"Take a look at this."

Yun You handed the white crystal over to Yuanbao.

"Wow? A Soul Stone! That's quite rare."

Yuanbao examined the crystal in his hand, genuinely surprised.

"Soul Stone?"

Seeing that Yuanbao recognized the crystal, Yun You was slightly taken aback and quickly asked in a low voice, "I don't know much about these things... If you don't mind, Yuanbao, could you explain it to me?"

"No problem."

Yuanbao was as candid as ever, not refusing to share his knowledge.

"The so-called Soul Stone is actually formed when the soul power of certain monsters or strong individuals exceeds nature's breakdown capability and can't dissipate after they die in battle, thus forming such a stone on its own..."

"It may look like stone on the outside, but in essence, it's the soul of the deceased."

"As for what it does... I have to ask you a question first."

Yuanbao paused and then asked earnestly, "Do you know what sets Apprentice Death Gods apart from ordinary people the most?"

"The soul!"

Yun You answered instinctively.

This answer was also told to her by Old Jin via text message.

The soul is the "immaterial" object possessed by all things in the world.

Throughout history, no scientific evidence or systematic theory can fully explain the nature of the soul, yet it truly exists and influences the world in its own ways.

For ordinary people or creatures, the soul is not powerful; it merely resides in the body. When the body dies, the soul dissipates along with it, which is what they call "when a person dies, the light goes out."

But Apprentice Death Gods are entirely different.

Their souls undergo a transformation at the core, changing from formless and intangible void into strong physical energy, allowing them to transform from humans into gods.

That's what Old Jin said.

"Though Apprentice Death Gods are known for their strong bodies and incredible abilities, it's their unique souls that are the source of our power."

"The variance in souls shapes distinct superpowers and talents, and the strength of souls affects the hierarchical ranking of Apprentice Death Gods."

"All our actions and movements are in service of our souls."

From this, one can see just how important the soul is to an Apprentice Death God.

It's akin to gunpowder in the defense industry or electricity in modern civilization.

"Soul... Yes, exactly, it's indeed the soul, and it can only be the soul."

Yuanbao nodded, completely agreeing with Yun You's answer.

"From an Apprentice Death God's perspective, the soul is both the fuel that drives our actions and the energy that strengthens us."

"Apprentice Death Gods can enhance their strength by increasing the upper limit of soul power. At the same time, all our techniques and actions also consume soul power."

"Therefore, our need for souls is immense. Yet, it isn't like gasoline or batteries that are readily available... Only very few methods can store soul power."

"And this is one of them!"

Yuanbao shook the crystal in his hand... No, to be precise, it should now be called a Soul Stone.

"As long as you're an Apprentice Death God, you can absorb the energy within it."

"Absorbing it normally can significantly enhance your strength, and if absorbed in near-death circumstances, it becomes a stimulant, pulling you back from the brink of death, essentially extending your life."

"For this reason, the value of this item has always been high, but due to its low production, it's often hard to find."

At this point, Yuanbao sighed and shook his head a bit regretfully.

"It's a pity that the owner of this Soul Stone was just a 'one-leaf' level mutant creature, so the soul stone left behind isn't particularly strong, and its price is greatly discounted."

"I can only offer you up to 50,000 Silver Cannon for it; any higher and I'd be losing money."

Upon hearing this, Yun You nodded slightly.

Earlier, while Yuanbao was explaining, she also searched online for the price of Soul Stones.

This white-haired boss wasn't lying to her; one-leaf level and one-flower level Soul Stones are indeed worth around 40,000 Silver Cannon, so Yuanbao's offer was quite high.

Unfortunately, even with an additional 50,000, Yun You still couldn't afford the Star-Attracting Skill.

"Then I'll hold onto this Soul Stone for now, take a look at this instead."

The little girl put away the Soul Stone and then handed over the golden disc from her other hand.

"What's this? Gold?"

Seeing the shiny golden disc, Yuanbao was immediately intrigued.

Few people dislike this dazzling metal, not even Apprentice Death Gods.

"This disc weighs at least five pounds, right?"

"Based on the current market gold price—120 Silver Cannon per gram—it can sell for at least 300,000."

Yuanbao tapped the disc, and the metal emitted a clear "ding ding ding" sound.

"Indeed, it should be genuine gold; it's just unclear what the purity level is..."

"But that's not a big issue; using fire to refine it will do. The online data of objects on the Ethernet matches the offline completely, so the refined purity can serve as a reference."

"How about we refine it to check the purity..."

As she spoke, Yuanbao suddenly noticed the pattern on the back of the disc, and it caused her to choke on her words.

"This... Is this...?!"

She slowly widened her eyes, seeming to recall something significant.

"Let me research this, let me really study it!"

With that, she took out a magnifying glass from her pocket, disregarding everything else and started scrutinizing the base of the disc while mumbling.

Seeing this, Yun You didn't dare interrupt and could only stand by silently, waiting for Yuanbao to finish her research.

But this wait lasted over an hour...

In the meantime, Yuanbao studied the pattern intently, not daring to move her gaze.

Honestly, Yun You was getting somewhat impatient.

She stood up, moved her slightly numb legs, and started browsing around Yuanbao's shop.

It's worth mentioning that this girl doesn't seem like the typical "blacksmith" type... besides research and making things, she has other hobbies.

On the contrary, Yuanbao not only cultivated many potted plants but also enjoyed painting. The store walls were adorned with exquisite artworks depicting beautiful scenes Yun You had never seen.

Such as a sea of sunflowers painted in golden hues, with sunlight streaming over the land, spreading warmth across the world.

Or an ancient forest full of vitality, with towering trees blocking out the sun, streams flowing through the woods, invoking a sense of tranquility just by looking at it.

"What beautiful paintings..."

Yun You sincerely praised and even thought of buying a few to take home as collectibles.

But just as she was admiring patiently, Yuanbao suddenly jumped up, staring at the patterns on the disc with a shocked expression.

"Holy shit! I know what this is!"

Yuanbao's eyes widened as she mumbled, "Sis... I'm impressed by your luck, managing to get such a rare item..."

"This is the base of the [Butcher Tower]! My goodness, this is a treasure that even the higher-ups would covet!"

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