After spending a full two months on repeated attempts and exploration, burning money in the furnace with incredible efficiency, and tossing millions in investments, Ji Jue finally made a solid and reliable... first step in his study of the Nine Types of Chun Jun!

Now that the prototype is complete after much effort, the technology is verified, and all processes are in place, it's time to find a budget, form a project, get into practice, and prepare for production!

For the vast majority of craftsmen, this is only the beginning of the torment.

The budget is hard, initiating the project is hard, research is hard, maintenance is hard, producing results is even harder, hard, hard, hard... At the slightest mishap, the investor could lose everything, dragging down the already not-so-high reputation of Embers along with it.

This is what a bottomless pit is like.

Throw in tens of millions, and not even a sound is heard.

Ji Jue doesn't need a financial backer; his own business is enough to keep the workshop running, but now with such a big project to establish, he still feels strapped for resources.

Especially since the final product, Chun Jun, is also for personal use, a sword formed from personal spirit and name, impossible for others to use, he can only bear the costs and resolve it himself.

Not only does the blessing require a lot, but there are also a ton of gaps in the materials.

Although he gained a lot of friendships and materials from the Desert Sea rally, none was suitable—Dust Crystals from the Ruins series can be used for Chixiao or Zhanlu, but due to their overly abundant and stable nature, they would instead form a shackle during the spiritual ascension, unsuitable for Ascension and the Ether series.

Materials from the Ether series can be resolved through the Tong family, after all, Tong Shan still had a lot left over from his last stroke of Hui Hao, and there's also an Ether blessing of "Seeing the Simple and Embracing the Unadorned" that requires the Tong family's channels...

It seems two chickens were still too few to bring.

Next time, I'll have to bring two more, or else think of other ways.

As for the materials and blessings for the Ascension series...

These days, ordinary materials can still be bought with money, but truly precious things are all snatched up the moment they appear, even directly monopolized, and can't be found on the market at all.

Just as Ji Jue was at his wit's end, an unexpected visitor came knocking on the door of Ji Jue Workshop.

Amidst the rumble, a helicopter descended from the sky and slowly landed on the deck of the Prosperity.

On the outer layer of the pure white-painted helicopter, a familiar emblem was painted in bright red—that was the symbol of the Chongguang Church!

After the cabin opened, an elderly figure holding a box slowly walked down.

The Deacon Elder of the Cliff City Chongguang Church!

The elder, aged and weathered, had skin darkened by the sun, rough fingers, and short white hair already thinning, shining comically under the bright sun.

Yet, faced with this elderly gentleman, anyone with a bit of conscience would find it hard to laugh out loud.

The stubbornness of the Ascension series runs deep; sometimes even more stubborn than the temper and character of the Ruins, sticking to one thing without giving up.

Since being sent to Cliff City at the age of twenty-one, taking over the Chongsheng Temple, which wasn't much better than a ruin, this elder has devoted decades to the compassion guided by doctrine.

He tirelessly raised funds for cheap hospitals including Jici Hospital from nothing, for the neglected poor folks and orphans, and has never ceased to this day.

Facing a young man like Ji Jue, the elder still extended his hand proactively, with a warm smile, "I hope my unexpected visit didn't disturb you."

"Not at all!"

Ji Jue shook his head decisively, not daring to put on any airs, taking a very humble stance: "If you needed something, just tell me, and I would have gone myself. No need for you to trouble yourself like this. Please come in, the tea is almost ready, please..."

"I was about to deliver a batch of vaccines outside the city and thought I'd just drop by on the way.

The tea isn't necessary; I'll be leaving soon."

On the deck, the elder waved off Ji Jue's invitation without sitting down to rest, and instead handed over the box in his hand: "I heard you're looking for things everywhere, so I asked Ms. Ye, many items are in the storage, so I just brought them along."

The heavy box fell into Ji Jue's hand.

After all these years, the synthetic leather covering the box was full of cracks and peeling marks. Inside, however, was wrapped tightly in layers, and underneath, there was even a spiritual lock from a church craftsman.

The moment it opened, Ji Jue was already speechless.

In the center, inside a fist-sized piece of amber, lay the Feather Transformation Ascension Blessing, which he had searched for over a month through various channels without a trace!

Not just that, but there were also many valuable Ascension series materials, including those retained when the Chosen Ones passed away, nearly relics!

"Why go to this extent?"

He instinctively closed it, not daring to even look again, wanting to shove the box back.

Yet the elder did not accept it.

"The Chongguang Church is not a begging institution, nor is it as dire as you think."

The elder solemnly waved his refusal: "Though Feather Transformation is precious, in the storage, it's just collecting dust. These materials were donated by church members or believers. If they could be used for a righteous cause, wouldn't that be their wish too?

Giving them to you is actually a good thing, sparing them from being coveted by unknown craftsmen and used for some heinous deeds."

"But I am a craftsman too, can't I commit any heinous deeds?"

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