71. One step ahead
As soon as Mu Chen and Ye Shi moved out from the guild, Xie Qiong got the news.
"Have you had a conflict with Mu Chen?" Xie Qiong asked with a long face, looking at Xie Danyan in a bad tone.
Xie Danyan nodded and said, "Yes!"
Xie Qiong sighed helplessly, and complained, "Didn't I tell you? Mu Chen is very talented. He is a rare genius, and he is likely to soar into the sky in the future. Why are you picking on him?"
Xie Danyan rolled her eyes and said with a full of resentment, "Grandpa, you were deceived by Mu Chen. That man is an ignorant liar, not a genius at all, not even a talent."
"You said he is a liar?" Xie Qiong asked with a frown.
Xie Danyan nodded and vowed, "Yeah! Grandpa, I have found out backgrounds of Mu Chen. Before he was twelve years old, he was fooling around all day long, making trouble, playing games, and doing everything except real business. A year ago, he suddenly changed and had made progress and became a first-level alchemist. Three months ago, he was certified as a second-level alchemist. The time is very short, the foundation is very weak, and he can't answer the questions of our guild at all. He must have cheated."
Xie Qiong frowned and thought to himself: Could it be that what Xie Danyan said was true? Mu Chen chose not to take the share and bought it out, which seems to prove this point...
"Forget it, Mu Chen has moved out. Let it be." Xie Qiong said indifferently. There were many geniuses in this world, but few could grow up. Xie Danyan was Xie Qiong's proud granddaughter, but Mu Chen was a smart outsider. Compared with the two, Xie Danyan was more important.
"That's right, Grandpa. If people know that you take a liar so seriously, people will laugh at you." Xie Danyan pouted.
Xie Qiong exhaled and said, "Okay, stop talking."
…………
"Mu Chen, you have so many element stones now. What do you want to do?" Ye Shi asked enthusiastically.
Mu Chen raised his hand and said, "Let's change the space ring first. This one is small."
Ye Shi couldn't help frowning and said, "It's such a waste. This one can work..."
Mu Chen said in disapproval, "How come? This is a necessary investment. When we were in the wild, because our rings were not big enough, we couldn't put a lot of things in there, and we wasted a lot."
Ye Shi lowered his head and said in his heart: Although we wasted a lot, those things were worthless.
"Let's go. When I buy a bigger ring, I'll leave this to you." Mu Chen said while holding Ye Shi's hand.
Ye Shi couldn't help being surprised when he heard Mu Chen's words, "Really? Mu Chen, you are so kind."
Things in the imperial capital was expensive, but not all things were expensive. For example, space ring was a rare item in City of Mo, and it was difficult to buy there, but it was a common thing in the imperial capital, available in any larger stores. Mu Chen spent 100,000 elementary stones to buy a space ring with a space of six cubic meters. The price was double the original one, but the space was five times larger.
After buying the space ring, Mu Chen bought a lot of spirit herbs. Some time ago, in order to rush the journey, Mu Chen had not made alchemy for a long time. Now that he had some time, Mu Chen planed to practice again.
…………
"Shadow Moon Shop." Ye Shi stood in front of a shop and stopped, a strange aura flashed in his eyes.
Mu Chen looked at Ye Shi and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Ye Shi frowned and said, "It's nothing, I just think there's something inside that attracts me."
Mu Chen's brain was running fast. In the book, Ye Shi once took a fancy to an inconspicuous ink stone in a shop. Zhuang Yu was there at the time. When he saw the ink stone, he also liked it. The two said almost at the same time that they were going to buy it. The conflict broke out immediately. Zhuang Yu's combat power might not be very good, but at that time, he was accompanied by Lu Yao.
Lu Yao helped Zhuang Yu fight against Ye Shi. Ye Shi was not the opponent of the two protagonists. The shopkeeper came out and arranged for the one with the highest price to win. Lu Yao was rich, and Ye Shi quickly lost.
It was later proved that the ink stone was actually weathered from the demon core of a fifth-level demon beast. What was rare was that after a long time, most of the energy in this demon core had been lost, but the remaining energy became unusually gentle and easy to absorb. Zhuang Yu and Lu Yao took turns using the demon core, enabling their strength to increase a lot.
