88: Group Buying

Chapter 88: Grouping Up

“It’s very expensive to enter once; we both have to split the cost,” Xue Lingling said, feigning hesitation.

“Can’t I just split a share too?” Wang Xiaocong blurted out without thinking. “Speaking of which, I’ve never been to a scroll copy before. It’s a good chance to broaden my horizons with you two.”

“Well… alright then.”

A moment later, three figures flew out of the Ghost King Club, heading towards the Scroll Artist Association.

Xue Lingling was riding a coffin lid, Wu Xian was on a Flying Sword, and Wang Xiaocong was on a brand-new motorized skateboard.

“Is Brother Wang taking the Tool Scroll route?” Wu Xian asked curiously.

“That’s right. Although the Tool Scroll doesn’t have a high upper limit, it’s simple, crude, and practical,” Wang Xiaocong nodded. “My family doesn’t have many expectations for me, but I feel like I have a lot of scroll Aptitude.”

Wu Xian looked at Xue Lingling in confusion: “The Tool Scroll doesn’t have a high upper limit?”

“It’s a similar problem to Mechanical-type Scrolls; it’s difficult to access Law-level powers. They are basically tool-oriented scrolls,” Xue Lingling explained. “I’ve heard that some top-tier weapon scrolls can also access Law-level powers, but tools are tools after all. They’re not like character scrolls that can touch the Domain of gods.”

Wu Xian understood. To put it plainly, people have a higher upper limit than tools. Tools are, in the end, things used by people.

Although he didn’t agree, the current scroll world saw it that way.

“I don’t think so,” Wang Xiaocong’s eyes gleamed. “Especially with the recent appearance of optimus prime, which gave me a lot of inspiration. Tool Scrolls can completely develop in a anthropomorphic direction, just like Brother Prime.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found a suitable approach or solution yet.”

Xue Lingling shook her head and smiled, clearly not taking Wang Xiaocong’s idea seriously.

But Wu Xian, on the other hand, greatly admired this idea. “What a great idea! It feels like it has a lot of potential.”

“Does Brother Gongming think so too?”

Wang Xiaocong’s eyes lit up, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

After discussing with Wu Xian along the way, his ideas were gradually opened up by Wu Xian.

Xue Lingling, however, listened with disdain.

As a student studying abroad from a Dojo, she knew the fundamental difference between Tool Scrolls and character scrolls.

Soon after, the three figures arrived at the Association.

Xue Lingling, familiar with the place, led the two into the scroll copy hall.

Inside the hall, numerous Domain Scrolls were enshrined and displayed, with crowds of people, as lively as the Dimensional Plaza.

“So many Domain Scrolls?” Wu Xian was truly surprised by the scene before him.

“There are many, but truly high-quality ones are very few,” Xue Lingling explained with a light chuckle. “The ones at the very top are the truly valuable Domain Scrolls.”

The scroll copy hall had a tiered structure.

The higher up one went, the larger the scroll exhibition spaces were, and the fewer positions there were.

The topmost row had a total of nine magnificent exhibition areas resembling grand halls, corresponding to the Domain Scrolls of the current Nine Great Academies. Among them was the other silver scroll five-star copy of Dead Mountain Town.

And in the exhibition areas below, they were basically the Domain works of later or contemporary Scroll Masters.

They could even see many Scroll Masters recruiting Spirit Masters to enter their Domain Scrolls, with free entries being common, and some even paying people to enter.

“Free is understandable, but paying people? What’s that about?” Wu Xian asked, puzzled.

“Association Scroll Masters, their skill level generally isn’t very high, so the quality of the Domain Scrolls they create naturally isn’t very high either,” Xue Lingling explained. “And Domain Scrolls require a large amount of clearance and exploration to refine their concepts.”

“They can create Domain Scrolls, and their skill is still low?”

Xue Lingling glanced at him and smiled, “Powerful Domain Scrolls have high requirements. For this level of Domain Scroll, I could draw it with my eyes closed, but besides wasting Materials, it has no value or meaning.”

“How is value demonstrated?”

