Chapter 172: Tianfan Black Hand

"Luo Chen, the quantity of Yusu Elixirs this month is a bit low!"

At the end of the month, Gu Caiyi found Luo Chen, looking worried.

"How much?"

Gu Caiyi reported a number; it was almost ten percent less than last month!

It didn't look like much, but if sold, that was two or three thousand spirit stones.

It was no wonder Gu Caiyi was so anxious.

Regarding this, Luo Chen pondered for a long while and then slowly shook his head.

"No matter, earning a little less doesn't matter."

Gu Caiyi was surprised.

Isn't it better to earn as many spirit stones as possible?

In the past, Luo Chen cared more about income than anyone else.

Luo Chen sighed, "Earning too much easily makes people jealous!"

Once he said this, Gu Caiyi understood a little.

The current Luotian Society is not as bloated as it was during the Poshan Gang period.

The personnel are streamlined, and the structure is simple.

The benefit is that personnel costs are greatly reduced.

The downside is that some things are easily guessed by others.

For example, the cost of Yusu Elixirs!

In the past, there was the cover of the Poshan Gang's nine halls, and the Medicine Hall was self-sufficient, so it was difficult for outsiders to guess the cost of Yusu Elixirs.

But it's different now.

Most of the main and auxiliary materials are purchased from the Dajiang Gang and the Lianyung Alliance.

Interested parties can deduce the specific cost by combining a little information.

Then, based on the salary costs of the Luotian Society's cultivators, as well as the external sales price and quantity.

One can easily calculate the profit of the Yusu Elixirs.

Even if there is a discrepancy, it would be close enough.

In this way, a small Luotian Society earning tens of thousands of spirit stones a month easily makes people jealous.

"Is Luo Chen deliberately controlling the output of Yusu Elixirs to reduce others' covetousness?"

Gu Caiyi thought to herself.

Luo Chen chatted with her for a few words about the sales situation of the Yusu Elixirs and then hurried out the door.

Today was the time for delivery.

The Zhenlong Black Market was held as scheduled.

Luo Chen also sat in his familiar seat under the guidance of Wang Yanchang.

Wang Yanchang was the Wang-surnamed cultivator who gave him advice when he first came to the black market.

After many visits, the two could be considered familiar.

"Master Tianxingzi might be a bit busy today, so I trouble you to wait a little longer."

Wang Yanchang poured a cup of hot tea for Luo Chen and said so.

A bit busy?

Luo Chen was thoughtful.

Next, he saw what "a bit busy" meant.

A beam of light was cast down, and a palm-sized, snow-white little crane flapped its wings and flew slowly.

Its speed was not fast, but it was extremely stable.

Suddenly, spiritual power was injected into it, and in an instant, it burst into extreme speed, circling the hall once.

Everyone looked over in a hurry, but could not find its trace.

Only Luo Chen, with spiritual light blooming in his eyes, faintly saw a trace.

Suddenly, the little crane stopped and landed in an aged hand.

Tianxingzi's voice then slowly spread out.

"Sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Crane, a first-grade mid-tier magic tool!"

Everyone was stunned; that crane was actually a paper crane?

And, sound-transmitting?

Tianxingzi looked around at everyone and smiled, "As everyone knows, sound transmission is mainly based on sound-transmitting talismans and sound-transmitting jade tablets."

"But sound-transmitting talismans are limited by the power of the talisman, so the distance is limited. They can often only be used within a cave dwelling or station and cannot be used for long-distance contact with others."

"And sound-transmitting jade tablets are expensive to make and are often one-to-one, mostly purchased and used only by Foundation Establishment True Cultivators."

"The sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Crane in my hand, however, is completely different."

"It draws from the way of talismans, integrates two major arrays—concealment and extreme speed—and is finally forged using the way of weapon forging."

"With this magic tool, one can quickly contact others within a certain range."

"Moreover, there is no need to worry about being intercepted. During the demonstration just now, fellow Daoists should have found it very difficult to find its trace, right!"

