Chapter 205: Second Gui Ling Fragrance Gathering, Foundation Establishment Level Six

Several days later.

Setting aside the construction of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, the number of people seeking out City Lord Wang reached an unprecedented peak. The North District, Wenxiang Sect, Shuimo Sect, Zilong Mountain, Jiang Family, and Guan Family—all arrived at his doorstep, one after another.

Naturally, their visits were also concerning the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.

The emergence of another massive merchant guild was, for them, utterly paramount to their sects' development, as they relied on Guilong City for their growth. It was, unequivocally, a good thing!

—New power, new channels.

For this alliance, centered around Wang Yu, meticulously planning how to distribute profits was essential. Equally important was devising a strategy to handle inquiries from the Golden Pavilion.

For instance, the Guan Family's business dealt in paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones. A small portion of their original output was sold to rogue cultivators, supplied to family shops, or used to train junior family members.

Ultimately, only a small fraction went to these uses; the majority was sold to the Golden Pavilion. The guild would then transport these goods to various locations, profiting from the price difference—this was the advantage of their platform.

The Jiang Family, on the other hand, primarily produced Tier 1 pills, talismans, arrays, and artifacts, opting for a high-volume, low-margin approach. Outside the city, they also had vast spirit fields dedicated to cultivating spirit rice.

Most of these goods were consumed by cultivators in Guilong City; only a small portion of the premium items were acquired by the Golden Pavilion.

The Shuimo Sect's unique scroll painting artistry, Zilong Mountain's spirit beast business, and the Wenxiang Sect's various exotic incenses—these sects have survived to this day not merely because of their combat prowess.

Their key to surpassing competitors, passing down their legacies through generations, and enduring was their ability to manage effectively and earn resources to cultivate stronger individuals.

With the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, they could now compare prices between two merchants and sell to more cities. When two fierce tigers fight, even a small spillover of benefits would be enough for them to thrive.

To seize market share, and unable to destroy their rival, they would simply have to throw spirit stones at them. They urgently wanted to know Wang Yu's opinion, as he was nominally the leader of the Guilong alliance of interests.

Therefore, their visits for discussions were essentially gestures of goodwill and declarations of allegiance, mixed with a degree of gratitude. Perhaps their own families could even use this opportunity to produce one or two Golden Core cultivators.

However… Wang Yu genuinely could not meet them.

He had arranged for the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to be right next to the Golden Pavilion, a clear provocation. If he were to seize this opportunity to enrich everyone by exploiting the losses of both sides, that would be rather unfavorable, as it could easily incur the displeasure of both parties and simultaneously offend two major merchant guilds.

Thus, he ordered Xu Ruozhou not to meet anyone.

This was not only to avoid Han Jia, who might come calling, but also to avoid this group of people.

They should quietly reap the benefits themselves; there was nothing to discuss.

In any case, he had already given instructions to the City Lord's Mansion: they would only take a share from the Central District, while the other four major districts—east, south, west, and north—would be for the other forces within the alliance of interests to profit from.

They shouldn't feel shortchanged. No matter how many benefits they gained, it would always be based on transactions, and he would levy taxes. Temporarily increasing it by 5 percent to collect a handling fee would not result in a loss for him.

After all, this move not only expanded Guilong City's market share but also ensured that the output of the Wenxiang Sect, Zilong Mountain, and Shuimo Sect was entirely consumed within the city.

This represented a huge tax revenue. The longer the two major merchant guilds battled, the wealthier they would become.

At such a time, he absolutely could not step forward openly, to avoid misunderstandings.

When they couldn't meet him, and then observed that the City Lord's Mansion staff were only active in the Central District and had temporarily raised taxes, they immediately understood Wang Yu's intention.

There was no need for discussion; they tacitly divided the four major districts among themselves.

And so, a unique commercial battle commenced.

“The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s branch in Guilong City is open for business!”

“Spirit pills that Golden Pavilion sells for 500 spirit stones, we’re selling for only 400! Limited to one thousand bottles, first come, first served!”

