Chapter 116 – Maddening Materials
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Body inscription was a type of inscription drawn onto the body. It was able to increase a martial artist’s cultivation speed or enhance their battle prowess.
As with objection inscription symbols, there was a limit to how many could be placed. The amount differed depending on the grade of the body inscription symbol as well as the physical condition of the martial artist. For body inscription symbols, the most one could draw were about four or five.
With his match against Zhang Guanyu approaching in four months, he had to draw up a body inscription symbol within a month in order to display its greatest effects, otherwise the quality of the effect would be lessened, or it might even be a complete waste of time!
However, to draw up a body inscription symbol in a month was as difficult as ascending to heaven!
Although Lin Ming had the memories of the soul fragment, in order to successfully create one, it would still take a long time and also use up a massive amount of rare and precious materials in order to practice!
Practicing it was simple. What was difficult was finding a way to collect all of the incomparably rare and precious materials that were needed for the body inscription symbol. The degree to which these materials were rare and precious caused Lin Ming to shudder in fear!
In the elder’s memory, of the simplest body inscriptions, there were two. One was the Essence Gathering Symbol which could increase the speed of cultivation, and the other was the Strife Seal which could increase a martial artist’s combat prowess.
However, even if it were these two simplest body inscription symbols, the list of materials that needed to be used would make anyone go nuts!
Just the fifth level vicious beast blood, a single tael of this precious fluid would cost 30,000 gold taels. Lin Ming needed to buy 2 taels, which would mean 60,000 gold taels. And not only that, but it simply wasn’t something that could be bought by just anyone.
In the Sky Fortune Kingdom, there was no one who was able to match up against a fifth level vicious beast. For a fifth level vicious beast, perhaps only a peak Houtian master would be barely able to deal with it!
These kinds of martial artists usually came from a large sect or an aristocratic martial cultivation family. The blood of a fifth level vicious beast would only flow out from a large sect and then into the smaller countries. To these small countries, its price would be frighteningly astronomical.
Then there was Star Obsidian. This material came from a meteorite that fell from the sky. The high temperature in the atmosphere would condense. This iron essence could only be naturally formed by the power of the heavens and earth, and beyond that, not every meteorite would have Star Obsidian. Only those meteorites that were above several thousand jins would possibly be able to produce 1 or 2 jins of Star Obsidian. The lowest market price of a single jin of obsidian was 150,000 gold taels!
And it was extremely difficult to find!
Fortunately, Lin Ming only needed two taels.
Lin Ming estimated that if everything was bought that the lowest market price, and he bought these materials whenever he could find them, then the total of these materials would need at least 300,000 taels. This was simply a dream within a dream!
Of the materials he needed, many were like the fifth level vicious beast blood and Star Obsidian. They just didn’t have a market price. So that meant that more gold would have to be spent. The amount he would need might even go up to 500,000, or even 700,000 wouldn’t be strange!
And even if he managed to somehow obtain 6 or 700,000 taels of gold, he would be incredibly lucky to obtain these materials in a couple of years. If his luck was garbage, then he might not be able to find these materials even if he looked for 10 years.
On the list of materials, the most basic ones would be considered precious valuables within Sky Fortune City’s Inscription Association!
And one also needed points from the Inscription Association in order to buy anything. The last time Lin Ming went there; he had already used up most of his points, and didn’t have many left. Without points, these so called ‘basic’ materials would not be sold at any price.
These would be the treasures of the Inscription Association.
Looking at the list gave Lin Ming a throbbing headache. It was simply impossible for him to find all of these; he could only rely on the Crown Prince.
This was one of the benefits of joining a major power. The Crown Prince’s subordinates were numerous, and they had wide channels and networks they could work through; they could do him a great favor in helping him.
Yet even if the Crown Prince made every effort, he would be limited in obtaining the materials.