Hearing these words, there was much discussion in the hall.

This effect was indeed good.

It could contact others over long distances and didn't have to worry about the content being intercepted.

In Tianxingzi's subsequent supplement, he even mentioned the Thousand-Paper Crane's self-combustion and sound-saving functions.

Not only that, this was not a one-time magic tool like a sound-transmitting talisman, but one that could be used multiple times.

"When using it, in addition to recording the sound, it is best to install a low-grade spirit stone as an energy drive."

"One stone at a time, it is not expensive."

"To go to the destination, one must set up a specialized matching crane nest as a guiding means."

While speaking, two matching crane nests appeared in Tianxingzi's hands.

One was thrown into the corner, and one was placed on the stage.

The Thousand-Paper Crane was thrown by him to the distance, and then it flew to the corner.

Afterward.

Without applying spiritual power, the Thousand-Paper Crane, relying solely on the spirit stone embedded in its abdomen, flew slowly back into the crane nest on the stage.

In this way, it achieved the effect of fixed-point sound transmission.

"This magic tool comes from the hands of the weapon-forging master Huyan Zhuo of Tianfan City!"

"You must have all heard of this master, right!"

"Known for his endless creativity and ingenious craftsmanship, he loves researching all kinds of strange magic tools and treasures. The things he produces are often high-quality goods."

Speaking of this.

Tianxingzi looked at the hundreds of cultivators, seeing that each of them revealed a look of being moved.

He did not say any more.

"It is recommended to buy two or more at a time, one for yourself and one to leave with the other party."

"In this way, it is convenient to contact each other."

"Alright, the starting price is still the rule for mid-tier magic tools, five hundred spirit stones. Each bid increase must not be less than ten spirit stones."

As soon as the voice fell!

Someone started bidding.

"One thousand spirit stones, I'll buy a pair!"

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

In the chairs at the ends of the two sides, Luo Chen watched with interest as the sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Cranes were competed for by everyone.

In the past, he had complained that the Poshan Gang's communication methods were too inefficient.

For this, he was even given a side-eye by Mi Junping.

He did not expect that someone had really researched a sound-transmitting magic tool that sat in the middle ground based on sound-transmitting talismans and jade tablets.

And looking at the description, apart from the longer sound transmission time, there were almost no shortcomings!

It made him a bit moved, wanting to get a pair.

A pair, not one!

This could be seen from the fact that others were buying them in pairs.

This thing, a single one, didn't have such a good effect.

After all, with matching crane nests, one on each side, the initiative for sound transmission could only be on one side.

If someone else also had a Thousand-Paper Crane, they could initiate contact with each other.

"It's a bit like the dedicated line phones on Earth in my previous life."

"If I purchase a few pairs, communication within the Luotian Society can also become convenient."

It's not just about convenient communication!

Luo Chen also remembered the scene where the various halls of the Poshan Gang were defeated one by one.

If such a magic tool had been available at that time, perhaps the situation would not have been so difficult.

At least when the first hall was attacked, other places could have received the news.

He also wanted to join the bidding, but his ears moved slightly, and he stopped this action.

Soon, the first pair of sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Cranes was auctioned off for a high price of fifteen hundred spirit stones.

If calculated separately, then a single sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Crane sold for a high price of seven hundred and fifty spirit stones!

Mid-tier magic tools start at five hundred.

Often, only magic tools with outstanding attack performance and defensive attributes can cross the seven hundred spirit stone threshold.

In other words, this pair of Thousand-Paper Cranes, relying on the attribute of long-distance sound transmission, reached a high price comparable to defensive magic tools!

Just as everyone was looking with envy at the cultivator who had bid for this pair of treasures.

Tianxingzi flipped his wrist, and another pair of sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Cranes was placed on the table.

"Starting price, five hundred spirit stones each!"

Everyone's expressions stalled, and then another auction craze was set off.

Soon, the second pair was also auctioned off for a high price of fourteen hundred.