"Then go in and have a look. Buy whatever you like. We are not short of elementary stones now." Mu Chen said lightly.
Ye Shi nodded and said, "Okay."
Mu Chen and Ye Shi walked into the shop. As Mu Chen expected, Ye Shi really liked the black ink stone, "That's it. 30,000 elementary stones is really expensive!"
"It's not expensive. Only 30,000 elementary stones." Mu Chen bought three pieces of ink stones without hesitation. In fact, Ye Shi only liked one of them. Mu Cheen bought all three ink stones just in case.
As Mu Chen splashed money like water, Ye Shi was worried, "Mu Chen, are you sure about this? I might be wrong. I don't even know what this ink stone is used for."
Mu Chen smiled and said, "It's fine." For a demon core of the fifth-level monster, it's worth taking a risk. The fifth-level monster was equivalent to a master of the martial king level! There were only a few masters at the level of martial king in the Xuanfeng Empire. The real value of this thing was no less than a few million element power.
"Master Mu, this is your thing." The manager in the store handed over the ink stones to Mu Chen.
As soon as Mu Chen received the items , a familiar footstep sounded.
"Mu Chen, what did you buy?" Zhuang Yu's voice came from behind.
6
Mu Chen secretly glad. Even if the goods in the store were clearly priced, there was still room for bargaining. But, fearing that Zhuang Yu would suddenly arrive, Mu Chen did not waste time bargaining at all. Now with the real protagonist being here, it had been proved that his choice was right.
"Nothing." Mu Chen wanted to put away the ink stones, but Zhuang Yu still saw what was in the box.
"What beautiful ink stones! Brother Mu Chen, can you give me the ink stone in the middle!" Zhuang Yu said softly.
(T/N: Bitch, since when Mu Chen became your brother)
Zhuang Yu opened his big eyes and looked at Mu Chen with expectation. He didn't know what was going on with him, but when he saw the ink stone, he wanted it so much.
Mu Chen frowned and said, "No, I bought this thing for a lot of money, so I can't give it to you."
Zhuang Yu looked at Mu Chen, "Brother Mu Chen, what's the matter with you? You said before that you can give me anything. But now you won't give me just a stone."
Mu Chen threw the thing into the space ring and insisted, "It's not possible anyway."
Zhuang Yu looked at Mu Chen with tears in his eyes, and Mu Chen got goosebumps when Zhuang Yu stared at him.
"Mu Chen, let's go." Ye Shi said while holding Mu Chen's hand.
Lan Ruofeng stopped Mu Chen, "Mu Chen, after all, you loved Zhuang Yu deeply before. Are you really doing this right?"
Mu Chen gritted his teeth and said, "That's all in the past. I have nothing to do with him now."
"Mu Chen, if you truly love him, you don’t need to be with him. When it comes to true love, as long as you look at the person you like, you will be happy. You hate Zhuang Yu because he doesn't like you back. This is not true love." Lan Ruo Feng said.
Mu Chen raised his eyes and said impatiently, "Young Master Lan, you are right. It turns out that I don't really love him."
"How can you do this?" Lan Ruofeng stared at Mu Chen with dissatisfaction.
Mu Chen said indifferently, "That's who I am."
"You...why are you being so rude?!" Xie Danyan, who was originally watching, interjected after seeing Mu Chen's unkind attitude towards Lan Ruofeng.
Mu Chen did not want to talk to them, so he left without saying any more.
Xie Danyan looked at Mu Chen's back, and frowned in disgust, "He has moved out of our guild. I think he knows his true level has been exposed, and he is ashamed to stay in our guild. It is strange that grandpa actually likes such an incompetent, rude person."
Lan Ruofeng looked at Mu Chen's back thoughtfully. He stopped Mu Chen before, not simply to stand up for Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu's natural eyes were able to perceive many treasures that were ordinary in appearance but were actually very precious. Zhuang Yu himself did not know that he had such ability.
Under the guidance of Zhuang Yu, Lan Ruofeng bought several treasures.
