Chapter 759: Secluding Again

Luohuang Zhou.

Yan Buji tallied his recent earnings.

Sect rewards, kickbacks, trade with the demon tribe, plus a handful of small side deals—Yan Buji now has almost five million Spiritual Stones saved.

"Unfortunately I still couldn't hold onto the Precious Light Ore," Yan Buji sighed.

Since he learned that the Sect Master knew everything happening on Luohuang Zhou like the back of his hand, Yan Buji realized the Precious Light Ore matter was definitely out of their hands.

"Hall Master Yan, you…"

The released Elders wore complicated expressions; Yan Buji shrugged helplessly: "Don't try to pull a side scheme in front of the Sect Master—just conduct business with the demon tribe peacefully."

"Alas."

Only after being released did they realize the sect had already known about the Precious Light Ore and had seized a few insiders from the major merchant guilds.

As for why this matter involved the major merchant guilds?

Those who got the news dared not speak much, but privately everyone knew Yan Buji had agreed to share the Precious Light Ore precisely to cooperate with the Sect Master's plan.

Since the Sect Master knew from the start, his not objecting to their pocketing some of the ore was already an unlawful mercy, so he naturally kept silent.

Zhou Wan'an's face twisted in pain: "Hall Master Yan, since you knew this beforehand, why didn't you warn me?"

"I… the Sect Master said everyone must keep this hidden; I had no choice," Yan Buji shook his head.

I couldn't just tell you I was also late to the game, could I?

Overall, Yan Buji had completed the main affairs on Luohuang Zhou; although they might touch on big matters, for a modest Nascent Soul cultivator like him, it was nothing.

"Hall Master Zhou, I'll take you to meet the contact on the demon tribe side; afterward, you handle liaison with them and Wu Elder," Yan Buji said with a smile.

"Hm? Does Hall Master Yan intend to leave?"

"Not exactly; I've been busy for too long, so I need to settle down and close my sect for a period of cultivation," Yan Buji chuckled.

After briefing the matters, Yan Buji told a few Elders about his intention to close his sect, and received their consent.

After all, the mining area is now on the right track, and trade with the demon tribe is proceeding smoothly.

As the initiator, Yan Buji only needs his successors to follow the steps; his own share of income remains, so there's no need for him to handle everything personally.

He returned to the secret chamber.

After packaging and selling all the resources he had gathered, Yan Buji earned another few million Spiritual Stones, thinking this time he could finish the nine dispersions and nine refinements of the Five Transformations Time Secrets.

"If I didn't have the Nine Turns Technique…"

Yan Buji thought, the greatest advantage of the Nine Turns Technique is that after mastering it, each dispersal and re‑refinement gradually strengthens his magical power while granting deeper insight into the method. It's like high‑difficulty techniques becoming clearer after nine dispersions and nine refinements.

Achieving mastery of a technique doesn't merely mean completing its cultivation; it also requires a clear understanding of its essence and philosophy.

But Yan Buji clearly lacks that aptitude, so the Nine Turns Technique can compensate for this shortcoming.

However, the Five Transformations Time Secrets belong to the Way of the Universe method, whose entry barrier is extremely high; Yan Buji managed to learn a bit and finish its cultivation, yet many of its concepts remain only half‑understood.

Through the Nine Turns Technique, strengthening his magical power while deepening his comprehension of the Five Transformations Time Secrets is what truly matters.

"Let's begin."

Yan Buji set up a Spirit‑Gathering Formation, pouring a massive amount of Spiritual Stones into it.

Immediately thereafter, Yan Buji began dispersing the power of the Five Transformations Time Secrets for a re‑refinement.

Day after day.

The four seasonal sceneries shifted repeatedly over Yan Buji, and his magical power grew ever deeper.

Yan Buji doesn't intend to integrate the Five Transformations Time Secrets into his own technique system, because he currently cannot comprehend or grasp its essence.

Furthermore, the concept of merging the Way of the Void and the Way of the Universe is completely beyond his grasp.

Nevertheless, with these two pinnacle Dao techniques, if he can suddenly realize them in future cultivation and fuse the Way of the Void and Way of the Universe into one, he should be able to break through the Nascent Soul stage smoothly!

Winter passes, spring arrives.

In the blink of an eye, five years have passed.

Yan Buji has completed six cycles of dispersal and re‑refinement, but awkwardly his saved Spiritual Stones are nearly exhausted, and even the Spiritual Qi stored in the symbiotic Nine-leaf Ghost Orchid has been completely used up!

"Alas," Yan Buji opened his eyes: "The Nine Turns Technique is burning Spiritual Stones faster and faster!"

He hasn't even broken through the Nascent Soul yet, let alone finished the nine dispersions and nine refinements of the Five Transformations Time Secrets, and it's already cost him nearly ten million Spiritual Stones, this…

He also has a variety of supporting items, such as the Heaven‑and‑Earth Rare Jade‑faced Toad, numerous magical‑enhancing pills, plus the Spirit‑Gathering Formation and the Life‑bound Accumulation Device Spirit‑Quelling Talisman working together…

What am I to do afterward?

Yan Buji thought for a moment, then suddenly felt uneasy.

"Hm?"

Yan Buji covered his left eye; the Mutant Force seemed to be stirring.

"Flush it with magical power a few times."

Yan Buji paid no mind; after the magical flush, the Mutant Force vanished and the agitation in his left eye subsided.

His eye technique has also been honed greatly; built on the former Ten‑Flower Eye secret, supplemented by the Broken‑Evil Divine Light, Peering‑Shadow Eye and other secrets, and bolstered by Yan Buji's powerful divine consciousness, if he weren't lacking offensive eye skills, his Mutant Eye could be so potent it could serve as a killing move.

"Although the Mutant Force is quite formidable, it's better to use it sparingly," Yan Buji said, covering his eye and gradually relaxing.

After leaving the secret chamber, Yan Buji first went to pay his respects to Wu Yuan.

"Elder Wu."

"Oh? Hall Master Yan, you've emerged from seclusion?" Wu Yuan laughed: "It seems your cultivation during those years of seclusion has made great progress."

"Elder Wu, you flatter me," Yan Buji said: "Nothing much happening in the mining area lately, right?"

Wu Yuan shook his head: "What could be? Only that many tribes have migrated from the demon side, and now other factions have been granted permission to trade with the demons as well."

Yan Buji nodded: "Our business shouldn't be affected much, right?"

"As you said, we seized the market first; others who want a share either wage price wars or give concessions to the demons. Both are costly and risky, so we sent envoys to negotiate with those factions and do business together. Those who now work with us have all profited quite a bit," Wu Yuan said with a smile.

Yan Buji nodded: "That's how business works—either you're a friend or you're an enemy."

「Besides that, a few Rabbit Tribe cultivators came looking for you, but I used your closed-door cultivation as an excuse and didn't let them come over. I heard that Tu Nuo Duo had something happen; do you want to go check it out? 」 Wu Yuan said with a smile.

Tu Nuo Duo?

Yan Buji furrowed his brows: "What happened to her?"

Wu Yuan shook his head: "You'd better go ask at the Garrisoned Royal City, but if you want to get involved, we can also speak up for you."

"Then thank you, Wu Elder." Yan Buji said with clasped hands.

Leaving aside whether it's necessary to run around for Tu Nuo Duo's matter, just based on Wu Yuan's attitude, it's obvious he's already one of us.