Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 404: Chrono Croc Essence Blood

Luck was ethereal, yet in a sense it couldn’t be more real. Oftentimes, things don’t turn out a certain way just because you strive for them; oftentimes, you randomly stumble upon ridiculous fortune. Some call it divine grace, some call it random chance, and some call it... luck. Either way, as far as this plane was concerned, luck was a very important variable.

Tang San didn't understand why his fortune was so great, so great that it seemed he might regain his status as a God King and win back his wife just by mere virtue of his existence. But this greatly relieved him. It would be really odd if someone with that level of fortune were to be randomly killed by the Crystal Demon Emperor.

However, he couldn't figure out where this incredible luck came from. Was it from the Hell Garden? The Polar Domain? Or his divine consciousness? The last possibility was the least likely because his divine consciousness didn't belong to this plane; it would be rejected, not accepted. In any case, he could not complain; having such great luck was always a good thing.

Tang San's perception of his own luck also boosted his confidence in this journey. It seemed the gains from this Ancestral Court trip were not yet over.

***

The Crystal Palace.

In the magnificent palace entirely carved from crystal, filled with a dreamy aura, the Crystal Demon Emperor Tang San had seen before was sitting cross-legged.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and gazed forward.

The entire palace's light seemed to tremble slightly, then dimmed somewhat.

"Gone? So quickly? I see, so luck really can be replicated. Really blessed by fortune, huh."

***

A night of cultivation quickly passed.

After Tang San and his companions had breakfast, the others went to their chosen palaces to continue climbing. Tang San, however, received a message from Xu Ziran, who wanted to meet him.

The moment he left the White Tiger Grand Hotel, a carriage was already waiting. He headed straight to the Aetherhorn Merchant Association.

When Asura saw Xu Ziran again, the latter looked visibly tired, as if he had not rested well the night before or perhaps had not rested at all.

"Brother Xu, good morning!" Asura greeted him.

"Brother Asura, did you contact the array master after you went back yesterday?" Xu Ziran asked in a low voice.

Asura nodded. "He contacted me last night. Ordinary array discs shouldn't be a problem. As for the bloodline array disc, Master Lou is unwilling to put it up for auction."

"Ah?" Xu Ziran exclaimed. "We finally decided to allocate some precious blood to the master!"

Asura sighed. "The master said that the bloodline array disc is too shocking for this world. Its appearance would easily cause trouble, and for the time being, his research still has a high failure rate."

Xu Ziran quickly said, "Master Lou doesn't need to worry about the trouble; the association will handle it and keep his identity strictly confidential. Brother Asura, please contact the master. The Skyway Merchant Association will likely have many heavy-hitting auction items this time. If we can't bring something that will shock everyone, they might take a large share of the Ancestral Court's market. Please, we need Master Lou’s support!"

Asura smiled bitterly. "The master has his difficulties, too. First, he can't guarantee successful refinement. Also, the material consumption for refining a bloodline array disc is immense. Even if you're willing to bear the cost, the master is reluctant to owe you a favor.

"Most importantly, the bloodline array disc is just too shocking. The array master believes that if he introduces such an item in the future, it must be made using a top-tier bloodline in order to fully showcase his research. The value of first-tier blood essence is extremely high, and I doubt you can provide it. So, while the array master is willing to help, it's probably very challenging with these many difficulties..."

Hearing Asura's logical analysis, Xu Ziran fell silent.

He had to admit that Asura's words were true. The bloodline array disc was a truly major matter. If it was just a low-tier bloodline array disc, it would stir up some waves, but it would have little practical value, so how high a price could it fetch? On the other hand, the value of first-tier blood essence was indeed extremely high.

Asura continued, "The master said he could provide ten Spirit Summoning Arrays, five Spirit Fusion Arrays, and at most two Transmission Arrays. This shows the master's sincerity. You can calculate the prices, and when the master hands over the array discs to me, I'll deliver them to you."

Xu Ziran gritted his teeth. "How about second-tier bloodlines? Can you ask the master? First-tier blood essence is indeed very difficult to obtain, especially since you can’t guarantee success, and the association can't afford such a loss. What about second-tier bloodlines? Is that possible?"

Asura frowned slightly. "The master specified first-tier bloodlines, and he usually doesn't change his mind easily. But I did hear him mention that he's particularly interested in researching array discs related to time and space. If he can create such a bloodline array disc, it would greatly improve his success rate in creating other bloodline array discs. If you have bloodlines related to this, I can try to talk to the master for you."

"Time and space? Chrono Croc? Peacock Demon... No, Peacock Demon blood is impossible to get, even for us. As for the Chrono Croc.., Hmm..." Xu Ziran frowned deeply.

"Don't have it either? Maybe we should forget about it," Asura said.

Xu Ziran suddenly looked up at him. "Brother Asura, the Chrono Croc clan has very few members, and they are the only ones who can control time. Their blood essence is also extremely valuable, almost as much as first-tier bloodlines. The association does have a bit of it. If the array master can guarantee that he will make at least one array disc, I can try to apply for it."

Asura smiled. "That might be difficult to guarantee. However, the more blood essence provided, the higher the success rate. I heard the array master say his current success rate for making bloodline array discs is about ten percent, so if there is enough blood for ten attempts, there’s a good chance he will be able to do it. Actually, the higher the quality of the blood essence, the higher the success rate.

"Also, the power of the array disc's abilities also corresponds to the power of that blood essence. That's why he needs high-power blood essence. For example, an array disc made from the blood of a ninth-order demon would be ninth-order. The master hasn't yet tested god-level blood essence because, well... it’s pretty much impossible to get. I suggest you get some eighth- or ninth-order blood essence, as the master will have more confidence. If there's god-level blood essence, that's even better, but the master's success rate might not be very high."

Asura didn't directly request god-level blood essence because he knew its immense value. Deception—no, cooperation—needed to be gradual. Moreover, he hadn't yet reached the tenth order himself. Creating a god-level array disc would require using up his hard-earned divine consciousness, which would be a significant loss even if he succeeded.

Xu Ziran was silent momentarily and then said, "Brother Asura, wait here. I'll go discuss this with the manager."

He turned and left without waiting for a response.

Tang San wasn't in the least bit anxious. Since the other party had already expressed their determination to obtain a bloodline array disc, they would have no choice but to compromise.

He hadn't expected that his visit to the Ancestral Court would yield such benefits from the Aetherhorn Merchant Association. Initially, he had hoped just to resolve his identity issue through the association. Now, it seemed that deep collaboration was possible in the future. By giving the other party appropriate benefits, having such a significant merchant association as a partner could make many things more efficient. Most importantly, he could obtain what he wanted while remaining hidden and undiscovered.