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CG C76: Change of Plans
🕑 Added 2024-07-30 01:29:51 +0000 UTCKai sat cross-legged on his cultivation pillow, eyes closed in deep concentration. A crown of lightning danced above his head. As he focused, a charge of lightning began to surround his chest, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Almost there, Kai thought, maintaining his focus. Just need to sync the lightning with my pulse.
He visualized bolts of lightning striking his heart, aligning each strike with the steady thump-thump of his heartbeat. The energy built, growing more intense with each passing moment.
Suddenly, Kai felt a shift within his body. His eyes snapped open. It had worked. A smile spread across his face as he looked down at the scroll beside him.
Meridian of the Thunderous Heart
- Location: Heart Center
- Method to Open: "Electric Pulse" - The cultivator places their hands over their heart, focusing on the rhythmic pulse. They must visualize bolts of lightning striking their heart, aligning their heartbeat with the rhythm of thunder.
I did it. Another meridian opened.
As if on cue, a series of blue windows appeared before him:
Congratulations!
You have successfully opened the Meridian of Thunderous Heart!
Cultivation returned to Qi Refining Stage 8
Lightning Affinity increased to 30%
Skill Leveled Up: Crown of Lightning (Level 4) Effect: A temporary, visible aura of lightning can form around the cultivator's head during meditation, boosting the cultivator's qi regeneration by 20%.
Skill Leveled Up: Sky's Favor (Level 4) Effect: The cultivator's qi absorption rate increases by 20% whenever they are under an open sky, especially during stormy weather.
Skill Leveled Up: Electric Immunity (Level 4) Effect: The cultivator gains 20% resistance to lightning-based attacks, reducing the damage taken from electric or lightning-based techniques.
New Skill: Heart of Thunder (Level 1)
Description: Unleash a powerful, thunderous shockwave from their heart, stunning and damaging nearby enemies while providing a surge of protective energy for 10 seconds to allies within the radius.
You have gained 400 XP!
Not bad. The Heart of Thunder skill seems pretty useful. It's like an AOE stun with a party buff. Could come in handy if I ever need to protect the others during a group battle.
As he put the scroll away, Kai felt a sense of satisfaction. Opening meridians was never easy, he knew the difficulty would only increase as he continued, but he was getting better at it.
Just glad I finally cracked this one. The lightning cultivation method is working well for me.
He stood up, stretching his arms above his head. Now, time to check on the others and see what info Chen Wei managed to gather.
As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Kai called out.
The door opened, revealing Chen Wei, Liu Wei, and Zhi-Zhi. They filed into the room, taking seats around Kai.
"Senior Brother," Chen Wei said with a bow. "I've gathered the information you requested."
Kai nodded. "Excellent. Let's hear it."
Chen Wei pulled out his small notebook and began to read. "I've collected data on the exact prices for Cloud Grass and Starfire Root from various suppliers outside the sect. Each bundle contains 30 of either material. The prices range from 50 to 80 spirit stones per bundle, depending on quality and quantity."
"Good start," Kai said. "What about the outer sect disciples? How much do they typically spend on cultivation resources?"
"On average, outer sect disciples spend between 10 to 50 spirit stones per month on cultivation resources," Chen Wei replied. "This varies based on their cultivation level and personal wealth, of course."
Interesting, Outer Disciples get a stipend of 10 spirit stones a month, but they need more than that just to continue cultivating, Kai nodded, remembering seeing the Outer Disciples were always busy with one manual job or another.
Liu Wei leaned forward. "That's quite a range. Did you notice any patterns in their spending habits?"
Chen Wei nodded. "Yes, actually. Those closer to breaking through to the next stage tend to spend more, often pushing their budgets to the limit."
That's a potential market we could tap into but that might not be enough. Hmm, I think I have a better idea…
"What about Qi Gathering pills?" Kai asked. "What's the current market price for those?"
Chen Wei consulted his notes. "Low grade Qi Gathering pills sell for about 30 spirit stones each in the sect's market. However, I also looked into the materials needed to make them."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what did you find?"
"The main ingredients are Spirit Grass, Yin Berries, and Qi Crystals," Chen Wei explained. "If bought separately, these materials cost about 15 spirit stones total per pill."
Half the price…If we could make our own, we'd double our profit margin.
"Did you look into alchemy at all?" Kai asked.
Chen Wei nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Senior Brother. I gathered information on the different levels of alchemy and alchemists. There are five main levels: Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, and Grandmaster."
