Chapter 3: Apocalypse Contract · Black Maple (Apocalypse Paradise · Contract): After signing this contract, the "World Scar" infection caused by your use of space-time power to promote the Black Maple Tree will be cauterized by the Apocalypse Paradise through "Azure Spirit Flame." You must pay 8% of subsequent Black Maple Tree yields.
Hint: After choosing this contract, the Black Maple Tree must be transplanted.
……
It could be seen that, as the only Black Maple Tree within the Void Tree and several major paradise factions, it held a high judgment at the notarization level. Su Xiao chose the "Reincarnation Contract · Black Maple."
The moment he made his choice, he felt the ground beneath his feet tremble. The massive machinery constructed by the Reincarnation Paradise had already been buried deep beneath the Black Maple Tree, with several thread-like linking structures connected to the tree's main root system.
With the notarization of the Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao took out all his space-time power and began using the Devouring Technique to absorb these 350,000 ounces of space-time power. The remaining 138,698.5 ounces—120,000 of which were for [Above Grandmaster]—were kept for the next world to activate the "Hunt List: Blood Pact."
The Black Maple Tree's growth rate reached an unprecedented peak, and this was not a forced boost like pulling up seedlings to help them grow; it was accelerated growth. This was evident from the changes in the time force field around the Black Maple Tree.
[Tip: Your Black Maple Tree has entered the harvestable stage.]
After this prompt appeared, an additional page was added to Su Xiao's Reincarnation Imprint data. Opening it revealed a miniature version of the Black Maple Tree, showing its current state and the number of branches that could be harvested without affecting its growth.
If he chose to "harvest" the Black Maple Tree's yield, the Reincarnation Paradise would assess the tree's current state and select insignificant branches for collection.
Moreover, after absorbing the space-time power for a moment, the Black Maple Tree's roots, which had been exposed outside the soil and wrapped around the "World Core (Fragment)," actually loosened their grip on these "World Core (Fragments)" and spread toward the Devouring Technique.
This was clearly because the Black Maple Tree felt that what it had been eating before was coarse husks, and today it had finally seen fine grain. It was a bit unaccustomed at first but now began feasting in earnest.
Among the known Black Maple Trees, if the one on Arcane Eternal Star was the wealthy family's young miss, and the one from the Second Era Law Destruction faction was a tough, rough fellow, then Su Xiao's was a glutton.
Over 300,000 ounces of space-time power were absorbed in just over five hours. In contrast, the Black Maple Tree, originally just over ten meters tall, had now reached over fifteen meters, with a trunk diameter of over a meter. At this stage, the tree's height growth would slow, but the trunk thickness and canopy diameter would grow proportionally.
The Black Maple Tree now had a different charm. Su Xiao chose to harvest its yield, and the next second, some non-critical branches began to detach, quickly forming a large pile. Five percent of the total was collected.
As one of the finest top-tier conductive materials known in the Star Realm, and, incredibly, an almost perfect energy storage carrier, with an even more exaggerated compatibility than the two, this was why it could be used to assist in awakening racial talents.
To put it simply, if a Void race's talent was "Special Power from the Heart," then when awakening this talent, specially processed Black Maple Tree yield would be transplanted into their heart, resolving the compatibility issue between the racial talent and their own physique.
In layman's terms, it solved the rejection of supernatural power. After resolving this rejection, the probability of safely completing the talent awakening was over ninety percent.
More importantly, due to the high-compatibility awakening of the racial talent, the talent ability would inevitably be very strong. This was the rare family genius seen under normal circumstances.
Intelligent races have emotions, and with emotions comes the hope that the next generation can both gain the power to protect themselves in the Void and the myriad worlds, while minimizing the risk of acquiring that power. Coupled with the Black Maple Tree's other two powerful characteristics, its price was extremely high.
What was worse was that the yield of this thing was simply too scarce. The one from Abyssal Dragon wasn't even enough for the Abyssal Dragon itself to consume, let alone Arcane Eternal Star—they couldn't even distribute enough within their own faction.
[You have obtained 5.1 standard units of Black Maple Tree yield.]
This was not the result of investing 350,000 ounces of space-time power to produce 5.1 standard units of Black Maple Tree yield. Over 300,000 ounces of space-time power were used for the Black Maple Tree's trunk growth and nutrient supply. The problem was that the trunk was not harvestable.
In other words, the yield ratio was that about 50,000 ounces of space-time power nourished the branches, producing roughly 5 standard units of "Black Maple Tree yield."
Observing the Black Maple Tree for a moment, there was nothing unusual. However, because it had grown so rapidly, the fluctuations emitted by the Black Maple Tree had changed somewhat. The good news was that these discordant fluctuations were calming down over time, and it was estimated to take half a month to a month to return to its former stability.
Checking the detailed data of the Black Maple Tree, Su Xiao saw that the optimal growth promotion cycle for the Black Maple Tree was once a month. Too frequent promotion could cause the trunk's interior to become hollow, ruining the tree and reducing its yield value by eighty to ninety percent.
Su Xiao took out a communicator and dialed. A few seconds later, the other party answered.
"Hello, Mr. White Night. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the General Manager of the Goblin Merchant Guild, Jingguwo."
The voice on the other end was not the stereotypical cunning and sly, but rather polite and courteous.
Hearing the name Jingguwo, Su Xiao recalled that in the previous world, the Goblin Merchant Guild's general manager who had cooperated with Scorpion Lady was the same Jingguwo who had been schemed against by Kaisa and even replaced for a time.
Su Xiao's communicator was originally used to contact a mid-to-low-level member of the Goblin Merchant Guild. Now it seemed that Jingguwo was still brooding over what happened in the previous world and had found out through intelligence channels that Su Xiao often cooperated with Kaisa.
"What a pity."
