Cultivation : I'm an Ancient Giant Bear-Chapter 436 - 414: Totally Unexpected

"Warning, currently the Cangming Cold Qi within a hundred thousand miles of the Dragon Head City branch is at Level 6. The maximum fluctuation could reach Level 7 within the next twelve hours, please prepare defensive measures."

On the Hidden Element Jade Talisman, a line of striking information emerged, blood-red and very dangerous.

And this has already been the fifteenth day since Baiyu started refining whatever material his master, the Frost Monarch, had. The Level of Cangming Cold Qi outside the city has never fallen below Level 6, and one day it even fluctuated up to Level 8.

It almost killed us, Level 8 Cangming Cold Qi, though it only appeared for less than thirty seconds, but the commotion was truly terrifying.

The city walls of Dragon Head City were almost blown off, and the howling sounds even made the mortals shiver with fear.

Now on the streets inside the city, whether mortals or cultivators, only go out if necessary.

Even with the protection of the Hidden Origin Bell, the temperature inside the city has dropped to minus twenty degrees Celsius.

Snow covers everything, the cold wind howls, a typical winter season. But the problem is, for the mortals of Dragon Head City, they don’t even know what winter is.

It’s not that they’re ignorant, but for all these years inside and outside Dragon Head City, it has always been as warm as spring. At most, there have been some heavy rains; rain and cold, that seems to be stories from grandpa’s time.

If the cultivators don’t step in during this time, and mortals themselves have no organization, because the former government or whatever was mostly managed by cultivators, now with just one order from Baiyu, everyone goes into seclusion. Who would come out to do things in this kind of ghostly weather?

Even She Shoujiu and the others have logically gone into seclusion.

As for the Deputy Chief Lin Zhi, he has never shown his face.

"We must stabilize, the livelihood of about thirteen million mortals in Dragon Head City depends on it. You should arrange some manpower, at least ensure basic survival."

Wang Wu found She Shoujiu.

But She Shoujiu shook his head, "It’s not that we don’t want to do something, but Baiyu changed the rules of the Hidden Origin Bell. Now, the Five Qi of the Human World have dropped sharply, making doing things less profitable than it used to be. With the Cangming Cold Qi outside growing more fierce, we too have to take care of ourselves first."

"Why did it drop?"

"Don’t you know? The Common Vault at the Hidden Origin Association Headquarters has cut off contact. We can’t quickly enter the Common Vault of the Hidden Origin Association Headquarters via the Hidden Element Jade Talisman anymore. Is it because the Cangming Cold Qi is too intense?"

She Shoujiu asked worriedly. He too wanted to talk to Wang Wu these past few days. Continuing like this is not a solution.

Wang Wu was momentarily stupefied, then quickly understood. It’s not because of the Cangming Cold Qi, but because Baiyu siphoned off the energy used for the Hidden Origin Bell to connect with the headquarters, halting the headquarters-to-branch delivery service. Naturally, resources from the Common Vault cannot be purchased now.

As such, there’s nowhere to spend the Five Qi of the Human World, so people naturally prioritize bartering.

This issue is quite thorny.

Though there’s no evidence to prove anything, Wang Wu immediately realized that as long as this mess doesn’t erupt, it would be fine. But if it did, he might end up as the scapegoat, because Baiyu would absolutely do such a thing.

This is a pitfall!

Would his cheap teacher truly have him slaughter Baiyu? Surely not, right?

However, the situation might not be exactly as he thought.

Are thirteen million mortals that important?

Does the Hidden Origin Association Headquarters find them important?

Does Elder Hui find them important?

Even in the game Madam Yu is currently playing, they use real NPCs?

Except on Earth at certain places and times, where people sometimes get treated as humans, are mortals considered people here?

After some thought, Wang Wu decided not to ask She Shoujiu to do anything. If for the sake of these mortals, he had to pay out of his own pocket, not even his own people would understand.

However, this isn’t right.

The problem of the over one million mortals is actually quite easy to solve.

