Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 565 Commercialization Alliance

A mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator is priced at two hundred spirit stones.

In other words, the Xu family only needs to send fifty people to offset this huge alliance fee. If there are late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, the number can be reduced even further.

The white-haired old woman immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The number of cultivators mobilized by the Xu family already exceeded sixty.

These people certainly can't all be sent to the Demon Suppression Camp, but the alliance stipulates that other things can be used as collateral for the alliance fee. After careful calculation, the burden on the Xu family is not as great as imagined, and they may not even have to pay a single spirit stone.

Qiu Changzhang's expression, however, was rather unpleasant.

He had few disciples, and although their cultivation levels were generally higher than those of the Xu family disciples, even if he sent out ten late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, they would only need to pledge four thousand spirit stones.

However, the alliance fee paid by the Xu family and the Immortal Ape Manor was the same.

The Li family's share was even higher, by 50%.

He is also arrogant. Can he say that Immortal Ape Manor is inferior to the Li family and the Xu family?

After a moment's hesitation, Qiu Changzhang slowly said, "I wonder if Foundation Establishment cultivators can offset the alliance fee?"

Li Xiangming looked surprised: "Of course. Early Foundation Establishment cultivators can offset two thousand spirit stones, while mid-Foundation and late Foundation Establishment cultivators can offset four thousand and eight thousand spirit stones respectively. However, these people must accept the command of the Demon Suppression Camp completely and must not disobey orders even in the event of danger."

Qiu Changzhang remained silent.

The atmosphere on the field froze instantly.

The white-haired old woman's gaze shifted between the two men. The alliance of Gushe in Li Xiangming's mind was clearly very different from the alliance between the Xu family and the Immortal Ape Manor. From the very beginning, there were no unspoken agreements or tacit understandings; everything was based on written rules and regulations.

Li Xiangming even wanted to guarantee the independence of the Demon Suppression Camp. Even though Qiu Changzhang was one of the leaders, he could only be considered a member of the alliance, not a cultivator of the Demon Suppression Camp.

If Qiu Changzhang were to join the Demon Suppression Camp for a mere two thousand spirit stones, his status would plummet—the dignified head of a manor would be reduced to associating with his disciples and being subject to the criticism of the younger generation.

How do outsiders view him and the Immortal Ape Manor?
Even if Qiu Changzhang doesn't join the Demon Suppression Camp, he still has to contribute to the alliance, because as the vice leader, he shouldn't stand idly by.

Li Xiangming essentially got a Foundation Establishment combatant for free.

Of course, that's not entirely accurate either.

After all, the alliance belongs to everyone.

Li Xiangming is also making contributions.

Neither she nor Qiu Changzhang could voice any sense of injustice.

That's why she felt a pang of sympathy. This Li family prodigy, seemingly gentle and approachable, was actually incredibly shrewd in his actions, effortlessly pushing people into a dilemma.

The alliance fee of 10,000 spirit stones not only put Qiu Changzhang in a difficult position, but also exposed the Xu family's true colors.

Given the current crisis facing the Xu family, she has no choice but to agree, and she is capable of doing so.

But once she agrees, she will be completely bound to the Demon Suppression Camp's war machine—the Xu family cannot remain indifferent to these fifty people no matter what.

Furthermore, the Xu family will force the Immortal Ape Manor to make a decision.

At this moment, Qiu Changzhang undoubtedly opposed this condition.

The white-haired old woman opened her mouth, about to speak up, but Li Xiangming interrupted her in advance: "In addition to the beast tide, Pu County is also plagued by the chaos of the Mang Cult. Prices in Pubei have risen sharply, especially the prices of magic weapons and pills. In my opinion, the price of monster materials in Pu County will also rise."

Upon hearing this, the white-haired old woman looked at him strangely, and swallowed the words that were already on the tip of her tongue.

She hadn't really thought about prices, but upon closer reflection, she realized that since the Daishan demon calamity, demon-hunting cultivators active in Puyin Mountain had been fleeing in panic.

