Zhou Yan hadn't anticipated free promotion for his Spiritual Spring—chat room buzz explained the flood of attention. "More cash for me," he grinned, checking bamboo prices again. [Little Guaiguai] relisted 100 pieces at 10 spirit coins each. He snapped them up, adding batches from other lords at slightly higher rates—small change he shrugged off.
[Territory Prompt: "[National Trading Hall] Purchased 100 bamboo. Consumed 1,000 spirit coins."]
[Territory Prompt: "[National Trading Hall] Purchased 10 bamboo. Consumed 120 spirit coins."]
[Territory Prompt: "[National Trading Hall] Purchased 50 bamboo. Consumed 600 spirit coins."]
…
His one-star spring water flowed freely—no pang at its sale. Unbeknownst to him, [Little Guaiguai] gaped as her stock vanished again, glee propelling her to list more at the same price—bamboo aplenty in her zone.
Zhou Yan followed her profile, keeping "Heavenly Court" veiled. She'd guess he was her buyer, but his silence puzzled her. "Weirdo," she muttered, undeterred, rallying villagers to chop more. A steady supply suited his trial needs.
Back home, he and Diao Chan resumed filling bamboo jars—countless sets stacked up for sale. His followers pounced, hands lightning-fast. A lone lord wouldn't need so much, but across Canglan, demand soared—his stock couldn't outstrip it.
Then, a halt:
[Territory Prompt: "[Spiritual Spring] reached today's max output. Extract again tomorrow."]
Three tons capped the day—3,000 jars at 100ml each (1 ton = 1,000 liters, 1 liter = 1,000 milliliters). His spirit coin tally dazzled: over 3 million. Heart racing, hands shaky, he chanted, "Calm down—I'm aiming for universe's strongest lord. Three million's pocket change." Laughter erupted despite his efforts. "Hahaha!"
Diao Chan tilted her head. "What's so funny?"
The spring's value shone—others scavenged trickles from wilds, while his fount gushed endlessly. Post-trial, its price might halve—low-tier springs cropped up in adventures, some lake-sized. For now, trial scarcity doubled its worth, fueling rapid crop growth for food-starved lords.
He turned to upgrades:
[Territory Prompt: "Consumed 300 spirit coins. Spiritual Spring rises to level 2."]
[Territory Prompt: "Consumed 600 spirit coins. Spiritual Spring rises to level 3."]
[Territory Prompt: "Consumed 900 spirit coins. Spiritual Spring rises to level 4."]
…
[Territory Prompt: "Consumed 30,000 spirit coins. Spiritual Spring rises to level 10."]
[Territory Prompt: "Insufficient materials. Spiritual Spring level cannot rise further."]
[Building: Spiritual Spring]
[Level: 10]
[Upgrade Requirements: 100,000 spirit coins, 10 low-grade spirit stones]
[Quality: SSS (0/5)]
[Defense: 10,000/10,000]
[Consumption: 3,000 spirit coins per ton produced]
[Production Speed: 10 tons/day]
[Special Attribute: Spring water rich in spiritual power]
[Introduction: A font of spiritual energy accelerates crop growth, bolsters physiques, hastens cultivation, and aids recovery. Requires 5 Spiritual Springs to evolve further.]
"Spirit stones?" Zhou Yan blinked, then frowned. Rare even at low grade, they eluded common markets—special channels only. Level 10's cap surprised him; buildings varied, it seemed. Still, output jumped to 10 tons daily. With three sold, eight remained—his to keep for now. Upgrades didn't reset extraction or boost quality, dashing his hope for a level 20 leap.
In the trading hall, he snagged two buckets for 200 spirit coins. He and Diao Chan each filled one, watering the fields. The task stretched long across twenty plots, but joy fueled them—their own harvest loomed. Excess could sell; Lingquan-fed crops promised a hot market.
Moments later, sprouts surged—weeks' growth in minutes. "This rate's insane," Zhou Yan gasped. "No wonder it sells like mad." Early trial desperation—food, resources—drove instant buys from savvy lords.