Zheng Fa, along with Senior Sister Zhang and the others, stood atop the mountain, gazing at the departing sunset of Immortal Li companions, bidding them a reluctant farewell.
If it weren't against ancient etiquette, he would have waved goodbye to show his reluctance to part.
After Zixia disappeared into the horizon, Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Big order!
The Supreme Dao is an absolute behemoth to the Nine Mountains Sect.
In the Eastern Continent, the Supreme Dao has the widest influence, with a territory more than twice the size of Vast Sun Mountain, not to mention the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
Moreover, in terms of cultivation level, the Hundred Immortals Alliance currently only has about twenty cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage, which is far less than the Supreme Dao, and thus consumes far fewer resources.
To be honest, even Supreme Dao were to slip through its fingers, it would be enough to feed the Nine Mountains Sect.
Often, people cannot imagine things they have never seen—for example, Patriarch Xuanding only thought he was stingy enough, but that's because he didn't see how poor the Hundred Immortals Alliance was.
Most importantly, he couldn't have imagined that the Nine Mountains Sect's nascent and terrifying productivity would result in such low costs.
The prices on that product list would make the Nine Mountains Sect quite a profit!
"I just did a quick calculation, and according to this agreement, our average profit should be around 50%." Senior Sister Zhang couldn't contain her smile, her tone cheerful. "And that doesn't even take into account that some of the Supreme Dao Dao's pills are priceless and unavailable."
Uncle-Master Pang blinked, then asked blankly, "So, for every Law Artifact we produce, we earn a profit?"
"It's at least making money on one item."
Upon hearing this, the mountaintop fell silent for a moment, with only a few heavy breaths remaining.
Although cultivators are not merchants, they all understand the importance of profit.
Profit represents spiritual materials, elixirs, and Law Artifact.
It represents a more powerful Nine Mountains Sect and a smoother Dao Path.
"Wouldn't this mean we'd strike it rich?"
Senior Sister Zhang shook her head and said, "You can definitely make a fortune in the short term, but in the long run, even the Supreme Dao will probably realize what's going on."
Uncle-Master Pang was somewhat disappointed, clearly understanding what Senior Sister Zhang meant.
Talismans are alright, they're considered consumables, but Law Artifact are different. These things are relatively durable, and the market is easily saturated.
"What a pity..."
Zheng Fa spoke up, "Actually, it's not that there's no solution."
"Um?"
Everyone turned to look at him, and Zheng Fa said, "The best way to solve this predicament is through innovation."
"Innovation?"
Uncle-Master Pang seemed to be deep in thought when Zheng Fa continued to explain, "For example, our generation's Law Artifact flying swords can only increase your strength by 30%, but the next generation can increase it by 40%..."
"Oh! That's an idea!"
This example makes it clear to everyone: you have to buy it! Your Law Artifact are outdated. Imagine fighting, both sides pull out their Immortal Sword, and the other's is long and hard—wouldn't you be dumbfounded?
Zheng Fa wore a strange smile, "We could even forgo the immortal Immortal Sword that increases our strength by 40%, and instead... offer one that's 35% stronger."
"..."
Uncle-Master Pang's expression twisted as he looked at Senior Sister Zhang, a hint of reproach in his eyes—How could you choose such a filthy dao companion?
But he also had to admit: abandoning one's conscience could indeed earn more.
Senior Sister Zhang shook her head and said, "This is very difficult; it puts the Heavenly Crafts Pavilion to the test of its creativity."
"Therefore, we can only rely on education; we need more knowledgeable and highly skilled disciples."
Everyone nodded in agreement; now, everyone could see the importance of education.
The Nine Mountains Sect's relatively strong industrial capacity today is not solely due to the efforts of high-ranking officials like Zheng Fa:
Often, what these people solve are merely the principles and solutions.
There are countless details, even minor innovations, all perfected by the disciples of the Heavenly Crafts Pavilion and the Academy.
Zheng Fa's persistence over the years has actually begun to bear some fruit.
"Moreover, this is also beneficial to the Grotto-Heaven Method."
Upon hearing this, Uncle-Master Pang and the others were somewhat surprised.
"The foundation of the power of Incense Power, in the end, lies in people."
Senior Sister Zhang immediately understood and said, "So, the more people from the Nine Mountains Realm, the better?"
"A larger number of people, or a higher average cultivation level among them, is fine."
Zheng Fa had only briefly looked through the Grotto-Heaven Method he had acquired, and now explained based on his impressions, "The power of Incense Power, in its simplest terms, is when believers share their Divine Sense with the Divine Spirits."
