Steady Cultivation: Starting With the Perk “Work Hard, Rest Hard” Chapter 653: A Difficult Situation? A Great Opportunity

As the Seventh Speaker's pronouncement concluded, his form dissolved like sand scattered by the wind.

A palpable shift occurred in the expressions of the First, Third, and Fifth Speakers.

"How could it possibly be an Avatar?" Xie Tingfeng questioned, his brow furrowed.

The First Speaker's gaze pierced through the ordinary, stating, "Nay, that was his true form. He has utterly relinquished all ties to being a Chaos Dominator and has instead defected to the Naught!"

Upon absorbing this revelation, a heavy weight settled in Xie Tingfeng's chest.

The Fifth Speaker let out a weary sigh, "It is no wonder he evaded our scrutiny. He is no longer even human!"

Xie Tingfeng responded with a cold snort, "Should our paths cross on the battlefield, I shall undoubtedly strike him down!"

Ying Wenzheng seethed with fury, the pieces clicking into place. It was not surprising that the Second Frontline had progressively faced intensified challenges over these Kalpas – the Seventh Speaker had been secretly undermining their efforts all along!

At that very moment, the Second Speaker materialized before them, his voice laden with gravity. "I have managed to quell the chaos plaguing the frontline, but the cost has been immense! Within the Second Frontline, a staggering ninety-five percent of our artificers have been annihilated. The loss is particularly devastating among the high-level master-level artifact crafters; merely a handful survive!"

His somber words hung in the air, casting a grim shadow over the faces of the assembled Speakers.

They all grasped the magnitude of the impending crisis that would soon engulf the entirety of the frontline!

While the depletion of artificers might not manifest an immediate, catastrophic impact, the rapid dwindling of their stockpiles would inevitably lead to a swift deterioration of their situation.

"Convene an immediate assembly!" the First Speaker commanded with solemnity.

Without delay, the Speakers' Assembly was convened.

The six Speakers convened, their discussions focusing on the critical path for future development.

"This Sovereign proposes we forthwith utilize the Resurrection Supreme Treasure to reinstate the fallen high-level master-level artifact crafters, one by one," Ying Wenzheng put forth.

The Second Speaker replied with a grave tone, "Presently, only ninety-three resurrection slots remain available! To revive those departed high-level master-level artifact crafters would consume forty-seven of these precious slots."

"Let us proceed to a vote!" Ying Wenzheng declared.

"Agreed!"

The motion passed with unanimous consent.

The Third Speaker, Xie Tingfeng, added his counsel, "Even should the high-level master-level artifact crafters be resurrected and return, the deficit in artificers between the 30th and 60th tiers remains profoundly vast. These resurrected masters will bear a substantial debt. They must dedicate themselves to diligent crafting!"

"In the face of such a great calamity, this is the only way. Furthermore, they must undertake the training of numerous new artificers. Our training methodologies require reform. I suggest the establishment of dedicated artificer academies, with these high-level master-level artifact crafters forming the nucleus of a new teaching system to cultivate proficient artificers. This endeavor could also grant them reductions in their outstanding debts and bestow upon them Merit Points!" the Fifth Speaker proposed.

Xie Tingfeng further proposed, "I suggest we immediately transfer artificers from the Third Frontline to join these artificer academies. Generous resource allocations should be provided to accelerate their cultivation to the requisite tiers. Moreover, there are undoubtedly skilled artificers who have already attained master-level standards hidden within the Third Frontline. We must intensify our search to uncover them."

Each of the Speakers was pouring their full efforts into addressing the critical shortfall of artificers.

Ying Wenzheng continued, "With Speaker Seven's act of betrayal, the responsibilities he managed must now be reassigned. Which one of you will shoulder this burden?"

The Second Speaker responded, "For the present, let us divide his duties amongst ourselves. Subsequently, we can elevate someone to join the council and then entrust these responsibilities to them."

Xie Tingfeng shook his head, "It is not quite so simple." A heavy silence fell upon the gathering. The scarcity of artificers presented a significant challenge, but the loss of high-end combat power posed an even graver concern. With one side diminishing and the other expanding, the pressure on the Second Frontline had escalated dramatically!

The disparity had shifted from an initial 7 versus 10 to a precarious 6 versus 11. The gap had widened exponentially, from forty percent to nearly double!

