I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Chapter 77: 77: Swearing to Heaven

The next day.

Phoenix Cry Pavilion.

Zhou Yi had specially booked a private room.

The four Loose Cultivator Array Masters arrived one after another, the youngest being around ninety, while the oldest were over a hundred.

"The reason I've invited everyone here today is to jointly make Spirit Stones!"

Zhou Yi didn't beat around the bush and directly explained the Mystifying Array and the marketplace orders.

The elder Array Master fell silent for a moment before saying, "This method isn't complicated. I too have familiar friends. Aren't you afraid of having our business undercut?"

"Joining forces benefits both parties!"

Zhou Yi laughed, "If we start competing with each other, it will only drive down the prices of the Formation Flags. They're all from the same sect, brothers of the same discipline. They won't tear each other's faces apart for a mere few Spirit Stones. In the end, it's us who do the work that suffer the most!"

Another Array Master asked, "At what price do you buy Formation Flags?"

Zhou Yi responded, "Five Spirit Stones. I also sell them to the Marketplace at this price, but I'll need you all to trouble yourselves with the installation."

The elder Array Master curiously asked, "Why don't you take the opportunity to make a margin?"

"Making a margin would be doing business. As a junior, I'm not well-versed in our ways and would like to make friends with my elders!"

Zhou Yi bowed in a circle, showing respect. Earning Spirit Stones was merely convenient; the key was to use this opportunity to build connections with Array Masters.

Having cultivated for over twenty years in Xiao Dan Mountain, Zhou Yi had long realized that whether it was a sect, family, or individual, the inheritance of the four arts of cultivation was regarded as more precious than life itself, kept hidden and only taught to disciples and blood relatives.

Zhou Yi expressed his understanding that a craft, the livelihood of generations, is not something that can be disclosed lightly.

After a moment of silence in the private room, the elder Array Master bowed and said.

"Master Zhu, I am Pang Hai. Please enlighten me further."

"I am Wang Yue. I will visit tomorrow."

"I am Liu Lai..."

Whether tempted by a hefty amount of Spirit Stones or wishing to form a small circle of Array Masters, everyone shared their names and agreed to exchange knowledge of formations periodically in the future.

"There is another matter—we need to agree on a common stance."

Zhou Yi, having achieved his goal, smiled and said, "We can consider this work for the public's benefit. When setting up each array, we must collect the full amount of Spirit Stones. Regardless of the excuse, we can't delay or owe any amount!"

"It should be so!"

Instantly realizing the implication, if Xiao Dan Mountain delayed the settlement of Spirit Stones and something unpredictable happened to one's life, the debt would vanish.

Loose Cultivators were not naive enough to believe that upright sects were always principled!

...

A month later.

The enforcement team claimed to have not caught the Spirit Stone thief, issuing a merit-based task while reminding cultivators to keep one eye open during meditation.

Loose Cultivators were immediately uproarious.

The office opportunistically introduced an upgraded cave dwelling package. For the cost of eighty-eight Spirit Stones, one could gain the protection of the Mystifying Array, professionally and efficiently installed by a Marketplace-certified Array Master at your doorstep!

Upon hearing of this price, Zhou Yi suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

"Immeasurable Heavenly Honored One! I must meditate and discuss the path to rid myself of these inner demons!"

...

In the western part of Xiao Dan Mountain, cave dwelling number 902.

Zhou Yi donned a temporarily borrowed teal robe and knocked on the door, calling out loudly.

"Is Master Xu at home? I am Zhu Gang, here to set up the Mystifying Array for you."

A small hole opened on the door, and the cultivator with the surname Xu checked left and right for the absence of others before finally opening the door.

"Master Zhu, please come in."

Upon entering, Zhou Yi saw that the left and right wings of the house had already been torn down, and the courtyard was divided into four small fields, where Soul Condensation Flowers bloomed profusely.

"No wonder you urged for the array to be set up so promptly. The Soul Condensation Flowers in this courtyard alone are worth at least three to four hundred Spirit Stones."

Zhou Yi realized he had underestimated just how wealthy Loose Cultivators were. They appeared poor and destitute, hardly visiting Phoenix Cry Pavilion once in ten years, but in reality, each had a sizeable nest egg.

After all, the slowest way to earn Spirit Stones was through farming, yet they could still save up a few dozen a year. With the Marketplace seldom witnessing combat, saving for two to three decades could yield a fortune of over a thousand.

Only Zhou Yi was truly poor!

Having installed hundreds of formations already, Zhou Yi quickly inscribed the formation throughout the cave dwelling and activated the Mystifying Array with the Formation Flags at last.

