“Feng Yan?” The corners of Ling Han’s lips turned up into a smile, and he said, “How powerful is he now?”
“No one’s really clear about exactly how powerful he is now. But the last time he returned to the Academy, he was already in the fourth layer of Gushing Spring Tier. Plus, when someone saw him make a move in an ancient historical site, he had four flashes of Saber Qi,” Qi Yong Ye said solemnly.
Fourth layer of Gushing Spring Tier was even higher than Can Ye’s cultivation level. However, the change of Core Disciples was the same as the change of True Disciples. It could only happen at the end of every year, whereupon challenges would be issued to determine who would be replaced and who would remain.
Feng Yan most likely had just broken through. Moreover, cultivation level did not represent one’s battle prowess. Can Ye’s battle prowess was at seven Stars, so Feng Yan had not issued challenges to Can Ye, Zhao Huan, or Qi Feng Yun last month.
“Oh, right, before I came, I received the news that the Spiritual Treasures Pavilion will be holding an auction tonight. Anyone interested to go take a look?” Jin Wuji asked all of a sudden.
“Spiritual Treasures Pavilion?” Ling Han asked curiously.
“That’s an auction house of the imperial city. The boss is enshrouded in mystery. According to rumors, nobody knows who he is—not even if the boss is a man or a woman, nor whether he or she is old or young. However, he or she must definitely come from a very important background, because no one has ever dared to make trouble at Spiritual Treasures Pavilion,” Jin Wuji explained.
“It’s not that nobody dared to make trouble, it’s that those who have made trouble before have all died. Thus, nobody dares to make trouble anymore,” Qi Yong Ye said. He could be considered as a member of the royal family, and so knew more than Jin Wuji.
“Interesting, then let’s go have a look,” Ling Han said with a smile. If he could obtain a few of the other necessary drugs to concoct the Restore Spirit Pill at this auction house, then it wouldn’t be too long before he could heal Ling Dong Xing’s Spirit Base.
After he breaks through to Gushing Spring Tier, he’d be able to train his divine sense. The stronger his divine sense was, the higher the grade of alchemical pills he could concoct. But the temperature of the flames he could produce was still a problem, for the temperature could only be increased by advancing in cultivation level. No matter how skilled he was at controlling the heat of the flames, there was always a maximum limit to the temperature of the flame.
‘Father’s lifespan is limited, so this cannot be delayed for too long!’ He thought. ‘Either I find someone to help me concoct the pill, or I fuse my flames with the Strange Fires of Heaven and Earth. With the help of the Strange Fires, the temperature of the flames can be increased.
However, the Strange Fires are much too rare. Even in my last life, I had never found a Strange Fire. But ten thousand years have passed, so perhaps my luck will change.’
The Strange Fires were a type of spiritual fire formed naturally by the environment. Should a martial artist refine a Strange Fire, he’d be able to increase his cultivation level, or form a special physical constitution. For alchemists, if they were able to fuse their flames with a Strange Fire, they’d be able to increase their alchemy skill. Years ago, there had been a relatively unknown alchemist who had happened to fuse his flames with one of the Strange Fires, and eventually became a world-famous Grandmaster Alchemist.
If Ling Han wanted to concoct the Restore Spirit Pill within a short period of time, then fusing his flames with a Strange Fire seemed to be his only option—the greatest alchemist in Rain Country was only at Black Grade high level, and was absolutely not qualified enough to concoct an Earth Grade alchemical pill.
They had mostly finished eating, so they paid the bill and left, heading towards the Spiritual Treasures Pavilion to take part in the auction that would be held there.
Because it was not too far away, they did not hail down a carriage, and instead simply went there on foot. About twenty minutes later, they had finally arrived at the Spiritual Treasures Pavilion.
This was a place that was specifically meant for the sale of treasures.
What would be considered a treasure?
Weapons, cultivation techniques, martial arts techniques, alchemical pills, and medicinal ingredients could all be considered treasures as long as they had a high enough value, and could be sold here. There would be an auction held here every month to sell off some rarer, more valuable treasures, and every several months or years, there would be a large-scale auction which, according to rumors, would even move the hearts of the imperial family and the Eight Great Clans.
The auction that would be held today was the monthly auction. As such, there weren’t many powerful warriors among the participants, but there was indeed a lot of people. It was only held once a month, after all, so there was a lot of rare, precious treasures that were going to be auctioned off.
