https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-85-Dark-Matter-Energy-Shield-Generator-Level-29-/12833434/
Chapter 86: Orange-Quality Ignition Curios
Chapter 86: Orange-Quality Ignition Curios
This creature strongly resembled the centaur race, but it was uncertain if it was truly one.
The centaurs, a type of half-beast, are known for their exceptional endurance and speed, as well as their skill with bows. They are one of the most common star sea races.
Upon entering the market, the centaur, who was holding an iron spear, finally relaxed when it saw the rule light curtain at the entrance. This curtain was a manifestation of the market's laws, and a single glance was enough to make any alien species fully trust the rules displayed.
As Song Chi moved from shop to shop, the first-stage centaur seemed to have an idea and quickly trotted toward the various shops.
The centaur had no interest in the military and civilian exoskeleton armors. More accurately, it couldn't develop any interest. As a star sea human civilization, the Ignition Civilization produced exoskeleton armors that could only be worn by humans or human-like beings of similar size. Centaurs, with their unique physiology, couldn't use them.
Specialized exoskeleton armors designed for enslaved beings by certain factions, families, or corporations were not available on the market.
Initially, Song Chi thought the centaur would, like other alien species, eventually stop at a gene serum shop. However, the reality was different.
"Tungsten war shield, tungsten spear?"
After a moment of confusion, Song Chi quickly understood. While centaurs were skilled with bows, their powerful bodies gave them an even greater advantage in close combat. This was evident from the bloodstained iron spear the centaur was holding.
In close combat, factors like physical strength and endurance were crucial, but so were sharp weapons and solid defenses.
Compared to the iron spear the first-stage centaur was carrying, a tungsten spear was inferior. The centaur's spear seemed to be made from iron ore, and while the craftsmanship was poor, the material itself was sharp and durable, making it better than a tungsten spear.
However, Song Chi guessed that the first-stage centaur might belong to a tribe with many zero-stage centaurs, which was why it was interested in these zero-stage weapons and shields.
Of course, if it had reached the shop selling high-grade titanium alloy weapons and shields, it would have been even more excited. These first-stage combat tools would have been a significant upgrade.
As expected, the first-stage centaur soon left the tungsten weapons shop and headed to the high-grade titanium alloy weapons shop, where its face lit up with excitement.
The centaur's tribe was a medium-sized one with fewer than ten thousand members. They had no skilled blacksmiths capable of forging high-quality weapons, which was why they often suffered more casualties in conflicts with other tribes. This was the root cause of their tribe's inability to grow.
After paying 50 strands of first-stage floating land essence, the centaur received a silver, high-grade titanium alloy long saber.
Swinging it for a few seconds, the centaur grew increasingly satisfied. The high-grade titanium alloy saber was even better than expected, far superior to the weapons forged by the so-called elite blacksmiths in other tribes.
At 50 strands of first-stage floating land essence, the price wasn't exorbitant.
In the past, neighboring tribes had taken advantage of their inability to forge high-quality weapons, selling them overpriced and low-quality weapons that needed frequent replacement. This had drained the tribe's resources.
Seeing the display of a hundred high-grade titanium alloy war shields and sabers, the centaur suppressed its excitement and quickly left the shop, heading toward the market entrance. It didn't have enough floating land essence and needed to return to the tribe.
Seeing the centaur's urgency, Song Chi's mood improved. If the centaur's tribe had sufficient financial resources, he could earn nearly ten thousand strands of zero-stage floating land essence from the two hundred high-grade titanium alloy combat tools, which would be equivalent to nearly a thousand strands of first-stage floating land essence.
The heavy mood caused by the previous funding gap instantly lifted.
Soon, the first-stage centaur returned to the market, this time followed by hundreds of other centaurs. Most were zero-stage, with over ten first-stage centaurs among them.
As expected, upon returning to the market, the centaurs followed the first-stage centaur who had entered first, heading straight to the combat tools shop.
As they made their way through the central street of the bazaar, a group of young centaurs, some of whom appeared to be minors, continuously surveyed their surroundings, their eyes filled with curiosity about the unknown.
Song Chi watched with growing satisfaction. From their behavior, it was clear that the centaurs intended to buy out all the items from the two weapon shops.
After about ten minutes, the centaurs emerged from the shops, each carrying at least ten pieces of weaponry.
Despite this, they had only taken about a thousand items. The tungsten alloy weapon shop still had nearly twenty thousand tungsten alloy shields and spears waiting to be transported.
Indeed, the centaurs had been quite generous, buying out everything from both weapon shops. As a result, Song Chi now had 2000 strands of first-tier Floating Land Essence and 10,000 strands of zero-tier Floating Land Essence, a rapid influx of wealth.
In addition, the few first-tier centaurs didn't leave the bazaar. Instead, they continued to wander around, soon showing interest in gene serums and body-strengthening potions.
However, it was unclear whether their naturally robust bodies made these serums and potions less effective, or if they had run out of funds after buying the weapons. In the end, they only bought 100 vials of each: gene optimization serums and basic body-strengthening potions, and none of the intermediate body-strengthening potions.
Song Chi wasn't concerned. After the initial flurry of activity, other spatial gates began to admit more alien species. Now, in addition to the hundred or so centaurs, there were already several hundred other aliens in the bazaar. Eventually, some of these beings would purchase the gene serums.
What troubled him more were the hundreds of exoskeleton armors. So far, none of the aliens entering the bazaar were humanoid, let alone human, which left the exoskeleton armors without any buyers.
In the free market area, a growing number of alien species had gathered. Song Chi continued to wander through this region.
Suddenly, he paused, his attention shifting to the shops lining the street. His focus was drawn to the centaurs once again.
