The Creation of the Heavens and All Realms

Chapter 50: The Path to Wealth

The Huang Clan was one of the most powerful factions in the City of Tears and Blood; when they moved, the entire city followed suit. “General, we’ve received word from below that someone broke into the Huang Clan’s Garden of Ten Thousand Spirits last night.” As soon as dawn broke, Lü Fei walked into the General’s Mansion to report to Liu Yuntao. Liu Yuntao asked with interest, “Someone broke into the Garden of Ten Thousand Spirits? What was the outcome?” Lü Fei replied, “The Huang family suffered heavy losses. The three Xiantian-level guards stationed at the Garden of Ten Thousand Spirits were killed, and nearly a hundred rare spiritual herbs were stolen. Oh, and I heard the intruder even crossed paths with Huang Shuyi. They exchanged a few blows before the intruder fled right under Huang Shuyi’s nose.” Liu Yuntao narrowed his eyes. “To have exchanged blows with Huang Shuyi—that level of strength indicates at least the Gangqi Realm. Huang Shuyi is an old fox; he advanced to the Gangqi Realm long ago, yet he thought I didn’t know and pretended to be in the Zhenyuan Realm. He’s also cultivated the *Qinglong Zhen Shen*; his true strength is only a hair’s breadth behind mine. In the City of Tears and Blood, aside from me and Wan Wusheng, there are few who can match him.” “General, don’t forget that Zhou Shi can also hold his own against Huang Shuyi to some extent,” said Lü Fei. Liu Yuntao shook his head. “Zhou Shi harbors a great secret. I can’t read him, so I can’t rely on him for now. His strength is decent, but he’s still far behind Huang Shuyi. Zhou Shi may be able to slay True Essence Realm cultivators with his divine weapon, but he’s no match for the Gangkui Realm.” Liu Yuntao thought for a moment, then said, “Issue the order to cooperate with the Four Great Clans in searching for yesterday’s thieves. The Second Prince is about to arrive in the City of Tears and Blood, so we must eliminate all sources of instability at this critical moment!” “Yes, sir!” At the same time, Wan Wusheng of the Wanhai Pavilion also received news of the incident at the Huang family, but he remained unconcerned, choosing as usual to sit on the sidelines and watch from afar. The Four Great Clans shared deep-rooted ties and stood united as one. After learning the specifics from the Huang Clan, the other three clans also dispatched their forces. Each of the Four Great Clans sent over a dozen Innate-level cultivators to conduct a massive search throughout the City of Tears and Blood, which continued nonstop for three consecutive days. “Father, we’ve been searching for so long and haven’t even caught a glimpse of that man. Do you think he might have left the city?” Huang Jue said to Huang Shuyi, his eyes red-rimmed. Over the past few days, he had not only mobilized the Huang clan but also dispatched his own Broken Blade Army; yet, despite combing through every Xiantian cultivator in the city, they still hadn’t found their target. Huang Shuyi regained his usual composure. He glanced at Huang Jue and said, “This villain is audacious and powerful. If he wants to hide, how could he possibly let you find him so easily? Besides, while the Four Great Clans hold great influence in the City of Tears and Blood, we are not without enemies.” “Father, are you saying someone is hiding him?” Huang Jue asked. Huang Shuyi replied, “It’s not impossible.” “Then hasn’t our high-profile search over the past few days been in vain?” Huang Shuyi snorted coldly. “We’re doing this not only to track down this villain, but also to demonstrate the might of our Four Great Clans! After the Garden of Ten Thousand Spirits incident, many factions hostile to us have been stirring up trouble—how could we possibly let them off without a stern warning?” “So are we just going to let him get away with it?” Huang Jue asked, unwilling to accept this. Huang Shuyi stood up, his face darkening. “Let him go? He killed hundreds of members of the Huang family and stole nearly a hundred spiritual herbs. How could I possibly ease the hatred in my heart unless I tear him to pieces! Just be patient. He’ll show himself again. Next time, we absolutely cannot let him escape!” In the Blood Battle