Preparations for the Exchange Conference had been underway for a long ti. The initial initiator was Wang Yulou, who, in order to avoid drawing too much attention to himself, had enlisted the veteran Azurewater Palace disciple Wu Faxian to serve as his auxiliary.
His goal was simple: to push old Wu to the forefront while he remained hidden behind the scenes.
If anything went wrong in the future, old Wu's frail fra could at least serve as a bit of a buffer.
However, before the first Exchange Conference could be held, Wang Yulou hastily got married, delaying the launch date until after his wedding.
As it turned out, on the day of Yulou's wedding, thirteen Foundation Establishnt cultivators stood in the hall to bear witness. Eleven of them were elders from Dripdrop Cave, while the other two were the ancestors of the Wang Clan.
Facts proved that the decision to delay the event was entirely correct.
The world of cultivators had no system interfaces or nurical comparisons. Potential influence and power often required more concrete forms of expression to be revealed, and Yulou's wedding was a reflection of such an expression.
Therefore, even though it was Wang Yulou's wedding day, Wu Faxian was even happier than Wang Yulou himself—with such solid backing from his partner's forces, the Exchange Conference would be much easier to manage.
The subsequent developnts aligned closely with Wu Faxian's expectations. With the addition of Wang Yaohai, who brought along the network he had accumulated over his long years of mingling in Dripdrop Cave, the potential custor base for the first Exchange Conference expanded significantly.
The upper limit of this potential market, personally unearthed by Wang Yulou, had been raised considerably.
Yet, this was still not the greatest harvest brought about by pushing back the date.
On the morning of the Exchange Conference, Wu Faxian brought a few of his friends and rushed to the inaugural venue at Pine Grove Hill early.
"Old Wu, apart from the na, everything about this Exchange Conference feels off. Is this going to cause trouble?"
"Is there any rule in the sect that forbids disciples from exchanging cultivation experiences?" Wu Faxian imdiately shot back.
"Well, no, but you and I both know we aren't going to Pine Grove Hill to exchange cultivation experiences."
Under the Immortal Alliance's system, the closed-off systems built by various Grand Cultivators on their own had seen trendous developnt. Dripdrop Cave, acting as a grotto-heaven isolated from the outside, had pushed this exclusivity to its limits.
The sect utilized the rit points system of the three palaces to harvest the low-level cultivators within its gates. Those without backing were harvested so severely that they dared to be angry but not speak out. Their only two ways out were either to take the most dangerous missions outside the grotto-heaven, risking their lives for Dripdrop Cave under the Immortal Alliance, or to sell themselves into the tutelage of the sect's Foundation Establishnt elders.
The concept of the Exchange Conference, proposed by Wang Yulou who hailed from outside the grotto-heaven, introduced a decentralized organizational model, constructing a fragile possibility on the fringes of Dripdrop Cave's sect rules.
This possibility attracted Wu Faxian, it attracted Wang Yaohai, and it equally attracted their other fellow disciples.
"Is there any rule in the sect that forbids disciples from trading with one another?" Wu Faxian continued to press.
"Of course not, but old Wu, what if sothing happens..."
People were like this. When consud by greed, they were filled with courage, believing that fate would favor them, thereby accepting dangerous invitations.
But when the matter hadn't even befallen them and was rely just beginning, they would start beating a retreat. Such people suffered terribly from worrying about personal gains and losses. Although it seed abstract, they actually made up the vast majority. Compared to breaking free from the shackles around their necks, they valued staying alive safely far more.
Hope, as they say, is only born in the greatest of despairs. Unless pushed to their absolute limits, no one was willing to gamble with their lives.
There was still an upward path in Dripdrop Cave. Although pitifully narrow, as long as it existed, most people would not voluntarily choose that seemingly dangerous path of hope.
"The law does not punish the masses. Let let you in on a secret: among the fellow disciples participating in the Exchange Conference this ti, many are disciples of the elders."
The news Wu Faxian revealed cast a silencing spell on his friends. What they thought about wasn't that many offenders go unpunished, but rather—the disciples of Foundation Establishnt elders also needed to attend the Exchange Conference?
Ji Yuan and Fan Zhugao had the most right to speak on this matter. Becoming a disciple of a Foundation Establishnt cultivator didn't an a bright future.
As a disciple of the Yuan Clan, Ji Yuan had been designated by the Yuan family elders as a pawn crossing the river. He had to go alone into the tutelage of an elder of the Zhuo Clan, acting as a tool for charging forward and demolition.
Fan Zhugao's master, Elder Zhuo Chi, had three disciples, but the tasks he undertook alone were several tis more than those of his other two martial brothers combined. Every day he opened his eyes, he had to work like a horse or an ox, yet still be deeply grateful, doing the most saturated amount of work while receiving the least amount of care from his master. How could this not be considered a form of tempering?
Pine Grove Hill, true to its na, was a ridge covered in pine trees.
The fact that Wang Yaohai chose this place as the venue for the first Exchange Conference was all thanks to his years of experience in the Grotto Heaven Patrol Team. This place was severely desolate. The desolation didn't an that trees couldn't grow here, but rather that there was hardly any spiritual vitality, nor were there any spiritual materials present.
The most unique aspect was that Pine Grove Hill was very far from any nearby Dripdrop Cave strongholds.
Remote was its biggest characteristic.
Even though Wang Yulou and Wu Faxian had repeatedly emphasized that the Exchange Conference did not violate sect rules, when it actually ca ti to hold it, they still tacitly followed Senior Brother Yaohai's suggestion.
Remote was good. It might not help the cultivators participating in the Exchange Conference evade the sect's surveillance, but at the very least, it gave the attendees a psychological sense of security—in a place so isolated, in the middle of nowhere, who would think they were doing 'bad things' here?
Bad things were relative to the established hierarchy of interests in Dripdrop Cave; the Exchange Conference was ultimately undermining the sect's foundation.
"Isn't this too conspicuous?" the friends Wu Faxian brought asked as they looked at the newly constructed small pavilion at the peak of Pine Grove Hill.
"This is what you don't understand. This Dao Discussion Pavilion was prepared to serve as a smokescreen. Once the Exchange Conference begins, many people will sit in this pavilion, pretending to discuss the Dao while keeping watch for us!"
Saying this, Wu Faxian recalled the speech Daoist Yulou had given during the preparatory eting for the Exchange Conference.
