12dz Chapter 61 Winning the Treasure Appraisal Meeting
Chapter 61 Winning the Treasure Appraisal Meeting
The white-haired old man seemed to have made up his mind. He stood up solemnly and bowed to Young Master Ye.
He took out a small array plate and said to everyone, "I obtained this item by chance. It contains a crude tracing array. However, activating this array requires an enormous amount of spirit stones and is also time-consuming and mentally taxing."
"If Young Master Ye can wait, I will trace the origins of these seven animal materials one by one, and within two days I will surely find the fakes."
Zhou Li felt a little suspicious. Was this elaborate treasure appraisal event really just to test everyone's skills? Shannan Pavilion specializes in spirit beast resources, so it wouldn't be difficult for them to spend some money to train cultivators who understand the method of tracing origins.
His gaze swept over the seven jade plates again, and he saw that their surfaces were shimmering with precious light, and some of them even had a thin layer of frost on their surfaces.
"Wait! Frost?"
Zhou Li clearly remembered that when he had observed them before, there were no ice marks in the seven jade plates.
He focused his gaze again, and when his Heavenly Thunder Eyes landed on the dark golden dragon lizard skin that exuded a dragon's might for the second time, his pupils suddenly contracted!
Deep within that reverse-scale leather armor, he actually saw a wisp of chilling coldness, as thin as a spider's thread, deeply penetrating the texture.
A thought flashed through Zhou Li's mind like lightning: "So that's how it is. This treasure appraisal competition tests one's insight into the element of water."
Having figured this out, Zhou Li felt enlightened. He took a deep breath and slowly stood up under the varied gazes of the crowd.
Just as Young Master Ye was about to reply to the old man, he saw Zhou Li stand up and looked at him.
Their eyes met briefly in the air, and Zhou Li's lips curled into a slight smile; he had already made up his mind.
"In my opinion, this fake should be the reverse scale of a fire-type dragon lizard." Zhou Li pointed to a jade plate and said, "The scale itself is indeed the reverse scale taken from the neck of the dragon lizard, but this part is not from a fire-type dragon lizard, but from a water-type dragon lizard."
Young Master Ye's eyes flickered slightly beneath his mask, and his voice, coming through the mask, revealed neither joy nor anger: "Oh? What makes you say that, sir?"
Zhou Li bowed slightly to Young Master Ye and said calmly, "It is because this reverse scale contains a wisp of extremely yin and cold water energy. If it were truly a fire-elemental dragon lizard, there would be no reason for it to produce such water-elemental energy."
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, and Xiao Ke immediately scoffed, "This dragon's might is pure, and its armor is solid. How could it be fake! And how did you sense the so-called cold aura? Far-fetched, far too far-fetched."
Zhou Li seemed not to hear, and walked steadily to the center of the hall. Amid a crowd of doubts, he raised his hand and pointed precisely at a certain spot on the reverse scale, saying with certainty, "This coldness is not apparent under the scales. Just cut it open here with a sword, and we will know its authenticity."
"Absurd...absurd!" Xiao Ke retorted. "Do you know how precious this intact scale is? Just because of a single word from you, you want to cut it in half? Can you bear the loss?"
Zhou Li glanced at Xiao Ke and said calmly, "I identified the fake for Shannan Pavilion. Young Master Ye is already thanking me profusely, so how could there be any loss?"
Xiao Ke was about to argue further when Ye Gongzi's cool voice rang out: "Very well! Let's do as this distinguished guest says. Qingyuan, go and invite Manager Li here."
Not long after, a kind-looking middle-aged man entered. He was slightly plump, and his narrow eyes were made even smaller by his round face, but occasionally a sharp glint would appear in them.
After entering the inner hall, he first bowed to Young Master Ye, then went to the jade plate, pointed to the provocative scale, and said to Zhou Li with a smile, "Is this the place you're pointing to, young friend Zhou?"
Zhou Li raised an eyebrow: "Manager Li recognizes me?"
Shopkeeper Li's face immediately lit up with a smile: "Those who run a business always need to be well-informed, not to mention that with young friend Zhou's abilities, he will surely become famous in time."