Lan Ruofeng clenched his fists. The feeling of something of great use being snatched away by Mu Chen surged up again. If it wasn't for the strong guard of the imperial capital, the Lan family's power in the imperial capital was very weak, Lan Ruofeng would have his seniors robbed Mu Chen.
Looking at Mu Chen's back, Zhuang Yu felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.
Zhuang Yu lowered his head sadly, "Why does Ye Shi take things from me?"
Lan Ruofeng comforted, "Okay, Yu, don't be sad, it's just a stone."
Xie Danyan frowned, looking at Zhuang Yu. Zhuang Yu was really weird. Obviously Mu Chen didn't want to give him the stone, but he blamed Ye Shi. Lan Ruofeng was also strange. He was a smart man but he was absurd when he was with Zhuang Yu. Zhuang Yu was really a vixen.
72. College Admissions
Ye Shi was walking on the road and felt a strange feeling in his heart, as if he had taken back what belonged to him.
Mu Chen looked at Ye Shi's expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. It's just that the stone that Zhuang Yu was interested in just now happened to be the one that I preferred." Ye Shi was confused. It seemed that he and Zhuang Yu would always bump into each other every time.
"You have a sharp eye. That stone is not an ordinary ink stone, but a mysterious one. That's why Zhuang Yu's reaction is like that." Mu Chen explained calmly.
Ye Shi was stunned for a moment, turned his head, looked at Mu Chen, frowned, and asked thoughtfully, "Did you already know about it?" That's why he did not hesitate to buy the ink stones.
Mu Chen nodded and said, "Yes. When I saw that stone, I thought it was weird. I am an alchemist, my soul force is relatively strong, and my senses are relatively sharp." In fact, Mu Chen didn't feel it at all. If Mu Chen felt it, Ye Shi and Zhuang Yu wouldn't have a chance to see it. The protagonist's halo is something that not everyone could have.
"Then why did you buy three? Only one looks weird." Ye Shi said.
Mu Chen smiled brightly at Ye Shi, and said, "It won’t arouse anyone’s suspicion."
Ye Shi blinked and said apologetically, "Mu Chen, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. I thought you splashed money once you have so many elementary stones."
Mu Chen smiled nonchalantly, "It's okay. I will take that you're complimenting my acting skills..."
"Zhuang Yu is like my nemesis. I don't know what would have happened if you were a step behind in paying just now!" Ye Shi exhaled and shook his head.
Mu Chen squinted. If he was a step behind just now, then Lan Ruofeng should bid with him. Then he would spend an extra 60,000 elementary stones to buy two more ink stones.
There was obviously something wrong with Lan Ruofeng's attitude just now. He seemed to know that his ink stone was not simple.
In the book, Zhuang Yu had a natural spirit eye, but he could help a few admirers to identify some treasures. Zhuang Yu had been with Lan Ruofeng for so long now. Lan Ruofeng should have also gained a lot from Zhuang Yu. Just now, Lan Ruofeng stood out for Zhuang Yu, maybe not just to please Zhuang Yu, but...
Mu Chen kept thinking that if Zhuang Yu didn't have the ability to have a natural spirit eye, he might not be able to have so many admirers. His admirers might not really like Zhuang Yu, but they just used each other.
…………
Mu Chen and Ye Shi did not go back to the Low-level Alchemist Guild. Mu Chen rented a private training room in the imperial capital. It cost 2,000 elementary stones a day. Although it was a bit expensive, the training room was very safe. No one would know what was going on inside,
When Mu Chen arrived in the training room, he used the purchased star grass to mix it into fire-melting liquid according to the author's book, put the "ink stone" in it and soaked it. The substance on the surface of the "ink stone" quickly melted away, revealing its true colors.
"So beautiful!" Ye Shi couldn't help saying looking at the demon core in Mu Chen's hand.
"Hold it." Mu Chen said.
As soon as Ye Shi grabbed the demon core, a gentle spiritual energy immediately flowed into Ye Shi's body like a trickle, and Ye Shi flushed with excitement.
