Chapter 71: Return to Azure Void City

Back at the residence he purchased, two guards saluted Wang Hong enthusiastically upon seeing him.

Entering the courtyard, the Ma Brothers were the first to receive the news and eagerly welcomed him. Their faces were filled with flattery, more affectionate than meeting their own father.

"Master, you're back! We've missed you, brother! It's been half a year, and Master's cultivation level has become even more unfathomable. Truly a rare talent bestowed by the heavens! As the ancients said, a figure destined to be renowned for a thousand years, none other than our Master," Ma Zhong exclaimed, laying on thick praise.

Interrupting the flattery, Wang Hong replied, "Enough of that."

"Master's extraordinary talents are well-known. It's this robe from the Qingxu Sect that adds to the brilliance." Not to be outdone, Ma Yi chimed in. However, it seemed the brothers had misplaced their praise; Wang Hong, without the vast resources of Space, would likely still be lingering in the early stages of Qi Cultivation.

"Cut the flattery. How's your progress in Alchemy, as I instructed?" Wang Hong inquired.

The brothers seemed a bit uneasy but, gathering courage, Ma Zhong said, "Master, our average pill success rate is slightly over ten percent."

Feeling they might have disappointed Wang Hong and wasted many materials, they anxiously awaited his response.

Wang Hong, however, didn't seem inclined to scold them. Considering they had been learning for just over half a year, with only the past month dedicated to Alchemy, their results were commendable.

Recalling his own struggles before achieving proficiency in Alchemy, Wang Hong chose not to reproach them, relieving the Ma Brothers.

Luo Zhongjie, Xu Lun, He Yuan, and others also approached to greet and welcome Wang Hong.

Wang Hong first visited the spirit fields, finding the spirit fruit trees thriving but the mutated Spirit Grain appearing somewhat lackluster compared to its Space counterpart.

Wen Lan, responsible for managing the spirit fields, provided detailed information on the daily care of the Spirit Grain. Unable to identify the issue, Wang Hong considered Spirit Qi, soil, and Spirit Spring Water.

Spirit Qi seemed fine, as Wen Lan supplemented Spiritual Energy with Spirit Stones every seven days due to the wilting crops. This left either soil or the quality of the spring water.

Thinking of a solution, Wang Hong decided to use soil from his Space, where things grew well. He spread a small bag of black soil evenly over a section of the spirit fields, gently turning the soil.

Only time would reveal if this experiment had any effect.

That night, everyone gathered in the courtyard's martial arena, a spirit charcoal fire burning in the center. Several cows and a dozen other Demonic Beasts roasted on top. Wang Hong brought out hundreds of pounds of Spirit Wine, and the group cheered and drank heartily.

After a long absence, they needed this lively reunion.

The Ma Brothers, a bit too enthusiastic after drinking, complimented everyone they encountered. Wang Hong couldn't fathom their sudden warmth, as, in their own words, it was just a hobby. Seeing others basking in praise gave them a sense of accomplishment.

The next day, Wang Hong, disguised as Wang Kun, contacted thirteen supply shops. He provided them with batches of Elixir and Spirit Herbs.

In this round, there were only a few thousand Elixirs in total, and Wang Hong had to reserve some for his own shop. As a result, each shop was provided with only a few hundred Elixirs.

The shortage mainly existed in the commonly used Condensing Qi Pills. For other less popular Elixirs with low consumption, Wang Hong had plenty of inventory. As for Spirit Herbs, the supply was open.

Qian Gui, having tasted success last time, wanted to purchase a top-tier Spirit Wine again. He had even gathered the Spirit Stones in advance. Wang Hong sold him two hundred pounds once more.

The thirteen shops contributed a total of one hundred and eighty thousand Spirit Stones this time, with Qian Gui claiming one-third.

Wang Hong sighed, realizing that the profit from Spirit Wine was more substantial. He planned to stock more Spirit Wine and supply each shop with it next time.

In the past six months, the distillery managed by Skinny Monkey had produced two hundred thousand pounds of Spirit Rice Wine. All of it was stored in the cellar for aging.

Without notifying Skinny Monkey, Wang Hong quietly entered the cellar, transferred all the wine into his Space, and planned to sell it on his next visit to Azure Void City.

After completing these tasks, Wang Hong stayed in Azure Void City for three more days. During this time, he guided everyone in their cultivation and taught the Ma Brothers Alchemy.

He intended to groom them into grandmasters of Alchemy to shoulder responsibilities in the future. Since they had signed a lifelong Blood Contract, not making good use of them would be a waste.

He also left five thousand sets of Alchemy materials for them to practice. The Ma Brothers were deeply moved; the value of these materials, a hundred thousand Spirit Stones, exceeded their worth by several times.

They never imagined that someone would be willing to invest so many resources in their development.

After a few days, the Spirit Grain seedlings treated with Space soil showed significant improvement, standing slightly taller than those in other areas.

Wang Hong dug up a few sacks of Space soil and gave them to Wen Lan. He instructed her to spread it in the spirit fields and turn the soil again.

After settling affairs in Azure Void City, Wang Hong once again sailed back to the sect on the Windsoar Boat.

In the past six months, Skinny Monkey's distillery, after deducting expenses such as purchasing Spirit Grain, earned three hundred thousand Spirit Stones. Wang Hong took two hundred thousand and left him with a hundred thousand for turnover.

Zhao Ning's Elixir shop earned a hundred and thirty thousand Spirit Stones, with minimal cost. Wang Hong added a few second-tier Spiritual Medicines and medium-grade Elixirs to his shop.

He also left Xu Lun with ten thousand Spirit Stones for logistical expenses.

Summing it up, his income for the past six months reached five hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

If this news got out, not only Foundation Building cultivators but even Golden Core cultivators would envy him. However, for now, he was relatively safe. Although he appeared to have two thriving small businesses, everyone knew that the profit margin in retail wasn't high. The other thirteen shops wouldn't easily disclose information about the Immortal Way Trading Company.

The crucial point was that Wang Kun's identity must not be exposed. Even if someone investigated, they would only find Wang Kun.

Wang Hong scattered all five hundred thousand Spirit Stones into his Space. He noticed that the pit he left when digging the soil was gradually filled as the Spirit Stones were absorbed, restoring the surrounding soil to its original state.

The Space expanded by five more acres, reaching a total of twenty-three acres, with time passing at fifty-two times the rate outside.

With the extra space, Wang Hong could now attempt his plan to cultivate poisonous flowers and let Spirit Bees mutate.

For this purpose, he copied several Jade Scrolls from the Book Tower that contained information about Spirit Bees, poisonous insects, and toxic plants. He carefully studied them.

The Red Beauty Poison Flower still hadn't produced seeds, but Wang Hong was undeterred. As long as there was a hint of vitality, planting it in Space soil would make it take root and sprout.

He picked some leaves and cut a few roots, leaving one Red Beauty bare.

Planting these leaves and roots in the soil, they would root and grow into new individuals after some time. However, there were only about twenty newly planted Red Beauty Poison Flowers.

Next, he planted two acres of non-toxic Spirit Blossoms. He couldn't let the Spirit Bees feast on highly poisonous substances from the beginning; there had to be a gradual adaptation process.

He then ordered the Spirit Bee swarm to cultivate another Bee Queen.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay