Chapter 372: Liang Tan
When Wang Hong asked if Liu Changsheng had collected any Spiritual Objects that could assist in Core formation, Liu Changsheng looked embarrassed.
"I have been searching for Spiritual Objects that can assist in Core formation for years, but I haven't obtained a single one," he admitted.
Although he knew what Spiritual Objects could aid in forming a Golden Core, it was of no use to him. Up until now, he hadn't even seen what these Spiritual Objects looked like.
"However, I have gathered some information about other Spiritual Objects," he continued.
Firstly, the Spiritual Herbs required for Refinement to form a Golden Core are cultivated by many factions. However, these Spiritual Herbs are not easy to cultivate, and their numbers are limited. Moreover, the main herbs require a medicinal age of over a thousand years.
Because the over one hundred types of Spiritual Herbs needed for Golden Core formation have different environmental requirements, no sect, including the Qingxu Sect, has been able to assemble a complete set of them on their own.
In the past, when refining a Golden Core, it was necessary to trade with other sects to gather a complete set of Spiritual Herbs.
Qingxu Sect, being a major Alchemy faction, has the most comprehensive collection of Spiritual Wines needed for Golden Core formation, but they still only possess two-thirds of the complete set."
Wang Hong hadn't previously inquired about this information and was now realizing the difficulties involved in Refinement to form a Golden Core.
At this moment, he became aware of a significant problem. It seemed that there were only a few major factions left in the Cultivation World. The others had either been wiped out by Demonic Beasts or had voluntarily relocated.
Moreover, due to the blockade by Demonic Beasts, the major factions were currently not interacting with each other. In such circumstances, where would one obtain the necessary resources for Golden Core formation in the future?
"Do you know if there are any nearby sects that possess these Spiritual Herbs?" Wang Hong asked.
Liu Changsheng thought for a moment and then replied, "Among all the sects near Qingxu Sect, only three sects have cultivated Spiritual Herbs for Golden Core formation."
"These three sects are Chuyun Sect, Spiritual Herb Valley, and Hundred Grass Sect. Chuyun Sect has already been wiped out by Demonic Beasts."
"No need to be so polite. In some time, go to the Mortal Realm and recruit some children with Spiritual Roots. We don't know what the future holds, so let's make some preparations in advance."
Currently, the area around Qingxu Sect was surrounded by Demonic Beasts, but within this encirclement, there were still some secular worlds where children with Spiritual Roots might be found.
With continuous battles against the Demon Clan, in the last battle alone, he had lost dozens of his subordinates. If this continued, he feared he wouldn't last much longer and might become a commander without an army.
In a mansion within Azure Void City, a Foundation Building cultivator hurriedly made his way to a secluded cultivation room.
Once inside, he greeted an old man who was meditating in the room and said, "Reporting to Senior, we have investigated the background of that immortal way trading company."
The old man, named Liang Tan, was a renowned Golden Core cultivator in Azure Void City and the patriarch of the Liang family. The Liang family was one of the leading noble families in Azure Void City, operating several shops in the city. One of their largest shops was even part of the Azure Void City Ten Store Alliance.
However, in recent times, all their shops, including those of other families, were facing closure due to a shortage of supplies. The Liang family's shops were no exception. Although they had some savings, continuous lack of income could eventually lead to financial difficulties.
During this challenging period, there was one shop named the East Zhou Trading Company that stood out. It managed to maintain a steady supply of goods while other shops were struggling.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that over a dozen shops in the city were able to find suppliers at a time when resources were scarce everywhere else. They suspected there was a secret trading company behind this.
The Liang family decided not to approach the immortal way trading company for supplies right away. Instead, they aimed to investigate its background first. If the company turned out to be weak, they could consider a takeover. If it was strong, they could negotiate cooperation in the future.
This was the common mindset of major powers in the Cultivation World. They would only consider cooperation when both parties were of roughly equal strength.
Liang Tan squinted his eyes and asked, "What's the outcome of the investigation?"
"Senior, it is said that this immortal way trading company is a secretive large trading business specializing in supplying various shops in Azure Void City, including goods for the East Zhou Trading Company. The highest-ranking member of the company in Azure Void City is only at the late Foundation Building cultivation level, and there are a total of over ten Foundation Building cultivators in Azure Void City associated with them."
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