Mu Chen closed the training room and took turns using the demon core with Ye Shi to improve their strength.
…………
The entrance of Saint Star Academy was full of people.
The most outstanding teenagers of the Xuanfeng Empire were all here.
Bi Lin frowned and said, "The seventh prince of the empire just turns to fourteen years old, and he is already a two-star martial artist."
Shui Qiancheng frowned and smiled bitterly. After entering the imperial capital, Shui Qiancheng had a vague premonition as he saw more and more outstanding young men. At this moment, this premonition was even stronger.
Mu Hong was gloomy. He thought that his strength as a four-star warrior was strong, but only then did he realize that he was nothing.
Chen Yuetian lowered his head, said nothing, and he was not in very good mood either.
"We are having a big problem this time." Bi Lin sighed.
"How on earth did these people cultivate? How can they be so powerful!" Chen Yuetian frowned, puzzled.
Qian Dongting smiled and said indifferently, "Don't be too discouraged. The young people of the great families have been in medicinal baths since childhood, honing their muscles and bones. They practiced earlier than you, and their skills are higher than you."
"The amount of elementary stones you can use in a year may be no more than a month's pocket money for a young boy from a big family in the imperial capital. Your starting point is different, of course, there will be a gap between you and these people. If you want to achieve success in cultivation, resources, opportunities, and aptitudes are equally important."
Qian Dongting smiled lightly, sighed, and said, "Compared with these people, all you can do is work harder. However, in fact, the young people of the imperial families have faced fiercer competition than you since childhood. They practice harder than you."
"On this journey, I realized how small world I used to live. After returning to the family, I will definitely practice hard." Chen Yuetian gritted his teeth.
Qian Dongting smiled and said, "Perhaps, the elders of your family did not expect you to be rewarded. They sent you here so that you can explore the world."
Chen Yuetian suddenly remembered what his grandfather said before he left. At that time, Chen Yuetian was not happy with his grandfather's negative attitude. It seemed that his grandfather had predicted that he would not succeed before a try. Now come to think of it, his grandfather might be right.
"Strange! Mu Chen and Ye Shi don't seem to be here yet." Bi Lin muttered.
"Yes!" Chen Yuetian said.
"What are Mu Chen and Ye Shi doing?! With their strength, they should pass the selection for sure." Bi Lin muttered.
Shui Qiancheng thoughtfully said, "Could it be that something bad happened to them?!"
"Isn't Mu Chen a member of the Low-level Alchemist Guild? How can he have an accident?" Chen Yuetian said with disapproval.
Shui Qiancheng frowned and said, "Actually, I heard that Mu Chen seemed to have a falling out with Xie Danyan, the granddaughter of the president of the Low-level Alchemist Guild, and Mu Chen and Ye Shi moved out from the Low-level Alchemist Guild. "
Chen Yuetian said in surprise, "He and Xie Danyan fell out, why?"
Shui Qiancheng shrugged and said, "I don't know the details, but that is what I heard."
…………
Ye Wu stood there with a pale face. Before Ye Ming left, Ye Xun gave him 50,000 elementary stones. Ye Wu's mother also gave Ye Wu extra 20,000 elementary stones. Ye Wu thought that so many elementary stones were enough to support him all the way to the Saint Star Academy. It turned out that he was very wrong.
The price of goods in the imperial capital was astonishingly expensive, and the amount of elementary stones in their hands was simply not enough. Anyone in the imperial capital could be richer than them.
On the first day Ye Wu arrived in the imperial capital, he had a conflict with a young man in the imperial capital. He was beaten up. So Ye Wu had been quiet lately.
Originally in the Ye family, he was the young master of the Ye family, and people in the city would give him some respect. However, in the imperial capital, he was just nobody. If someone beat him up, he could only apologize with a smile on his face. Ye Wu had never been treated like this.
Ye Rong said worriedly, "What should we do? Those people seem to be very powerful!"
These days, they had lived poorly. They couldn't find a place to live, so they could only sleep on the streets. The natives in the imperial capital were proud and arrogant. Those people looked at them as if they were beggars.