“Hurry, hurry! Only a fool passes up a good deal!”

“It’s finally Guilong City’s turn! I heard the competition in Yunyan City was fierce. I, Li, think we can wait a bit longer; prices might drop even further.”

“Really?”

“If I'm lying, I'm no Guilong native!”

“Then I, Li, will trust you this once, fellow Daoist.”

And so, that same afternoon, attendants from the Golden Pavilion, dressed in striking, alluring attire, stood on the main street, beckoning to passing cultivators.

“Grain-Stopping Pills, Spirit-Restoration Pills, only 200 spirit stones! Nine pills per bottle, refined by Grandmaster Tong Yan, a Tier 2 alchemist. Fair dealings for all!”

Next door, Pavilion Master Han Jia sensed this with his divine consciousness and cursed under his breath.

However, touching the five million-plus spirit stones he had earned from Wang Yu, his confidence in Guilong City's potential and market surged. He quickly instructed his subordinates:

“Ice Talismans, Water Armor Talismans, Wood Vine Talismans, Fireball Talismans, Metal Blade Talismans—a pack of thirty basic five-element talismans. Paired with Grain-Stopping Pills, Spirit-Restoration Pills, and Healing Pills—nine pills per bottle—for a total price of 3,000 spirit stones. Oh, and as a bonus, we’re including a Tier 1 formation flag: the Wind-Breath Mortal Transformation Array.”

Han Jia's rapid-fire instructions stunned his subordinates. This was quite cheap! This combination was considered the most complete Qi Condensation adventurer's kit, especially the formation array.

That item was outrageously expensive, and it was being given away for free!

“Go quickly! Whether we can capture more of the market depends on whether this bundling strategy, which I learned from the Taihu Spirit Domain, proves effective.”

“Yes, sir!”

Just as his subordinate left, Han Yinfeng knocked and entered. “Father, the heads of the Guan and Jiang families are here to see you.”

“Quickly, invite them in,” Han Jia said, delighted by the news.

As soon as these two sides began to compete, the entire city's attention was drawn, and even cultivators from nearby cities heard the news. Many rushed over overnight, waiting for the peak of the intense rivalry to pour their fortunes into purchases.

They could then resell these goods elsewhere for a substantial profit.

It was much like the stock market in Wang Yu's previous life.

Buy low, sell high—everyone understood this theory. However, whether one could seize the opportune moment to 'fleece' the two major merchant guilds depended on individual foresight and judgment.

Not everyone was qualified to play this game.

During this period, no one was more frustrated than Ye Qing. He prided himself on diligently meeting all of City Lord Wang's demands.

Yet, in a flash, he had attracted an old rival. How was he supposed to survive this?

A late Golden Core cultivator came to open a Tier 3 branch; as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if his backing force was of a similar level, he was no match in terms of connections, channels, financial resources, internal assets, or even cultivation level.

If Ye Qing were to compete, it would be with a Foundation Establishment protector from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, not an elder from the Cloud Ridge Main Pavilion.

“This is killing me—”

Ye Qing also tried to find Wang Yu, but he still refused to meet him.

Wang Yu had invited the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion; how could he possibly stop them? Besides, his primary dealings were with Jin Miaoshan; Ye Qing was just an unfortunate middleman.

The previous one, someone named Qian, was in a similar situation.

Guilong City needed to develop, and Wang Yu's pockets were empty, so he needed to earn spirit stones. Since the Golden Pavilion couldn't provide enough, he had to find his own solutions, making it impossible for him to sympathize with Ye Qing.

Unable to meet Wang Yu and burdened by Jin Miaoshan's directives, Ye Qing could only grit his teeth and dip into his last reserves to sustain the business.

This city-wide price war, however, lasted only half a year before ending in the Golden Pavilion's defeat.

This was because Han Jia had organized an auction specifically for Golden Core cultivators. After True Lord Qingyang successfully bid on the final Tier 3 material, he announced his seclusion to refine his vital magic treasure.

