Holy Orchid institute, Shin
Waking up feeling strangely refreshed, Shin went to the classroom sitting down on a random seat, fortunately for him not all lessons were teached by Shen Xiu and because of that he didn't need to always stand at the end of class.
"Yo Shin! Got here early?"
Lifting his head he was met with a mop of unkempt orange hair as Nie Li waved at him followed by Lu piao and Du Ze.
"Goodmorning, I just woke up too early and didn't have anything better to do."
Greeting the other, they all started talking to each other, especially about what other plans they hads and the amazing speed they could cultivate with Nie Li cultivation techniques.
"Anyway, we need more money…"
Turning to Nie Li, Shin didn't know how to answer that.
'What would he need the money for? Resources? Maybe he wants to boost his cultivation speed with pills…'
"Even if you say that, how are you planning on earning more money? We are not even Bronze rank."
As Du Ze said so, Nie Li simply turned to Shin as the other did the same, lifting one of his brows Shin tilted his head with amusement on his face.
"Do you want me to lend you some money? I can do that but even that will have a limit as my money is the money for the clan and I won't use it sparingly."
Once again the others were remembered of the high status Shin and how kind and understanding he seemed to be compared with the other young heirs and noble peoples.
"No, nothing like that! What I want is for Brother Shin to buy a lot of purple mist grass. No matter the price, I will repay it in less than a month of time."
Nie Li was quick to refuse Shin's generosity and instead proposed an offer with a promise for profit.
'As far as I know purple mist grass is only used to ward off insects… Could he have found another unknown use for that?'
It made more sense for Shin if Nie Li somehow found a way to use the purple mist grass and wanted to stock up in the grass before making it public, it was easier to sell the material when the price would increase instead of sell the finished product since doing so would ward off unnecessary conflict with other greedy people.
"It won't be a problem, just give me a couple of days."
Having a huge impact in the alchemy and inscription market the Akagawa clan had surprisingly a lot of sway in the city thanks to the fact that a lot of smaller clans and families would gladly do small favors in exchange for even a single pill.
'Maybe I have to make a trip to the alchemy association.'
While most of the great elders decided to stay back in the clan compound, Eiko, while still helping Taishiro in all of the patriarch's works, would still spend a lot of time in the alchemy association to either instruct other alchemists there or even simply to help it manage.
'Even though he refused the position of head the association still ended up relying a lot on him.'
The class quieted down as the teacher entered the room and started the lesson, from there the day went on normally as Shin was almost bored to death by the useless topics of the lesson and the few times a teacher actually started to teach something useful it was either wrong or incomplete information making it useless to him.
'Maybe I should have just skipped the genius class?'
Deciding that he would skip any more lessons for the time being he simply waved at Nie Li and the others before going out of the classroom and quickly going out of the institute.
Walking around he looked at his surroundings before sighing.
"So how is the clan doing?"
While he continued walking a small black mist appeared behind him at his left before it grew in size as Naoki came out of it with his word as his hip and a neutral expression.
"Everything is normal, but how were these days in the institute? The principal is an almost peak black gold so it will be difficult even for me to sneak in without leaving a trace."
In a rare regretful expression Naoki lowered his head but still continued to walk and followed Shin.
"A couple of interesting things happened and I have some new plans that I have to share with you but first we'll go to the alchemy association and I'll share it also with Eiko so that I don't have to repeat it again. But I'm surprised the principal is actually so perceptive as to sense you."
While Naoki was only at the third star of the Black Gold rank thanks to his demon spirit he was able to infiltrate almost any place in this city and only a peak Black Gold rank would be able to sense him.
"Yes, he seems like a rather interesting person, one day I wish to spar with him. Plus we don't have as much information as we wish to have from him."
The principal was an enigmatic character only appearing a couple of times in and some rumors said that he was not even from any of the noble clans, instead being an orphan and actually being good friends with Ye Mo.
"What is the chance that he actually is a peak Black Gold rank?"
The silence was all the answer he needed to hear to understand.
'He seems to be neutral enough so it shouldn't be a problem, plus being friends with Ye Mo means he's allied with the Snow wind family, well if he was allied with the Sacred family then they would have already proclaimed it to high heavens.'
Being reserved was not something a person would do if one was from the Sacred family so that meant that as long as Shin didn't do anything to harm the city lord and the security of the city then he shouldn't worry about him.
Glancing back to the institute Shin could only leave the matter and hope things would go well from here on out.
…
Arriving at the alchemy association Shin was immediately led to Elder Eiko's personal room as he and Naoki entered it.
"No that's wrong, the portions should be one azure grass for every fire bird feather, plus you are overcooking it. If you continue it will exp-"
*Boom*
"Eeek!"
"Explode… It will explode."
Shin could only stare dumbly at Eiko, instructing a beautiful tall woman like an old man teaching a young kid, even if the old man part was true.
"Oh? Young Master, you should have warned me of your visit. I would have prepared something."
Ignoring his student, Eiko started to walk towards Shin with a big smile on his face.
"No well it was decided on a whim plus I have something that I would like to share with you."
"Oh then please sit down here as I prepare the tea."
