Word Count: 3,097 Words
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"Esteemed Spirit Masters, please follow me."
The welcoming young lady gestured invitingly and walked ahead to lead the three of them.
A burst of golden light greeted them the moment they stepped into the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. The hall was decorated with extreme luxury; the crystal golden lamps hanging high from the ceiling made the entire hall shimmer.
On both sides of the main hall stood two rows of young ladies in short skirts. They had sweet faces and slender figures, each carefully selected for her exquisite beauty. Their fair skin appeared even more graceful and charming against the backdrop of the hall's gilded splendor.
"Welcome, esteemed guests."
The young ladies bowed in unison, bending at a perfect ninety-degree angle, just enough to reveal half of their smooth, rounded fullness. Ling Bai had an eye for appreciating beauty, so his gaze subconsciously lingered on them for an extra two seconds. Being surrounded by so many beautiful girls felt like stepping into a paradise on earth.
"You're drooling."
Ling Luochen suddenly spoke up.
"..."
Ling Bai turned to look at her with a surprised expression on his face as if to say, 'An icy girl like you can crack jokes too?' This was no different from tricking a classmate on April Fool's Day by saying their shoelace was untied!
"These girls are among the commodities of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. They're openly priced at 10,000 spirit gold coins each, have undergone several years of special training, and are guaranteed to be virgins. Customers can spend money to redeem them and take them home to... indulge," Ma Xiaotao said, seeming absent-minded yet with a hint of meaning.
"Indulge? That word sounds a bit harsh."
Ma Xiaotao pursed her lips. "Some sanctimonious students spout grand principles but secretly keep several girls in Shrek City. We even have such people among our Inner Courtyard students."
"Who?"
"Ye Liu. He keeps eight."
Ling Bai was stunned, and after a long while, he could only say, "That's... quite vigorous."
"Scumbags deserve to die a miserable death," Ling Luochen said coldly.
"Exactly! Despising Ye Liu is the first lesson for female Inner Courtyard students!" Ma Xiaotao showed off her not-so-large but undeniably powerful fist.
It was rare for the ice-and-fire duo to be on the same side. Ling Bai didn't dare to utter a word.
Ma Xiaotao adopted the stance of a senior sister and said, "Although you're a second-year Inner Courtyard student, you're still young and most susceptible to being seduced by women. Don't ever follow Ye Liu's example and keep girls on the side."
Ling Bai raised an eyebrow. "Me, unable to control myself? That night, you wore black—"
The moment he uttered 'black,' Ma Xiaotao's expression changed dramatically. She hurriedly rushed over to cover his mouth. Ling Bai was referring to the night he moved into the Ancient Golden Tree when, under the instigation of her Teacher, she had worn black stockings and a short skirt but ended up losing her nerve.
"There are others present!"
Ma Xiaotao discreetly glanced toward Ling Luochen, then pressed her index finger tightly against her red lips and lowered her voice. "Don't say it out loud!"
A senior sister wearing seductive clothes late at night to tempt her junior brother—and worse, failing miserably. If Ling Luochen found out and spread this around, Ma Xiaotao felt she'd never hear the end of it for the rest of her life.
Ling Luochen's gaze shifted several times between Ling Bai and Ma Xiaotao. A woman's intuition told her that something must have happened between the two; otherwise, Ma Xiaotao wouldn't react so strongly. However, she wasn't interested in Ma Xiaotao's private life. She was more curious about why Ling Bai would cause her Ice Element Martial Spirit to tremble.
She had been walking on Ling Bai's left side along the way, following a subtle guiding aura. The ice element had gone from initially trembling in fear to gradually becoming as obedient as a kitten meeting its owner, occasionally emitting happy purring sounds.
She was utterly perplexed and eager to find out the reason. However, due to her cold personality and reserved nature, she felt too embarrassed to ask Ling Bai directly. So she took the opportunity to exchange a few words with him first, slowly warming up their relationship before finding a chance to get a clear answer.
The first floor of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion was open to the public. The welcoming hostess led the three of them up to the second floor, which was specially designated for Shrek Academy students. The second floor was slightly smaller than the first. Nearly a hundred exhibition booths of various sizes were arranged in the most suitable locations. Each booth was covered by a huge crystal glass dome.
