Chapter 563 - 519: Pig-Butchering Scam Game?
Bai Yimo received a temporary mission.
To sell a book.
It was a guidebook, and it was completely free. To be precise, this wasn’t really "selling."
What Bai Yimo needed to do was leverage the power and channels of the Assassination Star to promote it, making sure the book became known to more and more Nirvana Powerhouses.
"Author: Great Benefactor?"
’Is this Great Benefactor Shi Ming, or some other powerhouse behind him?’
She flipped through the guidebook’s contents.
The content was incredibly substantial. Every piece of information seemed priceless. Unfortunately, its authenticity hadn’t been verified, so it was impossible to tell if it was real. But if it was, the guidebook’s value would be absurdly high. Bai Yimo estimated its total worth was well over 10,000 Cosmic Crystals. To just give away such information so selflessly... the author truly lived up to their name: an absolute Great Benefactor.
Take the first article, for example.
How to Obtain the Most Civilization Stones with the Fewest Cosmic Crystals.
This section detailed the exchange rate between Cosmic Crystals and Civilization Stones in the First Civilization Cosmic Country. It frankly stated that, based on purchasing power, the rate was generally high. However, with very few ways to obtain Civilization Stones at present, "Exchanging" was the most convenient and fastest method. And to perform this exchange with maximum efficiency and resource utilization, one needed to use several different "Mortal Titles" in combination.
That was the guide.
Following the guide, one could compress the exchange rate to an extreme of 1:108!
That was a saving of nearly one-third!
In addition, the guidebook also covered the unique features and usage strategies for the First Civilization Cosmic Country’s Teleportation Vortex, Divine Treasure Vault, and mercenary terminals. It was detailed yet concise, with rich, eye-opening content.
’Does information like this even need to be promoted?’
Not at all.
It was more seductive than desire itself. It didn’t need promotion; it would spread like wildfire, causing adventurers, explorers, and the Nirvana Powerhouses from every major Cosmic Country to pant heavily with bloodshot eyes, like bulls seeing red or speculators finding a treasure map.
’Could there be a trap?’
Bai Yimo read through the guidebook several times. She felt that if there was a trap, it likely lay with the final section on the Nirvana community, the "Lost Kingdom." It gave off the distinct feeling of luring people in only to fatten them for the slaughter. But on second thought, ’Who among those who became a Nirvana Powerhouse isn’t incredibly shrewd? Aren’t they all beings who have lived for at least a thousand years? How could they be so easily deceived by something like this?’
Perhaps the explanation was that this guidebook was only the first volume.
The first volume was free.
The subsequent parts would be extremely expensive.
But then another thought occurred to Bai Yimo. If that were the case, piracy would be unavoidable. The author, the Great Benefactor, wouldn’t be able to reap the greatest profit. Instead, they would just be doing all the hard work for someone else’s benefit.
Or perhaps, he wanted to build a wide network of connections?
But what were connections worth compared to the profits of monopolizing this information?
After much thought, Bai Yimo still couldn’t understand the point of distributing such an immensely valuable guidebook for free. Still, she did as she was told. After all, Shi Ming had approved a huge budget for this "book-selling" mission. And for the sake of that budget, she, as an employee, had to serve her boss well.
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「The Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country, True King Hall.」
Ron sat upon the throne in the Royal Hall. Below him stood most of the Nirvana Powerhouses of the Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country. The True King Hall was magnificent and solemn, its air thick with an overwhelming presence as the aura of destiny intertwined with the powers of various origins.
This was a formal Royal Hall conference.
The Star Queen and The Angler stood on either side of the throne. In The Angler’s hand was a materialized copy of the guidebook—a transcript he had just acquired from a small intelligence organization for nearly 2,000 Cosmic Crystals.
After reading it, he felt he had gotten a huge bargain.
2,000 Cosmic Crystals... what a steal!
Even if the information was seventy percent false and thirty percent true—no, even if it was ninety percent false and only ten percent true, it would still be worth it!
He wanted nothing more than to instantly traverse countless light-years, travel to that lost Star Domain, and test his skills. Unfortunately, his Lone Boat was long lost. To use the Dark Cosmos to travel to the periphery of the target region, he would first have to go through the trouble of copying a real and stable anchor point.
That was no easy task.
It was now time for open discussion.
"This so-called First Civilization Cosmic Country, this Lost Kingdom, shares some similarities with the Cave of the Stars in our own Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country. Travel via the Dark Cosmos is impossible in both, they are both filled with endless resources, and they are both virgin territories, undeveloped or left to settle for over a hundred thousand years."
"Perhaps it truly hides a supreme opportunity,"
said the Nirvana Powerhouse "Snow Succubus."
She was the eighth-ranked Nirvana Powerhouse in the Cosmic Country, and her signature skill was [Snowcrack].
"Not just that,"
another Nirvana Powerhouse, "King Zhen Sheng," offered a different opinion. "Travel of any kind is impossible in the Cave of the Stars. Even for a Pillar Stone or a New God, delving deep would take millennia. The First Civilization Cosmic Country, however, has the [Teleportation Vortex]—a creation said to be from the gods—as a tool for travel. In terms of exploration efficiency, it far surpasses the Cave of the Stars. From this perspective alone, its value is far greater."
"This also means that the earlier one sets foot in that Star Domain, the greater the advantage and head start one will have."
"King Zhen Sheng makes a good point, but this so-called head start also comes at a great cost. From what I know, the fee for using the Teleportation Vortex is considerable. An ordinary Nirvana Powerhouse couldn’t possibly afford to freely exchange Cosmic Crystals for Civilization Stones to ride it," The Angler added. He was a veteran Nirvana Powerhouse, but based on the information from the guide, even with his current wealth, he wouldn’t be able to spend freely in the First Civilization Cosmic Country.
As the Nirvana Powerhouses were discussing and sharing their various opinions, they suddenly heard Ron, high on his throne, tap his fingertips on the armrest of his seat.
The clamor in the Royal Hall immediately ceased.
"Destiny has given me a revelation."
"This opportunity is the greatest our Thirty-Seventh Cosmic Country has ever encountered. It is also a once-in-a-millennium chance for our nation’s power to surpass the Second and Third Civilization Cosmic Countries. You need not worry about a shortage of Cosmic Crystals; the Cosmic Country will provide you with a sufficient supply. On this expedition, you are to hold nothing back." Ron looked down upon the Nirvana Powerhouses and gave his command, "Go. Make your preparations."
"Yes."
"Yes."
All the Nirvana Powerhouses, including The Angler, the Star Queen, and Snow Succubus, responded respectfully and withdrew from the True King Hall.
Ron’s face flickered, at times clear, at times blurry. His voice held a mix of anticipation and madness. "Heh heh... I thought my destiny would be fulfilled last time, that I would seize the opportunity that was mine... I never expected fate to leave room for a reversal."
"But this time, destiny will surely arrive."