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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈
Chapter 66: Shanglian Island-Protecting Grand Formation
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Jegyeong and Gwak Jeongsin both agreed that the Spirit Fruit produced by Muk-su was a valuable treasure.
What remained was to discuss just how valuable it was and how payment would be handled.
“I've never seen a Spirit Fruit like this before, but I know quite a bit about spiritual treasures of this kind. In other words, I have a rough idea of their price range.”
Gwak Jeongsin spoke first, while Jegyeong listened quietly.
“Still, with spiritual treasures like these, the issue is not their price but whether they can be obtained at all. They are never sold at a fixed price. If they are sold, it is usually through auction or barter. So I would like to sell this Spirit Fruit at auction.”
If one had confidence in an item, an auction was one of the best ways to earn the greatest profit.
Judging by Gwak Jeongsin's confident expression, he seemed fairly certain of it.
Jegyeong did not object to putting the Spirit Fruits up for auction.
The greater the income, the better. Why would he oppose it?
There was one minor issue with that method. If the Spirit Fruits were sold at auction, he would not receive the proceeds until the auction was over.
And unless Jegyeong went to the auction house and watched the process himself, he would have no way of knowing how much the fruits had actually sold for.
Naturally, Jegyeong had no desire to go somewhere infested with dangerous Human Race cultivators. Nor did he intend to remain on Black Shark Island and simply hope Gwak Jeongsin would not cheat him.
Gwak Jeongsin seemed to have considered that as well, for he offered Jegyeong two choices.
“I will not beat around the bush. I can pay you a set amount of Spirit Stones in advance, or I can give you the sale proceeds after the auction, minus the commission. Please choose whichever you prefer, Fellow Daoist.”
There was no need to explain how much that set amount of Spirit Stones would be.
The spiritual treasure price list Jang Hooam had given Jegyeong contained information and rough prices for all kinds of spiritual treasures, so he could roughly judge the value of the Spirit Fruits from it.
“I'll take Spirit Stones in advance.”
“Very well.”
As though he had expected Jegyeong's choice, Gwak Jeongsin smiled and nodded.
“How many Spirit Fruits would you like to sell?”
“Three.”
“Fifteen mid-grade Spirit Stones each, for a total of forty-five. How does that sound?”
“Good.”
Jegyeong smiled in satisfaction.
He had received six mid-grade Spirit Stones when he sold the Spiritual Soil before, and even that had originally been only five. Gwak Jeongsin had added one more as a gesture of goodwill.
Yet each of Muk-su's Spirit Fruits was worth three times as much as that Spiritual Soil. How could he not be pleased?
It felt as though the cushion of wealth beneath him, which had slowly been wearing thin, had suddenly become several times thicker.
“Here you are.”
Gwak Jeongsin paid him promptly on the spot.
But when Jegyeong checked the Storage bag, he found not forty-five mid-grade Spirit Stones inside, but sixty.
“The taste is excellent.”
When Jegyeong looked puzzled, Gwak Jeongsin offered no explanation. He only smiled as he took another bite of the Spirit Fruit in his hand.
That warm gesture made Jegyeong feel warm inside as well.
* * *
Wealth was lovable in itself, but its value faded if one did nothing but sit on it.
The Cultivation World was, bluntly put, a world where strength ruled. Whenever there was an opportunity, one could not be stingy about turning wealth into power.
Jegyeong understood that principle of the Cultivation World well.
He had no intention of treating the Spirit Stones in his possession like sacred heirlooms.
That did not mean he planned to spend them recklessly, either.
In truth, Jegyeong had long ago set his priorities for when he gained enough Spirit Stones.
First was safety.
Second was cultivation.
As a cultivator, he naturally had to focus on advancing his cultivation. Yet securing his safety was even more important.
Cultivation was like a marathon whose destination could not be seen. No matter how quickly one ran, it meant nothing if one fell halfway through.
“I would like to acquire a Formation Array.”
At Jegyeong's words, Gwak Jeongsin nodded again as though he had expected it.
“That will not be a problem. But the price of a Formation Array varies greatly depending on its type and the area it protects. What do you wish to protect with it, Fellow Daoist? A stretch of water? Or an island?”
“A stretch of water? A Formation Array can enclose an entire stretch of water?”
Jegyeong asked in surprise.
He knew how vast the waters under his control were, so he could not imagine a Formation Array large enough to enclose all of them.
“Of course. But installing such a wide-area Formation Array requires many conditions to be met and consumes enormous resources. That is why wide-area arrays usually use simple detection formations rather than formations with direct defensive power.”
“I see.”
It was certainly remarkable, but that was all.
He had neither the means nor the desire to indulge in such extravagance.
“How much would it cost to acquire a Formation Array that protects this island?”
“That naturally depends on its performance. But generally speaking, protective arrays established by Foundation Establishment factions are not terribly expensive. A Formation Array is still a Formation Array. It can hold an opponent back for a while, but it is difficult for it to defeat an enemy.”
“That is all I want.”
“Hmm. Please wait a moment.”
Gwak Jeongsin rummaged through several Storage bags, then handed him a Jade Slip that seemed strangely familiar.
“I will give you that Jade Slip as a gift. Please take a look.”
“Then I will accept it without ceremony.”
Jegyeong immediately scanned the contents of the Jade Slip.
Just as he expected, the names, effects, and prices of countless Formation Arrays passed through his mind.
Of all those arrays, Jegyeong focused on those called Island-Protecting Grand Formations.