In particular, the destruction of Monkey Valley completely ended the spectacle of Pudong caravans transporting dozens or even hundreds of bags of monster materials to Pushui Market.

The war between Bailu Sect and Mang Sect will inevitably affect the production of monster materials in Pubei.

Monster materials are a general term. Claws, teeth, horns, scales, armor, tendons, and skin can be used to forge weapons; hearts, livers, gallbladders, and saliva can be used in medicine; essence, blood, and bone marrow are suitable for drawing talismans; and certain special parts can even have miraculous effects on array formations.

It is these bizarre and wonderful things that have supported the prosperity of the cultivation world.

Any sect or family of any size, or any cultivation market teeming with alchemists and weapon refiners, cannot do without them.

Wonderful!

The white-haired old woman was already excited when she thought of this.

The Xu family fought against the beast tide at Gushe Ridge alone. Although they managed to seize some materials from the monsters, it was insignificant compared to the resources they had lost. Not to mention the need to provide relief to the many family members who had died or been injured.

However, after the three parties form an alliance, not only will they be able to minimize their losses, but they can also seize the opportunity to completely annihilate the beast tide. The abundance of monster materials they obtain at that time, combined with the current turbulent situation, could very well allow them to make a fortune.

The Demon Suppression Camp not only protects the three families, but also generates revenue for them. What a brilliant idea!

The white-haired old woman glanced at Qiu Changzhang, but ultimately remained silent.

At this moment, the Xu family desperately needed spirit stones!

Participating in the Gushe Alliance would be entirely beneficial to the Xu family, and she could not refuse.

Qiu Changzhang waited for a long time but the Xu family didn't speak. He sighed inwardly, took out a small boat the size of a palm, and said, "This is a flying boat from my Immortal Ape Manor. How many spirit stones can it be exchanged for?"

Flying boat?

Li Xiangming immediately stood up, took the small boat, and examined it carefully.

This is a small, brown airship that looks unremarkable, but it should be able to carry about ten passengers.

Airships have an unparalleled advantage in dealing with the beast tide crisis.

Unless they are bone-fusion demon cultivators born from birds, they basically have no way to compete with flying boats in terms of speed.

Even if there are such monsters, such as the Corpse Vulture and the Golden-feathered Iron-clawed Eagle, they can catch up with the flying boat, but only for a short time.

After all, how can demonic power compare to a magical artifact powered by spirit stones?
It can be said that flying boats are the lifeline of cultivators.

If you can't beat them, at least you can run away.

After the Li family determined their basic strategy for exterminating the monsters, they also considered purchasing flying boats for their clansmen to reduce casualties.

But airships are just too expensive!
Take Li Xiangming's Green Cloud Flying Boat as an example. This defective second-hand flying boat was worth 500 spirit stones—of course, Li Xiangming got a bargain and bought it for 400 spirit stones.

400 spirit stones doesn't sound like much.

However, the "Green Cloud" is only a tiny airship that can accommodate two to three people.

If the Li family wants to ensure the safety of 120 cultivators from the Demon Suppression Camp, they need to purchase 40 Green Cloud Flying Boats, which would cost 16,000 spirit stones.

Of course, the Li family could also directly purchase a large flying boat that can carry 120 people.

However, for the same quality, the larger the spacecraft, the higher the price.

Furthermore, due to its "strategic value," a large airship is much more expensive than dozens of smaller airships.

The Li family could not possibly come up with this cash. Even if they could, this large airship would bankrupt them in three to five years.

Let alone flying boats, the Li family wouldn't even be willing to equip the Demon Suppression Camp with riding pets.

The Demon Suppression Camp received orders to support Gushe Ridge, and they came on foot, so they are still lagging behind Li Xiangming.

Seeing that Li Xiangming was looking at him intently, Qiu Changzhang slowly introduced, "This flying boat is called Rusty Iron. It's not a very nice name, but it was exchanged by my father from the Boundless Sword Sect. Its quality is guaranteed. It can carry up to twelve people and has a built-in defensive spirit array. I can temporarily pawn it to the Alliance."

"mortgage."

