Chapter 161: Foundation of a Market
Eastern Sea's wind carried the scent of salt.
Waves rolled across the blue surface, crashing against the rocks of a nameless island. Above the sea, clouds gathered and scattered under the pressure of heaven and earth qi. Mortal eyes would only see a storm forming, but to Gu Immortals, the scene was far more dangerous.
A Gu Master was attempting immortal ascension.
Fang Ming stood on a cliff, his sleeves moving in the sea breeze. Beside him were Fang Yuan and Tai Bai Yun Sheng. The three watched silently as a middle-aged man in his forties struggled within the surging qi.
Heaven qi descended from above.
Earth qi rose from below.
Human qi burst from the man's body.
For a moment, the three qi showed signs of balance. The man's face was pale, his body trembling, but his eyes still carried hope. He had cultivated for decades. He had received Eagle Sect's resources, guidance, and protection. Today was his chance to cross the boundary between mortal and immortal.
But hope did not mean success.
The human qi shook first.
Then the heaven qi pressed down.
The balance collapsed.
The middle-aged man's eyes widened. Before he could scream, his body exploded in the center of the qi storm. Blood, bones, and flesh scattered, then were torn apart by the remaining heaven and earth qi.
Several Eagle Sect disciples watching from afar turned pale.
Fang Ming sighed.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng had already stepped forward. His expression was compassionate but steady. A soft light rose around him as Man as Before Immortal Gu activated.
The scattered remains reversed.
Blood gathered. Bones reformed. Flesh returned. In a few breaths, the middle-aged man appeared again, falling heavily onto the ground.
He was alive.
But his immortal ascension had failed.
The man opened his eyes blankly. Then, after realizing what had happened, his expression twisted. He crawled toward Fang Ming and kowtowed, tears mixing with seawater and dirt.
"Supreme leader, I failed your expectations and nurturing!"
Fang Ming looked at him.
The man's voice was hoarse. "I wasted the sect's resources. I wasted this chance. I—"
"Living is already fortune," Tai Bai Yun Sheng said gently.
The middle-aged man froze.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng walked beside him and helped him breathe steadily. "Many Gu Masters fail immortal ascension and die completely. You failed, but you survived. You can still cultivate. You can still serve your sect. That itself is a great blessing."
Fang Ming nodded. "Tai Bai is right. Stand up."
The man trembled, then slowly stood with Fang Ming's help. His expression was still full of shame, but the despair had weakened.
"Go stand with the others."
"Yes, supreme leader."
The man retreated.
Not far away, other Eagle Sect members surrounded him. Some comforted him. Some looked toward another figure with excitement.
Ju Go.
Among the five rank five Gu Masters who had attempted ascension today, only Ju Go had succeeded.
Four had failed.
But none had died permanently.
For a sect that was still young, this was not a bad result.
Fang Ming took out twenty-five immortal essence stones and handed them to Tai Bai Yun Sheng.
Tai Bai Yun Sheng immediately shook his head. "We agreed on five stones per person saved. I saved four people. Twenty is enough."
Fang Ming pushed the stones into his hand.
"The extra five is a friendly gesture. In the future, more Eagle Sect disciples will attempt immortal ascension. When that time comes, I hope you can assist again."
Tai Bai Yun Sheng hesitated.
Fang Yuan watched silently from the side, his gaze moving slightly. Fang Ming's action was not extravagant, but it was effective. Tai Bai Yun Sheng valued lives. Giving him face and compensation at the same time made future cooperation easier.
Finally, Tai Bai Yun Sheng accepted the immortal essence stones.
"If there is a chance, I will help. Saving lives is something I am willing to do, and your compensation is fair."
Fang Ming smiled. "Then I will trouble you in the future."
After the matter was settled, Fang Yuan used Fixed Immortal Travel and left with Tai Bai Yun Sheng.
Green light flashed and disappeared.
The island became quieter.
Fang Ming turned toward the Eagle Sect disciples.
The four failed ascenders were alive, but they had lost their chance. Tai Bai Yun Sheng's Man as Before had restored their bodies, but traces of heaven qi remained within them. This would not affect their daily lives or battle strength, but if they attempted immortal ascension again, the leftover heaven qi would interfere with the balance of three qi.
Their immortal path had ended.
But rank five Gu Masters were still useful.
In any mortal force, they were elders, leaders, and pillars. In Eagle Sect, they could teach, manage, guard, and help raise the next generation.
Fang Ming's gaze landed on Ju Go.
The newly ascended Gu Immortal still looked dazed. His immortal aperture had just formed, and his aura had not completely stabilized. Around him, the disciples' eyes were filled with envy and worship.
A new Gu Immortal had been born from Eagle Sect.
This mattered more than the failures.
Fang Ming did not give Ju Go a mission immediately. The young immortal needed to stabilize himself first, and there were other arrangements that had to happen before his role became useful.
Fang Ming turned away from the cliff.
