Chapter 245: Grandmaster Cheng
After exiting the auction area, Lin Dong first took a trip to the auction internal department. There, he retrieved all the items he had successfully bid for, including the old yellow praying mat.
As he stood in the small and quiet room, Lin Dong stared at the old praying mat in his hand. It felt lukewarm in his hand, and the numerous mysterious symbols on the praying mat looked extremely cryptic and complicated. Based on these symbols alone, the mat really seemed to be a little special, yet, no matter how Lin Dong probed at it with his Mental Energy, the praying mat before his eyes gave no response at all, causing one to be a little suspicious if these seemingly cryptic symbols were just a false front. If that was true, Lin Dong would have truly lost out this time.
Tightly grasping the praying mat in his hands, Lin Dong’s expression was a little ugly. Soon after, he fiercely cursed in a low voice, keeping all the purchased items into his Qiankun bag, before turning around and leaving the article retrieving room. The current him had practically returned to the point when he left Yan City, as the Pure Yuan pills within his money bag was close to being exhausted...
“If I knew about this earlier, I would have extorted more money from the Di and Liu Families.” Lin Dong was somewhat regretful. At that time, he had thought that two hundred thousand Pure Yuan pills was already a lot. In the end, after buying a few things here did he realize that two hundred thousand Pure Yuan pills was not enough.
Stroking Little Flame, Lin Dong helplessly sighed. Now, he should first go and find a Soul Symbol Master to upgrade the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd...
While Lin Dong sighed, he suddenly smelled a peculiar fragrance float over. This fragrance was not too heavy, and was akin to a young lady’s fragrance, pure yet full of enticement.
When he smelled this fragrance, Lin Dong’s lifted his eyes, and gazed at the woman in a black dress, who had come out from the article retrieval room beside. Turns out, it was the Great Devil Sect’s Mu Qianqian…...
As Lin Dong caught sight of Mu Qianqian, the latter clearly also discovered him. Although the former was currently still wearing a bamboo hat on his head, Mu Qianqian’s beautiful eyes were gentle like flowing water. Soon after, she gracefully took small quick steps over, sweetly smiling as she spoke: “This friend does not seem to be someone from my Great Desolate Province right?”
“The Great Desolate Province is vast and filled with numerous capable people. How can miss Mu know all of them.” Lin Dong did not understand why this woman, who had a rather high position in the Great Devil Sect, would suddenly take the initiative and talk to him. Yet, he did not forget his manners. Though the beauty before him was so pretty that she would cause one’s heartbeat to quicken, he understood that she was a rose with poisonous thorns. If he had any ill intentions, his fate would like not be a pleasant one.
Lin Dong’s suppressed voice sounded a little hoarse, and was greatly different from his original voice.
In response to Lin Dong’s reply, Mu Qianqian covered her mouth and chuckled, as her beautiful eyes swept across the former’s body. With her outstanding eyesight, she was able to guess that the face below the bamboo hat should not be too old. Moreover, the fact that the latter was able to unblinkingly took out one hundred thousand Pure Yuan pills should indicate that he had substantial funds. In addition, she sensed that although the man before her only seemed to be have the strength of the Form Creation stage, she constantly felt him give off a faintly discernable aura of danger. This kind of slightly mysterious character was worth making friends with.
“Since young master knows this little lady’s name, shouldn’t I also know yours?”
“Lin Dong.”
Lin Dong hesitated for a moment, and was not overly resistive. This woman had a high position in the Great Devil Sect, there was no disadvantage for him if he was able to make some ties.
“So you are young master Lin…” Upon hearing this, a mesmerizing smile appeared on Mu Qianqian’s pretty face. Just as she was about to speak, her umber-black brows suddenly furrowed a little.
“Hehe, miss Qianqian, so this is where you were.”
A voice that was somewhat familiar to Lin Dong sounded out from behind. Below the bamboo hat, Lin Dong’s eyebrows slightly raised, as he looked behind, only to see the Ghastly Puppet Cult’s Hua Zong grinning as he walked over.
When Hua Zong walked to Mu Qianqian’s side, his slightly feminine gaze turned towards Lin Dong, as his eyes narrowed a little. Though a smile still hung on his face, from what Lin Dong could tell, this smile appeared rather cold. Looks like the former still had a little grudge over the fact that Lin Dong had snatched the Spirit Accumulation Praying Mat away in the auction previously.
This kind of person usually did not have a magnanimous heart, hence, Lin Dong did take too much notice of Hua Zong’s gaze, as he clasped his hands towards Mu Qianqian and said: “Since miss Mu has some matters, I will make my leave first. Goodbye.”
After speaking, Lin Dong ignored Hua Zong, and directly walked past the two. In response to Lin Dong’s attitude, Hua Zong’s eyes jumped for a moment, as his eyes turned a little colder.
...
Lin Dong did not care at all if his actions would provoke Hua Zong. Even if that guy had some status in the Ghastly Puppet Cult, he was currently by himself, and did not fear them in the slightest. If he could not beat them, he would run. Since the Great Desolate Province was so vast, would it not be easy to hide a person?
