Above the mage!

Chapter 457 Unexpected Gains and Unknown Dangers

Gao De still vividly remembered Flora's mention of the four-elemental magical plant hybridization to cultivate a third-tier magical tree.

This concerns the complete lineage of the Northern Dharma Master's "The Sutra of Longevity of Green Wood," and its importance is so great that it should be placed at the forefront of the Northern Dharma Master's development.

Although these four elemental magical plants are only of the second rank, they are difficult to find because of their special attributes and only appear in extreme elemental environments.

It's almost impossible to buy it on the market.

Gaode was initially at a loss about how to deal with this, but this gathering gave him hope.

The people on the field were all mages, and they all came from prominent noble families in Auckland.

Their family businesses span various fields, giving them access to many people and things that others don't.

If these people are willing to help him keep an eye out for information about these three elemental magical plants, even if they can't find all three of the remaining elemental magical plants he needs at once, finding information about one or two of them shouldn't be a big problem, right?

Sure enough, after a moment of silence, a noble mage spoke up.

"I did hear about the Azus Feather Whistle Tree some time ago."

Upon hearing this, Gao De's eyes lit up, and he looked at the noble mage who had spoken.

Everyone's eyes followed.

"Just say what you have to say all at once, why are you beating around the bush?" Adrian snapped irritably.

Clearly, he was the leader in this circle. Since he had spoken, the noble mage immediately explained embarrassedly, "I didn't mean to keep you in suspense, but the source of this information is Black Sails City."

"Black Sails City?" Upon hearing this name, the mages present, including Gao De, all frowned, as if it were some kind of bad place.

that's the truth.

The Sword Sea is the western sea area of ​​the Golden Flower Dynasty. Sailing upstream will take you to the northern border.

Sailing downwards will take you into the Sea of ​​Light, and by passing through the Sea of ​​Light, you can reach the continent of Terra.

However, if they chose to sail westward, there would be no continent to land on.

To the west of the Sword Sea lies only an endless expanse of sea, whose boundaries have yet to be explored, and no continent has been discovered.

However, along the way, many scattered islands were discovered, most of which were uninhabited and had become habitats for creatures living along the ley lines.

However, it is worth mentioning that about 1,500 kilometers west of Dorn Port, there is an archipelago known as the Blue Flame Islands.

The Blue Flame Islands boast a pleasant and habitable environment and abundant resources.

Because it is far enough from Bairo County, the waters where the Blue Flame Islands are located no longer belong to the waters of the Golden Flower Dynasty.

Since its founding, the Plantagenet Dynasty has always adhered to the principle of non-expansion and non-aggression.

Therefore, the Blue Flame Islands in the western waters of Byron County became an uncontrolled area and gradually developed into a large port city, namely Black Sails City.

In Black Sails City, sea monster hunters, dock gangs, local natives, smugglers, criminals, and itinerant merchants from all over the world gather.

For various reasons, they were not accepted by the land-based countries and had no choice but to travel by boat to settle down here from all directions.

Here, there are no laws. For those fleeing trial, debt, and persecution, Black Sails is a place where they can be reborn, because no one cares about your past.

The price to pay is that this is also an extremely dangerous place. It's entirely possible that the day after you land in Black Sails City, your corpse will be floating in the harbor, your purse empty, and blood dripping from your throat.
It is full of dangers, but also full of opportunities.

Because there were no laws and regulations in the traditional sense, there was no trade supervision, and Black Sails City became an extremely famous black market trading place.

Whether it's treasures or stolen goods of dubious origin, magical formulas strictly prohibited by various countries on land, even taboo necromancy, or evil potions, you can buy them all here as long as you're willing to pay.

"Seven days before the Dark Moon each year is the Night of Repose in Black Sails City, during which a grand auction is held."
Most of the items for the auction are determined months in advance and listed. My family received a list, and if I remember correctly, it included saplings of the Azus Feather Whistle Tree. The noble mage explained.

As for why his family received the list, although he didn't say it, everyone understood—it means that his family has some gray industry and is connected with the forces in Black Sails City, most likely involving smuggling.
However, these kinds of things are best left unsaid, and no one would dare to bring them up.

“That won’t do. Black Sails City is too chaotic. Even if we have enough money to buy the items, we might not be able to bring them back. And if we lose money, we might even lose our lives there,” Adrian said immediately.

