Chapter 955: Black Soul Project

"Consul... Consul... sir..."

Yi Geng's expression was quite vivid, his speech became stammering, and after a deep breath he barely steadied himself, glaring as he asked, "How did you know that cultivating Black Soul Mushroom requires corpses?" That was his biggest concern, as it touched his greatest secret.

"You said it yourself," Lei En snorted.

A few years ago, when his son Lei Kes had just been born, Yi Geng visited Red Dragon Fortress and accidentally let it slip.

"Uh..."

Yi Geng gave a wry smile, "I thought you hadn't heard clearly back then and had already forgotten."

"I never forget anything," Lei En saw through the black dragon's thoughts, his face hardening as he said, "Don't play dumb. Tell me, can a Demon's corpse be omitted?"

Even the faint aura of a Holy Soul Wizard made Yi Geng's heart race, and he hurriedly replied, "I think it should be possible."

"Should be?"

Lei En's expression soured, his voice deep as he said, "I need a definite answer."

Yi Geng wore a Legend Grade Great Druidic Talisman that could block the Soul‑eye's reading of his thoughts, but after his promotion to Holy Soul Ascension Wizard, the Soul‑eye had also upgraded and could now see through "Seranna's Soul-binding Talisman".

He actually already had a clear answer; his reluctance to state it outright was a bargaining tactic.

Given the stakes, Lei En didn't want to play that game with him.

"Don't assume you're the only alchemist in this world; many can forge Black Soul Elixir, and studying Black Soul Mushroom isn't that hard," Lei En warned gravely, "If you keep hiding things, don't blame me for using other methods."

Yi Geng's face turned pale instantly, and he hurriedly called, "Consul, please calm your anger!"

He knew Lei En's strength well—he always kept his word—and regretted having tried to toy with his mind, quickly raising his voice, "A Demon's corpse can be used; there's definitely no problem."

"What do you mean?" Lei En asked again.

"I've studied Black Soul Mushroom for centuries, and I've fully mastered every aspect of this herb," Yi Geng's face brimmed with confidence as he said truthfully, "The mushroom's growth requires two crucial conditions: first, a cold, damp environment; second, sufficient corpses as nutrients. There are other factors affecting vigor, but none as important as these two."

"A cold, damp environment sounds simple, but only a few swamps meet the criteria. I scoured the Old Continent; the deep‑mud swamp is ideal—its temperature, humidity, and yearly seasonal shifts are perfect for Black Soul Mushroom cultivation."

"The second condition is corpses."

"Each Black Soul Mushroom sprouts on a corpse, but not a fresh one; the body must rot and decompose, its nutrients merging into the soil before the mushroom can emerge."

"Black Soul Mushroom doesn't grow in mid‑air; it needs mycelium."

"Different corpses decompose at different rates, so the timing for planting mycelium varies. Many alchemists have experimented with artificial cultivation of Black Soul Mushroom; I'm sure someone discovered that it grows on corpses, but they failed because they didn't pinpoint the optimal sowing moment."

"The timing is extremely strict; even a day off won't work."

"For example, using a black spiny crocodile's corpse to cultivate Black Soul Mushroom—this beast is the most common magical beast in the deep‑mud swamp and provides the nutrient I use most. You must wait fourteen days after death to sow the mycelium for successful growth."

"Moreover, if the swamp's temperature shifts, it affects the planting window, requiring corresponding advances or delays."

"Blood-patterned scale python: nineteen days; Swamp Wanderer: twelve days; Mana Frog: seven days…"

Yi Geng recited the timings like a familiar tale, listing dozens of magical beast corpses without daring to hide another detail.

Lei En felt a hint of admiration.

Although the black dragon had been a bit of a profiteer, his expertise in Black Soul Mushroom cultivation truly made him a Master; no one in the world knows it better than he does.

"No need to continue," Lei En waved his hand, cutting Yi Geng off, "How many days does a Demon's corpse require?"

"Boss!"

Yi Geng saw Lei En's expression soften, breathed a sigh of relief, switched his address, then knelt to examine the Demon corpses on the ground. After identification, he cautiously replied, "Based on my experience, Hunt Spider Demon needs eighteen days, Kuasai Demon fifteen days, Frenzied Battle Savage Demon twenty‑five days, Six‑armed Snake Demon and Flame Demon Marshal about thirty days each, with a variance of no more than a day."

Lei En nodded, "Will Black Soul Mushroom grown on a Demon's corpse be affected, say, by demonic energy contamination?"

"It won't, rest assured, boss."

