Douluo Continent: On Becoming a God Through Science

Chapter 145 The initial establishment of the Chamber of Commerce, fans, refrigerators... and the advent of Beast Soul Pills

When You Chen finally settled down and consolidated his strength after obtaining the seventh ring and evolving his martial soul, the Beast Soul Merchant Guild was successfully established as originally planned.

At first, no one paid much attention to this newly emerging chamber of commerce, treating it as just another ordinary small chamber of commerce.

But when people learned that this chamber of commerce was founded by a titled Douluo—which actually wasn't—it instantly gained more attention.

If Soul Kings are like town mayors or city mayors to ordinary people, or even minor celebrities, then Title Douluos are basically taboo figures, or even superstars.

This GG effect is naturally extraordinary.

Everyone was curious: what kind of things did this merchant guild, specially set up by the Title Douluo, sell?

Although the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild is affiliated with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School, one of the three upper sects, it has been operating for so long that everyone has long lost interest in it.

But this newly emerged Beast Soul Merchant Guild is different.

Just like with Koko, everyone keeps using it and doesn't really care what updates it makes; they just keep using it anyway.

But if Alibaba were to suddenly announce one day that it had developed a chat application to compete with Koko, then most people would be curious and want to see what was going on.

However, most people just want to take a look and browse around.

From the perspective of ordinary people, it is estimated that the Beast Soul Merchant Guild is probably similar to the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild, selling extremely rare items and serving only those Soul Masters.

Even the smallest gadget costs at least Gold Soul Coins, which is too expensive for ordinary players like them.

(PS: The original text clearly states that 1 gold soul coin = 10 silver soul coins = 100 copper soul coins, which is a typo. Here, we use 1 gold = 100 silver = 10000 copper, and 1 copper is equivalent to 1 RMB in purchasing power. The items sold by the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild mentioned here start at gold soul coins, which means that even a small piece of jewelry costs tens of thousands of RMB. They are a brand that only targets the high-end market, so it is normal that ordinary people cannot afford them.)

(See the author's note for the full version of the Photoshop content.)

However, the reality soon exceeded their expectations.

Because the Beast Soul Merchant Guild is quite similar to those smaller merchant guilds. Unlike the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild, which focuses on high-end products, the cheapest items here can be bought with copper soul coins.

While these cheap items are mostly exotic candies and snacks, the daily necessities are relatively expensive, starting at Silver Soul Coins, but such prices are generally affordable for ordinary people.

Leaving aside things like popping candy and spicy strips, although they are quite delicious and fun, the variety is still too limited, and they are more popular with children.

The common people were more concerned about the new products launched by the Beast Soul Merchant Guild, which they had never heard of before.

What kind of "fan" can bring cool breezes in the sweltering summer? What kind of "refrigerator" can keep food cold and fresh? What kind of "incandescent light bulb" can replace candles and the rare soul-guided devices that ordinary people can't afford for lighting?

Upon hearing the Beast Soul Merchant Guild's explanation of these amazing uses, not only the commoners but even the nobles became excited.

Most importantly... it's cheap!

The most expensive refrigerator costs only 10 Silver Soul Coins, which is affordable for an average family if they grit their teeth. The convenience it brings is self-evident. The most significant change it brings to their lives is the problem of meat storage!

In the past, after the hunters finished hunting, if there were butcher shops to sell their meat, that would be fine. Otherwise, they would usually eat it all themselves. It was impossible for a family to finish it all, so they would share it with their neighbors to maintain good relations. Then, when the neighbors in the same village returned from hunting, they would share it with other families in the same way. Only a very small amount of meat was left to be preserved through methods such as curing, so as to avoid waste as much as possible.

This kind of primitive situation is an extreme case that only exists in remote villages far from cities.

However, the problem of storing food has always been a major issue for people who don't have money.

Take meat storage as an example. Salt and oil were not cheap in ancient society, and most people could not frequently use them to preserve or seal meat.

Without more convenient means, life can indeed be lived this way, even if it's troublesome and tiring, but that's because they have no other choice.

Nobody wants to live a more tiring life, but rather a more relaxed one.

Especially when they can afford the cost.

"Excuse me, are the prices listed for these items correct? This fan, is it really only 3 Silver Soul Coins?"

Someone quickly and impatiently inquired, having just experienced the power of the fan with the help of a waiter, and judging from his appearance, he was clearly quite hot from the summer heat.