"And the cost of basic alchemy skill scrolls?" Kai pressed.
"A basic Novice-level alchemy guide scroll costs about 500 spirit stones," Chen Wei replied.
That's half of my current funds. But it could be a worthwhile investment.
"What do you all think?" Kai asked, looking around at his guild members. "Should we stick with trading Cloud Grass and Starfire Root, or should we consider making our own Qi Gathering pills?"
Liu Wei spoke up first. "Making our own pills could be more profitable in the long run, but it would require a larger initial investment. Plus, we'd need to ensure our quality matches or exceeds what's currently on the market."
"I say we make the pills!” Zhi-Zhi grinned.
"Chen Wei, what's your opinion?" Kai asked.
Chen Wei hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I believe making our own pills could be very profitable, Senior Brother. However, it would require more time and effort than simply trading existing goods. We'd need to factor in the time spent on learning to produce pills."
He's right. Time is a resource too, especially in cultivation. However, since the scroll would belong to me, it wouldn’t matter if it disappeared so I could learn it instantaneously.
After a moment of consideration, Kai made his decision. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. We're going to start by making our own Qi Gathering pills."
"Really?" Liu Wei asked, looking surprised. "Are you sure, Master?"
Kai nodded. "Yes. It's a bigger risk, but also a bigger potential reward. Plus, it gives us more control over our product."
"Excellent choice!" Zhi-Zhi exclaimed. "I knew you'd see the wisdom in it!"
More like I saw the profit margin, Kai thought wryly.
"Chen Wei," Kai continued, "I need you to go outside the sect and purchase the materials we need for the pills. Take Zhi-Zhi with you."
Chen Wei bowed. "Of course, Senior Brother. How many spirit stones should I take for the purchases?"
Kai did some quick mental math and brought out some spirit stones from his inventory. "Take 300 spirit stones. That should be enough for a good initial stock of materials."
"Understood," Chen Wei said, taking the pouch from Kai and making a note in his book.
Kai turned to Zhi-Zhi. "Zhi-Zhi, you're going as protection. Stay hidden and don't get involved in the negotiations. Your job is to watch for any signs of trouble and protect Chen Wei if necessary."
Zhi-Zhi puffed up his chest. "I shall be as silent as a shadow and as vigilant as a mountain eagle!"
As long as you're as quiet as a shadow, we should be fine, Kai thought, amused.
"Liu Wei," Kai said, turning to the former bandit. "I want you to start scouting potential customers within the sect. Focus on outer sect disciples who are close to breaking through. They're likely to be our best market."
Liu Wei nodded, a determined look in his eyes. "I understand, Master.”
"Good," Kai said. "Remember, we're not making any sales yet. Just gather information on who might be interested. A list of customers will be useful once we start selling so start on that, let’s get some preorders."
"What will you be doing, Senior Brother?" Chen Wei asked.
Kai stood up, straightening his robes. "I'm going to the Alchemist Pavilion to buy some skill scrolls. We can't make pills without the knowledge, after all. We'll meet back here in four days, I should have some pills ready by then."
The others exchanged surprised glances.
Liu Wei spoke up. "Master, forgive me, but... learning to make pills takes years of study. Even the most talented alchemists spend months mastering the basics."
Kai smiled confidently. "I appreciate your concern, but trust me. I have my ways. Plus, we're just talking about basic Qi Gathering pills to start with, not some high-level elixirs."
Chen Wei bit his lip, clearly torn between respect for Kai and disbelief at the timeline.
Zhi-Zhi puffed up. "Now see here! Even my Master couldn't—"
Kai held up a hand, cutting off the spirit tortoise's protest. "Four days. Trust me."
As they filed out of the room, Kai could hear them whispering among themselves, their doubt palpable. He couldn't help but smile.
It’s the best long-term decision. If we can establish ourselves as reliable pill makers, we could corner a significant portion of the market. I did want to avoid competing with the big boys from the get-go but hopefully my title as Legacy Disciple should give me enough protection. Especially since no one will expect me to become an alchemist so suddenly.
He looked into his inventory and began to manage his finances.
500 for the skill scroll, 300 for materials which I’ve already handed to Chen Wei. That leaves me with 200 as an emergency fund. It's cutting it close, but it should work.
In another week, the month will end and I’ll get another 1000 spirit stones anyway.
Comments
Quyan640
I bet mister regressor knows a lot about alchemy and means of making money.
Aclys
ah yes, the moneybag path of alchemy proves itself the true meta in the end.
