Pyramid schemes are like that, the people talking about them are enthusiastic, and the listeners are even more so.
Back at the residence, Chen Qin was excited for half the night.
It wasn't until late in the night after finally coaxing the little ancestor to sleep, that Mei'Er had time to report the matter to the mistress.
Even now, Mei'Er still felt this whole thing was ridiculous because no one had ever thought about it this way.
The Thousand Machines Technique is called a minor path precisely because it costs a lot and consumes time.
Creating a Thousand Mechanism Tool that can be used by those in the Golden Core Realm costs as much material as it takes to forge over a dozen Spirit Swords of the same tier.
Crafting Thousand Mechanism Tools also requires intense time and mental effort, leaving no time to enhance one's own cultivation.
Currently, the top Thousand Mechanism Cultivator in the world is merely at the Golden Core level.
Unlike the Beast Taming Sect, where taming beasts does not affect one's own cultivation and even the communion of man and beast complement each other.
Even geniuses like the mistress had to give up on the Thousand Machines Technique and focus solely on Sword Dao.
Can the young lady really do it?
Mei'Er lifted her pen and then set it down again, but in the end, she wrote everything down in its entirety.
She felt these matters were not for her to decide.
After writing the letter, Mei'Er summoned a Copper Burner Magical Artifact and tossed the letter into the burner.
Before long, the gray smoke rose from the burner, and another letter was spit out.
Mei'Er opened the letter and her face blushed instantly.
No problem.
Just let Qinqin do it.
Do not reply to this letter, the Sect Leader and I are busy.
In the dead of night, the Sect Leader was busy, and Zhang Ze was also busy.
As the one who proposed the entire plan, he had many things to take care of.
How to appease the two elders and have them support him was a minor matter.
Chen Qin could directly write to her father about learning the Thousand Machines Technique, so Zhang Ze didn't need to worry about materials and such.
The most important matter was still his own cultivation.
Initially, Zhang Ze's plan was merely to pull out a new side quest from Chen Qin, to unlock the Main Pavilion map in advance.
Unexpectedly, it turned into a major endeavor, creating an ultimate task.
But although this task was beneficial, it couldn't satisfy immediate needs.
That wooden kite was still in Chen Qin's hands; the little girl loved it dearly and seemed reluctant to give it back.
Currently, the only rewards in Zhang Ze's hands were those for changing the world line and developing new cultivation techniques.
Although they were quite substantial, this time they only offered cultivation points and attribute points, with no exchange points.
Enough to raise his cultivation to the seventh layer of Qi Cultivation, but there was no way to exchange for cultivation techniques.
Now Zhang Ze only had a little over 500 exchange points left.
Not enough, far from enough.
Zhang Ze held a pen, writing and drawing for a long time, thinking about how to split one penny into two until he saw what Elder Wang left on the corner of his desk.
It was the sect's reward. When Elder Wang came by in the evening and saw he wasn't there, he left it on Zhang Ze's desk.
Opening the booklet, he found out he had been awarded over 500 contribution points.
Of course, some of it was extra due to Elder Wang's sticky fingers.
But even 100 contribution points could exchange for many things in the sect.
Zhang Ze opened his home task system store and compared it to the sect's exchange list.
After looking for a while, he showed a smile as if he had discovered a bug.
"It's about time for my favorite electric meter to start turning backward."
In one store, the bigger one bullies the customer, but if there are two stores, there's room for a wheeler-dealer's business.
Disciples under the Sword Sect can also issue tasks, only requiring them to provide rewards, whether items, spirit stones, or contribution points doesn't matter.
Whenever the Sword Sect disciples go out to slay demons and eliminate malign creatures or kill troublesome loose cultivators, they end up with a pile of assorted junk.
Especially various Taoist Technique secret manuals.
However, for those on the Demon Path and loose cultivators, these things are like gifts from heaven.
But the disciples of the Sword Sect truly look down on them, especially those inner sect prodigies.
Purchasing these seemingly useless cultivation techniques won't cost many contribution points.
Using spirit stones as equivalent exchange, it turns out to be much cheaper than the system store.
He can scrape gold from the muck entirely and use the system's trial function to accumulate several new cultivation techniques.
