For the past three years, the turtle shell had consistently appeared on the purchasing list of Lingxian Sect's Finance Hall for their trips to the cultivation world, but there had been no news about it thus far.
Both Master Yuan and Elder Liao had mentioned that this turtle shell came from the molted shell of a massive sea turtle beast, found in a distant sea far from the Southern and Northern Spiritual Realms.
The sea where this beast lived was vast, and sometimes when the beast shed its shell, it would be swept back into the ocean by rising tides. Furthermore, these sea turtle beasts were already rare in number, so finding one of their molted shells—whether it took a thousand years or five hundred—was an extremely rare event.
Lin Xiao began absentmindedly drawing circles on the paper.
Maybe he could ask Elder Liao if he had any way to contact his old friend, Yin Xuanzi?
But, knowing Elder Liao, he probably wouldn't agree to that.
So...
Lin Xiao recalled the appearance of that turtle shell and opened the system shop.
As expected, the first item on the shop's list was the very turtle shell from the sea turtle beast. It was even labeled as [Premium], and clicking on it revealed more details.
When Lin Xiao clicked, the description read: System-produced, guaranteed to be top-quality. This turtle shell is molted from a deep-sea beast known as the 'Ling Di.' It comes from the highest-cultivation specimen of all Ling Di beasts, with a vast internal space, making it perfect for crafting.
Upon reading this, Lin Xiao realized the beast was called the Ling Di.
Judging by the description, the shell being sold in the system shop was likely the highest-quality version.
As expected of the system.
But...
He exited the details page and glanced at the price listed beneath the shell.
Ten thousand spirit stones.
It wasn't cheap. Though Lingxian Sect could scrape together the amount if necessary, it wasn't an easy purchase.
Currently, the sect's spirit stones were already running low. During the recent intake of new disciples, a significant portion of their spirit stone reserves had been consumed to upgrade the Heart-Test Road. Now was a time for recuperation, and further mining would deplete their spirit stone vein completely.
At present, most of the sect's expenses—like allowances and other overhead costs—were supported by their business dealings with the cultivation world.
But the turtle shell was essential for the future trading hub.
If the sect wanted to grow stronger and more sustainable, establishing this trading center was crucial.
It would serve as a vital hub, connecting all the cultivators of the mortal realm.
Relying solely on slow, sporadic hints dropped through the royal family of the Pusi Kingdom was too slow. Who knew how long it would take to truly activate the entire circle of mortal realm cultivators?
Since mining wasn't an option, the only solution was to generate more income.
For Lingxian Sect, the best way to increase revenue was naturally to tap into the wealth of the cultivation world.
To expand their income, they would need to increase the variety, quantity, and distribution channels of their goods.
Lin Xiao pulled out a clean sheet of paper and jotted down a few more notes.
He contacted Qin Jianghe through the locking ring and confirmed the types and quantities of goods the sect was currently selling. He found that the sect had been sticking to its usual conservative strategy: none of their rarer or higher-quality items were listed for sale.
Even the talismans and pills they made for the three great sects were mostly niche items, rather than mainstream consumables. So while they were earning spirit stones, it wasn't the kind of profit that came from mass production and widespread sales.
The root of the issue was that the three major sects didn't produce in large quantities. Although each month Lingxian Sect could earn a few thousand spirit stones from these transactions—already a significant income for a sect that once had no spirit stone revenue at all—it still wasn't enough for Lingxian Sect's growing needs.
The problem lay in their sect's expenses.
Lingxian Sect's disciples had high monthly stipends.
Additionally, those working in the various halls of the sect earned extra wages, and there were also rewards for completing tasks. All of this required a substantial amount of spirit stones.
After thinking it over, Lin Xiao saw three possible options.
The first was to offer the three major sects the formulas for making basic, widely-used pills, talismans, artifacts, and formation plates common in the cultivation world.
These items were always in high demand, sold easily, and fetched better prices than niche products.
The second option was to expand their trading partnerships beyond the three major sects and bring more sects into the fold.
However, this came with a risk. As more sects joined the trade, the royal family of the Pusi Kingdom might not be able to hold up against the increasing pressure.
After all, the royal family was only useful to the three great sects of the Pusi Kingdom because they needed a stable kingdom to supply their disciples and maintain a stable environment.
But for sects outside of the Pusi Kingdom, the Li royal family wouldn't hold much sway.
Faced with the temptation of immense profits, one or two sects could be managed, but a large number might band together against the royal family. In that case, even with the support of the three great sects, it might not be enough to save the Li dynasty.
The best solution, of course, was for Lingxian Sect to grow strong enough to stand on its own.
...
But the problem always came back to one thing—strength.
The sect's biggest issue right now was their lack of power...
Lin Xiao sighed quietly.
But among all these problems, there had to be a breakthrough somewhere, or they'd end up trapped in a deadlock, slowly waiting for the sect to accumulate spirit stones and for everyone's cultivation levels to rise little by little.
But Lin Xiao wasn't the type to wait passively.
Though he had already decided that He Yi would deal with the stone energy situation in the cultivation world, there was always a possibility things could go wrong.
What if their sect was exposed before then?
It was better to be prepared in advance for everything that could be.
Seizing opportunities to gather spirit stones and resources not only improved the strength of their sect but also benefited the entire mortal realm's cultivation circle.
As the saying goes, the nail that sticks out gets hammered, but if everyone improves collectively, then no one sticks out.
Moreover, if they could establish good relationships with many sects in the mortal realm through the trading hub, as the system's new mission suggested, achieving the loyalty of other sects, anyone thinking of taking on Lingxian Sect would have to think twice.
So the key to breaking this deadlock lay in successfully building the trading hub.
They needed to expand, but it couldn't be done recklessly by approaching too many foreign sects at once.
First, they'd need to talk with the Li royal family and have them recommend a few trustworthy sects with good reputations to start increasing their production.
Still, expansion wouldn't yield immediate profits, so if they wanted to accelerate the construction of the trading center, they'd need another solution.
After some thought, Lin Xiao used his locking ring to contact Yuan Bi, the head of the Yuan family.