To no surprise, the wooden sculpture was not particularly valuable, and it was purchased for a modest 400 grand.After that, Travis presented a set of porcelain tableware.Frank nodded, seeing no flaws—even if nothing was catching his eye, the tableware was not fake, and it was sold for 150 million.Up front, Travis breathed a sigh of relief since Frank was not speaking up—it seemed that the painting was the exception.As his mind was set at ease, he presented another item from his collection: a red coral crystal."Everyone, this red coral crystal is plucked from the South Sea," he said proudly. "It's a true rarity and worth a king's ransom, and I would never have sold it if not for extenuating circumstances."It is said to carry an aura and imbued with spiritrons—just keep it at your house, and it'll bring good fortune and promote longevity. And now, I will sell it for a billion dollars!""A billion dollars?!"Travis' starting bid left the guests trading glances—it must be som
Could the rock actually be a treasure, but Frank was just trying to play down its value so that the other guests would not compete?With that in mind, everyone was suddenly interested, while Travis was delighted.Frank's move was basically promoting the rock!Beaming, he asked, "Forgive my ignorance, Mr. Lawrence, but I've always treated it as a red gemstone. Would you mind telling me what it is, if it's not a gemstone?""It really is just a normal rock," Frank said calmly, despite the troubled look in his eyes. "However, it holds a special meaning to me, which is why I will buy it.""Pfft."Hugh was snickering—did Frank really take them for fools?Whether it was really a gemstone or not, the fact that Frank tried to disparage it while trying to buy it meant there was something fishy going on.He must be worried that the others would compete with him.With that, Hugh looked up and grinned. "Since Mr. Lawrence is interested, there has to be something special about it, and I'll
And the blood on that rock was the essence of Mystic Sky Sect's chief, failing his transcendence as mobs of martial artists attacked him.Despite his failure, the chief of Mystic Sky Sect—Frank's mentor—had vaguely cultivated a strand of sage aura.And the blood on that rock contained it.Be it from a standpoint of principle or sentiment, Frank refused to let the rock fall into anyone else's hands.The blood on that rock was a representation of his mentor's resentment.A representation of the tragedy that was the fall of Mystic Sky Sect.A representation of the three years Frank spent adrift.Therefore, that rock was priceless for Frank—he would even buy it for a trillion, let alone five billion.Once Frank made payment, he was given the stone as he wished.It felt warm in his hand, as if the blood on it had yet to dry.Frank almost could not stop his tears just then, but he ultimately did."Just watch, master," he vowed in his mind to the rock. "One day, I will restore Myst
"Oh, right…"The stewardess appeared troubled, but since Frank said nothing, they had no choice but to pick up the shards around him, putting everything in a bag before giving it to him."Thank you." Frank thanked them.The stewardesses were flustered, since they presumed Frank would be angry, only for him to thank them instead."Alright, I'm sure Mr. Lawrence has his own considerations, and it won't matter even if it's just shards." Travis quickly tried to make an excuse for Frank, considering the awkwardness.The rock shattered in Frank's hands, after all—that was enough for him to defend himself if Frank pressed the issue.Still, he had to be considerate for Frank, and he quickly presented the next item in his collection.On the other hand, Frank was focused completely in his own body, completely uninterested in anything Travis had to show from that point on.The skies were dark by the time Travis presented everything he had, with Hugh buying a vase of purest jade for 500 mi
Frank was idling over the following week, guiding Terry Cotton from his Lanecorp office to assimilate what remained of the Blood Wolves.At the same time, he was training diligently, acclimating to his changing physique.He was now an equal of the martial elites across Draconia. While the Lionhearts' retainers and stewards were a threat to Frank before, they were now simply insignificant.Now, only the Transcendent ranks who stood at the pinnacle of the country—Simon Lionheart, the head of the Lionheart household, and Frank's own father, the Lord of the Southern Woods—would stand a chance against FrankAnd as his strength improved, the air around him changed too.While he was vaguely mesmerizing before, he also carried the presence of a maestro, as if he had transcended beyond worldly matters.It was certainly unprecedented for anyone this young to carry such a powerful presence.It also took a while for Frank to realize that his almost frightening ascension was because he absor
"Okay, got it." Frank smiled in wry amusement and asked seriously, "So? Have you fully recovered?""Yeah, but there are traces." Vicky snorted. "I refuse to let Helen see it. So if you miss me, you'd just have to wait another few days.""Okay," Frank said and hung up in thought.He would go with Helen but decided not to impose since she was so busy.He then called Trevor Zurich. "Get me a car."Trevor appeared at a loss for once. "I don't have a branch in Zamri, Mr. Lawrence. I don't think I have anything that suits you—""It's just so that I don't have to walk. Just get me one soon.""Alright…" Trevor replied, and soon, an Audi arrived downstairs.Frank did not mind the modest vehicle.After bringing along the present Vicky sent, he thought about it and brought the jade fox he received from Travis too.It was a flawed sculpture, but after detailed observation, Frank discovered its true worth—a thumb-sized jade marrow inside the sculpture.The jade marrow was a unique natura
