The current situation was far worse than he had imagined.
Su Chen sighed inwardly. Currently, there were only twenty-two people on this Star Seed list.
Excluding him, there were nine others who had beco chosen ones for Morning Star-tier classes but had not made it onto the talent rankings.
The spiritual requirents for Morning Star-tier classes were incredibly bizarre. Talent was one of them, but it was not the deciding factor.
Furthermore, so people possessed high talent but were born a few years too late, so all the spots were already taken. No matter how high their talent was, they could only sigh in despair.
Take that guy with the dual Divine Dawn talent, for example. He suffered from having agonizingly high talent but could only stop at the ninth tier.
Suddenly, he sees soone with a dual Ink Erald talent pop out of nowhere and beco the chosen one for a Morning Star-tier class.
Setting everything else aside, there was a gap of four ranks in talent alone. This kind of psychological disparity...
Putting himself in their shoes, Su Chen knew he would definitely find it hard to accept too. Not secretly resorting to foul play would already be considered incredibly broad-minded.
This was an innate enmity of obstructing soone's path. Once a person beca a chosen one, they were destined to be targeted by many.
Out of the twenty-two Star Seeds, counting him, sixteen had been monopolized by the five great sects and the Royal Court, while another five were scattered among various factions across the Dust Star Sea.
However, those capable of securing a Star Seed quota for themselves were all, to so extent, connected to the sects or the Royal Court.
This led to another problem. Because of the intricate and complex relationships behind them, once many Star Seeds were chosen, it was very difficult to change them under normal circumstances.
One could easily imagine how much attention he, a Star Seed who had suddenly popped out of nowhere, was receiving, and how many people were secretly grinding their teeth in frustration.
The more Su Chen thought about it, the more he shuddered. He had no idea how these Morning Star-tier classes were born in the first place, and their unique exclusivity truly drew too much hatred.
He turned and asked Lan Hao beside him.
"How are Morning Star-tiers born?" Hearing Su Chen's question, Lan Hao blanked for a mont. "How are they born..."
The three of them had already reached the first floor. Pairs of faint gazes swept over them from all directions, carrying probing, curiosity, greed, and burning jealousy.
Lan Hao frowned in recollection. "I think every powerful life star has the potential to give birth to a Morning Star-tier class, but the specifics require various conditions."
"I am not too clear on the details either. Anyway, the Dust Star Sea has not produced a wild Morning Star-tier in a very long ti."
Wild... Hearing this word left Su Chen sowhat speechless. anwhile, the attendant following behind them whispered, "For a Morning Star-tier to be born, the right timing, the right location, and the right people must align to even have a chance."
"One of the conditions requires a dual ninth-tier professional, developed to their absolute peak, to act as a sacrifice."
This did not seem to be a secret, so the attendant explained it simply.
"It even requires sacrifices..." Su Chen was astonished. A dual ninth-tier was nothing to scoff at. Even if they could not compare to a Morning Star-tier, they still represented the high-level forces within factions like the Royal Court and the sects.
To need such a person as a sacrifice...
"Then how are ordinary classes born?" Su Chen thought for a mont and asked, quite curious.
Ying Feng did not have the answer to this question.
"That is much more complicated," the attendant replied helplessly. "I can only say that they have existed since ancient tis. If you want to know more, you will have to thoroughly review various informational records."
That helpless expression clearly conveyed two words: pay up.
Speechless, Su Chen changed the subject and asked if there were any omissions in the Star Seed list.
The attendant shook his head. "That is almost impossible. The requirents to beco a chosen one are not fixed. Even for the exact sa spirituality, the chosen ones from two different generations might differ entirely."
"A suitable chosen one can only be found through massive selections. Those who et the basic age and talent requirents easily number in the tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, hailing from every corner of a faction's territory. With such a massive commotion, even the Royal Court would find it difficult to hide."
Realization dawned on Su Chen. No wonder the background information of those on the Star Seed list was so clear.
Lan Hao's brows were tightly knit, and his hair stood on end. The people in this lobby were all ruthless figures who licked blood from the edges of their blades. The faint, lingering gazes made him extrely uncomfortable.
The attendant escorted the two to the door and offered a low-voiced warning, "Your Excellency is drawing quite a lot of attention. It would be best not to linger outside for too long."
"Thanks for the heads-up." Su Chen was slightly surprised, offered his thanks, and pushed the door open to walk out.
In an instant, a massive number of gazes converged on him, then shifted away.
A large crowd had gathered in front of the Prophet Society's doors. They were scattered everywhere, leaning against walls, hiding in the shadows, chatting with companions, or locked in deep embraces.
Yet, everyone's attention faintly lingered on Su Chen. This eerie atmosphere gave Lan Hao full-body goosebumps.
'Why do these guys look like they want to eat alive?' Su Chen muttered inwardly, his eyes scanning his surroundings.
'My dear Senior Brother Qing Cang should be following, right?'