Reliable and serious; these were the two focal points regarding the work of the Exchange Conference that Daoist Yulou had repeatedly emphasized. If fellow Daoists had concerns, they needed to dispel those concerns as much as possible in every aspect.
As for whether they could truly dispel them, that wasn't important. What mattered was giving them an excuse, allowing them to convince themselves that participating in the Exchange Conference was not sothing worth worrying about.
"So that's how it is. Faxian, you guys have prepared quite well. Now that we are at Pine Grove Hill, can you introduce the other fellow Daoists participating in the Exchange Conference to us?"
As it turned out, Wu Faxian was tight-lipped. He had never revealed to these friends who the organizers or participants of the Exchange Conference were.
"No rush, no rush. Let first send a voice transmission to the Daoist in charge of reception. The Exchange Conference is going to be held in a special place. Once you arrive, you will know who is participating."
A voice transmission talisman was sent out, heading straight underground, only to blankly crash into a large rock, making Wu Faxian feel slightly embarrassed.
"This..."
Just as he was feeling awkward, Wang Yaohai flew out from who-knows-where and greeted them.
"Brother Faxian, oh, you've brought so many Daoist friends with you. Co, co, co, I'll take you all inside right now."
Old Wang was a man with a mind of his own. He knew that he had joined Daoist Yulou's small group relatively late, so he snatched the job of receiving fellow disciples for this conference, all just to make a bit more contribution.
His thoughts weren't complicated. A new generation replaces the old. After Daoist Yulou achieved Foundation Establishnt in the future, the status of the Yuan Clan within Dripdrop Cave would be up in the air. With Wang Yulou's current ability to stir things up and the backing of the Mangxiang Lineage behind him, his future prospects were limitless. Anything could happen.
"Our first Exchange Conference is being held underground not because it's sothing shaful, but because the midday sun in Dripdrop Cave is too fierce, and we were afraid fellow Daoists might get sunburned. Co, just follow this entrance down. Many fellow Daoists are already waiting below."
Wang Yaohai spouted a nonsensical reason that no one believed while leading the group into the entrance, then continued his reception duties.
Under Old Wu's guidance, the few of them nervously entered the tunnel. After walking for a full dozen zhang, they finally arrived at an underground cavern.
Fan Zhugao had used a natural underground cavern that already existed in Pine Grove Hill to create a special subterranean space. The space was about a dozen zhang long and six or seven zhang wide. It was quite spacious; even if a few hundred people ca, it would be able to accommodate them.
Many eternal bright lamps were lit on the four walls of the cavern, illuminating the inside brightly, though naturally, it was still a bit dim. However, this dimness actually provided a special sense of security for those attending such an event, falling into the realm of the human subconscious.
After settling his friends down, Wu Faxian found Fan Zhugao and Ji Yuan, who were surrounded by a crowd. He interjected and exchanged a few pleasantries before returning to his friends, completely satisfied.
"How about it? I told you there would be disciples from major clans. Ji Yuan from the Yuan Clan and Fan Zhugao from the Zhuo Clan are both here. What are you still worried about?"
A person's struggle in life depended on both their own efforts and the opportunities of their era. It was hard to distinguish which of the two was more important.
But apart from these two models of struggle, there was actually a special model—clinging to the coattails of the great. Those who could soar upwards amidst the churning tides of the era often found that the dust kicked up by their feet, or the wind stirred by their feathers, could easily change the fates of their followers, dependents, and enemies.
When Wang Yulou discovered multiple moldable talents in River Bend Fishing Port, it wasn't because he had good luck, but because this world inherently possessed too many pieces of fine jade buried in the mud.
Grand Cultivators locked down Qi Induction cultivation precisely to prevent more people from changing their fates, thereby maintaining their lineage's supremacy for thousands of generations.
Yulou had changed Qin Churan's fate, changed Bai Xiaoyu's fate, and changed Zhang Xuewu's fate, and this was only the beginning. With Yulou's rise, perhaps more people's destinies would be altered. As for whether it would be for better or worse, that didn't depend on Yulou, but on themselves and the heartless heavens and earth.
The slightly excited Wu Faxian was exactly a cultivator whose established trajectory of fate had been changed by following Yulou.
"Not worried, not worried at all. It's just that this place is slightly... hmm, sketchy," said the friend Wu Faxian had brought.
How could it not be sketchy? Within the massive cavern, only a wooden platform had been constructed. So chairs were placed on the platform, and there was nothing else around. Yet Ji Yuan and Fan Zhugao, these two peripheral figures of the major clans, were the most eye-catching ones in the crowd here. If they didn't sit, how could anyone else dare to sit casually?
Those without brains wouldn't receive an invitation to the Exchange Conference. The Exchange Conference was, of course, open and inclusive, but there was one singular rule: it detested stupidity. Considering the number of disciples in Azurewater Palace, who was stupid and who wasn't was hardly a secret. Therefore, everyone attending today was sharp-witted.
Thus, the situation beca such that the attendees ca with enthusiasm, only to find they didn't even have a place to sit.
Wu Faxian frowned, thinking to himself that old Fan had been too careless. Later, he would have to complain about him to Daoist Yulou!
Old Fan was actually helpless as well. He had worked day and night, yet didn't dare casually invite others over to help. Throwing this together in such a rush had almost made him cough up blood from exhaustion.
"After all, it's the first ti. Things will gradually improve in the future, hahaha," Wu Faxian tried to smooth things over. Then, he noticed exclamations coming from the cavern entrance.
Several people cast their gazes over, only to see Lin Ying, dressed in grass-green dharma robes, walking in. Lin Ying, the first direct lineage descendant of a Foundation Establishnt family to arrive today!
How could the crowd of cultivators not exclaim when such a person ca to the Exchange Conference? It could be said that with Lin Ying's arrival, the remaining worries in everyone's hearts were mostly dispelled.
Scanning the people inside the cave, Lin Ying was sowhat amazed. Although she had only co out of consideration for Yulou's invitation and to save face, she had never expected that Yulou had already pulled together a 'small group' of over thirty people.
Thinking of this, Lin Ying's impression of Wang Yulou grew even more complex. She steadied herself and chose to walk toward where Ji Yuan and Fan Zhugao were.
Circles existed everywhere; even among the disciples of Azurewater Palace, there were disparities. As it drew closer to noon, the number of people in the cavern gradually increased.
