The Storm Approaches

Deep within his consciousness, that illusory needle composed of runes remained locked onto a certain location in the city, emitting a faint yet stubborn light.

Su Chen leaned against the soft bed, forcibly pulling his mind away from that void-like space.

Every breath he took carried a burning sensation.

It was not physical exhaustion, but the embers left behind by the violent collision of two extreme emotions deep within his soul.

Fear and greed.

The abyss of death and the staircase leading to the throne of gods.

In the end, he chose the latter.

But this did not mean he would be reckless.

One must eat a meal bite by bite, and walk a path step by step. Without absolute certainty, any rash move against Xiao Yan would be tantamount to seeking his own destruction.

Right now, the most important thing was the small auction three days away.

It was the cornerstone of his survival, his first pot of capital, and the first horn blast announcing his value to the entire Wutan City.

Failure was not an option.

Su Chen stood up and walked to the corner of the room.

There sat an exquisite wooden box, specially prepared for him by Ya Fei.

Inside the box, besides the eight bottles of unprocessed Fire Rock Lizard beast fire, there were a dozen small green jade bottles of far superior quality, along with a set of delicate tools for processing materials.

He sat cross-legged and placed a jade bottle containing the raw beast fire before him.

Closing his eyes, he sank his consciousness inward once more.

This time, he did not focus on the needle pointing toward the Heavenly Flame, but instead concentrated all his intent on the chaotic and violent dark red flame before him.

"Purify."

A silent command.

Within the space of his consciousness, the ancient Stone Platform lit up, and the massive grinding wheel of light emerged once again, beginning to thoroughly crush and strip the beast fire.

Sizzle, sizzle...

Foul-smelling black mist was squeezed out, and the fragments of the beast's frantic will were forcibly ground into nothingness.

Su Chen had already repeated this process over a dozen times; he was long since familiar with the routine.

Like the most rigorous craftsman, he remained focused, repeating the steps of purification and replication over and over again.

His mental energy was depleting rapidly, and his face grew pale in tandem.

Yet, this controllable consumption, originating from within himself, gave him an unprecedented sense of peace.

It acted like an anchor, firmly pinning his heart—which had become restless and wild after glimpsing the Heavenly Flame—back to reality.

When the ninth perfect "Rock Fire Seed" was replicated, Su Chen's mental energy was once again on the verge of exhaustion.

He withdrew from his consciousness, drenched in cold sweat, waves of intense dizziness washing over him.

He did not rest, but instead carefully tucked away the nine brand-new "Rock Fire Seeds," placing them neatly in the wooden box alongside the nine remaining from before, totaling eighteen bottles.

Only after finishing this did he finally relax, collapsing onto the soft bed and falling into a deep sleep.

Su Chen remained behind closed doors within the Miteer Auction House, yet the spark he had ignited had already used the Mite'er Family's terrifying propaganda machine to stir up a ripple, small but significant, throughout Wutan City.

In the west of the city, at Old Blacksmith Wang's forge.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The shirtless, burly man swung a heavy hammer, striking a red-hot iron billet, sending sparks flying in all directions.

"Fire! The heat isn't enough! Make it bigger!"

The apprentice working the bellows increased his pace, but the flames in the furnace merely rolled uselessly, emitting thick black smoke, while the color of the iron billet remained just a shade off.

"Useless!"

The burly man roared, throwing his hammer to the ground.

"This damn beast fire! It's either too fierce or too weak; my piece of Mystic Pattern Steel is ruined again!"

The young apprentice shrank his neck, not daring to make a sound.

Just then, a well-informed mercenary happened to pass by the shop, poked his head in, and laughed.

"Master Li, still worrying about your fire? I heard that the Miteer Auction House is auctioning a treasure in three days called a 'Rock Fire Seed.' They say the fire is as stable as water and as pure as can be, without a single impurity—perfect for masters like you."

Master Li froze upon hearing this, then spat in disdain.

"Bullshit! Those people at Miteer are the best at exaggerating! I've been smithing my whole life and have never seen a beast fire with a gentle temperament!"

Despite his words, the flicker of interest in his eyes did not escape the mercenary's notice.

Alchemist Guild.

"Failed again..."

A young man dressed in the robes of a first-grade alchemist stared dejectedly at the pitch-black dregs inside the medicine cauldron, his face ashen.

"This is the third time this month. If I can't refine the Blood Coagulation Powder soon, there will be no way to answer to the market side."

An older alchemist beside him sighed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't lose heart, Liu Xi. A first-rank beast fire is inherently difficult to control; failure is a common occurrence. Actually, I picked up a flyer from Miteer, take a look."

He handed over a beautifully crafted flyer.

On the flyer, the most flowery language was used to describe a flame unheard of until now.

"High-quality standardized beast fire?"

Liu Xi's eyes were locked firmly onto these words.

"Hmph, just a gimmick." He snorted coldly and tossed the flyer aside. "If such a wonder truly existed, would we have to wait until now? My Jialie Clan..."

He stopped halfway, suddenly remembering something, his expression turning somewhat ugly as he ceased speaking.

Jialie Clan residence, study.

