Rise in Douluo Continent with the help of bean buns

The business of selling calming herbal packets has firmly established itself in Blackstone Town.

Lin Chen found a reputable general store in town to act as a sales agent, giving the store a 10% commission.

In this way, he no longer had to guard the stall every day, saving a lot of time to collect and process herbs, and his production capacity tripled.

Every evening, he would go to the grocery store to settle his accounts.

After collecting the money that day, he carried the heavy money bag but did not immediately return to the village. Instead, he walked slowly along the town's streets, his eyes scanning the shops on both sides, silently observing the town's business situation.

Soul Master Supplies Shop, Herbal Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Medical Clinic... The further you go into the town center, the higher the level of the shops become, and the more Soul Masters come and go.

"Doubao," Lin Chen thought to himself, "Based on the current capital scale (a total of seven gold soul coins), the supply and demand in Blackrock Town, and the surrounding industrial structure, we will deduce the low-risk, profitable projects that can be expanded in the next stage. The requirements are that the threshold is controllable, the long-term stability is guaranteed, and the projects do not involve prohibited soul materials. Priority will be given to plant-related categories that can leverage our strengths."

[Command received. Medium-scale business simulation initiated, estimated time 5 minutes, moderate mental energy consumption. Please find a safe location to wait.]

Lin Chen turned around and walked into a teahouse next door. He found a corner seat, ordered the cheapest coarse tea, and slowly sipped it.

The teahouse was bustling with people, and many low-level Soul Masters were chatting about topics such as Soul Hunting, Cultivation, and Martial Souls, which was a good opportunity to gather information.

The mental strain was real. After five minutes of deduction, Lin Chen felt slightly dizzy, as if he had been reading for two hours straight.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and suppressed the slight dizziness.

This is the price you pay for steamed buns.

The more powerful the simulation, the more mental energy it consumes. His mental energy foundation is currently weak, and he simply cannot sustain large-scale simulations; he can only perform low-scale ones like this.

Five minutes later, the simulation results were released on time.

[First Pot of Gold Advanced Strategy: Dual Product Categories in Parallel]

  [At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 101 Reading Network. Read books here: 0kw.com. Super reliable.]

I. Upgraded Tranquilizing Herbal Pack: Introducing a special version for Soul Masters, with added small amounts of Tranquilizing Grass to specifically alleviate the restlessness of Soul Power after training for lower-level Soul Masters. Priced at 2 Silver Soul Coins per pack, targeting Soul Masters below the third ring, increasing profit margin by 200%.

II. Artificial Cultivation of Medicinal Plants: Currently, the raw materials for calming herbal packs rely on wild collection, resulting in limited yield and unstable quality. Two core medicinal herbs, peppermint leaves and *Gynostemma pentaphyllum*, can be artificially cultivated on barren land behind the mountain, enabling self-production and self-sales, reducing costs by 40%, ensuring controllable quality, and eliminating production limitations imposed by wild resources.

Risk assessment: Overall risk is extremely low; seeds can be collected in the wild, requiring no large investment; the market demand for calming packets is stable, and cash flow is healthy.

Expected returns: Once both lines are fully operational, monthly income can reach over 12 Gold Soul Coins, and initial capital of 60 to 80 Gold Soul Coins can be accumulated within six months.

Lin Chen tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, quickly processing the deduction results.

The upgrade of the tranquilizer pack was expected; segmenting the target audience and setting precise prices is a very common business strategy.

The artificial cultivation of medicinal plants, though seemingly simple, has actually addressed the biggest bottleneck at present—raw materials.

Now his calming packs rely entirely on collecting herbs in the mountains. Wild herbs are scattered and of varying quality, so the yield has always been low.

If we can grow our own produce, not only will costs be reduced, but the quality can also be consistently controlled, which is equivalent to having the supply chain in our own hands.

It's not that others can't do this business, it's just that ordinary farmers don't understand the intricacies of medicinal herb cultivation, resulting in poor efficacy, low yields, and low selling prices.

He has bean buns, which allow him to precisely control the soil, water, and light to cultivate the highest quality medicinal herbs, resulting in significantly higher efficacy at the same cost.

"Feasible," Lin Chen concluded in his mind. "Refine the cultivation plan, including the entire process of site selection, sowing, maintenance, and harvesting, to ensure yield and quality."

[Peppermint leaf and calming herb cultivation programs are underway...]

Site selection: Wasteland on the southern slope of the back mountain, with ample sunlight, suitable soil moisture, and far from villages, making it difficult to be discovered.

Seeds: Wild populations exist deep in the mountains behind the village; seeds can be collected without purchasing.

Maintenance: Daily watering frequency, soil aeration, and harvesting cycle have all been quantified. Following these standards can result in a 50% increase in yield compared to wild plants, and a two-level improvement in medicinal efficacy and quality.

Cycle: The first harvest can be carried out one and a half months after sowing, and thereafter every twenty days.

perfect.

Lin Chen put down his teacup, paid for the tea, and turned to leave the teahouse.

