Chapter 370: 371. Chapter 370: Studying the Gold-Devouring Bugs

371. Chapter 370: Studying the Gold-Devouring Bugs

In a flash, four months passed.

Within the Heavenly Phoenix Empire, Alchemists were already everywhere.

Alchemists were originally a rare group, seldom seen in normal times, but now one could encounter an Alchemist, or even more than one, simply by walking down any street.

These Alchemists came from all corners of the world, hailing from various Great Regions; when all the Alchemists from every region in the Western Regions gathered together, the number of Alchemists within the Heavenly Phoenix Empire was enough to be as common as dogs.

Although there were still several months before the Alchemy Competition began, many had arrived early, including a large number of First and Second Grade Alchemists.

Although low-grade Alchemists had no chance of entering the Finals, this did not hinder their desire to watch the excitement; how could they miss such a rare alchemical grand event?

Among those who arrived early was Long Xuan; after entering Phoenix City, he followed Jade-Faced Rakshasa's instructions and changed his appearance once again.

This was the face of a young, handsome man; given that he intended to represent the Long Clan in this competition, he adopted the pseudonym Long Xuan.

Phoenix City was very lively at this moment, with vast numbers of Alchemists walking up and down the streets; since Alchemists were an extremely wealthy group, the influx of countless Alchemists into the city naturally boosted its economy.

Especially the prices of Spirit Medicine, which began to skyrocket in this city.

This also allowed sharp-witted merchants to smell the scent of fortune, transporting large quantities of treasures to Phoenix City, so much so that the city could now be described as having treasures scattered everywhere.

Long Xuan could not help but sigh inwardly; arriving early had indeed been the right move.

He began spreading out his Clones to frantically plunder treasures in the city that were useful to him.

As for his main body, it wandered through the city searching for trading fairs.

With so many wealthy Alchemists gathered together, trading fairs would surely arise in response to destiny.

The most valuable treasures would definitely appear at these trading fairs.

Guided by his powerful Soul Power perception, he walked toward a pavilion, where he saw a signboard bearing the words "Grade Three Alchemist Trading Fair."

Without needing anyone to notify them, many Third Grade Alchemists throughout the city, upon perceiving this signboard with their Soul Power, were quickly making their way here.

Alchemists were one of the groups with the strongest Soul Power, so perceiving this signboard was not difficult.

It seemed this exclusive trading fair for Third Grade Alchemists had not yet begun, so Long Xuan adjusted his attire and walked inside.

Guarding the entrance were a man and a woman, both Spirit Sea Peak Gu Cultivators; seeing the Grade Three Alchemist Badge hanging on the visitor's chest, both immediately displayed expressions of respect.

"May I ask your honorable name, sir?" the male guard asked respectfully.

"Long Xuan," Long Xuan stated his fake name without hesitation.

There were many people named Long Xuan in this world, but there was likely no Third Grade Alchemist named Long Xuan.

Therefore, this name yielded no information, and anyone with eyes could see it was a pseudonym.

At this moment, he had already made up his mind: if these two guards insisted on digging to the root of the matter, he would simply not participate in this trading fair.

Upon hearing this, the two guards indeed showed expressions of confusion, having never heard of such a figure.

There were many Alchemists in this world, but Third Grade and above Alchemists were not numerous; as long as one did a good job of intelligence gathering, it was not difficult to learn about every Third Grade Alchemist in the entire Western Regions.

These two guards had clearly investigated all Third Grade Alchemists in the Western Regions and were fully convinced that there was no Third Grade Alchemist named Long Xuan in the Western Regions, knowing without a doubt that he was using a fake name.

But the male guard still smiled and said, "So it is Alchemist Master Long Xuan; long have I heard of your great name, please come inside quickly; there is still some time before the trading fair begins, so there should still be empty seats inside."

Long Xuan nodded, clasped his hands behind his back, feigned an arrogant demeanor, and walked in.

Watching the retreating figure of this person, the male guard showed an expression of deep thought and quickly wrote the two characters "Long Xuan" in a notebook.

