Crafting an Immortal Race with Daily Hexagrams-Chapter 267 - 186: Southern Border

Currently, the Shen Family has control over four cities, with more than sixty plots of Spirit Field developed, yielding around eight thousand catties of Spirit Rice every three years.

The Spirit Crystal vein in the mountains produces over one hundred and fifty Spirit Crystals annually, divided among the five families, the Shen Family gets over thirty pieces.

The annual income from Jinghe Market isn’t stable, but averages out to about a dozen Spirit Crystals per year.

In addition, there is a Spiritual Spring and income from the Cyan Spirit Stone Vein and Water Smoke Stone Vein.

These are all the current resources for cultivation the Shen Family can produce.

The Shen Family now has over fifty cultivators.

Among the three cultivators in the Fetal Breathing Realm, Hu Mei’Er’s injuries are still very severe, practically negligible.

The current cultivation resources are sufficient for the cultivators, but the newly emerged hundred-plus Immortal Seedlings with Spirit Roots cannot be ignored.

In two years, when these seedlings start reaching the Qi Cultivation Realm, without finding new sources, the existing cultivation resources will not meet the daily needs of the cultivators.

"Do you have any ideas?" Shen Yuan asked solemnly.

He wanted to see if his son had a better solution.

Shen Wenxing pondered for a moment, frowning, and said, "Currently, the four cities the Shen Family possesses, to the east and north are the He Family, to the west, Hidden Dragon Mountain is fully occupied, and the barren Western Wilderness isn’t of much value."

"South across the Laishui River are endless valleys with sparse Spiritual Qi, overgrown with poisonous miasma, rare for humans to set foot."

He sighed and shook his head, mentioning that.

"It seems the Shen Family is trapped in these four cities."

Shen Yuan nodded and said, "Immortal families’ cultivation, like mundane noble families seeking to grow stronger, requires expanding territories for more resources."

"But now the Shen Family cannot expand territory, and must seek alternative paths."

Hearing this, Shen Wenxing’s brow furrowed even more.

He realized the impracticality of expanding territories.

Despite pondering deeply for days, he hadn’t thought of a better method.

Cultivation resources are not like stones by the roadside, picked up easily.

Shen Yuan clapped his hands and asked, "Have you ever noticed how the results of the several Immortal Sects at Jinghe Market fared each year?"

Shen Wenxing was startled, recalling it carefully, and said:

"I heard it was quite good."

"The several Immortal Sects, relying on elixirs, talismans, magical artifacts, earn Spirit Rice and Spirit Crystal Fragments yearly, converting to over a hundred Spirit Crystals."

"Among these, there might be serendipity, acquiring rare Heavenly and Earthly Treasures from unknowing Loose Cultivators."

"Earnings are likely more than that."

Calculating thus, Shen Wenxing felt a twinge of envy.

The Five Families jointly established Jinghe Market, and the other four families annually earned substantial cultivation resources from Yangnao Land.

The Shen Family over the years could only trade low-tier Spirit Medicine, Spirit Fruit, and Spirit Ore at Jinghe Market.

Even if envious, there was nothing that could be done.

The Shen Family lacks deep foundation, hardly having any substantial presence in the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, whether Alchemy Dao, Array Dao, or Talisman Dao.

Thus they could only watch others profit.

Seeing his distress, Shen Yuan smiled faintly and said, "You’ve been straightforward since childhood, disdainful of merchants’ buying and selling. Yet still the same in this age."

"My son, you must understand, Immortals are also people. Some matters you should learn from your older sister."

Older sister?

Shen Wenxing frowned, puzzled by his father’s words.

Shen Yuan stood, patted his shoulder gently, and said thoughtfully, "The Shen Family is a founding member of Jinghe Market, yet daily selling trivial items is quite wasteful."

"In recent years, worldly business no longer required your older sister’s focus. I intend to let her manage the shop at Jinghe Market."

"After the annual sacrifice, take her to see it. I trust her insight is capable of finding a good path."

"Also, ask Qiuling to help obtain some Spirit Shuttle Grass seeds; I have great use for them."

Shen Wenxing watched his father’s departing silhouette in a daze, still somewhat doubtful.

Though Shen Wenping wasn’t fond of cultivation, she too consumed some Body Tempering Pills and Qi Nourishing Pills in her youth, further nurtured by Spirit Fruits and the Spiritual Spring, already reaching the Body Tempering Realm.

When Shen Wen’an returned from Cyan Ruo Sword House, the Profound Yin Pill gifted by Lingshan Sword Immortal, after the family’s female members used it, showed excellent results.

Though Shen Wenping hasn’t yet reached the Qi Cultivation Realm, she’s not far off.

Yet even so, he didn’t know what solution for cultivation resources his sister could come up with.

...

Three Mountains County.

On a mountain path less than a hundred miles from Seven Sages Mountain.

The Shen Chonghong, who fled the family half a month ago, full of enthusiasm proclaiming "I’m free," was now bound to a tree by a golden light resembling a rope.

His hair was disheveled, clothes untidy, and someone had inscribed "Ruffian" on his fair chest with a tree branch.

The reddish-brown steed he rode was nowhere to be found, even the Magical Artifact Long Spear he carried was missing.

Shen Chonghong struggled fiercely, though his mouth and nose weren’t blocked, he dared not cry for help.

If seen in this state and identified as a member of the Shen Family, even if his father doesn’t kill him, he himself couldn’t face returning.

Shen Chonghong just wished to break free before anyone passing by discovered him.

However, the golden light transformed into rope was extremely resilient. No matter how he struggled, nearly draining all his spiritual power, it showed no signs of yielding.