Martial Artist Market

"What's wrong? Do you need a combat technique crystal card or a martial arts crystal card?

I can have your father buy one for you," Feng Yuelan asked.

"I don't have any use for those things for the time being."

Chen Lie shook his head.

After eating a little, Chen Lie left the house.

He arrived at a bus stop not far from his home and boarded a flying bus.

He remembered that there was a Martial Artist Market in the very center of the provincial capital. The martial arts goods sold there were extremely comprehensive. While most of the items were for martial artists and there weren't many suitable for the Blood-Qi Stage, there were still some to be found.

The flying bus was fast, and after about an hour, Chen Lie got off in the center of the provincial capital.

After asking for directions a few times, Chen Lie confirmed the location of the Martial Artist Market and headed over.

Upon arriving at the Martial Artist Market, Chen Lie glanced at the introduction on the signboard in front of the market; it was a large-scale market covering an area of 20,000 square meters.

As Chen Lie walked inside, he scanned both sides of the market. Finally, he spotted a shop selling Psionic Crystal Cards and walked in.

"Boss, how much is a set of these Psionic Crystal Cards in Star Dollars?"

Seeing Chen Lie walk in, the shop owner immediately rose from his chair and introduced, "It depends on which kind of crystal card you want. The most basic combat technique crystal cards are 5,800 Star Dollars a set. D-grade martial arts crystal cards cost about 20,000 to 60,000 Star Dollars a set, C-grade martial arts crystal cards are 80,000 to 120,000 Star Dollars a set, and so on."

"Oh." Chen Lie nodded and asked, "How are these Psionic Crystal Cards of yours manufactured?"

"Naturally, they are made from special materials, polished through craftsmanship, and finally empowered with spiritual energy to create a finished crystal card," the shop owner said.

"You're just a retail outlet for these crystal cards, right? I wonder what the wholesale price for a set of martial arts crystal cards is?" Chen Lie asked.

"Why are you asking about that?"

The shop owner's gaze toward Chen Lie became somewhat guarded.

"I'm just asking out of curiosity, no other motives," Chen Lie said.

The shop owner replied bluntly, "Why is a kid like you asking so many questions? If you really want a martial arts crystal card, have your parents come pick one out for you."

Chen Lie said, "You're being so tight-lipped—is it because the cost of martial arts crystal cards is too low? For example, for a set that sells for over a hundred thousand Star Dollars, is the profit margin directly over a hundred thousand?"

"You brat, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? Even though the Psionic Crystal Cards in my shop don't look like much, I spent tens of millions of Star Dollars just on my inventory.

According to your logic, the wholesale price for this set of D-grade martial arts crystal cards is only a few thousand Star Dollars, right? Come on, come on, I'll buy them from you for a few tens of thousands—bring me as many as you have!"

"Don't be angry, Boss, I was just joking."

"Go on, get out of here. If you're really that bored, there's a Virtual Experience Pavilion across from the market. Don't waste my time here!"

The shop owner began shooing him away with a sour expression. Having done business for over a decade, he could clearly see that Chen Lie wasn't a buyer, so he naturally didn't want to waste any more breath on him.

However, Chen Lie had no intention of leaving and continued, "Boss, calm down. I really do have something to discuss with you. Since there's no one else in your shop right now, why not chat with me to pass the time?"

The shop owner sat back down in the chair behind the counter, his eyelids drooping, and said, "What business do you have to discuss with me?"

"My business isn't urgent yet. I want to understand from you: what makes a set of Psionic Crystal Cards so expensive? Is it the card materials, or the subsequent manufacturing process?"

"Nonsense. Even though the materials for making crystal cards are rare, how much does a single card weigh? A few grams? The material cost for a set of cards is at most a few hundred Star Dollars.

As for the manufacturing process, those are mass-produced items. No matter how advanced the technology is, it isn't worth much.

If I had to estimate, the total cost for a set of combat technique crystal cards—including materials, manufacturing, and subsequent sealing and distribution—wouldn't exceed two thousand Star Dollars.

The manufacturing process and materials for D-grade martial arts crystal cards are more precious, but the cost of a set wouldn't exceed five thousand Star Dollars.

C-grade martial arts crystal cards cost no more than ten thousand Star Dollars. The most expensive part of a martial arts crystal card lies in the spiritual energy empowerment. Inscribing spiritual energy onto the card is the most expensive step in the entire manufacturing process.

Only a Divine Sense Master can perform spiritual energy empowerment. Have you heard of Divine Sense Masters?"

Chen Lie nodded and said, "So, if a set of C-grade martial arts crystal cards is worth 100,000 Star Dollars, and your wholesale price is 60,000, but the actual cost is less than 10,000, then the crystal card manufacturer's net profit is 50,000, and your profit is 40,000."

"Why are you spouting such nonsense? If you calculate it that way, the Divine Sense Masters would just be drinking the northwest wind, right?

I can see you aren't a buyer, so I'll tell you the truth, but you can't go around blabbing about it. For this set of C-grade martial arts crystal cards—the Storm Leg cards—that sells for 100,000 Star Dollars, the wholesale price is over 80,000.

And while the manufacturer's profit seems to be as high as 70,000 Star Dollars, the Divine Sense Master takes away more than half of that, so the manufacturer's pure profit is definitely under 30,000 Star Dollars. Understand?"

