Ying Sha spoke up, eager to prove her worth in her new role.
"It is a forbidden zone, Shopkeeper. It lies three days west of here. It is said to be the site of the final battle that shattered the world. The qi there is chaotic and violent. Martial artists who enter often go mad, their inner energy turning against them as they bleed in all orifices. The Resentful Wraiths and similar creatures also thrived in it. Only the Transcendent Stage and above could venture at its periphery.
"Interesting. And the Star-Forged Iron? You said it fell from the sky. Can it be found everywhere around the world?" Lin Mo mused.
"Yes," Luo Lanyi confird. "The mines are actually impact craters. The tal is incredibly hard and resonates with the martial qi. However, only those truly skilled blacksmiths can forge them into sothing of the sa caliber as... Ling Qiui’s sword."
Lin Mo nodded slowly. Star-Forged Iron were teors that fell from the sky. Since it didn’t cause the end of the world, the Martial World before the Age of Cataclysm must’ve been a strong plane as well.
Which made him think about all the other Fractured Planes and the fact that they were existing near the Realm of Nine Heavens. How are they related? Were they actually subordinate to it?
Clearly, they’re called planes instead of realms. They were once whole but shattered because of that ancient war which this place called the Cataclysm.
He recalled the short conversation he had with that Martial World Hero from the Conduit Tower. Like how they were given the ability to cultivate, only to be dragged into a world-shattering war.
"Interesting," Lin Mo murmured, his mind already categorizing the Martial World as a resource node for raw materials that were scarce or non-existent in his own realm.
The Star-Forged Iron, if it truly fell from the sky, contained trace amounts of stellar energy. Sothing that could help his cultivation.
At this point, he had already stabilized his current cultivation state. It was about ti for him to start working on the 2nd layer of the Starflow ditation Manual.
His six starlight qi nodes had ford into a constellation but to progress, he needed to form five more constellations to reach the ceiling of the manual’s second layer.
Although not a long ti has passed since his recent breakthrough, he was pretty busy these past few days that he was only letting his [Silent Stream Breathing Technique] and the [Vein of the Silent Stream] to passively absorb spiritual energy.
While he could probably match Xiaoyu’s current strength with the help of the bound Decanus Set, that freakish prodigy would continue sprinting towards higher realms. And through the propagation of convenience and the various benefits from the Towers and Anchors, every patron of the store would also gradually advance at a rapid pace never seen before in the Realm of Nine Heavens.
If he slacked off, he’d be left behind as nothing more than a figurehead. A mascot for the convenience he preached.
"Star-Forged Iron," Lin Mo repeated. He looked at Luo Lanyi. "Miss Luo, this ore is now a priority commodity. I want your rchant house to secure as much of it as possible. Raw ore is fine, but refined ingots are better. This will be the primary currency to purchase our products. Of course, if you have more practical use for the common currency, you can set up a specific value for the exchange. I trust you’ll know how to determine the exchange rate. You are the rchant Head of our First Distribution City now. Don’t disappoint ."
Luo Lanyi bowed, her eyes shining with the thrill of a challenge that went far beyond simple profit. She was being asked to build an economy from scratch, backed by the most powerful entity her world had ever seen.
"I will draft a standard value chart imdiately, Shopkeeper. We will stabilize the market within the week. The Crimson Tiger... ah, the Harvesters, will bring the ore. We will process it. And the Iron Crane will ensure no one tries to undercut the official exchange."
She glanced at Dojo Master Iron, who nodded vigorously, clearly happy to just be included in the conversation without being threatened.
Ling Qiui and Hu Gan also clasped their fists, bowing to protect the city against any threats.
After all, even if Sleeping Dragon City was a lair for bandits like the Crimson Tiger Sect, it was still one of the few huge settlents in the current Martial World. Travelers and rchants not belonging to the city still co and go. If they heard about the sudden change, it would certainly reach the ears of other powerhouses lording over different areas. They could attack to steal Lin Mo’s goods of convenience or even threaten to occupy it if they heard about the leaders subordinating themselves to him.
"Excellent," Lin Mo nodded in satisfaction. "As for the Graveyard of Sages... Ying Sha, that will be your first major task. I want you to map the place. Not the rumors and superstitions that fill the teahouses, but a real, geological map. Where are the safe zones? Where are the highest concentrations of the damned creatures? And most importantly, where are the remnants of the ’Sages’ located? Use your new armor. Use your mints. But do not engage the unknown. Observe, record, and report."
Ying Sha’s hand went to her chest, feeling the hum of the Aether Shard beneath her armor. "The Shadowblade Union will pierce the fog of that forbidden zone, Shopkeeper. We will find what you seek."
"Good. I will return in... let’s say, five days. By then, I expect this city to be unrecognizable. Cleaner streets. Orderly markets. And a warehouse full of Star-Forged Iron. I believe I don’t need to tell you what will happen if you take advantage of my absence and return to your old ways. I can revoke my convenience just as easily as I grant it."
His voice didn’t rise, but the weight of his words pressed down on the room like a physical force. The casual display of power earlier – the invisible walls and the gravity manipulation – was still fresh in their minds. They knew he wasn’t bluffing.
"We would not dare!" Dojo Master Iron was the first to bow, his forehead glistening with sweat. His eyes were truly opened today. He managed to preserve his forces and even prevented himself from being injured. But he knew too well not to cross this expert before him. "The Iron Crane serves the Shopkeeper. We serve the city."
"The Crimson Tiger obeys," Lei Hu grunted, though his eyes were already drifting to the map on the table, planning the most efficient routes for his ’harvesters’. He wanted to work hard and get his hands on that armor set. If Hu Gan, his lowly subordinate, could be granted it, why couldn’t he?
"We live to serve the network," Ying Sha whispered, her armored hand clenching into a fist.
Lin Mo nodded, satisfied. He stood up, smoothing out his green and white uniform. "Good. Rember, this is a trial period. Show results, and the rewards will flow. Fail , and well... let’s just say the market corrects itself."
He turned to Luo Lanyi. "Miss Luo, I’ll leave the rest to you. That is just the initial inventory, but you have to create demand. You have the muscle. Build a market."
"Understood. I will build you an empire, Shopkeeper," Luo Lanyi replied, her voice trembling with ambition rather than fear.
With a final wave, Lin Mo activated the return function of the Plane Portal.
His form began to shimr, dissolving into particles of starlight. To the martial artists in the room, it looked like he was ascending to the heavens, a final, divine exit that cented his legend in their minds.
As the last mote of light faded, silence returned to the private room of the Pavilion of Drifting Clouds. But it wasn’t the tense, fearful silence of before. It was the heavy silence of a world holding its breath before a storm of change.
"D-do you think the Shopkeeper ca from so higher realm?"
"He could be... Otherwise, how can you explain all of these?"
Dojo Master Iron and the Tiger Lord whispered with each other, albeit their voices could be heard by everyone.
Luo Lanyi, Ling Qiui, Hu Gan, Tie Zha and Ying Sha found themselves smirking but at the sa ti, they were also thinking the sa.
There wasn’t any plausible explanation about Lin Mo’s existence other than that.
Soon, Hu Gan was the first to move. He strapped his helt on, the Aetheric HUD flickering to life in his vision.
"Alright," He said, his voice muffled slightly because of the helt. "You heard the man. We have work to do. Sect Master, I rember the favor you gave before, even though you kicked out recently. I will not throw my weight around and order you. But rember the Shopkeeper’s task."
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