Chapter 176

Ta Ke searched every nook and cranny of the alchemy secret chamber, but still found no trace of the miraculous cottage.

"It shouldn't be! That little guy can't get out."

After looking around left and right for a moment, Ta Ke somewhat understood.

He came to the pet bag of the little sniff duck and peered inside.

As expected.

The miraculous cottage and the little sniff duck were snuggled together, sound asleep.

Ta Ke patted the pet bag and took the miraculous cottage out.

The miraculous cottage felt quite heavy in hand.

It looked like a grayish-black stone house the size of a fist.

However, as various materials are fed, the little stone house's form will turn into the "miraculous cottage."

Moreover, as the various supernatural-trait materials fed increase.

Its miraculous traits will also become ever more astonishing.

By then, when unfolded, a miraculous cottage becomes a huge castle, a tower.

When folded, it is just an ordinary supernatural storage bracelet.

Even, with the corresponding materials fed.

It will moreover gain flight, seafaring, and similar abilities.

In the present steam age, with a certain number of source-energy steam engines integrated into the miraculous cottage, it will pose no problem to later become a miraculous spirit-realm steam train upon the spirit realm's star tracks.

The miraculous cottage nearly possesses all-around adaptive ability.

This is also why many supernaturals spend vast resources cultivating miraculous cottages.

It is said that, upon the ocean, those powerful demonic ships are cultivated through oceanic miraculous seeds.

In the deep depths of the ocean, the place where whale carcasses nurture.

There, the accumulated whale skeletons are the breeding ground for oceanic miraculous seeds.

Especially the "demonic ships" possessed by the Nine Demon Sea Generals are handed down generation after generation of demon sea generals.

Of course, for pirates.

The so-called "inheritance" is the ritual of beheading the previous generation's demon sea general and feeding his skull to the demonic ship at the prow.

As Ta Ke spiritually touches the miraculous cottage.

The miraculous cottage gradually awakens.

Shortly after, the miraculous cottage conveys an affectionate will to Ta Ke.

All along, Ta Ke not only uses his own source energy to cultivate the miraculous cottage, but also supplements it with his own life pulse.

In the miraculous cottage's view, Ta Ke is the great mother who nurtured it.

Ta Ke took out some blood crystals; seeing this, the miraculous cottage opened its little mouth and sucked in sharply.

The blood crystals were directly devoured by it.

Behind that tiny mouth lies a pitch-black, bottomless depth; the miraculous stomach is like an abyss, protruding a space that can contain.

And this is why the miraculous cottage's appetite is astonishingly large.

Ta Ke then took out some other miscellaneous materials.

He fed a bit of each.

Even the crude rune stone fragments in Ta Ke's hand, he also took some out to feed the miraculous cottage.

These scattered, fragmentary materials make it easier for it to absorb and grow.

If one lets the miraculous cottage eat those stones every day.

Before long, the miraculous cottage itself will turn into a lifeless lump of big stone.

After feeding it a little, Ta Ke sent it back into the pet bag again.

And that little sniff duck continued to snore loudly asleep.

After spending this time together.

That little sniff duck no longer fears Ta Ke.

Even when hungry, it will poke its head out, look at Ta Ke, and ask him for food.

When Ta Ke is doing alchemy, that little guy will also run to the side to watch.

Anyway, keeping such a miraculous creature poses no problem.

After all, the miraculous cottage itself is also an ecological environment.

In the future, after expansion, filling the interior with ecology is also inevitable.

Ta Ke, however, intends to raise the miraculous cottage into a huge castle, even as massive as a tower.

After conducting another hour or so of material refining.

Ta Ke then placed some more scattered materials, and only then did he hurry to the rental cottage.

Examining the ash-gray clock, Ta Ke muttered to himself.

"It's about time to make another trip to the underground black market."

After making preparations, Ta Ke opened the door and walked out.

…………

Underground City!

Star Orbit Market.

A corner spot.

Ta Ke spread out his stall.

Several dozen portions of second-grade premium materials were placed on top.

Under the hood of the priest's robe, a layer of shadow shrouded Ta Ke's face.

Today is the second day of this round of the Ash Night period.

Ta Ke planned to make initial contact with that extraordinary being who intended to purchase third-grade premium materials, and even have himself refine leader-grade materials for them.

At Ba Jinshi's place.

This month, Ta Ke obtained roughly fifty thousand magic gold.

The harvest was as abundant as ever.

But on their family chamber of commerce's side, due to the Steam Lighthouse mission dispatched by Saint Lande.

This caused their family's council to be delayed.

Naturally, Ta Ke's proposal to obtain lord-level dragon crystal materials in advance was also delayed.

And the plan to loot light materials showed no trace.

Ta Ke could only first make contact with that extraordinary being in the underground city who appeared to have an uncommon identity.

Today's black market seemed livelier than before.

As the lighthouse plan expands the spirit realm layer.

