In the depths of the Southern Liang Mountains, a cave was brightly lit.
Sun Ke sat before a round stone table, on which lay a small wooden box filled with White Jade Coins.
He grasped a handful and let them fall back, listening to the crisp clinking of the White Jade colliding, his excitement indescribable.
The rebuilding of Pingfu Square went smoothly, and just the entrance fees brought in over three hundred White Jade Coins.
In the past, hustling around for an entire year would net him just fifty or sixty White Jade, nowhere near this current fortune.
"Fatty’s two and a half percent cannot be shorted," Sun Ke reluctantly counted out seventy or eighty White Jade Coins.
That fellow was a former Pingfu Square staff member who possessed a Secret Technique for wide-range transmission of sound that could elude the Lock Dragon Courtyard’s detection, perceivable only by Qi Cultivators. It was his ability to advertise that swiftly attracted nearly two hundred Qi Cultivators.
"And there’s the half that belongs to Gongsun, the demon cultivator," Sun Ke gritted his teeth and separated out the majority of the remainder.
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As he watched the White Jade Coins rapidly diminish, his eyes turned bloodshot.
"What if I just take this money and run?"
The moment the thought arose, Sun Ke’s heart thudded rapidly, and he reached for the large portion of White Jade Coins he’d just separated. Stay tuned to freewebnovel
But as his hand extended halfway, a tickling sensation suddenly spread along his spine as if a thin snake were wriggling inside it.
Sun Ke’s face blanched immediately, as though doused with a bucket of ice water in the dead of winter, and his covetous thoughts dissipated instantly.
His own life was in someone else’s hands, and moreover, the successful rebuilding of Pingfu Square relied entirely on the Breath Ending Divine Ability for concealment. If he indeed took this money, the consequences would likely be unpleasant!
"But handing over this money to Gongsun, the demon cultivator, won’t be straightforward either."
Simply inform the other party that he had set up a Market District?
Sun Ke immediately shook his head.
Although their interactions had been brief, he knew clearly enough that, despite being powerful and ruthless, the demon cultivator acted in a remarkably cautious manner.
With the Lock Dragon Courtyard scouring the world and Qi Cultivators trembling like frightened hares, he had gone against the current and brazenly established a Market District. If the demon cultivator were to find out, he’d probably demand the immediate dissolution of the Market District.
Glancing at the box of White Jade Coins, a glint of determination flashed in Sun Ke’s eyes.
"The Market District must not break up!"
"So, the money must be delivered. But the matter of the Market District… must be concealed!"
...
In the Divine Statue Cave Heaven, within the City Divine Main Hall.
A long offering table covered with soft cotton blankets was laid out, and Chen Mu lay sideways, propping his face with his left hand.
On his right index finger, a black rope bracelet spun in circles as he stared blankly at the divine statue.
After a while, he came back to himself, his eyes regaining focus.
"This Sun Ke has run quite far, to the point where my sense connection fails to reach him."
"Though I can’t share the five sensations nor employ the Seven Souls Return to Origin, the connection between the United Heart Gu and the United Heart Rope hasn’t been severed in the slightest," Chen Mu muttered, glancing at the black rope bracelet on his finger.
In his idle time these past few days, he had started to contemplate the United Heart Gu inside Sun Ke’s body.
He increasingly suspected that the force that pulled him to Qiluo Mountain was related to the United Heart Gu implanted in Lu Ku and the others.
"After all, this thing is refined from Netherworld Thread; its power can penetrate through the boundaries of the Netherworld to the Ghost Gate, so it’s not impossible to accomplish that."
"The Thousand Mountains Sutra is no trivial matter," Chen Mu exclaimed.
The Thousand Mountains Sutra was a widely circulated side scripture, from which the technique to create the United Heart Gu originated.
The Five Ghosts Bag that had accompanied him for over ten years, as well as the Soul-Calming Stake known to have appeared in Da Qian, and other heretical secret techniques were all included within it.
And all these Magical Instrument Secret Techniques were related to Ghosts. It seemed likely that the Ancient Thousand Mountains Path had specialized in studying Ghosts.
"What binds me now is not the City God Dojo but the bond between my Heavenly Demon Body and Fleshly Body."
"Since the United Heart Gu, stretching across the boundaries of the Mortal Realm and Netherworld, can pull me, could it also somehow link the Divine Energy of my Heavenly Demon Body and Fleshly Body from a great distance?" Chen Mu’s eyes brightened at the thought.
...
Five days later.
At the border between Luandu County and Jiangyang County.
"Four hundred? That much?" Chen Mu, looking at the small pile of White Jade Coins in the wooden box, glanced at Sun Ke in surprise.
"The price of Fasting Pills went up—two White Jade Coins for a bottle," Sun Ke explained.
"Fasting Pills are, after all, just a type of food. How can they be so expensive?" Chen Mu raised his eyebrows in astonishment.
Sweat broke out on Sun Ke’s back, yet he strove to keep his expression unchanged.
"The main issue is the harsh environment of Da Qian; many Qi Cultivators want to cross the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains of East Ridge to escape Da Qian."
"The journey through the mountains is long and arduous. Fasting Pills are convenient to carry, one pill is enough for three days, and they can slightly reinforce and nurture one’s core. Anyone who wants to head to East Ridge stocks up on them."
