Building a sect from scratch.

Chapter 109 Taiyin - Guangcheng Research Institute?

Soon, everything settled down, or rather, came to an end, and Elder Hu and the others, looking exhausted, hurriedly returned.

"Actually, the cost of the 'Truth' rocket launcher is not too high. We set the price at 500 spirit stones per rocket. However, the drawback is that in a normal environment, its storage life is only 15 to 20 years. Of course, if it is stored in a spatial artifact, its storage life will be extended indefinitely."

Lu Ying and Elder Hu discussed business, while Ma Lou from the laboratory explained: "There is another problem. Its hit rate not only tests the skill, but also depends on luck. We once tried to add tracking talismans to improve the hit rate, but unfortunately, all the talismans were burned by the high temperature during flight and could not play a full role."

Upon hearing this, Elder Hu frowned.

He did indeed intend to buy these strange magical artifacts from the disciples of the Taiyin Sect, mainly because he wanted to have some negotiating power when the Misty Immortal Sect came knocking on his door in the future—at least with the backing of the Horned Wood Star Lord and the Heart Moon Star Lord, plus these weapons with truly remarkable destructive power, he could barely get on the negotiating table.

However, if this weapon cannot hit any target precisely, its deterrent effect will be greatly reduced.

Although Elder Hu did not understand the principles behind these magical artifacts, based on his confidence honed over hundreds of years of cultivation, he still asked with doubt, "Hmm... why not try carving tracking talismans on the outer wall?"

"Huh? There's such a thing!?"

The laboratory building performed a pupil earthquake on the spot.

It's important to understand that as a native of Earth, Ma Lou had never encountered anything like cultivation or spiritual energy during her nearly ten years of academic work in the laboratory. Therefore, when researching psionic weapons, she had to learn all the knowledge about cultivation in the Guixu Realm on the fly, applying it as she went along.

This resulted in all the researchers, whether it was Ma Lou from the laboratory or the scapegoat Gong Giant, including other researchers who secretly entered the field, being able to extract useful information from the materials recorded in the sect's library. Their preconceived notions about cultivating immortality also often led them astray.

Take, for example, the tracking symbol.

"That's right," Elder Hu explained patiently. "The art of talismans doesn't refer to drawing talismans on talisman paper, but rather to the talisman itself. The reason it's drawn on talisman paper is simply for ease of carrying and use. In reality, it can be engraved on gold or silver, or carved into jade. Of course, there are some differences. For example, many talismans drawn on talisman paper can be completed using different spiritual materials, but talismans carved on vessels or metals can only be created by the cultivator of the talisman itself."

"So that's it..."

Ma Lou in the laboratory suddenly realized, but then his eyes lit up as he asked, "We really don't know much about cultivation, and we're completely clueless about weapon crafting and talismans. This has caused us a lot of difficulties and obstacles in developing weapons like 'Truth.' I wonder if any disciples of your sect would be interested in participating in our research institute to develop new products together?"

Elder Hu was quite tempted, but he had already noticed that these two Taiyin Sect disciples, who had no cultivation, seemed to care nothing about the secrecy of these magical treasures and appeared somewhat ignorant of worldly affairs. In front of the sect elders, he couldn't take advantage of them, so he tactfully reminded them, "This...this must involve the sect's inheritance and secret techniques, right?"

"There is indeed some relatively confidential information,"

Elder Lu Ying spoke up before the two silly research dogs could speak again, but she also followed Ma Lou's lead in the laboratory and said, "However, we can sign some agreements, such as that the experimental results cannot be leaked, the products cannot be sold privately, etc. Of course, we can further discuss the details of the division of labor, with Taiyin specializing in production and Guangcheng acting as the distributor. As for the profit model and profit sharing ratio, we need to discuss them in detail."

"Moreover, strictly speaking, these things are actually things we've already iterated and phased out, but they're limited by raw materials and..."

At this point, Elder Lu Ying glanced at Fang Xianyu, who was listening with a smile, before continuing, "Due to the shortage of raw materials and personnel, we can only produce these defective products with limited power and obvious flaws for the time being. If conditions permit, our achievements will surely surprise you."

Elder Hu was still pondering, but the Guangcheng Sect disciples who had returned wounded were completely stunned by these words. Although many of the words were new combinations of phrases they had never heard before, this did not prevent them from understanding the general meaning. In particular, the last sentence, which considered something with power comparable to the attack of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator to be a defective product, brought great shock to the Guangcheng Sect disciples.

"Defective product!?"

"She calls those kinds of spells that even our sect leader can't do 'defective'?!"

"That shouldn't be a spell; it looks a bit like a True Fire Thunder Talisman?"

"The difference is huge! Even a hundred True Fire Thunder Talismans probably wouldn't be as powerful as that magic weapon!"

"That's not necessarily true. Last time, I used more than a dozen high-grade True Fire Thunder Talismans to kill a great demon with a thousand-year cultivation."

"That's still not as powerful as this rocket launcher!"

"They even said it was a defective product!"

"The disciples of the Taiyin Sect all seem quite ruthless!"

"Actually, it's not so bad. Just now, they insisted on surrounding me and wouldn't let me go out to join the battle..."

"Is this the reason why you were the only one among us who was unharmed?"

"Even my own senior sister has never spoiled me like this! You brat!"

The disciples of Guangcheng Sect whispered among themselves, the topic drifting further and further off track, becoming increasingly unrestrained. Elder Hu coughed heavily, silencing the murmurs, and said, "Fellow Daoist, I cannot refuse your kind invitation, but I wonder what the procedures are for 'joining the Research Institute'? Is it necessary to become a disciple of Taiyin?"

Lu Ying said sincerely, "Oh, how could that be! We can establish a Taiyin-Guangcheng Joint Research Institute. Its research results will be shared by both sects, so the researchers... uh, I mean cultivators, will not be affected by their sect affiliation. Furthermore, if a participating cultivator is able to independently complete their own product development in the future, their results will have nothing to do with the research institute. We will not interfere with their use or sale of their results. Of course, if it is a project within the joint research institute, then the ownership still belongs to the research institute."

Before Elder Hu could speak, Elder Du hurriedly ordered the disciples around him, "You, and you, all of you, quickly go and invite the top three... no, top five, no no no, top ten, top ten from last year's weapon-refining competition over here!"

"Wait a minute! Old Du, you're in too much of a hurry!"

Elder Hu first called out to the disciples who were about to leave, then gave Elder Du a reproachful look, before adding to the disciples in a gentle tone: "Besides weapon crafting, please also invite the top ten from the talisman competition!"

Elder Du: "..."

(End of this chapter)