Many second- to third-rank extraordinary beings can enter the spirit realm layer through the Spirit Realm Lighthouse Gate.

And the spirit realm layer has undergone Saint Lande's own hundreds of years of ecological development.

As well as the great progress of the steam era over the past one or two centuries.

It has accumulated a vast extraordinary ecosystem, and moreover a highly concentrated extraordinary ecosystem.

The powerful have no time to clear away those low-rank extraordinary creatures.

But for those extraordinary beings who have used the Spirit Realm Lighthouse Gate to enter the spirit realm layer.

That is completely opening a new world.

Moreover, having the Spirit Realm Lighthouse as a backing.

During this period, following the Steam Lighthouse Gate deep into the development of the spirit realm layer has allowed many extraordinary beings to reap substantial gains.

"Are the second-grade elite materials here the harmless kind?"

Just as Ta Ke was waiting.

A rather gentle and delicate female voice sounded.

Ta Ke lifted his head, and came into view a female extraordinary being wearing iron-blue leather armor, with a short knife at her waist, and outside a gray linen cloak.

Behind this female extraordinary being were two more extraordinary beings, one male and one female.

"Yes."

After examining for a moment, Ta Ke nodded.

Immediately, the three began to whisper among themselves.

"Is it him?"

"He looks very much like him; isn't it said that the refiner likes to immerse himself in the shadow state? This guy just has a shadowy gray mist on his face."

"It must be him! He's the only one in the whole market selling second-grade materials, and his prices are quite high. I've heard he also has third-grade elite materials, he just hasn't taken them out."

Looking at these three, all nineteenth-rank, obviously extraordinary beings like the High Tower apprentices, whispering in front of me.

Ta Ke was somewhat speechless.

Being this close, do you really think I have hearing problems?

"Can we take a look?"

The leading female trainee looked at Ta Ke and asked.

Ta Ke did not respond, but instead asked softly.

"Where did you hear about me?"

"Ah..."

The leading female trainee paused, sized Ta Ke up from head to toe, and then said.

"Among the trainees, it has long been spread that the dwarves have top-tier refiner elite materials."

"Then recently there was news that someone in the underground market was selling similar supreme elite materials at a high price."

"So we came over to take a look."

"Do you also source your goods from the dwarves here?"

Ta Ke listened to the female trainee's explanation and nodded.

"Yes!"

"These are all top-grade premium materials."

"Although the price is a bit higher, it guarantees your safe advancement."

"Of course, at your current level there's no need to advance completely harmlessly."

"One ordinary refined elite material, two portions of harmless material—this lets you better experience the transformation process."

After Ta Ke's guidance, the three each selected one or two portions of materials.

Then they left satisfied.

Guarding the stall, Ta Ke pondered silently.

"Hmm... news about the refiner has been gradually coming in."

"I myself have channels for selling resources, so I don't really need to rely on the dwarves' channels."

"Putting some pressure on them also helps me obtain the resources I need more effectively."

Just as Ta Ke was pondering.

A burly man wearing a little demon mask appeared before Ta Ke's stall.

"Refiner, in the last rotation cycle, you didn't set up a stall; did something happen?"

The demon-masked man's voice was slightly hoarse, but Ta Ke could still tell that the person was the one he had been waiting for.

Ta Ke replied in a slightly hoarse voice.

Ta Ke's words resonated with the man.

"Indeed, those spirit realm beings are indeed quite troublesome."

"That beehive mountain over there is really troublesome."

"Swarms of spirit-thorn demon bees, numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands, attack; only those spellcasters dare to launch long-range spell attacks."

"Other spellcasters, even knights, cannot withstand them and can only hide inside high towers."

"The attacks of those spirit-thorn demon bees cause soul poisoning; severe cases directly lead to loss of soul control."

"We have already lost a considerable number of personnel."

He felt his remarks were somewhat too sensitive, and the man aptly cut off his explanation.

Afterwards, the man looked left and right, then lowered his voice slightly.

"Regarding the refining of chief-level materials."

"We... uh... a highly respected high-ranking Night Walker wish to see Wizard Mister."

"Wizard Mister, you should be very interested."

Ta Ke immediately stood up and said.

"Are you the respected 'Gustav' Walker Mister from the Star Orbit Cultivation Association?"

Since you have come to the Star Orbit Market in the underground city.

Before this, Ta Ke naturally had already made many preparations regarding information and data about the Star Orbit Cultivation Association.

Seeing that the other party had already figured it out.

The man then stopped concealing anything.

He nodded and said: "Yes, that's 'Gustav' Walker Mister, wanting to see Wizard Mister."

This is the Black Market Star Orbit Market, a market governed by the Star Orbit Cultivation Association.

Not to mention werewolves and vampires; even a Dark Sun Bishop coming here must obediently follow the rules set by the Star Orbit Cultivation Association.

Therefore, he doesn't mind revealing his identity as a member of the Star Orbit Cultivation Association.