Demonic Potion Body Tempering, the Selection Tournament Arrives

Chapter 35: Demonic Potion Body Tempering, the Selection Tournament Arrives

Aside from a few high-grade Soul Tools and Soul Bones at the auction that were priced outrageously high, the Treasure Appraisal Fair still had quite a few items that offered good value for the money.

For example, there were pills that nourished one's qi and blood, as well as medicinal herbs and Soul Beast body parts rich in energy. Although Huo Yuhao himself could not distinguish the properties of their energy, under Electrolux's guidance, he bought them one by one.

Most of the medicinal herbs and Soul Beast body parts displayed at the Treasure Appraisal Fair had been inspected by the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Most could be used directly, strengthening a Soul Master's physique in different ways or increasing the cultivation speed of certain types of Soul Masters.

Naturally, Huo Yuhao did not pass up that blackened lump of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue. With Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's help, Huo Yuhao's Soul Power continuously tempered his physique. Though he was only level twenty-four, his physical strength now far surpassed that of Soul Masters at the same level.

And with that piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, combined with the demonic potion Electrolux extracted from the other pills, medicinal herbs, and Soul Beast body parts, Huo Yuhao's physique would become even stronger.

That also meant his body could withstand higher-intensity Soul Power circulation, allowing his physique to influence the speed of his Soul Power cultivation until the two reached equilibrium.

As for whether using external substances to enhance one's physique had any other negative effects? At least in Huo Yuhao's understanding, in the Douluo Universe, perhaps due to the author's malice, ninety percent of medicine-related side effects on protagonists were aphrodisiac.

Or rather, surging qi and blood. But with the dual support of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Electrolux, Huo Yuhao naturally had no reason to worry about such a minor issue.

The five of them wandered about, with most of them simply watching Huo Yuhao buy one thing after another. As for Ning Tian, Wu Feng, and Nanmen Yun'er, their respective factions naturally handled ordinary cultivation resources for them.

There was no need to mention Ning Tian, a direct disciple of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. The families behind Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er were also outer families affiliated with the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and naturally possessed cultivation methods passed down over thousands, even tens of thousands, of years.

Since they had been able to accompany Ning Tian, the Young Sect Master, as fellow students at Shrek Academy, the two of them were naturally highly valued within their families. They certainly did not need to worry about the resources required for early-stage Soul Master cultivation.

They had come this time mainly to follow Ning Tian in recruiting Huo Yuhao. At most, they hoped to see whether the Treasure Appraisal Fair had any particularly unusual treasures and broaden their horizons.

Following Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong also bought quite a few things. Huo Yuhao gave them a rough glance and found that they seemed to be mostly medicinal herbs as well, though they were more geared toward nourishing qi and blood.

Moreover, most of the displayed items came with descriptions, and most of them had also been recorded in books Huo Yuhao had read at Shrek Academy's outer courtyard. This made it easier for him to choose.

"Senior Brother!" Wang Dong's eyes suddenly lit up as she waved in a certain direction. Two familiar figures soon entered Huo Yuhao's sight.

The person Wang Dong had called out to was Beibei. Beside him stood a black-clothed young man with thick brows, tiger-like eyes, a straight nose, and a square mouth. Huo Yuhao naturally recognized him as Xu Sanshi, who was as famous as Beibei in the outer courtyard. After all, Huo Yuhao had not spent all that time at the outer courtyard's Battle Soul Arena for nothing.

Seeing Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao, Beibei smiled faintly and walked over. "You two junior brothers, it's been a long time." At the same time, he gave Ning Tian and the other two a slight nod in greeting.

Huo Yuhao did not join the conversation. Instead, he walked toward a display case, leaving Wang Dong, Beibei, and Xu Sanshi to chat.

Their conversation was nothing more than topics related to the Tang Sect, as well as Xu Sanshi hoping Beibei could invite Jiang Nannan to join the Tang Sect and create an opportunity for him.

As for the messy business between Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan, Huo Yuhao could not be bothered to get involved. It had originally just been a normal transaction, yet Xu Sanshi had actually developed feelings and turned into a clingy nuisance.

And the two of them had only been a few years old back then. Only on Douluo Continent could something that bizarre happen.

Ning Tian followed Huo Yuhao as he walked away alone, though she did not bring Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er, who had been following her all along.

