The object Zhong Xi was holding was nothing more than a few tiny pebbles, which was precisely why Lord Zhong was so utterly astonished. These small stones were the final component required to refine the "Medium Bag." How could he not be excited?

He truly never expected that precisely what he needed would simply appear. Even Zhong Shenxiu himself found it incredible!

Mercedes was unaware of why Zhong Shenxiu was so agitated; she assumed it was due to the book. Thus, she quickly said, "A mentor of mine gave me this book; it records a great deal about magic—"

Her words were cut off before she could finish. Zhong Shenxiu plucked a small stone from the collection and asked, "Hey, woman. Where did you get this kind of stone?"

"This stone is called 'Xiangyan Stone.' It emits an ink-like fragrance and is an indispensable auxiliary ore for refining the 'Medium Bag!'"

Mercedes was surprised that Zhong Shenxiu was interested in the stone, momentarily stunned. This stone was not rare or precious; she had placed them in the box precisely because of the faint, inky aroma they emitted. Women, by nature, are drawn to fragrant and beautiful things!

Zhong Shenxiu did not give up and asked again.

Although finding the "Xiangyan Stone" excited him greatly, this small amount was clearly insufficient for refining the "Medium Bag." He needed to procure much more!

This time, Mercedes finally reacted, stating with surprise, "I found these back when I was in the 'Black Water Forest.' There are many such stones there!"

"Are there any places around here that sell these stones?" Zhong Shenxiu asked again, urgently.

Mercedes was taken aback by his persistence regarding the stones and generously offered, "If you like them, I can just give you these!"

Sigh!

Zhong Shenxiu certainly intended to keep these "Xiangyan Stones," but this meager amount was nowhere near enough. Once refined with the "Samadhi True Fire," very little would remain.

"I need more. Do you know where I can get more of these stones?" Zhong Shenxiu asked directly.

He was currently suppressing the excitement churning inside him. If he could just find more of this "Xiangyan Stone," he could immediately begin refining the "Medium Bag." Then his breeding base would have a solution, and he would no longer worry about insufficient space!

Mercedes suddenly looked troubled. She hadn't been in the "Splendid Nation" long and wasn't familiar with the area, having no idea where such stones might be sold. She glanced at Belladanti beside her and asked, "Sister, do you know?"

Belladanti was no better off than Mercedes. She spent most of her time in the "East Joy Palace" and rarely went out. She had only visited the "Dark Merchant Guild" a few times. Thus, when asked by Mercedes, she could only shake her head.

Zhong Shenxiu felt a touch of helplessness. It seemed he would have to venture out and search himself. Despite this thought, he still asked Mercedes, "Where is this 'Black Water Forest' you mentioned?"

"Five hundred li northwest of the capital of the Summer Star Empire!" Mercedes replied with certainty, suggesting she had visited there quite a bit.

Hearing the name "Summer Star Empire," Zhong Shenxiu immediately fell into deep thought. According to his original plan, he was supposed to head to the "Spring Dew Empire" first, as it housed Summoners that greatly interested him! However, the "Medium Bag" was Zhong Shenxiu's most pressing need right now, creating a slight conflict. After some deliberation, Zhong Shenxiu decided that if he truly couldn't find the "Xiangyan Stone" here, he would go to the "Summer Star Empire" first. It would just be a detour before heading to the "Spring Dew Empire"!

With that settled, Zhong Shenxiu looked up at Mercedes and said, "Then I will accept these stones!"

Mercedes smiled faintly and quickly replied, "Yes, take them!" To her, these stones were utterly ordinary, nothing worth regretting giving away!

After carefully storing the "Xiangyan Stones," Zhong Shenxiu began examining the book in the box. His reading speed was swift; in just a brief moment, he placed the book back in the box and returned it to Mercedes!

Compared to the "Xiangyan Stone," the book brought him little surprise. The contents merely offered a few different perspectives on magic, views that Zhong Shenxiu already knew or were too biased. In short, it held no reference value for him!

After chatting a while longer, Belladanti and Mercedes departed. Zhong Shenxiu, however, called over the two dwarves, Andrew and Yale.

"Do you two recognize these stones?" Zhong Shenxiu asked, holding up a piece of "Xiangyan Stone."

Andrew and Yale examined it closely for a while, then shook their heads. Although the Dwarven race frequently dealt with ores, it didn't mean they were familiar with every stone, especially those lacking value for artifact crafting.

