Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 579 - 579 0384 Gold Core Slave_2

Chapter 579: Chapter 0384: Gold Core Slave_2 Chapter 579: Chapter 0384: Gold Core Slave_2 However, much to Qi Tian’s disappointment, after several rounds at the Monster Hunting Market, not only were there no Gold Core Stage monsters, there weren’t even any at the late Foundation Establishment stage. The number of cultivators in Wanjie Commerce was simply too large. The major powers had an enormous demand for Gold Core Stage monsters. Setting aside whether the Demon Hunting Teams could catch them, even if they could, after bringing the Gold Core Stage monsters back, they would first take them to the major powers. This way, they wouldn’t need to worry about being unable to sell them and it would be even easier to sell them at a high price.

Qi Tian had no choice but to temporarily leave the Monster Hunting Market and continue to look in the other markets of Peony Lane. He selected the Human Market, which was a place for human trafficking, as his next stop.

Qi Tian planned to buy a few slaves to bring back, preferably Gold Core Stage slaves. The reason was the same as for buying Gold Core Stage monsters. However, if he had a choice, Qi Tian preferred to buy Gold Core Stage monsters. He wasn’t particularly interested in enslaving humans, and oftentimes, he was making compromises out of dire circumstances.

In Wanjie City, the demand for high-level slaves was actually stronger than that for high-level monsters. Qi Tian had little hope of being able to successfully purchase slaves. However, to his surprise, as soon as he stepped into the Human Market, it felt as though a black hole had emerged, with almost everyone running towards the center of the market.

Something big must have happened.

A thought crossed Qi Tian’s mind, and he, too, followed the crowd towards the center of the Human Market. Soon, he saw a high platform in the middle of the market, where several humans were tied to poles. They were all cultivators, but one in particular stood out. He was a Gold Core cultivator. However, he looked extremely old, with white hair, a face full of wrinkles and age spots, and his exposed skin was the same. A strong sense of old age emanated from him. One look and one could tell he was entering the stage of Heavenly Decline, in other words, his lifespan was running out, and he could die at any moment.

Looking at the old Gold Core Stage man on the platform, the people underneath were chattering. Slaves were sold here almost every day in the Human Market, and the sources of the slaves were incredibly diverse. However, the appearance of a Gold Core Stage slave here was absolutely a major event, often occurring only once in several years.

A man, who looked to be in his forties, stepped onto the platform and said, “The quality of the slaves we’re selling this time is very high. As you all can see, we even have a Gold Core cultivator being sold as a slave. This is an event that rarely happens even once in a decade, consider yourselves blessed.”

Someone in the crowd jeered, “A rare event once in a decade, just to let us see an old fogy?”

The man retorted, “If it were a prime Gold Core cultivator, you think that would be possible? Even if it were, do you think you could afford it?”

The crowd fell silent, indeed, it was true. If it were a Gold Core Slave with a considerable amount of lifespan remaining, it would be impossible to appear here. Historically, all Gold Core Slaves appearing here had various defects, not one of them was normal. However, even so, their appearance would inevitably cause a frenzy.

Only this time, it was quite scandalous, actually selling a Gold Core Slave who was clearly in the state of Heavenly Decline and likely to die in a few days. If someone purchased this slave at a high price and he died the next day, wouldn’t they suffer a great loss? Even if he didn’t die the next day and instead died in the next month or next year, it would still be unbearable. People buy Gold Core Slaves not for bragging rights, but to have them work. If the cost of purchasing a Gold Core Slave exceeds the value of the work they perform, wouldn’t that be a huge loss?

The man continued, “I won’t bore you with the details of the origin of this Gold Core Slave. In any case, we’ve already acquired him and have implanted a Slave Control within him. As long as you pay, you can retrieve the Servant Pact from us. With the Servant Pact, you can achieve perfect control over him. You don’t have to worry at all about triggering a backlash from the slave.”

Qi Tian was in the crowd, at the same time listening and sizing up the slaves on the platform.

The man carried on, “Any takers? One price only, 50,000 top-grade spirit stones, and you can take this Gold Core Slave home. Even if you beat him or scold him, he won’t dare retaliate.”

50,000 top-grade spirit stones, that equaled 500 million low-grade spirit stones! Compared to a normal Gold Core cultivator, it was definitely cheap. But the problem was, this Gold Core cultivator was not just any Gold Core cultivator, but one who could die at any moment. He could not possibly sell at a high price, nor was he worth 50,000 top-grade spirit stones.

The man must’ve been desperate for spirit stones, recklessly naming a price. He must’ve thought that if he could make this one deal, he would instantly become desirable and wealthy.

“I don’t have fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones, but I’ll give you fifty thousand low-grade ones. I’m willing to buy this Gold Core expert who could die at any moment, and let him peacefully live out the rest of his days,”

“I offer fifty thousand and an additional thousand low-grade spirit stones. My place is much better than yours. Let him spend his final years with me,” retorted another person.

The man on the stage admonished impatiently, “All of you scram! If you dare to disrupt the order here, I’ll have you stripped and whipped a hundred times in front of everyone. Don’t think I won’t do it!”

The two cultivators who wanted to purchase the Gold Core expert with low-grade spirit stones quickly shut their mouths. They were just trying to get some verbal jabs in. But if they could actually buy the Gold Core expert who was dying on stage with just fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones, it would be quite a deal for them.

The man on the stage questioned again, “Let me repeat, with merely fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones, you can take home this once-in-a-lifetime Gold Core expert. You can have him do whatever you want, even if it’s cleaning your toilet every day, he can’t refuse. You can attain such luxury with just fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones. What’s there not to satisfy you, sirs?”

However, while the auctioneer tried hard to beckon, there was no response from the crowd, eager just to watch the excitement unfold.

Qi Tian didn’t rush to agree. He used the Heavenly Dao Engine to scan and examine the bound Gold Core expert on stage several times, needing to confirm the man’s condition before entertaining the idea of buying him.

What surprised Qi Tian was that although this Gold Core expert exhibited strong symptoms of Heavenly Decline, Qi Tian discovered from the images sent back by the Heavenly Dao Engine that there was a vibrant life force in this person’s body, secluded deep within. It was like a seemingly withered seed that would burst to life once it encountered water and suitable soil. This life force could potentially bring this person back with a great vitality.

At this moment, Qi Tian began to doubt the Gold Core expert on stage. The Heavenly Decline symptoms he exhibited could be a deceptive appearance, or that even the person himself was unaware of the vibrant life force within. No matter which possibility was true, it suggested the man was definitely not short-lived and was unlikely to die shortly after being bought. If that was the case, buying this person for just fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones was like hitting the jackpot.

With this thought in mind, Qi Tian promptly raised his hand and said, “If no one else wants him, I’ll take him.”

Everyone turned their attention to him at these words, surprised that someone was actually willing to be the sucker who paid up fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones, a huge sum, for a Gold Core expert suffering from the Heavenly Decline. They weren’t buying a Gold Core expert, but a huge bubble that burst at the slightest touch, just waiting for the moment it breaks.

Many shook their heads in pity, thinking Qi Tian a fool with too much money. They lamented that if they had fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones, they would put it to better use, and not waste it on a Gold Core slave who could die at any moment. Qi Tian, on the other hand, apparently had more money than he knew what to do with.

The man selling the Gold Core expert brightened at Qi Tian’s words and asked, “Sir, you really want to buy this Gold Core expert?”

Qi Tian jumped onto the stage and said, “Yes, I do want to buy him.”