Chapter 37
King-Level Spirit Beast Crystal Core, Exaggerated Bargaining!
Candlefire City.
In the depths of the black market, Bai Zian and Qiao Gubai stood before a small stall. At this moment, Bai Zianâs eyes glimmered slightly as he quietly observed a gilded, diamond-shaped crystal on display.
Truth be told, this crystal bore a striking resemblance to the Candlefire Spider core he had obtained earlier, differing only in color.
Anyone with sharp perception could tell that this was the core of some spirit beast.
The only difference was that this particular core was damaged. One of its edges had a conspicuous crack, and there was almost no energy fluctuation coming from it.
It was clearly a defective product.
Spirit beast cores were valuable objects that contained the imprint of the beastâs original skills. If one were lucky, a similar type of spirit beast might learn the skills that the coreâs original owner had mastered during its life.
For example, the mutated Candlefire Spider leader that Bai Zian had killed earlier possessed the blue skill Molten Spider Silk.
If Bai Zian gave the core of that spider leader to another fire-type spirit beast, there was a chance that the latter could gain that skill.
This was one method by which spirit beasts could learn skills.
However, this only applied to complete cores. Once a core became damaged, the possibility of comprehending a skill from it would diminish significantly.
For this reason, damaged cores were worth far less. This was precisely why previous customers hadnât even glanced at the golden core.
But Bai Zian, his gaze fixed on the damaged core, was different. His [Eye of Revelation] ability granted him an insight:
[Red Flame Phoenix Core: Core of a King-level spirit beast, the Red Flame Phoenix. Due to its prolonged existence and damage, the essence within has severely dissipated.]
[Remaining Skill Imprint: Heavenly Meteor Fall (Purple)]
âA King-level spirit beastâs core, and its remaining skill imprint is even a purple-tier skill? This is incredibly rare,â Bai Zian murmured to himself in astonishment. âHow could such a treasure exist in the black market of a small city like this?â
âQiao Gubaiâs luck is truly paying off.â he mused internally, his eyes reflecting a trace of shock.
He hadnât expected the damaged core to belong to a King-level spirit beast. Letting Qiao Gubai guide him here had turned out to be a wise decision.
Her extraordinary luck really did bring unexpected rewards.
This was precisely what Bai Zian had mentioned beforeâinnate talents depended on how they were used; one couldnât solely focus on their downsides. The more unique the talent, the greater the value it could bring.
The events over the past few days had proven this. As long as the correct methods were employed, Qiao Gubaiâs special ability could produce tremendous results.
Of course, that was a matter for later. Bai Zianâs current focus was on the golden core.
âI canât miss out on such a treasure,â Bai Zian murmured. Although he didnât have any fire-type spirit beasts at the moment, and this core was damaged, the fact that it was the core of a King-level spirit beast, and still held a purple-tier skill, made it extremely valuable.
If he didnât acquire it, Bai Zian would definitely regret it. Setting aside everything else, the mere fact that this core once belonged to a King-level spirit beast made it a valuable object, even if it was broken.
With this thought in mind, Bai Zian had already made up his mind.
âYouâve got a good eye, young man. This core is a top-tier treasure, a family heirloom,â the stall owner began, seeing Bai Zianâs interest.
âMy great-great-great-great-grandfather once ventured to Candlefire Mountain and witnessed a divine bird, blazing with red light and engulfed in sacred flames, descend into the volcano. This very core was left behind by that divine bird. To be honest, itâs likely from a Diamond-level spirit beast.â
âIf you want it, Iâll reluctantly part with it for a mere 90 million Jiuzhou coins,â the stall owner continued enthusiastically, trying to sell the core.
Bai Zian was a bit speechless.
Diamond-level spirit beast, my footâthis stall owner is obviously making things up. Bai Zian was certain the owner had no clue about the true origin of the damaged core. As for the asking price, it was simply absurd; the core of a Diamond-level spirit beast would be worth far more than 90 million Jiuzhou coins.
However, the stall owner had accidentally gotten one thing right: the so-called âdivine birdâ he mentioned was indeed the Red Flame Phoenix. It seemed that his ancestor had indeed been fortunate enough to stumble upon this core by chance.
âBoss, do I look like a sucker to you?â Bai Zian smirked. âThis core is broken and doesnât even have any energy fluctuations. Even if I bought it, itâd just be a decoration. Honestly, I only want it because it looks nice, and I think itâll make a great ornament. How about thisâif youâre willing, Iâll take it for 9,000 Jiuzhou coins.â
The stall owner was stunned, his face full of disbelief.
Nine thousand? He shaved off an entire zero! Even merchants from the Red Flame Trading Union wouldnât bargain as hard as Bai Zian.
The stall ownerâs face turned green. âAhem, young man, you have quite the sense of humor. How about we both be reasonableâ90,000?â
The stall owner forced a smile, trying to close the deal. He really wanted to make this sale; after all, the core had been sitting at his stall for a long time, and this was his best chance to finally sell it.
However, Bai Zian simply shook his head, indicating that the damaged core wasnât worth that price. With no other choice, the stall owner continued to lower the price.
After several rounds of bargaining, they finally settled on a price of 100,000 Jiuzhou coins.
âOne hundred thousand Jiuzhou coins, thatâs my bottom line. If you agree, itâs yours,â the stall owner said helplessly.
âDeal,â Bai Zian smiled, not pressing any further.
The value of a Black Iron-level spirit beastâs core was around 100,000 Jiuzhou coins, and this was indeed the stall ownerâs bottom price. So, Bai Zian didnât push the price lower.
With the deal settled, the King-level spirit beastâs Red Flame Phoenix core was about to fall into Bai Zianâs hands.
However, just at that moment, something unexpected happened.