The news of the Spirit Links had reached the outer sect, and many disciples eagerly awaited Zhao Tian's arrival to sell them the devices.
"I can't wait to buy the Spirit Link," a female disciple said with a look of longing.
"Likewise. I heard that many inner disciples can chat with their friends all day," another female disciple responded.
"Should we go to the inner court and try to buy it? My sister can take us in."
Upon hearing this, the disciples' faces brightened.
"Don't bother. Senior Brother Zhao Tian is no longer selling the Spirit Link," a male disciple approached with a confident smile.
"What do you mean, Senior Brother?"
"I heard from my friend in the inner court that they've stopped selling the Spirit Link."
"Ah! What are we going to do now?"
The news that Zhao Tian was no longer selling the Spirit Link disappointed many female disciples.
Likewise, many male disciples who had boasted about buying one for their girlfriends were furious.
Why would they stop selling the Spirit Link?
In a quiet courtyard, a female elder in her early thirties was practicing with her sword. She moved with grace and elegance, her movements fluid and refined.
"Fan Bi, you look as elegant as ever with the sword. It seems you've improved in your martial arts," a man entered the courtyard, smiling at Elder Fan Bi.
He was Cui Long, an inner elder.
"Cui Long, what are you doing here?" A deep frown appeared on Elder Fan Bi's face. "I've told you not to disturb me anymore."
"Bi'er, I really care for you, and I want you to become my Dao companion," Elder Cui Long said with sincere emotion.
"I know you don't feel the same way about me... but I can wait," Elder Cui Long interrupted, taking out an item from his spatial pouch.
It was the Spirit Link and Spirit Relay Hub.
"Take this. It will allow you to communicate with your disciples and friends in the sect."
Elder Fan Bi looked puzzled. Although she had heard of the artifact that allowed five people to communicate within the sect, she had never paid much attention to it.
However, seeing it in Cui Long's hands, she became curious. "Is it really as the disciples say?" she asked.
"Yes... Although it has some limitations, I think it's a must-have for anyone in the sect."
Watching Cui Long's departing figure, a complicated expression flickered across her face before quickly disappearing. She turned her attention back to the Spirit Link.
She couldn't wait to try it out.
With Elder Fan Bi using the Spirit Link, news of it quickly spread among the outer female elders.
For the next two days, many female outer elders visited Elder Cui Long, hoping to obtain a Spirit Link.
"Sorry, I don't have anymore," Elder Cui Long said with a bittersweet smile.
He had only given Fan Bi the Spirit Link to show his unwavering affection. Who would have expected the news to spread so quickly? He had been pestered non-stop for the past two days.
He tried searching for Zhao Tian, hoping to buy more, but Zhao Tian had disappeared. Thus, he was left helpless.
Meanwhile, in the outer court market, a newly renovated three-story building stood tall, constructed with expensive materials.
The building stood out among the others in the market. Since this was a makeshift market where disciples earned extra income, such a structure was rare.
Its appearance attracted everyone's attention, yet no one dared to approach as they eagerly awaited the store's grand opening.
In the basement of the building, Zhao Tian looked at Mao Jian with amazement.
"This is insane!" Zhao Tian exclaimed in shock.
In his hand was a beautifully crafted Spirit Link. The previous crude, palm-sized jade Spirit Link had been completely upgraded.
Painted in blue and red with a lotus flower design, the new Spirit Link was mesmerizing.
"Do you like it?" Mao Jian teased.
"Are you crazy? I don't just like it—I love it!" Zhao Tian's voice rose with excitement.
"Haha. Then it's yours."
"Really? Thank you!" Zhao Tian grinned from ear to ear.
Compared to the crude Spirit Link, this one was aesthetically pleasing. Watching Zhao Tian's foolish grin, Mao Jian sighed.
In his past life, many beautifully designed phones could leave people breathless.
Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, his expression turned serious.
"What you're holding is the Deluxe-grade Spirit Link," he began slowly.
They have not been idle for the past few days. After completing his weekly mission, Mao Jian earned 4,000 IP.
Without hesitation, he increased his talent in runes and array formation to the level of common understanding.
With this newfound comprehension, he easily grasped previously difficult runes and formations.
As a result, he successfully upgraded both the Spirit Link and the Spirit Relay Hub. Now, the upgraded versions are ten times more powerful than before.
A single Relay Hub could now serve over one hundred Spirit Links.
Yet, he wasn't satisfied. He pushed the limits of the Spirit Relay Hub further.
The latest version stood over three meters tall and was powered by two middle-grade spirit stones.
The advanced Relay Hub covered over 50 kilometers, reaching the nearest city outside the Dust Valley Sect.
"What do you mean by Deluxe?" Zhao Tian asked, confused.
"We now have three grades of Spirit Links and Relay Hubs," Mao Jian explained.
The three tiers were: Common Grade, Standard Grade, and Deluxe.
The Common Grade was the crudely made Spirit Link.
The Standard Grade was slightly better, painted brown, and capable of allowing up to one hundred people to communicate within a 5-kilometer range.
As for the Deluxe Grade, adorned with a blue and red lotus flower, it allowed over a thousand users to communicate and had a coverage range of over 50 kilometers.
Listening to the explanation, Zhao Tian was speechless.
Mao Jian had promised to create an artifact that could spread beyond the sect within a month—yet in less than a week, he had already done it.