Chapter 92: The Assembly Line! 

“Uh, is that true?”

Lu Changsheng heard the system’s prompt tone and suddenly felt a surge of excitement in his heart.

In his dull and flavorless daily life, only giving birth to children and the system’s lottery draws could stir up some waves in his heart.

“Will the system give me a bonus every time I have ten kids?”

Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but think to himself.

“System, I want to draw a lottery!”

He didn’t overthink it.

After all, the more you guess, the more you’ll have expectations.

And with expectations come disappointments.

Looking at the lottery wheel that appeared before his eyes, Lu Changsheng’s spirit stirred slightly: “Start the draw!”

Immediately, the lottery wheel began to spin with a golden light.

Under Lu Changsheng’s gaze, the golden light finally stopped at the ‘Technique’ section.

【Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining the second-order Puppetry Technique!】

【The reward has been sent to the system space, and the host can view it at any time】

A light sphere in the shape of a puppet emerged from the large wheel, accompanied by the system’s voice.

“Second-order Puppetry Technique?”

Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow when he saw the technique he had drawn.

Puppetry was a relatively niche technique among the hundred arts of cultivation.

Although it couldn’t compare to the four major techniques of Formation, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Crafting.

But relatively speaking, it was still a pretty good skill.

As long as he mastered it, his life wouldn’t be bad.

Or rather, as long as he mastered any one of the hundred arts of cultivation, he wouldn’t be bad off.

Even if it was a technique like Spirit Planting, Butchery, Medicine, or Breeding, as long as he was skilled and worked hard, his life would become sweeter and sweeter.

Lu Changsheng’s spirit stirred slightly as he looked at the light sphere in the system space.

【Second-Order Puppetry Technique: Upon use, you can directly comprehend the second-order full-level Puppetry Technique and the corresponding Puppetry Compendium.】

“Indeed, just like the Talisman Crafting technique I obtained earlier, I can directly acquire the second-order full-level Puppetry Technique, which means I can refine puppets comparable to the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.”

“With this Puppetry technique, I’ll not only be able to use Talisman but also Puppetry in the future!”

“If I have a few second-order puppets on me, my safety will be guaranteed in the future!”

Lu Changsheng nodded slightly as he read the description, feeling very satisfied.

He thought this technique was pretty good, quite likable, and suitable for himself.

Or rather, he thought all the hundred arts of cultivation were pretty good.

After all, having many skills wasn’t a bad thing!

The more skills he had, the better.

Even if he couldn’t use them temporarily, he could teach them to his children or pass them on to others when he established his cultivation family in the future.

Lu Changsheng had already thought it through.

If he established a cultivation family, it would be just like now.

No conflicts, no struggles, just building relationships and making money through cultivation.

The entire family would rely on technique after technique to earn money and cultivate peacefully.

Right away.

Lu Changsheng used the second-order Puppetry Technique in the system space.

In an instant, a surge of knowledge information flooded into his brain.

《Introduction to Puppetry》

《Basic Puppet Encyclopedia》

《First-Order Puppet Encyclopedia》

《Second-Order Puppet Encyclopedia》

《I Can Make Puppets with My Bare Hands》

《How Puppets Are Made》

《My Affairs with Puppets》

After a long while.

A heap of knowledge information related to puppets flooded into Lu Changsheng’s brain.

About identifying materials for making puppets.

How to turn the skeletons of demonic beasts and fierce beasts into puppets.

Puppet array inscriptions, spiritual axis control, and so on.

“Whoa!”

“As expected of the system, even if I have experienced it once before, this feeling is still mysterious.” 

Lu Changchang exhaled and looked at his hands. 

Not only had his brain gained a heap of puppet-related knowledge.

He also felt like his hands had manufactured, assembled, polished, and refined puppets for decades.

If he had a pile of materials right now, he could perform a bare-handed puppet-making demonstration on the spot.

“However, this puppetry technique seems not as good as I imagined.”

Lu Changsheng furrowed his brow slightly after absorbing the second-order puppetry technique.

According to his understanding of puppet manufacturing in his brain.

He discovered that making puppets had several major problems.

It consumed time!

It consumed wealth!

Even though he has second-level puppet skills and is a second-level puppet master! 

Even with ready-made materials, wanting to create a single ordinary first-order low-level puppet would take at least two to three days, or even longer.

And a first-order medium-level puppet would take at least seven to eight days, or even ten days to half a month.

As for a first-order high-level puppet, it would take even longer, basically ten days to half a month or more.

Usually, he had to cultivate, make Talismans, accompany his wives, and have children, Lu Changsheng clearly knew that he didn’t have that much time and energy to mass-produce puppets.

