Chapter 449 - 336: Transaction and Contract

「The next morning.」

Ian arrived before the Justice Clan’s Elder Council. The area before the main gate was deserted.

Two stone statues stood on either side of the portico. Pale purple Crystal Stones were embedded deep in their eye sockets, emitting faint fluctuations of Spiritual Power.

A Level Two Guard took a few steps forward and bowed slightly.

"Honored Guest Elder Marcus!"

"Go and inform Elder Darcy that Level Three Honored Guest Elder Ian Marcus has come to visit."

A second later, a low RUMBLE echoed from deep within the portico.

A heavy metal door slid open slowly, revealing a dark and deep corridor behind it.

Ian soon arrived before Darcy’s room. The door was already open.

Elder Darcy sat behind a wooden table in the center of the room, his grayish-white hair draped over his shoulders.

He was reading a Scroll. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his gaze falling on Ian with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Honored Guest Elder Marcus, what a rare visitor. Come in and have a seat."

Ian sat down on the chair in front of the table.

The chair was made of hardwood, with no cushions, making it somewhat uncomfortable to sit on.

Darcy set down the Scroll, his hands folded on the tabletop.

"You’ve come to see me so early. Is something the matter?"

Ian nodded and got straight to the point.

"Elder Darcy, I need knowledge regarding Otherworld Transmission."

As soon as he spoke, the air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.

Elder Darcy’s expression darkened slightly as he stared at Ian for a while.

"Otherworld Transmission... You’ve only just advanced to Level Three. It’s... too early for you to be getting involved in this."

He spoke slowly, his intention to refuse exceedingly clear.

Ian shook his head. "It’s not too early. I need to prepare in advance."

Darcy was silent for a moment before his tone became indifferent.

"Over the years, I have indeed collected some manuscripts on this subject."

"They record the experiences of Morning Star Wizards traveling through various worlds, including details on Phase Nodes, coordinate positioning, and World Will suppression..."

He paused, looking directly into Ian’s eyes.

"But I can’t give you this knowledge for free."

Ian wasn’t surprised. "What’s the trade?"

Darcy sat back in his chair, his fingertips tapping lightly on the tabletop.

"If you hadn’t stabilized Titus’s corruption and done the clan such a great service..."

He slowly shook his head. "I wouldn’t be trading with you at all."

Ian listened quietly, not interrupting.

Darcy mulled it over for a moment, then took out a sheet of Parchment from a drawer under the table.

The paper was specially made—thick to the touch, with Dark Gold anti-counterfeiting patterns along its edges.

He pushed the paper in front of Ian.

"This is a Justice Clan contract. Take a look before you decide."

Ian took it, his eyes scanning the writing.

The words were written in the Tua Language. The strokes were neat, but they emanated a cold sense of Rule.

[Contract Details: Ian Marcus must, within the next one hundred years, refine fifty Tier Three Purification Potions and ten Tier Three Bloodline Potions for the Justice Clan (materials to be provided by the Justice Clan), or provide resources of equivalent value.]

[Fulfillment Method: For each portion of Potions delivered, access to a corresponding stage of knowledge will be granted.]

[Penalty for Breach: Soul imprint, eternal servitude to the clan.]

The last line was written in dark red ink, its scarlet hue piercing to the eye.

Ian stared at the line, a faint glimmer flashing in the depths of his eyes.

He looked up at Darcy. "Tier Three Bloodline Potions... Does the Justice Clan have the formula?"

Darcy shook his head, his expression a little grim. "We do not."

He thought for a moment before explaining further.

"Tier Three Bloodline Potions are already an extremely rare and precious resource."

"A single Bloodline Potion, paired with a Tier Three Neutralizing Potion of the same tier, can create a being equivalent to a Level Three Wizard."

"Among all the major clans and factions in the Eastern Territory, no more than five possess a bloodline formula of this level."

Ian secretly shook his head. ’It seems the resources in the Eastern Territory are rather scarce.’

He had the Earth Tyrant Potion, but it was only Tier Two.

Although its effects were close to the peak of Tier Two, even touching the threshold of Tier Three, it was ultimately not a true Tier Three potion.

And now, the fact that even the Justice Clan didn’t have a Tier Three Bloodline Potion formula in their collection was somewhat surprising to him.

Ian took a deep breath as a thought suddenly occurred to him.

He put down the contract and looked at Darcy.

"I don’t have a formula for a Tier Three Bloodline Potion, but I can research and improve upon existing ones."

His eyes showed he was pondering as he chose his words carefully. "Could you first provide me with a few formulas for Tier Two Bloodline Potions and Neutralizing Potions for reference?"

A flicker of movement in Darcy’s eyes. He stared at Ian for a few seconds, a smile gradually appearing on his face.

"I have great admiration for your skills in Magic Potion Science, Honored Guest Elder."

"But, do you really think it’s feasible to research a new Bloodline Potion all by yourself?"

"How will we know if it’s not feasible without trying, Elder Darcy?"

"Haha! That is true."

He stood up, walked over to the bookshelf, and took out five rolls of Parchment from the middle shelf.

"The clan has seven Tier Two Bloodline Potion formulas in its collection. Here are five of them. You can take a look at these."

He placed the scrolls in front of Ian.

"As a Level Three Honored Guest Elder, you have the authority to access Tier Two formulas, but it requires something of equivalent value."

Ian nodded. "What’s the trade?"

"Two Tier Two Purification Potions for each formula scroll, or resources of equivalent value."

Ian didn’t hesitate. "Done."

He took out ten Tier Two Purification Potions from his Dimension Ring and placed them on the table.