He first went to the herbal medicine shop to check the market price of calming herbs, and then went around to the herbal medicine market in the east of the town to find out the current raw material market conditions.

Wild calming herbs fetch a high price, but their quality fluctuates greatly, and they are often out of stock.

If he can grow a stable supply of high-quality calming herbs, he can not only be self-sufficient, but also supply herbal medicine shops in the future, thus gaining another source of income.

But that's for the future. Right now, let's solidify the foundation of our calming and soothing products.

Upon returning to Qingshi Village, Lin Chen immediately took action.

The next morning, he went to the south slope of the back mountain. It was a barren wasteland that no one wanted, full of rocks and with thin soil, unsuitable for growing crops, so it had been abandoned for a long time.

Lin Chen bought a new machete from a hunter in the village and spent three days clearing away the stones from half an acre of land, turning over the soil, and creating neat ridges.

During the three days of tilling the land, he was so tired that his back ached and his hands were blistered.

After all, he was only six years old, and his physical strength was limited. But he didn't complain at all. Every day after finishing his work, he would soak his hands in warm water in the evening, and Doubao would give him acupressure massage instructions, so he recovered very quickly.

He spent two days collecting the seeds deep into the back of the mountain.

The seeds of mint leaves are as small as dust, and the seeds of calming grass are tiny brown granules, both hidden deep in the grass. It is difficult for ordinary people to find them all, but with the location markers of bean buns, the search is extremely efficient.

The weather was fine on the day of sowing. Lin Chen buried the seeds one by one in the soil, following the spacing given by Doubao, and watered them.

Looking at the neat rows of ridges, he felt a sense of peace.

This is the first business he has personally established in this world.

After planting the medicinal herbs, he began upgrading the calming herb packs. He dried and ground the calming grass, adding it to the original recipe in the correct proportions. The resulting herb packs were a bit darker in color, had a stronger fragrance, and were much more effective at calming restless soul energy.

He made ten samples, took them to town, and went to the Soul Master Supplies Store he frequented.

The boss was a Soul Master in his thirties, a Grand Soul Master in his twenties, and very knowledgeable.

"Boss, I have a calming medicine pack here, specially designed for the restlessness of soul power after low-level soul masters have cultivated. Would you like to try it?" Lin Chen handed over the sample.

The shopkeeper glanced down at him, saw that he was a child, and didn't pay much attention to him, but when he smelled the fragrance of the medicine packet, he was stunned for a moment.

He picked up a packet, opened a small portion, brought it to his nose to smell it, then pinched a little powder and rubbed it between his fingers, his eyes showing a more serious expression.

"You did this?" He looked at Lin Chen.

"It was made by my elders in the family, and they asked me to inquire if it could be sold on their behalf."

Lin Chen's tone was calm and discreet, "How effective is it? Boss, you'll know once you try it. Use one packet after cultivation, and your soul power will recover quickly, and you'll sleep soundly at night."

The shopkeeper didn't say much, and took out two Silver Soul Coins: "Okay, I'll take two packs to try first. If they really work, we can cooperate long-term."

"Okay." Lin Chen accepted the money, left five sample packets, and said, "I'll come back in three days to hear from the boss."

As Lin Chen walked out of the Soul Master Supplies Shop, his expression remained calm. He had anticipated both success and failure.

Three days later, when he went back, the boss made the decision on the spot.

"Your medicine packet really works! My soul power was a bit chaotic after my cultivation the day before yesterday, and after using one packet, I calmed down in half an hour. It's much better than those calming incenses sold in the store." The shopkeeper readily agreed, "From now on, I'll buy as many as you have. I'll buy one packet for every silver soul coin. If you sell two, I'll make half the profit. How about it?"

"Sure," Lin Chen nodded. "But my production volume isn't very large; I can only deliver fifty packs to you every week."

"Fifty packs are enough!" The boss waved his hand. "Sell them for now, and if they sell well, you can increase production."

In this way, the distribution channels for the Soul Master version of the Tranquilizing Pack were also established.

The regular version goes to general stores, focusing on volume and earning money from ordinary people's copper coins and silver coins; the Soul Master version goes to Soul Master supply stores, focusing on profit and earning money from Soul Masters' silver coins. By operating these two lines simultaneously, the income more than doubled.

After finishing his business, Lin Chen didn't forget to take care of his health. He used his savings to buy some mild tonics and, following the recipe given to him by Doubao, brewed medicinal soup twice a week to slowly nourish his body. The child, who was originally pale and thin, gradually gained some weight, his complexion became rosy, and he became much stronger.

Two weeks later, the medicinal herbs on the back hill sprouted. The tender green seedlings emerged neatly from the soil, growing vigorously. Lin Chen checked on them every day, watering and weeding, carefully tending to them according to the cultivation plan.

Thanks to Doubao's precise control, the medicinal herbs grow much faster and are much stronger than wild ones. The first harvest is expected in another month.

That evening, Lin Chen sat cross-legged on the straw mat, closing his eyes to rest. During this time, he had not deliberately cultivated his soul power, and his martial soul had not yet awakened. Forcibly drawing in qi would easily damage his foundation.

