Ye Wen, still standing at the entrance, hesitated about whether to request more personnel. Although Yang Jian had already sent those knowledgeable in formations to the foot of his Mount Shu, the so-called formation master Ye Wen had never met left no lasting impression. While he hadn't yet encountered anyone from the Tianji Sect here, the mere minor illusory formation guarding the residence was enough to display their strength, making Ye Wen quite tempted.

After a moment, the disciples of the Tianji Sect reappeared at the door. After exchanging a few words with the disciple who had led Ye Wen in, the two approached Ye Wen together, bowing deeply: "So, Sect Leader Ye is a friend of Martial Ancestor Uncle. We beg Sect Leader Ye's forgiveness for any prior discourtesy!" "No matter, no matter!" In truth, the Tianji Sect disciples hadn't been overtly rude; although they had made him wait outside the courtyard for a spell, this was understandable. They hadn't met him before, nor did they know what kind of entity Mount Shu was; caution was only natural.

After exchanging a few courtesies, the disciple led Ye Wen into the courtyard. The moment he stepped inside, the courtyard, which had appeared quite ordinary from the outside, transformed into something entirely different.

When Ye Wen looked in from the outside earlier, the courtyard seemed merely a large, common space: a front yard, a main hall, a few trees planted within, and that was all. It looked no different from the residences of moderately well-off families in the secular world.

Although he sensed the presence of an illusion formation within the courtyard, Ye Wen had assumed it was simply a concealment technique for the people inside. The courtyard’s appearance hadn't changed then, but upon entering, he realized how profoundly mistaken he had been.

Stepping into the courtyard, Ye Wen discovered there was no path before him—only patches of void. The space beneath his feet was an abyssal black, seemingly without end.

Ye Wen cautiously tested the ground with his foot and found it was not an illusion; it was genuine emptiness.

Seeing Ye Wen test the space, the Tianji Sect disciple spoke up: "This place was inadvertently opened up by Martial Ancestor Uncle. It took three hundred years to stabilize this entrance. Martial Ancestor Uncle found this area quiet and rich with strange, exotic energies, so he established his residence here."

"However, even so, he dared not live too far from the opening. Delving deeper makes it difficult to discern direction, and furthermore, the spatial turbulence that occasionally flares up here is extremely dangerous. If one is carelessly swept away, the result is complete annihilation of soul and spirit!" A few cold beads of sweat appeared on Ye Wen’s brow. He hadn't expected the Gourd Immortal to reside in such a perilous place, yet his admiration for the old drunkard grew; to personally brave such danger merely to study the secrets of this space showed that the prestige this man possessed was certainly not unearned.

Nodding to the disciple to show he understood, Ye Wen watched as the disciple raised a hand and pointed forward. In the void, several stone platforms floated, each about three meters square, spaced about ten meters apart.

"These stone platforms form the path leading to Martial Ancestor Uncle's residence. Sect Leader Ye, please!"

Ye Wen, with his exceptional eyesight, had already seen what lay at the end of the path indicated by the stone platforms: an unassuming dwelling, outwardly plain and utterly devoid of ornamentation.

But this did not mean the house lacked marvels. With his sight, Ye Wen could vaguely discern that the entire structure was covered in formations and talismans, seemingly capable of unleashing immense power instantaneously—likely defensive arrays set up to counter the spatial turbulence.

Following closely behind the disciple, the group leaped from one stone platform to the next. Soon, they arrived before the house. Up close, Ye Wen realized the dwelling was rather large, featuring no windows, only a single large door. The disciple approached, tapped twice, called out once, and the large door creaked open, revealing the scene within.

Leaping inside, Ye Wen found the house surprisingly spacious. The Gourd Immortal, Cui Jun, was seated atop a large platform, holding a sheet of paper in one hand while gesturing with the other, engaged in some inscrutable activity.

Cui Jun didn't look up upon Ye Wen's entry, merely stating, "You've arrived! Sit!" before falling silent again, entirely engrossed in the paper.

