Chapter 301 - 2: Selling the Star Technique

Chapter 301: Chapter 2: Selling the Star Technique

"Ha, here we go," he couldn’t help but murmur.

"A Cultivation Manual that can turn someone into an Extraordinary Being?"

Guo Liangcai’s eyes widened as he stared at Li Hua in surprise. He hadn’t expected someone to dare expose something like this so openly.

However, when he saw that none of the lords present looked surprised and were instead all waiting for his answer, he understood. It wasn’t that Li Hua was being audacious; the secret was already out.

"Hmm..." After a moment of contemplation, he spoke cautiously, "That actually depends on the specific effects of the Cultivation Manual. It requires a detailed analysis."

"While Extraordinary Beings seem incredibly powerful to us common folk..."

"...but across the entire Cosmos, there is no shortage of Extraordinary Beings!"

"Some planets even have unique environments that allow all life on them to become Extraordinary Beings."

"But what’s the use of that? An Extraordinary Being has merely surpassed mortals. With the aid of technology, our Human Race has nothing to fear!"

"In my opinion, the most alluring aspect of an Extraordinary Being is that they are the closest existence to a god in the entire Cosmos."

"You’ve all heard of ’gods,’ right? Gods do exist on certain planets in the Cosmos."

"I hear that among your cohort, there is a Holy Son of the Goddess of Wisdom and War, correct?"

"The great Goddess of Wisdom and War was an early participant from our empire. She became a god during the grand tournament and contributed greatly to the empire’s growth."

"Her territory at the time was an Extraordinary Territory, which is why rumors started that having an Extraordinary Territory was the key to achieving godhood."

"But, I’m here to tell you, that is WRONG!!!"

"The Goddess’s territory became an Extraordinary Territory because of the person she was. She did not become a Goddess because she had an Extraordinary Territory. You must distinguish the primary from the secondary; do not reverse cause and effect."

"Over the years, her experiences have been repeatedly studied by numerous scholars in the empire. They ultimately concluded that regardless of whether the Goddess’s territory had become an Extraordinary Territory, she would have become a god in the end."

"Developing her territory into an Extraordinary Territory was simply because the Goddess could not bear to let her followers fall too far behind her own progress."

"Furthermore, through our communications with various other races in the Cosmos, we have learned of other paths to godhood. Extraordinary Beings are not the only ones who can become gods."

"According to a reliable source, a titan within the empire has already used technology to transcend their limits and achieve godhood!!!"

Everyone was stunned by this news. After a brief silence, a tremendous uproar erupted in the activity room.

"Is this the kind of information you can just tell us?" someone couldn’t help but ask. Many were afraid they might be silenced or detained here for knowing such a secret.

"This information will be announced publicly very soon, so telling you now is fine. Don’t worry."

Then, Guo Liangcai looked at Li Hua with a serious expression. "Now, let me return to your question."

"A Cultivation Manual that enables people to cultivate and become Extraordinary only fulfills one of the conditions for building an Extraordinary Territory."

"You still have to figure out how to improve the aptitude of your residents until all of them are able to cultivate."

"You also have to manage your territory’s energy production to ensure it’s sufficient to meet the cultivation needs of every single resident."

"You’ll need sufficient Extraordinary resources to supply their cultivation."

"You’ll need enough Extraordinary Artisans to provide your territory with Extraordinary equipment."

"You’ll need..."

Guo Liangcai rattled on and on, and with every word, the hearts of the lords present—especially the wealthy scions who had been ready to buy the manual—grew colder and colder.

Even Li Hua’s confidence was shaken by Guo Liangcai’s speech. He couldn’t help but suspect he had gotten ahead of himself, neglecting his territory’s development during the second phase.

Guo Liangcai concluded, "Of course, having a Cultivation Manual is still a good thing. It means your territory has set foot on the path to becoming an Extraordinary Territory. You’ve gotten your foot in the door, but whether you can actually succeed is up to you."

"Lord Guo, what if I wanted to sell this Cultivation Manual to the Cuiwei Corps?"

"You want to sell it? Can you really bear to part with it?"

"I can!!"

"Good, good, good! You have to give something to gain something!" Guo Liangcai nodded in approval. "The price of a Cultivation Manual isn’t fixed. If you want to sell it to the Corps, you’ll have to hand it over first. The Corps will have a professional Appraiser examine it and then make an offer."

"Then... may I ask when the Appraiser will arrive?" As he spoke, Li Hua pulled a jade slip from within his clothes.

"Heh!" (•‾̑⌣‾̑•)✧˖°

Guo Liangcai smiled. "Well, what a coincidence. I happen to be that Appraiser."

He took the jade slip from Li Hua’s hand and examined it. ’A jade slip? Looks like it’s a cultivation-style manual. I wonder what grade it is.’ Then, with a practiced motion, he extended his consciousness into it.

A few minutes later, Guo Liangcai returned to his senses. He held out his hand, and a blade of light materialized, its pulsating form emitting a dazzling glow.

"Mm, not bad. Decent power," he commented.

"The manual’s potential isn’t bad, but the aptitude requirements are a bit high. It’s difficult to get started with, and even harder to master."

"Sword Cultivators are a powerful, offense-oriented type of Extraordinary Being. The problem is, it would be difficult to develop an entire Extraordinary Civilization around them. Sword Cultivators excel at combat, not at creation or development."

"If you want to sell it, I can give you one Million Points! Deal?"

"Deal!" Li Hua’s eyes lit up. He had only earned around two hundred thousand points during the second phase. He never expected the manual to sell for this much. ’If I’d known,’ he thought, ’I would’ve skipped the questions and just sold it outright.’