An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Luo Chen, the quantity of Jade Essence pills this month is a bit low!”

At the end of the month, Gu Caiyi approached Luo Chen, worry evident on her face.

”How much?” he asked.

Gu Caiyi reported the number, it was nearly ten percent less than the previous month!

At first glance, it didn’t seem like much. But if those pills were sold, the loss would amount to two to three thousand spirit stones.

No wonder Gu Caiyi was so anxious.

Hearing this, Luo Chen pondered for a moment before slowly shaking his head. ”It’s fine. Earning a little less doesn’t matter.”

Gu Caiyi was surprised.

Wasn’t earning more spirit stones always better?

Luo Chen used to care about his earnings more than anyone else.

Luo Chen sighed. ”Making too much money invites jealousy.”

With that single sentence, Gu Caiyi finally understood.

The Luo Tian Society was no longer like the Poshan Gang, which had been chaotic and overcomplicated. With fewer people and a simpler structure, their expenses were significantly lower.

However, the downside was that outsiders could now easily figure things out, including the true cost of Jade Essence pills.

Back in the Poshan Gang days, their operations were shrouded in secrecy. The nine different branches and a self-sustaining Medicine Hall had made it nearly impossible for others to guess the pill’s production cost.

But now, things were different.

Most of the primary and auxiliary ingredients were now purchased from the Dajiang Gang and Lianyun Trade Alliance.

With a little effort, a keen observer could easily calculate the exact cost.

By analyzing the salaries of Luo Tian Society’s cultivators, their sales prices, and their monthly production, anyone with enough knowledge could estimate the profit margins.

Even if they didn’t get it exactly right, they would still be very close to the truth.

In this way, a small group like the Luo Tian Society making tens of thousands of spirit stones a month would undoubtedly attract envy.

Luo Chen is deliberately limiting the production of Jade Essence pills to reduce the covetousness of others? Gu Caiyi thought to herself.

After discussing the sales of Jade Essence pills with her for a bit, Luo Chen hurriedly left.

It was time for the scheduled delivery.

The Precious Dragon Black Market was being held as planned.

Luo Chen, guided by Wang Yanchang, took his usual seat.

Wang Yanchang was the same cultivator who had given him advice during his first visit to the black market. After several encounters, they had grown quite familiar with each other.

”Leader Tian Xingzi might be a bit busy today,” Wang Yanchang said as he poured Luo Chen a cup of hot tea. ”I’ll have to trouble you to wait a little longer.”

A bit busy? Luo Chen pondered the meaning behind those words.

Then, he witnessed firsthand what ”a bit busy” really meant.

A beam of light shone down, illuminating a small, palm-sized white crane flapping its wings as it fluttered slowly through the air.

Its speed was not fast, but its flight was remarkably steady.

As spirit power was infused into the tiny crane, it suddenly burst into motion, accelerating at an astonishing speed. In an instant, it had completed an entire circuit around the hall.

The gathered cultivators snapped their heads around, trying to catch a glimpse of it, but it was too fast. None of them could track its path.

Only Luo Chen, his eyes glowing with spirit light, vaguely caught sight of a faint trail.

Then, just as abruptly as it had started, the small crane halted and landed gracefully in an outstretched, aged hand.

Only then did Tian Xingzi’s voice slowly spread through the hall.

”Sound-Transmitting Paper Crane, a mid-grade first-tier enchanted artifact!”

The crowd was stunned. That crane was actually made of paper?

And it could transmit sound?

Tian Xingzi glanced around and said with a smile, ”As everyone knows, sound transmission is primarily done through sound-transmission talismans or jade tokens.

”However, sound-transmission talismans are limited by the power of the talisman itself, making their range quite short. They are typically only used within one’s residence and cannot facilitate long-distance communication.

”On the other hand, sound-transmission jade tokens are costly and usually function on a one-to-one basis, making them items that are predominantly used by Foundation Establishment cultivators.