"There are three influencing factors: faith loyalty, the number of believers, and the average Divine Sense capacity of believers. In the simplest terms, the total amount of Incense Power offerings is the product of these three factors."
This explanation was very concise and clear, and Uncle-Master Pang and the others nodded repeatedly.
"We exchanged pills with the Supreme Dao to supply our disciples' cultivation, enhance the power of the Incense Power, and upgrade the Sun-Moon Bell..." Senior Sister Zhang said, "The benefits are indeed immense."
"Wouldn't it be better to open up the Nine Mountains Realm and let all the members of the Hundred Immortals Alliance come in?"
"This brings us back to loyalty to one's faith," Zheng Fa explained. "Uncle-Master, do you know who is most loyal to me?"
"Who?"
"Among the mortals of the Nine Mountains Nine Mountains Sect, the disciples are actually not that devout."
"So that's how it is? These disciples..."
Uncle-Master Pang frowned, his expression revealing anger.
"No, it's not that they have ulterior motives, but rather that the students taught at Nine Mountains University may be loyal, but they are not blindly trusting."
Upon hearing this, Uncle-Master Pang and the others were stunned. After thinking about it carefully, they realized it was indeed true.
As a research-oriented university, students' blind faith is not a good thing, which actually demonstrates the success of Nine Mountains University's education.
"On the other hand, life in the mortal Nine Mountains Realm was too miserable before. My arrival brought about significant change for those mortals."
What were the dates for mortals in the Nine Mountains Realm before, and what are they now?
Zheng Fa's standing in the hearts of mortals in this world is beyond question.
"This Divine Way Method has so many flaws."
Zheng Fa couldn't help but shake his head. The fundamental problem with the Divine Way Method was that the quality of its audience was too low.
The power of Incense Power is alluring, but desire is even more harmful.
The benefits that Incense Power offerings bring to Divine Way practitioners cannot outweigh the harm caused by desires. Moreover, the Divine Way must respond to believers, otherwise it will lose faith...
The costs outweighed the benefits, which led to the demise of this method.
" Immortal Li said that there aren't many mortals in their grotto-heaven, so they probably chose disciples who are relatively quiet-minded and suitable for cultivation."
"Senior Sister Zhang suddenly said."
Zheng Fa also had a similar guess:
Aside from the Celestial River Method, the Yang Spirit Method, and the Dharma Body Method, even without relying on the Divine Way, there is still the issue of audience selection.
In retrospect, the Dharma Body Method, with its bloodline inheritance, guarantees loyalty and the aptitude of its descendants. In terms of the quality of its audience, it is naturally far superior to the original Divine Way Method.
The Supreme Dao and its followers seem to follow a different path, but they still choose disciples with better aptitude and simpler minds.
As they spoke, Zheng Fa pointed to the void, and the portal to the Nine Mountains Realm opened, allowing the group to return to Heavenly Palace Island.
He took out the Creation Jade Disc, sent a few messages, and then turned to his uncle and the others.
"Those members of the Hundred Immortals Alliance will certainly not be so devout; they will likely be driven by desires and disrupt the atmosphere of the Nine Mountains Realm," Zheng Fa explained. "I do not wish to relocate them in on a large scale in the short term."
Senior Sister Zhang nodded and said, "In that case, we need to get the resources for upgrading the Sun-Moon Bell from the Supreme Dao as soon as possible."
"Furthermore, although large-scale transactions may provoke dissatisfaction from the Supreme Dao,... no one can predict the future of Xuanwei."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces darkened. Everyone had to admit that even if Zheng Fa and his group wanted a slow and steady approach, the outside world probably wouldn't allow it.
The Tianhe Turmoil is far from over.
Vast Sun Mountain and Thunderclap Temple are eyeing it covetously.
Even the Supreme Dao might not be entirely unprepared for the Nine Mountains Sect.
"Build it as quickly as possible, earn the money as quickly as possible." Uncle-Master Pang nodded slowly and said softly, "It's just that the disciples will suffer."
Even Senior Sister Zhang looked somewhat reluctant.
Even with further reforms in the manufacturing of Spirit Artifact in the Nine Mountains Realm, cultivators are still indispensable. Currently, the limiting factor for the Nine Mountains Realm's commodity production is actually the number of available disciples.
Despite having several thousand disciples, the Nine Mountains Sect is still far from having enough workers compared to the needs of various factories.
In recent years, many disciples have been working more than six hours a day. If they add cultivation time, they barely have time to eat and sleep.
Now that the Supreme Dao has secured such a large order, the Nine Mountains Sect must go all out...
No, I'm prepared to make things difficult for others.
"Who?"
