novelapdf Chapter 68 Three Years of Accumulation
Chapter 68 Three Years of Accumulation
Two months later.
Inside the puppet workshop, the fire in the spirit charcoal furnace had gone out, leaving only wisps of smoke mixed with the unique smell of cooled metal.
A brand-new Fiery Archer puppet stood silently, its dark red body adorned with flowing gold patterns, and the two-tone quiver on its back, made of red copper and cold jade, emitted faint fluctuations of spiritual energy.
Yang Changsheng ran his fingertips over the puppet's cold arm, feeling its restrained sharpness and the heavy weight of its considerable cost.
"A mid-grade first-tier item, with peak Qi Refining level 6 combat power... It took two months, and the materials, spirit charcoal, and mental strain... it's still too expensive."
He muttered to himself, his brows slightly furrowed.
Creating this last Blazing Fire Archer almost exhausted all the high-grade materials he had on hand, and the effort he put in far exceeded his expectations.
Cost-effectiveness is always the primary consideration on the path of independent cultivation where resources are limited.
He sat cross-legged and quietly meditated, trying to recover his slightly tired mind from focusing on carving rune circuits and creating puppets for a long time.
At the same time, clearing his mind of distractions, Yang Changsheng calmly compared the production data:
A mid-grade Tier 1 Fire Archer, taking two months to develop, with high costs and formidable combat power, but a long production cycle, making mass production impossible. The cost is thirty-nine spirit stones, and the short-term returns are low.
A first-tier, low-grade Xuan Tie woodcutter, skilled in craftsmanship, can produce four pieces a month at a cost of only nine spirit stones.
With war clouds looming and demand for puppets surging, the market premium has reached 40%, with prices soaring to 28 spirit stones. After deducting costs, each puppet yields a net profit of 19 spirit stones!
Over the past three years, he has not been in a hurry to sell them. Instead, he has used the energy advantage granted by his immortal body to continuously hone his skills and quietly accumulate a total of twenty-six finished Xuan Tie woodcutters.
"Quick and stable returns are my current priority."
Yang Changsheng pondered for a moment and then made a judgment.
The resources required for perfect foundation building are astronomical, and every spirit stone must be carefully calculated.
The Blazing Archer represents a future direction for improvement, a technological reserve, and a trump card to face even stronger threats.
But for now, the Xuan Tie Woodcutter Puppet is the most stable and efficient source of wealth.
Their attention turned to another important source of revenue: the purification of waste pills.
For the past three years, relying on the pure vitality provided by the Golden Ancient Tree Mark and the increasingly powerful divine sense for precise control, he has continuously transformed waste pills into second-grade pills.
However, as the conflict between the Lu family and the Wang family intensified, the control of goods in the market became unprecedentedly strict.
The supply of waste pills to Baicao Pavilion has become extremely unstable, sometimes available and sometimes unavailable, with the quantity decreasing sharply.
Even with Su Wanqing's connections as an alchemist and her best efforts to collect the funds, the total income from refining discarded pills over the past three years amounted to only 936 spirit stones.
After deducting the cost of materials consumed in making the puppets over the past three years, the cost of recycling waste pills, and the expenses required for cultivation, etc.
He carefully counted the items in his storage bag; he currently had only 702 spirit stones that he could use at any time.
Seven hundred and two low-grade spirit stones—in the eyes of any rogue cultivator at the mid-stage of Qi Refining in Biyue Lake, this would be considered an immense fortune.
It is enough to purchase fine magical artifacts, buy superior elixirs, and rent a top-class cave for cultivation for several years.
But Yang Changsheng felt nothing; in fact, he felt a sense of heaviness.
The requirements for a perfect foundation were so demanding that they were almost legendary, as stated in the jade slip left behind by Liu Xiaoying.
A physical body weighing 100,000 jin at its peak, mana semi-liquefied, and divine sense projecting outwards for 100 zhang—all of these, except for the first one, require massive amounts of resources to build up.
Top-tier Qi cultivation techniques and spiritual arts, rare treasures to nourish and strengthen one's divine consciousness, and natural treasures to aid in the pure compression of magical power... Seven hundred spirit stones are a drop in the ocean, far beyond reach.
"The road ahead is long, but we must not change our direction."
