novelraw Chapter 130: Payoff
Chapter 130: Payoff
After Su Yuan finished selecting the three High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals he needed, he returned to the entrance of the Library Pavilion.
The First Rank expert guarding the Library Pavilion constantly monitored the movements inside to prevent any players from snatching the manuals or attempting to comprehend the High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals on the spot.
After all, the official purchase price for a single High-Tier Martial Arts Manual was five hundred kilograms of gold, equivalent to one hundred million Azure Surge Coins. With over a hundred manuals inside the pavilion, the total value exceeded ten billion Azure Surge Coins.
The entire net worth of an ordinary Mid-Stage Cosmic Life was only around this amount.
The Azure Wave Pavilion Master was incredibly wealthy, being a direct descendant of the Xien Family. However, even he had expended an immense amount of effort to collect these hundred-plus High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals.
It was not really an issue of money.
Rather, there were only a limited number of channels to acquire High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals.
Every month, the official system provided five High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals, which could be exchanged for five hundred kilograms of gold.
In addition, Golden-Tier Ruins also contained High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals. However, these ruins were extremely rare and would attract numerous Top Three Ranks experts who would slaughter each other to claim them.
As for the probability of Su Yuan obtaining a High-Tier Martial Arts Manual from a Purple-Tier Ruin... that was simply far too low. The next ruin guaranteed to contain a High-Tier Martial Arts Manual would not appear for another three years.Finally, the remaining manuals were scattered among the major factions across the Nine Provinces, such as the Lu Family in Gongyang City.
However, these factions were deeply intertwined with the Great Yong Dynasty. If any player dared to make a move against them, they would face the inevitable fate of being surrounded and killed.
"Are you certain about these three?"
The guarding First Rank expert asked.
"Just these three."
Su Yuan nodded. These three were the most suitable High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals for him at the moment, as recommended by the gray mirror.
Carrying the three High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals, Su Yuan arrived at his Secluded Cultivation Chamber.
As a Second-Rank Master, Su Yuan was immediately appointed as a Guest Elder upon joining Azure Wave Pavilion, granting him a private Secluded Cultivation Chamber.
He exhaled softly.
Su Yuan sat down cross-legged.
He looked at the three High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals neatly arranged in front of him.
These three High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals were:
Pure Yang Limitless Art.
Profound Nether Six Yin Secret Record.
Extreme Yang Blazing Heaven Heart Method.
Two of the Extreme Yang Attribute, and one of the Extreme Yin Attribute.
"However, there are still two more High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals in the Azure Wave Pavilion's Library Pavilion that are useful to me."
Su Yuan sighed inwardly, though he did not feel disappointed. Those two High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals would eventually be his anyway.
For the sake of his grand schemes, the Azure Wave Pavilion Master would eventually request Su Yuan to take action once, and the reward for that would be those very two High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals.
"I will comprehend the Pure Yang Limitless Art first."
Gathering his thoughts, Su Yuan looked at the first High-Tier Martial Arts Manual.
When comprehending multiple High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals, the order of approach was incredibly important. After all, manuals sharing the same attribute inevitably had commonalities, and these shared concepts inherently varied in depth and complexity.
By first comprehending the manual with the foundational concepts and then moving on to the more profound one, the results would yield twice the effect with half the effort.
In the Shattered Void World, martial arts manuals worked through a process of Possession and Empowerment, forcefully injecting insights directly into the cultivator's mind.
However, the time it took to fully digest and absorb those insights entirely depended on one's own capabilities.
"Pure Yang Limitless..."
Su Yuan opened the martial arts manual and entered a state of deep comprehension.
Boom!
Su Yuan's consciousness was drawn into a peculiar environment, surrounded on all sides by an incredibly pure, enveloping warmth.
'Where is this?'
Su Yuan looked around and discovered that he was in the middle of a sea of magma.
More accurately, he was entirely submerged within the molten rock.
Moreover, the entity Su Yuan had possessed was not human, but a gigantic beast.
As Su Yuan carefully observed his surroundings, he did not feel much surprise.
The concept of a martial arts manual in the Shattered Void World was nothing more than a facade.
Its true essence lay in Possession and Empowerment. Through specific means, the system temporarily integrated the consciousness of the player studying the manual into a designated target, allowing the player to experience everything that entity perceived.
'What a pity. The highest level this simulation method managed by the official Shattered Void World can reach stops at the Mid-Stage Cosmic Life. Anything higher? The perceptions and experiences of a Later-Stage Cosmic Life, or even a Stellar Life Form, are simply too difficult to perfectly replicate within a virtual world.'
Su Yuan thought to himself.
This was exactly why High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals were completely useless to a Later-Stage Cosmic Life or a Stellar Life Form.
A Stellar Life Form was a terrifying entity that transcended a Cosmic Life Form. When a being of this level cultivated and evolved to their absolute peak, they would radiate light and power across the universe, just like a true star.
Time flowed on.
In the blink of an eye, five hours passed.
"So this is the essence of Pure Yang Limitless!"
Su Yuan silently opened his eyes, a boundless pure yang energy seemingly blazing within the depths of his gaze.
Comprehending the Pure Yang Limitless Art provided immense help to Su Yuan. This benefit went far beyond mere textual knowledge; it profoundly deepened his cognitive grasp and understanding of Extreme Yang.
'Latest physical data.'
Su Yuan inquired of the gray mirror deep within his sea of consciousness.
The hazy surface of the gray mirror roiled before providing an answer.
[Life Level: Level 9 (0%)]
[Power of Extreme Yang: 97%]
[Power of Extreme Yin: 94%]
[Combat Bonus: 4550%]
'My comprehension of the Power of Extreme Yang increased by 2%, and my Combat Bonus increased by five times?'
Su Yuan thought to himself. Once comprehension of the Power of Extreme Yang surpassed ninety percent, the difficulty of making further progress would increase drastically.
If he had comprehended a High-Tier Martial Arts Manual of the Pure Yang Limitless Art's caliber before reaching sixty percent comprehension of the Power of Extreme Yang, it would have been entirely possible for his comprehension to spike by ten percent all at once.
'Next, there is no rush to comprehend the remaining two High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals.'
Su Yuan gathered his thoughts.
After fully comprehending one High-Tier Martial Arts Manual, the optimal approach was
to remain immersed in the lingering afterglow of its insights for a period of time.
Only by doing this could one maximize the absorption of everything the High-Tier Martial Arts Manual had to offer.
According to the comprehension schedule provided by the gray mirror, Su Yuan needed to spend a full day immersed in the residual insights after finishing each High-Tier Martial Arts Manual.
This was the only way to digest every single detail of the High-Tier Martial Arts Manual with maximum efficiency.
Within the Virtual World Network, in the Explorers World.
The Explorers World was a virtual hub officially established by the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire, specifically designed to facilitate communication between Barren Star Sector exploration teams and their investors.
Two or three months ago, Su Yuan successfully sold the Crystal of Eternal Darkness, obtaining 520 million Azure Surge Coins.
He then invested those 520 million Azure Surge Coins into the exploration teams selected by the gray mirror in order to secure massive returns.
Flash!
Su Yuan's figure materialized inside a Tavern in the Explorers World.
According to the information provided by the gray mirror, the Voyagers Exploration Team—one of the two teams he had invested in—was scheduled to return today.
Su Yuan had come here solely to collect his rightful share of the profits from the Voyagers Exploration Team.
'Voyagers Exploration Team...'
A wealth of information regarding this exploration team surfaced in Su Yuan's mind.
During their recent expedition into an uncharted Barren Star Sector, the Voyagers Exploration Team had accidentally stumbled into a special star region. From that unique area, they brought back precious resources worth ten billion Azure Surge Coins. Ten billion Azure Surge Coins was comparable to the majority of a Mid-Stage Cosmic Life expert's entire net worth. A single expedition into an unknown Barren Star Sector had yielded wealth equivalent to tens or even hundreds of thousands of years of accumulation for a Mid-Stage Cosmic Life expert.
