Chapter 1226: Target Zhuyi Star

Chen Mobai clicked on it and saw it was one of the friends he had added earlier but hadn't replied to. Now, a message had come through.

"I'm interested in the demonic planet you possess. My cultivation recently advanced, and I'm looking for a place to test my path. I'm just unsure about the distance."

Upon reading this, Chen Mobai's eyes lit up.

If the Three-Eyed Tribe's planet could be sold, it would remove the greatest threat to the Immortal Sect.

Chen Mobai had even considered that if he couldn't find a hunter before leaving Earth-Origin Star, he would publicize the planet for free just to find opponents for the Three-Eyed Tribe.

With this thought in mind, Chen Mobai immediately started chatting with the account named "Hexing."

Hexing was a Void Refinement cultivator practicing in a nearby Mysterious Palace, making them relatively close compared to the previous two hunters.

Hexing: "What's the price?"

In just a few words, the two had already reached the final stage of their discussion.

Chen Mobai wanted his first deal to be a good omen, and resolving the Three-Eyed Tribe issue was paramount. He directly quoted what he considered a low price: 1 Dao Cultivation Point.

Hexing: "That's too expensive. Plus, you're a newly registered planet merchant with no reputation, so I don't trust you."

Chen Mobai: "Before the transaction is completed, the Dao Cultivation Points are held by the platform. You can confirm receipt after you've dealt with the demonic planet. What's there to be unsure about?"

Hexing: "What if you're a demonic cultivator deliberately releasing this information just to ambush and kill me?"

Chen Mobai: "Then, fellow Daoist, what do you suggest?"

Hexing: "First, send me the exact location of that demonic planet. Once I confirm there are no issues, we can finalize the transaction on the platform."

By this point, Chen Mobai already suspected the person was a scammer. They were trying to get something for nothing.

Chen Mobai: "If you find it too expensive, fellow Daoist, I can lower it to 0.5 Dao Cultivation Points..."

Chen Mobai still very much wanted to conclude this deal, but the other party clearly lacked sincerity, believing that as a merchant with no reputation, he would surely back down to secure his first business.

After a few more exchanges, Chen Mobai simply read the message and didn't reply. Even affiliating with the previous few intermediaries would be more reliable than Hexing.

With this in mind, Chen Mobai left his second primordial spirit to guide Ming Yihua in refining the Pure Yang Golden Lotus, while his true body began dealing with these intermediaries.

However, the intermediaries' exploitation was quite severe. Since he would be operating under their names, in addition to taking half of the Dao Cultivation Points, all credit points would also go to their accounts. This was somewhat unacceptable to Chen Mobai, as he intended to pursue the profession of a planet merchant long-term. If he never accumulated any credit points, wouldn't he always be unable to get started?

During this period, he had browsed the Demonic Market platform extensively and understood why few hunters sought him out. Half of the intelligence merchants with zero credit points on this platform were scammers, some were phishing, and only a very small number were genuine. For hunters, they were reluctant to waste time distinguishing between them, so they generally had fixed intelligence merchants they cooperated with. Newbie hunters, in particular, were extremely cautious. Only those seasoned, daring old hunters, perhaps on a whim or seeking some amusement, would specifically look for someone like Chen Mobai with zero credit points. However, such hunters were typically at the peak of Void Refinement, spending most of their time in seclusion attempting to achieve Dao Integration or searching for resources related to it. They might only pay attention to businesses on the Demonic Market platform once every few decades.

Chen Mobai did not wait for such veteran hunters. He had a pleasant conversation with one of the intermediaries, Shanjing Xing, and expressed that he could affiliate his intelligence for credit points alone, without requiring Dao Cultivation Points.

However, Shanjing Xing shook his head and refused. He candidly informed Chen Mobai: it was a common understanding among all planet merchants to suppress the growth of every peer, as this was how they could monopolize more of the market. Precisely for this reason, every planet merchant's start was extremely difficult.

Chen Mobai also added some new intelligence merchants and hunters on the platform and learned that new merchants usually had to "farm" their own credit points. This meant that as an intelligence merchant, he would release a transaction, then hire a hunter to accept it, complete the task, and thus earn credit points. However, this method required an initial investment of at least several Dao Cultivation Points. Over time, hunters also became aware of this tactic, so those with low credit points were not considered. Furthermore, because a demonic planet needed to be purified with a World Gate to be officially recorded, it wasn't possible to infinitely "farm" points just by having Dao Cultivation Points.

