"Brother Cha has given me this item; I wonder what his intention is?" Setting the jade slip down, Zong Shou looked back with considerable curiosity. He was indeed puzzled, and memories of his exchange with Cha Houhu upon leaving the Yuanlian Realm surfaced in his mind. The great tribulation of the Asura race? Was this Shi Yue truly such a source of dread for him?

"I merely wished to remind Brother Zong that time waits for no one. If you do not catch up now, I fear it will be too late." Cha Houhu explained with a faint smile, then continued, "I wonder if Your Majesty's return this time is to completely swallow the Yuanlian World? Or perhaps you have other designs? If so, this Cha might offer a little more assistance."

Zong Shou, of course, could not reveal that he intended not only to swallow the Yuanlian World but also to seize control of the surrounding realms. No matter how much trust he placed in Cha Houhu, such words were not to be spoken. As the saying goes: a ruler who is not discreet loses their kingdom; a minister who is not discreet loses their life. Until everything was settled, he was unwilling to share his ambitions with anyone. He was, however, quite interested in the 'assistance' Cha Houhu mentioned.

"Whether or not the Yuanlian World is taken remains to be determined; it depends on the developing situation. But if I said I intended to, I wonder how Brother Cha would aid me?" Cha Houhu seemed unsurprised by Zong Shou's ambiguous probing. With a wave of his hand, a ball of spiritual light gathered, condensing into characters in mid-air. These tiny characters, arranged line by line, stretched an astonishing three zhang long.

"My Asura clan has dominated this domain for decades. We may not compare to the Lu family of Fenkong, but we possess considerable wealth and resources. The treasures hidden within the clan are inexhaustible. The items listed below should all be beneficial to Brother Zong. However, these things are not obtained for free. If Brother Zong desires them, commensurate items must be exchanged." He then smiled slyly, "Brother Zong should have profited immensely from slaying those five Formless God-Demons just now? Be it spirit stones, treasures, elixirs, or talismans, they can all be exchanged at fair value here. Those five Shadow Demon Core Pellets alone could fetch at least three thousand low-grade Immortal Stones. The prices are absolutely fair; I will not deceive Brother Zong—"

Zong Shou did not reply. His gaze was fixed on the lists Cha Houhu had presented. Truly, everything was available, from Daoist weapons and armor to elixirs, and various array artifacts and spirit treasures. Even different cultivation methods were included. He sighed inwardly; there was indeed no such thing as taking a benefit for nothing. However, watching Cha Houhu operate, he seemed more like a merchant than one of the Asura he had imagined. Reading through the columns, Zong Shou’s mind raced, and he felt a genuine inclination.

The five Shadow Demon Core Pellets were needed by Xiao Jin and could not be sold. But he did indeed possess quite a few items in his hands currently. He did not have many spirit or immortal stones, but the spoils left by Lu Tianqing and the five Formless God-Demons—various rare materials, spirit artifacts, and elixirs—were substantial. Furthermore, he had gathered considerable amounts in the Cangling World. After selecting a portion of the finest items for those close to him, the vast majority were useless to him. Instead of finding a market to sell them himself later, it was better to exchange them here with Cha Houhu, as he would need them soon enough.

The list contained tens of thousands of types of materials alone. Zong Shou spotted dozens of rare spirit herbs and items that could aid in refining the Source Sea Demon Slayers. He could easily gather nearly a thousand sets of materials. This alone made it impossible for him to refuse. The corresponding prices next to the list were indeed quite fair. Many items were slightly overpriced, but at this moment, near the Yuanlian Realm, these items were nowhere to be bought. Cha Houhu was not being entirely predatory.

After a moment of deep thought, Zong Shou no longer hesitated. He brought out several immortal treasures he wouldn't use—seven in total—followed by over sixty magical treasures. The remaining rare materials varied in grade but numbered over a thousand. Cha Houhu watched quietly, his expression showing considerable surprise.

"Brother Zong is truly wealthy; this exceeds my expectations." After a brief deliberation and careful calculation, he spoke again, "I can value these items at thirteen thousand two hundred low-grade Immortal Stones. Does Brother Zong find this satisfactory?"

Zong Shou’s lips twitched; this was equivalent to the price of only twenty-one early-stage Divine Realm Shadow Demon Core Pellets. Yet, he knew Cha Houhu hadn't drastically suppressed the price. His own estimate was similar, only slightly higher by a thousand stones. Nodding slightly, Zong Shou pointed a finger, condensing spiritual light into text and pulling it towards himself. He then added the quantity after the price.

A strange light flashed in Cha Houhu's eyes again: "What Brother Zong has selected seems mostly to be materials for refining Heavenly-grade Dao Soldiers?"

Zong Shou ignored him, stopping only after selecting two hundred sets of medicinal ingredients. These items were estimated to be worth about three thousand low-grade Immortal Stones. He could perhaps negotiate the price down slightly later. Additionally, there were one hundred and eighty sets of Heavenly-grade Dao Soldier swords and robes suitable for immediate use. These did not require further refinement; the Asura clan had ready stock. Although not of the highest grade, they were uniform in specification and compatible with the Grand Supreme Demon Slaying Sword Array. They were estimated at around five thousand low-grade Immortal Stones.

Then, his gaze settled upon the various types of Daoist armor and weaponry. They were dazzling and varied, but they were not what he needed—

After pondering a moment, Zong Shou probed tentatively again. "I require some Profound and Yellow-tier Daoist armor and weaponry. Can they be custom-ordered? And how long would it take?"