One could easily imagine the staggering profit margins involved in exploring uncharted Barren Star Sectors.
Of course, the risks associated with such ventures were equally massive.
Before long.
Su Yuan arrived near the table where the Voyagers Exploration Team was seated.
Even before he drew close, Su Yuan spotted the captain of the Voyagers Exploration Team, Red-Skinned Aufeng, engaged in an animated conversation with over a dozen investors.
This was a completely normal occurrence.
After this recent expedition, the Voyagers Exploration Team had brought back ten billion Azure Surge Coins' worth of resources, catapulting them to instant fame.
Ten billion Azure Surge Coins might not have been a massive sum for major investors, but the crucial point was that with this experience under their belts, the likelihood of the Voyagers Exploration Team bringing back another ten billion in the future had drastically increased.
The first step is always the hardest.
Once the first success was achieved, a second was sure to follow.
This was precisely why so many investors flocked to speak with Red-Skinned Aufeng.
In the Explorers World, major investors could easily pressure relatively unknown exploration teams.
For example, Yalun Luoxing of the Luoxing Family had previously threatened Hu Ta, the captain of the Hometown Exploration Team.
A single sentence from him was enough to make Captain Hu Ta's face drain of color.
Conversely, highly sought-after exploration teams possessed the leverage to make even the biggest investors back down.
After all, a popular exploration team inherently possessed extensive experience in navigating Barren Star Sectors. They might even have secured coordinates to a resource-rich planet, guaranteeing a stable return on investment with every expedition.
Such exploration teams were backed by a collective swarm of eager investors, making them impossible for any single major investor to manipulate or shake.
Naturally, the Voyagers Exploration Team was far from reaching that level of influence yet, but that did not stop opportunistic investors from trying to curry favor.
Su Yuan waited patiently for a while. Only after the investors departed one by one did he step forward.
Ever since bringing back the ten billion Azure Surge Coins' worth of loot, Red-Skinned Aufeng had been riding high on success. Investor after investor had sought him out, promising to fund his next expedition.
This sudden popularity made Red-Skinned Aufeng somewhat full of himself. In the past, he had to beg and scrape for even a meager investment, struggling to attract more than a handful of backers.
But now?
Scores of investors were actively approaching him, essentially booking their spots to fund his next voyage.
Although these were mostly average investors rather than renowned high-rollers,
Red-Skinned Aufeng firmly believed this was just the beginning. As long as he brought back an even greater haul on his next trip, major investors were bound to come knocking to establish long-term partnerships.
'The only reason we secured such a massive haul this time was because we accidentally stumbled into that special star region. If we can enter it one more time, the harvest will undoubtedly be even more staggering,'
Red-Skinned Aufeng thought to himself. He meticulously recalled every tiny detail of how they had strayed into that special star region, and a concrete plan was already forming in his mind.
'That special star region is basically a literal money tree.'
A burning excitement surged within Red-Skinned Aufeng's heart.
Right at that moment.
Red-Skinned Aufeng looked up.
He noticed Su Yuan walking toward him.
"Mr. Mirror."
Upon seeing Su Yuan, Red-Skinned Aufeng greeted him with a flat, indifferent tone.
His current mindset was completely different from the last time he had interacted with Su Yuan.
During their previous meeting, the Voyagers Exploration Team had been in desperate need of funding. Su Yuan's arrival had been like a life-saving straw, prompting Red-Skinned Aufeng to treat him with immense respect and boundless gratitude.
But this time?
Before Su Yuan even arrived, Red-Skinned Aufeng had already met with at least twenty different investors. Every single one of them was eagerly waiting to throw money at him. Whether Su Yuan was there or not no longer mattered.