Under the expectant gazes of old Fan, Ji Yuan, Wu Faxian, and others, the numbers went from just over twenty to thirty, sixty... seventy! Seventy people, a full double of their initially expected minimum. Many invited fellow disciples would often bring along familiar peers. Among the seventy people, there were even over twenty disciples from Splendid Pool Palace, which was completely beyond their expectations.
"It looks like today is going to be a success. But why hasn't Daoist Yulou arrived yet?" Ji Yuan asked.
Old Fan smiled ambiguously and answered in a low voice. "This is what you don't understand. The important figure must definitely make his appearance last. Daoist Yulou worked so hard to pull together such a grand scene, for what? Don't forget the matters at River Bend Fishing Port. From the looks of it, Daoist Yulou doesn't seem to have the personality of an errand boy!"
Fan Zhugao understood how things worked. He saw Wang Yulou's ambition. He wanted the market, wanted to gather montum, wanted prestige, and wanted to earn more rit points and spirit stones. Wang Yulou wanted a lot, so naturally, he had to put on an act and perform so formalistic operations. This wasn't shaful. The fact that formalism had evolved from rituals in the tribal era to nurous modern forms in human society and had never beco obsolete, proved its vital importance in the process of organizational construction. Even when transplanted into the cultivation world, as long as the main body of the organization was human, this vitality would continue to exist.
On the other hand, daring to act and to do was in itself an extrely excellent quality. Modesty was divided into appropriate humility and deceptive humility. The classical chicken soup of a gentleman not contending for anything was rely a bible for fooling idiots. How many things, how many people, rose to power through that one trembling burst of action?
Once the ambition was there, what remained was action. If it didn't work once, do it twice; if not this ti, adjust and wait for the next. This was what it ant to dare to act.
Cultivation was divided into two types. Improvent in cultivation base was, of course, the foundation, but cultivation required resources. What others gave was never as solid and reliable as what one took for themselves. This demanded that every ambitious cultivator must know how to manage their own forces well—this was also a form of cultivation.
Yulou's cultivation base had already reached peak speed. Reaching the fourth layer of Qi Refining in less than four years even forced Yuan Daoshen to directly dispatch ten iron crocodile dragons to destroy his foundation. The current Exchange Conference was Wang Yulou's cultivation in managent.
Just as the crowd's waiting beca slightly noisy, Wang Yulou finally entered the cavern. He strode forward confidently, with Wang Yaohai and Bai Xiaoyu following on either side.
Almost instantly upon entering, Yulou saw the problem with the dozen empty chairs. Whether old Fan lacked energy or hadn't expected so many people to show up, he had ultimately made things a bit awkward.
"Fellow Daoists, Yulou has arrived late. Please forgive ." Saying this, he first nodded to Ji Yuan and Lin Ying, then grabbed old Fan by the shoulder and patted him.
Finally, he unhesitatingly sat right in the very center of that row of chairs.
"Since Senior Martial Sister Lin is here, how about we have Senior Martial Sister start off today's Exchange Conference?"
Lin Ying was always well-versed in maintaining relationships with fellow Daoists. She knew exactly what to do to give Wang Yulou face and imdiately replied,
"Since Junior Martial Brother Yulou has invited , I naturally have no reason to refuse. However, if there are any inaccuracies, I hope fellow martial brothers and sisters will not hesitate to correct ..."
First, exchange cultivation experiences, then slightly trade for what each other lacked. Everyone understood the process.
But what many cultivators didn't understand was how this Junior Martial Brother at the fourth layer of Qi Refining dared to sit in the seat of honor? And he even acted as if he was ordering Lin Ying to start the exchange. The strangest part was that Lin Ying of the Lin Clan actually agreed... Hiss, this is getting interesting.
Of course, those in the know had already started exchanging information about Wang Yulou with their close friends beside them. Upon learning Yulou's identity, everyone beca solemn. Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom, chickens and dogs of the Mangxiang Lineage, thirteen Foundation Establishnt cultivators attending a concubine-taking ceremony, brought into the sect by Zhuo Chi of the Zhuo Clan...
Such a person indeed had the qualifications to sit right in the middle. The significance of delaying the Exchange Conference until after the wedding was undoubtedly revealed at this mont.
Seeing Yulou sit down, old Fan also walked toward the chairs, wanting to sit on the edge. He figured he was at least qualified to sit while exchanging. Setting aside the fact that he was Zhuo Chi's disciple, just in terms of contribution to the conference, he had worked hard digging the cave and had shed sweat. However, old Fan was an alert person.
Having stood next to Ji Yuan for so long today, he had long grown accustod to adjusting his own actions by watching Ji Yuan's. As he was about to reach the chair, he noticed that Ji Yuan hadn't moved. He just smiled at Lin Ying, nodding frequently as if he were gaining a great deal. Thus, old Fan quietly shifted his steps away from the chairs.
Wang Yulou was soone who valued face and authority. He built the Golden Platform, invited Foundation Establishnt cultivators to witness his grand wedding, and reached the fourth layer of Qi Refining at a young age... Although he seed amiable and had always treated him well, why not play it safe? Would there be any loss in playing it safe?
No!
So, when old Fan and Ji Yuan chose to stand, the other cultivators today who thought they were qualified to sit also smartly halted their movents.
By the ti old Wu noticed sothing was wrong, he realized that in this row of chairs, apart from himself, only three people were sitting. One was Lin Ying of the Lin Clan, sitting to Wang Yulou's right, explaining her insights into wood-attribute cultivation. The other was Wang Yulou's concubine, Bai Xiaoyu, sitting to his left. Wang Yaohai had co with Wang Yulou, but this turtle grandson had ducked into the crowd as soon as he entered, showing absolutely no intention of approaching the chairs.
Blood rushed to his head. Old Wu could no longer hear what Lin Ying was saying. He looked at old Fan and Ji Yuan, only to find that these two bastards were standing to the side, acting completely engrossed in listening to Lin Ying's exchange.
'Gulp~' Old Wu swallowed a mouthful of saliva, imdiately exerted force in his glutes, and sprang up from the chair!
Goddammit, you guys really screwed over!
Wang Yulou noticed Wu Faxian's action. He looked at old Wu and gave him a smiling nod.
Why did he smile at ? Did it an 'we'll settle this later'? Or did it an 'at least you know what's good for you'?
Old Wu stood there, cold sweat pouring down his face. He had long known Wang Yulou's sensitivity to authority, but only today did he fully realize that he had already been reduced to a special kind of vassal in front of Wang Yulou.
