If the modulus of another heart were replaced with perseverance, he would probably give up soon when facing the pain of tracing the vitality with the quickening essence of Gu Deci.
But Yu Lou, quite strangely, is someone who seems oblivious to death. It's not that the head of Yu Lou is made of iron, but rather that too many crossroads and wrong turns have led to his ability to 'ignore' pain.
On one hand, Wang's disciples in the Water-Fire Spirit Root Sect during the Qigong stage are equipped with the most reliable Qigong practice method.
The Qigong method has no distinctive features and its only advantage is that it is an approved entrance Qigong practice by the Fairy Alliance, making it quite versatile.
During the Qigong stage of cultivation, Yu Lou practiced the Qigong method for over ten years, but throughout the process, he didn't feel even a hint of participation in the cultivation.
In a sense, the method of tracing the vitality with the quickening essence of Gu Deci can be considered the first 'official method' that Yu Lou has encountered in his years of cultivation in the spiritual world.
Therefore, Yu Lou has a high tolerance for the pain during the cultivation process — he doesn't know how easy or difficult other methods could be.
On the other hand, before crossing over, Yu Lou came from the East Asian Civilization Circle of a certain planet.
This civilization circle, it's quite special.
What's special about it is that, under the influence of its culture, some people like to believe in the nonsense that "those who endure great hardships will be the superior among men."
Even later, some intelligent people realized that "those who endure hardships will have no end to the hardships." However, in the end, Wang Yulou wasn't as thoroughly awakened in this aspect.
Therefore, when he found that tracing the vitality with the quickening essence of Gu Deci was very painful, Yu Lou had a sense of security that could be considered both sad and absurd.
Endure great hardships to become a superior person.
The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitterness of the cold.
Therefore, the heavens will entrust great responsibilities to those who endure great hardships and trials.
The path of cultivation is paved with diligence, and the boundless sea of the Tao is navigated by hardship as a boat.
Pain?
Pain is right!
Exactly right!
Perfectly right!
Thinking of the wonderful time after achieving cultivation, Yu Lou encouraged himself in his heart, supported his body again, and got up from the ground to sit back on the lotus seat.
Again!
Pain, it's really painful!
It's okay. The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitterness of the cold. I can endure it!
Pain, it's so painful!
It's okay. The boundless sea of the Tao is navigated by hardship as a boat. I can endure it!
Wang Yulou, a misfortunate traveler from the East Asian Civilization Circle, was on the brink of self-PUA while enduring excruciating pain to control the quickening essence of Gu Deci as it traced its way through his veins.
His cold sweat flowed like a small stream, covering his face.
I know, I understand that Wang Yulou is in the process of cultivation, but for those who don't know, it might look like Wang Yulou is washing his face.
In this way, finally, on the third attempt to trace the quickening essence of Gu Deci through his meridians, Yu Lou successfully controlled the essence of Gu Deci to advance a little in his meridians.
Through inner perception of his spirit, he watched as the meridians expanded slightly, which after repeated confirmation, he found was indeed the case. It was then that Yu Lou's hanging heart finally settled.
As long as it's effective, that's all that matters!
Pain?
But aren't the plum blossoms fragrant now?
Hard work brings rewards, it's worth it!
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, as Yu Lou was about to continue his cultivation, he once again remembered the pain of tracing the quickening essence of Gu Deci through his veins.
"Today is just the first day of cultivating the tracing of the quickening essence of Gu Deci, and the transformation of spiritual energy has been completed, and some progress has been made in the tracing of the Gu Deci meridian."
From the looks of it, he should be considered quite diligent. Otherwise, perhaps we can stop for today?"
In the physiological aversion to pain, Yu Lou began to deceive himself.
This is not his problem, but a limitation inherent to humans as a species — it's just too painful.
But soon, Yu Lou suddenly tightened his lips.
If one were to slack off merely due to pain, then there would be too many excuses to impede progress.
Therefore, heaven will bestow great responsibilities on those who must first suffer to strengthen their resolve.
The road to success is always not peaceful, but the common characteristic of those who fail is that they cannot control their desires properly.
"Laziness and the desire for security through fantasy are both desires!"
Even I, Wang Yulou, have not been defeated by pain!
Will they have to be controlled by their own desires?"
Saying that, he closed his eyes once again and called up the quickening essence of Gu Deci in his qi sea.
This time, even the Drip Water Immortal behind the incense burner was rendered speechless.
I'm the goddamn East Asian superhero, and I even caused a little tremor for the Immortal behind the incense burner.
Wang Yulou is like this, and so are countless ordinary people in the country he once lived in.
It is precisely because of this core spirit that they are able to achieve extraordinary achievements in a short period of time.
——
Just after Wang Yulou secured the position of the village head of Hewan Fishing Village through Qin Chuoran, he laid down five tasks.
Every day, he needed to provide spirit fish, change the location of his mansion, build a small wonder exclusively for him, then construct a weir as a political achievement project, and finally use training sessions to gain personnel power.
