Chapter 115: Missions And Entrepreneurship, Both At Once
After chatting with the newly recruited employee, Yuan Zhu realized that he, lacking local common sense, would find it hard to disguise himself as an Immortal Sect high expert. But on second thought, there was no need to disguise at all.
The purpose of this mission was to help [Mao Mao King] develop the market; and by the way, establish a small startup company of his own in this world.
And at this moment, he had already perfectly achieved it!
The cultivator in front of him who had ‘surrendered’ to him was the real power faction in Cicada City second only to the City Lord lineage. His strength was sufficiently powerful, his status equivalent to an enshrinement (red pole) in a sect, and he had a group of elite martial artists under him responsible for maintaining public order. In Cicada City’s Central Urban Area, he had a tax area belonging to himself.
With this right-hand minister, he was already an implicit minor shareholder of Cicada City.
He could completely use [Shadow Dream Hole] as bait, let the other party serve as the link for his communication and exchange with [Cicada City], become his spokesperson in the Bubble World, and establish a shell company in the other’s name.
In addition, there was that shop owner under his control. Directly transform into an agent, then recruit a batch of cheap bottom-level commoners, and the insect nurturing company would be established.
…
He had no contradictions or conflicts with [Cicada City]. With a middleman as lubricant, as long as he figured out Cicada City’s needs, normal transactions could be carried out completely.
Yuan Zhu had long inquired clearly that no Insect City was completely self-sufficient. The Underground World was too barren, and every city had a few unique core products. Cities would engage in trade, each getting what they needed.
In addition, they would accumulate cultivation materials through exploiting and squeezing the bottom level, and trade with the Immortal Sect and Technician Alliance, exchanging in large quantities for pills, magic arrays, advanced food, luxury goods… to maintain rule.
Therefore, he was 90% confident in establishing a trade cooperation relationship with [Cicada City]. He could bring cheaper and higher-end food, water sources, clothes, medicines; what he asked for was just to nurture insects for him, which was exactly the other’s old line of work, completely a win-win.
After figuring this out, Yuan Zhu completely relaxed: “I already understand what you seek. To tell the truth, this [Dream Hole] can completely be handed over to you for use. And my purpose is equally simple: establish trade cooperation with [Cicada City], or even without Cicada City, just cooperating with you is fine.”
Zuo Fan, upon hearing this, immediately said with a face full of loyalty: “I have already surrendered to the Immortal Master, everything of mine belongs to you, at your command.”
Yuan Zhu waved his hand, he didn’t play the backward personal dependence game, he wanted to take the capital route of stimulating subjective initiative: “No need for that. Do you know my background?”
Zuo Fan hesitated a bit. Since Yuan Zhu wasn’t acting anymore, he switched to another way to continue cooperating and said straightforwardly: “You come from the [Nightmare World]?”
“Wrong! Not the Nightmare Dimension, but from beyond the heavens. I descended from another world. Have you heard of the heaven beyond heaven?”
Zuo Fan nodded: “Of course. Our world is so broken because a [Death Legion] from beyond the heavens broke through the boundary and descended, launching a campaign against the Immortal Sect, ultimately cutting down the Immortal Realm Tree, tearing the firmament, and triggering the Great Destruction. Additionally, it’s said that more than eighty years ago, a group of outer domain people descended on other Insect Cities, causing quite a stir. 80 years later, unexpectedly another heavenly person has descended. It seems [Shatter the Void] does exist!”
By the end, Zuo Fan’s spirit became extremely invigorated, with light in his eyes, as if he had found a new direction for struggle.
Yuan Zhu guessed that the second batch of descenders were the Gods Squad that sold intelligence to the captain: “Shatter the Void? You want to leave this world?”
