The following day, news of Mo Jian's extraordinarily sharp tongue had spread throughout the sect. Many disciples gathered in pairs and small groups to discuss the rumor.
In addition, Mo Jian's last statement had left everyone shocked, and it quickly became a trend among the male disciples:
"I don't need to fight to win. My money will do the fighting."
Just that one statement had silenced the Radiant Sect, forcing them to leave in embarrassment.
Deng Jie sneered when he heard the news. "Nonsense. What's so cool about being weak? Against the vengeful spirits, what could his money possibly do?"
His disdain for Mo Jian deepened, and he dismissed the thought of such a weak disciple as he made his way to the Mission Hall.
Apart from challenging the Dust Valley Sect, the Radiant Sect had also brought grave news.
The number of vengeful spirits near their borders had been increasing recently, with many cultivators falling victim to their attacks.
Previously, the most common vengeful spirits found at the border were the Vengeful Wisps, the weakest type of spirits.
Against mortals, a Vengeful Wisp could drain their souls to strengthen itself, and the victims had no way to resist.
To counter this, the Dust Valley Sect and the Radiant Sect frequently sent their disciples to exterminate the Vengeful Wisps.
But now, Restless Phantoms had appeared—a far more dangerous and powerful vengeful spirit.
Restless Phantoms were spirits formed from deep-seated regrets. They could haunt their targets and even control weak-willed individuals, forcing them to do their bidding.
Beyond that, they could phase through walls, making them exceptionally difficult to guard against.
With the emergence of the Restless Phantom, the sect quickly issued a series of missions to hunt down the vengeful spirits before they caused further damage.
Soon, the inner disciples were busy preparing for battle at the border.
Just then, the Thousand Wealth Chamber released shocking news:
"How to Use Your Spirit Links Outside the Sect—Most Importantly, for Sect Missions!"
The moment the news spread, disciples rushed to the Thousand Wealth Chamber to confirm it.
The greatest disadvantage of the Spirit Link was its limited range—it could not function smoothly outside the sect.
Even the Deluxe Spirit Link only allowed communication between Dust Valley City and the Dust Valley Sect.
But with this announcement, a wave of excitement spread through the sect.
Standing at the entrance of the Thousand Wealth Chamber were three beautiful outer disciples, each holding a crossbody bag as they explained its features to the crowd.
"With this bag, you can carry a Spirit Relay Hub outside the sect without fear of it being damaged."
"This bag is impervious to water, extreme cold, and fire. Ordinary attacks cannot destroy it. With this, you can use your Spirit Link on sect missions."
"Against vengeful spirits, you and your team will have nothing to fear! With seamless communication, you'll be able to complete your missions more efficiently."
"Within a five-kilometer radius, no vengeful spirit will be able to hide from you."
"So, what's stopping you from getting a Mobile Spirit Bag today? It's only 100 spirit stones!"
The disciples were ecstatic. After asking a few questions, many of them rushed inside to purchase one.
With the Mobile Spirit Bag, the biggest weakness of the Spirit Link had finally been overcome.
Word spread quickly throughout the sect, and soon, every team preparing for a mission made their way to the Thousand Wealth Chamber to secure one.
Although the Mobile Spirit Bag only worked with the Common Grade and Standard Grade Spirit Links, it was still a significant improvement over the previous limitations.
At the highest peak of the sect, Liu Zexian and her husband stood side by side, looking down at the bustling sect below.
"Jian is taking this business seriously," Liu Zexian muttered, a look of pride on her face.
"Indeed." Her husband nodded. "This might be his path after all."
"I heard the Radiant Sect elder was furious over Jian's comment. Hahaha." She laughed, recalling the arrogant display of her son.
"Haha. That was satisfying…" Her husband couldn't agree more.
The Radiant Sect had been a thorn in their flesh for many years, but Mo Jian's response had been the perfect retaliation.
"I just hope the elders aren't having any strange thoughts about my son's newfound wealth," she said, her expression turning serious.
"They wouldn't dare."
"Good."
…
On the third floor of the Thousand Wealth Chamber, Mo Jian furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
How can I enhance the Spirit Link to become a true mobile communication device?
He knew the Deluxe Spirit Link had no future beyond Dust Valley City and the Dust Valley Sect. If he wanted to scale his business beyond these two locations, he had to solve this critical weakness.
'System Store.'
A translucent system panel appeared in his vision as he quickly browsed through the store.
He needed something that could retrieve and store large amounts of data for extended periods.
After searching for ten minutes, he finally found what he was looking for.
[You are purchasing the Grand Tome of Mortal Ores.]
[Cost: 1000 IP]
[Yes | No]
'Yes.'
[Purchase Successful]
[New Balance: 2000 IP]
Instantly, a flood of knowledge surged into his mind. Specifically, he gained information about one hundred different ores and their uses.
"Obsidian Core Crystal."
He muttered the name, and a rare smile appeared on his face.
"I need to find it immediately."
With that, he left the third floor.
As he descended, he ran into Zhao Tian.
"How is the project going?" Mo Jian asked.
"Going smoothly. I've employed one thousand mortals in the city and fifty disciples skilled in basic rune and array formations."
"Well done." Mo Jian patted his shoulder, then paused as a thought crossed his mind.
"Have you ever heard of the Obsidian Core Crystal?" he asked casually.
"What's that?" Zhao Tian asked, confused.
"Never mind…"
Mo Jian had only asked in passing. He wasn't surprised that Zhao Tian had never heard of it. The Obsidian Core Crystal was a rare and highly specialized ore—few people in the sect would know about it.
Without wasting time, he made his way toward the core area of the sect.
Others might not know about it, but his parents would.
As he entered the courtyard, he saw his parents playing a game of Go.
"Father, Mother," he greeted with a light smile
.
"Ah, my son is here," Liu Zexian said, beaming as she shoved the game board aside.
"You…" Mo Jian's father looked exasperated. He had been on the verge of winning, but his wife had shamelessly scattered the pieces.
"What?" Liu Zexian glared at him.
"…Nothing."
Mo Jian chuckled at his parents' antics, a warmth filling his heart.
Ignoring her husband, Liu Zexian turned her attention to her son.
"Son, what brings you here? I know you wouldn't visit us unless you needed something.
With such a big business in the sect, how could you have time for your lonely mother?"
"Mother, I promise to visit you more often from now on," Mo Jian replied smoothly.
"Haha! That's my boy! So, what do you need?"
Mo Jian's expression turned serious.
"Father, Mother, have you ever heard of the Obsidian Core Crystal?"