Qin Chuoran is young, and he may not understand the underlying purposes behind Wang Yulou's demands.
But the message she passed on was to Zhang Xuewu and Cui Dingyi.
Both Zhang Xuewu and Cui Dingyi are old, with one being over fifty and the other over a hundred. They are as old-fashioned and cunning as can be, so they naturally see through Wang Yulou's intentions clearly.
"Well, if there are no objections from the two seniors, I will proceed to collect information on Qigong stage cultivators first."
After Qin Chuoran delivered Wang Yulou's message, seeing that the two Qi practice elders did not make any statements, she treated it as their implicit consent and left without any psychological burden.
Since she has already climbed onto Wang Yulou's big leg, she doesn't have to worry about these two guardians of cultivation.
Wang Yulou's position as the village head of Hewan Fishing Village was obtained through both strength and background.
Qin Chuoran is certain, given Wang Yulou's current status as an inner gate celebrity directly admitted to the Bishui Palace, his future prospects are absolutely limitless.
The control of the fairy alliance's ten sects system over the grassroots level requires the representation of cultivation families and small sects, but the Drip Water Cave system within the Drip Water Paradise is a hundred percent vertically managed to the lowest level.
Now, as the de facto controller of Hewan Fishing Village under the Drip Water Paradise, Wang Yulou's orders have little room for rejection from Zhang Xuewu and Cui Dingyi.
"What do you think of Mr. Cui's several ideas proposed by Daoist Yu Lou?"
Having taken the lead in the flattery competition, Zhang Xuewu asked his old rival with a smile on his face.
"Of course, we will wholeheartedly support it. Wholeheartedly support it!"
I grew up in Hewan Fishing Village, and Daoist Yu Lou's several clever strategies are all from the perspective of the overall situation in Hewan Fishing Village.
How could I have any objections?"
Without paying much attention to Zhang Xuewu's arrogant attitude, Cui Dingyi was very clear about his own position.
He has been bullied by Zhang Xuewu to his limit as the local bully, and how dare he touch the whiskers of Wang Yulou?
In fact, this strategy of confrontation itself has evolved due to the mixed hierarchy of the guardian cultivators in Hewan Fishing Village.
For the two Huqiu Palace disciples who are in a competitive position, they need to be around the disciples of the Bishui Palace, fulfilling their responsibilities as guardian cultivators.
Cui Dingyi is already at a standstill in his cultivation, and without rallying some subordinates to support himself and another Huqiu Palace disciple in a duel, how can he show his value to Daoist Wang Yulou?
Confrontation is not the goal; demonstrating the value that can be courted is the purpose!
Cui Dingyi is clear about what he wants, so naturally, he wouldn't get into any disputes with Wang Yulou over a Qigong stage female cultivator - an idiot with such shallow eyes can't possibly climb from a mortal to a Qi cultivator!
However, after bidding farewell to Zhang Xuewu, Old Cui's expression was not pleasant.
Wang Yulou may look young, but his methods are quite skilled. By demonstrating his power through slaying monsters, he turned the prestige that had been handed to him by two foundation-level high cultivators in the shortest time into actual leadership power.
As soon as he obtained leadership power, he immediately dispatched tasks through Qin Chuoran, the Hewan Fishing Village's Qigong stage cultivator.
If there were any problems in the process, Qin Chuoran could be used to take the blame.
Oddly enough, the tasks that Yu Lou distributed all seemed reasonable and moderate.
Every single one, Cui Dingyi couldn't refuse - it would be unworthy.
But through these small, imperceptible actions, Yu Lou achieved the goal of implementing his authority without any exchange of benefits with the two parties.
Zhang Xuewu won't have any objections, at least not for the time being.
After all, he is currently in the lead in the competition of serving village heads.
A virtual, full-of-potential carrot hangs in front of him, and Old Zhang now just wants to be more loyal in order to eat the carrot.
Cui Dingyi has objections but dares not voice them.
Because Wang Yulou's scale is perfectly well-controlled, the only slightly excessive thing is that he demands a spirit fish every day.
But. Is it really too much?"
Cui Dingyi also hasn't refrained from taking his share of the spirit fish that should be supplied to the sect, so he can't object to just one.
Disgusting, but one can't help but respect it. Cui Dingyi has even begun to raise a sense of vigilance towards Wang Yulou.
This guy seems to be quite a troublemaker.
——
The first night in the Drip Water Paradise, Wang Yulou slept very soundly.
The process of tracing the quickening essence of Gu Deci consumed a large amount of his condition, affecting his spirit, so by the time he woke up the next day, Wang Yulou still felt sore all over.
He put on his clothes and summoned the first middle-grade artifact he had forged, the Shiyu Copper Mirror of the Ninth Tier with thirteen layers of restrictions.
Looking into the mirror, Wang Yulou saw that his own eyes were lifeless, and his face was gaunt.
