Journey to the Mittel Grand Auction House!

[You visualized the azure lotus and koi, comprehended sword intent, triggered heaven-defying comprehension, and gained insight into an advanced Earth-tier ice-attribute Dou Technique: Azure Lotus Sword Art]

A figure holding a longsword suddenly appeared in Jia He's mind. As the figure rose with sword in hand, Jia He also stood and moved along with it.

At that moment, the Qi Scripture within Jia He's body began circulating on its own.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth around the courtyard gathered here, gradually forming a violent surge of energy like a tornado.

The commotion quickly caught Jia Xing Tian's attention. His figure flickered, and he arrived atop the courtyard wall. Only after seeing Jia He in the pavilion did he finally relax.

"So it's this little fellow. Looks like he's sensed an opportunity to break through. A Dou Ling not even four years old... if word got out, it would probably cause an enormous uproar!" Jia Xing Tian could not help sighing.

Jia He was immersed in comprehending the Azure Lotus Sword Art and did not notice the changes outside.

As his understanding of the Azure Lotus Sword Art deepened, Jia He's body began madly devouring the ice-attributed spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

The spiritual energy flowed through his meridians and swept across his flesh like tiny swords whistling past.

Jia He slowly opened his eyes. The spiritual energy around him was continuously devoured and refined by Jia He, but this energy was far from enough for him to advance.

Jia Xing Tian, standing on the courtyard wall, noticed the problem as well and immediately took a jade bottle from his storage ring.

"Little fellow, catch!" Jia Xing Tian shouted, launching the jade bottle toward Jia He.

When the jade bottle was only a few centimeters away from Jia He, it suddenly exploded. A mass of extremely pure and violent crimson liquid within was wrapped in Jia He's Dou Qi.

"He'er, don't!" Jia Xing Tian's expression changed at once. Just as he was about to act, he saw that Jia He did not seem to be in danger and forcibly stopped himself.

The violent energy contained within that mass of crimson liquid was enough to make a nine-star Da Dou Shi explode to death after swallowing it!

Yet for Jia He, it was just right. As he circulated the Qi Scripture, the energy was absorbed without end and began circulating along the paths of his cultivation method.

The powerful energy rampaged through Jia He's meridians, constantly expanding them and tempering their toughness.

The Dou Crystal that had originally formed within Jia He's body began changing slowly. The fire-, wood-, and ice-attributed Dou Qi inside constantly collided and split apart.

The three different forces merged, gradually forming a cloud of energy, though it was not the sea-urchin-like Dou Crystal formed by ordinary people.

A vast aura abruptly erupted from the cloud of Dou Qi. As the aura surged, it directly shattered the pavilion.

A powerful storm rapidly formed around Jia He, then swept through the entire courtyard. The violent energy ripples threw the area into utter chaos!

Boom!

In an instant, that violent power was drawn back into Jia He's body.

"I've advanced to Dou Ling!" Jia He said slowly, sensing the power within him that was more than ten times stronger than before.

Jia Xing Tian flashed to Jia He's side. "He'er, did you succeed?"

Jia He nodded with a smile. "Yes. I also have to thank Great-Grandfather for helping me. Otherwise, the advancement might have failed!"

Then Jia He asked, "Great-Grandfather, that mass of crimson liquid earlier should have been the essence blood of some magical beast, right?"

Jia Xing Tian was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. "That's right. It was indeed magical beast essence blood. You nearly scared Great-Grandfather to death just now!"

"That bottle of magical beast essence blood was originally meant for you to use three drops from, but I never expected you to consume the entire bottle. The energy within it is more than even a Da Dou Shi can bear. Even ordinary nine-star Dou Lings could not withstand it, yet you did!"

Jia He smiled. "The cultivation method I comprehended should be different from others'. Naturally, it requires more energy as well."

Jia Xing Tian nodded. "That's right. To be honest with you, that magical beast essence blood came from the Raging Tide Dragon Beast, the sacred beast of our imperial family!"

"The Raging Tide Dragon Beast was a magical beast that rendered tremendous service when the Jia Ma Empire was first founded. It possesses the cultivation of a nine-star Dou Huang. Unfortunately, years of battle and the passage of time have caused the Raging Tide Dragon Beast to fall into a long slumber!"

Hearing Jia Xing Tian's words, Jia He remembered that the original story had indeed mentioned some information about the Raging Tide Dragon Beast.

It seemed that the Raging Tide Dragon Beast also possessed a Beast Flame called the Dry Blue Water Flame.

The emblem engraved upon the flag of the Jia Ma Imperial Family depicted the Raging Tide Dragon Beast and the Dry Blue Water Flame.

"Then where is the Raging Tide Dragon Beast now?" Jia He asked Jia Xing Tian.

Jia Xing Tian replied, "It's recovering in the imperial underground palace. The imperial family has supplied quite a few medicinal pills over the years, which is the only reason the sacred beast has survived!"

"I see. Has an alchemist examined it? Perhaps President Fama and the others might have a solution?" Jia He asked.

Jia Xing Tian shook his head. "It's useless. The Raging Tide Dragon Beast has very little lifespan remaining, and its old injuries are even more serious than those of the Nether Sea Flood Dragon in the imperial family's back mountain."

