Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 533 - 533 0361 Something Big Indeed Happened_2

Chapter 533: Chapter 0361: Something Big Indeed Happened_2 Chapter 533: Chapter 0361: Something Big Indeed Happened_2 After sorting out all the data, Qi Tian realized that he might need to rethink his previous views on this spiritual stone vein. In reality, the total reserves of low-grade spirit stones in the vein were quite substantial, with certainly over a hundred million, if not more. However, another issue ensues: the cost of mining them out was simply too high.

For Qi Tian, this cost mainly involved time. Even if he owned a mine shovel of Innate Spirit Treasure level, it might still take him several years to completely excavate the whole spiritual stone vein.

Qi Tian inevitably furrowed his brows. He was reluctant to waste so much time on mining. Although he also served half a year as a miner in the Spirit Stone Secret Realm, his gain was considerable and his efficiency was surprisingly high. Digging there for one day was equivalent to digging in this spiritual stone vein for one or two months. This only referred to the quantity of spirit stones; there was no comparison when it came to quality.

Qi Tian thought for a moment and immediately abandoned the idea of mining out this spiritual stone vein all by himself. It was impossible for him to spend several years mining low-grade spirit stones without doing anything else. By that time, he might attain the Gold Core stage with that time.

Qi Tian decided to adopt a different method to exploit the spiritual stone vein. Instead of leaving the vein, he excavated a relatively large space underground, took out a Teleportation Array Disk, stood in its center, activated a spirit rune, and soon appeared in Wanjie City.

Qi Tian directly headed to the Wanjie Commerce and bought a batch of tools specifically used to extract low-grade spirit stones. He also purchased an Array Disk and Array Flag that could resist the early Gold Core stage. The former wasn’t worth much, a high-quality set could be bought for just ten low-grade spirit stones. Qi Tian bought as many as five hundred sets for only five thousand spirit stones. The latter, however, was expensive, costing a whole five thousand middle-grade spirit stones. Plus, it didn’t accept low-grade spirit stones as payment, only middle-grade, or top-grade ones if preferable.

Five thousand middle-grade spirit stones was no small sum, equivalent to five hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones. But for his plan, Qi Tian had no choice but to bite the bullet and make the purchase.

Wanjie Commerce’s customer service was impeccable. As long as Qi Tian was willing to pay, he was treated with the utmost hospitality. After Qi Tian finished paying the spirit stones, they prepared everything that Qi Tian wanted.

Qi Tian took these items and left Wanjie City. His last visit to Wanjie City had offended Cheng Daoran, a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator, severely. If it wasn’t necessary, he didn’t want to stay there any longer.

Upon returning to the secret chamber he had dug out in the spiritual stone vein, Qi Tian brought the newly purchased items back to the ground. Then, with the mine hole as the center, he began to set up a defensive array. The defensive array he bought this time was called the Heaven Covering Array. When maximized, it could withstand ten full-on attacks from a peak master at the third level of the Gold Core stage. This was even more powerful than the Four Symbols Array used by the County Master Mansion.

It took Qi Tian about three days to set up the Heaven Covering Array. After that, successfully launching it all at once, a defensive barrier, approximately five miles in radius, appeared in the air.

Pan Yulin, Wang Shuqing, and others watched the defensive barrier in surprise and delight. They were surprised by Qi Tian’s endless techniques, silently bringing out such a powerful Heaven Covering Array. They were delighted because Qi Tian wouldn’t easily take out something as good as this without good reason. The presence of the Heaven Covering Array indicated something valuable underneath, otherwise, Qi Tian wouldn’t guard this place with such a great array.

“Master, are there a lot of spiritual stones below?” Pan Yulin asked first.

Qi Tian chuckled, “There are certainly quite a few spirit stones. Do you want to dig it out?”

Pan Yulin nodded vigorously, saying, “Of course, I do. As a cultivator, no matter how many spirit stones one has, it is never too many. Moreover, we don’t have many spirit stones to begin with.”

