Chapter 045: A Reminder

Morning light filtered through the verdant branches, casting beams upon the earth and dappling the forest with shifting shadows. After packing away her camping gear, Shen Duo took the blue potion she had retrieved from the cold pool and set off toward the auction house in Luo City.

Upon reaching the entrance, she stated her purpose. A young attendant hurried inside to report, then promptly led Shen Duo in. Lina was in the midst of inspecting the items for the afternoon auction when she saw Shen Duo enter. Smiling, she regarded her—here stood a girl clad in black, her figure upright and slender, her smooth black hair tied neatly into a ponytail. After a few days apart, the brilliance in Shen Duo’s clear eyes seemed even more striking.

“Shen Duo, has the Sword Spirit’s strength stabilized?” Lina asked in surprise.

Shen Duo nodded with a faint smile. “It’s all thanks to you telling me about that cold pool. Without it, I wouldn’t have advanced so swiftly.”

Lina felt an urge to roll her eyes. Was it really necessary to be this much of a prodigy? It was one thing to gain a breakthrough by fighting someone, but even stabilizing her power happened so quickly—how was anyone else supposed to keep up? She remembered, back when she advanced from Grand Illusionist to Spirit Illusionist, she had been holed up for three months in the academy just to stabilize her strength! By the time she emerged, she was practically unrecognizable.

Lina poured Shen Duo a cup of Golden Blossom Brew. “Try this new drink from Butto Tavern.”

She poured herself a cup as well, her slender fingers smoothing her glossy hair, and invited Shen Duo to sit and talk. Today, Lina wore a pale violet Illusionist’s robe, the collar intricately embroidered with red roses; the form-fitting garment perfectly accentuated her alluring figure.

“There’s no such thing as a casual visit from you, Shen Duo. I suppose you’ve brought something new and interesting again?” Lina said, winking playfully at her.

Sipping the Golden Blossom Brew, Shen Duo nearly choked at Lina’s suggestive look. Please—she wasn’t one of those lechers! Hastily setting down her drink and coughing once, she took a bottle of blue potion from her storage ring and placed it before Lina.

“This?” Lina asked.

Shen Duo nodded. Lina immediately picked up the bottle, examining it with care. She opened the cap and took a gentle sniff, then poured a single drop onto a white handkerchief to study it more closely.

“This is a potion?” Lina exclaimed in astonishment.

It was no wonder—working at an auction house, Lina could discern the essence of a thing with but a simple appraisal.

“It’s a potion that can accelerate an Illusionist’s cultivation,” Shen Duo replied calmly.

Seeing the composure on Shen Duo’s young face, Lina could no longer stay composed herself. “Shen Duo, what kind of luck do you have? Did you make the acquaintance of a master alchemist here in Luo City?”

Shen Duo smiled faintly. “Lina, don’t worry about alchemists for now. Pour some of this blue liquid into your palm and sense it using your own spirit energy.”

Though still full of questions, Lina followed her instructions. A few drops of the blue potion stood out starkly against her white skin. Lina summoned the cyan spirit energy within her, and suddenly felt a surge of dense spirit energy in her palm. As it mingled with her own, the blue potion was absorbed, leaving behind only ordinary clear water. Lina opened her eyes to find that the blue potion had vanished.

She stared at Shen Duo wide-eyed. “This is a concentrated Spirit Illusion Energy potion—one of the best aids for Illusionist cultivation. Even a Sky Illusionist would benefit from it.”

Shen Duo hadn’t realized this potion she’d stumbled upon actually had a formal name. According to Lina, its uses were vast: Illusionists cultivated by absorbing spirit energy from the air, but not all regions of the Sacred Radiance Continent were abundant in it. The four great clans, the royal family, and some ancient academies all had their own high-concentration spirit energy chambers, where cultivation could be several times faster than usual. This was why the powerful Illusionists of the great clans grew stronger with each generation. Maintaining such chambers required rare herbs and minerals—the same materials used, in simplified form, to create these concentrated potions.

Prestigious clans and high-ranking royals carried these potions when they trained outside their territories. The potions were not only rich in spirit energy but also gentle in effect, harmless even to novice Illusionists, making them all the more precious. Independent Illusionists could only dream of such a luxury, especially since both the ingredients and the alchemical skill required for their creation were highly demanding. As a result, these potions were priceless, and even someone as experienced as Lina had only ever received a small bottle as a gift from Teacher Luo Hui, who’d paid dearly for it through special channels when she was advancing at the academy.

With a smile, Shen Duo pushed the bottle toward Lina and produced a second, identical one from her storage ring. “Lina, this one’s for you. Please help me auction the other. I have no idea what price to set—handle it as you see fit.”

Lina stared in shock, then her face lit up with joy and disbelief. “This one’s for me?”

“Of course. Just one condition: don’t ask where I got it.”

Overjoyed, Lina threw her arms around Shen Duo and planted a kiss on her cheek, to the visible annoyance of Yu Sha sitting nearby, who rolled his eyes and muttered sourly, “Is that really necessary? It’s just a stupid potion!”

Shen Duo laughed awkwardly and wiped away her sweat in secret. Such a fiery beauty was more than she could handle.

“Don’t worry. The auction house has its rules, and between friends, trust is most precious. If you choose not to tell me, I won’t ask,” Lina said sincerely.

“By the way, this potion evaporates easily. It shouldn’t be exposed to air—keep it in a storage pouch or ring,” Shen Duo added.

Lina smiled charmingly. “If I, as a senior auctioneer, didn’t know that, I’d be unworthy of the title.”

Shen Duo was speechless. So everyone already knew—her warning was unnecessary.

After putting away the two bottles, Lina’s expression grew serious. She glanced at Shen Duo and asked solemnly, “Tell me honestly, Shen Duo—does Shen Qing’s disappearance have anything to do with you?”

The question made even Yu Sha, previously listless, perk up and listen intently.

Shen Duo considered, then nodded.

Lina was startled, but quickly regained her composure. Shen Duo’s string of extraordinary encounters had made her accustomed to surprises; even if she were told this calm girl could practice alchemy, she wouldn’t be shocked anymore.

“Shen Qing was scum and deserves no pity, but he was still the lord of a city, even if it was only a border town run by the Shen family. His sudden disappearance will inevitably draw attention from the main Shen family in the capital. Two days ago, I received word that Shen Aofan has already reported his father’s disappearance to the main city. Within days, the family will send investigators. You lived in the main city long enough to know the strength of the four great clans’ investigation teams. Be careful these next few days. If possible, it might be best not to remain in Luo City,” Lina said gravely.

Shen Duo searched her memory for what she knew of the investigation teams. Each of the four great clans had one—a kind of internal oversight body. To join, one’s average strength had to be at the level of a Sky Illusionist!