Ling Tian set his sights on this ice-attribute staff, not only because of its inherent power but also due to its material, which Ling Tian recognized as ten-thousand-year ice meteorite iron.
This material, in turn, had only one origin: meteorites.
Within the solar system, there were numerous celestial bodies known as meteorites, primarily categorized into two types: ice meteorites and iron meteorites.
As the name suggested, ice meteorites were composed mainly of ice, constituting the largest proportion of all meteorites.
Following them were iron meteorites, whose primary structure consisted of iron-bearing ore. Upon entering Earth's atmosphere, these iron meteorites experienced intense friction with the air, generating temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius. This heat caused the iron ions within the ore to be leached out, transforming into meteoric iron.
Because this meteoric iron, in addition to iron elements, also fused with other metallic elements, it effectively became an alloy. Such alloys often possessed very special properties.
Both in China and Japan, and even in Europe, ancient records documented the use of meteoric iron to forge divine weapons and sharp tools.
These ice meteorites, though predominantly ice blocks, typically contained an iron core.
These cores had been encased in ice, perpetually frozen at temperatures near absolute zero, for extremely long periods, even tens of thousands, or hundreds of millions of years.
Given sufficient time, the nature of these iron cores changed. The arrangement of iron ions even became similar to that of water molecules within the ice. This material was precisely the ten-thousand-year ice meteorite iron.
Weapons forged from this material, when releasing ice-attribute spells, not only suffered no attenuation but actually experienced a certain degree of enhancement.
Of course, despite its power, this staff still possessed significant limitations in its use. The most prominent limitation was that after use, only an ice-attribute esper could replenish the energy for the staff's gem.
Ice-attribute espers were a rarity among espers, a mere handful. In the entire Western esper community, Aurora Kuyit was perhaps the most renowned ice-attribute esper.
Furthermore, once the process of replenishing the gem on the staff began, it had to be maintained until the gem was fully charged. Even if one's internal energy was depleted, the gem would continue to draw, completely draining the body's ice-attribute energy.
Some espers, upon obtaining this staff, might have been completely drained and rendered powerless before they could even fully charge the gem. For espers or spellcasters, being drained of energy was akin to utter ruin, as it would profoundly impact their future cultivation.
Consequently, such a potent staff became a "chicken rib"—useful but not exceptionally so. It eventually changed hands and became a prize within the Demon Hunter Guild, falling into the possession of Ata Sreim.
Ling Tian was captivated by this staff, finding it highly appealing. He believed that if this staff were given to Aurora Kuyit, it would undoubtedly be like adding wings to a tiger.
As for the staff's usage flaws, Ling Tian paid them no mind. Defects were not an issue; they could always be modified.
The third item Ling Tian fancied was a jade-green magic core, about the size of an adult's fist. Its surface was incredibly lustrous, resembling a flawless, emerald-green jadeite.
This magic core originated from an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake king.
The diamondback rattlesnake was one of the most common and typical venomous snakes in the United States. These snakes were short and stout, possessed a ferocious temperament, and had large fangs and highly potent venom.
However, due to environmental and lifestyle influences, the largest individuals of this diamondback rattlesnake species did not exceed 1.8 meters.
But with the resurgence of spiritual energy, in areas rich with such energy, some animals underwent mutations.
This diamondback rattlesnake king had actually grown to a length of five meters, thicker than an adult's arm. During the hunt for this snake, two demon hunters were bitten and died within a minute.
Later, the snake was finally killed and sent to the Demon Hunter Guild's laboratory. Those scientists, based on the snake's venom, developed several potent toxins.
From the snake's head, this massive magic core was discovered. Initially, the scientists were quite interested in the magic core. However, after a period of research, they all abandoned it.
The surface of the magic core was extremely hard. The scientists initially attempted to embed formations onto its surface using the same techniques employed for creating magic core bombs. To their surprise, their craftsmanship could not even leave a single scratch on the magic core's surface.
Moreover, the scientists dared not resort to more forceful methods to dismantle the magic core. After all, this was the magic core of a highly venomous snake. Who knew if it would explode upon being damaged, releasing its potent venom, which would be no laughing matter.
Thus, this magic core was also shelved and eventually came into the possession of Ata Sreim.
Ata Sreim did not initially recommend this item to Ling Tian. It was only when Ling Tian scanned the entire treasury with his Heavenly Eye divine ability that he discovered this magic core, and he acquired it at a very low cost.
With these three items in hand, Ling Tian's points were nearly all spent.
The two of them exited the underground warehouse, and Ling Tian extended his hand to Ata Sreim once more.
"Mr. Sreim, our cooperation has been very pleasant. I hope we can engage in more in-depth collaborations in the future."
"Haha, excellent! I was thinking the same!"
After exchanging the rewards, Ling Tian and the others drove away from Sreim's camp.
"Xiao Xi, we need to return and handle some matters. You should come with us. Consider it a vacation. When we have time, we'll go demon hunting again."
"Okay! Just call me anytime if I can be of assistance!"
Feng Xiao Xi was very willing to accompany Ling Tian and his group. Being with them not only meant enjoying good food and drink, but Ling Tian also shared a considerable portion of the spoils with her. Most importantly, Feng Xiao Xi gained a great deal of knowledge. She had initially believed herself to be a formidable demon hunter, but after the events of these past few days, she realized she had been like a frog in a well!
Therefore, when Ling Tian extended the invitation, Feng Xiao Xi accepted without hesitation.
They drove directly to Miami, where they checked into a hotel affiliated with the Kuyit family.
Soon after, Ling Tian and Ali excused themselves, citing the need for rest, and entered the spiritual realm. After the recent exertions, Ling Tian had many things to attend to.
With the resurgence of spiritual energy, various forms of chaos were also increasing. Ling Tian understood that only by continuously improving himself could he become stronger and thus safer!