Evening
"Old Ye, I checked around. A fire spirit seed has come up recently at an auction house in the trade center. I'll send you the address," Zhao Manyan said.
"Good," Ye Chenfeng replied.
The two arranged a time and headed together to the auction house. Although Ye's family had some wealth, their influence and access to information were worlds apart from the Zhao family.
Now, Ye Chenfeng needed to gradually gain control over the stars, knowing that success would come only through steady effort. For his second specialization, he'd chosen the Space Department. After all, he was a man who had traveled through time twice, his mental strength nearly indomitable, and his elemental abilities exceptional, allowing him to perform beginner-level magic with intermediate strength.
Trade Center
"Over here, over here, Old Ye." Zhao Manyan waved from the entrance. He was as princely as ever—slightly permed curly hair framing a striking face, all complemented by a pure white tracksuit.
"Hey, Old Ye, this way," Zhao said, leading him in.
"Have you made it to intermediate level?" Zhao asked, almost casually.
"How'd you guess?"
"Damn, I was just bluffing, and you actually broke through!" Zhao exclaimed, taken aback.
"Nothing surprising. Don't forget, I awakened a year ahead of you."
"True." Zhao, now calm, decided he could break through soon himself.
"Oh, by the way, this is for you," Ye Chenfeng said, tossing him a gleaming light gun he had crafted himself.
"What's this?" Zhao raised an eyebrow.
"Just something I put together—try it out." Zhao inspected the polished iron piece, feeling its weight and admiring its sleek design.
Inside the auction hall, a spirit-grade fire seed came up shortly after the bidding started. The Zhao family secured it without a hitch.
"22 million—sold to the gentleman over there," the auctioneer announced.
"Lao Zhao, this fire seed is top-notch, drawn from volcanic rock. Its flame adhesion rate is impressive; it's strong enough to corrode skin and can even boost fire intensity by two and a half times," Zhao noted, eyeing the seed with admiration.
"Thanks, Lao Zhao. I'll transfer the amount to your account later," Ye Chenfeng said.
Back at home, Ye Chenfeng immediately started refining the spirit seed. Immersing his palm into its flames, he felt an immense power surge through him, reshaping his entire being. It was as if his body, blood, and bones were being tempered repeatedly. His skin became smoother, and his fire resistance soared.
He tested his newfound strength at a training ground, throwing a small fireball at a target. The flame left a massive crater on impact, akin to a small explosion.
"Not bad, not bad," he mused, observing how even a basic spell now carried the strength of an intermediate one. His next attempt was an ice vine, summoning a chill to encase the target in ice. But halfway through, the spell dissipated.
"Where's my ice?" he murmured, dumbfounded. His mana reserves were ample—there was no reason this spell should fail.
Realizing the issue, he hypothesized: the fire spirit seed had amplified his affinity with fire but left his ice abilities untouched, creating an imbalance. In magic, balance was key, and his ice spells couldn't compete with the now twice-as-potent fire element. He had to refine an ice spirit seed to restore equilibrium.
Frustrated but undeterred, Ye pondered what would happen if he managed to absorb both spirit seeds within the same body, a feat no mage he knew of had ever attempted. Would they neutralize each other, or amplify his dual abilities even further?
Reflecting on the rarity of his situation, Ye couldn't help but laugh.
"When God closes a door, He opens a window. But He sure bolted it shut this time!"