Thunder Dragon Essence

The Treasure Gathering Pavilion was very strict about keeping its customers' information confidential. After Qi Xuan paid, a staff member told him they could ship his purchase directly to the academy in complete confidentiality.

The effects of whale rubber were simple: roasting it until it melted and then eating it could greatly improve one's physical constitution.

But the ocean was vast, and voyages across it had always been extremely difficult.

With countless vicious sea soul beasts gathering in the ocean as well, very few of these marine products ever reached the interior.

Thousand-year whale rubber was yellow. Many people knew that, but very few had ever seen ten-thousand-year whale glue.

A ten-thousand-year Deep Sea Demon Whale ranked among the most powerful sea soul beasts.

If not for the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's extensive knowledge, probably no one would have recognized this as a piece of ten-thousand-year whale glue.

The two then headed up to the third floor, their original destination.

The third floor was no smaller than the two below it, but there were noticeably fewer exhibits-treasures the Treasure Gathering Pavilion rated as peerless were naturally exceedingly rare.

A spark of intuition stirred in Qi Xuan. He sensed an aura of the lightning attribute.

Following that faint glimmer, Qi Xuan stopped before a display case.

Inside an exquisite transparent device hung a charred, forked branch.

Threads of lightning wound around the branch in ring after ring, crackling as they discharged electricity. At the fork of the branch, they had actually gathered into the faint outline of an illusory dragon's head!

For a fleeting moment, Qi Xuan seemed to hear a dragon's roar.

Even through the protective barrier, he could feel the lightning element within him gradually begin to boil.

"What is this?" Huo Yuhao also leaned over curiously.

Qi Xuan began reading the plaque.

"A wisp of thunder dragon essence. Believed to have formed from the remaining pure lightning elemental power of a lightning-attribute soul beast with a dragon bloodline after it failed its tribulation."

"If absorbed, it will greatly benefit any lightning-attribute soul master and may even promote Martial Soul Evolution."

"Price: 2,540,000 Gold Soul Coins."

"Note: The container holding this object is a fully sealed Level 7 Soul Tool. This object will resonate with heaven and earth and rapidly dissipate upon release. Please ensure that you are capable of absorbing it before attempting to open the container. Opening the container will destroy it completely."

Two million five hundred and forty thousand.

Qi Xuan and Huo Yuhao drew sharp breaths. Ordinary peerless treasures generally cost a few hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. This might well be one of the most expensive pieces in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's peerless collection.

Compared with treasures of rarer attributes, the prices of lightning-element natural treasures were not quite so outrageous, but they were still relatively high.

That was because the lightning element was simply too violent and difficult to stabilize. For this wisp of thunder dragon essence to have survived in such a form was almost inconceivable.

But a mere wisp of thunder dragon essence would not command such a high price. The real reason lay in its container.

A Level 7 Soul Tool, the Spirit-Binding Cage.

Its name made it clear that this thing was not a container at all. It had originally been designed as a prison, which explained why opening it would destroy it.

There had simply been nothing available that could capture the thunder dragon essence at the time, so in their haste, they had been forced to use the Spirit-Binding Cage.

Most Level 7 Soul Tools cost around one million Gold Soul Coins.

In other words, half this thing's price went toward that single-use cage.

Even more absurdly, opening the Spirit-Binding Cage did not guarantee that one could absorb the essence. If the absorption failed, the thunder dragon essence would return to heaven and earth.

Two and a half million, thrown straight into the water.

That really would make the buyer a prize idiot.

In terms of its theoretical quality, this piece almost brushed the threshold of the immortal grade. But with all these factors piled together, it had ultimately been rated as peerless.

The risk was simply too great, so this piece had been on display here for a long time without attracting any buyers.

At least until someone found a way to contain it again, it probably would not sell.

Until it met Qi Xuan.

Even though Qi Xuan only had two rings at present, he felt an intense resonance.

For no reason he could explain, he believed that as long as he opened the Spirit-Binding Cage, he would definitely be able to absorb it.

Qi Xuan strode over to the reception desk and took out his peerless voucher. "I want that one."

The young woman at the desk was startled. "Sir, this piece is rather unusual. There are a few precautions I still need to remind you of..."

They were worried that someone might buy it without reading the plaque and cause trouble afterward.

As the saying went, harmony bred wealth. Naturally, the Treasure Gathering Pavilion did not want trouble either.

Only after watching the pavilion's staff take the piece down and pack it into a box did Qi Xuan breathe a sigh of relief.

Just as he was about to browse some more with Huo Yuhao and help him choose a few items, the young woman from the reception desk approached them with an awkward expression.

"Mr. Qi, an honored guest, Mr. Yu, would like to speak with you."

Qi Xuan looked in the direction she had come from. An elderly man with impeccably groomed hair stood there wearing a courteous smile.

Huo Yuhao tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Brother Xuan, this visitor hasn't come with good intentions."

All of Qi Xuan's and Huo Yuhao's connections were at Shrek Academy. Being stopped here out of nowhere certainly could not mean anything good.

After weighing it carefully, Qi Xuan still nodded and agreed to meet him.

Being able to contact him through the Treasure Gathering Pavilion proved that this Mr. Yu had considerable influence. He would surely have ways to track Qi Xuan down afterward as well.

In that case, it would be better to settle things right here in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. At least this place belonged to Shrek, so their safety was assured.

The Treasure Gathering Pavilion generally opened only its first four floors to the public, and even the fourth floor could only be reserved by honored guests.

Qi Xuan and Huo Yuhao were invited into an exclusive private room on the fifth floor. Its lavish furnishings and spacious interior looked extraordinarily luxurious.

The elderly man was already waiting inside.

An attendant brought the two of them cups of fragrant tea.

"My deepest apologies for disturbing you both. In my urgency, I resorted to this clumsy approach. I hope you can forgive me." The elderly man bowed slightly to them.

Despite his humble manner, Qi Xuan's instincts told him that the man's cultivation was probably no lower than that of a Soul Saint.

"You're Mr. Yu?" Qi Xuan took a sip of tea and immediately felt every pore in his body relax. The tea had actually been brewed with hundred-year-old Dragon Well leaves.

A single cup would cost at least three hundred Gold Soul Coins.

"I wouldn't presume to claim that title. Mr. Yu is my master; I merely carry out his orders. I heard that you acquired the thunder dragon essence. Might you be willing to part with it?"

"Of course, we have no wish to take what another treasures. It is simply that the thunder dragon essence would be of great use to my master. As an apology, if any other peerless treasure catches your eye, I will purchase it immediately as compensation."

"In addition, here are two million Gold Soul Coins as a small token of our apologies."

Looking at the card he pushed toward them and considering the terms he had offered, Huo Yuhao and Qi Xuan both froze.

They had both prepared themselves for the other party to throw his weight around, but instead, he had not only treated them courteously, he had offered incredibly generous terms.

In terms of sheer value, the compensation he offered already far exceeded a single peerless voucher.

The peerless voucher itself only allowed its holder to choose one item from the collection. In other words, all Qi Xuan had to do was nod, and he would pocket a clean two million Gold Soul Coins.

Not even robbing a bank brought in money that quickly.

But Qi Xuan merely closed his eyes and thought. There seemed to be a thread in his mind, stringing all these wisps of clues together.

Electricity, Mr. Yu, a dragon bloodline...

He opened his eyes. "Are you from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect?"