Jiang Chen was by no means complaining about the price. Quite the opposite — he felt the quoted sum was pitifully low. He almost wondered whether Hua Ming's information was actually worth anything at all.
"A hundred Heavenly-grade Ling Shi — not a problem, not a problem. If what you tell me turns out to be genuinely valuable, I'll give you two hundred. If it's truly exceptional, five hundred. How does that sound?"
For Jiang Chen, five hundred Heavenly Ling Shi was like plucking a single hair from his thigh — utterly negligible. His current wealth was on the level of a genuine tycoon.
Even compared to the wealthy denizens of the Myriad Abyss Island, he would not be found wanting.
After all, Shu Wanqing's fortune had been staggering in its own right. The crucial point was that Heavenly Stage powerhouses in the Human Domain numbered only a handful, and virtually all of the Human Domain's top-tier wealth had been concentrated in their hands.
Myriad Abyss Island, by contrast, was crawling with Heavenly Stage powerhouses, so any individual powerhouse's share of the pie was inevitably smaller.
When it came to pure wealth, then, the Heavenly Stage powerhouses of Myriad Abyss Island were far from matching Shu Wanqing's formidable resources.
"Truly?" Hua Ming's eyes lit up, disbelief written across his face.
"Cross my heart," Jiang Chen said with absolute certainty.
"Fine — then ask away! Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you everything I know without holding a single thing back!" Hua Ming's tone was practically trembling with excitement. The mere thought of five hundred Heavenly Ling Shi beckoning to him from the near future set his heart racing uncontrollably.
For him, that was an absolutely astronomical sum.
"Let's go somewhere more private." Jiang Chen gestured toward an open clearing near the edge of Oriole Valley.
"Sure — wherever you say." Hua Ming was so dizzied by the promise of five hundred Heavenly Ling Shi that he was in no position to object to anything.
Once they had found a secluded spot, Jiang Chen handed over a hundred Heavenly Ling Shi first. "This is a deposit. Take it upfront."
A deposit — before any questions had even been asked? Hua Ming was nearly stunned. He snatched the hundred Heavenly Ling Shi from Jiang Chen's hand as though afraid someone might steal them away.
Then, with a speed that would have put lightning to shame, the coins vanished from his palm as if by a magician's trick.
"Go ahead. Ask me anything."
"I want to know — what is the Blue Smoke Island Domain's standing within the Myriad Abyss Island? How close are its ties to the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms?"
This was Jiang Chen's first question.
"The Blue Smoke Island Domain is roughly a second-rate power within the Myriad Abyss Island, at best. As for the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms, their dealings don't seem particularly extensive. In all my years, I've never heard of any prominent figure from the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms visiting the Blue Smoke Island Domain. Although recently, there have been rumors that someone from one of the Divine Kingdoms is on their way here."
"What for?" Jiang Chen pressed.
"What makes the Blue Smoke Island Domain most attractive is none other than the Blue Smoke Ancient Jade. The Blue Smoke Ancient Jade is unique across the entire Myriad Abyss Island — supposedly an ancient relic from primordial times. Some of these jades even contain primordial inheritances within them. Every few centuries, the Blue Smoke Island Domain hosts a grand jade excavation festival. I hear this year is the year it's being held. Many of the great families from the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms will be sending representatives to attend."
"Jade excavation?" Jiang Chen was somewhat puzzled. "Where is this ancient jade found?"
"Ancient jade is found everywhere, really — it just depends on how you survey for it. But the richest source is the Yellow Dragon Ridge to the east. That stretch of land runs tens of thousands of miles and is packed with ancient jade deposits. However, the Blue Smoke Island Domain authorities have been restricting extraction and never allowed over-mining. So the area has been very well preserved. Brother, since this is your first time in the Blue Smoke Island Domain, remember — do not wander into the Yellow Dragon Ridge carelessly. You could die without ever understanding how."
Jiang Chen had little interest in these Blue Smoke Ancient Jades.
What did catch his attention were the people from the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms. He currently knew virtually nothing about them.
He had heard that the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms imposed extremely strict restrictions on outsiders, so he was already mulling over how he might slip into the Eternal Divine Kingdom when the time came.
This was something he absolutely had to plan for.
"Have you heard anything about which major powers or great families from the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms will be coming?" Jiang Chen asked further.
Hua Ming shook his head. "Nobody knows that yet. Probably only the royal court of the Blue Smoke Island Domain has that kind of intelligence."
Jiang Chen knew that this was precisely the sort of classified information that Hua Ming was unlikely to have access to.
He changed the subject and asked instead, "Hua Ming — do you know of any island domains near the Blue Smoke Island Domain where fire-attributed energy is particularly concentrated? Ideally an uninhabited island."
"Fire attribute?" Hua Ming started, then blurted out, "Sure — Shichili Sacred Island."
"Shichili Sacred Island? What kind of place is that?"
"Well, it's actually called Shichili Hell Island. That island harbors a natural volcano. The surrounding seas are all boiling — the ocean water for hundreds of miles in every direction is completely scalding, like one enormous pot of boiling soup. Even cultivators who specialize in fire-attributed energy rarely dare approach it. Plenty of fire-attribute cultivators have entered Shichili Hell Island to train, but most who go in never come out. The few lucky ones who do survive tend to emerge as formidable powerhouses renowned throughout the region."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chen was overjoyed.
"Tell me — where is that island? How far from here? Which direction and what coordinates do I need?"
Hua Ming gave a pained smile. "Brother, are you a fire-attribute cultivator? I'd advise you to think carefully. That island domain is absolutely terrifying. Of those who venture there, ninety-nine out of a hundred die. You want to go to a place like that to break through the limits of your martial cultivation?"
"Enough chatter. Do you still want the Ling Shi or not?" Jiang Chen's expression darkened.
"I was only trying to warn you out of kindness," Hua Ming said. His heart was clearly not a bad one — it was rare to meet someone willing to pay him so generously, and the young man genuinely did not wish to see a decent person walk into disaster.
It was simply a young man's instinct.