While the entire city of Heavenly City went mad over the reergence of the Elixir of Tranquility outside the Immortal Guild, and that too in the hands of a 16-year-old, Zora herself was completely imrsed in cultivation.
The abundant spiritual power within the Spirit Tower was astonishing.
After the perilous trials of the White Mountains, her strength had already improved significantly. Now, within this environnt, every breath she took pushed her cultivation forward.
Black and White absorbed the dense spiritual energy with excitent. Advancent at their level was difficult, but cultivation was sothing they never neglected.
Compared to their seriousness, Shihtzu had found an especially comfortable corner.
It ate.
Then slept.
Then ate again.
As a contracted beast, Shihtzu was still in its growth stage. For it, sleeping was cultivation. Through slumber, it absorbed power and steadily grew stronger.
Knowing this, Zora couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.
Eating and sleeping to grow stronger. What a blissful existence.
Closing her eyes, she circulated the forbidden cultivation technique within her body.
As a taboo art, its cultivation path differed from ordinary thods. Yet under the imnse pressure and abundant spiritual energy of the Spirit Tower, its true potential slowly began to unfold.
Most cultivation techniques refine strength by circulating spiritual power through the body’s main ridians. "Oblivion Path," however, was entirely different. It expanded and opened the ridians themselves.
From the mont Zora began cultivating this forbidden art, she had already opened two additional ridians compared to ordinary practitioners.
And now—
She had opened three more.
Three ridians did not sound like much, yet any spirit warrior who understood the human body would know how terrifying this difference truly was.
ridians were the channels of power. More open ridians ant smoother circulation of mana, greater capacity, faster absorption, faster refinent, and ultimately... overwhelming cultivation speed.
What was even more frightening was that these ridians were still expanding.
In the future, her cultivation speed would leave others far behind.
This was the true heaven-defying nature of taboo techniques.
*
As the two-day cultivation period ended, a soft reminder echoed through the tower.
Black and White leapt back onto Zora’s shoulders, while Shihtzu stretched lazily and padded after her.
Stepping out of the Spirit Tower, Zora felt refreshed from head to toe.
Two days alone had made the benefits of the Spirit Tower painfully obvious.
She needed more points.
A lot more points.
*
Yet the mont she returned to the dormitory area, she was stunned by the sight before her.
Crowds.
So many people that the corridor was nearly blocked.
"When did our dormitory beco this lively?" Zora raised a brow, her phoenix eyes filled with puzzlent.
Black peeked out, then imdiately withdrew his head. "Master... this feels dangerous."
Nearby, Alistair had already been waiting outside for two full days. Seeing Zora finally appear, his heart surged with mixed relief and helplessness.
After the White Mountain incident, she shouldn’t have gone out on missions again so soon.
So, where had she disappeared to?
When news of Elixir first spread, none of them had dared hope.
They had no relationship with Zora. Why would she help them?
But fate had played a trick.
By sheer coincidence, Alistair discovered that his roommate, Nigel, ca from the sa city as Zora—and even knew her personally.
That single connection beca their lifeline.
"Nigel, let’s go back," soone whispered uneasily. "Zora is busy every day. We shouldn’t disturb her."
Nigel hesitated.
Zora had once given him a Bone Cleansing Potion without asking for anything in return. That kindness weighed heavily on his heart.
He had yet to repay her with anything so far, and now he was forced to take advantage of her kindness again?
"Nigel," Alistair, however, pleaded softly, "It’s not like we aren’t asking for free. Just let us exchange demon crystals for Elixir. Nurous people wanted the Elixir from her, and if I want to have a chance, you are the only one whom I can turn to. Please Nigel... for the sake of our brotherhood, help ..."
His voice carried desperation.
With their current strength, standing out in the academy was nearly impossible. But if they could widen their ridians...
It can turn around their fate.
Its effects were simply too powerful, after all.
Just as the group hesitated, Alistair’s eyes suddenly lit up, spotting a figure. "She’s back! Miss Zora is back!"
