102: "Arms Dealers" on the Assembly Line and Micro-Earthquakes Underground

Tianxing City, Central District, Qingshi Alley.

Spring passed and summer came; cicadas chirped tirelessly in the trees.

Inside the secret room in the backyard of the Wannian Talisman Array Shop, the furnace fire was burning brightly.

Zhou Wannian (Old Man Han) held a piece of blood-red metal in his hand. It was the second-tier top-grade spiritual material—Scarlet Refined Fire Copper—that he had "picked up" from the Ling Family's warehouse.

"Although that ancient mirror is only half-repaired, the reward Young Master Ling gave me, plus this batch of 'consumed' Materials, is enough to double my wealth again."

The corners of his mouth curled slightly, and the turtle spirit brush in his hand quickly sketched on the surface of the fire copper.

This time, what he wanted to make was not a Talisman, but a true killing weapon.

"palm thunder tube · Prototype No. 7."

Compared to the previous "Talisman paper version," this thunder tube, with its body forged from Scarlet Refined Fire Copper and three Spirit Gathering Arrays engraved inside, was the complete form.

"Go!"

Zhou Wannian raised his hand and pointed at a distant dark iron target.

Buzz—!

A red light flashed on the tube's body, as if a fire beast were roaring. Immediately after, a deep blue orb of light (Heavy Water Yin Thunder) was propelled by violent fire spiritual power, shooting out at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

"Boom!!!"

A loud explosion.

That dark iron target, which was capable of withstanding a full-strength strike from the Foundation Establishment mid stage, was directly blown into countless fragments, and even the stone wall behind it was blasted with a charred hole.

"It's a success."

Zhou Wannian blew away the white smoke from the mouth of the tube, a sense of clarity flashing in his eyes, like solving a puzzle.

"The power has increased by thirty percent, and the tube body is sturdy; it can fire at least ten times in a row without exploding."

"This is equivalent to carrying a miniature version of a spirit gathering cannon! If I encounter that Blood Hand Butcher again, I won't even need to set up a Formation, one blast will make him kneel."

He satisfiedly put away the thunder tube; this was his current trump card.

Besides research and development, the shop's business could not be neglected.

In the front hall, a simple-looking Puppet pieced together from Iron Arm Ape parts was mechanically collecting money and delivering goods.

"Ten Formation Plates, no bargaining."

"evil warding talismans are sold out today; come early tomorrow."

This "take it or leave it" attitude actually made those Loose Cultivators even more eager.

Zhou Wannian did not stop progressing just because business was good. He keenly perceived that current Loose Cultivators didn't just need spirit gathering; they also needed survival guarantees in the harsh environments of the wild.

Thus, with a flourish of his brush, he improved the Formation patterns on the ordinary "disposable Formation Plates."

Adding "insect repellent grass powder"—insect prevention.

Adding a "miniature fire Talisman circuit"—warmth.

Adding "Fluorescence Technique"—night vision.

The cost barely changed, but with the title of "Wilderness Survival All-in-One Edition," the price jumped by ten Spirit Stones, and it was still sold out instantly.

This was responding to demand.

After handling the business, Zhou Wannian began his daily, unwavering Cultivate.

He took out a bottle of "Qi Condensing Pills" from his Storage Pouch. Over the past three months, he had poured more than half of the Spirit Stones he earned into Medicinal Pills.

"Gulp."

The pill entered his stomach, turning into a rolling heat.

Zhou Wannian closed his eyes and focused, circulating the Cloud Seal Heavenly Scripture. Inside his Dantian, that sea of deep blue true essence had expanded by a circle compared to three months ago, and it was thicker and deeper.

"At this rate, in another year, I'll be able to try breaking through to the Foundation Establishment mid stage."

Just as he was immersed in Cultivate...

"Squeak! Squeak!"

Wangcai, who had been sleeping in the corner, suddenly woke up. Its two small paws gripped the ground tightly, its golden fur standing on end, and it let out an extremely uneasy scream toward the ground.

"Hmm?"

Zhou Wannian abruptly opened his eyes.

Although Wangcai was greedy, its spiritual sense had never been wrong.

He fully unleashed his Divine Sense, sweeping deep underground like mercury spreading on the floor.

Deep beneath Qingshi Alley, separated by thick rock layers and Restrictions, there seemed to be a hint of... an extremely faint vibration that would be impossible to detect without careful sensing.

Buzz... buzz... buzz... That vibration was not an earthquake; it was more like some massive creature turning over deep underground, or... some huge Formation was slowly starting up.

"This vibration... the frequency is somewhat familiar."

Zhou Wannian's pupils contracted sharply.

He remembered the micro-tremor before the blood sacrifice formation started deep under the Chen Family Ancestral Residence. Although it was extremely faint, that heart-palpitating rhythm was exactly the same!

"Could there be a big fellow buried under Tianxing City as well?"

"Or is the Star Palace planning something big?"

Zhou Wannian's hair stood on end instantly.

He Without any hesitation, immediately stopped his Cultivate.

"Withdraw!"

With a wave of his hand, the Formation Plates, Talismans, and Materials on the table were all swept into his Storage Pouch.

"Rise!"

His hands formed seals, and all thirty-six defensive Restrictions in the secret room were activated. Layers of light screens overlapped, sealing the place airtight.

But that wasn't enough.

He walked to the corner of the secret room, lifted the floor tile, and revealed a secret escape tunnel leading out of the city.

"Click."

The mechanism of the secret tunnel was opened, ready for him to jump in and flee at any moment.

After doing all this, Zhou Wannian breathed a slight sigh of relief. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of the water clock in the corner, staring intently at the slowly dripping water.

Three quarters past the Hour of the Goat.

There were still several hours until the midnight.

"Damn it, why now of all times?"

Zhou Wannian gripped the turtle spirit brush tightly, his eyes flickering in the shadows.

He didn't know what was happening underground, but he knew that a vibration of this level was no small matter. If it were a natural disaster, it would be fine, but if it were man-made... "I must wait until the midnight."

"I'll cast a divination."

"Whether to stay or run depends entirely on this divination."

The secret room was deathly silent.

Only that faint, almost imperceptible underground micro-tremor continued, like the breathing of a sleeping giant, signaling that some unknown storm was brewing.

And Zhou Wannian, like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow, retreated into his shell, waiting for the judgment of fate.