Zheng Fa looked towards the Rainbow Bridge, and everyone turned their heads to see Profound Mystery Sect Leader leading Elder Bixia in a hurry.
For a moment, everyone's gaze was filled with pity.
The Profound Mystery Sect Leader had just stepped off the Rainbow Bridge, touched the back of his head and felt a chill on his back.
As they followed Zheng Fa and the others into the main hall of Heavenly Palace Island, Profound Mystery Sect Leader was still somewhat bewildered. He secretly glanced at Elder Bixia and saw that she also looked puzzled, which made him even more uneasy.
He rushed over as soon as he received Biography of Zheng Fa's message. He was already confused, and the look in these people's eyes just now made him start to have all sorts of wild thoughts.
"Please have a seat, both of you."
Zheng Fa pointed to the wooden chair in the hall. The Profound Mystery Sect Leader sat upright, trembling with fear, not daring to even lean against the back of the chair.
"Let me inform you both that my Nine Mountains Sect is short of people, especially skilled weapon refiners."
The Profound Mystery Sect Leader's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Although my Profound Mystery Sect disciples are not very capable, we do have some experience in weapon forging. We are at your disposal, Sect Leader."
It's good that we're short-staffed!
They are valuable only when there is a shortage of people.
Zheng Fa nodded and said, "I like to be upfront about the unpleasant things. Under Profound Mystery, there are many disciples who are hostile to my Nine Mountains Sect. Even those who are not hostile do not receive the same treatment as my Nine Mountains disciples or even Qingmu disciples. In other words, they have fewer Merit and more work."
"Alliance Leader," Profound Mystery Sect Leader and cupped his hands, "We were prepared for this as well."
At this point, he couldn't help but give a wry smile, "To them, the alliance leader is their savior; how could they possibly be greedy?"
Seeing that he was sensible, Zheng Fa's eyes showed some satisfaction. He thought for a moment, then suddenly took out a bunch of Communication Talisman from his sleeve.
Like everyone else in the hall, Profound Mystery Sect Leader also looked somewhat bewildered, unsure of what this meant.
"When I was acting as the Sect Leader the Profound Mystery Sect..." Zheng Fa slowly said, "Many sects within the Hundred Immortals Alliance secretly sent messages seeking to befriend me."
The Profound Mystery Sect Leader moment, and when he looked at Zheng Fa again, he was utterly horrified.
The Profound Mystery Sect was destroyed, yet these letters were carefully preserved by Alliance Leader Zheng. What does this signify? Who can not understand?
"My Nine Mountains Sect has given these sects quite a few opportunities as well." Zheng Fa's tone was cold and stern, making him even more nervous.
"These sects are utterly stubborn and unruly."
"I intend to sweep away the immortals."
"Those rebellious sects and cultivators from Vast Sun Mountain must all be eliminated."
The Profound Mystery Sect Leader, knowing that this day had finally come.
With Alliance Leader Zheng slaying an immortal with a single sword strike, Vast Sun Mountain naturally dares not provoke the Hundred Immortals Alliance again. Even if they wanted to do something, the exploded Spirit Vein would have some effect in isolating the two sects, making it beyond their reach.
Within the Hundred Immortals Alliance, there was no power to resist.
If you want to join one hundred immortal alliances, this is the best time.
Looking at this Alliance Leader Zheng now, he felt only a murderous aura emanating from him, which made him feel uneasy.
But upon hearing this, Uncle-Master Pang's expression suddenly turned strange. He interjected and asked, "What do you intend to do with these sect cultivators?"
Profound Mystery Sect Leader Chongxuan was stunned. How could they possibly handle this?
"Bring them to work." Zheng Fa slammed his hand on the table, his voice decisive. "We finally got an order from the Supreme Dao; we need to hurry."
"The disciples of the Nine Mountains shouldn't be overworked, and the disciples of Profound Mystery..." Zheng Fa glanced at the Profound Mystery Sect Leader, "They also have some skills, so we shouldn't be too harsh on them."
"But those sects lack the skills and are even rebellious. They're perfect for doing some simple tasks for the disciples." Zheng Fa seemed to have already planned this out. "Although these sects are small, they have about two thousand disciples in total. Add to that the Nascent Soul Cultivator from Vast Sun Mountain, and the number is quite considerable."
A deathly silence fell over the hall.
Uncle-Master Pang looked up at the sky and murmured, "This sounds familiar, doesn't it?"
Senior Sister Zhang's answer was concise and startling, " Lin Bufan."
"Oh, right! Free slave labor!"
After listening for a long time, Profound Mystery Sect Leader finally understood that this Hundred Immortals Alliance probably wasn't very interested in suppressing the rebellion...