Thinking of this, Lin Ming shook his head and ruefully smiled. “I joined the Crown Prince as one of his subordinates, and still haven’t done a single thing, yet I actually want to make a sudden demand to find such a large amount of materials. And these precious and rare materials can’t even be found in the city. Even if they were the relatively basic materials that I need, the Crown Prince would not be able to purchase them easily.”
Lin Ming knew that the Crown Prince was not wealthy. Even though the Crown Prince’s palace looked opulent and grand; the palace had to hire several hundred people and pay them for their work. There were also several other expenses. In addition to the banquet, the Crown Prince gave gifts, rewards, and other such expenditures in order to win over others and raise his own influence. The annual amount of money that he spent was probably around 2 to 300,000 gold taels.
For instance, when the Crown Prince had given Lin Ming a gift of more than 100 pure true essence stones, the cost of that had been several tens of thousands of gold tales. The manor that was situated near Sky Fortune City along with 100 acres of fertile farmland, servants, maids, and so forth would cost at least 100,000 gold taels. In addition, there was also the Purple Gold Flexible Armor; added up altogether, it must have been more than 300,000 gold taels!
Because the large expenditures, the economic situation of the Crown Prince might even be inferior to those famous inscription masters that had been working a long time. For example, Muyi, Wang Xuanji, and those kinds of people; they had a high income, and their spending was low. After amassing money for many years, they were overflowing with riches.
The Crown Prince used a very large amount of money. Depending on just his salary from the government, this would be utterly inadequate. The Crown Prince’s income mostly came from his estate, farms, and also stores.
The estate and paddies were things like the manor that had been bestowed upon Lin Ming. But as for shops, Lin Ming actually knew that the Crown Prince didn’t have many. This was because the biggest and busiest shops of Sky Fortune City were firmly grasped in the hands of the Allied Trade Association.
Compared to the Tenth Prince who constantly campaigned in all directions and plundered countless lands, the Crown Prince was very poor. Because he was poor, he could not win over others, and thus the Crown Prince’s influence was suppressed by the Tenth Prince.
“The cost of the all the gifts that the Crown Prince gifted me should total to around 300,000 gold taels. For the Crown Prince to suddenly hand so much over to me, he probably doesn’t have much money on hand at the moment. I just received so many gifts, yet now I also want materials; it just isn’t too appropriate. However, I have to ask for these materials; otherwise I will never be able to collect them on my own. Originally, finding the materials for the medicinal inscription symbol already took a very big effort on my part, and this body inscription symbol’s materials are much more precious. I just don’t have any way left but to ask the Crown Prince to help me find them. As for the money, I will find a solution… but first I should return the manor to the Crown Prince…”
“With the two body inscription symbols, the Essence Gathering Symbol and the Strife Seal, in addition to my ethereal martial intent, ‘Flow like Silk’ ability, and the ‘Chaotic Virtues Combat Meridians’, I will have the confidence to face Zhang Guanyu four months from now. But I’m not sure if I can reach Ling Sen in 6 months. This Ling Sen, the stronger I am, the more I can sense just how terrifying he actually is…”
“But provided that the Crown Prince can help me find the materials I need for the inscription symbol, there are certain materials I listed that might only be found in a sect. With just the Crown Prince’s connections, how many would I be able to find?”
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Inscription Association, Inscription Hall –
Lin Ming had just stepped into the Inscription Association and was immediately discovered by the young reception lady who had received him last time. The young lady’s eyes lit up, and she immediately put down the task she had been working on. She quickly walked over to Lin Ming, her breath somewhat rapid.
These days, there were many people in Sky Fortune City that knew the name Lin Ming. But although they were able to recognize Lin Ming’s name, and they didn’t know what he looked like. However, this young reception lady had once been responsible for Lin Ming’s inscription master examination and had his information. The Inscription Association of course knew that the dazzlingly bright star of Sky Fortune City and the number one genius of the Seven Profound Martial House was exactly the young man who had participated in the inscription master examination.
