BXBX NOVEL Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Spirit Crystal
"Too expensive, two hundred," Regret said decisively after hesitating for a moment. Two hundred gold coins were almost all his savings.
"No way, five hundred," the stall owner said firmly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
Rubbing his forehead in frustration, Regret steeled himself and took out a small box from his inner clothing, tossing it to the stall owner. "I'll trade this spiritual herb for your Flame Spirit Grass and Pet Tome."
"Young Master Blaze, please don't joke with me. It's just a spiritual herb, how could it possibly..." The lean stall owner's complaints came to an abrupt halt as, with the opening of the small box, a chilling aura slowly permeated the air, even causing a thin layer of frost to form on his palm.
"This is... Snow Condensation Grass?"
The stall owner's exclamation drew several gazes over. When they saw the spiritual herb in his hand, their eyes showed a hint of surprise. The rare Snow Condensation Grass was something even the Atlas Shop traded only a few times a year, let alone being presented by a young spiritual novice.
Heavenly treasures belong to those with destiny. Discovering such treasures not only required strength but also a fair amount of luck. Sometimes, luck could be considered a form of strength.
"No problem, haha. Besides the Flame Spirit Grass and Pet Encyclopedia, I'll even throw in a fire attribute Spiritual Core," the obviously pleased stall owner quickly stored the Snow Condensation Grass away, as if afraid Regret would change his mind. He then promptly handed over the agreed items.
The value of Snow Condensation Grass ranked at the top among first grade spiritual herbs.
Breathing a sigh of relief, a faint smile appeared on Regret's face. Though the Snow Condensation Grass was precious, it could still be found several times a year in the entire Veloria City. But the Pet Encyclopedia was unique; despite appearing as if he had lost out, it would save him a lot of trouble in the long run.
Briefly flipping through the Pet Encyclopedia, Regret felt highly satisfied. Although the book was somewhat damaged over time, it did not significantly affect its readability.
Turning around, Regret began to walk towards the exit of the Atlas shop. Just as he reached the screen, Mark's leisurely voice suddenly drifted over, startling Regret.
"Your spirit beast should be a high level novice class Flame Cat, right?"
Swallowing lightly, Regret turned his head in shock to see Mark smiling. "Don't misunderstand. My life bound spirit beast happens to have a spiritual skill that can detect other spirit beasts. Otherwise, I wouldn't have discovered it."
In his state of shock, Regret did not notice that Mark had changed how he addressed him. It now sounded like two old friends conversing, reducing much of the initial unfamiliarity.
"Indeed, Manager Mark, you truly have keen insight," Regret replied with a bitter smile as he approached. Fortunately, Mark's control over his spiritual power was impeccable; no one else overheard the conversation. Otherwise, it would have become quite a headache.
Lightly tapping the gold coins between his fingers, Mark chuckled softly, stood up slowly, and brushed his hand over the shelf. Then, he lightly knocked, and out popped a hidden compartment.
Within that compartment lay a hexagonal object, quietly resting. At its center, there seemed to be a flicker of flame. Its crystalline, transparent appearance looked quite delicate.
Holding the object between his fingers, Mark walked over to Regret and placed it in his hand.
"What is this?" Regret asked, slightly puzzled.
"A spirit crystal," Mark explained with a gentle smile, notice Regret's continued confusion. "Many spirit masters only know about the spirit core found inside spirit beasts. However, besides the spirit core, there are some spirit beasts that also have spirit crystals within them. The chances of this are very slim though, only about one in a thousand spirit beasts will produce a spirit crystal.
These spirit crystals are worth many times more than spirit cores."
"Most spirit beasts can only comprehend fixed spirit techniques, but there is one method that allows a spirit beast to master spirit techniques understood by other spirit beasts."
"Wooo, you mean the spirit crystal?" Regret's breathing became slightly quicker. His understanding of spirit beasts was only superficial, and Mark's words had undoubtedly opened a new door for him.
"Yes," Mark praised Regret and continued, "By consuming a spirit crystal, a spirit beast can perceive the memories of the crystal's previous owner and acquire new spirit techniques. However, this is limited to spirit beasts with the same attributes. If a spirit beast indiscriminately consumes spirit crystals of other attributes, the spiritual power within the beast may suffer irreversible damage."
Regret nodded slightly and hesitantly asked, "What spirit technique does this crystal contain?"
"It contains 'Cat Illusion,' a unique technique of the Purple Charm Cat. It allows the user to disguise themselves as anything they desire with almost negligible energy consumption," Mark explained with a smile.
Scratching his head, Regret asked awkwardly, "Mr. Mark, is this spirit crystal very expensive?"
Although tempted, Regret hadn't forgotten that only one spirit crystal had a chance of being born among a thousand spirit beasts. He knew that the price wouldn't be cheap, even if he sold everything he had, it probably wouldn't be enough for one spirit crystal.
"It's just a spirit crystal, consider it a gift," Mark generously waved his hand.
Upon hearing this, Regret couldn't help but be surprised. Was he really being given it for free?
Even though he was the young master of the Blaze family, Mark's status was not low either. There was no need for Mark to please him. Giving a gold coin card could be understood, but giving a spirit crystal seemed a bit unbelievable.