one of these pills could allow one to open several or even up to twenty profound acupoints," Shi Chuankong explained.
"I see. I presume those suits of armor and those swords must also be quite powerful, right?" Han Li mused."Indeed. If a normal Golden Immortal Stage Profound Immortal were to be equipped with a suit of Primordial Holy Armor and a Dragon Elephant Infernal Sword, then they would be able to take on a High Zenith cultivator on their own," Shi Chuankong replied, and it was clear that he wasn't very pleased that Shi Zhanfeng had been given such a huge reward.
With this set of armor and swords, Shi Zhanfeng could instantly develop a formidable unit of profound cultivators with overall power that wouldn't be inferior to that of an early-Great Encompassment cultivator.
Shi Zhanfeng quickly returned to his seat after accepting his reward, following which Shi Pokong stood up and stepped forward, then extended a deep bow toward the Devilish Monarch before flipping hand over to produce a jade book.
"I've been overseeing all of the activity across the borders of our realm, and here is a report of all of my findings."
As soon as his voice trailed off, the jade book had already appeared in the Devilish Monarch's hand, delivered to him by Shadow.
The Devilish Monarch quickly read through the book, then nodded as he said, "You did well."
Shi Pokong extended another deep bow, seemingly completely unbothered by the Devilish Monarch's lukewarm reception, then calmly returned to his seat.
"What is Pokong doing?" Shi Chuankong sighed in a frustrated manner. "Father is clearly in a good mood today, so he should be copying Zhanfeng and taking this opportunity to present something to our father!"
Han Li took a glance at Shi Pokong, and the latter looked back at him with a faint smile, seemingly having detected his gaze.
Shi Jingyan rose to her feet to take Shi Pokong's place, then said, "I'm not as capable as Zhanfeng and Pokong. All I've done over the years is manage the Hundred Flower House. This is a piece that took the women of the Hundred Flower House and I a hundred years to embroider, I hope it's to your liking."
She swept a sleeve through the air as she spoke, unfurling a giant picture scroll that was hundreds of feet long and over a hundred feet wide.
The picture scroll depicted an undulating mountain range that stretched as far as the eyes could see, while a giant red sun was riding up in the east.
The craftsmanship was exceptional, and it struck the beholder with the illusion that they were truly standing before a majestic mountain range.
"That's a very thoughtful gift, Jingyan. Shadow, go and fetch that Green Smoke Regal Cauldron for Jingyan," the Devilish Monarch instructed.
Shadow instantly vanished from the spot, then quickly returned with a green cauldron in his hands.
It was an antiquated cauldron that was around half the height of a grown man, and it had nine openings on top, out of which plumes of green smoke were being released before circling around and ultimately seeping back into the cauldron, presenting a profound sight to behold.
"Thank you, Father," Shi Jingyan said with an elated expression, then stowed the cauldron away before returning to her seat.
After that, it was Shi Mingzhen's turn to step forward, and before long, all of the princes and princesses had taken their turn, reporting some official matters before presenting some gifts to the Devilish Monarchs.
All those who presented gifts were given handsome rewards in return, and it didn't take long before it was Shi Chuankong's turn.
"I've been absent from the Holy Realm for many years, and during my absence, the performance of the Vast Origin House has been very inconsistent. For that, I'm willing to accept my punishment," Shi Chuankong said as he presented a small accounts book.
"No punishment is warranted. While it's true that the Vast Origin House's performance has been inconsistent during your absence, the general trend is still a positive one. Now that you've returned, I'm sure things will be back to normal in no time," the Devilish Monarch encouraged.
"Your kindness and generosity are truly unmatched, Father. During my time in the True Immortal Realm, I was able to enter the True Mantra Sect ruins, and I recovered this treasure that I would like to offer to you."
The Virata Lute appeared amid a flash of silver light as he spoke, and he offered it up with both hands.
Everyone in the palace was immediately able to identify the Virata Lute, and all of Shi Chuankong's siblings were also looking at the lute with different expressions.
"The Virata Lute is finally back," the Devilish Monarch murmured as he swept a sleeve through the air, and the lute immediately rose up into the air before returning to his side.
