Chapter 583: Golden Core Second Layer

After settling matters in the sect, Chen Mobai announced his seclusion.

"Holy Son, this is the refining method for the Moonblade." After Granny Ming's ethereal form in the Soul-Nourishing Wood finished speaking, she gazed wistfully at the glowing white crescent blade in Chen Mobai's hand. From then on, this Tier 4 magic artifact would no longer be hers.

"Unfortunately, this treasure doesn't suit my elemental affinity." Chen Mobai poured his spiritual sense into the Moonblade and, after circulating it once using the refining method, felt a shiver run through him instead.

"Holy Son, this artifact comes from the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect. It was forged by a master cultivating the Jade Mirror Ice Soul Art, drawing power from the Yin essence of moonlight. It naturally counters extreme Yang and strong cultivation methods. After I acquired it, I nurtured it for decades, transforming it into a half-Yin artifact. It's normal for cultivators of the Yang world not to be compatible with it..." Granny Ming spoke, hoping to dissuade Chen Mobai from refining the Moonblade.

"Jade Mirror Demonic Sect?" Chen Mobai, however, was very interested in the demonic sect Granny Ming mentioned. He began asking for information about the demonic path. As the Eastern Barrens were located in the most remote part of the Eastern Lands, information regarding the conflict between the righteous and demonic factions in the core of the Eastern Lands was mostly hearsay. Furthermore, the righteous holy lands subconsciously suppressed information about the demonic path, making it even harder to learn about them.

Chen Mobai only knew that there were eighteen most famous demonic sects, all powerful inheritances that had caused great turmoil throughout history and produced cultivators of the Soul Transformation stage. The most recent prominent figure was the Venerable Ming from the Nether Passage Demonic Sect, who had nearly swept through the entire Eastern Lands. And the most complete version of the *Nether Scripture*, which Granny Ming had mentioned, was passed down within this Nether Passage Demonic Sect.

"Actually, I don't know much about the demonic path either. It's just that we ghost cultivators, along with them, are denounced as heretics by the righteous sects, so we often huddle together for warmth, frequently conducting transactions of spiritual items and cultivation methods. Through prolonged exposure, I've learned a few things."

"Whenever there was a heretical exchange meeting, Tu Daohua would notify us. I acquired this Moonblade in one such transaction, exchanging it for a Tier 4 Soul-Nourishing Wood."

"Holy Son, if you wish to obtain more information about the demonic path, you could let me inhabit your disciple's body, feigning a successful possession, and then contact Tu Daohua." Granny Ming was still somewhat unwilling to give up, stating that if she took control, Luo Yixuan could immediately form a Ghost Core, secretly adding another Core Formation stage combatant to the Divine Wood Sect.

"Ghost cultivation is not a righteous path. While possessing Core Formation power is a significant opportunity, I don't wish to obtain it at the cost of Xuan'er no longer being human for the rest of her life." As Chen Mobai spoke, his gaze fell upon the white-robed girl sitting near the Clear Tranquility Bamboo not far away, who could only move with great effort.

Luo Yixuan heard his words, looked up, and revealed a brilliant smile. "I'll listen to Master!"

During this period, Luo Yixuan had suppressed a portion of the Yellow Springs spiritual energy within her body by using the transplanted Clear Tranquility Bamboo. With the addition of a Spirit-Suppressing Talisman drawn by Chen Mobai, she could now barely move her body. Since Luo Yixuan might cultivate demonic arts in the future, when Chen Mobai brought her back, only his two disciples knew, besides Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue. This way, when Luo Yixuan eventually left the Divine Wood Sect, there would be no deliberate traces left behind.

Zhuo Ming also felt great pity upon learning of these circumstances. When Chen Mobai first brought Luo Yixuan back, she had difficulty moving, and Zhuo Ming took care of her. After confirming that the natural clear tranquility energy was indeed effective, Chen Mobai sent a message to Chu Zuoshu in Dongyi, asking him to purchase higher-grade Clear Tranquility Bamboo from Empty Mulberry Valley.

After Chu Zuoshu arrived in Golden Crow Immortal City, he spent a year familiarizing himself before consuming a Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill in his rented cave dwelling. Unfortunately, due to insufficient foundation, his attempt to form a Core failed. Fortunately, he had self-awareness regarding this; sensing he couldn't complete the Core formation during the spiritual energy condensation, he decisively gave up.