"Manager Li, you flatter me. Cut three inches inward here and you'll see the result."
Shopkeeper Li nodded slightly, revealing a jade thumb ring on his right thumb. He then gently stroked the surface of the scale with the ring on his hand. Without any fluctuation of spiritual energy, a deep cut appeared on the extremely hard scale.
While the others couldn't see it clearly, Zhou Li could see it perfectly. A very fine thread shot out from the jade ring and penetrated deep into the reverse scale, splitting the scale in two as if it were made of paper.
Shocked, Fang Yu murmured, "To be able to cut through dragon scales so easily, this Manager Li must be a senior who has already formed his core..."
Unexpectedly, this seemingly harmless Manager Li actually possesses such strength. Shannan Pavilion, backed by Yuling Immortal Pavilion, is indeed quite capable.
Zhou Li nodded: "With a Core Formation cultivator as manager, Shannan Pavilion is indeed extraordinary."
At this moment, a wisp of pure, cold air escaped from the gap in the dragon lizard's reverse scale that had been cut open, and a look of surprise and uncertainty gradually appeared on everyone's faces.
Xiao Ke's face turned deathly pale. He opened his mouth, wanting to refute something, but found his words to be so pale and powerless at this moment. He simply could not explain where this cold air came from.
The white-haired old man put away the array plate and cupped his hands in a salute to Zhou Li: "Fellow Daoist, you are young and accomplished. I admire you. I accept defeat wholeheartedly."
Young Master Ye slowly rose from his seat and bowed to Zhou Li, saying, "Thank you for your help, Fellow Daoist Zhou. You are undoubtedly the champion of this treasure appraisal competition."
A gasp of amazement rose from outside the hall. Everyone looked at Zhou Li with envy, and one could vaguely hear people asking around about whose young master this fellow Daoist Zhou was.
Xiao Ke's face was gloomy, and he slumped back into the chair, as if all his strength had been drained away.
Fang Yu shook his head and sighed, "I was worried for Senior Brother Zhou, but I didn't expect him to be such a genius. He can even win the championship in the boat tour. It seems like nothing can stump him."
Xia Mingduo smiled to herself.
…………
In a quiet room in Shannan Pavilion.
The incense wafted softly, leaving only Zhou Li and Young Master Ye sitting opposite each other. After Qing Yuan served two cups of fragrant tea, she quietly retreated to wait outside the door.
Zhou Li was alone in a room with Ye Gongzi, a girl as beautiful as a fairy, but he felt no romantic feelings for her.
She gracefully pushed one of the teacups towards Zhou Li. Zhou Li did not touch the cup, but sighed softly, "If Young Master Ye has any difficulties, please speak frankly."
A hint of surprise flashed in Young Master Ye's eyes: "What makes you say that, Fellow Daoist Zhou?"
"What I sensed just now was not a wisp of extremely yin and cold water vapor, but an extremely cold and sharp sword aura. Coincidentally, it is of the same origin and kind as the aura in Young Master Ye's Cold Crow Sword, exactly the same."
Upon hearing this, Young Master Ye's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his beautiful eyes stared intently at Zhou Li.
Zhou Li picked up the teacup, smelled the elegant aroma of the tea, but did not drink it. Instead, he pondered and said, "Since entering, I have seen that Young Master Ye acts with great composure. Since this is a tribute to the Imperial Spirit Pavilion, I suppose Young Master Ye would not be so bored as to test it with a sword."
"This meticulously planned treasure appraisal event must be for... finding cultivators who are sensitive to the element of water. Am I right?"
Upon hearing this, Young Master Ye chuckled and clapped his hands, saying, "Absolutely brilliant!"
Her gaze fell on Zhou Li, filled with indescribable admiration: "I thank Fellow Daoist Zhou for covering for me earlier. Fellow Daoist not only has keen insight, but also meticulous attention to detail, which I admire greatly."
She frankly admitted, "What you said is absolutely right. This Reverse Scale Skin is not a fake. The raven sword energy on it was personally applied by me. Using this precious material as bait to set up this treasure appraisal meeting is precisely to take advantage of the situation and seek something else."