CSMCDB - Chapter 119
Chapter 119
It was called a date, but it was really just traveling around to relax. Wen Yuncheng had always felt that Lin Jinyu was too desperate in her cultivation. Now that she was the young sect master, the responsibility on her shoulders was naturally even heavier. Although the Little Ice Mountain rarely mentioned cultivation or sect affairs when she was with her, not even her troubles, Wen Yuncheng's heart still ached for her. She tried every way she could to let Lin Jinyu be "willful" and take her out to see the world.
After two days of fun, Wen Yuncheng sent Lin Jinyu back to the Flowing Cloud Sect. As before, she didn't ascend the mountain, merely watching from the foot until Lin Jinyu disappeared before heading to a flight station to return to the Imperial Capital.
After that, she entered the Imperial Palace to have an audience with the First Princess. With her token, seeing the First Princess was not difficult. She briefly mentioned the modifications to the Mechanical Wings, and the First Princess assigned several research-oriented scholars to her. As for research funds, there was no upper limit; she could simply use the token for reimbursement.
"Your Highness, if the Mechanical Wings are successfully created… could we offer a discount to the Imperial family, Star Academy, the Star Auction House, and the Flowing Cloud Sect, selling them at cost price?" After discussing the necessary matters, Wen Yuncheng began to inquire about the promotion after the research was complete. "Having these powers demonstrate their effectiveness first will be beneficial for promotion, and it can also be considered a form of goodwill."
"You can. It wouldn't be a problem to sell the Mechanical Wings under the name 'Yuncheng Mechanical Wings.' …As for your earlier concern that the Star Power consumption might be too great for ordinary cultivators? That's not an issue. Most people who use the Mechanical Wings are just seeking an aerial advantage in battles below the Star King level. How they weigh that against Star Power consumption is their own business." The First Princess waved her hand, feeling these were all minor issues. The fact that Wen Yuncheng was willing to share the blueprints for the Mechanical Wings and allow the Empire to promote and sell them was enough. The First Princess wouldn't make things difficult for Wen Yuncheng over small details. As for the impact Wen Yuncheng was worried about? …If even those below the Star King level can take to the sky, isn't high consumption to be expected?
"Hearing Your Highness say that puts my mind at ease!"
With that, Wen Yuncheng left the Imperial Palace. The next day, four scholars knocked on the door of her residence. Wen Yuncheng greeted the four old gentlemen one by one, then presented her half-finished Mechanical Wings for them to inspect, along with her improved design blueprints.
"So it uses this type of energy crystal… That makes sense. If we're going to mass-produce it, we have to consider the cost."
"Converting Star Power to energy… using an energy conversion array pattern? The quality of this pattern is terrible. Don't tell me you just made do with some free, low-level array master?"
"The research direction is correct, but the next step should be…"
…
Almost as soon as they saw the prototype and the designs, the four scholars entered research mode, beginning a serious discussion.
The other comments were fine. Wen Yuncheng knew that with just her own efforts and the help of the half-baked 1947, getting this far was already quite an achievement. But when she heard the comment about a "free array master," her expression stiffened, and she immediately clenched her fists!
Damn it! That array master charged her 800,000 Star Stones!
Of course, by the time Wen Yuncheng wanted to settle the score with that array master, she discovered the guy had long since fled. The name he left was fake, and he had supposedly worn a human-skin mask specifically to make his escape. Wen Yuncheng also learned that she wasn't the only one who had been scammed. The Third Prince had hired that person to design a large-scale silencing array for three million Star Stones. It only worked for two days before the array's core exploded. The Third Prince was so furious he wanted to kill someone, and the man had run off just before that happened.
Wen Yuncheng thought, To think the next time I'd hear about the Third Prince, it would be on a list of victims.
But she felt no camaraderie or pity for the Third Prince. In fact, she felt a sense of schadenfreude, thinking that being scammed out of 800,000 Star Stones wasn't such a big deal anymore.
The research on the Mechanical Wings proceeded with great intensity. Wen Yuncheng still found time to grind for experience at the Dueling Arena and made sure to have a daily call with her Little Ice Mountain to share the day's events. Her residence was now guarded by two Star Kings sent by the auction house, as well as eight Dragon Tiger Guards from the Imperial family to escort and protect the four scholars.
Two months later, the Mechanical Wings research achieved a breakthrough! Infusing them with Star Power could now propel a person into the air!
However, the energy conversion efficiency was too low, with too much energy lost or overflowing. A Star Lord using these Mechanical Wings could fly for five minutes but would need two hours to recover. The consumption was terrifying.
The next phase was continuous improvement and testing, which Wen Yuncheng couldn't help much with. After packing up everything the four scholars needed, Wen Yuncheng simply had to wait for the results before they could begin trial use.
It would likely take at least another year or two before the Mechanical Wings could be officially launched. Wen Yuncheng wasn't in a hurry. They could run a promotional campaign once it was ready for trial use. By the time of the official release… with the unique feature of allowing someone to fly using only Star Power, wouldn't any family with the means easily buy one for each member? Depending on the materials and array patterns, the wings could also be divided into standard and deluxe models, ensuring that no potential consumer was missed! Wen Yuncheng would receive a 30% share of the net profit, and she wondered if she might become a billionaire.
