Ji Yun (Part 1)

It all went just like in the original story only difference is that Dugu Bo didn't cause too much trouble. But he still asked where Aiden was. And when he heard that little monster didn't even bother to show up, he was upset.

So upset that he vowed to spank him so much that his screams would be heard in Imperial Capital and back.

Like that they entered Blue Tyrant Academy which Liu Erlong gave up to Shrek to focus on her cultivation. Knowing this, Aiden planned to collect enough heavenly resources to create 100.000 rings for all upcoming Titled Douluo's ahead of schedule.

Currently, he was sitting in the little house of Liu Erlong with a variety of goods near him. They were mainly spirit weapons that were never seen in this era before.

He created a dozen of them from materials accumulated during his stay in the North Pole. He didn't use very precious ores that were found throughout the years, as they were meant to smith real high-level masterpieces or even divine armaments.

He needs to go to the Heaven Dou Auction and he was ready to sell some low-level art for body enhancement training. They were far from Great Way of a Titan he used, but still a miracle for the current world of Soul Land.

Aiden planned to give out such arts to the public. It was the best way to improve the overall power of humanity. The logic was simple. The demons have their own set of cultivation arts and knowledge and the ones who inject their blood and used corrupted demonic energy can hardly train in the arts he planned to make public without experiencing backlash from the collision of opposite energies.

Like that he can be sure not to strengthen enemies. To him, there was no point in inner clans struggle, he didn't care about conflicts between different ancient factions. Even conflict between spirit beasts and human masters is something he was aware of, yet he was willing to strengthen both sides.

All of this because the true enemy is the one who seeks extinction and hostile to the world itself.

The demons.

When they appear many conflicts will be forgotten and grudges are forgiven for the sake of survival. It is inevitable. That is why he never placed too much importance on keeping his knowledge to himself. Naturally, he won't give out everything that is just seeking death. Everything has to be done with propriety.

He actually wanted to visit Sena during his stay and go with her to the auction, but she was currently in secluded training organized by Liu Erlong and will be back only to the start of the tournament.

"Aiden, are you here?" - he put down the dagger that was currently undergoing refinement and walked out.

"Oscar? What is it?"

"Nothing, I just heard you wanted to go to auction and decided to tag along. Tang San with Xiao Wu are coming too."

'Is it this time already?'

"I understand, give me some time to prepare. Let's meet at the entrance of the academy." - Aiden walked back and packed things, while Oscar shining with positive halo ran like the wind to the meeting place.

Exiting again, he squinted at the bright sun. The weather was good. However, his reason to look in the sky was different. A chirp came from above and a little bird landed on his outstretched arm. He unfolded a letter and started reading.

"What a turn of events. Seems like I need to check on her properly." - whispered Aiden under his breath. - "Third."

"Here, Sovereign." - a voice of a woman lingered somewhere between the branches, but she refused to expose herself. Among numbers, she was a unique existence because she was the only humanized spirit beast he had at his command. And what is more, her life experience was nothing like naive Xiao Wu or Na'er.

No, she was a true spirit war beast and forwent her bestial shape recently. Her human age was similar to Liu Erlong.

"Have you seen him?"

"Yes. Thank you, Sovereign."

"There is no need to attend to me like that. Spend more time with your son. He is still young and needs you."

"Yes, Sovereign." - came a reply, yet Aiden can sense her presence with his heightened senses. She was a high leveled Spirit Saint, but like many Numbers learned concealment techniques of the cultivation world. So she really can stay out of sight nearly in front of anyone.

Aiden sighed.

She was like that since he and several numbers saved her during his travels. Laconic, emotionless,, and absolutely loyal. The only thing that can birth some emotions in her voice is her son. And Aiden understood why. Her own husband tried to kill her for the spirit ring when she revealed her secret.

She was pursued by her family while holding her son and was wounded all over when Aiden and two others found her in the forest. What happened next was rather easy to understand. Thus she became one of his most loyal guardians, and her son enrolled in the academy straight in the special class. However, his awakening will come only next year, so he was merely living here.

"If you need anything from auction, just say a word." - Aiden said.

"Is that all?"

"No. There will be a girl in the auction sold as a slave. Do you remember what one of the main tasks of our organization is? Aside from killing corrupted beings."