The young lady stopped and gave a slight bow. "Welcome, esteemed guests, to our Treasure Appreciation Gathering. The gathering is held on the second floor of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Please feel free to browse and select any items you like. If you find something you wish to purchase, you can proceed to the counter on the west side to register and make the purchase. Your VIP rank will also be assessed there by our staff. The assessment results will determine your credit limit and exclusive discounts."
"This is your first time at the Treasure Appreciation Gathering; you should get your rank assessed first," Ma Xiaotao suggested. "The Treasure Gathering Pavilion divides VIPs into five levels based on the age, Martial Spirit, and cultivation of Shrek Academy students: white, yellow, purple, black, and red. For instance, we, the official Shrek Seven Monsters, are usually black-ranked VIPs. We get a 30% discount on purchases and have a credit limit of 500,000 spirit gold coins.
Wait, you are a disciple of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, um..."
Ma Xiaotao suddenly fell silent. As everyone knew, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was so poor they only had money left. Ling Bai must have no shortage of pocket money. Mentioning a 500,000 credit limit seemed almost insulting.
"Let's go take a look; we shouldn't miss out on the benefits."
It was only right for Inner Courtyard students, aka Shrek Guardians, to enjoy some discounts and credit privileges, as they had shed blood and sweat for Shrek Academy. Moreover, the items that caught Ling Bai's eye were bound to be top-notch. With Ning Fengya not around, the money he spent now was all from six years of diligently saving his pocket money. A 30% discount could save a huge sum.
The two girls accompanied him, and the three walked nearly a hundred meters to the west side. Below the counter was a trough emitting a shimmering golden-yellow light. Rich beams flowed out, casting an extra touch of softness on their cheeks.
Behind the counter was another pretty girl who looked about sixteen or seventeen years old. She had a cute, baby-faced countenance. Upon seeing the three Inner Courtyard students arrive, she stood up respectfully and said:
"Hello, how may I assist the three esteemed guests?"
"I'd like to have my rank assessed."
"Certainly, please fill out your information."
The girl took out a white sheet of paper. Surprisingly, there were only two pieces of information required: name and Martial Spirit.
"That's all?"
Ling Bai quickly filled it out with a few strokes.
"The rankings are predetermined by the academy's higher-ups," Ma Xiaotao explained. "It's called an assessment, but the Treasure Gathering Pavilion is merely performing a lookup. There are fewer than a hundred Inner Courtyard students; name and Martial Spirit are sufficient."
The lookup was swift. After a minute, the girl's gaze toward Ling Bai completely changed. She looked at him with such admiration that she seemed about to swallow him whole. Her professional training prompted her to immediately retrieve a card from the innermost part of the counter. She discreetly pulled down her neckline by three centimeters, quickly walked up to Ling Bai, and bent deeply forward, revealing an astounding glimpse of snowy curves. She presented a crimson VIP card with both hands, her voice as melodious as an oriole:
"Respected Mr. Ling, you are a red-ranked VIP of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Any items you purchase here will enjoy a 40% discount, and each year, you may freely select one item from the Treasure Appreciation Gathering; Shrek Academy will cover all the expenses for you."
"Red rank? Getting a free treasure every year?"
Ling Bai hadn't said anything yet when Ma Xiaotao blurted out, "Could it be that you're secretly the descendant of a Pavilion Elder who's now giving you special treatment?"
"Using back doors is shameful," Ling Luochen added.
"What's going on with you two? Two hours ago, you were at each other's throats. How come you've formed a united front now?"
The two girls glanced at each other, simultaneously snorted coldly, and turned their heads away in a huff.
Ling Bai accepted the red-ranked VIP card, which felt warm to the touch. It was made of Scarlet Spirit Warm Jade, a material suitable for engraving Class 7 Spirit Guidance Core Arrays.
"Thank you. We'll just browse around and won't further disturb your work."
"Yes, Mr. Ling."
The girl's little plans had come to nothing. A trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes. She was also one of the commodities offered by the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. A young and handsome red-ranked VIP with limitless potential stood before her. If she could catch his eye, even becoming a concubine would be a blessing that ordinary people couldn't achieve in a lifetime.
