"New Year? Of course."

Ning Zheng nodded.

The other Sect Masters and Sect Leaders were eager for their disciples and followers to be feverishly overworked.

But Ning Zheng was actually too afraid of them being overworked, feeling like they were on the verge of sudden death.

In reality, indeed, sudden death happened.

According to some statistics, due to work injuries left untreated, working while injured, and taking drugs to keep working... various suicidal behaviors leading to an average of 7 times sudden deaths per person.

People would suddenly bleed from the seven orifices while working on the roadside, convulsing on the ground, which became a normal state.

Afterward, they weren't taken to a doctor, but directly sent to the blacksmith shop's crematorium, where people would gather and hold a grand funeral.

If outsiders saw it, they would think I was a Demon Cultivator, abusing my followers.

Ning Zheng felt a headache between his eyebrows:

"We need a big vacation; you all have been at Sword Casting Manor for quite a while, and everyone is tired now, so recently you can relax a bit. The external situation is leaning towards stable, and it's next month that we'll start attacking the new Imperial Mausoleum."

"This New Year, you are permitted to take a break and rest! Enjoy yourselves for a few days, and everyone has a full ten thousand Magic Coins for entertainment expenses."

"After all, your tomb raiding revenue has exceeded several hundred billion Magic Coins already."

Jiucai Rong's eyes lit up.

Ten thousand per person, a thousand people would be ten million!

Old Stewards are always so generous; we suggest a leisure activity, and the Old Stewards begin handing out money.

With Ning Zheng's promise, the blacksmiths also rarely started celebrating on their own.

A group of people started writing couplets and sticking up the Chinese character 'Fu', decorations everywhere were filled with festivity as they worked together for a celebration, a bonfire party, various entertainment facilities were quite amusing too.

After all, playing games is meant to be fun.

Additionally, they held a New Year event: Build Year Beasts!

Some were building lion dances, others built Divine Dragons, some even built mythical creatures.

Of course, this was done in the days before New Year.

During the actual New Year days, most of them would go offline to rest; the manor might see its sparsest time in terms of human presence.

But with Embers as replacements, it's perfectly fine.

...

Bone Demon Royal City.

The development speed here in recent days wasn't slow either.

With the help of Thunder Hammer Duke and even other blacksmiths, one after another, assembly line standard weapons factories have officially started selling weapons.

White Flower was sitting in a distribution shop, managing the storefront.

"Boss, a Black Cut please!"

A big and carefree cultivator walked in at the entrance, scanned the weapons with the Eye of Identification, and finally made a choice.

[Name: Black Cut, Shadow Battleaxe (Lower Grade Magical Artifact)]

[Material: Magic Copper, Bone-Penetrating Insect, Black Iron...]

[Divine Technique: Blood and Flesh Penetration.]

[Introduction: An axe with extremely strong penetration, average attack power, highly versatile.]

"Okay." White Flower thought for a moment and handed over the axe.

The other party handed over a Tear Stone for payment.

Yes.

Previously, Five-Body Realm weapons in Nine-State cost about 200 Magic Coins, but now a Black Cut is only 70 Magic Coins.

Before, the labor cost was high, being handcrafted.

Now standard weapons, assembly line production, have already reduced the price to a third.

White Flower smiled and pulled out a boot, "Want to check out our latest weapon, Boots of Resistance?"

The cultivator swung the axe, very satisfied, glanced at the hole-ridden straw sandals on his feet, then looked at the boots offered by White Flower.

[Name: Boots of Resistance (Lower Grade Magical Artifact)]

[Material: Magic Copper, Resilience Flower, Black Iron...]

[Divine Technique: Slight resistance to adverse states.]

[Introduction: Reduces the duration of strong controls from psychological attacks, toxicity, charm... etc.]

"I'm not very wealthy..." The burly cultivator scratched his head, showing some shyness.

"It's okay."

White Flower pointed to a poster on the wall, "Recently, the Bone Demon Race is holding a celebration event, a 5-person competition, you can participate."

"These standard equipment will be given as rewards."

The burly cultivator turned his head, showing a trace of temptation.

He saw on the wall a poster, both sides had five people posing for battle, shouting furiously with lines written:

[King's Ladder Competition, ready for you to battle!]

[Cultivation Limit: Five-Body Realm.]

[Top ten in the ladder will receive the name of the strongest king, get strong national support, what are you waiting for? The next strongest king, is you!]

"A national competition for young talents? Selecting the younger generation? Supporting common people?" The burly man's heart surged with excitement, wondering how many young talents would participate, and how many powerhouses he would encounter.