Qi Tian laughed, took out several sets of mining tools, and handed them to Pan Yulin, Wang Shuqing, and Wu Tao respectively, saying, “If you want spirit stones, go dig them out yourselves. You are my people, so I won’t ask for a large share. Of the spirit stones you mine out, you can keep seventy percent and give me thirty percent. Any objections?”

Upon hearing this, Pan Yulin shook his head, jokingly. It didn’t matter whether the split was seventy-thirty or thirty-seventy, they would accept it. Given the situation with the spirit stones, any terms were acceptable. Moreover, Qi Tian was their master and superior. Even if he didn’t give them a share and just allowed them to work, they had to accept it.

“Well, if you all are satisfied, you can all stay here and dig in the mine. As for me, I will go and attend to some matters. If this matter can be successfully accomplished, it will surely greatly enhance the strength of the Imperial Master Mansion. At that time, everyone will benefit.” Qi Tian said with a smile.

After leaving Pan Yulin and others at the spiritual stone veins as miners, Qi Tian exited the Heaven Covering Array. He released his bronze crane and used the middle-grade spirit stones as energy to drive the bronze crane towards Zhangshui City.

When Qi Tian purchased the Heaven Covering Array, he also wanted to buy a few teleportation array disks, not the kind that could send him from Great Zhao to Wanjie City, but the type that could be used for teleportation within the territory of Great Zhao. Randomly buying two of them could establish a quick passage between the Imperial Master Mansion and County Master Mansion, but what Qi Tian didn’t expect was the cost of such a teleportation array disk. It was more than ten times more expensive than the one that could send him from Great Zhao to Wanjie City.

Upon inquiry, it turned out that there were significant differences in the technology and materials used by both types. Purely measuring by the distance of teleportation was certainly not feasible.

Qi Tian could certainly afford the price, but he didn’t think it was necessary, so he didn’t buy it. Now he had no option but to use his bronze crane to travel.

Without a word, Qi Tian smoothly returned to the Imperial Master Mansion. Luo Xia and Hao Wenxi hurriedly came out to welcome him when they found out he had returned.

Luo Xia and Hao Wenxi were originally the elders of Sky Eagle Hall and Peacock Hall. With Qi Tian’s assistance, they had broken through to the Pseudo Core Realm. After their return to the Imperial Master Mansion, they quickly took control of the actual power of Imperial Master Mansion. Then, according to Qi Tian’s instructions, they announced a complete shutdown of the Imperial Master Mansion, banning any disciples from entering or leaving the Imperial Master Mansion. Furthermore, they used the strategic reserve of spirit stones of the Imperial Master Mansion to activate its defensive barrier.

Luo Xia remembered clearly that Qi Tian had told him that he wouldn’t come to the Imperial Master Mansion for a while. Had Qi Tian changed his mind after only a few days?

“Qi Tian, why did you come here? Has something major happened?” Luo Xia asked anxiously.

Qi Tian smiled and said, “Indeed, something major has happened, but it’s a good thing. Mansion Master, could you gather all the elders and mansion masters of the Imperial Master Mansion? I have some matters to discuss with you.”

Hao Wenxi said, “I’ll handle this.”

“Then I am obliged to Master Hao.”

Soon, the bell for gathering the elders sounded above the Imperial Master Mansion. Not long after, all the elders and mansion masters of the Imperial Master Mansion appeared in the Council Hall.

Qi Tian didn’t take the Mansion Master’s seat but sat in the place that Great Elder Chen Chen used to sit. He looked at the many elders and mansion masters who had rushed in because they had heard the bell, and shook his heads secretly.

This was the first time Qi Tian had seen all the elders and Mansion Masters at once, some of them he was even meeting for the very first time. Looking at them, Qi Tian understood why the Imperial Master Mansion had become so decadent over the years, why it was being bullied by the National Master Manor and Guardian National Master Manor.