The waiter smiled and replied, "Yes, but please note that items in our store that have specifically marked power requirements, including fans and refrigerators, all require our specially manufactured 'Soul Power Batteries.' For example, a standard unit of Soul Power Battery can only power a fan for 24 hours. When the battery runs out, you will need to come back to buy a new one. By the way, we can buy back used batteries at one-tenth of their original selling price."

Upon hearing that he also needed to buy batteries, the man's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself that there was no such thing as a free lunch, but he still pressed on, "So... how much do you pay for these batteries?"

The waiter said, "The smallest unit I just mentioned, the standard Soul Power Battery, is only 10 copper coins."

"this……"

The man's eyes widened: "This is a perfectly acceptable price! So cheap!"

His eyes lit up.

A fan costs ten yuan a day to run, any modern person would think that's like slaughtering a pig... It's such a rip-off.

But for these Douluo natives who had never even touched a fan before, 10 yuan for 24 hours of fan service? That's incredibly cheap!

After all, it was ancient times, so it wasn't actually that hot at night. The hottest and most unbearable time was during those few hours at noon.

The smallest unit of soul power battery can actually last for several days!

Oscar's sausages cost five yuan each, and a fan that can keep you warm for several days costs ten yuan... It's totally worth it!

Similar scenes unfolded across various parts of the Douluo Continent.

In the Prince's Mansion of Tiandou City, Prince Xuexing had just bid farewell to Dugu Bo, who had come to offer his congratulations again. Still somewhat dazed, he muttered to himself, "So, that Heavenly-level assassin really intended to cooperate with me sincerely?"

The reputation of Bilin Douluo, the high-quality and inexpensive goods, and the connections and influence established by Prince Xuexing allowed the Beast Soul Merchant Guild to expand rapidly throughout the Heaven Dou Empire.

The process went much more smoothly than Prince Snowstar had imagined.

When Dugu Bo first came to him, he thought it wouldn't matter if he lost a little money. But now, as the number one partner in the Tiandou region, he has made a fortune.

Although Soul Masters and nobles do indeed possess enormous wealth in this society, on average, each Soul Master's wealth is probably more than a hundred times that of a commoner.

But... how many Soul Masters, or rather, how many formal Soul Masters are there? Only about one or two hundred thousand.

Of the hundreds of millions of people on the entire continent, Soul Masters make up less than one ten-thousandth. Compared to the less than one percent Celestial Dragons of modern times, the proportion of Soul Masters is far too small. It's impossible for one ten-thousandth of people to possess 99% of the wealth.

Although ordinary people are completely insignificant and have nothing to do with the so-called events on the continent, they are the mainstream.

The total assets of an ordinary family might only amount to a few to a dozen gold soul coins, and their readily available liquid funds might be less than one gold soul coin. However, the total economic output of all the people on the continent is still enough to exceed that of the soul masters.

However, no one has ever thought about making money off them or providing them with services.

But for Prince Xuexing, this was not the key issue.

The key is……

The Beast Soul Merchant Guild does more than just sell relatively inexpensive daily necessities that serve the general public.

After attracting the attention of those Soul Masters with these novel products, the Beast Soul Merchant Guild also opened up the market for its high-end products.

There are only so many Soul Masters on the entire continent, and the market is only so big. If the Beast Soul Merchant Guild takes a bigger share, the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild will take a smaller share.

Striking down the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild would obviously also strike at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School.

It is common knowledge among the upper echelons of the Heavenly Dou Dynasty that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is the strongest supporter of the current Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.

"My dear nephew, how would you respond to this?"

As Prince Xuexing pondered this, a smile crept onto his lips.

How will Xue Qinghe, or rather Qian Renxue, respond?

The answer is... to deal with it normally.

Contrary to Prince Xuexing's expectations, Qian Renxue was actually quite pleased with the impact of the Beast Soul Merchant Guild on the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild's position.

Because her handling of public opinion regarding Bibi Dong more than a year ago had already created some rift between her and her teacher, Ning Fengzhi.

The rivalry between the Beast Soul Merchant Guild and the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild can actually be used to enhance her importance to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School.

This makes the previously distant relationship even closer.

Qian Renxue didn't care whether her throne was stable after she ascended to the throne, nor did she care about the development of the Heaven Dou Empire, and she cared even less about what would happen to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

All she wanted was to take control of the Heaven Dou Empire as soon as possible and then lose the entire country to the Spirit Hall.

Therefore, she doesn't need to pursue long-term and stable control at all.

