Verification Passed, First Pot of Gold

Three days passed in a flash.

Over those three days, Yun Tian continued his usual routine of cultivation, meals, and sparring with Tang San and Xiao Wu.

He did not tell anyone about the crystals. After all, the business had yet to go through, so there was no point talking about it.

Tang San did notice that Yun Tian seemed to be in a good mood these past two days, but when he asked, Yun Tian only said that something good had happened. Tang San did not press further.

On the afternoon of the third day, Yun Tian was meditating with his eyes closed in the Seventh Dorm when footsteps suddenly sounded outside. A clerk dressed in the Nuoding Auction House uniform knocked and entered, respectfully handing him a letter. "Young Master Yun, the head shopkeeper requests your presence."

Yun Tian accepted the letter, opened it, and gave it a quick glance. The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly.

It worked.

He put away the letter and nodded to the clerk. "Understood. I'll go over now."

The clerk bowed and withdrew.

Yun Tian rose and straightened his clothes. Before leaving, he thought for a moment, then pulled the spare crystal he had condensed earlier from his bundle and tucked it into his clothes.

If they wanted to discuss a second batch of cooperation on the spot, having stock in hand was better than making empty promises.

In an elegant room at the rear hall of the Nuoding Auction House, the head shopkeeper had already prepared tea and refreshments.

When Yun Tian entered, he saw that aside from the head shopkeeper and Steward Li, there was also a sturdy man in his early thirties seated inside.

The man was broad and powerfully built, with rough, thick hands. A faint wave of earth-attribute soul power emanated from his body, and an iron token representing his status as a Soul Master hung at his waist.

His complexion was ruddy, his eyes lively, and he looked far more energetic than he had three days ago.

"Little Brother Yun is here." The head shopkeeper rose with a smile to greet him, his manner even warmer than it had been three days earlier. "Come, come, let me introduce you. This is Soul Master Zhao Tiezhu, a level twenty-seven earth-attribute Battle Soul Master. Three days ago, I invited him to test the crystal."

Zhao Tiezhu stood and cupped his hands toward Yun Tian, flashing an honest yet sincere grin. "Little brother, this thing of yours is truly incredible! To be honest, I've been stuck at level twenty-one for nearly half a year. My accumulation was enough, but I simply couldn't break through, no matter what methods I tried. I carried your crystal with me for three days, holding it in my palm during cultivation to absorb earth energy. In less than two days, there were already signs that my bottleneck had loosened!"

Excitement shone in his eyes as he continued, "This morning, I made a concentrated push. My soul power became much denser than before. Though I haven't reached level twenty-two yet, I can feel that I'm only separated from it by a thin sheet of paper!"

Yun Tian nodded to himself.

It really worked, and the effects were even more apparent than I expected.

A level twenty-two earth-attribute Soul Master was already considered a backbone figure in a place like Notting City. Even he praised it, which proved that the crystal's value was solid.

The head shopkeeper took over from the side. "Soul Master Zhao was extremely satisfied after the trial. He has kept that crystal after paying eighty percent of its auction value. We invited you here today for two reasons: first, to settle payment for the crystal; second, to discuss future cooperation."

He took a heavy money pouch from his sleeve and placed it on the table. Untying its mouth revealed a gleaming golden light. "At eighty percent of its auction price of two hundred gold soul coins, that trial crystal came to one hundred and sixty coins. Soul Master Zhao has already paid, and these one hundred and sixty gold soul coins are yours."

Yun Tian accepted the pouch and weighed it in his hand. Its satisfying heaviness made the corners of his lips rise slightly.

This was the first large sum of money he had earned since transmigrating to Soul Land, countless times more than the compensation money he had previously extracted from those nobles in the cafeteria.

"Thank you, Head Shopkeeper. Thank you, Soul Master Zhao." Yun Tian cupped his hands, his tone sincere.

"I should be the one thanking you!" Zhao Tiezhu patted his chest. "If you have more crystals in the future, little brother, be sure to save one for me! The price is negotiable!"

Yun Tian smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, Soul Master Zhao. My output is fixed each week. I'll give priority to supplying the Nuoding Auction House in the future. If you need one, I can reserve it for you in advance."

