"Deputy Hall Master Yaoguang, thank you for your contribution. If not for the substantial concessions you made, our elite battle institute would never have been able to equip everyone with the improved Purple Firmament Type 15 flying swords." Inside the Purple Firmament Institute, Xu Qiexing, who had come to receive the final batch of flying swords, spoke with a bright smile.

"You flatter me. I received a spirit treasure in exchange. In the end, I was the one who profited." Yaoguang smiled in response.

"We know that is just your modesty speaking, Deputy Hall Master Yaoguang. Coincidentally, this year’s procurement funds have been released. Thanks to the upgrades to the spirit-gathering arrays in several regions, the spirit stone production will surpass one hundred million this year. The allocation for the Warfare Hall’s procurement has also increased significantly. To ensure the Purple Firmament Institute is not without orders, I have already coordinated with the Flying Sword Department and placed another order for six hundred low-grade treasured artifact flying swords to equip the second-line great sword cultivators," Xu Qiexing said.

"Low-grade treasured artifact flying swords..." Yaoguang pondered for a moment before responding. "Actually, I don't recommend continuing to purchase low-grade treasured artifact flying swords."

Given the level of trust that had been established between him and the Nine Cauldrons Sect, he spoke directly. "During the construction of the third-generation Sky Patrol Warship and my research into the two spirit treasures I possess, I gained new insights into array arts and artifact refinement. As a result, I have further improved the design of the Purple Firmament Type 15. I call the new version the Purple Firmament Type 16."

"The Purple Firmament Type 16 is out already?!" Xu Qiexing’s eyes widened in both surprise and delight.

"It is, more or less. But the cost is too high, so we are still working on reducing it." Yaoguang walked to the workbench and placed a jade talisman upon it. A projection of a new flying sword soon materialized.

"The Purple Firmament Type 16 surpasses the improved Type 15 in all metrics. The main advantage of Type 15 is its speed. Other aspects are nothing remarkable. Type 16 retains that speed while significantly enhancing attack power and agility. In other words, it can be used by 'lightning-style assault' sword cultivators, breach specialists who focus on breaking arrays, and even aerial combat sword cultivators. All of them will be able to unleash astonishing power with it." He smiled. "Aside from high spiritual energy consumption and lacking a bit in stability, this flying sword has no real flaws."

Xu Qiexing’s eyes lit up as he examined the data. "These figures... This has reached the level of a fifth-generation flying sword, hasn't it?"

He grew visibly excited. "As far as I know, not even the Infinite Star Palace has finalized its fifth-generation flying swords."

"The stability is lower than it should be, and the spiritual energy consumption is excessive, so it does not fully meet the standards of fifth-generation flying swords..." Yaoguang replied.

"But stability has never been a weakness of the Purple Firmament series. It has always been a strength!" Xu Qiexing looked at him intently. "As long as we have the advantage in primordial psyche clashes, this sword can even be considered a half-step beyond the fifth generation. With this performance, our elite battle institute can achieve a one-to-ten kill ratio even against the Great Sun Sword Sect’s elite battle institute!"

Yaoguang nodded calmly. "If we disregard spiritual energy consumption and maintain the advantage in primordial psyche confrontations, it's true that a one-to-ten ratio won't be difficult."

"Spiritual energy consumption is ultimately just a matter of funding. In true life-or-death combat, who cares about true origin depletion? Are spirit stones more valuable than a cultivator’s life? If high-grade flying swords are available, who will willingly use low-grade ones?" Xu Qiexing said. "Of course, high consumption makes sustained combat harder. Hall Master Wu Qingying has yet to refine any third-generation recovery treasured pills. But our Sky Patrol Warships are under construction. If our sword cultivators can return to the warship at any time to recover and replenish, then what's the problem?"

"That is precisely why I designed this sword with the Sky Patrol Warship in mind," Yaoguang said. "If all goes well, the warship design will be finalized next year. If we're lucky, the first one can be produced within two years. We are still unfamiliar with the process, but as we gain experience, we can reduce the production time to less than a year per vessel. Once we have the warships and two elite battle institutes equipped with Purple Firmament Type 16 flying swords working in coordination... Eliminating the Great Sun Sword Sect might be a bit of a stretch, but we'll surely dominate the East Sea."

"Good! Wonderful!" Xu Qiexing exclaimed three times in succession, filled with anticipation. "On that day, will we be able to fully reclaim the East Sea?"

"Of course," Yaoguang said. "However, I still believe we can wait a little longer before reclaiming it entirely. We have already retaken the fifty-thousand-kilometer region previously occupied by the Xuanming Sect and expelled the Great Sun Sword Sect when it intervened. The preliminary construction of spirit-gathering arrays in these territories will take three to five years. As for the remaining two-thirds of the East Sea, it would be better to wait until these regions have completed at least the first stage of development before taking the rest."

He paused. "By then, we should have three or four Sky Patrol Warships. Even a full-scale war against the Great Sun Sword Sect wouldn't necessarily be an issue at that point."

"Three to five years..." Xu Qiexing nodded thoughtfully. "We have waited this long. We can wait another few years! I will persuade the sect master to follow your plan. We will complete the initial development of our recovered territories before launching the full reclamation of the East Sea."