Purple smoke rose around him.
The next moment, he disappeared.
When Fang Ming appeared again, he was already in Lang Ya blessed land.
Lang Ya land spirit looked at him with suspicion as usual. "You again? What do you want this time?"
Fang Ming was direct. "I need to borrow methods to open blessed lands and relocate blessed lands."
Lang Ya land spirit's brows rose.
"Relocate blessed lands? Hmph, your appetite is growing larger and larger."
"You have the methods."
"Of course I have them! Who do you think I am?" Lang Ya land spirit snorted. "But why should I lend them to you?"
Fang Ming smiled and stated his price.
After some bargaining, Lang Ya land spirit finally agreed. He took out the relevant killer moves and Gu worms, warning Fang Ming several times not to damage or lose anything.
Fang Ming accepted calmly.
He knew Lang Ya had such methods. In the original future, Lang Ya blessed land would move locations after suffering repeated attacks. This was not a simple thing, but it was not impossible for Long Hair Ancestor's land spirit.
With the borrowed methods in hand, Fang Ming left again.
He soon arrived at the remote Eastern Sea location where he had stored the sealed immortal apertures of the Gu Immortals he had previously killed.
The first blessed land opened after some effort.
The land spirit appeared quickly.
Its requirement was also quick.
"Bring me Fang Ming's head."
Fang Ming looked at it silently.
The land spirit looked back at him seriously.
A moment later, Fang Ming turned and left.
There was no point wasting words.
Some land spirits had obsessions that could be fulfilled. Others were impossible from the start. He could not kill himself to become the blessed land's master.
The second blessed land was much better.
When Fang Ming entered, he was greeted by a strong smell of beasts and grain. The land was broad, about three thousand square kilometers. Large areas were filled with junglefowl farms, feeding grounds, fences, storage caves, and crude formations.
Mortals and Gu Masters lived inside, working in groups to raise and feed junglefowl. The blessed land was not empty, but it was messy.
Very messy.
Formations were scattered everywhere. Some overlapped poorly. Some occupied far more land than needed. Some were placed in areas that made transport inconvenient. The entire blessed land showed signs of a poor Gu Immortal trying desperately to make money but lacking the formation path attainment to build a proper system.
The land spirit appeared as a thin old man with sharp eyes.
Its obsession was simple.
The former owner had been poor for too long. He had been obsessed with lowering junglefowl production cost and increasing profit until death.
Thus, the land spirit's requirement was clear.
The new master had to own at least three thousand immortal essence stones, prove the ability to lower junglefowl production cost to an extreme degree, and create great profit from junglefowl raising.
Fang Ming almost smiled.
This requirement was practically made for him.
He temporarily moved one junglefowl food beast formation from his strength aperture into the blessed land. Once activated, the difference was immediate. The cost, output, and efficiency crushed the primitive arrangements within the blessed land.
Then Fang Ming displayed three thousand immortal essence stones.
The land spirit's eyes shone.
"Master!"
Recognition came easily.
After gaining control, Fang Ming did not leave the junglefowl formation there. He took it back.
The land spirit was confused at first, then Fang Ming explained the reason.
This blessed land's time flow was only six days inside for one day outside. His strength aperture had thirty-eight days inside for one day outside. The same junglefowl formation would produce far more inside his own aperture.
The land spirit understood reluctantly.
It cared about profit. Because of that, it could accept the logic.
Fang Ming then began the true work.
He used Lang Ya's borrowed relocation method and moved the blessed land away from its original hidden location. The process consumed immortal essence and required careful control, but the method was reliable.
The blessed land shifted.
Its new location was a specific island in Eastern Sea, situated between several Gu Master trade routes. The surrounding region was not dominated by a single overwhelming force, but it was close enough to multiple mortal and Gu Master factions to attract buyers and sellers in the future.
This island would become the outer shell.
The blessed land would become the inner core.
Together, they would form Fang Ming's future Free Market.
After the relocation ended, Fang Ming entered the blessed land again and explained the plan to the land spirit.
"This place will become an Eagle Sect subsidiary. Its production will be reorganized. Its layout will be modified. In the future, more wealth will flow through this land than your previous master ever imagined."
The land spirit's eyes brightened.
Fang Ming continued, "You will have sect protection. Gu Immortals will help manage the blessed land. Tribulations will be prepared for. Trade will happen here. Junglefowl production will no longer be your only value."
The land spirit trembled with excitement.
To it, this was a dream.
More wealth.
More profit.
More protection.
More development.
It urged Fang Ming impatiently, "Master, begin quickly!"
Fang Ming opened his aperture and summoned people.
Fairy Huang Sha appeared first.
Then Bian Si Xuan.
Then Ju Go, whose aura had mostly stabilized.
After them came around one thousand Eagle Sect Gu Masters.
The blessed land immediately became lively.
Fang Ming gave orders without delay.
