Chapter 313 : Forging the Treasure Ship, Developing Tianxu State

The Tianxu Province alone, with a territory slightly larger than the combined area of 3 provinces, nurtured rare resources such as spiritual herbs, mineral veins, and demonic beasts.

The 3 provinces needed the resources of Tianxu Province, while Tianxu Province required the cultivators from the 3 provinces—a relationship of mutual dependence.

However, this territory was far too vast, and the distance between the 2 parties too immense—a single round trip could easily entail 5 or 6 years of arduous travel.

For Qi Refinement cultivators with a lifespan of barely over a 100 years, this was far too protracted and arduous.

At this thought, everyone fell into deep contemplation.

Chen Changxuan swept his gaze over the assembly and declared, "Through several beast tide onslaughts, we have successively acquired over a dozen third-order demon carcasses."

"If we gather a large quantity of first-grade spirit wood and don't prioritize speed or combat capability, we can refine several medium-to-large treasure ships."

Upon hearing this, everyone’s faces lit up with joy.

Xu Daoyuan (Person Name), who was also an artificer, nodded and couldn’t help but exclaim with delight, “If we use the bones of a third-order demon beast as the keel and incorporate a large quantity of low-grade spirit wood, we can forge a third-grade treasure ship.”

"This treasure ship is relatively weak in combat, with a speed of only 10 1000 miles per day, yet it is fully capable of carrying over 5 100 low-level cultivators."

Lyra's eyes lit up as she turned to Elara and asked, "How many third-order demon beast dragon bones do we currently have left here?"

"Many of the bones were previously refined into magical instruments." Elara calculated briefly before stating, "Only 3 remaining skeletons are now suitable for crafting into a treasure ship."

"3 treasure ships alone are far from sufficient." Lyra shook her head, her gaze sweeping over the assembled crowd. "Your respective clans previously exchanged for some third-order demon beast remains as well. I wonder how much still remains in your possession now?"

The old clan leader smiled faintly and replied calmly, "Our Chen Clan possesses 4 third-order skeletons suitable for crafting magic treasures."

Everyone chimed in with their own observations, and soon they realized that when combined, the various great clans of the Sky Ruins Alliance still possessed a total of 12 demon beast skeletons.

12 demon beast skeletons were sufficient to refine 12 treasure ships, capable of transporting 6,000 cultivators in a single voyage.

Once these treasure ships are forged, they will be able to establish multiple routes within the territory of the Sky Ruins Alliance, thoroughly connecting the spiritual mountains of all the great families.

Eldrin calculated and found that across the 4 provinces of the Sky Ruins Alliance, there were 37 third-grade spirit veins and over a 100 second-grade spirit veins.

There were over a 100 1000 cultivators gathered here. Once these routes were established, even if each person were charged just 10 spirit stones, it would amount to a colossal profit.

If Qi Refinement cultivators only returned to their clan once every 10 years, with an estimated annual flow of 20,000 visits, they would likely generate 200,000 spirit stones in revenue each year.

After deducting the cost of using the spiritual vein's energy to recharge the treasure ship's power, the annual profit still reached an impressive 100,000 spirit stones. Over a century, this would amount to a business generating 10 million spirit stones in profit.

It must be understood that although the Chen Clan was 1 of the most elite Purple Mansion immortal families, possessing spirit veins and earth veins comparable to those of weaker Golden Core clans, their annual income amounted to merely 70,000 to 80,000 spirit stones.

Everyone present began to calculate in their minds, and each felt a stirring of temptation.

Yet they understood full well that while the sum appeared vast, not just anyone could claim a share of the spoils.

With Lyra (Person Name), a Golden Core Ancestor, and Eldrin (Person Name), whose strength rivaled that of a Golden Core cultivator, present, this business opportunity was certainly beyond their reach.

However, since the beast bones in his possession could be refined into a treasure ship, Xavier still harbored some expectations. He couldn’t resist asking, “May I ask, Ancestor, how are the shipping routes and business operations of these treasure vessels arranged?”

