Mittel Ya Fei

Liu Ling left in crushing defeat. Looking at the Thousand Flames Art in his hand, Su Heng knew that he had struck it rich!

A High-Profound Tier fire-control Dou Technique—such a technique was among the very finest even in the entire Jia Ma Empire.

Su Heng now cultivated a Mid-Profound Tier Cultivation Method and possessed a High-Profound Tier Dou Technique. Based on his equipment alone, he could rank among the younger generation of the Jia Ma Empire.

Even if he stopped here, he was guaranteed to become a Dou Wang in the future.

One had to know that half a year ago, he had merely been a country bumpkin cultivating Low-Yellow Tier techniques and methods.

Had he not been fortunate enough to meet Qing Lin, he would likely have long become a skeleton in the desert.

During this time, Qing Lin had busied herself with all sorts of matters for Su Heng, and her whole person had grown noticeably more haggard. Su Heng felt deeply guilty about it.

Therefore, after obtaining the Thousand Flames Art, Su Heng did not immediately enter seclusion to cultivate. Instead, he took the initiative to keep Qing Lin company, refining pills for her and nursing her body back to health.

Only after Qing Lin had recovered her rosy, adorable appearance and lively spirits did Su Heng finally feel at ease enough to begin studying the Dou Technique.

On the Dou Qi Continent, all important inherited documents—cultivation methods, Dou Techniques, pill formulas, and the like—were written with ink formed from the recorder's soul force.

Because they were inscribed by the soul, when studied, those words would directly transform into streams of information and enter the reader's mind. There would be no omissions or discrepancies in memory.

However, words written through soul force would gradually blur after being read five times, losing some of their crucial contents.

The Thousand Flames Art Su Heng had acquired contained neat writing and abundant soul force. It was clearly inscribed not long ago. Liu Ling had probably lost it after reading it only once.

As Dou Qi flowed into the scroll, the words upon it transformed into a vast stream of information that entered Su Heng's mind.

He was thus able to glimpse the Thousand Flames Art in its entirety.

The Thousand Flames Art was a fire-control technique. Once mastered, it could allow its practitioner to fully control more than ten kinds of mid- to high-tier magical beast flames, or one Heavenly Flame.

It was said to have been created centuries ago by a Dou Zong expert highly skilled in flame control.

Using the Thousand Flames Art as a foundation, a practitioner could condense flames into all manner of tangible magical beasts. Upon reaching the highest realm, the flame magical beasts would possess power comparable to their original bodies.

Su Heng currently possessed the beast flame of the Xuanjia Snake Emperor and that of the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King. In theory, he could condense two flame magical beasts at the Dou Emperor level.

But after personally testing it, Su Heng discovered that dreams had everything, but reality did not.

After more than a month of secluded hard training, Su Heng could indeed condense flame avatars of the Xuanjia Snake Emperor and the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.

However, the strength of those two flame magical beasts did not even match Su Heng's own. At most, they were only at the level of Two-Star Dou Masters.

So after all that, "comparable to the original body" referred to the Alchemist's original body, not the magical beast's original body...

Even with the assistance of Sixth-tier Beast Flames, their strength was not exceptionally high. It matched the worth of a Profound Tier technique.

Su Heng roughly estimated that, as a Four-Star Dou Master with the Thousand Flames Art and two kinds of beast flames, his actual combat strength was equivalent to around a Six-Star Dou Master. No higher than that.

Even so, the Thousand Flames Art still thrilled Su Heng immensely, because in theory, there was no upper limit to the number of flame magical beasts condensed from beast flames.

Unlike Dou Qi flames, beast flames required relatively little Dou Qi to wield.

Even as merely a Four-Star Dou Master, Su Heng could simultaneously control two flame magical beasts with the support of two beast flames.

Moreover, Su Heng could clearly sense that this was not his limit.

With the Dou Qi capacity provided by his current Mid-Profound Tier Cultivation Method, Su Heng could condense at most five flame magical beasts.

However, if two flame magical beasts were condensed from the same beast flame, they would naturally merge upon colliding with each other.

To truly condense five flame magical beasts that would not naturally merge and vanish, he needed five different types of beast flames.

He had only taken a few steps down the road of collecting beast flames. There was still a long way ahead.

As his control over flame beasts grew increasingly proficient, Su Heng sometimes could not help but sigh. Why was he becoming more and more like a beast-taming mage...?

"Condense fire into beasts, command beasts in battle. It seems this will be my fighting style in the future. Compared to Buddha's Fury Lotus, it is on a completely different level. It just feels too unimpressive!"

Compared to Buddha's Fury Lotus, which could blow everything apart with overwhelming force, controlling several flame magical beasts to bite and burn his opponents made Su Heng feel that he had fallen into a lower class of combat.

But sighing was sighing. He still had to accept his fate.

Most of Su Heng's cultivation time had been devoted to alchemy. His training in Dou Techniques was pitifully sparse. It was not as if he had no skill in close combat, but in high-level battles, it was practically negligible.