The reason the price was lower than the first time was because there was a premonition that Tianxingzi might have more than just a few pairs.

So, some people were waiting.

Their premonition was correct!

Next, Tianxingzi took out seven more pairs of sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Cranes one after another.

Every pair was auctioned off!

None failed to sell!

By this time, he stopped the auction of the sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Cranes and began to auction other things as usual.

Luo Chen watched this scene, his thoughts turning constantly.

This magic tool is claimed to come from the hands of the weapon-forging master Huyan Zhuo.

But no matter how he looked at it, it didn't look like it!

That is a Golden Core weapon-forging master who can refine magic treasures!

Where would he have so much free time to refine so many mid-tier magic tools?

As for profit, it does feel very large.

After all, the main material of this sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Crane is that white paper similar to talisman skin, so the cost certainly isn't high.

Even adding the array and the two crane nests, it wouldn't be that high.

Being able to sell for so much is mainly due to the special function.

If one really wants to talk about it, the sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Crane can also be counted as a strange magic tool.

However, Huyan Zhuo is a weapon-forging master!

The pursuit of such an existence should be powerful magic treasures or strange magic treasures.

For example, the Four-Elephant Cauldron in Luo Chen's hand was originally conceived as a magic treasure that combined five functions into one.

This kind of weapon forging is what a master should pursue.

"Therefore, so many sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Cranes with similar specifications must not have been forged by Huyan Zhuo himself."

"Perhaps he participated in the research and creation."

"But the forging process must be led by lower-realm Tianfan City disciples... and one more thing!"

"Although Tianfan City is close to the Yuding Domain, it is too far from a remote place like Dahefang."

"Now that this thing has spread here, one can imagine how many there are in other places."

"That is to say, the output of this item is quite high, and within Tianfan City, it also belongs to large-scale forging!"

After reaching this conclusion, Luo Chen felt something was wrong.

Generally, for such good things, shouldn't Tianfan City hand them over to the subordinate Wanbao Pavilion shops for fixed-point sales?

Is it because the Wanbao Pavilion in Dahefang moved away?

Or is it that behind the Zhenlong Black Market, there is the background of Tianfan City?

Unaccountably, Luo Chen recalled his past experiences of attending the black market time and time again.

The auction of magic tools seems to have a very high frequency!

"Could it be that the siege against Pang Renxiong was also led by Tianfan City?"

Reaching this plausible conclusion made Luo Chen shudder.

Is Tianfan City not afraid of the matter being exposed, being discovered by the Yuding Sword Sect, and then triggering a war between the two major Nascent Soul sects?

If that happened, how many people would die!

"But, that's not right either!"

"With Tianfan City's strength, targeting a Golden Core cultivator shouldn't require so much effort, right!"

"And, that's still under the condition of being so far apart."

Unable to figure it out, Luo Chen shook his head.

It was not that he was not smart enough, but that there was too little intelligence, and with his knowledge, it was difficult to see through the truth from the fog.

He only knew that his cooperation with Tianxingzi might need to be considered more carefully.

"Little friend seems very interested in this sound-transmitting Thousand-Paper Crane?"

"I still have a pair left here; I'll sell it to you at the price of five hundred spirit stones each!"

Tianxingzi smiled and took out two paper cranes.

Luo Chen said thank you and took them over.

He didn't play with them too much and put them away directly to show his trust in the other party.

According to the auction price, Luo Chen took a pair for one thousand, which was a bargain no matter how you looked at it.

Since he got a bargain, he certainly had to return the favor.

"This is the Blood-Burning Elixir refined by my friend over a month."

"Twenty pills in total."

Twenty pills, according to the previous cooperation content, that was two thousand spirit stones.

After deducting the one thousand for the Thousand-Paper Cranes, Tianxingzi still had to pay Luo Chen one thousand spirit stones.

After the transaction, Tianxingzi said with regret, "Can you only refine twenty pills a month?"