"Why are you a red-rank? In the entire Shrek Academy, only Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan is a red-ranked VIP, and she's a predetermined Sea God Pavilion Elder!"
Ma Xiaotao was quite puzzled. She was the direct disciple of the Martial Spirit Department Dean, yet she was only a black-ranked VIP. Ling Bai might have a slightly stronger combat ability than her, a slightly better Martial Spirit than her, a slightly better personality than her...
In short, he was just a bit better than her!
"If you're asking me, who am I supposed to ask?"
Ling Bai held the red card with a wry smile. He wasn't a tapeworm in Shrek Academy's belly, but it was clear that Shrek was very eager to recruit him.
The red card's 40% discount was a slightly better benefit compared to other students. As for getting a treasure for free each year, that was purely a mutually agreeable arrangement.
Debts of gratitude were the hardest to repay. Huo Yuhao had gradually fallen under Shrek's various gestures of goodwill, to the point where 'the academy is my home' and 'everything is for Shrek' became his guiding principles.
The three of them browsed the items at the Treasure Appreciation Gathering. Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen were traditional Inner Courtyard students, focusing only on treasures related to Spirit Master cultivation. Ling Bai, on the other hand, considered a broader range of items, including Spirit Guidance Devices, rare metals, spirit beast materials, and so on.
The quality of the Inner Courtyard's Treasure Appreciation Gathering was on par with any top-tier auction, and the variety of items was even more extensive. Ling Bai browsed for half an hour. The highest-level item was the Golden Radiance Arm Bone produced by a 10,000-year Golden Earth Dragon King, priced at 9.5 million spirit gold coins.
The Golden Earth Dragon King had excellent attributes, but Ling Bai had already absorbed spirit bones in both arms. He decided not to waste money on this spirit bone. He wasn't as extravagant as Ning Fengya, who would casually spend money to buy anything that caught her eye just to fill the Heaven's Treasury.
"Holy shit, 100 million!!!"
Ma Xiaotao suddenly tugged hard on Ling Bai's sleeve, pointing to a display booth. Everyone passing by would notice it because it was at least twice the size of the other booths. The huge crystal dome spread purple-golden brilliance that shone dazzlingly. Beside it stood a red signboard:
Shocking Price: 99,999,999 spirit gold coins!
"It's really 100 million?"
Ling Bai and Ling Luochen's pupils couldn't help but contract for a moment. This item must be the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's prized possession. The three of them moved swiftly to see what kind of heaven-defying treasure dared to be sold for 100 million spirit gold coins.
Could it be a 100,000-year spirit bone?
To their disappointment, what was suspended in the display was not a 100,000-year spirit bone but rather a vial of purple-gold liquid. The experience felt somewhat like having cold tomato salad as the final dish of a banquet. The description next to it prominently read:
*Radiance of Glory
Originating from a 300,000-year Radiant Thunder Hell Dragon, possessing light and lightning attributes, and having the extremely pure bloodlines of the Light Holy Dragon and the ancient Thunder Dragon.
This Radiant Thunder Hell Dragon was the spirit beast hunted by the current Sea God Pavilion Master, Dragon God Douluo Mu En, upon breaking through to Rank 90 spirit power for his ninth spirit ring.
After extracting the spirit ring and spirit bones, the Pavilion Master refined and concentrated the bloodline essence of the Radiant Thunder Hell Dragon. The Radiance of Glory contains the bones, blood, scales, and horns of a 300,000-year true dragon spirit beast approaching dual Ultimate attributes. It is a supreme treasure for all light and lightning attribute Spirit Masters on the continent.*
"This thing... really seems worth 100 million," Ma Xiaotao said blankly.
Ling Bai and Ling Luochen nodded in deep agreement. A 300,000-year spirit beast was on par with the current Ten Great Beasts. The essence of its entire bloodline was truly a priceless treasure. For dragon-type, light attribute, and lightning attribute Spirit Masters, absorbing the Radiance of Glory would have an effect no less significant than fusing with a 100,000-year spirit bone, and could very likely transform one's innate talent and promote Martial Spirit evolution.