Li Xiangming pondered for a moment. The construction of the flying boats was extremely complex, each one embodying the painstaking efforts of the weapon refiners. After they were forged, array masters would be invited to set up spirit-transforming arrays to strengthen the charging devices; rune masters would be invited to inscribe Vajra runes to reinforce the hull. If special functions were required, the cost would be even higher.

Refiners are naturally unwilling to bear these costs. After receiving a commission, they often need to obtain a portion of spirit stones and materials before they can begin making the boat.

Therefore, many flying boats have incorporated customer needs and concepts from the very beginning, whether it is "Green Cloud" or "Rusty Iron", they are all unique examples.

Immortal Ape Manor has owned the "Rusty Iron" flying boat for decades and is clearly reluctant to let it go. This time, mortgaging it to the alliance is merely a last resort.

After a moment's thought, Li Xiangming said, "According to the market price, the 'Rusty Iron' flying boat can be used to offset the alliance fee of two thousand spirit stones. In the future, Immortal Ape Manor can exchange it back for the same price. I wonder what Manor Lord Qiu thinks?"

Small airships with a capacity of around ten passengers are generally not worth this price.

But this is an internal league matter, not an external transaction.

Giving Immortal Ape Manor some face is not a bad idea.

Moreover, the Demon Suppression Camp does indeed need more flying boats.

Upon hearing this, Qiu Changzhang nodded: "Then I thank the Alliance Leader. I also have a few unused magic artifacts and some pills that I can pawn to the Alliance."

Li Xiangming inspected the goods one by one, and finally estimated the cost of the magical artifacts and pills for the Immortal Ape Manor to be 1600 spirit stones and 400 spirit stones respectively.

Qiu Changzhang then took out another two thousand spirit stones and wrote down a list of disciples including eight late-stage Qi Refining cultivators and four mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators.

With the addition of the "Rusty Iron" flying boat worth two thousand spirit stones, they had just raised enough for the alliance fee of ten thousand spirit stones.

Seeing that Qiu Changzhang had spent a fortune, the white-haired old woman dared not delay and also presented a list of Xu family disciples, including eight late-stage Qi Refining cultivators and forty-two mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators. This not only offset all the alliance fees but also made the alliance owe the Xu family 1600 spirit stones.

As for the Li family's list, including the former members of the Demon Suppression Camp, there are 23 late-stage Qi Refining cultivators and 97 mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators. In addition, there is Li Xiangyu, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, whose total value is as high as 30600 spirit stones.

In other words, the alliance owes the Li family 15600 spirit stones.

Li Xiangming received the final list and smiled broadly: "As the leader of the alliance, my Li family has more responsibilities than rights. At this time of sincere cooperation, how can we be petty? I will take the liberty of waiving all the money the alliance owes to the Li family. But the Xu family is not having an easy time. They have been besieged by the beast tide for more than half a month and have suffered heavy casualties. They are probably in dire straits at the moment. The money the alliance owes to the Xu family must not be waived."

As he spoke, he gave most of the two thousand spirit stones he had received from Qiu Changzhang to the white-haired old woman.

The white-haired old woman was stunned for a moment.

The Li family just wants to give up 15,600 spirit stones?

My Xu family sought help and not only received the allied forces, but also made money.

The Xu family disciples present also looked at each other in bewilderment.

Only Xu Zhilan glanced nervously at Qiu Changzhang, whose face had darkened slightly.

Of the three families that formed an alliance, the Xu family profited the most; the Li family, on the other hand, has repeatedly given up its own interests, so it's not immediately clear what will happen; but the Immortal Ape Manor is undoubtedly the one that lost the most.

This is a potential danger!
Xu Zhilan glanced again at the smiling white-haired old woman, her face full of worry.

She had never heard of Li Xiangming's idea of ​​the Gushe Alliance and could hardly describe it.

However, the Xu family, due to their deeper foundation and greater contributions, was the first to benefit from this entirely new system of rules. How will the Immortal Ape Manor react to such a significant loss? They will undoubtedly try every means to integrate into this system and reclaim their rightful benefits.

