Wang Hong secluded himself and spent a month refining Elixirs. His alchemical skills had improved significantly during this time.
With an eighty percent success rate, he successfully crafted over two thousand Elixirs in a month, including more than three hundred high-grade Elixirs.
Combined with the one thousand Elixirs refined by Zhang Chunfeng, they now had a total of four thousand Elixirs, which should be sufficient for the time being.
Wang Hong also gathered some Spiritual Medicine from the Space and stored them in Jade Boxes.
Seven new businesses approached him for supplies, adding to the initial five, making a total of thirteen. These shops had some stock, and reaching out to Wang Hong was just a way to replenish their inventory.
This already stretched his capacity to supply, and there was no room for expansion in the short term. Wang Hong couldn't afford to delay his cultivation for the sake of earning more Spirit Stones; cultivation always took precedence.
Expanding the number of shops could only happen when Zhang Chunfeng and the Ma Brothers reached the alchemical proficiency Wang Hong currently possessed.
However, Spirit Wine was a different story; it could be expanded. The profit margins for Spirit Wine were exceptionally high.
With medium and low-grade Spirit Wine, Wang Hong could recruit additional help to brew them. Some tasks could even be handled by Mortals, and their monthly wages would only require half a Spirit Stone. Early-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators would also need just one or two Spirit Stones per month.
The most challenging aspect of brewing Spirit Wine was the extended aging process, but Wang Hong's advantage lay in Space, where time passed forty-seven times slower than in the outside world.
While others aged their wine for a hundred years, he only needed a little over two years.
These miscellaneous tasks were delegated to Skinny Monkey; Wang Hong didn't need to worry about them.
Having a group of loyal and competent subordinates was a significant asset in cultivation, saving him time and energy while reaping more benefits.
Since Wang Hong began cultivating, Space had been his greatest aid, followed closely by these loyal subordinates.
They handled miscellaneous tasks, earned Spirit Stones for Wang Hong, and, most importantly, their unwavering loyalty, something no amount of Spirit Stones could buy.
If he had to manage daily chores, earn Spirit Stones, occasionally engage in conflicts, and still find time for cultivation, it would be impossible.
It was said that some cultivators spent several years, even decades, searching for a single Spiritual Object.
Wang Hong summoned the managers of the seven shops, sold them a batch of Spirit Herbs and Elixirs, and earned over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones.
He also hinted that, being only a ninth-level steward in the Immortal Way Trading Company, he had limited resources allocated each year.
In two or three years, he expected to rise to the eighth level, gaining access to more and better resources, possibly including second-tier Spiritual Medicine.
He requested their confidentiality about this tier level, warning that if leaked, other shops might demand supplies, potentially reducing their current share.
Concerning matters of self-interest, the shop managers naturally kept silent.
They were also astonished by the immense power of this mysterious trading company. Even the lowest-level ninth steward could wield such influence.
It was rumored that eighth-level stewards could obtain second-tier Spiritual Objects. The higher levels, seventh, sixth, and even higher, were beyond their imagination.
In Azure Void City, in front of the city lord's mansion, there was a massive square. At this moment, the square was bustling with people, and six three-yard-wide Light Screens floated in the air.
Many people surrounded the Light Screens, watching and discussing animatedly.
On each Light Screen, detailed information about the six major sects and their entry-level missions was displayed.
After the self-introductions, the content of the entry-level missions was written below.
Wang Hong, amidst the crowd, became more and more excited as he watched. His guesses were right.
In these past few years, he thoroughly searched the entire Black Dragon Marsh, transplanting any visible Spiritual Medicine into Space. Most of the required Spiritual Medicine for the major sects' Entry-level Missions were in his possession.
Of course, the Taihao Sect, Qingxu Sect, Beast Spirit Sect, Hunyuan Sect, Thousand Crafts Pavilion, and Putuo Temple each had different materials and entry conditions.
Taihao Sect, located in the northern part of the Eastern Cultivation World, emphasized sword cultivation, focusing on using one sword to break through myriad techniques without being burdened by external factors.
The entry conditions were having a Heavenly Spirit Root, and those with dual Spiritual Roots could directly join. For those with three Spiritual Roots or fewer, completing the Entry-level Mission was necessary.
The mission required independently killing ten high-quality first-tier Demonic Beasts, submitting intact corpses for verification of solitary kills. Additionally, a catalog of thirty types of Spiritual Medicine was provided, indicating the required years, all being a minimum of a hundred years. Only twenty types of Spiritual Medicine needed to be submitted.
The first fifty individuals achieving either of these criteria would become official disciples of the Taihao Sect. Those ranking from fifty-one to one hundred could also join and become registered disciples.
If someone possessed a unique skill such as Alchemy, talisman crafting, refining, or formations, they could become a registered disciple through assessment.
For those unable to complete the Entry-level Mission and lacking a special skill but still wanting to join the sect, they could do so by paying Spirit Stones. Each person only needed to contribute twenty thousand Spirit Stones to become a registered disciple.
Wang Hong pondered this and couldn't help but admire the person who devised this plan.
Heavenly Spirit Roots and the saplings of those with dual Spiritual Roots were extremely rare, sometimes even difficult to find. Hence, their direct admission.
Those with slightly inferior Spiritual Roots were more common in the Cultivation World, and among them, some would display exceptional talent.
Therefore, the top fifty individuals would be selected from those with outstanding overall strength, becoming the backbone supporting the sect's development.
What impressed Wang Hong the most was the registered disciple system. Although they received lower treatment and had to undertake various tedious tasks, it was essentially similar to miscellaneous chores. The title of registered disciple just sounded nicer.
Despite this, countless cultivators were still willing to become registered disciples of major sects.
Firstly, being a disciple of one of the six major sects was a prestigious label. When walking outside, simply stating one's affiliation with a major sect would evoke a sense of awe and garner various conveniences.
Even when facing disciples of other smaller sects, a registered disciple would feel a sense of superiority, satisfying their vanity.
Moreover, if a registered disciple performed exceptionally well, there was a chance to advance and become an official disciple.
As a result, even cultivators with steadfast Dao hearts, solely dedicated to cultivation, would often choose to become registered disciples of major sects rather than smaller ones. After all, once they became official disciples, the resources and opportunities available would be much greater.
For the sect, recruiting registered disciples required minimal resources, providing them with a batch of cheap labor. These registered disciples could then support the cultivation of official disciples. In the early stages, cultivating official disciples yielded no immediate returns, but once they grew, they would bring substantial benefits to the sect.
Wang Hong, with his strategic acumen developed through leading tens of thousands of troops at the age of eighteen or nineteen in the mortal realm, quickly grasped the intricacies of this system.
In Wang Hong's view, Immortal Cultivators were essentially just individuals with stronger abilities, and the fundamental nature of humanity hadn't changed.
After carefully reviewing the Entry-level Missions of the six major sects, each sect had its own characteristics. Qingxu Sect excelled in Alchemy, Taihao Sect focused on sword cultivation, Beast Spirit Sect specialized in beast mastery and deep research on Demonic Beasts, Thousand Crafts Pavilion excelled in refining and various mechanical puppets, Putuo Temple followed the Buddhist path, emphasizing mental cultivation, while Hunyuan Sect was more balanced, having proficiency in various areas without specializing in one.
[Read at /shanefreak, without ads and support the work.]