Chapter 847: The True Magic Master

Due to the nature of the Shadow of Extinguishing Law profession, even though Su Xiao's Intelligence attribute had reached 79 points, he could not perceive any elements. Therefore, he had no idea what "Elemental Connection Strength" or "Elemental Perception Sensitivity" were.

Although he didn't know, there was someone he knew who might—Xiang Yanchen.

He had collaborated with Xiang Yanchen before, and since the two had essentially lived and died together, they had left each other contact information.

Su Xiao contacted Xiang Yanchen. A few dozen seconds later, a virtual screen appeared before him, showing a bleary-eyed Xiang Yanchen.

"Can't a guy get a morning sleep this early?"

Xiang Yanchen had clearly just woken up. As the leader of a group of lunatics, his morning grumpiness was not to be underestimated.

"What is the function of Elemental Connection Strength and Elemental Perception Sensitivity?"

Su Xiao got straight to the point. He had previously tried asking the Reincarnation Paradise, but the frustrating part was that both pieces of information required payment—10,000 Paradise Coins each.

"Just this question? I thought you were going to treat me to breakfast."

Xiang Yanchen was somewhat annoyed, but he still answered Su Xiao's question. It was this long-winded explanation that resolved the doubts Su Xiao had harbored for a long time.

"Elemental Connection Strength is a must-have for every mage. You can understand it this way: there is a line between a mage and the elements. The thickness of this line is the value of the Elemental Connection Strength. The thicker the line, the faster and more stable the spellcasting.

As for Elemental Perception Sensitivity, that's rarer. For example, a mage with 50 Intelligence can perceive the concentration of 'tc-grams' of elements in the surrounding area. As for what a 'tc-gram' is, just treat it as a unit—a specialized measurement unit for Magic Masters. It's not for regular mages. The higher the perceived elemental tc-grams, the lower the consumption when casting spells. In layman's terms, it reduces mana cost, but this reduction only applies to Magic Masters; it's ineffective for regular mages."

Xiang Yanchen emphasized "Magic Master" and "mage" twice, which suggested there might be some distinction between the two.

Xiang Yanchen cleared his throat and continued:

"Spellcasting involves several processes. First, perceive a certain concentration of tc-gram elements, mobilize these elements, convert mana into the same category of elements, manipulate, shape, fission, reshape, compress, reshape a third time, then recite the incantation + mana resonance, and finally, unleash it. In short, it's a massive pain. This is the only path for Academic Mages.

Also, don't confuse Academic Mages with skill-reliant mages. The title 'Magic Master' in the Reincarnation Paradise was earned by Academic Mages. Among mages of the same level, Academic Mages are several to dozens of times stronger than skill-based ones. However, Academic Mages are rare. Most of the so-called 'Magic Masters' nowadays are just trash relying on fixed spell skill circuits."

Xiang Yanchen said a mouthful. Su Xiao concluded that if he could find a true buyer for the 【Moon Essence】, it would be very valuable—specifically, an Academic Mage.

"Why? Did you get your hands on equipment that increases 'Elemental Connection Strength' and 'Elemental Perception Sensitivity'?"

Xiang Yanchen didn't seem very interested in the 【Moon Essence】; he was just a fake mage.

"A type of potion. Do you have a sales channel?"

"Of course... I do."

Xiang Yanchen's sleepiness vanished.

"7%."

"3% at most."

"I'm helping you drive up the price, so 6%."

"Deal."

Su Xiao and Xiang Yanchen reached a deal. It was clear that Xiang Yanchen knew Academic Mages.

Su Xiao had previously found it strange that mages were called Magic Masters in the Reincarnation Paradise, yet most of the mages he encountered didn't have combat power that was off the charts; they just threw skills around randomly. Those who were stronger just released their skills more reasonably. The title "Magic Master" felt somewhat unearned.

Now he finally understood: "Magic Master" wasn't a title for all mages, but an exclusive term for Academic Mages.

Academic Mages also learn skills, but they study the skills they have already mastered, analyze the principles clearly, and then add their own insights.

It was like how Su Xiao, after upgrading his Blade Master skill with Soul Crystals + Paradise Coins, still spent 1 to 3 hours meditating every day, rain or shine. Not only that, he also deeply analyzed his Qing Gang Ying energy, which was why he developed the god-tier skill, Counter Shield.

