Chapter 139: Ironclad Totem
Five months passed after Bian Si Xuan's immortal ascension.
In the outside world, five months was not long.
But inside Fang Ming's strength path aperture, more than fifteen years had passed.
Fifteen years was enough for children to grow taller, for mortals to become Gu Masters, for villages to expand, and for a sect's rules to sink into people's bones.
When Bian Si Xuan ascended, Fang Ming had six junglefowl food beast formations.
Now, he had nine.
Three new formations had been added over these five months, each one becoming another pillar of his food beast business. Around every formation, two villages were assigned to protect and maintain it. Thus, Fang Ming's aperture now had eighteen proper villages, with smaller hamlets, farms, and herding settlements spread between them like branches growing from a tree.
The aperture had become lively.
Eagle Sect disciples rode young eagles through the sky.
Gu Masters patrolled around the food beast formations.
Mortals farmed, hunted, raised beasts, transported materials, and completed contribution missions.
Children born inside the aperture no longer thought of the outside world first. To them, Fang Ming's aperture was their world, Eagle Sect was their heaven, and the food beast formations were the sacred foundations of their lives.
But Fang Ming was not satisfied with villages that only guarded resources.
His aperture was usually safe.
Unless a calamity arrived, or an enemy somehow invaded, the Gu Masters guarding the food beast formations had too much idle time. Training was useful. Patrols were useful. Farming and herding were useful.
But Fang Ming wanted something more.
He wanted the mortals inside his aperture to produce immortal-level value.
This idea had not appeared suddenly.
Part of it came from Fang Ming's memories of Earth.
In his previous life, factories did not rely on every worker being a master craftsman. A worker did not need to understand an entire machine from beginning to end. He only needed to perform one step, repeat it thousands of times, and become reliable.
One person made a part.
Another assembled it.
Another inspected it.
Another transported it.
A complicated product became a chain of simple tasks.
But the final push came from Fang Yuan.
Several months earlier, Fang Ming had visited Hu Immortal blessed land. There, he saw Fang Yuan's stone nest.
Hairy men stayed in countless rooms, refining Airsac Gu step by step. Each hairy man only handled one part of the refinement process. The semi-finished Gu worms passed downward layer by layer until the final product was completed.
Fang Ming had only watched quietly at the time, but the thought remained in his mind.
Airsac Gu could seal guts Gu.
Then could a similar concept seal a killer move?
The totem inheritance from Imperial Court could engrave a killer move into a prepared structure.
Then could totems and Airsac Gu be combined?
And if Myriad Clones could use prepared tattooed mortal killer moves, could one day each clone unleash a prepared immortal killer move?
The idea was terrifying.
It was also nearly impossible.
Immortal killer moves were not objects. They were activations, dao mark arrangements, Gu worm interactions, and immortal essence expenditure. To seal one into a disposable product was far harder than sealing a Gu worm or a resource.
But Fang Ming had Virtual Refinement.
For five months, he had divided his time carefully.
Three months were spent adding three new food beast formations.
The other two months were spent on repeated Virtual Refinement.
Four rounds of Virtual Refinement.
Failure after failure.
At first, the totem exploded the moment immortal power entered it.
Then, it could hold the power but could not release it.
Then, it released the killer move too early.
Then, the process required Fang Ming to personally handle every important step, making mass production meaningless.
Each failure was refined again.
The process was cut apart.
Simplified.
Separated.
The immortal steps were isolated from the mortal steps.
The expensive materials were replaced where possible.
The structure was stabilized.
Finally, Fang Ming created the core Gu worm needed for the process.
Rank five Airsac Killer Move Gu.
Its name was plain, almost ugly, but Fang Ming did not care.
Its function was what mattered.
After activation, this Gu would not remain as a Gu worm. It would dissolve into the totem and create a sealed inner space. This space could temporarily hold the imprint of an immortal killer move.
But that alone was not enough.
The container needed a qi vacuum.
For this, Inner Strength Qi Immortal Gu was required.
Once the qi vacuum formed, the totem could absorb the prepared immortal killer move and seal it inside.
The final product was not a Gu worm.
It was a totem.
A completed dao mark structure formed after many one-time-use Gu were consumed.
This was why Fang Ming was not worried that others would reverse-refine his product.
If someone bought the totem, they only obtained the final shell.
The Gu worms used in the process were already gone.
Some steps required special Immortal Gu effects.
The most important qi-container step required Inner Strength Qi Immortal Gu, or something extremely close to it.
Hei Lou Lan had a similar foundation, but even if she obtained the finished product, she would still lack the full method.
As for Lang Ya land spirit, he might be able to reverse-engineer it.
But even for a refinement path existence like him, if he only had the finished totem and not the full process, it would take decades of focused effort.
