Chapter 9: The Sect's Maneuvers

The situation in the Wilderness had shown signs of shifting for some time. After five hundred years of wild, untamed development, the Wilderness families had enjoyed two centuries of stability. It was inevitable that they would move toward unification; there would eventually be only one hegemon to command the region. Eight Foundation Establishment families were vying for supremacy in the Wilderness, and it remained to be seen who would ultimately seize the prize. This was the irresistible current of the era, one that moved independently of any individual's will.

Li Ji'an felt no particular agitation at the inclusion of the Yan family in this struggle. His only curiosity was how the conflict had been ignited. Having spent decades in the Wilderness, he understood that every family capable of establishing a foothold there was not to be underestimated. However, Zhang Tiezhu, an elderly cultivator within the clan whose already mediocre mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation was beginning to decline in his twilight years, clearly knew nothing of the specifics—only that war had broken out. Li Ji'an suspected that external forces must have intervened; otherwise, the conflict could not have erupted so rapidly.

Composing his thoughts, he headed to the Danding Pavilion to deliver his medicinal pills. Over the past six months, his expenditures on monster meat and high-quality pills had increased as he strove to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining. Though it was only the middle of the month, he had no spirit stones left and needed to pay his annual rent, forcing him to liquidate his stock early.

"Congratulations, Guest Elder Li."
"Congratulations, indeed."
...
"What is there to congratulate me for?" As soon as he stepped into the Danding Pavilion, the attendants bowed and offered their well-wishes, leaving Li Ji'an puzzled.

"Hahaha, Guest Elder Li, it is a joyous occasion! In last year's evaluation of first-tier alchemists within the Immortal City, you were ranked third. You are now a standout among all the rogue cultivator alchemists in the city!" Shopkeeper Wu emerged at the sound of his voice, greeting him from a distance.

"First-tier alchemist evaluation? Third place?" Li Ji'an was stunned; he had been completely unaware of this.

"Yes! At the city's request, all merchant houses and shops nominated their affiliated guest elders. Based on a comprehensive assessment of the quantity and quality of work delivered over the past year, you have undoubtedly earned the seat of the third-ranked first-tier alchemist," Shopkeeper Wu explained excitedly.

"Why have I never heard of this before?" In the information Li Ji'an had previously gathered regarding the lives of technicians in the Immortal City, no such event had been mentioned.

"This was a proposal by the new commander sent by the Biyun Sect this year. It is meant to promote trade within the city. It is a good thing for you personally, and for our Danding Pavilion as well. Our proprietor is also very pleased; your repurchase price for pills will be increased by twenty percent from now on. In a few days, the Immortal City will also hold a ceremony to award you honors and prizes."

"..." After a moment of contemplation, Li Ji'an nodded. As a major industry providing stable revenue for the Biyun Sect, the Biyun Sect held Jinhuang Immortal City in high regard, so this move was understandable. It could increase competitiveness among technicians and perhaps expand the city's influence.

Within the Immortal City, he had no fear of the old adage that "a pig fears getting fat." Furthermore, he was merely a first-tier alchemist; in the eyes of major powers, he had, at most, a bit of potential. With this official certification, his income would rise. As for his third-place ranking, he felt there was no real trickery involved. Having encountered many alchemists over the past year, he had gained a deeper understanding of the community. Aside from those serving as retainers for major powers, most alchemists in the city were rogue cultivators. Many had served as alchemist boys in small backwater towns, struggling for half a lifetime to achieve even modest success, only to come to the Immortal City to try their luck and end up as low-level alchemists barely scraping by. Others served as retainers for small families and, upon reaching the late stage of Qi Refining, came here seeking the opportunity for Foundation Establishment, only to exhaust their lives in the process. Most lacked true talent in the Dao of alchemy; those who were truly gifted were recruited by major powers at a young age. Yet, in Cangyun Province, outside of the Biyun Sect, it was virtually impossible for other factions to cultivate a second-tier retainer alchemist—they simply could not afford it. Upon further inquiry, he learned that the first-ranked alchemist was the closed-door disciple of the city's top second-tier alchemist; the man was already seventy and had been refining his craft for fifty or sixty years. The second-place finisher was also of advanced age. They had essentially spent as much time refining their craft as Li Ji'an had in his two lifetimes combined.

