The Lin Residence spanned fifty acres, with nearly two hundred houses, including ten acres dedicated to Spirit Fields where the Spirit Qi was particularly dense.
This was the hard-earned legacy of several generations of the Lin Family. The production from the ten acres of Spirit Fields formed the foundation for the family's continuity.
When Wang Hong visited, the members of the Lin Family had not yet recovered from the shock of losing their patriarch.
He was received by a middle-aged man in the later stages of Qi Cultivation, bearing some resemblance to Lin Yun.
"I wonder what brings Fellow Daoist to visit?" He was unaware that their patriarch had died at the hands of this young man.
"I am entrusted by someone to deliver an item to the Lin Residence. You'll understand after examining it," Wang Hong said, taking out a Jade Scroll from his Storage Bag and handing it over.
The middle-aged man received the Jade Scroll, carefully examined it, then forced out a drop of essence blood onto it.
The essence blood quickly permeated the Jade Scroll, and the middle-aged man began scrutinizing it with his divine sense.
After a while, he looked at Wang Hong with a complex expression. Then, he slowly said, "I understand the patriarch's intention. I promise that from now on, the Lin Family will never be enemies with Fellow Daoist. I only hope Fellow Daoist will spare the members of my Lin Family, and all grievances will be wiped clean from this moment on."
"All I've done is for self-preservation. As long as the people of the Lin Family don't trouble me, I have no interest in causing further disputes," Wang Hong said calmly, taking a sip of tea.
After an incense stick's worth of time, Wang Hong left the Lin Family, settling all grievances between them.
After this battle, a new force emerged in Azure Void City, comprising forty-plus individuals, three of whom were in the later stages of Qi Cultivation, while the rest were in the early stages.
They lacked Foundation Building cultivators but possessed the strength to kill them.
Upon investigation by those interested, it was revealed that this force owned three shops in Azure Void City, with two of them thriving and well-stocked.
The ample supply of goods piqued the curiosity of some individuals.
After Wang Hong, once again disguised as Wang Kun, replenished the Elixirs for the Elixir Pavilion, people approached him.
Naturally, they hoped Wang Kun could provide a portion of their goods.
Subsequently, several shopkeepers from different stores found him. Wang Hong didn't immediately agree, stating the need to report to the higher-ups in the business, and it would take at least a month to respond.
During this month, Wang Hong planned to focus on Alchemy, utilizing the time to replenish his stock for the numerous stores.
He gathered a batch of Spiritual Medicine from the space and handed it to Zhang Chunfeng, instructing him to refine all of it into Elixirs within the month.
Currently, there were only two Alchemists, Wang Hong and Zhang Chunfeng. Both of them had to cultivate, with Zhang Chunfeng also managing the daily training of soldiers, leaving limited time for Alchemy.
Wang Hong planned to train several more Alchemists. With abundant resources, as long as there was enough Spiritual Medicine for practice, cultivating Alchemists wouldn't be too challenging.
As his current subordinates had low cultivation levels, he shifted his focus to the newly recruited individuals.
At Skinny Monkey's Immortal Spirits Wine Pavilion, today was the day for selling top-tier Spirit Fruit wine.
Top-tier Spirit Wine wasn't easy to come by, so every time a hundred kilograms were supplied, it sold out on the same day.
Especially with the imminent release of sect missions, top-tier Spirit Wine became even more sought after.
A long queue formed inside the shop, extending onto the street. Each person could only purchase a small bottle, limited to two liang.
Some cultivators even hired others to wait in line, resulting in an even larger crowd.
The two brothers, Ma Zhong and Ma Yi, were busy in the shop, but their mood was excellent.
Initially, they had signed a Blood Contract with Wang Hong to save their lives. Wang Hong, not wanting to waste the Blood Contract, had accepted them as his subordinates.
They had anticipated a life shrouded in endless darkness, with abuse and mistreatment being commonplace. The brothers had imagined various tragic experiences of slaves.
Who would have thought that Wang Hong didn't throw them into the mines as mining slaves, extract their essence blood, or perform horrifying Alchemy experiments by cutting their organs?
