Chapter 235 - 137: Power Control Qi
"Minister Yang, in the Northern Domain Seven Kingdoms, my Celestial Treasure Tower has a total of 178 branches. We set foot in the Northern Domain thirty-eight thousand, three hundred years ago and have been dealing in all manner of goods ever since. As for the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion, a full thirty percent of the Magical Artifacts, Spirit Medicines, and Talismans they receive from the Six Sects are supplied through our Celestial Treasure Tower. The bond between the Celestial Treasure Tower and the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion is, you could say, thicker than water!"
Li Xishan was playing the emotional card.
Wherever a Taichang Trading Company could be found, a Celestial Treasure Tower was usually nearby. The businesses of the two great trading houses were almost identical, and the competition between them was already incredibly fierce.
In truth, the Celestial Treasure Tower’s manpower and resources were more than enough to run the Seven Nations Ticket Shop on their own. They were fully capable of excluding the Taichang Trading Company from the project entirely.
"Li Xishan, that’s bullshit!"
Zhang Boxiong, a tall, burly man with a full beard who looked more like a butcher than a shopkeeper, was hastily ushered in by Iron Head.
He was the head shopkeeper of the Taichang Trading Company for the Seven Kingdoms and also possessed a Golden Core Cultivation. He had visited Yang Jing multiple times and repeatedly clashed with Li Xishan.
"Minister Yang, my Taichang Trading Company holds a decisive advantage over the Celestial Treasure Tower in the Central Continent! The only reason they can even keep up with us in the Western Continent is because they got there first."
The usually refined Li Xishan’s face instantly flushed with anger.
"Zhang Boxiong, you’re spouting nonsense! And so what if your Taichang Trading Company has broader operations in the Central Continent? Distant water can’t quench a present thirst! My Celestial Treasure Tower is clearly the better partner for the Seven Nations Ticket Shop!"
The two had a long-standing feud and immediately began hurling insults at each other, completely losing the dignity expected of Golden Core Cultivators.
The model for this Seven Nations Ticket Shop was incredibly novel, seemingly with no downsides, only benefits. If they could make it a success, it would undoubtedly garner immense attention from their respective headquarters.
Moreover, if one of them could monopolize the operation of this ticket shop, they would surely be the top choice when the Six Sects decided to open similar ticket shops elsewhere.
The potential profits were so astonishing that even men of their stature found it breathtaking.
"Gentlemen, please. For the sake of balance, the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion cannot allow a single trading house to have a monopoly. Besides, with the Seven Nations Ticket Shop, we aren’t just handing over operations to you. We intend to build it from the ground up as its own independent entity," Yang Jing said.
"Meng Sima and I already have a rough plan for how to proceed. We will hold a conference soon to finalize the details and formally establish the Seven Nations Ticket Shop."
Li Xishan and Zhang Boxiong felt an unbearable itch of curiosity, but Yang Jing and Meng Sima were so tight-lipped that they couldn’t find any way to get more information.
Before leaving, each man took out a Storage Bag and pressed it into Chi Yu’s hands. They shot each other a look, snorted coldly, and immediately went their separate ways after exiting.
Chi Yu excitedly opened one of the Storage Bags to see what was inside.
Inside was a beautiful doll of a girl, standing a full two feet tall. It was so lifelike that if not for the absence of Blood Qi, one might have mistaken it for a real person.
"Isn’t this a Celestial Secret Doll? Those two really went to great lengths to curry your favor. Only a Tier Three Puppet Master can craft a doll like this. It possesses remarkable intelligence; not only can it sing and dance, but it can also answer difficult questions about cultivation and even guide a child’s training. Only the most favored daughters of Nascent Soul Clans could afford one. I wanted one just like this when I was a child."
Zuoqiu Feng, who had been sitting in the back room this whole time, came over. Seeing the doll, she walked up, cradled it in her arms, took out a Spirit Stone, and fed it into the doll’s mouth.
A flash of Spiritual Light appeared in the doll’s eyes, and it immediately came to life.
"The doll moved!"