Seeing his action, the female guard on the other side asked in confusion, "This person is obviously using a fake name; why are you still recording it?"

"The Nine Prince wants to take this opportunity to understand information about his competitors; there is no need to record such irrelevant information."

The male guard shook his head and smiled confidently, "Do not overlook the fact that although this person used a fake name, his surname is absolutely real."

"Do not forget the wager between the Feng Alliance and the Long Clan Alliance; under these circumstances, unless one's surname is truly Long, no one would dare to impersonate the Long surname."

"It is likely that this wager has frightened many reclusive Third Grade Alchemists of the Long Clan out of hiding; these Long Clan Third Grade Alchemists, who do not wish to hand their Fate over to others, are certainly not simple; they must have at least the confidence to achieve a good ranking, making them worth keeping an eye on..."

After Long Xuan entered the pavilion, he saw Alchemists gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing.

Everyone here was a Third Grade Alchemist of extremely noble status and position, each possessing an extraordinary aura.

Upon seeing someone enter, many Third Grade Alchemists subconsciously turned their heads to look.

Seeing that the newcomer was a stranger, and unable to discern his identity or background, no one stepped forward to strike up a conversation.

Long Xuan was happy for the quiet leisure and chose to walk to an unoccupied corner to sit down.

As time passed, more and more Third Grade Alchemists noticed the plaque, and more and more entered the pavilion; gradually, even Long Xuan's hidden corner became filled with Third Grade Alchemists, and the surroundings began to grow noisy.

But since Long Xuan kept his eyes closed to rest his spirit, no one was tactless enough to engage him in conversation.

Finally, accompanied by the sound of a bell tolling, this trading fair officially began.

Hearing the sound, Long Xuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with anticipation.

This exclusive trading fair for Third Grade Alchemists was the highest-specification fair he had attended so far, and he very much looked forward to finding treasures of great help to him within it.

After the bell chimed, a handsome young man walked to the table at the very front of the crowd, looked around once, and smiled:

"This exclusive trading fair for Third Grade Alchemists was organized by me; as the Host of this Third Grade Alchemist Trading Fair, let me first introduce myself."

"I come from the Huiyue Empire and am the Nine Prince of the Huiyue Empire; you may simply call me the Nine Prince."

"Although I, the Nine Prince of the Huiyue Empire, lack talent in cultivation, I possess considerable talent in Alchemy; I dare not claim how high my Alchemy level is, but within the Huiyue Empire, I am certainly worthy of being called the number one Third Grade Alchemist."

As soon as these words were spoken, an expression of unrestrained arrogance appeared on his face.

Many people below now showed slight apprehension; the Huiyue Empire was a superpower capable of ranking among the top ten in the entire Western Regions and was one of the organizers of this Alchemy Competition.

The title of "Number One Third Grade Alchemist of the Huiyue Empire" absolutely carried significant weight; this person was definitely a formidable competitor.

Long Xuan also glanced at him; he did not care exactly how high this person's Alchemy level was, for no matter how high it was, it certainly could not be higher than his; what he was truly interested in now was what trading items this Nine Prince would present next.

The Nine Prince of the Huiyue Empire definitely possessed considerable wealth, and as the Host of this Third Grade Alchemist Trading Fair, he certainly could not present trading items that were too shabby.

The value of the trading items he presented might very well be the highest in the entire hall, forcing him to concentrate his attention.

The Nine Prince took in the gazes of everyone below.

He spoke these words not to show off, but with another intention; if anyone at this moment looked at him with solemnity or apprehension,

then those people basically did not need to be paid attention to, for their Alchemy Technique was certainly not much, which was why they feared their competitors.

At this moment, those few who remained expressionless required his closer attention; eighty percent of this group were extremely confident in their own Alchemy Technique and simply did not regard him, the Nine Prince, as an opponent.

He focused his gaze specifically on the person hidden in the corner, for this individual had not once looked at him directly.

