Chapter 461: Mid-First Ring

"How are these stinking newt larvae normally delivered to you, and how often is the handover?"

After making up his mind, Gao De’s heart grew calm.

His gaze swept over the seven Xiuding Gang members, then suddenly recalled the matter.

The transport of stinking newt larvae to Marko District must involve a handover process.

Once the handover comes, the Xiuding Gang will notice these seven men are missing.

And Gao De certainly cannot let the Xiuding Gang realize the secret has been exposed—he must strike with intent against their unpreparedness.

But to pull off such a deception, even with his current strength, it’s impossible—he must act before the next larva handover.

"You speak first." Gao De pointed to the first man who had woken.

The man’s face, already pale, turned even whiter as he stammered, "Because this matter can’t be known by too many, the handover is always done personally by Brother Aoderiqi—he brings the stinking newt eggs along with the cultivation fluid directly to us."

"We’re responsible for hatching them, then, once they’ve grown a bit, releasing them into the water."

"As for where Brother Aoderiqi gets these stinking newt eggs—I don’t know."

"Usually, Brother Aoderiqi delivers a batch of stinking newt eggs every half month. The last handover was five days ago."

Due to his injuries, the man spoke in fits and starts, pausing to catch his breath after every few words, but he clearly explained every critical detail.

He timidly raised his head to observe Gao De’s reaction, fearing any sign of dissatisfaction.

But he found Gao De had strangely fallen into deep thought.

What is he doing?

Gao De’s face was expressionless, but inside he was filled with joy.

Just moments ago he had been thinking it would be best to draw the battle to the water’s surface—but he hadn’t known how.

First, Tuanzi could lend a hand, creating a two-on-one advantage.

Second, as a Sea Sentinel mage—even a novice—his natural advantage lies in aquatic combat.

Not to mention, if things turn dire, he could use the Sea Sentinel’s exclusive spell [Ocean Touch +] to escape safely.

Just as a Sea Sentinel mage without [Ocean Touch] and the water otter’s aid struggles to complete aquatic beast extermination missions.

Even if Aoderiqi is a Second Ring mage, without the proper spells, catching him in water won’t be easy.

And now—

No need to ponder this further.

Aoderiqi will come to him!

And there are still ten full days until the next handover.

That’s more than enough time to complete his upgrades and preparations.

He has the advantage of time, terrain, and opportunity.

It’s as if fate itself has crafted this fortune for him.

Beneath the dim, flickering lamplight.

Iron Rust Tavern, a small tavern owned by the Xiuding Gang.

Though deep into night, the tavern still reeked of strong alcohol and buzzed with noise.

Aoderiqi, second-in-command of the Xiuding Gang, sat lazily in a wide chair specially prepared for him, clad in a finely tailored black leather armor.

One leg crossed over the other, he idly twirled his wine glass, the liquid inside swaying slightly with his movements.

This was a nobleman’s drinking vessel; honestly, he preferred a beer mug—filled to the brim, then drained in one gulp—that was true satisfaction.

With this glass, he always felt he couldn’t drink his fill.

But since ascending to Second Ring mage, even though he disliked and wasn’t accustomed to it, Aoderiqi forced himself to "pretend at elegance."

A Second Ring mage is someone of standing! He must mind his conduct!

Around him clustered a group of sycophantic gang members, laughter and cheers rising in waves.

In the center of the tavern stood a crude stage.

A dancer, clad in a thin silk skirt, swayed gracefully to the lute’s melody, occasionally casting sultry glances toward Aoderiqi.

Aoderiqi acted as if he noticed nothing, merely sipping his wine absently.

Occasionally he would tilt his head back and drain the glass, then casually hand the empty cup to the bartender standing behind him, signaling for a refill.

Suddenly, a burly man pushed through the crowd and approached Aoderiqi, whispering two words in his ear.

Aoderiqi lifted his eyelids, rose abruptly, and said, "Come with me."

He led the burly man to the tavern’s backyard, then into one of its rooms.

As soon as the door shut, Aoderiqi’s face darkened, the earlier ease and satisfaction gone.

"You're saying this time they gave you Spirit Marrow instead of Spirit Burn Liquid?" he asked, suppressing his emotions.

