Chapter 274: Chapter 267: Compendium of Wondrous Items of the Endless Sea Region (Part 1)

Inside the captain’s cabin, Shi Ming took out the flesh of five different S-rank sea beasts and a Crystal Core.

The Contract Core.

This Crystal Core, capable of controlling sea beasts and forming contracts with them, finally met the conditions for an upgrade once more. The five types of S-rank sea beast flesh required were now all accounted for.

Xuanwu, Titan, Dusk Whale, Moonlight Ripple Beast, and the Eighteen-winged Python!

The first four were materials from sea beasts Shi Ming had collected or slain himself. The Eighteen-winged Python had been redeemed from Da Yu’s Treasure Vault. The Contribution Points required for half an Eighteen-winged Python were simply too high, but Da Yu also offered a five-kilogram flesh sample for just 500 Contribution Points.

A real bargain.

As for the flesh of the Netherworld Feathered Serpent he had bought from the Pharaoh, the quantity was too small to meet the requirements.

[Contract Core]

[Level: 5]

[A contract core created using the method from the Divine Revelation Stele. It has been further transformed through the augmentation of a special power. The rank of controllable sea beasts has been raised to A-rank...]

[Upgrade Requirements: Flesh x5000g and Blood x5000g from five types of S-rank ferocious beasts or sea beasts.]

’Heh! Time to upgrade!’

’If everything goes as planned, I’ll be able to form a contract with a living S-rank sea beast once the upgrade is complete. Or I could turn a dead one into a puppet. Having an S-rank sea beast as an enforcer... the thought alone is awesome!’

As the Infinite Brain activated, the blood and flesh of the five different S-rank sea beasts dissolved, transforming into a dense, violent energy. This energy coiled around the Contract Core, rapidly penetrating and reshaping it.

’Success!’

New information about the core appeared before Shi Ming’s eyes!

[Perfect Contract Core]

[Level: 6]

[A pinnacle-level Contract Core. The rank of controllable sea beasts has been raised to S-rank! When merged into an S-rank or lower ferocious beast or sea beast, it can form a contract with the target. Alternatively, it can transform the corpse of a corresponding sea beast into a puppet-like entity that will obey commands with unwavering loyalty.]

[Cannot be upgraded further.]

[Infinite Upgrade Requirements: Flesh x10,000g and Blood x10,000g from seven types of Holy Hall-rank ferocious beasts!]

Shi Ming blinked.

Theoretically, the Contract Core had already reached its peak. As a creation of the Divine Revelation Stele, controlling S-rank sea beasts should have been its absolute limit. But Shi Ming possessed the evolved Infinite Brain, which could allow pinnacle-level items to break through their boundaries, giving the Contract Core a new realm of possibility.

’But the required materials are just insane!’

’Flesh from seven types of Holy Hall-rank ferocious beasts!’

’Even if I eventually fuse "The Third Law" and "Ragnarok" to obtain the Fallen Sanctuary, and my blood could barely count as one of the Holy Hall-rank materials, I would still need six other types. And each one requires ten kilograms of both flesh and blood!’

’That’s more than just difficult!’

Shi Ming had no intention of pushing it to Break the Boundary.

Even though it seemed like it could control Holy Hall-rank beings after Breaking the Boundary.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Something so distant was unattainable, so it was better to cash in on what he had and turn it into real power now. Besides, even if he had the opportunity in the future, he could just create a new Contract Core. Compared to the difficulty of Breaking the Boundary, the challenge of creating a new core and upgrading it to level five would be trivial.

He put away the Contract Core.

He already had a target in mind.

The Nameless Cocoon, suppressed beneath the black gold, was his ideal target. That creature was ranked third, possessed intelligence, and was capable of communication, making it a perfect subject for the contract and Shi Ming’s number one goal. The only problem was that its Spiritual Power was immense, making it incredibly difficult to merge the Contract Core into its body. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

If that proved impossible, he had other options.

With the Map of the Endless Sea in his possession, Shi Ming didn’t lack for targets.

’If you don’t want to be my Paru, there are plenty of others who will.’

...

...

...

"Shi Ming, the application to view the holographic projection of the Great Stele has been processed. You can come to Da Yu anytime."

"That was fast."

"Heh, it’s no big deal. Many scientists and researchers from other organizations who visit Da Yu have made similar requests. Everyone wants a look at the legendary stele. It’s just that the environment on the Top of Mount Everest is even harsher now than it was during the Land Era, making it difficult for ordinary scholars to see the original. They can only apply to study the projection, so those requests are approved quickly. The approval process for acquiring the small stele, however, is much more complicated. Judging by how long it usually takes for my lab budget requests to go through, you might be in for a long wait."

"It’s fine, I’m not in a hurry."

