Chapter 681: A Fourth-Level Scrutineer!
eet potatoes were not valuable in the countryside; one could often harvest half a warehouse in a season. Even if they asked villagers for ten or eight sweet potatoes directly, the villagers wouldn’t m...Chapter 681: A Fourth-Tier Review Officer!
Hao Ren answered, "I believe in the rules."
The Chamber Master suddenly released the power contained within his palm. This force hit the stone wall and then rebounded to strike Hao Ren directly in the chest.
Lifted off the ground, Hao Ren flew backward for five meters before crashing heavily into a closed stone door.
"I'll give you one chance. When you're sure you can withstand my twenty strikes, I will give that thing to you," said the Chamber Master coldly, facing the wall.
Hao Ren steadied himself and patted his clothes. "Alright."
The Chamber Master continued, "The outfit of a Fourth-Tier Review Officer has already been delivered to your room. I see that you have injuries in your meridians; it's best for you to recuperate."
Hao Ren touched his chest and realized that the meridian damage he had caused by forcefully using peak Dian-level power in the Sea of Ten Thousand Demons was already corrected.
Buzz!
The stone door suddenly opened, flinging Hao Ren out along with it. The force sent him flying down a long corridor and dropped him next to an external spiral staircase outside.
Twenty strikes… Hao Ren clenched his fist.
Even though the Chamber Master hadn't injured him, throwing him out of the room was still a humiliation.
A white, misty barrier suddenly rose up at the entrance to the top floor. When Hao Ren reached out and touched it, he felt an electric current pass through his body, causing him to retract his hand.
Review officers rarely ever saw the Deputy Chamber Master, let alone entered the secret chambers where the main Chamber Master practiced.
The fact that the Chamber Master personally summoned Hao Ren was unprecedented, and the promise of a twenty-strike deal was unheard-of.
Who among the review officers dared to fight with the Chamber Master of the Dragon God Temple!
Hao Ren, however, had no fear!
Twenty strikes; if it came down to it, it would be over quickly!
Hao Ren stomped his foot and made sure his clothes were neat before heading downstairs.
Beneath the top floor was where Fourth-Tier Review Officers trained. The concentration of spirit energy here was almost comparable to Hao Ren's Mysterious Peak in the Fifth Heavens when he reset the array formations there.
Below that was a prison with thin spirit energy, housing all kinds of evil-doers among dragon cultivators.
One more level up is the cultivation area for third-grade Reviewers, where the regional Reviewer’s驛站 also lies.
Hao Ren walked to this floor and arrived at his and Su Han's room. In front of the stone door hung three silk robes in black, red, and blue colors respectively.
The shoulders of these robes were embroidered with four-clawed golden dragons; they were clothes that Hao Ren’s current fourth-grade status qualified him to wear.
Picking up a robe, Hao Ren used his token to open the stone door. Inside was Su Han on her jade bed in meditation. She turned her head when she didn’t expect him to come over.
When she saw the fourth-grade Reviewer’s token hanging at Hao Ren's waist and the three robes he held, a slight trace of surprise appeared on her face.
However, with Su Han's personality, she wouldn’t ask out of curiosity.
Hao Ren glanced through the doorless frame, looking at Su Han in the stone room. She wore a thin silk robe that revealed glimpses of her skin as she meditated.
"Go!" Su Han raised her eyebrows and held up the emerald sword beside the bed, suddenly thrusting it towards Hao Ren.
Hao Ren quickly stretched out his hand to block. A flash of lightning shone in his palm, forming a barrier that shattered any metal or jade, but he was still forced back three steps by Su Han’s emerald sword.
When he stopped, he saw that Su Han had already put on the black robe.
The Su Han standing in the stone room walked gracefully out onto the ground and gently beckoned. The emerald sword flew back into her hand.
"Exchange Rank Upper Level..." Su Han looked at Hao Ren, saying each word deliberately.
"I was just lucky and broke through," Hao Ren said thick-skinnedly.
"That’s fine. Now you’re qualified to go to the Nine Dragons Palace with me." Su Han's face remained calm, but secretly she felt relieved that Hao Ren had reached Exchange Rank Upper Level, thus avoiding her having to use Lady Zhen's cultivation method… She looked at the token on Hao Ren's waist again, embroidered with a four-clawed golden dragon, and asked, "Who’s in charge between us"
"You’re in charge. You’re in charge," Hao Ren answered hurriedly.
“Hmm…” Su Han finally nodded satisfied.
Hao Ren had reached the fourth-grade Reviewer position while she was still a third-grade, which made her feel somewhat displeased. But clearly Hao Ren was obedient enough.
"You can hang these clothes here," Hao Ren said hurriedly as he placed the three robes in Su Han’s hands, "I have to go back now."
“Hmm…” Su Han nodded coldly and watched Hao Ren walk out of the stone room before she suddenly realized… Is it my job to help him hang his clothes
Su Han narrowed her eyes, clenched her teeth, and walked into the inner chamber with the stone bed where she placed the three silk robes in a cabinet.
Thinking of how Hao Ren was promoted by her as an assistant Reviewer only to surpass her now, Su Han’s heart felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Hao Ren quickly flew down the stairs and returned to the ground floor hall.
The first-grade Reviewers meditating on the cushions in the hall all revealed looks of astonishment at seeing the fourth-grade Reviewer's token hanging from Hao Ren's waist.
A few junior Reviewers were heading towards Harry Ren as well, but upon seeing his identity, they immediately stepped to the sides and made way for him.
Harry Ren had just entered as a third-tier reviewer, yet in the blink of an eye, he had become a fourth-tier reviewer!
