Thick beams and pillars, neat stone bricks.
The brand-new hall exuded a sense of stark minimalism.
The Luotian Association's new grand hall had been named the Luotian Grand Hall.
There was no extravagance or waste; from the very beginning of its construction, the goal had been to conserve spirit stones. Luo Chen did not care for resplendent grandeur or immortal ostentation. All things were difficult at the start, so keeping everything simple was fine for now.
When he arrived at the Luotian Grand Hall, Sima Huiniang, Gu Caiyi, Duan Feng, and Qu Lingjun had already been waiting for a long time.
Dispensing with pleasantries, Luo Chen went straight to the point. First and foremost was the matter he cared about most: the market for the Jade Marrow Pill.
"Caiyi, you tell us!"
Gu Caiyi nodded and calmly presented the findings from her year-long investigation.
"First is Huan jade!"
"Currently, there are no fewer than ten shops in Tianlan Immortal City that can supply the main ingredient, Huan jade, in bulk. This means that when refining the Jade Marrow Pill, our raw material supply won't be held by the throat."
"The problem is that due to the war, the price of Huan jade has risen somewhat. In terms of cost, we must take note."
Listening to her briefing, Luo Chen could not help raising an eyebrow.
It was evident she had put genuine thought and effort into this over the past year. He had only asked her to investigate the Jade Marrow Pill market, yet she had even gathered intelligence on its raw materials.
"Second, regarding competitors: in the Tianlan Immortal City market, there are fifteen kinds of cultivation pills suitable for low-tier cultivators."
"Among these fifteen, Spirit Herb Pavilion's Qi-Nourishing Pill and Azure Pill Valley's Yellow Dragon Pill take the lead. Both command stubbornly high prices at present, costing one hundred and twenty and one hundred and ten spirit stones per bottle, respectively. Both carry a markup compared to the past, also due to the war."
"The other thirteen pills come from Hundred Blossoms Palace, the Falling Cloud Sect... as well as several cultivation families."
"The pills from the major sects are decent, with guaranteed quality, generally priced around a hundred stones. However, the pills sold by smaller factions all have some issues, similar to the dantian jadeification of our early-stage Jade Marrow Pills. Therefore, even under the influence of the war, their prices merely hover around ninety."
"Moreover, their market share isn't very large!"
Having spoken so much in one breath, even as a Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivator, Gu Caiyi felt somewhat drained. It was not physical fatigue, but the sheer volume of information she had to convey. Which pill came from where, what its effects were, and what it cost—she had to commit it all to memory. When presenting it, she had to evaluate each one based on what she had observed in person. Only in this way could Luo Chen gain a crystal-clear understanding of the market.
Seeing Luo Chen nod thoughtfully, Gu Caiyi breathed a sigh of relief and added, "Finally, in my view, the market for low-tier cultivation pills in Tianlan Immortal City is already heavily saturated. If we want to squeeze in, we will face many obstacles."
Qu Lingjun asked curiously, "What obstacles?"
"Price wars, peer competition, and even..." Gu Caiyi pursed her lips, hesitating.
From his seat above, Luo Chen said mildly, "And whether permission is granted by those in power?"
Gu Caiyi nodded. "Indeed. I inquired about it before. Three cultivation families, besides selling pills, must pay an additional sum of spirit stones to the major sects they are attached to."
With that, she gave a wry smile. "To be honest, the batch of Jade Marrow Pills the President gave me would have sold out in a month or two in the past. Yet this time, I had to expend enormous effort—through the black market, street peddling, and market stalls—taking a full year just to barely finish selling them."
Qu Lingjun, who had grown into a young man, felt his head spinning after hearing all these difficulties. He had thought refining pills was hard enough, but selling them was even tougher!
Upon hearing this, Sima Huiniang's brows knit tightly. She knew how much that batch of Jade Marrow Pills the President handed over was worth: around fifty thousand spirit stones. It seemed like a lot, but spread across a year's income, it was pitifully meager. If business continued like this in the future, how could the Luotian Association ever grow or thrive? Leave aside the Luotian Association; even sustaining the President's personal cultivation alone would likely fall short. For a moment, even she, the director-general, felt at an impasse.
Yet to their surprise, Luo Chen sat at the dais, completely unruffled.