The initially bright cave dwelling was now shrouded with wisps of mist, appearing indistinct from the outside.

"Keep these Formation Flags safe; they can only activate the Mystifying Array within the cave dwelling range."

The Formation Flag was not a Magic Artifact or a Treasure Bead; it was closer to a spell charm but more complex in design. To create the Mystifying Array Flag, Mystic Iron was used for the pole, Demon Beast Skin for the canvas, and dozens of formation inscriptions were engraved.

The Xu-named cultivator had refined the Formation Flag with his mana, switching the formation on and off several times before nodding with satisfaction, "This formation is quite good."

"If the formation sustains any damage, you can report it to the office for repairs, which will cost one Spirit Stone."

Zhou Yi reminded him of the matters to pay attention to and was about to turn around and leave.

Suddenly, the Xu-named cultivator spoke in a low voice, "Does this Mystifying Array have any vulnerabilities?"

Zhou Yi shook his head, "You worry too much!"

The Xu-named cultivator flicked his sleeve, and a Spirit Stone fell out, "Are you sure there are none?"

"I swear on my Daoist heart, absolutely none!"

Zhou Yi silently took the Spirit Stone and swore to the heavens.

From then on.

Zhou Yi was busy setting up formations every day, as many as seven or eight sets, and at least three to five sets.

With additional income, he averaged thirty Spirit Stones a day, roughly equivalent to a year's income from his spirit field.

"Indeed, technology and monopoly are the ways to wealth!"

After over two months of busy work, Zhou Yi had almost installed formations in all the caves.

Initially, some Loose Cultivators resisted, but as their peers were all protected by formations and their own caves seemed overly simple in comparison, they cursed the marketplace for its greed while also grudgingly paying the Spirit Stones.

After deducting costs, the net profit was two thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.

"Time to celebrate!"

...

Phoenix Cry Pavilion.

After the Dao discussions had ended, Zhou Yi lay down on a soft couch to rest.

Dao companion Ye Yuer hugged him from behind, her voice dreamy, whispering softly.

"Master Zhu, let's become Dao companions."

Zhou Yi was so startled his eyes bulged; he subtly removed her hands, turned around, and asked.

"Why bring this up all of a sudden?"

"I heard recently that Master Zhu has made a few thousand Spirit Stones and could outright buy the cave," she said gently.

Ye Yuer continued tenderly, "The Yin Yang Art that I cultivate can not only increase mana, but, once mastered, has remarkable effects in breaking through bottlenecks..."

"Don't talk like that!"

Zhou Yi suddenly stood up from the bed, quickly put on his clothes, and sternly refused.

"I can't be selfish and delay the immortal path of other Daoists!"

Having said that, his figure flickered and he directly jumped out the window, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Back in his courtyard.

The amalgamation of yin and yang had not only failed to comfort Zhou Yi but had instead made him irritable.

"The news of possessing a large amount of Spirit Stones has spread throughout Xiaodan Mountain. Even the Daoists at Phoenix Cry Pavilion have strange ideas, not to mention the evil cultivators lurking in the dark. I must resolve this hidden threat!"

After some contemplation, Zhou Yi had a plan.

...

Heavenly Craft Pavilion.

The proprietor of this store knew a special Refining Tool Technique that could collect natural elements such as Heavenly Thunder and Earth Fire and condense them into Treasure Beads using a Secret Technique, hence the name Heavenly Craft.

Once activated by mana, the sound of Heavenly Thunder would rumble, and its power was fearsome.

Zhou Yi walked in boldly and directly asked the clerk.

"How many Heavenly Thunder Pearls do you have now?"

The clerk recognized Zhou Yi and respectfully said, "Master Zhu, we only have five at the moment. If you want more, you will have to wait for the owner to refine them."

"I'll take them all!"

Zhou Yi took out five hundred Spirit Stones from his storage bag and exchanged them for five round, punch-sized, red and black iron beads.

The surface of the iron beads was inscribed with purple patterns, flashing like thunder in the sky; holding them felt slightly ticklish, leaving one unsure if it was an electrical leak or just their nature.

A low-grade Magic Artifact was roughly worth a hundred Spirit Stones, which in value was comparable to the single-use Heavenly Thunder Pearl, proving the pearl's formidable power.

Zhou Yi put three pearls into his storage bag and, holding two in his hand, spun them as if he were playing with iron balls between his fingers. He wandered through the trading area, greeting acquaintances he encountered.

"How's the business today, Daoist Sun?"