Chapter 206: Bustling and Lively

He had taken a big step forward. He was now just over 500 drops of true essence away from the 2,000-drop requirement for the peak of the Foundation Establishment mid-stage, and he anticipated reaching the threshold of the Foundation Establishment late-stage within two years.

At that point, his progress would slow down again, similar to his Qi Refining stage.

He had already prepared the Two-Pattern Core Condensing Pills.

The upgrade from a "Spring of True Essence" to a "Lake of True Essence" would be a significant increase in his true essence capacity, multiplying his true essence endurance several times over.

He emerged from his secluded cultivation chamber.

The Heavenly Fragrance Palace, located in a corner of the City Lord's Mansion, was already bustling with activity. Unlike the previous time, when only a handful of people attended and Wang Yu had to send agents to stir up enthusiasm, this time, he barely needed to urge anyone.

Besides the members of his interest alliance, powerful Foundation Establishment cultivators such as Rogue Cultivator Longhu, Talisman Master Jiuqu, and Daoist Yu, had also arrived very early and were currently introducing their friends.

Wang Yu's arrival drew even more attention.

"City Lord Wang, this is Daoist Jinshi. He came at my invitation. I trust he is welcome?"

Daoist Jinshi, like Rogue Cultivator Longhu, was also a rogue cultivator. He had an ordinary, dark complexion, but two eyes were drawn on his cheeks with gold powder, presumably due to some secret technique. His cultivation was also at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

He naturally welcomed powerful cultivators, as more attendees meant greater renown for the Fragrance Gathering and a more effective treasure exchange. So, Wang Yu smiled faintly.

"Brother Longhu, you jest. Since you've come to participate in the Fragrance Gathering, we are all friends. Daoist Jinshi."

"Greetings, City Lord Wang."

The atmosphere among the three was harmonious, likely because they had been instructed before coming. Seeing this, Daoist Yu and Talisman Master Jiuqu also approached, each with companions behind them.

These were fellow cultivators who wished to join the Fragrance Gathering this time, as it was a benevolent platform with no strict requirements.

Daoist Yu said, "City Lord Wang, this is my Daoist companion, Feng Zi. Her cultivation surpasses mine; she has reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage."

A stronger female and weaker male was not uncommon in Chiyuan.

Feng Zi was also quite beautiful and graceful, giving off the air of a mature beauty. Wang Yu couldn't help but glance at her a few extra times.

The woman's attitude was even more amiable. After a graceful bow to the side,

"This humble one greets City Lord Guiling."

"No need for such formality. Daoist Yu has been here before; let him show you around the Heavenly Fragrance Palace. The Fragrance Gathering won't begin until the afternoon."

Seeing that their conversation was winding down, Talisman Master Jiuqu also began introducing his friend. This person seemed to be of greater importance; the old man's body involuntarily bowed low as he spoke.

"City Lord Wang, everyone… this is Young Talisman Lord Luochen, the City Lord of Sanmao, a Core Formation True Monarch."

Everyone gasped in unison.

They truly hadn't expected this young and handsome cultivator to be a Core Formation True Monarch. Clearly, he had considerable skill in concealing his aura.

Wang Yu, however, knew more than they did. Over the past five years, he had used Han Jia's connections at the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to socialize with the city lords in the vicinity, and this person was also invited by him.

"Brother Luo, long time no see."

"Junior Brother Wang, your Guiling City is indeed impressive. If I had known this, I should have organized a Talisman Appreciation Gathering myself."

"Hahaha~ Brother Luo, you are truly humorous. Please—"

"I will personally host a welcoming reception for Brother Luo."

"Excellent!"

Seeing the two leave, Talisman Master Jiuqu seemed a bit puzzled. Having spent his time in Sanmao City, he naturally didn't understand the network of connections within the Spirit Reversing Blood Sect.

Young Talisman Lord Luochen.