With the Mechanical Wings project off her hands, Wen Yuncheng no longer wanted to level up through the tedious Dueling Arena. She poked 1947 and told it to hurry up and come up with a new mission.
[There haven't been any secret realms announced recently! How about you take on some bounties?]
I have two Star Kings following me around. Is it really a good idea to take on bounties? Won't my identity be exposed?
[Then just be honest with Yan Ling first, and have her explain it to those two seniors,] 1947 said. [They're here to protect you, after all, not Fu. As long as you confirm they're trustworthy, what's the big deal about protecting you while you take on a few bounties? Which cultivator doesn't kill people?]
That was true… She had informed Yan Ling about her bounty hunting before, just not explicitly.
Wen Yuncheng acted quickly. After making her decision, she told Yan Ling about it, and Yan Ling confirmed that the two seniors were absolutely trustworthy. She then briefed the two Star Kings on their upcoming task.
Once everything was settled, Wen Yuncheng met with Lin Jinyu and told her about her plans.
"That's good timing. The sect's secret realm is about to open, and I have to lead a team inside to explore." Speaking of the sect's secret realm, Lin Jinyu thought of Wen Yuncheng's refusal and felt a sense of helplessness. On certain matters, Wen Yuncheng was truly stubborn.
"Be careful inside the secret realm. Prioritize your own safety," Wen Yuncheng instructed, then added, "If you encounter an opportunity, go ahead and advance. You've been consolidating for so long, and with the boost from the Life Transformation Fruit, breaking through to the Star Spirit level shouldn't be a problem."
"I know what I'm doing." Lin Jinyu nodded, but breaking through to the Star Spirit level at her age would still attract too much attention. Her insights into sword intent and life and death had benefited her greatly. Even without advancing to the Star Spirit realm, she was confident she could defeat a first-layer Star Spirit cultivator if she went all out. "You, on the other hand, shouldn't be impatient with your cultivation. Everything I have today is because of your help…"
"You're talking nonsense. If you weren't so desperate and hardworking, you wouldn't have reached this level even if I handed you every opportunity. Just look at those ancient families with their millennia of heritage. Do they lack resources? Do they lack opportunities? Fate is important, but one's own effort is indispensable." For once, Wen Yuncheng offered a serious rebuttal. She was unwilling to let Lin Jinyu attribute all the credit to her. What she provided were external aids; cultivation and enlightenment still ultimately depended on oneself.
Wen Yuncheng would not be happy if Lin Jinyu devalued her own efforts because of this.
The two parted reluctantly at the foot of the Flowing Cloud Sect's mountain. The thought that Lin Jinyu was about to enter a secret realm, and that she wouldn't be able to see her Little Ice Mountain even when she had free time from her bounties, made Wen Yuncheng all the more unwilling to leave. Not to mention the hugging and cuddling, Wen Yuncheng clung to Lin Jinyu coquettishly, insisting on several kisses before she would let go.
"Yuncheng…" As they were about to part, Lin Jinyu's face was still flushed, her eyes flickering as if she wanted to say something but was hesitating. Wen Yuncheng stared at her intently, guessing that Lin Jinyu might be about to make a profound confession of love. Her heart pounded with excitement, and her eyes sparkled, reflecting the river of stars in the sky.
"In the future, when you spar with people, don't pound your chest anymore."
Wen Yuncheng: ???
With those words, Lin Jinyu left behind an afterimage of Star Power, her real body long gone.
Wen Yuncheng stood there stunned for a long while, then looked down at her own solid, flat chest. The pink blush that had just faded came rushing back with a whoosh. She stomped her foot in frustration, not knowing whether to be angry or amused. Has this Little Ice Mountain been corrupted by me?
She was still in a daze by the time she returned to her residence. She took a shower, and while showering, she looked at… and couldn't help but ask 1947: Little Ice Mountain… does she mind?
Faced with a mosaic, 1947 sighed. It had never imagined that, in addition to worrying about the Long Aotian's growth in strength, it would one day have to worry about the Long Aotian's physical development!
1947 looked at the fruits in the system store, then sorted and packaged a "Growth Food Set" for its cub. It checked its own permissions and sent a request to its superior system, asking to sell the set at an 80% point discount.
My child, your old father has done everything he can for you! The rest is up to you.
…
The Evil-Slaying mission was reactivated!
[Mission Activated: Eliminate Evil (Time-limited)]
[Mission Requirement: As a member of the Starry Sky Empire, it is your bounden duty to contribute to the empire by cleansing it of evil.]
[Mission Reward: For each bounty completed, receive 250 EXP and 50 points.]
Although it still had the "Time-limited" tag, 1947 didn't specify a deadline this time. Moreover, the experience reward had increased by 50 points.
Wen Yuncheng continued to wear a mask to hide her identity while accepting and completing missions. She no longer limited herself to bounties on small mountain strongholds. She wasn't picky, taking on tasks like assassinating villains or helping people settle private grudges—missions that involved beating someone up. By checking the locations, she could even accept two or three missions at once and complete them simultaneously, increasing her efficiency.
However, to avoid exposing her identity, the beat-'em-up missions required sneak attacks. Timing was crucial, and she had to wait until the target was alone. Once an opportunity arose, she would use the Flying Sky Shuttle to knock them out or a stun grenade to daze them. While the person was disoriented, she would throw a specially made sack over them, and then she could practice her close-combat skills.
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