Chapter 185: The Trade Fair

Chapter 185: The Trade Fair

"How is this possible?" Karl muttered, his brows furrowed in concern.

According to the records in the Wizard's Codex, the Star Realm was also known as the Spirit Realm, the Void Realm, or a higher-dimensional space.

In any case, the Star Realm was an existence beyond the material world, without a physical form, filled with astral energy and dark matter.

There were astral beings, but they usually existed in a state of consciousness, only taking physical form when they descended into the material world.

And now...

Before him lay a desolate, ruined landscape.

Though devoid of life, it was evident that there had once been real architecture and vibrant art, now reduced to decay.

The once lush forest was nothing but withered branches and scattered, decaying leaves. The wind blew, creating an eerie scraping sound and an endless sense of desolation.

Rivers had dried up, lakes had evaporated, and even the air carried a sense of deathly stillness and despair.

Not far away, space itself seemed to crack, forming gaping mouths that devoured everything around them.

This world had lost its vitality, as if bound by an invisible force, and time seemed to have lost its meaning, leaving an indescribable feeling of oppression and suffocation.

"The God Realm?" Karl took a deep breath, steadying his agitated emotions. "Only the realms created by the gods can exist within the Star Realm, but the gods have long since fallen."

"There's no trace of life..."

"Angels and divine servants only come to the God Realm because of the gods' favor. They are bound to the deities, and with the gods' demise, they surely can't survive for long."

"But..."

"Could there really be no living creatures in the God Realm?"

Karl paused, then released several puppet birds, his thoughts following them as they flew into the distance.

Desolation!

Stillness!

Decay!

According to the records in the Holy Temple, the high skies of the God Realm were always bright, but now they were shrouded in a profound, chaotic purple-gray hue.

This color exuded fear and despair.

"Swish!"

One of the birds suddenly disappeared from sight, and after flying a certain distance, the others also lost contact one after another.

Karl's body tensed, and he instinctively turned his head.

A pitch-black figure hovered nearby, like a clump of condensed black smoke, staring at him.

What was that?

"Swish!"

The Wizard Tower suddenly retracted, pulling Karl back to Pirate Island, and the heart-pounding feeling lingered for a long time.

"Phew..."

Taking a deep breath, Karl's eyes flashed with determination. "I think I've seen a description of 'it' somewhere before!"

With a wave of his hand, numerous wizard books appeared before him, and under his mental control, the pages began to turn on their own.

Soon, several paintings and texts caught his eye.

"Death Wraith!"

"When a world is on the brink of destruction, various peculiar beings emerge, and the Death Wraith is one of them..."

"Others include mutated monsters, undead creatures, and elemental lifeforms, which are often born in extreme environments."

"Born from death, the Death Wraith possesses the ability to devour all living beings and contains a soul core..."

"It could aid in cultivation!"

Karl raised his head, his eyes shining with excitement.

Half a year later, Karl returned to the Magic Forest.

He set up the Wizard Tower and the Twelve Star Palace not far from the Dream Bazaar, and sent out messages to others.

"Hehe..."

Blind-eye Brin, the eyeless old Brin, was the first to arrive. He peered at Karl through a skull and grinned, "You've been hiding well. For half a year, countless people have been searching for you, but no one had a clue."

"Impressive!"

His admiration was genuine.

It was well-known that wizards had mysterious means of divination, tracking, and meditation, making it incredibly difficult to locate even a single wizard.

Even for another wizard!

And for the past six months, Karl had truly disappeared without a trace, leading many to suspect he had met his end somewhere.

"Sit," Karl gestured.

"Are you also interested in the Demon Face Bloodvine?"

"Of course," Old Brin nodded, then sighed. "Who wouldn't want to advance further? But I'm just one person; no matter how many resources I gather, I'll never match a family's collective power."

"Not necessarily," Karl smiled faintly. "What did you get? Let me take a look."

"No!" Old Brin waved his hand. "It's better to maintain some mystery."

"Chirp, chirp..."

As they spoke, the sound of birds chirping filled the air, and a flock of colorful birds appeared nearby, seemingly out of nowhere.

The birds gathered, and a figure emerged from within their midst. Looking at the dense mist that covered the forest ahead, the newcomer furrowed his brows and spoke in a loud voice, "Is this the place where Mr. Cannon is holding the trade fair?"

As soon as he spoke, the thick mist parted, revealing a path leading into the interior.

"Mr. Jeff, please come in!"

Jeff, the Avian Acolyte, was a relatively well-known First Rank Wizard in the area, specializing in bloodline magic.

"What a coincidence."

Just then, a man and a woman descended from the sky.

"Looks like we're right on time," Nina Walker said, nodding to Jeff and then smiling at Karl, who stood before the Wizard Tower. "Mr. Cannon, it's been a while since we last met."

"Mentor," Harvey bowed slightly. "It's been a long time.

