"If he wanted it, then give it to him. You could pocket the Golden Sore Medicine formula too if you wanted. With my meager cultivation, there was nothing I could do about it."
Yin Ming spread his hands in resignation. He would rather give away the Golden Sore Medicine formula for free than deal with powerful wizards and warlocks.
Never mind whether the other party bore any ill will—if their emotions fluctuated violently and they released even a trace of their aura, they could twist the minds of low-level wizards or cause irreversible bodily mutations.
If they really pocketed the Golden Sore Medicine formula, it would be enough as long as he could find the debtor. Once he had the strength and the time, he would go plant a few mushrooms.
"No, I didn't. How could I? I, Anthony Silvercoin, am a trustworthy merchant with a reputation known to all."
Anthony Silvercoin hurriedly denied it outright. Pocketing the formula was out of the question; the risk was too great.
But secretly taking a look at the formula—no, giving the formula a second layer of packaging and accidentally catching a glimpse of its contents—was still very possible.
After all, stuffing a sheet of rough paper into an envelope without sealing it at all was truly too disrespectful toward an honored guest.
The next day!
Anthony Silvercoin copied the Golden Sore Medicine formula onto an ancient parchment sheet and placed it inside an exquisite redwood box.
He left the Underground City and headed for a gloomy, damp forest. Under the watchful gaze of countless dim eyes, he approached a massive banyan tree whose jade-green leaves spread over several miles.
The ancient tree transformed into an old man in black robes, with green eyes and green hair.
His gaze sharpened as he said coldly, "Didn't we agree to trade face-to-face? Why did you come alone?"
Anthony Silvercoin's accompanying wizard artifact lit up, and the woody skin on his face instantly crumbled away, resisting the corrosion of the other party's powerful life radiation.
He took out the redwood box and smiled. "The owner agreed to let you inspect the goods first. You may confirm the formula's value beforehand. If you think it is not worth it, you may simply refuse to pay."
"Let me see what kind of Zero-Ring potion formula dares demand such an astronomical price."
The green-eyed elder snorted coldly.
It was his first time seeing a potion that did not contain a single magic plant ingredient.
The Second-Ring Bloodline Potion and wizardry scroll were not worth much to him. He only wanted to satisfy his curiosity.
At the same time, he was annoyed that the other party was treating him like a fat sheep for slaughter, so he did not deliberately restrain his tyrannical life radiation.
"Three ingredients. The two plant ingredients match what I analyzed, but this one..."
Mold!!!
Mold could be used as a potion ingredient too!!!
As the parchment unfolded, the green-eyed elder spotted the mold extract. Two piercing beams of light suddenly burst from his green pupils.
A formula? Bullshit Zero-Ring potion formula—worthless as a penny. Using bacteria as potion raw materials, that idea was what was truly priceless to a potion maker.
"Honored King of the Green Forest, is this formula worth the price or not?"
Seeing the green-eyed elder staring blankly at the parchment, Anthony Silvercoin spoke to break the silence.
"Worth it! Worth a thousand times over, ten thousand times over."
The green-eyed elder withdrew his life radiation, took out a storage wizard artifact, and tossed it to Anthony Silvercoin. After pondering for a moment, his expression darkened slightly. "If you can guarantee that the formula will not be leaked, I am willing to pay ten times, even a hundred times the price."
Anthony Silvercoin shook his head, his face full of regret. "What a pity! This fortune and I were never meant to be. Those who should know already know!"
The Golden Sore Medicine formula was useless to individual potion makers. For an individual to cultivate extraordinary bacteria and develop a potion from them, they would have to wait until monkeys grew old.
It was only useful to major powers such as the Warlock Alliance and Wizard Black Tower, which possessed countless potion makers.
Anthony Silvercoin was thankful he had taken a peek—no, accidentally glimpsed the formula's contents while changing its packaging. Otherwise, he might even have been silenced.
On the third day, Anthony Silvercoin delivered a wooden case.
Inside lay the payment for this transaction: a Second-Ring Lava Demon Bloodline Potion, a Second-Ring Blood-Melting Potion, a Second-Ring Lava Troll True-Name Totem, and a Zero-Ring Wizard's Hand scroll.
"A scroll! A wizard talisman."
Yin Ming's eyes lit up when he saw the scroll.
He wanted the scroll in order to analyze the materials that composed it, obtain the technique for preserving True Blood activity, and make Talismans.
Therefore, he did not care whether the wizardry sealed within the scroll was powerful or not.
He directly destroyed the runic energy circuit on the beast-hide scroll. Only after its activity dissipated did he place it into the Scavenger Gourd for analysis.
[Name: Wizardry Scroll (Damaged).] [Components: First-Ring Devouring Snake Hide, First-Ring blood, Soul Crystal (liquid), Star Sand...] [Note: A wizardry scroll deliberately damaged by human hands, though it had not been very useful to begin with.] [Extractable:...]
Talismans could reduce the consumption of wizardry and allow wizards to use wizardry directly without tracing runes.
They made up for the problem of wizards being ambushed and having no time to cast wizardry, as well as being unable to cast wizardry after exhausting their mental power and magical power.
They might not improve a wizard's combat strength as greatly as the External Core Dharma Form, but they could vastly increase a wizard's ability to survive.
"A scroll... The substance that preserves True Blood activity is actually Soul Crystal—liquid."
Yin Ming naturally knew about Soul Crystal, a mineral unique to the Abyss, but he had never heard that liquid Soul Crystal existed.
This was not some metal that could simply be heated continuously until it melted into liquid.
"Extract:..."
Yin Ming chose to extract the Liquid Soul Crystal.
Only grayish-brown blood rune traces remained on the scroll, condensing into a drop of iridescent gelatinous liquid.
Liquid Soul Crystal had no difference in effect from solid Soul Crystal. As a substance that crystallized mental power, how could it change from solid to liquid?
Yin Ming could not find any clues for the time being and could only put aside the making of Talismans once more.
Afterward.
Yin Ming combined the Second-Ring Bloodline Potion and the Blood-Fusing Potion into one.
He created the Second-Ring Lava Troll Bloodline Potion 2.0.
[Name: Bloodline Potion 2.0 (Second Ring).] [Components: (Second Ring) Lava Troll essence blood: 32%, (First Ring) Blood Crystal of the Crimsonblood Vine: 32%, Gold-Eroding Water: 7%...] [Note: When you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes back at you. This potion can completely transform you into an Abyssal Lava Troll King. Comment: You didn't think the method of use was drinking it, did you?] [Mutation: 99%.]
He only needed to inscribe the True Name Totem pattern on the External Core, and the upper limit of the Lava Troll Form could rise from First Ring to Second Ring.
Yin Ming did not feel particularly excited. The Dharma Form was powerful, but its greatest problem was that its duration was too short.
At First Ring, it could only last a dozen seconds or so. At Second Ring, he probably could not... sustain it at all.
"A Junior Wizard Apprentice's magical power and mental power simply do not last! The urgent priority is not increasing the power of wizardry, but improving my cultivation and raising the limits of my mental power and magical power."
"It is time to leave the Underground City and improve my cultivation."
Before leaving.
Yin Ming first went to the Exchange Building, intending to use Merit Points to exchange for some materials.
"Scholar Eno, what good things are you planning to sell this time?"
Anthony Silvercoin welcomed him warmly. Although he had not collected any commission from this transaction, his deal with Wizard Black Tower had been pure profit.
"Nothing! I need to exchange for a large amount of Quasit True Blood. Start with 500,000 Merit Points. If your stock is insufficient, give me all the rest." Yin Ming said.
Before you continue