Chapter 553: Chapter 547: Willing to Take the Bait

No matter whether it’s Ghosts who specialize in Body Cultivation or Trainers with practices vastly different from those of Umbral, to increase the speed of cultivation, besides the cultivator’s own Talent, the most important factor is the Energy density of the practice area.

And the cultivation rooms specially established by the Master of the city were obviously far superior to the single cultivation rooms in the inn, the majestic Energy converging there even reminded David Jones of his initial shock when he first went to Rosewood City.

“The bait has long been laid, just waiting for the fish to bite!”

Having said that, David Jones picked up a Senior Dragon Crystal and began to Strengthen.

The progress in collecting elixirs by the city master’s house was slow, estimating that it would still take a day or two, hence he had been immersed in arcane star cultivation and Strengthening the Dragon Crystal all this time.

Advancing the Class V Arcane Star was more challenging than David Jones had anticipated.

Although he could clearly sense the growth of his Arcane Star, Psychic Power, and even physique every day, the speed of the Arcane Star’s improvement had still dropped a notch compared to before. Relying on arduous cultivation, it would take at least a year and a half to break through to the medium Level of the Arcane Star.

“Indeed, consuming elixir resources is the fastest way to break through Levels!” David Jones slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Compared to the slow progress of arduous cultivation, the Arcane Force feedback from Daphne’s breakthrough instead swiftly enabled him to take a firm step forward in the initial phase of Class V.

Perhaps he should focus more on acquiring Dragon-Breath Herb, using his Pet’s breakthrough to drive his own Arcane Star’s advancement.

“Knock, knock, knock!” A knocking sound arose.

David Jones opened the door, and the person who came was none other than Martin Houston, whom he had not seen for a day. Houston’s face still bore a hint of excitement he couldn’t quite conceal.

“Sir, the elixirs have been fully gathered.”

“Very well, I’ll start Alchemy today.” David Jones nodded slightly, but there was some disappointment in his heart.

This shouldn’t be. As one of the most prestigious Ghosts in Umbral, even if Theodore Lindwood’s reaction was slow, the people under him should not have missed the intelligence concerning Hemorrhagic Fever.

“Could it be that I’ll have to wait a few more days in Silver-Abyssal City? Or proceed as originally planned to the Virtue-Gathering Hall in the imperial city?”

Seeing things not developing in the direction he had anticipated, David Jones’s heart sank momentarily.

It wasn’t that he wanted to play games, using his identity, but David Jones was well-aware of human nature and knew that what came too easily was often cast aside.

If he wanted to have a firm grasp on the identity of a medicine expert, showing up on their doorstep to offer service obviously wouldn’t be as effective as having them lower themselves to seek him out.

The aim of the drunkard isn’t in the wine. When David Jones publicly argued with Iris Brown and then healed her, aside from making a name for himself, it was to lure the Prince into a trap, to leap into Umbral’s upper echelons of power, and to learn of the top-secret intelligence concerning the Cross-world Gate that only top-level individuals would know of.

Of course, such a move came with both risks and opportunities, and David Jones dared to do so because he believed the risks were within his control.

After all, being able to cure Hemorrhagic Fever and refine Longevity Elixirs, renowned throughout the world as a medical expert, no matter where he went, he would be treated with respect by various forces vying to recruit him, and they would not choose methods of threats and oppression, for fear that the talent they coveted might switch to another force in the blink of an eye.

Of course, except for the forces who, unwilling to see their mortal enemies grow stronger, chose to flip the table and assassinate instead.

For safety’s sake, David Jones decided that if he weren’t to cooperate or seek patronage, he would choose to cling to the largest, thickest, and most tempting leg in the whole of Umbral, one that no one would dare offend, while increasing his speed of scouring for wealth, he would leave Umbral as soon as possible.

And now, in the vast Umbral, which Ghost Noble’s power could possibly surpass that of the Empress who dominated the entire Umbral, the one who exerted domination over the Thirteen Sacred Clans?