The core of Heaven and Earth-tier Dao Soldiers lies in their cultivation method, but for Profound and Yellow-tier, a significant portion lies in the armor and weapons, in addition to auxiliary cultivation techniques. Having obtained the bloodline inheritance of the Fenkong Lu family, at least a quarter of the inherited memories related to warfare. The Daoist soldier types numbered nearly a hundred, enough to perfect the equipment for his Black Fox Iron Cavalry. Even the Yellow-tier Dao Soldiers, the Heavenly Gang Sword Soldiers and Heavenly Gang Scarlet Crossbowmen—once renowned throughout the Qin Dynasty—could see significant augmentation.

As far as he knew, among the several hundred thousand people he brought to the Yuanlian World in recent years, as many as sixty thousand had reached the Fourth Rank, nurtured by the abundant spiritual energy of the Yuanlian Realm. The Grand Qian generals who followed Zong Shou also had long-term plans. They had long since trained these Fourth Rank Martial Cultivators and Spirit Masters.

In the Yuanlian World under his rule—the eight kingdoms—since the martial prohibition was lifted, many individuals with outstanding talent had also advanced successively. The combined total of these two groups could reach eighty thousand— If these forces were unified, they would be formidable enough to inspire awe. What they lacked was a set of standardized armor and weaponry, along with the auxiliary Dao Soldier cultivation methods he had revised. He had brought many materials back this time, but refining them himself would be a protracted affair.

"Custom orders? Yes, custom orders are possible!" Cha Houhu sounded uncertain upon hearing this. "This depends on the materials required for the weapons and armor Your Majesty wishes to order. If the materials are complete, forging a set of Profound-tier Dao Soldier armor should take no more than ten days."

Ten days? Zong Shou was momentarily stunned, finding it hard to believe his ears. But then he saw the completely serious expression on Cha Houhu’s face. He immediately gathered spiritual light and listed the items, even including several structural diagrams for the armor and weapons. Only the key components were missing—these were the secrets at the core of the Dao Soldiers, which had to be forged by himself, no matter how difficult, and could not be outsourced.

Cha Houhu glanced at the diagrams and nodded: "There is nothing missing that our clan lacks. However, your armor and weapons are quite exquisite; this will require half a month! If the number of Profound-tier sets does not exceed fifty thousand, we can deliver them within a month at most. For Yellow-tier, there is no limit—"

Half a month? Zong Shou felt as if he were hearing celestial music. If they could be delivered within a month, he would gladly delay the battle against the Jiudu Immortal Court even longer! A chill ran down his spine. Was this the war potential of the Asura race? If the Asura clan was like this, what would the Fenkong Lu family, which controlled eight hundred worlds, be like?

Taking a deep breath, Zong Shou directly wrote the number fifteen thousand after the Black Fox Armor, which naturally included a complete set of weaponry, horse armor, and mounts. As for the Heavenly Gang Sword Soldiers and Heavenly Gang Scarlet Crossbowmen, the Great Qian had previously used simplified versions. Fourth Rank Martial Cultivators were now sufficient for their needs, so Zong Shou immediately ordered sixty thousand complete sets of custom equipment. However, just these items consumed approximately three thousand low-grade Immortal Stones. He now had only a little over a thousand low-grade Immortal Stones remaining. He couldn't buy many good things with that, so he casually scooped up some common elixirs, preparing to purchase them. They were low-grade but numbered in the millions.

The Dragon Newt Blood Essence Pills that Xuan Yuan Yiren relied on were of great benefit to the Great Qian in the past. But with the rapid increase in cultivators under his rule, they were gradually becoming insufficient. The spiritual newt's blood was not infinite, and Ao Kun could not provide blood constantly. Thus, six months prior, the supply of Dragon Newt Blood Essence Pills had ceased. Only a small portion was refined annually for rewards. However, Zong Shou’s Great Qian Immortal Dynasty now needed to supply elixirs to these newly ascended cultivators every year. Unfortunately, the alchemists within the country had not fully matured, and most relied on external procurement.

With everything settled, Zong Shou was about to conclude the transaction, but then he heard Cha Houhu laugh again: "I almost forgot to mention, my clan can actually offer loans. Up to sixty thousand low-grade Immortal Stones, with an interest rate of fifty percent per month, compounded monthly—"

Zong Shou had been ready to stop, but upon hearing this, a wave of tightness hit his chest. Fifty percent monthly interest? How could this man even propose such a thing! After one month, sixty thousand Immortal Stones would require repayment of a staggering ninety thousand! However, after careful consideration, Zong Shou did not immediately refuse. With these finalized armaments, he now had at least a seventy percent chance of severely damaging the Jiudu Immortal Court, and the other several factions would also suffer significant losses. At that point, no matter how large the debt, he should be able to repay it!

Continuing to browse, Zong Shou’s gaze fixed upon the words 'Taiyi Divine Thunder Ship.' It was a type of aerial vessel, far superior to the airships under his command currently. It contained eighteen Spirit-Martial Taiyi Divine Thunder Towers and was a vessel truly capable of contending with Immortal-tier cultivators. It was rumored that one ship could match a peak Immortal expert, and ten ships together could neutralize even a Divine Realm cultivator. However, the price was shocking: a staggering three thousand low-grade Immortal Stones—