Seeing him occupied, Ye Wen did not disturb him. After taking a seat nearby, disciples arrived to serve tea, then withdrew, leaving only Cui Jun, Ye Wen, and Dongfang Kui in the room.

After a considerable time, Cui Jun finally set the paper down and addressed Ye Wen: "Sect Leader Ye, have you just departed from the Heavenly Court?"

"I have! I just finished taking care of the registration matters!"

Cui Jun's eyes brightened, and he chuckled, "In that case, Sect Leader Ye, the matters concerning your Mount Shu sect must also be resolved!"

Seeing Cui Jun's knowing expression, Ye Wen inwardly cursed, Old fox! before replying, "Indeed, thanks to the Pure Origin Miraculous Dao True Lord, this matter was resolved so easily, without causing any disturbances!"

"True Lord, you say?" Cui Jun smiled. "King Renyou does indeed possess that capability. With your Mount Shu sect now under the True Lord's jurisdiction, your future prospects are surely boundless!"

After exchanging pleasantries and idle talk for a while, the conversation finally shifted to the main point: "I wonder, Sect Leader Ye, what brings you to my Tianji Sect?"

Cui Jun appeared quite serious and solemn during this exchange. Ye Wen assumed this was his demeanor when not drinking, but the very next sentence betrayed him. He asked directly, "Perhaps Sect Leader Ye has finally decided and is willing to learn this Immortal’s Seven Gourd Secrets?"

Ye Wen was about to speak but was so taken aback by the Gourd Immortal's question that he nearly slid off his chair. He could only force a wry laugh, thinking, This old man hasn't forgotten that yet?

Truthfully, he held some interest in the Seven Gourd Secrets, but he absolutely did not wish to take this man as his master. He was already the head of a sect; why would he abandon his top position just to gain a 'father'?

"No, I came here today because I wish to borrow a few individuals from you, Senior!"

"Borrow people?" Cui Jun looked perplexed. He had visited Mount Shu before. Although its strength wasn't exceptional, it had numerous disciples; they weren't lacking in manpower. Could it be that he wanted to borrow people with specialized abilities? "What kind of people do you need?"

"Those skilled in refining elixirs and forging magical artifacts!"

Cui Jun paused. He hadn't expected Ye Wen to ask for such personnel. Didn't Ye Wen realize that such talents were treasured and protected by every sect? How could they possibly be lent out?

Noticing Cui Jun's strange expression, Ye Wen immediately grasped his misunderstanding. He had anticipated this situation; after all, magical artifacts and elixirs were of great use to all sects, and cultivating such talent was difficult, meaning once acquired, they would be guarded meticulously. It wasn't just that they wouldn't lend them to outsiders; even when outsiders inquired, they had to be questioned cautiously about their intentions before any danger was deemed absent.

However, Ye Wen was not someone who would approach such matters rashly. He wasn't seeking grandmasters with formidable power; he only wanted to borrow a few individuals capable of initiating instruction—that is, the most basic disciples, perhaps even apprentices.

Once Ye Wen stated his requirements, Cui Jun’s expression normalized, and a smile returned. He even patted his chest, assuring him, "That is an easy matter!"

But the following sentence caused Ye Wen some frustration. Cui Jun picked up his tea, adopting the posture of a businessman: "However, I wonder what price your sect is prepared to pay to borrow these talents?"

"Ah?"

Cui Jun laughed, "Sect Leader Ye doesn't think that people from our Tianji Sect can just be borrowed freely, does he? In fact, requests like Sect Leader Ye's have occurred countless times over the millennia. Many sects, lacking certain personnel during their initial establishment, approach my Tianji Sect seeking 'technical guidance!' And the disciples sent out require 'service fees'!"

Ye Wen nearly spat blood upon hearing this. He realized the Tianji Sect had long established this 'business,' and it was quite prosperous, even utilizing professional terms like 'technical guidance.'

