Li Zhouluo had finished his calculations almost as soon as Li Xuanxuan was done speaking. He nodded slightly and replied, "These materials are already produced within our household. The remaining cost could be reduced to sixty or seventy Spirit Stones. Also... please wait a moment, my lords."
He picked up a jade slip from the table, compared it with the purple-gold scroll, and after a moment's examination, his expression turned slightly strange as he said, "There are some remnants from our ancestors, and a few spirit items gathered from the Wilderness; these match perfectly with the list. I will hand over the inventory to you shortly, my lord."
When Wu smiled cheerfully, as if not at all surprised, and saluted as he said, "These thirty-two Purple Stable Valley Penetrating Mountain Profound Pins are troublesome to make, especially because of the materials. Large-scale procurement will drive up prices, so it cannot be rushed. Thus, it may take three to five years to complete. I must also trouble the family head to allocate a resting place within the island for the cultivators from our blessed land. Many of our gate's cultivators will be traveling nearby or shuttling between the gate and here, so we must rely on your esteemed family's hospitality.
"But please rest assured, your esteemed family. Everyone from our gate has sworn a spirit oath, and all are elite members. Secrecy will be maintained. The formation patterns are divided before being drawn; components are forged separately; and not even the craftsmen themselves know the names of the parts or the formation."
Li Xuanxuan replied, "Not at all, it is my Moongaze that should thank your blessed land instead."
After a few polite exchanges, When Wu, carrying spirit items and pills, went to visit Li Quexi's family. The Purple Smoke Gate cultivators on the island had no other tasks arranged and soon withdrew.
When the great hall doors closed, Li Xuanxuan frowned and said, "Zhouluo, what remnants from our ancestors or Wilderness spirit items are you referring to? How could those small portions be used for such massive Penetrating Mountain Pins? And how much could that possibly save?"
Li Zhouluo no longer hid the strange expression on his face and said quietly, "Old elder, it could save at least twenty Spirit Stones per pin! Twenty each means six hundred and forty Spirit Stones saved in total!"
Li Xuanxuan was startled and asked in shock, "Where did these come from?!"
Li Zhouluo looked somewhat awkward and answered softly, "These items... The old elder may not know, but back when Profound Peak Gate fell and Kong Guxi moved his mountain into the Wilderness, he feared being emptied out by a sudden assault from the Baiye Capital Immortal Dao. So he had already stored many spirit items with our family...
.bg-ssp-10081{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} "Later, when even the Wilderness was lost, Kong Guxi gathered what little he could and came to the eastern shore, leaving the items still with our family. When the Profound Peak Gate's Dao lineage finally perished, he no longer wished to retrieve the large quantities of Embryonic Breathing and Qi Cultivation Realm materials, taking only treasured panaceas with him. The rest he either gifted away or sold cheaply to curry favor with various powers...
"Most of the items were in enormous quantities. When sold all at once, the prices plummeted. Even selling them in batches would take five or ten years to clear, as few were willing to buy. In the end, he half-gifted, half-sold them to our family as a favor."
Li Zhouluo's expression turned uncertain as he continued softly, "Now that I've read through this scroll, I found that nearly eighty to ninety percent of the listed items are produced or stockpiled by Profound Peak Gate. Moreover, that's after Profound Peak Mountain was lost and Kong Guxi already reclaimed some materials. If we had access to their complete resources, we might not have to spend even a single Spirit Stone to forge all thirty-two pins!"
Only then did Li Xuanxuan understand. He hesitated, then sat down in the hall and said, "This must have been arranged beforehand by the Daoist Master. Given Profound Peak Gate's current circumstances, they must have foreseen this. Otherwise, where would such a formation suddenly come from..."
The old man's expression darkened with doubt as he continued quietly, "The matter of the Purple Stable Valley Penetrating Mountain Profound Pin must remain confidential. Its name must never be mentioned. Since the Purple Smoke Gate side has kept their secret, it will be even easier for us to do the same. Do not mention mountain, do not mention Stable, best not even say Profound. If someone must ask, tell them it is called the Thirty-Two Mansions Purple Radiant Spirit Pins."
Li Zhouluo replied respectfully, and the old man coughed before continuing, "Let Jueyin handle both the spirit items and the blessed land arrangements. His cultivation is profound and his mind clear. He is far more capable than anyone else on the island."
After giving a few more instructions, the old man left the hall, took out the carp-shaped wooden box from his sleeve, sat down in an empty side hall, and opened it.
The first box belonged to Li Quexi. The child had clearly been working hard in the gate, and even her handwriting had become much neater. She asked about the family's well-being, expressed concern for Li Xuanxuan's health, filling three pages in total, and at the end mentioned, The Purple Smoke Gate has many rare spirit items. I received a reward from the grand competition and have a share in their requisition. If there is anything the family urgently needs, you may ask me for it.
After setting aside Li Quexi's letter, Li Xuanxuan found that Li Queyi's was noticeably thicker. Unlike her younger sister, whose letter had been personally delivered by When Wu, Li Queyi had bundled her letters to everyone together. Li Xuanxuan opened the one addressed to him.
The girl began with polite inquiries, then asked whether her father, Li Zhoufang, still spent his days seeking shelter and favor. The remainder of the letter was written with much subtlety, carefully requesting that three kinds of cultivation resources be sent to her.
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