Chapter 94: Millennium Ambergris
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Sea beasts living in the Southern Abyss may not look extraordinary at first glance, but every part of their body is valuable.
From tail fins, scales, and bones to tentacles, all can be used for crafting artifacts. Some sea beasts even produce precious demonic cores worth a fortune, drawing countless cultivators to search for treasure.
Yu Zhao, possessing a Water Spiritual Root, was inherently unsuited for alchemy or artifact crafting. Even creating her life-bound magical weapon required her to borrow a pill-refining room from the Green Wood Sect.
Thus, she held little interest in the materials displayed on the wall of the Merfolk Pavilion. Nevertheless, she picked a few popular alchemy materials—courtesy demanded she not visit Mu Ye empty-handed.
The female cultivator of the Merfolk Pavilion, expecting to make a significant sale on the third floor, felt a tinge of disappointment. Yet, she dared not show it, maintaining her bright smile.
“Fairy, if the goods on the third floor don’t meet your expectations, why not visit the fourth floor? There, we sell rare treasures from the Southern Abyss, such as Millennium Ambergris, Deep Sea Azure Crystals, and Southern Abyss Shell Pearls.”
Millennium Ambergris?
Yu Zhao raised her eyebrows in interest. Recently, she had felt her supply of incense materials was running low.
“Let’s go to the fourth floor.”
Delighted, the female cultivator led Yu Zhao and Little Red upstairs.
If one had to describe the fourth floor of the Merfolk Pavilion in a single word, it would be: luxurious.
The luminous pearls that served as mere decoration on the first floor now filled the fourth, accentuating the rare treasures displayed in glass cabinets. The supporting columns were made of highly transparent undersea crystals, refracting brilliant hues under the sunlight.
Even the carpet beneath their feet was crafted from the fur of some unknown sea beast. Soft and thick, each step felt as though treading on clouds.
Little Red, upon entering, couldn’t bring herself to blink, fearing she might miss a single breathtaking sight.
The female cultivator, noting their reactions, smiled knowingly and began introducing the treasures on display. Although Yu Zhao was solely interested in the Millennium Ambergris, she listened attentively. After all, traveling and gaining knowledge went hand in hand.
Soon, they reached the glass cabinet containing the Millennium Ambergris.
This extraordinary fragrance, known in the cultivation world, was amber-hued and released a sweet, calming scent when burned. It could soothe the mind, stabilize one’s focus, and promote circulation.
The piece before Yu Zhao was rare and exquisite, its golden exterior radiating a rich hue. It was as large as a human head—a truly remarkable treasure among Ambergris.
“May I test the fragrance of this ambergris?” Yu Zhao inquired.
The female cultivator’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “Of course!”
In business, allowing customers to test the product was never a fear; the concern lay in their lack of interest.
With a potential buyer showing curiosity, the female cultivator was overjoyed. She eagerly fetched a silver spoon and a silver plate. Gently, she scraped a fine layer of powder from the ambergris and placed it on the plate.
Holding it over a lit candle, the powder soon emitted a unique aroma that filled every corner of the fourth floor.
“Hmm? What’s that scent?”
“It’s fragrant but not overwhelming, pure without being cloying. Could it be Ambergris?”
“Let’s check it out!”
Guests scattered across the fourth floor, drawn by the aroma, began converging on the scene.
Seeing Yu Zhao and her companions testing the fragrance, some looked on in realization, while others remained curious, captivated by the mesmerizing scent.
The powder extracted from the Millennium Ambergris was less than the size of a fingernail, yet its scent remained incredibly potent and domineering even after burning completely.
Even when the powder had turned to ash, the unique fragrance of the Millennium Ambergris lingered in the air, as though it had seeped into one’s very bones.
Before Yu Zhao could say a word, a guest eagerly inquired, “What’s the price of this piece of Millennium Ambergris?”
Standing beside the man was a female cultivator assigned to assist him. She replied with calm professionalism, “Immortal Master, this piece of Millennium Ambergris comes from the depths of the Southern Abyss, making it exceptionally rare. The price is five hundred superior-grade spirit stones.”
Hearing this, the guest looked as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over him; the excitement in his eyes faded instantly.
Although Millennium Ambergris was precious, its appeal was limited. Other than a small circle of incense enthusiasts, few would spend such a fortune on a fragrance.
Yu Zhao wasn’t an incense enthusiast, but the Millennium Ambergris was immensely useful for her Illusion Technique. Without much hesitation, she instructed the female cultivator to set the piece aside for her to collect when she left.
The female cultivator had a premonition of this outcome when Yu Zhao asked to test the incense. However, when Yu Zhao indeed decided to purchase it, the cultivator felt an overwhelming wave of joy, as though struck by a delightful surprise.
The commission from five hundred superior-grade spirit stones would be enough to ensure her financial security for the rest of her life.
Other female cultivators in the Merfolk Pavilion looked on with envy, silently cursing their luck for not serving such a generous customer.
The female cultivator stood frozen in shock for a while before snapping out of it and apologizing to Yu Zhao in a fluster.
Yu Zhao dismissed the apology with indifference, and the cultivator quickly removed the Millennium Ambergris from the glass display and stored it separately.
While this transaction left the cultivator ecstatic, it deeply unsettled Little Red, Yu Zhao’s guide.
To Little Red, five hundred superior-grade spirit stones was an amount beyond her wildest dreams. Yet her senior spent it without a second thought.
Her feelings were a tangle of admiration and an unshakable sense of inferiority.
Distracted and out of sorts, Little Red only realized they had reached the entrance to the fourth floor after Yu Zhao had finished browsing the entire level. Because of her wandering thoughts, she had missed much of what transpired.
Biting her lip, regret surged within her like a tidal wave.
Neither Yu Zhao nor the female cultivator seemed to notice Little Red’s lapse in attention. The cultivator was busy describing the fifth floor to Yu Zhao. “Fairy, to be candid, the fifth floor of the Merfolk Pavilion contains only one treasure. Its price is steep, and whether you purchase it or not, anyone entering must pay a fee of ten superior-grade spirit stones.”
After finishing, the cultivator appeared uneasy, speaking slowly, as though worried about offending Yu Zhao.
“What is being sold on the fifth floor?” Yu Zhao asked curiously.
The cultivator shook her head. “Fairy, even we are unaware.”
Yu Zhao’s eyes sparkled with intrigue.
A treasure in the Merfolk Pavilion so secretive that even its staff were kept in the dark?
Her interest piqued, Yu Zhao decided to venture to the fifth floor.
Turning to Little Red, she said, “You’ll come with me.”
Little Red shook her head frantically. “Senior, I won’t go. I’ll wait for you here.”
Paying ten superior-grade spirit stones just to take a look was too terrifying a prospect for her; she didn’t feel worthy.
The female cultivator informed Yu Zhao that only one person could ascend to the fifth floor at a time.
Abandoning her attempt to persuade Little Red, Yu Zhao paid the ten superior-grade spirit stones and proceeded alone.
At the top of the staircase was a tightly sealed door. Yu Zhao pushed it lightly, and the door opened on its own, revealing a dimly lit, narrow corridor.
With a faint smile, Yu Zhao stepped confidently into the passageway.