”But this Sound-Transmitting Paper Crane in my hand is entirely different. It combines the essence of talisman crafting, integrating concealment and extreme speed formations, and is ultimately forged through the art of artifact crafting. With this artifact, one can swiftly communicate with others within a set range.

”Moreover, there is no need to worry about interception. During the demonstration just now, I assume none of you were able to track its movements?”

Upon hearing these words, the hall erupted into discussions.

This effect was indeed remarkable. Not only could it facilitate long-distance communication, but it also prevented interception.

In his explanation, Tian Xingzi even mentioned that the paper crane could self-ignite to preserve the transmitted message. Unlike disposable sound-transmission talismans, this artifact could be used multiple times.

As discussions buzzed through the room, Tian Xingzi continued. ”When using it, aside from recording a message, it’s best to insert a low-grade spirit stone as an energy source.

”One stone per use, it’s not expensive.

”As for reaching its destination, a specially paired crane nest must be set up as a guiding anchor.”

As he spoke, Tian Xingzi revealed two matching crane nests in his hands.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed one into the corner of the hall while keeping the other on the presentation table. Then, with a casual motion, he released the tiny paper crane into the air, and it flew straight to the nest in the corner.

Moments later.

Without any external infusion of spirit energy, the crane relied solely on the spirit stone embedded in its belly to slowly fly back to the nest on the stage.

With this back-and-forth movement, it effectively served as a fixed-point messaging system.

”This artifact was crafted by the artifact forger master Huyan Zhuo of Tianfan City!

”I’m sure you all have heard of this master!

”Renowned for his endless creativity and unparalleled craftsmanship, he is particularly fond of studying all kinds of mystical enchanted artifacts and mystical enchanted treasures. Anything he creates is always of the highest quality.”

At this point, Tian Xingzi glanced at the hundreds of cultivators, noticing that many of them showed clear interest.

He decided not to elaborate further.

”I recommend purchasing at least two at once, one for personal use, the other to send to a recipient. This way, mutual communication is much more convenient.

”Alright, the starting price follows the standard for mid-grade enchanted artifacts, five hundred spirit stones. Each bid increase must be no less than ten spirit stones.”

As soon as he finished speaking!

A bid was immediately placed.

”One thousand spirit stones, I’ll take a pair!”

”One thousand one hundred, I want a pair too!”

***

Seated at the far end of the row of chairs, Luo Chen watched with great interest as the Sound-Transmitting Paper Cranes were fiercely bid on by the crowd.

In the past, he had often criticized the Poshan Gang’s inefficient communication methods, even earning himself a scornful glare from Mi Junping for doing so. But now, someone had actually developed a communication artifact that bridged the gap between traditional sound-transmission talismans and jade tokens.

And judging by its description, aside from a slightly longer transmission time, it seemed to have no real drawbacks!

It even tempted him to consider getting a pair for himself.

A pair, not just one!

From the way others were purchasing them, it was clear that each buyer was acquiring them in pairs.

This made sense. A single crane wasn’t particularly useful on its own. The paired crane nests had to be placed at both ends for proper functionality, meaning that communication could only be initiated from one side unless both parties owned a crane.

If both parties possessed a paper crane, they could initiate contact with each other.

It’s somewhat like the dedicated landline phones from my past life on Earth. If I were to acquire a few pairs, communication within Luo Tian Society would become much more efficient.

It wasn’t just about convenience in communication!

Luo Chen also recalled how, back in the Poshan Gang, each division had been taken down one by one.

Had they possessed such artifacts back then, the situation might not have been as dire. At the very least, when the first division was attacked, the others could have been alerted in time.

The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to join the bidding himself, but just as he was about to make a move, a faint sound reached his ears, causing him to stop.

Soon, the first pair of Sound-Transmitting Paper Cranes was auctioned off for the steep price of one thousand five hundred spirit stones.

If divided, each paper crane had been sold for a staggering seven hundred fifty spirit stones!

For a mid-grade enchanted artifact, the starting price was typically five hundred spirit stones. Typically, only artifacts with outstanding offensive capabilities or defensive properties could surpass the seven hundred spirit stones mark.