"So, have you set your eyes on anything else this time? I noticed that the pills and medicinal herbs you bought these past few times ranged from several hundred to several thousand Gold Soul Coins. They are useful for cultivation, but the effects are not particularly obvious and require long-term use."

"Would you like the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to provide you with a long-term purchasing channel? I can offer you some additional discounts."

Walking behind Huo Yuhao, Ning Tian's calm and clear voice reached his ears.

"Tell me more?" Huo Yuhao examined the Soul Tool inside the display case. It was a defensive Soul Tool. Though it was a Class 4 Soul Tool, a Soul Grandmaster could barely use it, while a Soul Elder could wield it with ease.

"I can sponsor you in my personal capacity. The level of sponsorship can match the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's investment in you. The condition is that you owe me a favor at Shrek Academy. What do you think?"

Huo Yuhao showed the Purple Card in his hand and purchased the Soul Tool. He then had the staff beside him package this Class 4 Soul Tool, known as the Glazed Shield, and deliver it to Shrek Academy. Only then did he turn to Ning Tian.

"One favor sounds rather insignificant. With my current abilities, I should not be enough to catch the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's eye yet."

"Of course," Ning Tian replied with a smile. "That is why this is my personal recognition of you, rather than the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect investing in an unaffiliated Soul Master."

"I have a feeling that, with your abilities, the eventual returns on this investment will definitely make what I have given more than worthwhile."

"Besides, the Tang Sect and the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect used to have a fairly good relationship. Although the Tang Sect has declined for various reasons, if the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect can offer support, we should still help as much as possible."

"Then thank you for your generosity, Miss Ning Tian. I'll gladly accept." Huo Yuhao did not continue refusing. "I'll sort out what I need after I return, then come find you."

"Alright." The smile on Ning Tian's face did not fade. "The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect also has a merchant association in Shrek City. You can go there directly to make the arrangements when the time comes. Just mention my name."

Huo Yuhao nodded. Judging by Ning Tian's manner, she had probably done this quite often at Shrek Academy. After all, there was likely no shortage of internal strife within the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

As the Young Sect Master, Ning Tian naturally faced greater pressure than others and had matured early. It was perfectly normal for her to use the resources in her hands to cultivate connections or win over subordinates.

After the two had more or less finished their discussion, they returned to the display area where Wang Dong and the others had been. It was rather lively now—Jiang Nannan had once again been pestered by Xu Sanshi.

Seeing the undisguised disgust in Jiang Nannan's eyes toward Xu Sanshi, Huo Yuhao curled his lips and directly pulled away Wang Dong, who was watching the show nearby.

"Let's go. We've seen enough, so let's head back first. Ning Tian, Wang Dong and I are leaving. You can keep looking around."

Ning Tian gave Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong a slight nod, then led Wu Feng and Nanmen Yun'er in another direction.

"Wow, Senior Sister Jiang Nannan really hit him hard this time. I really wonder what happened between her and Senior Brother Xu Sanshi." Wang Dong clicked her tongue as she watched Jiang Nannan kick Xu Sanshi flying into the distance.

"Let's go. It's getting late, so hurry back and rest. Classes officially start tomorrow. The gains from this Treasure Appraisal Fair were decent enough—barely acceptable." As he spoke, Huo Yuhao pulled Wang Dong toward the exit.

In his opinion, Xu Sanshi had brought it upon himself. Their transaction had long been completed, and from then on they should have been strangers, out of sight and out of mind. Yet Xu Sanshi insisted on going back to get beaten. Wasn't that just deliberately making himself disgusting?

After leaving the Treasure Appraisal Fair, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong wandered around Shrek City for a while longer. Wang Dong was the one dragging Huo Yuhao along, mainly because she had been hungry for a day and a night. Earlier, she had only eaten some of the food Huo Yuhao had brought to tide herself over.

For Soul Masters at this stage, before they could directly absorb World Spiritual Energy and convert it into Soul Power, converting Soul Power consumed a vast amount of energy from their own bodies. The energy Wang Dong had obtained from what she ate earlier was nowhere near enough for her consumption.

After getting another meal, the two returned to Shrek Academy. Since they had not triggered the side plot of forcefully showing off, humiliating Dai Huabin, and making a wager with him, the brainless assassin ambush from the original story naturally would not be triggered either.