As it turned out, he simply had them do odd jobs in the shop, which posed no difficulty for them as they had done similar tasks in other shops before.
What surprised them even more was that they received contribution points every month.
Contribution points were a privilege for members within this organization, exchangeable for various precious Spiritual Objects.
Although fewer compared to other soldiers, it still delighted them as if in a dream.
Based on the items that could be obtained with contribution points, each of them could receive thirty Spirit Stones per month.
This meant that their treatment for doing odd jobs surpassed that of ordinary family cultivators.
Considering that, in their previous Lin Family, they only received ten Spirit Stones per month, and sometimes had to risk their lives, this was a significant improvement.
Fortunately, they had acquired a substantial amount of wealth during a previous adventure, buying two Blood Contracts. This had saved their lives when it was critical.
When Wang Hong arrived at the Spirit Wine Pavilion, the two of them welcomed him and offered flattery.
"Your recent performance has been quite good. I'm here to ask if you're willing to learn the art of Alchemy and become Alchemists?" Wang Hong ignored their flattery and asked directly.
The Ma Brothers were struck dumb by this unexpected surprise, forgetting even to flatter.
"Master, learning the art of Alchemy requires a considerable amount of Spiritual Medicine," Ma Zhong said cautiously.
In the Lin Family where he previously resided, with ten acres of spirit fields, they had to tighten their belts and exert the entire family's efforts to cultivate a single Alchemist.
Yet, the new master was suggesting training both of them as Alchemists with a single statement.
"You don't need to worry about Spiritual Medicine; just request it from Zhang Chunfeng. As long as you become Alchemists, I can guarantee resources for you to cultivate up to the tenth level of Qi Cultivation. As for Foundation Building, it depends on your performance."
Wang Hong currently lacked Foundation Building pills, and one of his goals in joining a sect was to obtain the Medicinal Herbs for Foundation Building pills.
Although they couldn't betray him after signing the Blood Contract, giving them some hope would motivate them to work harder.
"Here are several Jade Scrolls containing knowledge about Alchemy. Study them carefully. When you feel you've comprehended it thoroughly, go to Zhang Chunfeng to receive Spiritual Medicine for practice."
The two received the Jade Scrolls, thinking that signing the Blood Contract might have marked the end of their lives. Unexpectedly, it might just be a new beginning.
After leaving the Spirit Wine Pavilion, Wang Hong sought out He Yuan.
While Wang Hong allowed him to choose freely, He Yuan was not interested in learning Alchemy. His sole focus was on pursuing the Dao.
Of course, having signed the Blood Contract, Wang Hong could directly order him. However, he didn't plan to force things; he would only utilize He Yuan's combat abilities.
He Yuan, unlike the Ma Brothers, had a resilient character and was dedicated to the Dao, willing to sacrifice everything, including his own life, to pursue it.
The Ma Brothers, being more pragmatic, lacked long-term goals and significant aspirations. Everything they did was for survival, just to stay alive.
Using the Elixir refined by the Ma Brothers in the short term seemed unlikely.
Entering the Space, the Green Spirit Peach trees finally began bearing fruit. Three peaches, each the size of a small finger, hung from the branches, covered in white fuzz.
The white crystal fruit was nearing maturity. It would likely be edible in a little over ten years of growth. Wang Hong had been craving this type of spirit fruit for a long time, but the quantity was a bit limited.
The Spiritual Medicine for Condensing Qi Pills only covered two acres in the Space, and it was now insufficient.
Fortunately, the spoils from the recent battle yielded over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones, which could be used to expand the Space.
However, a little over an acre was still insufficient. In the past few years, he had accumulated several hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
Wanting to buy a residence in Azure Void City, where he planned for long-term development, he needed his own base. Currently, he could only divert some Spirit Stones. Once he earned more, he could replenish them.
So, he used over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones, adding up to three hundred thousand, and increased the land by three acres.
Of the added three acres, two were dedicated to the Spiritual Medicine for Condensing Qi Pills, while the remaining one acre was for Spiritual Medicine required during the Qi Cultivation period.
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