Moreover, dragons had always been powerful and proud, and their magical materials were notoriously difficult to obtain. Once you got to the Saint Realm, they were even harder to come by. A million gold coins was certainly a steep price, but this was the black market. If the blood really existed, it might well be worth it!
"Ninth-level dragon blood probably couldn't help Lin Lei awaken unless the dragon had been swallowed whole, Dragon Crystal (Magic Core) and all, like that Spine-backed Iron-Armored Dragon."
"But Saint Realm dragon blood..."
"It's probably been stored for quite a long time. Even if it's been preserved as well as possible, there's no guarantee it's still potent. But it really might stimulate Lin Lei's bloodline awakening!"
"Studying the mysteries of the Azure Dragon Bloodline is one thing, but if I accidentally..."
"Ptooey! He's the dignified Controller of Hongmeng. How could such a tiny change cause any problems, even in his infancy?"
"Whatever happens, getting my hands on it comes first. It's Saint Realm dragon blood, after all. It's still valuable for research!"
Once he'd made up his mind, he immediately instructed the old butler, "Contact the other party. I want the dragon blood!"
The old butler looked troubled again. "Head of the family, but a million gold coins... The family's liquid funds—"
Lei Lin replied directly, "Use the family's reserves. If that's still not enough, the Dawson Chamber of Commerce wants to deepen its partnership with us, doesn't it? Ask them for a short-term loan."
"All right. I've spent too long in the laboratory this time. I need to get some proper rest."
The next day, with the sun already high in the sky,
Lei Lin tucked in Luo Lin and Windsor, who were still sleeping from sheer exhaustion, then couldn't help showing a trace of confusion. "That's strange. We've been sharing a bed for so long. Why hasn't there been any sign of a pregnancy?"
Then he chuckled. "Hah, I've transmigrated into Coiling Dragon. Why should I care about that? There'll be plenty of time once I reach the Saint Realm. It was always a matter of chance anyway. We can take it slowly."
"It's about time. I'll head to Azure Water Paradise and grab something to eat while I'm there."
In one of Azure Water Paradise's luxurious suites, Hasen, the Dawson Chamber of Commerce's representative in the Kingdom of Fenlai, saw Lei Lin enter and immediately greeted him with a beaming smile. "Hahaha! Mr. Lei Lin, your reputation as the continent's greatest genius has been making waves throughout the Royal Capital lately!"
Lei Lin exchanged pleasantries with Hasen for a while, then quickly discussed the general framework and distribution of profits for expanding the commercial partnership between the Zi'ao Family and the Dawson Chamber of Commerce.
As for the details, he could leave those to his subordinates. The Dawson Chamber of Commerce couldn't possibly cheat him. After all, this deeper partnership was, at its core, an investment in Lei Lin.
But after obtaining the ninth-level Silver Dragon blood, Lei Lin proposed a new collaboration.
"Mr. Hasen, how much influence does your chamber of commerce have in the Chaotic Territory?"
Hasen's heart stirred at the question. What did Lei Lin mean by that?
"From the latest intelligence, Lei Lin seems to have hit some kind of obstacle in his bloodline research. Is he eyeing the Chaotic Territory because he needs test subjects?"
"If so, he'll probably need a lot of them. Otherwise, he could just get death-row prisoners from the jails!"
Having prepared himself, Hasen replied, "Mr. Lei Lin, the various factions in the Chaotic Territory are constantly fighting one another, so it's not an easy place to do business. But if you need anything, there's nothing the Dawson Chamber of Commerce can't accomplish. We're one of the continent's top chambers of commerce."
"You can trust the influence of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce completely!"
As the chamber of commerce's representative in the Royal Capital of the Holy Alliance, he was a genuine senior official. He was entitled to say such things—or rather, he'd done things like this before. After all, the world wasn't simply black and white. For the Dawson Chamber of Commerce to have grown to its present stature, some unsavory dealings were simply unavoidable.
Lei Lin replied with satisfaction, "As one of the continent's three great chambers of commerce, I naturally trust your strength. Our Zi'ao Family plans to establish itself in the Chaotic Territory, and we hope your chamber of commerce can lend us a hand."
Hasen was taken aback. He immediately realized Lei Lin wasn't planning to buy a large number of test subjects. "Establish yourselves in the Chaotic Territory? But... Mr. Lei Lin, have you looked into the place? It's extraordinarily chaotic."
"Its commercial and agricultural value are both practically nonexistent. More importantly..."
At this, he pointed upward. "You may already know, Mr. Lei Lin, that the Chaotic Territory is a religious battleground contested by the Holy Alliance and the Dark Alliance. Until one side comes out on top, any investment could go down the drain."
Lei Lin nodded. He'd naturally sent his people to investigate before deciding to develop in the Chaotic Territory. He knew what things were like there, and how hard it would be to gain a foothold.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked the Dawson Chamber of Commerce for help and incurred a favor!
But he wasn't going to give up on the Chaotic Territory just because of those difficulties. After all, Beirut had left behind a Planar Secret Chamber there, along with a huge Magic Crystal Mine that had formed because of it.
The vast wealth represented by the Magic Crystal Mine went without saying. The Planar Secret Chamber was a treasure trove where he could enjoy the pleasures of cultivation in a divine plane while still in an ordinary material plane.
If anyone knew about it, the Chaotic Territory would become thousands of times more chaotic than it was now. Piles of Saint Realm experts, War Gods, and High Priests would fight tooth and nail over the Planar Secret Chamber.
"Mr. Hasen, I know what the Chaotic Territory is like. In fact, it's precisely because of the situation there that I've decided to have the family carve out a place for itself."
"There are far too few Alchemists on the continent who study bloodlines. I feel like I've hit a bottleneck in my research. Only in a place as chaotic and rife with conflict as the Chaotic Territory can I better gather the data I need for my research."
Hasen immediately understood that Lei Lin's purpose was still bloodline research. But Lei Lin wanted more than just to use the Chaotic Territory as a place to obtain test subjects.
"All right, Mr. Lei Lin. Have you chosen a location for the family's headquarters in the Chaotic Territory? If not, we can recommend a few suitable places. Our chamber of commerce can also set up trading posts there to guarantee the Zi'ao Family's supply of daily necessities and research materials."
Lei Lin smiled. "Yes. I've already chosen a few places, and I plan to establish outposts in them one by one. I've chosen Nifeng City for the first one."
"Nifeng City? Very well. I'll arrange for the chamber of commerce to move in there and ensure the Zi'ao Family has a steady supply of basic necessities." Hasen didn't recognize the name, but he readily promised to set up a trading post there and support the Zi'ao Family.
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