Chapter 743: Dealings of Power: The Market, the Stone, and the Ashura Emperor

Brook Benjamin didn’t disturb Song Chi’s thoughts. To this True Spirit Witcher, ten seconds of silence was nothing more than a Blueblood Clan merchant weighing the risks.

Over time, even though Song Chi’s identity as a Blueblood Clan merchant had only reached sixth-tier lifeform status, the scale of his transactions had stunned Brook Benjamin again and again. In fact, every regular at the Omniverse Market was aware—no one saw the Blueblood merchant as an ordinary sixth-tier being.

But no matter what secrets hid behind that identity, dealing with the Witcher Civilization—a dominant power—always called for caution.

That’s precisely why Brook Benjamin hadn’t tried to prod for a decision.

What he couldn’t have expected was that Song Chi wasn’t hesitant at all—if anything, he was absolutely delighted.

Compared to the priceless Star River-class Battleship resources in the Torch Human Civilization’s territory, a face-to-face negotiation was nothing.

“Does he want a Market Token?”

Once he’d calmed his excitement, Song Chi asked softly.

But clearly, he’d guessed wrong. Brook Benjamin shook his head without hesitation.

“The Omniverse Market is already well-known. I’ve long reached an understanding with the Komoyin Family. In the Witcher Civilization’s domain, the two of us are enough.”

“What I mean is, have your organization send a senior representative to our Witcher Civilization territory for direct talks!”

Brook Benjamin’s tone left no room for argument. Clearly, he and the Komoyin Serpent Sorcerer Family had agreed to keep knowledge about the Omniverse Market tightly contained.

After all, rarity drives value. The greatest significance of the Omniverse Market was its flexible, cross-star-domain trading, letting all sorts of resources be distributed and shifted with maximum efficiency.

But if there were too many Market members in one domain, its value would plunge.

Song Chi didn’t care about their inner calculations. For him, getting his hands on the Earthmother Stone mattered most. As for expanding the Market further within the Witcher Civilization, that was secondary.

At least for the time being.

In fact, he wasn’t completely ignorant of these dealings. He just never bothered to get involved before.

Right now, all Brook Benjamin’s side and the Komoyin Serpent Sorcerer Family cared about was striking deals at the Market, which suited Song Chi perfectly.

And as the Master of the Omniverse Market, he’d always held the upper hand. If one day he grew dissatisfied with either group, he could always travel to the Witcher Civilization and swap out their Market agent.

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

In the usual tone of a Blueblood merchant, Song Chi replied quickly. After that, he made a show of borrowing the Dimensional Spatial Stone from the Master of the Omniverse Market.

With arrangements made, he vanished from the Market.

Over ten minutes later, he reappeared, now gripping the Dimensional Spatial Stone, its surface flickering with silvery light—a sign its inner dimensional space had been activated.

The two exchanged glances. With the Master of the Omniverse Market as witness, the Blueblood merchant disguised as Song Chi tossed the Dimensional Spatial Stone to Brook Benjamin.

“Don’t worry. In as little as one month, at most several, I’ll return the Dimensional Spatial Stone and the person inside, safe and sound, to the Market.”

With that, he too disappeared from the Market.

…

Witcher Civilization, Witcher Human Galaxy Cluster.

Sky City Galaxy.

As the ancestral base of one of the Witcher Civilization’s mighty ancient factions, the Sky City Galaxy more than measured up. It spanned nearly four million light-years, with the enormous Floating-land at its center taking up more than seventy percent of it.

The Sky Mecha Floating-Land was an established ninth-tier floating-land. Its current diameter exceeded 2.8 million light-years, serving as the ancestral home of Sky Mecha City.

Technically speaking, the Sky Mecha Floating-Land itself comprised the entire galaxy. After it ascended to ninth-tier, it quickly absorbed the surrounding galaxy, extending even into another under Sky Mecha City’s control. Eventually these two merged, forming a colossal galaxy nearly four million light-years across.