Luo Chen gave a bitter smile, "I don't know much about alchemy, but my friend said that the Blood-Burning Elixir is extremely complex to refine, and it's very hard for him to refine more."

"Is that so?"

"That's a pity."

Is the Blood-Burning Elixir complex to refine?

Actually, it's not that complex.

Especially since the proficiency has advanced, the success rate has increased to twenty percent.

Luo Chen's soul foundation has surged by another margin, and the time he can spend refining elixirs every day can be squeezed out a little more.

He could fully refine more Blood-Burning Elixirs.

But time is always limited!

Besides the Blood-Burning Elixir, he couldn't refine too few Yusu Elixirs in a month.

Besides the Yusu Elixirs, he had also spent a lot of time on the Tongyou Elixir recently.

After such twists and turns, he only refined twenty-eight Blood-Burning Elixirs in a month.

Among them, eight were kept by him just in case.

Being able to sell twenty to Tianxingzi was already doing his best.

For this, when he went out today, he was nagged by Gu Caiyi, saying that the quantity of Yusu Elixirs was too low.

Seeing Tianxingzi's regretful look, Luo Chen suddenly had a thought.

"Actually, it's not that there's no way to refine more Blood-Burning Elixirs!"

"Oh?"

Tianxingzi perked up, "Tell me about it!"

He seemed to care particularly about the quantity of Blood-Burning Elixirs!

Luo Chen accurately grasped the other party's psychology.

Then, he pretended to be recalling and said, "Once, while chatting with my friend, I heard him talking to himself, saying that this Blood-Burning Elixir is more suitable for water-method refining."

"But he doesn't have a suitable water-method alchemy technique right now, and refining with fire-method makes the success rate too low."

"If there were a suitable water-method alchemy technique, he might be able to greatly increase the success rate!"

After hearing these words, Tianxingzi was thoughtful.

"Water-method alchemy technique?"

He recalled the list Luo Chen gave him back then.

It did indeed contain quite a few materials suitable for water-method alchemy.

In this way, this alchemist friend, Murong Yuan, should not be an alchemist from a major sect.

Because alchemists cultivated by major sects, not to mention their technique, would master one or two basic alchemy techniques.

The most common alchemy techniques in the cultivation world are water-method and fire-method.

Such as Golden Quality Jade Liquid, Tongming Liquid, and Buque Runmai Liquid are all products of water-method alchemy.

A rogue alchemist?

Tianxingzi thought for a moment and took out a jade slip from his storage bag.

In an instant, Luo Chen's gaze fell upon it.

"This is?"

"A water-method alchemy technique, suitable for most first-grade to third-grade elixirs."

Luo Chen was surprised, "So powerful!"

No wonder he was so surprised.

Most alchemy techniques have a limited scope.

Just like the fire-method alchemy technique he currently masters, it is only the most common first-grade one on the market.

The elixirs that can be refined are often also first-grade elixirs.

If he wants to refine second-grade elixirs, he still has to learn that second-grade fire-method alchemy technique from the "Qingyuan Elixir Solution."

In addition, the several elixir techniques he learned from Qingyuanzi, the Folding Jade Hand is limited to mineral materials, and the Plain Heart Hand is limited to herbal materials.

They are also limited to a general scope.

And this water-method alchemy technique that Tianxingzi took out is actually suitable for first-grade to third-grade.

Even if there is a premise of "most," it is still precious.

Facing Luo Chen's surprise, Tianxingzi was not surprised.

He looked at Luo Chen solemnly, "I can sell you this technique. But that friend of yours must take a Great Dao Oath that he will not, by any means, whether intentionally or unintentionally, pass it to anyone!"

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, such a harsh oath?

Whether intentional or unintentional, he cannot pass it to others!

If this set of techniques were accidentally passed to others by him, it would count as him violating the oath.

Luo Chen knew very well the consequences of violating a Great Dao Oath.

Low-realm cultivators might be fine.

