Chapter 126: Hawking the Potion

If it had been an ordinary wind spell, it would most likely have been devoured by the flames just now. Fire countered wind, and wind only made fire burn more fiercely. But this was Yun Lan’s wind, and his control over its flow was so precise that no attack could affect it.

Wave after wave of attacks vanished against the wind barrier. Before long, everyone was panting with exhaustion, while Yun Lan had not moved an inch.

Shen Zaiguo had also given his all from the very beginning. He drew the greatsword from his back and unleashed Blood Sacrifice to the Blade. His dazzling sword dance left the surrounding students dumbfounded and painfully aware of their own inferiority.

Only Bai Shengye stood leisurely at the very back, watching them with nothing to do. As an alchemist, he had never displayed his abilities at the academy of magic. Instead, he had taken to peddling potions to the students nearby.

“Hey, want to buy a couple of potions? They’re refined from the souls of magical beasts. Just one sip can raise your magic level by a huge amount!”

With a flourish, he drew a sparkling potion from his pocket and waved it in front of a classmate’s eyes.

“Really? They have such miraculous effects? Give me a few bottles.”

“You can only take one at a time, two at most, or your body won’t be able to withstand it.” As Bai Shengye spoke, he handed each person a tiny bottle and began counting the thick stacks of money.

“Can’t you make it a little cheaper?”

“I can’t lower the price. I’m the only one who has this potion, and where else can you find such a wonderful way to raise your level without hunting magical beasts?”

Black Feather was also standing at the back of the class, mentally checked out. He cast a glance toward Bai Shengye and said, “No wonder your level has risen so quickly. I used to wonder how an alchemist advanced. So you’ve been relying entirely on potions.”

Among students of the same year, reaching the late stage of the realm was already exceedingly rare. What was more, Bai Shengye was on the verge of breaking through to the peak stage, putting him on roughly the same level as Yi Xin.

“I even soak in soul potions while I bathe. Here, take a sniff. Can’t you smell the enchanting fragrance of magic power rising from my body?” He began to revel in his own magnificence.

Black Feather looked disgusted and shifted a step away.

After glancing around and making sure no one was nearby, Bai Shengye sidled up to him again. “The ones I’m selling them are only beginner potions. High-grade potions aren’t so easy to make. If you want to stock up, I recommend this one.”

As he spoke, he secretly fished a small bottle of blue liquid from the bottom of his pocket. He did not reveal it openly, merely exposing one mysterious corner before putting it away again. Then he cupped a hand beside Black Feather’s ear and whispered:

“This potion is practically a cheat code. It’ll make your magic power flow without end…”

Black Feather roared, “Who are you trying to fool? Isn’t that just one of those little blue bottles you can find everywhere in a magic-item shop?!”

Bai Shengye hurriedly said, “How can a potion from a magic-item shop compare with mine? This one has been refined again and again. Its effects are extraordinary. If you don’t believe me, try it in the forest over there. Come on…”

He draped an arm over Black Feather’s shoulder and tried to lead him away. Black Feather wore an expression of half-belief and half-doubt.

“You two, get back here and train properly!” Yi Xin shouted furiously, breaking away from the battle for a moment.

Black Feather and Bai Shengye slunk back and stood to one side, thoroughly deflated.

Yi Xin and the others were already utterly exhausted, yet Yun Lan remained composed in his original position, both feet still inside the circle without having shifted even slightly.

“Instead of helping, you ran off to wander around,” Yi Xin scolded Black Feather.

“Black Feather.”

“Huh?”

Black Feather had not expected Yun Lan to call on him by name.

“As a mage without an elemental affinity, don’t you want to come and test your strength?” Yun Lan asked.

“I…” Black Feather scratched his head and thought, “Principal Yun Lan, you know perfectly well that I can’t use dark magic in front of a crowd. Why are you asking me?”

“Never mind. I was thinking that if any one of you could defeat me, I’d treat you all to grilled meat skewers tonight.”

“You’re the one who wants to eat them!” Yi Xin exposed him without mercy.

“But looking at things today, I suppose that means you’ve lost?”

Everyone drooped their heads in dejection.

“Wait!”

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Black Feather. He remembered that even if he could not use dark power, he still had the spatial-temporal magic he had recently comprehended. Why not try it now?

“Teacher Yun Lan, do I only need to force you outside the circle?”

“Oh? Yes.” Teacher Yun Lan looked at him. “You want to try?”

Black Feather nodded. With solemn care, he took up his staff and walked to the spot opposite Yun Lan.

“It may not work, but I’m willing to try.”

The spatial-temporal spells he had stayed up late studying over the past few days flashed rapidly through his mind. He had never practically tested the effects of many of them. The only time he had used them before was during his desperate battle with the Cyclops, when he had employed several techniques of Spatial-Temporal Transposition to teleport his body through the air.

Spatial-temporal magic released a different kind of power from dark magic. If he could master it proficiently, perhaps it might even prove useful in the Grand Magic Duel.

The other students gathered around, placing their hopes of eating grilled skewers on Black Feather. Even more of them were curious about what kind of spell this mage without an elemental affinity would use.

“Teacher, may I begin?”

Yun Lan gestured for him to proceed. “Go ahead.”

Black Feather sprinted forward. It was merely an ordinary run; he released none of the power within him. He simply wanted to close the distance quickly, so that when he used his skill, Yun Lan would have no time to react.

Yun Lan activated his wind barrier in response. Black Feather swung the staff in his right hand horizontally and thrust it fiercely against the barrier. Yi Xin had no idea what he intended to do and watched with bated breath.

The instant the staff touched the wind barrier, Black Feather shouted:

“Spatial-Temporal Displacement!”

Yun Lan’s position suddenly slipped out of alignment with the ground, and his entire body flew beyond the circle. At the same time, the wind barrier before him bent backward, as though twisted by some strange force.

The sudden change sent a cold sweat down Yun Lan’s back. His mind remained perfectly clear; he knew he had not been attacked in any way. Yet somehow, his body had already been shifted outside the circle.

“It feels like a misalignment…”

It was as though the section of space in which he stood had suddenly slipped out of alignment with the ground.

Fortunately, Yun Lan reacted in time. The instant Spatial-Temporal Displacement occurred, he wrapped his feet in wind, bent his knees, and leapt. His feet rose as though stepping upon invisible stairs of wind, carrying him several steps into the air. His suspended body remained directly above the circle.

The students were left speechless. They had no idea what spell Black Feather had used and assumed that its force had simply been so powerful that it had broken through Teacher Yun Lan’s barrier.

But when they saw Yun Lan still hovering above the circle, they could not help shouting, “What? Teacher, you can’t cheat like that!”

Only Yun Lan had personally experienced the danger and strangeness of the spell. He thought to himself, “What an uncanny technique. It can distort space and time within a small area. I’ve never even seen anything like it…”

Black Feather also said, “You were clearly outside the circle just now.”