He took a deep breath, suppressing the anxiety about the lack of resources.
His greatest asset was the long lifespan granted by his immortality.
Steady progress, step by step, accumulating small steps to achieve great things, will eventually lead to success.
For the next two months, the quiet room was once again filled with the rhythmic sounds of hammering and smelting.
Yang Changsheng's mind was absorbed in every movement of the beam-splitting engraving knife. The black iron ingot melted, was cast, cooled, polished, and had its framework sculpted and runes engraved in the blazing flames of the spirit charcoal...
Every process is thoroughly familiar to me, and my efficiency has reached its peak.
When the core magic array of the last Xuan Tie woodcutter was activated, earthen-yellow runes representing power and defense appeared on his body.
Eight brand-new puppets were neatly arranged in a corner of the workshop, radiating a cold, hard metallic sheen, complementing the twenty-six finished puppets in his inventory.
The material reserves were exhausted again, and at the same time, the agreed-upon date for retrieving the discarded pills with Su Wanqing had arrived.
More importantly, the triennial gathering of the mutual aid society is today.
Yang Changsheng straightened his blue robe, which he had bought before the New Year. It was quite practical, serving both defensive and dust-repelling purposes.
After all, he was a puppeteer at the mid-stage of Qi Refining. Wearing ordinary clothes all the time was too conspicuous. As for the Lu family's clothes, they had long been abandoned and were no longer used.
He pushed open the bedroom door, and golden sunlight streamed into the courtyard, where several green bamboos swayed.
The courtyard at No. 9527 Tingchao Lane remained quiet. After closing the gate and checking the restrictions, Yang Changsheng left directly.
Zuixianlou, Tingchao Elegant Room.
Pushing open the door, I saw a beautiful figure already seated in the familiar window seat.
With her back to the door, she gazed out the window at the shimmering blue lake and distant mountains, her figure graceful and her curves alluring.
Her snow-white dress was spotless, which made her skin appear even more radiant and flawless, like white jade. Her long, black hair cascaded down her back, held up by a simple jade hairpin.
Even just a glimpse of her back exudes an elegant, serene, and otherworldly aura.
"Fairy Wanqing," Yang Changsheng called softly.
Su Wanqing turned her head at the sound. Her delicate oval face had arched eyebrows, a straight nose, and red lips that were naturally rosy, making her a face that could captivate a city.
Compared to three years ago, she has lost some of her youthful naiveté and gained more composure from the passage of time, as well as the gentle radiance unique to alchemists.
His aura of magical power was harmonious and restrained, but with Yang Changsheng's keen perception brought about by body tempering, he could still clearly feel that powerful spiritual pressure.
Eighth level of Qi Refining!
Moreover, his magical power is pure and profound, and he is not far from reaching the peak of the eighth level.
"Fellow Daoist Changsheng, you've arrived. Please have a seat."
Su Wanqing's beautiful eyes sparkled, and her smile was like a spring breeze caressing an icy lake, warm and comforting. Her voice was clear and melodious, bringing peace to the heart.
Yang Changsheng sat down opposite her, secretly admiring her.
At twenty-four years old, he was at the eighth level of Qi Refining, a top-grade alchemist, and still a rogue cultivator.
Such talent and achievements would make one a standout among the core direct descendants of the Lu family, a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan, and someone on whom high hopes would be placed for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
Her future path is destined to be far broader than that of ordinary, struggling cultivators.
"Three years have passed, and the fairy's beauty is even more stunning than before, and her cultivation has improved so much that it is truly admirable."
Yang Changsheng looked him up and down, sincerely admiring him, while also marveling at how quickly time had passed.
"Fellow Daoist, you flatter me. I'm just being more diligent."
Su Wanqing smiled modestly and personally poured Yang Changsheng a cup of spiritual tea. The tea was fragrant and refreshing, and their relationship was close, showing no signs of unfamiliarity.
The two had been working together for several years, exchanging a great deal of spirit stones, and their interests were intertwined. In addition, they were both calm and seek stability, so their relationship was very natural.
"As for you, fellow Daoist, your aura is deep and composed... with a hidden spiritual light within. It seems that you have made considerable progress in the art of puppetry over the past three years."
Her beautiful eyes darted around, and she noticed something extraordinary about it.