Chapter 85: Heavenly Essence
Zen did not have enough cubic crystals.
However, Zen had learned from Wurth that if he desired an item, he could join in the bidding. As long as the quoted price was not higher than the cubic crystals he would earn for the crystal core of the fire scorpion lion, Zen could afford to bid.
Thus, when Zen saw the Weapon Refining Principle, he bid against Fren even though the other bidders had ceased.
20, 100 cubic crystals!
If this had happened before the incident on Hell Mountain, Zen would have been reluctant to spend thousands of cubic crystals buying the Weapon Refining Principle. On the contrary, he would have saved these cubic crystals to exchange for points at Cloud Sect.
However, after the battle on Hell Mountain, Zen had realized how large the skill gap was between him and Vale.
If he wanted to narrow this difference, Zen had to improve in every aspect.
Not just his strength!
If Zen could learn how to refine weapons, or even become a master of weapon refining, his request to visit or save Yan might not be denied!
Admittedly, there were no guarantees that buying and reading the Weapon Refining Principle would help Zen become a weapon refiner. However, Zen did not have many choices. He had to persist with his plan.
Since learning from the Weapon Refining Principle would give him an advantage, Zen was determined to buy it.
“Rest assured, Nory and Sean. I have enough cubic crystals,” said Zen with a smile.
Nory's and Sean's foreheads creased as they wondered how Zen had accumulated tens of thousands of cubic crystals. But when they thought of Zen's cautious personality, they relaxed slightly.
Many people darted a curious glance in Zen's direction when they heard him bid against Fren.
Astonishment reflected on their faces when they saw that Zen was just a teenager. What surprised them, even more, was that he was only an outer disciple at Cloud Sect.
Twenty thousand cubic crystals was a significant amount of wealth anywhere.
The average family could not put up so much money. The boy with a white robe was a half-step into the nature level. Did he belong to a noble clan?
Some people whispered and speculated about Zen's identity.
Fren shot Zen a sideways glance and called out, “Twenty-one thousand!”
Several leaders within the Zhuge Clan had asked Fren to buy the book at any cost as it contained detailed knowledge of Chase's work. The Weapon Refining Principle also contained Chase's secrets, especially those related to weapon refining. Thus, attaining the Weapon Refining Principle was of utmost importance to the Zhuge Clan.
In fact, from Fren's point of view, spending more than twenty thousand cubic crystals on a weapon refining handbook was unreasonable, but he had to obey the order.
Though he had a calm look, he was furious at Zen for increasing the price.
Since Fren had an ulterior motive to buy the book, he could not express his anger at Zen's actions. Otherwise, his true purpose for securing the book would be revealed to all the bidding opponents and they would be spurred to compete with him to the end. It would not be cost-effective, even though he would buy it, regardless of the price. After all, the auction was, in essence, a psychological game.
It seemed that Fren's bid had been random, but it had been his strategy.
“Twenty-one thousand and one hundred cubic crystals,” Zen continued to raise his bid.
Zen's voice was fairly steady, emotionless, and confident.
At present, Fren realized that he was in trouble as it seemed that Zen was going to bid to the end.
The trouble came not only from the boy but also from the other opponents.
Although Fren always behaved crazily and ridiculously, those who knew him well understood that madness was just his disguise.
If Fren continued to compete with Zen, the price of the Weapon Refining Principle would rise too high, and it would arouse the interest of other noble clans. That was not what Fren wanted.
“Twenty-one thousand and one hundred cubic crystals!” shouted Nestor. “Is there a higher bid?”
“Twenty-two thousand,” Fren called out again, stroking the face of the young woman beside him. “Vivan, get that kid to shut up!”
Vivan stood and nodded in understanding. Her slim waist swayed seductively as she made her way toward Zen's room.
“Twenty-two thousand and one hundred!”
Zen raised the bid by a hundred cubic crystals just as a beautiful woman appeared at the door of his room.
The beauty smiled as she leaned against the door. Once she had Zen's attention, she said, “Hey boy, could I talk with you?”
Nory and Sean were hot-blooded youths. Thus, their hearts beat faster when they saw the enchanting Vivan.
However, Zen turned his head and asked Vivan calmly, “What do you want?”
“My master asked me to tell you to give up the bidding,” said Vivan, staring straight at Zen.
Zen returned her smile as he asked, “Why should I give up?”
“Because my master wants you to,” said Vivan. Malicious intent twinkled in her brown eyes.
What arrogance!
Zen's forehead wrinkled when he heard what Vivan said. Since entering Cloud Sect, Zen had met many arrogant people. He sneered at Vivan, “Your master? Who is he?”
“My master's surname is Zhuge,” replied Vivan proudly. The Zhuge Clan was renowned in the Burning Sky Empire, so Vivan thought that Zen would change his mind after learning that Fren came from the Zhuge Clan.
“Zhuge?” murmured Zen. Then his face darkened. From Hell Mountain to the south of the empire, he had clashed with members of the Zhuge Clan many times. They were like annoying leeches that kept clinging to him!