Yi Geng replied confidently, "I've tried a few vampires; they're also demons. After decomposition their bodies yield extremely rich nutrients, better than typical magical beast corpses. The Black Soul Mushrooms grown from them thrive, produce more fruit, and the elixir potency is outstanding."

Seeing a hint of surprise on Lei En's face, he proudly explained, "Boss, Black Soul Mushroom is a wondrous magical plant. When the timing is right, it can absorb any corpse's nutritional makeup—whether pure or tainted, whether arcane or elemental, shadow or death force—and transmute it into the purest life energy stored in its cap."

"Oh?" Lei En's interest was instantly piqued.

According to Yi Geng, this property of Black Soul Mushroom is indeed miraculous, essentially an energy converter with immense potential.

He thought for a moment and asked, "What about a divine corpse?"

"Divine!"

Yi Geng let out a startled cry, his face losing confidence, "I've never seen a corpse with divinity; I can't guarantee it can grow Black Soul Mushroom."

"Take this and try it."

Lei En retrieved a golden piece of flesh from his Nebula Ring—a divine corpse of a Sun-spotted Viper, most of which had already been refined into Sunlight Elixir, leaving only a small remainder.

Yi Geng felt the terrifying energy seething within the flesh, gaping in shock yet daring not refuse Lei En's request, fumbling to stow the divine flesh.

"Consider this material a gift from me; once you have results, tell me immediately," Lei En said.

Yi Geng nodded repeatedly, "Very well, sir."

Lei En mused that if Black Soul Mushroom can transmute divine energy, it likely could also convert divine power!

That research result is of no use right now.

But in the future, it could become a powerful trump card for him.

"Now we can discuss the terms of cooperation," Lei En returned to the main topic, having Yi Geng sit again, and said thoughtfully, "I have a batch of Demon corpses that can be used entirely to cultivate Black Soul Mushroom and forge Black Soul Elixir."

Yi Geng rubbed his hands excitedly.

He was about to speak when Lei En waved his hand to cut him off, his expression teasing, "Yi Geng, you've made quite a bit of money with me over the years, haven't you?"

In the past five or six years, all the Black Soul Elixirs Yi Geng refined were sold to Gra Morgan and Gotham City.

"Uh..."

The black dragon felt a bit uneasy, "I did earn a little."

Lei En knew the exact trade volume; that 'little' sum actually exceeded three million Gold Shields. The amount wasn't huge for him, and he'd never bothered to tally it before, but the upcoming deals would involve tens or even hundreds of millions of Gold Shields, so precision was necessary.

"Be honest," Lei En stared at the black dragon, asking calmly, "What is the cost of one Black Soul Elixir?"

"Boss, that's a trade secret..." Yi Geng stammered, clearly unwilling to say, yet fearing Lei En's anger.

Lei En didn't want a forced purchase or sale; he still needed Yi Geng's cooperation to achieve his goal, so he gently urged, "Think long‑term. This isn't a one‑off deal; it's a massive, long‑term partnership. The volume and value are enormous, capable of giving you tens, even a hundred times profit."

"So many?" Yi Geng's eyes lit up.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Lei En snorted coldly, revealing a bit of information, "I can now supply you with over two hundred thousand Demon corpses, and this is only the first batch. In the years to come, you can have as many Demon corpses as you want, more than you could ever use."

"Two hundred thousand Demon corpses!"

"There will be even more later…"

Yi Geng was shocked, staring blankly at Lei En; the only place that could provide so many Demon corpses is one place: the bottomless Abyss!

"Consul, has your legion entered the Abyss?" Hei Long immediately approached the truth.

"That's right."

Lei En admitted calmly; this cannot be hidden.

"Dragon God above!"

Yi Geng couldn't help but loudly invoke the prayer of the good dragon god Bahamut; the mortal legion of the Prime Material Plane attacked the Abyss, something that has never happened in Ai Lun E Si's history—only the Celestial Realm's legion could do it. Lei En has created another miracle!

Lei En reminded, "This matter is still a secret; don't spread it."

"I understand, I understand."

Yi Geng's head felt like being mashed with garlic, then his heart flared; he finally understood what Lei En's cooperation plan was about.

This is definitely an unprecedented super big deal!

He thought for a moment, gritted his teeth and said, "Boss, I'll be honest now; you must not get angry after hearing this."

"Speak, I'm listening." Lei En had already guessed some of it.

"The main ingredient of the Black Soul Elixir is the black soul mushroom; a single black soul mushroom sells for about one hundred Gold Shields, and each can be refined into two to three doses," Yi Geng said anxiously, watching Lei En's expression change, continuing, "Including a few auxiliary materials, the price is about twenty Gold Shields; on average, the cost of one dose of black soul mushroom is close to fifty Gold Shields."