Darcy picked one up, uncorked it, and took a sniff. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"The purity is very high... at least thirty percent better than what’s available on the market."

He put away the Potions and pushed the five formula scrolls toward Ian.

"Finally, let’s sign this contract first."

Ian picked up the Parchment again.

His gaze paused on the words "fifty Tier Three Purification Potions, ten Tier Three Bloodline Potions."

Then, he raised his right hand, and a thread of golden Spiritual Power seeped from his fingertip.

It seeped into the bottom of the contract, transforming into a complex runic seal.

The moment the seal formed, Ian felt a subtle constraint deep within his Soul.

It was like a fine thread wrapped around his Soul—causing no inconvenience, but its presence was clearly perceptible.

In his Sea of Spirit, the panel vibrated silently.

[Anomaly detected in Soul. Clear?]

’I knew it. If even an Abyssal Contract can’t bind me, there’s no way this crude contract could.’

Ian’s eyes lowered slightly as he mentally selected the negative option. ’It can be cleared later when I have time.’

Seeing Ian sign the contract so readily, Darcy also raised his hand and pressed it onto the contract.

A grayish-white light flashed, and the emblem of the Justice Clan appeared on the contract’s surface.

"The contract is established."

Darcy put away the contract and took a manuscript copy from his Ring, handing it to Ian.

"This is the first part, the knowledge concerning Phase Nodes and coordinate positioning."

"When you deliver the first batch of Potions, you will receive the second part."

"Alright."

Ian accepted the manuscript, stored it in his Dimensional Ring, and prepared to leave.

As he reached the door, he stopped. "There is one more thing I need to trouble you with, Elder."

"I need to trade for some Shadow Element resources. I was wondering if it would be convenient."

Darcy’s eyes twitched slightly. "For your Summoned Demon, the Shadow Night Kite?"

Ian nodded. If he could get them from Darcy, it would save him some time.

"A Tier Two Late Stage Shadow Element Magic Pet... That requires a significant amount of resources."

Ian took out an Earth Tyrant Potion from his Dimension Ring.

The Dark Gold liquid flowed slowly within the Test Tube, and the faint illusion of a mountain range could be seen rising and falling inside.

He placed the Test Tube on the table.

"This Tier Two Bloodline Potion in exchange for Shadow Element resources of equal value."

Darcy’s pupils brightened slightly. He picked up the Test Tube, extended his Spiritual Power into it, and felt the surging Energy fluctuations within.

After a few seconds, he looked up, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"Honored Guest Elder Marcus, your attainments in Magic Potion Science... are truly extraordinary."

"You flatter me, Elder."

Darcy was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well. I happen to have some on hand."

Ian chuckled internally. ’This old fox has lived for over fifteen hundred years and wields great power. Of course his Ring is full of resources.’

He watched as the other man took a Jade Box from under the table and pushed it toward him.

"Inside are three Tier Two Shadow Crystals, a bottle of Shadow Spring Water, and a serving of Tomb Moss."

"Is that enough?"

Ian opened the Jade Box to inspect the contents, then nodded.

"It’s enough for now, but... I’ll have to trouble you again in the future, Elder."

"Good. As long as the Honored Guest Elder comes to visit, you are always welcome."

Ian put away the Jade Box and turned to leave. His footsteps faded down the corridor until they disappeared.

Darcy remained seated, his gaze complex as he looked at the Earth Tyrant Potion on the table.

"A Tier Two Bloodline Potion... Its effects are close to the Tier Three threshold."

He muttered to himself, "This boy’s Talent in Magic Potion Science... it’s truly terrifying."

He had secretly been paying attention ever since Aidele took her first Tier Two Bloodline Potion.

Based on his rough comparison, the one in his hand was even more potent than the one Aidele had taken.

’It’s only been a short time, yet his progress is so astonishingly fast. That contract I made... did I get the short end of the stick?’

「No. 7 Wisteria Lane, Underground Laboratory.」

Ian spread the five rolls of Parchment out on the laboratory table.

Under the light, the writing on each formula was clear. The diagrams were complex, but for him, they were not particularly difficult to understand.

Molten Fire Lizard Bloodline Potion (Tier Two)

Frost Giant Ape Bloodline Potion (Tier Two)

Storm Harpy Bloodline Potion (Tier Two)

Two-legged Flying Dragon Bloodline Potion (Tier Two)

Dark Hidden Bat Bloodline Potion (Tier Two)

Five formulas, corresponding to five different bloodline paths.

Ian studied them meticulously, his Spiritual Power sweeping over every line like a scanner.

Material ratios, Refining steps, temperature curves, Energy harmonization...

The details of each Potion were committed to memory.

After he finished reading, he closed his eyes and began to run deductions in his mind.

His mind worked at high speed, extracting, deconstructing, and reorganizing the core concepts of the five formulas.

He then combined this with his experience from improving the Earth Tyrant Potion...

Gradually, a faint path began to emerge in his consciousness.

’A Tier Three Bloodline Potion... it’s truly a qualitative leap... The line of thinking is a bit clearer than before.’

He muttered to himself but quickly shook his head. ’It’s not enough yet. The sample size is too small.’

His accumulated knowledge was insufficient, and he had too little practical experience.

’I need more time, more firsthand experiments, and the Neutralizing Potion is another problem. What a hassle...’

Ian opened his eyes, suppressed these distracting thoughts, and put away the formulas.

Then, he took out the materials for Refining the Earth Tyrant Potion from his Dimension Ring.

There weren’t many materials left, only enough to refine three potions.

But as a trade good, this was real hard currency, highly sought after.

He lit the Alchemy Vessels and began the Refining process.