He then glanced again at the projected flying sword. "When can you begin the production of the Purple Firmament Type 16?"

"In a year or two," Yaoguang replied. He glanced around the Purple Firmament Institute. "However, the Institute has grown big. If production halts for one or two years, many may find it difficult to adjust. Hall Master Xu, can you help me explore exporting the improved Purple Firmament Type 12? If we can export the Purple Firmament Type 13, that would be even better. The treasured artifact market is where the real profits lie."

"The low-grade treasured artifact Purple Firmament Type 13..." Xu Qiexing thought carefully. "In the current situation, the Infinite Star Palace is preoccupied. The Thousand-Beast Sect and the Immortal Alliance are both entangled in their own internal issues. The Thousand-Beast Sect maintains good relations with our Nine Cauldrons Sect, and the Immortal Alliance’s main industry is pill refinement. They are unlikely to target us. That leaves the Lunar Sect and Dharma Heaven Pavilion, but they are far away on the Cold Moon Continent. If we consider their distance, and the fact they'd have to cross the territory of many factions to reach us, I believe they won't pose a greater threat than the Great Sun Sword Sect..."

After a moment, he made his decision. "Alright! Let's sell the Purple Firmament Type 13!"

"Thank you," Yaoguang said.

Entering the treasured artifact market would inevitably disrupt the interests of many factions and bring considerable risk. But those risks would be borne by the Nine Cauldrons Sect. That was why he expressed his gratitude.

"You are the deputy hall master of both the Artifact Refinement Hall and the Profound Array Hall, and you oversee the construction of the Sky Patrol Warships. There is no need for such courtesy. Besides, once we start profiting from the treasured artifact market, most of the spirit stones you earn will still circulate within the sect. It is mutually beneficial." Xie Yuxing laughed.

Yaoguang, however, felt a trace of guilt. Not all the spirit stones he earned flowed back into the Nine Cauldrons Sect. A considerable portion ended up in the coffers of the Immortal Alliance’s Immortal-Proving Tower.

There was no helping it. The pills he required to raise his Martial Dao cultivation were simply beyond what the Nine Cauldrons Sect could provide. As for the hall master of their Alchemy Hall... Yaoguang really did not hold that person in high regard.

"Has the export version of Purple Firmament Type 13 been designed? I will send the details to the Golden Temple. As long as our pricing is reasonable, they should not mind purchasing a batch," Xie Yuxing asked.

"It is ready." Yaoguang handed him another jade talisman.

Xu Qiexing examined it briefly. After confirming there were no issues with external sales, he immediately said, "Wait for my good news."

With that, he hurriedly took his leave, immediately seeking out Zhou Lijian to help secure orders for Yaoguang. For a grandmaster-level figure as proficient as Yaoguang in so many fields, there was a shared understanding throughout the sect. Any reasonable request he made was to be fulfilled.

***

A year has passed. Even though I have consumed quite a number of pills, the progress of my Martial Dao cultivation has been steady but slow. The fact that the truly top-tier and high-tier pills are not openly sold by the Immortal-Proving Tower hasn't helped. When they are sold, they are auctioned, and their price ends up being over ten times their value. As Yaoguang sensed the increase in the Merchant branch experience after completing this order, his psychic mind focused instead on the two branches of the Martial Dao and Psyche Dao.

At present, his Martial Dao branch's progress remained at 22%, with barely any advancement. However, his actual strength had grown considerably. With the support of large quantities of pills, he had already begun condensing the stellar god-fiend body.

This step would have a tremendous impact on the ability to reach the Star God Realm. If he consumed too many inferior pills, the difficulty of successfully opening his acupoints would increase. Opening acupoints was a necessary condition for becoming a star god.

Only by opening the 108 acupoints of the body and refining them into 108 stars could one step into the Star God Realm. Ninety-nine percent of star lords in the current world failed at this stage.

If I continue using pills from the Immortal-Proving Tower, and even if I ignore the price, completing this stage of cultivation will still take more than ten years if I can't find a way to buy the best pills they produce! It could even take several decades if progress is slow. In contrast, as for Dharma Form... as long as I am willing, I can undergo the tribulation immediately. After consolidating for a year or so, I will be able to step into the true Dharma Form Realm. Yaoguang thought.

Upon reaching the Dharma Form Realm, the ancient tree would grow a new branch. Relying on the Heavenly Spirit Root that he had been gifted, he had already set out on the path of qi cultivation. In just one year, he had reached the eighth realm of qi refinement.

What he needed to gamble on next was obtaining the Alchemist branch. As long as he immersed himself in alchemy texts and even proactively sought guidance from alchemists, the probability of success was decent. Therefore...

I will raise my Dharma Form cultivation. Once my strength actually reaches the Dharma Form Realm, a new branch will emerge. I will gamble on unlocking the Alchemist profession. As for the risk of being discovered during my advancement to Dharma Form... That's simple. Yaoguang’s thoughts were clear. As long as my realm stands far above everyone else’s, and the Nine Cauldrons Sect helps me cover the breakthrough, other Dharma Form cultivators will naturally fail to detect it.

With that decision made, all the experience gained from trading for the Primordial Unity Bell was poured into the Psyche Dao branch. All the nourishment he gained through the Merchant branch would be stacked onto this branch until he could safely advance to the Dharma Form Realm.