"Mr. Mirror," the vice-captain of the Voyagers Exploration Team standing nearby also chimed in with a greeting.
"Mhm."
Su Yuan nodded slightly and said, "Congratulations."
He could naturally sense the shift in Red-Skinned Aufeng's attitude, but he simply did not care.
All Su Yuan cared about was the profit the team could bring him, nothing more.
"This expedition was a success thanks to your funding, Mr. Mirror. We brought back special resources worth ten billion Azure Surge Coins. According to the contract you signed with the Voyagers Exploration Team, you are entitled to a ten percent share, which amounts to one billion Azure Surge Coins."
Even as he spoke, Red-Skinned Aufeng felt his heart bleeding.
Su Yuan had only invested one hundred million Azure Surge Coins, yet he was about to walk away with a billion. The sheer disparity made him green with envy.
After all, the Voyagers Exploration Team had put their very lives on the line to secure this haul. And what had Su Yuan sacrificed? A mere one hundred million Azure Surge Coins.
"No problem."
Su Yuan nodded.
It seemed the other party had not tried to conceal their actual earnings.
In truth, it was impossible to hide anyway. Every exploration vessel venturing into or returning from an uncharted Barren Star Sector was subjected to specialized inspections by the Empire.
Very few exploration teams could falsify these records, and absolutely none would dare to try.
If they were ever caught, their reputation would be completely ruined. Not even the most highly acclaimed exploration team would dare take such a gamble.
Beep—
A moment later, a deposit of one billion Azure Surge Coins appeared in Su Yuan's account.
Su Yuan was in a rather good mood. One billion Azure Surge Coins was a massive sum that even an Initial-Realm Cosmic Life Form would struggle to produce. One should not be fooled by the fact that a single High-Tier Martial Arts Manual in the Shattered Void World cost one hundred million Azure Surge Coins.
And that they were still in short supply despite the price.
The reason behind that exorbitant demand was because High-Tier Martial Arts Manuals were directly tied to the fundamental cultivation path of a Cosmic Life Form.
No matter how ridiculously expensive or difficult it was to obtain, even if they had to secure a "loan" from the Empire, a Cosmic Life Form would grit their teeth and buy one anyway.
With the contract fully executed,
Su Yuan was just about to stand up and leave.
Red-Skinned Aufeng suddenly spoke up, "Mr. Mirror, would you be interested in funding our team's next expedition?"
Even though Su Yuan was no longer a crucial lifeline to the Voyagers Exploration Team,
he was still an investor at the end of the day, and Red-Skinned Aufeng certainly wouldn't turn down extra capital.
For any exploration team, having more investors was always a good thing.
"Fund your next expedition?" Su Yuan raised an eyebrow, staring at Red-Skinned Aufeng. "And what kind of profit share are you offering?"
"If you invest one billion Azure Surge Coins, Mr. Mirror, you will receive a one-twentieth share of the next expedition's haul," Red-Skinned Aufeng stated.
"One billion Azure Surge Coins for a one-twentieth share?" Su Yuan continued to look directly at him. "In other words, your team has to bring back twenty billion Azure Surge Coins' worth of resources just for me to break even. And I only start seeing a profit if you bring back anything beyond twenty billion?"
"That is correct."
Red-Skinned Aufeng nodded. "Mr. Mirror, please don't scoff at the low percentage. With the experience we gained from our last trip, I am highly confident in securing a massive haul on the next one. I guarantee you won't lose money, Mr. Mirror."
Pausing for a moment, Red-Skinned Aufeng elaborated, "Mr. Mirror, as you well know, profit is directly proportional to risk. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Since I can now manage the risks within a highly controlled margin, it's only natural that the corresponding returns are slightly reduced."
Red-Skinned Aufeng looked at Su Yuan expectantly.
"Please consider it, Mr. Mirror."
"There are currently many investors clamoring to back our team. You should give me your answer as quickly as possible, otherwise you might completely miss out on the opportunity to invest later."