Heisai

The battle blade Slaughter was entirely a faint, blood-red color. Even an ordinary person looking at it could feel a subtle chill, as if the surrounding atmosphere had become somewhat oppressive.

This was the effect caused by excessive killing and the accumulation of killing intent, and it required the victim to have been a powerful expert.

From this point alone, one could imagine just how powerful the previous owner of Slaughter had been.

"My lord, this battle blade Slaughter was originally the personal weapon of the first-generation Dragonblood Warrior, Baruch, and later remained a treasured heirloom of the Baruch Clan."

Marquis Jeb recounted the origin of the battle blade Slaughter, sounding somewhat regretful as he continued, "However, the Baruch Clan later fell into decline, and this blade was put up for sale. After changing hands several times, I finally bought it back for 180,000 gold coins."

Speaking of this, Marquis Jeb felt a sense of pride.

Spending 180,000 gold coins to purchase a weapon worth around a million was definitely a massive bargain. For a collector, this was something well worth showing off.

Doham and his brother looked at the blade, also feeling shocked. They had possessed weapons before, but compared to this blade, they were nothing; their own weapons were essentially scrap metal.

Especially upon hearing that this was the weapon of the first-generation Dragonblood Warrior Baruch, their emotions became complicated. So, the Dragonblood Warrior Clan had fallen to such a state...

They wondered how the Violetfire Warrior Clan and the Undying Warrior Clan were faring.

As descendants of the Four Ultimate Warriors, they felt a sense of mutual sympathy for one another.

However, this Baruch Clan was still better off than their Bolei Clan. Aside from the two of them, the Bolei Clan had nothing left.

They didn't even know what kind of weapon their ancestor Bolei had used.

"180,000 gold coins is too low."

Doham said with a complex tone. The title of Ultimate Warrior alone was worth far more than that price.

Marquis Jeb smiled, not denying this, and said, "A weapon like this is only worthy of being used by a lord such as yourself. I am willing to gift this battle blade Slaughter to you."

In his view, Fang Yun was looking for the battle blade Slaughter to find a weapon for himself.

Fang Yun did not explain. He then took out a ninth-rank magical beast core and tossed it to Marquis Jeb, who subconsciously caught it. "This shall be the payment for the blade."

A ninth-rank magical beast core was worth five million gold coins. It was the item of lowest value on his person, but it was more than enough to pay for the battle blade Slaughter.

As for gold coins, he didn't have many.

"This is..."

Marquis Jeb recognized at a glance that it was a magical beast core, though he couldn't immediately tell its exact rank. However, just by looking at the purity and size of the core, it surpassed a seventh-rank magical beast core he had once seen at an auction.

In other words, this core was at least from an eighth-rank magical beast!

"This is the core of a ninth-rank Black-Ring Giant Python."

Fang Yun said casually.

While traveling through the Sunset Mountain Range, he had killed several magical beasts. The ones whose cores he kept were all at least ninth-rank. He also had some Saint-level magical beast cores, but those were priceless treasures on the Yulan Continent.

Although Fang Yun didn't care, he wouldn't use a Saint-level magical beast core to trade for the battle blade Slaughter.

This battle blade Slaughter only held some significance because of its connection to Linley; otherwise, he wouldn't have given it a second glance.

"The core of a Black-Ring Giant Python..."

Marquis Jeb couldn't help but swallow hard, feeling the weight of the core in his hand suddenly increase. A ninth-rank Black-Ring Giant Python could easily slaughter an army of 100,000 in war; it was truly a weapon of mass destruction.

Even an average ninth-rank expert would be unwilling to face a ninth-rank Black-Ring Giant Python. Only a Saint-level expert could easily kill such a creature.

"Mr. Fang, this... this is far too valuable..."

Although deep down Marquis Jeb felt a great deal of reluctance, he suppressed it and spoke up.

Compared to a ninth-rank magical beast core, the favor of a Saint-level expert was far heavier; he naturally knew how to weigh that. One could not reach the position of a clan head by being a fool.

"Enough. Take it if I give it to you. It is what you deserve."

Fang Yun casually stored the battle blade Slaughter into his spatial ring, stood up, and looked at the two brothers, Doham. "Let's go."

Seeing the battle blade Slaughter suddenly vanish, Marquis Jeb felt a jolt in his heart, and he dared not doubt Fang Yun's identity any further.

One month later.

The Ernst Institute welcomed the most lively time of the year: the grade tournament.

This year's tournament was even more bustling than in the past, because the participants this year included not only students from the Ernst Institute but also some students from the Wester Academy.

This was not just a grade-level competition; the first-place winner would represent the honor of the Ernst Institute.

If a student from the Wester Academy were to take first place, they would lose all face.

Therefore, many geniuses who had previously not participated in the tournament joined in this year.

This resulted in the level of competition among students of the same grade far exceeding the standards of previous years. For instance, the top five in the first-grade competition had basically all reached the level of a second-rank mage.