The Thousand Flames Art was already the Dou Technique most suited to him. This was probably the helplessness of having no famous teacher to guide him and having to explore on his own.

Though he accepted it, Su Heng continued practicing the Thousand Flames Art while pondering how to enhance his combat power and make use of the numerical advantage it brought.

Myriad Beasts Stampede, Separation Flame Burns the Heavens—those were not impossible either!

One day, as Su Heng watched two palm-sized flame beasts frolicking and darting about before him, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him. He came up with a bold, and somewhat feasible, idea.

He quickly rose, called Qing Lin over, and headed straight for the Mittel Auction House in Black Rock City.

After turning through several streets, Su Heng looked at the magnificent, towering building before him and felt strangely unfamiliar.

He had not visited for merely over two months, yet the Mittel Auction House in Black Rock City seemed to have changed owners. It had been renovated into something resplendent and grand, exuding an imposing presence.

Su Heng straightened his robes, hung his Second-grade Alchemist badge on his chest, and swaggered toward the entrance.

In a place like an auction house, status was very important. If he waited for others to guess his realm and standing, misunderstandings would inevitably arise.

Being overly low-key would only invite mockery from blind fools at the auction house.

While it was satisfying to slap their faces in the end, Su Heng felt there was simply no need for that.

Once he hung a Second-grade Alchemist badge on his chest, many people who had originally lacked eyes would suddenly gain them and automatically take a detour. There was no need for him to act at all.

Just as Su Heng had expected, the moment a Second-grade Alchemist entered the auction house, a staff member quickly slipped into the rear hall to report to the auction house manager.

The other staff members and customers were also exceptionally polite, making for an excellent shopping experience.

This sort of shopping experience was something Su Heng had never experienced at all back when he had been an Alchemist Apprentice.

"Qing Lin, if there is anything you like this time, just take it."

Su Heng looked at Qing Lin with great affection. He had not properly kept her company for over a month. Now that he was finally free, it was time to accompany her for a good stroll and let her experience what it felt like to be rich.

Qing Lin had followed Su Heng for over half a year. Though she was no longer as timid and cautious as before, she still retained some of her delicate vulnerability. She almost never made requests of her own and usually just stayed quietly by Su Heng's side.

Only when Su Heng deliberately took time to accompany her would she indulge herself a little.

Qing Lin swept through the place like a whirlwind, freely unleashing her desire to shop and clearing out everything she wanted. Su Heng, meanwhile, furrowed his brow slightly as he noticed something unusual.

In the past, although the Mittel Auction House in Black Rock City had plenty of goods, its variety had been nowhere near as rich as it was now.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Mittel Auction House in Black Rock City had not only undergone a complete renovation, but even the quality of its auction items had risen by a full level.

Su Heng's thoughts turned, and he quickly understood why this place had changed so much.

Recently, two prodigies had emerged from the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild, gaining fame for a time. A large number of outstanding apprentices from other cities had chosen to come to Black Rock City to study.

If the Mite'er Family had expanded the local auction house in order to earn the money of those young Alchemist Apprentices, that would be entirely reasonable.

The Mite'er Family truly deserved to be the greatest commercial family in the Jia Ma Empire. Their ability to quickly spot business opportunities and adapt was astonishing!

Just as Su Heng and Qing Lin were browsing about, a beautiful and seductive figure slowly approached them.

Under the bright yet gentle lights of the auction house, the peerless beauty in a red dress spoke in a soft, enchanting voice so alluring that it made one's bones go numb.

"A distinguished guest has arrived, yet Mittel Ya Fei failed to welcome you from afar. I hope Mister Su Heng will not take offense."

With such an alluring voice paired with a seductive, graceful figure, any man who looked at her would find his heart stirred.

Su Heng was also a man, and a hot-blooded young man at that.

The beauty before him possessed the most extreme allure, immediately leaving Su Heng's mind intoxicated. Only when piercing pain shot through his palm did he regain his senses.

Qing Lin's originally delicate and lovely oval face had puffed up into an adorable bun face. A faint gleam flickered in her emerald eyes, while her jealousy practically burst forth in visible waves.

She snorted unhappily, as if saying: Brother Su Heng, I never thought you liked this kind of woman!

"Uh... Qing Lin, I'm sorry..."

Su Heng rubbed his right hand, which had become somewhat stiff from Qing Lin's icy Dou Qi, and gave little Qing Lin a pleading look. Only then did she release his hand, her anger subsiding slightly.

Ya Fei smiled at the jealous little Qing Lin and waited quietly for a moment before speaking at the right time.

"Mister Su Heng, distinguished guests such as yourself have private rooms specially prepared by our Mittel Auction House. Please follow me."

Ya Fei gestured for Su Heng to follow her upstairs to the rooms reserved for distinguished guests.

As they went upstairs, Su Heng could not help but marvel at how much the Mite'er Family had invested in the Black Rock City auction house.

