Chapter 112: The Chosen One, Fearless of Life and Death

Su Ji’an wore an expression of profound distress. "Your blunder has delayed the Old Immortal’s grand plan. While your life is spared, you cannot escape punishment. I find this cavernous dwelling quite adequate; you shall reside here from now on and be responsible for guarding the fissure above."

Simultaneously, he promptly edited a mission and issued it to the other party.

[You have caused a catastrophic disaster. Su Ji’an has granted you a chance at redemption. From now on, you shall make this cavern your home and keep a close watch for any unusual activity. If you fail to report any anomalies in time, or if any mishap occurs due to your negligence, the mission will be judged a failure.]

[Mission Reward: One damaged Spirit Energy Battle Armor.]

[Mission Penalty: Death on the spot.]

Although Xianggu’s body had not entered the fissure, the Spirit Energy Battle Armor had still been triggered. It was now down to its last remaining layer, though it had become somewhat murky. Still, it should suffice to block another blow from a Spirit Severing stage cultivator. This could be considered Xianggu’s good fortune; he was effectively at the forefront of all the Blue Star players. It was truly a case of being close to the water to catch the moon first; he should count himself lucky to be a lackey by Su Ji’an’s side.

Just then, Xianggu said with a grievance-filled tone, "Big Brother, why don't you hurry and send me back up there once more? A chosen one fears no death." He felt that dying once more did not seem like such an unacceptable proposition.

Su Ji’an looked displeased. "It seems you are quite dissatisfied with the Old Immortal’s arrangements?"

Xianggu dared not hesitate further and hurriedly pledged, "Don't worry, Big Brother! This cavern is my home from now on; as long as I live, the cavern stands!"

So, he was to be a caveman from now on?

Su Ji’an continued to instruct, "Take this rat with you as well. Here is some money; go find the village blacksmith and have him forge a refined iron cage."

He did not have much interest in raising this demonic rat. Initially, he thought it might be some rare creature of heaven and earth, but during the window while Xianggu was dead and respawning, Su Ji’an had already conducted a detailed examination of the beast. It was male and utterly unremarkable. Apart from a sliver of intelligence, the demonic power within its body was extremely weak. It had likely consumed some natural treasure, which triggered its sentience.

However, Su Ji’an did not change his original plan. There might be other secrets hidden within this demonic rat that he had yet to discover. It was better to play it safe. In any case, he did not need to do the work himself.

[Side Mission: Raise the Demonic Rat.]

[Mission Reward: Three Profound Essence Pills.]

[Mission Penalty: Deduction of ten years of life span.]

Xianggu accepted this gladly. How much could such a tiny creature possibly eat? Compared to the value of the three pills, the cost was negligible.

Su Ji’an chose to head home. There was no point in standing here staring blankly. He was not particularly disappointed; the appearance of the fissure was an unexpected bonus to begin with. Even if it hadn't appeared, he would have had to swallow this loss. Moreover, in the long run, this fissure likely concealed a major opportunity.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, quite a few things happened.

First, He Hansu’s injuries had improved significantly after a few days of recuperation. It was estimated that she would be arriving soon. Su Ji’an had spoken with her once, though he didn't hear anything pleasant. She was truly in need of discipline. Su Ji’an made a mental note to settle the score when she arrived.

The second matter was that players from the Flying Immortal Sect had finally discovered a way to earn Spirit Stones using the player trading platform. In just a few days, Su Ji’s account had grown by over three hundred Spirit Stones. However, good times did not last; the player "Xiuer Benxiu," who was selling large quantities of pills, soon invited disaster upon himself. As a cultivator at the third level of the Qi Refining stage, he was naturally no match for the inner sect disciples. Fortunately, by the time he died, there were very few Spirit Stones left on his person. Part of the cultivation resources he earned had been sold off, while the rest of the profits were used for his own cultivation. Otherwise, he could not have broken through two minor realms in just a few days. After respawning, "Xiuer Benxiu" did not choose to return to the Flying Immortal Sect, but instead went into hiding, secretly continuing to sell items on the trading platform to earn the price difference.

During this period, Su Ji’an unlocked several more types of cultivation resources. The prices varied, but all were very cheap to unlock, totaling only about four thousand Spirit Power points. These included Hundred Ginseng Pills, Three-Flower Powder, Foundation Establishment Pills, Spirit-Nourishing Pills, and Hundred Meridian Pills, among others, which could support cultivation beyond the Foundation Establishment stage. At the rate the Blue Star players were cultivating, it wouldn't be long before they reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

That kid was someone who knew how to keep quiet and make a fortune. But this clearly did not serve his interests. Only by letting a hundred flowers bloom and having more players join in could he earn more Spirit Stones. Thus, Su Ji’an acted out of "kindness" and announced this path to wealth on the player channel.

The world was vast; there would always be a place for them to make their fortune. He believed that before long, they would naturally realize the disadvantages of huddling together. Though it would inevitably lead to some losing their lives, the value they created would far outweigh the cost of their respawns.

The final matter was the chain reaction caused by the opening of Zhao Qianxue’s branch store. Just yesterday, a group of bandits from Eagle Sorrow Ridge sent a letter to their shop in Cold Mountain City. The gist of it was that if the Immortal Guest Tower handed over half its monthly profits, it would receive the protection of Eagle Sorrow Ridge. Furthermore, as a "meeting gift" for their first encounter, the Immortal Guest Tower was expected to provide one thousand Spirit Stones.

Upon hearing this, Su Ji’an couldn't help but laugh out loud. He truly hadn't expected someone to rush over to deliver Spirit Stones to him. These bandits from Eagle Sorrow Ridge lived by killing and plundering; having survived this long, they must have accumulated quite a fortune. This trope was old-fashioned, but within reason. Wealth moved hearts. As the Immortal Guest Tower grew larger and stronger, it was inevitable that it would be targeted by petty villains. This had actually been in his expectations, though it had come a bit early.

It even came before the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, though the Myriad Treasure Pavilion had been too busy lately; just dealing with the Righteous Alliance had exhausted nearly all their energy. He learned from the player channel that the Myriad Treasure Pavilion had begun colluding with the Demonic Path to cope with the Righteous Alliance. This was no secret within the Righteous Alliance. The Flying Immortal Sect and several other small sects, while insignificant, were still part of the Righteous Alliance and were qualified to know some inside information. The Myriad Treasure Pavilion was playing an open hand this time, intending to make the Righteous Alliance wary so they would have enough time to plot their next move.