"Find individuals with Protector Spirits." - she answered. - "We have a lead on one? That slave girl?"

"All leads say it is her. Eighth followed the trail. He can do wonders in that regard."

"Indeed. You command?"

"I don't know what protection will be implemented during the auction. It might be impossible for me to see her spirit with my vision through the cage, so you will take this." - he passed her a crystal. - "She needs to touch it and if there will be some reaction in the stone, then she is the one we need. Pass it to our Shadow in the auction house and come back when you know the result."

'If she is the one, I will buy her and free her. If not, let Ning Fengzhi do it instead.'

"Yes, Sovereign." - he felt a wisp of her disappear like a cloud of smoke. She was as fast as lightning.

Aiden went to meet with others.

They all went for the main auction house but were stopped at the very doorsteps until Aiden revealed his wish to sell a couple of things. He took out two artifacts for appraisal. The staff never heard of such things, so when Aiden demonstrated it they were astonished and immediately gave a VIP card and treatment.

Aiden didn't want to attract attention even more than Tang San and opted to go on the normal seats. They chose the front row of the balcony near a mysterious person in white.

He was Ning Fengzhi.

"Ning Fengzhi, we met again." - Aiden sat right next to him.

"Oh, Little Monster, you are here too?" - Ning Fengzhi was surprised but easily coped with it, nodding his head in greeting.

"Seems like calling me Little Monster is trendy these days. Old Monster visited your clan?"

"Yeah, got in a brawl with both our guardians, kicked their asses, and left very pleased with himself. I say, Little Monster, what is he eating? Can I have some to be as strong as him?" - he squinted his eyes at Aiden. Ning Fengzhi witnessed the battles. It was nothing like anything he saw before. He just probed to see the reaction of youth and to his own disappointment saw nothing.

Actually, Shrek Academy has two young monsters. But if Tang San can still be regarded as extreme talent, but not outside of comprehensible scope, then Aiden is a genuine freak of nature.

"You came here for something particular?" - Ning Fengzhi looked ahead and asked lightly.

"More like to sell something and broaden horizons. Also to save someone if the need arises." - he shook his head in return, then tilted his head slightly and smiled behind the deep hood - "Ah, looks like I need to do this after all. Good."

"In that case, say if you need anything, I can help you acquire it." - Ning Fengzhi inspected Aiden and was stunned to feel that he was already a spirit king.

A thirteen years old spirit king? What kind of notion is it?

"I believe there is no need for you to mind it, I have sufficient funds." - Aiden politely declined the offer, also noticing how nervous Oscar behaved.

No wonder this is his future father-in-law. He should be, right?

The auction was boring from the start. Nothing picked his attention until a batch of Spirit Moon Grass came. People here failed to know that this plant has a unique property. Unlike other plants, it has a cultivation veins network, which if not disrupted during picking can be used as a separate entity to give birth to something known as Dragon Vein! This knowledge belongs to the cultivation era and hardly anyone is aware of it now, but the primary purpose of Dragon Vein is to absorb, store, refine, and release the purest nature energies.

For him, if used as a core of Spirit Artifact, he can create a support item that will continuously generate the best supply of pure force to use for the creation of spirit rings beyond what his current level can give. He used his Dragon Eyes to look at it and found matured, completely intact veins inside with a very strong core to it. The best material for high-grade Dragon Vein.

Bidding for it was scarce, people knew little about the herb and mainly used it to treat wounds. Aiden nearly fainted due to ignorance of the current world.

The next item Aiden bought was something appearing cheap on the surface as well – a Deep Sea Pearl. It is amazing storage for spirit power, but the downside was obvious to all – the rate of absorption and extraction is very slow, meaning it can't be used in battles, however, for Aiden it was the best thing to store accumulated spirit force.

"Now we have a very rare commodity, that will surely interest many people." - the auctioneer smiled at people when four workers pulled a big cage to the podium. Aiden can guess that it was time for them to sell a catgirl. He came here to save her.

The audience went excited when black cloth was removed, showing a petite figure of an extremely beautiful girl with delicate features. She was covering herself inside and glaring at the audience with the gaze of rebellion and burning will to live.