Chapter 1602: Chapter 796: Drifting Through 2,500 Years

Zhu Tian Ruins Market, Oddity Exchange Shop.

On this day, it was again the time for the market transactions to open.

In the shop, Song Chi and Tai Long exchanged glances. Due to a prior arrangement, the two had coincidentally chosen to enter the market early, and at this moment they were in continuous negotiation based on the current transaction.

“Sir Tai Long, this [Star River Soul Net] is a colorful upper-level artifact. If you truly want it, just this one [Primordial Emperor Insect Amber] is not enough!!”

“Song, you should be clearer than I am about the recent situation of your Torch Civilization. The importance of this [Primordial Emperor Insect Amber] to [Human Emperor City] shouldn’t need my emphasis, right?”

Song Chi squinted his eyes tightly, silently lamenting the inaccuracy of the rumors.

Who said Titan Giants are typically big and straightforward, with a bold and honest character?

In just this short negotiation, Song Chi didn’t feel a trace of straightforwardness from the other party; on the contrary, he found him very shrewd.

“Even so, the Zhu Tian Ruins Market has always been about fair trading. One is a colorful upper-level artifact, and the other is a colorful lower-level. Do you think their values are equivalent?”

“Fairness is relative…”

Tai Long was about to retort, but Song Chi interrupted his words forcibly once again.

“Moreover, there’s one more thing: this [Star River Soul Net] can fully qualify as a strategic-level artifact. If your Overlord Tribe is unwilling to increase the price, I believe the Wizard Civilization would be more than willing.”

“Wizard Civilization? They surely wouldn’t be willing to trade such a one-time mythical power artifact…”

…

After a round of intense bargaining, Song Chi and Tai Long finally reached a trade agreement.

It was still a mutual transaction of the [Star River Soul Net] and the [Primordial Emperor Insect Amber], but in addition, Tai Long offered a wisp of a Three-colored Fire Seed Oddity, capable of transforming a Torch Tier Fire Source of that kind.

The Three-color Promotion Fire Source, its value in the Torch Civilization’s territory was equivalent to a colorful upper-level artifact; this was something both parties understood well. Coupled with the [Primordial Emperor Insect Amber], Song Chi reluctantly agreed.

After this, there were no further surprises in the Ruins Market transactions, not only in this session but for hundreds or even thousands of years that followed, there was no gain significant enough to make Song Chi exit closed cultivation voluntarily; it was all just regular market trading gains.

However, Song Chi paid no mind to this. In fact, after completing the second transaction with Tai Long, he once again immersed himself in long-term closed cultivation.

Of course, before closing himself off, he still made the effort to travel to Chaos Divine Land’s [Human Emperor City] again, personally handing over the [Primordial Emperor Insect Amber] and [Three-color Promotion Fire Source], along with the remaining three colorful lower-rank wondrous objects to the three Human Emperors.

The [Primordial Emperor Insect Amber] was vital for the future security of [Human Emperor City]; he couldn’t trust anyone else to handle this.

…

After that, Song Chi focused solely on returning to the Zhu Tian Ruins Market for closed cultivation.

With the market’s [All-Attributes Cultivation Room], Eighth Rank Mist Half-Snake People, [Heavenly Star Body Refining Liquid], high-aged Deep Water Clam Pearls, [Wizard Magic Power Assistance Cultivation Cabin], and other various supportive measures, Song Chi could be said to have progressed by leaps and bounds in the training of the Eighth Rank Guidance Technique.

In the third hundred year of seclusion, his Guidance Technique successfully advanced from level 80 to level 81.

In the seventh hundred year of seclusion, Guidance Technique advanced from level 81 to level 82.

In the one thousand three hundredth year of seclusion, Guidance Technique advanced from level 82 to level 83.

In the two thousand one hundredth year of seclusion, Guidance Technique advanced from level 83 to level 84.

In the two thousand five hundred and some years, Song Chi, who had formally crossed the six-thousand-year-old threshold, ended his seclusion.

Crack, crack, crack!

The doors of the All-Attributes Cultivation Room opened, and Song Chi, who had been in seclusion for over two thousand five hundred years, stepped out of the cultivation room. Looking at the spectral energy aura emanating from him, his Guidance Technique level still remained at level 84.

Of course, it wasn’t at the initial entry of level 84, but he had already reached the peak of level 84.

In fact, decades ago, his Guidance Technique had already reached the peak of level 84; he just thought to continue like before, ignoring everything else and directly pushing through to level 85 in one go.

Obviously, his plan failed.

In these two thousand five hundred years, although he had experienced several small level bottlenecks before, as long as he persevered in seclusion, those bottlenecks would diminish bit by bit with his repeated relentless efforts, allowing him to see the hope of a breakthrough.

But this time was different.

Over the decades, even though he never slackened, continually operating the Guidance Technique as if decades were one day, the bottleneck between levels 84 and 85 showed no change whatsoever.

Up to this point, he basically understood that he had encountered a genuine bottleneck.

This minor bottleneck within a great rank, though said to be not difficult, isn’t much compared to the chasm-like gap between great ranks, yet it’s not necessarily easy either.

At the very least, remaining stubbornly in closed cultivation might not break through even in ten thousand or tens of thousands of years, which is why he decided to come out of seclusion this time.

Facing this situation, the solution is actually quite simple, namely to go out, relax, and travel various parts of the Starry Sea. As long as the timing is right, there might be a natural breakthrough at some point.

This was the intention Song Chi had in mind.

When stepping out of the All-Attributes Cultivation Room, Song Chi was in a good mood, but once out of the Zhu Tian Ruins Market, bad news quickly reached his ears.

Elder brother Song Qi had passed his prime, having passed away two thousand years ago.

Upon hearing this news, Song Chi’s breath halted. Although he always knew this day would come, when it actually did, his heart still felt uneasy.

North of Green Moon Lake, here is the exclusive cemetery for the direct lineage of the Song Family.