The Exchange Conference was proposed by Wang Yulou, but it was organized by Wu Faxian. Wang Yulou didn't steal all the credit—the initial organizers equally shared all the profits. But the leadership lay in Wang Yulou's hands, while the right to take the bla rested in Wu Faxian's—otherwise, with his foundation, he wouldn't have the right to split the admission fees equally with the other organizers. This was sothing everyone tacitly understood.
It was only today's seating arrangent that made Wu Faxian understand that he didn't just receive the right to take the bla, but also the obligation to submit. He couldn't understand why things had developed to this stage.
This was the alienation of human beings by organizational relationships. The Exchange Conference was an informal, fringe organization, but its participants were not fringe figures. Wang Yulou, Lin Ying, Wang Yaohai, Ji Yuan, Fan Zhugao... The power dynamic in a strength-oriented system ant the higher a cultivator's cultivation base, the greater their power. But that didn't an a bottom-up power dynamic didn't exist. At this mont, Yulou, at the fourth layer of Qi Refining in four years, was no different from Mang Xiang using the promise of Attaining Golden Core to command Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
'I, Wang Yulou, have the aptitude for Foundation Establishnt. Follow , and in the future, I promise you...' As long as the high probability of achieving his grand future remained, he could use his future achievents to win over people in the present!
After Lin Ying, other cultivators participating in the Exchange Conference continuously began to share their cultivation insights or problems. Although the venue was terribly unpresentable and the format terribly informal, overall, everything proceeded very smoothly.
There was a special point here. People's expectations weren't actually that high. When they handed over that one spirit stone as an admission fee, they knew the scale of this event wouldn't be very grand. Having figures like Lin Ying and Fan Zhugao appear was already an unexpected pleasant surprise.
"Senior Brother Yaohai spoke very well. Fellow Daoists might not know of Senior Brother Yaohai's experiences. He ca from a humble background, cultivated little by little from Clear Spring Palace to Splendid Pool Palace, went to the West Sea for demon hunting for twenty years, and only after returning did he beco an Azurewater Palace disciple. Now he has finally tasted the sweetness after the bitterness and has been taken under Elder Luo's tutelage. His cultivation insights are worth everyone's careful attention. I noticed that there are also junior martial brothers and sisters from Splendid Pool Palace here today. If you have thoughts about going demon hunting in the West Sea, you can ask Senior Brother Yaohai thoroughly. He has quite a bit of experience in magical combat with demon beasts. Having been in the West Sea for many years, he also knows many people and can be of help to you."
After Wang Yaohai finished speaking, Yulou summarized, leaving Wang Yaohai's heart burning with passion. The event was set up by Wang Yulou. He was the one who brought everyone together, yet Wang Yulou gave Wang Yaohai a boost. He clearly knew this wasn't because they shared the sa surna, but because Wang Yulou had seen his hard work and attentiveness. In terms of cultivation base, Wang Yulou was his junior martial brother. But right now, it was undoubtedly Wang Yulou who was lifting him up.
Setting aside everything else, if people consulted him about demon hunting in the West Sea and he explained the relevant knowledge, wouldn't those people at least show a little appreciation? Additionally, Wang Yaohai had mixed around in the West Sea for twenty years. Could he make another sum of money through referrals using the people he knew and the connections he left behind there? It could be said that just these few words from Yulou might bring Wang Yaohai an inco of several hundred spirit stones. The significance of acting as a platform beca incredibly concrete at this mont.
"Yulou praises too highly. However, I, Wang Yaohai, do indeed know quite a few people in the West Sea. If any fellow disciples need help, you can look for in Splendid Pool Palace after the conference ends."
"Haha, speaking of which, Brother Yaohai also happens to be an inspector of Splendid Pool Palace."
Wang Yulou simply echoed a brief remark, then stood up, took out a long table from his storage bag, and placed it in front of himself. He looked up, sweeping his gaze across the crowd. Under the illumination of the eternal bright lamps, faces, both bright and dim, entered his sight one after another. But these faces, regardless of whether they were beautiful or ugly, old or young, shared one thing in common—a fire burned in their eyes that did not belong to Dripdrop Cave.
"The sect has never restricted us from trading what we have for what we need. Everyone knows this. Even rit points can be traded."
With a simple preamble, Yulou took out his storage bag and started pouring things out. First ca a pile of spiritual pill bottles. Wang Yulou poured them out, and Bai Xiaoyu arranged them. In just a brief mont, over a dozen bottles were laid out. And this was only the result of Yulou holding back, fearing he might dump too much and leave his fellow disciples with nothing to exchange. Wu Faxian's eyes went wide as he watched.
Wang Yulou, your Wang Clan really is rich, pouring out over a dozen bottles of spiritual pills like they were cabbages! But it didn't end there.
After the spiritual pills ca the spirit fish. A large vat of spirit fish was brought out by Yulou, making the other cultivators in the cavern go red with envy.
Daoist Yulou, you really know how to rake it in!
Ji Yuan was no exception; he was the most envious of all. Both were Town Guardian Cultivators of fishing ports. Yulou bringing out dozens to a hundred spirit fish at a ti to sell proved he had skimd quite a bit normally. Yet Ji Yuan only got a dozen or so a week. Ji Yuan felt a bit awful inside, but upon seeing the artifacts Yulou brought out next, he no longer felt awful; instead, he grew greedy.
Artifacts, the items Yulou was best at refining. Having studied the path of artifact refining since he was thirteen, Wang Yulou now possessed the ability to refine Upper-Grade artifacts. Today, he brought three Upper-Grade artifacts and several middle-grade ones.
A nineteen-restriction Black Steel Mirror-Silver Shield. Because the restrictions were engraved exceptionally well, it was both easy to repair and highly effective, making it a premium item among entry-level Upper-Grade artifacts.
A twenty-restriction Gold Thread Mirror-Silver Shield. An incomplete version based on Hongi's exclusive secret recipe, possessing a certain degree of self-repair ability. It was considered an excellent piece among Upper-Grade artifacts.
An eighteen-restriction Water Jade Bright Heart Pendant. An auxiliary artifact. When worn by a cultivator practicing water thods, it slightly enhanced their sensitivity to water-attribute spiritual qi. This not only improved cultivation speed in terms of efficiency but also boosted a water thod cultivator's strength during magical combat.
