There was no need for any embellishment.
Just from the looks in the eyes of the villagers who had come from the surrounding settlements, one could see their love for the Eternal Coins. Moreover, the Eternal Coin was not a flimsy, worthless paper currency. It held real value, contained energy, had exquisite artistic quality, and even enhanced one's cultivation when possessed. All these aspects endowed the Eternal Coin with incredible worth.Acceptance was far easier than one might imagine.
It was a natural process.Yet, its significance was extraordinary.
This meant that the Eternal Coin was being recognized by the surrounding villages. It was now established, quietly but surely, as the dominant currency of Xuanhuang Town.
"Now, we just have to wait — wait for all the nearby villages to get used to the existence of Eternal Coins, to become accustomed to trading with them. Once that happens, the true goal of issuing the currency will be achieved," Xue Jin said excitedly.
As a businessman, he understood perfectly: where there was currency, there was value for merchants.Merchants existed to circulate goods, profiting from the difference, and could even influence the livelihood of an entire nation. Every action and word could have a massive impact on society. That was the realm of the ultimate merchants.
Today's event had already planted the Eternal Coin deep into people's hearts.More importantly, the first impression had been made — villagers subconsciously accepted the Eternal Coin. In their minds, it would become natural: This is the Eternal Continent. The currency here is the Eternal Coin.Without even thinking, they would see it as the most legitimate currency on the continent.
"Currency must circulate. I firmly believe that the Eternal Coin will become the mainstream currency of this world. However, stabilizing the market is crucial. The marketplace must not descend into chaos. Open the granaries. As long as the villagers are willing to buy, we will sell to them. These grains — selling them saves our human kin. Besides, we have more than enough ordinary grains now," Yi Tianxing said.
The value of a currency depended on whether it could be used to buy goods.If one couldn't even buy necessities, what good was the currency?
"Rest assured, my lord. Wanbao Hall has been thoroughly prepared. Various supplies have been gathered and stocked into the marketplace. Grain is available in abundance. Weapons, talismans, and more — they're all in Wanbao Tower, ready for purchase. We also have teams on standby, ready to restock at any moment," Xue Jin said confidently, his eyes flashing brightly.
"You'll handle the marketplace," Yi Tianxing instructed. "Elder Huang, Master Lu — come with me. There's an important matter to discuss."
Yi Tianxing wasn't worried about the marketplace.With Xuanhuang Town's strength being able to crush any surrounding village, promoting the currency was simply a matter of course.
Moreover, he could already sense how the circulation of the currency was rapidly changing the Money Tree.The speed at which the Money Tree gathered wish power had multiplied exponentially.The Eternal Coins making up the tree were quickly absorbing the world's energy, slowly transforming toward a golden color.
The increase in wish power was visible to the naked eye.
Yi Tianxing estimated it wouldn't be long before they harvested a batch of Wish Orbs.With those orbs, he could forge new Eternal Coins, creating a positive cycle that would greatly accelerate the development of Xuanhuang Town.
Yi Tianxing, Huang Chengyan, and Master Lu returned to the official residence.The three stayed together for several hours.When Huang and Lu finally left in the late afternoon, their faces were glowing with excitement and exhilaration, their eyes brighter than ever.
"Heaven blesses Xuanhuang! Truly, Heaven blesses us..." murmured Huang Chengyan as he walked away.
"If we can pull this off, the foundation of Xuanhuang Town will be unshakable. No one will be able to threaten us again. Who would have thought there was such an incredible treasure in existence?" Master Lu muttered, his expression somewhere between dazed and fervent.
Night fell.The lighthouse of Xuanhuang Town once again shone brilliantly into the darkness.
The villagers didn't leave.After a day of shocks and excitement, they were still brimming with energy.
With Eternal Coins in hand, they swarmed into Wanbao Tower to purchase goods.Bag after bag of pre-packed grain was hauled back to their lodgings.They even bought two-wheeled carts crafted by the Heavenly Works Pavilion, making it easy to transport large amounts of goods back to their villages.