"Huang Sha, you are most familiar with Hai Shi blessed land. You will plan the market structure. I do not need an exact copy, but the logic must be clear."
Fairy Huang Sha bowed. "Understood."
"Bian Si Xuan, you will plan the Eagle Sect subsidiary layout. Buildings, zones, formations, defensive arrangements, management paths — organize them."
Bian Si Xuan nodded. "Yes, supreme leader."
"Ju Go."
The newly ascended Gu Immortal stepped forward.
"Supreme leader."
"You will select around ten thousand mortals and Gu Masters from my aperture and move them to this island. They will occupy the outside island, support the blessed land, and create the first mortal foundation here. For now, this is not an immortal market. It is only preparation."
Ju Go's expression became serious.
Fang Ming continued, "The outer island will handle mortal and Gu Master-level trade. It will also hide, support, and protect the blessed land entrance. In the future, when Eagle Sect has more Gu Immortals and the system is mature, this blessed land will open as Free Market."
"Free Market…" Ju Go repeated softly.
Fang Ming nodded. "A place where Gu Immortals can trade more freely. Food beasts, immortal materials, one-time-use killer move tattoos, information, mortal resources, and eventually more. But that is for later. For now, move the people, clean the island, stabilize order, and prepare the foundation."
Ju Go bowed deeply.
"I will not disappoint you."
The Eagle Sect Gu Masters immediately began working.
Some followed Bian Si Xuan to survey terrain. Some followed Ju Go to prepare for population movement. Some cleared old junglefowl farms and moved supplies. Fairy Huang Sha studied the blessed land's entrances, paths, and central regions, comparing them silently to Hai Shi blessed land's layout.
Fang Ming personally inspected the junglefowl formations.
The more he looked, the more flaws he found.
The former owner had effort but not vision. The formations were elementary, oversized, and badly arranged. Some wasted space for no reason. Some created bottlenecks in transport. Some produced decent junglefowl but damaged quality because feeding cycles were poorly coordinated.
Fang Ming began adjusting them.
He did not rebuild everything from nothing. That would take too long and waste useful foundations. Instead, he reduced the space occupied by the worst formations, connected feeding and breeding zones properly, improved output quality, and left large open areas for future market construction.
The land spirit followed behind him, watching nervously at first.
Soon, its nervousness turned into excitement.
The blessed land's junglefowl production structure became cleaner with every adjustment. Wasted space decreased. Movement paths became smoother. The formations began supporting each other instead of fighting for resources.
After several rounds of planning, Fang Ming stopped.
The full reorganization would take time. Three thousand square kilometers could not be cleaned and rebuilt in a day. But the direction had been set. Bian Si Xuan, Fairy Huang Sha, and Ju Go could handle execution.
Fang Ming gave a few final instructions, then left.
He returned to Lang Ya blessed land and handed back the borrowed Gu and methods.
Lang Ya land spirit checked them carefully. After confirming there was no damage, he snorted.
"You finally acted on those blessed lands. I thought you would keep sealing them until they rotted."
"I had other matters," Fang Ming said.
"You always have other matters."
Fang Ming did not argue.
Instead, he said, "I need a stronger aperture sealing method."
Lang Ya land spirit looked at him.
Fang Ming continued, "The previous method can barely handle rank six apertures. I need an immortal killer move capable of sealing rank seven apertures."
Lang Ya land spirit's suspicion rose immediately.
"Rank seven apertures? What are you planning? Can you even kill rank seven Gu Immortals?"
"That depends on preparation."
"Hmph. You are getting more dangerous."
"I need the method."
Lang Ya land spirit stared at him for a while, then named several immortal materials.
Fang Ming frowned. "I deal in food beasts, not immortal materials."
"Then go trade for them," Lang Ya land spirit said bluntly. "Do you think a rank seven aperture sealing method is cheap? If you do not want it, forget it."
Fang Ming fell silent.
Lang Ya was stubborn because he had leverage. Methods to seal rank seven apertures were not easy to obtain. Fang Ming could search elsewhere, but that would take too much time and expose too much.
In the end, he nodded.
"Fine. I will gather them."
Lang Ya land spirit smiled proudly. "Good."
Fang Ming left Lang Ya blessed land with a new priority.
His one-time-use immortal killer move tattoos already had a strong market. From now on, buyers who could provide Lang Ya's requested immortal materials would receive priority.
Food beasts brought immortal essence stones.
Tattoo killer moves could bring rare materials.
Both were needed.
When Fang Ming returned to his own aperture, the familiar accelerated world unfolded before him. Villages, factories, eagle formations, junglefowl production, dream formation, and now the beginnings of an external market project all demanded attention.
But his gaze eventually turned toward the dream realm arrangements.
Dream Feather was already his.
Unravel Mystery was now his.
Dream path mortal Gu were being produced slowly.
The road ahead was still incomplete, but the foundation was growing.
Fang Ming stepped toward the dream formation.
The auction's gains had been planted.
Now it was time to make them grow.