Fang Ming naturally would not give anyone that chance.
Inside the aperture, eighteen factories had been built.
Each village had one.
Some factories were underground stone chambers. Some were built into hills. Some were hidden beneath ordinary workshops. Some were surrounded by Gu formations and guarded by Eagle Sect disciples.
Their appearances differed, but their principle was the same.
No Gu Master made the whole product.
One group refined component Gu.
One group processed tattoo materials.
One group carved small formation plates.
One group prepared beast hide sheets.
One group checked the Airsac Killer Move Gu.
One group arranged the semi-finished totem shell.
One group transported the product to the immortal-level chamber.
Each Gu Master only needed to master one step.
Rank two Gu Masters could work.
Rank three Gu Masters could become skilled workers.
Rank four Gu Masters could supervise.
Rank five Gu Masters managed the whole factory.
This lowered the skill requirement and raised production speed.
But Fang Ming did not copy Fang Yuan completely.
Fang Yuan could force hairy men to work harshly in three shifts, draining them until their bodies and minds were exhausted. To Fang Yuan, those hairy men were refinement tools. If one died, another could be bought.
Fang Ming could not do that.
The Gu Masters in his aperture were not disposable.
They were his future immortal seeds.
If he overworked them until their bodies weakened, their emotions collapsed, or their cultivation foundations were damaged, then what was the point? A dead worker could not become a Gu Immortal. A broken Gu Master could not ascend. A village drained for short-term profit would never become the foundation of a force.
Thus, Fang Ming chose a safer system.
Each factory worked in two shifts.
Each Gu Master worked about eight hours a day.
There was no third shift.
The factories could produce more if squeezed harder, but Fang Ming deliberately refused. He wanted steady production, stable minds, and future immortals.
Eighteen factories.
Two shifts per factory.
Each shift produced one one-time-use immortal killer move totem per month.
That meant each factory produced two totems per month.
Thirty-six totems in total.
But they were not all for sale.
Half of the factories produced Tyrannical Crash totems.
Nine factories, two shifts each.
Eighteen Tyrannical Crash totems per month.
These were reserved for Fang Ming's Myriad Clones and would never enter the market.
The other half produced Ironclad totems.
Nine factories, two shifts each.
Eighteen Ironclad totems per month.
These were the public goods.
The factories also solved another problem.
The villagers now had work.
Not just farming.
Not just guarding food beast formations.
Not just waiting for calamities.
They were producing Fang Ming's war resources.
In one factory near the seventh food beast formation, Fang Ming walked slowly through the main corridor.
On both sides, Gu Masters worked in silence.
Metal-thread Gu were refined in copper bowls.
Ink-blood Gu were ground into dark fluid.
Tattoo veins were drawn on prepared skins.
Small formation plates were stacked neatly in sealed boxes.
Airsac Killer Move Gu were checked one by one under the light of inspection Gu.
The factory elder followed Fang Ming respectfully.
"Sect supreme elder, today's component completion rate has reached eighty-nine percent. The third workshop still has some instability when processing tattoo veins, but after changing the rotation schedule, failure has decreased."
Fang Ming nodded lightly.
"Continue recording every failure. Do not hide losses to improve contribution numbers."
The factory elder's expression tightened. "Yes."
Fang Ming's gaze passed across the workers.
Most of these Gu Masters were not geniuses.
That did not matter.
A system did not require everyone to be a genius.
A system required rules, repetition, and punishment for false reporting.
At the deepest part of the factory, two semi-finished totems floated inside a circular formation.
This factory had completed both of its monthly shift products.
Their surfaces were dull, without aura, like pieces of carved black bone.
Bian Si Xuan stood beside them.
Fifteen aperture years had passed since her ascension. Her immortal aura was now far more stable than before. She was no longer the freshly ascended immortal who had looked at Fang Ming with open resentment.
The resentment had not disappeared.
But it had become colder and deeper.
Fang Ming did not mind.
A person without resentment after being controlled by Slave Gu would be either a fool or a saint.
Bian Si Xuan was neither.
She raised her hand.
Inner Strength Qi Immortal Gu activated.
Invisible strength qi gathered around the first totem. Then, the center of that qi hollowed inward, forming a strange vacuum. The semi-finished totem trembled slightly before stabilizing.
The qi vacuum was complete.
Bian Si Xuan moved to the second totem.
Her work was slow and precise.
This stage could not be rushed. If the qi vacuum was unstable, the immortal killer move sealed afterward would leak, collapse, or explode.
After the two totems were prepared, Bian Si Xuan's expression remained calm.
Across the whole production system, she would need to process thirty-six totems every month, not all at once but according to factory schedules.
It was manageable.
Fairy Huang Sha entered next.
She had once been assigned to stabilize Fang Ming's Hai Shi blessed land business channel. After that channel became smooth, she had become relatively idle.
