Chapter 136: Chapter 41: 3 Requests

Ji Feng, who looked to be about eight or nine years old, expertly activated the Qianyang Furnace and refined sixteen Insect Extermination Bell artifact embryos in one go. Next, Iron Head and Chi Yu picked up Iron Pens and meticulously carved the controlling Restrictions onto the bells.

Even Chi Yu, who looked like a toddler, carved with a smooth, practiced flow.

They filled them with Spiritual Ink, returned them to the furnace for a final firing, and a batch of finished Insect Extermination Bells was complete.

Guo Chuanzhi picked up a still-warm Insect Extermination Bell to inspect it. He confirmed it was identical to the ones being traded among the Miscellaneous Task disciples.

“So, the more than ten thousand Insect Extermination Bells within the Sect… you made them all yourselves?”

He said, his eyes wide.

The General Affairs Hall only noticed the Magical Artifact known as the Insect Extermination Bell becoming popular among the Miscellaneous Task disciples after realizing that the production of Spirit Rice and Spirit Medicine in certain areas was significantly higher this month than in previous months. With this Magical Artifact, the efficiency of exterminating Demon Insects in the Spirit Fields increased by more than a hundredfold.

Even some of the weaker Demon Snakes and Demon Rats would be killed silently by a single shake of this Insect Extermination Bell.

To a top-tier Major Sect like the Five Elements True Spirit Sect, Spirit Stones were just a number. The reason the General Affairs Hall placed so much importance on the Insect Extermination Bell was its ability to dramatically increase the yield of Spirit Rice and Spirit Plants. For a Sect like the Five Elements True Spirit Sect, which possessed vast Spirit Fields, its importance was self-evident.

When they traced the Insect Extermination Bells back to the Outer Disciple Yang Jing, they had originally assumed he was importing them from outside the Sect. They never expected that he was refining them all himself.

The difference in profit was astronomical.

Guo Chuanzhi was no stranger to practical affairs. After a quick calculation, he roughly estimated Yang Jing’s income. Under these circumstances, the conditions he had originally prepared were completely inadequate.

He first had Xu Hongde and Feng Tianyi leave the room.

“This Insect Extermination Bell is a matter of great importance. The Sect wants its refining schematics. If you can provide them, I am willing to promise you three requests on the Sect’s behalf.”

If it were an ordinary Outer Disciple, Guo Chuanzhi could have easily settled the matter with a Foundation Establishment Pill and the promise of a True Disciple’s status after reaching Foundation Establishment. But Yang Jing was, after all, a genius of the Sword Dao whose future achievements might not be inferior to his own. He had to take a gentler approach with him.

Yang Jing was no fool. He knew he couldn’t ask for the sky in this situation; he had to find the right balance.

“I would like the Sect to grant the three of them the status of Outer Disciples.”

He stated his first request.

Before coming, Guo Chuanzhi had naturally investigated Yang Jing’s background. He knew Yang Jing had a Spirit Contract with three Guardian Beasts, and that they had only completed their Transformation over a month ago.

Every year, the Sect accepts anywhere from several dozen to over a hundred Transformed Demons. If there were no issues with these three Demons, the request was not excessive.

After all, if the sales channels for a Magical Artifact like the Insect Extermination Bell were fully developed, it could easily generate tens of millions of Spirit Stones in profit within a few years. This was almost equivalent to single-handedly securing an entire Upper Grade Spirit Stone Mine for the Sect.

For such a contribution, issuing three Five Elements Orders was no problem at all. Guo Chuanzhi even felt that Yang Jing’s request was a bit too low.

Guo Chuanzhi opened his Dharma Eye. He saw that the three Demons’ Transformations were perfect, leaving no trace of their demonic origins. Their auras were pure, with no Muddy Qi or Evil Qi, so he nodded.

“However, they can only be assigned to D Class. Furthermore, if they cause any trouble, it will all be on your head.”

Outer Disciples who entered the Five Elements True Spirit Sect using a Five Elements Order could only join the worst class, D Class. This wasn’t Guo Chuanzhi targeting Yang Jing.

