Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit
Chapter 234 - 195: Money Talks!

Chapter 234: Chapter 195: Money Talks!

Panlong Mountain.

Fire Dragon Cave.

Fire Dragon Cave is located in the northwest of Panlong Mountain. In ancient times, it suffered from devastating battles, causing subterranean fire to surge, and the area has been enveloped in fiery clouds for years.

Ordinary cultivators find it hard to survive here; only a handful of high-level Fire Skill cultivators frequent the area for their cultivation.

Over three thousand years ago.

Six skilled Loose Cultivators, who were close friends, ventured here together, restrained the subterranean fire, gathered the fiery clouds, and laid down layers of arrays.

They transformed a hostile land into a blessed realm and named it ’Fire Dragon Cave.’ These six Loose Cultivators became known as the ’Fire Dragon Cave Six Ancestors.’

The Six Ancestors originally intended for Fire Dragon Cave to serve as a retreat and cultivation haven.

But as their fame grew, Fire Dragon Cave gradually attracted Loose Cultivators and mortals alike. Some came to apprentice under the Six Ancestors, others were drawn to the cultivation-friendly environment, while some saw business opportunities in the area.

The Six Ancestors were benevolent.

Over time.

Fire Dragon Cave became a hub for Loose Cultivators. Many Loose Cultivators voluntarily established a market here and revered the Six Ancestors. With the Six Ancestors as stewards, the Fire Dragon Cave Market became stable and prosperous.

Several centuries passed.

Among the Six Ancestors, some passed away, and some departed. However, their disciples who excelled in their cultivation and harbored ambition made their mark.

Riding on their masters’ prestige, they established sects and exploited the economic potential of Fire Dragon Cave Market, flourishing impressively.

Three of these sects endure to this day—

...

"Fire Cloud Sect."

"Divine Banner Sect."

"Seven Mysterious Sect."

"In the domain of Fire Dragon Cave, these three sects stand at the forefront. Fire Cloud Sect traces its roots to Fire Cloud Ancestor and specializes in alchemy and artifact refining. Divine Banner Sect originates from Refining Demon Ancestor and excels in arrays, particularly the renowned ’Ten Directions True Fire Demon Refining Formation.’ Seven Mysterious Sect takes its lineage from Seven Mysterious Ancestor, and its members are all skilled in swordsmanship."

Having spent two and a half years in Fire Dragon Cave, Chen Jichuan was becoming increasingly well-acquainted with its details.

He might not claim exhaustive knowledge of its intricacies and major factions, but he had discerned about seventy to eighty percent of it. While the myriad Loose Cultivators could be overlooked, Fire Cloud Sect, Divine Banner Sect, and Seven Mysterious Sect demanded caution.

In fact.

Although Chen Jichuan had only been in Fire Dragon Cave Market for a little over two years, he had already had interactions with these three major sects.

"The three major sects co-manage Fire Dragon Cave Market, adhering to principles of ’harmony breeds prosperity’ and ’fairness and justice.’"

"Thus, incidents within Fire Dragon Cave Market have historically been rare."

"At least on the surface, this is the case."

Chen Jichuan excelled in alchemy and artifact refining. To earn Spirit Stones and acquire cultivation resources, he worked diligently and gradually made a name for himself in Fire Dragon Cave Market.

He was referred to as ’Master Chen.’

The three major sects actively sought talent; in the past year or two, they had extended multiple invitations to Chen Jichuan to join their ranks, but he declined them all.

He was self-sufficient and naturally did not wish to be bound by sect rules.

However, recently, his efforts to obtain materials for constructing a Transmission Formation had met with setbacks, leaving him no choice but to turn to the three major sects for help.

...

On this day.

At Chen’s Pill and Artifact Workshop in Fire Dragon Cave Market.

Luo Ming arrived to meet Chen Jichuan. After some pleasantries, he shifted the conversation and asked, "I’ve heard that Master Chen has been purchasing materials like Dock Stone, Geng Metal, and Five-Colored Wood lately?"

Chen Jichuan’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

Luo Ming was one of Divine Banner Sect’s managers in Fire Dragon Cave Market. Chen Jichuan wasn’t entirely clear on his specific responsibilities, but Luo Ming often interacted with various Loose Cultivators and independent shops. Divine Banner Sect’s recruitment efforts for Chen Jichuan had always been spearheaded by Luo Ming.

He was a smooth operator, skilled at dealing with diverse personalities.

His visit this time was likely another attempt at recruitment. However, opening with this topic piqued Chen Jichuan’s interest.