'Too bad the Radiant Thunder Hell Dragon isn't Ultimate Light.'
Ling Bai sighed. He had almost been able to solve the problem of obtaining a 100,000-year Ultimate Light source.
"No, you need to buy it."
Electrolux's voice resounded in his mind.
"What? Elder Yi, it's 100 million! Even after the discount, it's still 60 million!"
Ling Bai felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. He wasn't lacking in funds, but he was far from being a wealthy tycoon!
As times changed, the purchasing power of spirit gold coins kept increasing, yet a family of three only spent a few dozen spirit gold coins a year.
What could 60 million spirit gold coins do?
It could arm a heavy cavalry of a hundred thousand men to the teeth!
"The 100,000-year Ultimate Light and Ultimate Fire attributes are like seeds planted within you. The seeds need nourishment to sprout and grow. The Radiance of Glory is top-grade nutrient solution. Whether to buy it or not is up to you."
"..."
Outside, Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen suddenly noticed that Ling Bai's face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot. With the bearing of a warrior heading off to his doom, he walked back toward the west side.
"You're not thinking of buying the Radiance of Glory, are you?" the two women said in unison.
"Mm."
Ling Bai nodded heavily.
"You have that much money?" Ma Xiaotao asked curiously.
"How could I? Even the little princess of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan couldn't come up with half of that, let alone me."
"Then you're planning to use your red card's free item privilege?"
Ma Xiaotao was overjoyed. This meant that Ling Bai would owe Shrek Academy a favor. From now on, they could be considered partners tied together, which would greatly facilitate resolving the evil fire problem!
"Give up that thought!" Ling Bai said irritably. "I'm going to sell even my pots and pans."
Taking three steps in two, he walked straight to the west counter and got to the point with the baby-faced girl:
"Does the Treasure Gathering Pavilion buy treasures?"
The girl was intimidated by Ling Bai's imposing manner and stammered, "Y-yes, we do. Please, this way..."
Ling Bai had saved up 20 million in pocket money over twelve years.
Xiong Mo's assets amounted to 20 million.
Xu Cong was already impoverished. Most of his money had been spent on buying rare metals to make Spirit Guidance Devices. It barely reached 10 million when scraping together bits and pieces.
The white-haired appraiser looked at the pile of items on the table and slowly said:
"Ten Class 7 Spirit Landmines, produced by the Illustrious Virtue Hall, 700,000 spirit gold coins each, for a total of 7 million.
One 13,000-year Berserk Rhinoceros right leg spirit bone, 1.6 million spirit gold coins.
Half of a 70,000-year Scorching Sun Fire Dragon spirit beast, including dragon teeth, dragon scales, dragon blood, dragon flesh, etc., 500,000 spirit gold coins...
Two Storage Spirit Guidance Devices, one Class 7 made by an ordinary Class 7 Spirit Guidance Master, and one Class 8 produced by the Illustrious Virtue Hall, 900,000 spirit gold coins.
The total is 10 million spirit gold coins."
"Shaozhe, this little fellow isn't accepting our goodwill..."
An elderly woman smiled as she spoke to Yan Shaozhe on the top floor of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
Yan Shaozhe sighed, "There's nothing we can do, Elder Lin. The Radiance of Glory is Teacher's treasured collection. I'd heard it was originally meant for Bei Bei, but for some reason, he took it out and placed it in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, and specifically emphasized giving Ling Bai a red-ranked assessment. Unfortunately, Ling Bai is very guarded against the academy.
What I'm more worried about is Xiaotao. She's stubborn as a mule, adamantly refusing to find someone of the opposite sex to release her evil fire, and unwilling to give up the chance for Ultimate Fire. She insists on finding a boy she likes. In the end, she can only endure the evil fire.
The purification from the Seraphim last time is about to lose effect. In the future, she'll still have to rely on Ling Bai's help. If they could get together, it would be a joyous occasion for all. The problem is they can't seem to spark any romantic feelings. When Ling Bai graduates, what will Xiaotao do?
Moreover, that kid is as shrewd as a little fox and is quite the ladies' man, cough cough… much like I was back in the day. Xiaotao's straightforward personality can't compete with him, so it's a difficult situation indeed..."