Legion’s camp, Zhou Tianci was instructing Lei Dong and the three Li brothers, while Gu Dali looked a bit bored. “Brother Zhou, we can’t keep hiding like this. Why don’t I head out of the city?” Gu Dali suggested. Zhou Tianci thought it over and decided it was a good suggestion; there really wasn’t much for Gu Dali to do in the City of Tears and Blood. “I plan to reestablish the adventurers’ guild,” Gu Dali explained his plan. “There are plenty of adventurers in the City of Tears and Blood. With my abilities, I’ll be able to organize a group of people quickly. Once I have a team under my command, it’ll be much easier to do whatever we need to do.” Zhou Tianci pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement: “That’s not a bad idea. We’re too short-handed right now; we’re stretched too thin for everything. Old Gu, why don’t you set up the adventurers’ guild on the edge of the Wild Forest? It’ll be perfect for helping me gather resources.” “Sure thing, you can count on me!” Gu Dali said excitedly. “Sir, why don’t we join Lord Gu as well? I’m sick and tired of staying in one place all the time,” Li Ping said, his eyes lighting up as he spoke in a flattering tone. “You guys…” Zhou Tianci glanced at the three Li brothers. “That works too!” Once it was settled, Zhou Tianci asked Cao Ming to help escort the four of them out of the city. After their expedition to Shepan Mountain, Zhou Tianci and Cao Ming had developed a deep friendship. For Cao Ming, this was a mere formality. That very afternoon, Gu Dali and his three companions left the City of Tears and Blood. After Gu Dali and his group left, Zhou Tianci spent his days either guiding Lei Dong in his cultivation or thinking about ways to make money. Robbing the Huang family was a one-time thing—he’d caught them off guard the first time, but a second attempt wouldn’t be so easy. It had to be said that Zhou Tianci was truly blessed with good fortune—he had actually found a way to make money! That night, Zhou Tianci was meditating on the Law of Destruction while communicating with the Tree of Eternal Creation. After devouring the spiritual herbs, the Tree of Eternal Creation had undergone some changes and fed back new information to Zhou Tianci—information that gave him a fresh understanding of the tree. “Absorbing spiritual energy and condensing the Dew of Creation—I never expected to discover yet another function of the Tree of Creation and Immortality.” Zhou Tianci’s spiritual essence sensed something new within the Tree of Creation and Immortality, which filled him with delight and surprise. After a moment, Zhou Tianci opened his palm, and a drop of green liquid slowly appeared in the center of his palm. This drop exuded dense spiritual energy and possessed a mysterious, ethereal quality—it was precisely the “Dew of Creation” that Zhou Tianci had spoken of. Zhou Tianci observed it for a moment, then swallowed the Celestial Dew of Creation. As soon as it passed his throat, it dispersed, its spiritual energy spreading throughout his meridians. At the same time, it transformed Zhou Tianci’s physical body; though the effect was very subtle, he could indeed feel it. “What a marvelous elixir!” Zhou Tianci carefully sensed the changes brought about by the Celestial Dew of Creation. “Its spiritual energy is as rich as that of a thousand-year-old spiritual herb, and it even has the power to enhance the physical body. A single drop may not have a great effect, but what about a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand drops? If it’s effective for me, just imagine what it could do for a Post-Heaven martial artist.” Zhou Tianci immediately woke Lei Dong, condensed three drops of the Celestial Dew of Creation, and had him swallow them. Lei Dong trusted Zhou Tianci completely and swallowed the Celestial Dew of Creation without a word. “How does it feel?” Zhou Tianci asked. A quarter of an hour later, Lei Dong exclaimed joyfully, “Sir, what kind of treasure is this? It’s incredible! After taking those three drops just now, the spiritual energy within my body has increased by an amount equivalent to three months of arduous cultivation. Furthermore, my physical strength has increased by 90 jin.” Zhou Tianci was now certain: the