In a VIP room on the second floor of the Mitel Auction House, the view was wide, offering a clear line of sight to the entire hall. The room was constructed with special materials, however, making it impossible for those outside to see in.
Mitel Tengshan stood by the window, his sharp eyes fixed on a young man in green robes below, taking in his every action.
He watched as the young man observed Yao Fei with great interest. He watched as the boy, amidst a sea of idiotic stares, bid on and won the very same map fragment his clan had studied countless times.
Tengshan also noticed the boy seemed to have a special liking for Magical Beast Cores. A total of eleven had appeared in this auction, and he had bought every single one, spending nearly a million gold coins in the process.
All of these actions left Tengshan deeply confused.
If he hadn't witnessed the young man's stunning display at Yao Ye's coming-of-age ceremony, he might have dismissed him as a prodigal son with a strange hobby. But now...
Tengshan couldn't help but wonder if there was some deeper meaning behind it all. He had keenly observed the boy's pure joy upon winning the map, which made him suspect the royal family had discovered more information about it. For a moment, he regretted letting it go, but in the end, he decided against taking it back.
It's another day of missing Old Hai, he sighed to himself.
"Yao Fei applied to be assigned to Rock Desert City, right?" he asked the steward behind him. "When was she planning to leave?"
"Reporting to the Clan Head, this was to be her last auction. She was scheduled to depart in three days," the steward replied.
"Extend her stay by two months," Tengshan ordered. "And tell the elders to keep a close eye on their youngsters during this time. If any of them do anything to bring shame to the family, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Yes, sir."
After making his arrangements, Tengshan left. Chen Guan's observation of Yao Fei had clearly given him some strange ideas. The boy was at an age of youthful admiration; perhaps if they met more often, different sparks might fly. If things really moved in that direction, he wouldn't mind giving it a little push. Of course, his "push" was not the same as the one Yao Ye had once offered.
Chen Guan was naturally unaware of the old fox's scheming. Not long after Tengshan departed, he settled his bill and walked out of the auction house without a second thought. His goal had been achieved; there was no need to waste any more time. All normal men enjoy looking at beautiful women, and he was no exception, but he wouldn't get so carried away that he neglected his duties.
Rather than admiring Yao Fei's grace, he now wanted to go to the Alchemist Association to retrieve his Ice Spirit Cold Spring. It was directly related to improving his strength.
The Alchemist Association
After Chen Guan arrived and saw Fa Ma, he realized he had been tricked.
"The purification of the Ice Spirit Cold Spring is quite troublesome," Fa Ma said without looking at him directly. "I can only complete a small step each day. It will take about ten days. You can come and watch over the process in the afternoons, and help me supervise Yue'er's homework while you're at it."
Even though he had accepted reality, he would still get angry just looking at the boy who refused to fight for his own talent.
Chen Guan nodded, unconcerned. It was only ten days. Besides practicing, he spent most of his time with the two princesses anyway. This lasted for a few days, and Chen Guan quickly figured out what Fa Ma was up to. The old man always took the opportunity to teach him the basics of alchemy, refining pills in front of him and demonstrating the art's profound charm. It was obvious he was still unwilling to give up, trying to use this method to arouse Chen Guan's interest. At the very least, he had to guide him onto the path of becoming an alchemist. With such a unique talent, he felt it would be a crime punishable by lightning if the boy couldn't even refine a single elixir.
Chen Guan watched and listened carefully, but he refused every time Fa Ma asked him to try. He could feel the old man's sincerity, but he couldn't bear the weight of his strong expectations, nor did he want to be chased and lectured every day.
In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.
That afternoon, Chen Guan was in the first-floor alchemy room, watching Yaoyue show off the Rejuvenation Pill she had just refined, when Fa Ma suddenly walked in.
"Your Ice Spirit Cold Spring and your Blood Lotus Pill."
He took out two items, handed them to the young man, and left. He was tired of it all. He would just let fate decide.
Chen Guan didn't mind. He solemnly put the two items away. During this time, he had come to the Alchemist Association every afternoon. In addition to picking up the little girl and sitting in on her lessons, he had also spoken with other alchemists and read through many of the books in the guild's collection. Fa Ma, thinking he had finally come around, had told him everything he knew.
Unfortunately, Chen Guan had only wanted to learn more about absorbing and refining Heavenly Flames.
The records were extensive. After all, what alchemist didn't dream of obtaining a treasure like a Heavenly Flame? When there is a dream, people will work tirelessly for it, racking their brains for ways to tame and refine such a power if they ever encountered one. Though most of the ideas were life-threatening with low success rates, one had to admit these people had brilliant minds.
According to these ancient texts, the success rate was highest for those with a fire-attribute Dou Qi. The level of one's cultivation technique, overall strength, soul realm, and even physical fortitude were all related factors. Refining a Heavenly Flame was a protracted battle. If one's cultivation method was too poor, their Dou Qi would be exhausted before the flame was subdued. Strength was easier to understand. If one was strong enough, they could even suppress the flame by force—Xiao Yan's ancestor, Xiao Xuan, was a prime example. A higher soul realm meant one could better endure the excruciating pain, and the same was true for physical strength.
These were all personal conditions. Beyond that, one could also use external items to increase their chances. The Ice Spirit Cold Spring and the Blood Lotus Pill in Chen Guan's hand were two of the three essential items Yao Chen had prepared for Xiao Yan in the original story.
Strength, Soul, Cultivation Technique...
Chen Guan tallied his own advantages. Compared to when Xiao Yan refined the Green Lotus Core Flame, his current setup was the difference between a simple rifle and a Gatling gun. If he failed now, even with a flying dragon on his side, he would be too ashamed to face anyone.
Now all that was missing was the Soul Washing Divine Water.
Thinking of this, Chen Guan felt helpless. The royal family didn't have it, and neither did the Alchemist Association. Fa Ma had told him, however, that the Misty Cloud Sect had some in their collection.
According to his guess, the sect's portion had likely fallen into Gu He's hands, which was quite troublesome. Gu He had been craving Yun Yun and a Heavenly Flame for a long time.
Chen Guan sighed softly. He had already made his decision.
I can't avoid a trip to the Misty Cloud Sect after all.
***
(End of Chapter)
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