Not only had they renovated the decor and expanded the venue, they had even transferred Ya Fei here.

She was the Mite'er Family's chief auctioneer, an existence no man could resist.

"Mister Su Heng, allow me to introduce myself. I am Mittel Ya Fei, the chief auctioneer of the Mittel Auction House. I was transferred here ten days ago to oversee sales at the Black Rock City auction house."

"If Mister Su has any needs, as long as there is anything I can help with, I will certainly do my utmost."

Ya Fei introduced herself gently as they walked. She believed this was their first meeting, so there was some distance in her words. Yet Su Heng had actually "known" her for more than ten years, even knowing her future fate like the back of his hand.

"Thank you, Miss Ya Fei. I do indeed have quite a few things to sell and purchase."

Su Heng secretly rejoiced. Since the Mittel Auction House had specifically expanded for Alchemists, he should be able to purchase many unexpected treasures on this trip. He could also conveniently dispose of the pills he had obtained from that iron box in the Magic Beast Mountains.

The three entered the private room. Ya Fei invited Su Heng and Qing Lin to take their seats while she stood elegantly to one side.

"Mister Su, may I ask what you require?"

Ya Fei's soft and alluring voice always managed to tug at one's heartstrings without notice. At such close range, it was even harder to withstand.

Su Heng steadied himself slightly and filled his mind with Qing Lin's angry, jealous little expression before he barely managed to resist Ya Fei's fatal allure.

"I would like to ask whether the Mittel Auction House has any formation-type Dou Techniques. A Profound Tier one would naturally be best, and a High-Profound Tier one would be even better."

Formation-type Dou Techniques were special Dou Techniques that enhanced combat power through the cooperation of multiple people.

The most classic and widely known formation-type Dou Technique was the Misty Cloud Sect's Cloud-Smoke Sun-Covering Formation!

This formation was the Misty Cloud Sect's guardian formation. It was activated by all Misty Cloud Sect disciples, gathering the Dou Qi of more than a thousand people onto one person at the formation's core. Fighting that person was equivalent to fighting every Misty Cloud Sect disciple.

It was precisely by relying on this great formation that the Misty Cloud Sect had survived countless major crises.

While practicing his control over flame beasts, Su Heng had suddenly thought that if he combined the flame magical beasts under his control with a formation-type Dou Technique, the Thousand Flames Art's practical combat effect could increase severalfold at the very least.

Thus, in order to quickly improve his strength, Su Heng had immediately come to the Mittel Auction House. He vaguely remembered that when he had previously inquired about fire-control Dou Techniques here, he had been pitched formation-type Dou Techniques.

In other words, the Mittel Auction House had formation-type Dou Techniques in stock. He simply did not know what grades they were.

"I never expected Mister Su to come for that. I thought you were here to purchase a medicinal cauldron or pill formulas!"

"Our Mite'er Family specially prepared a Fifth Rank Flame Phoenix Cauldron and several rare Third-grade Pill Formulas for Mister Su. Would Mister Su Heng be interested?"

Ya Fei's willow brows lifted slightly as she naturally steered the conversation off course. This was also a sales tactic.

"I'll take those later as well. For now, I would first like to see whether you have any Profound Tier formation-type Dou Techniques."

"Also, I would like to entrust these pills to you for sale."

Su Heng took nearly a thousand first- and second-grade pills that he had refined from his Storage Ring and piled them up inside the private room.

He also mixed in the third- and fourth-grade pills he had obtained from the iron box.

Together, these pills would be enough to sell for more than ten million gold coins. Forget the pill formulas and medicinal cauldron Ya Fei mentioned—even buying the entire Black Rock City Mittel Auction House would be more than affordable.

"Mister Su truly spends extravagantly. This little woman admires you..."

Looking at the jade-green medicine bottles piled up like a small mountain, several beads of cold sweat faintly emerged on Ya Fei's face. The sight left her somewhat at a loss.

Alchemists... Ya Fei had encountered quite a few. She had auctioned many high-grade pills as well, but this was the first time she had seen someone wholesale first- and second-grade pills like Su Heng.

The scene gave her the strange feeling of someone bringing more than ten tons of one-coin pieces to a bank to make a deposit.

However, Ya Fei truly deserved to be an experienced chief auctioneer.

After her brief surprise, she naturally stored the pills in her Storage Ring and handed them to a nearby staff member, instructing them to take the pills away for appraisal by the Mite'er Family's Alchemists.

At the same time, she had already ordered her subordinates to bring over the formation-type Dou Techniques Su Heng required.

More than ten minutes later, a young maid with a slender figure slowly entered the private room, carrying a golden scroll on a jade tray.

"Mister Su Heng, this is a High-Profound Tier formation-type Dou Technique: the Four Spirits Profound Astral Formation. May I ask whether it meets your requirements?"

Ya Fei lightly waved her jade-like hand. Receiving the instruction, the maid moved forward with graceful steps and presented the scroll to Su Heng amid a waft of fragrance.