"Nine Prince! Since you are the Host of this trading assembly, you should start first. As the Host, the items you present cannot be too shabby."

Someone in the crowd, seemingly unafraid of his identity, suddenly joked and loudly provoked.

The others also revealed smiles at this moment.

The Nine Prince glanced at that person and laughed, "Good! Then let this trading assembly begin with me."

Speaking thus, he took a bottle containing two small golden insects from his Storage Ring and placed it on the table, sweeping his gaze across the faces of the crowd below before laughing with a hint of pride:

"I believe many have never seen this insect, so I will not beat around the bush."

"This insect is called the Gold-Eating Worm; it reproduces asexually and ranks twenty-first on the Top-Grade Spirit Worm List."

"I need not elaborate on the value of a Top Grade Spirit Insect ranking twenty-first; most Top-Grade Gu Worms fall far short of it."

"The reason the Gold-Eating Worm ranks so high is that it possesses three Rule-type abilities."

"First, it can devour metal of any hardness, thereby granting itself the exact same hardness as that metal, though this can only be maintained by consuming such metal for extended periods."

"Second, the Gold-Eating Worm can unconditionally devour anything with a hardness lower than its own."

"Third, the Gold-Eating Worm possesses an Undying Body; it can only be killed by a Physical Attack exceeding its upper limit."

"Therefore, the strength of the Gold-Eating Worm varies depending on the metal it has consumed over a long duration."

"If a Gold-Eating Worm consumes the hardest metal in this world and reproduces on a certain scale, it will be sufficient to kill gods who block its path and Buddhas who stand in its way, capable of devouring everything in this world."

"However, if its master is a pauper unable to feed it overly hard metals for long periods, then the Gold-Eating Worm will be extremely fragile."

"Limited by its Rule ability, it can only devour things softer than itself; once its own hardness is insufficient, this Top Grade Spirit Insect might not even be able to defeat a Lower Grade Spirit Insect."

"I have made the pros and cons of this Top Grade Spirit Insect clear; there is no deception involved. Now, who wishes to trade for my Gold-Eating Worm?"

"I lack nothing; those interested in the Gold-Eating Worm may offer any treasure, but I will choose to trade with the person offering the highest value—this item goes to the highest bidder."

The Nine Prince looked down at the crowd of Alchemists with a smile, extremely confident in his first trading item.

To put it plainly, the strength of the Gold-Eating Worm is tied to its master's wealth; if the master is rich, the worm is strong.

Selling the Gold-Eating Worm elsewhere might yield limited value, but among this group of oil-rich Alchemists, he believed his Gold-Eating Worm could fetch an astronomical price.

As expected, once his words fell, many Alchemists below showed signs of interest and developed thoughts of trading, yet they hesitated for the moment.

It was true that they did not lack money, but the hardest metals in this world were limited and could not be bought simply with wealth.

If one allowed the Gold-Eating Worm to consume Geng Metal Essence and reproduce on a certain scale so that every Gold-Eating Worm possessed the hardness of Geng Metal Essence, then indeed it could kill gods who block its path and Buddhas who stand in its way.

Without exaggeration, if one truly cultivated over ten thousand Geng Metal Essence-fed Gold-Eating Worms, their combat power would be invincible within the same realm.

But the problem was that Geng Metal Essence was far too expensive; even with the wealth of a Third Grade Alchemist, they could at most buy a few pieces, making it impossible for them to use Geng Metal Essence as food for the worms.

Moreover, there simply was not enough Geng Metal Essence in this world; using it to feed worms would be a criminal waste.

Geng Metal Essence was merely an extreme example; even metals ranking far below it in hardness, if used to feed the worms, would exceed the financial capacity of anyone, including the Multi-Treasure Merchant.

Thus, although the strength of the Gold-Eating Worm was related to metal hardness, no one dared let it consume the hardest metals, for no one's wealth could bear the cost.

The theoretical maximum strength of the Gold-Eating Worm was impossible to achieve in this world, and it could not have been achieved even in the Ancient Era when precious resources were abundant everywhere.