Fang Ming did not like idle immortals.
Now, Fairy Huang Sha had a new role.
She stood before the first totem and placed her palm above it.
Immortal essence moved.
Immortal killer move — Ironclad.
A dark metallic light gathered around her hand. Before it could expand outward, the totem absorbed it.
Black lines spread across the totem surface like armor plates.
The first Ironclad totem was complete.
Then the second.
Fang Ming watched silently.
He had already removed himself from daily production.
The mortals refined the parts.
The Gu Masters assembled the shells.
Bian Si Xuan created the qi vacuum with Inner Strength Qi Immortal Gu.
Fairy Huang Sha sealed the immortal killer move.
Eagle Sect supervised the workers.
The factories recorded contribution.
Fang Ming only controlled the key Immortal Gu, the full process, and the direction of improvement.
This was a true foundation.
Among the eighteen factories, nine produced Tyrannical Crash totems.
Those were not for sale.
They were reserved for Fang Ming's Myriad Clones.
After many tests, Fang Ming had confirmed that Tyrannical Crash was the most suitable large-scale destructive move for his clone army. When hundreds of clones unleashed it together, the effect was brutal and simple.
But selling that product would be foolish.
A one-time-use offensive immortal killer move would attract too much fear.
A one-time-use mass attack would attract even more greed.
So Fang Ming chose to sell defense first.
Ironclad was perfect.
It was useful.
It was valuable.
It saved lives.
And most importantly, it did not look like a threat to the order of the world.
After the monthly batch was completed, Fang Ming returned to his immortal residence.
His divine sense entered treasure yellow heaven.
He did not use his food beast identity.
Instead, he created a new identity.
No history.
No reputation.
No connection to Fang Ming.
The shop listing was direct.
One-time-use immortal killer move: Ironclad.
Effect: forms resilient iron armor over the body.
Duration: one hour, or until destroyed by heavy attacks.
Expiration: ten years.
Price: fifty immortal essence stones.
Initial stock: ten.
The moment the listing appeared, divine senses gathered.
Then came laughter.
"One-time-use immortal killer move? What nonsense."
"Fifty immortal essence stones? Is this seller insane?"
"Treasure yellow heaven's light barely reacts. There is no immortal aura at all."
"A sealed lump of material pretending to be an immortal killer move?"
"Scammers are becoming more creative."
Fang Ming did not respond.
The totem was completely sealed.
No immortal aura leaked from it.
Treasure yellow heaven's treasure light could not properly judge what was inside.
This harmed the first impression, but it protected the secret.
For several hours, nobody bought anything.
Some divine senses came only to mock.
Some stayed to watch the joke.
Eventually, one Eastern Sea Gu Immortal stopped in front of the shop.
His divine sense lingered for a long time.
"Can this truly release an immortal killer move?"
Fang Ming replied through the new identity, "Yes."
"How is it activated?"
"Press it to the body and inject immortal essence. The totem dissolves and releases Ironclad."
"Will it interfere with other defensive methods?"
"No. It forms external armor. Unless your method rejects external metal-path layering, it will not interfere."
The Eastern Sea Gu Immortal hesitated.
Mocking voices immediately came from the side.
"Fellow immortal, are you really buying this?"
"Fifty stones for a sealed stone lump?"
"If you want to throw money away, throw it to me."
The Eastern Sea Gu Immortal snorted.
"Fifty immortal essence stones is not enough to ruin me."
He bought one.
The surrounding divine senses laughed louder.
Fang Ming remained calm.
The first sale was completed.
After that, the shop became quiet again.
The mockery continued for some time, then gradually faded.
Several hours later, the same Eastern Sea Gu Immortal returned.
This time, his attitude was completely different.
"I want the remaining nine."
The watching divine senses paused.
Fang Ming replied, "Available."
The Eastern Sea Gu Immortal bought all the remaining stock.
Then he asked, "How many can you provide?"
"Eighteen per month."
"Only eighteen?"
"That is the current limit."
"Can next month's stock be reserved for me?"
"No reservation."
Fang Ming ended the conversation.
The surrounding divine senses stirred again.
"Too fake."
"He bought one, left, then returned to buy the rest. This must be staged."
"The seller is probably using another identity."
"Eighteen per month? Hah, pretending scarcity."
Fang Ming did not explain.
A few days later, he released the remaining eight Ironclad totems from that month's batch.
They were bought quickly.
This time, three Eastern Sea Gu Immortals bought them.
The mocking voices became quieter, but doubt still remained.
Some Gu Immortals still suspected that Fang Ming was acting through several identities. Others believed the product might have some small defensive effect, but not enough to be worth fifty immortal essence stones.
But Fang Ming did not care.
He waited.
The next monthly batch appeared.