After understanding all this, Chen Mobai lamented how many convoluted rules and practices there were for planet merchants. He felt that perhaps delivering express mail would be simpler.

However, after a discussion with Xu Sijiu, he discovered that because Tai Xu Express compensated for lost items, if he wanted to join, he would have to pay a sum of Dao Cultivation Points as a deposit and also make a Dao Heart vow. This was because a cultivator had previously joined, absconded with a package, and although immediately apprehended by Dao Ancestor Tai Xu, the crucial Dao Integration Flower inside the package had already been consumed. Ultimately, Dao Ancestor Tai Xu compensated with a replacement flower, but from then on, the rule of paying a deposit and making a vow was established.

In this universe, because the existence of "lines" (presumably referring to karma or fate) was known, high-level cultivators would not make vows unless absolutely necessary. Even the Demonic Market platform relied on third-party platform restrictions rather than vows. Consequently, if one were scammed, they could only blame themselves. Chen Mobai, believing he had a bright future, certainly didn't want to make any vows, and he couldn't afford the deposit anyway.

Xu Sijiu evidently thought highly of Chen Mobai. Knowing he had no Dao Cultivation Points in his account, Xu Sijiu was even willing to guarantee him a loan of 10 Dao Cultivation Points from the Central Dao Cultivation Bank. These 10 Dao Cultivation Points would be just enough to cover the franchise deposit.

After hearing this, Chen Mobai felt that the Purple Firmament Universe was exactly like the Immortal Sect. Cultivators without ability, background, or wealth, who wanted to establish themselves, could only mortgage everything they possessed. Chen Mobai wasn't someone with nothing to lose; he certainly wouldn't burden himself with a loan before even leaving Earth-Origin Star.

After surveying the options, Chen Mobai realized he still needed to make a breakthrough in the planet merchant sector. He self-studied all the business courses from the Immortal Sect, and in response to his current predicament, he developed over a dozen plans. With resolving the Three-Eyed Tribe issue as the primary objective and earning credit points as the secondary, he comprehensively compared them and selected the most suitable version.

After running a simulation, Chen Mobai re-edited his post: "Free information on a demonic planet! Purely for credit points. Act fast, first come, first served!"

It proved that even Void Refinement cultivators could not resist the allure of something free. Within a few days, Chen Mobai received nearly a hundred new friend requests. After chatting with each of them, he provided detailed information regarding the Three-Eyed Tribe's planet.

"Truly free!?" one hunter asked, surprised, upon seeing the detailed planetary coordinates, sensing methods, and information about the Three-Eyed Tribe's strength that Chen Mobai sent.

Chen Mobai: "Fellow Daoist, after you purify this demonic planet, and if it's recognized by the World Gate, just remember to come back and mark the task as complete here, so I can earn a credit point."

"No problem, no problem. If there's something to gain, it's just a small favor."

Most active hunters on the Demonic Market platform received the void coordinates Chen Mobai had left on the Three-Eyed Tribe's planet. Although many could only sigh in dismay due to the immense distance, their network of connections was far wider than Chen Mobai's. After receiving the coordinates, they immediately forwarded them to friends nearby. Compared to intelligence merchants, hunters only needed to register. Furthermore, cultivators who had reached the Void Refinement stage usually carried a branch of the Grand Void Gate with them. If they were in the vicinity, these Void Refinement cultivators would certainly be willing to investigate. After all, a complete demonic planet, including its purification, was worth at least around 3 Dao Cultivation Points.

Hexing: "Since you're willing to give it away for free, why didn't you give this business to me?"

That day, the hunter Chen Mobai had spoken with earlier also came online, saw the post, and asked somewhat indignantly.

Chen Mobai: "Forgive me, fellow Daoist, but the Three-Eyed King occupying that planet is remarkably powerful, and I feared you might not be able to defeat him. Besides, since it's free, what difference does it make who receives it?"

People are like that; if someone else makes them do something for free, they feel uncomfortable, as if coerced. But if they voluntarily offer something for free, their mindset is completely different.

Hexing: "Alright, alright, I'll remember you."

After saying this, Chen Mobai noticed that the message he had sent now displayed an exclamation mark, indicating he had been blocked. This made Chen Mobai feel slightly displeased.

But soon, his focus shifted to his first real business venture. His post offering free demonic planet information was now indisputably the top trending post. Many hunters who had received his message, although not yet on the planet, had no problem posting replies.

"It's true, I've received the information. Although it's far from me, I've notified friends nearby. I'll share updates when there's further news."

"I'm currently near the Mysterious Palace. My true form will go investigate."