Black Sails City is unlike any other place; in that region, murder and robbery are commonplace.

On land, especially within the territory of the Golden Plantagenet Dynasty, while murder and robbery did occur, the existence of laws and the supervision of the dynasty made such acts extremely risky and therefore uncommon.

At least in most cases, there's no need to worry about this.

"Thank you for letting me know." Gao De was also a little conflicted, but regardless of whether he would attend the auction in the end, he still expressed his gratitude to the other party first.

"You're welcome," the noble mage simply waved his hand.

“Master Gaode, we will keep an eye out for news about these three magical plants for you. Once we discover anything, we will send someone to inform you immediately,” Adrian said earnestly.

"Then I'll have to trouble everyone."

"This is no trouble at all, it's a small matter."

"That's right, that's right." *N.

Everyone on the field responded enthusiastically, but no one dared to ask Gao De why he was looking for these three elemental magical plants.

A monk's privacy is not to be pried into; this is an unspoken rule that all monks tacitly agree to.

After chatting for a while, a servant finally came over.

However, it wasn't a pretty maid in a maid outfit, but a male servant in a black tailcoat.

He covered his mouth with his right hand, bent down and whispered something to Adrian.

Then, Adrian gracefully rose, slightly raised his left hand, and beckoned to everyone, "It's almost time, let's go eat together."

Everyone got up and followed Adrian to the restaurant next door.

In the center of the restaurant is a long table, with dozens of silver candlesticks neatly arranged on both sides, and the magic crystal lamps in the ceiling casting light that weaves into a flowing net of light.

On the long table was an enormous white porcelain plate, its edges inlaid with gold, almost covering the entire table.

When Gaode first saw this type of tableware, he didn't even start to be surprised before he learned its purpose.

Seven or eight male servants carried in a huge, roasted, and fragrant creature on a massive iron rack.

It was something that resembled a cow, but was twice the size of an ordinary yellow cow, with an enticing golden-yellow skin and a surface sprinkled with secret spices.

The male servants carefully placed the whole roasted cow on a white porcelain plate, then took out exquisite silver cutlery and knives and arranged them neatly in front of everyone.

Adrian walked to the head of the long table and sat down, and the others also chose their own seats.

The empty space is reserved for Gaode Maps.

Adrian skillfully picked up the main course knife and meat fork, and following the etiquette of noble meat cutting, he precisely sliced ​​several thin slices of meat, starting from the rib section.

The male servants immediately stepped forward, accepted the food on silver trays, and then distributed it to the guests in turn.

Gaode was the first to receive the tray.

Each piece of meat on the tray was cut to a uniform size by Adrian, with a perfect balance of fat and lean, and the surface still had the perfect charred marks formed during roasting.

He picked up his main course knife and fork, speared a piece of meat, and put it in his mouth.

The first sensation upon tasting is the firm, chewy texture of the meat, with a smoky aroma from roasting. Then, a subtle, electric sensation travels across the tongue, slightly stimulating but not unpleasant; instead, it creates a unique sensory experience, somewhat similar to a spicy or numbing sensation.

Then the flavors of various spices exploded in my mouth, mixed with the rich aroma of the meat itself, creating an amazingly complex and layered taste.

Seeing Gao De's slightly dilated pupils, Adrian smiled and said, "This dish is called Thunder Hou Roast. It uses Thunder Hou, a second-tier ley line creature, as the ingredient. It is carefully roasted for a day and infused with many spices. Thunder Hou is a rare ley line creature with an excellent taste. It is not easy to get one."

"Haha, it's only to welcome Master Gaode that Adrian went to such lengths to prepare such a wonderful thing. Normally, we don't get this kind of treatment," Isalien said with a light laugh.

"Indeed, we also benefited from Master Gaode's influence."

"This roasted Thunder Hou not only tastes excellent, but its flesh and blood contain a weak electric current. Eating it can relax the body's muscles and restore energy!"

Everyone echoed their agreement, and the atmosphere at the banquet became increasingly warm and harmonious.

It was at this moment that Gao De was able to sense the "rich second generation" aura emanating from these noble mages.

The exchange meeting just now was far too formal.

Good meat naturally comes with good wine.

The male servants then came up with rich, mellow champagne, bubbling with fine bubbles, and poured it into the stemmed glasses in front of everyone.

Full of wine and food.

Adrian naturally arranged top-class accommodations for Gao De, but after thinking about it, he declined.

Seeing that Gaode refused, the other party did not insist, and it can be said that they did not make things difficult for Gaode at all.

However, after the event ended, Adrian stopped God, who was about to leave with the others.

"I know that Master Gaode has a magic supplies shop in Dorne, but business has never been very good. Instead, he mainly focuses on buying tree seeds?" Adrian asked directly in response to Gaode's question.

This is no secret.

Not to mention that Adrian's family was in the gold business and had excellent intelligence, even an ordinary nobleman could find out this news with a little effort, so God didn't feel offended.

For Gaode, only the Haaland shipyard is his "major privacy" that cannot be discovered.

He never intended to hide the Walmart Magic Supplies store; it was an open business.

Therefore, he nodded slightly and said, "That's right."

"That's good." Adrian smiled with satisfaction after receiving an affirmative answer.

He clapped his hands, and immediately a male servant entered carrying an exquisite brocade bag.

"What is this?" Gao De asked, puzzled.

Adrian personally untied the bag, revealing neatly arranged transparent crystal jars inside; at a glance, there were probably sixty or seventy bottles.

Each jar contained a small handful of soil and a magic tree seed.

"These are the magic tree seeds that I had my family specially purchase during this period. Most of them are level zero and level one magic tree seeds, and there are about seven or eight level two magic tree seeds as well."

"These things aren't worth much money; it just takes some time and effort to collect them. The main thing is that you like them. It's just a small token of my appreciation, and I hope you won't refuse it. Consider it a small way of repaying you for saving me back then." Adrian bowed slightly and said gently.

Whether it's Walmart's main business or the requirements just put forward by Gaode, it fully demonstrates that Gaode has a special fondness for magic tree species.

Adrian's main strategy is to cater to people's preferences.

Gao De looked at Adrian.

The latter's eyes were sincere and earnest.

After a moment of silence, Gao De took the brocade bag and sincerely thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."

"I'm glad you like it, Master Gaode," Adrian said with a smile.

Inside the luxurious carriage arranged by Adrian, Gao De was in high spirits as he examined the crystal jar in the bag.

I never expected to have such a pleasant surprise while attending the title conferment ceremony.

The growth of Yugathira was already progressing rapidly thanks to the stimulation of the Spirit Spring Dew Tree.

With these magical tree seeds, once planted, advancing to the third tier will be within reach.

Once Yoggathila advances in rank, he and his entire family will rise to prominence.

So he really couldn't refuse this gift.

The atmosphere of this gathering of noble mages today has truly broadened his horizons.

The ambition and hard work of these aristocratic children shattered his preconceived notions about aristocratic children.

However, the reasoning is easy to understand.

For ordinary people, in the face of a rigid class system, hard work is basically useless. Once they recognize this reality, choosing to "lie flat" is only natural.

But for nobles, hard work will bring rewards, and with such strong positive feedback incentives, striving for advancement seems equally reasonable.

However, this doesn't mean anything.

It's just because it's a circle, and people in the circle only "play" together because they respect each other.

Those arrogant and dissolute noble youths certainly exist, and there are quite a few of them, but they won't appear in Adrian's circle.

Another unexpected surprise today was the news about the Azus Feather Whistle Tree.

However, Gao De has not yet made up his mind whether or not to attend the auction.

The Feather Whistle Tree of Azus is very important to the North, but Black Sails City is indeed too dangerous. For a second-circle mage like him to go to such a place, he could very well be swallowed up without even a bone left.

There's no need to take that kind of risk.

But there is still a solution.

Because he still has "outside help" to ask for.

The air route between Vallar Bay and Lagos City has been initially opened.

He could have Phoenix send several high-ranking mages to Lagos on a merchant ship, and then they could go with him to Black Sails City to attend the auction.

This greatly improves the safety factor.

I just don't know if I can make it in time. After all, it's already the 14th of the Sunlit Moon, and there's only a month and a half until the Dark Moon.

Just as Gao De was pondering, a sudden chill rose up his spine for no apparent reason, instantly bringing him back to his senses.

what's the situation?
With his intermediate-level Ice Protection Body, how could he possibly feel "cold" in a place like this?!

The next instant, Gaode quickly realized what was happening.

It's not "cold," it's "dangerous."

This is the ability of the [Ninja Body] to "predict impending disasters and suffering with a low probability"!

(End of this chapter)