This was a colossal transaction—amounting to hundreds of millions, even billions.
The sheer magnitude of the deal was comparable to the massive trade that had once taken place with the wandering merchants. Those merchants traded with various materials and treasures. Here, however, it was a direct transaction using Eternal Coins. With the flow of such astronomical figures, both General's Valley and Xuanhuang City saw a subtle yet tangible increase in their destiny (Qi Fortune).
Circulation brings mutual benefits.
Qi fortune flows like an endless river, ceaseless and abundant.
The source of the flow comes from major forces like General's Valley and Xuanhuang City.
The Eternal Coin serves as the riverbed, and Qi fortune is the water. The riverbed carries the water, nurturing both sides.
It is a symbiotic effect, a reciprocal force.
Both parties benefit.
However, as the issuer of the Eternal Coin, Xuanhuang City naturally gains greater benefits, able to draw in the Qi fortune of the four corners of the world continuously.
The sum involved was truly staggering.
Even after the four great generals had finished purchasing a vast stockpile of military supplies, each still retained around fifty to sixty million Eternal Coins. Together, they held over 200 million Eternal Coins. Yi Tianxing did not force them to spend it all on his own goods.
On the contrary, he preferred that they held on to them.
With this amount of Eternal Coins circulating within General's Valley, it could easily replace the Crystal Coins, becoming the dominant currency. Good currency drives out bad.
Historically, it's often said that bad money drives out good.
Why is that? Even though people know the bad money is inferior, they tend to use it and hoard the good currency. Why? Because of psychological imbalance and instinctual self-interest.
When bad currency appears in the market, and someone uses it to purchase an item while another uses good currency to buy the same thing, an imbalance arises: why should I pay more for the same result? This creates a sense of invisible loss. Naturally, over time, people stop using the good currency and begin using the bad. As this trend continues, the entire monetary system distorts and eventually collapses.
It's a slippery slope—corruption spreads fast, while reform takes a lifetime.
The root cause of "bad money driving out good" lies in fluctuating currency value. Gold and silver values fluctuate. With bad money taking over, individuals stand to gain.
But Yi Tianxing's objective was to use the stable, high-quality Eternal Coin to purge the flawed Crystal Coin-based market system.
The key difference: the Eternal Coin's value is constant and immutable. The energy it contains is fixed, and the amplification it offers is stable. As long as value is measured by this fixed energy, it will never change.
Its exquisite appearance offers added value, and its constant energy content ensures the currency retains its worth. With continued circulation, it will win public trust and affection, becoming a dominant trend.
This massive inflow of Eternal Coins into the market would cause seismic shockwaves throughout the economy.
In fact, if he gave the command forbidding cultivators and civilians from absorbing the energy within Eternal Coins for cultivation, he could ensure even longer circulation lifespans for the coins.
"If only there was a way to teleport Eternal Coins to any region, any location… then we could enable mass circulation without fearing the coins would disappear from energy absorption."
Yi Tianxing pondered in silence.
The idea had long existed. However, it was far too difficult. Unless there was a power capable of intervening across the Eternal World, this vision could only be realized when Xuanhuang City became strong enough.
Until then, he could only spread the Eternal Coins further as his territory expanded.
After the transaction was complete…
Yi Tianxing dined with Feng Xianlin and the four generals.
The cooks in General's Valley were from the army's field kitchen division.
Though the food didn't reach divine culinary levels where the dishes glowed, it was still exceptionally delicious, featuring rare desert ingredients.
They dined on the fattest meat of sandworms, drank pudding made from sandworm brain matter, and feasted on over a dozen exquisite dishes. His gourmet cells were stirred with excitement, increasing his physical strength—his fleshly body now reached 420,000 jin of strength. He was one step closer to the Fifth Ring of the White Cauldron Realm.
After the meal, Yi Tianxing did not linger. He departed General's Valley.
Although the militant aura of the soldiers didn't harm his body, its presence created a repelling discomfort—he simply didn't feel at ease.
This was a holy ground for soldiers.
Non-military cultivators, no matter how strong, would feel out of place here. That was the conflict of destiny at play.
Without a reason to stay, Yi Tianxing left without hesitation.
However, not long after, a rumor began to spread uncontrollably in the General's City, and soon swept across the entire oasis like wildfire.
"Have you heard? Apparently, we're about to face a terrible disaster. The High Priest of the desert is said to be awakening. Once that happens, he'll unleash death across the oasis. We'll all become undead—skeletons and ghosts alike."
"They say a stargazer saw it in a vision—an army of undead ravaging the land, countless souls perishing under their assault."
"It's not just stargazers—even fortune tellers are predicting a catastrophic war in the oasis. Though none of them could see the outcome."
"It's over… If that undead army comes, we're dead. This place is no longer safe—the whole Golden Sand Desert might be doomed."
People were consumed by terror.
Legend has it the High Priest was once a powerful assistant to the Pharaoh, but after having an affair with the Pharaoh's queen, he was executed brutally. From then on, he became an eternal enemy of the Pharaoh. Now that he's awakening, a bloodstorm is imminent. He seeks power to rival the Pharaoh himself.
It's said that the High Priest practiced countless dark divine arts, even worshiping the God of Death, earning his favor.
In the Golden Sand Desert, such things are taboo. No one dares bring them up lightly.
Naturally, General's Valley heard these rumors.
But no action was taken—no one refuted the claims, no one investigated who spread them. In fact, it seemed like General's Valley approved of the rumors, letting them spread unchecked.
Why? Because they couldn't hide it anymore.
According to their calculations, the High Priest's resurrection was imminent.
At this point, it didn't matter if people knew or not.
In fact, letting the public know was more beneficial. General's Valley did not view themselves as rulers, but as protectors. If civilians could learn of the danger in advance, they could choose to leave the oasis while time remained.
Their fate would rest in their own choices.
Meanwhile, in Xuanhuang City, undercurrents stirred.
The incident of Little Golden Behemoth being nailed to the Iron-Blood Great Wall was clearly an untraceable conspiracy. It was a scheme born of envy toward Xuanhuang City's rapid rise. Someone could no longer tolerate their ascension.
In his secluded chamber…
Yi Tianxie, awakened by the disturbance at the gates, stepped out. In appearance and mannerism, he was identical to Yi Tianxing.
He raised his eyes to the void and let out a cold laugh.
"A bunch of clowns… Afraid to confront Xuanhuang City directly, so they resort to petty schemes. Do they really think they can destroy us and massacre our people this way? Absurd. Even if the enemy is a Beastman Coalition Army, so what? We rose from slaughter. We fear no war—never have, never will!"
"No one has ever succeeded in breaking me with trickery. No one can butcher my people. In Xuanhuang City, there are no cowards. Whoever you are… if you want war—then WAR IT IS!"
"Behemoth King, if you want your little one to live, then face me head-on—at the Iron-Blood Great Wall!"
His words echoed across the sky of Xuanhuang City, carried by a mysterious force.
It spread like a tidal wave, rippling outward in every direction.
The sound did not weaken with distance—it remained crisp and clear.
Within moments, it traveled thousands, even tens of thousands of miles—
—until it reached Golden City, and entered the ears of the Behemoth King.