"Having many competitors isn't a problem. It shows that the market is vast and far from saturated. The cost of our Jade Marrow Pill is inherently very low. Furthermore, I have mitigated the side effect of dantian jadeification, and its efficacy is not inferior to an ordinary Qi-Nourishing Pill. Under such conditions, we can rely entirely on our price advantage to carve a bloody path into the market!"
"As for pressure from the higher-ups..."
All four looked at Luo Chen in curiosity.
Could it be that he could even resolve this?
After all, the dominant forces in Tianlan Immortal City were behemoths like the Seven Jade Cauldron Sects, or even Nascent Soul supreme sects from beyond the region. Even if Luo Chen had worked miracle after miracle throughout his journey, could he really find a way through at this level?
Facing their curious, apprehensive, and expectant gazes, Luo Chen said softly, "I will deal with the pressure from above. You don't need to worry about it."
He really could solve it!
The four looked at each other in astonishment, their admiration for Luo Chen growing even deeper.
Luo Chen's gaze shifted to Qu Lingjun. "The subterranean fire caves—are they all put in order?"
Qu Lingjun immediately nodded. "Beneath Danxia Peak lies a Rank 1 subterranean fire vein. Back then, the Divine Craft Sect and the Geng family excavated twenty subterranean fire caves to rent out. After clearing them out, we connected several small caves to form the large pill chamber layout you are accustomed to, Master. Currently, out of the twenty caves, only the Artifact Hall and I are using them; most remain vacant."
It was common knowledge that subterranean fire veins were plentiful in the Jade Cauldron Domain. Along his journey, Luo Chen had seen quite a few. Back at Dahe Market, Wanbao Tower in the inner city had one, and the Duan family on Mount Xiaohuan had one. At Taishan Market, the Huo family on Red Toad Mountain had one, and the Kang family of Taishan had one. After arriving at Tianlan Immortal City, subterranean fire veins were even more numerous. Danxia Peak, Mount Wutong, the Divine Craft Sect, Wanbao Tower... by rough estimate, there were more than two hands could count.
Even if they were all low-grade veins that could not sustain grand operations, they undeniably provided a solid foundation for crafts such as alchemy and weapon forging.
Qu Lingjun's arrangements were undoubtedly sound. Separating the subterranean fire caves needed by the Pill Hall and the Artifact Hall, and specially arranging the pill room layout Luo Chen was most familiar with, ensured that once he threw himself into refining pills, these trivialities wouldn't cause any bother.
As for this disciple of his, putting aside cultivation level, Luo Chen was exceedingly pleased with him. Particularly since he could now reliably refine low-grade Jade Marrow Pills, and was currently feeling his way toward medium-grade ones based on the Jade Marrow Pill refining insights Luo Chen had left behind. This brought immense gratification to Luo Chen's heart!
"Since everything is in order, make preparations immediately for mass-producing Jade Marrow Pills!"
"Huiniang, how many spirit stones are left in the Luotian Association's accounts right now?"
The focus shifted to Sima Huiniang.
Regarding this, Sima Huiniang knew the figures like the back of her hand. She replied at once: "Originally, only twenty thousand were left. Later, Hall Master Gu brought in fifty thousand in batches, bringing it to seventy thousand. After Biyou Valley began operations, Hall Master Duan Feng sold many repaired artifacts, contributing another thirty thousand spirit stones. At one point, it reached about a hundred thousand!"
"However, over the course of this year, after paying salaries, buying materials, and covering daily expenses, fifty thousand stones have been used up. It couldn't be helped; arriving at Danxia Peak was when expenses were highest. Therefore, on the books right now, we have only fifty thousand spirit stones in liquid funds."
Fifty thousand!
To any rogue cultivator, this was an unattainable, astronomical figure. Yet to executives like Sima Huiniang, Gu Caiyi, and Duan Feng, who handled large sums of money year in and year out, it was a commonplace number. In fact, for the current Luotian Association, this amount was still far too small.
"Draw out ten thousand to purchase raw materials for the Jade Marrow Pill on a large scale."
Ten thousand spirit stones were enough to purchase what was needed for three to four months of Jade Marrow Pill refining. Luo Chen did not mobilize all the spirit stones on the books. He knew well that for any organization to operate, it needed sufficient liquidity. Furthermore, a portion consisted of medium-grade spirit stones. Those were strategic resources and could not be used lightly! Take the Langqi flying boat, for instance. Under normal conditions, Luo Chen's own spiritual power was enough to power it. Yet once it deployed its large flying boat mode, a substantial number of medium-grade spirit stones was required to keep it running continuously.