It would take some time for Xiang Yanchen to contact an Academic Magic Master. According to Xiang Yanchen, those Magic Masters were basically shut-ins, spending most of their time holed up in their exclusive rooms researching magic.

For Academic Magic Masters, researching magic was the most interesting thing. They pursued knowledge, then used that knowledge to arm themselves, thereby obtaining even higher levels of knowledge.

Su Xiao left his exclusive room and headed toward the trading market. He prepared to sell the 【Malicious Shock】 tower shield first; this item could fetch a decent price.

A main tank might not be able to afford this, but the adventure group behind the main tank would certainly foot the bill. An excellent main tank was the "giant panda" of the Reincarnation Paradise—an endangered protected profession.

Usually, leaders of major adventure groups treated their main tanks with extra care, closer than their own sons. As for during battle, sorry, the main tank had to stand in front and take the beating until they fell. In most cases, a fallen tank meant a total party wipe.

Su Xiao arrived at his "exclusive" stall; he used this stall frequently.

Sitting behind the stall, Su Xiao hesitated for a moment before pricing the 【Malicious Shock】 at 600,000 Paradise Coins. This price wasn't high; to be precise, the price of shields was much lower than staves, as the number of main tanks was far lower than mages.

When supply exceeds demand, prices naturally drop, as is the case with shield-type equipment. As for staff-type weapons, they were always in a state where supply was lower than demand—there were too many mages, and mages were inherently safe in a team, plus they had flashy spells and the "Magic Master" title.

As soon as Su Xiao's stall opened, the golden light attracted a large group of Qiyuezhe. However, upon seeing it was a shield, these Qiyuezhe admired it for a bit and then dispersed. Out of nearly a hundred Qiyuezhe, only one burly man remained, squatting in front of the stall, staring longingly at the golden shield.

"Sir, can this shield be a bit cheaper?"

"Yes."

Su Xiao didn't want to lose this rare customer.

"Uh~ how about 210,000?"

The burly man gave a sheepish laugh.

"A bit low, at least 550,000."

Su Xiao smiled; the other party clearly wasn't there to cause trouble, just that their financial situation wasn't great.

"Sorry to bother you, but could you let me feel the shield?"

Realizing Su Xiao didn't show any mocking expression, the burly man secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sure."

The burly man excitedly picked up the shield. Although his attributes and skills weren't enough to activate the shield's abilities, holding a golden shield felt great. The burly man couldn't help but giggle.

"Thank you."

The burly man carefully put the shield down, secretly deciding that he must hold a shield of the same quality and stand in front of his teammates in the future.

Qiyuezhe came and went in a steady stream before the stall. Soon, a burly man wearing a red shirt, revealing a large patch of chest hair, stopped in front of the stall. He was very muscular, a characteristic of most main tanks.

The chest-haired burly man didn't ask for the price immediately but started contacting someone. Seeing this, Su Xiao knew the real buyer had arrived.

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man with gloomy, triangular eyes walked over.

"Leader, over here."

The chest-haired burly man waved his hand. Seeing him, the gloomy middle-aged man smiled—a smile uglier than crying; he simply didn't know how to smile.

The gloomy leader examined the shield on the stall, hesitating for a long time.

"548,620 Paradise Coins, how is this price?"

For an item worth hundreds of thousands of Paradise Coins, this gloomy leader was precise down to the tens.

"Not bad, but, precise to the tens..."

"It's a personal hobby. Just consider me to have obsessive-compulsive disorder."

The price given by the OCD leader was a comprehensive judgment based on the market price and their team's affordability.

"Fine, but forget the 20-coin fraction."

The other party's offer wasn't high; Su Xiao certainly wouldn't let them have it easy.

Sure enough, as soon as Su Xiao finished speaking, the OCD leader looked as uncomfortable as if he'd eaten feces, but both sides still completed the transaction.

"Gao Da, come with me to eat breakfast right now, immediately. The price must be controlled to exactly 20 Paradise Coins."

The OCD leader took the speechless main tank Gao Da and left to eat a breakfast that cost exactly 20 Paradise Coins. If the breakfast price exceeded 20 Paradise Coins, the OCD leader would be very uncomfortable for the next few days. ===== CHAPTER 848 =====