This six-month period of benefits gradually drew to a close.

But for the members of the Guilong alliance of interests, the advantages were just beginning. Their supply contracts with Han Jia had minimum terms, and half a year was far from enough.

It was precisely their defection that allowed the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to swiftly capture a significant market share, ultimately enabling them to organize the auction and deliver the final blow to Ye Qing.

According to the past conflict experience and tacit understanding between the two major powers, the Golden Pavilion should have withdrawn at this point.

The Guilong City market would belong to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion!

However, something unexpected happened: even with just over ten percent of the market, which wasn't enough to cover the pavilion's regular expenses, Ye Qing stubbornly remained.

He refused to leave.

This thoroughly infuriated Han Jia. He wanted to confront Ye Qing but had no legitimate reason, as the past conflicts and tacit understandings were merely unwritten rules, not actual agreements.

So, he could only ignore it.

Wang Yu observed the situation in secret. Only after realizing Ye Qing's decision did he relax. For him, the ideal scenario was for both businesses to coexist, as competition fostered progress.

This way, he could confidently enter seclusion.

Far from the tumultuous tides of conflict, Wang Yu returned to his tranquil haven, quietly focusing on his own cultivation.

In the second year, he resumed his normal routine, frequently engaging in external exchanges and social interactions. He often invited Han Jia to banquets, maintaining an appearance of close cordiality.

In reality, he used Han Jia's connections to meet the masters of Heavenly Treasure branch pavilions in neighboring cities, as well as city lords who also belonged to the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect.

By the third year, a preliminary circle of city lords had been established. Their strategies were similar to Wang Yu's: those with significant backing were often Foundation Establishment geniuses who rarely ventured out, instead relentlessly siphoning resources from their cities.

Some even dared to embezzle the spirit stones meant as tribute to their sects. Those with less powerful backgrounds were mostly Golden Core cultivators who frequently visited other cities.

They discussed rumors from all corners of the world, as well as internal conflicts within their sects. As external city lords, their positions required them to be sufficiently steadfast.

Consequently, Wang Yu's contacts were all from the Zhuo, Yu, and Zuoqiu factions—not necessarily the main families, but also their affiliated clans. Indeed, he learned many secrets about Yunling Province through them.

In the fourth year, he began to mobilize resources and leverage City Lord Wang's connections, extensively inviting heroic figures to prepare for the second Scent Appreciation Assembly.

Considering that Golden Core cultivators might participate this time, he took the trouble to send a letter to Zhuo Shouqing, asking for his help in procuring some Tier 3 spirit incense.

The Wenxiang Sect's high-grade output would likely be insufficient, so he also prepared five hundred personal incense burners. At the event, everyone would be able to personally appreciate the exotic fragrances. He didn't know how many people would attend, so he prepared for a large turnout.

It would undoubtedly be a grand spectacle, something only possible with the backing of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. If he were a rogue cultivator… well, he'd probably still be holed up in some mountain nook.

He wouldn't have the grand status of a city lord.

Fifth year!

In the fifth year—specifically, the 25th year of Wang Yu’s tenure as an overseer, in March—the second Guilong Scent Appreciation Assembly arrived as scheduled, after a five-year hiatus.

On that day, in his secluded cultivation chamber, the substantial killing intent emanating from Wang Yu gradually receded. Besides the shortcut of direct slaughter, slowly cultivating the Minor Asura Killing Fist could also accumulate killing intent.

Thus, it had evolved from an initial concentrated mass to now pervading his entire being.

Regarding his cultivation, he had refined a total of three top-grade Ice Spirit Pills, increasing his true essence by 420 drops. His dual cultivation slots contributed an additional 186 drops, and his regular cultivation added over 60 drops.

In total, his true essence increased by 666 drops. Combined with his initial 800 drops, his Qi Sea now held 1466 drops.

He had successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment Layer Six a year prior.