However, they are very interested in workers who don't want Spirit Stone.
Not only was he interested, but Uncle-Master Pang's eyes also lit up. "Leave this job to me! I've investigated the Hundred Immortals Alliance! I have quite a few old acquaintances in those sects!"
Zheng Fa laughed, raising the Communication Talisman and saying, "The sects inside are naturally disloyal to our Hundred Immortals Alliance."
"But there are some sects whose inner workings we don't know much about."
He paused, then continued, " Old Han recently sent word that many sects within the Hundred Immortals Alliance have been secretly fleeing since my battle with Loose Immortal Luo."
Uncle-Master Pang said angrily, "They're quite shrewd."
"These sects have broken up into smaller groups, and Old Han doesn't have enough manpower to find out the whereabouts of many." Zheng Fa looked at the Profound Mystery Sect Leader, his expression gentle. "If we can't find them all, I'm afraid we can't achieve our goal completely."
The Profound Mystery Sect Leader felt a jolt in his heart, finally understanding why Zheng Fa had deliberately sought them out.
Aside from the arrangements for the Profound Mystery disciples, this is probably the reason!
Sure enough, Zheng Fa added, "The sects here are probably all on good terms with the Profound Mystery Sect..."
The Profound Mystery Sect Leader hesitated. He was naturally afraid of Zheng Fa, but was he really going to betray these sects that Profound Mystery Sect had been on good terms with for generations, especially some of the cultivators who had known him for thousands of years...
He hesitated, wondering how much he should say.
"Oh, right," Zheng Fa added, "There are many letters here, mostly from people who found out I've gained Shi Nandang's favor..."
"Um?"
Some people also call me Sect Leader Li.
The Profound Mystery Sect Leader stood up, cupped his hands, and said with indignation, "In my life, I hate traitors the most!"
Zheng Fa glanced at him, chuckled, and knew that the other party would cooperate sooner or later; he was just asking for a way out.
"I'll leave this matter to Uncle-Master Pang. Old Han will provide you with information." He nodded to Uncle-Master Pang and added, "If there's any resistance, I'll have to trouble you, Fairy Xie."
Xie Qingxue nodded.
Then Zheng Fa said, " Senior Sister Zhang, select a group of disciples on Paradise Island to take over the territories of these sects."
Senior Sister Zhang looked surprised and asked, "Have you decided?"
This is the best time.
Zheng Fa's expression was also serious, which naturally made the others in the hall even more puzzled.
Zheng Fa glanced at them and explained, "After this cleanup, my Nine Mountains Sect will control more than 80% of the Hundred Immortals Alliance's land."
Initially, after Bright Mountain left, their territory was occupied by the Nine Mountains Sect, which covered an area of nearly two states.
Later, many sects went to explore the Sea Region, and much of the land they occupied was exchanged for the pills and magical Law Artifact of the Nine Mountains Sect.
Furthermore, with sects such as the Azure Wood Sect joining the guild, and some sects' Spirit Ore being acquired by the Nine Mountains Sect.
If we were to confiscate the last portion of the sect's land...
The Nine Mountains Sect is now indeed the major landowner of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
"So Zheng Fa, you want to... divide the land?"
Uncle-Master Pang also understood. He had conducted Hundred Immortals Investigation and naturally knew who originally owned these lands.
"Yes, land redistribution." Zheng Fa paused for a moment, then suddenly added, "I plan to ban indenture, distribute land equally, and even levy taxes based on the amount of land owned—the more land, the higher the tax."
"Ah?"
Uncle-Master Pang was puzzled and couldn't understand why Zheng Fa Association this way.
The others also looked somewhat surprised.
The practice of dividing up land was not uncommon in the history of Xuanwei; it was an inevitable occurrence when a new sect rose to power.
However, few people would follow Zheng Fa's approach.
Because the purpose is obvious: to suppress the Lineage.
This was something that cultivators in the Xuanwei Realm had never heard of before.
Zheng Fa hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, I also wanted to ban the sale of land, but Senior Sister Zhang advised me to take it slow."
Uncle-Master Pang rarely showed a look of disapproval. "Why do that? If we do, my Hundred Immortals Alliance will probably be ostracized by many cultivators."
Zheng Fa knew this was true. Elder Bixia in the hall looked rather unpleasant, because she had a powerful Lineage behind her.
This is quite infuriating—those who can form Lineage in Xuanwei are actually cultivators or people related to cultivators.
"I've thought about this for a long time." Zheng Fa glanced at the crowd, noticing their expressions of doubt or opposition. He knew that if he couldn't even convince these people, this idea would definitely not be able to proceed.
