Chapter 218: Dream Space
Zhang Chi hadn’t seen the Teleportation Array before, so he hadn’t given much thought to the matter of Top Grade Spirit Stones.
But now, he had to make it a priority.
Fortunately, he might be able to get some by going to the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower or Lu Daoyi.
Of course, he had to plan this carefully. He couldn’t let the likes of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower or Lu Daoyi know his true reason for wanting Top Grade Spirit Stones. Otherwise, at best, he’d lose the Teleportation Array; at worst, his life would be forfeit.
Furthermore, the Cave Mansion Stele was just a substitute for the Great Teleportation Order. He first needed to determine whether it could be used at all, and if so, whether it could transport multiple Cultivators.
Fortunately, he had the Turtle Shell Divination Skill.
He took out two Tier Three Turtle Shells and performed a divination on the spot.
He soon got the results, and he couldn’t help but feel both joy and a little regret.
The results showed that his Cave Mansion Stele could indeed replace the Great Teleportation Order, but it could only carry one person.
Additionally, Top Grade Spirit Stones did exist in the Great Abyss.
However, the Divination Technique couldn’t deduce who specifically held the Top Grade Spirit Stones, or whether Lu Daoyi and the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower had any, because Zhang Chi had too little information to go on.
But this was to be expected. The Celestial True Monarch had left the Cave Mansion Stele for a fated person.
If it could have transported many people, the Disciples of the Celestial Repair Sect from back then would have likely left together long ago.
As for the Top Grade Spirit Stones, they were likewise one of the restrictions.
Lu Daoyi was a Nascent Soul Powerhouse, and the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower was a top-tier power. It would be abnormal if he could so easily peer into their secrets with his Calculation Skill.
Although his Turtle Shell Divination Skill was powerful, it was not omnipotent and was subject to many restrictions.
’Finding the Teleportation Array, and intact at that, is already a great stroke of luck.’
Still, Zhang Chi was in a good mood.
He then began to study the two Puppets.
He soon discovered, to his surprise, that both Puppets were at Tier Three Peak. Once activated, they would be comparable to a Golden Core Peak Powerhouse.
However, the craftsmanship of these two Puppets was crude; they couldn’t even be activated with Upper Grade spirit stones and required Top Grade Spirit Stones instead.
Furthermore, the Puppets certainly had pre-programmed orders, such as protecting the Teleportation Array.
So even if he could activate them, they wouldn’t obey him and might even attack him.
Even so, the two Puppets were still of immense research value, and the materials they were made from were incredibly precious.
For him, this was an unexpected bonus.
Zhang Chi then stored the two Puppets away and left his self-refined Nine-headed Tier Two Peak Puppet in their place.
The command he gave it was to protect the Teleportation Array.
Finally, Zhang Chi set up an additional Tier Three Formation outside the Earth Palace, leaving behind a cache of Spirit Stones to power it. Only then did he use an Earth Escape Talisman to depart.
—
"You wish to trade for Upper Grade spirit stones, Sir? No problem, we happen to have a batch in stock. However, the exchange rate is a little steep. It’ll be one hundred and five Middle Grade spirit stones for one Upper Grade spirit stone. What do you say, Sir?"
「Three days later.」
Inside the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower in Golden Crow City, a large Immortal City on the border between the Cangwu Sect and the Golden Sun Sect, the Shopkeeper was personally attending to a masked Golden Core Cultivator—it was Zhang Chi.
Upon hearing Zhang Chi’s request, the pot-bellied Shopkeeper immediately beamed.
"So expensive? Is it the same rate for trading Low Grade for Middle Grade, or Upper Grade for Top Grade Spirit Stones?" Zhang Chi feigned dissatisfaction.
"Low Grade to Middle Grade is one hundred to one. As for Upper Grade to Top Grade, it’s not a matter of ratios. Although our tower has Top Grade Spirit Stones, we do not offer them for public exchange."