"In addition, I have a list here. Have people gather enough for ten sets as soon as possible, and deliver them to my cave dwelling when ready!"
Amid Sima Huiniang's confusion, a sheet of paper fluttered down into her hand.
Blue smoke jade, lingting fragrant grass.
Ten-year cold ginseng, Chinese angelica, fleeceflower root, motherwort, sky-azure aloe...
The dense list of medicinal ingredients made Sima Huiniang's eyelids twitch frantically. In particular, there were several herbs among them that she was familiar with. They were the kind especially beneficial to female cultivators, yielding good effects even if taken raw. Just skimming through it, Sima Huiniang could not help but wonder: Was the President going to refine some pill useful to women?
While she was wondering, Luo Chen's voice sounded in her ear: "Gather them as quickly as possible, but assign different people and buy them separately. Remember that!"
Sima Huiniang nodded heavily; she could sense how much importance Luo Chen attached to this list. She planned to handle this matter personally.
The arrangements for the Jade Marrow Pills concluded there. What followed would depend on the actual execution.
Luo Chen turned his attention to Duan Feng. Looking at the smooth, seamless spiritual power fluctuating from him, almost brimming to overflow, he praised, "You certainly haven't slacked off recently. You've reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement."
Duan Feng pursed his lips and nodded silently.
He shouldn't have reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement so quickly; it should have taken at least a few more years. However, the legacy left behind by Duan Qiankun was enough to push any Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivator to Great Perfection. His natural talent was not bad to begin with, and he had already been close to Great Perfection before. Now, it had merely provided the extra push to help him take the next step.
Yet his nonchalance left Sima Huiniang feeling dejected. According to Luo Chen's promise, whichever of their group reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement first would have the right to purchase that Foundation Establishment Pill from him at its original auction price. In that group, the ones closest to Great Perfection were Sima Huiniang, Murong Qinglian, Duan Feng, and Bian Zhen. Though she was swamped with administrative duties, her compensation was the best among the four. Reasonably speaking, she should have reached Great Perfection first. She had never expected Duan Feng to overtake her from behind. So now...
"When do you plan to establish your foundation?"
Duan Feng raised his head and answered plainly, "No day is better than today. Since I've reached Great Perfection, why wait? Over the next couple of days, I intend to use my savings to rent a Rank 2 low-grade cave dwelling on Tianlan Peak to break through."
Teeming with sharp vigor! True to the Duan Feng in his memory—decisive, ruthless, someone who had aimed to slay Foundation Establishment cultivators back when he was still in Qi Refinement.
Luo Chen nodded. "Do you need any help?"
Duan Feng shook his head. "You've already helped enough. I've studied those Foundation Establishment insights for over a year. I'm very confident about breaking through!"
That was true. Duan Feng's foundation was solid enough, and all the resources left by Duan Qiankun had been tailored specifically for him, certainly more suitable than anything Luo Chen could arrange. Coupled with the insights Luo Chen compiled from his five Foundation Establishment attempts, if Duan Feng didn't even have this much confidence and assurance, it truly would be better not to attempt it at all.
"By the way, I have a vague idea of what's inside those two silver spheres," Duan Feng suddenly added.
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, noting his hesitation. "Is there something wrong?"
"It's only a guess. For the exact truth, I'll have to wait until I establish my foundation and undo the restriction formations." As he spoke, he used spiritual power to carry a small booklet over to Luo Chen.
Luo Chen opened the booklet. At what met his eyes, his pupils contracted. He took a deep look at Duan Feng. "Alright. Then I'll wait for you to successfully establish your foundation!"
Beside them, Sima Huiniang listened to their back-and-forth, yet throughout the whole exchange, neither of them seemed to mention the Foundation Establishment Pill. This left her completely baffled.
Before she knew it, Luo Chen was looking over at her with a smile. "No need to wonder. Duan Feng has found another opportunity; he won't be needing that Foundation Establishment Pill for now."
Sima Huiniang froze. Then, boundless joy welled up within her heart. Even as she tried her best to restrain it, the slight curl at the corners of her mouth betrayed her delight.
Luo Chen smiled, paying it no mind. At his current height, one or two Foundation Establishment Pills were truly nothing to fret over. As long as one put one's mind to it! As long as one was willing to pay the price! It was always far easier to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill than it had been as a rogue cultivator.