Therefore, with this lone wolf attitude, he directly exited the auction area, before determining his route, and heading straight for the south district.
The Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd could be considered one of Lin Dong’s deadly weapons. The Heavenly Scales Halberd techniques he practised needed to rely on the former to bring out its greatest might. If he lost the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd, his battle power would drop by ten to twenty percent. Thus, he needed to request a Soul Symbol Master with real ability to personally upgrade the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd.
Over these few days in Great Puppet City, he had already found information about all the famous Soul Symbol Masters. Soul Symbol Masters were also divided into three categories of high, middle and low, yet a high level Soul Symbol Master was as rare as a Manifestation Stage practitioner. In Great Puppet City, the highest level Soul Symbol Master was merely at the middle level, and Lin Dong’s target this time was precisely this person.
This middle level Soul Symbol Master was extremely famous in Great Puppet City. The Thousand Treasure Tower he oversaw was an existence that was second only to the three great factions, the Ghastly Puppet Cult, the Great Devil Sect and the Martial Alliance.
The Thousand Treasure Tower was located in Great Puppet City’s south district. This was the most well known zone within the city. When Lin Dong entered, he saw great tower-like buildings, from which light spread out, an extremely eye-catching sight.
Lin Dong followed the crowd and walked into the extremely popular Thousand Treasure Tower. He did not straightaway look at the various items on sale, but directly walked into the inner hall, at which a servant girl immediately came forward and welcomed him respectfully.
“Help me look for Grandmaster Cheng. I have already made an appointment.” Lin Dong said in an indifferent manner.
Upon hearing Lin Dong’s words, the servant girl was clearly shocked for a moment. Grandmaster Cheng was the only middle level Soul Symbol Master in Great Puppet City. Requesting for his help would cost at least twenty thousand Pure Yuan pills.
While the servant girls was shocked, she also hastily led the way. Lin Dong followed behind her, crossing a corridor, before finally entering a spacious hall. Within the hall, an enormous cauldron was burning.
The most important thing in the hall was a seated elder. Waves of extremely powerful Mental Energy spread out from his body, like a wave as it slowly squirmed.
“Such powerful Mental Energy!”
When he sensed the Mental Energy undulations from the elder, astonishment flitted across Lin Dong’s eyes. With just this powerful Mental Energy alone, the former should be able to match up to a Qi Creation stage practitioner.
After leading Lin Dong here, the servant girl respectfully withdrew from the hall, and locked the door behind her.
“Grandmaster Cheng, this junior is known as Lin Dong. Please forgive me if I have disturbed you in any way.” Lin Dong was very respectful of this elder who had reached the middle level Soul Symbol Master stage, as he politely clasped his hands together and greeted.
“Tell me your business here.” Grandmaster Cheng glanced at Lin Dong, the former’s voice like an ancient well that had no ripples.
Lin Dong nodded his head, and without further ado, his hand grasped, as the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd appeared. With a light stamp, he spoke: “Grandmaster, this ancient halberd of mine is not complete, hence, it is only a middle-grade Soul Treasure. Thus I want to request grandmaster to help me complete the last step!”
While he explained, Lin Dong flicked his finger, and the Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd in his hand slowly floated towards grandmaster Cheng. The latter’s expression was calm as he received it, and gently wiped his hand over the halberd. An astonished look flashed across his aged face, before his lifted his head to cast another glance at Lin Dong, and slowly said: “This Soul Treasure is rather unique, however, to complete the last step, many materials are needed.”
“The materials have already been gathered by this junior.”
Lin Dong’s hand waved, as several materials flew out from his Qiankun bag, before landing in front of grandmaster Cheng.
“Oh.” After checking through the materials, grandmaster Chen nodded his head, before replying in a casual tone: “Fifty thousand Pure Yuan pills.”
Upon hearing this price, Lin Dong’s eyes violently twitched for a moment. To think that helping to complete the last refining step would actually require fifty thousand Pure Yuan pills. Damnit, this it too much...
“Such a rip off!”
Fiercely cursing in his heart, Lin Dong could only extremely helplessly nod his head, as he flung out a Qiankun bag. This was all the Pure Yuan pills he had, and from now onwards, he would have thoroughly become a poor soul who did not own more than ten thousand Pure Yuan pills.
Grandmaster Cheng calmly accepted the Qiankun bag, and casually tossed it into a cauldron behind him without checking its contents. He then spoke in a toneless voice: “Refining will take three days. During these three days, you can stay here, however, you cannot make any noise, or else, you should voluntarily leave. Other than that, there is a thirty percent chance of failure, and if that happens, the ancient halberd materials will be completely destroyed.”
Lin Dong slowly nodded his head. He already knew all of this. Although the thirty percent chance of failure caused him to feel somewhat nervous, it felt much more worth and relieving than the low level Soul Symbol Master’s chances of failure, which surpassed fifty percent.
“Phew…”
After saying a prayer in his heart, Lin Dong also sat down. The Ancient Heavenly Scales Halberd was rather important to him, and he did not plan to leave this place during these three days!
“It must succeed…”
Staring at grandmaster Cheng, who was about to start his work, Lin Dong muttered inwardly to himself.