C913 The Difference Between Heaven and Earth
Yu Yuan gazed at Beru of the Starborn with evident delight, surrounded by a radiant starlight as he descended upon Fiendpeak.
"Little brother, I've already gathered all the ingredients you mentioned last time," Beru said cheerfully, a smile gracing his face. "When will you start concocting the medicine for me? I've prepared three sets of ingredients, allowing for two failures. Are you confident?"
Yu Yuan had made a promise to him during his visit to Moonfall Sanctuary: as long as the materials were sufficient, he would craft a Longevity Pill for Beru.
However, some of the ingredients were exceedingly rare in the Everlands, so Beru had been waiting for members of other races to bring them to the grand trade fair.
Now, with all the necessary materials for the pill in his possession, Beru was eager for Yu Yuan to begin the alchemy process.
"Concocting medicine..." Yu Yuan's mouth quirked into an odd smile.
Among the mountains of the Terror Claws, many Bane lurked in the shadows, all serving as his eyes.
Yu Yuan had been discreetly monitoring Beru's dealings with the Astral Creeper trade outside and had even used the Bane to eavesdrop on their conversations.
At this point, Yu Yuan's curiosity was piqued.
"I'll start crafting your pill once the trading event concludes," Yu Yuan said, stroking his chin and clearing his throat. "Old Senior, I'm quite curious—what's the value of a single Astral Creeper vine in your community?"
Beru's face lit up with a smile. "I'll be transparent with you. Astral Creeper is abundant in many places among the Starborn. A single vine of Astral Creeper is worth roughly eight thousand soulstones."
"Eight thousand?" Yu Yuan exclaimed in astonishment.
"It's difficult to cultivate Astral Creeper in your Everlands, but it's commonplace for us Starborn," Beru explained candidly. "As a Starfallen Oracle, my bloodline and power can maintain the vitality of the Astral Creeper at any time, anywhere."
"Eight thousand for a vine, and you're asking fifty thousand from others?" Yu Yuan remarked with dismay. "Elder, you seemed so sincere before. How have you become so avaricious and deceitful so quickly?"
At the summit, Shi Yuxuan, Qin Yun, Qi Yunhong, and the rest were utterly astounded.
To their astonishment, it wasn't that Beru had sold a vine of Astral Creeper to Pei Tianji for fifty thousand soulstones; rather, they were taken aback to learn that the Astral Creeper was not considered a rare treasure deep within the Star River of the extraterrestrial realms.
Zhongli Dapan and Xie Bin, who had wandered beyond the stars, remained unfazed by this revelation. It seemed they were well aware that many items deemed invaluable in the Everlands were commonplace elsewhere.
"No wonder so many people venture into the extraterrestrial realms as soon as they ascend to the Solar Spirit Realm!" Qi Yunhong thought to himself, his resolve hardening. He decided that once he achieved another breakthrough, he too would journey to the Star River to broaden his horizons.
"That Pei Tianji, he saw a vine of Astral Creeper on Celestial Isle priced at five hundred thousand," Beru said, a touch of embarrassment in his chuckle. "My friend, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since the Astral Creeper commands such a price here, I see no harm in making a profit, right?"
"Cough, cough, and what about the Black Thorn?" Yu Yuan inquired further.
"Black Thorn! That's an exceedingly rare magic item used in potions! At the Skyreach Consortium, a single Black Thorn goes for about fifteen thousand soulstones," Shi Yuxuan interjected eagerly.
Luo Yue, the former leader of the Poison Cult, added, "Back in the day, I acquired ten Black Thorn for twenty thousand soulstones each from the Consortium. Indeed, the cost of Black Thorn was frighteningly high."
Beru's expression turned peculiar upon hearing their comments. "I'm not sure if I should mention this," he hesitated.
He glanced over at the gathering spot of the Nightscale Tribe members.
There, numerous members of the Nightscale Tribe carried tall banners inscribed with human language, prominently featuring the Black Thorn.
Many from the Nightscale Tribe were vigorously promoting the Black Thorn to all passersby.
"Go ahead, tell us," Yu Yuan urged, a sense of foreboding creeping over him.
"In the Domain of the Nightscale Tribe, Black Thorn is as common as the trees in these mountains," Beru confessed, somewhat sheepishly. "The tribe members didn't even bother harvesting it until recently. After arriving in the Everlands and discovering the high value of Black Thorn here, they rushed back to gather it in earnest."
Upon hearing those words, everyone atop Fiendpeak fell silent.
They had never imagined that Black Thorn would be so undervalued in the Nightscale Tribe's Domain that its members wouldn't even bother to harvest it.
Yet, in the Everlands, what was commonplace in the Nightscale Tribe's Domain suddenly became a coveted rarity!
"President Lyi, you truly are a visionary. My hat's off to you," Yu Yuan expressed his admiration.
He hadn't anticipated that the magic item, which local cultivators coveted, would be so abundant and trivial in the Otherkin Domain, barely worth a single soulstone.
This revelation had a profound impact on him.
"Shocked, aren't you? Well, there's no need to be, because we're just as surprised," Beru said, taking a deep breath. "I've heard that you have Phaseblossom in the Everlands? In your realm, such a magic item is exceedingly rare, and you'd be lucky to have even ten thousand soulstones. Mr. Zhongli, is that correct?"
Zhongli Dapan gave a nod of confirmation.
The Phaseblossom, when combined with the "Ancient Echoes of the Void," has many wondrous applications. Shen Feiqing had sought it out at the Mid-lake Island in the Forgotten Ruins.
Shen Feiqing was privy to the secrets of the Phaseblossom, knowledge imparted by her master.
"In the Star River, a single Phaseblossom is valued at a million soulstones!" Beru exclaimed.
Zhongli Dapan affirmed, "Indeed, that's the case."
"Ah!"
The revelation caused a collective gasp among those gathered at the summit.
They exchanged bewildered glances, unable to fathom why the price of Phaseblossom was a hundredfold higher in the remote reaches of the extraterrestrial Star River than here!
"There are many more curiosities like the Phaseblossom in the Central World of the Everlands that might seem unremarkable. Yet, once taken to the Star River beyond, they become treasures that intelligent life would wage wars over," Beru lamented with a sigh. "This is precisely why, for millions of years, innumerable Sky Fiends and Otherkin powerhouses have been so desperate to gain access to the Central World."
"Everyone believes that the Everlands are filled with treasures, each capable of astonishing the world if brought forth."
"Yet, after your human race rose to dominance and grew increasingly powerful, you established numerous defenses to bar outsiders from entering the Everlands."
"The three upper sects, the Devil Palace, and Shadow's Keep are all well aware of the valuable items within the Everlands."
"Their impressive foundations are built on secretly acquiring the Everlands' unique treasures and taking them beyond the Star River, amassing wealth beyond your wildest dreams!"
The Starborn elder disclosed a harsh reality to all present.
The five greatest powers had long since acknowledged this truth!
"Their actions are even more reprehensible. They conquer our starry domains, forcibly seizing all the magic items they desire, and hoard them back to the Everlands," Beru said, his eyes brimming with icy disdain. "And yet, they refuse to part with anything from the Everlands that isn't exceedingly rare, fearing it might bolster our strength."
"This is precisely why President Lyi has engaged in extraterrestrial trade, rallying cultivators from the Everlands to form the new Skyreach Consortium. The major clans welcomed President Lyi with open arms because we have dealings with each other, unlike the five supreme forces who plunder without ever offering to share!"
"At this trade fair, we will enlighten the local cultivators about the true state of affairs!"
