hotmtlnovel Chapter 77: 77: Swearing to Heaven
Chapter 77: 77: Swearing to Heaven
the next day.
phoenix cry pavilion.
zhou yi had specially booked a private room.
the four loose cultivator array masters arrived one after another, the youngest being around ninety, while the oldest were over a hundred.
"the reason i've invited everyone here today is to jointly make spirit stones!"
zhou yi didn't beat around the bush and directly explained the mystifying array and the marketplace orders.
the elder array master fell silent for a moment before saying, "this method isn't complicated. i too have familiar friends. aren't you afraid of having our business undercut?"
"joining forces benefits both parties!"
zhou yi laughed, "if we start competing with each other, it will only drive down the prices of the formation flags. they're all from the same sect, brothers of the same discipline. they won't tear each other's faces apart for a mere few spirit stones. in the end, it's us who do the work that suffer the most!"
another array master asked, "at what price do you buy formation flags?"
zhou yi responded, "five spirit stones. i also sell them to the marketplace at this price, but i'll need you all to trouble yourselves with the installation."
the elder array master curiously asked, "why don't you take the opportunity to make a margin?"
"making a margin would be doing business. as a junior, i'm not well-versed in our ways and would like to make friends with my elders!"
zhou yi bowed in a circle, showing respect. earning spirit stones was merely convenient; the key was to use this opportunity to build connections with array masters.
having cultivated for over twenty years in xiao dan mountain, zhou yi had long realized that whether it was a sect, family, or individual, the inheritance of the four arts of cultivation was regarded as more precious than life itself, kept hidden and only taught to disciples and blood relatives.
zhou yi expressed his understanding that a craft, the livelihood of generations, is not something that can be disclosed lightly.
after a moment of silence in the private room, the elder array master bowed and said.
"master zhu, i am pang hai. please enlighten me further."
"i am wang yue. i will visit tomorrow."
"i am liu lai..."
whether tempted by a hefty amount of spirit stones or wishing to form a small circle of array masters, everyone shared their names and agreed to exchange knowledge of formations periodically in the future.
"there is another matter—we need to agree on a common stance."
zhou yi, having achieved his goal, smiled and said, "we can consider this work for the public's benefit. when setting up each array, we must collect the full amount of spirit stones. regardless of the excuse, we can't delay or owe any amount!"
"it should be so!"
instantly realizing the implication, if xiao dan mountain delayed the settlement of spirit stones and something unpredictable happened to one's life, the debt would vanish.
loose cultivators were not naive enough to believe that upright sects were always principled!
...
a month later.
the enforcement team claimed to have not caught the spirit stone thief, issuing a merit-based task while reminding cultivators to keep one eye open during meditation.
loose cultivators were immediately uproarious.
the office opportunistically introduced an upgraded cave dwelling package. for the cost of eighty-eight spirit stones, one could gain the protection of the mystifying array, professionally and efficiently installed by a marketplace-certified array master at your doorstep!
"time to celebrate!"
...
phoenix cry pavilion.
after the dao discussions had ended, zhou yi lay down on a soft couch to rest.
dao companion ye yuer hugged him from behind, her voice dreamy, whispering softly.
"master zhu, let's become dao companions."
zhou yi was so startled his eyes bulged; he subtly removed her hands, turned around, and asked.
"why bring this up all of a sudden?"
"i heard recently that master zhu has made a few thousand spirit stones and could outright buy the cave," she said gently.
ye yuer continued tenderly, "the yin yang art that i cultivate can not only increase mana, but, once mastered, has remarkable effects in breaking through bottlenecks..."
"don't talk like that!"
zhou yi suddenly stood up from the bed, quickly put on his clothes, and sternly refused.
"i can't be selfish and delay the immortal path of other daoists!"
having said that, his figure flickered and he directly jumped out the window, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
back in his courtyard.
the amalgamation of yin and yang had not only failed to comfort zhou yi but had instead made him irritable.
"the news of possessing a large amount of spirit stones has spread throughout xiaodan mountain. even the daoists at phoenix cry pavilion have strange ideas, not to mention the evil cultivators lurking in the dark. i must resolve this hidden threat!"
after some contemplation, zhou yi had a plan.
...
heavenly craft pavilion.
the proprietor of this store knew a special refining tool technique that could collect natural elements such as heavenly thunder and earth fire and condense them into treasure beads using a secret technique, hence the name heavenly craft.
once activated by mana, the sound of heavenly thunder would rumble, and its power was fearsome.
zhou yi walked in boldly and directly asked the clerk.
"how many heavenly thunder pearls do you have now?"
the clerk recognized zhou yi and respectfully said, "master zhu, we only have five at the moment. if you want more, you will have to wait for the owner to refine them."
"i'll take them all!"
zhou yi took out five hundred spirit stones from his storage bag and exchanged them for five round, punch-sized, red and black iron beads.
the surface of the iron beads was inscribed with purple patterns, flashing like thunder in the sky; holding them felt slightly ticklish, leaving one unsure if it was an electrical leak or just their nature.
a low-grade magic artifact was roughly worth a hundred spirit stones, which in value was comparable to the single-use heavenly thunder pearl, proving the pearl's formidable power.
zhou yi put three pearls into his storage bag and, holding two in his hand, spun them as if he were playing with iron balls between his fingers. he wandered through the trading area, greeting acquaintances he encountered.
"how's the business today, daoist sun?"