He could accept this situation; it was only fair that there must be payment for receiving benefits. The problem was that he had no idea what the circulating currency was in the Immortal Realm. Was it the legendary spirit stones? If so, his Mount Shu sect didn't just lack them; they had never even seen them.

Cui Jun seemed to have considered Mount Shu’s situation and directly stated, "I imagine Sect Leader Ye has only recently arrived in the Immortal Realm and is unfamiliar with trading practices here. Let this Immortal explain these matters to you first!"

He then explained the situation in detail. Ye Wen learned that in the Immortal Realm, there were still secular and immortal cultivation divisions. Secular people lived much like in the society he had previously known, with a ruling class whose influence, however, was relatively diminished. Furthermore, currency circulated in the secular world, primarily gold, silver, and bronze.

Generally speaking, it was not much different from an ancient dynasty. Specific details weren't necessary, but bartering remained a common method of exchange in this world.

For cultivators, the primary method of transaction was bartering. For example, if someone came to the Tianji Sect wanting to purchase a magical artifact, that cultivator would be responsible for supplying all the materials required for the artifact, plus an additional offering to acquire it.

Moreover, the volume of materials they offered would undoubtedly exceed what the artifact itself required. This was unavoidable because artifacts and elixirs could not be guaranteed to be produced simply by having the necessary materials; there was always a significant chance of failure. Thus, the purchase value of a fine artifact might be several times the cost of its constituent materials.

For instance, a flying sword might require approximately one hundred various raw materials to forge, but when sold, the price might demand three hundred, five hundred, or even a thousand units of those raw materials, all due to the failure rate.

Yet, even so, it did not deter prospective buyers, as most of these individuals, even if they possessed the materials, could not forge the artifacts themselves, and even if they managed to craft one, the quality likely wouldn't match that of the Tianji Sect.

The Tianji Sect had grown powerful by engaging in exactly this sort of commerce. Similarly, those wishing to rent disciples from the Tianji Sect to provide guidance in their own sects also needed to offer certain resources.

These resources could be elixirs, magical artifacts, or, most commonly, various raw materials. The value required depended on the ability of the borrowed disciples—naturally, those with higher capabilities demanded more precious offerings.

Generally, these resources would be used by the borrowed disciple for their future cultivation. If it were elixirs, they would be kept for the disciple's use; if artifacts, they would go to the disciple, or the disciple could trade the artifact for a different artifact of the same quality that they needed more urgently within their sect. The Tianji Sect used this method of allowing disciples to earn 'extra income' to ensure their cultivation progressed, only taking a symbolic fraction for themselves.

"This Tianji Sect... it’s running like a Ministry of Commerce!"

Ye Wen couldn't fathom how the Tianji Sect had developed into what it was now. Could he only sigh, "Never underestimate the wisdom of so-called 'ancients'?"

Having grasped the world's 'trading methods,' Ye Wen was troubled by the fact that Mount Shu was currently genuinely destitute, possessing nothing. Would this endeavor have to be abandoned today?

Of course, there was still another option: seeking out Yang Jian and asking him to cover these 'rental fees.' Yang Jian surely wouldn't be stingy with such trifles, especially since Ye Wen was only requesting a few relatively ordinary apprentice disciples.

Cui Jun smiled: "Of course, if Sect Leader Ye is willing to join my lineage, then we are family. Regarding sending people... forget sending people, this Immortal could personally come to provide guidance for three to five hundred years if necessary!"

"Hmph!" Ye Wen spat inwardly, thinking, You old immortal, you were waiting for me here! The more you act like this, the less I respect you!

After much contemplation, a flash of inspiration struck Ye Wen. He thought, How could I be so foolish? Didn't I just want to sell some rare items earlier? The concept behind those rare items can certainly be used for trade too!

His thoughts shifting, he casually withdrew an object from his ring and held it up for Cui Jun to examine: "Senior, what do you think of this item?"

Cui Jun glanced at it, his eyes blinking rapidly, before suddenly exclaiming in astonishment, "A hand cannon?"

