Death... and me

Kentucky nodded and immediately pointed at one of the demon beasts. It looked like a snake, but it had three tails. Each tail end was made of sharp bone, not to mention that they seemed to contain poison as well.  Obviously, just like all the demon beasts here, the snake was at Stage Five or higher. "Alright, let's check that guy over there. The ore in his possession seems very tas-ahem... good for a Heaven Middle-level ore."

As mentioned before, the Demon Beast Continent didn't have its Spiritual Energy affected by Celis. With that being said, although it was still frozen due to the rest of the planet's condition, which affected its weather, it was still very good for cultivation. However, that wasn't all. It also meant that the birth of Heaven-level ores and other types of materials stayed at the same level.

That was one of the reasons why the Soul Rulers conducted trades here. After all, this was the best place to find those kinds of ores. It also explained Kentucky's excitement. He could sense a lot of them.

Rean nodded in response, and soon, they paid a visit to the three-tailed snake. "Hello, sir. Do you have any Heaven-level ores for trading?" Rean asked with a smile.

The snake, who seemed to be sleeping, opened its eyes as it got up. It was a little surprised to see a human with cultivation at the Nascent Soul Realm since they were very rare. Nevertheless, it quickly put those thoughts behind as it asked Rean and Kentucky by his side, 'I do have some that I found a few weeks ago. Can you pay for it?'

Rean and Kentucky nodded, with Rean replying, "We believe so. However, we need to see what kind it is first."

The snake nodded before using one of its tails to grab a small chunk and passed it to Rean. It had a bluish color, obviously an effect of being exposed to the cold environment for a long time. It was the first time Rean saw a material like this one. After all, this was a different planet. Besides, Spiritual Energy created all kinds of wonders, so there was nothing wrong about Rean not knowing that ore was.

In any case, Rean was quite pleased with what he could feel with his Spiritual Sense and Soul Power. "Very good material. It's at the very peak of what a Heaven Middle-level ore could be. It's not too heavy, but it's very sturdy. The most important part is that it's easy to work with. It's definitely good for the creation of Yin Energy-related weapons and armors. Say, what's it called?"

The snake answered straight away, 'Blue Star Ore. Unlike most of the ores, this one must continue to be exposed outside to take form. It will then absorb the Stellar Energy and the Yin properties of the environment. No one found this guy before because of the ice that covered the surface of the area where it took form. It made the mineral itself look like just some ice in the middle of the snow, so no one paid attention to it. It was by luck that the snow and ice finally began to melt that I noticed its presence. Naturally, I took it for myself.'

Rean nodded after hearing the snake's words. In the blacksmith books he read back in Sunkan Planet, it mentioned that some ores needed to be exposed to certain conditions to take form. It might be the sun, storms, or even stars, which was the requirement for this ore. Rean then passed the small chunk back to the snake before asking, "How much are you asking for it? Can services be included?"

The snake was just about to answer when Rean mentioned the word 'services.'

'What do you mean by services?'

Rean then pointed at himself as he used a Spiritual Sense Message to answer, saying, "I'm a Heaven-level blacksmith. If there's something you wish to forge, we can use it as payment for the ore. Of course, if you don't want anything forged, then we can talk about a price for it."

'You? A Heaven-level blacksmith?' The snake was at Stage Five, so it could only use Spiritual Sense Messages to start with. 'Can you prove it?'

The snake was planning to trade it for high-level Spirt Stones or some wood, poison, or bone-related resources. However, if it could craft something for its tailbones, that would be the best thing. One must remember that Heaven-level equipment could change size. That being said, even if its cultivation increased and its body became bigger, it would still be able to use the equipment.

Rean, of course, cleared up the snake's doubts by saying, 'Of course! However, you know very well that Heaven-level blacksmiths are as hard to find as the ores themselves. After all, the world doesn't have that many Heaven-level ores for one to practice to start with. That being said, if I craft you the equipment you desire, I won't pay anything else for the Blue Star Ore. My work will be my payment.'

The snake didn't even need to think twice since it knew Rean was telling the truth. 'Deal!' Soon after, it grabbed an enormous horn from some creature and showed it to Rean, telling him, 'I got this horn by chance, and it's very compatible with my tailbones. The owner of this horn was definitely a Stage Seven Demon Beast. That being said, it can become an amazing addition to my poison tails. What I want you to make is to forge it in the shape of my tails without obstructing the release of poison. Can you do it?'

Rean hovered a little and took a good look at the horn. After assessing it with his Spiritual Sense, he nodded with a smile, responding, 'Yep, it should be doable. In fact, I don't need to use the entire horn. Two-thirds should be enough for your Stage Five and Stage Six sizes if you reach it. There isn't a point in forging it to match your Stage Seven size since your tails would already be at that level when the time comes. Besides, forging something to match your Stage Six size is my limit as well.'

The snake still had its doubts. However, it was just too hard to find Heaven-level blacksmiths in this world. 'Very well. I have a place here in the city where you can work. Can you come and forge it now?'

Rean and Kentucky nodded, with Rean responding, 'Certainly.'