“Yes, my master is Fren Zhuge. I believe you have heard of him. So, please do not bid again, or you will get into trouble,” said Vivan, with a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.
“Oh! Fren Zhuge!” Zen nodded and repeated, “Is he the one who is usually called the Loony Fren?”
Vivan grinned, “It seems that you have heard of my master's nickname...”
“Just tell him to die,” replied Zen as he sneered at Vivan in disgust.
At the moment, Vivan stood on the spot stiffly with a fixed grin. She had thought that Zen would comply with her request after learning of her master's identity. She hadn't expected Zen to refuse so firmly.
Zen dared to speak so haughtily, implying that he was not afraid of Fren at all.
A hint of life vitality scattered out from Vivan's hair...
Vivan's straight hair curled and surged like the waves of the sea. Then they rose in spirals to form five cones. In the next instant, they pointed at Zen, like five spinning drilling bits. She threatened, “Anyone who has dared to offend my master has died. Do you want to die as well?”
Zen smiled, pointed to the auction hall, and cautioned, “Huh, do you want to fight me now? You'd better take a look around and see where you are.”
The dispute in the room immediately drew the attention of the people in the auction house.
Noticing the strange situation, a few guards of the Zhang Clan approached Zen's room. Blessed Auction House was obliged to keep its customers safe, and fighting was absolutely prohibited in the auction house.
Vivan glanced at the guards and recalled her life vitality. She snorted and turned to leave the room.
Gazing at her receding figure, Zen smirked and shouted, “Twenty-four thousand and one hundred!”
Hearing Zen's bid and seeing Vivan's livid face, Fren knew that Zen had not taken his threat seriously.
“What did the boy say?” asked Fren with a smile.
Depressed, Vivan said, “He said you should go die!”
“Ugh!” Fren didn't seem angry when he heard Vivian. He reached out with one hand, touched Vivan's face, and said, “How dare he speak like that? I haven't been in such a situation for a long time! In that case, I'll quit the bidding!”
Vivan's eyes widened when she heard Fren. She asked, “Why do you quit, master? Are you afraid of that kid?”
Fren shrugged and explained, “If I continue to bid, the older members from other noble clans might not keep out of the affair. If they own the Weapon Refining Principle, I will not be able to get it back. It's better to give up now. If the boy obtains the book, all I need to do is to grab it from him.”
A smile appeared on Vivan's face as she understood Fren's scheme.
Indeed, it would be impossible to take the Weapon Refining Principle from Zen when he was in the Blessed Auction House. But Zen would leave the auction house eventually and then, Fren would get his chance. Since Zen was wearing the outer disciple robe of Cloud Sect, it would not be difficult to learn his identity either. It would be easier to snatch the book from Zen at Cloud Sect.
Since Fren stopped bidding, no one competed with Zen for the Weapon Refining Principle, and Zen won it eventually.
However, according to the rules, Zen must offer enough cubic crystals to take ownership of the Weapon Refining Principle. Since Zen's crystal core of the fire scorpion lion had not been auctioned, he didn't have the crystals needed to complete the purchase.
From the platform, Nestor announced, “Well, just now we had a little trouble with the Weapon Refining Principle. Anyway, we have sold it at a good price. We still have two treasures to auction. Initially, they were supposed to be the finales of the auction, but now, we have decided to sell them in advance! The floor price of these two objects is far higher than that of the Weapon Refining Principle. But I believe you will be very interested in them!”
After Nestor finished speaking, he took out a small jade bottle.
He shook the bottle with his right hand, and at the same time, a thread of life vitality came out from his left hand and floated to the mouth of the bottle.
Then, a few small particles spread out from the mouth of the jade bottle, one drop after another, just like tiny droplets of water, but with a metallic luster.
“Here are fifty drops of heavenly essence! The base price is twenty thousand cubic crystals. You can start bidding now!” Nestor waved his left hand, utilizing his life vitality to disperse the drops of heavenly essence in the air so that everyone in the auction house could see them clearly.
“Wow!”
The bidders' enthusiasm was aroused, and they began talking animatedly.
When added to weapons, the heavenly essence would increase their grade by one level.
For example, if the heavenly essence were added to a mid-grade spiritual weapon, it would be elevated to the top grade.
However, heavenly essence was extremely rare, and so far, people did not know how to obtain it in larger quantities. Whenever heavenly essence appeared, the owners would add it into their weapons immediately.
It was said that heavenly essence was the key base of all the mysterious, spiritual, and even fairy weapons!
The reason why these weapons had tremendous power was that weapon refiners blended the weapons with a glimmer of Heavenly Law during the process of refining. Heavenly essence contained pure Heavenly Law in very high concentrations!
It was rumored that even a low-grade mysterious weapon could have a little bit of heavenly essence, but so far, no one had been able to extract any.
Zen was stunned when he saw the heavenly essence. As the droplets danced in the air, shimmering under the light, his jaw dropped to the ground. His heart beat faster as he stared at the silver particles floating in the air.
Weren't these tiny substances the same as the iron essence that was produced by the black fire that melted mysterious weapons?