To cultivate a large number of Gold-Eating Worms, one could only consider metals ranking in the middle for hardness—numerous in quantity yet not too soft.

But how to balance this became a monumental difficulty; if the metal was too cheap, the Gold-Eating Worm would be weak, but if the metal was too expensive, it would drain one's fortune.

How to balance the relationship between strength and cost was truly a headache-inducing problem, leaving many hesitant.

Therefore, although many were tempted by the Gold-Eating Worm, no one placed a bid for the time being.

The atmosphere at the scene remained silent for a long while until finally, a plump Third Grade Alchemist raised his hand and said, "My family possesses a Mysterious Iron Mine Vein with ample Black Iron production."

"The hardness of Black Iron is neither the best nor the worst; it is perfectly suitable as food for the Gold-Eating Worm."

"I offer one Top Grade Spirit Stone; how about letting me have these two Gold-Eating Worms?"

His words had just fallen, and before the Nine Prince could reply, someone below immediately raised their hand and said, "The hardness of Black Iron is still too low; giving the Gold-Eating Worm to you would be a criminal waste."

"My family is in the ore business and can easily collect large quantities of Purple Gold; please let me have the Gold-Eating Worm instead."

"I offer five King-Breaking Pills!" a young female Alchemist shouted with great financial confidence.

With these two speaking, the area below immediately became lively as everyone raised their hands to bid.

There were indeed quite a few financially powerful Third Grade Alchemists here, and many were genuinely interested in this money-burning machine.

Watching the rising and falling bids below, a smile curved upon the Nine Prince's face.

At this moment, Long Xuan closed his eyes, his fingers constantly tapping the desk as he pondered the value of the Gold-Eating Worm to himself.

This heaven-defying Insect Species, whose strength varied with metal hardness, truly aroused his considerable interest.

One must remember that the Gold-Eating Worm was not a Gu Worm but a Spirit Insect; Spirit Insects could be reproduced on a large scale, and if allowed to consume the hardest metal and breed in sufficient numbers, their upper limit would be terrifyingly high.

One must know that the absolute hardest metal in this world was far from being Geng Metal Essence; in the Divine Realm, metals harder than Geng Metal Essence were countless.

If he allowed the Gold-Eating Worm to consume the hardest metal in the Divine Realm, his army of Gold-Eating Worms would possess the power to slaughter gods.

In the Gold-Eating Worm, he saw the shadow of the Gold-Devouring Bug from novels; once the Gold-Eating Worm consumed the hardest metal in this world, its body would equal the hardness of that metal, meaning its defensive power would be invincible.

Since the Gold-Eating Worm could unconditionally devour anything softer than itself, once it consumed the hardest metal, it meant it could devour everything in this world, achieving the ability to swallow all things; such power was truly terrifying.

The maximum upper limit of the Gold-Eating Worm was exactly the same strength as the Gold-Devouring Bug; he felt he might be able to cultivate the Gold-Eating Worm into a Gold-Devouring Bug.

No one dared let the Gold-Eating Worm consume the hardest metal, and no one could evolve the Gold-Eating Worm into its theoretically strongest state, not even in the resource-richest Ancient Era.

But he felt he might be able to achieve what the ancients could not, evolving the Gold-Eating Worm into its theoretically strongest state.

At this moment, he thought of alloys from his Past Life; could he use his Golden Finger to create an otherworldly alloy formula?

This alloy formula would use metals that were all the cheapest, yet when combined, their hardness could match or even surpass the hardest metal in this world.

In this way, while others could not use the world's hardest metal to feed the Gold-Eating Worm, he could.

He could raise the Gold-Eating Worms to their theoretically strongest state at an extremely low cost.

Once worms of such caliber multiplied to a scale of hundreds of thousands or even millions, the terrifying insect army he controlled would be sufficient to slaughter gods and extinguish Buddhas.

Long Xuan's eyes brightened, and his expression grew increasingly manic.

He decided that he would take these two Gold-Eating Worms... (End of Chapter)