’It wasn’t money he was short on, but Contribution Points.’

Shi Ming put away his communicator after finishing the call with Li Jiuyuan.

The holographic projection aboard the Da Yu vessel only showed a corner of the Great Stele, and the project the Xirang Branch was currently tackling only involved a mere three hundred and twenty characters. Once he could confirm that the "■■■" anomalies that appeared when the Eye of the World had scouted Mount Everest posed no uncontrollable danger, he would personally ascend to the Top of Mount Everest and read the entire Great Stele himself.

’For now, I’ll go see the projection.’

He set off at once...

In stark contrast to the desolate, primitive sea, the holographic projection space at the Xirang Research Institute’s branch was brimming with a futuristic, technological atmosphere.

Shi Ming stepped inside, led by Li Jiuyuan.

It felt like stepping from the ocean into the future.

The entire space was bathed in a faint, deep-blue glow, and a subtle electromagnetic hum permeated the air. The walls were massive, dark panels, behind which dense arrays of processors were faintly visible, occasionally flickering with alternating red and blue signal lights.

In the very center, suspended within a complex energy field, floated a stunningly realistic corner of a stele, approximately three meters tall.

The stele’s material closely resembled Shi Ming’s own fragment, yet it was thicker and more ancient. Inside, faint, strange veins of a deep, cold color seemed to flow. Having been perpetually frozen, the stele’s texture emanated an austere chill. At its base, Shi Ming could even see the thick ice and snow of the Top of Mount Everest, the crevices in the rock, and even ice crystals swept up by the fierce wind in the thin air!

All of it was being projected in real time.

The vast laboratory felt like a humble temple built to enshrine this single corner of the stele.

With a single glance, Shi Ming saw the mysterious, densely packed text on the corner of the stele. Just as he had deduced, it was the first part of the *An Overview of the Endless Ocean’s Wondrous Items*, listing all the items from 11 to 59 along with their brief descriptions.

"Truly magnificent!"

"Even as a mere corner of the Great Stele, it’s still so majestic. It’s like I’ve personally set foot on the Mount Everest Summit!"

As he marveled at the sight, Shi Ming began to intently study the characters.

The original characters on the stele were decrypted in reverse order, and some sections required careful interpretation to grasp their meaning. The other versions of the overview’s middle and first parts circulating at sea were actually translations that had been compiled and organized by Chongwen and his team, making them much easier for people to read and understand.

He saw some familiar wondrous items on this list.

For instance, Da Yu’s Jade Sea Cangwu, as well as his own "Code of All Nations," Lamp of Wishes, and "Formless Pure Ice," were all among them.

[59. Tidal Clam.]

The sea hears long-buried secrets, and the Tidal Clam will relay them to you. Press your ear to the clam to hear a random, current sound from a sea region you designate. Tap the shell to switch to the next sound.

[58. Crown of the Winter Night Aurora]

Wear it, and you shall be king of the Frozen World! The creatures of the Land of Extreme Cold will regard you as a supreme friend, so long as you do not harm them.

[57. Phoenix Perching on the Parrot Wood (This is the treasure of the Nine Cauldrons, the Jade Sea Cangwu)]

The wielder of this wood is immune to environmental damage, such as fire, freezing, lava, and poison mist... The effect lasts for 20 minutes.

[56. Code of All Nations]

[55. Mermaid’s Tear]

[...]

[48. Formless Pure Ice]

[...]

[41. Lamp of Wishes]

[...]

[27. Sealed Prison]

[When the sub-unit makes contact with an item or creature to be sealed, the main unit can be used to seal, unseal, reinforce the seal, suppress, or smelt the target... Operating the main unit consumes a large quantity of Energy Stones. Once activated, the main unit cannot be moved.]

[26. Heaven-Opening Giant Axe (This is Kunwu’s treasure, the "Kunwu Heaven-Opening")]

[...]

[11. Jiuzhou Platform]

This section of the stele was still missing the wondrous items ranked 1-10; with those, the entire list would be complete.

When Shi Ming reached the end, he froze. ’The wondrous item ranked 11th is called the "Jiuzhou Platform"? It’s the exact same name as Da Yu’s administrative center, the "Jiuzhou Platform"?’

’Is it a coincidence?’

’Or has Da Yu also obtained this 11th-ranked wondrous item?’

From the looks of it, Da Yu truly was a treasure trove with a profound heritage, possessing at least six or seven wondrous items.

Furthermore, Shi Ming scanned the entire list but found no trace of the Destiny Golden Toad, nor anything remotely similar. There were only two possibilities: either the Destiny Golden Toad was so valuable that it ranked in the top 10, or its rank was 60 or lower and it had been deliberately concealed or altered on the list published by Xirang.

Clearly, the latter possibility was highly unlikely.