Beside them, Ji Feng’s eyes shone with a brilliant light. He hadn’t expected that after being granted three requests, Yang Jing wouldn’t think of becoming a True Disciple or getting Foundation Establishment Pills, but would instead immediately secure a place in the Five Elements True Spirit Sect for his three Guardian Beasts.

[Affinity]: 85

His Affinity jumped up by another five points.

“Second request: in the future, for every Insect Extermination Bell the Sect sells, I want a cut of one Spirit Crystal.”

Guo Chuanzhi’s eyes flew open, and he shook his head repeatedly.

“That request is impossible. It’s not that I’m being stingy, but with the Five Elements True Spirit Sect’s relationships with the Great Trading Houses, the sales volume of these Insect Extermination Bells will be incomparable to your current small-scale operation. Even with a cut of just one Spirit Crystal, the annual income would be staggering. Even if you had a Foundation Establishment Cultivation, those Spirit Stones would be too hot to handle.”

Not wanting Yang Jing to harbor any resentment, he added:

“Besides, the Refining Technique for the Insect Extermination Bell isn’t complicated. If you were to continue your business, it would be completely reverse-engineered and copied within a few months, and your profits would plummet. The only reason the Sect is willing to negotiate is out of consideration for a disciple; we don’t wish to take it by force. You shouldn’t use this as an opportunity to make an outrageous demand.”

Yang Jing had no choice but to make a secondary request.

“Then I want five Foundation Establishment Pills.”

The market price of a Foundation Establishment Pill constantly fluctuated around ten thousand Spirit Stones. But for the Five Elements True Spirit Sect, the pills were merely a means to harvest Spirit Stones from Cultivation Clans and Independent Cultivators. The Spirit Medicines needed for Foundation Establishment Pills matured every year in the Sect’s High Tier Medicinal Gardens, and the cost of production was only about two thousand Spirit Stones each.

“Done.”

Guo Chuanzhi agreed without much hesitation. He performed an operation using his Sect Jade Token.

“You can come to the General Affairs Hall to claim the Foundation Establishment Pills at any time.”

“My last request: I want ten thousand Sect Merit Points.”

Guo Chuanzhi hesitated for a moment but still nodded. Compared to the enormous profits from the Insect Extermination Bell, ten thousand Merit Points were nothing.

He asked, quite curious:

“I thought you would ask to become a True Disciple directly.”

“The Inner Sect and True Disciples are the Sect’s way of selecting talent. If I became a True Disciple just because of the Insect Extermination Bell, wouldn’t I be seen as someone who got ahead through sheer luck?”

Yang Jing said with a confident expression:

“Besides, what’s so difficult about becoming a True Disciple for me?”

“Excellent!”

Guo Chuanzhi clapped his hands in approval. On his way here, he had heard nothing but praise for Yang Jing from Xu Hongde and Feng Tianyi.

From their conversation, he could see that Yang Jing knew when to advance and when to retreat and had a talent for business, but he really didn’t see much of a Sword Cultivator’s bearing in him.

What kind of Sword Cultivator could skillfully weave a network among the Miscellaneous Task disciples and sell a massive number of Insect Extermination Bells without tipping anyone off? More cleverly still, he hadn’t broken a single sect rule—even the refining was done by his Transformed Demons, without hiring any Miscellaneous Task disciples.

It wasn’t until that last sentence that the proud, aloof nature of a Sword Cultivator was finally revealed.

“I hope that one day, you and I can work together in the Three Halls.”

Guo Chuanzhi stood up and said with great expectation.

Before long, Steward Li Weixin from the Reception Hall arrived with two Miscellaneous Task disciples. He registered Iron Head and the other two in the sect roster and issued them new Daoist Robes and Jade Tokens.

He looked at Yang Jing with a feeling of ever-increasing reverence.

This time, the order to register the disciples had come directly from the General Affairs Hall. Yang Jing had been in the Sect for less than two months, yet he had already stirred up a storm. Now, he had even befriended a prominent figure from the General Affairs Hall. His future was truly limitless.

’A golden carp is no creature of the pond; it will transform into a dragon when it meets the wind and clouds.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep