Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent: Volume 8: Chapter 1 (306): [Luo Feng's Decision to Join]

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Swallowed Star 2: Origin Continent
Volume 8: [The Battle of Yulan City]
Chapter (306): [Luo Feng's Decision to Join]
(1st of Volume 8)
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Luo Feng received a total of twelve invitations. Among them, only the Palace Master of the Yuanxiang Hall required Luo Feng to visit in person at the Holy Gate.

The other eleven invitations came from elder-level figures- most of whom were not as powerful as Luo Feng.

After Luo Feng sent out his greeting messages, these eleven individuals visited him one after another.

"Haha! Brother Luo Feng, your effortless victory over Elder Tianhe has made you famous throughout Yulan City!" A man in a purple robe laughed as he spoke.

"Deputy Hall Master Zhao Jia, please take a seat," Luo Feng said, gesturing toward the table. "I've already prepared some fruits and fine wine."

Both parties sat down.

"Back then, I joined Qianbao(Thousand Treasures) Hall at Brother Qianbao's invitation," Zhao Jia said with a sigh.

"That was hundreds of millions of years ago. At its peak, our Qianbao Hall was well-known among the merchants of Yulan City."

Luo Feng nodded politely. "In terms of the quality of weapons and treasures sold, your hall should rank among the top three in the Yulan City."

Of course, Luo Feng was just being courteous. In reality, Qianbao Hall barely managed to hold onto its third-place ranking in the weapons and secret treasures industry.

"It's been tough," Zhao Jia admitted. "The Gaitao Hall dominates the market. The Lord Gai of the Gaitao Hall is definitely the best in the weapon and secret treasure industry of the Yulan City and controls over 50% of the trade in weapons and secret treasures. The rest of us are just struggling to survive."

Luo Feng listened intently as Zhao Jia explained the internal workings of Qianbao Hall.

Luo Feng had previously heard that the core powerhouse of the Qianbao Hall, The Palace Master Qianbao is a master craftsman, devoted entirely to forging weapons and refining treasures. He has no interest in managing business affairs.

The Deputy Hall Master- Zhao Jia himself- handled sales, negotiations, and external matters.

Together, they held authority over Qianbao Hall.

"The treasure trade is a dangerous business," Zhao Jia continued with a sigh.

"The more valuable our weapons and artifacts, the more they attract thieves and rival factions. Even practitioners and low-ranking Hunyuan lifeforms sneak in, hoping to snatch something valuable."

Robbery was inevitable.

Luo Feng nodded. Major merchants like Qianbao Hall could suffer hundreds of millions of Hunyuan Crystal losses in a single robbery. For them, each attack was a devastating blow.

"The value of a single precious secret treasure can reach tens of millions of Hunyuan Crystals," Luo Feng mused. "Just a hundred of those would amount to a huge sum."

Zhao Jia let out a bitter chuckle. "Tens of thousands of centuries ago, we suffered a massive robbery- over a billion Hunyuan Crystals worth of goods were stolen! Almost everything we had on display at Qianbao Hall was wiped out. That robbery crippled us, and to this day, we still have no idea who was behind it!"

Luo Feng's eyes narrowed slightly.

Zhao Jia continued, "In Yulan City, large-scale robberies are rare. Most thieves target weaker practitioners. But this... this was a professional robbery. Even with me and Brother Qianbao at elder-level strength, along with layered protective formations, we were still helpless. The only logical explanation is that the culprit was one of the top twenty figures in the city. Only someone at that level could have pulled it off."

Then Zhao Jia leaned forward, his voice turning serious.

"This is why we are inviting you, Brother Luo Feng," he said earnestly. "You easily defeated Elder Tianhe- your strength must rank among the top hundred in Yulan City. With you, me, and Brother Qianbao working together... And with the defensive formations of Qianbao Hall in place, the only people who could threaten us would be one of the three palace masters themselves.

"And unless all three palace masters take action," Zhao Jia concluded, "no one will ever dare to plunder Qianbao Hall again!"

The power displayed by Luo Feng is indeed far beyond that of an ordinary elder-level expert.

"As long as you join Qianbao Hall, you will naturally become a Deputy Hall Master, equal in status to me and Brother Qianbao!"

The strange-looking man continued, "Additionally, we can provide you with 10,000 Hunyuan Crystals per era. Over 10,000 eras, that amounts to 100 million Hunyuan Crystals. This is considered a stable income for elders- you won't need to take on risky expeditions outside the city to maintain a steady flow of resources."

Fewer battles, but a safer, more sustainable path.

"Of course," the man added.