Could this be another scam to gather the Five Qi of the Human World?

"How about this, go tell our people to try to hold on to the Five Qi of the Human World they have, let them know I’ll guarantee their value. If there are any extra, they can exchange them with me. No matter what, the Five Qi of the Human World is the Hidden Origin Association’s trademark, don’t be swayed by current changes."

"I understand, but are you sure about doing this? Over the past ten years, our people have accumulated quite a lot of Five Qi of the Human World." She Shoujiu asked worriedly. He hadn’t not considered Wang Wu’s concerns, but truthfully, they did have quite a bit of the Five Qi of the Human World.

After all, over the last ten years, Baiyu excessively expanded and upgraded the Hidden Origin Bell, and spilling a little bit was enough.

"It’s not about what I can confirm or decide, but we have no choice. My master left me here, even though he just wants me in seclusion, I feel that on a higher level, the Five Qi of the Human World in our hands represents a kind of power. In short, we’d rather gamble than sell the Five Qi of the Human World cheaply."

"Also, for the current Hidden Origin tasks, accept them if you can. Don’t mind the low returns."

"I understand, I’ll try to maintain basic order within Dragon Head City."

She Shoujiu nodded, while Wang Wu walked around Dragon Head City’s walls, worried. The situation is indeed dire; at Level 3 Cangming Cold Qi, spotting a single Cold-calling Insect took some luck.

But now, the walls outside Dragon Head City are densely filled with Cold-calling Insects, producing a rhythmic sound, continually scraping a bit of powder off the walls.

In the air, a large number of white Cold-Crying Birds flew about. They were much larger than the Cold-calling Insects, looking beautiful, like white flowers with a very layered texture.

In reality, they are not real birds, but extremely pure Cangming Cold Qi crystals that have some spirituality. From beyond the protection of the Hidden Origin Grand Array, a few Cold-Crying Birds even sensed Wang Wu, banging up against it with a thud.

The situation was truly dire.

Wang Wu then returned to his cave mansion within the Hidden Origin Bell, using the Hidden Element Jade Talisman to contact the Common Vault of the Hidden Origin Association Headquarters, and as expected, the connection was severed.

After some thought, he went to Madam Yu’s cave mansion, she hasn’t stepped out since she entered it ten years ago.

Another homebody!

As expected, Madam Yu was happily playing her game, deeply engrossed, genuinely happy, not even noticing Wang Wu’s arrival.

Wang Wu watched for a while, not finding it interesting, it’s all about management strategies and farming, long since played out.

Speaking of which, he transmigrated to the Cultivation Realm and still thought about playing games. That’s really unambitious, right? Aren’t there better things to play?

Uh, wait a minute!

Wang Wu suddenly felt something was off.

"Jiayan?"

"Ah! Husband! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I got too carried away. It’s my fault!"

"Don’t say that. I ask you, this Three Realms Simulation Array Plate you use to pass the time, can it connect to the outside world?" Wang Wu hurriedly asked.

"Ah? Husband, what do you mean!"

Madam Yu blinked her eyes, looking completely puzzled as if playing games had made her dumb!

"I’m asking you, how much did you earn?" Wang Wu had no choice but to change to a simpler question.

"Well... not much!" Madam Yu immediately became bashful.

"How much is ’not much’?"

"Reporting to husband, I only earned thirty-three thousand two hundred forty-two strands of Five Qi of the Human World. This is all my private money. If husband wants it, you can take it..."

"What do I want your private money for? Wait a minute, private money, is there anything else besides private money?"

"Ah, nothing really, Husband, don’t be mad, I just earned, just earned three sets, three sets... of dowry."

"Dowry? Three sets!"

This time it was Wang Wu’s turn to be dumbfounded.

"Husband, one set for Da Ya, one set for Er Ya, and I also need a set!" Madam Yu said bashfully, with a coy blush. Gosh, at a time like this, you’re still flirting with me!

Wang Wu gave her a slap but said, "If I give you fifty thousand strands of Five Qi of the Human World, how much material can you purchase for me?"