Next, Luo Chen and Sima Huiniang discussed several association affairs. This involved contact with two nearby factions. One was the Geng family. Previously, they were foes rather than friends, but now that they had settled down, it was best to make overtures of friendship where possible. After all, a close neighbor was better than a distant relative! Turning them into hostile neighbors would be troublesome. Sima Huiniang's idea was to invite them to set up shop in Biyou Valley and continue their previous business. During their brief initial contact, the Geng family had not seemed as unyielding as expected. Profit moved hearts! Biyou Valley was not large, but over the past century, because rogue cultivators had squatted on Danxia Peak, it had indeed fostered a modest commercial atmosphere. Running it as a miniature market was entirely feasible. Over the past year, a portion of Gu Caiyi's pills and Duan Feng's artifacts had been sold through channels in Biyou Valley.
"If it is run well, we can even host small auctions in Biyou Valley in the future. Whether for building prestige or earning spirit stones, it has great potential."
Luo Chen fully agreed with Sima Huiniang's proposal. Forget the Luotian Association; even the Mountain Breaker Gang back then had run its own private black market. Luo Chen's Jade Marrow Pills had gained quite a reputation in that black market.
"Granny Yuan has passed away, but the Medicine Hall cannot go a single day without a master. I have three candidates in mind: Bian Zhen, with his profound cultivation; Feng Xia, who is intimately familiar with herbs; and Yuan Dongsheng, who is deeply knowledgeable about spiritual plants. President, who do you favor?"
Luo Chen considered it and said slowly, "The Medicine Hall is crucial. It ties into two lifelines of our Luotian Association."
The two lifelines: the Pill Hall, and the four hundred-odd plots of spiritual fields. The former was fine, under Luo Chen's personal supervision. As for the latter, its value might not be apparent now, but managed over the years, the returns would undoubtedly be tremendous. In fact, many small sects relied on cultivating spiritual fields to achieve self-sufficiency.
"Therefore, someone with profound cultivation must preside over it. Although Bian Zhen joined our Luotian Association later, along the way, his loyalty has been proven. He can serve as the Medicine Hall Master!"
Sima Huiniang hummed in agreement. In truth, she had thought the same. With Bian Zhen's immense strength, keeping him subordinate to Zhou Yuanli was truly a waste.
"However, having a layman lead experts easily invites trouble. Therefore, the responsibilities of Feng Xia and Yuan Dongsheng must also be increased. Appoint the two of them as the Medicine Hall's Spirit Plant Elder and Spirit Herb Elder, each overseeing their respective side. Bian Zhen will sit in the center and oversee the overall situation. That will suffice!"
Hearing this arrangement, Sima Huiniang was thoroughly convinced and impressed. "A brilliant plan, President!"
Luo Chen chuckled. What kind of brilliant plan was this? The Luotian Association simply had only so many capable people; with a little thought, it was merely placing a carrot into each hole. However, settling Bian Zhen's post also highlighted another issue. After surviving multiple major battles, most of the remaining Luotian Association cultivators were elites. Each had gained handsomely, and their realms had improved. Over the past year alone, three more Ninth Layer Qi Refinement cultivators had emerged. These people certainly could not be left idle.
"I heard you set up an outer sect?"
Sima Huiniang was taken aback, then quickly nodded. "I imitated the major sects and set up an outer sect. But currently, it only has an externally hired deacon, Xu Xiaoliu, and a few mid-stage Qi Refinement errand runners."
Luo Chen rubbed his chin. He pondered for a good while before saying, "Draft a proposal and see if you can reassign a group from within the association who lack specialized crafts but have solid combat strength into the outer sect. Going forward, this group will specifically handle various miscellaneous affairs outside the scope of the main halls. Handling external and internal matters alike, they can connect the various halls. Establish an Outer Sect Elder, dispatched directly under your command."
Sima Huiniang committed this to memory, planning to implement it right away.
With that, this brief meeting essentially concluded.
Luo Chen stayed on Danxia Peak for the night. The next day, after attending Granny Yuan's funeral, he returned to the immortal city with Duan Feng. Once back, Duan Feng set off to rent an immortal's cave and plan his foundation establishment.
Meanwhile, Luo Chen plunged headfirst into the bustling immortal city. His figure began appearing in major shops across the city. Now that the primary direction of his cultivation had been set, a massive shopping spree was inevitable!
Chapter 236