When the Green Emperor heard that it could eat the crystals, its eyes lit up instantly. It happily waddled over to the cave entrance, plopped its butt down right in front of the crystal mine, squinted its eyes, and began scanning its surroundings. It looked like it was ready to pounce at any moment, ensuring that no one could steal a single crystal under its watchful gaze.
To it, these were the finest delicacies—its personal food stash.
No accidents were allowed.
Yi Tianxing simply shook his head at the sight but said nothing. As long as the Green Emperor didn't open its mouth, it was perfect. Plus, with the Green Emperor guarding the area, it was guaranteed that no outsider would dare enter. The mine would be absolutely safe.
"Zhengchun, go notify Elder Huang to come over with some people. Also, have Xue Jin come as well. Tell Yang Yanping to bring a squad of soldiers,"Yi Tianxing ordered swiftly.
Discovering the crystal mine was of enormous significance. Although the full extent of the vein's reserves was still unknown, it already represented unimaginable wealth. This spiritual mine belonged to Xuanhuang Village. Yet, the temptation of these spirit crystals was not to be underestimated. They were treasures that could rapidly increase a cultivator's strength. Who knew whether someone might eventually cave to temptation and try to steal them?
With the Green Emperor present, however, the mine would be utterly secure.
Cao Zhengchun left immediately.
Before long, a squad of soldiers arrived under the command of Yang Yanping. Among them were Huang Chengyan and Xue Jin.
"My Lord, you really found a spiritual mine?"Huang Chengyan's eyes gleamed with excitement as he asked.
"Quick, seal off the entire area. No one is allowed near it without permission,"Yang Yanping commanded as he organized the soldiers to establish a perimeter around the mine.
"My Lord, this is indeed a spiritual mine. The spiritual energy inside is dense. It's said that spiritual mines are formed from the materialization of the world's energy. They're incredibly attractive to cultivators and greatly accelerate cultivation. With this mine, the foundation of Xuanhuang Village will be greatly enhanced, and we'll grow much faster,"Xue Jin said, eyes practically glowing.
As a businessman, Xue Jin was more sensitive to wealth than anyone. He understood that ordinary gold and silver wouldn't work as currency among cultivators. Only these spirit crystals—useful to cultivators—had real value. The presence of the spiritual mine made these crystals not just cultivation treasures, but also potential currency.
He remembered Elder Huang casually mentioning that once a spiritual mine was found, real currency could be minted. So, he had already suspected that these crystals might become currency within Xuanhuang Village, or even across the Eternal Continent.
As a merchant, he knew that only currency could truly drive the development of a power.
"I plan to use these crystals to mint a currency suitable for Xuanhuang Village. From now on, this currency will be managed by the Treasure Hall. Eventually, even the right to mint coins will be handed over to them. The crystal mine will be the raw material. You were a genius in commerce, and I called you here because I want your advice on this,"Yi Tianxing said seriously.
He never considered himself a jack-of-all-trades. His strength lay in setting direction, but for specialized matters, he preferred consulting professionals.
"My Lord is absolutely right. The Eternal Continent is clearly transitioning into a cultivation-based civilization, and cultivators will only grow in number. Using ordinary gold and silver for transactions is no longer suitable for a place like Xuanhuang Village,"Xue Jin said, nodding.
"Currency has value because it's rare, desirable, and in demand. Among commoners, gold and silver are considered precious, hence accepted widely as currency. But to cultivators, gold and silver are as worthless as scrap. Spirit crystals, however, enhance cultivation and are needed by everyone. Their value naturally rises."
Xue Jin clearly had deep insights. One doesn't rise from nothing without having a sharp mind.
"However, if spirit crystals are used directly as currency, we face a problem. If the coins are just chopped-up crystals, there's no real difference from regular crystals. People could still trade using unrefined spirit crystals. This would make the entire monetary system vulnerable to outside interference. In that case, why mint coins at all?"Xue Jin expressed his concerns frankly.
If anyone could trade with regular crystals, it would undermine the value of minted currency. Worse, it could destabilize Xuanhuang's financial system.
Just like any country—if counterfeit currency spreads, the consequences are catastrophic.
"Indeed, for minted coins to be viable, they must be unique, hard to replicate, and still desirable to cultivators. People are creatures of habit. Once they accept a currency, they'll naturally use it for transactions. But there's a bigger issue,"Yi Tianxing continued.
"Spirit crystals, once refined, turn to dust. If the minted coins are also destroyed when their energy is absorbed, then what's the point? We're back to square one. But if there's a way to mint coins that retain their form even after being used—still recognizable as currency—that might be the solution. What do you think?"He asked seriously.
The dilemma was clear: make coins that could be consumed and disappear like regular spirit crystals, or find a way to keep them intact after use. But would such coins still be accepted?
"If there's a way to preserve the coin's form after its energy is consumed, that would be ideal. Spirit crystals take time to form and will grow scarce as demand rises. Eventually, they could be exhausted. Having permanent currency would prevent collapse of the system,"Xue Jin said after a pause.
Yi Tianxing gave him a long, thoughtful look. Just from that statement alone, it was clear Xue Jin was no ordinary man. He thought ahead—farther than most.
Spirit crystals were consumables. Once used, they were gone.
If a point came where crystal mines dried up, the entire financial system could collapse. But indestructible currency could circumvent that risk.
"I wonder if the coin-minting furnace can do that. I know it can mint coins, but I've never studied it closely. Looks like the real solution lies in the origin of minting,"Yi Tianxing mused.
Currency should not be subject to frequent changes. Best to get it right the first time.
"Let's extract a few crystals and try minting a prototype."
No amount of theorizing could replace doing.
Before long, Yi Tianxing returned to the village with a batch of crystals from the mine.
He sat cross-legged in a meditation chamber and summoned a divine-looking furnace with a wave of his hand.
This furnace was strange and mysterious—sealed, with a golden Pixiu as its lid, maw wide open as if swallowing all wealth in the world. Beneath it sat a golden three-legged toad.
It looked as though the toad was lifting the furnace while the Pixiu devoured wealth from above—a beautifully balanced design.
In the toad's mouth was a phantom coin, hazy and formless, seemingly capable of changing at any moment. It had not yet solidified into a true coin.
"Pixiu swallows wealth, and the golden toad spits out coins. Heaven above, Earth below... what a divine Heaven-Earth Coin-Minting Furnace,"Yi Tianxing murmured, carefully inspecting the artifact.
The furnace had no seams or openings. The Pixiu could swallow materials, and once coins were minted, the toad would spit them out. The coin in its mouth was a template that could be altered as desired—a truly extraordinary treasure.
Its core lay in a unique divine seal—
Ten Thousand Treasures Heaven-Earth Coin Seal (万宝乾坤金钱禁)!
This was the true foundation of the furnace. Without a minting seal, no top-tier coin could ever be created.
"Let's begin the first test,"Yi Tianxing said.
He picked up a piece of Black Iron Crystal Ore and tossed it into the Pixiu's mouth. The Pixiu swallowed it without hesitation.
With a thought, Yi Tianxing infused True Qi into the furnace.