“Who doesn’t want to escape this doomsday world? The current Underground World seems to have regained vitality, with Martial Arts flourishing and Qi Refining Technique ushering in a new golden age. But all of this is built on the foundation of refining ‘Immortal World Tree Root Tendrils’. There are more and more cultivators, Heavenly Rank Experts have emerged in large numbers in the past 30 years, yet no one has been able to take the next step to shatter the void and ascend to the legendary Immortal Realm. Only when there is no other choice do they venture into the endless nightmares seeking a slim chance of survival.”
“There are more and more powerhouses, yet no path ahead. The demand for cultivation resources is increasingly huge, leading to even more stringent oppression and exploitation of the bottom level to gather resources and maintain rule; internally monopolizing upward channels, not giving us opportunities to rise. The total amount of Immortal World Tree Root Tendrils is limited and non-renewable, and they have been continuously rotting and deteriorating in this century… The demonic calamities on the surface and underground are also intensifying. If there is a chance, of course I want to escape this prison!”
Yuan Zhu asked again: “Then between getting stronger and leaving, which do you choose?”
“Naturally, get stronger first, then leave! As long as the Immortal Master gives me a chance, I will definitely work hard, not fail your expectations, and prove my own value! Worthy of your trust.” Zuo Fan guaranteed solemnly.
Even a fool knows the other party won’t let him flee for free. Moreover, even if he could really ascend, going to the Upper Realm where he’s unfamiliar with life and people, he would still need to rely on the other’s network. So of course it’s getting stronger; only with strength does one have value, whether being exploited or facing the unknown world after ascension, sufficient power is a must.
Yuan Zhu said satisfied: “It seems you’ve already figured it out. Work well, this is a tremendous opportunity for you.”
Zuo Fan nodded and instantly entered the employee role. This was exactly what he did in [Cicada City], switching without any discomfort: “Understood! I wonder what the Immortal Master’s purpose is in descending upon [Cicada City]? How should I act?”
“My purpose is very simple: get along well with your Cicada City, hire a batch of people to nurture insects for me. Then sell some high-end luxury goods to the upper level of your Lower Urban Area. Once I further figure out the Insect City’s needs, I can consider large-scale trade afterward: grain, water sources, medicines, clothing… I can provide all of them.”
Zuo Fan was somewhat incredulous, it was too simple: “Just this? My lord, you don’t have bigger, deeper hidden purposes? For example, completely controlling an [Insect City], secretly infiltrating and usurping the foundation of the ‘Reverse Life Immortal Sect’, refining the [Reverse Life Tree] to recreate the Earth Immortal path, plundering the Technician Alliance’s ‘core technology’, or seizing the old Immortal Sect’s underground ruins, refining the former ‘Earth Immortal Blessed Land fragments’…?”
Seeing that his new lord was too cautious and steady, Zuo Fan had to step forward and point out the way for his new boss. You need to set some big goals to give us employees motivation to strive.
Yuan Zhu gave the other a thumbs up: “Well said. I do indeed have a small goal in the short term, planning to create a small force of my own. But I live on the surface year-round and don’t know much about building in the underground, so I went to the Lower Urban Area to observe and learn, and was noticed by you. Why don’t you tell me, if I want to establish an ‘Insect City’, what preparations are needed?”
Hearing that his own boss had ideas of building a city, Zuo Fan immediately became satisfied. This was the kind of lord he wanted to serve. If his strength allowed, he would have jumped ship to go solo long ago.
He really did have knowledge on this aspect: “[Cicada City] is also considered a major city in the Underground World. Nowadays, within a hundred li radius, it has split off three affiliated Insect Cities: [Ming City, Ban City, Tang City]. To build a city underground, at least four conditions must be met: [Dream Hole, Magic Array, Spiritual Root, Ancestral Dao Seed].”
Yuan Zhu became interested: “Tell me.”
“[Dream Hole] corresponds to the weakest nodes of space in the Underground World. Some underground caves naturally have [Dream Hole rifts], allowing Earth Rank cultivators to connect the Heaven and Earth Bridge and cultivate Innate Primordial Qi to achieve Innate. The earliest batch of Heavenly Rank cultivators achieved it through primitive Dream Holes. Thereafter, more Heavenly Ranks actively sought weak spatial points in the Underground World, broke through [Dream Holes], occupied treasured lands, and established cities.”
