Chapter 58

Shen Lang put down his teacup and smiled, saying, "Senior’s discernment is impeccable. The potion did indeed fail to improve in quality due to certain reasons, but it’s barely passable. At this level, even if the power were to be increased a bit more, it wouldn’t be very useful."

As he said this, he suddenly remembered something and hesitated a bit before asking, "If I were to hand over this potion formula to your auction, would there be anyone in Tianfeng City who could take it on?"

Shen Lang’s casual response instantly made Sima Qing draw a sharp breath, "A potion formula? My goodness..."

Zhan, who was standing to the side, suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes and flailed his hands in the air. Fortunately, Zhan Lan held him up, preventing him from fainting and embarrassing himself.

Just a moment ago, he was still pondering how the spirit grass Zimu Lan could be used to refine a giant potion.

What role could this herb play in a giant potion?

A giant potion formula...

Even a regular potion formula was the lifeblood of an alchemist, and they would never sell it unless absolutely necessary.

If it were just a regular giant potion formula, it might scare Zhan, but it wouldn’t make an old antique like Sima Qing exclaim.

In fact, Zhan was so shocked mainly because of the few words he heard Sima Qing mutter earlier, realizing that this formula was an unprecedented masterpiece!

Many of the ingredients might be very easy to obtain, which would greatly reduce the difficulty of refining the giant potion and significantly lower the cost!

To put it bluntly, if such a formula fell into the hands of a small family or force, they could rise to prominence with just this one formula!

Zhan could even envision batches of giant potions being produced, bottle after bottle flying past him...

"May I ask, are the various ingredients in this formula really not particularly rare or expensive? Is the refining technique not very complex and difficult?" Sima Qing’s voice trembled, unable to control it.

Shen Lang looked at him with a wry smile and said, "Indeed, none of the ingredients are particularly rare. According to my unique method, it’s very easy to refine... But you don’t need to be so nervous, it’s just a giant potion formula. The effects of giant potions are very limited in the middle to late stages of the Spirit Martial Realm, and the effects diminish as one progresses. For Profound Martial Realm experts, they are almost useless..."

"No particularly rare ingredients... very easy to refine... if there’s such a miraculous formula, no force in Tianfeng City can handle it..." Sima Qing stood up abruptly, his face flushed as he took a few steps in the room, then panted and said to Shen Lang, "Young friend, could you please wait a moment? I’ll be right back..."

"Alright..." Shen Lang looked at him and smiled wryly.

At this moment, Sima Qing took out a crystal-clear crystal card from his chest and handed it to him, saying, "This card has a credit limit of ten million gold coins, which you can use at any time. I hope it will be useful to you. I’ll be back shortly, and we can discuss further... Please rest assured, I will give you a satisfactory answer!"

Without another word, the old man placed the card in Shen Lang’s hand and rushed out in a hurry.

Just before leaving, he called Zhan over, "Zhan, please entertain Young Master Lang for a while. Make sure to treat him well. If you neglect him, I’ll skin you alive! Also, you and Zhan Lan must not leak a single word about what happens here! You know the rules of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes..." In fact, Zhan didn’t need Sima Qing’s warning. After witnessing everything, he was almost scared out of his wits and hadn’t recovered yet.

"Master, please have your tea..." Zhan Lan, though stunned, was the first to recover and immediately came over to pour tea for Shen Lang.

All the words Zhan had thought of earlier suddenly vanished from his mind, leaving it blank. He sat down opposite Shen Lang and laughed foolishly, making Shen Lang roll his eyes.

...

Not long after, in a stone room deep within the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Sima Qing and the Pavilion Master of Tianfeng City, Lin Qingfeng, stood in front of a light screen, bowing respectfully and not daring to breathe loudly.

The light screen emitted a stronger glow, and a veiled woman reclined on a long chair, appearing on the screen.

"Using the千里镜像 (thousand-mile mirror) so urgently, what for? Didn’t I tell you not to bother me unless it’s something important?"

The woman’s voice was slightly hoarse, filled with a bewitching charm, making it incredibly comfortable to hear.

She was veiled, with a graceful figure and a slender, elegant form. Her eyes were like autumn water, and she seemed to float like a celestial being.

"Lord, the matter is as follows..." Lin Qingfeng recounted everything Sima Qing had told him.

"Oh? Such a thing? A formula that turns the mundane into the miraculous is rare. In the entire Star Continent, only the Witch Clan might have it... At all costs, we must win over this young man! Provide him with any resources he needs. As for the formula, the few Green Wood-level forces in Tianfeng City can’t handle it. Send word to the Evil Wind Valley, Holy Light Sect, White Rainbow Sect, and other Black Iron-level forces. They will know what to do." The veiled woman said softly.