Thoughts raced through Chen Jichuan’s mind, but he quickly feigned a helpless smile and shook his head at Luo Ming, saying, "Daoist Luo is indeed well-informed. That’s correct, I’ve been collecting these materials in hopes of researching Transmission Formations. Unfortunately, these materials are excessively scarce, and after months of effort, I’ve accomplished nothing."

Dock Stone.

Geng Metal.

Five-Colored Wood.

Fire Yang Stone.

One Origin Heavy Water.

These five materials, corresponding to the Five Elements, were essential for constructing and upgrading Transmission Formations, as well as for crafting precious Second-order and Third-order Magical Treasures.

Their astronomical price was secondary—the main issue was their rarity. Even with a willingness to pay exorbitant sums, there were hardly any avenues to procure them.

Chen Jichuan had displayed his purchasing requests in his workshop for several months and informed many regular customers about them, yet he hadn’t made a single breakthrough.

"These materials are the primary ingredients for crafting Transmission Formations. The major sects in Panlong Mountain highly covet them and have been collecting them for years without releasing any into the market. Loose Cultivators lack connections, and it’s not just a matter of months—it’s unlikely they could gather these even over decades."

Luo Ming chuckled and explained to Chen Jichuan, "To be honest, whenever materials of this nature appear in Fire Dragon Cave Market, our Divine Banner Sect cultivators immediately purchase them at high prices, ensuring they rarely reach the public market."

After saying this.

Concerned about being misunderstood, Luo Ming added, "This isn’t directed at Master Chen specifically. In truth, our practice is shared by Fire Cloud Sect and Seven Mysterious Sect as well, and has been ongoing for over a thousand years."

Luo Ming was particularly candid.

"Just as expected!"

Chen Jichuan’s heart sank upon hearing this, he silently cursed his misfortune.

Transmission Formations held diverse levels of importance for cultivators—they could be seen as either a minor convenience or a major advantage.

But for a sect, their strategic significance was undeniably immense.

Sects often controlled numerous mineral veins, medicinal gardens, spirit beast farms, or special estates.

These sites, apart from requiring strong masters to guard them, also demanded accessible reinforcements.

However, cultivating spiritual medicine, rearing spirit beasts, or developing auxiliary estates could only occur in specific environments abundant in Spiritual Energy.

It was impossible to gather them all in one place.

Following such dispersions, the logistics of providing support became a challenging problem.

With Transmission Formations, all these issues could be resolved effortlessly.

Beyond this.

The perilous parts of Panlong Mountain were complex and dangerous, harboring risks but also abundant resources and serendipitous opportunities. Entering and exploring these locations involved significant difficulties and frequent casualties.

If a Transmission Formation were established, one could bypass entry risks and delve deep at will.

Countless scenarios like these weren’t uncommon.

Transmission Formations possessed such immense strategic value that the materials needed to build them had long been thoroughly mined by cultivators and sects of earlier generations.

Over time, these materials had become exceptionally rare. Whatever remained had been secured by the dominant Immortal Cultivation Sects.

Despite Chen Jichuan’s talents in alchemy and artifact refining, he couldn’t compete with Divine Banner Sect or Fire Cloud Sect in financial resources or connections.

"Divine Banner Sect’s substantial resources and influence surely wouldn’t hinder a mere Loose Cultivator like myself."

"Daoist Luo jests."

Thoughts spun in Chen Jichuan’s mind, quickly clarifying the situation. He smiled at Luo Ming and waved his hand before aligning with his topic, saying, "Since your sect has been collecting these materials for over a thousand years, surely your inventory must be vast."

As he spoke, Chen Jichuan reached out, placing a jade bottle in Luo Ming’s hand discreetly, whispering, "A bottle of ’Jade Spirit Pills’ as a token of respect. I hope Daoist Luo can lend a helping hand and facilitate an introduction. I’d be eternally grateful!"

Jade Spirit Pills.

These were First-order Pills, valued similarly to ’Wind Thunder Pills,’ both being high-grade medicinal pills used for late-stage Qi Refinement cultivation, capable of enhancing Mana.

A bottle contained twelve pills, priced at roughly 240,000 Spirit Stones, while the production cost alone ranged from 30,000 to 40,000 Spirit Stones.

For the sake of the Transmission Formation, Chen Jichuan was truly making a considerable investment!

"A bottle of Jade Spirit Pills?!"

Though Luo Ming came with his own agenda and considerations.