Although the enhancent wasn't high, how to put it... After Yulou finished his introduction, the air in the cavern grew a few degrees hotter. Selling a Water Jade Bright Heart Pendant in Dripdrop Cave was roughly equivalent to selling water in a desert, or selling heaters on a snowy mountain. Even though this Water Jade Bright Heart Pendant was a defective product Yulou had made while practicing, there was absolutely no need to worry about selling it.
"There are three types of spiritual pills: Water-Attribute Qi Cultivation Pills, Alligator Dragon Essence Blood Pills, and Rehmannia Nourishing Body Powder. The prices..."
The Water-Attribute Qi Cultivation Pills were refined by ancestor Xianzhou from gathering wild spiritual materials. On one hand, they were for Xiaoyu to use, and on the other, they could be brought out to earn spirit stones.
The Rehmannia Nourishing Body Powder was the most abundant defective product resulting from ancestor Xianzhou refining body-tempering pills for Yulou. If they could be sold, it would recoup a good sum of money.
"Five middle-grade artifacts, sold at a fixed price. Three Upper-Grade artifacts will be sold in the form of an auction before the conference ends. Note that there is no forced buying or selling in our Exchange Conference. If an offer doesn't et the seller's expectations, the seller has the right to refuse the sale. This point isn't to protect , but to protect everyone. As for the exchange rate between spirit stones and rit points, it will be eleven to two. Small transactions will be asured in blue spirit rice, with a minimum of one tael!"
Placing the Upper-Grade artifacts to be sold last was Yulou intentionally restraining his dumping efforts, leaving a chance for the other fellow disciples to 'exchange'. If the Exchange Conference was to flow steadily like a long river, Yulou couldn't put on a one-man show.
After Yulou finished speaking, the venue fell into silence. People were just like this; even now, they were unwilling to stick their necks out first. Ultimately, it was Ji Yuan who helped Yulou out of his predicant.
"I'll take three bottles of Alligator Dragon Essence Blood Pills!" Ji Yuan knew exactly what the Alligator Dragon Essence Blood Pills were. Once you passed this village, you wouldn't find this shop again!
"My apologies, Brother Yuan, it's one bottle per person. You also know how the Alligator Dragon Essence Blood Pills ca to be. These items are limited in number, so I can't sell them all to you."
Wang Yulou indicated that he simply wanted to hand out benefits to his family mbers to build up the Exchange Conference's reputation. On another note, if the Yuan Clan's iron crocodile dragons were distributed among everyone in the form of Essence Blood Pills, how could the Yuan Clan continue to cause trouble? It was all in the details!
"Then I'll take two bottles. One for , one for my wife. Here, this is eighty rit points!" Ji Yuan imdiately declared.
You impose a purchase limit? Then I'll bring my wife along to buy. You're only selling Alligator Dragon Essence Blood Pills, not houses. You can't possibly limit the purchase quota per household, right?
Watching Ji Yuan pull a female cultivator over to transfer rit points, Yulou realized this old sly fox already had a family and had secretly brought his wife along to listen to their fellow disciples exchange cultivation insights. Not bad, old Ji. You're quite sneaky.
"I'll take a bottle too!" Lin Ying stated. She understood the value of the Alligator Dragon Essence Blood Pill far too well. To put it briefly—the iron crocodile dragons raised by the Yuan family possessed dragon nature! Each bottle of pills corresponded to the flesh and blood essence of a hundred-kilogram iron crocodile dragon. If used properly, who knew how strong the effects could be?
Seeing Ji Yuan and Lin Ying start buying, Wang Yaohai hurriedly followed suit. It was unclear whether it was to repay Yulou for lifting him up or if he had also discerned the value of the Alligator Dragon Essence Blood Pills. This instantly ignited a purchasing frenzy.
Yulou had only brought six bottles of Alligator Dragon Essence Blood Pills, and they had been refined by the ancestor working overti. In an instant, they were completely snatched up by the Azurewater Palace cultivators.
"Daoist Jade Palace, I wonder if your Water-Attribute Qi Cultivation Pills can be sold individually instead of as a whole bottle." A sixth layer Qi Refining disciple of Splendid Pool Palace spoke up.
This form of address was extrely fascinating. Jade Palace—this na showed respect toward Wang Yulou. Not calling him Senior Brother was because his cultivation base was higher than Yulou's. A single "Daoist Jade Palace" contained nurous subtle details. These minor cultivators of Dripdrop Cave had been polished by reality into knowing exactly how to behave.
However, the most crucial detail in his words wasn't the form of address, but rather the revelation of the insufficient spending power of the Splendid Pool Palace disciples. Before the grand issuance of Mangxiang's grace, a Qi Transformation Pill cost three spirit stones. Wang Rongyuan had reached late Qi Condensation by consuming Qi Transformation Pills that cost three spirit stones each. Ten years ago in Clear Stream Market, a Qi Transformation Pill cost five spirit stones. Many clan cultivators had to carefully budget when taking them. Now, one Qi Transformation Pill cost eight spirit stones. Water-Attribute Qi Cultivation Pills were slightly more expensive, costing ninety-eight spirit stones per bottle, which ca out to ten spirit stones a pill. And yet, a Splendid Pool Palace disciple of Dripdrop Cave couldn't even afford to buy an entire bottle for ninety-eight spirit stones and had to buy them individually.
The aning behind this could only be described as the sect calculating too precisely, and the grand-master's grace overflowing too much, spilling all over into Dripdrop Cave Heaven.
"Yes, one pill for ten spirit stones. How many pills would this fellow Daoist like?" Yulou replied with a smile.
Joy imdiately appeared on the Splendid Pool Palace sixth layer Qi Refining disciple's face. As he pulled out spirit stones, he said, "Three pills will do. Daoist Yulou, could you tell us about the dicinal strength of that Rehmannia Nourishing Body Powder? Otherwise, we wouldn't know whether we should buy it or not."
Reminded by him, Wang Yulou suddenly realized that in his busy state, he had overlooked the fact that spiritual powders varied in dicinal strength. After all, since he started cultivating, he had never used spiritual powder even once.
"Senior Brother Ji, I'm truly completely ignorant about pill refining. Could you help appraise for our fellow Daoists how potent the dicinal strength of this Rehmannia Nourishing Body spiritual powder is?" Yulou hurriedly asked Ji Yuan for help.
Old Ji's pill-refining skills were just so-so, but he definitely understood it. Ji Yuan quickly stepped forward, picked up the Rehmannia Nourishing Body Powder Yulou had prepared, and examined it carefully.