"This is what a serious planet merchant who wants to do business looks like. I suggest other intelligence merchants on the platform learn from him..."

Chen Mobai's free offer immediately established his reputation among hunters but also offended all other intelligence merchants. Shanjing Xing, the intermediary who had previously chatted quite amicably with him, also immediately blocked Chen Mobai upon learning of this.

"By breaking the rules like this, you will be boycotted and targeted by the entire industry."

"Information on unpurified demonic planets is, at most, something you might get lucky with for one or two. To stay in this business, you must gather and collect intelligence from other newcomers."

"Soon you will find that no new merchants will come to you or cooperate with you. All intelligence merchants will find ways to suppress you and kick you, this cancerous growth, out of the planet merchant industry."

An account named "Zhuye," certified as an intelligence merchant, posted three consecutive replies in Chen Mobai's thread, with an increasingly vehement tone. Chen Mobai initially wanted to delete them but decided to leave them after thinking it over. This was because he truly didn't need to gather or summarize intelligence; he just needed to wait, and the Purple Cloud Palace would continuously pinpoint demonic planets for him. He would wait for the day to prove them wrong.

With these thoughts, Chen Mobai began preparing to activate the World Gate to send off the Transformation God cultivators from the Immortal Sect. According to the previously obtained "Map of the Central Northern Hanging Gourd Dao Field" and the World Gate's current 76% Void Power charge, Qi Yuheng and the others decided to go to Candescent Star, the original center of the Hanging Sun Star System.

As a border star system leading into the Mysterious Palace, the Hanging Sun Star System was bustling with activity tens of thousands of years ago. Major powers were stationed on Candescent Star, and there was even a Void Post Station, one of the open exchange points between the Central Dao Field and the Mysterious Palace, where various rare treasures were traded. However, with the destruction of the Mysterious Palace's core, Candescent Star gradually declined, entering an era of declining Dharma thousands of years ago. Nevertheless, according to the "Map of the Central Northern Hanging Gourd Dao Field," there was a starry sky teleportation array there. By inserting a hundred top-grade spirit stones, one could directly teleport to the Hanging Gourd Dao Field.

The Heavenly Sun Star System, where Earth-Origin Star was located, was a small star system, roughly one ten-thousandth the size of the Hanging Sun Star System. The Hanging Sun Star System, in turn, was one of the seventy-six large star systems of the Hanging Gourd Dao Field, nominally under the command of Dao Lord Hanging Gourd. The Hanging Gourd Dao Field was where Dao Lord Hanging Gourd was situated. There, Nascent Soul cultivators were considered minor practitioners, Transformation God cultivators were barely true cultivators, and only Void Refinement cultivators could truly make an impact.

Although resources were scarce on the Immortal Sect's side, they could still produce a hundred top-grade spirit stones, especially since more than one Transformation God cultivator was departing this time. To be safe, the Three Great Halls gathered two hundred fully charged top-grade spirit stones, with Chen Mobai and Qi Yuheng each taking a hundred. If they could safely reach the Hanging Gourd Dao Field, they would then divide these top-grade spirit stones among themselves.

It was confirmed that Chen Mobai would lead the Transformation God cultivators leaving the Immortal Sect this time, with Qi Yuheng, Cheng Xuan, and Taohua accompanying him. With the star map and Chen Mobai having refined the World Gate, they could directly pinpoint the star field where Candescent Star was located. However, there would certainly be deviations during the first transmission, so Chen Mobai's task was to make the teleportation as precise as possible. After all, even a slight deviation within a star field would require a long flight, even for Transformation God cultivators.

While Chen Mobai was pinpointing the location, Qi Yuheng and the other Transformation God cultivators from the Immortal Sect began making arrangements for the future of their respective lineages.

In the void of the universe, a square-faced, large-eared Void Refinement cultivator emerged. He cross-referenced the void coordinates provided by Chen Mobai and confirmed that the planet before him, with most of its essence drained, was indeed his destination.

After landing on the planet, the Void Refinement cultivator quickly noticed the dark divine tree rooted deep within the planet's crust. He saw a grayish-white fruit condensed at its very top and, after careful identification, his expression showed slight surprise and delight: "A Destruction Fruit!" This alone was worth two or three Dao Cultivation Points. He hadn't expected such a significant gain from this free intelligence.

Just as the Void Refinement cultivator was about to pluck the Destruction Fruit, the heavens and earth suddenly trembled. A six-armed giant crawled out of a fissure in the earth and opened its third eye on its forehead, staring at him.

(End of Chapter)