The difference between a third- and fourth-tier reviewer seemed trivial, but it was actually extremely difficult to achieve that promotion!
The Dragon God Temple carefully selected its reviewers and strictly controlled their numbers. From among all dragon tribes in the world, they only chose around several hundred Reviewers, of which there were merely over 100 third-tier Reviewer positions available, while fourth-tier Reviewer spots numbered a mere dozen!
Such status was equivalent to that of an experienced Elder within Dragon Palace!
If becoming a third-tier reviewer could be achieved through accumulated contributions over the years, then being promoted to a fourth-tier reviewer required nomination from one Vice Temple Master and agreement among the other eight Vice Temple Masters before receiving final approval from the Main Temple Master.
The Temple Masters of the Dragon God Temple hardly ever appeared in public. Even at the annual Dragon God Temple's examination, they would never make an appearance, leaving it to the fourth-tier reviewers to handle everything. Therefore, for lower-level reviewers, becoming a fourth-tier reviewer was the pinnacle!
Harry Ren did not notice the envy in the eyes of these junior reviewers as he hurriedly headed towards the exit.
The Golden Light Shield emerged from Harry Ren's芥子空間 (jì zǐ kōng jiān, Qiazi Space) and eagerly absorbed the abundant spiritual energy inside the Dragon God Temple. However, within this temple, it was somewhat cautious and did not dare to act too freely.
"Is that…a Heavenly Treasure"
“Yes...I guess so…”
The few junior reviewers who were staring at Harry Ren were astounded when they saw the black, round shield following him with an erratic trajectory.
These reviewers had joined the Dragon God Temple earlier than Harry Ren and had been around longer, yet none of them had ever witnessed a Heavenly Treasure like that which could move on its own!
This Harry Ren was not only a fourth-tier reviewer but also owned his own Heavenly Treasure!
Compared to him, they felt humiliated. These reviewers who were proud to be official Dragon God Temple reviewers might never become fourth-tier reviewers in their lifetimes nor possess their own Heavenly Treasures.
"Oh…It's you"
As Harry Ren was about to leave the Dragon God Temple, Qian Shaoyang, wearing a bright red coat, walked in through the door and suddenly spoke to him.
Harry Ren felt somewhat surprised upon encountering Qian Shaoyang. However, he did not intend to engage with him; instead, he harrumphed and headed straight for the exit.
"Hmph!" Qian Shaoyang made an even louder sound of disdain as he extended his right hand towards Harry Ren.
He had come here to Dragon God Temple for a routine report but did not expect to run into Harry Ren. If it weren't for losing to him in the Dragon God Temple's examination, how could someone with fourth-tier reviewer status be demoted to a regional reviewer!
Seeing Harry Ren now, he couldn’t let this opportunity pass. Especially since Su Han wasn’t by Harry Ren’s side.
Bam!
Harry Ren struck him heavily in the arm with his fist.
He was expelled by the Pavilion Master of the Dragon God Shrine and felt rather disgruntled when he encountered Qin Shaoyang!
"Exchange grade... upper tier!"
Qin Shaoyang opened his eyes wide in surprise, not expecting that Hao Ren had already advanced from Shaken to Exchange Upper Tier after some time apart!
When his gaze fell on the golden four-clawed dragon token around Hao Ren's waist, he was so alarmed that he stepped back three paces!
The Dragon God Shrine had a strict hierarchy. Qin Shaoyang, as a demoted Tier 3 Inspector, attacking a Tier 4 Inspector would be considered an act of provocation!
"This...," he stared at Hao Ren in astonishment.
With Hao Ren's strength, how could he become a Tier 4 Inspector
Hiss… Bang!
The golden shield beside Hao Ren’s shoulder spun around and shot a beam of gold light at Qin Shaoyang.
Qin Shaoyang did not notice the black, spirit energy-absorbing lump. He was suddenly struck by the beam of gold light on his shoulder and fell flat to the ground!
He was in Earth grade but could not withstand a Heaven-Opening Divine Treasure, especially one like the golden shield which had already been upgraded.
If it were an ordinary treasure, Qin Shaoyang’s earth-grade body would have at least managed to endure. But this strike from the Golden Shield almost made his blood and qi surge!
W… Why
How could Hao Ren become so powerful after just a short time apart
Holding his shoulder in pain, Qin Shaoyang suddenly noticed that Hao Ren’s entire demeanor was completely different.
"Hmph…" Hao Ren snorted and circled around Qin Shaoyang's head towards the exit of the Dragon God Shrine.
The low-ranking Inspectors in the hall glanced at fallen Qin Shaoyang, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Dragon cultivators were strictly forbidden from participating in mutual battles. Inspectors were also not allowed to engage in private conflicts, but this Third Tier Inspector had been instantly knocked down for provoking a Fourth Tier one; they had all seen it with their own eyes.
This Qin Shaoyang used to be a Fourth Tier Inspector and was quite a formidable figure within the Dragon God Shrine. But Hao Ren managed to knock him down in just one move!
Seeing that the low-ranking Inspectors were all looking at him, Qin Shaoyang gritted his teeth and sprang up. The intense pain on his shoulder almost made him stagger.
Hao Ren had already left through the door, and a snow lion flew from afar to carry him into the sky.
The black, misshapen little round shield seemed like it was Uncle Teacher's Heaven-Opening Shield… Qin Shaoyang looked outside in deep thought.
(To be continued)revious generations of cultivators and through precise calculations to determine the position of the Yuanlong Hall.After flying for what seemed like an eternity, a black behemoth appeared faintly in t...