Legendary Soul Art

"So you want a guarantee that my Master will actually commit to his promise or else the Academy would be blamed?" Number One repeated Headmaster Blake's demands and shook his head. "I don't know why are you all worried. If anyone would be blamed, it would be my Master since he would be meeting with all the experts in person. He is only asking to pass on the message to the right people."

"Well, I trust you fully after witnessing your skills but the Academy Board is being cautious," Headmaster Blake replied with a shrug. "They want to meet with the Legendary Alchemist before the Academy announces the cooperation. They don't want to risk offending Inner World Soul Artists if he decided to not show up."

"I can't really control what my Master is doing, I'm just a messenger," Number One pointed out indifferently and pulled out a vial of ten Soul Boost Pills. "Talking about a message, my Master has visited me at night and passed me this vial with the new pills he created."

"Oh! Your Master is in the area?" Headmaster Blake questioned in surprise as he wasn't even surprised that the Academy defenses were breached. "They are all Earth Rank pills of supreme quality. I guess it shows who did you study under. What are they?"

"He named them Soul Boost Pills. They can regenerate Soul Energy and replace Soul Crystals if one wishes to Cultivate with them. They have no side effects and should be useful for any Soul Artist no matter their Soul Rank," Number One explained as he watched Headmaster Blake smell the inside of a vial. "You can give it to the Board as proof and then announce an auction. My Master will bring many pills for sale, including Heaven and Saint pills."

Headmaster Blake's eyes brightened. "That's perfect! If the effects are as you said, this Soul Boost Pill would definitely become a hit on the market. It would also prove that the Academy is working with the Legendary Alchemist and more experts would arrive. How about we announce your Master's Soul Herb list on the Auction instead? We can sell a copy to everyone and get even more money."

Number One paused at the idea as it wasn't that bad. He would always need more Soul Crystals for his Dual-cultivation so he could rip all the experts even more. It actually helped with his ultimate plan. "That shouldn't be an issue. I will inform my Master about it."

"That would be for the best. The board would still be more assured if they can meet your Master before the auction," Headmaster Blake replied excitedly as he kept the vial. "I will leave today to meet up with the Board then. You all will only depart tomorrow so we will meet in the main Academy."

Number One only nodded even though he knew the truth. The board was just an excuse as it was Headmaster Blake who wanted the confirmation. Being the head of the Academy, he couldn't take risks that would ruin the Academy's reputation. At the very least he agreed to the auction which was the best Number One hoped for.

"I will go to my room to change," Number One informed casually and finally separated from Headmaster Blake. He changed his ripped uniform but instead of returning back to the Training Grounds, he headed towards the main gate.

The Final Test was supposed to last for many hours and Number One didn't like wasting time. Since his plans changed and he had to wait for his Soul Herbs, he could only get his own supply. It just happened that the local Auction House was receiving a new supply of Soul Herbs that day and he couldn't miss such an opportunity.

———

Although the Auction House held weekly Auctions of various treasures, they were mainly operating similar to a market where one could buy everything related to Cultivation. One day a week a larger shipment of goods arrived from the Capital and one could secure the best prices if they were lucky.

It naturally meant the Auction House was filled with people who came from all nearby cities to supply their own stores. It was especially the case for the Soul Herbs section but instead of shopkeepers, it was filled with Alchemists. Tens of people stood in front of the Soul Herb building as they waited for the market to open.

"Hey, we have been waiting for an hour already. How long do you want us to wait? I could be making pills by now." One of the older Alchemists complained to the guards but he only received a glare.

"I already said it many times. The shipment was delayed today. Either you wait or leave," the guards replied annoyed and were about to flip when another person in a cloak approached them. "If you are going to ask the same question, I'm going to ban you from entry."

The person looked up and they turned out to wear a weird golden mask with only a single hole for eyes. The guards were immediately taken aback and then their eyes widened when two shiny pills appeared between the person's fingers. "That's…"

The guards weren't able to finish before all the Alchemists exclaimed in surprise. "Supreme Tier Pills!!"

The person behind the golden mask didn't even react and simply threw one pill each to the guards before walking past them without saying a word. The guards were completely dumbfounded as they looked at the pills in their hands and quickly kept them in a protective vial.

"Hey! That's bribery!" the old Alchemist complained right away despite being in shock but the guards acted as if it was completely normal.

"If you can give us a supreme tier pill, you can also go inside earlier than others."

That statement shut everyone up as no one was this stupid. Even a common supreme tier pill was worth a fortune.

Inside a massive hall, the Auction House managers were busy displaying all the Soul Herbs but they paused after seeing a stranger walk inside. They raised their eyebrows as they all looked at a single man directing them all and he immediately frowned as well. "Hey you, the Market is still closed. I don't know who let you inside but—"

His speech was cut off when the person raised his head and pulled out a vial of shinny pills from under his cloak. "I'm buying every single Soul Herb. Stop unpacking and start packing."