"Joining any faction comes with rewards! We can offer 200 million Hunyuan Crystals as a joining reward. However, due to the heavy losses we suffered in the last robbery, this amount would be paid in two installments- half upon joining and the other half after 10,000 epochs."

200 million Hunyuan Crystals? And in two payments? Luo Feng narrowed his eyes. Most elders receive around this amount, but I'm no ordinary elder. If my strength were any lower than Elder Tianhe's, Qianbao Hall wouldn't have approached me. This offer seems a bit low.

The strange man chuckled. "But Brother Luo Feng, you have multiple clones from the Origin World, meaning you can join multiple factions! Besides, Qianbao Hall operates under Lord Wei Yang's command."

"You must have heard- the Lord of the Yuanxiang Hall is severely injured and rarely takes action anymore. From now on, Yulan City will be under the rule of the Lord of the weiyang Hall!"

"By joining Qianbao Hall, you'll naturally become part of Lord Wei Yang's faction."

Luo Feng nodded. "Brother Zhao Jia, I understand your offer. But to be honest, compared to the other invitations I've received, your terms are a bit lacking."

Zhao Jia's expression changed slightly. "Brother Luo Feng, since you have multiple clones, could you at least send one to assist us? Qianbao Hall will never forget this favor!"

"I'll consider it," Luo Feng said as he stood up- signaling that the meeting was over.

Zhao Jia had no choice but to leave.

As he walked away, he muttered to himself, "Even sending just one clone, and he still finds it lacking... But there's nothing we can do. Right now, Qianbao Hall is simply too poor."

Before meeting with the Master of the Yuanxiang Hall, Luo Feng had indeed planned to send his clones to different factions. This would provide him with a stable income to support his early cultivation.

However, his plans shifted dramatically when he received an unexpected gift from the Palace Master of the Yuanxiang Hall- 500 million Hunyuan Crystals!

"Brother Di Qing!" Luo Feng said looking at Di Qing.

"Brother Luo Feng, you've had several elders come to visit you over the past few days!" Di Qing said with a smile.

"I received eleven invitations. Can you help me decide which one is the most suitable?"

Luo Feng waved his hand, and detailed information about all eleven factions appeared in mid-air.

Di Qing glanced at the information and memorized it all instantly.

"Brother Luo Feng, how many factions are you planning to join?" Di Qing asked.

"One is enough."

"Just one?" Di Qing raised an eyebrow.

Luo Feng nodded. "One faction will be enough."

Di Couldn't help but say, "You have many clones... Why not join more fractions and earn more?"

"After all, all eleven factions are offering rewards in the hundreds of millions. If it were me, I would definitely choose multiple factions!"

Luo Feng shook his head and replied firmly, "One is enough."

"Should i choose a neutral faction, or should I align myself with the Yuanxiang Palace Master's side."

Di Qing analyzed the situation carefully. "The Yuanxiang Hall is relatively weak in the current power struggle," he said.

"Among these eleven factions, four belong to neutral forces, and two are opposed to the Yuanxiang Hall. If we compare their offers, the Pill Tower stands out above all- they are offering the best conditions. The Tower Master of Changqing Tower, Liu Fa, also has a great reputation!"

[T/N: Changqing Tower could be a specific division within pill tower.]

"But choosing Pill Tower... will bring a lot of trouble," he added. "They've been in constant conflict with the Insect Nest."

Luo Feng smiled confidently. "If there were no trouble, how could they afford to offer such generous benefits?"

He nodded. "I also prefer the Pill Tower!"

Among the eleven factions that invited Luo Feng, he ultimately chose Pill Tower.

"Di Fu!" Luo Feng called out.

Di Fu arrived promptly, smiling. "Brother Luo Feng!"

"Do we have good news?" Di Fu asked.

Luo Feng gestured for everyone to sit. "There are many factions in Yulan City trying to recruit me, but I have made my decision. I will join Pill Tower as a Deputy Tower Master, as previously discussed."

"The Tower Master of Changqing Tower, Liu Fa, has also invited the three of you to join!"

As one of the major factions, Pill Tower easily arranged positions for Di Fu, Di Qing, and Di Ming.

Luo Feng looked at them with a smile. "Are you three willing to accept?"

"Of course!" Di Fu agreed immediately.

"This is a very precious opportunity- I won't refuse!" Di Ming added without hesitation.

"Who wouldn't want to gain abundant resources with minimal risk?" Di Qing smirked, clearly satisfied with the arrangement.

As a mid-stage Enlightened God Emperor, he would typically struggle to obtain a high-ranking position in any faction- most factions wouldn't trust him enough. But thanks to Luo Feng, Pill Tower is offering them direct invitations!

