Chapter 546, Small Fry

Translator: Silavin

 

This Shooting Star Spirit Crystal was positioned in the centre of the wall, making it easily noticeable to anyone who looked.

 

Its surface was not covered with bumps like those Shooting Star Spirit Crystals displayed below. Compared to those surrounding it, its surface was relatively smooth.

 

Clearly, this was not like the ones he had bought from the Auction House, but premium material from the central portion of a meteorite from outer space.

 

Being from the central portion, when it fell from the sky, the high temperatures generated by friction with the air had not affected it, hence it had a relatively smooth appearance.

 

Being premium material, its price was also astonishing, reaching a staggering one million two hundred thousand gold coins!

 

This was equivalent to the price of an ordinary Spirit Seed.

 

In other words, even if a Spirit Seed were extracted from inside, if it were merely an ordinary Spirit Seed, there would still be a loss of two hundred thousand gold coins!

 

This was precisely why this industry was classified as gambling.

 

Qin Yichen crouched down, placing his palm on this Shooting Star Spirit Crystal and rubbing it, the gleam in his eyes growing ever brighter.

 

He remembered this Shooting Star Spirit Crystal!

 

This was the first Shooting Star Spirit Crystal he had opened in this Water Moon Crystal House.

 

Although he had not extracted a Spirit Seed from it, precisely because he had not extracted anything at all, his memory of it was particularly vivid.

 

One million two hundred thousand gold coins!

 

It had left him utterly destitute at the time.

 

Those were savings he had accumulated since leaving the Heavenly Unicorn Dynasty, all lost in one go!

 

This was what it meant to gamble.

 

Anyone would have collapsed under such circumstances.

 

However, Qin Yichen had already awakened his Divine Eyes at that time. He was very clear that this was the price that must be paid to practise with his Divine Eyes. Therefore, regardless of how many times he failed, he never considered giving up, nor did he become disheartened.

 

On the contrary, he learnt lessons from each failure, recording every detail of his erroneous assessments, ultimately creating his own secret method for examining these Crystals.

 

“Master, this Spirit Crystal is of excellent quality and very likely to yield a Mid Grade or High Grade Spirit Seed…”

 

Seeing him pause before this Shooting Star Spirit Crystal, the beautiful attendant spared no effort in recommending it to him.

 

Standing behind Qin Yichen, Shen Ling did not dissuade him either.

 

After all, this Shooting Star Spirit Crystal before them was indeed one of the better ones among these Shooting Star Spirit Crystals in terms of appearance.

 

“If there were definitely a Spirit Seed inside, that would be no fun.” Qin Yichen smacked his lips and finally remarked with little interest.

 

Subsequently, he walked ahead, scanning those Shooting Star Spirit Crystals one by one.

 

Soon, Qin Yichen discovered that among the Shooting Star Spirit Crystals, there were still some that were familiar, though very few.

 

This allowed him to relax slightly.

 

He now had less than two million gold coins remaining and could not afford to squander them.

 

While he was making his selection, a gaze fell upon him from a particular direction.

 

It was Ouyang Haotian.

 

He was chatting and laughing with several young men, discussing something unknown.

 

However, when he inadvertently caught sight of Qin Yichen from the corner of his eye, the smile on his face suddenly froze.

 

Those chatting and laughing with him seemed to notice his odd behaviour as well and followed his gaze, seeing Qin Yichen being led by a beautiful attendant, with two stunningly beautiful women following behind him.

 

It must be said that Qin Yichen’s appearance very much resembled that of a playboy Young Master.

 

Bringing beautiful women to browse a Crystal House…

 

This was something they often did themselves.

 

The purpose was to make the women feel their wealth and thus become infatuated with them.

 

However, the problem was that in their recollection, no such person as Qin Yichen existed.

 

“Brother Haotian, do you know him?”

 

One of the young men holding a fan enquired of Ouyang Haotian.

 

From his attire, the small accessories on his person, and even the fan in his hand inlaid with several gems, one could tell that this young man was of extraordinary origin.

 

The fact that he could call Ouyang Haotian ‘Brother’ made it even clearer that the Force behind him was on the same level as the Ouyang Family.

 

“I’ve encountered him a few times…” Ouyang Haotian’s tone betrayed no emotional fluctuation, but deep in his eyes fixed on Qin Yichen, there was a trace of gloom.

 

He simply could not understand why he would encounter this guy wherever he went!

 

“Who is he?” Another person beside him enquired.

 

“Just a small fry from some backwater.” Ouyang Haotian’s lips curved into a cold smile.

 

He was very clear about Qin Yichen’s origins, but he did not understand why Qin Yichen would enter Water Moon Crystal House.

 

[How could it be that someone from such a backwater place could afford to gamble with Spirit Crystals!? Perhaps he is merely trying to show off in front of those beautiful women?]

 

Thinking thus, the cold smile at the corner of Ouyang Haotian’s mouth deepened, and he walked towards Qin Yichen.

 

He felt it necessary to embarrass him!

 

“’A small fry from some backwater?’” The several young men beside him all revealed traces of confusion in their eyes.

 

How could someone from nowhere wear a Fifth Grade Alchemy Master Medal?

 

Setting aside everything else, at this age, being able to become a Fifth Grade Alchemy Master meant he could hardly be called a small fry, right?

 

However, they quickly realised what was happening.

 

This person had grievances with Ouyang Haotian!

 

Thinking thus far, they exchanged glances and smiles, all wearing expressions of anticipating a good show, and followed.

 

…

 

At this moment, Qin Yichen had not noticed them approaching. His attention was focused on a Shooting Star Spirit Crystal.

 

This was a Shooting Star Spirit Crystal that was not particularly conspicuous, positioned somewhat low, with dim lighting, making it appear like a discarded lump of metal.

 

From all these aspects, one could see that this Shooting Star Spirit Crystal was not valued.

 

However, upon seeing this Shooting Star Spirit Crystal, the corner of Qin Yichen’s mouth revealed a trace of a smile.

 

Just as he was about to ask the female attendant to retrieve that Shooting Star Spirit Crystal, a piercing voice came from behind…

 

“Oh, gambling are we?”

 

Turning around, Qin Yichen saw Ouyang Haotian and his so-called friends standing behind him.

 

“Yeah, I’m testing my luck.” Qin Yichen smiled faintly, neither cold nor warm.

 

He was very clear that this person before him harboured absolutely no goodwill towards him. Moreover, he was even clearer that sooner or later, he would have a falling out with this fellow.

 

He even wanted to turn hostile now, but the current him was still no match for the Ouyang Family. Therefore, he had to endure!

 

“*Tsk*Brother Qin sure is generous.” Ouyang Haotian praised him with sarcastic undertones, then continued, “Why doesn’t Brother Qin select one to try? Perhaps you might extract a Spirit Seed?”

 

Clearly, he believed that Qin Yichen absolutely could not produce the money for it.

 

After all, any random Shooting Star Spirit Crystal here was worth several hundred thousand gold coins, which was not something just anyone could afford.

 

Particularly when Qin Yichen came from such a backwater place!

 

So what if he had fortuitously become a Fifth Grade Alchemy Master!? In Heavenly Dragon Imperial City, there was no shortage of young Fifth Grade Alchemy Masters.

 

Even if Qin Yichen had aligned himself with some Force within the Imperial City, that Force would absolutely never provide several hundred thousand in funds directly.