Chapter 63: This Mark Is Simply Too “Powerful”!

Chen Xiang's words immediately deflated it. After all, he already had the Jade Bamboo Sword in hand, and he wasn't its match—he couldn't win in a fight, nor snatch it back—so what was the point of deceiving it? If it were to produce another earth-grade spiritual weapon, it would never have the same effect as the first, and besides, it couldn't bear to part with it.

"Fine! I'll trust you one more time!" the Rainbow Eel gritted its teeth and spoke.

Hearing its reply, Chen Xiang broke into a smile, nodding repeatedly. "Haha, that's more like it! Rest assured, I won't deceive you. Look at my face—so handsome, so sincere—how could I ever do something as dishonest as cheating?"

"Bah!" The Rainbow Eel was well acquainted with Chen Xiang’s shamelessness, and spat contemptuously, refusing to listen.

Chen Xiang didn't mind its attitude, grinning as he said, "Heh, are you trying to say I just tricked you?"

The Rainbow Eel glanced at him sideways, remaining silent, but its meaning was clear.

"Haha, that wasn't cheating, that was bamboozling! And besides... you aren't even human!" Chen Xiang declared, pausing as if speaking to himself.

The Rainbow Eel: "..."

Never had it encountered such shamelessness!

It was speechless, desperately wanting to curse, but the pain in its body had yet to subside, so it swallowed its words, hoping only to take revenge once its strength recovered after leaving this place.

Chen Xiang wasn't content until he had ruffled the Rainbow Eel’s feathers. His spiritual consciousness had nearly been scattered earlier, so he was holding a considerable grudge—naturally, he seized every chance to irritate it!

He then picked up the Jade Bamboo Sword for a closer inspection. As for compensation, it mattered little to him; all he wanted was the sword. Removing the mark could be done on a whim, since he was in a good mood.

He could not tell what material the Jade Bamboo Sword was made of; every part seemed perfect, with not a single flaw for him to find. The Rainbow Eel had mentioned some imperfection in the blade, but Chen Xiang could sense nothing of the sort. In his mind, it was merely a ploy to distract him.

He placed the sword back into its bamboo sheath. The moment the hilt touched the bamboo, it seemed to fuse seamlessly—no gap remained, as if it had always been a single piece of bamboo, perfectly natural. This made him love the sword even more.

"Alright, Rainbow Eel, come over here, let me check your body again!" Chen Xiang stored the Jade Bamboo Sword in his system space and called out to the creature.

With a swoosh, the Rainbow Eel flew over, no longer as wary as the first time. "Hmph, come on, boy. If you mention any mysterious forces again, don't expect me to give you anything else!"

By warning him in advance, it ensured that if any mysterious force lurked within, any loss would be on Chen Xiang, and it would happily torment him for it.

Chen Xiang said nothing more, cautiously touching the middle of its body—not the head, as he suspected the mysterious force likely emanated from the 'king' character marked there.

He dared not be careless, activating the system's protection mode to prevent any mishaps.

He extended his spiritual sense, slowly probing the Rainbow Eel’s body, deliberately avoiding its head.

Sure enough, his spiritual sense entered the Rainbow Eel smoothly. With no resistance, he could easily examine it, much to his relief.

This time, the Rainbow Eel did not lapse into confusion, instead fixing its small eyes on Chen Xiang’s movements.

Without delay, Chen Xiang began his inspection. Soon, he detected a faint, almost imperceptible mark along the eel’s tail, a short distance upward.

The mark flickered dimly, barely noticeable unless one looked closely, as if it might vanish at any moment.

Chen Xiang: "..."

Damn it, I have to say—after all my careful searching, this mark could be cleared by any cultivator with a bit of seal array knowledge! I’m busy, you know! Must you toy with me like this?

His lips twitched as he looked at the Rainbow Eel as if it were an idiot, his expression screaming, "Are you messing with me?"

The Rainbow Eel was utterly baffled by Chen Xiang’s constipated look, but still asked with some hope, "So? Boy, is there any mysterious force blocking you this time? Can you remove it or not?"

How in the world did you survive sixteen thousand years? Can you remove it? You probably never even dared look at the mark, which is why you didn’t notice anything!

Chen Xiang nodded with difficulty, unwilling to hurt the Rainbow Eel’s feelings. He resolved to "do his utmost" to remove the mark for it.

"I can remove it, but the mark is just too... 'strong,' so..." Chen Xiang said in a troubled tone.

"So what?" The Rainbow Eel’s heart tightened, pressing anxiously.

"So!" Chen Xiang looked up, sighed, and shook his head. "I’ll have to sacrifice my lifespan and use my spiritual energy as a guide. It’s practically a life-consuming method..."

The Rainbow Eel was stunned. What kind of mark had that person placed in its body? An earth-grade array master had to risk their life to remove it? Was there any hope left for it?

Yet it refused to let this opportunity slip away. After tens of thousands of years trapped here, anyone would go mad. So it thought for a moment, gritted its teeth, and said, "Young man, help me remove the mark. The lifespan you lose... I’ll replenish it for you!"

Chen Xiang’s eyes lit up—this was exactly what he’d been waiting for!

"How will you replenish it?" Chen Xiang asked.

The Rainbow Eel answered with visible pain, "I once gathered half a vial of Vital Spirit Liquid, which can enhance a cultivator’s life force and revive mortals from death. It should be able to restore what you lose."

Chen Xiang ‘hesitated’ for a moment, appearing ‘troubled.’ "Well... this... alright!"

"Good! It’s settled, let’s head to the mouth of the valley and wait. We’ll need to act quickly!" The Rainbow Eel, hearing Chen Xiang’s agreement, spoke urgently, not giving him a chance to reconsider, and immediately flew toward the valley entrance.

In truth, it had stashed away a full vial of Vital Spirit Liquid! Now, it would secure the deal first, then quietly substitute only half a vial.

Chen Xiang stared blankly at the Rainbow Eel’s departing form. This was the classic case of someone being sold and still counting the money for their seller!

"Ah, haha, I’ve really lucked out," Chen Xiang chuckled, flying off toward the valley entrance.

He had strayed quite far during the earlier scuffle with the Rainbow Eel, and before he reached the mouth of the valley, a deep, resonant voice rang out.

"The Ice Valley Trial is over! All cultivators, please exit the valley quickly!"

"To be continued..."