Ming Zhi Tian said, "First, I want to train here. Second, if, and I mean if, you manage to build a rocket, do me a favor and take me somewhere very far away."
An Bo Zi thought for a moment. "No problem. You can destroy the mountains here as much as you like. This place is very secluded, with only one entrance and exit, so no one will ever come. As for the second request, I'd be honored! To have Young Master Bai be the first person to test my successfully created rocket would be a great privilege!"
"It's just the matter of funding..."
Ming Zhi Tian asked, "How much do you need?"
An Bo Zi held up three fingers. "Three... million."
Ming Zhi Tian was taken aback. "Are you robbing me?"
An Bo Zi sighed. "Besides needing a lot of materials for experiments, the main thing is several expensive rare materials, such as special alloys, high-temperature resistant ceramics, and potassium nitrate for gunpowder. These are very hard to obtain, which drives up the price to that level. Accounting for other miscellaneous items and these, that's the amount needed. I'm not lying to you."
Ming Zhi Tian pulled out a stack of banknotes. "This is all I have. Take it."
An Bo Zi took the banknotes, each worth fifty thousand yuan, and counted them. "Two million? Only... two point two one million. How can this be enough?"
Ming Zhi Tian had spent over a hundred thousand on clothes and food in the Eastern Ancient City, given two million to Ao Zi Hua's sister, and paid half a million for entrance tickets to the Ancient Relic Mountain. He was left with only a little over two million yuan.
Ming Zhi Tian extended his hand. "You don't want it? I'll take it back."
An Bo Zi quickly retracted his hand. "It's enough, barely enough. Hehe, thank you, Young Master Bai. I'll start preparing now."
Ming Zhi Tian said, "Wait, give me an accurate timeline. How long will it take to build a rocket?"
An Bo Zi replied, "As I said, all preparations are complete, only money is lacking. But I need to travel to various cities to collect materials. This will take at least two months for the round trip. Then I'll start building the Chang Long wooden rocket. And I can only start with small ones. Once the success rate of small rockets improves, I'll invest heavily to build a large rocket, one that can carry a person..."
"Since I'm the only one and I have to do everything myself, I also need to sleep. Calculating the time, it will take at least half a year. That's the fastest it can be."
Ming Zhi Tian nodded, his training period aligning with An Bo Zi's timeline. "Alright, I'll wait for you for half a year. I hope you won't disappoint me. Also, no slacking, or I'll wake you up when you're having a pleasant dream."
An Bo Zi put on a mischievous, childlike expression. "Oh, you're so wicked! You'll scare me when I'm having a good dream?"
Ming Zhi Tian found it disgusting. "Scram!"
An Bo Zi said, "Okay, alright." He grabbed the money and fled as if to get to work.
Following this, Ming Zhi Tian began his training, starting with the first mountain!
An Bo Zi bought two months' worth of food in the village and stocked it here, so Ming Zhi Tian could cook if he got hungry. Then he set off to purchase materials.
Although most of it was wheat and barley with only a small amount of meat, Ming Zhi Tian still roasted a chicken every few days.
Only after eating his fill did he have the energy to continue his training. Two months, not long and yet truly long...
Ming Zhi Tian advanced to the late Qian Kun stage! Ever since he trained on the stone bridge in the Ancient Relic Mountain, he had discovered a new, more efficient method of cultivation.
As a martial artist's level increases, breaking through becomes increasingly difficult, much like advanced mathematics – functions, geometry, Olympiad math. The levels are incomparable.
An Bo Zi returned. He first secretly had workers deliver loads of materials, and then he himself slowly pushed more loads here.
After several more days, tens of thousands of tons of materials were gathered.
He then began his work. Don't let An Bo Zi's flippant and unserious demeanor fool you; when he's working, nothing else in the world matters to him, not even an earthquake.