Chapter 68: The Cost of Opportunity-Beating Dogs **

Jiang Feng placed the pouch of goods into his spatial ring, giving Ji Moran a polite nod. "Thank you for the exchange. I'll take my leave first." Jiang Feng turned to leave after getting what he had came for. The left over spirit stones were added to his credit card for future use.

But as he was leaving, Ji Moran's voice stopped him.

"Wait." Her tone was casual, but her eyes gleamed with calculated precision. Reaching beneath the counter, she pulled out a small crystalline vial filled with a fiery red liquid. The liquid shimmered with an almost hypnotic intensity, as though a flame danced within its depths.

"This," she said, placing it on the counter with deliberate care, "is Emberheart Essence. Extracted from the core of volcanic heartwood and tempered with spiritual fire over a century, it is one of the finest resources for enhancing flame seeds. Its potency goes beyond fortifying the purity and stability of your flame—it also stimulates the latent potential within your flame seed, expanding its capacity to draw and harness spiritual energy from its surroundings.

Moreover, Emberheart Essence accelerates the integration of fire-based techniques into your cultivation, shortening the time required to master them while boosting their destructive power. It strengthens your flame's resistance to external suppression, ensuring your techniques maintain their intensity even in adverse conditions.

The essence also enhances the connection between your flame and your spiritual core, allowing for smoother energy circulation and more efficient energy use in prolonged battles. Perfect for someone who has chosen fire-based skills like Three Sun Fists or seeks to dominate in combat. An investment that yields lasting returns for your path of cultivation."

Jiang Feng's eyes narrowed. The Emberheart Essence exuded a palpable energy, its warmth radiating through the room. He could feel its potency even without touching it. 'This would definitely improve my flame seed... but at what cost?'

"How much?" His voice was steady, though a sinking feeling had already settled in his chest.

"287,000 low-grade spirit stones," Ji Moran replied smoothly, her smile faint but predatory.

Jiang Feng's lips twitched, and he almost took a step back. This woman is terrifyingly good at digging into a person's pockets. He glanced at the essence again, and his resolve wavered. The opportunity to improve his flame seed, especially with the Three Sun Fists now in his possession, was too tempting to ignore. 'F*ck'

"I see you're hesitating," Ji Moran said, her tone professional but tinged with amusement. "Consider it an investment. The strength of your flame seed will determine how far you can push your fire-based techniques. Weakness in that foundation will cost you far more in the future than the price of this essence today."

Jiang Feng clenched his jaw, knowing she was right. After a long pause, he finally sighed. "Fine. I'll take it."

Ji Moran's smile widened as she carefully wrapped the vial and handed it over. "A wise decision. You won't regret it."

As she finalized the exchange, she looked at him thoughtfully. "If you have more materials to trade in the future, the Ji Emporium will always offer you a fair price. Our family values repeat customers."

Jiang Feng gave her a wry smile. "I'll keep that in mind." He turned and left the shop, his heart still aching from the loss of spirit stones, most likely he would lose days of sleep because of it.

Outside, the morning sun was as beautiful as ever, casting long shadows over the bustling street. Jiang Feng was about to head back to the Embersteel Shop when a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Well, well, if it isn't Jiang Feng," said a mocking voice.

Jiang Feng turned to see Bia Zhen striding toward him, flanked by his usual lackeys. Bia Zhen, with his gaudy robes and smug expression, was a notorious troublemaker from the Bia Clan, someone Jiang Feng had clashed with before.

"Didn't think I'd see you here," Bia Zhen sneered. "What's a lowly blacksmith doing in a place like the Ji Emporium? Trying to buy your way into power?"

The lackeys chuckled, their laughter grating in Jiang Feng's ears. 'It would seem that they've looked into my background, how amusing' Jiang Feng thought as he looked at them. He wasn't the same person he was when he met them, and if they blocked him like the last time, he would let them know why flowers are red!

Jiang Feng's expression remained calm, though his eyes sharpened with a hint of danger. "What I do is none of your concern, Bia Zhen."

Bia Zhen stepped closer, his smirk widening. "Oh, but it is. You see, someone like you doesn't belong in the same circles as me. Maybe I should teach you a lesson about knowing your place for trying to ignore me the last time and let that Fang Lili get in my way."

The atmosphere grew tense as passersby slowed their steps, sensing the brewing conflict. Jiang Feng's hand itched, but he held back, his mind calculating his options.

"Careful, Bia Zhen," Jiang Feng said, his tone cold. "You don't want to start something you can't finish."

The smirk on Bia Zhen's face faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, gesturing for his lackeys to surround Jiang Feng. "We'll see about that."

Jiang Feng's eyes flickered with a steely light. If they want a fight, they'll get one. 'Yes, haha, here's my chance to beat these bastards into a pigs head!' Jiang Feng screamed with excitement in his mind, though his words and face spoke differently.

Bia Zhen's disdainful smile widened as he crossed his arms, barking, "Fang Lili isn't here to save you this time, punk. Beat him for me."

His lackeys, all grinning like predators, surged forward. The first to leap was a burly man Jiang Feng recognized instantly. His grin was feral as he shouted, "Demonic Ape: Mountain Crusher!"

The man's fist, shrouded in a dark aura, transformed mid-strike into the massive shadowy appendage of an ape. The air crackled with force as the descending strike compressed the space around it, aiming directly at Jiang Feng's chest.

Jiang Feng's eyes narrowed. Not this time. He stomped his foot, flames erupting from his body in a fiery spiral. The sudden surge of heat distorted the air around him as a flick of his wrist conjured a wall of blazing fire in front of him.

The lackey's shadowy fist collided with the wall, the flames surging in response. Jiang Feng used the opening to twist his body, sidestepping the force of the attack entirely. Before the lackey could recover, Jiang Feng thrust his palm forward.

"Flame Cage!"

The ground around the lackey erupted with pillars of fire, forming a blazing cage that encased him. The flames danced like writhing serpents, radiating heat and menace. Trapped, the lackey's smirk faltered, replaced by panic as he slammed his fists against the fiery bars. This was the same move Jiang Feng had came up with when training with Lin Moyi the first time.

Jiang Feng didn't give him a chance to retaliate. His figure blurred as he rushed inside the cage, flames coiling around his fists. The lackey roared and tried to summon his dark ape like energy again, but Jiang Feng's first punch landed squarely on his jaw, silencing him.

A flurry of flaming strikes followed, each one precise and devastating. By the time Jiang Feng stepped out of the cage, the lackey was sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

The remaining three lackeys hesitated, but Bia Zhen shouted, "What are you idiots waiting for? Get him!"

Jiang Feng didn't wait for them to make the first move. With a swift motion, he slammed his foot down, creating another Flame Cage that surrounded all three. Trapped together, the lackeys exchanged nervous glances, but it was too late.

Jiang Feng charged in, his flames igniting the air around him. The first lackey raised his arms to block, but Jiang Feng's fiery punch broke through his defense, sending him flying into the cage's searing walls. The second tried to counter with a spinning kick, but Jiang Feng ducked under it and delivered a powerful elbow to his ribs, dropping him instantly. The third, trembling, attempted to retreat, but Jiang Feng caught him by the collar and hurled him into the others with a fiery toss.