Di Qing only needed to send a clone to take the position, ensuring a steady stream of income with little effort!

"Since you all agree," Luo Feng nodded, "I'll contact Changqing Tower's Master Liu Fa!"

In the weapons and treasures industry, the Gaitao Hall of the Palace Master Gai is the undisputed ruler, holding more than half of the market.

However, the medicine and pill industry is highly competitive, and no single faction dominates the market!

Pill Tower is one of the leading forces in the pill-refining industry.

"Brother Luo Feng! Brother Luo Feng!"

An elderly man with silver hair greeted him enthusiastically.

"I've been waiting for you for so long!" he said with excitement and relief. "I visited you several times yesterday, and I was worried... I feared that our little Pill Tower wouldn't be able to recruit you! But now that I've received your confirmation, I haven't been able to contain my joy!"

Luo Feng wasn't just any elder-

Even by conservative estimates, he was ranked within the top hundred in strength. Many factions in Yulan City even believed that Luo Feng was strong enough to rank within the top fifty!

Having such a powerful figure as an ally would provide immense security to any faction.

Luo Feng smiled. "From now on, I am a member of Pill Tower."

He cupped his hands. "Luo Feng greets the Tower Master!"

The silver-haired elder laughed heartily. "Brother Luo Feng, you're far too polite!"

He sighed and said, "To be honest, I was one of the founding elders who helped the Master of the Yuanxiang Hall build this city. But over time, the Yuanxiang Palace Master has become increasingly weak due to soul pollution by the High-level Hunyuan lifeform, and he barely take any real action anymore."

"Life has been tough for us old guys. Especially ever since the Lord of the Insect Nest arrived in Yulan City- he has been targeting me everywhere!"

Luo Feng raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

The silver-haired elder scoffed.

"The Lord of the Insect Nest is skilled in alchemy as well, but his methods are crude. He merely extracts life force essence to create medicine- his techniques are nothing but bloodthirsty and evil!"

His expression turned serious. "But the Lord of the Insect Nest is too strong, too domineering! Since he can't beat us in open business competition, he resorts to underhanded tactics!"

He looked at Luo Feng with newfound confidence.

"But now that we have you, Brother Luo Feng, things will be different!"

"You can study our Pill Tower's formations- if you need any type of formation to complement your techniques, just let me know! I'll personally make sure to acquire the best formations for you!"

The silver-haired elder flipped his hand, revealing a storage bag filled with 500 million Hunyuan Crystals.

"This is the agreed-upon payment," he said with a smile. A massive sum, no doubt! As someone who had helped build the city alongside the Lord of the Yuanxiang Hall, his accumulated wealth was truly remarkable.

However, Luo Feng simply waved his hand and declined to take it directly.

"I'll leave this sum with you for now," Luo Feng said with a confident smile. "I plan to exchange all of it for auxiliary elixirs from the Pill Tower!"

The silver-haired elder's eyes lit up with delight.

"You're going to buy everything in elixirs?" he chuckled. "Well, at least I can recoup a portion of the investment!"

"Even if the three palace masters come to buy the elixir, they only receive a 30% discount on elixirs."

"But for Brother Luo Feng, since you are the Deputy Tower Master, you will receive the same purchase price as I do- a 40% discount!"

That meant Luo Feng only needed to pay 60% of the original price in Hunyuan Crystals.

For the owner of Changqing Tower, this deal barely left any profit margin. But at least he could convert the accumulated elixir stock into liquid assets- ensuring both business growth and financial circulation.

"Sixty percent of the price? Many thanks, Tower Master!" Luo Feng expressed his gratitude.

The silver-haired elder laughed heartily and then shifted the conversation.

"By the way, Brother Luo Feng, what about your three fellow companions? Are they joining Pill Tower as well?"

Luo Feng nodded. "They are more than willing!"

"As for their positions, I'll leave it to you to arrange based on their abilities."

The silver-haired elder's smile grew even brighter. Practitioners from the same origin world shared a special bond- if he could win over Luo Feng's companions, it would also strengthen his ties with Luo Feng himself!

After all, simply offering resources wasn't enough to build long-term loyalty.

"With God Emperor Luo Feng joining, Pill Tower's business can finally stabilize!"

The silver-haired elder sighed inwardly.

For far too long, the conflict between Pill Tower and the Insect Nest had left the faction in a precarious situation. No elder-level figures were willing to align with Pill Tower- until today!

Finally, they had waited long enough. With Luo Feng on their side, the tides of the battle were about to change!

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END OF CHAPTER

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