Opportunity knocks only once!
Miss it, and it never comes again!
If I don't make a killing while I can, how could I ever face myself?
Feng Xi held his head high, golden light flickering in his eyes.
That golden light wasn't from money... Was he really such a shallow and greedy person?
The golden light was there because this was hope—the hope of a career!
People don't get rich without windfalls, and horses don't grow fat without night fodder... How could relying on a fixed salary from the Witch Clan, with the occasional performance bonus, support my cultivation's explosive progress?
Only through the business of buying low and selling high, making ten times my money on every deal, can I achieve a glorious transformation!
Besides, this is a heaven-sent opportunity... Hundreds of thousands of transmigrator brothers who might have the same idea are now bound by their work responsibilities, forced to stay honestly in the camps prepared for them at Phoenix Perch Mountain.
The Great Witches and Ancestral Witches have to negotiate with the two Demon Emperors, and they look down on these scattered profits anyway.
At this moment, I'm the only one wandering outside... This is a magnificent opportunity granted to me by Heaven!
If Heaven grants you an opportunity and you don't take it, you'll suffer for it; if the right time comes and you don't welcome it, disaster will follow!
Feng Xi looked righteous and awe-inspiring as he found himself every reason he needed to do this.
While chatting with Little Peacock, he began calculating in his heart.
The perfect opportunity had arrived. Making money would not be difficult.
But making big money?
That would be a little harder.
After all, how much could Feng Xi's belongings be worth?
Although he possessed Golden Immortal cultivation and could claim a region of mountains and rivers in the vast Primordial World, ruling it as its king—
Don't be fooled by the fact that Golden Immortals were everywhere in the Witch Clan. That was the Witch Clan!
It was an supreme great clan that could challenge the countless races of the Primordial World with the strength of a single clan!
Outside, in the vast world, when factors such as educational resources, racial talent, and incomplete inheritances were taken into account, a Golden Immortal was already a regional expert.
Moreover, most of these Golden Immortals had been ground down by time. They were nowhere near as powerful as Golden Immortals who had received teachings from a Great Luo behind them—the difference was practically worlds apart.
Orthodox paths and unorthodox paths... They looked like two simple terms, but who could know how much bitterness lay behind them?
Still, no matter how formidable his strength was, even if Feng Xi went outside, he would have no problem defeating a hundred of those crooked, pathetic Golden Immortals on the ground by himself.
Unfortunately, his short cultivation time and limited accumulation of resources meant that although he had some spare cash in his pocket, it was nothing in Phoenix Perch Mountain.
The Phoenix Clan had also experienced an entire epoch of development. At its peak, it had even enjoyed the nourishment of resources from nearly half of the Primordial World. Even in decline, it still had some wealth left.
Furthermore, the development of its two pillar industries had attracted many experts from the Outside World, including no shortage of divine Dao Lineages... The circulation and absorption of resources brought in enough income every minute to terrify countless people.
A Golden Immortal, even with connections and access, could only scrape a modest benefit from it.
He could make a little money, but big money... Feng Xi did not even have the capital to make a fuss.
Still, it doesn't matter.
He rubbed his chin, his gaze drifting slightly. If there's money to be made, everyone can make it together.
Many hands make light work... How can one person fighting alone compare with a collective effort?
Besides, eating alone... Once people find out, it's easy to become a public enemy!
As Feng Xi mulled it over, he touched the communication device on his body and typed in some messages.
"As the saying goes, good fortune should be shared, and hardships endured together!"
"Your brother here has found a way to make a fortune. Are you willing to do it?"
"If you aren't, just ignore this."
"If you are, send me a 6!"
Once the message was edited, Feng Xi calmly sent it out to several hundred thousand people at once.
The targets?
Naturally, the soldiers in the diplomatic delegation who were responsible for ceremonial duties!
Feng Xi had set his sights on them.
The wealth of one Golden Immortal was indeed nothing much.
But what about several hundred thousand Golden Immortals?
That would be a qualitative change!
How could the profits from a small business compare with the returns from making it bigger and stronger?
Even if he had to divide the profits among many people in the end.
"Brother Feng, you're incredible!"
"Take your brothers with you and lead us to wealth... Old Feng, you're a good man!"
"I was just worrying about how to enter the treasure mountain without returning empty-handed... Who would've thought that you, with those thick brows and big eyes, would find an opportunity to become a purchasing agent so quickly?"
For a moment, the messages in the group exploded in number.
