[Your ’Eighteen Stone Cutting Skills’ has improved, Second Realm: First Glimpse → Third Realm: Entering the Hall]

[Your ’Eighteen Stone Cutting Skills’ has improved, Third Realm: Entering the Hall → Fourth Realm Slightly Accomplished]

[Your ’Eighteen Stone Cutting Skills’ has improved, Fourth Realm Slightly Accomplished → Fifth Realm of Mastery]

...

In ten days, effortlessly reached the Fifth Realm.

At the same time, Yan Chuan hired specialists to handle the cumbersome tasks of launching his ’raw stone shop’—

Selecting a location.

Leasing a shop.

Registering the shop.

Joining the ’Golden Talisman Guild.’

Securing supplies.

Hiring Stone Cutting Masters.

While gambling stones in the raw stone market, and secretly learning, in the largest raw stone market ’Bai Sha Market’ in the Inner City of Golden Talisman City, among hundreds of raw stone shops, some quietly closed while others opened grandly.

On March 10th, the twelfth year of Great Yan Hongwu era, Golden Talisman City, Inner City, Bai Sha Raw Stone Market, ’Star Transformation Original Stone Shop’ grand opening, the shop owner and chief Stone Cutting Master is an Innate Divine General, code-named ’Meteor,’ named ’Qin Yu.’

...

"Not easy!" Yan Chuan sat on the third floor of ’Star Transformation Original Stone Shop,’ exhaling deeply.

In these times, even Innate Divine Generals find it hard to make money, just like him, he even had some divine interventions, but the process of converting those interventions into Essence Stones was full of twists and turns—

Because of "Treasure Rock," he went in search of a suitable surprise weapon and eventually purchased the ’Second-Rank Sky Collapse Earth Sinking Purple Gold Hammer.’

With the ’Second-Rank Sky Collapse Earth Sinking Purple Gold Hammer,’ he swept through various major raw stone markets and acquired quite a few raw stones that consistently yield Second and Third Rank Golden Talisman Stones.

To avoid drawing attention, Yan Chuan had to cut the raw stones himself, purchasing a ’Golden Talisman Hammer,’ and a ’Golden Talisman Chisel,’ and cultivating the "Eighteen Stone Cutting Skills."

In order to find a market for the Golden Talisman Stones from the cut raw stones, Yan Chuan had to open a raw stone shop as a ’money laundering channel.’

Twisting and turning.

Quite a hassle.

"Truly not easy," Yan Chuan sighed, the original store name was supposed to be ’Star,’ but since it was already taken, he had to add ’Transformation,’ making it a bit of a mouthful.

But it doesn’t matter.

The key point is that this ’Star Transformation Original Stone Shop’ has finally been established. For this, Yan Chuan poured in almost all his assets, piling them on the shop’s raw stones, just waiting for the opening to recoup his investment.

...

"Come, come, come!"

"Don’t miss it, ’Star Transformation Original Stone Shop’ grand opening sale, all First-Rank raw stones at a flat price, 1 tael per piece! Everything 1 tael!"

"And Second-Rank raw stones personally selected by the Divine General owner, buy ten, guaranteed one win, full refund if not!"

"Come, come, see, see! Special prices! Grand opening special prices! No loss, no deceit!"

...

Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, ’Star Transformation Original Stone Shop’ had a bustling opening, thanks to the strong promotional activities, especially the extremely attractive price of all First-Rank raw stones at 1 tael each.

This is a lead-in item, Yan Chuan certainly didn’t rely on First-Rank raw stones for profit.

The real money-makers are the Second-Rank raw stones, and the Third-Rank raw stones.

"The average purchase price of First-Rank raw stones is 0.95 tael each, a total of 5000 pieces in the first batch, cost 4750."

"The average purchase price of Second-Rank raw stones is 9.2 taels each, a total of 1000 pieces in the first batch, cost 9200."

"The average purchase price of Third-Rank raw stones is 89 taels each, a total of 100 pieces in the first batch, cost 8900."

Without having purchased Fourth-Rank raw stones, Yan Chuan’s shop’s procurement cost has already reached as high as 22850 taels of Essence Stones, paid in installments, with 12000 taels of remaining balance. Yan Chuan’s expenditure on these goods also exceeded ten thousand taels.

The annual lease of the premises is 1620 taels of Essence Stones, with a deposit of 500 taels of Essence Stones.

Bulk goods down payment 10000 taels of Essence Stones.

Small selection full payment 10245 taels of Essence Stones.

Lent Ding Xiang 1550 taels of Essence Stones.

Immediate return on stone cutting 42272 taels of Essence Stones.

’Fifth-Rank Treasure Bowl’ ten days interest 1000 taels of Essence Stones.

During ten days of cultivation in the Divine General’s Courtyard, Yan Chuan refined 4000 taels of Essence Energy consuming 5000 taels of Essence Stones, Wang Zhengyi’s ’Monkey King Avatar’ refined 800 taels of Essence Energy consuming 1000 taels of Essence Stones, total cultivation expenditure of 6000 taels of Essence Stones.

As of ten days ago, Yan Chuan had a total of 2 Primordial Pills plus 3530 taels of Essence Stones.

Now, Yan Chuan is left with only 36887 taels of Essence Stones.

"36887 taels of Essence Stones in cash."

"12600 taels of Essence Stones in pending payments."

Plus the selected raw stones on Yan Chuan and the First, Second, and Third Rank raw stones in the shop.

Almost all of Yan Chuan’s assets are pressed here.

High costs!

High risks!

No wonder the raw stone shops in Golden Talisman City are generally not large, Yan Chuan’s ’Star Transformation Original Stone Shop’ is already considered quite sizable.

"Doing business in Golden Talisman City is not easy either."

"Brother Yan is a Divine General, capable of intimidating the petty and deferring payments."

"Even so, it takes capital in the ten thousand taels of Essence Stones to open such a shop, and whether it can make money is still uncertain."

’Raw stone business’ is indeed capital-intensive, with huge inventory backs, casually there’re raw stones worth ten thousand taels of Essence Stones piled in the shop, one day not sold, one day without cash flow.

Sales pressure is immense.

In addition, there are labor costs, rental costs, tax costs, all sorts of expenses, making money is truly hard.

Fortunately—

...

"Rise!"

"Rise!"

"It’s rising again!"

’Star Transformation Original Stone Shop’ was crowded, with people craning their necks to watch the Stone Cutting Master, as a golden light flashed, causing the crowd to exclaim—

"What number?"

"The 404th Second-Rank raw stone, 58th produced gold!"

"Wow! Nearly a 15% gold yield rate! No wonder ’Star Transformation Original Stone Shop’ dares claim guaranteed one out of ten or full refund."

"All Second-Rank raw stones are priced at 40 taels of Essence Stones, buying ten pieces for 400 taels, guaranteed one piece of gold, at least a Second-Rank mixed Five Elements, worth 100 taels of Essence Stones."