Dao Discussion Card

My dream car was right in front of me, but I was out of money...

My heart suddenly sank.

There were no NPCs in the Mountain God Temple. The statue could speak, but it was more like an intelligent AI: it could handle requests, but not hold a conversation.

A row of little hammers sat on the Mountain God's offering table. The golden hammer at the top was used to rebuild a nest.

The other hammers, lined up beside it, could give the nest different effects by consuming different materials.

The first hammer could turn a nest that became fixed in place as soon as it was taken out into a movable nest.

But the Path Seeker would have to carry it around themselves. The modification required 150 of each of three basic materials...

Damn!

Zhu Jiusi suddenly jumped when he looked at the hammer.

Wasn't it 150 of each? People in the chat had been discussing it for days, and they'd all said it cost 150 of each. Why did his cost 250?!

He rose onto his hind legs, planted his front hooves against the statue's stone base, and glared up at the Mountain God.

"You look like an honest fellow, but you're stealing my materials?"

The statue had no intelligence, but it answered instinctively.

"Abandoning the old nest and building a new one requires 50 of each material. Modifying the new nest requires 150 of each material. Would you like to abandon your current nest?"

"No!"

Of course not!

There was no such thing as a free lunch! Especially in Journey Survival, where everything came with a clearly marked price.

If his nest required more materials to modify, that meant the results would be better. Last time, Zhu Jiusi had been human, pushing a wheelbarrow. He didn't know the going rate for demons.

There were three modification hammers in front of the statue. The basic modification allowed the nest to move.

But the nest would remain the same size, and there was no need to explain how exhausting it would be to move it.

The middle hammer required 350 of each material. It could turn a huge nest into something like a book box that could be carried on one's back. Set it down, and it would transform back into a proper nest.

The third hammer required 500 of each material, which didn't seem like much of an increase.

But the specific materials required depended on the nest.

The most important part of this modification was that it opened the path to upgrading the nest.

Only after all three modifications were complete could the nest begin to upgrade normally.

Human Path Seekers faced the same situation at the Land God Temple.

Zhu Jiusi picked up the third hammer, and the Scroll showed the special materials required.

Life Stone ×5

Zhu Jiusi grunted twice. He'd heard of the stuff, but never seen it. Last round, he'd been human and hadn't needed materials for Demon Cultivators.

But all special materials had to be obtained from Secret Realms—commonly known as dungeons!

There was no point thinking about the third modification before entering a dungeon.

But the first two only needed basic materials, so they had to be completed as soon as possible. Especially the first one, which turned a fixed nest into a movable one. That was the most basic modification, an absolute must.

Zhu Jiusi checked his inventory.

Stone ×20, Metal ×23, Wood ×28, Steamed Buns ×2, Mung Bean Cake ×5, Flatbreads ×10, Sliced Bread ×7, Sanitary Pads ×4, Basic Healing Pills ×2.

Zhu Jiusi could eat plant roots, and sometimes he even managed to eat insects or mice. He could easily trade away his food.

Drinking water was actually worth more, but Zhu Jiusi would never touch his water unless he had no other choice.

He could also activate a Path Seeking Card to kill and rob someone, but Zhu Jiusi couldn't bring himself to do that.

He wasn't a saint, but he hadn't fallen so far as to become a fiend, either.

Of course, that was because he could trade his food for enough materials. If he really couldn't get them that way—sorry, but in Journey Survival, morality was the least valuable thing there was.

The Mountain God Temple and Land God Temple were hard to come by, and people could generally expect to encounter one during the seven-day protection period.

If they failed to finish the modifications during that period, they'd be left without the protection of a nest once it ended.

They wouldn't even leave behind scraps.

Zhu Jiusi brought out his nest and set it down inside the Mountain God Temple, then put all his food up for trade.

"Make an offer for what you need. If it works for me, I'll accept."

Zhu Jiusi left a message.

Quite a few people had entered the Mountain God Temple or Land God Temple over the past few days. They all knew basic materials were useful, too, so the price of food had fallen a little.

One steamed bun could now be traded for only 13 basic materials.

But the first things Zhu Jiusi sold weren't food. They were three packs of sanitary pads.

He sold each pack for a price he could hardly believe.

It was still early in Journey Survival. The Path Seekers hadn't yet learned the importance of resources and food.

Half a month from now, unless they were truly rich, which girl would care about this stuff?

The three packs of sanitary pads brought in fifty materials. Zhu Jiusi's confidence in completing the modifications today soared.

The moment Zhu Jiusi put up his food, a flood of messages came in. Most were sob stories from people trying to get something for free.

Zhu Jiusi ignored them all, but one message immediately caught his attention.

Sword Seven Doesn't Learn Sword: "Hello, could I trade for two packs of sanitary pads?"

[Dao Discussion Card ×1]

[Dao Discussion Card: Locate another Path Seeker and forcibly merge paths, allowing you to discuss the Great Dao with them. Discussion duration: two hours.]

What a great item!

The Dao Discussion Card and Path Seeking Card differed by only one word, but their effects were completely different. One let you choose a target, while the other left you waiting passively.

Zhu Jiusi immediately sent over the sanitary pads and left a message: "I only have one pack of sanitary pads left. Can I make up the difference with food?"

Sword Seven Doesn't Learn Sword: "Sure. Then I'll take Mung Bean Cake."

Without hesitation, Zhu Jiusi sent over two Mung Bean Cakes.

The Mung Bean Cakes produced by the Gourd weren't very big, but they were high in sugar. Their normal price was much higher than steamed buns or flatbreads.

But the Dao Discussion Card was worth more. Later on, it would be impossible to trade food for one.

The trade went through, and the card appeared in his hand.

He looked back at the Scroll. The chat was still buzzing.

Heart Without Darkness: "@Everyone, just a reminder: quite a few people have entered the Land God Temple and Mountain God Temple over the past couple of days. You can modify your vehicle at either one. Don't waste your materials, and don't let other people snatch them up by offering overpriced food."

He continued: "Everyone, you need to think ahead in Journey Survival. Your vehicle is the foundation of survival. You won't starve to death just because you go hungry for two days. There's always food to be found in Gourds. But miss your chance at a Land God Temple, and it might really be gone for good!"

He kept spamming the chat.

His words made so much sense that, for a moment, the people looking to trade actually hesitated.

Daoist Number 323: "Heart Without Darkness is right. The price of steamed buns has already gone down today. That proves there's more food on the road, and basic materials matter even more. Hold on a little longer, and things will work out."

Zhu Jiusi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Interesting!

Trades in the hall had been going on for days without a pause. They hadn't warned anyone sooner or later—only right when he put up his offer?

As if to prove his point, Heart Without Darkness directly tagged him.

Heart Without Darkness: "@Master of Cloud Stack Cave, you've had two announcements and even opened a Silver Gourd. You're not short on basic materials, are you? Now you're trying to use food you can't eat to snatch everyone's precious materials while the price is high? Are you planning to complete all three modifications at once?"

Daoist Number 323: "Why do that? You're profiting from a national crisis!"

Zhu Jiusi smiled.

Master of Cloud Stack Cave: "That makes sense. I'll withdraw the trade, then. I'm short on too many materials. I'll find another way to get them! @Everyone, buying Dao Discussion Cards. Make your own offer."

The next moment, Zhu Jiusi took out the Dao Discussion Card he'd just received and bound it to Daoist [Heart Without Darkness].

Confirm!

Merge paths!