"Understood!" Chen Lie said. "Boss, I can see you're an honest man. To tell you the truth, I am a Divine Sense Master. How about we two make a deal?"

"You? A Divine Sense Master?" The shop owner looked at Chen Lie for a long time before saying, "Bullshit!"

"Do you have any blank crystal cards here? The kind that haven't been infused with spiritual energy yet?"

"What are you going to do?" the shop owner asked.

"Just take them out. Don't worry, if I cause any damage, I will compensate you at the market price," Chen Lie said calmly.

Hearing this, the shop owner rose from his chair, bent down, and retrieved a gorgeous box from the bottom of the counter, placing it on the surface.

"Last time I went to Lingfeng Group to restock, their staff accidentally sent me these blank cards that hadn't been empowered with spiritual energy, mistaking them for finished martial arts crystal cards. I was planning to go exchange them next time," the shop owner said.

Chen Lie took the gorgeous box and opened it directly, immediately seeing two crystal-clear cards inside, with the words "Lingfeng Group" written in red on the front of the cards.

He picked up a Psionic Crystal Card, testing its weight in his hand. Each card was about fifty grams and the size of a palm, made of a very peculiar, crystal-like material.

Chen Lie closed his eyes, circulating his spiritual telekinesis within his sea of consciousness, and attempted to channel energy into the card through his palm.

Suddenly, with a "bang," the card in his hand shattered into fragments.

The shopkeeper was shocked at the sight: "How did the crystal card just shatter? What did you do, you brat? Do you have any idea that I bought these at the price of D-grade martial arts cards? They cost over twenty thousand Star Dollars! How am I supposed to request a restock from Lingfeng Group now that it's in pieces?"

Chen Lie remained expressionless as he picked up another crystal card. Seeing the shopkeeper about to reach out and snatch it away, he said, "Don't worry. It's broken, so it's broken. I'll pay you the retail price for it!"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately calmed down. As long as he didn't have to lose money and someone was willing to pay the original price, he didn't care if all his blank cards were smashed.

Chen Lie held the crystal-clear card up to his eyes and examined it for a moment.

At the same time, he secretly pondered why the card was so fragile.

Could it be that his infusion of spiritual telekinesis just now had been too crude, and the card couldn't withstand such powerful mental force?

With that thought in mind, Chen Lie circulated his spiritual telekinesis again. This time, he was exceptionally careful, channeling his mental energy into the card through his palm, one thread at a time.

Gradually, the crystal-clear card changed color, shifting from its original transparent state to a bright yellow.

"Huh? What's going on?"

The shopkeeper couldn't help but feel puzzled as he watched this scene.

After less than half a minute, Chen Lie finished infusing his spiritual telekinesis. He handed the card back to the shopkeeper and said, "Boss, place the card against your forehead and feel it carefully."

The shopkeeper didn't understand, but he did as he was told. He pressed the card to his forehead, calmed his mind, and focused his perception.

Suddenly, his mind reeled. All his thoughts ceased instantly, and he saw only a silhouette practicing a footwork technique in a boundless, featureless world.

In just a few seconds, the silhouette in his mind flashed, as if it had merged with him. He felt as though he were the one performing the nimble and agile technique.

In that boundless, pure white world, he took a step and appeared far in the distance like drifting smoke and clouds, every frame of the movement crystal clear.

As he executed the footwork, dozens, then hundreds of phantoms split off in an instant. Gradually, a dozen of those phantoms overlapped with him one by one.

Less than ten minutes later, the shopkeeper awoke from his consciousness, utterly shocked.

"This... what is this?"

Chen Lie said, "Didn't I tell you just now? I am a Divine Sense Master. The blank card in your hand became a genuine martial arts card because I imbued it with my mental energy."

"You... are you really a Divine Sense Master?"

The shopkeeper looked at the card in his hand, which had turned from bright yellow to pale yellow, his expression as shocked as if he had seen a ghost.

He didn't know exactly what a Divine Sense Master was, but he certainly knew how rare and noble they were.

Were there any Divine Sense Masters in Dongchuan Province? Perhaps, but he had never seen one.

"The card I just inscribed with my mental energy contains a C-grade martial art called... Cloud Shadow Steps. How many Star Dollars would it sell for if I left it here with you?"

Chen Lie thought for a moment. Although the technique still resembled Cloud Smoke Steps on the surface, he had changed it beyond recognition. The core of the martial art was completely different, so it should no longer be called Cloud Smoke Steps, but rather renamed to Cloud Shadow Steps.

"A C-grade martial arts card for a footwork set would definitely be worth 120,000 Star Dollars. However, how come I've never heard of 'Cloud Shadow Steps'?"

"It's a martial art from another province, not one popular in Dongchuan Province," Chen Lie said.

"If that's the case, this martial art won't be easy to sell. I've been in the psionic crystal card business for over a decade, and I know that most people only use martial arts cards once they've practiced a technique to a certain level and are just one step away from mastery.

That's why students are very specific when buying martial arts cards. If they've already practiced the 'Void-Breaking Fist' promoted by the high school martial arts curriculum to a certain degree, they will only buy Void-Breaking Fist cards; they certainly won't buy anything else.

Only cards inscribed with martial arts popular in Dongchuan Province can sell well."