Chapter 1175: Piracy and Counterfeits

“Lost them?”

The white-haired old man stiffened slightly.

He didn’t doubt that there were actually two of them, as their movements, expressions, and tone of voice were almost identical.

“I don’t know where they went. Weren’t you heading towards the other side of the bustling market at the time?” the white-haired old man stammered, as if utterly crushed.

This scene was truly astonishing.

The sculpture before him was almost identical to the ancient one, making it impossible to distinguish the genuine from the fake!

This made him question his entire life. He even wondered if he had been living with a narrow perspective. A more radical thought emerged: Were the sculptures he had, even those on his stall, real or fake?

Could it be that all the items in his possession were fakes, also created by some ancient being?

The old man was utterly bewildered.

However, he was not an ordinary person. After regaining his composure, a bold idea struck him. He abruptly stood up from his stall. “My friend, I have a big business opportunity here, one that guarantees immense profits in this chaotic outer realm!”

“Tell me about it,” Di Qi said after a moment of stunned silence.

“Your craftsmanship is astounding. You are a born master of forgery, with a talent unmatched throughout history! Your skill could rank among the greatest in the entire universe,” the old man said excitedly, his face flushed. “Even I couldn’t tell the difference, and I doubt many others in this world could either. If you join forces with me to create these forgeries... countless beings would surely desire to collect them, willing to pay any price!”

The value of these ancient artifacts was truly astonishing.

Di Qi paused, hands clasped behind his back, and said indifferently, “This strange, primitive rural land is truly peculiar. These commonplace dolls, without powerful supernatural abilities or being Dao artifacts, are useless except for their unique aura. Can they really be valuable?”

The old man was utterly speechless.

By that logic, wouldn’t the masterpieces of ancient powerhouses just be a collection of ink and brushstrokes with a unique aura?

When basic needs are met, people seek higher pursuits.

Just like in ancient times, only the wealthy and well-fed collected antiques and curios, delving into the spiritual world to understand the value of these ancient objects and appreciating them intently.

And here, among these tenth-tier civilizations, which one hasn’t reached a high spiritual realm, already transcending material desires and becoming an ultimate civilization?

For the great ancient beings, with their long lifespans and ample leisure, collecting ancient artifacts as a hobby was simply inevitable.

A casual expenditure of resources, even precious natural treasures, from their hands would be enough to bring prosperity.

Di Qi stated, “I have no need for energy resources.”

The old man was utterly speechless again. “Where did this country bumpkin come from? In a tenth-tier ultimate civilization, who lacks material energy? Their currency must be something else.”

Di Qi listened for a moment and then understood. It was likely a trade of precious natural treasures, supreme artifacts related to the expansion of the Great Dao, like Cloud Star Dao Fruits. Even a ninth-tier Cloud Star Dao Fruit was incredibly powerful; what about a tenth-tier one? It must be an unimaginable specialty of civilization, valuable even to ultimate tenth-tier beings.

Considering this, Di Qi wore a look as if he were staring at an idiot. “Objects that can be made anywhere can be exchanged for treasures? That might be worth a try.”

“Then it’s settled!”

The old man’s eyes immediately lit up.

To be honest, he had been most afraid that the other person would be a righteous individual, too upright to use their extraordinary skills for forgery. That would truly be a waste of talent.

“...I don’t wish to bother with these things. You can speak with them,” Di Qi said.

Di Qi extended his hand, and several players appeared before them. They excitedly looked around, sensing the world. Was this truly the scene beyond the cosmic chaos?

So tenth-tier civilization was this prosperous? Were they standing on a street?

Screenshot.

Screenshot.

They began live-streaming.

Shocking: The ultimate mystery beyond the universe, what lies at the end of the cosmos? It’s a white-haired old man with a street stall!

They found this incredibly exciting!

Just as Earth announced its recovery, the Emperor descended, and that afternoon Qiu Mingshan Che Su analyzed ancient truths. Now, by evening, Di Qi had broken through and brought them to ascension?

Indeed, a day in heaven was a year on Earth; the time dilation was immense, making it so thrilling they couldn’t stop!

At this point, the entire Earth was watching. Countless people posted online, and even some scientists were incredibly excited.

“This is beyond the universe?”

“Parallel universes are structured like this!”

“Unbelievable! Unbelievable!”

The entire population was in an uproar.

Tears welled up in their eyes from excitement. They felt fortunate to be born in this generation, witnessing history unfold, and sensing that their civilization was experiencing unprecedented opportunities, moving towards a brighter future!

At this moment.

“They are good at this; you can communicate with them,” Di Qi said, abruptly leaving the players and turning to depart. “I still need to pursue them.”

To the old man’s astonishment, Di Qi walked away, muttering with a hint of anger:

“Such pirated goods are utterly disgusting. If I don’t kill him, I’ll never vent my hatred!”

The old man was completely dumbfounded.

Before he could react, several players tapped him on the shoulder from behind, asking with earnest expressions, “Elder, what is your esteemed name?”

“This humble Daoist is Su Xuan,” he replied, bowing slightly.

These players were, of course, quantum battle bodies; their main bodies were still within Di Qi’s inner space. They were now more cautious than anyone, curiously surveying their surroundings.

Soon, as they listened to the old man’s words, they quickly understood his intentions.

At the same time, their own hearts stirred.

“The Age of Sculpture Art? Renimansijia is discussing tenth-tier concepts? The true history of ancient times?”

“I really want to listen!”

“Are they all just mortals?”

“What exactly was that ancient era like? These clay sculptures must be highly significant!”

“We need to get Qiu Mingshan Che Su to deduce this!”

“Right, let’s see what the expert thinks.”

The forum was buzzing with discussion, and the think tank had also been activated, seeking the best way to handle the current situation.

“So that’s how it is. To make forgeries, Elder, you’re quite a prodigy in your field,” one player said, sitting at the stall and pondering. “But Elder, have you considered this? Your line of work, making forgeries, isn’t sustainable.”

Su Xuan was taken aback.

“Rarity makes something precious. These items are valuable now because they are rare. But if forgeries become widely circulated in the market, will they still be worth so much?” the player asked.

The white-haired old man fully realized his oversight; he hadn’t thought of that.

Indeed, this business wouldn’t last long!

If too many circulated in the market, they would lose their value.

Truth be told, if what that previous group said was true—that these were created by the first beings at the dawn of chaos and had become rare over time—then these clay antique sculptures would be tens of thousands of times more valuable than imagined!

However, this was still based on their rarity. These clay sculptures inherently had no “intrinsic value.” They weren’t Dao artifacts, possessed no supernatural power, and weren’t hard currency. They could be priceless treasures or utterly worthless...

People bought them for their rarity and the historical stories they embodied.

“And if too many circulate, they’ll become worthless. Your idea is good, but that’s not the way to do it,” the players said with serious expressions. “We need to change our approach. You’re skilled with antiques, but when it comes to business in this area, you should trust us.”

“So, what do you propose?” asked the elder Su Xuan.

One player pointed to the distant sea. “We need to add some flair. Aren’t these ancient artifacts being fished up from the ocean? Let’s start a ‘Golden Fishery’ agritourism business.”

“Golden Fishery?” Elder Su Xuan didn’t immediately grasp the concept.