But if they reach the Golden Core or Nascent Soul stage, there is a high probability of being backlashed by the oath.

Especially the rumored Soul Transformation stage, which must be accompanied by the Heart Demon Tribulation.

If there is a backlash from a Great Dao Oath, one will inevitably perish in the Heart Demon Tribulation.

It can be said that the Great Dao Oath does not have strong binding power on low-level cultivators.

But for anyone aspiring to longevity, it has strong binding power.

Luo Chen is naturally the latter.

Otherwise, he would not have given that Foundation Establishment Elixir to Qin Liangchen back then.

The key to this lies in the mid-grade Yusu Elixirs he refined for Mi Shuhua, which the other party never enjoyed a single one of.

And that Foundation Establishment Elixir originally belonged to Qin Liangchen in the original sense.

After weighing the pros and cons, Luo Chen finally followed his heart and made the final choice.

It's all about having a clear mind!

Facing this requirement, Luo Chen immediately agreed solemnly.

Tianxingzi was not afraid of him cheating.

He immediately set a small spiritual sense restriction on the jade slip.

To break this restriction, one must issue the corresponding Great Dao Oath.

"Then what is the price?"

Holding the jade slip, Luo Chen asked with a smile.

Then his smile stiffened.

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Luo Chen looked at the finger Tianxingzi held up.

"Eight thousand?!"

"Why don't you go..."

In the end, Luo Chen still gritted his teeth and paid this sum of spirit stones.

This water-method alchemy technique is worth this price!

In a sense, the secret techniques among the hundred arts of cultivation are no less valuable than orthodox cultivation techniques.

An alchemy technique suitable for first to third grade is not even weaker than a technique that can be cultivated to the Golden Core stage.

Eight thousand is still cheap!

"Well, anyway, it's bought for my friend, and he will have to pay me back for these spirit stones later."

While saying this, Luo Chen took out eight thousand spirit stones.

One thousand of them were just obtained from selling the Blood-Burning Elixir, and they hadn't even warmed up yet.

After Tianxingzi took the spirit stones, his gaze was deep.

"I hope that next month, I can see fifty Blood-Burning Elixirs."

Luo Chen was stunned; is this considered a hard requirement from the client?

He gave an awkward smile, "I can't guarantee this; I can only say I hope my friend can have some gains after studying this technique."

Tianxingzi sighed.

"Time waits for no one!"

After saying this, he withdrew the sound-insulation barrier.

This meant that today's transaction ended here.

No, it wasn't over yet.

Luo Chen left the black market hall early and came outside.

Wang Yanchang was guarding outside, holding the storage bag Luo Chen had given him in advance.

"Fellow Daoist, the medicinal herbs for this month are all inside."

Luo Chen took the storage bag and a list.

He glanced at it and saw that Yuyao Pillar, Earth Fire Evil, Snow Fox Demon Blood, Explosive Ape Demon Blood, etc., were all inside, so he nodded with satisfaction.

Afterward, he took out fifteen hundred spirit stones.

With these materials, there would be no shortage of raw materials for the Tongyou Elixir and Zhongmiao Pill next month.

After giving the spirit stones, Luo Chen couldn't hold it together.

He came today to sell Blood-Burning Elixirs, but in and out, he instead contributed eight thousand five hundred spirit stones to the Zhenlong Black Market.

Even if his wealth was extremely abundant, he couldn't stand such tossing!

Adding it all up, he only had fifteen thousand left.

But fortunately, if all the Yusu Elixirs refined this month were sold, he could more or less make up a few thousand.

Moreover, today's consumption was not a pure loss.

Not to mention replenishing the materials, the most important thing was getting a water-method alchemy technique.

In this way, whether refining Diliujiang or other elixirs that require water-method alchemy, he wouldn't have to worry.

Wang Yanchang personally saw him to the door.

Just as they were about to part, Luo Chen suddenly remembered that light sigh.

"Time waits for no one!"

His spirit was shaken, and he blurted out.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, wait a moment!"

.