Sitting down on a small flat pillow Shin looked around the room while Naoki opted to simply sit down a little more behind, looking forward Shin looked at Eiko as he sat down along with a small teapot and started to prepare some tea creating a small flicker of flames from his palm.
"So what did you want to share?"
"A couple of interesting things happened in the academy, I met a couple of interesting fellows and while their talents aren't the best their head is all in the right places."
At that Naoki tilted his head.
"Do you want us to support them?"
"No, I want to support their families, they are from low families but some of them still made an enemy out of the Sacred family and while I don't think they are that stupid and petty to actually attack their families is better to be prepared."
While Eiko finished making the tea and was serving it, Naoki put his hand on his chin in a thinking pose.
"It wouldn't be difficult as long as you give us a list of their family, if you want we can even take them as our vassal families?"
Nodding his head, Shin took out a paper from his spatial ring and gave it to Naoki.
"I already thought so, but I'm still not sure if I want all of them as vassals, just protect them for now and maybe initiate a trading relationship with them and if they seem worth it then propose it to them."
Nodding his head Naoki gave a quick glance to the list to see if he knew some names but after reading it and not finding anything unusual he put it inside his spatial ring.
"Also one of them seems to either have a mysterious master or he is really a genius worth nurturing, his name is Nie Li from the Heavenly Marks family. I'm still testing him so if you send guards to the territory send someone skillful on stealth of at least the black gold rank. "
"The Heavenly Marks family is a low aristocratic family that mainly cultivate herbs to trade it with the alchemy association, the strongest is not even at the peak of the gold rank.."
Turning to the new voice Shin looked at Eiko's student, a beautiful tall woman with long purple hair and light brown eyes, she was currently cleaning the mess she made when she failed in making whatever elixir Eiko was making her do but listening to their conversation she subconsciously joined the conversation.
"His family may be weak but his knowledge seems greater than some teachers… Anyway, who are you?"
While Eiko has been going back and forth in the alchemy association Shin didn't really spend time here and has been in this place only a couple of times and those times he just talked to Eiko so he actually didn't know any of the faces of the higher ups in the association.
"I'm Yang Xin, disciple of Eiko, it's a pleasure to finally meet the mysterious young master."
Glancing at Eiko he saw him nodding his head in confirmation.
"To think you convinced him to take you as his disciple you must be really talented… Wait, Yang Xin? As in the director of the association?"
The woman nodded her head flashing a beautiful smile as she sat down at the side of the table between Shin and Eiko.
"Yes, So if you ever want something from the association please don't hesitate in asking we will glad-"
Before she could even finish that sentence she was hit in the head by Eiko who simply sighed before handing Shin a black box.
"Please ignore her young master, anyway here is the new batch of pills I just made feel free to use them here if you want. I can sense that you are already close to breaking through the fourth bronze star, am I right?"
As he said that Yang Xin stopped holding her head in pain and quickly lifted her head to look at Shin in shock, for the people of Glory city if someone at the age of Shin was a 1-Star Bronze that person would already be considerate a genius so for him to be already close to the 4-Star Bronze that was simply unheard off.
'Even Lord Ye Mo didn't have this talent.'
"Then I'll take a room and break through here, also before I forget can you send someone to buy purple mist grass."
Taking the box he simply stood up and was about to go to the room at the right for more privacy while he cultivated.
"Purple mist grass? Sure, how much should I buy?"
While he found it strange that Shin would ask for such useless grass he didn't mind buying it, while Shin was still young he never actually spent any money on himself other than the absolutely necessary for training so the elders always searched for ways to reward their young patriarch in any way they could.
"All of it."
Saying so he closed the door simply leaving three stunned and confused people in the room.
Sitting down in the room he quickly popped one pill in his mouth and started to move his soul force to refine it in his body, thankful that the room has a silencing inscription blocking all the sound coming from outside.
Feeling the pill's energy enter his body Shin was greatly surprised at how the energy started to move toward the dark-red orb where the Blood Ba serpent was trapped in and was more surprised at how it started to move inside of it.
'This is actually the first time it's given me a reaction, could it be because I'm about to break through the fourth star?'
Seeing as the whole energy of the pill was now redirected in there he didn't hesitate in taking another pill immediately feeling the burden in his body.
Normally when one takes a single pill it would take all of his control to make sure none of the energy goes berserker and damages the cultivator datiant or the soul itself so for Shin to take another pill right after the other while still being in the Bronze rank was dangerous enough that normal people could even end up crippled.
A primal roar was emitted right from the demon spirit as the energy of the two pills started to orbit the dark-red orb creating a small halo. In a sudden surge of energy the orb grew in size as Shin could finally feel the connection with the demon spirit became crystal clear and as the furniture of the room was thrown towards the walls Shin finally broke through the fourth star.
'Finally, but the Blood Ba Serpent… Did it break through the second star?'
Closing his eyes he send a little of soul force inside the orb immediately change started appearing in body, under his clothes the skin became harder with small scales appearing all around it, his fingernails growing in size and as he opened his eyes he revealed two deep red pupil with the white of his eyes becoming
pitch black.