Chen Jichuan’s offering of valuable pills worth 240,000 Spirit Stones was enough to make even the experienced and savvy Luo Ming, who had long been active in Fire Dragon Cave Market, feel a stir in his heart and falter in his resolve.

"Such generosity!"

Luo Ming barely steadied himself.

His demeanor grew increasingly earnest as he glanced around. Seeing no bystanders, he leaned closer to Chen Jichuan and, lowering his voice, said, "With such sincerity from Master Chen, I won’t mince words. To tell the truth, my visit today was indeed to invite you to join Divine Banner Sect once again. With your expertise in alchemy and artifact refining, you could easily hold the esteemed position of Guest Elder. Not only would you face no worries about selling pills and Magical Treasures, but our sect would also relieve you from searching for refining materials or cultivation resources. Even combat and exploration would no longer trouble you. This is surely an advantageous arrangement for you. Should you join, obtaining Dock Stone and other materials from within the sect would be far simpler."

His words were genuine.

Divine Banner Sect sought to recruit Chen Jichuan for his alchemy and artifact refining prowess, aiming to leverage his high-quality pills and Magical Treasures to bolster their disciples while expanding their influence beyond Fire Dragon Cave Market, stimulating the sales of their broader product lines.

If Chen Jichuan joined Divine Banner Sect.

First, he could benefit from the sect’s protection, ensuring his personal safety.

Second, he wouldn’t need to trouble himself with collecting materials, freeing up significant time.

Third, the sect offered access to various alchemy and artifact refining manuals for study.

In summary, the arrangement was mutually beneficial.

From this perspective, while Luo Ming recruited Chen Jichuan to enhance his achievements within the sect, it couldn’t be called a betrayal of Chen Jichuan’s interests.

However, Chen Jichuan had his hesitations.

His secrets ran deep. Rashly joining Divine Banner Sect, or any other sect for that matter, would spell mortal danger if exposed. Even the mere suspicion by the sect’s higher-ups or Enlightenment Realm cultivators could result in a probe, jeopardizing his safety further.

Comparatively.

Running his workshop in Fire Dragon Cave Market, though more demanding, aligned better. Being neutral and conducting fair business in one of the core markets of the three sects left Chen Jichuan less vulnerable to unwarranted attention or harm. His role as an alchemist and artifact refiner was far less important than the market’s reputation.

These concerns were naturally not something he could share with Luo Ming. Chen Jichuan merely offered a wry smile, saying, "I’ve grown used to independence and am not inclined to join a sect."

Every individual has their preferences.

Especially among cultivators, there were many Carefree Wanderers who eschewed sect affiliations. Without offering explanations, Chen Jichuan’s stance was still within reason, and Luo Ming could understand.

Handling the jade bottle, Luo Ming lowered his voice sympathetically, "I respect Master Chen’s temperament and won’t press the matter. Regarding Dock Stone and other materials, please allow me three to five months to gather them. I promise to deliver them in quality and quantity. However, the pricing might—"

A bottle of ’Jade Spirit Pills.’

It was sufficient to sway Luo Ming. Since Chen Jichuan was firmly against joining Divine Banner Sect, Luo Ming refrained from further persuasion. Knowing Chen Jichuan’s need for Dock Stone and similar materials, Luo Ming was willing to take some risks and navigate connections to help procure them.

"Pricing is not an issue!"

Chen Jichuan was elated and promptly said, "Notify me in advance, Brother Luo. Payment in Spirit Stones, pills, or Magical Treasures is all acceptable."

Money could truly accomplish miracles.

And Chen Jichuan now felt this firsthand. Possessing expertise in alchemy and artifact refining, he had wealth flowing in steadily and didn’t mind being overcharged as long as he achieved his goal.

"To acquire Dock Stone and expedite upgrading the Transmission Formation, what’s a few Spirit Stones or pills?"

Chen Jichuan thought happily.

"Ideally, pills would be preferable."

"Master Chen’s crafting skills are unparalleled; his pills are highly sought after."

"Specific pills and quantities can be discussed later."

Luo Ming said with a smile.

Like Spirit Stones, pills were hard currency in the cultivation world. High-quality pills crafted by a master like Chen Jichuan were even more valuable within this realm.

"Agreed."

"I truly appreciate your help, Brother Luo. Once this is settled, I’ll have another gift prepared to express my gratitude!"

Chen Jichuan bowed to Luo Ming with folded hands.

"Master Chen is too kind."

Luo Ming smiled even more warmly as he reciprocated the gesture and quickly left the Pill and Artifact Workshop to begin his arrangements for Chen Jichuan.

...