He was the youngest disciple of Dark Sky Talisman Lord, from Evil Sword Peak, one of the Nine Peaks. Despite being less than a hundred years old, he had already formed his Golden Core, a clear testament to his exceptional talent among all his master's disciples.

He possessed an unusual attribute, a Celestial Yin Spiritual Root.

Thus, he earned the title of Young Talisman Lord. His mastery of talismans had reached the mid-tier of the third rank, even surpassing his own cultivation level, which spoke volumes about his talent.

He was far more formidable than people like True Successor Su or Wei Zhong. He was considered a Nascent Soul seed-level talent, similar in standing to Jin Miaoshan at the Golden Full Tower, but only within Evil Sword Peak.

Dark Sky Talisman Lord was the husband of a lady from the Zhuo Clan. He had married into the Ghoul Fang Zhuo Clan in his youth and grew powerful through their resources and cultivation.

That lady was also Zhuo Shouqing's aunt, making the two lineages very closely related. In terms of status, Luochen was two ranks higher than City Lord Wang, and thus someone who had to be treated with great respect.

Sanmao City, Yunyan City, and Guiling City were all fertile territories under the Zhuo Clan's control, specifically used to cultivate talented younger generations.

However, the City Lord of Yunyan City seemed to be a competitor of Zhuo Shouqing.

Therefore, Wang Yu's presence quickly established a connection with Young Talisman Lord Luochen, and they prepared to set up trade routes to exchange resources.

Wang Yu went off with the important person. His four "tool" disciples and Xu Ruozhou remained at the entrance to greet guests, while Qing Yang presided over the third floor of the Heavenly Fragrance Palace.

He would only appear to greet Core Formation cultivators upon their arrival.

In short, the Fragrance Gathering's growth rate was much faster than Wang Yu had anticipated, causing "veteran" figures like Rogue Cultivator Longhu to sometimes appear constrained and uneasy.

"Today is truly bustling with activity."

"Couldn't agree more."

On the second floor of the Heavenly Fragrance Palace, the expanded main hall seated over a hundred cultivators. Most were at the Foundation Establishment stage, with fewer Core Formation cultivators.

As the Fragrance Gathering was about to begin, charming and professionally trained maidens from the Cloud Dream Pavilion presented hand warmers and incense, one by one, allowing everyone to slowly savor the aromas from light to strong.

During this process, some couldn't help but whisper, discussing the powerful individuals present. "That's Old Demon Earth Puppet from Demonic Earth Valley. He actually came… Wasn't he said to have a conflict with the Guiling Guan Clan…?"

"Shh, be careful what you say!"

"Look over there, True Person Huangsha also came. I heard he broke through to the third layer of Core Formation and wants to find a spiritual vein in the vicinity to establish a sect."

"This—"

"Over there, that's True Person Hegu. Isn't he a cultivator from Poison Scorpion City? He came all this way for the Fragrance Gathering."

"Hiss~ Including True Person Qing Yang, there are already four Core Formation cultivators. And quite a few at the peak of Foundation Establishment."

"More than that! Look at the very front, seated alongside City Lord Guiling in the main seat—that's Young Talisman Lord Luochen, a disciple of a Nascent Soul expert!"

Wang Yu heard all the discussions below.

It could be said that the second Fragrance Gathering had gathered nearly all the elite cultivators within a 3,000-kilometer radius of Guiling City into his grasp. Many powerful cultivators from even more distant regions had also arrived.

This meant even more possibilities. Those peak Foundation Establishment cultivators were likely hoping to exchange for Core Formation spiritual items.

Wang Yu was pleased to see this.

He wasn't afraid of them having many ideas; he was afraid of them not coming. Once it became a habit, Guiling City would naturally become the center of this region.

At that time, all kinds of rare and precious natural treasures would converge on this city. When the time was right, Wang Yu could offer Core Formation spiritual items and obtain the things he desired.

