Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Art of Making Money

Night.

The sky was scattered with countless stars.

On the third mountain, Wang Ran sat cross-legged upon his bed, cultivating in silence. It was not until midnight that he finally opened his eyes, his thoughts drifting back to the discussions he’d had with Zhao Xiaobai and the others earlier that day.

Their time in the Hall of Enforcement had been far too short; if they wished to possess power equal to the Four Great Alliances, it wasn’t enough to merely improve their own strength—their entire faction would need to expand. Imitating the Chu Alliance by using spirit jades to win people’s loyalty was, indeed, the best strategy available at present.

Thus, he had immediately instructed Xu Ke to spread the word, without the slightest hesitation.

As for the spirit jades, Wang Ran certainly had no intention of spending his own resources. He had already devised a most suitable means of making money.

With a thought, he summoned the All-Heavens Dao Attainment System. His gaze swept over options like “Daoist Arts Extraction” and “Personal Attributes” before finally resting on the “Three Realms Marketplace” interface.

He opened the shop and began searching through the dazzling array of items, paying no attention to treasures like the Immortal Execution Sword or the Heaven-Opening Axe. His eyes continued downward, scanning the list.

At last, his eyes narrowed with delight as he seemed to find exactly what he sought.

“System, exchange this for me!” Wang Ran commanded inwardly.

The item that had caught his eye was not a magical artifact or weapon, but a book—“Beginner’s Guide to Spirit Talisman Mastery.”

As its name implied, a Spirit Talisman Master was a cultivator capable of crafting spirit talismans. Such individuals held extremely high status in this world; countless cultivators would go to any lengths for a single talisman.

It was no exaggeration to say that once one became a Spirit Talisman Master, they could ascend to the ranks of the elite, enjoying reverence from all directions.

But spirit talismans were not easily made. To become a Spirit Talisman Master required extraordinary talent—so rare that only one in ten thousand could achieve it.

This rarity only served to elevate their status even further.

Wang Ran had seen spirit talismans before. When he entered the underground ruins, Beiming Lie’s younger brother had possessed a “Formation-Breaking Talisman.” It was precisely with that talisman that he had safely traversed the protective grand formation of the Sole Dominion Sect, a testament to the power of such items.

This system was truly remarkable. Wang Ran had learned that as long as he studied the “Beginner’s Guide to Spirit Talisman Mastery,” he would instantly become a third-grade Spirit Talisman Master, able to craft basic talismans—regardless of whether he possessed any innate talent in this field.

However, this privilege came at a steep price: just the entry-level guide cost two thousand Dao Attainment Points.

Wang Ran had only managed to accumulate about three thousand points after all his posturing and efforts, and buying the “Beginner’s Guide to Spirit Talisman Mastery” felt as painful as slicing off a piece of his own flesh.

“Damn it, you can’t catch a wolf if you’re afraid to lose your lamb. For the sake of my future standing in the sect, I’ll risk it!” Wang Ran gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, determined to go all in.

In the next moment, a flash of golden light appeared before him—a small book materialized out of thin air and instantly burrowed into Wang Ran’s mind.

About a quarter hour later, Wang Ran opened his eyes, purchased two sheets of talisman paper, and leapt from his bed.

He formed a hand seal and began drawing in the air above the talisman paper, inscribing it with countless complex and arcane runes. In just a few breaths, a spirit talisman was born.

“Exploding Talisman. After activation, it can unleash an attack comparable to a Golden Core cultivator’s strike. Market price: five thousand spirit jades, and that’s if you can even find one!” Wang Ran panted heavily, satisfied with his handiwork, though he sighed, “Unfortunately, this Exploding Talisman is a high-grade talisman—far too difficult for me to produce in quantity, and it consumes an enormous amount of spiritual energy.”

Shaking his head, Wang Ran pondered for a while before settling on another type of talisman—the Swiftstride Talisman. This talisman, like the Exploding Talisman, was highly sought after on the market.

Both were used as life-saving items: the Exploding Talisman could unleash a devastating attack, while the Swiftstride Talisman greatly increased movement speed, allowing the user to escape mortal danger with ease.

Moreover, the Swiftstride Talisman was much simpler to produce and more affordable, making it incredibly popular among cultivators.

Having decided on this course, Wang Ran began crafting talismans in earnest. He didn’t understand the deeper mysteries of talisman creation; he only knew the cost was low and that any Spirit Talisman Master was bound to amass great wealth and spirit jades.

He worked through the entire second half of the night without rest and finally finished a hundred Swiftstride Talismans. Satisfied, he smiled to himself.

