Chapter 1858: Receiving Industries, Expanding Influence

Xuanling Zhenren flew out from behind the waterfall. His face was pale, his left arm was missing, and there were many brown bloodstains on his clothes.

Fortunately, he escaped quickly, or he would have lost his life. The area was filled with numerous restrictions and powerful demonic beasts; Xuanling Zhenren was no match for them.

After much deliberation, he decided to return to Xuanling Sect to report the situation and have the Wang Family send more skilled experts to explore the area. He no longer had the capability.

Xuanling Zhenren transformed into a streak of light, piercing the air and vanishing into the horizon.

The Xuanyun Mountain Range was rich in mineral resources, containing a large Xuanyun Stone mine, which was one of Xuanling Sect's assets. Xuanyun Stone was a gold-attribute refining material. Large Xuanyun Stone mines could potentially yield Xuanyun Crystal, which could be used to refine spiritual treasures. However, this particular mine had been exploited for hundreds of years without producing any Xuanyun Crystal.

The depths of the Xuanyun Mountain Range were shrouded in mist, with ancient trees standing tall and strange rocks jutting out.

Li Yunhe had cultivated for three hundred years and was currently at the sixth layer of Core Formation. He was responsible for overseeing this area. Under normal circumstances, no one would disturb Li Yunhe's cultivation.

One day, a communication talisman flew into Li Yunhe's cave abode, landing before him. Li Yunhe seemed to sense its arrival, ended his cultivation, and opened his eyes. He grabbed the communication talisman and crushed it, whereupon a solemn male voice abruptly sounded: "Junior Brother Li, I have been ordered to replace you. Please come out for the handover."

"A handover? Isn't it not yet time?"

Li Yunhe, half-believing and half-doubting, walked out of his residence. Outside, a shimmering green flying boat hovered high in the sky, adorned with patterns of blue lotus flowers. Hundreds of cultivators stood on the boat.

At the forefront stood a stout, gold-robed fatty and a fawning yellow-robed old man. The fatty had a round face and small eyes, and his sleeves were embroidered with a blue lotus flower pattern. This was Wang Qiuxin.

Wang Qiuxin was Wang Changxing's most outstanding descendant. He was currently at the ninth layer of Core Formation, preparing to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. The Wang Family had come to the Thousand Gourd Realm to gather cultivation resources, and Wang Qiuxin had accompanied the main family force, tasked with taking over the Xuanyun Mountain Range mine.

"Senior Brother Huang, who is this fellow cultivator?" Li Yunhe asked cautiously, his face filled with suspicion.

"This is Fellow Cultivator Wang. Our sect has already submitted to the Wang Family. By the way, demonic overlords like Zhao Qianfeng have been eliminated. The Wang Family has two Soul Transformation cultivators overseeing matters. Those who know how to adapt are truly wise. Junior Brother Li, quickly complete the handover procedures and report back to headquarters." The yellow-robed old man commanded, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Li Yunhe was stunned, unable to accept the news immediately. "Senior Brother Huang, you're not colluding with outsiders and betraying us, are you?" Li Yunhe said, frowning.

"Fellow Cultivator Li, you overestimate yourself. To take control of this mine, we don't need Fellow Cultivator Huang's cooperation." Wang Qiuxin sneered. With a flick of his wrist, a white light shot out and landed on the ground, revealing a giant ape covered in white fur. The ape wore white battle armor, had thick limbs, and bared its fangs, looking formidable and unapproachable.

This was an Ape Guard, one of the Wang Family's demonic guards. Wang Qiuxin and others had brought some Snow Apes with them on their expedition to the Thousand Gourd Realm to gather cultivation resources.

Wang Qiuxin flicked his sleeve, and three shimmering golden metal spheres flew out, transforming into three different forms of puppet beasts. Li Yunhe was dumbfounded; he hadn't expected the opponent to be so powerful.

"This is a communication talisman from your descendant. Listen to it yourself!" The yellow-robed old man quickly took out a green communication talisman and tossed it to Li Yunhe. As long as he cooperated with Wang Qiuxin in taking over the place, it would be a significant achievement for him. He had long coveted this lucrative position.

After listening to the contents of the communication talisman, Li Yunhe's expression flickered between solemnity and clarity. After a moment of thought, he cupped his hands and said, "Fellow Cultivator Wang, please come in. I will proceed with the handover procedures immediately."