Currently, Chu Zuoshu was recuperating, and he also opened a small trading company in Dongyi under the name of the Divine Wood Sect. From a long-term perspective, Chen Mobai believed it was very necessary for the sect to establish a trading company that also served as an office in Dongyi. Therefore, when Chu Zuoshu went, he was tasked with this matter. At the same time, Luo Xue'er selected several disciples from the Hall of Merit Rewards and dispatched them with Chu Zuoshu to develop the market in Dongyi, as a sect mission. Because they occasionally sold some Tier 3 Golden Yang spiritual wood and leaves, as well as talismans and ink produced by Chen Mobai's puppet factory—which were considered perfect quality here—they gradually made a name for themselves.

After receiving the message from Chen Mobai, the sect master, Chu Zuoshu immediately approached the Empty Mulberry Valley's business establishment in Golden Crow Immortal City. The shops of major sects generally sold their own specialties. Unfortunately, the Empty Mulberry Valley shop only had Clear Tranquility Bamboo up to Tier 3, priced at ten thousand spirit stones for six sections. If one wanted to purchase a plantable Tier 3 Clear Tranquility Bamboo, the price soared to fifty thousand spirit stones per plant. Moreover, ordinary cultivators were not qualified to purchase it; even if they were, they had to pre-order, and only then would the shop arrange for delivery.

After hearing Chu Zuoshu's report, Chen Mobai immediately wrote to Yu Shuji, asking him to help purchase a Tier 3 Clear Tranquility Bamboo with roots, and two six-section Clear Tranquility Bamboo pieces, directly from the Empty Mulberry Valley sect's location, under the name of the Vast Sky Trading Company. Yu Shuji, who had just completed a transaction, gave Chen Mobai face by again instructing his disciple Qu Xiuxian to make the trip. However, because it required traveling back and forth between the Eastern Barrens and Dongyi, it might cause some delay.

Since Luo Yixuan's situation was quite urgent, the Tier 2 Clear Tranquility Bamboo transplanted from Yin Qingmei's Azure Indigo Mountain was almost withered, its essence having been nearly drained. Therefore, Chen Mobai asked Chu Zuoshu to first purchase a six-section Clear Tranquility Bamboo and bring it back to the sect.

However, the customs and people of the Heavenly River Realm were simply *too* hospitable. No sooner had Chu Zuoshu purchased a Clear Tranquility Bamboo and exited Golden Crow Immortal City than he was ambushed by two teams of cultivators in the wilderness. If he hadn't possessed Zhou Shengqing's Spiritual Leaf Talisman and promptly scattered the contents of his storage bag, using the Clear Tranquility Bamboo and a shower of spirit stones to instigate infighting between the two groups ambushing him, he might not have escaped so easily. In his reply, Chu Zuoshu was certain that someone from the Empty Mulberry Valley shop in Golden Crow Immortal City had leaked the information, as only they would have known he purchased a Tier 3 Clear Tranquility Bamboo.

Upon learning of this, Chen Mobai was speechless. He was completely disappointed with the cultivation and morality of the cultivators in the Heavenly River Realm. But this was the norm. Back when the Divine Wood Sect mined the Void Nether Stone from Solitary Soul Ridge and took it to Dongyi for sale, didn't the Profound Exalt Dao Palace leak the information to Ji Zhenshi upon their return, allowing him to profit greatly? Indeed, establishing a cross-regional trading company was not an easy task. In the future, if spiritual items from outside the Eastern Barrens were needed, it would be better to go through the Vast Sky Trading Company.

Thinking this, Chen Mobai shifted his gaze back to the map of the Eastern Barrens. Outside, their Divine Wood Sect lacked sufficient power to maintain control; they were inadequate. But here in the Eastern Barrens, they could begin to monopolize talismans and ink, becoming an oligopoly.

Chen Mobai's upgraded puppet factory had doubled its output, capable of producing twenty thousand sheets of Tier 1 high-grade talismans daily. Over a year, deducting necessary maintenance time, with all equipment and machinery running at full capacity, it could reach seven million sheets. According to the prices in the Heavenly River Realm, dumping all of them annually could generate nearly 600,000 spirit stones in income.