Not to mention that the Empress’s younger brother, Theodore Lindwood, was a prince with a relatively good reputation and sufficient military accomplishments.

David Jones was rather cautious in his actions, he didn’t fear saving a clever ghost, but he feared saving a mad ghost influenced by the Seven Deadly Sins, who cared nothing for reputation, resulting in an unhappy parting, and Prince Theodore Lindwood was the smart choice David Jones had meticulously made.

Even if it was just to put on a show for his subordinates, to perform surface-level lip service, Prince Lindwood could not possibly mistreat a benefactor who had saved his life; therefore, David Jones’s safety had a considerably high level of assurance.

At this time, David Jones did not yet know that as he had just left his room to head towards the Alchemy Room to concoct the Longevity Elixir, the very Prince Theodore Lindwood he was constantly thinking about was already making his way towards Silver-Abyssal City under the grand escort arranged by the Master of Spring Mansion, leading a parade of elite soldiers, clad in heavy armor and possessing formidable strength.

As the leader of the Green Wood Saint Clan, with his cultivation reaching the apex of a Ghost Emperor, Azir Nos, the Master of Spring Mansion, was a renowned mighty figure in the great Umbral, an existence so transcendent that ordinary Ghost Emperors would flee at the sight of him.

Yet even such a powerful figure could only submit to imperial power, accompanying Prince Theodore Lindwood on his journey to Silver-Abyssal City, creating an immense spectacle.

“This old fellow’s sense of smell is truly keen!” Lornaa Lindwood said, looking somewhat displeased.

On the surface, Joan Lindwood, the Empress of the great Umbral, was the ruler of the whole territory, but in fact, the opposite was true. The thirteen mansions of Umbral were actually ruled jointly by the imperial family and the Thirteen Sacred Clans, with each mansion’s master serving as a clan leader, akin to a small, autonomous feudal state.

The only position the imperial family could interfere with locally was that of a deputy master, a position symbolic in name but devoid of real power.

Where there were interests, there was strife. To acquire enough benefits and more resources, the imperial family would automatically suppress the Sacred Clans when it was strong; conversely, when the Sacred Clans were powerful, they would choose to marginalize the imperial house, rendering imperial decrees unheeded outside the imperial city.

Of course, a single Sacred Clan was no match for the imperial family, which could eradicate a clan with just a little cost. However, when the thirteen Sacred Clans united, it was a different story; they possessed enough power to overthrow dynasties.

The period when Joan Lindwood ascended the throne, the time of the Umbral Decree by Heaven, was precisely when the power of the Sacred Clans was gradually suppressing that of the imperial family.

Therefore, Lornaa Lindwood had a large grievance against these ungrateful people and even suspected that Azir Nos’s accompanying them this time was to hinder her royal brother’s plans.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

The luxurious convoy had only approached Silver-Abyssal City when it was suddenly drawn to the thunder that roared in the sky.

The sharp soldiers looked up only to see a dazzling flash of light disappearing in the blink of an eye.

In that moment, Azir Nos, whose face was calm and undisturbed, sensed something and a faint smile graced his face.

With his knowledge and strength, he naturally sensed that the thunderous noise that had just occurred was the ruckus caused by a Healer’s successful alchemy within Silver-Abyssal City.

The elixir thunder sounded only twice, and considering the faint energy fluctuation, Azir Nos deduced that the Healer concocting the external alchemy must have been of Monarch class, only that the elixir produced was too rare and its quality was comparable to that of a King class external elixir.

Seeing the slight rise at the corner of Azir Nos’s mouth, Lornaa Lindwood clenched her delicate hands tightly, veins popping out and her complexion instantly darkening.

As a disciple of the Purple Chill Saint, although she was not comparable to her peers, she also had a solid understanding of the medical arts and had become a Monarch Healer at a young age.

Whatever Azir Nos could sense, she could naturally sense as well.