Moreover, the cost of materials needed to manufacture puppets was very high.

Lu Changsheng made a rough estimate.

A single ordinary first-order low-level puppet would require at least twenty to thirty spirit stones just for the material cost.

He wasn’t sure about the exact price of a low-level puppet.

But he roughly knew that a low-level puppet wouldn’t exceed one hundred spirit stones in price.

In other words, manufacturing a puppet would take three to four days, and the profit would only be three to four times the cost.

This was far inferior to making Talismans!

“No wonder there’s a hierarchy of contempt among craftsmen, with Formation, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Talisman Crafting looking down on other skills.”

“Puppetry is still considered a decent skill among the hundred arts of cultivation, but compared to making Talismans, which is relatively easy and lucrative, the gap is huge.”

“And Talisman Crafting is still ranked last among the mainstream four arts of cultivation.”

Lu Changsheng shook his head in dismay.

He suddenly felt that this second-order puppetry technique was somewhat useless for him at present.

Firstly, this technique couldn’t be used to make money.

Making money by manufacturing puppets was nowhere near as easy and fast as making Talismans.

Then, the time and material costs were too high.

It made him give up on his original idea of puppet warfare.

Even a first-order low-level puppet was too expensive for him to play with.

As for manufacturing a second-order puppet, it was even more out of the question.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t make it, but simply that he didn’t have the money.

The material cost of a single second-order puppet, Lu Changsheng wasn’t very clear about.

But he made a rough estimate, at least several thousand spirit stones.

“Too difficult!”

Lu Changsheng let out a deep sigh.

Feeling that on this cultivation path, it seemed like money was needed everywhere.

He currently needed money to rescue the poor female cultivator stranded in the White Jade Tower.

He also needed money to buy a first-order extreme-quality Talisman pen, purchase second-order Talisman materials, and draw a second-order Talisman.

He was already short on money, and desperately needed it, so where would he get the money to buy materials and manufacture a second-order puppet?

“Alas, a person is ultimately limited.”

“If one tries to do everything themselves, it’s too difficult.”

“There simply isn’t enough time and energy, no wonder many craftsmen choose to join a faction.”

Lu Changsheng shook his head in dismay.

He also understood why many people would choose to join a faction.

Because joining a faction had many benefits.

Just like how he had enjoyed many benefits from the Lu Family.

But the problem was that his second-order Talisman crafting and current second-order puppetry couldn’t be revealed.

He couldn’t quickly convert them into resources.

And currently, he didn’t have enough strength, so he didn’t dare to reveal his second-order techniques.

Otherwise, what if he became a slave who made Talismans for eight hours a day?

“Hey, wait a minute, this puppetry technique, although difficult, its main difficulty lies in its complexity.”

“It’s not just about being able to refine materials, manufacture parts, and assemble them, but also about inscribing spiritual arrays and so on.”

“A person wanting to master all of these would naturally find it very difficult, but these steps can be divided and assigned to different people.”

Lu Changsheng digested the puppetry knowledge in his brain.

Suddenly, Lu Changsheng felt that this puppet manufacturing was similar to his previous life’s assembly line screw-tightening factory, and an idea sprang to mind.

“If one person only needs to master one aspect, wouldn’t it be simpler?”

“I can find a batch of talented apprentices and teach them different parts of puppet manufacturing, such as refining materials, manufacturing parts, and assembling them.”

“And then, I can teach the most core spiritual array inscription to someone I trust, wouldn’t that be able to achieve puppet assembly line production?”

“As long as I can achieve puppet assembly line production, the quantity will increase, and making money will become simpler, right?”

“After all, making Talismans is a high-profit business, but ultimately, it’s limited to one person, whereas assembly line production can’t be compared.”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself.

The more he thought about this idea, the more feasible it seemed.

Making Talismans was something that could only be done by himself.

But with the second-order puppetry technique, as a second-order puppet master, he discovered that puppet manufacturing could be divided into different tasks.

Puppetry was a difficult skill, not only because it required refining and manufacturing individual parts, but also because it required spiritual array inscription and understanding of mechanics, human physiology, physics, and mechanical construction.

But by dividing these tasks and industrializing them, letting different people do different tasks, the threshold would suddenly decrease.

It was entirely possible to create an assembly line industry.

“Others should be able to think of this too, right?”

“Never mind, it’s still a bit far-fetched for me right now, I’ll consider it later when I have more power.”

Lu Changsheng shook his head, suppressing the idea that had just occurred to him.

Wanting to create a puppet manufacturing industry, he would need to have a certain amount of power first.

Currently, he had no money and no power, so he might as well rely on making Talismans to earn money and focus on cultivating.