Every witch was intensely interested in the matter and willing to participate... If they could earn some extra windfall money, why wouldn't they?
Feng Xi forcibly suppressed the laughter in his heart—Kong Xuan was still beside him, so he had to be more reserved in front of an outsider.
He promptly sent the cooperation plan he had devised into the group, detailing the method of dividing the profits.
Even if they were friends, let alone sworn brothers, the accounts still had to be settled clearly.
In the plan, Feng Xi emphasized that he would be taking a cut of the final profits!
He wanted ten percent of the net profit!
That was already very conscientious... For a business guaranteed to yield ten or even dozens of times its principal, taking ten percent of the profits was not excessive in the slightest.
"After all, I was the one who found the connections, and I was the one who gathered the information... I made all these crucial arrangements myself. Isn't ten percent of the profits reasonable?"
Feng Xi explained in detail, "It's only because we're all future comrades-in-arms and fellow clansmen that I'm offering such a low percentage."
"Otherwise, I could just lend money to you according to the loan terms used by the Witch Clan's internal financial allocation department, then have you repay a little extra interest afterward..."
"How much interest would that be... Nine or ten percent of the principal every hundred years?"
"Even if that interest doubled, what would it matter?" Feng Xi said earnestly. "Your brother here is bringing you all along to make a fortune!"
"Hahaha... Thanks, Old Feng!" many people replied. "It's only natural for you to take ten percent of the profits... We'll gather the funds and resources right away. Come over and collect them when you're ready!"
Feng Xi put down the communicator.
Perfect!
With immense satisfaction, he sighed inwardly. He felt that the road ahead of him had become much smoother.
Money?
He had plenty of it.
Taking ten percent of the profits from every person who invested... This meant that his capital had multiplied tens of thousands of times!
And besides these tangible gains, what was even more valuable was the potential value in the future.
By relying on profit, he had bound hundreds of thousands of members of the Witch Clan to himself, vaguely making himself their core.
These witches were all outstanding... If they were not outstanding, how could they have been selected as members of the ceremonial team accompanying the Ancestral Witches on their diplomatic visit?
The connections he established today could play a tremendous role in the future!
Feng Xi had not forgotten that this was the epoch of the Witch-Demon Cataclysm!
Sooner or later, he would have to take the battlefield... If he could not prove the Dao and become a player, but instead remained merely one soldier in the army, how could he survive to the end without quickly finding like-minded comrades to support him?
People died on battlefields!
Of everything under Heaven and Earth, his little life mattered most!
Feng Xi worked through his calculations, making comprehensive preparations for his future safety.
"Sigh... What a pity that this buying-low-and-selling-high business probably can't last too long." He sighed inwardly. "Once the Demon Clan officially establishes its rule and takes detailed control of every mountain and river, this business of mine will more or less go under."
Feng Xi saw the situation clearly.
The only reason this could work and make money now was that the situation under Heaven and Earth remained chaotic, and the Demon Clan had yet to unify everything.
With no powerful ruler above to maintain a stable order, countless divine kingdoms had risen across the mountains and rivers, warring with one another... Traveling outside was anything but safe.
Anyone who wanted to do business needed a certain level of cultivation... Otherwise, they might be robbed halfway and not even know who had done it.
How could anyone do business under those circumstances?
Goods worth one coin would ultimately sell for a hundred or a thousand coins in a distant place, with seventy percent of the price consisting of an additional fee for road safety!
Did bodyguards come free?
When goods were lost, didn't their cost have to be recovered by raising the price of the next shipment?
Once everything was added up, if you did not sell the goods for dozens or hundreds of times the principal, could there be any profit?
Feng Xi dared to do this business and guarantee huge profits entirely because he had the strength behind him—the diplomatic delegation of the Witch Clan. Which blind fool would dare stop them?
Anyone who dared block them would be killed!
However, once the Demon Clan's Heavenly Court was established and swept away all opposition apart from the Witch Clan, forcefully eliminating the many bandits and highway robbers, the gap between the principal and the selling price would absolutely shrink.
Moreover, one thing was certain to happen: As time passed, the Demon Clan's commodity trade would develop into direct connections between product manufacturers and individual consumers, dealing a devastating blow to middlemen who profited from price differences!
Part of the meaning of commerce is circulation, and the better allocation of resources...
The more mature and advanced a civilization becomes, the more it must possess corresponding methods of allocating resources...