The burly man quickly pulled a vial made of magical energy crystal from his chest and offered it forward.

"Boss, this is what they gave us."

Inside the vial floated three thick, viscous droplets of silver-blue gel.

"They said two of the auxiliary ingredients for Spirit Burn Liquid are out of stock, so they can no longer provide Spirit Burn Liquid—only Spirit Marrow as compensation. But as a gesture, they’ve added an extra drop," the burly man said, glancing nervously at Aoderiqi’s darkening face.

"Extra... extra?" Aoderiqi nearly laughed in rage. "Yes, one drop of Spirit Marrow can make one dose of Spirit Burn Liquid—but we can’t turn Spirit Marrow into Spirit Burn Liquid! What good is an extra drop?"

"Do you think I can swallow Spirit Marrow raw? The toxicity inside—I can’t handle it!"

Aoderiqi cursed as he paced the room, deep in thought.

Simply put, Spirit Burn Liquid was vital to him.

Without Spirit Burn Liquid, he could never have ascended to Second Ring mage.

After ascending, Aoderiqi felt more and more that his talent was limited—his cultivation progress slowed to near imperceptibility, and he relied entirely on Spirit Burn Liquid.

Yet after half a year of waiting, what arrived wasn’t Spirit Burn Liquid—but Spirit Marrow?

How could he not be furious and anxious?

"I’ve done countless dirty jobs for them, waded through endless muck, paid yearly tributes—and now the Spirit Burn Liquid they promised turns into Spirit Marrow? Out of supply? Hah! Even if they truly ran out, during the Spirit Marrow craze, how much Spirit Burn Liquid must they have stockpiled? Do they think I’m the only one who needs two vials?"

"Boss, could it be they’re afraid of raising a tiger that will turn on them?" the burly man ventured cautiously.

Aoderiqi froze. "What do you mean?"

"They’ve always kept their promise and given you Spirit Burn Liquid—until you ascended to Second Ring mage, then suddenly switched to Spirit Marrow," the burly man didn’t finish, but the implication was clear.

Hearing this, Aoderiqi stopped pacing. He stood still, eyes half-lidded, thinking.

Long moments passed.

He came back to himself, sat down at the table, and waved to the man. "Leave for now."

After the burly man departed, Aoderiqi stared blankly for a moment, then slammed his fist hard onto the table.

"Damn it! I’ve done all this dirty work for you, and now you make it this hard to get two vials of Spirit Burn Liquid? If you push me too far, I’ll risk prison and expose everything you’ve done—see if you regret this today!"

After venting, Aoderiqi felt utterly drained.

Because he knew he could never do such a thing.

And they knew it too—that’s why they acted so brazenly.

The bright sunlight brought a touch of warmth to the cold moon.

Gao De stepped out of a magic potion shop in the center of Lagos City.

In his hand he carried three small vials of newly purchased potions, costing forty Jin Quehua coins.

It wasn’t cheap.

But his finances were still comfortable, so he paid without hesitation.

The science of potions is highly dependent on local conditions and adaptability.

Because different regions produce vastly different magical materials and plants.

A potion master who clings rigidly to one fixed formula is doomed.

Thus, potion systems across regions resemble distinct art schools, showing sharp regional differences.

Even within Bai Luo Jun, the distance between Lagos and Duan City—reachable by airship in half a day—is marked by major differences in potion varieties.

In Duan City, the famous cultivation-augmenting potions are Alfalfa Juice and Green Vine Magic Elixir, both made from local specialty magical plants.

In Lagos City, the most renowned cultivation-augmenting potion is "Glow Moss Elixir."

A potion made primarily from the local specialty Glow Moss.

The very three vials he held.

Compared to Alfalfa Juice, Glow Moss Elixir’s cultivation aid is inferior, yet its price is higher.

Of course, this is partly because Baiyu Potion Shop lowers prices to attract customers.

But Glow Moss Elixir has its own advantage—the raw material is abundant, so the potion isn’t rationed; anyone with money can buy it.

Unlike Alfalfa Juice, which requires hoarding and quotas.

For Gao De, who needed it now, this was a blessing—he wouldn’t have to scramble for cultivation potions.