Looking at the sky outside, it was almost evening, and Lu Changsheng walked out of the spiritual Talisman shop.

He was preparing to buy some materials for making puppets.

This thing was expensive, but since he had the skill, he might as well try making a few.

If all else fails, it can also be used as a toy for the kids.

Lu Changsheng did not go to the Rouge Cultivator market to buy materials.

On this round trip, he hadn’t even finished browsing, and the sky was already darkening.

Half an hour later.

Lu Changsheng arrived at the Blue Cloud Commercial Hall.

This was a store opened by the Blue Cloud Sect itself, with a total of seven floors, and it was extremely luxurious.

Inside, they sold pills, magical weapons, cultivation techniques, and rare treasures, with guarantees for all items.

Lu Changsheng came to the Blue Cloud Commercial Hall and purchased materials to craft a first-grade low-level puppet and a first-grade medium-level puppet.

He also bought some spiritual materials for cultivating the Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique.

Although he had the Black Dragon Magic Bead, which allowed him to make rapid progress in his cultivation, Lu Changsheng still set aside half an hour every day to cultivate the technique.

In the end, Lu Changsheng bought all the items he needed, spending a total of 236 spirit stones.

This further strained his already impoverished family’s finances.

His plan to visit the White Jade Tower would have to be delayed again.

After leaving the Blue Cloud Commercial Hall, Lu Changsheng passed by a puppet store called ‘Qianji Pavilion’.

He went in to inquire about the prices of the puppets.

The shopkeeper told him that different puppets had different effects and prices, even among those of the same grade.

Then, the shopkeeper told him the approximate prices of the puppets.

A first-grade low-level puppet would cost around 70-80 spirit stones.

A first-grade medium-level puppet would cost around 300 spirit stones.

A first-grade high-level puppet would cost around 1,000-1,200 spirit stones.

A first-grade top-level puppet would cost around 3,000 spirit stones.

After hearing the prices, Lu Changsheng bid farewell and left.

It wasn’t that the price was too high; he was just inquiring about the price of the puppets.

Regarding this price, Lu Changsheng could only say that puppets were a profitable business.

However, compared to Talismans, it was only a small profit.

Of course, if the other party had a production line, that would be a different story.

After buying the materials, Lu Changsheng didn’t return to the Talisman shop, but went straight home.

After all, there was a new baby at home today, and he needed to get back early to take a look.

After returning home, Lu Changsheng visited his newborn child, holding the baby in his arms as he sat in the courtyard.

Holding the baby and sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the peace and quiet, was also a way for Lu Changsheng to relax.

Of course, this was only possible if the baby didn’t cry.

After sitting for a while, Baihe came to report to Lu Changsheng that their neighbor, Xia Long, had come to visit.

Upon hearing this, Lu Changsheng immediately stood up, handed the baby to Baihe, and smiled as he went to greet Xia Long.

This neighbor was one of his major clients.

Every few months, he would come to buy Talismans from Lu Changsheng, and he always bought high-quality ones.

It was a relatively stable channel for selling Talismans.

“Brother Xia, are you preparing to go on an adventure again?”

Lu Changsheng arrived in the main hall, saw Xia Long, and asked with a smile.

He remembered that Xia Long had just returned half a month ago.

“Yes, I’m already fifty years old, and if I don’t make a move now, I’ll miss my chance.”

“Besides, I have two children at home who are about to start their cultivation journey.”

Xia Long sighed and said this.

Lu Changsheng knew that when Xia Long said “if I don’t make a move now, I’ll miss my chance,” he was referring to building his foundation.

In the cultivation world, there was a saying that had been passed down.

Cultivators who wanted to break through to the foundation stage had a final deadline of sixty years old.

After sixty, the body would begin to decline, and the risk of breaking through would increase.

Not only would the probability of success decrease, but the risks would also become greater.

After all, building one’s foundation was no laughing matter.

If one failed to build their foundation, they would at best suffer injuries and have their cultivation revert.

At worst, they would damage their meridians, become crippled, or even die.

“What kind of Talismans do you want this time, Brother Xia?”

Lu Changsheng didn’t dwell on the topic and asked directly.

“Do you have Lightning Inducing Talismans, Golden Light Shield Talismans, Willow Nectar Talisman, and Hundred-Mile Invisibility Talismans on you?”

Xia Long inquired.

“I have a few of each of these Talismans on me, but I’m not sure how many you need, Brother Xia.”

Lu Changsheng replied calmly.

“Do you have two or three Lightning Inducing Talismans?”

Xia Long asked.

“I happen to have three, and if you need them, I can sell them all to you. I’ll be restocking my shop next month anyway.”