Eldrin exchanged a glance with Lyra. After all, they still needed the treasure ships of the celestial clans. Thus, he declared, "For these shipping routes, the Violet Manor celestial clans possessing treasure ships may also claim a share."

"You can contract the flight routes, but you must hand over 50 percent of the profits as the contracting fee."

Everyone nodded in agreement. There were 12 treasure ships in total, with the Chen Clan and Lyra (Person Name) accounting for 7, while immortal clans like the Pan Clan and Xu Clan could collectively produce 5.

For immortal clans like the Xus, possessing even a single treasure ship—despite surrendering half their profits—meant an annual increase of 5,000 spirit stones, a substantial gain by any measure.

Although this amount would still need to cover various expenditures such as stipends for clan members, distributing allowances to the clan was in itself a necessary expense.

What the great immortal clans truly fear is not the distribution of allowances, but the inability to afford them. If there are insufficient positions to assign to the clan's cultivators, then that clan is truly living off its dwindling resources, destined to gradually decline into obscurity.

The Chen Clan and Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) were no different—operating the routes required cultivators, and guarding the treasure ships also demanded a considerable number of practitioners. A portion of these earnings would be allocated as official stipends to be distributed accordingly.

Having resolved to open a new route, the group immediately returned to their clan to gather materials for forging a treasure ship.

Forging a massive treasure ship required the consumption of vast quantities of first-grade spirit wood. A single vessel demanded over 10,000 logs of first-grade spirit wood. Even with the influence of the Chen Family, gathering such an immense amount of spirit wood in a short time was nearly impossible.

Fortunately, the Greenleaf Bamboo of Mount Qingyang was renowned throughout the Chu Kingdom. Lyra had tens of thousands of them felled and gathered massive quantities of first-order spirit wood, finally securing all the necessary materials.

This third-grade treasure ship was not particularly difficult to forge, yet it demanded an immense amount of time and effort. Instead of crafting it themselves, Eldrin and Lyra mobilized over a 100 artificers and formation masters from the Chen Clan and the Heavenly Ruins Alliance.

The artificers carved low-tier formation patterns onto each piece of spiritwood, while a third-rank artificer oversaw the overall framework and design. After more than a year of meticulous work, they finally succeeded in constructing these 7 treasure ships.

The other major clans, though proceeding at a slower pace, also succeeded in refining it after expending over 2 years.

Once these treasure ships were forged, they immediately began operation, and cultivators from the 3 provinces started entering the Tianxu Province.

For a time, with the influx of numerous cultivators, the development of Tianxu Prefecture accelerated severalfold. In just a few years, new small-scale spirit stone mines had already been excavated.

Just as the major immortal clans were carrying out the development of Tianxu Province in full swing, the high-level cultivators of the Tianxu Alliance had already entered seclusion.

Xavier, Patriarch Fang, Elara, and the others were all nourishing their meridians, awaiting the next opportunity to assault the Golden Core.

The Old Patriarch also immersed himself in relentless cultivation, striving to reach the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion as swiftly as possible in order to charge toward the Golden Core Realm.

Eldrin (Person Name) finally found respite from his hectic schedule, ready to elevate his final Lifebound Magical Treasure.

Now, his Sky-Severing Twin Swords, Earth-Sovereign Bell of Honor, and Water-Lotus Throne of Azure Purity had all advanced to the fourth rank, with only the Magnetic Treasure Mirror failing to achieve its ascension.

This time, he and Lyra had obtained 4 Void Gems. 3 of them were refined into Teleportation Array Disks, while Eldrin kept the remaining 1 specifically to advance the Primordial Magnetic Treasure Mirror.

This Magnetism Treasure Mirror restrains all metal-attributed magical treasures and supernatural powers. If a Void Gem (Spiritual Object) is integrated into it, it will gain the wondrous ability to suppress and seal opponents.