Lei En's eyelid twitched, almost blurting out "shyster."

Over the years, Yi Geng has been selling his Black Soul Elixir at a nine‑tenths market price, i. e., one dose for one hundred eighty Gold Shields.

That's nearly four times profit, a true windfall!

But on second thought, Yi Geng almost monopolizes the market's available Black Soul Elixir; his solo output exceeds eighty percent.

Monopoly businesses have always been the most profitable; earning only four times profit is barely a baseline.

Lei En asked lightly, "Why don't you sell it for a higher price?"

"I want to too, boss," Yi Geng said helplessly, "The main buyers of the Black Soul Elixir are transients below the Legendary rank; raising the price would leave few able to afford it and would hurt sales."

"Hm."

Lei En sneered, realizing he had overestimated Hei Long's bottom line.

The Black Soul Elixir lasts three months, causing a rapid, massive increase in soul power; two hundred Gold Shields is not a small sum for an average transcendent, and it cannot be used continuously long‑term, so it's better to spend the money on weapons and gear, which more clearly boosts strength.

Yi Geng hunched his neck, uneasy inside, fearing Lei En would demand back the Gold Shields he earned in previous years.

"I'll let the previous deals go; I won't pursue them," Lei En said.

Hei Long was overjoyed, but before he could celebrate, he heard Lei En ask, "How much does it cost to grow your own black soul mushrooms?"

"If we exclude the effort of hunting monster corpses, sowing mycelium, and tending the mushrooms, and only count the rune arrays that control temperature and humidity, plus the material consumption for routine maintenance…" Yi Geng calculated quickly and answered, "Cultivating one black soul mushroom costs about five Gold Shields."

That's much less than imagined; Lei En frowned, "So the cost of one dose of Black Soul Elixir for you is actually ten Gold Shields?"

"More or less," Yi Geng replied honestly.

Lei En was speechless, realizing he'd been cut many times; a ten Gold Shield cost, and you sell it to me for one hundred eighty Gold Shields?

"Yi Geng, you're too good at business," he sarcastically praised.

Hei Long cried with a mournful face, defending, "Boss, you can't count it like that! I've spent countless years hunting monsters, finding the perfect swamp to plant, setting up rune arrays, researching the growth traits of black soul mushrooms, and I've also had to evade Brantania hunters, hiding east and west in the swamp, never daring to relax for a day. It's not easy…"

"Enough, enough." Lei En saw Yi Geng was just playing the victim and wouldn't buy it.

It's been several years, and the Brantania Knight Kingdom still hasn't captured Hei Long; clearly he knows how to evade pursuit. The risk exists, but it's not that exaggerated.

"I said I won't pursue the previous deals; that money is yours," Lei En was unmoved by Hei Long's lament, adding, "But the future cooperation plan must follow my arrangements."

"That's natural."

Yi Geng's spirit lifted; he pounded his chest and promised, "Whatever you say, boss, I will do; I will never have any other thoughts."

"Consider yourself perceptive," Lei En laughed, his smile making Hei Long uneasy, "I'll send a team to help you cultivate the black soul mushrooms; otherwise, with so many Demon corpses, you can't use them all yourself."

"If you don't want to be overworked, it's best to teach the technique of cultivating black soul mushrooms to my people."

Yi Geng grew anxious at this point.

"Rest assured, not a single copper piece belonging to you will be taken, and I won't push you aside," Lei En said calmly, "I provide Demon corpses, a more concealed and safe planting site, and manpower; you only need to lead the entire black soul mushroom cultivation industry. Your remuneration depends on the output of the Black Soul Elixir, which can be seen as performance."

"The higher the output of the Black Soul Elixir, the better the performance, and the more remuneration you can obtain."

Yi Geng understood and hesitated, "Boss, how exactly is it calculated?"

"For each dose of Black Soul Elixir produced, you receive one Gold Shield," Lei En extended a finger, coaxing like a shyster, and smiled, "Calculate it yourself; with what I provide, you not only save effort, but work becomes easier, and you can earn how much each year?"

Yi Geng, originally reluctant, brightened his eyes instantly after calculating.

He wanted to agree immediately, but considering the market price of the Black Soul Elixir, his earnings compared to Lei En's would be too small.

Lei En saw his thought, "Most of these Black Soul Elixirs won't be sold; I'll keep them for myself."

"That much?"

Yi Geng was shocked; millions of doses per year—how could he use them all?

"I still find it insufficient," Lei En chuckled, but gave no further explanation; his plan will shock the whole world in the future!

(End of Chapter)