They were just about to enter when they saw two young men walk towards them. These two young men were walking quite closely together, and from the looks of it, they had a very close relationship.
“Yi, it’s you!” When one of them saw Ling Han, his expression turned cold. He pointed a finger at Ling Han and said, “Hahaha, you stupid brat, you never thought this would happen, right? I still managed to enter into Hu Yang Academy, and… I’ve even broken through to Element Gathering Tier!”
It was really too much of a coincidence. This guy was Feng Luo, but the fact that he had actually broken through to Element Gathering Tier was a bit unexpected. Based on his natural talent, he should not have been able to break through to Element Gathering Tier so quickly.
However, in Ling Han’s eyes, he was only a minor character, thus Ling Han did not take him to heart. He merely said calmly, “Remove your finger. If not, I do not mind breaking it for you.”
Feng Luo’s face instantly looked enraged, but when he recalled Ling Han’s battle prowess, he could not help fear creeping into his heart and withdrew his finger. Yet his mouth continued to say, “So what if you snatched away my place of enrollment into the Academy, my brother still managed to help me enter the Academy! Ling Han, let me tell you, don’t think you can enjoy your days in the future, I will definitely destroy you!”
Feng Yan really did have his ways—to actually manage to procure a place of enrollment into Hu Yang Academy for his brother. Most likely, he was the same as Ling Dong Xing, and made some kind of deal with the Academy. Otherwise, no matter how much of a genius you were, it was impossible for the Academy to place so much importance on you that they’d freely gift you a place of enrollment into the Academy.
Ling Han laughed in spite of himself, and said, “Idiots who dare to threaten me this way have never had good endings!”
“What big talk!” The young man beside Feng Luo said. His face was filled with arrogance exceeding even Feng Luo’s, his nostrils raised so high they were about to point skywards. “I have seen quite a number of arrogant people in this imperial city, but someone like you… tsk, tsk, tsk, this is the first time.”
“Hehe, Ling Han, do you know who this is?” Feng Luo asked proudly, and pointing at his companion, said, “This is Wei He Le, Young Master Wei! A rising star of the Hu Yang Academy, who would one day definitely become a Black Grade alchemist.”
“So that is Wei He Le!” Jin Wuji gasped in surprise.
“Is he very strong?” Baili Teng Yun asked, “But he’s only in the first layer of Element Gathering Tier, right?”
The first layer of Element Gathering Tier… even if he was a freak like Ling Han, it was absolutely useless. Against an opponent of the ninth layer of Element Gathering Tier, the only result would be being single-handedly dominated by his much stronger opponent. Baili Teng Yun had just entered the Hu Yang Academy, so he did not know that there was an Alchemy Department and was unable to make head or tail of Jin Wuji’s reaction.
“He is extremely talented in the field of alchemy, and is already a Yellow Grade high level alchemist. Some say that even the Headmaster of the Alchemy Department has the intention to take him in as his personal disciple,” Jin Wuji said in awe. When he saw the incomprehension still on Baili Teng Yun and Li Dong Yue’s faces, he continued to explain, and said, “The Hu Yang Academy is actually divided into two, which are the Martial Arts Department and the Alchemy Department. The Headmaster of the Alchemy Department is a Black Grade high level alchemist!”
“Hiss!”
At this moment, Baili Teng Yun and Li Dong Yue took a sharp breath as they finally came to understand the background of Wei He Le. Black Grade high level alchemist, even if Zhu He Xin and Zhang Wei Shan saw him, they would still have to treat him with utmost respect and address him as Grandmaster.
“Hahahaha!” Wei He Le laughed loudly. He hadn’t said anything just now to give them a chance to understand fully his background, which would allow him to show off to the greatest level. He regarded them with disdain and said, “I don’t care what kind of grudges you guys have with Young Master Luo, but since I have seen it today, then I’ll act as the mediator.”
He paused for a moment, then said to Ling Han in a deep voice, “Kneel down, and lick Young Master Luo’s shoes clean!”
Feng Luo was extremely proud of himself. Today, with Wei He Le’s support, if Ling Han did not submit, that would mean opposing Wei He Le. Who was Wei He Le? He was a Yellow Grade high level alchemist, and could even possibly be taken by Wu Song Lin as disciple, with endless future prospects ahead of him.
Anyone with a working brain would definitely not dare to go against Wei He Le.
Today, he would be getting his payback, with interest.