Apotheosis

Several Cloud Sect officials were in a side-hall at Drizzle Peak, dispensing elixirs.

At that time there were not too many people getting elixirs. Zen, Nory, and Sean showed their disciple cards and were given several pills.

These grade two energy gathering pills could enhance the speed at which the human body condensed life energy, making them an ideal aid. Besides, even though they were common within the sect, outside the Cloud Sect, the pills could fetch a reasonable price.

After putting the elixirs away, they saw a man walking down from the mountain path, approaching.

The man was fat but walked at a fast pace. There was only one such man at Drizzle Peak, and his name was Wurth. He was injured in the battle ring a few days before.

"Hello, Wurth!" greeted the three men.

Seeing them, Wurth smiled as he walked up to them.

"Wurth, have you recovered from your injuries?" asked Zen nervously. Since his return from Hell Mountain, he'd spent three days in seclusion refining privately and hadn't visited Wurth.

Wurth waved his thick arm, lightly responding, "It was nothing! It's healed!"

Zen nodded and said, "I'm glad to hear that."

"What's the hurry? It's not an emergency to get the elixir. Do you have something important to do?" asked Sean in curiosity.

"Yes, I am leaving the Cloud Sect for a while. There will be a big move at Blessed Auction House today. My brother asked me to watch it," answered Wurth.

"The Blessed Auction House?" The eyes of Nory and Sean widened as though something occurred to them. "Wurth, you aren't from the Blessed Zhang family, are you?" they asked almost simultaneously.

Zen was confused at their reaction.

Nodding his head readily, Wurth admitted that he was.

The Blessed Zhang family was legendary in the Burning Sky Empire.

The family had no great talent, and it was not even a noble clan!

What the Zhang family had was a hidden power far beyond that of an ordinary noble clan! That secret power made this family almost as mighty as the top seven noble clans!

All of this Zhang family's descendants were business geniuses which gave them an advantage.

The Zhang clan controlled most of the economic lifeline in the Burning Sky Empire and oversaw many of the exchanges in the empire's largest exchange shops and auction houses.

Even cubic crystals negotiations were set up by the Zhang family.

So, the Zhang family had a unique position in the economy of the whole empire.

The famous Blessed Auction House was one of their many properties.

A majority of the most impressive auctions were conducted through the Blessed Auction House.

"Wow! Wurth, I didn't know you were part of the Zhang family! You are so laid-back!" stated Sean shaking his head slowly as though in shock.

"It's tough for the average person to get into the Blessed Auction House, Wurth, are you able to take us so that we can see it for ourselves?" asked Nory. He didn't want to miss a chance like this because he was interested in this kind of thing.

Nodding, Wurth said, "No problem! That'd be a piece of cake to do!" Then he turned to Zen and proposed, "Zen, will you come with us?"

Zen wanted to turn Wurth down

ntial was unlimited. Plus he was a man the Zhang family would like to win over and even invest in. But, as an outer disciple, what could he possibly have that was valuable?

Nodding and smiling slyly, Zen said, "Yes, I do have an item for sale."

"Can I ask, what it is?" asked Wurth curious about what Zen had. Wurth knew Zen wasn't one to loosely talk. If his item had no value, he wouldn't bring it for auction.

"A crystal core from a Fire Scorpion Lion," replied Zen quietly.

The announcement made Wurth's chubby face twitch a few times.

Every member of the Zhang family had a flair for business, and Wurth was no exception. Since he'd been molded from childhood in the family environment, he was highly sensitive to the values that various treasures, and rare materials had.

When Zen said he had a crystal core from a Fire Scorpion Lion, Wurth almost doubted that he'd heard him correctly.

The crystal core from a Fire Scorpion Lion had extraordinary uses and was precious to pill and weapon refiners. Apart from that, the most important thing was that the Fire Scorpion Lion was at the brink of extinction. Wurth searched his memory, and he recalled the last auction with a crystal core of Fire Scorpion Lion occurred three years ago.

That crystal core sold for nearly twenty thousand cubic crystals, and Wurth recalled, it was from a young Fire Scorpion Lion.

If Zen really had a crystal core from a Fire Scorpion Lion to auction off, then Wurth would inadvertently bring great business for the family.

"Zen, follow me!" Zen didn't seem to be joking, so, Wurth took Zen to a secret room in the auction house, and asked, "Can I look at the Fire Scorpion Lion's crystal core?"

The careful manner that Wurth was taking made Zen feel both funny and awkward.

Zen knew the crystal core was highly prized and valuable in the empire, but Wurth's performance was overly cautious.

Zen put his finger on his space ring, and a moment later the crystal core appeared in his hand, glowing with a fiery sheen.

This was a complete, fist-sized crystal core, and obviously from an adult Fire Scorpion Lion.