Sima Qing hesitated slightly and said, "The Imperial Dragon Sect is a Spirit Copper-level force, and the Jialan Academy is a special existence above the Black Iron-level forces. They are not far from Tianfeng City. Should we inform them?"

The veiled woman huffed lightly, "I understand your meaning, Old Qing. It’s just to curry favor with the Imperial Dragon Sect. The three most powerful sects in the Purple Chu Kingdom are all Spirit Copper-level forces. Besides the Imperial Dragon Sect, there are the Flower Sect and the Departed Hatred Sect. The former is in the southeast, and the latter is in the northwest, so they can’t participate in time. Other forces don’t have the qualifications or the courage to compete with the Imperial Dragon Sect. When the Imperial Dragon Sect acts, it will be easy, and the price won’t be too high. While this might improve our relationship with the Imperial Dragon Sect, it could offend the talented alchemist... Weighing the two, we should choose the young man named Shen Lang."

"This..." Sima Qing and Lin Qingfeng exchanged glances, both seeing shock in each other’s eyes.

A sixteen-year-old who can refine a Spirit Level 5 potion is indeed very powerful and worth recruiting.

But compared to a behemoth like the Imperial Dragon Sect, it seems insufficient. However, the Lord’s intention is...

"There’s no need to say more. You decide how to handle it. If you complete this task, both of you will have done a great service, and you won’t be disappointed..."

"We will do our utmost and die if necessary!" Sima Qing and Lin Qingfeng said in unison.

"A small city like Tianfeng City has such a person, I’m truly curious, hehe..." The woman in the light screen lazily stretched, and with a wave of her hand, the screen returned to normal, showing only a white expanse, with her figure gone.

"Pavilion Master, what should we do next?"

Lin Qingfeng waved his hand and said, "Postpone the auction by six hours and send word to the nearby Black Iron-level forces like the Evil Wind Valley. This time, the Treasure Gathering Pavilion of Tianfeng City will have a grand event!"

...

On the other side, after Sima Qing left, only Shen Lang and the other two remained in the reception room.

Zhan Lan was fine, just looking at Shen Lang with admiration and gratitude, pouring tea for him.

But it was different for Zhan. Staying here was a bit of a torment...

Actually, it wasn’t his fault. If another appraiser were here, the result would likely be the same, but Zhan was just more unfortunate.

The refining process was already going poorly, and then it was interrupted.

The person who came was so young... While sixteen is considered an adult on the Star Continent, in the alchemy field, sixteen is just a child. Who would expect a child to refine a good spirit potion?

Moreover, among the noble families in Tianfeng City and the powerful alchemists from the Tayan Academy and the Heavenly God Academy, Zhan didn’t know anyone like Shen Lang.

So, this time, it was just his bad luck...

Who would have thought that a young boy would shock Sima Qing?

Who would have thought that this boy could not only refine a giant potion but a Spirit Level 5 giant potion?

Forget it, at this point, it doesn’t matter whether he thought of it or not. There’s no point in regretting it...

Thinking of Sima Qing’s murderous gaze, Zhan felt his legs go weak and his back turn cold.

There’s no point in saying anything. He had indeed offended Shen Lang badly, almost to the point of insulting him... No, he did insult him, calling a Spirit Level 5 potion trash. Isn’t that an insult?

Fortunately, Shen Lang didn’t seem too difficult to talk to. He just made Zhan apologize to Zhan Lan and let the matter go...

The question now is, who knows if he really let it go?

With his current status, if he just said a word to the higher-ups at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Zhan would be in big trouble!

Not just at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, but in Tianfeng City as well!

Thinking about this, Zhan’s face turned pale...

He had indeed misunderstood Shen Lang. At this moment, Shen Lang was chatting with Zhan Lan while thinking about refining the potion to cure his father’s poison.

"Zhan Lan, is there no Seven-Star Begonia in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion?"

Zhan Lan said timidly, "The Seven-Star Begonia is very rare and not very valuable, so it rarely appears... But Master is different. You are a talented alchemist and a VIP customer of our Treasure Gathering Pavilion. If you wish, we can issue a task to find the Seven-Star Begonia, and we will definitely find it."

"I understand your meaning. With the Treasure Gathering Pavilion’s strength, finding the Seven-Star Begonia is just a matter of time, but I urgently need it. If it takes too long, it won’t work..." Shen Lang sighed.

"Poof!" A figure flashed, and Zhan suddenly fell to Shen Lang’s feet, hugging his right leg.

"Master Lang, I was wrong. I looked down on you. I’m not a good person. Please forgive me. I won’t do it again..."

"..." Zhan Lan was stunned, unable to react for a moment.

Shen Lang’s eyes widened, and he was at a loss whether to laugh or cry...