There was no special reason. He simply thought that arrays bearing such a name would probably be suited for use on an island.
‘Hmm.’
The grand names of the formations made Jegyeong's heart race, and the descriptions of their effects stirred his desire. Yet the prices displayed at the end cooled all those feelings at once.
‘Earning is difficult, but spending is so easy.’
Every Formation Array was priced in mid-grade Spirit Stones.
The cheap ones cost five or six, but the expensive ones cost one hundred or even two hundred.
After looking through several things that were beyond his reach, Jegyeong began examining more realistic choices.
“The Casket-Sealing Island Formation. I will take this one.”
“An excellent choice.”
It was a Formation Array worth twenty-five mid-grade Spirit Stones.
That meant giving back nearly half the Spirit Stones he had just earned, but he did not find it wasteful.
The more one possessed, the more carefully one had to protect it.
This level of investment was not excessive. If anything, it felt slightly insufficient.
“As far as I know, our branch has the formation flags for the Casket-Sealing Island Formation in stock. I will return, confirm it, and bring them to you right away.”
“I will be in your debt, Fellow Daoist Gwak.”
“What are you saying? Fellow Daoist Jegyeong is one of my major customers. Naturally, I must do my utmost to serve you.”
Not a customer of the Merchant Association, but my customer.
Jegyeong caught the meaning in Gwak Jeongsin's words and simply smiled faintly.
* * *
A few days after returning with the Spirit Fruits, Gwak Jeongsin brought the formation flags needed to set up the Casket-Sealing Island Formation.
Following the enclosed instructions, Jegyeong installed the flags. The instant the last one was planted along the outskirts of Black Shark Island, an invisible curtain rose and surrounded the entire island.
‘So this is a Formation Array.’
Though it could not be seen, he could clearly sense the Formation Array through his Spirit Awareness.
At that moment, all regret over the twenty-five mid-grade Spirit Stones vanished completely.
Until now, Black Shark Island had been his land, but not his home.
A home needed walls to shelter one from the wind and a roof to keep out the rain, did it not?
Only after the Casket-Sealing Island Formation was set up did Black Shark Island finally become his true home.
A safe and cozy home.
“Here.”
After circling Black Shark Island once, Jegyeong used the formation plate to place marks on Cheongo and Muk-su.
The Island-Protecting Grand Formation enclosed all of Black Shark Island, so from now on, they needed these marks to enter and leave freely.
“I don't think you need one, but I'll give you one anyway.”
When he placed a mark on Muk-su, Jegyeong acted as though it were something immensely precious.
At the same time, he earnestly encouraged Muk-su to bear plenty of Spirit Fruits, though he had no way of knowing whether Muk-su understood.
‘Muk-su's Spirit Fruits and the Fleshscale Fish. With these, I won't need to worry about Spirit Stones for some time.’
Jegyeong considered where he would spend Spirit Stones in the future.
The most urgent need was still a cultivation method, followed by cultivation arts.
He had vaguely entertained that thought for a long time, but acquiring the Formation Array had made it more concrete.
The four conditions of cultivation were broadly called wealth, companions, methods, and land, but everyone knew which was most important.
For a Rogue Cultivator with no one to rely on, wealth was even more vital.
That was why Jegyeong wanted to learn the Human Race's cultivation arts.
It was not simply to earn Spirit Stones.
Cultivation arts could not be regarded as little more than skills for making a living.
Most cultivation arts were closely connected to cultivation itself, so mastering them would greatly help advance one's cultivation.
The Alchemical Dao was a prime example.
If he could refine the Medicinal Pills he needed himself, would that not naturally offer a great advantage to his cultivation?
‘Should I try obtaining them through the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association?’
He had heard that basic knowledge of cultivation arts could easily be obtained at any market town. Through a famous merchant association such as the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association, he would likely be able to obtain knowledge beyond that without much difficulty.
Of course, truly advanced knowledge and special secret arts would require finding a renowned master or seeking a fortuitous opportunity, but that was far too distant to consider now.
‘It's better to avoid the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association after all.’
Though it was not as dangerous as acquiring a cultivation method, obtaining cultivation arts also carried the risk of drawing suspicion.
Jegyeong wanted to avoid taking even small risks whenever possible.
All the more so when there were other options.
‘It is about time to begin.’
While patrolling his waters recently, Jegyeong had realized that the Human Race inhabitants living there were resources he could use as well.
He could make them patrol the waters for him. He could throw them to the Water Demons under his command as food.
He could also send them into the Human Territories to acquire things he needed.
That was right. Jegyeong intended to select several useful members of the Human Race and send them into the Human Territories.
If things went well, he would be able to obtain many things he needed through them.
‘But before that, I should search around first.’
There were dozens of islands inhabited by the Human Race within his waters.
He did not expect those who had been helplessly exploited by the Black Sect Hall to possess any great inheritance, but there was no harm in searching carefully, just in case.
Having made up his mind, Jegyeong moved at once.
The first place he visited was the relatively familiar Three Frog Island.
“Dragon Lord!”
Jegyeong casually swept his gaze across the countless members of the Human Race gathered to welcome him.
Among those who had not yet shaken off their fear, one boy displayed different emotions.
Jegyeong knew him.
‘Han Cheongyu.’
The emotions visible on the boy's face were complex.
He shared the others' fear, but there was also something like reverence. If anything, the latter seemed stronger.
‘Not bad.’
The boy Jegyeong had never paid any attention to before now looked slightly different.
Footnotes:
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