After chatting for a while longer, the head shopkeeper shifted to the main subject. "Little Brother Yun, according to our previous agreement, we'll put the second crystal up for public bidding at the evening auction three days from now. The starting price will be two hundred gold soul coins. I estimate that the final price will reach at least two hundred and twenty to two hundred and fifty. If you can steadily supply one per week afterward, the Nuoding Auction House is willing to sign a long-term consignment contract with you and reduce the commission rate to eight percent."

"Agreed," Yun Tian answered without hesitation.

A one-percent difference in commission might not seem like much, but over a long-term partnership, the money saved would amount to a considerable sum.

The head shopkeeper nodded in satisfaction and had Steward Li bring over a contract that had been drafted in advance. Both sides signed and stamped it.

The contract was not complicated. Its core terms were that Yun Tian would supply one earth-element crystal to the Nuoding Auction House each week for consignment. After the auction proceeds had the commission deducted, payment would be settled with Yun Tian within seven days. If the item failed to sell, the crystal would be returned and the two parties would discuss how to handle it afterward.

Yun Tian carefully read through the terms. After confirming that there were no issues, he signed his name at the bottom.

The head shopkeeper smiled as he put away the contract and personally saw him out of the Nuoding Auction House.

Standing on the steps outside the Nuoding Auction House, Yun Tian tucked the pouch containing one hundred and sixty gold soul coins into his clothes. The heavy weight against his chest made his steps noticeably lighter than when he had arrived.

His first pot of gold was in hand. The amount was not astonishing, but the path had been proven viable.

As long as his output remained stable, he would have a fixed income every week. Bit by bit, it would accumulate, and before long, his wealth would far surpass that of his peers.

All he needed to do next was maintain the pace.

One crystal per week, no more and no less.

People could not be greedy. If large quantities of crystals appeared on the market, prices would collapse.

He had to control the supply and keep this item in a state of "demand exceeding supply."

His reputation also had to be built step by step. He would begin with Notting City. Once the Nuoding Auction House's auctions established the brand, people would naturally spread word of it for him.

As he walked back toward the academy, he calculated how he should spend the money.

Part of it would be saved as capital for future development. Part would be sent back to Yun Family Village, so Village Chief Grandpa could repair the irrigation channels and stockpile food for the winter. The rest would be kept in reserve. If he encountered any heavenly treasures or urgently needed cultivation resources in the future, having money in hand would give him peace of mind.

There was also Tang San's hidden weapon business. That needed to be put on the agenda as well.

When Yun Tian returned to the Seventh Dorm, Xiao Wu was sitting cross-legged on her bed, gnawing on an apple, while Tang San sat by the window polishing his Bone-Piercing Needle.

Upon seeing him enter, Xiao Wu was the first to raise her head. "Hey, Yun Tian, where did you go just now? You were gone the entire afternoon."

"I went out to handle something." Yun Tian sat on his bed, casually took the money pouch from his clothes, and placed it by his pillow. He loosened the opening, exposing a glimmering golden corner.

Xiao Wu froze with the apple at her mouth, and Tang San's hand polishing the needle paused as well.

"Hiss!!" Xiao Wu leaned over for a look, her eyes widening round. "So many gold soul coins?! Where did you get them?!"

Yun Tian smiled. "I earned them. I found a way to make money, and I'll have income every week from now on. Don't ask too much. I'll treat you two to a meal when the time comes."

Xiao Wu was itching with curiosity, but since Yun Tian did not want to say anything, she could not force an answer out of him. She muttered, "What's so great about that?" before retreating to her bed and continuing to gnaw on her apple.

Tang San gave Yun Tian a few more thoughtful looks, but ultimately did not ask any questions either.

Yun Tian put away the money pouch and lay down, folding his hands behind his head as he looked at the ceiling.

Once word of the auction spreads, the price might rise even higher.

He had found a way to make money. Next, he simply needed to cultivate steadily.

Level thirty. His third soul ring. A further awakening of the Earth Tiger Armor.

He had taken another small step toward his goal of leaving his own name in this world.