"Master, why are there so many talismans!" Liu Wenbai took the storage bag Chen Mobai handed him and, seeing nearly ten million sheets of talismans inside, couldn't help but tremble slightly. "The Little South Mountain shops across the Eastern Barrens nations sell at most three million sheets annually." With so many talismans, they were highly likely to be unsalable.

"From now on, when selling, if a cultivator buys ten stacks, they will receive one stack for free." Chen Mobai had already thought it through. Now that their Divine Wood Sect possessed the power to suppress the entire Eastern Barrens, there was no need to hide anything.

"Yes, Master!" Liu Wenbai, through years of experience, had also gained some basic business knowledge and found Chen Mobai's suggestion quite brilliant. With a "buy ten, get one free" offer, these seven million sheets of talismans should sell around five million. For the remaining two million-plus, Liu Wenbai would think of other methods, such as promotional policies, or perhaps saving them for sale next year.

"Wenbai, and this too." Chen Mobai handed Liu Wenbai another storage bag. The latter, thinking it was more talismans, accepted it with some surprise. Upon taking it, he found it was talisman ink. This was the basic talisman ink produced by the puppet factory, researched by the Immortal Sect, and was the most common Tier 1 talisman ink, capable of being used for hundreds of thousands of different talismans. However, this was also the result of the Immortal Sect guiding and establishing market standards for talismans over thousands of years. After all, if a talisman factory didn't embrace this kind of ink, it would only become niche and slowly fade away.

This ink was not expensive on the Immortal Sect's side, costing 500 merit points per bottle. If used sparingly, one bottle could draw hundreds of talismans. Chen Mobai's initial puppet factory also produced this kind of ink, but at that time, the Heavenly River Realm was not very accepting of this new ink. Although its quality was excellent and impurity-free, the market situation was not very good. After all, once talisman ink was prepared as a solid block, it could be ground and used for a long time. Moreover, the Immortal Sect's ink was directly made into liquid form and pre-packaged, and cultivators in the Heavenly River Realm were unwilling to spend spirit stones to try this "watered-down" new product.

"Wenbai, put this ink in the Little South Mountain shops. Anyone who buys five or more stacks of talismans will receive a bottle for free." Chen Mobai had also studied business and finance courses at the Heaven Mending Dao Academy. Since he intended to monopolize the entire talisman and ink market in the Eastern Barrens, it was natural to apply this classic market-grabbing strategy here.

"Master, this Little South Ink is also worth two spirit stones. Won't giving it away like this be too much of a loss?" This ink was called Basic Talisman Ink in the Immortal Sect. Since Chen Mobai intended to sell it in the Eastern Barrens, he naturally had to give it a memorable and iconic name. So it was changed to "Little South Ink."

"Do as I say. Distribute these two hundred thousand bottles of Little South Ink evenly among the shops in the Eastern Barrens nations, until they are all given away." This ink was the accumulated stock since the puppet factory began operations. Currently, Chen Mobai controlled the annual production at twenty thousand bottles; if restrictions were lifted, it could reach fifty thousand bottles. Apart from some circulated in the Immortal Sect market, all future production would be brought to the Eastern Barrens as giveaways. According to his estimate, after about five years of giveaways, the talisman masters in the Eastern Barrens would discover the benefits of Little South Ink. After ten or twenty years, this Little South Ink would become an indispensable item for all talisman masters, who would then abandon the troublesome, impurity-laden ink sticks made by hand. As long as a standard was established, the initial investments would be recouped tenfold, even a hundredfold, later on.

Although Liu Wenbai didn't fully understand, he always respected his master. Since Chen Mobai had given the command, he would naturally do his best to carry it out.

Before leaving, Liu Wenbai went to see Luo Yixuan. She had already fully absorbed the spiritual energy from the Tier 2 Clear Tranquility Bamboo, and her physical condition had significantly improved. Zhuo Ming also came over after receiving the news. The three master and disciples reunited after a long time.

However, Chen Mobai had entered seclusion. This was because his cultivation of the Pure Yang Scroll had suddenly shown signs of a breakthrough. Six months later, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth above the Longevity Wood Dao field began to condense, transforming into a sweet dew that descended. Then, a pure and vast wave of spiritual energy swept it away, as if breaking through some barrier, rising sharply before vanishing in an instant. Inside the wooden house, Chen Mobai opened his eyes. Feeling his Core Formation stage 2 cultivation, he couldn't help but nod with satisfaction.