Chapter 34

Mu Qin said, "Not only is the Tayan Academy on high alert, but even the Tianfeng City is in a state of war readiness. Experts from various forces are out in full force, conducting a thorough search. The demonic corpses discovered yesterday have all been eliminated, but no one can be sure how many more there are, or who is behind this and what they are planning... You just need to stay in Tayan Academy and don't move around randomly."

While Mu Qin was speaking, Shui Qingwu glanced at Shen Lang a few times, trying to read his expression. However, she found that he was sitting very upright, but his eyelids drooped, and he had fallen asleep again!

This class was still about alchemy. During the class, Mu Qin would occasionally ask Shen Lang a few questions, which made Shui Qingwu quite surprised.

A prestigious alchemy mentor actually kept asking a student questions during class, and it didn't seem like a test, but more like... seeking advice!

Could it be that this student was even better at alchemy than the mentor?

Shui Qingwu was filled with curiosity about the drowsy Shen Lang.

"Shen Lang, can I ask where you were last night?" After holding back for a long time, Shui Qingwu couldn't help but ask softly.

Shen Lang's neighbors, Su Hen and Lin Feng, immediately perked up their ears.

"At the dormitory, sleeping. Did I go out to pick flowers or something?" Shen Lang's words made Shui Qingwu blush and she didn't dare to speak to him casually again.

Shui Qingwu had always been pampered and fawned over, and many people had wanted to speak to her but couldn't. She had never been treated this way before.

She turned her cold face away and ignored Shen Lang. They didn't speak to each other for the rest of the afternoon.

In the afternoon, after the last class's mentor left, Shen Lang woke up precisely and began to write with his pen.

Shui Qingwu wanted to see what he was writing, but thinking of his sullen face, she felt uneasy and left the classroom with a complex expression, surrounded by many people.

"Shao Lang, you're too dominant. You didn't even flinch in front of such a beauty... But you're also too unbrotherly. If you don't like her, you could have given us a chance. You scared her away with your long face! Looking at her eyes... I have a bad feeling..." Lin Feng complained.

"Yeah, yeah, you can't do that again tomorrow. We'll switch seats. You wasted our whole day!" Su Hen echoed.

Shen Lang, without lifting his head, asked, "Did you sell all the spirit-gathering talismans? How many gold coins and spirit stones did you get?"

At this, Lin Feng and Su Hen immediately became excited, forgetting their previous displeasure.

"We sold them all, made a fortune. The Treasure Pavilion raised the price of your sixfold spirit-gathering talismans to a terrifying level, and they were all sold... But we haven't received all the money yet. Shao Lang, do you have more spirit-gathering talismans for us? Ah, doing this business is such a pleasure!" Lin Feng felt refreshed thinking about how easy and profitable it was.

He handed Shen Lang several storage bags, filled with spirit stones.

Shen Lang checked them with his divine sense and shook his head. "Spirit-gathering talismans are just a low-level thing. They're easy to make but a bit tedious and not very valuable. Let's not do this kind of thing anymore. I'll make something more complex."

Lin Feng and Su Hen were stunned. They had made so much money so easily, and he still found it tedious and low-level?

"Is there something more advanced? Can you give us a hint? Don't worry, we won't ask if it's inconvenient." Lin Feng patted his chest.

"I'm not deliberately hiding anything from you. I just don't want to cause trouble. I'll tell you eventually. Trust me, you're my brothers. I wouldn't hide anything from you. I wouldn't hide from anyone else. We only made spirit-gathering talismans because we didn't have the capital. We couldn't afford the materials for something more advanced."

As he spoke, he continued writing. After a while, he pushed two densely written sheets of paper to Lin Feng.

"These are some materials for alchemy and potion-making. The first sheet lists more common and cheaper items, which you can prioritize. If there's money left, consider the second sheet."

"Potion-making? Shao Lang, you're not telling us that you can not only make alchemy items but also potions? You're a freak..." Lin Feng was speechless.

Shen Lang rolled his eyes. "What the heck, who are you calling a freak? By the way, Madman, your Lin family and Su family businesses are said to be quite profitable. How much do you make in a year?"

Lin Feng shrugged. "Not much, about 700,000 to 800,000 gold coins a year. We can't compare to your four major families. I have some new business ideas, but I have no chance to participate in the core affairs of the family. Sigh."

"Only 700,000 to 800,000? If that's the case, you don't need to get involved in the core affairs. When I start selling my potions or elixirs, making a million or two won't be a problem." Shen Lang frowned.

"..." Lin Feng and Su Hen stood there in shock.

"Smack!" Lin Feng slapped Su Hen.

"Damn, why did you hit me, you greedy merchant?" Su Hen was angry.

"Does it hurt? I wanted to see if I was dreaming."

"Ouch, it hurts. So it wasn't a dream..."

Shen Lang smiled and got up to leave. "Help me take a leave. I'm going home to see my parents."

