“Five days inside is equivalent to one day outside?” Duan Ling Tian’s breathing quickened when he heard Elder Huo’s words.
The time ratio on the first level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda and the outside world was two to one… On the second level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda, the ratio was three to one.
And now, the time ratio on the third level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda had reached five to one!
‘This means if I cultivate inside for five months, only a month will pass outside. Cultivating for one year inside will only take two months and ten days outside.’ Duan Ling Tian felt a surge of emotion when he thought about this.
However, he regained his senses when he thought of another thing.
‘The restoration of the third level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda is even more difficult compared to the second level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda… Even after Elder Huo uses the materials I just obtained, it’ll only restore 10% of it.’
Duan Ling Tian shuddered and calmed down as though a bucket of cold water had been poured on his head. ‘Currently, it seems like there’s still a long way to go before I can completely restore the third level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda.’
Although Duan Ling Tian knew he still had a long way to go, he was determined to restore it. “I must restore the third level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda!”
‘The flow of time on the third level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda is substantially slower compared to the second level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda! Moreover, I’ll be able to begin restoring the fourth level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda after completely restoring the third level.’
Duan Ling Tian had always been obsessed with the fourth level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda. ‘According to Elder Huo’s words… As long as I restore the fourth level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda, the space inside will stabilize.”
‘At that time, no matter when and where, regardless of what situation the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda encounters, the space inside won’t be affected.’
Duan Ling Tian became somewhat excited when he continued his line of thought. ‘That also means no matter what danger I encounter, as long as I have the chance to enter the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda, I’ll be able to escape!’
In Duan Ling Tian’s mind, an image emerged involuntarily. A powerhouse who was stronger than Duan Ling Tian by who-knew how many folds, someone who could kill him with just a finger appeared in his mind… When the powerhouse was about to kill him, he would hide inside the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda, and it would transform into dust, blending in with the ground. The powerhouse would then get so angry, but there was nothing he could do other than to leave in disappointment.
‘I couldn’t find the materials to restore the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda on Cloud Continent and the Overseas Saint Islands… I’m sure I can find them in the Dao Martial Saint Land! From today onward, I’ll do everything I can to find the materials required to restore the third level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda.’ Duan Ling Tian decided inwardly.
‘Perhaps when I return to Cloud Continent next time, I’ll go to the two other Mortal Continents to have a look as well.’ Duan Ling Tian seemed to have thought of something as his eyes lit up. ‘With my strength, it’s sufficient to scare the top forces and powerhouses on the two Mortal Continents… At that time, I’ll reward them. I think that’ll get the people from the two Mortal Continents to help me search for the materials.” At this moment, Duan Ling Tian was scheming against the two Mortal Continents.
Naturally, he was mentally prepared that even if the two other Mortal Continents searched for the materials, they might not be able to find 50% of the materials required to restore the third level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda.
However, even the smallest mosquito had some meat. He would not let go of any opportunity to search for materials that could restore the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda.
Duan Ling Tian realized the auction was already over when he regained his senses.
Duan Ling Tian stuck his tongue out when he discovered the two remaining Saint Grade Martial Tactics had fetched a higher price than the first set of Saint Grade Martial Tactic.
After the auction, Duan Ling Tian met with Lin Qing Rong again.
Lin Qing Rong teased him with a smile the moment they met, “Good boy, at least you still have some conscience, and you weren’t too ruthless.”
He promised to gift Duan Ling Tian two items from the auction.
Duan Ling Tian had indeed bid for the items, but the total price of the two items did not even exceed 10,000 grade-eighth Saint Stones… That was why he said Duan Ling Tian still had a conscience.
“Senior Lin, you’re the one who was being petty,” Duan Ling Tian said as he shook his head.
After he had gotten closer to Lin Qing Rong, he could see that he was an easy-going person who did not put on any airs. One could even joke with him occasionally.
“Alright! I was being petty today, I admit it… How about this? During next year’s auction that’s organized by the Precious Treasure Pavilion, I’ll let you bid on anything and everything as long as it’s within 100,000 grade-eight Saint Stones. How about that?” Lin Qing Rong said with a laugh.
“You said it on your own accord.” Duan Ling Tian smiled. “At that time, I definitely won’t stand on ceremony!”
After that, Duan Ling Tian left the Precious Treasure Pavilion after notifying Lin Qing Rong, and Lin Qing Rong went on to do his own thing… There was a lot of work to be done after the auction ended.
After leaving the Precious Treasure Pavilion, Duan Ling Tian went to the City Guard Army Camp.
However, he did not see Hong Yu, let alone the little girl, Sze Sze.
Fortunately, the eight City Guard soldiers under Hong Yu were there, and he managed to obtain Hong Yu’s address after learning that Hong Yu had gone home.
Following that, he decided to pay Hong Yu a visit.
“Brother Ling Tian!” Naturally, Hong Yu was extremely happy when he saw Duan Ling Tian had personally come and visited his estate. He enthusiastically welcomed Duan Ling Tian into his house.
