The sorting speed is getting faster as they become more skilled.

With the frantic shift work and hand cramps, two hundred people can sort thousands of items in an hour.

In the afternoon, one ring is sorted and delivered to various warehouses, then Ning Zheng throws a small mountain onto the plaza amidst the crowd's exclamations and heads to the iron forge.

As soon as he enters, a wave of heat hits him.

"Old manager, you're here." Daojiu quickly steps forward.

Ning Zheng surveys the room.

The blacksmiths seem listless, lacking any spirit.

Perhaps seeing the surprise in the old manager's eyes, Daojiu explains, "We were all called back to research black magic copper, but they really wanted to join the sorting work."

Ning Zheng is somewhat silent.

The sorting work is that popular?

Do they feel unjustly treated and uncomfortable?

Ning Zheng still finds it hard to understand this mindset.

In his view, forging is a high-tier profession, far more advanced and relaxed than sorting through garbage to be a junker.

"I'll keep this matter in mind!"

Though Ning Zheng doesn't understand, he respects it and says solemnly, "I hope you can quickly develop the craftsmanship of the blacksmith's shop, research black magic copper, and be prepared for the upcoming orders from the Capital City!"

"After all, after resting for three days in the Capital City, we start facing the Saint, and now there's only two days left."

"Time is tight! I hope you can make a final sprint in these two days! Let's not embarrass ourselves in front of the Saint!"

He spoke with the tone of issuing a task:

"After sorting the second ring, the sorting will temporarily stop, and I'll leave a few rings to be sorted when all the blacksmiths have free time."

"If the black magic copper task is completed excellently this time, I'll reward you with 500 vouchers to select goods."

As soon as these words fall, all the blacksmiths become excited, their faces clearing of gloom.

This is a task release!

And it's a high-tier hidden task with 500 magic coins per person.

In their eyes, these 500 vouchers are better than direct money.

Picking items in the junkyard gives a sense of treasure hunting joy, with one's own vision and standards, and playing the European Emperor to reveal gold fingers!

There's a hazy beauty to it.

And outside the door, other people who are peeking are filled with envy.

Their iron forge actually has hidden tasks.

The sorting work doesn't appeal anymore!

How despicable!

The iron forge is indeed the core pillar industry.

If only we'd joined the iron forge and become junior blacksmiths.

Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd outside, the blacksmiths inside feel thrilled, indescribably happy.

They enjoy the looks of envy and jealousy, shouting:

"Thank you, old manager!"

"We will definitely do our best!"

"Feel free to rely on us!"

The blacksmiths suddenly feel full of motivation.

Ning Zheng nods, having grasped management insight.

Just a mere 500 magic coins per person, issuing a task, and they approach the affair of facing the Saint with great effort!

The Saint might be dumbfounded seeing this: Am I only worth 500 magic coins?

But the blacksmiths indeed only care about immediate money.

Because in their eyes, forging divine weapons and sharp tools doesn't give them the full amount of money.

For instance, the previous 3 million magic coins resulted in only a small amount reaching their hands.

They've grown accustomed to this.

Because the game can't let the economy collapse.

So whatever high-tier divine weapon comes, they treat it like a regular advanced task.

Giving them 500 magic coins is a super lucrative task in their eyes.

Ning Zheng couldn't help but marvel, how useful!

See the Divine Craftsman outside, try giving them 500 magic coins to forge a divine weapon?

Here, offer 500 magic coins, and they'll tirelessly craft the divine weapon to your satisfaction!

The service attitude is incredibly good.

Ning Zheng left the iron forge, watching the flames burning in the forging furnaces behind:

"What can be done has already been done, hopefully there's some effect in these last two days!"

Leaving the iron forge.

Ning Zheng took a look at the Spirit Farmer area.

Here, the Spirit Farmers are even busier than the iron forge, frantically cultivating spiritual roots while researching all kinds of spiritual roots Ning Zheng just acquired.

Busy with their feet barely touching the ground.

Ning Zheng glanced a few times and looked away, calling Jiucai Rong over, implicitly hinting at the new map after the Three Flowers.

Jiucai Rong was shocked upon hearing it: "The Capital City is actually in the sky, we can go there ourselves? Doesn't it mean we can interact with the Sword Fairy?"

He instantly became energized.

Isn't this the initiation of a new map side quest?

"Master, rest assured, we will definitely make the manor prison missile, like a true ghost, able to form the Three Flowers!"

Jiucai Rong said seriously.

After pointing out this news, Ning Zheng left the mountain.

...

The next day.

The new 100 apprentice blacksmiths gradually adapted to the work, bricklaying, constructing warehouses, and eating gourmet food by the campfire at night, interacting with new prisoners down the mountain, as happily as children.

"The planner is too good!"

"A thousand new female prisoners, prepared for us, right?"

"Have Embers and Su Yuniang quickly create a character roster, so I can start selecting consorts!"

The old blacksmiths claimed items valued at 500 magic coins each during the sorting process.

A few picked chaotically.

Most chose medium-grade spirit plant liquid, then rushed to the Spirit Farmer area to add more money and get a Soul Separation Flower.

The manor directly entered an era of medium-grade spiritual root explosion.

Hundreds of medium-grade spiritual roots, would be jaw-dropping anywhere in a family.

Because only the core disciples with aptitude are worthy to unlock the middle-grade spiritual roots.

Ordinary family members just have lower-grade spiritual roots and are not qualified to practice the family's cultivation techniques.

In front of us, the behavior of these hundreds of people is truly like that of nouveau riche.

But the villa is just that rich, a tyrant, doing as they please.

Moreover, are they wasting the Soul Separation Flowers they opened?

Even if they die, they can still forge iron, which is already a foreseeable large wave of middle-grade materials!

To others, spiritual roots are permanent, but to them, they are consumables.

"Sure enough, our choice is correct."

"I said it, even if the Jiao Blood Human Race option opens, it definitely can't earn money as fast as we do now."

"Exactly, with 500 cash, basically adding a little more money, all the old blacksmiths can directly enter the era of middle-grade spiritual roots! After completing the original accumulation, we directly enter the mode of getting rich!"

"Now, moving bricks every day earns more money."

"Mixed spirit roots? Lower-grade spiritual roots? Now not even dogs would open them!"

...

Their faces were brimming with smiles.

Because of too many orders, the spirit farmer area was completely overwhelmed.

The blacksmith shop was also very busy, researching black magic copper, researching new middle-grade magical artifacts, they were incredibly busy.

Ning Zheng did not bother with them though.

He began focusing on the cultivation of the Three Flowers, exploring that mysterious region.

He finally understood why there weren't soul-enhancing pill medicines in those storage rings.

Because soul enhancement is very difficult to rely on external forces, soul power obtained through external means isn't pure enough and can have side effects.

Decent people do not consume soul-enhancing pill medicines.

Proper cultivation techniques seem to rely solely on transforming into flowers to absorb the essence of heaven and earth, the energy of grass and trees.

Some of those pill medicines are for soul healing, while others increase transformation efficiency.

Previously, Ning Zheng would take two to three days to digest one saturation of soul power he absorbed.

But with this pill medicine that increased conversion efficiency, he only took two to three hours to absorb it completely, allowing him to return to the nursery swiftly to absorb the essence of heaven and earth, and the energy of grass and trees!

This undoubtedly greatly accelerated the cultivation speed.

And after several visits, Ning Zheng found it very dangerous.

He also finally understood how to use those soul-healing pill medicines!

Because once your Three Flowers are plucked, you must heal immediately to stabilize, otherwise it would damage your foundation!

You would also lose a lot of cultivation, and being plucked once is equivalent to working for nothing for a long time.

Moreover, these several encounters of Ning Zheng were also quite horrifying!

The second visit, he found himself atop a city wall, overlooking the bustling crowd below, gathering lots of information.