Carrying the Glow Moss Elixir, Gao De went to a nearby magic chamber, renting a third-tier training room for two hours at ten gold coins.

The price matched that of Duan City.

—Sigilology emphasizes consistency; training rooms built around magical arrays naturally have similar pricing.

After paying, entering the room, and activating the chamber’s array, Gao De took one vial of Glow Moss Elixir and drank it all.

Then he immediately sat cross-legged, palms up, entered meditation, and activated the Green Wood Longevity Scripture.

Pure magic power flowed through his body like tangible liquid.

This magic power didn’t surge chaotically—it moved slowly along his meridians, and as the Green Wood Longevity Scripture turned, it gathered above his dantian, forming a swirling vortex that spun continuously.

The vortex exerted a powerful pull.

Each rotation drew in more magic, helping Gao De condense the 40th drop of liquid mana.

Compared to mana drawn in voluntarily, the mana from the potion was not only denser but also purer, gentler, and free of impurities, requiring little effort to refine.

Gao De focused his mental energy, absorbing as much of the potion’s power as possible before it could dissipate.

Everything proceeded in orderly fashion.

Suddenly, Gao De’s expression shifted slightly, revealing a faint, hard-to-suppress hint of joy.

He keenly sensed the signs that the 40th drop of liquid mana was about to solidify.

Originally, he had expected that even with the potion’s aid, it would take four or five days to break through.

But he hadn’t anticipated the extraordinary potency of wolf-blood ginseng; a tiny residue had remained hidden in obscure, inconspicuous mana channels within his body from prior absorption.

Because these residues were buried too deeply and sealed off, Gao De could normally neither detect nor absorb them—they would slowly leak away over time.

But under the powerful suction of the magic vortex formed by the glow-moss liquid, they were awakened and drawn into the vortex, injecting Gao De’s breakthrough with a fresh, powerful surge of energy, saving him three or four days.

Push forward with full force.

Half a quarter-hour later.

The magic vortex inside Gao De gradually ceased spinning and settled into stillness.

Yet at the very center of the vortex’s base, a single drop of pure, condensed liquid mana had formed—translucent, shimmering with clear light.

Drip.

This drop of liquid mana gently fell into the mana pool below, which already held 39 drops.

With all 40 drops gathered, the mana pool flared with light in an instant.

First Ring, Mid-Stage achieved!

At that very moment, a strange new force surged upward from below into Gao De’s mind.

Like a thunderclap, it jolted his spirit, leaving his mind ringing.

This was the mental breakthrough brought by advancing in Mage rank—a rare channel for increasing a mage’s mental capacity.

Nourish. Integrate.

This new force, like a spring rain after the Awakening of Insects, seeped silently into his soul.

Strengthen.

His soul grew tougher, expanding under the force’s integration.

Though it sounded mystical, the entire process occurred in an instant—not requiring the slow, painstaking effort needed to condense liquid mana.

The next instant, the new force was fully absorbed into his soul.

The increase in mental capacity was complete.

Gao De calmed his excited emotions and used his “Precise Perception” ability to confirm his current state.

Mental capacity: 199

It had risen from 186 to 199.

Normally, advancing from First Ring Early-Stage to Mid-Stage increases a mage’s mental capacity by 33—from 100 to 133.

But Gao De was exceptional; after drinking Ice Jade Wutong Water and undergoing two feedbacks from Yujiatexila, his mental capacity had already reached 186 in First Ring Early-Stage.

It was even stronger than that of a First Ring Late-Stage mage.

And 199 was the maximum mental capacity for a First Ring mage.

Thus, this breakthrough only raised his mental capacity by 13, stopping right at the 199 limit.

It might seem like a loss, but Gao De understood that increasing mental capacity, like increasing power, became harder the higher one climbed.

Encountering this bottleneck early was better—it gave him more opportunity to break through.

After calming his excitement, Gao De opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

Year 9656 of the Nolan Calendar, Frost-Mist Month (October) 20th: Ring Advancement Successful.

Year 9657 of the Nolan Calendar, Ice-Seal Month (November) 24th: Broke through to First Ring Mid-Stage.

Total time elapsed: 394 days.

This pace, even within the Jin Quehua Dynasty, was top-tier!

(End of Chapter)