"To put it another way, the Top Grade Spirit Stones are all held by our Tower Master," the Shopkeeper said with a smile. "Unless you become one of our people, Sir, and earn the Tower Master’s favor, you might receive some as a reward."
"Top Grade Spirit Stones are that precious? I have a VIP Token, can’t I even trade for them directly?" Zhang Chi pressed.
"I’m sorry, but even a VIP Token won’t work," the Shopkeeper said, shaking his head slightly. "Only our highest-level VIPs get the chance to meet the Tower Master and ask him in person."
"However," the Shopkeeper added, "since you have a VIP Token, if it’s Middle Level or higher, you can trade for Upper Grade spirit stones at a direct one-hundred-to-one ratio."
"Fine. Good thing I don’t need any Top Grade Spirit Stones. In that case, I’ll take ten Upper Grade spirit stones..."
His tone was disappointed yet calm. Zhang Chi immediately presented his VIP Token, exchanged it for some Upper Grade spirit stones, and left.
As for meeting the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower Master, Zhang Chi didn’t even consider it.
For one, his VIP Level wasn’t high enough.
For another, the Tower Master was also said to be a Nascent Soul Powerhouse; approaching him would be no better than approaching Lu Daoyi.
Back at the Sect, Zhang Chi went to see the Sect Leader and Master Jian under the pretext of seeking their guidance. After the official business, he chatted with them and subtly fished for information.
The results were much the same.
They all said that Lu Daoyi might have Top Grade Spirit Stones, but the Sect’s treasury had none, nor did any of the Golden Core Cultivators.
Thus, Zhang Chi could only shelve the matter for the time being and make long-term plans.
Fortunately, over the next period, Zhang Chi’s research into the two Puppets proved extremely fruitful.
The Puppets’ creator had used a crude technique, which ironically made it easier for Zhang Chi to discern the principles behind their construction. As a result, his own Puppetry Technique improved by leaps and bounds.
In less than half a year, Zhang Chi’s Puppetry Technique successfully broke through to Tier Three Low Grade, and he even successfully refined his first Tier Three Puppet.
Of course, Shangguan Hui’s Puppet had also been a great source of inspiration; the external design of Zhang Chi’s first Puppet was almost identical to hers.
Afterward, Zhang Chi returned the borrowed Tier Three Puppet to Shangguan Hui.
Shangguan Hui accepted it, as Zhang Chi was now powerful and had the Sect’s protection. He no longer needed the Puppet.
She was quite amazed, though. She had never expected that the Puppet she had originally intended to lend for a century would be returned after only a few years.
Zhang Chi had intended to refine a few more Tier Three Low Grade Puppets, but he quickly discovered this was impractical.
After the first, he managed to refine one more—a Tier Three Low Grade Archer Puppet—before he was forced to stop.
He had run out of materials.
The materials for even those two Puppets had only been obtained through the Sect’s channels. He had also received many gifts during his Core Formation celebration, some of which were suitable for puppetry.
However, Zhang Chi didn’t stop improving his Puppetry Technique. Instead, he focused his research on the two Tier Three Peak Puppets.
’If I could dismantle and reassemble them, or use them as raw materials to refine new Puppets, the results would surely be of a higher Level and possess greater Mighty Power.’
Of course, this was not easy.
Fortunately, he finally made some welcome progress with the Great Dream Heart Scripture he’d acquired earlier, successfully reaching the Entry Level.
Every time Zhang Chi circulated this technique, he would quickly enter a dream state.
Zhang Chi called this place the Dream Space.
Here, he could remain completely lucid and could also imagine, or rather, manifest various objects that existed in the real world.
For example, if he wanted to refine a Puppet but had no materials, here he could manifest the materials he needed, then use them for Refining, thereby improving his Puppetry Technique.
Of course, the only condition was that he had to have seen and been familiar with the material in order to manifest it.
Even if he hadn’t seen it, he at least needed to have a sufficient understanding of it.