Wang Qiuxin nodded and said, "Fellow Cultivator Li, why don't you stay here and work with me? Our Wang Family will not mistreat those who have contributed." Li Yunhe was surprised and expressed his gratitude.

The Hundred Herbs Mountain Range was located in the southeastern part of the Thousand Gourd Realm. The spiritual energy there was abundant, and it was perpetually spring-like, making it particularly suitable for cultivating spiritual herbs. In the depths of the Hundred Herbs Mountain Range stood a towering emerald peak that pierced the clouds. At its foot was a stone tablet with the three golden characters "Hundred Herbs Peak" inscribed on it. This was a cultivation base of the Xuanling Sect, where five Core Formation cultivators were stationed.

A green streak of light appeared in the sky. Not long after, it stopped above Hundred Herbs Peak. The light receded, revealing a shimmering green flying boat with over a hundred cultivators standing on it. Wang Tianqi stood at the very front, her expression indifferent.

She was a descendant of Wang Changsheng and had been cultivating at the Zhenhai Sect ruins. This time, she accompanied the main family force on their expedition to the Thousand Gourd Realm, intending to gather more cultivation resources. Wang Qingjing had assigned her to take over a cultivation base, which was a lucrative task.

"Fairy Wang, this is the Hundred Herbs Mountain Range. I will now send communication talismans to Junior Brother Sun and the others, asking them to come out and cooperate." A medium-built middle-aged man pointed at Hundred Herbs Peak below, speaking in a fawning tone.

Just then, a thin, bamboo-like man in a green robe and an elegant young woman in a red dress flew out from Hundred Herbs Peak, stopping in mid-air. "Senior Brother Zhao, who is this fellow cultivator? They look unfamiliar!"

The middle-aged man took out three communication talismans, tossed them to them, and said, "These are communication talismans from the sect master and your relatives. Our sect has already submitted to the Wang Family. This Fairy Wang is here to take over the spiritual herb garden. Please cooperate fully. The Wang Family has two Soul Transformation cultivators, and demonic overlords like Zhao Qianfeng are dead."

The Hundred Herbs Mountain Range was quite far from the Xuanling Sect's main headquarters, making communication inconvenient. Fortunately, the Xuanling Sect cultivators stationed there had relatives and family members at the main headquarters, making the takeover relatively easy.

After examining the contents of the communication talismans, the green-robed man and the red-dressed young woman exchanged glances and nodded to each other. They then made a welcoming gesture.

Xuanling Valley was a market controlled directly by the Xuanling Sect. It was guarded by Nascent Soul cultivators year-round and was one of the sect's important sources of income. Qingyu Zhenren had cultivated for seven hundred years and was currently at the early Nascent Soul stage. He was responsible for overseeing Xuanling Valley. Xuanling Valley boasted an excellent geographical location, with a constant flow of merchants and travelers, making it very lively.

In a quiet small courtyard with green-tiled roofs, Guang Dongren sat in a stone pavilion, his expression indifferent. Qingyu Zhenren and a corpulent red-robed fatty sat beside him. Qingyu Zhenren held a green jade slip in his hand, his brows deeply furrowed. Guang Dongren was in charge of taking over Xuanling Valley; this was a task he had requested himself.

"Since this is the sect's decision, I naturally won't defy it. Here is the income statement for Xuanling Valley, Fellow Cultivator Guang. Please verify it." Qingyu Zhenren took out a thick ledger and handed it to Guang Dongren. Guang Dongren took the ledger, flipped through a few pages, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Very well. From today onward, we will all be working together. Fellow Cultivator Lin, Fellow Cultivator Song, I look forward to our cooperation." Guang Dongren narrowed his eyes and raised his teacup. Qingyu Zhenren and the red-robed fatty also raised their teacups, and the three clinked them together.

In this manner, the Wang Family dispatched a large number of cultivators to take over Xuanling Sect's properties. Simultaneously, news of the elimination of demonic figures like Zhao Qianfeng spread throughout the Thousand Gourd Realm. Major forces either pledged allegiance to the Heaven-Awaits Realm and the East Lichee Realm, or led their followers in resistance. A few individual forces seized this opportunity to expand, plunging the cultivation world into great chaos.

The Wang Family took advantage of this to expand aggressively, occupying vast territories including mines, spiritual herb gardens, markets, and spiritual mountains. Furthermore, the Wang Family posted notices to stabilize order in the cultivation world, strictly prohibiting murder and theft of treasures within their jurisdiction.