"Clang!"

A precious teacup was smashed fiercely against the floor, shattering into pieces.

Jialie Bi's face was so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.

"Miteer Auction House! That bitch Ya Fei!"

He roared in a low voice, his eyes filled with irrepressible fury and killing intent.

The men he sent out had lost the trail.

That mysterious youth had vanished without a trace, as if he had evaporated from the face of the earth.

And just the next day, Miteer Auction House high-profilely announced that they would be auctioning a wonder known as the "Rock Fire Seed."

Every description was exactly the same as what he had heard from his scouts!

He could guess what had happened even with his toes.

That brat had defected to Miteer!

The fat piece of meat his Jialie Clan had set their sights on had been snatched right out of their mouths by that woman, Ya Fei!

This was no different from a resounding slap across his face.

"Clan Head, what... what should we do?"

Liu Xi, standing to the side, asked tremblingly.

Jialie Bi paced back and forth in the study, the rage in his chest gradually replaced by a cold, calculating greed.

The monk may run, but the temple cannot.

Since that brat had hidden inside Miteer's tortoise shell, he would strike at his "merchandise."

"What to do?"

Jialie Bi stopped his pacing, a sinister, sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Pass down the order: mobilize all available funds of the clan!"

"At the auction three days from now, spare no cost!"

"Not only will I obtain that Rock Fire Seed, but I will also let that woman Ya Fei know that in Wutan City, no one can stop the Jialie Clan from getting what they want!"

* * *

The day before the auction.

Miteer Auction House, a secret room on the top floor.

Ya Fei was still wearing her fiery red qipao, but today, she did not deliberately display her usual allure, instead projecting the competence and sharpness of a merchant.

"It seems our cooperation has had a very good start."

She pushed a compiled intelligence report toward Su Chen.

"These are the reactions from the various factions in the city over the past two days. Your 'Rock Fire Seed' is even more popular than I anticipated."

Su Chen took the report and scanned it quickly.

"Those first-grade alchemists in the city who are usually arrogant have almost all sent people to inquire about the news. The blacksmiths in the West District are even more eager and expectant."

Ya Fei lifted her teacup, her red lips parting slightly.

"Of course, the most intense ones are our old rivals."

"The Jialie Clan and the Aoba Clan are both frantically raising funds; it looks like they are determined to win your treasure."

She raised her eyes, those peach-blossom eyes quietly watching Su Chen, as if trying to discern even a hint of nervousness or unease on his face.

But she was disappointed once again.

The youth before her merely looked at the intelligence report calmly, his young face as still as an ancient well.

It was as if the cutthroat struggles mentioned in the report, which would have kept an ordinary person tossing and turning in anxiety, had nothing to do with him.

"Very good."

Su Chen put down the report and said only those two words.

This was exactly the result he wanted.

Ya Fei looked at him and suddenly smiled.

There was a hint of genuine appreciation in that smile.

"Aren't you afraid that after they win your fire, they might figure something out from it?"

Su Chen smiled as well.

"If the Jialie Clan had that kind of ability, they wouldn't have had their entire family's medicinal pill lifeline choked off by a single first-grade alchemist."

His words struck directly at the Jialie Clan's greatest pain point.

Ya Fei's peach-blossom eyes brightened.

This youth not only possessed a composure far beyond his years, but also a viper-like, keen insight.

Cooperating with such a person was truly... a matter that was both effortless and dangerous.

"Tomorrow, you can sit in the private room I've prepared for you and enjoy the show that has been opened just for you."

Ya Fei stood up, her graceful, slender figure casting a faint shadow before Su Chen.

"I hope the final transaction price will not disappoint our partner."

The next day, night fell.

The Miteer Auction House was brightly lit and bustling with noise.

A small-scale auction originally intended for the city's wealthy merchants had been forcibly elevated to a higher tier due to the appearance of the Rock Fire Seed.

On the third floor, inside the most secluded Purple Gold Private Room.

Su Chen sat alone on a large sofa.

Through the one-way window made of special crystal in front of him, he could clearly overlook the entire auction floor, while the people below could not see him in the slightest.

The seats below were already packed.

He saw the Jialie Bi, whose face was full of determination to win, the gloomy-looking head of the Aoba Clan, Aoba Pa, and several alchemists and blacksmiths of considerable reputation in Wutan City.

Every face was written with anticipation and gravity.

They were all predators attracted by the wings of this small butterfly—himself.

There was not a shred of nervousness in Su Chen's heart.

Everything was ready.

He only needed to sit as a bystander and quietly watch how the chess game he had personally set up would lead these people in, step by step.

Clang--!

A crisp bell chime rang out, echoing through the entire venue.

The originally noisy hall instantly fell silent.

A bright beam of light hit the center of the auction stage.

An auctioneer wearing a proper suit and a professional smile walked onto the high platform, holding a small gavel.

"Good evening, distinguished guests!"

"Welcome to the Miteer Auction House. The first item for auction tonight is..."

Su Chen leaned back on the sofa, picked up the fruit wine at his side, and swirled it gently.

The scarlet liquid rippled with a charming luster in the crystal glass.

The show had begun.