Chen Feng asked in some confusion, "What do you mean?"
Wan Baoyang said, "I'm the young master of the Myriad Manifestations Tower in Black Stone County City. I can represent my father in offering you a contract."
"We can provide you with one hundred portions of fourth-grade or higher Demon essence blood and one hundred fourth-grade or higher Qi and Blood Pills each year, but you may need to sign a contract to become an Attendant of our Myriad Manifestations Tower in Black Stone County City."
Chen Feng said in surprise, "You're actually the young master of the Myriad Manifestations Tower?"
"No wonder you have so many channels!"
Back when he had needed Demon essence blood, he had obtained it through Wan Baoyang. He had never expected that, even now, Wan Baoyang would still have a way to acquire higher-grade Demon essence blood.
So he was the young master of the Myriad Manifestations Tower. No wonder he had reaped such gains.
Wan Baoyang smiled bitterly. "Yes, but the resources of the Myriad Manifestations Tower in Black Stone County City are too limited. We can only provide some fourth-grade Demon essence blood. Anything higher is truly difficult."
"For that, we would need a Myriad Manifestations Tower at the Prefecture City level."
Chen Feng nodded. "I understand."
"Does the school's resource exchange hall have this kind of Demon essence blood?"
After coming out of the Wind and Cloud Tower, he still had nearly eight thousand points in hand.
If he could exchange for it at the school's resource exchange hall, perhaps he would not need much outside support.
Wan Baoyang said, "They do have it, but Demon essence blood at the school's resource exchange hall is not cheap, and it cannot be exchanged in large quantities."
"The main reason is to prevent students from cultivating Demon arts, having their minds affected, or even defecting to the Demon Cult. That would be the end of it."
"If you want higher-grade essence blood, you either enter Black Mountain to hunt it, attend certain auctions, or go to the Prefecture City. Those major powers will certainly have high-grade Demon essence blood in storage."
Chen Feng nodded. "So that's how it is."
There was a thoughtful look in his eyes. He could understand what Wan Baoyang meant.
Still, he sighed inwardly. Obtaining high-grade Demon essence blood actually came with such difficulty.
Chen Feng told Wan Baoyang that he still needed to think it over.
After that, Chen Feng first went to the resource exchange hall.
Sure enough, the information he received there was more or less the same as what Wan Baoyang had said.
Although he currently had eight thousand points, a single bottle of fourth-grade Demon essence blood cost roughly four to five hundred points.
In other words, he could exchange for at most twenty bottles of high-grade Demon essence blood.
After thinking it over, Chen Feng first exchanged six thousand points' worth of Demon essence blood, obtaining a full sixteen bottles of fourth-grade Demon essence blood.
He planned to first see how far this Demon essence blood could push his cultivation.
Afterward, Chen Feng directly chose to enter seclusion and cultivate.
He hung a seclusion sign outside his cave residence.
That move immediately left the many major forces that had wanted to invite him to join them speechless.
Some people even shook their heads and said, "This Chen Feng is really getting too full of himself. I looked into his background. He's only from an ordinary farming village. Without sufficient resources to support him, how could he possibly advance any further?"
"Yeah, that's what I think too. He's only first place in the Wind and Cloud Small Tower. It can be said that Chen Feng has decent talent and counts as a minor genius, but compared with the Major Storm and Cloud Ranking and the Heaven, Earth, and Human Rankings, there's simply no comparison."
"That's what I think too. Chen Feng is already this arrogant now. There's no way he can obtain enough resources. Before long, he'll probably be left behind by the others on the Minor Storm and Cloud Ranking and dragged right back down. That would be perfectly normal."
Among the many forces in Black Stone County City were several minor Lineages, such as the Zhangs, Wangs, Lis, and Lius.
They were falling over themselves to invest in Chen Feng, wanting to see whether they could cling to a powerful thigh before he grew up.
To the forces of Black Stone County City, even if Chen Feng only stagnated at the fourth-grade realm in the future—
—it would still be a worthwhile investment.
Now that Chen Feng had directly entered seclusion to cultivate—
—these people felt rather sour.
Of course, they only dared to slander him in secret. They did not dare say anything openly.
They looked as though they were terrified that Chen Feng would rise to prominence.
Inside the academy teachers' office, after Qian Hu received the news that Chen Feng had entered seclusion and had not accepted anyone's investment, he also let out a sigh of relief and sat back down.
Then a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes. "This can't continue."
"Being first on the Minor Storm and Cloud Ranking may earn him point rewards and the academy's support, but judging by what Chen Feng exchanged for, it was all Demon essence blood, on top of the Blood Dragon Incantation he cultivates."
"It seems I should have a proper talk with the principal."
After making up his mind—
—Qian Hu headed straight for the principal's office.
Meanwhile, inside the Myriad Manifestations Tower of Black Stone County City—
—Wan Baoyang was speaking with a middle-aged man dressed in golden robes.
With amazement in his eyes, Wan Baoyang said, "Father, I also gathered some information on Chen Feng. His background truly isn't good. He really lacks resources. The investment terms I offered were already considered the best possible, yet Chen Feng didn't agree right away. Instead, he chose to exchange for resources first, then continue cultivating in seclusion?"
"What do you think Chen Feng is thinking?"
Beside him, Wan Feiyi, the manager of the Myriad Manifestations Tower in Black Stone County City, was a businessman. Since he could become the branch master of the Myriad Manifestations Tower in Black Stone County City, he naturally had some skill at judging people. A genial smile always hung on his face.
Listening to Wan Baoyang, Wan Feiyi's eyes turned thoughtful. He smiled and said, "Perhaps he wants even more!"
"But in all of Black Stone County City, if someone wants to invest, who can compare to our Myriad Manifestations Tower?"
"Heh heh, what our Myriad Manifestations Tower likes most is not people asking for too much. What we fear is geniuses asking for too little."
"Over the next few days, find time to speak with Chen Feng, the one ranked first on the Minor Storm and Cloud Ranking. If there's an opportunity, I'll arrange a banquet and speak with him face-to-face. We'll see what exactly he wants. As long as he truly has talent, what does it matter if we give him even more?"
"And since the two of you have already formed a certain friendship, keep it going."
Wan Baoyang said with admiration on his face, "All right. I'll see if I can contact him as soon as possible."
Chen Feng had his own reasons for exchanging resources and entering seclusion immediately after leaving the Wind and Cloud Small Tower.
He did not know that it had stirred up so many thoughts among the various forces in Black Stone County City.
Now, in his own courtyard, he had chosen to enter seclusion and cultivate.
Fortunately, Black Stone Academy had simple Defensive Formations, and with the fifth-grade Old Principal overseeing the place, no one dared cause trouble at the academy.
Looking at the Demon essence blood Chen Feng had brought back, Lin Xue asked worriedly, "Husband, won't this Demon essence blood have any adverse effects?"
Chen Feng smiled. "Of course not."
"Wife, just focus on preparing some food from now on."
"I want to see just how far this can push my cultivation this time."
Lin Xue nodded heavily. "Mm, I'll listen to you in everything, Husband."
She knew that all they had today came from Chen Feng's diligent cultivation.
But as she watched Chen Feng close the door to his room—
—a trace of loneliness appeared in Lin Xue's eyes.
Inside the room—
—Chen Feng took out the sixteen bottles of fourth-grade Demon essence blood.
A streak of bloody light flashed through his eyes as he said softly, "Come on!"
Then he directly poured one bottle of Demon essence blood into his mouth and drank it.
Before you continue