Of course, it was still too early for that. He would only consider revealing some bait when he reached the peak of Foundation Establishment and possessed more Core Formation combat power.

It was almost time.

Without needing a reminder, as the singing and dancing beauties stepped forward and the sounds of strings and flutes began, the hall naturally fell silent. Light desserts and preserved fruits were placed on the tables.

Some sat upright, others reclined to observe, and some even bared their chests.

From time to time, they picked up the hand warmers prepared by City Lord Wang, took a deep whiff, and revealed expressions of ecstasy. With a thousand different faces, Wang Yu's goal was ultimate enjoyment.

Regardless of whether they gained anything from the subsequent treasure exchange, undergoing this experience would surely leave a deep impression. Even in the incense they inhaled, Wang Yu had subtly added a special powder designed to positively guide their physical and mental instincts.

Young Talisman Lord Luochen, who was beside him, remarked with some emotion.

"Junior Brother Wang's talent for management truly surpasses his cultivation aptitude."

Wang Yu's expression was odd.

Regarding his 'waste' spiritual root, there was no denying it. But compared to his Profound Origin Demonic Embryo, management talent was utter nonsense, not even worth a single hair.

How could he not envy Luochen's Celestial Spiritual Root, especially its Yin attribute? If he were to consume it…

*Slurp*

"Junior Brother Wang, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing much. Senior Brother Luo, haven't you always wanted to ask about my management strategies? It's actually quite simple."

"Oh? Do tell."

As expected, the mention of it immediately piqued Luochen's interest. His acceptance of Wang Yu's invitation was partly motivated by a desire to learn the City Lord's management techniques.

Although Sanmao City was a fertile land, it had been exploited by several disciples of Dark Sky Talisman Lord, and its population foundation and number of strong cultivators were not as robust as Guiling's.

There were only seven or eight rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators, led by Talisman Master Jiuqu, and two Foundation Establishment talisman master families (the latter being in decline). After fulfilling the sect's tributes, the resources he could keep were barely enough for his cultivation needs. He certainly couldn't afford to support numerous powerful cultivators or host free events like the Fragrance Gathering, as Wang Yu did.

Having taught management strategies for many years, Wang Yu had naturally gained some insights and experiences. He was serious about it and tailored his advice to the general environment of Chiyuan and Cloud Ridge.

Wang Yu pondered for a moment before speaking.

"The straightforward approach is slow to yield results and carries some risks. It involves expanding outwards to find new resources. Internally, you share the benefits, allowing those below you to have spirit stones. You only need to control the output of goods related to daily necessities, combat, and exploration, and the spirit stones will eventually flow back into your hands."

Hearing this, Luochen's brow furrowed slightly.

"That won't quite work. I can only hold the position of Sanmao City Lord for a maximum of two hundred years. I, Luochen, need to acquire enough resources to cultivate to the peak of Core Formation."

Wang Yu: "..."

"Then there's a second method. I recall Sanmao City has a branch of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Senior Brother, you could use your connections to invite people from Golden Full Tower to open a branch within the city. These large external trading houses would bring in significant capital, enough to be used for Sanmao City's development. At that time, you could expand the city guard, establish trade routes with more cities, and your tax revenue could increase by more than fifty percent."

Luochen nodded first, then shook his head.

"That still won't do; it's easy to offend both major trading houses. Junior Brother Wang, isn't there a way to directly earn spirit stones for myself?"

Wang Yu: "..."

To be honest, he was a bit stumped, because economics wasn't a subject he studied for his postgraduate exams in his previous life—he was a sports major!

Guiling City's current development was also due to seizing multiple opportune moments of timing and geographical advantage.

Moreover, he was not afraid of risks and pushed ahead forcefully.

He could generally understand Luochen's mindset: he simply didn't want the spirit stones to be earned by those below him.

But this was a paradox.

To develop a city, its people must become wealthy. If the market was stagnant, where would the spirit stone taxes come from?