...

The cities across the Bone Demon Royal City began hosting preliminary competitions, with various cultivators' wild hunting teams continuously signing up to participate.

On the surface, the nation was sponsoring lower-tier cultivators and conducting large-scale drills to promote practical combat experience for the base level.

In the competition, everyone starts off without equipment.

Both camps continuously spawn Embers minions to attack each other's defense towers.

Participants must cooperate with the minions in combat, while last-hitting Embers minions to earn gold coins and purchase equipment.

Choosing equipment based on the situation and coordinating team tactics, jungling, and finally flattening the opponent's camp to achieve ultimate victory.

This project, after a little practice, felt very enjoyable to everyone.

Isn't this a real-life large-scale chessboard, simulating a battlefield?

It tests tactics, equipment choice, and even personal combat operations.

It's fair to say this mode comprehensively trains cultivators and is extremely useful.

At this moment.

Ning Zheng sat on the street, raising an eyebrow, "Is this their New Year activity? King's Ladder Competition?"

Letting you have some leisure, and this is how you relax?

But it seems quite interesting.

It can train soldiers while being playful; the gameplay is very strong.

Moreover, the names of their equipment always feel a bit off, but upon closer thought, they seem quite straightforward and understandable.

It feels like they had this planned all along!

Starting the standard assembly line right from the beginning was to create the environment for today's competition.

This has already become a standard magical artifact factory line, featuring items like Black Cut, Prey on Sun, Witch Cloak, Dawn, Holy Grail...

These dozens of low-end standard magical artifacts have popularized the entire base level of the Sea Race Dynasty.

Now lower-tier cultivators, with prices reduced, some restaurant owners wield several "Black Cuts" for slicing vegetables.

Even the Witch Cloak is very hot-selling.

On the street, everyone wears one draped over themselves.

Because Embers mostly use soul attacks, these low-tier soul resistance magical artifacts are extremely popular.

The Holy Grail is even a household staple.

Because the Holy Grail has the ability to dissolve and accelerate the absorption of Tear Stones.

In combat, taking a sip from the Holy Grail can quickly restore health and mana.

These assembly line magical artifacts have formed a complete set, leading to a widespread trend.

"The Bone Demon Royal City now, with the trend of standard magical artifacts, everyone on the street can afford them, they have done a good job."

Ning Zheng thought about it, went to a Bronze level arena, watching a five-person battle, surrounded by people betting, shouting loudly, very lively.

It's said that recently, profession teams supported by various forces have appeared, with young talents from various families competing, very interesting.

After all, these major forces adapt very quickly.

In their eyes, this is equivalent to another kind of young talents' competition, no different from the previous ones.

Moreover, the balance is quite strong and addictive; now, some young talents in the family have fallen in love with ranked matches, honing combat experiences.

Of course, there are also some wild players participating; Ning Zheng even saw an elderly man fond of chess shouting loudly on the stage.

"I will jungle, strongest jungle king! Tower dive and get five kills, no problem."

An old man was scrambling for the jungling position because after suppressing his cultivation to the Five Elements Realm, played a few games, he found jungling easily set the pace and led the team to victory.

Ning Zheng: "..."

Previously dragging me to play chess, now playing real-life chess?

Already saw through this old man, his child's heart has never faded, setting up a neutral faction without ambition, just crazily playing.

How could he not come for this living chessboard match?

Now this old man was privately visiting, having fun, frequently getting five kills, and with the five kills comes the thrilling announcements broadcasting across the arena, it's simply cool.

Of course.

The blacksmiths also ran to participate since, initially, that was their intention, to gift themselves a New Year present.

They are all at the Five-Body Realm Great Perfection, just right.

"Hahaha, I'm endless!"

"That stupid idiot over there is going for Ominous Signs!"

"Damn, not equipping Boots of Resistance, controlled to foolishness!"

"How is this ladder arranged? How come encountering all these useless players, Hongmeng's random matching algorithm needs some adjustments."

"Pah, a 40% win rate, going 0/10 every match, and still has the face to blame others?"

...

They are very happy, playing baby pesticide, participating in random-matching five-person preliminary competitions.

Ning Zheng looked at this flourishing scene, also quite pleased.

The combat-type blacksmiths here participating in the competition activities, while over there, the entertainment-type blacksmiths are creating life-fusing Year Beasts, lion dancing, competing for the most lifelike, then winning big prizes.

This year, everyone is quite happy.