Chapter 47: Frost‑Fire Ring

Lei En looked over there; because he was relatively tall, he could see among the crowd a woman dressed in a Wizard robe, holding a dazzling azure ring aloft, showing it to the people.

The witch, appearing just over thirty, had a head of red curls, a dignified bearing, and exuded an aura of wealth from head to toe.

Her Wizard robe was clearly an enchanted piece, shimmering with subtle magical energy.

Moreover, the strange necklace around her neck, the two bracelets on her wrists, and the delicate badge on her chest were all enchanted items.

This lavish gear, combined with her striking looks and figure, made the witch the second‑most prominent figure at tonight's trade fair after Viola, drawing the eyes of many men.

Lei En had already noticed the witch, but Viola had not yet introduced her.

Viola walked over, and the crowd automatically cleared a path for her to the witch; Lei En followed behind her.

Glancing at the ring on the witch's hand, Viola asked with a smile, "Feilis, you're not planning to part with that ring, are you?"

The witch named Feilis looked at Viola, her gaze sweeping over Lei En, a hint of contempt in her eyes, and said coolly, "I have a better enchanted ring; I don't need this one, so I'll use your trade fair to sell it—maybe I can get something better."

At that moment the onlookers noticed she also wore another ring, set with a massive green gemstone, its grade indiscernible.

Lei En muttered, "Her flaunting of wealth is too obvious."

Moreover, she seemed at odds with Viola—whether due to past grudges or simply a rivalry between women, he couldn't tell.

The witch who dared to spar with Viola in front of Longshande must have a considerable background.

Lei En activated his Soul Eye for a quick scan and immediately saw that Feilis's soul was powerful, composed of eight concentric layers; deep within lay a misty sea of Elements, within which floated over twenty Law Seals!

Each Law Seal represented a spell, i. e., an Arcane Element.

It was Lei En's first time seeing so many Elements in a soul beneath Legend Grade, which surprised him.

"Law Seal school's Wizard, an eighth‑grade Elementalist!"

An eighth‑grade Wizard has already entered a high‑tier profession and is renowned for spell burst and destructive power as an Elementalist; though Feilis appears not very old, she possesses formidable strength, and the sheer number of her Law Seals far exceeds that of peers.

This is a rare prodigy Wizard.

No wonder Feilis has the nerve to challenge Viola; her power truly surpasses Viola's.

In terms of looks and temperament, Feilis falls far short of Viola, but in wealth she appears richer, outshining Viola, the host.

The rivalry between the two beauties instantly made the atmosphere somewhat delicate.

The spectators chuckled inwardly, waiting for the spectacle, especially the men; in a less formal setting they'd probably shout loudly.

Yet Viola seemed unfazed; the other was trading on her own turf and giving her money—she could not ask for more.

"According to the rules, this ring must undergo our appraisal; is that acceptable?"

With that, Viola nodded toward Lai Wen Si Te in the crowd; the white‑haired appraisal expert stepped forward and said, "Madam."

Feilis casually handed the ring over.

Lai Wen Si Te adjusted his glasses and examined the ring carefully.

He scrutinized it closely, delicately infused a trace of soul energy to test the ring; a chill emanated, making those nearby feel as if winter had arrived.

The cold faded quickly; Lai Wen Si Te completed the appraisal and returned it to Feilis.

"How about my Frost‑Fire Ring?" Feilis asked, referring to the ring,

but her gaze fell on Viola's face.

"So it's called the Frost‑Fire Ring," Lai Wen Si Te replied on behalf of his boss, his face full of admiration; raising his voice so everyone could hear, he introduced, "Madam Feilis's Frost‑Fire Ring is a top‑tier enchanted ring, classified as a masterpiece; its maker must be an Alchemical Master."

"Masterpiece ring!"

"Still forged by an Alchemical Master."

The crowd stirred slightly, many patrons' eyes filled with awe.

Earlier, when Feilis presented the ring, she claimed it was a masterpiece, but few believed it.

A masterpiece enchanted item, and a conveniently portable ring—who would part with it?

The most common enchanted gear are weapons and armor, which have the highest demand and slightly lower prices, but the most popular are the small, convenient accessory‑type enchanted items, such as rings, necklaces, bracelets, and badges, which can be worn at any time to take effect.

Because of their small size, crafting accessory‑type enchanted gear is difficult, making them scarce and driving the price sky‑high.

The guests present were all wealthy—either extraordinary beings, nobles, or merchants—but few owned a masterpiece item, let alone such accessory‑type enchanted gear.

Lai Wen Si Te continued, "The Frost‑Fire Ring comes with three spells: first, a fourth‑rank Frost‑Fire Arrow, usable three times daily; second, a third‑rank Calm Mind, usable once daily; and third, a second‑rank Ice Armor, usable twice daily."

The hall filled with a collective gasp of cold breath.

The onlookers stared at the ring in Feilis's hand, eyes shining, especially the casters, who almost wanted to snatch it and wear it.

Lei En, who had seen little of the world, kept shaking his head in admiration.