“[Magic Array] is the indispensable foundation for opening up and consolidating underground space. Although the Underground World is full of Immortal World Tree Root Tendrils, already sufficiently sturdy, large-scale excavation of tunnels and mazes, hollowing out underground space, requires [large-scale magic arrays] for reinforcement, even utilizing the layout of existing Immortal World Tree Root Tendrils to set up magic arrays. This involves ‘Feng Shui Geomancy’, initially monopolized by the Immortal Sect, later also mastered by the Technician Alliance.”
“[Spiritual Root] is also the living ‘Reverse Life Tree’. Nowadays, the four major Immortal Sects underground each possess one ‘Reverse Life Tree’. If an Insect City pays sufficient price, it can obtain a ‘branch’ to plant in the Insect City, opening up a ‘Reverse Life Garden’ to provide sufficient food for commoners and spirit insects, producing resources.”
“The final [Ancestral Dao Seed] is the core of ruling an Insect City. The rulers of different Insect Cities all master at least one lineage’s ‘high-ranking source’ of Dao Seed, using ‘insect egg Dao Seeds’ to control and suppress cultivators of the same lineage Dao Seeds. And continuously split off new Dao Seeds, continuously cultivating new cultivators.”
After listening, Yuan Zhu found that he only had a pirated [Shadow Dream Hole], still lacking three items: “Must all be gathered?”
Zuo Fan shook his head: “Not absolutely. Below [Insect Cities], there are numerous large and small ‘tribes’ scattered throughout the underground. These tribes don’t meet any of the four major conditions, but as long as there is a Heavenly Rank, or even peak Earth Rank powerhouse guarding, they can survive.”
“The greatest use of [Dream Hole] is not cultivating Heavenly Rank powerhouses, but discharging pollution. Additionally, it hides a slim chance of escaping hell. Without [Magic Array], one can also settle in sturdy root tendril caves, just hard to expand scale. Without [Spiritual Root], one can still seek mushrooms and insects for food, just unable to mass nurture spirit insects, Immortal Zombie Tendrils and Iron Poison flare up faster, survival more harsh. Lacking [Ancestral Dao Seed], one can also trade with technician families to buy ordinary Dao Seeds, at worst suppressed when facing high-ranking Dao Seeds.”
After listening to the other’s explanation, Yuan Zhu felt that starting a ‘explosive Mao Mao tribe’ was effortless, and even his [Shadow Dream Hole + Mountain Lord’s Domain] already met two conditions.
Although without [Spiritual Root], with Holy Cough he had no taboos, directly eating polluted garbage would do. Later, once [Mao Mao King] opened up trade routes, directly smuggling grain, he wouldn’t lack this bit of food.
Now, the only thing missing was one [Ancestral Dao Seed]… “How to obtain this [Ancestral Dao Seed]?”
Zuo Fan’s spirit shook, eagerly saying: “As long as my lord opens the [Dream Hole] to me, I can smoothly break through to Heavenly Rank. At that time, first master the unique ‘Innate Primordial Qi’, then complete armor casting, shed the mortal body and exchange the bones to reverse to Innate, rewrite and refine a Dao Seed with my own unique ‘life information’, claiming it as my own. This is the [Ancestral Dao Seed]!”
Yuan Zhu: “Heavenly Ranks all possess Ancestral Dao Seeds?”
Zuo Fan nodded: “Yes. Before [Heavenly Rank], although the Dao Seed is controlled and wielded by the cultivator, it is an external object, hiding its own life information. Once something unexpected happens, it will backfire, turning into a human cocoon, gestating a Demonic Giant Insect. But after Heavenly Rank armor casting, the person uses the armor as cocoon, reversely transforming, thoroughly refining the Dao Seed, and inscribing Innate Primordial Qi information, causing the ‘Dao Seed’ to transform and be reborn, creating one’s own Dao Lineage (race).”