Su Xiao spoke. Hearing this, the General Manager Jingguwo on the other end chuckled and said:
"The Goblin Merchant Guild doesn't dwell on grudges, but personally, it's hard for me not to be biased. My private, insignificant, despicable personal opinion."
"…"
Su Xiao said nothing. Seeing this, the other side sighed: "Mr. White Night, how about you provide some information on Nicholas Kaisa? That would also be a transaction."
"Forget it. I'll go find the Giant Bank or the Gilueilius Family to cooperate with this batch of Black Maple Tree yield."
Almost the moment Su Xiao said this, a cracking sound of the communicator being gripped tightly came from the other end. A few seconds later, the attitude took a sharp turn:
"Mr. White Night, I personally believe that personal grudges should not be brought into transactions."
"But you just said…"
"That was my damned assistant, who has already been dismissed. Mr. White Night, how about we meet at the Great Gathering Place? I will show my sincerity. By the way, do you have any expected items for this transaction? I'll have someone prepare them."
"Primordial Core."
"You Technique Grandmasters indeed need this rare and expensive resource too much. Give me three minutes. Within half an hour, you will see me at the Great Gathering Place."
"…"
Su Xiao ended the communication. Molei, Hao Mei, and Yueshitu were already waiting at the Great Gathering Place. It would be best if these two transactions could be completed one after the other.
Bringing Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha, he left the room and arrived at the teleportation array at the end of Trade Street. When the spatial light on the teleportation platform faded, Su Xiao was already on the teleportation platform of the Great Gathering Place. This place was notarized by the Void Tree, and several major paradise factions, as well as some major Star Realm forces, could come here.
Arriving at the stall Beini had bought, he saw Molei, Yueshitu, and Hao Mei. The pink-haired Molei scratched her head, habitually wanting to provoke, indicating that even today, she still hadn't been beaten into submission. But remembering why she was here, she held back.
"Molei, you go."
Hao Mei spoke. She rarely wasn't drinking today.
"I'm a bit nervous. Yue Rabbit, you're soft and cute, and actually quite attractive. Want to try seducing him?"
"Huh?"
Yueshitu was dumbfounded. Wearing a milky-white bunny-ear pajama, she looked down at herself, completely unable to understand how her sloppy habit of going out in cute pajamas had anything to do with seduction.
"You two useless losers, watch me."
Molei stepped forward. Her mood was both excited and wistful. Although the shares of the "Underworld Bank" were very few, it was still one of the wealthiest major forces in the Star Realm.
Molei and the other two had sold everything they could but still couldn't scrape together the outrageous amount of resources. She composed herself and said:
"White Night, don't be too ridiculous. 100,000 ounces of space-time power—is that a quantity an individual can obtain? The three of us together only have 26 million Soul Coins and 2,200 ounces of space-time power. That's all our assets."
Saying this, Molei's gaze was as sincere as it could be. To gather the Soul Coins, she had even sold some of her equipment.
"Deal."
"Huh?"
While Molei was still dumbfounded, four Divine Souls were already traded over.
Receiving the "Enlightening Divine Soul," "Lunar Divine Soul," "Rain Divine Soul," and "Dark Divine Soul," Molei stood there stunned.
"So, you're trying to welch?"
"Ah? Oh."
Molei traded 26 million Soul Coins + 2,200 ounces of space-time power to Su Xiao.
[You have received a 26 million Soul Coin savings card.]
[You have received 2,200 ounces of space-time power.]
……
In Molei's sense of unreality, the transaction was completed. She habitually scratched her head. Just then, a fat, short figure suddenly rushed over from a distance, pounced in front of Su Xiao, hugged his leg, and wailed:
"Mr. White Night! When we were talking earlier, a major shareholder elder was also beside me. He said that if I mess up this Black Maple Tree transaction, I'll lose my current position and be transferred to the Black Abyss in the Void to guard the trade transfer station there. I still have my 600-year-old mother and my 200-year-old wife…"
Before the Goblin Merchant Guild General Manager Jingguwo could finish, Su Xiao stepped back twice because the other's snot was about to drip onto his shoe.
"…"
Su Xiao took out the 5.1 standard units of Black Maple Tree yield he had obtained. Seeing these Black Maple Tree yields, Jingguwo's eyes went straight.
"Mr. White Night, name your price."
Jingguwo didn't hide the eagerness in his eyes at all. In a transaction of this level, pretending the goods weren't very valuable was meaningless and would only leave a bad impression on the seller.
"100 'Primordial Cores,' 4,500 'Soul Crystals.'"
This was Su Xiao's asking price. Speaking of which, he had to thank Arcane Eternal Star. From the late Second Era, Arcane Eternal Star had been building hype in the Void for Black Maple Tree yields. This thing was indeed a rare treasure, but the price shouldn't have been this exaggerated.
However, through Arcane Eternal Star's hype and the operation of extremely low supply at high prices, Black Maple Tree yields had reached an outrageously high price.
More importantly, with these 5 units of Black Maple Tree yield, the Goblin Merchant Guild would end Arcane Eternal Star's monopoly on Black Maple Trees. For the Goblin Merchant Guild, they were willing to pay the high premium for this transaction.
In the Honor Shop, the price of "Primordial Core" was:
"Primordial Core: Price: 7,500 ounces of space-time power (discounted price)."
This was the discounted price in the Honor Shop. The true price of a "Primordial Core" was between 13,000 and 15,000 ounces of space-time power. The problem was that this resource was essential for advancing to Supreme Rank and enhancing core abilities at the Supreme Rank level. Other systems also used "Primordial Cores," but not as terrifyingly as Technique Types, Necromancy Systems, and Elemental Magic Systems (Mage Lords).
Therefore, the market price for this item was generally around 20,000 ounces of space-time power. In urgent cases, it could reach