"Firstly, I want to limit the revenue generated by farmland, and even suppress land prices."
"Um?"
"The achievements of our Agriculture Academy have greatly boosted grain production," Zheng Fa explained. "The future yields from farmland will certainly be higher than they are now. However, if a large amount of wealth flows into farmland, the development of the Hundred Immortals Alliance's industry will inevitably be limited."
The logic behind this was quite simple, and Uncle-Master Pang and the others immediately understood it, but they felt that Zheng Fa was making a mountain out of a molehill.
"On the other hand, our Nine Mountains Sect doesn't need small sects and Lineage to help us rule the Hundred Immortals Alliance," Zheng Fa said. "I don't dislike Lineage, but it seems that Lineage cultivators will definitely prioritize their own interests."
"Even within the Nine Mountains Realm, Lineage forces have emerged."
"I can tolerate it now, but if things continue like this, I worry that the disciples will forget their original intentions and might even want to change the algorithm of the Nine-Chapter Calculation Spirit... We must nip this in the bud. This may only be the first step I take to limit the power of the Lineage."
As he spoke, he glanced at Elder Bixia.
To be honest, his cheap master's little scheme brought him a lot of convenience, but the problems it revealed also made him wary.
Not to mention the situation at Vast Sun Mountain.
Hearing him say that, Uncle-Master Pang sighed, knowing that Zheng Fa's mind was made up.
"Other Immortal Sect rely on Lineage for rule because their sects are inherently small and lack talent. But my Nine Mountains Sect has Nine-Chapter Calculation Spirit and students from the Vocational Academy, so we can already implement direct rule."
" The Nine Mountains Sect doesn't need these Lineage and sects. Collect a tax first."
Uncle-Master Pang still frowned. "I understand your concerns, but this action will inevitably provoke discontent among cultivators, and may cause further chaos."
"That's why I've been very cautious with this step," Zheng Fa nodded. "Like I said, now is the best time."
While Vast Sun Mountain was lying low, Zheng Fa naturally thought of taking advantage of the purge of the Hundred Immortals Alliance to establish rules and regulations to prevent the situation from becoming more complicated in the future.
Seeing the hesitation still on everyone's faces, he explained further, "Actually, what made me finally decide was the Grotto-Heaven Method."
"What does this have to do with the Grotto-Heaven Method?"
"I want to build grassroots schools within the Hundred Immortals Alliance," Zheng Fa stated decisively. "Only those with outstanding academic performance can enter the Nine Mountains Realm. From this perspective, those Lineage private schools and sects are competing with us for talent. Not to mention, the distribution of land will win over the hearts and minds of the people and boost the enthusiasm of farmers."
He was well aware of this; he came from a tenant farmer background, and the Zhao Family wasn't exactly a stingy family.
But his family still struggled in the village. What was even more absurd was that those who did not rely on the major Lineage were in an even worse situation—because all the best resources were in the hands of the major Lineage.
He understood this when he was at the Zhao Family's house:
Whoever is close to the main family will receive attention and resources. Over time, people from the Lineage will naturally be drawn to their clan.
It must be said that he benefited from this, but he was unwilling to let the people of the Hundred Immortals Alliance suffer the same fate.
Otherwise, no matter how much productivity the Hundred Immortals Alliance develops, its wealth will only end up in the hands of various small forces.
In the cultivation of the Grotto-Heaven Method, the Supreme Dao might choose cultivation geniuses, while the Devil Ancestor chooses those of his bloodline.
Zheng Fa, on the other hand, wanted to spread the Nine Mountains philosophy through school education, select talents, cultivate those who could truly walk alongside him, enrich the Nine Mountains Realm, and provide the power of Incense Power offerings.
From this perspective, these smaller sects and Lineage are all his competitors.
Essentially, Zheng Fa had two choices regarding who the Nine Mountains Sect would rely on in the future:
The Xuanwei traditional cultivator group, and ordinary mortals.
He simply chose to be an ordinary person.
This can be considered the final step in his transformation of the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
This is also why Uncle-Master Pang and the others were uneasy and even wanted to persuade him.
Profound Mystery Sect Leader listened, he felt a sense of horror. This sect Sect Leader Zheng had never threatened to kill any sects in the Hundred Immortals Alliance, but he had long known that Zheng Fa was not as tolerant and gentle as he appeared.
But he never expected that Zheng Fa wanted more than anyone else, and his ambition was greater than anyone else's— the Nine Mountains Sect in Zheng Fa's mind was a sect that the Xuanwei Realm had never seen before from any perspective.
(End of this chapter)