"Even sixth-tier alchemists are powerless. Old Fama is only at the peak of the fifth tier. Unless we go to the mysterious and far broader Central Plains to find a higher-tier alchemist!"

At this point, Jia Xing Tian sighed softly. "But the price we would have to pay would be far too great, and it would be impossible for us to invite such an alchemist!"

Across the entire Northwest Continent, there were only two sixth-tier alchemists. For seventh-tier alchemists and above, one truly had to go to the Central Plains.

After a moment of silence, Jia He said, "If I have enough time, perhaps I can become a seventh-tier alchemist or higher!"

Jia Xing Tian looked at Jia He with satisfaction. "Great-Grandfather believes in you, but becoming a seventh-tier alchemist or above is too difficult. Besides, the Raging Tide Dragon Beast likely cannot wait that long!"

Jia He said nothing and merely looked into the distance.

Time flew by, and five years passed in the blink of an eye.

Through the changing seasons, Jia He successfully broke through to the realm of a three-star Dou Wang at the age of eight. At the same time, he became a fifth-tier alchemist.

At first, Fama could still teach Jia He some knowledge about refining medicinal pills. But as Jia He's studies deepened, the two began exchanging ideas more and more often.

By the end, Jia He had far surpassed Fama in both his understanding of alchemy and his control over flame temperature.

In just five short years, Fama watched Jia He go from refining first-tier medicinal pills to successfully refining fifth-tier medicinal pills.

Because Jia He's cultivation talent and alchemy talent were simply too terrifying, only Jia Xing Tian, Yaoye, Yaoyue, and Fama currently knew of it.

The tallest tree in the forest was the first to be toppled by the wind. Jia Xing Tian understood this principle well, so he strictly kept news of Jia He's strength under wraps.

Ever since comprehending the Azure Lotus Sword Art, Jia He had wanted to forge a longsword that belonged to him alone.

There were indeed craftsmen on the continent who specialized in forging weapons, but the weapons they created had poor raw materials and unattractive designs.

Jia He found quite a bit of mysterious iron in the imperial palace treasury, but most of the longswords forged from it could not withstand the tremendous power contained in the Azure Lotus Sword Art and would shatter.

"This is too difficult. Forging a longsword is truly too difficult!" Jia He sighed in the storeroom.

Yaoyue's voice suddenly rang out from outside. "Little He, are you in there?"

Soon, a petite figure walked in from outside.

"You really are here. I'm going to the Alchemist Association today. Come with me, okay?" Yaoyue walked up and wrapped her arms around Jia He's arm.

Although Yaoyue was two years older than Jia He, Jia He had grown far too quickly and become far too tall.

Though only eight years old, Jia He was already tall and slender, with brilliant eyes and an exceedingly handsome face. His expression was calm and composed. Standing beside Yaoyue, they looked more like an older brother and younger sister.

Yaoyue had complained more than once about how she had barely grown over the past five years, but there was nothing she could do. It was in her genes.

"But I don't need to go to the Alchemist Association today. Your lessons are not difficult for me at all," Jia He said.

"I don't care. You have to come with me anyway!" Yaoyue immediately began acting spoiled and unreasonable.

Yaoyue had used this trick countless times over the past five years, but it worked very well on Jia He.

"Fine. I happen to have something to do outside as well." After thinking for a moment, Jia He agreed.

Yaoyue asked curiously, "What do you need to go out for?"

Jia He lightly tapped Yaoyue on the head. "You should worry about yourself instead. You're already ten and only a five-star Dou Shi. Have you been slacking off?"

Yaoyue pouted. "Of course not. You're just too much of a monster, okay? My cultivation speed is already very fast. Sister is only a three-star Da Dou Shi now!"

Jia He had taught the Qi Scripture he cultivated to both Yaoye and Yaoyue.

Yaoyue's cultivation talent was fairly good. Yaoye had started cultivating rather late, and her talent was somewhat inferior to Yaoyue's, so she was only a three-star Da Dou Shi now.

"When are you taking the test to become a first-tier alchemist?" Jia He asked as he walked outside with Yaoyue.

Yaoyue said softly, "Teacher said my control over flame temperature isn't skilled enough yet, and I'm still not familiar enough with medicinal ingredients. I need another two years of training!"

"If I become a first-tier alchemist at twelve, I'll be the youngest first-tier alchemist in the empire's Alchemist Association in centuries!" Yaoyue said proudly.

Jia He chuckled. "Really? Have you forgotten that I exist?"

"Oh, you don't count!" Yaoyue hurriedly covered Jia He's mouth, refusing to let him argue.

Laughing and teasing each other, the two arrived at the palace gates, where the imperial guards had already prepared a carriage.

After they boarded, the carriage left the palace and sped toward the Alchemist Association.

About an hour later, Jia He finally sent Yaoyue, who had gone wild playing around the markets, to the Alchemist Association for her lessons.

Then, sitting in the carriage, Jia He said to the guard, "Go to the Mittel Grand Auction House!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" the guard replied respectfully.

The carriage swiftly headed toward the empire's southern district, toward the Mittel Grand Auction House, the merchant family known as the wealthiest of all.

Please support the new book with reads, recommendations, and monthly votes!

During the new book period, please read more. Many thanks!