Immortality Starts From Making Money.

For the following days, news about the Spirit Link and Relay spread like wildfire, even reaching the ears of the elders.

With three elders taking the bait, it was only a matter of time before others followed.

Now, almost everyone in the inner sect was using the Spirit Link. Laughter and smiles were plastered on their faces as they conversed freely with their friends.

Especially lovers—they no longer needed to hide their discussions. They could talk all day without fear of being overheard.

Deng Jie clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His sharp, hawk-like eyes bore into the three trembling disciples before him.

"What do you mean you can't do it?" His voice, though not loud, was razor-sharp, slicing through the silence like a blade.

The first disciple, a thin, sickly-looking boy with sunken cheeks and quivering hands, swallowed hard.

His adam's apple bobbed up and down as he struggled to speak.

"C-Chief… we tried," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "We deciphered some of the inscriptions, but most of it… doesn't make sense to us."

The second disciple, a slightly older boy with rough, calloused hands from years of handling talisman paper, quickly nodded in agreement.

"Creating a simple voice transmission talisman isn't difficult, but the Spirit Relay Hub—" he hesitated, glancing at Deng Jie's thunderous expression before forcing himself to continue, "—the way it connects multiple devices… we have no idea how it functions."

A heavy silence followed. The air crackled with unspoken dread.

Deng Jie exhaled slowly, his face dark as storm clouds. "So… you're all useless." His words were venomous, laced with undisguised contempt.

The three disciples stiffened.

"Get lost," Deng Jie spat, his voice thick with disdain. "And don't let me see your worthless faces again."

The first boy flinched as though struck. The second bowed deeply, his face pale, before turning on his heel and practically stumbling toward the exit.

The third, the youngest of the group, lingered just a moment longer. His lips trembled as he gathered the courage to speak.

"W-What about your promise?" he asked in a small, fearful voice.

Deng Jie's eyes snapped toward him, flashing with unrestrained fury.

"Say one more word, and I will break your leg," he said, his voice deathly quiet.

The boy's blood ran cold.

"Ah!" He let out a strangled yelp, spinning on his heel and bolting out of the courtyard like a frightened rabbit.

Deng Jie scoffed, his upper lip curling in disgust.

"Bunch of trash," he muttered.

He had hoped to reverse-engineer the Spirit Link and Relay Hub, but he soon realized that the crudely made artifact was far more complex than it appeared.

Creak!

Just then, Yuan Yimu pushed open the gate and entered. Seeing the unsightly expression on his master's face, he knew the plan must have failed.

"Did you find out?" Deng Jie asked, still furious about his failure.

"Yes. Zhao Tian has frequently visited the Refining Hall and met with the sect master's son," Yuan Yimu reported.

Deng Jie furrowed his brows. Why would Zhao Tian meet with that trash?

"Did you find out what they were doing?"

Yuan Yimu shook his head. "Every room in the Refining Hall is protected by a powerful formation. Only those with the key can enter."

'Is it possible he's connected to the artifact?' Deng Jie thought. 'Impossible. With his low talent, how could he have anything to do with such a complicated artifact? He shook his head and dismissed the thought.'

"Keep an eye on both of them and try to find out what they're up to."

Meanwhile, Mao Jian and Zhao Tian were busy expanding their business, completely unaware that they were being trailed.

Inside Mao Jian's courtyard, which had become the base of their operations, Mao Jian sat behind a wooden table in one of the rooms that had been converted into a refining workshop.

Apart from his personal quarters, there were three other rooms dedicated to producing the Spirit Links and Relay Hubs.

The ten disciples had been split into three divisions based on their skills—the design department, the runes department, and the formation department.

With this division of labor, they were able to produce hundreds of Spirit Links and Relay Hubs in a single day.

While working on the finishing touches of the Spirit Link and Relay Hub, the core component of the device.

Just then, Mao Jian heard a notification in his head.

[Congratulations! You've completed the first mission. Your income has surpassed 50,000 spirit stones.]

[You've earned 2,000 IP.]

Seeing the notification, a deep smile crept onto his face.

It had been five days since he started the mission, and he had begun to worry when he didn't receive confirmation of its completion.

But now, there was no need to worry. The system was still reliable.

"Now, how do I complete the last mission?" he mused, creasing his brow.

Creak!

Zhao Tian pushed open the door and entered.

"How is it?" Mao Jian asked.

Almost everyone in the inner court was already using the Spirit Links. Even outer court disciples had begun to ask about them.

Yet, there were still a few who refused to buy a Spirit Link, even on credit.

"Boss, they're not interested," Zhao Tian replied, his expression tired.

A deep frown appeared on Mao Jian's face. He couldn't understand why some people still resisted the allure of the Spirit Comms.

"Did you ask why?"

"Yes, but they wouldn't say."

He thought for a moment before responding. "Give it to them for free and make up an excuse for why we're doing it."

Zhao Tian was confused. "Why would we give away something worth a thousand lower spirit stones for free?"

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." A shrewd smile crept onto Mao Jian's face. "They'll pay us back in the long run. Just tell them to spread the news about the Spirit Links to their friends."

"Alright… so, when are we going to storm the outer court?" Zhao Tian asked, excitement and anticipation flashing in his eyes.

In just a few days, they had earned over one hundred thousand spirit stones, which had shocked him to the core.

He never expected they could make such a fortune from the inner court alone.

Compared to the small number of inner disciples, there were thousands of outer sect disciples. The thought of their potential profit made his mouth water.

"I already have a plan," Mao Jian said with a confident smile. "I just need to perfect it."

Meanwhile, behind the contribution hall, a group of elders had gathered, each holding a Spirit Link in their hands.

"The person who created this artifact is extremely talented," the elder in charge of the Talisman Hall exclaimed in shock.