Even with the formidable city wall defenses, the strain had become overwhelmingly immense.

"Intensify soldier training initiatives and implement a system for cultivating geniuses. We require cultivators with exceptional potential, and we must exert all our might to nurture powerhouses!"

The First Speaker continued with unwavering resolve.

Following extensive deliberation, a consensus was reached: the establishment of elite genius battalions, furnished with resource provisions a hundredfold greater than those allocated to other battalions. All identified geniuses would be selected for inclusion. The scope of talent scouting would be broadened, commencing with sweeps across the Third Frontline.

Resolution after resolution was confirmed, marking a turning point.

The Second Frontline, and indeed the Third Frontline, were poised to enter an epoch of profound and tumultuous transformation.

Meanwhile, on another front...

Su Yuan remained blissfully unaware of the monumental upheaval unfolding within the Second Frontline.

Faced with the immense number of order requests, Su Yuan found himself in a state of profound indecision.

"To fulfill so many orders relying solely on my own crafting abilities is simply too arduous," he mused, rendering him momentarily speechless.

The sheer volume was staggering; each order wasn't for a mere handful of materials. The lowest requirement was three to five sets, while some demanded over a hundred sets!

Consequently, the total count of Dominator Artifacts needing to be crafted could easily surge into the hundreds of millions!

What did a figure like one hundred million truly represent?

It was akin to the entire population of Chaos Dominators within his jurisdiction.

This quantity was utterly daunting. It wasn't that Su Yuan lacked the capability to craft them, but rather, he couldn't possibly release them all at once, could he? Wouldn't such an action be unbelievably conspicuous?

At this juncture, Su Yuan's thoughts drifted to the procurement authority he had managed to exchange for.

He took another glance at its details.

【Position】: Junior Procurement Officer

【Authority】: Capable of accepting military camp procurement tasks, allowing the procurement of items within the 30th to 40th tier that satisfy specified requirements.

【Benefits】: Junior Procurement Officers are entitled to a one-thousandth reward of Merit Points.

Upon reviewing this, Su Yuan, driven by curiosity, activated the City Lord Seal, establishing a connection with the military camp's procurement hall.

There, he was met with endless columns of procurement task listings.

"Goodness? So many?"

Contrary to Su Yuan's initial conjecture, an exceedingly large number of procurement tasks were readily available.

He immediately observed the '99+' indicator.

He randomly selected one of the procurement tasks.

【Task】: Procure one hundred 35th-tier armor-type Dominator Artifacts.

【Requirement】: Chaos Five Elements Dao, High-Quality or above.

【Procurement Price】: Five sets of materials per artifact.

The sight of this price caused Su Yuan to freeze in astonishment.

"Are you serious? Five sets of materials for a single finished artifact? The military camp's offered price is this generous?"

He then proceeded to examine other tasks. Upon opening them, he discovered that the procurement prices started at a minimum of five sets!

He even stumbled upon some tasks offering ten sets of materials in exchange for a single completed product!

This was unexpectedly advantageous.

Recalling the price he had quoted to Qi Bai, Su Yuan felt an urge to reprimand himself. He had been a complete fool!

He had incurred a significant loss! A massive loss!

A wave of melancholy washed over Su Yuan.

Unbeknownst to him, the pricing structure had recently undergone an adjustment. Previously, under the tenure of the Seventh Speaker, procurement prices had been deliberately understated. With the Seventh Speaker's subsequent betrayal, the procurement prices naturally saw an increase. Compounded by a scarcity of artificers, the prices escalated further. Furthermore, an element of investment in cultivation was factored in. Thus, the prices Su Yuan was now witnessing, starting at five sets, were a reflection of these changes.

"My acquisition of this procurement authority is a stroke of genius. I'm about to reap immense profits!"

Su Yuan couldn't contain his growing excitement.

He had accumulated 35 million orders so far. There was no scarcity of materials, and the delivery of completed products didn't necessitate immediate fulfillment; he could adhere to the standard timeline, potentially even exceeding other artificers.

Regarding other resources, he could temporarily reallocate them, transform them into treasures to satisfy procurement tasks. It would be akin to a snowball gathering momentum as it rolled down a hill – unstoppable!

Financial gain was secondary. Once his Dominator Artifacts flooded the military camps, wouldn't his Fame Points and True Name Power experience an exponential surge?