Chapter 90: Poor Youth

Dragon Spirit Grass, ten years. A rare plant. The starting auction price for it was 260,000 federation coins and it was expected to be sold between 300,000 to 350,000 federation coins.

Water Crystal Peach, twenty to thirty years. A spirit fruit that nourishes the body. For this fruit, the starting auction price was 150,000 federation coins. The expected end price was 180,000 to 210,000 federation coins.

‘They are all so expensive!’ Tang Wulin looked at all of these spirit fruits and grimaced.

Quickly, he took another long look and finally found the spirit fruit he was looking for. It was in the final area he searched.

Ice Crystal Fruit, thirty years. An ice type spirit fruit, rare. Nourishes water-type martial souls. It can also help increase one’s soul power. The starting auction price for this fruit was set at 180,000 federation coins. Expected end price was 220,000 to 250,000 federation coins.

Scarlet Flame Fruit, forty years. Fire attribute, rare. Nourishes fire-type martial souls, and can help increase soul power. The starting auction price for this fruit was 160,000 federation coins and was expected to be sold between 220,000 to 230,000 federation coins.

Ice Crystal Fruit was a type of fruit that appeared glittery, translucent, and light-blue in color. This forty-year-old Ice Crystal Fruit’s size was similar to that of a longan. When viewed beneath a light, wavy lines of white became visible.

Scarlet Flame Fruit was a spirit fruit that was deep-red in color with some pale-golden sparkles gleaming on its surface. Its size was only a bit larger than that of the Ice Crystal Fruit.

After verifying with his own eyes that both spirit fruits truly did exist, Tang Wulin’s trust in the golden figure’s words increased by a bit. Yet, the ages of these two fruits was far from being the hundred-year fruits he needed.

“Right, these are the ones,” Xie Xie unexpectedly appeared and walked up to Tang Wulin’s side. “This is Ice Crystal Fruit, and that is Scarlet Flame Fruit.”

Tang Wulin mumbled, “But they’re not hundred-year fruits!”

Xie Xie answered, “This is an auction. The rarer the good, the higher the level it’ll be auctioned at. These are only normal goods of the first level. I believe the hundred-year fruits can be found at the second level, but we can’t go up to the second level.”

Tang Wulin questioned, “Why not?”

Xie Xie replied, “To enter the second level, you would need to first pay a deposit in order to gain the qualifications to bid. Either that, or you must be a third rank professional and can enter and visit.”

“Deposit? How much is this deposit?” Tang Wulin asked.

Xie Xie looked at him with a strange expression. “You seem very eager to get that hundred-year Ice Crystal Fruit and Scarlet Flame Fruit, ah? Otherwise, why are you being so serious?”

Tang Wulin gave a gentle sigh and simply said, “Please, just continue and explain.”

Observing the bitterness in Wulin’s gaze, Xie Xie frowned. “Wulin, have you met with some misfortune?”

Tang Wulin shook his head. “I don’t want to lie to you, and I can’t tell you either. If you don’t explain, then I’ll ask someone else.”

After seeing that Tang Wulin was set to move away, Xie Xie hurriedly stopped him. “All right, I’ll tell you. The deposit sum is 100,000 to enter the second level. When you reach the third level, you need to add another 100,000 to the deposit. As you move to higher levels, the value of the goods increase and so does the deposit sum.”

A hundred thousand?

Tang Wulin had truly saved up quite a sum of money these past few months and could produce a sum of 100,000. That deposit sum, however, really discouraged him.

Then he recalled that Xie Xie had mentioned third rank professionals. “Would any professional of third rank qualify for entry?”

Xie Xie answered, “Of course. Third rank professionals are considered elite class. Third rank Soul Grandmasters are also the equivalent of third rank professionals. Yet, you have some distance to go before reaching the level of Soul Grandmaster. Not so for me.”

Soul Master? Tang Wulin really had some distance to go just to reach rank twenty, but he was a blacksmith as well!

After his time completing numerous tasks for the Blacksmith’s Association, his understanding of the Association grew. He now knew that the Thousand Refinements was an indication of a third rank blacksmith, and the only obstacle he had to becoming one was Mang Tian disallowing him from revealing his skill. This was the reason why Tang Wulin hadn’t tried the third rank blacksmith examination.

This afternoon, Mang Tian would be arriving at Eastsea City. Tang Wulin’s call the other night requesting Mang Tian’s visit was for the exact reason of allowing Tang Wulin  try the third rank blacksmith examination. After becoming a third rank blacksmith, his pay for completing tasks would be much greater.

Xie Xie continued, “Wulin, if there are areas in which you need my help, please let me know. I’ll help you to the best of my abilities.”

“En. I’m fine. Okay, let’s continue and check the other goods,” He concealed his emotions. Since he’d confirmed that the auction house had the items he was looking for, he would come back again when he had the ability to do so.

As for the ten drops of blood from a dragon-type hundred-year soul beast, there might be a chance he could also find it here. Yet, he kept quiet about it in the presence of Gu Yue and Xie Xie. The most important mission today was to check out the area.

In the end, this auction house trip hadn’t gone to waste. The trio took a stroll around the first level and, aside from learning about new items, they also checked out a few familiar places. For example, forged metals.

The rare metals found on the first level were only hundred refined ones. This level of refinement on the first level  meant that thousand refined metals should be found on the second level.

This discovery filled his heart with hope. If he could qualify as a third rank blacksmith and take on third rank forging tasks, with sufficient time, it would become possible for him to gather enough funds.

After they left the auction house, the trio headed back to the academy for lunch. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to have lunch outside the academy, but Tang Wulin’s appetite was too amazing. He was reluctant to ask Xie Xie and Gu Yue to pay for a meal, so heading back to the academy to eat for free was the most cost-efficient decision.

“I’ll be going to the forging workshop this afternoon. You guys should go back and train. Right, can you also go and collect information on class one? We have no knowledge about them,” Tang Wulin said to Xie Xie.

Xie Xie knew about Tang Wulin’s habit of going to the workshop every week during their rest day.

“Fine, you can go. Isn’t it only class one? I can defeat them on my own,” Xie Xie arrogantly declared.

“Aren’t you afraid a huge gale might cut off that tongue of yours?” At that moment, a strange, cynical voice sounded. “Three little fish from class five, now that’s what I call arrogance.”

Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue turned at the same time and found a few intermediate division students standing a short distance away, their ages similar to the trio’s ages.

The person who spoke was a young boy with center-parted hair and good features. While his looks were good, he had thin lips, which coupled with his sarcastic comment, made it difficult for others to produce good will towards him.

Besides him, the others standing with him all had stoney expressions as they glared at the trio.

Xie Xie’s expression turned cold as he pounded the table. Just as he was about to move towards them, Tang Wulin pulled Xie Xie back. He spoke to Xie Xie in a low voice, “We have already caused enough trouble for Teacher Wu. Can’t you control yourself?”

Glaring icily, Xie Xie spoke out, “You guys must be from class one. After tomorrow, you’ll simply be class two.”