Chapter 2747: Clan Meeting, Sending Troops

Qinglian Island, Council Hall.

Wang Moshan sat in the main seat, while over a hundred clan elders sat on either side, their expressions solemn.

“Everyone is here. Let’s begin the reports!” Wang Moshan commanded.

“Our clan currently has over 125,000 cultivators, including one Integration Realm cultivator, thirty Void Refinement Realm cultivators, and six hundred and fifty-two Soul Transformation Realm cultivators.” A clan elder stood up, holding a thick tome in his hand.

These figures are not entirely accurate. Firstly, the Wang clan's territory is vast, spanning over seven thousand islands overseas and considerable land inland. Some clan members might be in seclusion, potentially advancing to a major cultivation realm just as the report is being made. Secondly, certain hidden assets, like Wang Mengshan, are not included in these numbers; only a select few high-ranking members are aware of his existence.

“We currently control nine fifth-grade spirit ore veins, thirty-five fourth-grade spirit ore veins, five small spirit stone mines, thirty-five large spirit herb gardens inland, one hundred and eight large spirit herb gardens overseas, and one secret realm.”

The secret realm containing the Black Tortoise Immortal Apricot Fruit is a closely guarded family secret, known only to a few high-ranking members.

After Wang Changsheng entered the Integration Realm, the Heavenly Blade Sect, understanding the situation, wisely handed over the key to the Heavenly Beast Secret Realm. The Wang clan now solely controls this realm. Bai Yuqi, accompanied by formation masters, reformed the secret realm, eliminating all fifth-grade demonic beasts. Now, all demonic beasts within the realm are restricted to fifth-grade or lower, making it a suitable training ground for clan members in the Nascent Soul Realm.

Major powers like Zhenhai Palace, Xuanqing Sect, Coldflame Sect, Nineflame Gate, and the Li family possess multiple secret realms. These realms serve various purposes: training disciples, cultivating rare spirit herbs, or storing cultivation resources such as spirit stone mines, seventh-grade ore veins, ten-thousand-year-old spirit wood, and high-grade spiritual water.

The Wang clan started relatively late and currently controls only two secret realms: one for training clan members and another for cultivating spirit herbs. The Wang clan does not yet possess any sixth-grade ore veins, medium-sized spirit stone mines, let alone seventh-grade ore veins.

“We currently operate twenty-eight market cities. Seven of these are solely under our control, while the remaining twenty-one are jointly controlled with our in-law families.”

There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests. The Wang clan's expansion inland has largely been achieved through joint management of market cities, strengthening ties with in-law families. Shared interests, especially significant ones, solidify the loyalty of these in-laws to the Wang clan's cause. Furthermore, joint control of market cities with other forces also facilitates the acquisition of cultivation resources.

In jointly controlled market cities, the Wang clan mostly maintains a nominal presence, symbolically dispatching some personnel and opening a few shops, primarily to support their in-laws. Only in market cities rich in cultivation resources or strategically located does the Wang clan deploy more high-level experts.

After Wang Changsheng advanced to the Integration Realm, the Wang clan's development progressed much more smoothly. Many forces sought to align themselves with the Wang clan, and its members enjoyed numerous subtle advantages.

For instance, when a clan member encounters danger and reveals their family name, others are more likely to offer assistance upon learning they are from the Wang clan. In contrast, if a cultivator from a minor force faces peril, others might not intervene, their decision depending entirely on their personal character, often adopting an attitude of indifference.

“The clan currently has forty-five strongholds inland. Seven of these strongholds possess sixth-grade spirit veins, and twenty-five have fifth-grade spirit veins. Most of these are spirit herb gardens, cultivating spirit herbs and spirit wood, but there are also spirit fish farms and spirit clam farms.”

The Wang clan's inland strongholds are largely self-sufficient, primarily used for cultivating spirit herbs, spirit wood, spirit fish, spirit clams, spirit beasts, and more. They also serve as convenient stops for clan members traveling away from home.

“We have forty-eight in-law families and one hundred and seventy-five affiliated forces. Among these, twelve forces have Void Refinement Realm cultivators, and fifty-five have Soul Transformation Realm cultivators, bringing the total number of callable cultivators to over a million.”

