All Things Are Contracts

Chapter 59

“The first request is that I hope you can patiently answer some questions I might have about pill refining in the future,” Zhanyue said.

Baizhi nodded. She had thought it would be some other kind of request. Even if Zhanyue hadn’t asked, she would have been happy to share her insights. “And the other request?”

“We’ve known each other for so long, yet I know nothing about you. I’m very curious about what you actually look like,” Zhanyue said. This had been bothering him for a long time; curiosity can be quite itchy.

Baizhi was silent for a moment, somewhat speechless. “It’s not like few people have seen me. This isn’t an unreasonable request either.” She then took out a large piece of cloth, which was originally for a tent. She cut it and hung it in the middle of the room, forming a temporary curtain.

“I’ll sleep inside, you sleep outside. Is that okay?” Baizhi asked. The single room was now divided into two spaces.

“Uh, no problem,” Zhanyue looked at the gray-black cloth wall. This thing could only stop a gentleman, not a scoundrel.

“Let’s go, let’s check out the trading area,” Baizhi said again.

Zhanyue nodded and they walked together towards the long street.

There weren’t many people on the street. The stalls on both sides were managed by Ghost Shark clan members. The stalls didn’t display actual goods, but hung wooden slats with the names of items for sale and their corresponding point values. Everything was exchanged for points.

“An eighth-grade pill formula,” Baizhi didn’t conceal it.

“Are eighth-grade pill formulas that rare? Can’t you buy them outside, only exchange for them in a place like this?” Zhanyue asked again.

Baizhi looked at Zhanyue like he was an idiot. “Let me put it this way. The four great pill-making families of the Thousand Beauties Kingdom – Blue, White, Vermilion, and Yellow – none of them possess an eighth-grade pill formula. Aren’t you an alchemist? How can you lack such basic knowledge? In the entire Myriad Spirits Realm, there are only four eighth-grade alchemists. They do have eighth-grade pill formulas, but would they tell others? You said before that you had an eighth-grade alchemist master. I’m afraid you were lying to me. You’re quite dishonest, full of nonsense.”

Zhanyue smiled helplessly, feeling quite embarrassed at being exposed. But he really didn’t know how precious eighth-grade pill formulas were, because he actually had two eighth-grade formulas and one ninth-grade formula. However, this was something he would absolutely not tell anyone lightly.

“Precious treasures often appear on Ghost Island. I hope we can encounter an eighth-grade pill formula,” Baizhi prayed.

The two browsed from stall to stall, looking at the names of treasures on the long wooden slats.

“Goodness, what are all these things? I’ve never even heard of them, let alone know what they’re for,” Zhanyue finally felt that his knowledge was far too limited.

What Zhanyue didn’t know was that his token came from that Moon Profound Realm assassin. The assassin had originally planned to come to Ghost Island to find a way to remove the poison in his body, but unfortunately, he died, benefiting Zhanyue.

“This… isn’t this that pill refining technique you mentioned – Thousand Hands Fire God? They actually have it for sale here!” Zhanyue discovered a slat with ‘Thousand Hands Fire God’ written on it, priced at 500,000 points.

Baizhi’s pupils changed, and she lingered in front of that wooden slat for a long time. She wanted so much to obtain this ‘Thousand Hands Fire God’, but her primary goal was still the eighth-grade pill formula.

“Hmph, two young people who don’t know how high the sky is. Do you know what 500,000 points means?” A person in a black robe walked past the two, looking at the newcomers with emotion, remembering how he was also full of desire when he first came.

“Even people at the peak of Sun Profound Realm can at most obtain 200,000 points in a year here. The items are good, but not something you can exchange for just because you want to. Don’t aim too high.” The person left after saying this, throwing cold water on the two. A peak Sun Profound cultivator can get at most 200,000 points in a year? And these points can’t be accumulated, they become void when leaving the island. Doesn’t that mean these treasures can never be sold? Are the Ghost Shark people just playing games here? No wonder the Blood Jade Token only sold for 50 million in the end. It’s not that those people didn’t recognize its value, but that those who did had some inside information.

The owner of the stall was a short Ghost Shark clan member. He revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth and smiled, “Don’t listen to him. How many points you can get doesn’t entirely depend on your realm and strength. What’s more important is opportunity. We hope these things can be sold even more than you do.”

Opportunity was a mysterious thing. Zhanyue made no comment, but instead asked, “Senior, is there an eighth-grade pill formula for sale on this street?” He was asking for Baizhi, of course.