It wasn't just grain.Weapons, talismans, and many other supplies were also eagerly purchased.
Some of the village cultivators immediately started using the Eternal Coins during cultivation, eager to test whether the rumors about their miraculous properties were true.
Under the illumination of the lighthouse, Xuanhuang Town glowed brightly in the night — so bright that it wasn't just humans who noticed it.Creatures of the wilderness were also drawn to the light.
Not far outside the valley, atop a hill, a fissure suddenly opened in the earth.
From the crack, a terrifying figure emerged.At first, it seemed human — a muscular upper body, holding a pitch-black spear, gray-brown hair, and cold, glinting eyes. His body was covered in bulging muscles like coiled dragons.
That alone wasn't horrifying.
But when the figure fully emerged, the sight of his lower body was enough to make anyone's scalp explode and even scare some to death.The lower half wasn't human at all, but that of a giant black scorpion, complete with eight sharp, spear-like legs and a huge curved tail ending in a vicious stinger.
He wasn't human — he was a hybrid of man and scorpion, a terrifying race known as the Scorpion Demon Race (魔蝎族, Mo Xie Zu).
This Scorpion Demon warrior stood at nearly three meters tall, radiating a chilling aura.He gazed coldly toward the light of the lighthouse — not far away now.
From the underground fissure, more Scorpion Demons emerged, though none were as tall or imposing as the first.Clearly, he was their leader.
"Chief, we're close to that lighthouse settlement. I can smell strong human blood essence," one of the Scorpion Demons reported.
"Excellent," the Scorpion Chief hissed. "A huge gathering of humans. Once we offer up their blood and souls in sacrifice, the Demon God will reward us. The Scorpion Demon Empire shall rise!"
"Yes! Last time we wiped out a small village — only a few thousand humans — and still produced many new elites. This time, with even more humans, we'll gain even greater rewards!" another said excitedly, eyes blazing.
Humans were the best sacrifice.Their blood, their souls — all could bring blessings from the Demon God.This time, they had even received instructions: with enough sacrifices, they would be taught the secret art of constructing a Blood Pool — allowing them to forcibly transform captured humans into more Scorpion Demons.If they gained that ability, their race's rise would be unstoppable.
The Scorpion Demons were itching for battle, eager to find this large human settlement and begin the slaughter.
"Those who can build a lighthouse won't be weak.But if we strike from underground, we can catch them off guard.Speed up the digging! We can only operate at night. Hurry!" barked the Scorpion Chief.
He turned and dove back into the underground tunnel.The other Scorpion Demons followed, disappearing as the fissure magically closed behind them, leaving no trace.
In the ruined city of Lushan...
There were no civilians left.The city lay broken and desolate.
Coiled atop the walls was a monstrous giant python, its cold gaze locked on the distant lighthouse.After a long moment of stillness, the serpent slithered into the earth and vanished mysteriously.
In a dense forest…
A colossal locust suddenly took flight, soaring into the sky.It spotted the distant lighthouse's light, then emitted a shrill screech.
Boom!!
From the forest erupted a black cloud — a swarm of gigantic locusts, thick enough to darken the sky, surging toward the light.
Predatory birds rose to intercept, snatching locusts out of the air, but their efforts were futile.Compared to the endless swarm, their attacks were like drops of water into the ocean.Some birds were even overwhelmed, reduced to skeletons midair, their bones crashing to the earth below.
The scene was terrifying.
At the Zhengqi Villa...
A pale-faced young noble dressed in white gazed toward the lighthouse.Waving his hand, he ordered lazily, "You four, accompany me to that human settlement.Let's see if there's anything interesting happening.Staying holed up in the wilderness is no way to spread this young master's fame."
He settled into a sedan chair carried by four robust guards, accompanied by a few maids.
Glancing at the maids, the young man shook his head with a sigh, "Why is it that this world is so full of yang energy and so short of yin energy?"