Chapter 31: Steel Armor Implants

"Mr. Hao."

The warehouse administrator wore a look of difficulty.

Hao Yi frowned: "What is it? I came to check just last week, and that box of second-grade superior steel armor implants was still there. Is it gone now?"

"It's not that."

The administrator was somewhat timid: "That box of second-grade superior steel armor implants has already been reserved by Mr. Wang."

Hao Yi: "Mr. Wang, you mean Wang Qitai?"

"Yes."

The administrator nodded cautiously.

Hao Yi sneered: "Since when did the implants at this Martial Arts Hall become available for reservation?"

The administrator's body trembled, and he wore a bitter smile:

"Mr. Wang came here yesterday and specifically instructed me that he would come to collect that box of second-grade superior steel armor implants today, asking me to prepare it for thawing in advance."

Hao Yi's expression turned cold, and he said to Li Fei: "Give him the receipt."

Upon hearing this, Li Fei handed over the receipt for the 360 yuan he had paid to purchase the implants.

The administrator accepted it with a bitter smile.

Hao Yi looked at him expressionlessly: "According to the regulations of the Martial Arts Hall, as a special-grade lecturer, I am entitled to one quota per year for using implants below the third grade. My quota is still available, the required implants are here, and the receipt has been given to you. Go and get them for me immediately!"

The administrator was shaken by Hao Yi's aura and dared not say anything more; he turned to retrieve the items.

A few minutes later, he walked over holding a wooden box about a meter long that was still emitting cold air.

"Mr. Hao, this is what you wanted. It has been thawed."

"Mm."

Hao Yi signaled for Li Fei to take the wooden box, then said to the administrator: "Register it properly. If Wang Qitai comes to ask, tell him directly that I took it."

"Yes."

"Let's go."

Hao Yi gestured for Li Fei to leave the warehouse.

Afterward, he took Li Fei back to the medicinal bath room and produced a list, telling Li Fei to go to the logistics building to collect the medicine.

Li Fei arrived at the logistics building with the list, and the person in charge of medicine told him the price for this set of medicine was 78 yuan.

"Practicing martial arts is too expensive."

Li Fei sighed again.

After paying, he returned to the medicinal bath room with a large bag of medicine and saw that Hao Yi had already opened the wooden box containing the implants and was organizing the contents.

When he first heard the term 'steel armor,' Li Fei had assumed the box would contain pieces of scales from some exotic beast, but he discovered it was filled with a pile of black powder that emitted a pungent odor.

Hao Yi was wearing gloves and putting the black powder into various containers of different sizes.

"Go boil a pot of hot water. Once it boils, add one medicinal ingredient every five minutes according to the prescription."

Hao Yi instructed.

Li Fei immediately followed his orders.

A moment later, the water in the pot boiled.

Just as Li Fei was about to add the medicinal ingredients, the door to the medicinal bath room was suddenly knocked.

Li Fei looked at Hao Yi, who nodded at him, so he went over to open the door.

Standing outside was an old man with a sinister gaze, and behind him stood a tall woman with her long hair pinned up with a jade hairpin.

The old man didn't even glance at Li Fei; he strode into the room and looked straight at Hao Yi. Seeing that the black powder was still there, he immediately let out a sigh of relief.

"Hao Yi, this implant is very important to me. If you want to rebuild your 【Core of Steel】, I can find you a third-grade superior golden scale. It is more compatible with your Dao foundation; there is no need to use this one."

The old man got straight to the point, speaking rapidly to Hao Yi.

Hao Yi looked at him with a strange expression: "Who told you I wanted to rebuild my Dao foundation?"

The old man was Wang Qitai, who had reserved the second-grade superior steel armor implants, and like Hao Yi, he was also a special-grade lecturer at the Xingcheng Martial Arts Hall.

He was stunned upon hearing this:

"If you aren't rebuilding your Dao foundation, what do you need this second-grade superior steel armor for?"

"My student needs it."

Hao Yi glanced at Li Fei.

"Him?"

Wang Qitai finally looked at Li Fei, examined him carefully, and scoffed:

"He isn't even a martial artist yet. Using second-grade superior steel armor during the Embryo Nourishing stage? Are you trying to kill him?"

"That is none of your business. You can leave now."

Hao Yi said expressionlessly.

Wang Qitai's expression turned ugly: "Hao Yi, must you go against me?"

He was the most senior special-grade lecturer at the Xingcheng Martial Arts Hall and had extensive connections; everyone, including the Hall Master, had to show him some respect—except for Hao Yi.

That was why their relationship had always been poor.

Hao Yi stepped forward and looked him in the eye:

"I am extracting the implants according to the rules of the Martial Arts Hall. If you have any objections, you can go to the Hall Master to file a complaint."

"You!"

Wang Qitai was about to erupt when he was suddenly stopped by the young woman behind him: "Grandfather, let me speak with Mr. Hao."

Wang Qitai looked at the woman, his expression softening significantly, and he nodded.

The woman stepped forward and first bowed to Hao Yi:

"Mr. Hao, my name is Wang Fengqing, a third-year student at the Martial Arts University. I have just broken through to the Dao foundation stage and intend to construct the 【Qinghua Linglong】 martial foundation. This metal-attribute second-grade superior steel armor implant can increase my success rate in cultivating 【Qinghua Linglong】, so I implore Mr. Hao to yield it to me. I am willing to use my own authority to purchase an implant more suitable for the Embryo Nourishing stage from the Martial Arts University to compensate your student. Or, if Mr. Hao has any other conditions, please feel free to state them."

She spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, with great sincerity, which softened Hao Yi's expression somewhat.

"To break through to the Dao foundation stage as a third-year student, no wonder you dare to cultivate 【Qinghua Linglong】."

There was a hint of surprise in his eyes as he looked at Wang Fengqing.

"Hmph."

Wang Qitai, standing behind her, let out a soft snort, looking smug.

But Hao Yi's next words quickly made his expression turn dark again:

"My student intends to construct the 【Hunyuan Tianjin】 martial foundation in the future. This metal-attribute second-grade superior steel armor implant is equally important to him, so I cannot yield it."

Wang Qitai could no longer hold back and pointed at Li Fei:

"Ha? You say he wants to cultivate 【Hunyuan Tianjin】? If he had that kind of aptitude, would he still be at the Martial Arts Hall as your student?!"

Hao Yi no longer gave him a pleasant look and said bluntly:

"That has nothing to do with you. I will say this one last time: take your granddaughter and leave here!"

As he spoke, a terrifying aura erupted from his body.

Standing beside him, Li Fei instinctively felt fear, just like an ordinary person encountering a tiger on the road; it was the pressure brought about by the crushing difference in life levels!

This was the first time he had felt such extraordinary power from his teacher.

Wang Qitai subconsciously took a step back, staring fixedly at Hao Yi, appearing quite wary of him.

After a long while, he turned to Li Fei and gave a sinister smile:

"Kid, I advise you to figure out what 【Hunyuan Tianjin】 is first, or you won't even know how you died!"

Having said that, he turned and left in a rage.

Wang Fengqing gave Li Fei a deep look before following her grandfather away.

After the two had left, Li Fei said calmly:

"Teacher, the water has boiled."

(End of chapter)