Creation Heavenly Dew was effective at increasing both spiritual energy and physical strength, regardless of whether one was a Post-Heaven or Pre-Heaven cultivator. “Now I’ve finally found a way to make money!” Zhou Tianci thought to himself with secret delight. After confirming the effects of the Creation Heavenly Dew, Zhou Tianci conducted further experiments. He found that the spiritual energy he absorbed during one hour of cultivation could condense into ten drops of Creation Heavenly Dew—an efficiency he found quite unsatisfactory. However, this was no big deal, since absorbing treasures such as spiritual herbs could also condense Creation Heavenly Dew. Early the next morning, Zhou Tianci gave Lei Dong a few instructions before heading to the Wanhai Pavilion alone. He intended to seek a partnership with the Wanhai Pavilion to trade in the Creation Heavenly Dew. To Zhou Tianci’s surprise, no sooner had he stepped through the gates of the Wanhai Pavilion than Wan Wusheng appeared. “Commander Zhou, it is truly a rare honor to have you here,”” Wan Wusheng said with great courtesy, which piqued the curiosity of the Wanhai Pavilion’s managers regarding Zhou Tianci’s identity. As the Pavilion Master of the Wanhai Pavilion in the City of Tears and Blood, Wan Wusheng not only wielded immense power but was also among the city’s most powerful figures. Aside from Liu Yuntao and the heads of the Four Great Clans, they had never seen Wan Wusheng treat anyone with such courtesy. Zhou Tianci was also somewhat flattered and taken aback; he felt he had no particular connection with Wan Wusheng, and receiving such courtesy from him left him feeling a bit uneasy. “Pavilion Master Wan, you’re too kind—I’m truly humbled,” Zhou Tianci said, clasping his hands in a bow. Wan Wusheng smiled. “Commander Zhou, now that you’ve graced the Wanhai Pavilion with your presence, are you here to make a purchase? Why don’t I accompany you on a tour…” Zhou Tianci grew increasingly wary; Wan Wusheng, a master at the Gangqi Realm, was being far too friendly toward him. Wan Wusheng sensed Zhou Tianci’s attitude and said with a light chuckle, “Commander Zhou, please don’t misunderstand. I simply wish to befriend you. I’ve heard of your exploits—advancing from the mid-Posthuman Realm to the Pre-Heaven Realm in just two months, and possessing strength far surpassing that of the True Qi Realm. You must possess extraordinary talent and good fortune, and your future achievements are boundless. We at the Wanhai Pavilion conduct business across the land, and we especially enjoy befriending geniuses like you. If there’s ever anything you need help with, as long as it’s within my power, I’ll never turn you down!” Zhou Tianci suddenly realized that Wan Wusheng was offering to invest in him—a reason that sounded quite plausible. “I’m deeply honored that Pavilion Master Wan holds me in such high regard. To have a friend like you, I would never refuse,” Zhou Tianci said candidly. “Excellent!” Wan Wusheng clapped his hands. “Now that we’re friends, there’s no need to be so formal. Come, come, Brother Zhou, let’s go upstairs and sit for a while.” “Thank you very much, Brother Wan,” Zhou Tianci replied readily. Wan Wusheng was indeed a master of social interaction; with just a few words, he put people at ease. Zhou Tianci was also a deep thinker, and as the two found common ground, they soon became close. “Brother Wan’s Wanhai Pavilion truly lives up to its reputation as the number one merchant guild in the Great State of Yu—it’s truly broadened my horizons!” Zhou Tianci followed Wan Wusheng up to the 81st floor of the Wanhai Pavilion, where they could look down over half of the City of Tears and Blood. “It seems I made the right decision coming here today!” “Oh? It seems you’ve come to discuss business with me, Brother Zhou,” Wan Wusheng said with a smile. Zhou Tianci silently gave him a thumbs-up; Wan Wusheng truly had a keen insight. “Big Brother Wan, you’re amazing—you saw right through me. I’m here because I want to do business with you.” “What kind of business is it?” Wan Wusheng asked. Zhou Tianci took a jade vial from his robe and tossed it to Wan Wusheng: “It’s a deal involving Spirit Dew. Big Brother Wan, you can test it yourself.”