Chapter 361: Four Hundred Jin of Great Desolate Crow God Crystal

“Senior!”

Mo Fuyang stopped in his tracks, resolve flickering in his eyes. “What do you need me to do?”

Chen Xun turned slowly, a faint smile gracing his face. “Tell me, how much can a Nascent Soul cultivator typically earn here in a year?”

“Excluding the time needed to recover spiritual power, about fifty mid-grade spirit stones annually,” Mo Fuyang replied earnestly. “In a hundred years, that’s five thousand mid-grade spirit stones—just enough to buy around forty bottles of mid-tier sixth-grade pills, which could extend one’s cultivation by roughly 120 years.”

“Indeed, you exchange lifespan for resources,” Chen Xun said thoughtfully. “But what if I offered you one hundred spirit stones annually for finding just four jin of Great Desolate Crow God Crystal fragments? Any excess would earn you a bonus. And no need to refine the fragments yourself.”

“Four jin for a hundred spirit stones? And with bonuses for more?” Mo Fuyang’s voice quivered with disbelief.

“Precisely,” Chen Xun confirmed.

“Four jin in just a year? That’s...” Mo Fuyang’s breath caught. “Senior, under those terms, every scavenger here would give their utmost!”

Finding four jin was relatively easy, requiring at most three months. The real challenge lay in refining the fragments—a labor-intensive process that consumed precious lifespan.

“No rush,” Chen Xun said, waving a hand dismissively. “We’ll plan thoroughly before we begin. For now, I’m still gathering initial resources.”

Mo Fuyang’s eyes gleamed with newfound vigor. Such a proposal was beyond anything he’d dared dream.

<hr>

The group continued their work amidst the mountainous refuse. Chen Xun’s divine sense scoured the area, pulling forth promising fragments. Yet identifying usable pieces required careful inspection, as many fragments bore only superficial similarities to the valuable Crow God Crystal.

Mo Fuyang diligently reviewed each item Chen Xun retrieved, ensuring nothing was overlooked. Despite the grueling nature of the task, the team’s camaraderie turned toil into joy.

Occasionally, other scavengers passed by. They greeted Chen Xun and his companions with respectful nods but kept their distance, unwilling to intrude.

Xiao Chi and Sister Crane explored nearby piles, brimming with excitement as they unearthed discarded artifacts and fragments of spiritual tools. Though these finds held little value, their enthusiasm was infectious.

<hr>

One year passed in a blur of effort and discovery. The group’s base of operations, an expansive hundred-zhang-wide recycling plant, now stood proudly near the refuse heaps. Constructed from the abundant “common” thousand-year-old trees of the area, the plant exuded simplicity yet resilience. Array formations shielded it, ensuring safety.

Within the plant lay neatly sorted piles of refined Crow God Crystal. Though the individual pieces were small—ranging from thumbnail-sized to slightly larger—their combined weight reached an astonishing four hundred jin.

Sister Crane, clutching her notebook, beamed. “Big Brother, that’s about four hundred jin. If sold, it could fetch forty thousand mid-grade spirit stones.”

Xiao Chi chuckled sheepishly. “If we hadn’t wasted time on useless materials earlier, we might’ve earned even more.”

Mo Fuyang’s hands trembled. Forty thousand spirit stones—an unimaginable fortune for him. The effort required to amass such wealth would have spanned centuries of ceaseless labor.

Chen Xun and Brother Ox exchanged knowing smiles. “Not bad, Sister Crane. Well done,” Chen Xun praised.

“Moo~” Brother Ox nodded approvingly.

Xiao Chi chimed in, “See? I told you Sister Crane was destined for greatness!”

Sister Crane blushed, clutching her notebook tightly. “I’m just happy to help Big Brother and Second Brother.”

Chen Xun retrieved three bottles of ancient cleansing pills from his storage ring. “Mo Fuyang, take these. You’ve worked hard this past year. We’ll need your help with more tasks soon.”

“Thank you, Senior Chen Xun.” Mo Fuyang bowed deeply, his gratitude sincere. He also turned to the others, bowing again. “Thank you, esteemed seniors.”

<hr>

Outside the plant, Brother Ox and Xiao Chi worked tirelessly alongside Sister Crane, completing a large-scale teleportation array—the final piece needed for their next venture. The group’s recycling plant was no longer a modest operation but the foundation of a larger dream. With every step, Chen Xun’s vision of scaling the humble garbage heap into a thriving enterprise drew closer to reality.