The na alone was enough.
In an instant, nearly every practitioner in the area turned their heads simultaneously.
Zora paused.
Dozens of eyes locked onto her.
The excitent blazing in their gazes made her feel as though she had just walked into a pack of starving beasts.
Hungry.
Desperate.
And glowing green with desire.
"This doesn’t look good," Zora muttered softly, her lips curving into a helpless smile.
"Master... have you done sothing outrageously illegal?" Black stiffened, eyes darting across the sea of faces. "This many people... they can’t all be Adrian’s accomplices coming for revenge, right?"
White shrank his neck. "This is... a bit terrifying."
They had seen group fights before, but this felt different. This wasn’t hostility. This was... hunger.
"So arrogant," Black snorted, clenching his tiny fists. "Daring to block the dormitory entrance. Looks like it’s ti for us black-and-white to make our debut!"
Before Zora could even respond—
"Zora!"
The shout erupted from the crowd, and the next instant, spirit warriors surged forward like a tide. Dense, pressing, and quite overwhelming.
Black and White were just about to leap out when the voices overlapped into chaos.
"Miss Zora! Do you still have any Miracle Elixir left?"
"Please, sell one! Any price!"
"I brought demon crystals! All of them! As long as you give one Elixir!"
Only then did Zora understand.
Elixir of Tranquility.
So the stall owner had already proven its effects.
She couldn’t help but smile faintly.
In her era, the Elixir of Tranquility had been an ordinary potion that every alchemist could have made. Now, because its formula was strictly guarded by one of the strongest guilds on the continent and its availability is also regulated heavily, it had beco priceless.
Scarcity truly made legends.
And for her, this was excellent news.
Demon crystals for Elixir ant no more worrying about feeding Shihtzu... and perhaps even a steady source of points for the Spirit Tower.
Her red lips curved slightly. A very feasible path had just appeared.
The noise below grew louder and more chaotic.
From a nearby building, Raphael also imdiately understood what was happening.
"She’s back."
He didn’t hesitate and stepped out at once. If Zora stayed surrounded like this, she wouldn’t escape easily.
"Everyone, quiet down. Listen to ."
So of the students at the front cald, but those at the back grew even more frantic, shouting prices and promises over one another. The scene teetered on the edge of complete disorder.
Zora pressed her lips together, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes.
Looks like she really needed to show so authority.
Just as she was about to release her aura, a familiar figure in water-blue robes appeared beside her.
With a single step, the chaos... cald down to nothing.
The surrounding students fell silent as if a switch had been flipped.
Zora turned in surprise.
Raphael.
Dressed in flowing azure brocade, his tall figure was refined and straight, his temperant gentle as polished jade. He shot her a playful glance, with his eyes shimring, then suddenly reached out and pulled her directly out of the encirclent.
The crowd froze.
What was their relationship?
Raphael was warm to everyone, courteous to all, yet he had never openly taken a female student’s hand before.
Zora herself was startled by his sudden pull. By the ti Raphael led her to the dormitory entrance and released her hand, the murmurs had already begun.
"To avoid unnecessary trouble," he said gently, his voice llow and considerate, "I took the liberty of pulling you out. You don’t mind, do you?"
His eyes curved slightly, bright and sincere.
Zora smiled and shook her head.
They had fought side by side in White Mountains.
Between friends, this was nothing at all.
She then turned to the crowd.
"Everyone, listen to first."
A clear, lodious voice then flowed out from her mouth, light yet firm. With Raphael standing beside her, the restless crowd gradually quieted, all eyes gathering on Zora, waiting for her answer.
"I know everyone is here for the Elixir of Tranquility," she said calmly. "And yes, I do have more than one Elixir in my possession. But since this is business, everything must be clearly priced."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.
"Seven days from now, I will take out three Elixirs for auction. You may bid with points, demon crystals, rare dicinal herbs, or anything else you believe holds sufficient value. Fair exchange and open competition. How does that sound?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)