Gene was assuredly above the rest, but one could expect nothing less of the richest man of the east coast.The bigwigs who attended the charity auction were authorities in politics, business, or even the military. They were either rich or powerful, their authority extending over the country.Frank also spotted representatives from illustrious families such as the Soranos, the Lionhearts, and the Jankos. They were all mingling cordially in the lobby, and the vibes were cheerful with endless laughter.Still, Frank did not get involved and started looking for a place to sit and wait for Gene, when a security guard intercepted him. "Greetings, sir. Would you mind showing your invitation?""Invitation?" Frank did a double take, only to remember that he had left in a hurry since Vicky was urging him.The invitation was left in his desk drawer because of that.What should he do now? He would not make it back in time if he returned now.After musing to himself for a while, he looked up
Hugh certainly would not give up on a chance to add insult to injury, and he chuckled coolly. "Heh. Never heard anything about that—he's just Vicky Turnbull's sugar baby. Someone like him attending a charity auction of such prestige?" "If I were you, Frank, I'd be hiding my face and running away instead of standing here and being stubborn. What an embarrassment to my family."The crowd turned toward Frank at that, laughing in disdain when they noticed that Frank's suit was just barely worth a few grand."No way… Someone name-dropped the Turnublls?""Didn't you hear what Mr. Turnbull said? He's Vicky Turnbull's sugar baby.""Tut, tut… No wonder."Ned was quickly glowering darkly when he heard them and stood in front of Frank as he snapped, "Mr. Lawrence is my friend. Anyone who messes with him, messes with me!"The laughter subsided a little, but the crowd was soon talking about something else."No way! Standing up for a sugar baby?! The rumors about Ned Janko must be true!""
As it turned out, the white-clad geezer did not return for revenge.People change as they age, along with their mindset, and develop a longing for their hometown.In fact, the white-clad geezer had returned to make peace with his family, and died in their company.Naturally, he was furious to hear that someone was using his name to bluff their way out and abduct his niece, the hag.And so he came with the rest of them, looking for Frank.After all, if Frank was not sent by the white-clad geezer, the only other person would be…-Back at the present, the white-clad geezer growled icily, "Where is my niece?"Frank smirked. "She paid the price for her crimes. What, do you want revenge?""A life for a life," the white-clad geezer growled. "That's the one rule that has never changed since olden times!"His entourage roared in approval. "Don't get so full of yourself, brat! He is different from the rest of us, and he can kill you anytime!""Really?" Frank simply snorted nonchalant
As the geezer spoke, he opened the rosewood box and put an ashtray in it. "I actually don't have any abilities—everything I make is produced from this box. With its help, I can imbue any object with an enchantment beyond human comprehension. See for yourself!"He closed the box and held it by its sides as the box glowed in a rainbow gradient.Frank felt a sense of familiarity as he watched, as the energy signature resembled the spiritron vein, but one different from the meteor.So what the heck was going on?While Frank was left surprised, the geezer stopped and opened the box, handing Frank the ashtray.As Frank held the ashtray, he saw that it really was altered—it could carry more now!The geezer then passed him a yellowed old book. "This is how you can use it!"Frank frowned. "Why are you giving it to me? I can't take it, or people would just say that I stole it from you when they find out."The geezer smiled in wry amusement. "It's yours either way, kid! And after you've d
To be honest, the hag really had not considered that question and was just playing along to her own whims, never once considering why she was such a philanderer.Frank then pressed his advantage. "Your so-called love is but a manifestation of your lust. It seems noble, but it has no warmth or color, and the world has no way of determining if it exists."If I want it, I can do what you do too. Heck, I'm sure that's the same for everyone else—they're just kind people who know that they shouldn't hog the limited resources of mental asylums.""Insolence!"The hag lunged at Frank as she realized that he was mocking her, but Frank was already prepared and pinned her to the floor with his telekinesis."Alright, you can quit hollering now. The more you do, the more you're just proving that you've lost!"Crouching in front of the hag, Frank growled coolly. "Did you think I'd only rely on brute strength to force your compliance? You're kidding—I don't even need to do that with someone like