After summoning more of their kin to transport the tungsten alloy shields and spears back to their clan, the first-tier centaurs wandered into a shop that specialized in purchasing items.
This wasn't unusual, as many aliens had entered this shop before. However, after learning that the shop was interested in titanium crystals, they had all left quickly. But these first-tier centaurs had been in the shop for over two minutes.
Song Chi's mind raced, and he used the bazaar's mystical powers to closely observe the expressions on the faces of the first-tier centaurs. His heart skipped a beat as he realized that they seemed to possess, or at least know about, the titanium crystals the shop was acquiring.
This realization filled him with excitement.
Since the last trade fair, he had designated this shop specifically for acquiring titanium crystals, a strategic resource. Although he had recently added another item to the acquisition list—purple-quality fire-type star sea curios—both items were of immense importance.
Even if purple-quality fire-type curios weren't guaranteed to serve as the ascension fire source for a Flame Seed, Song Chi was willing to take the chance. Purple-quality fire-type curios were rare, and he had to see them for himself.
As he pondered, the first-tier centaurs in the shop concluded their discussion. After a moment of hesitation, the centaur that had entered the bazaar first spoke up.
"Excuse me, are these 'titanium crystals' valuable?"
In the free market area, Song Chi's heart raced. "Could it be that they really have it?"
He quickly dispatched a thought, activating the display screen in the shop to reply.
"Each titanium crystal can be exchanged for thirty vials of gene optimization serums or basic body-strengthening potions, or three vials of intermediate body-strengthening potions. These body-strengthening potions are effective for most first-tier star sea life forms."
The first-tier centaurs exchanged another look before leaving the shop together.
Compared to the zero-tier and first-tier Floating Land Essence, titanium crystals were far more precious. The next fifteen minutes felt like an eternity to Song Chi. When the first-tier centaurs reappeared in the bazaar, he immediately shifted his gaze to them, his heart pounding with anticipation.
"Hopefully, it is..."
Titanium crystals are an extremely rare resource, and the Shattered Star Sea is teeming with countless mineral resources. Many of these minerals bear a striking resemblance to titanium crystals, which is why he was afraid of running into a false lead.
In the acquisition shop, under Song Chi's anxious gaze, several Level 1 Centaurs rummaged through their belongings and quickly produced dozens of silver-white, crystalline gems.
Song Chi's mind focused entirely on these gems, meticulously examining them to determine whether they were indeed titanium crystals.
After several dozen seconds, Song Chi, still standing in the stall area, wore an expression of profound disappointment. Although these crystals appeared very similar to titanium crystals in size, shape, and color, his detailed inspection revealed that they were not titanium crystals but a highly similar special mineral.
As for what this resource actually was, Song Chi had no idea. The official resource compendium of the Ember Civilization did not contain any records of this mineral, indicating that it was a previously undiscovered resource.
As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. This sentiment perfectly encapsulated Song Chi's current state of mind.
He consoled himself by reminding himself that titanium crystals were extremely rare, and it would be abnormal to come across them easily.
Once he had recovered, his thoughts shifted, and the central holographic screen in the acquisition shop provided a response.
"Highly similar to titanium crystals, but not titanium crystals!"
Seeing this message, the several Level 1 Centaurs were equally disappointed. Their tribe was not strong, just a medium-sized one, and their financial reserves were very limited.
The reason they had not purchased large quantities of gene optimization serums and body strengthening serums was not because these serums were ineffective, but because after buying a batch of tungsten and advanced titanium alloy weapons, their available funds were nearly depleted.
They had hoped that if these crystals were titanium crystals, they could trade them for a large batch of gene serums, replacing the need for floating land essence. However, these crystals turned out not to be titanium crystals.
The Level 1 Centaurs looked disheartened. They were very envious of those gene serums. Even if they couldn't use them themselves, they could give them to the young ones in the tribe, laying a solid foundation for the future.
With these high-grade weapons and the gene serums, the tribe's strength would skyrocket within twenty years. By then, if they could eliminate the neighboring tribes, their tribe might leap from a medium-sized to a large-sized tribe.
But this beautiful vision was shattered at the first step, and they couldn't help but feel disheartened.
At this point, Song Chi also shifted his attention away from the Level 1 Centaurs. Since the crystals were not titanium crystals, he lost interest.
Over the next twenty hours, the number of alien creatures in the All-Heaven Market exceeded two thousand, making the free stall area increasingly bustling. This was a good sign, indicating that even without considering the items sold in the shops, the revenue from transaction taxes would be substantial.
As for the goods in the shops, they were almost sold out within ten hours, including more than a hundred sets of exoskeleton armors, which were all purchased by a humanoid race that entered later.
Near the end of the market session, Song Chi used over ten thousand strands of zero-grade floating land essence to exchange for over a thousand strands of first-grade floating land essence, maintaining the exchange ratio of 1:11.
However, just before the market session was about to end, the Level 1 Centaurs caught Song Chi's attention for the third time.
In the acquisition shop, after much deliberation, the first Level 1 Centaur to enter spoke to the holographic screen in front of him. This statement immediately drew Song Chi's attention back.
"Although those are not titanium crystals, we did not intend to deceive with fakes. Additionally, I know the whereabouts of an orange-quality rare item, a Fire Seed."
It was the latter part of this statement that caught Song Chi's high attention.
Purple-quality Fire Seeds were already quite rare, let alone an orange-quality Glory Fire Seed.
Regardless of whether this orange-quality Glory Fire Seed could serve as the ascension source for the Ember Seed, its value was far beyond what could be measured by low-grade floating land essence.
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