"What kind of treasures are these two statues? If I want to buy them, what's the price?"
Yi Tianxing didn't hesitate. He directly asked.
There was no need to hide anything from the gnomes, not even from a gnome alchemist. Their business acumen was simply too sharp, a talent etched into their very bones. He knew that if he wanted these treasures, the price wouldn't be low.
Rather than wasting time haggling, it was better to go straight to the point and make a deal.
"These two statues were obtained from the black market. According to what I know, they seem to possess the ability to gather the world's spiritual energy, and may even give birth to a spiritual vein. However, the chances of that happening are low, and the time required is uncertain. That said, just placing them somewhere gives the effect of a natural Spirit Gathering Array. They're treasures of heaven and earth. Good stuff, not cheap," Anima explained.
As soon as the bargaining began, Anima's demeanor instantly changed, resembling his brother Alama—both were absolute money grubbers. He wore an obsessed look and said, "One million. One million Eternal Coins per statue. Natural Spirit Gathering Arrays are extremely rare. Not to mention the potential to produce spiritual veins."
"One million?"
Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed. He recalled that when he bought the Serpent Spirit Statue from Jin Xiangyu in the Golden Sand Desert, it cost two million. Clearly, prices varied depending on the region and the person selling.
But he didn't agree right away.
"Five hundred thousand. You said it yourself—there's no guarantee that a spiritual vein will form. If it doesn't, then its value is quite limited. I'll give you one million Eternal Coins for both statues."
"No way! That's too cheap. I can't accept that. At the very least, nine hundred thousand," Anima said, shaking his head repeatedly.
Yi Tianxing pressed the price, and after a short exchange, it stabilized at seven hundred thousand per statue.
He didn't mind. Eternal Coins, to him, were a renewable resource. If he could get something valuable, it was worth it.
"Fine. One million four hundred thousand Eternal Coins for the two statues," Yi Tianxing said decisively.
With a wave of his hand, a golden mountain of Eternal Coins appeared in the treasure vault.
Anima's eyes turned gold as he stared at the coins, visibly thrilled.
"Well done! Truly a noble of the Great Yi—so generous. One point four million it is." Anima quickly tossed the two statues to Yi Tianxing. He had no interest in them. Being treasures of heaven and earth, they couldn't be broken down through alchemy. The chance of birthing a spiritual vein was too slim—less than ten percent, according to estimates.
Yi Tianxing's heart thumped as he took the statues.
"They're of the same type. The same kind of treasure... Good. Once I bring these back, I'll have four statues in total. If a spiritual vein is formed, then I'll have four innate spiritual veins. The spiritual energy in Xuanhuang City will skyrocket."
He knew something others didn't. A single statue had less than a ten percent chance of producing a spiritual vein. But with every additional statue, that probability increased dramatically—even doubled.
So:
One statue = 10% chance
Two statues = 20%
Three = 30%
Four = 40%
And if one of them succeeded, it would greatly enhance the others. Eventually, all statues would form spiritual veins—100% probability, it was only a matter of time.
If others knew this secret, they'd go mad collecting them.
"Twelve zodiac statues... If these represent the Chinese Zodiac, then there are still eight left. I wonder whether there's only one set of these statues in the Eternal Continent—or are there multiple sets?"
He guessed there must be more than one. Otherwise, collecting so many statues from small regions wouldn't be possible.
"This many Eternal Coins... Perfect. Absolutely perfect. This is the ideal currency! Those crystal coins? They're trash. No comparison at all." Anima dove into the pile of coins like a greedy child, utterly delighted.
"What else are you interested in? Pick whatever you want from these treasures!" Anima offered eagerly.
"What about these Village Creation Orders?" Yi Tianxing asked, pointing to a nearby pile.
"Oh, those? Well... Black Iron level goes for 50,000 Eternal Coins, Bronze is 100,000, Silver is 150,000, and Gold is 250,000. I don't have any Platinum ones. If you want, I'll sell the lot."
Anima didn't care much for Village Orders. Building a village and developing it was no easy feat. Many failed and were destroyed daily across the Eternal Continent. These treasures were among the most common.
He bought them at low prices and sold them high—huge profit with no downside.
"Fine. I'll take all of them."
Yi Tianxing didn't hesitate. Whether Black Iron or Silver or Gold—he wanted them all.
These were priceless to him and the Great Yi Dynasty.
Ordinary cities couldn't suppress the wild lands, but a city created with a Village Order—an Immortal City—could. Only such cities could be part of the Mountains and Rivers State Map, suppressing the earth's qi and condensing earth veins.
He would never have too many.
"Good! They're all yours, just hand over the coins!" Anima laughed so hard his mouth nearly split.
After tallying everything, the Village Orders alone cost several million Eternal Coins.
Again, a golden pile of coins appeared in the vault.
Just then, Yi Tianxing's eyes landed on a weapon—a double-headed battle axe.
It wasn't single-bladed, but rather a symmetrical dual-edge axe, exuding overwhelming dominance. The axe heads were crescent-shaped, joined to form a perfect circle. One side was black, the other white—a representation of two opposing forces perfectly merged.
They radiated Yin and Yang.
The axe handle shimmered with a chaotic stone-like glow, and the whole weapon emitted a violent aura, capable of destroying everything.
Yi Tianxing felt drawn to it instantly—his instincts screamed affection.
"This axe is a treasure of heaven and earth. It fell nearby during the Celestial Phenomena and was recovered by our gnome scouts. But it's no ordinary weapon. It took dozens of our kin just to carry it back—it's that heavy."
"Even now, it's only a Yellow-grade divine weapon, yet it weighs over ten thousand jin. As it levels up, the weight might increase. Most people can't even lift it. Trying to refine it would result in burns or frostbite. It's extremely sharp," Anima explained.
The axe had a mind of its own. Without its approval, it wouldn't recognize any master.
"How much?" Yi Tianxing asked without hesitation.
"Two million Eternal Coins. If you can make it recognize you, its power will be incredible."
"Deal." Yi Tianxing didn't bargain. He immediately took out two million Eternal Coins, walked up to the axe, and reached out.
Clang!
The moment he touched it, the axe trembled. Two forces surged into his body—one blazing hot, the other bone-chilling cold.
They entered him like a storm, attempting to explode—
But from within his Yin-Yang Life Aperture, a powerful devouring force erupted, absorbing both energies effortlessly.
"As expected—Yin-Yang power. Too bad, it's just nourishment for my innate Yin-Yang Life Aperture."
The axe's energies had only been testing him. Once they realized Yi Tianxing wasn't fazed, the resistance faded.
That test was simple: if one could grasp the axe without letting go, they were qualified to wield it.
And Yi Tianxing held firm.
"It... yearns for battle. For blood. For slaughter."
Yi Tianxing felt it clearly—the axe was alive, born for war. It longed for a powerful master to take it into combat.