The appearance of the Spirit Smartphone took the Western Region by storm. In every restaurant and tavern, it was the only topic of discussion.
"Ah! I can't wait to buy the Spirit Link."
"Likewise. I'm saving all my money to buy the Gold Grade."
"Gold Grade? That's too low. I'm aiming for the Platinum Grade."
"Really? Do you know how much it costs?"
"No matter the price, I'll make sure to buy it."
"I heard Dust Valley Sect disciples only have to pay half the price."
When the crowd heard this, a look of envy appeared on their faces. They all wished they were part of the Dust Valley Sect.
As for the Radiant Sect's Wind Echo, people had long forgotten about it. Even those who owned one didn't dare display it in public.
They were all ashamed.
Compared to the Dust Valley Sect's Spirit Link, the Wind Echo was trash. Now, everyone wanted to buy the Spirit Link.
Unfortunately, the Thousand Wealth Chamber could not keep up with demand.
Inside the sect, the sect master was having a serious discussion with his son.
"What are you going to do? There are so many people demanding the Spirit Link."
Mo Jian shook his head. "There is nothing I can do."
With the support of the sect, they had employed thousands of disciples to produce the Spirit Link.
The most difficult part was manufacturing the Platinum and Noble Grade Spirit Links. Only the Refining Hall master and a few inner sect elders could produce them.
Unless... they had a factory that could mass-produce them.
Thinking about factories, he remembered his previous world, where giant factories could produce thousands of products in a single day.
'Perhaps, I should build a factory.'
Since his path was different from everyone else's, he shouldn't limit his thinking to this world's philosophy.
Unbeknownst to Mo Jian, the sect master wore a sad expression.
With such a huge flow of income, the sect was making a fortune. If they could dominate the market quickly, they would become the richest sect in the region.
"Is there nothing we can do? Perhaps I should employ more masters from outside," his father said, unwilling to give up their golden opportunity.
"That's not necessary. Father, give me a few days to think, and I'll come up with a solid plan."
"Good. I'll be waiting for your good news."
Mo Jian returned to the Thousand Wealth Chamber. He saw that Zhao Tian was extremely busy, smiling as he attended to the elders.
Without disturbing them, he went straight to the third floor.
[Congratulations! You've completed the mission.]
[You have earned 1 million low-grade spirit stones.]
[Reward Earned: 10,000 IP.]
[You have spread your influence throughout the Dust Valley Sect.]
[Reward Earned: 5,000 IP.]
[Congratulations! You have completed a hidden mission.]
[Objective: Spread your invention and influence throughout the Western Region.]
[Reward Earned: 20,000 IP.]
Looking at the system notification, Mo Jian widened his eyes in disbelief. He had not expected to complete a hidden mission.
'So there are hidden missions too,' he mused, a bright smile appearing on his face.
"Ah! With so many Influence Points, I can finally upgrade my talent." A light chuckle escaped his lips.
Just as he was about to open the system store, he received another notification.
[Objective (1): The Vengeful Spirits are spreading quickly. Without relying on the sect, do something that will push them back and reclaim lost land.]
[For the mission to be completed, you must push the Vengeful Spirits back more than 1 km from the border.]
[Objective (2): Increasing your influence through the Spirit Link is not enough. Create something that will help people fight against the Vengeful Spirits.]
[Reward: 200,000 IP.]
Mo Jian's heart pounded when he saw the reward.
'Holy Moly!' he exclaimed internally.
'200,000 freaking IP!' He wanted to shout, but he controlled the impulse.
He grabbed the cold tea on his table and drank it in one gulp. His heart calmed slightly, but excitement still burned in his eyes.
'With that amount of IP, I can do a lot of things,' he screamed inwardly.
Slowly, his emotions returned to normal. As he reread the mission carefully, all his excitement vanished into thin air.
"This will be difficult."
The fight against the Vengeful Spirits had been ongoing for decades, yet the sect had never gained an advantage.
The Western Region was one of the largest regions in Yu State, but the Vengeful Spirits had caused them to lose more than half of their territory.
How could he possibly reclaim 1 km?
1 km was just a tiny part of the lost territory, but that did not make it any less difficult.
"Let's increase my strength before I start thinking about the mission," he mused, opening the system store.
Quickly, he purchased a Purple Superior-Grade Cultivation Talent, which cost him 10,000 IP.
Instantly, he felt the difference between a High-Grade Cultivation Talent and a Superior-Grade one. Without actively cultivating, his body was already absorbing the spiritual energy in the air.
Slowly, he was growing stronger.
"If I don't cultivate actively, I'll still break through to Mortal Rank-8 within a week." He grinned from ear to ear.
"Before going to the border, I must reach the peak of the Mortal Realm."
With that, he sat down and began cultivating seriously. His cultivation speed was now five times faster than before.
At the Western Region's border, where Vengeful Spirits roamed, thousands of Restless Phantoms suddenly appeared.
They attacked both the Dust Valley Sect outpost and the Radiant Sect outpost.
Within minutes, hundreds of disciples had been killed, and the Restless Phantoms showed no signs of stopping.
"Run! There are too many Restless Phantoms!" a voice screamed in panic.
Instantly, the outpost descended into chaos. The disciples' will to fight had vanished as they scrambled to escape.
The leader of the outpost, an inner elder, was surrounded by hundreds of Restless Phantoms.
He fought bravely, killing dozens, but the Restless Phantoms continued attacking without pause.
On the contrary, their numbers only increased.
'I can't go on ... I need to escape,' his heart filled with panic.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
The outpost was already flooded with Restless Phantoms.