Likewise, a group of recognized geniuses emerged at the Ernst Institute.

For example, the first-grader Linley, and Dixie, who had already advanced to the third grade, among others.

The two were not the strongest in terms of raw power, but they were only nine years old. At nine years old, one had reached the level of a second-rank mage, and the other a fourth-rank mage; from this perspective, both were considered extremely gifted.

Among students of the same age, no one else had reached their level.

Especially Dixie; even Edita had taken note of him, sighing in her heart that the Ernst Institute had actually managed to recruit such a genius this year.

Although Wester Academy has its share of geniuses, none have reached this level. Her younger brother, Elite, is considered quite good, having reached the level of a third-rank mage at only twelve years old, but compared to these two, the gap is significant.

Not to mention Dixie, even compared to Linley, he falls short. In particular, she can see that Linley not only has a very solid foundation but is also a second-rank warrior. He is a genius of both magic and martial arts.

"This Linley is truly a genius; his control of second-rank magic is so proficient."

Doham spoke up in admiration. Although he does not practice magic, he has experienced many battles and has fought against many mages, so he has a very clear understanding of a mage's strength.

The grade tournament at Ernst Institute is watched not only by people within the academy, but also by those with status and influence who are allowed in to observe. It has attracted quite a few nobles from Fenlai City.

It was not difficult for Fang Yun to get in; Marquis Jeb personally secured the entry quota for him.

At this moment, Linley easily defeated another second-rank mage, successfully entering the top three. Moreover, at this rate, the first place for the first-year students is basically guaranteed to be Linley's.

"That Dixie from before is even more formidable."

Dohar spoke for once.

Dixie is a cultivation fanatic, and he is participating in this competition because an extremely formidable student named Elite appeared at Wester Academy.

Only Dixie is capable of suppressing this Elite.

Because although Dixie is only a third-year student, he is already a fourth-rank mage.

"Dixie's talent is indeed impressive."

Prequet lay on Doham's shoulder and whispered, "However, in terms of combat experience, he is still inferior to Linley. Dixie wins entirely by relying on rank suppression, while Linley relies on skilled combat techniques. For a nine-year-old human to possess such combat techniques is very strange."

Prequet is a Saint-level magical beast, after all, so his perspective is naturally different.

Suddenly, Fang Yun tilted his head to look in a certain direction, his eyes narrowing slightly before he suddenly smiled, "Interesting, a Saint-level peak expert of the darkness element, Heisai, is it?"

At this time, there are not many Saint-level peak experts on the Yulan Continent, and among those of the darkness element, there is only Heisai.

He did not expect Heisai to be watching the Ernst Institute grade tournament as well. In the original story, this plot point did not exist. Perhaps it is because Linley did not participate, so no one knew Heisai had come.

Not far away, on a tall tree, a man in his thirties with disheveled black hair, dressed in loose robes and lying in the shade of the branches, suddenly sat up vigilantly and looked around.

"Is there an expert here?"

He is extremely sensitive when it comes to perception.

Of course, this is because Fang Yun did not conceal himself; otherwise, even if Heisai became a god, he would not be able to perceive Fang Yun's observation. However, even so, it is quite impressive that Heisai could sense someone watching him.

Heisai became interested.

The headmaster of Ernst Institute is a Saint-level expert, but only at the initial Saint-level stage. Moreover, he is not at Ernst Institute right now.

This means that other Saint-level experts have come to Ernst Institute.

To be able to discover him, their strength must certainly not be weak.

Heisai is extremely confident in his ability to conceal his presence. Even for other Saint-level peak experts, discovering him is not an easy task.

Subsequently, Heisai hid himself in the shadows, preparing to test this expert.

Sparring between Saint-level experts is a very normal occurrence.

"Small tricks."

Fang Yun naturally understood Heisai's intentions and smiled, "I'll play along with you."

Then, his body also vanished into the light.

Within the Laws of Light, besides the Profound Truth of Light, there is also the Light and Shadow Technique, which can also be used to conceal one's form. Fang Yun himself is a Grand Perfection of the light element, and his application of the Laws of Light is definitely among the top three in the Coiling Dragon world.

Following this, Fang Yun and Heisai flew toward the distance, one after the other, in an instant.

"Saint-level!"

In the stands, Kawent, who had quietly arrived at Ernst Institute, suddenly looked toward the horizon, his eyes filled with gravity.

Two extremely subtle auras had just vanished.

Neither of them intentionally hid their fluctuations; ordinary people might not be able to detect this, but for a Saint-level expert who has mastered the momentum of heaven and earth, it is not difficult to discover them.

"To think that Ernst Institute has so many Saint-level experts."

Kawent also understood in his heart why his teacher had sent him to protect Dixie.

It is very difficult to see even one Saint-level expert on the entire continent, yet two have appeared in this single academy! It seems that Ernst Institute's ability to be the number one magic academy on the continent is backed by deep foundations.