Soon, he sighed in admiration. "The dicinal strength of this item should be considered top-grade among spiritual powders. It can reach sixty percent of a spiritual pill's efficacy!"
Wang Xianzhou's skill level was still very high. If these Rehmannia Nourishing Body Powders were two-tenths stronger in dicinal strength, they would barely be able to form a pill.
"Then how many spirit stones should it sell for?" Yulou asked, worried that his pricing of thirty-two spirit stones per portion of spiritual powder earlier might have been too high.
Ji Yuan pondered and calculated, then said after a mont, "A Rehmannia Nourishing Body Pill is a top-grade body tempering spiritual pill for the Qi Refining stage. A fair price is around ninety spirit stones a bottle. A spiritual powder with sixty percent dicinal strength would be an eighty percent discount, and then a sixty percent discount, which equals forty-three spirit stones!"
Forty-three spirit stones for a portion? The nurous cultivators in the cavern imdiately started slapping their thighs. If they had bought it just now, they could have earned ten spirit stones by reselling it! What a pity it was too late to say anything now!
"Hahaha, thank you, Senior Brother Ji. Fellow Daoists, don't regret it. This spiritual powder will continue to be sold at thirty-two spirit stones a portion. However, there are only four portions left. Fellow Daoists who are interested can co and buy."
Watching everyone scrambling to buy, Yulou felt so regret in his heart, though naturally not because he had sacrificed a tiny bit of spirit stone profit. Ancestor Xianzhou had custom-refined spiritual pills for him, producing a pile of spiritual powders that weren't suitable for others. Even if he wanted to sell them, it was hard to get a high price. Sigh.
Rehmannia Nourishing Body Powder was already one of the most widely applicable spiritual powders among them. What was he going to do with those leftover spiritual powders?
Wang Yulou had set a good precedent. Ji Yuan, Lin Ying, and others hurriedly followed suit, bringing out the goods they had prepared for exchange. The atmosphere in the cavern never cooled down.
Thousands of miles away, in Hidden Dragon Abbey.
Beside the Dragon Jade Pond in the Purple Beard General's Manor, Wang Yu'an was currently haggling with the attendant dragon of the Dragon Jade Pond.
Purple Beard General's Manor was roughly equivalent to Azurewater Palace, Dragon Jade Pond was roughly equivalent to the rit Hall of Azurewater Palace, and the attendant dragon was roughly equivalent to a deacon like Wu Faxian.
"After all, it is an Upper-Grade artifact. Ninety-five dragon jades is simply too little. How about one hundred and ninety-eight?"
Yu'an wore the purple dharma robes of a Purple Beard disciple. As he spoke, the green stubble above his lip bobbed up and down.
Having left Clear Stream Market, left Red Lantern Illumination Sect, and left his older brother, he had now grown into the form an independent Qi Refining cultivator should possess. When it ca to haggling, he was a professional! Directly doubling the price, letting you chop it down as you please!
"Junior Martial Brother Yu'an, you know better than I do whether this Bintie Purple Copper Axe is middle-grade or Upper-Grade. It is certainly an excellent piece among middle-grade artifacts, but you can't try to sell it at the price of an Upper-Grade artifact just because you engraved eighteen layers of restrictions onto it. Even if you dared to sell it at that price, I wouldn't dare accept it!"
The attendant dragon cultivator smiled bitterly as he punctured Wang Yu'an's sche. This kid was very slippery. He had used half a piece of Cold Refined Iron and a piece of purple copper, refined eighteen layers of restrictions, and then wanted to sell it for the price of an Upper-Grade artifact. Where was the logic in that? If it didn't use rank-eight spiritual materials, it didn't count as Upper-Grade!
"Alright, alright, alright, then we'll sell it as a middle-grade artifact. Senior Brother, you know the power of Cold Refined Iron. With a purple copper handle and a refined iron blade, you know better than anyone how well this axe handles. Ninety-five dragon jades is only nine hundred and fifty spirit stones. The cost of materials alone is more than nine hundred and fifty. It has to be at least one hundred and thirty dragon jades!"
"One hundred and thirty is impossible. The Purple Beard General's Manor only accepts middle-grade artifacts to support its disciples' cultivation in the artificing path, but the price is strictly this price."
The attendant dragon still shook his head, offering Yu'an no room to take advantage. Yu'an rolled his eyes and put on a magnanimous act, saying, "How about this, Senior Brother: we each take a step back. One hundred and twenty-nine dragon jades. How about it?"
The attendant dragon's nose was bent out of shape from anger. Fine, fine, fine. Each take a step back? You really took back one piece, but you want to step back thirty-four pieces. Do you think I'm a fool? But thinking about the mysterious background of the person in front of him, who had been assigned as a disciple of Purple Beard General's Manor right after stepping into Qi Refining, the attendant dragon ultimately relented.
"Like this, ninety-eight pieces. Even if you haggle until dark, or haggle for another week, I can only give ninety-eight pieces!"
Yu'an made a prompt decision and shoved the Bintie Purple Copper Axe right into the attendant dragon's arms.
"Done! Sold!"
The look in the attendant dragon's eyes instantly changed as he looked at Yu'an. Well, well, well. So this is how you haggle. I'll rember this. The next ti you co to Dragon Jade Pond to sell artifacts, just see how I deal with you!
He didn't know that Yu'an possessed tal and earth spirit roots, and had even mastered the Spirit-Stripping Material-Sorting thod from An Ning's artifact refining notes. This Bintie Purple Copper Axe was forged by Wang Yu'an using the Spirit-Stripping Material-Sorting thod on scrap materials that had exploded during refinent. Even if it only sold for sixty dragon jades, Yu'an could guarantee he wouldn't make a loss, thereby maintaining the balance of inco and expenditure for his artifact refining studies! Now that it was sold for over ninety dragon jades, the surplus was pure profit for Yu'an. It could be said that from now on, Yu'an would never have to pinch pennies to cultivate again!
"Senior Brother, there's no need to be angry. We're each just fulfilling our duties. Junior Martial Brother here would also like to exchange for a dharma robe. A Lower-Grade dharma robe for female cultivators. I wonder if Senior Brother has any recomndations."
Holding the attendant dragon's hand, Yu'an imdiately slipped him ten spirit stones. The attendant dragon instantly bead with joy. The sect's dragon jades belonged to the sect, but these ten spirit stones belonged to him!
"Female cultivators' dharma robes? I know all about those. Do you want one with less fabric or one with more fabric?"