“I remember Old Black Nose’s stall has one. Go east, it’s the ninth stall,” the short Ghost Shark said. Watching the two leave, he thought to himself, “These two have deep fortune. I hope they can bring out more good things, exchanging those otherworldly treasures for this garbage. Only these frogs in a well think they’ve made a profit. Eighth-grade pill formula? It really fits the desires of these bumpkins. Maybe I’d give a tenth-grade formula a second look. Unfortunately, our Ghost Shark clan is under a curse and can’t enter those secret realms. Otherwise, why would we need to go through all this trouble?”

Following the directions, the two quickly arrived at Old Black Nose’s stall. The name fit the person perfectly. Old Black Nose was indeed a Ghost Shark clan member with a black nose.

“Eighth-grade pill formula ‘Dream Realm Pill’. After taking it, one can comprehend the great dao of heaven and earth in dreams, improving realm and cultivation, greatly helpful for entering the divine. There’s such a miraculous pill? Greatly helpful for entering the divine, wouldn’t those Profound Beings go crazy for it?” Zhanyue marveled.

Beside him, Baizhi was trembling all over, extremely excited. “There really is an eighth-grade pill formula here, there really is…” However, when she saw the price, she instantly calmed down. This formula actually required 1.2 million points.

“So expensive? More than twice the price of ‘Thousand Hands Fire God’.” Zhanyue only felt that Baizhi’s breath had become chaotic, as if she could barely stand. She felt somewhat desperate. There indeed was an eighth-grade pill formula here, but how could she possibly get those 1.2 million points?

“Interested in this old one’s eighth-grade pill formula? You two young ones haven’t even reached the Profound Realm, it won’t be easy to get these 1.2 million points. Let this old one point you in a clear direction. Deep in the green secret realm, there’s an ancient city. In the ancient city, there’s an armory. If you can get one or two weapons and bring them out, you might get several hundred thousand points,” the old black-nosed one said.

“Thank you,” Zhanyue said, dragging the dazed Baizhi as they continued browsing.

The person next to the black-nosed Ghost Shark complained, “You old thing are quite nasty. Can those two even come out alive if they enter that ancient city? After so many years, someone only managed to bring back an arrowhead.”

“Do you know what metal that arrowhead was made of? It was soul-scorching gold crystal. Who knows what metal the other weapons are made of? Too barren, our world is too barren. There are countless treasures hidden in this secret realm, but we can’t get them. How sad, how lamentable! Those two don’t have many choices if they want to gain higher points. Do you expect them to go to the deeper parts of the secret realm?” The black-nosed shark sighed.

“‘Annotations of Ancient Scripts of Hundred Races’? They even have such a thing here? Priced at 800,000 points?” Zhanyue said, looking at the slat in front of a stall.

“Why is this thing so expensive? Is it really worth so many points?” Zhanyue asked the stall owner.

That Ghost Shark clan member was resting with closed eyes, but hearing this, he pointed to the lowest slat with his finger.

“‘Preliminary Interpretation of Seven Great Race Scripts’, priced at 10,000 points.” Zhanyue understood the Ghost Shark person’s meaning – if you can’t afford it, buy this one instead, don’t expect him to lower the price.

“Hm? An egg of the divine beast Bifang? Five million points?” Zhanyue discovered another extraordinary item at this stall.

“With your items priced so high, I’m afraid you’ve never sold anything,” Zhanyue complained, somewhat speechless.

Just as Zhanyue was complaining, an incredibly powerful aura suddenly appeared. That person was also dressed all in black, their face unclear.

“I’ll take this gold-grade cultivation method,” the person handed their Blood Jade Token to the Ghost Shark clan member. The Ghost Shark person scanned the Blood Jade Token on his own identity token. Soon after, a mechanical bird dragging a box flew in from somewhere and landed in front of that person. The box contained a soul jade, which recorded a gold-grade cultivation method – ‘Blood God Blade’.

After the sale, the Ghost Shark clan member took down the slat for the Blood God Blade, indicating the item had been sold.

“Don’t underestimate the heroes of the world,” the Ghost Shark clan member said to Zhanyue, grinning from ear to ear. This gold-grade cultivation method sold for one million points, he could exchange for many high-grade materials now.

Zhanyue watched the person leave but dared not approach to greet them. That murderous aura was chilling. What kind of fierce person could gather one million points? Could it be that he killed many people in the secret realm? Zhanyue suddenly thought of this possibility. The secret realm was probably extremely bloody. For the sake of points, everyone would likely use any means necessary. It would be very difficult to gain too many points in one year relying on oneself.

“Let’s go back. We’ll check out the secret realm tomorrow,” Zhanyue said. Baizhi seemed uninterested in anything else, her mind only on the eighth-grade pill formula.

“What do you think of this Ghost Island?” Back in the living area, Zhanyue asked with a frosty expression.