"Alright, let's go together then, but be cautious!" Yue Ling casually responded.
She had not noticed the small passageway before, assuming Ye Tian's interest was simply curiosity.
However, what she failed to realize was that a deep yearning and excitement filled Ye Tian's eyes, which were constantly trained on that small passage. From the moment he entered the cave, he had felt a longing. After killing the Moon-Escaping Wolf, he finally had the chance to inspect it more closely and found that his yearning was similar to the desire he had felt when he encountered the golden fruit.
The object of his desire was exactly that small passageway.
"Inside, there must be a treasure that can enhance my copying abilities!" Ye Tian was thrilled.
He knew that items like the Soul Flowers, which improved one's cultivation aptitude, wouldn't do much for him. He was unaware of how to seek out items that could enhance his copying abilities. Now, he had finally stumbled upon one.
"I'll get it at any cost!" Ye Tian silently clenched his fist.
Ye Tian led, with Yue Ling following behind. They walked toward the small passageway, which wasn't very long, just about ten meters.
Then, Ye Tian discovered that the inside contained a world of its own, as if they had stepped into another dimension altogether. A vast space stretched out for thousands of meters, containing a small lake at the center. The lake was not stagnant but seemed to be connected to an underground river. As a result, an active water lake had formed within the mountain.
Atop the lake floated a lotus flower, unlike any ordinary one. It was as white as snow, with faint golden threads around the edges, as if it were the king of all flowers.
On a stone by the lake lay a thick layer of animal hide, bearing the traces of a ferocious beast's residence.
"This must be the true dwelling of the black wolf. No wonder we didn't see it when we entered the cave; it appeared so suddenly. It's because it was living here and sensed us entering the cave, so it teleported out," Yue Ling deduced with sudden enlightenment.
Ye Tian gave a vacant nod, responding to Yue Ling, but his gaze remained firmly fixed on the lotus flower.
"Is that the thing that triggered the turmoil within my copying abilities?" Ye Tian thought, yearningly.
Yue Ling finally noticed the change in Ye Tian's eyes and followed his gaze to the lotus flower in the lake. Initially, she didn't react, but her expression changed quickly.
"Could this be the legendary Earth Surge Golden Lotus?" Yue Ling exclaimed.
"Earth Surge Golden Lotus? What is that?"
Ye Tian sought to gain more information from Yue Ling. Yue Ling calmed her emotions and began to explain: "It is said that over a hundred years ago, many novels described phenomena like 'flowers raining from the sky' and 'earth gushing golden lotuses.' Although these were poetic descriptions of celestial events, they are actually based on realities. According to legends from ancient times, people had acquired Earth Surge Golden Lotuses and reaped numerous benefits, becoming god-like figures among ancient humans. Thus, these golden lotuses gradually became deified. Of course, what were considered god-like figures in ancient times are merely warriors with some special talents in modern times. Their abilities might not even surpass some contemporary warriors, but they were treated as gods back then."
"As for the Earth Surge Golden Lotus, it is a special treasure of heaven and earth. To call it rare would be an understatement, but to say it's not valuable wouldn't be accurate either. Sometimes, it's rather pointless, even useless," Yue Ling said, uttering these paradoxical words.
Ye Tian listened, initially confused, but he soon understood why. The Earth Surge Golden Lotus was a treasure beneficial for talents, irrespective of levels or tiers. Even someone with extraordinary talent could possibly enhance their abilities using this lotus, but it would only improve the abilities, not the talent level.
For example, take the Wind Blade talent. If a genius with top-tier Wind Blade talent consumed an Earth Surge Golden Lotus, their talent level would remain the same, but the ability of their Wind Blade would be modified. It could change forms, becoming a wind spear or wind knife, or even gain enhanced sharpness.
In summary, the true purpose of the Earth Surge Golden Lotus wasn't to elevate talent levels, but to add variations to existing talents. Some variations were useful, while others were not. There were rumors that some had used the lotus to add a phantom-like effect to their Speed talent, making it elusive, but it didn't significantly improve their overall strength.
However, due to its special effect of altering any level of talent, the Earth Surge Golden Lotus had become an extremely expensive yet somewhat useless treasure. The price was out of proportion to the benefits, but people still sought it, hoping to achieve exceptional effects on their talents through luck.
"How much is one Earth Surge Golden Lotus worth?" Ye Tian inquired.
Yue Ling extended five fingers and, under Ye Tian's astonished gaze, said, "Fifty billion!"
"What?" Ye Tian was stunned. "That's insanely expensive!"
"It's not," Yue Ling explained. "For great martial warrior, it's ridiculously expensive and hardly worth it. But for masters and king-level individuals, 50 billion is nothing. Even if it only slightly benefits their talents, they're willing to spend that amount, even 100 billion. So, the value of the Earth Surge Golden Lotus depends on the person interested. It might not be worth much in a small base, but in a large one, it's worth 50 billion!"
Ye Tian nodded. The value of a treasure was determined by the market, not its intrinsic cost. Sometimes, what one warrior didn't need, another desperately wanted. It was that simple.
For Ye Tian, the Earth Surge Golden Lotus was far more valuable than to anyone else. It could allow his Copying Talent to undergo various good transformations. Ye Tian speculated that the golden fruit he had previously found probably had a similar effect, but it could also enhance his Cultivation Talent. Its value might not be less than this lotus—perhaps even higher.
Gazing deeply at Yue Ling, Ye Tian spoke: "Yue Ling, I'm very interested in this Earth Surge Golden Lotus. I'm willing to trade it for three Heavenly Soul Flowers, valued at 30 billion. If we split this lotus, you'll get 25 billion. You won't be at a loss."
"Deal, but you're getting the short end of the stick. You contributed the most this time, and I can't take advantage of you. How about this? Give me just two Heavenly Soul Flowers, and the Earth Surge Golden Lotus is yours," Yue Ling offered.
Both parties had no objections and reached an agreement. In this operation, Ye Tian obtained the body of a Moon Wolf capable of flight, two Heavenly Soul Flowers, and one Earth Surge Golden Lotus. Such enormous gains far exceeded Ye Tian's entire net worth, by many times over. One could say that in less than half an hour, Ye Tian's net worth had skyrocketed manyfold.
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