Zhong Shenxiu felt another wave of disappointment. He had hoped Andrew and Yale might bring some surprise, but the result was the same! It seemed he truly had to go out and search himself...

Fortunately, Zhong Shenxiu had committed the locations of the various shops in the "Splendid Nation" to memory from the maps he had previously studied. He took Andrew and Yale with him and began visiting weapon shops in search.

Time passed quickly, and by dusk, Zhong Shenxiu and the two dwarves finally returned, looking somewhat disheartened. The reason was simple: Zhong Shenxiu had not found what he was looking for!

What frustrated him greatly was that no one seemed to recognize the "Xiangyan Stone." No matter whom he asked, everyone shook their heads, claiming ignorance.

However, that was perhaps for the best. Precisely because others didn't recognize its value, it remained for Zhong Shenxiu to collect. If this were in the Cultivation World, he likely wouldn't even find residue of the "Xiangyan Stone." Never mind that the cultivators in that world possessed profound Dao comprehension; when they spotted treasure, they were no different from dogs spotting a bone!

It seemed he absolutely had to make a trip to that so-called "Black Water Forest"!

Night had already fallen, and due to the wind, the air outside felt somewhat cool!

Belladanti and Mercedes were chatting in their room. Most of their conversation revolved around Zhong Shenxiu and the things he had said. Even though the day was nearly over, the two hadn't fully processed the principles Zhong Shenxiu had explained.

As the two were discussing the topic of "Composite Magic," there was a sudden knock at the door.

Belladanti's instinctive reaction was that it must be Tia, as no one else would visit this late! But when she opened the door, she froze—the visitor was Zhong Shenxiu!

"Um..." In her shock, Belladanti was momentarily speechless.

She and her sister had just been discussing Zhong Shenxiu; his sudden arrival made Belladanti feel a little guilty, wondering if he had overheard anything they said!

"Is your sister here?" Zhong Shenxiu asked with a placid expression.

"Yes!" Belladanti quickly nodded and beckoned Zhong Shenxiu inside.

Upon entering, Mercedes was also suddenly surprised to see Zhong Shenxiu, and even more so when Belladanti mentioned he was looking for her. She couldn't imagine why he sought her out, feeling a sense of trepidation!

Zhong Shenxiu wasted no pleasantries, directly finding a chair and sitting down.

"Hey, woman, want to make a deal with me?" Zhong Shenxiu asked, locking his eyes onto Mercedes, getting straight to the point.

What?

Mercedes was momentarily stunned—he wanted to strike a bargain with her?

Mercedes stared back, fixing her gaze on Zhong Shenxiu, and after a long pause, asked, "What kind of deal?"

"You take me to that 'Black Water Forest' to search for those stones, and these things will be your reward!" As he spoke, Zhong Shenxiu produced numerous magic implements from his magic ring—ranging from spell scrolls to robes. These were all non-saleable items from the "Dark Merchant Guild," things that would make ordinary mages' eyes go wide.

Both Belladanti and Mercedes were startled by Zhong Shenxiu's action, then immediately fixed their eyes on the powerful equipment, feeling their breaths quicken.

They knew the value of these items perfectly well; just picking one out and putting it up for auction would cause a frenzy! They never expected this young boy to bring out so many items at once—how did he acquire them? Even more astonishing was the thought of giving these superb items to Mercedes; anyone else would have their mind reeling!

"Um... you... you said you'd give these things to my sister?" Belladanti asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

She was starting to think Zhong Shenxiu had gone mad. To be willing to give away such equipment, and merely for guiding him to look for those utterly common stones—Good heavens, why had she never encountered such a stroke of luck?

Zhong Shenxiu didn't answer Belladanti's question, continuing to stare intensely at Mercedes!

After a period of rapid breathing, Mercedes finally calmed down, shifting her gaze from the implements to meet Zhong Shenxiu's eyes, as if trying to look into his mind. After a long while, she finally stated, "I cannot accept these things from you!"

Zhong Shenxiu’s expression remained unchanged, but Belladanti beside him was shocked for a second time—she hadn't expected her sister to refuse!

After a pause, Mercedes added, "If you truly wish to go to that 'Black Water Forest,' I can take you, but I cannot accept these items!"

Logically, Zhong Shenxiu should have been surprised by this response, but he wasn't. Instead, a profound, enigmatic smile spread across his face, as if Mercedes's answer was precisely what he had anticipated!

"Then how about this," Zhong Shenxiu suddenly flashed a wicked smile and then said something Mercedes would find hard to refuse.