Yuan Zhu gave the other a meaningful look. No wonder Zuo Fan was urging him to build a city; this was showing off skills and deepening interest binding.
He provides the [Dream Hole], the other provides himself, together starting a business to build a city. As long as he ensures the other’s promotion to Heavenly Rank, he gets in return a high-level combat force + second Dream Hole + Ancestral Dao Seed… Even later if his own means are insufficient and strength can’t keep up, the other could further expand and take control.
Yuan Zhu happily said: “Very good, with you and me cooperating, we’ll be invincible. But I still have a few small questions: can you help me get a batch of commoners for nurturing insects without alarming [Cicada City]? Do you have a suitable ‘city-building’ location? Will it attract suppression from other Insect Cities later? Do you have the confidence to be my middleman and negotiate business with Cicada City?”
“These are not difficult. Insect City’s management is not strict. Moreover, resources are limited, there are plenty of starving refugees in the Upper City District, and the Lower Urban Area doesn’t value or care about them. Even many bottom-level civilians are allowed to eat ‘Root Tendril, Slime Mold, Magic Worm’, accelerating the pollution and mutation of their bodies. Corpses severely eroded by Immortal Zombie Tendrils have value, they can be sold to Immortal Sects to refine Dao soldiers, transported to Reverse Birth Garden to cultivate Cordyceps, or used to cultivate Demonic Giant Insects… Bottom-level civilians are never a problem.”
“Suitable locations for building a city are not available. The so-called ‘city-building treasure lands’ usually require weak Spatial Structures, so that Heavenly Rank Experts can break the space and open up [Dream Holes]. If you don’t pursue that, I do know quite a few secret places suitable for establishing tribes, where the Immortal World Tree Root Tendrils are very dense. And your [Dream Hole] is very unique, it can move, simply unheard of! Finally, through transactions with [Cicada City], my personal forces can satisfy your initial needs. As for later stages, I can communicate with Cicada City on your behalf. Even if Cicada City doesn’t work, I can still contact other Insect Cities for you.”
Yuan Zhu clapped his hands, extremely satisfied: “Very good, pleasant cooperation. I know your strength is extraordinary, and the three items incorporated into your body pose no threat. But I still suggest you not easily remove them. The energy (Shadow) contained in these items is closely related to the ‘space’ you are in, as well as the [Dream Hole]. If you can subdue and refine them, I am willing to grant you permission to further control the [Shadow Dream Hole].”
At this time, Yuan Zhu also unleashed the art of big pie in the sky, earnestly saying: “I am just the first batch of Explorers, destined not to stay long in the Underground World, and I need a Spokesperson. You are just right. After I leave, I need someone to control the [Dream Hole] on my behalf. By then, you will be the controller of this [Dream Hole]. I heard you say that Insect City’s Dream Holes are products of breaking space, fixed in the sky and immovable?”
“But my [Dream Hole] is extraordinary, as you’ve seen, not only can it open and close freely; it also comes with this space that can filter energy from the two
Zuo Fan immediately knelt down: “If the Lord does not disdain it, Fan is willing to take you as his adoptive father!”
“No need at all, you are my entrepreneurship partner, brother! Let us forge ahead together and build a great enterprise!”
With that said, Yuan Zhu touched the wall of the Shadow Space with one hand and manually operated to open the [Shadow Dream Hole]. Decaying spiritual energy mixed with a trace of pollution poured in from the outside world. Yuan Zhu took his partner’s hand and stepped out of the Shadow Space together.
Seeing the real 【Shadow Dream Hole】 that could open and close freely without erupting terrifying suction, Zuo Fan secretly exclaimed in his heart that this thing was truly advanced, far stronger than those hanging in Cicada City’s sky, worthy of being from a foreign realm heavenly being!
Next, he began to contemplate the Shadow Eggplant’s brain eggplant on top of his head inside his body, discovering that it indeed had a similar aura to this pitch-black Dream Hole.