He realized that he had to think of a way.
Pain, he could endure.
The only impact was that after tracing the meridian for a while, he had to rest for a bit.
As long as he takes his time, it's also possible to complete the meridian tracing.
But. If the tracing of Gu Deci's essence affects the restoration of state, which in turn slows down cultivation speed, that would be troublesome.
Cultivation is about seizing every moment, and tracing meridians is a characteristic of tracing Gu Deci's essence.
Wang Yulou wants to grab both hands, and he wants both hands to be strong.
Now he has confirmed that the effect of ordinary spirit incense is too weak, and to better assist in cultivation, it is necessary to use spirit pills.
Just
Wang Yulou first took out the Taoist records accumulated by An Ning in a lifetime, and silently began to read.
An Ning came from the Fu Long Temple, and as one of the ten sects, the Fu Long Temple has a high level in alchemy.
An Ning's attainments are even greater among master alchemists.
The robe he had forged from the true essence of the Fulsan Jiawo, whose egg was obtained, was so refined that even when viewed in person the next day, its origins could not be discerned.
As a master alchemist, An Ning's proficiency in alchemy is very high, and accordingly, his skills in making talismans and refining elixirs are also not low.
Making talismans is itself a foundation for alchemy, and refining elixirs are learned as a side effect.
However, after reading through the various elixir formulas in An Ning's Taoist records, Wang Yulou helplessly discovered that the things passed down by this senior seem to be too profound.
Many of the elixirs on the record have excellent effects, even possibly better than the Elixir of Washing the Meridians with Spiritual Nectar, but they require not only rare materials but also a level of alchemical skill that Wang Yulou could hardly achieve within a hundred years.
As the elixirs on An Ning's record cannot be used to help him in the short term, Wang Yulou had no choice but to pull out the list of merits exchanged by disciples of the Bishui Palace.
The elixirs on this list are quite affordable, and their effects also match Wang Yulou's current level of cultivation.
《Spirit Rice Cultivation Elixir》- 15 merits per bottle. (No need for further explanation, it's assumed to be 10 spirit stones per bottle.)
This elixir is made from spirit rice, and within this small pill, there are huge amounts of the essence of spirit rice. After taking it, one can recover spent essence and slightly restore the overall state of the consumer.
In fact, it's not difficult to understand. It's just that this thing has pushed food supplement to its utmost limit, using the form of an elixir to help the consumer refine spirit rice, thus achieving the goal of restoring state.
《Black Lotus Qi-tonifying Pill》- 12 merits per bottle.
This elixir is made mainly from the seeds of the black lotus, and it is not very effective in restoring essence, but it can replenish Qi, which is different from the kind of Qi-boosting elixirs that enhance spiritual energy. It is also a kind of elixir that can restore overall state, but its effect may be slightly worse than that of 'Spirit Rice Cultivation Elixir'.
《Monster Meat Elixir Powder》- 8 merits per pound.
This is not an elixir but a spiritual medicine powder with varying degrees of power and purity, but it still counts as a medicinal herb.
As the name suggests, this thing is the cultivator version of the Spiritual Beast Meal Elixir Blood Pill, and although it is called a 'large-scale elixir', its affordable price means that its 'large-scale' nourishment is not as significant.
Wang Yulou looked at the list and decided to buy a bottle of 'Spirit Rice Cultivation Elixir' first. Even if the effect is not good, this kind of elixir will be useful in the future.
He put down the jade slip and looked towards the door, calling out.
"Hè lao san!"
Hearing the master's call, Hu old three ran into the hall yesterday just beaten.
Wang Yulou found a piece of silver silk and used a talisman pen as his brush, picking up the pen and began to write.
However, after he finished writing, he realized that he had already left the family and would need something to prove his identity when sending a message through spirit birds in the Drip Water Cave in the future.
Therefore, he rummaged through his storage bag and pulled out another piece of the mixed-colored agate that had been smithed.
The agate was no larger than an egg. Wang Yulou used the red flame from within the Red Lantern Hall to lightly smelt the agate twice, without even using spirit water, and then began to engrave restrictions onto it directly.
Three-level basic restrictions are easy to apply, and adding one more layer that can bear Tuiyun spiritual Qi is enough! It's done!
A small agate seal was forged, which is the extent of Wang Yulou's current alchemical attainments.
Crafting a high-quality artifact might still be a bit challenging, but for a low-quality one, it's as easy as picking them up. It's at hand.
Taking the small agate seal made of mānǎo, Wang Yulou gently pressed it onto the corner of the silver silk, then picked it up.
On the silk, under the several lines of Wang Yulou's message, there appeared a small imprint, inscribed with——Wang's Jade Fortress.
The edges of the imprint were shimmering with black waterlight, the effect of the Tuiyin spiritual Qi.
Wang's refers to the Wang family, the ancestral family of Anbei Kingdom, which is Wang Yulou's origin and one of the supports he has in the Wu Nan cultivation world.
Jade Fortress is Wang Yulou's name, and using Wang Yulou directly seems too dull. Since there is no custom of taking a character in the cultivation family, Wang Yulou chooses to adopt a similar meaning, naming the seal after Jade Fortress.
The little agate seal has four layers of restrictions, and the contained spirit restriction can leave Wang Yulou's Tuiyin spiritual Qi on the message, making it more representative.
After sealing the letter, Wang Yulou handed the letter and a small bag of spirit stones to Hu Laosan and said.
"Go to the Administration Office of Bishui Palace and find an executor, if the executor accepts the spirit stones, he will give you a bottle of elixir.
If the executor doesn't accept the spirit stones, just come back quietly, understood?"
"Gā!"
"No! Get out!"
Hu old three, with a sullen look, carried the letter and the spirit stones away.
Wang Yulou shook his head.
When he's a bit more financially stable, he will contact the Yang family to get a more obedient and useful spiritual bird or beast.
Other than being handsome, Hu old three has no merits, and he's only good at delivering messages in his lifetime.
Of course, if a particularly wealthy cultivator has several spiritual birds and beasts, each with its own specific use, such as transportation, combat, or assistance.
But these are too far from Wang Yulou's current situation. For now, he can only make do with Hu old three.
"Senior Wang?"
"Good morning, Qin Chu Ryan," said Qin Chu Ryan in the outer courtyard of Wang Yulou's mansion, breaking into Wang Yulou's thoughts.
He smiled. Who doesn't like a young female cultivator who wants to advance?
Even though Wang Yulou doesn't have any repressed sexual desires, Qin Chu Ryan is still a beautiful woman. Just having her around to serve and look at is quite pleasant.
"Come in!"
Qin Chu Ryan was wearing an entry-level robe made from spirit silk today.
It could be that the price of the spirit silk is too expensive for her to afford much of, or maybe it was too hot today in the river bend fishing village, and she didn't want to wear something so thick.
In any case, Qin Chu Ryan's robe is extremely simple and makes Wang Yulou secretly gasp in admiration.
Indeed, female cultivators who want to make progress are different. Their initiative is too strong.
Luckily, Yu'an went to the Fu Long Temple, where he is unfamiliar with the people and the place. He needs to hide and be cautious, focusing on his cultivation.
If he were to come to the Drip Water Cave, maybe ten or twenty years later, Wang Yulou would have a bunch of nephews and nieces.
This is actually not a bad thing. The most sexually repressed Yu'an met a cultivator of Water Law from the Drip Water Cave who embodied grace and fluidity, so it's a good thing that they can bear many children to help boost the prosperity of Wang's family.
Qin Chu Ryan saw that Wang Yulou didn't even spare her a glance, but instead sat silently in front of the Immortal Saint's stupa and cultivated. Her heart felt a bit dejected.
Qin Chu Ryan bowed respectfully and spoke.
"Senior Wang, the Man-Face Serpent material has been decomposed yesterday, this is your share, where do you want me to put it?" Qin Chu Ryan asked.
Material from the Man-Face Serpent?
My share?
Instantly, Wang Yulou realized something was amiss!
If the Drip Water Cave rewards the guardians of cutting demons with merit bonuses and allows them to handle demonic beast materials freely, then it would reward them twice!
Where does the Drip Water Cave benefit from this?
The sect can't be operating a charity hall, can it? The amount of spirit fish from the River Bend Fishing Village submitted every year is substantial.
One snake demon, when the total merits issued by the Drip Water Cave are converted, is approximately worth 80 points of Bishui Palace merits. The value of the Bishui Palace, Qingquan Palace, and Huachi Palace merits in terms of equivalent spirit stones increases with each level.
Merit exchange for spirit stones is 1:5, so 80 points of Bishui Palace merits are equivalent to 400 spirit stones.
Within a year, all the demon beasts captured by River Bend Village can be converted to three mid-level small demon beasts in the demon realm, so the expenditure on rewarding merits by the Drip Water Cave would amount to 1,200 spirit stones.
Moreover, the cultivators in the River Bend Fishing Village who belong to the Drip Water Cave system are given positional rewards annually, and Wang Yulou can earn 30 points of merit each year.
In addition to positional and task rewards, the disciples of the refining qi realm and the disciples of the practicing qi realm are also given a small amount of spirit stone salary. Although the amount is not large, it is an item.
When all these are accounted for, the total expenditure of the Drip Water Cave in River Bend Village easily exceeds two thousand spirit stones——and that doesn't even include compensation!
If disciples of a sect sacrifice themselves or achieve enlightenment due to the tasks and arrangements of the sect, regardless of their cultivation level or status, the sect will always provide compensation.
If not, no one would believe in the sect's way, which would be another large expense.
If two refining qi cultivators die each year and are compensated with two hundred spirit stones each, that adds up to another four hundred spirit stones.
Drip Water Cave maintains control over the River Bend Fishing Village annually, which requires a total of 2,500 spirit stones. However, this is only the basic operating cost of Drip Water Cave's personnel and institutions in the River Bend Fishing Village.
Then, if we consider the maintenance costs of non-first-line support departments within the Drip Water Cave system, given that in the world of cultivation, everyone has a high level of cultivation and efficiency, we'll simply let the 2,500 spirit stones double—just conservatively speaking. The cost would then amount to 5,000 spirit stones.
Taking into account that there must be some miscalculations, Wang Yulou decided to apply a 60% discount to this expenditure, setting the cost of governance at 3,000 spirit stones.
In this way, River Bend Fishing Village must generate nearly nine spirit stones in daily income to maintain the positive benefits of Drip Water Cave's rule...
The fishermen of River Bend Fishing Village are mostly warriors, but fundamentally, they are still ordinary people. They can only catch 9-grade spirit fish when they catch spiritual fish. The price of one 9-grade spirit fish is between one to two spirit stones.
Taking the midpoint of 1.5 spirit stones, at least six spirit fish are needed to just barely reach nine spirit stones.
Can the spirit fish produced by the River Bend Fishing Village reach a daily level where they can be sent to the Drip Water Cave to be presented as at least six?
"How many spirit fish does River Bend Fishing Village produce per day?" Wang Yulou asked seriously.
Cost control is a key element for the existence of an organization. Only when the accounts are clear can the organization have the basic conditions to continue.
Wang Yulou discovered the problems with Drip Water Cave from the accounts of the River Bend Fishing Village, and they were significant problems!
Wang Yulou, the accountant, had discovered the problem, but Qin Chu Ryan obviously wasn't keeping up with Wang Yulou's pace.
"Oh, Senior Wang, the spirit fish you wanted are already here. Senior Zhang Xuewu brought you one, and Senior Cui Dingyi also brought you one."
In addition, there are three disciples of the refining qi realm who have sent you three spirit fish through me.
"Everything is ready, I've told my subordinates to wait outside, after I report to you, I will arrange for them to deliver them to you!"
Wang Yulou was startled.
One plus one plus three equals five, and all of them are being given to him for free!
Just a small test yields so many loyal oranges.
Is this what the life of a guardian cultivator is like?
"I'm asking about the daily yield of spirit fish from the River Bend Fishing Village."
Sitting on the lotus cushion, Wang Yulou did not respond but asked seriously again.
His question is too problematic, even the calm Immortal Saint's expression twitched.
Fuck, are you doing these in front of me?
However, in the cave of an Immortal Saint, the power of the Immortal Saint is, in a sense, infinite. Even if someone stood in front of the stupa, they would not be able to see any change in the Immortal Saint's expression at this moment.
Wang Yulou's question seems too rude, but Qin Chu Ryan bit her teeth and said.
"We produce about ten spirit fish per day. Sometimes we can get eleven or twelve, but other times we may only get seven or eight. Half of them have to be turned over to the sect."
The remaining half, you and the two senior elders each take one, and the rest of us refining qi cultivators take turns with the rest.
However, in reality, some people who catch spirit fish don't turn them over to the sect and instead exchange them for cultivation resources at the shop owned by Cui Dingyi's son.
In fact, there should be about fifteen spirit fish caught each day. Some people keep them for themselves and eat them, while others exchange them for resources.
If you want to increase the production of spirit fish in River Bend Fishing Village, all you need to do is take over Senior Cui's shop."
Big brother, if you want to generate revenue, don't focus on the apparent production amount. That's too risky. After all, we've already taken half of it.
To generate revenue, you should go to Cui Dingyi. That old guy has been mixed up in River Bend Village for so long, he hasn't stopped pocketing money!
Wang Yulou did not answer but silently got up and offered three joss sticks to the Drip Water Immortal.
"Master Immortal, I, Wang Yulou, will definitely sort out the chaos in River Bend Fishing Village!"
He wasn't saying it to the Immortal, but to Qin Chu Yan.
As a local of Drip Water Paradise, Qin Chu Yan has an extremely deep and profound reverence for the Immortal.
This is inevitable. Since childhood, they have been guided and educated, and then continue to strengthen their gratitude through daily lessons. After joining Drip Water Paradise, worshiping the Immortal has become a daily obligation.
Qin Chu Yan is a normal person and also a believer in the Immortal, with an indescribable level of reverence.
"Chu Ran, some people are undermining the foundation of Drip Water Paradise, undermining the Immortal's position!"
As the guardian cultivators, everyone risks their lives for the safety of River Bend Fishing Village, taking a few here and there is naturally not excessive.
But he secretly opened a shop and made private transactions by bypassing the sect's system. This is sheer brazenness! Brazenness!
Can you arrange for someone to secretly observe Cui Dingyi's shop for a few days and see exactly how many spirit fish he's been collecting?"
Wang Yulou decided to put some pressure on Old Cui.
He is the one who makes decisions. Old Cui secretly collects spirit fish to make extra money, undermining Wang Yulou's position.
If we can transform the secretly traded spirit fish into normal spirit fish collected and turned over to the sect through restricting private spirit fish transactions, then it would be considered one of Wang Yulou's political achievements.
As a guardian cultivator, we have to make some achievements, right?
The effect of the dam is hard to say; it might end up just being a donkey feces with a shiny surface.
But increasing the production of spirit fish through torture of Old Cui is a serious matter.
Moreover, the fishermen who turn over spirit fish to Drip Water Paradise also have merit rewards. These are converted into the Quanzhuan Palace Merit, which is not a loss.
The act of the fishermen selling their fish secretly is essentially converting their personal contribution to the sect into family accumulation. In this aspect, Wang Yulou can take on the role of Cui Dingyi.
At that time, those who want to accumulate family heritage can directly seek Wang Yulou without the need for intermediaries or profit margins.
Wang Yulou is swapping spiritual fish for business results while serving as a guardian. At the same time, he is exchanging spiritual stones for spiritual fish from fishermen. Although there is no actual expenditure, he gains twice without any actual cost. How wonderful!
"Although Cui Dingyi has cultivated under the protection of the Immortal all this time, he has been so indifferent to the dignity of the Immortal. He indeed deserves punishment!"
It would be no problem to arrange someone to secretly observe him. Among the 13 refining qi cultivators of River Bend Fishing Village who are not locals, none of them have any ties to him.
I'll make the connection. Then, I'll let him meet you first, so that it will be easier to handle things later.
Senior Wang, what do you think?"
Wang Yulou nodded in satisfaction. Qin Chu Yan still had good ideas and was very respectful to the Immortal.
Her respect for the Immortal when she mentioned it was completely genuine.
Perhaps for people like them who are born and raised within the Drip Water Paradise, loyalty is inherently a reward.
"What cultivation method did you practice for your refining qi cultivation?"
Hearing Wang Yulou's question, Qin Chu Yan paused for a moment.
Why did Wang Yulou suddenly ask me about the method of refining qi I practiced?
"Senior, Chu Ran practices the《Goldwater Transformation Decision》, which can mobilize the cultivation of both gold and water elements."
This time, it was Wang Yulou who was surprised.
"Zhāi Jīn Huà Shuǐ Cé?"
Wang Yulou remembered that this girl was of the three spiritual roots of wood, water, and gold.
But she has chosen to cultivate the method of gold and water, plucking gold to transform into water, plucking gold to transform into water.
And there's something interesting too, Qin Chu Yan is the first person to approach Wang Yulou after he entered Drip Water Paradise.
"Which kind of artifact do you like to use?" Wang Yulou suddenly asked.
"This..."
Qin Chu Yan could hear her heart beating rapidly, but this was definitely not because of a heartbeat.
Wang Yulou's aura was too powerful, even though the age difference wasn't much. But every time she saw Wang Yulou, her heart was filled with intense tension.
Now, she was no longer nervous; all she felt was anticipation and fear.
Looking forward to something while fearing that it may not come true.
"All right, go do your job, find someone agile!"
Seeing that Qin Chu Ran did not speak, Wang Yulou waved his hand and then sat down on the lotus cushion again — preparing to trace back!
He made such a show of it, but Qin Chu Ran felt awkward. She only felt that her heart was neither here nor there, making her advance and retreat. She was so anxious that she had a red face on her face.
After thinking it over, Qin Chu Yan put the material for the human-faced snake demon that belonged to Wang Yulou.
After that, the female cultivator knelt on her knees, hands pressed to her forehead, back to Wang Yulou, and performed a grand kowtow.
"Qin Chu Ran is willing to serve as a messenger for Senior Wang!"
"Go ahead, I'll give up the three refining qi spiritual fish. These two spiritual stones, give to my two good Daoist friends!"
Qin Chu Ran left with great expectations, but Wang Yulou's heart could not settle down.
Power, power, power.
Power comes with strength, and Wang Yulou has just gained a little bit of strength and already possesses such power.
River Bend Fishing Village is not big, with only about 20 refining qi cultivators and three practicing qi cultivators.
Although River Bend Fishing Village is not big, it is the place where the lives of tens of thousands of mortals are intertwined, and it is the resting place for countless cultivators and magical beasts.
Now, he had already become the leader of this place.
Wang Yulou finally understood the patriarch's words —— refining qi, is everything.
The King family of Anbei can send Wang Yulou into Drip Water Paradise, making him seen by the people of River Bend Fishing Village as a 'Practicing Qi Ancestor' and a 'Inner Gate Celestial Talent'.
But to Danyu and Xuanzhu, the Wang family is no different from Qin Chu Ran.
Maybe in Mangxi's eyes, the Wang family is just a conscientious servant?
Thinking of these, Wang Yulou silently activated the water elemental energy and began to trace the pulse.
But the damage and energy loss from yesterday had a significant impact. He tried a few times, but the effect of tracing the pulse was very poor.
Ultimately, Wang Yulou stood up and began to study the materials left behind by the human-faced snake demon.
These materials were divided by the refining qi small cultivator, with Wang Yulou taking half and the rest being divided among others.
In the half he took, there were the spine of the snake demon, about twenty pieces of demon scale, a large snake tooth, and eighty catties of snake demon meat.
Among them, the most valuable is the snake demon's spine, which has the potential to be refined into a high-quality magical artifact.
Of course, Wang Yulou would not do this. He currently does not have the ability to master the refining of high-quality magical artifacts, so it is better to be steady and refine a piece of medium-quality one.
High-quality magical artifacts look good and sell at high prices, but they are not necessarily easy to use, and the mental energy consumed while manipulating them is enormous.
If you master the use of a medium-quality magical artifact, the effect can actually be very strong.
With dozens of demon scales, its defense power is not bad, but it only has the potential to be refined into an inferior defensive magical artifact. After all, it cannot withstand the Cold Iron Flying Sword. It can only be said to be average.
The snake tooth, however, should have the ability to awaken the innate magic of the snake demon. The only uncertainty is what kind of magic it can awaken.
The demon power of the snake demon is water attribute. Wang Yulou injected his own deci water spirit energy into the snake tooth, and soon, the snake demon's innate magic can be awakened.
Wang Yulou naturally wouldn't start anything big in his own courtyard. Since he didn't know much about River Bend Fishing Village, he decided to take a stroll around his territory before the elixir arrived.
Okay, take a casual visit in disguise.
Dressed in common clothing, Wang Yulou left the mansion.
The two warriors who guarded the door at the entrance were caught off guard when Wang Yulou suddenly came out.
"Alright, you two come with me and take a walk."
Wang Yulou happened to lack someone to explain, so he took the two henchmen and began his first patrol as a guardian cultivator.
"How old are you both?"
"Master, this youngster is 32 years old this year."
"Master, this humble one is twenty-seven years old."
Wang Yulou: ...
He now understands Zhou Yingxi, but he doesn't dwell on the title. Instead, he asks a question.
"What can be exchanged for merit in Quanzhuan Palace by such a post-natal warrior like you?"
"Breakthrough elixirs, refining qi cultivation techniques, various magical weapons, and by the way, spiritual rice."
Wang Yulou didn't expect that the warriors in Drip Water Paradise actually eat spiritual rice, which he could only manage half a catty per day at first.
"What is a magical weapon, and are you saying you can afford spiritual rice?"
"Master, magical weapons are made of materials from magical artifacts, and we cannot use spiritual energy. That's why we can only use them as weapons against demons. However, after refining qi, we can sell them back to Quanzhuan Palace."
"As for the spiritual rice, it can help us refine our impure energy and more quickly break through the pre-natal requirements to achieve refining qi."
"We cannot afford to eat a large amount, but occasionally eating a little can increase our strength quickly."
Break through the pre-natal requirements, reverse the post-natal into pre-natal, and recreate the five pre-natal qi...
Wang Yulou knows that the cultivation method in Drip Water Paradise is just a flower in a mirror and a moon in the water, but every time he thinks about it, he still feels a sense of admiration.
Without spiritual roots, mortals cannot practice cultivation - in fact, this sentence is wrong.
Mortals have five qi with mottled appearance, hence their spiritual roots are not manifest.
The cultivators in Drip Water Paradise, through the practice of cultivating post-naturally to reverse pre-naturally, recreate the five pre-natal qis. Upon successful completion, they become cultivators with five spiritual roots.
If the laws of the heavens and earth did not limit the cultivation speed of refining qi cultivators, theoretically, everyone could become practicing qi, establishing a foundation, and even reaching the purple sea...
So, is there a definite justification or goodness and badness of restricting the refining qi period in the immortals' alliance?
It's hard to say, hard to say.
Inside Drip Water Paradise, the cultivators have goals and hope, so most of them work hard to catch that sliver of hope.
As a result, they become the basic raw materials, supporting the prosperity of Drip Water Paradise. The cost is to run on a road that can never succeed, running until death.
They gave them hope, but used this elusive hope to take away everything from them.
Such a Drip Water Paradise can be considered good or bad?
"Do you know how to fish?"
"Yes, both of my younger brothers at home are post-natural beginners as fishermen. Once they reach the middle level, they can join the patrol team."
"I don't have any brothers, but I once caught twenty-odd spiritual fish in a year!"
"Oh, you said that, how many spiritual fish can the River Bend Fishing Village catch every day?"
Upon hearing Wang Yulou's question, the two warriors dared not answer because they were uncertain of Wang Yulou's attitude.
The newly arrived guardian cultivator cannot be offended...
