A faint, enchanting smile curved her lips. In that mont, she looked less like a student and more like a clever, playful spirit guiding the flow of fate. Every movent, every expression, drew attention effortlessly.
She knew exactly how to squeeze the greatest value from rare items.
In her past life, this sort of thing had been routine.
The crowd fell silent for a breath, then excitent surged.
Three Elixirs!
That was far more than anyone had dared hope for. As long as there was a chance, as long as they could gather enough resources, hope still existed.
More importantly, the auction thod was fair.
No favoritism. No background required.
Whoever prepared the best would win.
It would all depend on their own abilities.
Raphael’s own eyes sparkled with surprise and admiration. Even he hadn’t expected Zora to have three Elixirs, let alone announce an auction so decisively.
What amazed him even more was her sense of timing and strategy.
An auction.
Sothing never seen before in the history of the academy.
Points were priceless to students, almost like lifelines. He could already imagine how many people would be grinding missions like mad over the next seven days.
"Seven days from now," Zora continued to speak with confidence radiating from her calm expression. "Sa ti, sa place. Agreed?"
She held the Elixir in her possession. Naturally, the right to decide rested with her.
At the edge of the crowd, Clarissa stood stiffly.
She had just barely scraped together one hundred thousand gold coins and fifty demon crystals, emptying herself completely. At this mont, she was practically penniless.
If Gabriel still didn’t return soon, she didn’t even know how she would survive the coming days.
And yet, when she arrived at the special enrollnt dormitory, this was the scene that greeted her.
Zora stood at the center like a goddess, surrounded by expectation and admiration, every gaze fixed on her, waiting for her words.
Clarissa’s pale fingers clenched tightly.
Her heart felt crushed.
Why?
Why was she reduced to this miserable state, while Zora shone brighter than ever?
Her jealousy and resentnt finally erupted.
"Zora!" Clarissa’s sharp, cutting voice rang out. "You’re not even an Alchemist! Where did these potions co from? Who knows if you’re just taking so random dicine to fool everyone!"
Zora’s brows lifted slightly.
She turned her head, eyes cool and amused as she looked at the approaching Clarissa. The smile on her lips deepened with unmistakable irony.
"Oh?" she said lazily. "Isn’t this Clarissa? What a coincidence."
Her gaze swept over Clarissa slowly. "Did you co here to... pay your debt?"
The mont those words fell—
Clarissa’s face turned ugly beyond words.
Clarissa had always been a well-known figure in the academy. Yet now, because of Zora, she had been forced into such an embarrassing position. What made it even worse was that this woman dared to bring it up in front of so many people.
"Isn’t it just this little bit?" Clarissa sneered. "I’ll give it to you!"
She stepped forward and shoved over one hundred thousand gold coins and fifty demon crystals, her posture arrogant, her expression dripping with disdain, as if these resources ant nothing to her.
A glimr of cold amusent flashed through Zora’s eyes. "Oh?" she said lightly. "Why do I hear that Miss Clarissa has recently sold off quite a few valuables just to scrape this together?"
Her tone was casual, but every word landed cleanly.
Zora was never soone who swallowed losses quietly.
If soone wanted to provoke her, they had better weigh their own strength first.
The surrounding students’ gazes all shifted between Clarissa and Zora. Everyone present knew about the feud between these two. If not for their wager, many would never have realized just how much wealth Zora actually possessed.
For this reason alone, so people were secretly grateful to Clarissa.
Clarissa’s eyes darkened. This woman truly had a gift for stealing the spotlight.
Since things had already co to this, Clarissa stopped wasting words.
"Zora, don’t change the subject," she said coldly, her eyes flashing with venom. "You’re not a Alchemist. How can you guarantee that the potions you took out are real?"
Raphael frowned slightly, clearly displeased. Clarissa always appeared at the worst monts.
Zora gave him a reassuring glance, then turned back, fixing Clarissa with a calm, piercing stare.
"What?" she asked lazily. "You want to bet with again?"
The mont the words left her lips, laughter rippled through the crowd.
Everyone could see Clarissa’s face flush red.
"You—!" Clarissa trembled with anger, but no words ca out. Losing once had already crushed her pride. She no longer had the courage to face another wager.
Zora’s expression cooled. She lifted her chin slightly, sunlight cascading over her elegant figure, a noble and untouchable aura blooming around her.
"Why should my dicine need to be proven to you?" she said flatly, her phoenix eyes sharp and contemptuous. "Who do you think you are?"