At Shrek Academy, near Shrek City, would several Soul Emperors and Soul Kings really dare to assassinate Shrek Academy's core disciples? Were they mindless suicide soldiers? Had their five-ring and six-ring cultivation levels cultivated their brains away?

And they had chosen the period when the Treasure Appraisal Fair was being held. During this time, quite a few Titled Douluo were secretly patrolling Shrek City and Shrek Academy, after all. Those participating in the Treasure Appraisal Fair were all promising seeds among the outer courtyard students.

If someone caused trouble at such a time and wiped out all those promising seeds in one stroke, it would be equivalent to directly cutting off Shrek Academy's next generation.

Although no normal person would provoke Shrek or touch the tiger's tail during this period, Shrek naturally would not make no preparations because of that. At the very least, the City Lord of Shrek City and the Elder controlling the Treasure Gathering Pavilion were keeping a close watch.

The following two days were very peaceful. Since it was a new semester, the entire grade had quite a lot to prepare and learn.

However, those preparations and lessons had little effect on Huo Yuhao and students who had factions backing them.

Huo Yuhao had already forced himself through every book in Shrek Academy's outer courtyard, while those students had naturally received instruction from elders in their families and sects during the break. The only ones being tormented were probably the commoner students.

Over these days, Huo Yuhao had been handling the medicinal herbs, Soul Beast body parts, and pills he had purchased from the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

Although at the academy, Electrolux could not directly help Huo Yuhao brew the demonic potion, as that would draw too much attention.

However, as a God of Magic, Electrolux naturally had his own unique method. He directly used Huo Yuhao's body as the vessel to refine and fuse those materials.

Following a specific sequence and medicinal principles, Huo Yuhao used Soul Power to wrap the processed medicinal herbs, Soul Beast body parts, and pills before swallowing them. Then, through the circulation of Spiritual Power and Soul Power, they were sorted and fused within Huo Yuhao's body.

Though the process was extremely difficult, with Huo Yuhao's All Meridians Unblocked physique, Electrolux's powerful control, and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's immense spiritual origin as a reserve energy source, it ultimately succeeded.

Feeling the seemingly inexhaustible strength within his body and a sensation as if he could grasp everything in his hands, Huo Yuhao understood that it was only an illusion.

At this moment, the medicinal potency of the demonic potion formed from the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue, medicinal herbs, Soul Beast body parts, and pills still rested within Huo Yuhao's dantian, continuously nourishing his body.

According to Electrolux, based on the power ranking of the Holy Demon Continent, this demonic potion could be considered a Grade 5 demonic potion, and one of the better ones among Grade 5 potions at that.

With Huo Yuhao's current physique, if he could absorb it completely, then even without doing anything else, his physical strength could directly rise to the level of a Soul Elder approaching a Soul Ancestor.

Moreover, with this demonic potion's energy supply, before its effects faded, any physical injuries Huo Yuhao sustained, as well as any hidden injuries received while the potion remained effective, would recover to perfect condition at an extremely rapid rate.

That was why Huo Yuhao felt as though the power within his body was inexhaustible. At this moment, empowered by the demonic potion, his physical strength was sufficient to support actions beyond his current Soul Power realm, which had created this mistaken perception of his own strength.

In Zhou Yi's office, all the core disciples of Class One, Year Two, had arrived. With so many people crammed into the small office, it felt somewhat crowded.

Zhou Yi nodded and said to the core disciples, "I called you here today to inform you of a special situation."

"Three days from now, the outer courtyard will hold a Core Disciple Selection Tournament. Originally, it had nothing to do with us second-years, but the academy suddenly decided to have the core disciples of Year Two participate as well. So all of you must prepare yourselves."

Upon hearing this, the students began whispering among themselves. "Strange, didn't they say there would be some kind of class selection tournament first?"

"Yeah, I thought we only needed to send seven people at most. Are all of us going?"

"..."

Huo Yuhao frowned slightly. What was coming could not be avoided. Although there was that unreliable Chicken Leg Douluo, Xuan Zi, the Gold of Life was still waiting for him. He definitely had to enter the Shrek Reserve Team this time. After all, the benefits the Gold of Life held for Electrolux and himself were self-evident. He absolutely had to obtain it.