CHAPTER 557: CHAPTER 441: THE GRAND MONEY-MAKING PLAN! _2

They were willing to make friends, establishing goodwill during such humble times.

...

The atmosphere along the way was pleasant.

About three days later.

They finally emerged from the ’Shuofeng Desert.’ On the horizon stood a towering city nestled in the wilderness, reflecting an air of raw, untamed grandeur.

This is the Shuofeng Domain Main City—

Shuofeng City.

"We’ve arrived."

Outside the city, Yus Can and others stopped. Zheng Jun said to Chen Jichuan, "Daoist Jiang may go to ’Baicui Mountain’ within the city to rent a cave abode for settling down. Mention Brother Yus’s name; doing so will grant you some decent discounts. We need to report to the military camp in the western city and handle this ’Hundred-clawed Flame Worm.’ Once we’re finished in a few days, we’ll meet again, and I’ll introduce Daoist Jiang to Daoist Lei Xin."

"Carry on with your tasks first."

"Thank you, fellow Daoists, for your care along the journey."

Chen Jichuan cupped his hands in gratitude.

"Haha!"

"We’re friends; there’s no need to be formal."

With a wave of his hand, Zheng Jun bid farewell. The others also clasped their hands in parting and proceeded toward the western gate.

"Shuofeng City."

Chen Jichuan glanced at the signage bearing the three-character name above the city gate before entering the city through the southern gate.

Within Shuofeng City, the scenery was picturesque, showcasing a stark contrast to the city’s rough and primal aura. Upon entering, it felt as though one had stepped into another realm, the entirely different ambiance was remarkably refreshing.

Those walking within the city were nearly all cultivators.

First-order and second-order were most common.

Third-order God Transformation Stage cultivators were also not rare; they could be seen periodically.

However, there was not a single fourth-order Upper Immortal in sight.

"Fourth-order Upper Immortals boast lifespans of 48,000 years and possess great dharma power. Even within Hanging Mirror Sea, they command significant status, and if they choose to join a legion, each one would lead tens of thousands of troops as a commander."

"Such figures are naturally not easy to encounter."

Chen Jichuan was unsurprised.

Taking a map from his pocket, a gift from Zheng Jun, he studied it. The map detailed the layout of Shuofeng City. The southern section of the city featured various scenic areas, markets, and numerous cave abodes.

Among them was ’Baicui Mountain,’ which sat atop a spirit vein and opened up hundreds of cave abodes, most suitable for God Transformation Stage cultivators to reside and cultivate.

"Baicui Mountain."

"Let’s settle here for now."

Chen Jichuan was indifferent to his cultivation location, but he was currently still clueless about Hanging Mirror Sea. There were many things and much common knowledge he needed to understand.

Shuofeng City served as a perfect entry point.

"My current cultivation does not urgently require enhancement, but I can begin refining one divine skill at a time."

For the divine skills Chen Jichuan possessed, their levels were already quite advanced, though they lacked the heavenly materials and earthly treasures needed to boost their potency.

Take ’Dayan Divination Method’ for example.

He had cultivated it to the third realm while in Chongming Realm, at the cost of consuming ’Purple Pure Spirit Mechanism’ and ’Red Muddy Profound Mechanism’ worth 3,000 Fang Yuan Crystals.

The process was akin to revising divine skills in the real world—skipping the arduous interpretation and comprehension phases—but it still required necessary heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

A single divine skill consumed 3,000 Fang Yuan Crystals.

Currently, he had close to twenty divine skills, requiring a veritable ocean of crystals.

Earn money!

Earn Essence Crystals!

This was his primary priority upon arriving at Hanging Mirror Sea.

...

After renting a simple cave abode at Baicui Mountain under the recommendation of Yus Can, Chen Jichuan began pondering how to make money.

During his time in Chongming Realm, he initially relied on the profits from commercial activities facilitated by Eight Extremes Holy Hall, as well as his own alchemy and artifact refining ventures to earn Primordial Stones.

By the mid-stage, he was forging his path in Immortal Gate Realm with unmatched prowess, trading Holy Artifacts and resources from Yu Ming Immortal Court for considerable Essence Crystals and cultivation materials.

Later on.

He gained the backing of Wang Yan, a strong Immortal Venerate-level power, as well as the relentless support of Yu Ming Immortal Court, eliminating any concerns about Essence Crystals or cultivation resources.

By the final stages.

He partnered with Wang Yan to wipe out all Celestial Venerable and Immortal Venerable entities within Nine Heavens, ultimately gaining free access to resource pools across Chongming Realm.

"Making money?"

Chen Jichuan hadn’t had this experience for a long time.

But this time, upon arriving at Hanging Mirror Sea, no one provoked him, leaving him with no justification to plunder. Moreover, even if a God Transformation Stage cultivator provoked him, Chen Jichuan wouldn’t bother with their meager possessions.

Secondly, there were no big benefactors willing to finance him. Even if there were, their contributions would likely be modest.