The Primordial World... is a Cultivation Civilization, but it is still a civilization!
With Great Luo existences who transcend space-time, whether it is building teleportation technology spanning vast distances or establishing information exchanges reaching every corner of the Primordial World, neither would pose any problem.
The technology exists. As for the idea of connecting manufacturers and consumers...
Feng Xi wanted to cover his face.
Even if they hadn't thought of it at first, as they traveled through Endless Space-time, what novel ideas could they fail to encounter?
Borrow the idea and use it directly... Is that difficult?
Great Luo—the ultimate form of a transmigrator!
Where did transmigrators have an advantage over natives?
In novel ideas, and in a mature and complete worldview.
They stood on the shoulders of a civilization.
Much knowledge and many ideas were the shining points of that civilization, which they could draw upon to accomplish themselves.
And Great Luo stood on the shoulders of all civilizations!
In the Primordial World... pure creativity is actually no longer very useful.
Yes, your idea was great... So, I will borrow it.
And then...
Rely on my immense scale to crush you into dust!
Every Great Luo was a colossal predator.
They harvested the creativity and wisdom of countless living beings to accomplish themselves.
If the Primordial World were a game—
Then it would definitely be a terrible game.
Without spending money, and without powerful capital backing you...
No matter how flashy your skills were, someone would still slap you flat on the ground.
Feng Xi had seen through the essence of the Primordial World: Great Luo were the players!
Thus, he also understood that the buying-low-and-selling-high business could only exist for a while. It was fine for making quick money, but relying on it to eat until the end of time... was impossible.
The most useful thing is still the network of contacts I've built here... It will be much easier to transition into something else in the future.
Feng Xi calmly considered the matter, thinking over his specific action plan.
Just then, Kong Xuan, who had been constantly questioned and ordered around as a tour guide, finally found an opportunity to ask him a question in return.
"Can you tell me what the world outside is like?"
Little Peacock widened his eyes. "I don't know much... I want to hear your perspective. I hope it will help with what I'm about to do."
"The world outside?" Feng Xi smacked his lips. "It's huge!"
"There are all kinds of races living there, in every shape and form... Every kind of personality can be found among its living beings."
"If you want me to classify them in general terms... that's a little difficult." Feng Xi scratched his head. "Right, what are you going to do next? Give me a general direction, so I can offer you some advice."
"Oh, right..." Kong Xuan thought for a moment. "One of my uncles suggested that I serve for a while as the chief administrator of the 129,600 external marketplaces in District Jia-Shen of the Phoenix Perch Mountain Range..."
"He said that as the second-generation heir of the Phoenix Lineage, although I was newly born, I couldn't afford to neglect my education in these areas..."
The corner of Feng Xi's mouth twitched once, then again...
All right. He was sure now.
Little Peacock, you and I really have nothing in common.
Back then, the largest team I ever led had only nine people under me.
Yet those nine bastards...
They were all dead weight!
If the Ancestral Witch hadn't seen through everything, I might have been sold off without even realizing it.
Feng Xi stammered, ultimately managing only to offer some advice. "If you're going to do that... then you'll need to find some reliable people to help you."
"You don't need to handle every detail personally, but you do need people you can genuinely trust."
"I imagine that as the son of the Phoenix, with your noble status, you should have some, right?"
He threw out a few things that sounded useful but were mostly meant to fob Kong Xuan off... Yet Kong Xuan listened with great interest.
"Is the world outside Phoenix Perch Mountain interesting?" Kong Xuan asked. "I haven't really gone out before..."
"From the rumors I've heard, the outside seems terribly chaotic?"
"Outside Phoenix Perch Mountain? There are grudges and vendettas, life and death in endless uncertainty..." Feng Xi smiled. "As long as you don't die on a journey outside, you'll be able to experience all kinds of lives."
"You can see cunning races, and you can also meet honest, simple-hearted beings... The myriad forms of the mortal world are like an illusory, bewildering dream."
"Only by entering it personally, savoring it, and comprehending it can you gain anything."
"By taking part in it, you can stand aside and watch coldly as people suffer and stumble... Or you can personally get involved, pluck the strings of other people's fates, and experience the fickleness and unpredictability of destiny, where anything is possible..."
"For example, rescuing some lost and distressed young ladies... and so on and so forth. Those are all very interesting things!"
A smile Kong Xuan did not understand hung on Feng Xi's face as he adjusted the Soaring Snake at his waist.
Before you continue