C5 Young Prince

Loongze Lake is steeped in legend, believed to be the birthplace of a holy beast. A black Flood Dragon is said to have undergone a transformation here, emerging as the revered Ink Dragon. After cultivating for centuries, it departed hastily, leaving behind a mystical realm for the daring souls of future generations to explore. This realm is accessible to those under the age of twenty.

The opening of this enigmatic realm is a rare event, occurring once every century. Few are privy to its precise timing, but Jiang Fann is intimately acquainted with it.

Despite missing the last opening, where prodigies from miles around converged, Jiang Fann could only look on with longing. Now, with mere months until the realm reopens, he has come in search of a crucial ingredient—not an ordinary herb, but the tendon of the elusive Dragon Fish.

The Dragon Fish is a rarity, its value surpassing even that of spiritual herbs. Born amidst dragon qi, and with the holy beast once gracing Loongze Lake, it stands to reason that such a fish would dwell here.

Jiang Fann's current quest is to concoct the Nine Stars Pill, a potent aid for his ascent to the Innate Stage. While one can achieve a breakthrough by mastering the realm and unlocking the power of Spiritual Sense, the pill promises a more profound transformation.

With the Nine Stars Pill, dormant forces within the body awaken, invigorating every bone and ensuring a flawless breakthrough. The benefits to one's future cultivation are immeasurable.

The Nine Stars Pill is exceedingly rare, and its appearance on the market sparks fierce competition among the great powers, fetching astronomical prices. After all, a solid foundation is of utmost importance.

The Dragon Fish tendon is the linchpin of this recipe. While substitutes for other components might be found, this one is irreplaceable.

Seated by the lake's edge, Jiang Fann enters a meditative state, his Spiritual Sense melding with the fragmented Heaven and Earth Absolute Manual. Searching the vast Loongze Lake is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

Yet, as his realm has advanced, so too has his sensitivity to the scroll. Unleashing his Spiritual Strength, he casts a wide net, and slowly, the essence of each herb within reach whispers its secrets to him.

When the detection radius hit thirty meters, it ceased to expand.

"The realm's influence on this fragment must be significant to limit its sensing range to such a small area," Jiang Fann mused.

With no other options, he decided it was time to take the plunge.

Stripping off his outer garments, Jiang Fann dove into the waters of Loongze Lake.

The fragment remained active, ensuring that if a Dragon Fish swam within its perception, he would be able to capture it.

Despite swimming dozens of meters in one breath, the depths of Loongze Lake revealed nothing to Jiang Fann.

A mist hung over the lake, and through the haze, something seemed to be drawing near.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Fann submerged and looked upwards just as a boat more than ten meters in length passed overhead, its owner unknown.

As Jiang Fann hesitated, the fragment jolted him with news of Dragon Fish nearby—three, to be exact, directly below.

He dove swiftly, a piece of white meat materializing in his hand. This was the flesh of the red-crowned snake, a delicacy and potent tonic for the Dragon Fish, making it the perfect bait.

Releasing the snake meat, he watched it drift downwards. After setting several pieces adrift, he concentrated, eyes fixed on the depths.

Soon enough, three golden-scaled Dragon Fish surged toward the bait, gulping down the snake meat before darting away.

But they didn't get far before their movements slowed, their thrashing ceased, and they flipped over, succumbing to unconsciousness.

The meat had been laced with a special concoction by Jiang Fann, tailored for the Dragon Fish.

He swam rapidly towards them, closing the distance, but just as he was about to reach the fish, a large net unfurled from above, ensnaring all three in one fell swoop.

Jiang Fann's gaze turned icy as he looked upward.

The boat had somehow circled back, and the net was their doing.

Grasping the net, Jiang Fann realized it was crafted from an indestructible material.

Determined, he hauled on the net, ascending with it. The Dragon Fish were his to claim; he wouldn't relinquish them without a fight.

Upon reaching the water's surface, Jiang Fann released his grip and didn't immediately follow. Instead, he swam around to the opposite side of the boat and emerged from the water.

Laughter soon drifted down from the boat, belonging to a young man. "It's truly a Dragon Fish! Haha! Our long journey and half a month of toil were not in vain."

"Little Prince, all three fish are dead."

"How can this be? These were meant for my father's birthday celebration. It's said that Dragon Fish have the potential to transform into dragons. How could they just die? Am I expected to present dead fish for my father's birthday?"

"Dragon Fish are born of dragon qi and shouldn't die so easily. However, it seems these three have been poisoned."

The young man retorted furiously, "Nonsense! We haven't seen a soul in half a month. We've been on the tail of these fish the entire time. How could they be poisoned? It must be your careless fault that they're dead."

"Little Prince, we can't offer you live fish, but the value of Dragon Fish rivals that of a spirit medicine. I'm sure the Prince will appreciate it."

Suddenly, Jiang Fann produced a pouch of Soul Pacifying Powder and tossed it onto the boat.

"Little Prince! It's dangerous!"

The guards attempted to intercept it, but the pouch burst open instantly. In a moment, everyone on the boat slumped to the deck, incapacitated. The little prince, however, was unharmed and looked over in astonishment. He must possess a Body Protecting Spiritual Treasure.

Jiang Fann boarded the boat, gazed at the three Dragon Fish, and stated with composure, "You've overstepped, trying to take my Dragon Fish."

The head guard, who had reached the Innate Stage, pulled out an antidote, ready to ingest it.

Jiang Fann approached and with a swift kick, sent the pill flying from his hand. The little prince was roughly his age, with a similar level of skill.

The prince shouted indignantly, "You insolent commoner, you..."

But his sentence was cut short as Jiang Fann closed in on him.

The little prince swiftly sidestepped and launched a counterattack.

