Chapter 533: Sudden Wealth and the Black Array Disk

Chapter 533: Sudden Wealth and the Black Array Disk

"Daoist Lu, this is your share of the spirit stones for this month."

The Treasure Tower's proprietor handed a small storage bag to Lu Qing.

"So soon? Isn't it not even a full month yet?" Lu Qing was somewhat surprised.

"Our Treasure Tower distributes spirit stones at the beginning of each month. Today just happens to be that day", the proprietor explained.

"I see."

Lu Qing understood and took the storage bag.

"In the past half-month, we have sold over ten thousand talismans. Among them, two thousand are Core Formation Realm talismans, and over eight thousand are Foundation Establishment Realm talismans. According to our previous agreement, you receive fifty percent. This amounts to approximately 250,000 low-grade spirit stones. Since you are a Core Formation Realm expert, low-grade spirit stones are not very useful to you, so I decided to convert them all into mid-grade spirit stones, rounding up to a whole number. Here are 2,500 mid-grade spirit stones. Please take a look."

Lu Qing's eyes widened when he heard the number. He used his divine soul to probe the storage bag and saw the pile of spirit stones inside, emitting a rich aura of spiritual energy.

"The amount is a bit less than expected, I hope you can understand, Daoist Lu", the proprietor apologized, misunderstanding Lu Qing's reaction.

"The proprietor has misunderstood. I'm not complaining about the amount; rather, I'm surprised by how much it is."

Lu Qing spoke the truth; he was genuinely taken aback by the number. However, he soon regained his composure.

These days, he had been continuously refining talismans. Five hundred talismans a day, with one hundred being Core Formation Realm talismans and four hundred being Foundation Establishment Realm talismans, totaling over ten thousand talismans. Among them, there were over two thousand Core Formation Realm talismans.

Lu Qing was well aware of the pricing for the talismans he refined. A Core Formation Realm talisman was worth 200 low-grade spirit stones, or two mid-grade spirit stones, while a Foundation Establishment Realm talisman was uniformly priced at 20 low-grade spirit stones.

According to his agreement with the Treasure Tower, he received fifty percent of the profits for each talisman sold. This meant he earned one mid-grade spirit stone for each Core Formation Realm talisman and ten low-grade spirit stones for each Foundation Establishment Realm talisman.

Now, it was clear that the majority of his 2,500 mid-grade spirit stones came from the profits of the Core Formation Realm talismans.

"The cultivators in Canglan City are quite wealthy!" Lu Qing couldn't help but exclaim.

"You underestimate yourself, Daoist Lu", the proprietor smiled. "Your talismans are of high quality and reasonably priced, making them rare treasures. Every cultivator wants to have a few life-saving means. In the past, good talismans in Canglan City were always very expensive, making them out of reach for many ordinary cultivators. With your talismans, not only are they of the highest quality, but they are also affordable. Once the news spread, the enthusiasm of cultivators in Canglan City to purchase them was extremely high. With hundreds of thousands of cultivators in Canglan City, this level of sales is not surprising. When the news reaches other major cities, sales are likely to increase even more."

Lu Qing nodded, still feeling a sense of awe. Just a short while ago, he was penniless, worrying about the cost of staying in an inn. Now, he had suddenly earned 2,500 mid-grade spirit stones, which equates to 250,000 low-grade spirit stones. This was nothing short of a sudden windfall.

However, Lu Qing also understood why the other shops in the city were so anxious. The talisman market in Canglan City was now monopolized by the Treasure Tower. Interfering with someone's profits was like attacking their family, so it was no wonder the other shops were anxious.

Thinking about this, Lu Qing asked, "Proprietor, a few days ago, Miss Zi Yuan mentioned that the other shops in the city seem to be targeting our Treasure Tower. Is there any cause for concern?"

"They are just using underhanded methods, Daoist Lu, there's no need to worry. I have a good relationship with the city lord of Canglan City, and he won't tolerate any overstepping of boundaries. Selling talismans is a normal business activity, and no matter how angry those shops are, they can't do anything to us."

The proprietor was unconcerned.

