255: Expanding large market

"Junior Sister Yunshu, what do you intend to do with this Red Pine City?" Liu Xuan asked.

"Expand it into a large marketplace!"

Shen Yunshu explained, "The people from the Beast Taming Sect are on their way. They will be staying within the territory of our Heavenly Sword Sect first."

"With so many Cultivators needing accommodation, entertainment, supplies, and a place to Cultivate... how much profit lies in that?"

"Furthermore!" she continued, "The Red Pine Sect, where you are, Senior Brother, borders the Peach Blossom Sect. Once the great war begins, how many war supplies can be sold, and how many plundered Materials can be acquired at low prices?"

Liu Xuan's eyes brightened. Listening to Shen Yunshu, it seemed the Heavenly Sword Sect would not be joining the Beast Taming Sect in battle, but rather, they were more interested in profiting from the war from behind the scenes?

Shen Yunshu was one of the high-level members of the Sword Pavilion. If she was acting this way, it meant the entire Heavenly Sword Sect likely held the same view.

Not only that, but on a larger scale, perhaps the entire Azure Profound Sect held this view. The only one truly wanting to fight the Demon Court was the Beast Taming Sect.

"Senior Brother, expanding the marketplace will also benefit you. Otherwise, once the war starts, this place being on the border means order will inevitably be disrupted, tax revenue will decrease, and it will be difficult to gather the tribute for the Sect."

Liu Xuan nodded slightly. He had actually already started preparing for this, but he hadn't expected Shen Yunshu to get involved.

However, this wasn't a bad thing. He couldn't swallow such massive profits alone, and with Shen Yunshu joining, he actually felt more at ease.

The only concern was that Shen Yunshu might be too greedy and want to take over the Red Pine Sect as well.

"Senior Brother, rest assured. Before your time runs out, Yunshu guarantees that no one will dare covet your position as Sect Master. Furthermore, I promise to ensure the Xiao Family remains untroubled for a hundred years after you pass."

Shen Yunshu and Xiao Changfeng had some friendship from their earlier years. Now that Xiao Changfeng's time was approaching—he had at most ten or twenty years left—she had never thought of seizing his position as Sect Master.

She took out two bottles of Medicinal Pill and handed them to Xiao Changfeng, "I heard that among your descendants, Senior Brother, there are two Foundation Establishment Cultivators. These are Hunyuan Solid Foundation Pills, which are very beneficial for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to stabilize their dao foundation. Please, Senior Brother, accept them!"

Liu Xuan accepted the Medicinal Pill, "Many thanks, Junior Sister Yunshu!"

"The matter of Red Pine City is easily settled. Since you have come in person, Junior Sister, I naturally agree."

"I just don't know specifically how you want to expand it, Junior Sister. Is there any way I can be of assistance?"

Shen Yunshu revealed a faint smile, "I will have Yue Li take charge of this matter. If you have any issues, Senior Brother, you can instruct her to handle them!"

"That would be excellent!" Liu Xuan nodded.

With the major matters discussed, Shen Yunshu had no intention of saying more to Liu Xuan. After a few polite words, she transformed into a streak of sword light and vanished.

...

The next day.

A cold and detached Sword Cultivator woman arrived at the Red Pine Sect with a large group of Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples to pay respects to Xiao Changfeng.

"Junior Yue Li greets True Person Xiao!"

Yue Li wore a snow-white dharma robe, and even the long sword at her waist was snow-white. Her temperament was cold and detached, and she rarely smiled, wearing an expression that kept strangers at a distance.

What surprised Liu Xuan was that she was actually a False Core True Person. Recalling Xiao Changfeng's memories, Yue Li and her Revered Master Shen Yunshu had an excellent relationship, and she had relied on Shen Yunshu's support to achieve the False Core.

"No need for formalities!"

The status difference between a Golden Core True Person and a False Core True Person was vast; Liu Xuan did not stand on ceremony with her.

"I am already aware of the matters your Revered Master entrusted to you. From now on, you will be in charge of everything in Red Pine City."

Xiao Changfeng gestured towards the outside of the hall, and Liu Xuan and Xiao Ran walked in together.

"These two are my granddaughter and grandson-in-law. They will be responsible for assisting you."

"Greetings, True Person Yue!"

"Greetings, True Person Yue!"