Almost a million light-years away from the Sky Mecha Floating-Land was another Seventh‑Tier Floating-land, still under the Sky City Galaxy’s domain.

This was the floating-land where Brook Benjamin, the True Spirit Witcher, currently resided.

On the eastern continent of the floating-land, atop the Bloodthistle True Spirit Tower.

Brook Benjamin’s form shimmered into existence within an ultra-secure chamber. With a casual wave, torrents of mana flowed from him, pouring continuously into the silver crystal.

As brilliant silver light flashed in the secret chamber, Brook Benjamin suddenly started in alarm.

So much so that he nearly dropped the Dimensional Spatial Stone.

“Brook Benjamin, True Spirit Witcher of Sky Mecha City, greets you!”

Though he managed to sound respectfully calm, the uncertainty still flickered in his eyes.

Inside, however, Brook Benjamin was shaken to his core.

‘Eighth-tier—this is an eighth-tier Sovereign, and nearly at the peak!’

That was the only thought echoing in his mind.

He’d long suspected the Blueblood merchant’s background, but he’d never expected someone of such stature.

Peak eighth-tier power like this would be a major figure even in the Witcher Civilization.

Fighting down the shock, Brook Benjamin saw the Ashura Emperor nod indifferently before him. He hurriedly spoke up:

“The one with the Earthmother Stone isn’t on this floating-land right now. I must trouble you to enter the Dimensional Spatial Stone once more.”

…

West edge of the Witcher Human Galaxy Cluster: Genesis Galaxy.

As the first outpost for the Witcher Civilization’s expansion, the Genesis Galaxy marked their inaugural step beyond their home star cluster. Strictly speaking, it didn’t belong to the Witcher Human Galaxy Cluster itself, but to the civilization’s very first pioneering cluster.

The person now presenting the Earthmother Stone was a witcher of the Genesis Floating-Land.

The Witcher Civilization’s first expansion war was over a million years ago. The Genesis Floating-Land’s own history went back even further. Such enormous timespans not only let it advance to ninth-tier status, but also fostered a powerful witcher organization.

The Pure White Tower Witcher Alliance.

Once, Genesis Floating-Land had just been a chess piece tightly controlled by the old witcher powers of the Witcher Human Galaxy Cluster.

But countless years of struggle and bloodshed changed everything. Three hundred thousand years ago, a force now called the Pure White Tower Witcher Alliance clawed its way up to dominance.

Today, there are three eighth-tier True Spirit Witchers in the alliance. While not a top power elsewhere, they easily hold Genesis Floating-Land.

“Halt! This is Pure White Tower Alliance territory—”

“I am Brook Benjamin, True Spirit Witcher under Sky Mecha City. I’ve come at the invitation of Bishop Goron of the Pure White Tower Witcher Alliance.”

After giving ‘Goron Eymir’s’ name, Brook Benjamin was swiftly allowed through.

Goron Eymir was Master of the Pure White Tower, founder of the alliance, and first disciple of eighth-tier True Spirit Witcher Wayne Green—a name that carried weight throughout Genesis Floating-Land.

Pure White True Spirit Tower, Layer 548, the guest floor.

“Brook Benjamin, greeting to Lord Wayne Green!”

Brook Benjamin was briefly startled, but quickly recovered.

If this supreme leader of the Pure White Tower appeared in person, it was unquestionably because of the Ashura Emperor—whom Brook Benjamin had summoned ahead of time.

Wayne Green, the eighth-tier True Spirit Witcher, only nodded coolly, never saying a word.

He didn’t so much as glance at the Ashura Emperor from start to finish.

Brook Benjamin understood—Wayne Green had only shown up so his own disciple wouldn’t be cornered by outsiders. He wouldn’t interfere in the negotiations.