Though his talent and potential, as someone emerging from a minor realm, were undeniable, he was outwardly known to be just a Third-order God Transformation Stage cultivator. Even the most optimistic supporters wouldn’t provide resources worth thousands or tens of thousands of Essence Crystals to fuel his growth.

"It’s tough!"

After weighing his options, Chen Jichuan decided to return to his old trade, earning a living through alchemy and artifact refining.

An ordinary Third-order Alchemist could earn around four to five hundred thousand Spirit Crystals annually, equivalent to four to five thousand Primordial Stones or several hundred Essence Crystals...

Let’s not delve into the conversions!

Meanwhile, a typical Fourth-order Alchemist could earn approximately forty to fifty million Spirit Crystals annually, which equates to forty to fifty thousand Primordial Stones.

It would take about twenty years to earn one Fang Yuan Crystal.

A standard Fourth-order First Realm cultivator typically possessed assets worth ten to twenty Fang Yuan Crystals. Compared to that, the income of a Fourth-order Alchemist was undoubtedly substantial.

"I possess six refined and advanced Fourth-order Pill recipes beyond the norm, enabling faster production, higher profit margins, and naturally greater earnings."

"Given this, I can likely earn one Fang Essence Crystal in just seven to eight years."

"Three thousand Fang Essence Crystals to cultivate ’Dayan Divination Method’ fully—only two millennia."

For a Fourth-order Upper Immortal, spending two millennia to accumulate resources for elevating one divine skill from Second Realm to Third Realm would be considered efficient.

Once a divine skill reached peak mastery, they could dominate among their peers in the Fourth-order level.

Take Wang Yan from before as an example.

Even possessing just one Third Realm-level ’Seven Emotions Magic Sword’ enabled her to threaten the lives of Immortal Venerables, leaving no one at the Fourth-order daring to confront her. Combine this with another Third Realm-level ’Wind Thunder Walking,’ and her prowess was unstoppable.

Two thousand years.

Three thousand Fang Essence Crystals.

A single divine skill.

Invincibility in the Fourth-order.

Thus, the earning potential of a Fourth-order Alchemist compared favorably.

Though it could never match the speed of plundering Celestial Venerable and Immortal Venerable-level entities or monopolizing an entire realm.

"People don’t grow rich without windfall profits!"

"It seems the disparity between the real world and Dao Fruit World isn’t just in status and cultivation, but also in wealth and income generation."

Ultimately, Chen Jichuan was pragmatic.

He quickly adjusted his mindset, steering away from unconventional means of rapid riches to focus on surveying the markets for pills and magical treasures.

Additionally, he remained cautious, noting that while his visible cultivation level was merely Third Realm God Transformation Stage, displaying Fourth-order alchemy and artifact refining prowess was not problematic. Divine talents were widespread; while rare, those achieving Fourth-order mastery as Third Realm cultivators were not unheard of across Hanging Mirror Sea.

The only concern was, his current strength was weak. Should anyone harbor ill intent and abduct him, it would lead to undesirable outcomes.

Losing an avatar wasn’t a big deal.

But the wealth accumulated on the avatar would be a painful loss.

"Perhaps I should station several additional avatars around Shuofeng City to diversify my assets’ storage and reduce risks."

"However, even that may not suffice."

"Within Shuofeng Domain, the Domain Lord reigns supreme. Instead of worrying about being targeted after gaining fame, it might be better to proactively seek protection from the ’Shuofeng Domain Master.’"

Having spent time in Chongming Realm and mingled among Upper Immortals, Chen Jichuan knew that even Fourth-order Upper Immortals found strong economic and social value in Fourth-order Alchemists, who were relatively rare.

Some Upper Immortals possessed substantial stores of medicinal ingredients but struggled to find qualified alchemists.

A Fourth-order Alchemist was not just a money-making powerhouse, but also a crucial asset for forging alliances and networks.

Faced with the loyalty of a Fourth-order Alchemist—no matter their cultivation level—the Shuofeng Domain Master, as long as he had vision and ambition, would likely not neglect such an opportunity.

"The Shuofeng Domain Master can be a backup option."

Chen Jichuan was in no rush.

He didn’t mind taking an extra day or two. Once he properly investigated the Domain Master’s character, he would decide whether to approach him. If the Shuofeng Domain Master proved unsuitable, the Tianmang Ancient City’s jurisdiction included eleven other territories and Domain Lords, offering plenty of alternatives.

With a plan formed.

In the subsequent days, Chen Jichuan roamed various markets within the city, studying the prices, demand, and supply for various pills, magical treasures, and raw materials. Concurrently, he gathered information about the Shuofeng Domain Master’s personality and learned about how someone of his standing would likely be treated. He also made efforts to mingle in public events and gatherings like trade fairs, Dao discussions, and artifact appraisal conventions—absorbing all kinds of intelligence, whether seemingly relevant or not.

After two months of such diligent effort, he stumbled upon an unexpected major piece of news.

...