"I've fully integrated with the demon spirit… But my cultivation decreased?"
He took a second to understand why that happened, while he was integrated with the demon spirit he would temporenaly take the power of the demon spirit and for normal cultivators it would only increase since the demon spirit would be at least the same strength of the cultivator but since right now the Blood Ba Serpent was still at the second star his cultivation fell again in the third star even if he gained all of the innate abilities of the demon spirit.
Quickly checking the orb inside his soul realm he was surprised at how it had the same height of a normal adult man with the same width, the serpent inside seemingly swimming inside as if not caring that he was trapped in that orb.
As if remembering something Shin moved his consciousness closer until he touched the orb as it flashed.
'Blood Ba Serpent, 2-Star Bronze rank, God growth level… This…'
Thanks to this a lot of Shin's plan could be sped up, not only he wouldn't need to actually spend time increasing the natural talent but he with this he would be able to quickly increase the strength in no time.
'Now I'll just need a good weapon and a set of armor.'
Deciding to ride on the feeling of having just broken through he decided to take another pill as he resumed cultivating.
…
It was already night when he finally finished cultivating, after consuming a couple more pills he noticed that no matter how hard the strain was his cultivation path would never deviate even under the pressure of more pills inside him and it was mostly thanks to the orb where the serpent reside in, all the energy would find itself orbiting around the orb and from there it would calmly divide to either increase the orb size, increase the Serpent power or to increase Shin own cultivation rank.
'But even after taking so many pills I only increased my cultivation by twenty soul points.'
Each star in the Bronze rank had about one hundred soul points and right now Shin had 420 soul points only needing eighty more to reach peak Bronze rank.
Feeling tired of staying in the same position for so long he decided to return to the orchid institute and as he exited the room he saw Naoki sitting in a corner of the room cultivating while he couldn't find any trace of Eiko or Yang Xin.
"Young master, congratulations on breaking through."
Sensing Shin's presence Naoki stopped cultivating and quickly congratulated Shin on his breakthrough before standing up.
"Where are Eiko and Yang Xin?"
Hearing Shin's question, Naoki was quick in answering by taking out another box.
"Eiko returned to the clan compound to relay the news to the other great elder while Yang Xin went to use the association power to buy purple mist grass. Here, Elder Eiko left these for you since he said that he won't be here for the next couple of weeks."
Opening the box he was met with the fragrance of the pills but looking at the amount SHin couldn't help but feeling a little frustrated at how, with his current speed, this amount would probably only help him reach the edge of the fifth star.
"Make sure to thank Elder Eiko for me when you see him, I'm going back to the institute for now, I forgot to add but when you return to the clan make sure to send someone to the Winged Dragon family to protect them in case the Sacred family does something, I've decided to help the daughter of the family to escape her marriage."
Finishing his sentence he did his best to escape Naoki's gaze as he quickly put away the box and rushed to get out before Naoki could actually say anything.
'Yeah I'm not staying here to answer his questions.'
Quickly walking out of the association he reached his room and fell on the bed immediately falling asleep.
The next morning
Waking up early in the morning Shin left the institute as soon as the first lights started to come out. Today he didn't plan on attending class as he wanted to test his strength outside the wall of glory city.
"Where are we going young master?"
As soon as he got out of the territory he was immediately joined by Naoki who found him even if Shin was currently jumping from roof to roof to reach the outside walls faster.
"We are going on a little training trip outside the walls, I want to try a couple of things."
Saying so he took out a small scroll as he put his soul force in it, the scroll was a aura concealing inscription and was made by one of the inscription master of his clan, thanks to that he would be able to hide his aura from anyone under the Black Gold rank and that was more than sufficient for him.
"Follow me."
A pair of blood red wings appeared behind his back as he lifted himself from the ground and took off to the sky, looking behind he saw Naoki with pitch black feathered wings while his whole figure seemed to phase in and out of reality, he had merged with his demon spirit, a Nightmare Raven.
"..."
Not saying anything Shin looked toward the southern wall, the closer to the institute, and sped off toward it.
Back in the Institute ground two men looked at the small almost invisible red arc that concealed itself with the colors of dawn.
"What was that?"
One of the men looked at the sky as he moved his hand through his white beard.
"He may be one that will bring a lot of changes in the future of Glory city, hopefully they will be good…"
The former old man who asked the first question looked at the man in front of him with a calculating gaze.
"If the principal says so… Anyway I'll go ahead since I will supervise the apprentice class, hopefully I'll see something interesting."
The principal didn't say anything but looked at the now fading red arc.
"Who knows…"
Sorry I wanted to make it a little longer but it seemed the perfect way to stop the chapter for now, The early arcs of the story are kinda boring especially if I have to write the mc just being a background character as Nie Li get himself in trouble so I simply sent him out to explore for a little but it shouldn't last more than a chapter and it will be mostly safe thanks to Naoki being there.
The first encounter with Yang Xin was almost disappointing but don't worry I already have plans for them in future. It just didn't seem right to have them interact right now when the mc is still looking like a kid…
Hope you liked it and see you soon!