While the one hundred and seventy-five affiliated forces combined could theoretically provide over a million cultivators, when the Wang clan truly requires assistance from these forces, it primarily calls upon Soul Transformation and Void Refinement Realm cultivators. There is no shortage of Core Formation and Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, who are mainly assigned to miscellaneous tasks and minor duties, such as setting up camps, repairing formations, or patrolling.

“The clan currently owns nine merchant ships. Four of these operate overseas, and five conduct business inland.”

As the Wang clan's territory expanded and spread across various locations, travel became increasingly time-consuming. To address this, the clan established multiple merchant ships, with each responsible for trade within a specific region, primarily engaging in arbitrage. Most of these ships are led by Soul Transformation Realm cultivators, but for the transport of rare cultivation resources, such as Heavenly Thunder Spirit-Transforming Talismans, sixth-grade puppet beasts, or Dharma Idol materials, Void Refinement Realm cultivators serve as escorts.

Wang Moshan nodded. He was proud of how far the clan had come, but the increasing number of Void Refinement Realm cultivators within the clan also brought significant financial pressure.

The Dharma Idol materials and tribulation-crossing materials required by Void Refinement Realm cultivators are extremely expensive. They are typically acquired through bartering, as even top-grade spirit stones may not be sufficient to purchase them.

Wang Moshan took out a jade transmission plate, shimmering with green light, from his bosom, infused it with a spiritual art, and his expression turned grim.

“What happened, Clan Head?” Wang Gonghu asked, puzzled.

“A God-Suppressing Stone mine has been discovered at Golden Flood Dragon Ridge. The exact reserves are unknown. The Heavenly Secrets Sect also discovered a God-Suppressing Stone mine, and Li He has already begun fighting the Heavenly Secrets Sect over it. Currently, only Soul Transformation Realm cultivators are engaged; Void Refinement Realm cultivators have not yet made a move. Li He has sent a request for reinforcements.” Wang Moshan explained truthfully.

“I will make a trip to the mainland to support Li He.” Wang Qingcheng volunteered. Since stepping down as Clan Head, he had gained considerable experience over the years, whether through sparring with fellow clan members, battling demonic beasts, or challenging the Blazing Fire Demon Refining Pagoda.

“I’ll go too!” Wang Qingxiao entered, his voice deep. His aura was significantly stronger than before; he had clearly advanced to the middle stage of the Void Refinement Realm.

“I’ll go as well!” Wang Zongque echoed.

Wang Gonghu and several other Void Refinement Realm cultivators enthusiastically volunteered for battle. As the saying goes, 'Train soldiers for a thousand days to use them for a single moment.' They all wished to contribute to the clan and earn merit.

The clan currently has thirty Void Refinement Realm cultivators. To advance to the Integration Realm, they needed to strive for themselves, rather than merely waiting for opportunities to come to them.

Wang Moshan pondered briefly and then decided to send Wang Qingcheng to lead the expedition. Wang Gonghu, Wang Zongque, Wang Qingxiao, Wang Jiye, Wang Yuanwei, and Wang Yier would accompany him. Including Wang Zonglang and Wang Lihe already there, this made a total of nine Void Refinement Realm cultivators.

The Heavenly Secrets Sect is not weak. The Wang clan must secure that God-Suppressing Stone mine, as it is a crucial strategic resource, excellent for setting up formations and crafting artifacts, and capable of blocking spiritual sense probes.

In addition to Wang Qingcheng and the others, Wang Moshan also mobilized fifty Soul Transformation Realm cultivators to join the expedition. This would serve as an opportunity to train troops and temper clan members.

“Once on the front lines, Ancestor Qingcheng will have full authority, and everyone else will cooperate fully,” Wang Moshan stated deeply. Battle opportunities are fleeting, and as the leader, Wang Qingcheng should be allowed to act decisively.

Wang Yier and the others readily agreed. The Wang clan swiftly mobilized personnel, and the next day, Wang Qingcheng departed from Qinglian Island with dozens of clan members, heading towards the mainland.