Lu Changsheng said, pretending that it was a coincidence.

Of course, this was a lie.

The Talismans he sold to Xia Long were all drawn for his own protection and carried on his person.

He had over a hundred high-quality Talismans and nearly fifty top-level Talismans.

The reason he didn’t have more was that he had limited time to draw them, and he didn’t have a safe channel to sell them yet.

The material costs were also a consideration, so he didn’t want to stockpile too many.

“Then thank you, Brother Lu. I’ll take three Lightning Inducing Talismans, and one each of the other three types.”

Xia Long said.

“Are you going to a particularly dangerous place, Brother Xia, that you’re buying so many Talismans?”

“I also have a Lightning Flash Talisman on me that I drew for my own protection. If you want it, I can sell it to you.”

Lu Changsheng asked, trying to gauge Xia Long’s intentions.

Lu Changsheng thought that since he was currently short on money, and Xia Long was a neighbor and a long-time customer, he could sell him one or two top-level Talismans.

After all, he did have a Lightning Flash Talisman given to him by the Fourth Elder, which he could use as a bargaining chip.

“Ah? Brother Lu has top-level Talismans? I don’t know what price you’re selling them for!”

Xia Long’s eyes lit up when he heard this.

“This is also a family heirloom given to me for protection, Brother Xia. If you need it, I can sell it to you as a favor.”

“The price will be the same as the shop price, 220 spirit stones.”

Lu Changsheng said.

“Alright, thank you, Brother Lu.”

Xia Long bowed in gratitude.

The top-level Talismans were not easy to come by in Jiulong Market, so Xia Long was willing to buy them.

“You’re too kind, Brother Xia.”

Lu Changsheng took out seven Talismans from his storage bag and said, “That’s a total of 490 spirit stones. If you give me 450 spirit stones, that’ll be fine.”

He usually gave Xia Long a discounted price, which was one of the reasons Xia Long always came to him to buy Talismans.

Not only was the channel stable, but the quality of the Talismans was guaranteed, and the price was relatively favorable.

“Alright, thank you, Brother Lu.”

Xia Long was also very pleased.

He took out 450 spirit stones from his storage bag and bid farewell.

Lu Changsheng saw him off, then let out a satisfied sigh: “Indeed, Talismans are the way to go! What’s the point of those useless puppeteers? Not even a dog would bother with them!”

These seven Talismans, six of which were high-quality Talismans, had a total cost of around 15 spirit stones.

The top-level Talisman, Lightning Flash Talisman, had a cost of around 7 spirit stones.

With a total cost of 22 spirit stones, he had sold them for 450 spirit stones, earning a profit of over 20 times!

Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but feel proud of his business acumen.

It was completely impossible to compare with making puppets.

“Tomorrow, I can finally go to the White Jade Tower.”

Lu Changsheng looked at the spirit stones in his hand, thinking to himself.

He still had over 200 spirit stones on him, and with the 450 spirit stones he had just earned, he could find one or two high-quality female cultivators.

At the same time, he hoped that Xia Long would return safely.

Otherwise, he would lose a stable major client.

The next day, Lu Changsheng took the spirit stones to the White Jade Tower.

With a familiar route, he spent 580 spirit stones and bought two servant girls.

One had a 9th-grade Spirit Root, and the other had an 8th-grade Spirit Root.

Both were beautiful and had excellent figures, making people feel sorry for them.

Lu Changsheng couldn’t bear to see such pitiful people.

Originally, he had enough spirit stones to buy a 7th-grade Spirit Root.

But Lu Changsheng thought about it and decided to buy two instead.

He wanted both quality and quantity!

As before, he would have to wait for the White Jade Tower to notify him.

“Ah, the White Jade Tower is indeed a money pit. Next time I have money, I’ll buy materials for a 2nd-grade Talisman instead.”

Lu Changsheng walked out of the White Jade Tower, sighed, and shook his head.

Before he knew it, another half month had passed.

Lu Changsheng’s 41st child was born.

At this time, Lu Changsheng was also preparing to return home.

Because the Lu Family’s Spirit Root Testing Ceremony was about to begin in ten days.

Lu Ping’an, Lu Wuyou, Lu Wuyu, and Lu Xile would all be participating.

Even though he already knew the result, the four children participating in the Spirit Root Testing Ceremony didn’t have Spirit Roots.

But it was still his children’s first time participating in the ceremony.

As their father, he had to go back and take a look.

“I’ll go back alone this time, and hopefully, nothing unexpected will happen.”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself as he walked on the road.

He didn’t want to be too flashy in the city and attract unwanted attention.

This time, he had also changed his appearance.

He had transformed into a young man with a dark complexion and an ordinary face.