At dawn, without alerting anyone, Wang Ran left the sect to put his follow-up plan into motion.

Now that he had the talismans, he needed buyers. After much thought, the most suitable trading partner was, without question, the Falling Cloud Pavilion.

The Falling Cloud Pavilion was wealthy and well-connected, and Wang Ran was already a distinguished guest there. Huang Huifeng and the others treated him with reverence—it was all just too perfect.

Disguised as Chen Wangran, Wang Ran hurried on his way and arrived at Falling Cloud City by the next day.

Wasting no time, he headed straight for the Falling Cloud Pavilion. Upon hearing that “Chen Wangran” had arrived, the normally aloof steward Huang Huifeng was so startled that he rushed out to greet him.

“I did not know Senior Chen was gracing us with his presence—please forgive my failure to welcome you sooner!” The usually haughty manager now dared not show the slightest arrogance before Wang Ran.

Wang Ran glanced at him, adopting the demeanor of a reclusive master, and said coolly, “How have you been, Steward Huang?”

Huang Huifeng, unsure of Wang Ran’s purpose and anxious not to say the wrong thing, replied cautiously, “Senior, is there anything in Falling Cloud City that we have failed to provide?”

Wang Ran chuckled. “No need to overthink, Steward Huang. I’m here today to discuss a business deal with you.”

“And what sort of business does Senior refer to?” Huang Huifeng asked, relieved and hopeful.

He was keenly aware of Chen Wangran’s influence. Not only did he now hold the position of Elder in the Purple Firmament Palace, but the Daoist arts he’d sold at the last auction had earned Huang Huifeng a handsome profit.

Thus, he looked forward to whatever transaction Wang Ran proposed.

With a wave of his hand, Wang Ran produced a spirit talisman and said, “What I wish to trade with your pavilion is this type of talisman. I have a hundred on hand now, and will continue to supply you in the future. Name your price, Steward Huang.”

Upon seeing the spirit talisman, Steward Huang’s interest was instantly piqued—such items were always in high demand.

He examined it closely and replied, “Senior, this Swiftstride Talisman typically sells for one thousand spirit jades. I’ll offer you that price. What do you think?”

One thousand spirit jades was already a generous offer, but seeing Huang Huifeng’s sincerity—and considering their prospective long-term partnership—Wang Ran decided not to press for more. After a moment’s thought, he said, “No need to stand on ceremony for my sake, Steward Huang. Let’s set the price at nine hundred spirit jades per talisman.”

Huang Huifeng was delighted. If he could acquire Swiftstride Talismans from Wang Ran at nine hundred spirit jades each, he could turn a tidy profit.

His respect for Wang Ran only deepened.

This time, Wang Ran had brought one hundred Swiftstride Talismans—at nine hundred spirit jades apiece, that totaled ninety thousand. It was an astronomical sum, especially considering Wang Ran’s production cost was less than five hundred spirit jades. The talisman trade was truly a gold mine.

Wang Ran’s heart swelled with joy as he received the spirit jades, though he kept a calm exterior. After a moment, he added, “I’ll be in seclusion for a while and won’t be able to handle future transactions personally. My disciple will come to trade with your pavilion in my stead.”

Huang Huifeng paused, then recalled the prodigy from the Sole Dominion Sect at the auction and asked, “Is your disciple Beiming Lie, Senior?”

“Beiming Lie?” Chen Wangran snorted coldly, “He’s nothing special—just someone I offered a few pointers to, at most a nominal disciple.”

“My true disciple is named Wang Ran. All future transactions will be handled by him. You are not to neglect him. Here is his portrait.” As he spoke, a scroll appeared in his hand, revealing a lifelike depiction of Wang Ran.

Seeing Wang Ran’s displeasure, Huang Huifeng realized his blunder and hurriedly amended, “Understood, Senior. We will treat your esteemed disciple with the same respect as we show you.”

“Good.”

Wang Ran turned to leave, his voice neither pleased nor angry, but as his figure faded, a word of praise lingered in the air.

Huang Huifeng’s body trembled; that single word seemed to contain boundless mysteries, shaking him to his core. He felt that Senior Chen was truly unfathomable—both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

He had no idea that the effect was due to Wang Ran secretly infusing the word with an aura of dominance, thus stirring the heart.

Not until he had left Falling Cloud City did Wang Ran’s stern, aged face break into a sly grin.

Hmph, your brother swaggers like the wind—with a single display of dominance, I can get my way anywhere. Even powerful Golden Core cultivators are at my mercy.

With his pouch now bulging with spirit jades, Wang Ran strutted back to his sect like a triumphant victor.