The Devilish Monarch gently stroked the lute as a reminiscent look appeared on his face, and no one in the palace dared to disturb him.
"You've done exceptionally well, Chuankong. I'm very pleased. What would you like as your reward?" the Devilish Monarch asked.
"It was my duty to bring back the Virata Lute, so I don't deserve a reward," Shi Chuankong said.
"I've always rewarded those who make contributions to our Holy Realm. If such a massive contribution from you goes unrewarded, the entire realm is going to point fingers at me," the Devilish Monarch chuckled.
It was clear that the Devilish Monarch was very pleased, and everyone in the hall immediately put on smiles to play along.
Shi Zhanfeng and Shi Jingyan were also smiling, but at the same time, they were looking at Shi Chuankong with wary expressions.
"For recovering such an important treasure, I bestow upon the thirteenth prince the title of Heavenly Merchant Marquis. As for his fiefdom, the Heavenly Rainbow Region currently has no master, so you can have it," the Devilish Monarch declared.
Everyone present fell into a stunned silence upon hearing this, and Han Li was also rather taken aback by this announcement.
Through his readings, he had learned that the Heavenly Rainbow Region was an extremely rich and bountiful region. On top of that, several of the major roads of the Devil Realm also passed through the region, thereby giving it significant geographic importance.
With that in mind, it was no wonder that everyone was so surprised by this decision.
Shi Chuankong hurriedly fell to his knees with a stunned expression as he said, "Thank you for boundless generosity, Father, but I can't accept such a significant reward, so please rescind it."
"I've never rescinded any reward that I've given out. With your business-oriented mind, you're the ideal candidate for making full use of the Heavenly Rainbow Region, so make sure you live up to the high hopes that I have for you," the Devilish Monarch said.
Shi Chuankong could see that the Devilish Monarch wasn't going to change his mind, so he could only accept this arrangement in the end.
"You can return to your seat now," the Devilish Monarch said with a dismissive wave.
"Before that, there's one more thing that I must report," Shi Chuankong hurriedly said.
"Oh? What is it?" the Devilish Monarch asked.
"It was all thanks to Fellow Daoist Li that I was able to recover the Virata Lute from the True Mantra Sect ruins, and on the way back to Night Sun City, we were attacked several times. If it wasn't for Fellow Daoist Li's protection, there's no way I would've been able to make it back alive, so Fellow Daoist Li is much more deserving of a reward than I am," Shi Chuankong said.
The Devilish Monarch turned to Han Li upon hearing this, and Han Li rose to his feet.
Even though he had become the center of attention for everyone in the palace, he remained calm and collected.
"Li Feiyu, you may not be from our Holy Realm, but seeing as you've made such a significant contribution to our realm, your efforts cannot go unrewarded. What would you like?" the Devilish Monarch asked.
"Fellow Daoist Shi and I are close friends, so I shouldn't be asking for a reward here, but at the moment, I'm facing a problem that I can't resolve myself, so I can only turn to you, Senior," Han Li said.
"What is this problem of yours?" the Devilish Monarch asked.
"A good friend of mine suffered severe spiritual damage some time ago under some rather inexplicable circumstances, and her true form is that of a Xing Beast. At the moment, her essential energy is constantly seeping away, and I haven't been able to treat her condition through conventional means, so I would like your permission to have the grand priest inspect her condition," Han Li said as he cupped his fist in a salute.
"I see. That's not a problem. Zhanfeng, summon the grand priest and have him fulfill Li Feiyu's request," the Devilish Monarch instructed.
"The grand priest went into seclusion ten years ago. Would it be possible to wait until he comes out of seclusion before he fulfills Fellow Daoist Li's request?" Shi Zhanfeng asked as he gave Han Li an apologetic look.
Han Li wasn't surprised at all to hear this, and he said, "I can wait for the grand priest to come out of seclusion. How long will that take?"
"That's difficult to say. After all, seclusions can be long or short, and it could take anywhere from a few years to over a century. However, you can rest assured that I'll have the grand priest come to you as soon as he comes out of seclusion," Shi Zhanfeng promised.