Overcome with excitement, Chi Yu clenched her hands into fists.
"Celestial Secret Doll, dance for us."
At Zuoqiu Feng’s command, the petite doll immediately began to sing and dance.
"Her skirt, the green of a lotus leaf; her face, a blossom framed by hibiscus."
Chi Yu opened the other Storage Bag. Inside was a bolt of gauze, light and ethereal, as radiant as a crimson sunset. A single glance told her it was no ordinary item.
"This is Jue Sha. Only the Merfolk of the Central Continent can weave it. When worn, even a mortal can fly without consuming any Magical Power. It also nourishes the skin and enhances one’s beauty."
Though these two items couldn’t advance one’s Cultivation, they were undeniably treasures.
Chi Yu hugged the Celestial Secret Doll, draped the Jue Sha over her shoulders, and flew about like an Immortal Child, her clear, bright laughter echoing through the air.
"So, what do you think? All this fawning and flattery from the great and powerful families."
Zuoqiu Feng looked at Yang Jing, her eyes narrowed.
The Royal Families of the Northern Domain Seven Kingdoms were naturally far inferior to the Zuoqiu Family. But as the entrenched Local Bullies of their regions, they were completely free from the regulations of the Five Elements True Spirit Sect that restricted even the Zuoqiu Family.
In some pleasures, they even surpassed the Zuoqiu Family.
The fact that they could offer Tripod Furnaces—a practice explicitly forbidden by the Six Sects—spoke volumes.
"I have just four words to describe it: ’They get into everything.’"
Yang Jing said, his hands clasped behind his back.
"The Seven Nations Ticket Shop is truly a grand project. It’s no wonder these nobles, who usually walk around with their noses in the air, are now trying every trick in the book to get on your good side."
Zuoqiu Feng sighed. She now understood why Yang Jing had told her to prepare more Spirit Stones. If she could get her hands on a few shares, the future returns would be endless.
The royal families and Golden Core Clans of the Northern Domain received the news not long after the Celestial Treasure Tower and the Taichang Trading Company did.
The crowd in front of the residence, which had begun to thin out, was suddenly packed once more. These powerful clans were trying everything they could to get their hands on shares ahead of time, hoping to carve out the largest slice of the pie for themselves.
Yang Jing had no choice but to close his doors and refuse all visitors.
Even so, people continued to wait outside, hoping to catch someone leaving the residence. Even if they couldn’t get to Yang Jing, catching one of his disciples would be good enough.
For the next few days, Yang Jing simply stayed within his residence, not stepping out at all, and focused on his Cultivation Technique.
His talent from the Pure Yang Body continued to be a massive boon for cultivating his True Yang Body during the Foundation Establishment Stage. Thanks to this, and his usual diligence, he directly broke through and opened his fortieth Acupoint.
His Celestial True Gang swelled once more, and Yang Jing was surprised to discover he had spontaneously comprehended a new Magic.
’Power Control Qi!’
This Magic allowed Yang Jing to infuse his Giant Power into his Magical Power and True Gang, enabling him to manipulate them with his physical Qi Power.
For those Cultivators in the Nine Yang Sect who only practiced Body Refining Techniques, this Magic was merely icing on the cake. It just made their projected True Gang a bit heavier and allowed them to exert force from a distance. It was far less of a boost to their Power than Yang Fire.
However, Yang Jing rarely engaged in close-quarters combat. He had hardly ever had a chance to use the Giant Power granted by his talent. He typically fought his enemies with Magic and his Flying Sword.
This Magic allowed his Thunder Technique and Flying Sword to possess a crushing, heavy force—like a thousand-pound weight—in addition to their innate destructive power.
Yang Jing tested it out. Without the Power Control Qi magic, a single drop of One-Element Heavy Water he condensed weighed six hundred pounds. If he launched it with all his might, the resulting impact would be equivalent to thirty thousand pounds of force. But when he infused it with his own Giant Power, although the weight of the drop itself didn’t change, launching it would create a destructive impact of nearly sixty thousand pounds.
Furthermore, his control over it became much more fluid and natural.