That day, Fa Ma took Xiao Yu all around the Alchemist Guild, explaining everything about it to him.
Xiao Yu gradually grew familiar with this unfamiliar organization, and only left when evening came.
"President Fa Ma was far too enthusiastic. It was honestly a little hard to take."
"Brr..."
On his way back to the inn, Xiao Yu recalled Fa Ma's beaming face and could not help getting goosebumps.
After returning to his room, Xiao Yu took out the Nine Lotus Pill. Looking at the pill with its many lotus blossoms inside the jade bottle, he smiled and murmured to himself, "Quite a haul today."
A free Sixth-Grade Pill, a set of ingredients and a pill formula for another Sixth-Grade Pill, two badges, and a low-grade Storage Ring-it was indeed a rich haul.
Fa Ma had never brought up these things after the assessment ended, so Xiao Yu had not volunteered to return anything other than the two badges, either.
After putting everything into the high-grade Storage Ring he had received from Senior Fei Huang, Xiao Yu lay down on the bed to sleep.
Spending the whole day refining a Sixth-Grade Pill had genuinely worn him out. He did not intend to cultivate that night.
"Exhale... inhale... exhale..."
Before long, the faint sound of steady breathing drifted through the room.
Early the next morning, Xiao Yu got up, put on his Alchemist robes and third-grade badge, and headed to the Mittel Auction House.
Starting that day, he would collect ingredients for the Dou Ling Pill and all sorts of treasures that could speed up his cultivation.
He had never forgotten about improving his strength, and remained passionate about it.
Although his current combat strength already placed him among the very best in the Jia Ma Empire, it was still not enough.
Xiao Yu had not forgotten what a colossal behemoth would stand against the Xiao Clan in the future.
Even setting aside distant threats and considering only the Misty Cloud Sect, his strength was still insufficient to contend with it.
Yun Shan, who had already reached the Dou Zong realm, alone left him at a loss.
His combat strength was formidable, true, but not so absurd that he could challenge Yun Shan with the strength of a One-Star Dou Wang.
Although Yun Shan had advanced through a secret method of the Soul Palace and was somewhat weaker than an ordinary Dou Zong, an immense chasm still lay between a Dou Wang and a Dou Zong.
If Xiao Yu had the strength of a Peak Dou Wang, he could defeat Yun Shan even if he could not crush him. As he was now, he could only exchange a couple of blows before fleeing with his tail between his legs.
But he did not have the strength of a Peak Dou Wang. Reaching that level within half a year was utterly impossible. Without some extraordinary encounter or opportunity, anyone would shake their head at the prospect.
Moreover, Yun Shan would not be his only formidable enemy after the three-year agreement. Protector Wu of the Soul Palace's branch was an even greater mountain barring Xiao Yu's path.
Protector Wu was far beyond Yun Shan. With every means at his disposal, he could rival an eight- or Nine-Star Dou Zong. How was Xiao Yu, a mere Dou Wang, supposed to fight him-with his head?
Thus, Xiao Yu had fallen into a vicious cycle. If he wanted to save his second uncle, Xiao Zhan, from Yun Ling after the three-year agreement, he would inevitably have to face the Soul Palace and Protector Wu.
His strength was nowhere near enough, but standing aside? Sorry, he could not do that. All he could do was strive to grow stronger.
Every little increase counted. He hoped to improve as much as possible before the three-year agreement.
That was also why he was not using his real identity. Protector Wu specialized in collecting the souls of powerful people. While an ordinary Dou Wang would hardly catch his eye, an eighteen-year-old Dou Wang from some backwater would surely interest him.
The ways to quickly improve his strength now were the Dou Ling Pill and certain rare treasures that could accelerate a Dou Wang's cultivation.
He planned to look at the Mittel Auction House first, then use the banquet three days later as an opportunity to ask the Alchemist Guild about the ingredients.
Xiao Yu strolled through the bustling streets toward the Mittel Auction House.
Upon arriving at the Mittel Auction House, Xiao Yu looked at its enormous building and familiar emblem, and inevitably thought of his days in Wutan City.
He had not been very strong then, but life had been peaceful and leisurely, with a friend or two and elders who cared about him.
It had been nothing like now, when improving his strength left him without a moment to spare. Every day was packed, and the looming dangers drove him to cultivate desperately.
How was he any different now from those corporate slaves who worked from dawn until dark just to save a little more money and ease their families' burdens? In essence, they were the same.
Whether in modern society or another world, as long as someone had things they cared about, they had to work themselves to the bone.
He found himself somewhat envious of those Taoists and Buddhists, who transcended worldly attachments and kept all six senses pure.
Shaking his head, Xiao Yu swept those thoughts from his mind and followed the crowd into the Mittel Auction House.
A layer of dou qi spread around Xiao Yu, keeping out the hands reaching toward him to steal.
"Sure enough, there's no shortage of pickpockets in a crowd like this."
Xiao Yu paid little mind to the pickpockets. There was no need to get angry with them. But if they encountered a Dou Wang with a slightly fiercer temper, this affair likely would not end until a few people died.
The moment the pickpockets touched that barrier of dou qi, their expressions changed. Terrified, they hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd and vanished without a trace.
Once he entered the Mittel Auction House, the clamor disappeared. Before him lay an exceptionally spacious hall that resembled a city of crystal. It felt like an entirely different world from outside.
He felt sharp gazes sweeping over him and looked at the guards standing ramrod straight in their Mittel Auction House uniforms. Their eyes constantly shifted as they scrutinized everyone entering the hall.
Ignoring them, Xiao Yu found his attention drawn to the crystal display counters.
Inside them lay all manner of goods: medicinal ingredients, cultivation techniques, Dou Techniques, weapons, clothing, and many exotic treasures he had never seen. There were even Medicine Cauldrons and pill formulas.
After looking around, Xiao Yu discovered that none of it was useful to him, and his interest faded.
"Looks like everything in this hall is ordinary merchandise. If I want something useful, I'll have to start with the auction house's inner workings."
While Xiao Yu was still thinking, he heard the crowd in the hall suddenly begin to stir.
Some of the men even bent forward strangely, as though concealing something that could not be shown in public.
Xiao Yu understood their actions at once.
"Fuck."
Then he looked curiously toward the focus of everyone's attention, wanting to see what sort of woman she was.
As for how he knew it was a woman... obviously. Could so many men possibly be staring at another man?
Following their gazes, Xiao Yu froze.
At the point where all those gazes converged, a seductive, enchanting woman was smiling as she greeted people.
Her red hair was tied behind her head, and she wore a black dress. Her foxlike eyes brimmed with allure whenever they shifted, and her lips were lightly pursed as she deftly handled the men approaching to greet her.
Her figure curved in all the right places, her willow waist swayed, and her pert hips rolled from side to side. Black stockings hugged her long, smooth, jade-like legs, displaying their full seductive charm. The clicking of her black high heels struck straight at the hearts of every man present except Xiao Yu.
"Sister Ya Fei?"
Xiao Yu called out to her almost out of habit. After all, that was what he had called her throughout his last few months in Wutan City.
Third update. The author really gave it his all-typing left him completely drained.
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