Eighteen Ironclad totems.
This time, several well-known Eastern Sea Gu Immortals appeared.
Some were traders.
Some had public businesses.
Some had reputations that could not be risked for a random scammer.
They bought Ironclad totems openly.
The laughter decreased.
By the time the third monthly batch was posted, no one was laughing anymore.
A Western Desert Gu Immortal arrived late and found the stock empty. He contacted one of the buyers privately and purchased an Ironclad totem for eighty immortal essence stones.
Later, another resale reached one hundred stones.
It was still bought.
The reason was simple.
Immortal Gu were unique.
Not every Gu Immortal owned Immortal Gu.
Even those who owned Immortal Gu might only have one or two. Their Immortal Gu might be attack type, movement type, support type, healing type, or resource-management type.
They might not have a defensive Immortal Gu.
Even if they did, defense could be stacked.
Ironclad did not require feeding.
It did not require years of practice.
It did not require the buyer to design an immortal killer move.
It did not expose their trump cards.
It could be kept for ten years and used at the critical moment.
For wandering immortals, it was a chance to survive.
For merchants, it was insurance.
For those exploring inheritances, it was preparation.
For those with enemies, it was one more layer between life and death.
Fifty immortal essence stones no longer looked expensive.
It looked cheap.
Inside his aperture, Fang Ming watched the sales calmly.
Eighteen Ironclad totems per month.
At fifty immortal essence stones each, that was nine hundred immortal essence stones in gross monthly sales.
The output was small, but the market had accepted it.
More importantly, this business was different from food beasts.
Food beasts were bulk necessities.
Ironclad totems were high-end survival goods.
One gave Fang Ming stable wealth.
The other gave Fang Ming explosive profit.
Fang Ming's gaze moved across his aperture.
Nine food beast formations produced continuously.
Eighteen villages guarded them.
Factories operated in two shifts.
Eagle Sect disciples recorded contributions.
Bian Si Xuan controlled the qi-vacuum stage.
Fairy Huang Sha completed the sealing stage.
The mortals worked.
The Gu Masters refined.
The immortals supervised.
The system was alive.
Fang Ming no longer needed to stand at every step.
This was the difference between personal strength and foundation.
Personal strength could win a battle.
Foundation could keep producing strength while its master prepared for the next war.
Fang Ming had already calculated the cost clearly.
Each one-time-use immortal killer move totem required one immortal essence stone worth of materials.
Bian Si Xuan's use of Inner Strength Qi Immortal Gu consumed one immortal essence stone.
Fairy Huang Sha's sealing of the immortal killer move consumed another immortal essence stone.
That was three immortal essence stones in direct cost.
Each factory also received one immortal essence stone per month as payment and village investment. Since each factory produced two totems per month, this added half an immortal essence stone of cost to each totem.
Beyond that, Fang Ming paid Bian Si Xuan one immortal essence stone for each totem she helped produce, separate from the immortal essence consumed during activation.
He also paid Fairy Huang Sha one immortal essence stone for each totem she sealed, separate from her activation cost.
Thus, the total cost of one finished totem was five and a half immortal essence stones.
Materials, one stone.
Bian Si Xuan's activation, one stone.
Fairy Huang Sha's activation, one stone.
Factory payment, half a stone.
Bian Si Xuan's personal payment, one stone.
Fairy Huang Sha's personal payment, one stone.
Total cost: 5.5 immortal essence stones.
Selling price: 50 immortal essence stones.
Profit per Ironclad totem: 44.5 immortal essence stones.
Fang Ming sold eighteen Ironclad totems each month.
Monthly revenue was 900 immortal essence stones.
Monthly cost for the Ironclad line was 99 immortal essence stones.
Monthly profit from Ironclad sales was 801 immortal essence stones.
But Fang Ming also maintained the hidden Tyrannical Crash production line.
Nine factories worked two shifts each month, producing eighteen Tyrannical Crash totems for his personal use.
These were not sold.
Their monthly production cost was also 99 immortal essence stones.
After subtracting this hidden military expense, Fang Ming's final monthly net profit from the entire totem system was still 702 immortal essence stones.
And in addition to that profit, he gained eighteen one-time-use Tyrannical Crash immortal killer move totems every month.
That was the real value.
Ironclad earned wealth.
Tyrannical Crash accumulated killing power.
Ironclad was only the public face.
The real terror remained hidden in the Tyrannical Crash factories.
One day, Fang Ming's clones would not unleash hundreds of mortal killer moves.
They would unleash hundreds of sealed immortal killer moves.
When that day came, even a Rank 8 Gu Immortal would have to think carefully before standing in front of that barrage of killer moves.
For now, Fang Ming closed the treasure yellow heaven transaction.
The final Ironclad totem of the month had just sold.