"Regardless, it's best to be cautious", Lu Qing advised. "Wealth can drive people to extremes. We have touched the interests of many, and it's hard to say if someone might take drastic action."

"Rest assured, Daoist Lu, I have everything under control."

The Treasure Tower owner said with great confidence.

After chatting for a while, the Treasure Tower owner took her leave.

This month, the Treasure Tower had raked in a substantial profit thanks to Lu Qing's talismans. Sales of magical artifacts and pills in the tower had also surged, so she had quite a bit on her plate.

"I never expected to earn spirit stones so easily in this bustling place. Now we can set off for the Tianyuan Grand World at any time."

Once the Treasure Tower owner left, Lu Qing returned to his cave abode. Looking at the spirit stones in his storage bag, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

Indeed, after today's earnings, he and Xiao Li had finally gathered enough spirit stones to enter the Tianyuan Grand World.

According to the information Lu Qing had gathered earlier:

Foreign cultivators who wanted to enter the Tianyuan Grand World and obtain residency had to pay one high-grade spirit stone, which was equivalent to one hundred mid-grade spirit stones.

He had initially thought it would take a considerable amount of time to gather enough spirit stones to enter the Tianyuan Grand World, but he hadn't expected to exceed the goal in less than a month.

Fortunately, he had chosen to collaborate with the Treasure Tower.

Otherwise, if he had relied solely on selling talismans, not only would it have been risky, but it would have taken much longer.

"Aqing, what are you looking at with such a happy face?"

Xiao Li, seeing the suppressed smile on Lu Qing's face, couldn't help but ask.

"Xiao Li, we've gathered enough spirit stones to enter the Tianyuan Grand World."

"Already? That quickly?" Xiao Li's eyes widened in surprise.

She knew that to enter the Tianyuan Grand World, each of them would have to pay one hundred mid-grade spirit stones, which was just the basic cost. After entering, there would be other expenses as well.

Wu Xing also stared with wide eyes.

"Just now, the Treasure Tower owner came by and delivered our share of the profits from the talismans we refined last month. Guess how many spirit stones we earned this time?"

Lu Qing, in a very good mood, teased Xiao Li.

"How many? Could it be tens of thousands of low-grade spirit stones?" Xiao Li's eyes sparkled.

For the past few days, she and Wu Xing had been in closed meditation in the cave, unaware of what was happening outside. They only knew that Lu Qing was refining many talismans daily, but they didn't know much else.

But since Lu Qing put it this way, they must have earned a lot this time.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones", Lu Qing said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Li was stunned.

Wu Xing was no exception; even the slight tremor in his tail froze.

"Aqing, what did you say? Two, two hundred and fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones?"

After a long while, Xiao Li, still in disbelief, looked at Lu Qing with a stammer.

"That's right, two hundred and fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones, which is equivalent to two thousand five hundred mid-grade spirit stones", Lu Qing nodded.

Xiao Li was stunned again.

Her eyes were wide open, and her mouth hung agape.

After a moment, she came to her senses and became excited. "Two hundred and fifty thousand! That means we can enter the Tianyuan Grand World whenever we want?"

"Exactly. I thought it would take a considerable amount of time to gather the spirit stones, but we've managed to do it so quickly."

"In less than a month, we've earned two hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones. Aqing, you're amazing, and the cultivators in Canglan City are incredibly wealthy!"

"They are indeed very wealthy", Lu Qing nodded in agreement.

Thinking about how precious spirit stones were in his homeland, ancient cultivation sects treated them as strategic resources, rarely using them. Only the most powerful cultivators, like those at the Primordial Spirit stage, could afford to use them for cultivation.

But in this Small Cang World, even cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage, as long as they weren't too poor, probably had a few spirit stones in their possession.

No wonder this place was the prosperous heart of the Great Yuan Immortal Domain. Compared to this, his homeland was like a backwater.

"Aqing, when are we leaving for the Tianyuan Grand World?" Xiao Li asked.

"I'm considering that", Lu Qing said hesitantly.

"Maybe we should wait a bit longer?" Xiao Li suggested. "Aqing, you're making so much money from the talismans now. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity. We might not have another chance like this in the future."