“The value of the Materials produced isn’t even as good as Dimensional monsters, so what’s the point?” Xue Lingling teased, raising her hand to point at one of the exhibition areas. “See that Domain Scroll? It’s Elder Chen’s work, called ‘Asura Demonic Realm’.

Doesn’t it sound impressive from the name? But when I was fifteen, with level two spiritual power, I easily cleared it.”

“Elder Chen’s work?” Wu Xian’s expression was strange.

“Disciple, you must clearly understand that the gap between Scroll Master and Scroll Master is often greater than the gap between humans and dogs,” Xue Lingling said with a condescending tone. “The Association is like a place where a bunch of low-level Scroll Masters huddle together for warmth and amuse themselves. Only a small portion of Association Scroll Masters have some real ability.

Of course, the atmosphere of the Association is still very good, at least much better than the Dojo.”

The more Wu Xian listened, the more he felt something was off.

It seemed that in Xue Lingling’s eyes, these Scroll Masters in the Association were like a bunch of Loose Cultivators who barely had some cultivation Aptitude.

“If that’s the case, why does the studio still cultivate so many Scroll Masters?” Wu Xian asked, puzzled.

“To make money, of course,” Xue Lingling pouted. “The economy of today’s society is driven by these low-level Scroll Masters.”

“…”

Wu Xian’s mouth twitched, speechless.

Beside him, Wang Xiaocong scratched his head, clearly a bit offended by what he heard.

“Of course, the studio can still screen out some excellent Scroll Masters,” Xue Lingling added. “For example, our classmates Zhou Qi and Wang Xiaocong, and your Tool Scroll route is quite easy to get by on.”

As she spoke, they had already arrived at the nine exhibition areas on the top floor.

“These are all Domain Scrolls from the various Dojos. Except for the Mechanical Dojo one at the very back, which isn’t worth it, the others are all quite worthwhile,” Xue Lingling introduced. “What specific type of Materials do you want?”

“Preferably one with a rich variety of monster types, everything except Undead System.”

“Then let’s go to the Holy Spirit Island of the Holy Spirit Dojo, a gold scroll six-star. It’s much better developed than Dead Mountain Town,” Xue Lingling pointed to one of the exhibition areas. “Come, come, come, a thousand spirit crystals per person for the third-tier copy.”

“Can spiritual essence work?”

“Yes.”

Then, the two transferred money to Xue Lingling, and she went to pay the fee.

After waiting for a moment, they saw Xue Lingling return with a large group of people behind her. The elderly leader was clearly from the Association, but the group behind them were members of a certain Club.

“Hehe, we can just group up and save some money,” Xue Lingling happily returned the money to the two.

Wang Xiaocong quickly recognized the people from the Club. “Isn’t that the main team of the Divine Fire Club? Are they also going to the third-tier Holy Spirit Island?”

“They’re probably sent by the Divine Fire Club’s Chairman to farm specific Materials,” Xue Lingling said indifferently. “It doesn’t conflict with us.”

Wu Xian and Wang Xiaocong understood, but the Divine Fire Club members’ gazes at them were clearly mocking and disdainful.

“Chairman Xue, are you really taking these two little kids into the third-tier Holy Spirit Island?” the leading captain sneered. “How about you pay the money, and we’ll take care of your safety along the way?”

Xue Lingling chuckled, “You should worry about yourselves first.”

Just a bunch of Spirit Masters, and they were trying to act tough with her.

If not for the group, she wouldn’t even bother with these “ants.”

The Divine Fire Club captain pouted sullenly and said no more.

“What’s the background of the Divine Fire Club?” Wu Xian asked curiously.

“Dengfeng Dojo,” Xue Lingling said calmly. “The Dengfeng Dojo system is quite diverse; they have all types of scrolls.”

“Oh, oh.”

As they spoke, the Holy Spirit Island scroll had already unfurled, revealing an island with green mountains and clear waters.

The Divine Fire Club members were the first to touch the scroll and enter it, with Wu Xian and the other two following closely behind.

Space twisted, and they found themselves on a vast island.

“It’s so big?” Wu Xian looked around, inevitably shocked.