Wizard: Adventures in Two Worlds-Chapter 451 - 010 Trade Fair
"How could this be?" Carl murmured, his brow deeply furrowed.
According to the Wizard’s Book, the Star Realm was also known as the Spirit Realm, the Realm of Nothingness, a Higher Dimension...
In short, the Star Realm was an existence transcending the material world. It was intangible, filled with Star Realm Energy and dark matter. Star Realm Creatures existed, but usually as conscious forms, only gaining physical bodies upon entering the material world.
And now, what met his eyes was a stretch of desolation and ruins.
Though lifeless, there must have once been real structures and vibrant art, now fallen into decay.
Upon the earth, all things had withered; the spark of life was entirely gone. The once-thriving forests were reduced to desiccated branches and scattered, decaying leaves. When the wind blew, only the harsh rasp of their friction and an endless desolation remained. Rivers had run dry, lakes had evaporated, and even the air was thick with an aura of deathly stillness and despair.
Not far away, space itself exhibited cracks, like gaping wounds that swallowed everything around them.
This world’s life force was extinguished!
As if bound by an invisible force, even time seemed to have lost its meaning, imparting an indescribable sense of oppression and suffocation.
"Divine Domain?" Carl took a deep breath to steady his agitated emotions and murmured, "Only the Divine Domains created by the Gods can exist within the Star Realm, and the Gods have long since fallen. No sign of life... Angels and Divine Servants are only here because they were favored by the Gods; bound to the Divine, they surely couldn’t have survived their fall. However... within a Divine Domain, could there really be no living beings?"
After a moment’s thought, Carl retrieved several puppet birds and released them, his consciousness following them as they sped into the distance.
Barrenness!
Deathly silence!
Decay!
According to the records of the Holy Hall, the skies of a Divine Domain were eternally bright, yet now they were shrouded in a profound, chaotic grayish-purple. This hue was filled with fear and despair.
SWOOSH!
One of the birds suddenly vanished from his perception. After flying a short distance more, the others also lost contact, one after another.
Carl tensed, instinctively turning his head.
He saw a dark figure hovering not far away, like a mass of condensed black smoke, looking in his direction.
What is that thing?
SWOOSH!
The Wizard Tower abruptly contracted, pulling him back to Pirate Island. The heart-pounding sensation took a long time to dissipate.
"Phew..." Taking a deep breath, Carl’s eyes flickered. "I think I remember reading a description of ’it’ somewhere!"
With a wave of his hand, numerous Wizard books appeared before him, their pages flipping automatically under the control of his spiritual power.
Before long, a few illustrations and lines of text came into view.
"Death Spirits!"
"When a world approaches its demise, various unique entities emerge, and Death Spirits are among them..."
"Similar entities include mutated creatures, undead beings, and elemental life forms, many of which are born in extreme environments."
"Born from death, Death Spirits possess the ability to devour all life forms and harbor a Soul Core within them..."
It aids in cultivation!
Carl looked up, his eyes brightening.
「Half a year later.」
Carl returned to the Magic Forest. He set up the Wizard Tower and the Twelve Star Palaces in a location not far from the Marketplace of Dreams and sent out messages.
"HEH HEH..." Blind Old Brin was the first to arrive. He peered at Carl through a skull he held and said with a grin, "You’ve hidden yourself quite well. I don’t know how many people have been looking for you this past half-year, without a single clue. Impressive!"
He was genuinely full of admiration. You see, a wizard’s methods are strange and unpredictable, including divination, tracking, and meditation. Finding someone, even another wizard, should be quite easy! And Carl, for the past six months, had truly shown no sign of his whereabouts, making people wonder if he had died somewhere.
"Please, sit," Carl gestured. "Are you also interested in the Ghostface Bloodvine?"
"Of course." Old Brin nodded, then sighed. "Who doesn’t want to advance further? But it’s a pity I’m just one person. No matter how much I’ve accumulated, it can’t compare to a clan."
"Not necessarily," Carl said with a faint smile. "What have you brought? Let me have a look first."
"No!" Old Brin waved his hand. "It’s better to maintain a bit of mystery."
CHIRP CHIRP...
As they spoke, the sound of birds chirping came from outside. A flock of colorful birds had appeared nearby at some point.
The flock converged, and a figure emerged from within. Looking at the fog-enshrouded forest ahead, the newcomer frowned slightly before speaking in a clear voice, "Is this the place where Mr. Conni is holding the trade meeting?"
No sooner had his words fallen than the dense fog parted to either side, revealing a path leading straight inside.
"Mr. Jeff, please come in!"
It was Angel Envoy Jeff, a rather well-known First Ring Middle Stage Wizard from nearby, skilled in Bloodline Magic.
"What a coincidence."
At this moment, a man and a woman descended from the sky.
"It seems we’ve arrived just in time." Nina of the Walker family nodded to Jeff, then smiled brightly at Carl in front of the Wizard Tower, "Mr. Conni, we finally meet again."
"Tutor," Harvey bowed his head, "it’s been a long time."
