Chapter 920: A Visit |
Around the Taiyi Sect, there were no major incidents happening, so Meng Zhang had ample time for cultivation.
During this gathering, he relied on his own strength to impress many Primordial Spirit True Monarchs. Meng Zhang had quite a few feelings about this.
In advance, he had made connections, offered benefits, and won over True Monarch Changchun and True Monarch Clever Machine. However, in the end, he relied on his own strength to decisively secure the position of leader.
Meng Zhang also reflected on himself.
Over the years, he had been indulging in various calculations, engaging in petty schemes, and neglecting what was most crucial for a cultivator.
The most important thing for a cultivator should be their own Cultivation Base.
If Meng Zhang's Cultivation Base was profound and possessed overwhelming combat power, he wouldn't have so many troubles.
Encountering those ill-intentioned individuals, he could just slap them to death.
What Grand Commerce Alliance, what Wonderful Pill Union – they were simply insignificant before true experts.
Understanding this principle, Meng Zhang redirected his primary focus back to cultivation.
Anyway, he still had plenty of pure jade inspiration on hand, enough to support his daily cultivation needs.
Breaking through to the mid-stage of Primordial Spirit, Meng Zhang could practice more Dao Techniques and Divine Abilities, as well as refine more Fourth Rank magic tools.
All of this was good, but what Meng Zhang valued most was that in the mid-stage of Primordial Spirit, a cultivator could create an external avatar.
As Taiyi Sect expanded its influence, Meng Zhang increasingly felt stretched thin.
Let alone other matters, if Taiyi Sect could produce one more Primordial Spirit stage cultivator to oversee the Heavenly Palace, just think of the benefits it would bring to the sect.
Niu Dawei and Yang Xueyi did not know when they could make their breakthroughs. Even if their attempts failed, it was not an impossible thing to happen.
For almost all cultivators, breaking through from the Gold Core stage to the Primordial Spirit stage was a crucial bottleneck, and anything could happen during this process.
Even though he was reluctant deep down, as a qualified Sect Master, Meng Zhang should make some preparations.
He worked hard to enhance his Primordial Spirit, hoping to acquire the ability to create an external avatar as soon as possible.
Once Meng Zhang had an external avatar, it would be as if Taiyi Sect had gained one more Primordial Spirit cultivator.Meng Zhang devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivation, paying no attention to external matters. However, in this world, even if you don't seek trouble, trouble may find you.
One day, while Meng Zhang was engaged in his routine cultivation, a message talisman arrived from the rotating elder on duty at the sect's gate.
Shang Han True Monarch from the Grand Commerce Alliance had personally come to the Taiyi Sect's gate at Hundred Grass Slope to pay a visit to Taiyi Sect's Sect Master, Meng Zhang, the True Monarch himself.
Since the last incident where they gathered the power of several Primordial Spirit True Monarchs and made a show of force in the Grand Commerce Alliance's major city, there had been no further conflicts between Taiyi Sect and the Grand Commerce Alliance, and they had been living in peace.
Both sides maintained regular business exchanges. Taiyi Sect would purchase goods from the Grand Commerce Alliance, and in turn, they would sell some items to them. Negotiations were normal, and it did not lead to any conflicts.
Of course, the highest-ranking individuals engaging in these trades were only Gold Core cultivators; there was no communication between the Primordial Spirit True Monarchs.
As Shang Han True Monarch took the initiative to come, Meng Zhang couldn't refuse to meet him.
After all, both of them were subordinates of the Dali Dynasty's cultivation forces, and in times without conflicts, they needed to maintain appearances.
Meng Zhang left his seclusion and met Shang Han True Monarch in the main hall of the sect.
Shang Han True Monarch seemed to have forgotten the past conflicts and unpleasantness. Upon meeting, he wore a smile on his face, displaying the warmth of a seasoned businessman.
He spoke highly of the place, especially praising the quality and concentration of spiritual energy at Hundred Grass Slope. He even compared it to the provincial capital, Jiuqu City, in Jiuqu Province.
Originally, the spiritual vein at Hundred Grass Slope was average and had suffered external damage. It was Deep Earth Spirit General who utilized his Geomancer abilities to repair it.
Later, Deep Earth Spirit General discovered an extremely rich underground river nearby. He used Taiyi Sect's tremendous manpower and resources and employed various Geomancer secrets to connect the underground river to the spiritual vein of Hundred Grass Slope, allowing the abundant spiritual energy to flow into the area.
After years of management, Hundred Grass Slope, serving as the mountain gate of Taiyi Sect, was fully qualified and could even be called outstanding as a Primordial Spirit sect.
After all, it was rumored that there were no Fourth Rank spiritual veins in the Grand Dust World. Meng Zhang only began to suspect their existence in the Heavenly Palace.
Of course, he had no knowledge of the situation at the mountain gates of those Holy Land Sects, as he had never been to those places.
In response to Shang Han True Monarch's praise, Meng Zhang casually exchanged a few polite words.Meng Zhang was quite satisfied with the current state of Hundred Grass Slope, feeling somewhat proud as well. After some casual chatting and exchanging goodwill, Shang Han True Monarch slowly broached the main topic.
It turned out that his visit this time was to request Meng Zhang to open the markets within Taiyi Sect's territory, allowing the big merchant caravans of the Grand Commerce Alliance to enter and directly sell their goods. The Grand Commerce Alliance also wanted to establish trading posts here for various commercial activities.
Previously, the influence of the Grand Commerce Alliance and other external big merchant families only extended to Great Wind City, and they faced significant restrictions. The number and scale of their trading posts in Great Wind City were limited, and they were subject to heavy taxes levied by the city's authorities.
Shang Han True Monarch hoped that Meng Zhang would lift these restrictions and lower the tax rates.
After the Grand Commerce Alliance and other big merchant families had penetrated Jiuqu Province in force, Meng Zhang knew that Taiyi Sect couldn't compete, so they voluntarily retracted, giving up the majority of their commercial activities in Jiuqu Province. Simultaneously, they tightened their control, blocking Taiyi Sect's territory, refusing entry to all external Shang families, and forbidding them from establishing trading posts or engaging in various trades here.
With such vast territories as the Demon Wind Gobi and the Endless Sea of Sand, many cultivation forces relied on Taiyi Sect for their survival. These forces couldn't directly engage in commercial trades with the outside world. All purchases of cultivation items and sales had to go through Taiyi Sect. This included Taiyi Sect's disciples; all cultivators could only buy talismans, pills, magic tools, etc., produced by Taiyi Sect and its affiliated forces.
When Taiyi Sect faced shortages in production, they had to procure externally in bulk and then resell to other cultivators. If Taiyi Sect didn't follow this approach, they would face a situation where it was cheaper to buy rather than produce.
The costs of alchemy, refining, and talisman making in Taiyi Sect were much higher than those of local forces like the Grand Commerce Alliance in the Dali Dynasty. Moreover, the quality was lacking, not to mention Taiyi Sect's affiliated forces.
If the markets within their territory were fully opened, Taiyi Sect's production capacity could easily be destroyed. With better quality and lower-priced products available, who would still buy Taiyi Sect's products? Even Taiyi Sect's disciples might prioritize purchasing products from external big merchant families.
Meng Zhang resolutely rejected these external big merchant families in his own way, even instructing the actions in Great Wind City. If he wasn't worried about making a scene, he wouldn't even have allowed a door to open in Great Wind City.
Due to Taiyi Sect's practices, smuggling of talismans, pills, and the like into Taiyi Sect's territory had once thrived. Taiyi Sect had to exert its full force to combat these smuggling activities, and they even employed the power of the Secret Hall to bring it under control.
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