As for his attitude toward the Ashura Emperor? Even though the Ashura Clan was well-known in the Sea of Stars, a witcher like Wayne Green, from an apex civilization and at the very edge of eighth-tier, was entitled to that level of arrogance.

“Brook, is this Ashura lord the one here for the Earthmother Stone?”

After exchanging a glance, Brook Benjamin relaxed and, just like Wayne Green, closed his eyes in meditation, saying no more.

If the eighth-tier True Spirit Witcher weren’t here, Brook Benjamin would have introduced the Ashura Emperor’s background, making the deal much easier.

But with the current balance, there was no room for him to speak at all.

Wayne Green was almost at ninth-tier, and with the Genesis Floating-Land’s power base, could even challenge a true ninth-tier witcher. Without that, how could he and the alliance have shaken free of the old powers’ manipulations all these years?

“Ashura Emperor, here is the Earthmother Stone you’re after.”

With his teacher present, Goron wasted no time producing the Earthmother Stone.

Far away, in the Omniverse Market.

“That’s it, definitely the Earthmother Stone!”

Through the still-active psychic imprint on the Ashura Emperor, Song Chi confirmed the item’s authenticity.

Once he was certain, he removed the psychic mark himself.

In front of a witcher almost at ninth-tier, leaving any such mark was just asking to be discovered.

Mind-to-mind transmission with the Ashura Emperor was much safer.

With no need to hide the psychic imprint, the blood-red aura faded from around the Ashura Emperor, lightening the mood in the reception room.

“What do you wish to trade for?”

“That depends on what you have to offer, Ashura Emperor.”

After a bit of back-and-forth, the ball was squarely in Song Chi’s court.

He considered for a moment, then had the Ashura Emperor take out several items from the Dimensional Spatial Stone.

A single Breakthrough Immortal Pill: increases one’s chances of ascending to True Spirit Witcher by twenty percent.

Choice of one among the following black oddities: Tomb of Light and Shadow, Star Spirit Earth, Dragon Vein Core…

Three sixth-tier Timeworld Fruit.

“You may pick any one of the three options.”

“Not enough. How about two out of three?”

“The Earthmother Stone is just a mining resource. It’s not an oddity or a high-grade treasure. My offer is already generous.”

The Ashura Emperor spoke with unmistakable firmness, laying out his bottom line.

It was clear what he meant:

“No way you’re getting two out of three!”

Goron Eymir had seemed ready to bargain further, but just then, Wayne Green—eyes closed until now—suddenly opened them, focusing directly on those three Timeworld Fruit.

“Friend, do you have even higher-tier Timeworld Fruit? I can trade you other resources.”

He waved his hand as he spoke, producing several black oddities in the room.

But the Ashura Emperor, or rather Song Chi, showed little interest.

He did have seventh-tier Timeworld Fruit, but those oddities just didn’t matter much to him anymore.

His Heavenly Ruin was already stuffed with components. Maybe some of the Supreme Black Oddities were upgrades, but what Song Chi really needed now were rare resources to build a Star River-class Battleship and tools to improve the Guiding Technique.

Sensing the Ashura Emperor’s lack of enthusiasm, Wayne Green got serious:

“Is there anything you truly need? Just say it. Our Pure White Tower Witcher Alliance may be young, but our heritage is solid!”

Hearing that, Song Chi didn’t hesitate.

Soon, the Ashura Emperor spoke up:

“Aside from the Earthmother Stone, I’m interested in Neutron Star Wreckage, advanced Chaos Beast Hearts, high-grade Golden Apples, high-level Fireseed Artifacts, and also your civilization’s Wizard’s Mana Training Chambers.”

These were all things Song Chi or the Song Family badly needed, and he hadn’t really expected much—they were all priceless, nearly impossible to acquire.

But he soon realized he was wrong.

Surprisingly, with just a mention of those resources, Wayne Green and the Pure White Tower seemed to have them ready to hand.

Song Chi was both startled and thrilled by the unexpected bounty.