’For the past six months, with the support of the other two major families, the Walker family has been continuously causing trouble for the Pelo family,’ Old Brin’s voice echoed in his ear. ’The Pelo family offered some compensation, but not much. The Walkers... have not been having an easy time.’
Carl nodded slowly. He could see the fatigue in Nina’s eyes. Harvey, however, had surprisingly become a Legendary Knight.
Then, a few more people arrived. Unlike the previous individuals, most of these newcomers concealed their appearances, and their names were likely false.
However, Carl still sensed a familiar presence.
Anglie!
He has actually advanced to the First-order Middle Stage! So fast? How did Anglie manage it? It’s simply inconceivable! Two years ago, the other man was just an Advanced Wizard Apprentice; now, his progress on the Wizard’s path nearly rivaled Carl’s. Keep in mind that Carl had leveraged Source Material and a wealth of other resources to force his progression, an accumulation that had taken him years to achieve.
There was also a guest wearing a wood-grain patterned mask, calling himself ’Roger,’ likely a Second Circle Wizard. Naturally, Carl couldn’t see through the disguise of a Second Circle Wizard, but this was the Wizard Tower, and it was under the watch of the Evil God’s Eye. He could just barely make out something.
All these people for just some Ghostface Bloodvine?
He muttered to himself, then stood up and clapped his hands lightly. "Ladies and gentlemen! I’m very grateful that you could all attend my trade meeting. Let’s skip the pleasantries and get straight to business."
With a grand gesture, he sealed the external passage. The earth churned and swelled, eventually forming a stone platform, onto which Carl placed an ice coffin.
"Ghostface Bloodvine! The vines can be used to refine potions that enhance spiritual power and Constitution, while the roots aid Wizards in breaking through to new realms. I believe I don’t need to elaborate on its effects; you all understand its utility. So... let the bidding begin!"
"Conni," Old Brin stroked his chin, "I recall you mentioning that you prefer to trade item for item, considering Magic Stones only if a suitable trade isn’t found, correct?"
"Yes." Carl, seated in the host’s position, nodded in response. "If any of you have something I desire, I’m willing to add Magic Stones to the deal."
"That’s good to hear." Old Brin nodded and, reaching into his robes, placed a palm-sized dagger on the table before him. "Mr. Conni, I have here a dagger quenched in Dragon Blood, capable of cutting through anything. It can even slice through the bodies of Second Order and even Third-tier beings, but it can’t be stored in a Witch Artifact—it must be carried on one’s person."
As he spoke, he manipulated the dagger with spiritual power, causing it to levitate. He lightly drew it across a stone on the ground, and the rock split. He then took out a diamond and similarly divided it in two.
Carl’s eyes narrowed, his muscles tensing. As a Legendary Knight, he could keenly sense the dagger’s sharpness.
I can’t withstand it! Even if I had cultivated a Silver Body, I probably couldn’t block it directly.
"Mr. Conni," Nina interjected, presenting a few books. "Besides being a Wizard, you are also a Legendary Knight. The Knight Path is not an easy one to tread in the Magic Forest. Without companions or inheritance, not many Cultivators can journey far on the Knight Path."
She took a deep breath and continued, "Three hundred years ago, a Legendary Knight, by a stroke of fortune, reached the Second Order and became a Holy Knight. He later disappeared without a trace, but he left behind numerous records, which I have been collecting for the past six months."
"Indeed," Harvey nodded, adding, "This Holy Knight left behind his insights from his breakthrough, which can be said to have illuminated the path for future generations. We also have the legendary Martial Art he practiced, the Cross Holy Hand Sword; it is a top-notch swordsmanship. Furthermore... we are willing to pay five thousand Magic Stones!"
A stir went through the others present as he finished speaking, and many faces darkened. Five thousand Magic Stones was already the psychological limit for some, and Nina and Harvey were also offering an additional inheritance.
How can anyone compete with that?
Carl’s eyes also lit up. The insights of a Holy Knight were of immeasurable value to him; he was already tempted.
After Nina’s offer, the items presented by others struggled to capture attention. Some simply shook their heads and withdrew from the bidding.
AHEM!
At that moment, ’Roger,’ the one suspected to be a Second Circle Wizard, cleared his throat softly and took an item from his person, placing it on the table.
"Eggs of the Third-tier creature ’Hou Whale.’ Consuming them can temper the body. There are over two hundred here. For the Ghostface Bloodvine!"
The room fell silent. Even Carl’s breath hitched.
A Third-tier creature! He knew of the Hou Whale, an inhabitant of the deep sea capable of easily summoning city-destroying tidal waves. And its eggs, for someone cultivating the Knight Path, were undoubtedly a great tonic.
"Um..." Old Brin stammered, "Can they... can they be hatched?"
HEH... ’Roger’ chuckled lightly. "What do you think?"
Old Brin managed a dry smile.
That’s true! If they could be hatched, their value would be immeasurable; why would they be traded for Ghostface Bloodvine? But even as dead eggs, they are still incredibly valuable.
"Done!" Carl declared decisively.
