A few hours later, only a ragged doll that was once known as Laka remained. Seeing that scene, Laex couldn't help and stepped forward.

"I pray for your soul to reach the other side safely. Laka, I shall never forget our friendship."

​​

Of course, Laka wasn't dead. That was simply Laex adding salt to the injury.

'Once I recover, you won't have that smug smiled in your face anymore.'

Ignoring the half-dead Laka on the ground, Alacanta looked at Krune's group and asked.

"Are you perhaps the ones that Laka sold the Holy Land slots to?"

Krune's group nodded. Their presence earlier was just so that they wouldn't get involved in Laka's 'business.' Neither they nor Alacanta had believed it even for a second.

"He sold it to us. After that, since we were coming to the same place, he just accompanied us."

Alacanta sighed before extending her hand.

"I'm sorry, but could you give the tokens back to me? This guy took it without anyone noticing, so he had no right to sell them."

Krune and the others were taken aback. It was a completely different story from what Laka told them.

"Cough, cough. Sister Alacanta, I already received the payment, so there is no way we can get those tokens back."

Alacanta glared at him, and Laka immediately shut up.

"Whatever the price, I'm willing to pay it back with interest. However, those slots are too important to us. Tell me, just how much did you pay him?"

Krune and the others looked at Laka. The payment was the Purple Flame Dragon Pearl, so even if Laka gave it back to Krune, it wouldn't have any use whatsoever. A Dragon Pearl can only be used by the Dragon who provided the blood, no one else.

"Errr... I don't think we would have any use for that anymore. We are fine with the slots alone. But thank you for the offer anyway."

Alacanta narrowed her eyes. But just as she was about to talk, Laka intervened once more.

"Sister Alacanta, they are right. The payment is simply not something that can be paid back. Even if I return what I got, it would be nothing more than a piece of trash in their hands."

Alacanta felt that something was wrong.

"You sold the slots of the Holy Land for a piece of Trash?"

Laka sweated a bit and immediately shook his head.

"Of course not! It is useless in their hands, but in mine, it will probably become the difference between getting one of the five slots in the Heavenly Competition or not. No, to be honest, if I get in the top five, it is definitely because of what they offered me."

Alacanta was surprised by that statement.

"Just what was it that would make you so much stronger?"

Laka slimed and said.

"A new type of Dragon Pearl. One that is several times better than any other Dragon Pearl you had ever seen."

Alacanta obviously didn't buy it. There is only one type of Dragon Pearl, and they are all similar in their benefits... or so Alacanta believed. Still, if there is even a small chance of it being true, then the slots would indeed be worth it.

"I only believe what I see. Let's go to one of the concealed arenas. You will fight me with everything you got. If it turns out that you are speaking the truth, I won't demand their slots back anymore."

Laka smiled brightly after hearing that. He and Laex already fought after his Purple Flame Dragon Pearl was completed. That being said, he is sure that the trade was more than worth it.

After paying for an Arena and activating its concealing formation, Alacanta and Laka immediately initiated their battle. Sure enough, Laka was several times stronger than he was in the past. Laka hasn't improved his cultivation even a single stage since a year ago, but his combat power simply soared. If Alacanta wasn't a phoenix with a Yang Major Divine Soul, she wouldn't be able to win in the end.

That meant that Laka could definitely win against ordinary 8th Stage Divine Path realm cultivators and demon beasts! Maybe even a 9th stage wouldn't be his match. Such power far surpassed what a common Dragon Pearl could offer him. The Heavenly Divine Soul isn't this overpowered either. Whether Alacanta wished it or not, she could only believe Laka's words.

"Just who forged this thing for you?"

Laka shook his head.

"Unfortunately, the blacksmith behind it is a senior that doesn't want to appear. This entire year that I disappeared was basically to convince him to forge this Dragon Pearl. The Slots and his identity secrecy was what I had to pay for. I also made a Dragon Pact, so I can't go back on my word."

Alacanta couldn't help but frown.

"Do you have any idea what you have in hands at the moment. I won't complain about the Slots anymore, and I will also explain it to our faction. However, if the information of a higher level Dragon Pearl appears, the entire dragon race will go in an uproar."

Laka just laughed.

"Then it is a good thing that I got mine already. I can guarantee you. If not for a stroke of fate, I would have never acquired this thing. It doesn't matter how many Dragons go out of their ways to beg this master, he won't move a single muscle."

Hearing that, Alacanta thought that perhaps, this Master Blacksmith was someone with an incredible background. He is probably linked to one of the Main Powers controlling Dalin. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to ignore that pleads of an entire Dragon Race.

"Very well. However, if you want me to convince the elders in our faction to give up those slots, I will need to tell them about this Dragon Pearl of yours. They were planning to send a few other geniuses inside the Holy Land, after all. First, they wanted them to increase their levels fast. Second, it was also to help protect you."

Laka then glanced at Krune, and the latter nodded. Either way, this new Dragon Pearl wouldn't be hidden for much longer. Once Laka starts to use it in fights outside, everyone would understand that something isn't right. At most, its presence would be concealed until the Start of the Heavenly Competition in 14 years. Last but not least, Krune was really curious to see just how much interest the Dragon Race would show for it. Who knows, his Purple Flame Dragon Pearl might become a big bargaining chip that could help him or the wisps in the future.

"Alright. You can go ahead and tell this much."

Alacanta nodded and then looked at Krune's group.

"What about them? Although you can't say who this master is, it is not like they can't as well, right? After all, this master got those slots for this group."

Hearing that, Laka only laughed.

"Group? What group? Sister Alacanta, aren't those guys just a few friends that we coincidently made once we arrived here?"

Alacanta was taken aback.

"Are you asking me to not report about them? Why would I do that?"

Laka smiled playfully.

"How could that be? Sister Alacanta simply forgot to tell them, that's all."

It was then that Alacanta received a Divine Sense message from Laka.

"Sister Alacanta, wouldn't be reveling their connection with this Master Blacksmith a mistake? After all, if the Dragon Clan's old geezers really want this new Dragon Pearl, the last thing I recommend is to involve his juniors. Wouldn't that be the same as threatening him? Do you really want to be on the bad side of someone who can forge something like this?"

Alacanta's heart froze. Indeed, if she reported this to their faction, some greedy guys wouldn't be able to hold themselves back. If things went wrong, they might bring a calamity back home. She is not a Dragon, so she isn't blinded by how amazing this Dragon Pearly is.

"Cough, cough. Now that you said, I think I forgot who they are. Anyway, we have stayed here for too long already, let's go outside."

They soon found a place to stay, and Laka took that opportunity to tell Krune what he agreed with Alacanta.

"I see. That is perfect. As long as it can be hidden until we leave the Holy Land, that is good enough. It won't matter how much they look for this hidden master blacksmith, only we know about it. After we leave the Holy Land and go back to the Wisp main World, I will let the Blacksmith Organization know."

Krune then looked in the direction of the Holy Land. They were only a month away from its opening.