The developnt of Yun Xuan Mountain Range had livened up the entire Return Profound Market City. However, the downside was also obvious—everything had beco more expensive, and the price increase was not insignificant.
There were two reasons for this. Firstly, Loose Cultivators also wanted to grab a share of the benefits, which required supplies. Whether it was protective Charms, supplentary Elixirs, or Formations, all these resources were helpful. Where there's demand, there's supply, hence the rise in prices. Secondly, the Return Profound Market City's actions to transfer costs were undoubtedly a factor. Besides the increased protection fees demanded by the Black Heart Snake, various charges within the marketplace had also risen. For instance, rent had tripled, and the fee for a stall had increased fivefold. This made everyone cry foul. Thankfully, these fees would be collected next month, leaving them no choice but to raise their own prices.
More importantly, Return Profound Market City wasn't just raising prices; it had also inexplicably added many new fees, drastically increasing costs. Wang Linchi made a rough estimate: originally, twenty-seven or twenty-eight Lower Grade Fairy Spirit Stones were enough for a month's expenses. Now, the cost had skyrocketed to around two hundred. This was simply unbearable for ordinary Loose Cultivators.
Consequently, the prices of most goods in the marketplace had multiplied several tis over. Fairer vendors increased prices five to six tis, while the more ruthless ones started at a tenfold increase. The Charms Wang Linchi sold had a zero added to their price, a full tenfold increase. Yet, even so, many people were still buying. This was mainly because they were hoping to strike it rich in the Yun Xuan Mountain Range. As long as they obtained one Immortal Realm-level resource, they could resell it not only to recoup their costs but also to make a substantial profit. The cheapest Immortal Realm-level resource cost ten Lower Grade Fairy Spirit Stones. One had to understand that a single Lower Grade Fairy Spirit Stone was equivalent to ten thousand Lower Quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragnts—a ten-thousand-fold difference.
Cultivators in the Demi Immortal Realm, during the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, could earn at most eight hundred to a thousand fragnts a month. This was profit after deducting all miscellaneous expenses, unlike his predecessor, whose earnings were based on sales revenue. Wang Linchi's predecessor had earned at most three fragnts a month, highlighting the stark contrast.
I'm not making any profit...
Wang Linchi calculated and realized that even with prices increased tenfold, after toiling away for a month, he would only earn ten Lower Quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragnts. He earned more, but his costs were also higher. It wasn't just him raising prices; the cost of raw materials had also increased. And this was assuming Return Profound Market City didn't invent more dubious fees. If they added even one or two more, he wouldn't just fail to make a profit; he would suffer a significant loss.
Could it be... they plan to run away? Wang Linchi felt this exploitative thod seed familiar. If the developnt of Yun Xuan Mountain Range was rely a pretext, with the real goal being to inflate prices and drain Loose Cultivators of their Lower Quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragnts, then it certainly seed plausible. When the higher-ups of the market city eventually relocated, it would be like pulling the rug out from under everyone.
So, what reason could have prompted the leaders of the market city to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs and prepare to flee? Wang Linchi pondered this. His thoughts eventually converged on one point: an irresistible factor. A powerful force was about to arrive, one that even the market city could not withstand.
The area surrounding Return Profound Market City is filled with Righteous Sects, so it's unlikely the Demon Path would make a move here. Then it must be that Return Profound Market City has offended a Righteous Sect and is now about to face their retaliation. To avoid this retaliation, are they planning to abscond with the funds and leave the Loose Cultivators behind to bear the brunt of the Righteous Sect's anger?
Wang Linchi conducted a painless Soul Search and quickly pieced together the truth. It was as he had guessed, but even more severe. They had offended a True Disciple of the Photo God Sect, an existence at the Immortal King Realm. The Photo God Sect was similar in scale and structure to the Grand Heaven Sect; True Disciples were all at the Immortal King Realm.
The reason was simple: Return Profound Market City had inadvertently snatched a material wanted by this True Disciple of the Photo God Sect. Although their actions were unintentional, and the material was of little consequence to the True Disciple, the dignity of an Immortal King could not be slighted. Furthermore, it wasn't the Immortal King Realm True Disciple himself who would take action, but his lackeys—a group of Inner Sect Disciples at the Immortal Monarch Realm. An Immortal King would hardly lower himself to deal with a group of Loose Cultivators. In truth, he hadn't paid much mind to the incident, especially since Return Profound Market City had offered tenfold compensation afterward. However, he allowed his underlings to handle it as they wished to curry favor. They're just a bunch of Loose Cultivators, he likely thought, it doesn't matter if they die.