Chapter 1 The biting cold wind howled through the mountain pass, carrying with it the scent of blood and decay. Li Ming, a young man barely 20 years of age, lay slumped against a jagged rock, his robes torn and stained crimson. His dantian, the sea of energy within his lower abdomen, felt utterly hollow, as if scraped clean by a merciless blade. The spiritual energy he had painstakingly gathered over a dozen or so years had dissipated completely during the ambush. 'So this is how it ends?' he thought, a bitter taste filling his mouth. 'After countless hours of cultivation, after surviving the initial Qi Refining stages... to fall here, in this desolate place, betrayed by those I trusted.' He closed his eyes, the memories of the past 3 years flashing before him like a fleeting dream. He remembered the day he first stepped into the Verdant Cloud Sect, filled with hope and ambition. He recalled the intricate hand seals for the "Cyclic Yang Art," the feel of spiritual energy coursing through his meridians. And he remembered the cold, mocking smile on Elder Wang's face just before the trap was sprung. A faint, golden light suddenly emanated from the simple jade pendant hanging around his neck—a memento from his deceased mother. It was warm to the touch, a stark contrast to the chilling coldness creeping into his bones. *Whoosh!* A figure landed silently a few meters away, the movement as graceful as a falling leaf. It was a woman clad in white robes, her features ethereally beautiful yet carrying an air of untouchable authority. Her eyes, clear and deep like ancient glaciers, held a trace of surprise as they fell upon the glowing pendant. "Young man," her voice was calm, yet it seemed to resonate with the very fabric of the world around them. "That pendant you wear... where did you acquire it?" Li Ming struggled to lift his head, his vision blurry. "Who... who are you?" A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched her lips. "I am Su Lingsu (Person Name). That object you possess is no ordinary trinket. It is the Keystone of the Lost Heaven (Magic Treasure), an artifact lost for millennia." She knelt beside him, her slender fingers hovering over his chest without making contact. A profound, gentle energy flowed from her, seeping into his ravaged meridians. The agonizing pain began to recede, replaced by a soothing coolness. "Your dantian is shattered, your cultivation base ruined," she stated matter-of-factly, her gaze analytical. "The standard path of cultivation is forever closed to you." Despair threatened to swallow Li Ming whole. But then, her next words ignited a tiny, stubborn spark of hope within his heart. "However," Su Lingsu continued, her eyes gleaming with an enigmatic light, "the path laid down by the ancient Emperors of the Primordial Dawn (Cultivation Method) does not rely on a conventional dantian. It forges the entire body into a vessel capable of containing the power of heaven and earth. It is a path of immense hardship, 1 that has claimed the lives of countless geniuses. Do you have the will to walk it?" Li Ming met her gaze, the last embers of his spirit flaring with defiant resolve. He had lost everything—his place in the sect, his friends, his future. There was nothing left to fear. "Yes," he rasped, his voice firm despite his weakness. "I choose to walk it." Su Lingsu nodded, a glimmer of approval in her profound eyes. "Then from this day forth, you are my disciple. Remember this: the world of cultivation is a treacherous ocean. Sects vie for power, ancient demons stir in their slumber, and heavenly tribulations await to test the might of those who dare to defy the heavens. Your journey will be paved with thorns." She produced a pristine, jade-white slip from her sleeve and pressed it gently against his forehead. "This contains the foundational chapter of the 'Chaos Genesis Sutra' (Cultivation Method). I will guide you, but the true understanding must come from within." A torrent of profound and ancient knowledge flooded Li Ming's consciousness—arcane characters, esoteric concepts of energy manipulation, and visualization techniques that defied conventional understanding. It was vast, complex, and utterly overwhelming. "Master..." Li Ming began, but when he looked up, Su Lingsu was gone. Only her voice lingered in the wind, a soft whisper filled with unspoken expectations. "The road is long, and your trials have only just begun. I will be watching." Alone once more, but no longer broken, Li Ming clenched his fists. The cold mountain wind no longer felt so biting. A new, formidable determination burned within him. He would master this ancient art. He would uncover the truth behind the betrayal. He would rise from the ashes of his former self. He would make them all see.