Zhou Xuan opened his eyes.
The ice plain outside the Flying Boat's windows had fallen far behind, and a gray-brown wasteland came into view. In another four hours, the outline of Jade Dragon City should appear.
Zhou Xuan did not smile.
He simply felt that this deal was all profit and no risk.
The Central Province Immortal Alliance possessed seventy-two Immortal Veins, had more than a dozen Longevity Realm powerhouses under its command, and boasted mountains of resources and a thousand years of accumulated strength.
They regarded the Northern Lands as ants, not even caring whether their discarded pawn Zhao Ji lived or died.
They were willing to trade Immortal Vein Ore and a Spirit Transformation Pill Formula for two stones.
Then he would trade.
Zhou Xuan calculated silently.
In the first year, he would exchange Crystal for minerals and the Pill Formula. In the second, he would use the minerals to nourish the Northern Lands' cultivators. In the third, he would use the Pill Formula to boost their upper-tier fighting strength.
Within ten years, he would cart away Central Province's scraps bit by bit and feed the Northern Lands until they were full.
Once he someday stepped beyond Spirit Transformation and gained the ability to touch Law and reshape rules, he would look back at those Immortal Veins in Central Province whose depletion had accelerated because of their Crystal research.
He would not need to lift a finger.
He would simply wait until they rotted through, then go collect them.
The Flying Boat suddenly jolted. The warning spirit stone glowed green; they were about to enter Jade Dragon City's detection range.
Zhou Xuan put his thoughts aside and slipped the Contract Seal back into his sleeve.
He reined in his aura.
The Flying Boat landed on a concealed docking