"Less... fabric?" Yu'an was a bit confused. The attendant dragon promptly pulled a picture booklet from his storage bag, stuffed it into Yu'an's hands, and said, "I have a sworn brother who opened a dharma robe shop called the Mortal Realm in Aura-Viewing Market outside Hidden Dragon Abbey. This is his dharma robe catalog; take a look."
Upon opening the catalog, Yu'an's eyes went straight. But very quickly, he thought of Senior Martial Sister Ningyao, so he stuffed the booklet back to the attendant dragon and said, "I'd rather choose from the dharma robes that can be exchanged for in Dragon Jade Pond."
The attendant dragon was sowhat disappointed, but out of respect for the ten spirit stones, he still eagerly recomnded, "Junior Martial Brother Yu'an, you don't understand. Female cultivators don't look at a dharma robe's value; they only look at its appearance. Right now, Dragon Jade Pond has seven new styles of dharma robes from this year. Although they are all Lower-Grade, they look no worse than ordinary middle-grade dharma robes. Co, look at this. This Golden Silk Hanging Crimson is the most beautiful, though it's a bit pricey—sixty dragon jades apiece."
Sixty dragon jades? Spending six hundred spirit stones to buy a dharma robe... Yu'an looked at the appearance of the Golden Silk Hanging Crimson but still shook his head. It was too expensive. No matter how much he liked Senior Martial Sister Ningyao, he couldn't buy it. Otherwise, if his big brother, Uncle Rongyuan, or his father... forget it, if anyone in the clan found out, they would beat him senselessly. Lover boy though he was, Yu'an still had a sense of proportion in his heart.
"Then it's the Red Cloud Azure-Trimd Dharma Robe. This one is equally beautiful, costs fifty dragon jades, and has the ability to ward off fire..."
"I'll take it!" Yu'an said through gritted teeth.
The ability to ward off fire—this special function moved Yu'an. His original budget was around forty dragon jades. Spending an extra ten dragon jades to buy the fire-warding ability was worth it.
"Here you go. I wish Junior Martial Brother Yu'an an early success in winning the beauty's heart, hahaha."
Having obtained the dharma robe and the dragon jades, Yu'an stepped lightly out of the Purple Beard Manor. He activated an Upper-Grade flying chariot artifact with twenty-eight layers of restrictions and flew straight toward Aura-Viewing Market.
Cultivating in Dripdrop Cave Heaven was practically like being in prison for its disciples; moving in and out required approval. Hidden Dragon Abbey, however, wasn't a grotto-heaven, so one naturally ca and went freely.
Hongi had now opened another Forge Peak Residence in Aura-Viewing Market outside Hidden Dragon Abbey. Although business wasn't as brisk as the old Forge Peak Residence in Clear Stream Market, he hadn't skimped on earning spirit stones. He was, after all, a master of the artificing path capable of forging Upper-Grade artifacts with thirty-two layers of restrictions. Even outside Hidden Dragon Abbey, he had room to survive.
Yu'an's Upper-Grade flying chariot artifact was a gift from Hongi. The old guy had finally grasped the situation: his opportunity for Foundation Establishnt lay entirely with Yu'an.
Arriving at Forge Peak Residence, Yu'an quietly made his way to his Senior Martial Sister's door and knocked.
"Senior Martial Sister?"
Ningyao opened the door, looking sowhat surprised at Yu'an, and let him inside.
"You didn't sneak out, did you? Also, don't call Senior Martial Sister anymore. Your cultivation base is higher than mine now."
Ningyao had only just broken through into Qi Refining the year before last, and was currently at the first layer of Qi Refining, whereas Yu'an had already reached the second layer.
Although she didn't know Yu'an had relied on An Ning's grotto-heaven to reach Qi Refining, she guessed the disciples of the Wang Clan probably had so secret thod for rapid cultivation, and thus never doubted his cultivation base. After all, she and Yu'an had grown up together. Even if she truly doubted him, she wouldn't do anything about it.
"Senior Martial Sister, you'll always be my Senior Martial Sister." Yu'an sat down, called her Senior Martial Sister again, and then asked, "Where did Master go?"
Ningyao poured Yu'an a cup of Taibai spirit wine and said sowhat helplessly, "He held an artifact refining competition. Today happens to be the finals. He said he wanted to suppress the disciples of Hidden Dragon Abbey with his artifact refining strength and spread the na of Forge Peak Residence."
Hongi had still drawn his inspiration from Yulou, unfortunately...
"Ah, then why didn't you go support him?" Yu'an asked in surprise.
"He lost. He got second place and is currently dejectedly presenting the award to the first-place winner. I also just got back. But what about you? Hurry up and tell , did you sneak out? You are a disciple of the Purple Beard Manor; you need to properly carry out the tasks the sect gives you. You can't just loiter in Aura-Viewing Market all day like I do!"
Even though she didn't let Yu'an call her Senior Martial Sister, Ningyao still maintained the deanor of one. The two were very accustod to interacting this way. Ningyao was rely an outer sect disciple of Hidden Dragon Abbey now. Her daily tasks were incredibly simple, leaving her with ample ti to stay in Aura-Viewing Market to cultivate.
"Senior Martial Sister, I've told you multiple tis. Guarding the scripture pavilion is barely a task. I found a Senior Martial Brother and swapped guard duty shifts. He covers for five days, and I'll cover him for five days when he needs it."
The inner sect disciple slots the Wang Clan bought ca with bundled services. But Yu'an was, after all, in Hidden Dragon Abbey, one of the Ten Sects. Guarding the scripture pavilion might not be as lucrative a task as Yulou's Town Guardian Cultivator duty, but thankfully, it was quite leisurely.
"So that's how it is... but why did you suddenly co back?"
"Your birthday is almost here. Senior Martial Sister, did you forget?"
"Isn't my birthday in early February..." Ningyao suddenly rembered sothing, her face flushing slightly. She had genuinely forgotten that her own birthday was approaching.
Yu'an originally wanted to hold onto the dharma robe until Senior Martial Sister Ningyao's actual birthday to give it to her, but he really wasn't the type who could keep a secret—he had been this way since childhood. So, he imdiately brought out the Red Cloud Azure-Trimd robe.
"Senior Martial Sister, this is the dharma robe I bought for you using the dragon jades I earned from artifact refining. You are a Qi Refining cultivator now; it won't do to not have a dharma robe."