Lu Qing's hesitation was exactly about this point.

Originally, Lu Qing had planned to enter the Tianyuan Grand World as soon as he had gathered enough spirit stones. After all, that was the main goal of their journey. Moreover, he had a vague sense that Canglan City was becoming increasingly unstable. This time, he had stirred the interests of too many people, and there was no telling how many wanted him dead. The safest course of action was to withdraw as soon as possible.

However, he hadn't anticipated that the talismans he had crafted would be so popular, and the wealth he had earned was beyond what he had ever dared to dream. This unexpected windfall made him hesitant.

"Indeed, wealth can sway the heart. Even my resolve wavers in the face of such immense wealth."

Feeling this, Lu Qing couldn't help but sigh. He had thought his resolve was already strong, but now it seemed that it was only because the temptation hadn't been great enough. Confronted with hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of spirit stones, he was clearly wavering.

"Ah well, there's never enough wealth to be earned. A wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. Since Canglan City is no longer peaceful, it's best to leave as soon as possible."

The wavering of his resolve made Lu Qing more cautious, and he made his decision. With over two thousand mid-grade spirit stones in hand, he had enough to last for a long time. Even if he used them for cultivation, they would likely be sufficient to push him to the late Golden Core stage.

With his mind made up, Lu Qing shook his head. "No, we should prepare to leave."

"Really leaving?" Xiao Li looked around, somewhat reluctant. These days, she and Wu Xing had been cultivating in this cave, making remarkable progress. They were not far from reaching the peak of the first Golden Core transformation. Once they left Canglan City, it was uncertain if they would ever have such favorable conditions again. Although everyone said the Tianyuan Grand World was far superior to the Small Cang Realm, no one could guarantee that until they actually entered it.

"Men die for wealth, birds die for food. Greed can easily cost you your life. I can sense that Canglan City is becoming turbulent because of the new talismans. If the major forces clash, we won't be able to withstand them. Therefore, the best course of action is to leave early."

Lu Qing spoke with determination.

"Alright, we'll follow your lead, Ah Qing."

Although she was reluctant, Xiao Li knew that following Lu Qing's advice was always the right choice, based on their past experiences.

"Should we leave right now?"

"There's no need to rush. If we leave like this, it would be difficult to explain things to the owner of the Treasure Tower. Let's wait a few more days. I'll try to craft more talismans and hand them over to the Treasure Tower. It will be a way to give her a proper farewell."

Though he had decided to leave, Lu Qing did not choose to depart without saying goodbye. First, he had made a pact with the owner of the Treasure Tower, binding it with a soul oath, and he couldn't break it lightly. Second, if he left without a word, it would leave the Treasure Tower with a difficult mess to clean up. Despite their recent disagreements, he had enjoyed a pleasant relationship with the owner and didn't want to betray her trust.

"Alright, I've had a good feeling these past few days. If I keep cultivating, I might reach the peak of the first Golden Core transformation."

Xiao Li said with joy.

"Perfect, we'll wait until you reach that stage before we leave", Lu Qing replied.

As Lu Qing reaped a large fortune and decided to leave, Master Qiu in another cave was far from happy.

"Master, because the owner removed all our talismans, our income last month dropped significantly, by more than half."

A disciple was reporting to him.

"More than half...?"

Master Qiu's expression darkened.

"Yes, and that's only because the tower had more customers last month due to the new talismans. If not for that, our income would have dropped even more."

"Are you telling me I should thank that boy?" Master Qiu's tone was icy.

"Disciple dares not!"

The disciple, sensing the coldness in his master's voice, trembled and immediately knelt down.

Master Qiu ignored his useless disciple, his face remaining grim as he pondered something. After a while, he said slowly, "Well, you traitorous wench, since you've gone this far, don't blame me for disregarding our years of friendship."

With that, he took out an item from his storage bag. It was a black array disk, sealed and inscribed with bizarre runes, emitting a decidedly ominous aura.

As he looked at the disk, Master Qiu's eyes grew deep and unfathomable, recalling the mysterious person who had contacted him a few days ago.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end