Dao Equaling the Heavens

"The Artifact Refining Workshop is willing to contribute seventy percent of its profits, amounting to four hundred thousand top-grade Spirit Stones annually."

"The Artifact Refining Workshop does not need to provide additional tributes."

Gu Wen slightly shook his head, frightening a crowd of strong men into a pale complexion. Their representative quickly said, "Five hundred thousand, five hundred thousand top-grade Spirit Stones, I ask Yuqing Heavenly Venerate to show leniency for the sake of the Sword Master's relationship!"

If not asking for money, then it meant taking lives.

But they were just blacksmiths, earning little money and hardly harming anyone. The worst was cultivators obtaining substandard magic artifacts that malfunctioned and caused injuries.

But this did not cross the red line.

Could it be that they had unknowingly offended Yuqing Heavenly Venerate? Or was it that the other party bore a grudge from the Immortal Land era eight hundred years ago?

Just as many Artifact Refining Masters were racking their brains, Gu Wen spoke again, "Not only do I not need you to pay money, but I also want to give you money, fifty thousand top-grade Spirit Stones from the Pill Alliance."

Give to us?

The Artifact Refining Masters were stunned, wondering if they were scared out of their wits and hearing things?

Perhaps they had already been sentenced to death.

Everyone examined their Divine Souls, using inner sight, yet found no abnormalities.

The representative nervously asked, "Subordinates are ignorant, what use does the Venerate have in mind?"

Gu Wen said, "I want you to refine some magic artifacts that do not have fighting functions, are economical, and are for mortal use."

"This..." The representative of the Artifact Refining Masters looked troubled, saying, "Three hundred years ago, an Immortal mentioned this to us, and we made some magic artifacts, but they were abandoned due to being too expensive."

"If the Venerate wants to restart it, crafting them in a short time is not difficult. The challenge is long-term usage, which requires substantial financial and material resources and would inevitably be discarded."

Gu Wen was not surprised, he was not the only one with a brain.

The faint pain on his back was from being beaten by Li Yunshang for mocking his master's unrealistic ideas.

Things like a large flying shuttle carrying thirty thousand people at once, an iron ox helping farmers plow fields, an automatic weaving loom, a medicine pot that cures all diseases, and a magic artifact similar to a refrigerator.

Even a set of battle armor that allows mortals to traverse the heavens and the earth.

Many products that technology could not achieve in a previous life could be easily realized in the Cultivation World.

But ultimately, only one test product could be left, and then it would be sealed away.

Because they lacked universality, they could not be mass-produced, let alone used.

Like the Immortal Boat, even Golden Core Cultivators hesitated to spend money on them, let alone mortals?

And the automated plowing iron ox, people didn't need someone to do it for them, but to purchase various life necessities affordably.

Such as cotton, cloth, various meats.

Thus requiring the development of textiles and animal husbandry, which would then extend into more demands.

This is a vast and complex process, not something a single magic artifact can solve.

Gu Wen never thought he could solve it alone.

But as the head of the Venerates, since he took on the responsibility of Universal Unity from his master, he should exercise his power.

All great powers and millions of cultivators in the world were under his command.

The Artifact Refining Masters before him were the greatest talents, evidenced by their ability to fulfill his master's whimsical ideas.

Gu Wen retrieved a Jade Scroll and threw it to the numerous Artifact Refining Masters below.

The crowd extended their Divine Thoughts, seeing various oddly shaped iron lumps inside, along with rather vague descriptions.

For example, creating an object that generates steam by boiling water, thereby generating power, and then using that object to create various things called machines.

The Jade Scroll included diagrams but no specific instructions.

Because Gu Wen himself didn't understand, he studied computers in a past life and naturally didn't know how to make steam or internal combustion engines.

He could only rely on memory to make vague descriptions, pointing the Artifact Refining Masters in the right direction.

Gu Wen asked, "For fifty thousand top-grade Spirit Stones, can you make these things?"

The Artifact Refining Masters exchanged glances. Their representative suddenly became solemn, voice rising, passionately declaring, "For the Immortal's words, today's Universal Unity is the first time in thousands of years, it is an obligation we cultivators cannot shirk! No need for fifty thousand top-grade Spirit Stones, I alone can help the Venerate accomplish this!"

The other masters were initially stunned, then all blushed with anger, if it wasn't in Jade Palace they would have cursed.

Old fool! Playing the loyal minister and good general.

You don't want money, but we do.

Making these little gadgets for fifty thousand top-grade Spirit Stones is virtually like picking them up for free.

Gu Wen was somewhat surprised, not having studied Artifact Refining, he asked, "Can you do it alone?"

"I am the Supreme Elder of Qianlong Manor; I've refined three Taoist Soldiers before, surely I won't let Yuqing Heavenly Venerate down."

The Supreme Elder of Qianlong Manor patted his chest, confidently pledging, "Give me three years, and I can certainly make them."

An elder from the past.

"If that's the case..."

As Gu Wen was about to speak, someone stepped forward from the crowd, and some anxious Artifact Refining Masters abandoned courtesy.

"Venerate, please wait, I only need two years."

"The three of us working together can do it in a year!"

"Ten of us researching together will be sufficient in eight months; we ask the Venerate to teach us."

The palace was immediately in an uproar, with originally humble and anxious Artifact Refining Masters arguing among themselves.

They had originally come to plead guilty, not daring to defy the Daoist Sect, especially as Yuqing Heavenly Venerate had spared many recently.

But they didn't expect Gu Wen to have tasks for them, and such simple ones at that.