Yet, this pair of cranes had reached a price comparable to high-end defensive artifacts, solely due to its ability to facilitate secure, long-distance communication!

As the cultivators in the hall gazed enviously at the one who had won the bid, Tian Xingzi flipped his wrist, revealing yet another pair of Sound-Transmitting Paper Cranes on the auction stage.

”The starting price is five hundred spirit stones per crane!”

The crowd hesitated for a brief moment before the bidding frenzy resumed.

Before long, the second pair was sold for one thousand four hundred spirit stones.

The slight decrease in price was due to an emerging suspicion that Tian Xingzi likely had more than just a few pairs in stock. Thus, some bidders chose to wait.

And their instincts were correct!

One after another, Tian Xingzi continued to bring out seven more pairs of Sound-Transmitting Paper Cranes.

Every single pair was successfully auctioned off! Not a single one remained unsold!

Only after concluding the auction for the Sound-Transmitting Paper Cranes did Tian Xingzi proceed with the sale of other items, just as he did in past events.

Watching this unfold, Luo Chen’s mind spun with thoughts.

This enchanted artifact was claimed to be the work of Master Forger Huyan Zhuo, but the more he considered it, the less likely that seemed..

Huyan Zhuo was no ordinary craftsman. He was a Golden Core artifact forger, someone capable of creating powerful enchanted treasures!

How could he possibly have the time to mass-produce so many mid-grade enchanted artifacts?

The profit margin seemed impressive at first glance. After all, the primary material for these Sound-Transmitting Paper Cranes appeared to be a type of talisman-like white paper, which couldn’t be too expensive.

Even factoring in the formations and the two crane nests, the cost shouldn’t be exorbitant.

The reason for its steep price wasn’t the craftsmanship itself but rather its unique functionality. Technically speaking, the Sound-Transmitting Paper Crane could be classified as an exotic artifact rather than a traditional enchanted weapon or treasure.

However, Huyan Zhuo was a master forger! Someone of his caliber should be dedicating his efforts to forging powerful enchanted treasures or mystical treasures.

For example, Luo Chen’s Four Symbols Cauldron had been designed from the outset to integrate five different functionalities into a single enchanted treasure.

That kind of artifact crafting was what a true master should be striving for.

So, given that all of these paper cranes were nearly identical in make, there was no way Huyan Zhuo had personally crafted them. Perhaps he had only been involved in their initial design and development.

But the actual crafting must have been handled by low-level disciples of Tianfan City... and there was one more thing!

Although Tianfan City is near the Jade Cauldron Domain, it’s far too distant from an outlying place like Dahe Market. Now that these artifacts have spread even here, one can only imagine how many exist elsewhere.

This means that these artifacts are produced in large quantities, even within Tianfan City itself.

After reaching this conclusion, Luo Chen felt that something was off.

Wouldn’t a valuable artifact like this usually be sold exclusively through the subordinate Treasure Pavilion shops of Tianfan City?

Was it because the Treasure Pavilion in Dahe Market had relocated? Or could it be that the Precious Dragon Black Market was actually backed by Tianfan City?

For some reason, Luo Chen recalled his previous experiences at the black market.

The frequency of artifact auctions did seem unusually high!

Could it be that the ambush against Pang Renxiong back then was also orchestrated by Tianfan City? Reaching this speculative yet unsettling conclusion sent a chill down Luo Chen’s spine.

Would Tianfan City really not fear exposure? If the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect discovered this, it could trigger a war between the two Nascent Soul sects!

If that happened, how many lives would be lost?

But then again, this doesn’t make sense either! With Tianfan City’s strength, would they really need to go to such lengths just to target a single Golden Core cultivator?

Especially when they’re so far apart.

Unable to make sense of it, Luo Chen shook his head.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t intelligent enough, it was simply that he lacked sufficient information. With his current knowledge, it was impossible to see through the fog of uncertainty.

The only thing he was sure of was that he needed to reconsider his collaboration with Tian Xingzi more carefully.