"Master, this depends on luck. I remember once when River Bend Fishing Village caught more than thirty spiritual fish in a day."
But most of the time, it's around ten to twenty, maybe even less."
"Ten to twenty, maybe even less. He's a brave person who dares to deceive me as if I'm an idiot."
Stopping in his tracks, Wang Yulou looked at the other person and asked with a smile.
"You too want to tell me 'maybe'?"
The first warrior who spoke had his face pale and his body shook uncontrollably, as if he couldn't even stand up.
"I dare not, I dare not. The junior has learned that River Bend Fishing Village can have at least ten spiritual fish every day, and the number can be more when it's high season. But I don't know the exact number. And not all of them will be turned in."
Wang Yulou did not continue to ask but walked silently onto the stone bridge.
In the early morning mist, the fishermen's wharf at the port was already empty, and the fishermen had already gone out before dawn.
Spiritual fish is a good thing, but Wang Yulou has not been able to determine the daily harvest of River Bend Fishing Village so far. It can be said that it is both absurd and realistic.
Given that River Bend Fishing Village submits four to six spiritual fish to the sect each day, it can be determined that the rule of Drip Water Paradise here is unprofitable.
But clearly, no one cares about losing money.
Is it because Drip Water Paradise is rich and large, and does not care about this?"
That cannot be the case. The model of taking every last bit, as shown by the Red Lantern in Qingxi Lane, is the norm of sect rule.
Drip Water Paradise does not care about the loss on the surface, indicating that it can make up for it from other sources in secret.
So, where did it make up for the loss?"
Wang Yulou's gaze lingered on the place where the snake demon died yesterday, where the new Immortal Consort established at yesterday's Immortal Ruler meeting had been brought.
Wang Yulou saw that a circle of mortals were gathered in front of the Immortal Ruler statue, continuously kneeling and praising it.
For the next month, it will be located at the place where the snake demon died and accept offerings and worship from the villagers of River Bend Fishing Village.
The gratitude of the Immortal Consort is being produced in large quantities by Drip Water Paradise's governance system, and it never stops.
Wang Yulou stood silently on the bridge and looked at the huge Immortal Ruler statue, thinking of many things.
——
Bai Shui Palace, Merit Hall, the duty official Wu Faxian also thought of many things.
"Is your master Wang Yulou?"
He shook the letter in his hand and looked at He Laosan.
"Hu!"
He raised his head proudly and made a sound to confirm.
"I don't know Wang Yulou, and I'm certainly not going to trade him for the spirit-refining pill with eighty spiritual stones."
"Tell him that if there are no merits, exchange for them with spiritual stones, not this messy stuff!"
It was early in the morning and Wu Fa Xian was sleeping soundly when he was awakened by He Laosan.
Wang Yulou offered to buy the spirit-refining pill at the price of eighty spiritual stones, out of which Wu Fa Xian could make a profit of five spiritual stones.
Trading merits for spiritual stones at a rate of five spiritual stones per merit is what the Bai Shui Palace does.
Trading spiritual stones for merits from Bai Shui Palace is six spiritual stones for one merit.
Taking into account that the seller of merits also wants to make a little more profit, the price offered by Wang Yulou can only let Wu Fa Xian earn one spiritual stone — Wang's negotiation skills are so sharp that he can cut to the big artery just by not asking!
Therefore, he naturally will not give Wang Yulou's spiritual bird even one spiritual pill.
"Wang Yulou? Old Wu, wait a moment!"
The official coming in to relieve Wu Fa Xian overheard Old Wu's words and hurriedly intervened.
"What's special about this person?" Wu Fa Xian wondered.
Taking the letter from his hand, the relieving official glanced at it and said.
"This is the personally delivered by Wang Xian Mao, an ancestor of Wang Clan, who rules in Anbei. I think we should comply with his request."
Merit Hall is the biggest and fattest job in Bai Shui Palace, with no other. The profits are shared together.
"Anbei Kingdom Wang Clan? I haven't heard of them," Wu Fa Xian grumbled.
"The MENG XIANG ANCESTRY wants to attain Golden Dan, and the Wang Clan is a vassal family of the MENG XIANG lineage!" The relieving official whispered in a mysterious manner, trying to explain.
Wu Fa Xian first looked surprised, and then exchanged a bottle of spirit-refining pill from the storeroom.
"I will personally deliver it. I have heard of Wang Yulou's name for a long time!"
——
Drawing back his gaze from the distant horizon, Wang Yulou turned around, and behind him was Cui Dingyi, who had come up without him noticing.
He smiled and said.
"You're not honest, Cui."
Cui Dingyi startled, trembling all over and replied hurriedly.
"Honest? I am the most honest of them all."
Wang Yulou chuckled and laughed. "My friend is joking again."
Another day of the top 10, and today my left finger was cut by a knife. This time's top 10 is particularly difficult. Please vote for me with a moon ticket — this is the most justified and bold request for moon tickets in history hahaha.