Every time a new cultivation technique is created, the system awards him cultivation points and a small amount of exchange points.
Then he can hand this cultivation technique to Old Wang or directly post it in the sect for others to exchange, earning contribution points again.
Kill two birds with one stone, electric meter reversing.
Moreover, it can also cover for the cultivation techniques he gets from the system.
Previously with the Blood Killing Technique, Five Ghost Transport, and Spirit Recognition Technique, Zhang Ze claimed they were spells passed down in his family before joining the sect.
Even though Elder Li and Elder Wang and the Sword Spirit didn't pursue it, their looks said anyone who believed him had to be brain-dead.
They were lenient because they were fond of him and didn't intend to investigate.
After all, everyone has their little secrets.
Understanding the key points, Zhang Ze activated the middle school math knowledge he hadn't used in over ten years, his pen flying across the paper.
"Two and one become five, nine out come thirteen, eight eights, seventy-two, nine nines, thirty-one..."
The next day, during the early morning lesson.
Elder Li Guanqi dragged an iron rod to the training grounds to check on the disciples' early morning practice.
Standing at the edge of the field, he rubbed his eyes.
Then, thinking he hadn't seen clearly, he rubbed his eyes again.
This time, he saw clearly.
He saw Zhang Ze and Chen Qin, both diligently practicing their coursework on the training grounds.
Movements standard, uniform.
This was a rare sight, hard to come by in a hundred years.
"I have to say, Old Li, you'd better be careful; when things go contrary, there must be demons involved."
Elder Wang appeared behind Elder Li, full of vigilance.
"Can't you think positively for once? What if my disciple has transformed themselves?"
"Do you believe that yourself?"
"Not at all."
At midday, in Elder Wang's room in the annex of the Library Pavilion.
"Master, can I borrow some money from you?"
Zhang Ze poured tea for the two elders with the most obedient demeanor while speaking the most difficult words.
"How much do you need?"
"As much as possible."
"Do you want our funeral funds too?"
"Really?"
"Not really! First, tell us what you're planning to do."
Zhang Ze scratched his head and shared his idea with the two elders, mentioning the improvement of trials as well.
He wanted to borrow their names to issue tasks on the task board of the inner sect, to purchase worthless low-tier cultivation techniques at low prices.
Using the elders' contribution points and spirit stones, of course.
Then, he could improve these techniques and resell them for contribution points.
Not only would he repay the elders' money, but with interest.
"Then you can do it yourself, why involve us?" Elder Wang tapped the table.
Don't I lack the authority to issue tasks in the inner sect?
Moreover, my current cultivation level and status are too low. If someone were to demand exorbitant prices, I'd have no way to complain.
By the way, Master, when you're acquiring secret manuals, you should mention that we also want manuals from other Righteous Sects.
Both of you elders, you are highly respected, elegant, handsome, dignified..."
Listening to Zhang Ze's flattery, Elder Wang was clearly tempted.
But just as he was about to agree, Elder Li shook his iron rod.
"No."
"Why not? We're not losing anything." Zhang Ze was puzzled.
Elder Li frowned, "You are a Sword Cultivator, not a merchant."
"If you keep dealing with these Outer Path things, what about your cultivation? You are only at the fourth layer of Qi Cultivation now, in the future..."
"Fifth layer, Master."
"Hmm?"
Zhang Ze secretly used the cultivation points he had been saving and increased one more.
Elder Li looked at his disciple, who had been struggling at the fourth layer just yesterday, with a face like he had seen a ghost.
This cultivation speed, and he didn't even seem to do anything, how did he break through?
Did I break through like this back in the day?
"Well, Master, by the end of this month, I guarantee my cultivation will reach the sixth layer of Qi Cultivation.
You two can issue the tasks first, and if I don't reach the requirement by the end of the month,
you can give me a beating, and I won't mention it again, focusing solely on cultivation."
Elder Li thought this was nonsense, but he remembered that Zhang Ze had said almost the same thing to the Sword Spirit the day before yesterday.
And then the Sword Spirit got tricked by this youngster.
"Fine, you have one month's time, but do not neglect your cultivation."
"Then let's pinky swear, forever unchanging."
"Get lost."