Of course, the reason she didn't target the Beast Soul Merchant Guild was also partly due to Dugu Bo's support for the Beast Soul Merchant Guild.

It's a foregone conclusion that You Chen and Dugu Bo are now on the same side, and Qian Renxue, of course, doesn't want to have another conflict with her teacher.

In particular, she realized that her previous efforts to suppress public opinion for Bibi Dong not only hindered her chances of gaining the support of the ministers and nobles of Tian Dou, but also seemed to have thwarted You Chen's plans...

The first instance of fickleness could be attributed to ignorance, the second accidental mishap could be considered unintentional, but this third...

She couldn't be sure if ruining her teacher's plan again would lead to them truly becoming enemies...

Therefore, Qian Renxue did not intend to directly hinder the development of the Beast Soul Merchant Guild, but instead set her sights on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, intending to use this opportunity to make the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School stand more firmly behind her.

As for whether the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Seven Treasure Merchant Guild can defeat the Beast Soul Merchant Guild, that's up to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School itself.

Even if they fail, she has already provided assistance and taken charge of fighting against Prince Xuexing. If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School fails, it won't be her fault.

Correspondingly, her real teacher probably wouldn't comment on it.

Qian Renxue believed that her beloved teacher would show her this level of leniency.

Otherwise... if things really turn into hostility, she will have no other choice.

It's impossible to ask her to give up the career she's dedicated over a decade of her youth to, is it?

She had no way out, no room for regret; even if it meant going against her teacher, she had to continue down this path…

With the support of both commoners and nobles, the Beast Soul Merchant Guild rose to prominence at an unprecedentedly rapid pace, making it difficult for the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild to react in time, no matter how efficient it was.

Before they could finalize their response strategy, the senior management of the Qibao Chamber of Commerce quickly noticed another crucial piece of information.

The Beast Soul Merchant Guild not only opened in the Heaven Dou Empire, but also in the Star Luo Empire.

It is worth mentioning that the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild also has branches in both of the two great empires, but they clearly focus their attention on the Heaven Dou Empire.

Especially after forming an alliance with the eldest prince Xue Qinghe, they intensified their efforts to expand and control the Tiandou market.

Now, the question facing them is whether to choose to fight the Beast Soul Merchant Guild, which has the support of Prince Xuexing, on their main battlefield, or to choose to fight the Star Luo Empire, which, although weaker, also lacks support from other forces.

Tian Dou is their foundation; regardless of whether they can win or lose, they absolutely cannot afford to lose!

As for Xingluo, if they choose to give up, then in the absence of strong competitors, the Beast Soul Merchant Guild is very likely to rise directly and completely dominate the Xingluo market, thus forming a bipolar pattern between Tiandou Seven Treasures and Xingluo Beast Soul.

Ultimately, Ning Fengzhi, as the current sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, made the following choice...

"We must do both things well!"

Ning Fengzhi addressed his subordinates with a serious expression: "The Beast Soul Merchant Guild has only recently risen to prominence. Although they have quickly captured the civilian market, their funding sources, supply channels, and other aspects are far inferior to ours! The technology used in their low-priced daily necessities is too advanced; we cannot possibly crack or replicate it in a short time. We have no competitive advantage in this lower-tier market and must not touch it! The only thing we can do is monopolize the upper-tier market! From today onwards, all cultivation resources will be discounted! We will leverage our strong capital to wage a price war against them! We will bring back all our Soul Master customers!"

Price wars are a tactic that only the strong with abundant capital can employ!

They steal customers by offering lower prices, and then let the Beast Soul Merchant Guild's inventory rot in their own hands!

Ning Fengzhi's idea was very simple.

If we can't compete in the lower-tier market in a short time, we should first win back the high-end customers.

If the Beast Soul Merchant Guild chooses to lower its prices in response to their price offensive, it will inevitably drag itself down due to insufficient cash flow.

However, if the price is not lowered, the goods will not sell. If they cannot be sold, there will be no way to source more goods, which will lead to the Qibao Chamber of Commerce gradually taking away the goods, until finally... there will be no goods to sell.

Once the initial period of the Beast Soul Merchant Guild had passed, Soul Master customers returned to their habit of purchasing goods from the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild, and the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild gradually adjusted its prices.

However, the high-end customers that the Beast Soul Merchant Guild has already lost are unlikely to return.