Jiang Fann's moves were straightforward. With each incoming attack, he would effortlessly intercept it, targeting the assailant's joints with precision.

After just a few exchanges, the young man stumbled and found himself kneeling on the ground, his face etched with bewilderment. Strangely, he was unable to muster any strength.

Jiang Fann collected the three Dragon Fish and was ready to depart when something caught his attention. He turned back toward the young man, eyeing the Body Protecting Spiritual Treasure he wore. It was too valuable to ignore.

The head guard, incensed by the action, barked, "How dare you! Are you aware of who we are? Such insolence! Do you have a death wish?"

"Does it matter who you are?" Jiang Fann retorted, rifling through the young man's possessions.

He quickly found a delicate necklace, which he slipped around his own neck. Bereft of his protective treasure, the young man slumped weakly onto the deck.

"Our young master is the Guangnan King's youngest son; you're in over your head! Return the necklace to the prince and offer a sincere apology, and I assure you we can overlook this incident. Otherwise..."

Jiang Fann gave the guard a meaningful look, then burst into laughter. "Do you even know who I am?"

Caught off guard and clearly confused, the guard shook his head instinctively.

With a swift kick to the young man's face, Jiang Fann sent him flying, crashing down before the guard. He loathed threats.

Staring down at the guard as if he were a simpleton, Jiang Fann sneered, "You threaten me without knowing who I am? Foolish."

Without lingering, Jiang Fann turned and dove into the water, vanishing from sight.

The Guangnan King held some sway within the Leehuo Dynasty, not quite on par with the Jiang Family but still of considerable standing. Jiang Fann, aware that the king would eventually fall to internal strife, preferred to keep his distance.

To concoct the Nine Stars Pill, he needed certain herbs. Most were stocked in the Jiang Family Medicine Hut, but for a few rare ingredients, a trip to the Myriad Treasures Tavern was in order.

It had been a while since Jiang Fann's last encounter with Han Qianxue. Having refined two bottles of fifth-grade pills, he made a beeline to her doorstep, donning the same attire as their previous meeting.

Upon his arrival, Han Qianxue greeted him at the door, "I've been eagerly awaiting your visit. Your pills are truly unique, delivering exactly the effects you described. They've been quite the eye-opener for me."

Jiang Fann slid the two bottles of pills across to her and followed up by presenting a list he had prepared in advance.

With a mere glance at the list, Han Qianxue's eyes widened in astonishment. "Are you planning to refine the Nine Stars Pill?" she asked, looking at Jiang Fann with surprise.

In a raspy voice, Jiang Fann replied, "It's no surprise that the Myriad Treasures Tavern has such knowledgeable staff. Even a manager here is well-versed in medicinal formulas."

Han Qianxue's smile was flirtatious as she responded, "Flattery will get you nowhere! The Nine Stars Pill is exceedingly rare, so our headquarters instructed us to keep an eye out for it, which is why we're familiar with the formula."

After her explanation, she inquired further, "Once you've completed the Nine Stars Pill, would you consider offering some to the Myriad Treasures Tavern? We won't haggle over the price as long as your terms are reasonable. What do you say?"

"I'll have my apprentice come by tomorrow to discuss the details with you. For now, please hand over the items I've requested."

"No problem at all," Han Qianxue assured him with a smile. "Just give me a moment!"

Jiang Fann returned home that evening with the necessary herbs in hand and carefully extracted the Dragon Fish tendon. He then personally prepared a nourishing soup with the fish meat and took it to his mother's room.

The soup was a potent tonic, one that would surely draw criticism for extravagance from any alchemist who saw it.

Feeling content, Jiang Fann reflected on his recent successes. His life had taken a turn for the better, altering the course of his destiny and bringing a flood of past memories to the forefront of his mind.

He spent a long evening in conversation with Mo Rong before finally departing.

The next morning, Jiang Fann strode confidently into the Myriad Treasures Tavern. He promptly instructed the server to summon Han Qianxue, conveying that his master had sent him to discuss matters.

When Han Qianxue caught sight of Jiang Fann, she was clearly taken aback.

"I never would've guessed that Young Master Jiang Fann was the disciple of an alchemist. It appears that the folks of Loongze County have sorely underestimated you."

Jiang Fann replied, "Let's skip the formalities. This is for my master. One Nine Stars Pill in exchange for three types of spiritual medicines: the Nine Moon Flower, Hundred Fragrance Seed, and a Black Teeth Beast's inner core."

"Have everything ready and send word to the Jiang Family. My master will show up in person."

Han Qianxue exclaimed, "Your alchemist master certainly has an eye for quality! But rest assured, Young Master Jiang, just head home and await the news. Within a month, everything will be prepared."

Jiang Fann nodded, finished his tea, and bid farewell to Han Qianxue.

...

A day's journey from Loongze County, in a small town, a group had been lingering for a full day. They were the entourage of the young prince Jiang Fann had robbed.

In the small inn, the prince had just emerged from unconsciousness, his face twisted in fury.

A footprint-shaped bruise discolored his face. Nine people knelt at the foot of the bed, all guards.

The guard who had clashed with Jiang Fann was at the forefront, head bowed, not daring to meet his master's eyes.

The prince seethed, glaring at the guards. "Who is he?! I demand to know who that scoundrel is! I'll have his head!"

"We're still uncertain. I've dispatched people to scour the area for information. I'm confident we'll have leads soon. Please, young prince, temper your rage."

"That ignorant country bumpkin, daring to cross me like this. Had Housekeeper Liu not been summoned back on urgent business by my father, he could've squashed a few of you with a mere flick. Damned fools! Damned fools!"

"Get out now! Find him for me. I want him torn limb from limb!"