He simply meditates for fifteen minutes every night before bed to train his mental strength and familiarize himself with the coordination with Doubao.

"Doubao," he suddenly spoke, "if I awaken the most ordinary Blue Silver Grass, how far are you confident you can optimize it?"

He had kept this question in his heart for a long time.

[Command received. Based on the existing database, the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul potential deduction is initiated. This deduction involves the Martial Soul's origin level and consumes a significant amount of resources. Please prepare accordingly.]

A wave of dizziness, several times stronger than before, washed over him. Lin Chen groaned and clutched his forehead. Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.

He gritted his teeth and held on.

The deeper the deduction, the greater the mental energy consumed.

With his current mental strength, he can only sustain this level of deduction twice a day at most.

It took a good five or six minutes for the deduction results to slowly emerge.

[Prerequisites for the deduction: The host cooperates fully throughout the process, strictly follows the optimization plan, and selects pure plant-based soul rings to prevent source pollution caused by heterogeneous soul rings.]

Deduction results:

1. Corrects the structural error in the Blue Silver Grass soul power cycle that has existed for ten thousand years, increasing cultivation speed by 300% and making the foundation far more stable than that of ordinary Blue Silver Grass soul masters.

2. Each ring of soul skills has been specifically reconstructed and optimized, increasing its practicality and power by 2-5 times.

3. In theory, one can gradually evolve to the Blue Silver King and Blue Silver Emperor levels by continuously optimizing the origin. The final upper limit depends on the quality of subsequent soul rings and the degree of origin evolution.

4. The early game strength is average, it starts to pick up power in the mid-game, and its late-game growth potential is extremely high, with no clear ceiling.

Core Recommendation: Establish the Law of Pure Origin—Only absorb pure plant soul rings of the same family and genus throughout one's life, eliminating any source contamination from beast souls or exotic plant soul rings. This is a necessary prerequisite for evolving into the Blue Silver Emperor.

Risk warning: The evolutionary path is unprecedented and requires step-by-step verification. Each step necessitates precise deduction, resulting in an extremely low margin for error.

Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes, a light shining in them.

Blue Silver Emperor.

That was Tang San's former martial soul, a top-tier plant-type royal martial soul on the continent. For ten thousand years, apart from Tang San's bloodline inheritors, no one else could evolve the Blue Silver Grass to that level.

He, without bloodline or lineage, relying only on an ordinary Blue Silver Grass, through scientific analysis and optimization, may also reach that point.

Even if it's just a theoretical possibility, that's enough.

"Pure cognition law..." Lin Chen repeated these four words in a low voice, engraving them firmly in his heart.

This will be the first ironclad rule on his future path as a Soul Master.

"Blue Silver Grass," Lin Chen said softly, his tone calm yet resolute. "If I truly awaken the Blue Silver Grass, I will perfect it."

So what if my martial spirit is useless?

He would walk the paths that others could not.

He climbed heights that others could not reach.

As the days went by, Lin Chen's life became as regular as a clock.

In the morning, I go up the mountain to tend the medicinal herb fields. At noon, I come back to make herb packets. In the afternoon, I go to town to deliver goods and settle accounts. In the evening, I meditate to train my spirit. Occasionally, I go to buy some ancient book rubbings, have Doubao analyze and archive them, and expand my knowledge base.

He kept a low profile in the village, rarely interacted with people, and rarely went out except to deliver goods.

Two months before the awakening of the Martial Soul, the medicinal field on the back mountain was harvested for the first time.

The quality was even better than expected. The mint leaves had a rich aroma, and the calming herbal properties were pure, far superior to those of wild herbs. Lin Chen carefully stored the dried herbs, keeping some to make herbal packets and selling the rest to the herbal shop in town, thus earning an extra income.

At this point, Lin Chen's two income streams were fully operational: the mass-market version of the calming pack sold in general stores for high volume, while the Soul Master version sold in Soul Master supply stores for profit. In addition, the reduced costs from self-produced medicinal materials further expanded the profit margin.

A stable monthly income of over twelve gold soul coins, and it is steadily increasing.

In less than half a year, he went from a penniless orphan to a small businessman earning more than ten gold coins a month. This start far surpassed that of most transmigrators. However, Lin Chen did not become arrogant in the slightest. He maintained his previous pace, keeping a low profile, being calm and steady, and proceeding step by step.

He exchanged all his savings for small-denomination gold notes and hid them carefully on his person. This money was the foundation for his body tempering, cultivation, and soul hunting after his martial spirit awakened.

That evening, after Lin Chen finished tallying up the accounts, he looked at the asset statistics provided by Doubao in his mind—a total of fifty-one gold soul coins—and nodded slightly.

The plan to earn the first pot of gold has been successfully completed.

But this is only the beginning.

He looked out the window at the night sky. In the distance, the Luoxia Mountains stood silently under the moonlight, and beyond the mountains lay a wider world.

The awakening of his martial soul was the true starting point for him to embark on the path of a soul master.

He had made thorough preparations.