"Over the past six months, the Walker Family has been causing trouble for the Perro Clan with the support of two other major families." The voice of Old Brin rang in Karl's ears.

"The Perros offered compensation, but not much. The Walkers... they're not doing so well."

Karl slowly nodded, noticing the fatigue in Nina's eyes. Surprisingly, Harvey had already become a Legendary Knight.

A few more people arrived, but unlike the earlier group, most of them concealed their appearances and likely used fake names.

However, Karl sensed a familiar aura among them.

Engle! He was almost at the mid-stage of the First Rank!

So fast? Two years ago, he was just an Advanced Apprentice Wizard, and now he had nearly caught up to Karl on the path of wizardry.

6◇9◇book◇bar

It was worth noting that Karl had forcefully upgraded his abilities using Essence and various resources, taking years to reach his current level.

How did Engle achieve this? It was inconceivable!

Another guest, wearing a wooden mask, introduced himself as Roger, who seemed to be a Second Circle Wizard.

Karl couldn't see through the disguise of a Second Circle Wizard, but they were in a Wizard Tower, and above was the Demon Eye.

He managed to discern something.

"Just a Demon Face Bloodvine, and it attracted so many people?"

He muttered to himself, then stood up and clapped his hands lightly.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

"Thank you all for coming to my trade fair. Let's not waste time with pleasantries and get straight to business."

With a grand gesture, the external passage closed.

The ground rippled, and a stone platform emerged, on which Karl placed an ice coffin.

"Demon Face Bloodvine!"

"Its vines can be refined into potions to enhance mental energy and physique, and its roots aid wizards in breaking through their boundaries."

"I believe I don't need to elaborate further, as you all know its uses, so... let the bidding begin!"

"Mr. Cannon." Old Brin stroked his chin.

"I recall you mentioned that you'd prefer an item exchange, and would only consider selling for magic stones if there's no suitable trade."

"Yes."

Karl sat in the main seat, nodding.

"If you have something I desire, I'm willing to offer magic stones as well."

"Good." Old Brin nodded and took out a palm-sized dagger from his pocket, placing it on the table.

"Mr. Cannon, I have a dagger here that has been infused with dragon blood, capable of cutting through anything."

"Even the bodies of Second and Third Rank creatures can be sliced open, but it cannot be stored in spatial artifacts and must be carried on the person."

As he spoke, he used mental energy to levitate the dagger, gently slicing through a stone on the ground, splitting it in two.

He then took out a diamond and cut it in half as well.

Karl's eyes narrowed, his skin tightening. As a Legendary Knight, he could feel the dagger's sharpness even more intensely.

Unbearable! Even with a Silver Body, it would be difficult to withstand it.

"Mr. Cannon."

Nina interjected, taking out several books.

"You're not only a wizard but also a Legendary Knight. The path of knighthood is not an easy one in the Magic Forest."

"Without companions or a heritage, few cultivators can progress far on the path of knighthood."

She took a deep breath and continued.

"Three hundred years ago, a Legendary Knight, through a stroke of luck, achieved the Second Rank and became a Holy Knight."

"He later disappeared, but left behind numerous records for future generations. I've been collecting them over the past six months."

"That's right," Harvey nodded, adding,

"This Holy Knight left behind his insights during his breakthrough, guiding future cultivators. Here, we even have his legendary technique, the Crossed Saintly Sword, a top-tier swordsmanship skill."

"Additionally..."

"We're willing to pay five thousand magic stones!"

"Wow..."

As he finished speaking, a commotion stirred among the others in the room, many of them turning grim.

Five thousand magic stones were already a significant sum for some, and Nina and Harvey also offered additional heritages.

How could they compete? Karl's eyes lit up.

The cultivation insights of a Holy Knight were invaluable to him, and his heart stirred with anticipation.

After Nina's offer, the items presented by others struggled to capture attention, and some simply shook their heads and withdrew.

"Ahem!"

At that moment, Roger, the suspected Second Circle Wizard, cleared his throat and took out an object, placing it on the table.

"Eggs of the Third Rank creature, the Humpback Leviathan, which can temper the physical body. There are over two hundred of them here."

"In exchange for the Demon Face Bloodvine!"

The room fell silent.

Even Karl's breath quickened.

A Third Rank creature!

He knew about the Humpback Leviathan, a creature that dwelled in the deep sea and could effortlessly create waves capable of destroying cities.

And its eggs were undoubtedly a valuable supplement for knights in training.

"Umm..." Old Brin stammered.

"Can they hatch?"

"Heh..." Roger chuckled.

"What do you think?"

Old Brin forced a smile.

Of course!

If they could hatch, their value would be immeasurable, and he wouldn't be offering them in exchange for the bloodvine.

But even as dead eggs, they were still extremely valuable.

"Deal!"

Karl made a swift decision.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end