"Wait, Shao Lang, you can't go out at night! It's dangerous!" Lin Feng shouted.

What a joke. The academy had issued a notice, saying there might be demonic corpses outside, which were created by ruthless martial artists. It was very dangerous.

You want to go back to Tianfeng City at night? What if you encounter one?

Lin Feng and Su Hen were worried he might run into a demonic corpse and refused to let him go.

"No matter what, no matter how strong you are, you can't go out today!" Lin Feng was stubborn and didn't want Shen Lang to take the risk.

You never know what might happen. Sometimes bad luck can't be avoided. When the roof leaks, it rains all night, and when the boat is delayed, it meets a headwind. Drinking cold water can even get stuck in your teeth, and a fart can hit your heel.

Who can guarantee there are no demonic corpses outside Tayan Academy?

They are said to be impervious to weapons and very sinister.

Shen Lang was blocked by the two, who wouldn't let him pass. This frustrated him, so he took out two talismans and said, "Look at these talismans."

"Ice Talismans? They seem to be of a high grade?" Su Hen glanced at them.

"You're right." Shen Lang flicked his wrist, and the two talismans burned, making a cracking sound. A wave of ice mist came, and Lin Feng and Su Hen were frozen into ice blocks!

"Remember to take a leave for me. If Mentor Mu Qin asks, just tell her the truth." Shen Lang chuckled, crossed his arms, and walked out.

After a while, a muffled voice came from one of the ice blocks. "Idiot, how much does a third-grade Ice Talisman cost?"

Another ice block responded, "About 3,500 gold coins. What do you want to do?"

"3,500 gold coins! Why didn't he just throw gold coins at me? I want to protest, I want to condemn!" Lin Feng's voice came from the ice block.

"Condemn my sister! Hurry up and find a way out. It's so cold. Being frozen by an Ice Talisman feels like this. I should have worn more clothes..."

Ice Talismans are mainly used to immobilize people. Unless they are very high-grade, they generally don't cause much harm.

However, Ice Talismans are much more valuable than attack talismans like Fireball Talismans because of their direct and quick effects.

If the opponent is frozen for even one or two seconds, the person who released the talisman can immediately kill them. Fireball Talismans can be blocked or dodged.

Shen Lang's Ice Talismans could freeze Lin Feng and Su Hen for about 15 minutes without causing significant harm. So, he walked out of Tayan Academy and headed to Tianfeng City.

Tayan Academy had made the demonic corpse situation public, assuming it would scare the students enough without needing to enforce a strict lockdown. The entrance was as usual, which provided Shen Lang with convenience.

...

Tianfeng City was a bustling city, especially lively during the New Year.

At this time, various families would hold many events, and many of their elite members who were away would return to participate in the family's internal New Year gatherings, showcasing their skills.

Even between families, there would be joint events to test who was stronger.

As night fell, Tianfeng City was brightly lit and bustling.

At the Tianfeng Inn, the largest and most famous inn in Tianfeng City, the outstanding disciples of the four major families—Shen, Xiao, Chu, and Xu—were gathered on the second floor, drinking and discussing.

"I heard that Xu Daolin from the Xu family has returned from his training, and his cultivation has reached the Fifth Level of the Qi Martial Realm. Brother Xu, congratulations to your family," said Xiao Ling, a handsome man in a green robe, holding a wine glass and smiling.

The crowd on the second floor exclaimed in surprise, all eyes on Xu Ping.

Xu Ping enjoyed this attention and smiled proudly. "Yes, my cousin went out for training for less than a year and a half and advanced two levels, from the Third Level of the Qi Martial Realm to the Fifth Level. Haha."

"Just entering the Fifth Level of the Qi Martial Realm. Xiao Bufan from our Xiao family has been at the Fifth Level for half a year. His Green Gang Sword moves like a dragon, incredibly powerful. Even if Xu Daolin reached the Fifth Level, he wouldn't be a match for him," said Xiao Qiyun, a young man in white sitting opposite Xu Ping. The families, except for the Chu family, generally didn't respect each other.

"Reaching a certain level doesn't mean much. My brother Shen Fengxiao has been at the Fifth Level for more than half a year. Who can match him except Chu Qincheng?" Shen Fengyun from the Shen family sneered.

Hearing Chu Qincheng's name, everyone's faces turned strange, and their previous enthusiasm waned.

"Cough, now we're discussing the geniuses of the families who are at the same cultivation level. As for monsters like Chu Qincheng, it's best not to mention them." Xu Ping smiled bitterly. "By the way, I heard that a waste from your Shen family suddenly appeared and defeated Shen Jianfeng. Is this true?"

The Xu family and the Shen family were always at odds, so they seized every opportunity to compete.

However, this time, the Shen family's faces turned a bit difficult, and everyone's eyes focused on a person at the next table who was drinking continuously.

This person was Shen Jianfeng, who had been defeated by Shen Lang.

Shen Jianfeng was disheveled, a far cry from his usual charming self. He didn't speak, just drank.