Liu Xuan and Xiao Ran bowed simultaneously.

Xiao Changfeng only made a brief appearance before leaving, leaving Liu Xuan and Xiao Ran to host True Person Yue Li in the main hall.

On the surface, Liu Xuan was only a Qi Refining Perfection Cultivator, and Xiao Ran had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. However, because they were close to Xiao Changfeng, Yue Li did not feel slighted.

After some polite exchanges, the three began to discuss the specific details of the expansion of Red Pine City.

For a large marketplace, True Person Shen required it to be able to accommodate at least 300,000 Cultivators, expanding it at least tenfold from its current size.

Beneath Red Pine City, there was only a tier 2 medium grade Spiritual Vein, which could not support such a massive marketplace.

The tier 3 Spiritual Vein on the Sect's side could be channeled over using a Formation, but it could not be drawn upon too much, otherwise, it would be unable to maintain the Sect's Spiritual Qi requirements.

The final agreed-upon solution was a compromise: utilizing the fact that the Red Pine City's Spiritual Vein was connected to the Sect's tier 3 Spiritual Vein, they would use a Formation to elevate it to the top tier of tier 2.

Then, during the process of expanding the marketplace, they would set up a large Formation to supply the Spiritual Qi needs of the marketplace using Spirit Stones as required.

The most important aspect of building a marketplace was the Formation. Half of the Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples Yue Li brought this time were Formation Masters.

The Formation being used for the construction was of a high grade, reaching the top tier of tier 2. He had already taken people to inspect Red Pine City.

Besides Formation Masters, the expansion project required countless Materials, as well as bottom-tier Cultivators and even commoners to do the manual labor.

Coincidentally, there were countless refugee Cultivators everywhere, so Liu Xuan had the Merchant Alliance send people over.

True Person Yue Li provided the money, while he was responsible for providing the people and labor, and he could even earn a profit in the process.

Liu Xuan and Xiao Ran cooperated fully, and True Person Yue Li was extremely satisfied, her expression softening somewhat.

The three talked happily. Liu Xuan discovered that although True Person Yue Li appeared to keep strangers at a distance, she was actually quite approachable and easy to talk to.

"Hum~"

Just then, Spiritual Qi fluctuated in the direction of the West Courtyard on the mountaintop, and a spiritual cloud formed.

"Is someone breaking through the Foundation Establishment Bottleneck?"

True Person Yue Li looked towards the direction of the spiritual cloud, showing some interest.

Breaking through a major Realm Bottleneck was extremely rare; even she had not seen it many times.

Watching others break through a major Realm Bottleneck was like watching a high-stakes gamble; few Cultivators would not be interested after seeing it.

"The West Courtyard!"

Xiao Ran looked towards the spiritual cloud, then at Liu Xuan. "Could it be Hu... Sister Lingzhao breaking through?"

The commotion of Hu Lingzhao's Breakthrough quickly attracted the attention of the Sect Disciples, and everyone was guessing which Senior Brother or Senior Sister was breaking through.

"The spiritual cloud is on the mountaintop; it must be one of the Xiao Family members, but I don't know which Senior Brother or Senior Sister it is."

"I don't think so! There isn't just the Xiao Family on the mountaintop now. The spiritual cloud is in the west; I guess it must be one of Senior Brother Liu's Dao Companions!"

"I heard that among Senior Brother Liu's Dao Companions, there are several in the Late Qi Refining Stage, but none seem to have reached the Qi Refining Perfection Realm. However, Senior Brother Liu himself reached Qi Refining Perfection not long ago; I guess it must be him breaking through this time!"

"That's impossible, right! Senior Brother Liu is only in his early forties. Even if he reached Qi Refining Perfection, he wouldn't be breaking through so quickly, would he?"

"What do you know?!?"

A member of the Lin Family retorted, "Senior Brother Liu possesses the Stud Horse Spiritual Body, and I heard he also has top-tier Dual Cultivation talent. Isn't it normal for him to break through quickly?"

...

An hour later.

The spiritual cloud slowly dissipated, indicating that this person had successfully broken through!

'Successfully broken through!!'

Hu Lingzhao's foundation was somewhat weaker than Xiao Ran's had been back then, and Liu Xuan had originally thought she would fail on her first attempt.

"Is it good luck, or is it that..."