Sure enough, it was the Capital City!

He, as a flower, also saw a group of people discussing the teams entering the capital from various states and all kinds of masters famed across the world.

Ning Zheng felt an immense pressure from listening!

Though among these masters, it's likely some were mere trash with merely a big reputation.

But even the weakest Divine-level profession is powerful, whereas we are the true fakes mixed among the crowd.

The third time, it went terribly wrong.

He found himself beyond the city walls, in a certain mysterious wild and dangerous terrain.

A group of black beasts, looking like cows and horses, exuding a strong aura, were gnawing at the flowers and grass on the ground, causing Ning Zheng to be scared.

But getting away wasn't an overnight thing; it was a slow withdrawal.

Ning Zheng watched helplessly as several flowers were brutally chewed and torn, faint cries of pain could be vaguely heard.

It made him feel as if his own skull was being lifted, empathizing with the pain!

Luckily those beasts left for the riverside to drink after eating their fill, not coming to gnaw on Ning Zheng, allowing him to absorb the essence between heaven and earth quietly, and leave after becoming saturated.

And the fourth time, it was the most eerie and also the most dangerous.

He unexpectedly sprouted in a flower pot before a window, where a little girl was practicing her writing at the sill.

That girl's dress wasn't of this era's style; it seemed very ancient, as if he had arrived in a uniquely mysterious and terrifying forbidden ancient place.

The entire house gave him an extraordinary terror, with immense pressure.

She saw a dog being held in the arms of this little girl, shivering violently.

It had a physical form, if Ning Zheng wasn't mistaken.

This could be a Two-Phase Realm-class Dog Demon King, who had split its Dharma Aspect, only to be caught by this mysterious little girl.

Unclear whether the Dog Demon was exploring this Secret Realm and got caught after being exposed.

Or if it had just split its Dharma Aspect and randomly entered this region only to be captured.

Luckily, Ning Zheng didn't stand out, plus the dog drew attention.

He quietly absorbed the essence of Sun and Moon at the windowsill, withered silently, and left.

Moreover.

When Ning Zheng arrived, passing through the clouds was basically risk-free, but on several return trips, there were various people ambushing him!

Aside from some colossal mysterious ancient beings blotting out the sky, resembling celestial phenomena, there were some contemporary Tribulation Cultivators too.

These Tribulation Cultivators specialized in intercepting here, trying to reap without sowing, ambushing you on the return path to plunder your achievements!

Ning Zheng had already seen several returning cultivators, having their Three Flowers cruelly plucked, then had special bottle-shaped magical artifacts, gourd magical artifacts, pointed at their flower stalks to suck away, extracting the stored flower vase body energy below.

It was quite horrific!

These cultivators practicing Demon Techniques appeared very frightening.

Making Ning Zheng, such a genuine and kind cultivator, fearful.

These Demon Cultivator's means looked chilling at first glance, no wonder normal cultivators detest Tribulation Cultivators so much, having painstakingly cultivated resources, rudely snatched away by those people, even facing mortal danger.

Perhaps, this is akin to how others feel towards the small blacksmiths, only by standing on the opposing side do they find the small blacksmith's sinister laughter terrifying beyond measure!

It's probably because the returning route is within the same region.

Ning Zheng faintly saw the figure of his Adoptive Father among the Tribulation Cultivators crowd!

He was immediately greatly shocked.

You would think he was fishing peacefully in a Paper House, fishing for River Demons, who knew the business was so busy!

Even in death, maintaining the logic from life, opening Three Flowers, busy working in the nursery, intercepting cultivators on the road as a Tribulation Cultivator.

For the Blood Separation Flower family, he worked diligently to such an extent.

My Adoptive Father really, I'm crying to death!

But don't rob me...

We are on the same side.

Ning Zheng ran quite fast, not entangling with these people.

His Adoptive Father caught a relatively slow-legged just recently breakthrough to the Three Elements Realm cultivator, laughing heartily behind them.