Covering her lips with her hand to hide her surprise, Ningyao said with a mix of shyness and exasperation, "Your artifact refining skills aren't even as good as mine. Why would I need you to buy a dharma robe!"
If Wang Yulou's upper limit in artifact refining under the aid of Ruyi Golden Radiance could reach seventy percent of Hongi's prowess, then Ningyao's current attainnt in the artificing path was about sixty percent of Hongi's. She had, after all, practiced the artificing path with Hongi since childhood. As for Yu'an... he might possess fifty-five percent of Hongi's ability when it ca to tal and stone artifacts, and around fifty percent for other artifacts.
"My brother said, the gift is light, but the affection is heavy. Senior Martial Sister, Yu'an's artifact refining skills aren't good right now, so I can only buy you a Lower-Grade dharma robe. Rest assured, once I achieve Foundation Establishnt in the future, I will definitely buy you a spiritual artifact dharma robe!"
Wang Yulou leading the kid astray wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Although the promise Wang Yu'an painted was flimsy, Ningyao was still intensely moved. Stroking the Red Cloud Azure-Trimd robe, Ningyao suddenly pointed at the door and said to Yu'an, "Get out!"
"Ah? Senior Martial Sister, there's no need to kick out. I haven't even drunk this Taibai spirit wine yet..."
"Are you stupid? I want to change into it to see if it fits!"
Ningyao, puffed up with annoyance, pushed Wang Yu'an out of the room, then carefully changed into the heartfelt gift Yu'an had given her.
That's not right. Don't all dharma robes have the ability to auto-fit? Standing outside his Senior Martial Sister's door, the foolish Yu'an pondered and pondered, yet still couldn't make sense of it. Compared to Wang Yulou, he still had a lot of growing up to do.
In Dripdrop Cave Heaven, the Exchange Conference was also drawing to a close.
"Alright, all fellow Daoists have 'exchanged' once over. Now, we will begin auctioning these four Upper-Grade artifacts."
Four pieces; aside from Yulou's three, another Azurewater Palace disciple had contributed one.
Yulou first brought out the eighteen-restriction Water Jade Bright Heart Pendant as the first auction item. Actually, it should have been the most expensive one and logically should have been the finale. But Yulou was genuinely worried about the purchasing power of his fellow disciples, fearing this Water Jade Bright Heart Pendant might end up stuck in his own hands, so he put it first.
As for whether the other cultivator who provided an Upper-Grade artifact would have complaints—if they had complaints, they could go pull together their own platform and market to sell it! After working so hard for so long to provide an Exchange Conference platform for his fellow disciples, couldn't Wang Yulou take a little advantage?
"Starting price is two thousand spirit stones or equivalent rit points. Fellow Daoists, you may begin!"
As soon as Yulou spoke, soone imdiately shouted, "Two thousand five hundred!" This was an impatient one.
"Two thousand five hundred plus one tael of blue rice!" This was soone trying to ss with people's minds.
However, Yulou was actually very satisfied. His psychological expectation was two thousand four hundred, which was the cost price. Two thousand four hundred was roughly the price of one and a half pieces of Water Jade, making it the break-even line to avoid a loss.
"I bid two thousand five hundred plus one bottle of Qi Transformation Pills. A bottle of Qi Transformation Pills is eighty spirit stones. Daoist Yulou, is that acceptable?"
Yulou nodded, offering no objection, but rely sighed faintly in his heart. Under circumstances of insufficient purchasing power, people had started using highly liquid physical goods as general equivalents. The sect served those in power within the sect. The sect's system managed to heavily mobilize disciples to serve those in higher positions while paying out relatively little, which resulted in such a consequence.
"Two thousand six hundred!"
"Two thousand six hundred plus one tael of blue rice!"
In the end, the Water Jade Bright Heart Pendant was sold for two thousand nine hundred spirit stones and one tael of blue rice. As for the other three Upper-Grade artifacts, two were sold.
The only exception was the Black Steel Mirror-Silver Shield, which Yulou was quite fond of; it did not sell. Although it was a practice piece for Yulou, the restrictions upon it were perfectly engraved. Apart from the low number of restriction layers and a defense that wasn't overly outstanding, it could be said to have zero flaws. Compared to its starting price of two thousand two hundred spirit stones, its true value far exceeded that. However, there really were many people who couldn't recognize good goods.
Yulou could only pack away the shield, bid farewell to the crowd, and head toward the Dao Discussion Pavilion together with old Fan, Ji Yuan, Old Wang, Old Wu, and the others. Naturally, it wasn't to discuss the Dao. They were going to summarize the experiences and lessons of this first Exchange Conference to prepare for the subsequent ones.
However, Yulou failed to notice that when the fellow disciples who participated in the Exchange Conference departed, the fire in their eyes burned even brighter than at the beginning.
Rebellion cos in many different forms. The spirit beasts raised by the Sky Serpent Sect refusing to bear young was a form of rebellion; the veteran Qi Refining disciples of Splendid Pool Palace showing up to work every day without exerting effort was also a form of rebellion. Now, Wang Yulou using a new organizational model to construct the Exchange Conference, bypassing the harvesting of the three palaces' rit point system to provide fellow disciples with an alternative choice, was also a form of rebellion.
This was another form of rebellion, gentle, invisible, but absolutely fatal.
No one wanted to be harvested. So, everyone was willing to tentatively participate as long as it didn't violate sect rules.
But why would the seemingly ordinary Exchange Conference be 'absolutely fatal'? Because, when a cultivator launched a direct rebellion against the Immortal Alliance's system, every Grand Cultivator serving as the fundantal pillar of the Immortal Alliance could beco their enemy. In the face of absolute power, justice could only be the justice of the victor, and any rebellion would be deconstructed into villainy by the authority of power. Such direct, suicidal rebellion only held significance for the individual rebelling, inherently incapable of existing on a large scale or long term.
Only soone like Wang Yulou—who was extraordinarily familiar with the Immortal Alliance's system due to being born in the Wang Clan, yet unable to claim a satisfactory share of benefits under the Immortal Alliance's distribution model due to various reasons—could orchestrate a rebellion that was truly subtle, transformative, and silently nourishing like spring rain.
The Exchange Conference impacted the ruling order of Dripdrop Cave. Its decentralized nature guaranteed from birth that it would forge an extraordinary legacy. There was no center because Yulou didn't seek control. He simply wanted to bypass Dripdrop Cave's exploitation through a self-organized model and pull together a new market. That was all.
He never realized what kind of terrifying beast he had unleashed.
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