Ye Cheng gritted his teeth and secretly regretted it. If he knew earlier, he shouldn't have let his daddy fight for this admission notice for him. He would not pass the exam. What a waste of the journey!
Ye Wu gritted his teeth and said, "I heard that this selection exams not only strength, but also on aptitude."
Ye Rong couldn't help but sighed softly. Although she didn't want to admit it, Ye Rong also knew that with their level, it would be difficult to get selected. If they couldn't get selected, how would they go back! They had spent out all the elementary stones given by their father.
"Master Ye Shi hasn't come yet." Ye Ming said with a frown.
"Maybe something happened to him on the way and he can't make it." Ye Rong narrowed her eyes and said maliciously.
"I don’t think so!" Ye Ming shook his head and said.
When they arrived at the imperial capital, Ye Ming understood completely that the hope that Ye Xun put on his three children joining the Saint Star Academy and thus changing the fate of the Ye family was extremely slim. The Ye family’s future still depended on Ye Shi, Ye Xun’s least favorite son.
Cheng Wanbai passed through the crowd, sweeping across the youths from time to time.
"Wanbai, who are you looking for?" Xie Danyan asked.
Cheng Wanbai frowned and said, "I'm looking for a young man named Mu Chen. Do you know him? He's a very talented alchemist."
Xie Danyan rolled his eyes and said, "How can you find that liar?!"
"Liar?" Cheng Wanbai said with a frown.
Xie Danyan nodded and said, "Yeah! He cheated and took 600,000 elementary stones from my grandfather. Then he hides somewhere. I think he has probably run away with the money."
Cheng Wanbai shook her head and said, "I don't know why you said that, but I don't think Mu Chen is that kind of person. His alchemy skills are really superb."
"Wanbai, I know you have a sharp eye, but this time, I'm afraid you really made a mistake." Xie Danyan shook her head and said.
Cheng Wanbai smiled and didn't say anything more. Xie Danyan took a fancy on Lan Ruofeng, and ignored all other men. No matter how good Mu Chen was, she couldn't see it now.
…………
"Quick, quick, quick." Mu Chen took Ye Shi's hand and quickly dragged Ye Shi forward.
Ye Shi quickly moved his feet and followed closely behind Mu Chen.
The two ran out of breath, and finally made it before the registration was over.
"You are so late. You don't take admissions seriously. With this attitude, it is just a dream to pass the assessment!" A beautiful-looking woman said to Mu Chen and Ye Shi with contempt.
Ye Shi blushed. He didn't want to, but it was so comfortable to practice with the demon core that he forgot the time while he indulged himself in the practice. So did Mu Chen. When they came back to sense, they were almost late for the registration.
"Miss Wu Yue, this time you have misjudged. These two are martial masters, and their qualifications are really good." Yan Li said to Wu Yue as he looked at the two young men with a smile.
Mu Chen and Ye Shi looked at the man gratefully.
Wu Yue looked at Mu Chen and Ye Shi, pouted, and said, "What's the use of being strong? Who knows what method did these two use to improve their current strength? Maybe their potential has been overdrawn."
Yan Li smiled helplessly and said, "Miss Wu Yue, these two teenagers have a solid foundation."
Wu Yue looked at the two of them, sneered, and said, "You two, don't think that you have the privilege just because you are talented. In Saint Star Academy, there are many more talented and stronger people than you."
Mu Chen frowned, and thought to himself: This woman must have reached menopause because she is really easy to get mad.
Ye Shi gritted his teeth reluctantly, but didn't say much.
Yan Li looked at the two of them and said, "You should have just been promoted, and rush over as soon as you are promoted. Find a place to rest, and you will have to take the next test soon."
Mu Chen quickly pulled Ye Shi to nod towards Yan Li, saying, "Thank you, sir."
Wu Yue snorted coldly and said, "You’d better pass the exam."
Yan Li smiled helplessly. Wu Yue had a son, Wu Zhan who had good qualifications. He was a student of the Saint Star Academy and a sixteen-year-old two-star martial artist. Wu Yue had always been proud of her son. She couldn’t help but got jealousy when she saw ordinary men who had better qualifications than her son.