Lai Wen Si Te, fearing many were unfamiliar with the three spells, proceeded to explain them in detail.

The most important "Frost‑Fire Arrow" is a Rare‑grade spell, fourth‑rank, possessing both ice and fire elemental properties; it combines the advantages of Ice Arrow and Fireball, firing quickly over long range, exploding on impact and releasing frosty energy that freezes the surrounding area.

If judged solely on destructive power, Frost‑Fire Arrow is weaker than Fireball, but its other advantages make it more suitable in many situations.

"Calm Mind" is also a Rare spell; it serves only a support role, slightly increasing casting speed!

Anything that boosts casting speed—whether a support spell, a magical pill, or equipment—is coveted by casters and never too much.

The final "Ice Armor" is merely a Common spell, yet its effect is considerable and passively triggered; when attacked, it forms a layer of ice armor on the body, does not conflict with regular magical shields, and can stack with them, adding an extra layer of defense.

The three spells each serve a purpose, and the Frost‑Fire Ring nearly reaches the pinnacle of ordinary enchanted gear.

It can be called the ultimate of masterpieces.

Aside from the unattainable Epic and Legend Grade gear, even the wealthiest ordinary people can only obtain equipment of this grade.

Yet Feilis intends to sell it, claiming she already has something better.

For a moment everyone marveled at how rich the witch was, while also speculating what grade the green‑gem ring on her hand might be.

It can't be an Epic‑grade ring, can it?

Feilis saw the crowd whispering, each person discussing her, occasionally glancing at the other ring on her hand; a hint of smugness flashed in her eyes as she provocatively looked at Viola.

Viola remained unmoved, keeping a smile on her face.

At that moment Lai Wen Si Te came beside her, whispered a price; she nodded slightly and said, "According to the appraisal, we price this Frost‑Fire Ring at 18,000 gold. Feilis, what do you think?"

"Fine," Feilis agreed. "The price is fairly reasonable."

Lei En was still observing her with his Soul Eye, noticing that her emotions were calm, as if she didn't care about the price at all.

That struck him as odd.

No matter how wealthy, even a billionaire would not handle a priceless masterpiece ring so casually.

Lei En thought for a moment, then instantly understood.

Feilis wasn't truly intending to sell the Frostfire Ring; such an expensive item makes a deal very difficult. At 18,000 gold, few could afford that sky‑high price, and even if someone were willing to pay, she could refuse.

She was merely trying to show off and curb Viola's momentum.

"Women's jealousy!" Lei En thought, speechless.

He glanced at Viola, who clearly saw through Feilis's trick but didn't expose it, and loudly said, "Ladies and gentlemen, if anyone wishes to acquire this Frostfire Ring, you may speak with Ms. Feilis; we will handle appraisal and pricing."

The trade hall fell silent for a few breaths, and no one moved.

Several spellcasters were clearly intrigued by the Frostfire Ring and eager, but the steep price frightened them, leaving them hesitant. Others, seeing Feilis's true intent, shook their heads silently and stayed out of the mess.

"What's all the commotion?" a gentle male voice called out.

Lei En turned his head and saw a neatly dressed middle‑aged man walking in from outside, of average height, strikingly handsome, with a warm smile, a non‑lit cigar tucked between his fingers, exuding pure gentlemanly bearing.

"Mr. Ga Luo Wei Na."

"Your Excellency Viscount."

The man was warmly welcomed; his status seemed high, and people greeted him and cleared a path, to which he responded repeatedly, displaying great courtesy.

He approached Viola and said kindly, "Viola, I was delayed by matters at the company, so I'm late; you won't hold this uncle against me, will you?"

"Of course not."

Viola smiled brightly and said, "It's wonderful that Uncle Ga Luo Wei Na could come, welcome."

Lei En thought, so he's also from the Cilvirei family, a generation senior to Viola; no wonder he's so popular.

But Viola seemed not to like this uncle; when she saw him, her soul hue shifted to gray‑blue, indicating she was weary of the elder.

"Hating him inside yet smiling so beautifully on the outside…"

Lei En sighed again, noting that women are naturally performers.

"Ha ha, then I'll take a good look at today's trade fair; perhaps there's something I like, and I'll buy a few items to contribute to your shop." After speaking, Ga Luo Wei Na noticed Feilis's Frostfire Ring, seemed to know her, and began conversing with her.

From start to finish, Ga Luo Wei Na never noticed Lei En beside Viola, completely ignoring him.

Viola also had no intention of introducing Lei En to the uncle; she simply kept him with her and went on to meet other guests.

However, the guests were evidently distracted, glancing at Feilis now and then, watching the movements of that exquisite ring, and even the number of completed deals dwindled.

Lei En felt helpless; he had to admit that Feilis's simple trick was highly effective, drawing everyone's gaze and subtly sabotaging the trade fair.

But this is part of a normal trading process, and Viola couldn't resolve it at the moment.

When no one was nearby, Lei En whispered to Viola, "What exactly is Feilis's background?"