However, even Inner Sect Disciples were beyond what Return Profound Market City could handle. The strongest Cultivator in Return Profound Market City was rely at the early-stage Immortal Monarch Realm; any mid-stage Immortal Monarch Realm Cultivator could easily sweep them aside. Therefore, seizing the opportunity before the Photo God Sect Disciples arrived, the market leaders had fled with the money, leaving behind scapegoats to absorb the Inner Sect Disciples' wrath. What these Inner Sect Disciples wanted was to save face. As long as blood flowed freely in Return Profound Market City, they wouldn't care who died. The destruction of the market city would suffice as a completed mission. It was precisely by understanding this ntality that the leaders of Return Profound Market City dared to flee with the funds. They could simply find a new location, far from the Photo God Sect, and establish another market city.
There was no shortage of Loose Cultivators. After all, not everyone possessed the aptitude to be accepted into a Sect. Many were ordinary people who stumbled upon scattered legacies and began their Cultivation journey. A large enough population at the bottom ant more resources could be squeezed out.
These people are truly ruthless, a classic example of a mafia-style Cultivation operation, Wang Linchi thought. Despite knowing the truth, he had no intention of leaving. This was a golden opportunity.
His Crusty Shark Virus was already in its nascent stages; now, he needed a group for testing. The Loose Cultivators of Return Profound Market City weren't quite suitable. The vast majority were at the Demi Immortal Realm, not even Immortals, failing to et his experintal criteria. In contrast, the impending group of Immortal Monarch Realm Inner Sect Disciples from the Photo God Sect seed perfect. It would be even better if so were at the Immortal Realm, allowing for progressive testing. But no matter, these Inner Sect Disciples could serve as initial carriers, allowing the virus to spread further.
The Crusty Shark Virus was developed to target a specific weakness in Cultivators: their intolerance to low-energy environnts. Upon infection, impurities would form in their Immortal Mana, eventually solidifying and undergoing a specific, contagious, and replicable mutation. The strain of Crusty Shark Virus Wang Linchi currently possessed could, at a minimum, affect those up to the Immortal King Realm. The primary reason for this current limit was that the highest-level samples he had previously obtained were from the Immortal King Realm, so the virus's data only extended that far. However, this was a limitation of data, not capability. Wang Linchi estimated that even an Ancestor Immortal Realm expert would be affected by the Crusty Shark Virus.
"Could you lower the price of the Shadow Speed Charm? Five Lower Quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragnts," a man said, crouching down and picking up a Charm from Wang Linchi's stall to ask the price.
Wang Linchi glanced at him and shook his head. "No bargaining. You can buy from sowhere else."
At this ti, there was no need to worry about goods not selling. He might even double the price tomorrow.
"Let's be friends. Just do this favor," the man persisted.
"I only want to be friends with Immortal Spirit Stones. How many Immortal Spirit Stones is your favor worth?" Wang Linchi retorted.
The man's face darkened. He put the Charm down, then rose and left.
Interesting. A Golden Core Stage Cultivator actually has a trace of Sin-force. What's going on here? Wang Linchi wondered. The man must have co looking for death, likely intending for Wang Linchi, the righteous Knight-errant protagonist, to eliminate this Karmic Force Practitioner. However, Wang Linchi didn't understand where his supposed cheat, the Innate magical treasure, was. Without it, how could his predecessor, a re Foundation Establishnt Stage Cultivator, have killed a Golden Core Stage Cultivator?
It must be on its way, he surmised. Without the Innate magical treasure as his Golden Finger, his predecessor would have undoubtedly died upon encountering that Golden Core Stage Cultivator. It's also possible this Golden Core Stage Cultivator is just a delivery boy, considering a major event is about to unfold.
Wang Linchi understood one thing: if things didn't get chaotic, and without aids like a Golden Finger or Great Luck, most people were just ordinary. Of course, even when chaos erupted, one still needed sufficient ability or corresponding assistance. His own rise had depended on Strong Luck, so he knew how difficult things were for ordinary people.
Right, ti to pack up the stall and go ho to wait for a windfall, Wang Linchi mused. They don't even give a Golden Finger, so why bother with business? I might as well go ho and slack off. Toiling away, even providing my own food, and still no pay? I'm not the original protagonist I replaced!
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