What Ye Wen held was the Beretta handgun. He had kept this item in his ring as a collectible, later deciding to use it to trade for something novel.

"Yes, a handgun!"

Cui Jun was a man of understanding; he had visited Earth decades ago and was familiar with many things from that world. Although he had never seen a handgun in person, he had witnessed its power on television.

"This thing is fine for dealing with ordinary people, but against those of the immortal path... Wait? Are those formation talismans carved onto this gun?"

Cui Jun was clearly knowledgeable and quickly noticed the difference. With a casual wave, the handgun was enveloped by a soft burst of energy and floated into Cui Jun’s hand.

Ye Wen made no move to stop him, just sitting there with a placid smile as Cui Jun took the handgun. After closing his eyes to feel it for a moment, Cui Jun’s hands moved with a speed barely visible, leaving only a blur of afterimages, dismantling the Beretta into its components—it turned out he was using his divine sense to probe the structure, allowing him to take it apart at maximum speed.

Finally, Cui Jun held the long, slender barrel and the yellowish-orange bullet, examining them closely. As he looked, he sneered, "Who made this? These formation talismans are quite crude and simple. If this Immortal were to do it..." At this point, Cui Jun fully grasped Ye Wen's intent. The items held by Mount Shu sect could indeed be improved and transformed into artifacts more suitable for use by denizens of the Immortal Realm—most crucially, these items were extremely convenient to use, unlike ordinary magical artifacts which often required extensive refinement before they could be wielded smoothly.

Seeing that Cui Jun understood, Ye Wen smiled, "My sect possesses many items of even greater power that can also be fashioned into superior magical artifacts. There are even several items that could be made into mounts or similar devices. However, our sect lacks the talent knowledgeable in formations and talismans suitable for the Immortal Realm..."

Cui Jun's eyes darted around, realizing the significant opportunity contained within. After a moment of thought, he suddenly declared, "If Sect Leader Ye has this intention, this Immortal will make a trip to your Mount Shu sect!"

"Ah?" Ye Wen had no desire to invite this great immortal to his own mountain gate. With just those few trinkets, if Cui Jun saw them, wouldn't he instantly glean all the secrets? Then what use would Mount Shu have? "This... we only need a few disciples who can teach the basics!"

Cui Jun smiled, "Sect Leader Ye need not worry; this Immortal's moral character is quite firm. I certainly won't do anything to cause Sect Leader Ye distress! However, in the future, if Sect Leader Ye wishes to open a shop to sell similar items, I hope your sect can place that shop..."

Ye Wen nodded, as that was precisely what he intended: "It will certainly be opened within your esteemed sect!"

After all, the Tianji Sect was situated centrally, serving as a hub with convenient access everywhere. More importantly, people from all sects were already accustomed to purchasing goods at the Tianji Sect. Changing that habit would take time. Thus, Ye Wen leaned toward establishing the business at the Tianji Sect, earning resources to facilitate cultivation advantages for his Mount Shu sect.

"Very well, it is settled then. Sect Leader Ye, you shall rest here for a day while I arrange for a few disciples to accompany me to your sect!"

Teaching Mount Shu disciples how to refine elixirs and forge artifacts naturally didn't require Cui Jun’s personal attention. What he needed to focus on was how to transform the items Mount Shu possessed into artifacts better suited for the Immortal Realm, preferably with more diverse functions, as the current uses of these items were too singular.

As for the item Ye Wen mentioned that could be made into a mount, Cui Jun had already guessed what it was, having visited Earth himself. "By the way, Sect Leader Ye, do you possess automobiles or airplanes?"

Ye Wen shrugged, "Actually, I have neither. But my sect does have a disciple quite proficient with these kinds of things!"

He was naturally referring to Zheng Ying. This disciple had previously worked for the state and needed to learn multiple skills. Furthermore, while in secluded cultivation in the Changbai Immortal Realm, Zheng Ying, out of boredom and to meet the needs of the group, had studied a great deal of related knowledge. He even possessed many relevant books and had collected blueprints for World War II-era warships.

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