"But with the Dao of Li Yang destroyed, Jilong Road vanished, and the small sects and factions devastated by the Lock Dragon Courtyard, those capable of Alchemy are increasingly scarce, leading to a high demand for Fasting Pills, and with supply unable to meet the demand, the price hike is unavoidable," Sun Ke earnestly spun his tale.
Chen Mu gave Sun Ke a skeptical look, feeling that the man was hiding something.
While Sun Ke appeared relaxed, internally he was fraught with anxiety, fearful that Chen Mu would press the matter further. Eager to change the subject, he quickly said, "Do you require any other Elixir Pills?"
"I’ve found a market district with considerable foot traffic, where there’s a substantial demand for all sorts of elixir pills. If we had more kinds of pills, we might earn even more White Jade Coins," he explained earnestly.
Chen Mu thought for a moment and said, "I do have some Through-Rhino Hundred Miasma Pills that can drive away insects and avoid poisonous miasma, but I’m not sure if anyone would buy them."
Someone will buy!
There must be someone who will!
"Many Qi Cultivators wish to cross the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains to leave Da Qian. I’ve heard that the mountains are infested with poisonous insects and miasma. Your All-Disease Pills will definitely be very popular!" Sun Ke lied without batting an eye.
"Is that so?" Chen Mu was half-convinced.
The Through-Rhino Hundred Miasma Pill wasn’t cheap. Would those precarious fringe Wild Cultivators of Da Qian really be willing to spend so much money on it?
"You have to believe me, someone will definitely buy it!"
Even if nobody buys it, I will buy it myself.
The Fasting Pill was after all too low-grade; doubling its price was already the limit. He urgently needed a more expensive elixir pill to bring in money, and now the opportunity had presented itself!
Chen Mu squinted and stared at Bai Ke for a long time, feeling that something was not quite right with this fellow.
"You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?"
"Why would you say that, sir? I am wholeheartedly loyal to you, you’re slandering me!" Sun Ke shouted emotionally.
"Hm?" Chen Mu frowned and gave Sun Ke a sidelong glance.
Sun Ke immediately composed himself and saluted respectfully: "Whatever you wish to know, sir, I shall tell you all."
"Have you been reciting the East Pole Longevity Scripture?"
"I recite it a hundred times daily without fail," he replied.
"Then add another hundred times to it."
"As you wish!"
Indeed, as always, he knew when to bow and when to stand tall.
Chen Mu shook his head and chuckled.
With such a timid look, even if he was hiding something, could he really stir up trouble?
Ha!
...
As the weather gradually warmed, the withered yellow Qiluo Mountain unknowingly turned into a lush greenery.
In the Divine Statue Cave Heaven, Chen Mu lay sprawled on a long offering table, sighing.
"It failed."
In the past period, he had tried multiple times to implant Netherworld Thread into the Heavenly Demon Body, hoping to link their vital energies with the United Heart Gu in order to leave the Divine Statue Cave Heaven.
However, every time the Netherworld Thread entered the Heavenly Demon True Form, it was instantly devoured and absorbed, disappearing without a trace.
"That’s right, the essence of the Heavenly Demon True Form is actually a Ghost, which naturally devours Netherworld Worms," he reasoned.
Having experienced the Netherworld for several years, he understood very well that Ghosts and Netherworld Worms were co-dependent yet antagonistic, two sides of the same coin.
When Netherworld Worms are strong, they can suppress Ghosts. When Ghosts are strong, they will kill Netherworld Worms.
The United Heart Gu, after all, is made from Netherworld Thread, the larval stage of a Netherworld Worm. Being devoured by the Divine Fetus Realm Heavenly Demon Body is thus inevitable.
"Looks like I have to think of another method," Chen Mu muttered, shaking his head slightly as the United Heart Rope he was fiddling with on his finger flew above his head, once again transforming into a loop for his hair bun.
With a thought, the grey walls revealed themselves.
Netherworld Grand Summary: 5991/10000/Ninth Rank;
Giant Spirit Divine: 9264/10000/Fifth Rank;
Nine Cups Calculation Scripture: 6334/10000/Second Rank;
Yin Wind Escape: Perfection;
Lingbao Pivot Scripture: 6400/10000/Fourth Rank;
Looking at the rising experience on the wall, Chen Mu couldn’t help but smile.
During this time, White Jade Coins were flowing in steadily, propelling his Qi Cultivation practice. The Netherworld Grand Summary’s progress was delightful, already more than halfway there. Based on the current pace, in another three to four months, he could perfect the Primordial Talisman Condensation stage.
"Join Jade Seed, Gathering Talisman, Condensing Spirit Orifice, it took me over a decade to tackle the first three barriers of Qi Cultivation. Now, I am finally about to complete a major stage, truly a cause for celebration."
The Giant Spirit Divine Secret Technique he picked up alongside the Divine Orifice Condensation was also on the verge of progressing.
This secret technique could amplify the strength of the entire body and still had boundless applications to this day.
He hadn’t neglected the Yin Spirits’ side of secret techniques either; the previously near-perfect Yin Wind Escape was now officially perfected.
The Nine Cups Calculation Scripture that he toyed with in his spare time had also made no small progress.
The Lingbao Pivot Scripture that he pondered daily had over half of its experience accumulated. The Heavenly Net that enveloped the world in the City God Dojo became increasingly clear and visible to his perception.
"The Divine Statue Cave Heaven is hidden and safe, with Sun Ke continuously providing me with White Jade Coins to support my cultivation."
"The future is promising, looks very promising indeed!"