Shopkeeper Wu then repurchased the pills Li Ji'an had brought at the new price, increased by twenty percent. The total came to four hundred and eighty spirit stones—nearly a hundred more than expected—which was just enough to cover his rent for the coming year. The reason he had delivered so little over the last half-month was that he had reduced his furnace time to stabilize his cultivation realm and had consumed more of his own pills.

"Guest Elder Li, you will need to refine more Spirit-Replenishing Pills next month—at least thirty of superior quality," Shopkeeper Wu specifically requested while Li Ji'an was purchasing herbs.

"Oh?" Li Ji'an paused slightly. Over the past year, the Danding Pavilion had never made such demands; as long as the pills were not extremely obscure, they would repurchase them at market rates without special requests.

"Do not misunderstand, Guest Elder Li. This is also at the request of the Immortal City," Shopkeeper Wu explained. The city needed Spirit-Replenishing Pills? No—it was the Biyun Sect that needed them! Spirit-Replenishing Pills were used by late-stage Qi Refining cultivators to restore spiritual energy, primarily when the spiritual energy in a training ground was insufficient or when one had to spend long periods in barren or spiritual-void regions. The fact that they could issue such a mandate to the Danding Pavilion suggested a massive demand. After all, the Biyun Sect had its own Alchemy Peak, which not only met the needs of its disciples but also sold pills in the city.

"May I ask, Shopkeeper, if this matter..." Li Ji'an lowered his voice, probing.

If this were merely a technician evaluation, he would not have thought twice, but with this added requirement, he could not help but be suspicious. Shopkeeper Wu smiled bitterly and shook his head, pointing upward: "How could someone like me know anything? We simply do as we are told from above."

"Oh, right. I understand," Li Ji'an nodded, deciding not to press the shopkeeper further.

On his way to the Immortal City Management Office, Li Ji'an's thoughts swirled. "Looking at it this way, the so-called technician evaluation is likely nothing more than a disguised census or audit. The Biyun Sect is planning a major move."

"Information is too scarce; I have no leads at all. I must spend the spirit stones to subscribe to the city gazette."

He spent the entire journey analyzing any situation that might affect him, but to no avail. It was not until he paid his rent that a remark from the administrator made him feel uneasy again.

"The Immortal City is offering a special promotion now. If you pay ten years of rent in one lump sum, you get a twenty percent discount. If you pay for thirty years, you get thirty percent off..."

If the Biyun Sect's mountain gate were not right there, tethered to the spiritual veins that could not be moved, he would have suspected the sect was preparing to flee. Tight on funds, he paid his single year of rent at the standard rate and decisively headed to the Wantong Tower in the inner city. This establishment claimed to connect all worlds and specialized in intelligence and information services. In addition to public gazettes, they engaged in deeper intelligence trading. Many factions dealt in intelligence—the Jiuding Chamber of Commerce did as well—but only Wantong Tower published gazettes. Depending on the coverage area, timeliness, and frequency, the subscription prices varied.

Having purchased his herbs and paid his rent, Li Ji'an had less than two hundred spirit stones left, forcing him to choose the lowest tier of the monthly gazette, which cost one hundred and twenty spirit stones a year. He received a transmission jade slip that would provide monthly reports on major events within ten thousand miles of the Biyun Sect, as well as various anecdotes from the region. He was no stranger to this.

Upon returning to his residence, he prioritized browsing the complimentary gazette from the previous month. The very first headline took him by surprise:

*"An Opportunity Not to be Missed! For the Sake of the Sect's Grand Development Plan, the Biyun Sect Intends to Expand its Recruitment Quota this Year."*

In his recent exchanges with Xiao Changfeng, it had been clear that the contribution points required for exchanges within the sect had risen, making it harder to obtain items, and that sect missions and trials had increased. This clearly indicated a lack of resources—yet they were still expanding recruitment? Combined with the statistics of the various technicians in the city, the demand for Spirit-Replenishing Pills, and the attempt to induce long-term rent prepayments, it seemed they were preparing for an external war. And a war in a place where spiritual energy was not abundant, at that.