Chapter 318
Chapter 318
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 318
Chapter Title: The Holy Sect is Still Holding Back!
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Seeing the token Lu Yang produced, the previously composed True Person Qi He immediately narrowed his eyes. He then rose with a solemn expression and bowed in greeting.
"Qi He has seen fellow Daoist."
He pondered for a moment afterward, then shook his head. "My apologies, fellow Daoist. There has been no recent news of any Heavenly Gang or Earth Fiend manifestations."
At these words, Lu Yang furrowed his brow. After his transaction with Hong Ju, destiny had bolstered him, allowing him to clearly sense the opportunity of the [Shen Metal Qi] right there in the Ten Thousand Men Pit. This Earth Fiend manifestation had to be within the pit and should have already emerged by all rights.
But he quickly regained his composure.
"If that's the case, then I would like some superior spirit materials. Help me gather them." With that, Lu Yang directly listed out a full sheet of items.
Though he had yet to obtain the [Shen Metal Qi], that didn't stop him from preparing ahead.
The materials on the list were mostly for nurturing the immortal spirit's main body, the Shen Metal spirit entity, with the rest intended to feed his [Dry Heaven All-Encompassing Myriad Phenomena Law Body].
"This..."
True Person Qi He glanced at the list, then narrowed his eyes. "These spirit materials... they're not impossible to find, but I can't just hand them over for free, fellow Daoist."
Lu Yang nodded. That was understandable.
In fact, if True Person Qi He had offered them for free, he wouldn't have trusted it. The Primal Saint Sect never took anything without compensation—if they did, it was definitely a trap.
"How much time will you need to gather them?"
"Three days will suffice."
At this point, a somewhat amiable smile appeared on True Person Qi He's face. "Jiangnan is brimming with talent. Gathering spirit items is far more convenient here than back in the Primal Saint Sect."
Lu Yang's eyebrow arched at that. "Oh?"
True Person Qi He seemed to warm to the topic, stroking his beard as he continued. "The Primal Saint Sect does have some unwritten rules under its rule."
"We can use talented disciples, but there are limits—we can't just kill them all off. For truly exceptional talents, the Primal Saint Sect doesn't hesitate to nurture them. That's why many True Persons operating in the Heaven-Connecting Cloud Sea feel somewhat restrained, unable to push things to the extreme."
"Really?"
Lu Yang's mouth fell open slightly as he recalled his own nine lifetimes of hardship. So the Primal Saint Sect's talent system was actually holding back?
What other tricks could you people come up with?
In the midst of their conversation, True Person Qi He had already led Lu Yang into the shop's interior. With a wave of his hand, dozens of jade tokens floated into the air.
Each token bore a name.
"These are all personally selected by me. With the aid of Foundation Establishment True Persons running halls in [Secret Pavilion Street], I've stirred karma to create these children of destiny."
"Oh?"
The method immediately reminded Lu Yang of the old True Person Yin Shan, who had once used a similar trick on him to lure out the Witch Ghost Secret Realm.
But the cost was high—these manufactured children of destiny could only last one lifetime, essentially borrowing future destiny for the present.
With that realization, enlightenment dawned on Lu Yang. "So fellow Daoist uses these children of destiny to gather spirit items?"
"Exactly!"
True Person Qi He nodded. "Whenever someone places an order, I use these jade tokens to stir karma and send the relevant children of destiny to collect them."
He introduced them proudly, like prized possessions. "This one obtained a sword cultivation inheritance—if fellow Daoist wants metal-attributed spirit items, this is the one. This one is from the water clan, perfect for water-attributed items. And this one... hmm, this one's not bad either."
Under his explanations, Lu Yang quickly grasped the entire industrial chain.
First, someone approaches True Person Qi He with a request and places an order.
Then, True Person Qi He stirs karma accordingly, custom-crafting heaven's proud sons to fetch the desired items. Once obtained, they harvest them.
The harvesting method was simple.
"It's right here in my [Secret Pavilion Street]. These children of destiny get their opportunities and need to fence them. Once I draw them here, they deliver right to the door." Good grief!
Lu Yang clicked his tongue in amazement. It was a complete one-stop service. With this method, True Person Qi He could gather vast quantities of spirit items without ever leaving home.
The Primal Saint Sect really was holding back!
At least, to Lu Yang's knowledge, no one in the Primal Saint Sect would mass-produce children of destiny just for spirit items unless it concerned their own cultivation.
"That's not even the best part." True Person Qi He said smugly. "The real genius is that casting such a wide net means some fish always slip through."
"Oh? And how do you handle those, fellow Daoist?"
Lu Yang instantly understood. With so many children of destiny, some were bound to stumble into great fortune and achieve Foundation Establishment.
"Why handle them at all?"
True Person Qi He shook his head. "Achieving Foundation Establishment marks them as usable talent. Our Primal Saint Sect has always prioritized people—we wouldn't turn them away."
"And who among these scattered cultivators would refuse the Primal Saint Sect's power?"
"In this way, not only do I gather spirit items and make a fortune, but I also cultivate Foundation Establishment True Persons for the Primal Saint Sect. One arrow, two eagles!"
"I see."
Though Lu Yang had already guessed the outcome, he couldn't help asking, "But once they achieve Foundation Establishment, don't they resent your actions?"
"They're far more ruthless than I am!"
True Person Qi He grinned. "With such massive profits, who would grudge spirit items? At least I leave these children of destiny a slim chance at survival."
"They don't give even that much!"
"After all, [Secret Pavilion Street] is only so big. They open their halls and carve out others' flesh. If newcomers open halls too, it becomes their flesh being carved."
Lu Yang shook his head at that.
*Beasts.*
But he quickly caught on. "Yet fellow Daoist said you could gather my spirit items within three days. Can the children of destiny move that fast?"
"Of course not."
True Person Qi He chuckled meaningfully here. "This brings me to another service in my [Secret Pavilion Street]."
"One provided only to True Persons of the Primal Saint Sect."
With those words, he produced an array disc and began setting up formations right in front of Lu Yang, sealing the entire shop.
"My [Secret Pavilion Street] isn't that large."
"If a new Foundation Establishment True Person opened a hall here every so often, it would be packed full in no time. How could business continue?"
"So every interval, a cleanup is needed."
Killing intent suddenly flared in True Person Qi He's eyes.
Lu Yang understood the implication. Relying solely on children of destiny, it was impossible to gather his items in three days.
But Foundation Establishment True Persons? That changed everything.
Especially those running halls in [Secret Pavilion Street]—not dripping with fat, but at least well-heeled, and crucially, scattered cultivators.
And everyone knew: scattered cultivators were the easiest to rob in Jiangnan!
"I've selected two Foundation Establishment True Persons from [Secret Pavilion Street]. Once they arrive and fall into my arrays, fellow Daoist and I can join forces to capture them."
"Then, the spirit items you want will all be assembled!"
Hearing True Person Qi He's words and seeing the arrays that sealed the entire shop, Lu Yang sighed sincerely. "As expected of the Primal Saint Sect."
He then turned to True Person Qi He.
"So, is this the reason you wanted to trap and kill me?"
(End of chapter)