“Brother! Brother!” As soon as Duan Ling Tian entered Hong Yu’s front yard, he heard a familiar voice.
Then, he saw a cute little girl running toward him from the distance before she arrived in front of him and hugged his legs.
“Eh? Sze Sze, you seem to have become more beautiful,” Duan Ling Tian said with a smile as he squatted down to look at the little girl’s clean and fair face.
He could see the little girl had groomed herself properly.
“Sister-in-law helped me to shower and gave me a new dress,” the little girl said as she looked up at Duan Ling Tian.
“Sister-in-law?” Duan Ling Tian was momentarily stunned before he realized the sister-in-law in question was Hong Yu’s wife.
Soon after, Duan Ling Tian met Hong Yu’s wife under Hong Yu’s lead.
Hong Yu’s wife looked comely, and she seemed like a responsible woman… When she found out Duan Ling Tian was Hong Yu’s brother, she was kind enough to cook up a table full of food.
“Sister-in-law, stop being so courteous with me… Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare to come next time,” Duan Ling Tian said to Hong Yu’s wife at the dinner table.
“Brother Ling Tian, Hong Yu has very few friends. Since you’re his brother, it means you’re my brother too… Since my brother rarely comes over, how can I treat him badly?” Hong Yu’s wife said with a smile.
“Sister-in-law, I’m bothering you with Sze Sze here. I’ll find a way to search for her family… If I find them, I’ll send her back. If I can’t find them, I will make arrangements for her as soon as I can. I won’t trouble you for long,” Duan Ling Tian said.
“Brother Ling Tian, now you’re acting like a stranger… Sze Sze’s very cute. Even my two boys love her. If you can find her family, then it’s fine. If you can’t, just let her stay with me,” Hong Yu’s wife said hurriedly.
“Sze Sze’s a poor kid,” Hong Yu’s wife said. Her eyes began to tear when she thought of the shocking scars she had seen on the little girl when she was helping her shower.
She loved that little girl, Sze Sze, and she pitied her too.
“Thank you, sister-in-law,” Duan Ling Tian quickly thanked her.
He could see the words came from the depth of Hong Yu’s wife’s heart, none of it was faked.
“Brother Ling Tian, it seems like you have seven more days before you have to return to the Latent Dragon Camp, right? Just stay at my house for the remaining seven days. I have extra guestrooms.”
Hong Yu also suggested, “It’s just right. You can spend more time with Sze Sze as well… That kid was missing you the entire morning.”
Duan Ling Tian glanced at the little girl, Sze Sze, and nodded in agreement.
After dinner, Duan Ling Tian also saw Hong Yu’s two sons, a two-year-old and a three-year-old… They were running on wobbly feet after Sze Sze.
That night, Hong Yu went to work while Duan Ling Tian stayed in his house.
In the spacious guestroom, with the door and windows shut tightly, Duan Ling Tian entered the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda with just a thought.
While Duan Ling Tian weighed the black orb that the Precious Treasure Pavilion out up for auction today in his hand, he looked at Elder Huo and asked bluntly, “Elder Kong, how do I refine the eye of this One-eyed Devil Vulture?”
Hu!
When Duan Ling Tian finished his sentence, Elder Huo did not speak. Instead, he only raised his hand.
Suddenly, Duan Ling Tian noticed that he had involuntarily loosened his grip, and the black orb in his hand had flown into Elder Huo’s hands.
This incident shocked him.
“Indeed, a sleeping lion is still stronger than a barking dog!” It was the first time Duan Ling Tian witnessed Elder Huo’s strength. In front of Elder Huo, he was as weak as a child.
“En?” The flash before his eyes stunned him.
Following that, he discovered Elder Huo had reverted to his true form, the Three-legged Golden Crow. He spat out a smoldering flame from his mouth on the eye of the One-eyed Devil Vulture.
In that instant, even Duan Ling Tian who standing quite far away could clearly feel the interior of the first level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda was getting hotter. Eventually, it became so hot that even he found it intolerable.
“Go to the second level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda,” Elder Huo’s said to Duan Ling Tian, “With my current cultivation base, I’ll need at least three hours to refine the One-eyed Devil Vulture’s eyeball. Come back in three hours… At that time, I’ll be done refining it, and you can directly integrate it into your body and gain the One-eyed Devil Vulture’s ability.”
Duan Ling Tian nodded and went to the second level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda… The second level was completely isolated from the first level, therefore he could not feel the slightest heat at all.
For the first time, Duan Ling Tian felt that three hours was a long time. It almost felt like he had waited for more than half a day.
At the moment three hour had passed, Duan Ling Tian, who had been waiting impatiently, flew out and immediately left the second level for the first level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda.
Duan Ling Tian saw Elder Huo had returned to his human form. A black mist floated in front of him.
With just a glance, he felt as though his soul was being taken away.