This was an amazing character!
“Mister Lin.” The young receptionist lady greeted with a sweet smile. She bent her small waist in a courtesy bow towards Lin Ming. Her beautiful figure combined with the secretary clothing had a flavorful appeal.
“Oh, it’s you. I’d like to speak to the association president.” Lin Ming said. He recognized this young reception lady.
“Very well. Please follow me.” The receptionist lady felt her palpitating heartbeat began to race. She was incomparably excited that Lin Ming had remembered her.
“Sorry for troubling you.”
“It is my honor to serve Mister Lin.” The young receptionist lady went straight to the inscription room. At this time every day, the association president would be at the inscription room. This was the time that he would teach his granddaughter. For Wang Xuanji, no matter how much time he spent on his martial arts cultivation or inscription technique, it would be difficult for him to have a breakthrough. Because of this, he had invested the majority of his efforts into his granddaughter.
The young receptionist lady opened the door to the inscription hall. This was the second time Lin Ming had been here. The first time was when he had taken his examination here.
At this moment, Wang Xuanji was sitting on a green jade platform. He was directing the fingers of a young girl at his side. This young girl was wearing the white robes of an inscription master. Her appearance was delicate, like fine, white dust. She was Wang Xuanji’s granddaughter, Wang Yuhan.
After Wang Xuanji noticed some people had arrived, he turned his head to look and was shocked.
“Mister Lin?”
“President Wang.” Lin Ming smiled and bowed in deference.
“Oh! Mister Lin is an infrequent visitor. It’s been a long time since you last came. I did not think that Mister Lin would not only be talented in inscription techniques, but also talented in martial arts! To be only 15 years old and be able to defeat the 32nd ranked disciple of the Seven Profound Martial House; your future is truly limitless!”
“President Wang praises me too much.” Lin Ming was not surprised that the Inscription Association was already aware of his situation.
Wang Yuhan also stopped her inscription technique that she was working on. She had a complicated look as she stared at Lin Ming. She was already extremely talented, with a fourth-grade martial talent and a fifth-grade soul talent. With this talent, her qualifications already surpassed that of Bai Jingyun and Murong Zi. In the aristocratic circles, those young juniors that wanted to marry Wang Yuhan were no less than those ardent fans of Bai Jingyun and Murong Zi.
But compared with this young man in her eyes, she simply felt too ashamed to even step out in public. The difference between her and Lin Ming’s inscription technique was already miles apart; it was simply comparing the Heavens to the Earth. She didn’t even want to think about the difference in their battle prowess. Wang Yuhan had devoted most of her energy into practicing inscription techniques, but in the martial arts aspect, she also only paid attention to cultivating. This was because inscription techniques required a deep amount of true essence, and therefore one had to have a high enough cultivation. As for fighting skills, Wang Yuhan knew nothing of those from the start. Let alone those monstrous geniuses of the Seven Profound Martial House, she would even lose to someone at the same cultivation level as her.
How the hell did this fellow practice? She had been practicing inscription techniques since she was 8 years old, and in her life she had always prioritized her cultivation and specialized in inscription techniques. Even if it was the monstrous talent Qin Xingxuan, she could compare with her in terms of inscription techniques. And recently she had progressed very fast; perhaps she might have even surpassed Qin Xingxuan.
But in contrast to this Lin Ming, Wang Yuhan was completely at a loss for words. Even if he started practicing inscription techniques from his mother’s womb, why would his level of skill be so bizarrely abnormal? She was still working hard at training the basics of finger movements, but he had already been able to use the ‘Bright Buddha Plucks the Lotus’.
“Mister Lin comes today, is there matter you need to discuss?”
As Wang Xuanji asked this, Lin Ming did feel somewhat embarrassed. For better or worse he was a registered inscription master of the Inscription Association. However, after registering and obtaining some materials, he hadn’t returned. And now that he finally came back, it was also for materials to use for inscription symbols.