"What kind of material does husband want?"

"Spiritual Qi, Profound Iron, cold-resistant elixirs, and some materials needed for array formation!"

"Hmm, the first three are manageable. Within three days, I can gather fifty million points of Fighting Spiritual Qi, ten thousand Ninth-Grade Profound Iron pieces, and as for cold-resistant elixirs, about three thousand. But the array formation materials will take a few months to gather." Madam Yu became serious at this moment.

And Wang Wu was stunned again. You’ve been playing the game for only ten years, what level of boss have you become?

Also, only fifty thousand strands of Five Qi of the Human World, this is daylight robbery!

"You know that the Common Vault of the Hidden Origin Association headquarters has been interrupted, right?" Wang Wu couldn’t help but remind her.

"Of course, otherwise why would husband come to me so anxiously if it wasn’t because I still have a channel for buying things?" Madam Yu smiled gently.

Wang Wu was speechless, feeling that he really underestimated this woman addicted to strategic farming and management games.

"How did you do it?"

"Which part is husband referring to? Having a channel to buy resources at this time? Actually, it’s simple. The purchasing channel of the Common Vault at the Hidden Origin Association headquarters has never been closed. It’s just that Dragon Head City’s purchasing channel was closed. I still have other channels, so I’m naturally unaffected."

"No, you haven’t been out, how do you know so much?" Wang Wu continued to be surprised.

"Husband, I haven’t been out, but Da Ya and Er Ya often come to see me, and moreover, with this Three Realms Simulation Array Plate, I can gather a lot of information as well. Besides, it’s not really a secret."

"Alright, I can understand that, but earlier you said you could gather fifty million points of Fighting Spiritual Qi and ten thousand pieces of Ninth-Grade Profound Iron within three days. How is that possible? I only have fifty thousand strands of Five Qi of the Human World; I can’t afford this transaction."

Wang Wu spoke frankly, because in the Common Vault of the Hidden Origin Association headquarters, the purchase price of one strand of Five Qi of the Human World is 1:100. Even with a forty percent discount, it only allows for 0.4 strands of Five Qi of the Human World to purchase 100 points of Spiritual Qi.

Hearing this, Madam Yu smiled brightly, "Husband, do you think why this Cultivation Realm has merchants? The main business of the Hidden Origin Association is trading. Gathering more information, paying attention to details, buying low and selling high, it’s a simple task."

Wang Wu was dumbfounded, very shocked, but after coming back to his senses, he still didn’t quite understand. In ten years, even if playing a real-person NPC and starting with only a small village of fifty mortal households, how could you develop something so big!

In ten years, newborns haven’t even grown up, right?

You, a Second Grade cultivator, how come you’re more impressive than some Earth Immortals?

"Come on, show me how you buy low and sell high?"

Wang Wu was worried. Two years ago, Madam Yu said she was at a loss, but now she is so affluent. He was skeptical.

"Th—This is actually quite simple! Because it’s this idling cloud simulation, unique Three Realms Simulation Array Plate." Madam Yu repeated again the convoluted, clearly thoughtless name heavily.

But this time, Wang Wu understood instantly.

It’s the channel!

By playing the game with big-shot sisters, and playing well to please them, you earn this trading channel.

With the channel, buying low and selling high, with express delivery arriving instantly, it really could be that simple.

This is indeed more important than hard work. She Shoujiu is already Tier Eight Earth Immortal, it doesn’t have this channel, it doesn’t even have the path to do business.

But then again, under heaven, how many odd cultivators are there like you, who don’t want to cultivate and just want to slack off?

Would a normal cultivator find this name amusing?

Which normal cultivator would spend ten years playing this game! And play with such relish, gaining insights, to the extent of forgetting to cultivate?

Ten years, also unable to control directly, only able to give all sorts of hints, while the real-person NPCs are highly unlikely to obey, such a strategic farming management game, Wang Wu still couldn’t manage it.

So this counts as waste utilization, right?

At this moment, Wang Wu was convinced.