It was just as the geezer had said—the hag had been pampered for so long that she could not tell right from wrong.In fact, in her mind, everything she did was never wrong and was even reasonable!That was what frustrated the geezer the most, and he simply stopped arguing and started whipping her with his belt.Pain really clears the mind, and the hag was no exception. In fact, she thought for a split second that she might have made a mistake.However, it only lasted for that split second—a little whipping was never really going to correct a lifetime of distorted beliefs!"I don't get it!" she cried. "Why do you treat my love with such disdain?! You don't have to love me, but you have to respect me!" The geezer laughed coolly and continued to whip her as he snapped, "That's true! But now, what I say goes—that's all there is to it!"That was when Frank suddenly reached out and caught the belt.It stunned the geezer, who quickly checked Frank's hand, and sighed after seeing that
It had been so long since he had seen his enemy, that the geezer almost fell out of his lounger.If he were to be honest, he really did not hold out much hope since it had been years, and no one lasted more than twenty strikes against the hag.However, while he was convinced that his revenge was futile in this life, Frank suddenly appeared.While he looked like he had nothing but his looks going for him, he brought the hag like she was some harmless hatchling."H-How did you do it?" the geezer exclaimed, presuming that Frank must have pulled some cunning trick.However, the geezer was once again reminded of the hag's conceit as she snorted. "How, you asked? With just a wave of his hand, and I lost!"Turning to Frank, she snapped, "There, he had his justice. Can you tell my uncle to show his face now?"Frank rolled his eyes. "I don't know your uncle. I only brought you here because of him!""No… That's impossible!" The truth was starting to dawn on the hag, but she still refus
"H-How did you do that?!"While the cabal was left flabbergasted, the hag was much calmer for some reason.After all, her father had told her about an uncle of hers, who had left the family because they kept abusing their earthbending ability.It was rumored that the uncle eventually cultivated a superior ability, fusing things that would otherwise not be just like what Frank just did.As such, she told her cabal as much, but Frank shook his head. "I learned your technique by directly observing you when you used it. And by doing so, I found a fatal flaw, which I adjusted for."He certainly did not have anything to do with the hag's uncle—he was just that quick a learner and that gifted to wield earthbending in an instant.Naturally, the hag was not about to believe that.No matter how gifted a person could be, there was no way anyone could learn earthbending instantly and even perfect it. In the end, someone must have taught him!As such, she was starting to get impatient with
Before the cabal could react, molehills appeared beneath their feet and sent them flying.Most passed out when they hit the ground, while the rest were barely holding on."W-Who the hell are you?!" The cabal had grown conceited since they did not have many rivals in a remote corner such as this one, and they therefore presumed that no one could challenge them.And now, they could not win with numbers against Frank, let alone one against one.Could anyone bear the shame?"What a bunch of mooks. I told you kids to stay on your training, but none of you listened. And now you're acting surprised?"A hunched hag appeared on a nearby alley, looking very much affable.Surprised, the cabal exclaimed, "What are you doing here, ma'am?""Do you think I'd miss the tremors?" the hag snapped coolly before wheeling on Frank. "Impressive physique! I certainly didn't expect you to hurt those boys."The cabal quickly warned her, "This isn't the time, ma'am. He knows earthbending, and he could
Frank's tone was calm, as if he was merely stating a fact. "What's there to deny? Even if I spilled my guts, do you stand a chance against me? See, no one does!"The man was furious—he had met plenty of conceited individuals, but Frank definitely took the crown!And seeing that Frank was not even in his thirties and was definitely small fry, he did not hesitate to slam his palm on the ground, which promptly started to move! "Interesting!"Frank stood his ground instead of leaping away, staring cooly at the molehills that streaked toward him. Even as the molehills were reaching Frank's feet, the man was left wondering why Frank did not dodge when the unexpected happened.The molehills struck the brat, but he remained unscathed!Earthbending was their cabal's signature technique, capable of causing seismic tremors—even if it was no match for real earthquakes, most people would still have trouble dealing with it.They were either torn into pieces by the shockwave, though the mor
Frank waited for a taxi and headed to his destination. Soon, the taxi stopped outside a dilapidated apartment.As Frank alighted and stared at the cracks on every block or the shaky foundations, even he could tell that it was in such a bad state it must be demolished. Shaking his head, he sighed in exasperation and entered the fifth unit on the sixth floor of Block D.He knocked on the door, and a smiling geezer opened it as he studied him. "What can I do for you, sir?"Able to tell right away that he was special, Frank asked, "Let's just call it a visit. I heard you could craft mystic items?"The geezer laughed right then. "I knew it. The nail that sticks out really gets hammered! I just want to keep my head down and live out my days, but you found me anyway.""Please don't misunderstand, sir," Frank quickly said. "I'm no robber, and I'm not going to steal from you. As long as you assist me, I can do anything for you.""Let's talk inside." The geezer stepped aside to let Fr