"Why is it like this?" Lan Hao also sensed that sothing was wrong. Not daring to make any rash moves, he carefully opened his personal smart terminal, projecting a holographic screen.
After a series of rapid operations, his expression suddenly morphed into shock. "This..."
Noticing the commotion, Su Chen shot a glance out of the corner of his eye. Lan Hao seed to have logged into a dark web portal. In the top left corner were several large, blood-red words: "Unofficial Channel. Login Prohibited. Browsing Only."
Smack in the middle of the page was his photograph. He had no idea when it was taken. Although his hair was ssy, his facial features were perfectly clear.
Below it was a long string of zeros, preceded by a three.
"Is this a bounty?" Su Chen easily guessed. Lan Hao gulped, his hair standing on end as he fought the urge to bolt away imdiately. "Three billion Star Coins! No wonder these people look like they want to eat you."
Star Coins were the universal currency of the Dust Star Sea, jointly endorsed and issued by the Royal Court and the five great sects.
Wealth moved the hearts of n. Even a fool like Lan Hao knew that when bloodlust took over, the na of the Bronze Sect might not be enough to deter these ruthless rcenaries.
Su Chen narrowed his eyes, his gaze flickering as he asked in surprise, "Why is the bounty number still going up?"
"This dark web bounty is famous for its cumulative reward system. Bounties on the sa target are stacked together. It is not just one person putting a price on your head; it is a constant stream of people adding to the pot."
A constant stream of people putting a bounty on him... Su Chen was speechless.
Lan Hao closed his smart terminal, his expression turning highly vigilant and cautious. He truly regretted coming out on this trip.
'Qing Cang should know about the current situation. He wouldn't just leave Su Chen to face these dangers alone, right? Maybe he is protecting him from the shadows?'
Lan Hao's heart pounded with terror, entirely unsure of the situation. 'What if Qing Cang had also been bought off?'
He was willing to put aside his pride to show goodwill, but he absolutely refused to go down with Su Chen as collateral damage.
"Aren't we leaving?" Su Chen was already walking toward their aircraft, but Lan Hao remained rooted to the spot.
"Right... let's go." Lan Hao snapped back to reality and hurriedly followed. Even though the gazes were not focused on him, he still felt prickling pins and needles stabbing into his back.
It was not until they boarded the aircraft, started the engines, and rged into the flight path that he finally let out a sigh of relief. His taut skin was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
Glancing down through the window, Lan Hao felt his scalp tingle. The crowd on the ground had all raised their heads, pairs of greedy eyes tracking their aircraft. The scene was indescribably eerie.
"No one actually made a move. Our sect really is quite impressive," Su Chen muttered as he also looked down.
Lan Hao could not help but look over, trying to find even a trace of unease on Su Chen's face. However, all he saw was absolute calmness.
He could not help but feel a sliver of admiration. The guy truly deserved praise for being able to withstand the corruption of a deceitful god's power.
"Senior Qing's request has been completed. Let's head back first," Lan Hao urged impatiently.
"Hmm..." Su Chen pondered inwardly.
Lan Hao's eyelids twitched. 'This guy isn't planning to pull so crazy stunt, is he?'
"I am a little hungry. Why don't we find a place to grab a bite?" Su Chen suggested.
Hungry?
Lan Hao froze, unable to hold back his response. "There is food at the hotel."
"That is just a place to sleep. The variety is too limited," Su Chen said with a shake of his head.
Lan Hao's brow twitched furiously. But seeing Su Chen's fearless deanor, suspicions bubbled up in his heart. 'Could Qing Cang have given him special instructions?'
Even so, he remained deeply uneasy. He had never encountered a situation like this back at the sect.
Su Chen had already opened the aircraft's console to search for the most expensive restaurant in the area.
Lan Hao's expression shifted continuously. He really wanted to tell Su Chen to drop him off first before going out to eat alone.
In the end, however, he rembered his father's strict instructions and swallowed his words, enduring the situation.
'He actually held back... He must be plotting sothing big,' Su Chen thought as he caught Lan Hao's reaction from the corner of his eye, secretly raising his guard.
"Found it. Star Luxury Restaurant..." Su Chen confird the coordinates, and the aircraft automatically rerouted toward their new destination.
It was the most luxurious dining establishnt in the Hengdao Hub. A standalone building, its exterior walls were an elegant, understated black. The welcoming attendants were incredibly pleasing to the eye, all sporting slender and tall figures.
The mont their aircraft touched down, a manager ca out to greet them. He was a capable-looking middle-aged man with a buzz cut. His gaze landed on Su Chen's face, brimming with enthusiasm. "Distinguished guests, your private dining room has been arranged. Please follow ."
The entire Hengdao Hub was the property of the Sixing Group. Since the aircraft they rode belonged to Hengdao's top hotel, the information exchange had been completed the second they landed.
"What would you two distinguished guests like to eat? We offer an all-encompassing nu here. So of our ingredients can only be found within the Nether Mist, providing a truly unique flavor." Standing by Su Chen's side, the manager recomnded, "Rest assured, everything has been perfectly processed. There is absolutely no risk of Nether Mist contamination. Should any accidents occur, we will fully reimburse all costs for clearing the Nether Mist from your bodies."
"I like succulent roasted at. Preferably with a slightly sweet glaze, along with so excellent wine," Su Chen stated. Finally, he added, "Oh, and organs from mutant species..."
"Understood." The manager quickly pulled out his smart terminal, filtered the options, and handed it to Su Chen. The nu was incredibly vast; without an initial filtering, it would be almost impossible to know where to start.
"Shadow Dragon Lizard tenderloin... Magnetic Storm Rhino steak..."
Su Chen briefly scanned the list and quickly began ordering. During the journey, he had already slowly roasted and eaten the seventy-odd frozen hearts he had brought from Ying Feng.
Currently, the class requirents for the Nourishnt Extractor still needed twenty-four more types. For the largest restaurant in the Hengdao Hub, procuring twenty-four different mutant hearts was hardly a challenge.
Behind each ingredient on the nu were options for higher tiers. Higher-tier ingredients not only possessed better nutritional value but also offered vastly superior flavor and tenderness.
Naturally, the prices were significantly steeper as well.
The only troubleso part was figuring out how to keep Lan Hao from noticing his unusual eating habits.
However, looking at him now, the other party's mind clearly was not on the al at all. Lan Hao looked quite anxious, constantly checking the ti.
"Brother Lan, what would you like to eat?" Su Chen asked considerately after finishing his order.
"I am good." Lan Hao waved his hand, completely lacking an appetite.
"Alright then." Su Chen handed the nu back to the manager. "I will take these. By the way, when you serve the dishes, you don't do those lengthy introductions of the dish nas, do you? If you do, cancel it. It is too annoying."
"Very well," the manager nodded.
"Also, your establishnt should have thods to ensure custors can eat safely and with peace of mind, right?" Su Chen asked.
The manager paused. Su Chen smiled. "It is not like you didn't recognize . My request should be completely reasonable, right?"
Lan Hao could not help but shoot him a look, silently cursing in his head. 'If you're going to be this paranoid, why didn't we just hurry back? Why are we even eating out?'
"Of course, perfectly reasonable..." The manager nodded repeatedly. "We have specialized instrunts that can test for toxicology. If you are still worried, we can invite a Poison Taster to..."
Poison Taster? Su Chen was briefly taken aback. After asking a few questions, he learned that this was a special class with an incredibly acute sensitivity to toxic substances.
'This class... I actually think I need one. Poison is the hardest thing to guard against.'
Given his current situation, once he returned to the inner sanctum of the Bronze Sect, there would be an unknown number of overt attacks and covert strikes. Having soone with this class around would make things a lot safer.
"Don't worry. I am watching."
Just as Su Chen was about to say sothing, Qing Cang's voice suddenly echoed in his ear.
Just as expected, his dear senior brother was indeed following them. Su Chen imdiately replied smoothly, "That won't be necessary. I completely trust the reputation of the Hengdao Hub."
A flash of surprise appeared in the manager's eyes. He offered a few more sycophantic praises before excusing himself.
Su Chen and Lan Hao chatted casually, mostly about the internal situation of the Bronze Sect.
"Brother Lan, we are all on the sa side," Su Chen said after listening to him. He pondered for a mont before asking, "I will just be blunt."
"You know my current identity is highly sensitive. Who do you think poses the greatest threat to within our sect?"
"This..." Lan Hao hesitated. His father had explicitly warned him to just build a good relationship and avoid doing anything unnecessary.
Speaking up about this would require him to bear a certain level of responsibility, and who knew what kind of ss it could trigger?
"That is... a bit hard to say," Lan Hao deflected. "Besides, you are under the Ancient King's protection. Who would dare to cause trouble for you?"
'Dishonest...' Su Chen shook his head inwardly, his curiosity only growing. 'What exactly is this Lan Hao plotting?'
Right at that mont, the door to the private room swung open, and the first dish was served. It was a long strip of roasted at still blazing with crimson flas, releasing a mouth-watering aroma.
Su Chen's appetite surged. On the spaceship, he had only been able to drink nutrient fluids. As for the hearts he secretly roasted, they could only be described as not awful.
Taking a bite, savory juices exploded in his mouth. The charred, roasted aroma mixed with a fiery, spicy tang filled his entire palate. He chewed a few tis before swallowing it whole.
He had no idea if the food was pre-prepared, but the restaurant's serving speed was incredibly fast. Su Chen relentlessly scarfed down dish after dish.
Click—the door to the private room opened once again. This ti, however, no new dishes were brought in. Instead, a middle-aged man with sharp, monkey-like features stood in the doorway.
After opening the door, he froze, his eyes locking onto Su Chen's face.
Snapping back to his senses, he t their gazes and imdiately put on an apologetic expression. "Sorry, sorry, wrong room," he said repeatedly.
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