"As for whether Elixir works," she continued, voice calm and decisive, "believe it and co in seven days. Don’t believe it, and stay away."
"I, Zora, have never liked explaining myself."
Arrogant. Proud. and Absolute.
Those were the words that ca into the heads of spectators watching this 16-year-old beauty.
Yet not a single person dared to refute them.
After speaking, Zora didn’t care about others’ reactions and turned and walked straight into the special enrollnt dormitory alongside Raphael, leaving the crowd behind.
And then, Clarissa, who was left behind, beca the center of attention for a mont with all kinds of gazes aid at her. So are displeased, so are contemptuous, and so are awkward.
Originally, many people still wanted to ask questions. Because of this woman’s interruption, that chance was gone now.
But no one doubted the authenticity of the Elixir she promised to present anymore.
The stall owner’s personal experience had already proven everything.
Besides, did Zora look like soone short on money? Would she really ruin her reputation in the academy for the sake of a few potions?
Special enrollnt status. dical mastery.
Either one alone outweighed the value of three Elixirs.
And it didn’t matter whether she procured them sohow or she made them herself. They only care whether the Elixir gives them results or not.
There was no need to question it at all.
Feeling the disgusting eyes of everyone, Clarissa’s face has turned even more ugly, and she scread: "What are you looking at for? Don’t you think you’re all putting blind trust in that 16-year-old?"
Listening to the words, everyone is speechless. If it is not because of Gabriel’s identity, they really want to teach Clarissa a lesson.
"It’s a crazy woman!"
"The idiots are there every year, especially this year."
"What should she do with her?"
"Don’t bother associating ourselves with won like them? They are too envious for their own good."
One sentence after another, the ridiculous voice was lightly described by the students, and they did not feel good about Clarissa.
The students gradually dispersed, and Clarissa stood in the sa place.
Once, these people also looked at themselves with envious eyes, and there was no shortage of people who had their own friends.
What happened today!
Why is it that everyone is standing on the side of the Zora?
Clarissa is extrely eager for Gabriel’s return. As long as Gabriel is back, these people will never dare to treat themselves like this.
anwhile, Raphael and Zora walked together in the aisle of the dormitory. "You’ve been in the Spirit Tower these past two days?" Raphael asked on the way, glancing at her with a faint smile.
Zora nodded lightly. "Yes. In two days, all my points were gone. But the effect was worth it. Cultivating there is far better than anywhere else."
Raphael raised an eyebrow, amusent flickering in his eyes. No wonder Alaric Von Seraph seed so certain of her whereabouts.
"Senior Raphael," Zora said suddenly, looking at him with clear, expectant eyes, "there’s sothing I’d like to ask for your help with."
"What is it?" Raphael answered readily, his tone relaxed and open. "As long as it’s within my ability, I won’t refuse."
"The auction in seven days," she said calmly. "I hope you can be there. You carry weight in the academy. With you present, things will stay orderly."
Though her reputation had risen sharply, it still couldn’t compare to Raphael’s established prestige. Authority like that wasn’t built overnight, and after a year in the academy, Raphael held a position few could replace.
He paused briefly, then nodded without hesitation. "No problem. Leave it to ."
"Thank you," Zora said, smiling.
***
Back in her room, Zora imdiately took out her Silver Cauldron.
She didn’t have an extra Elixir of Tranquility Potion on hand. If she wanted to hold the auction, she had to start making plans now.
Originally, the Elixir of Tranquility she had given to the stall owner had been ant for herself. Because of the unique nature of the cultivation technique she practiced, opening ridians alone wasn’t enough. They also had to be widened, making Elixir of Tranquility exceptionally suitable.
The stall owner’s overwhelming desire for the potion had been unexpected, but now that things had reached this point, it was hardly a bad outco.
The news that Zora possessed the Elixir of Tranquility spread like wildfire through the academy.
For the students, it was exhilarating. As long as they could gather enough resources, the legendary potion was no longer just a distant dream.
The auction format, rather than causing dissatisfaction, actually earned her goodwill.
By holding it within the academy instead of sending the potions to an auction house in Heavenly City, she had given the students a fair chance. Otherwise, they would never have been able to compete with wealthy rchants and powerful families.
Because of this, no one could accuse Zora of pure self-interest. On the contrary, many felt she was deliberately taking care of her fellow students.
And so, the academy grew restless with activity.
The students of the Imperial Academy began preparing in earnest, and even the entire Heavenly city seed to buzz with renewed energy, all because of one na.
Zora.
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