Re-establishing a complete buying and selling chain will inevitably take a long time, and the costs involved are beyond the reach of the fledgling Beast Soul Merchant Guild.

This will eventually lead to a situation where the Beast Soul Merchant Guild dominates the lower-tier market, while the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild dominates the upper-tier market.

Although the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild suffered significant financial losses, it managed to maintain its position, while the Beast Soul Merchant Guild expanded into new competition zones. It seemed that both were making money and coexisting peacefully...

But Ning Fengzhi clearly didn't think that way.

No matter how advanced the technology is, once it has been released, it will eventually be cracked.

Regarding the daily necessities that the Beast Soul Merchant Guild withdrew from, there are two possible solutions.

One approach is to directly crack the structure of fans and refrigerators, while the other is to ignore these everyday products and directly target their energy source, the "soul energy battery"!

Ning Fengzhi naturally thought of the latter.

His keen business sense quickly made him realize that the price of those everyday goods was just a bonus; the real money was in the energy that needed to be continuously consumed and replenished!

Once they crack this energy source, their Qibao Chamber of Commerce can also mass-produce it.

There's no need to sell or research new technological products; just sell energy, and you can snatch a huge piece of the pie from the Beast Soul Merchant Guild!

In a sense, this is a race against time.

The sooner the problem is solved, the less pressure the Qibao Chamber of Commerce will face.

However, the first step taken by the Seven Treasures Chamber of Commerce to suppress the Beast Soul Chamber of Commerce's high-end market... failed to be completed.

The Beast Soul Merchant Guild has launched a new cultivation resource that completely surpasses all their other products—the Beast Soul Pill.

The so-called Beast Soul Pill is actually a low-level experience pill.

This is one of the latest achievements of the Beast Soul Alliance Research Institute.

Of course, its effect is still somewhat inferior to the system's experience pills. It cannot be refined instantly, and the increase in soul power is also reduced. It also has the problem of drug resistance, and it is also limited to only being effective for Soul Masters of Soul Venerable rank and below.

Even so, the mere appearance of this low-grade beast soul pill still stirred up a storm throughout the entire Douluo Continent.

The reason is simple: pills that can directly improve cultivation level are in extremely high demand and short supply, regardless of the cultivation system.

An increase in cultivation level means a reduction in cultivation time, an increase in lifespan, more time to break through bottlenecks, and a higher realm...

Think about it, two Soul Masters with the same aptitude, one who takes a Beast Soul Pill and the other who doesn't, might break through to Soul Master in three or even five years at different times. If you were in their shoes, could you accept that?

At least those noble soul masters who have established family traditions are absolutely unwilling to let their children lose at the starting line.

It can be said that every freshly made Beast Soul Pill is snapped up as soon as it is put on the shelf.

It even directly led to the creation of the Beast Soul Pill Yellow Ox profession in Douluo Continent.

If the Beast Soul Merchant Guild hadn't been backed by a Title Douluo, many nobles probably would have directly resorted to robbery...

原着唐三在诺丁城扫地每天10个铜魂币，奥斯卡一根烤肠5铜币。又说一个金魂币相当于一个一个三口之家数月开销，也相当于唐三扫地三年的收入。所以1金魂币=10银魂币=100铜魂币明显是笔误，他想写的是1金=100银=10000铜。这也比较符合斗罗世界的物价，还有一个三口之家数月开销。

However, whether he didn't realize it was a typo or simply went along with it, the later auction resources—tens of thousands of gold soul coins equivalent to hundreds of millions—were barely acceptable as top-tier cultivation resources. But the frequent appearance of items worth millions of gold soul coins at auctions was clearly suspicious. It was as if an Alibaba was auctioning off such items... In our country, the total economic output in ancient times was less than one percent of modern times, and it's hard to say if it even had one ten-thousandth. Given the population, technology, and economy of the Douluo era, it's questionable whether they could have supported such an auction. Anyway, we can't delve into it too deeply.

If we assume the author made a mistake and the gold soul coins used in the auction were actually only one percent of the original amount, while we still can't delve into the details, at least it's not that outrageous. For those expensive auction items from the original novel, please adjust the prices accordingly.

In short, the exchange rate here remains 1 gold = 10000 copper, and 1 copper has roughly the same purchasing power as 1 RMB. The items sold by the Seven Treasures Merchant Guild here start at Gold Soul Coins, meaning even a simple accessory can cost tens of thousands of RMB. They only target the high-end market, so it's normal that ordinary people can't afford them.

(End of this chapter)