Is there any remaining personal relationship between the Xu family and the Immortal Ape Manor?
She really wanted to remind her grandmother.

The white-haired old woman didn't notice her gaze at all, and instead said with delight, "Alliance Leader Li, the Demon Suppression Camp needs powerful weapons to resist the demon beasts. My Xu family's Flying Star Crossbow and Golden Palace Bow may not be enough to deal with cultivators, but if they are equipped on a large scale to the Demon Suppression Camp to hunt those demon beasts with low intelligence, it should have a miraculous effect."

"Oh?"

Li Xiangming raised an eyebrow and said, "Please have Madam Xu present both of them so that I may take a look."

The white-haired old woman waved her hand, and immediately someone presented her with a short crossbow and a longbow.

After Li Xiangming grasped and tried them out, his eyes flickered slightly.

While this Flying Star Crossbow is described as a magical artifact, it is actually rather simple. At most, it contains some Heavenly Wood that can conduct magical power. However, its crossbow bolts are quite special, as they are made of Crimson Iron.

This Crimson Iron is also known as Thunder Iron. Its raw material, Thunder Stone, is extremely unstable and will shatter with the slightest impact. There are many records in the cultivation world that many Thunder Stone veins will inexplicably explode after many years, causing widespread damage.

Some cultivators skilled in mechanical puppetry were not satisfied with the power of gunpowder. They studied thunderstone, refined some special materials, and water-refined them into ironware to form red iron.

Of course, that was ancient red iron.

Today, red iron is a craft made from a mixture of various materials.

For this reason, the uses of Crimson Iron became widespread. When stimulated by magic and then subjected to impact, it would immediately explode, with a power far greater than that of gunpowder.

Unfortunately, thunderstone veins are very rare, even rarer than lapis lazuli.

While the Crimson Iron, forged primarily from Thunderstone, is indeed quite powerful, it pales in comparison to the rising star, the Fiery Talisman.

For various reasons, this thing did not circulate in the cultivation world, and even the mechanical puppetry school abandoned it.

The Xu family's Golden Palace Bow is a genuine magical artifact. Not only does it have a much longer range than the Flying Star Crossbow, but its matching Crane-Breaking Arrow is made of Frost Marrow Iron and can transmit a considerable amount of magical power.

While it may not have the splash damage of the Thunderbolt Arrow, it is more penetrating and is very effective against small demons.

The white-haired old woman said in a low voice, "My Xu family has a vein of thunderstone and mature technology. We can forge five flying crossbows and produce 500 thunder crossbow bolts every ten days. The Golden Palace Bow is a bit more difficult to make. We can only forge one every ten days and produce fifty Crane-Breaking Arrows, but we can still achieve mass production. I wonder if Alliance Leader Li is interested in introducing these two basic magical artifacts to the Demon Suppression Camp?"

Li Xiangming glanced at her, feeling a mix of emotions.

As expected of an old monster who had been the head of the family for decades, he immediately grasped the essence of his idea after tasting the benefits.

In ordinary alliances, the stronger ally contributes more, while the weaker ally contributes less.

How much effort did each company actually put in?

It cannot be quantified.

Because the cost of participating in a war is multifaceted, not just the number of cultivators on paper, or the spirit stones and strategic materials donated.

Does the cost of the magical artifacts and talismans that the Li family equips for their cultivators count towards the cost?
It definitely counts, but Li Xiangming can't say it openly—as for other allies, these magical artifacts and talismans weren't given to the Xu family members or the disciples of Immortal Ape Manor, so why would they care about the Li family's costs?
This creates a situation where the Li family always contributes the most, and in order to maintain the alliance, they constantly compromise and concede benefits to their allies.

The Li family isn't having an easy time either!
The war with the Qin family is still far from over, and once they get bogged down in it, the Li family's decades of accumulated strength will soon be completely depleted.

At this very moment, doesn't the Li family also need spirit stones?
However, the Li family continues to increase its expenditures, especially in leading the fight against the beast tide, which consumes a huge amount of spirit stones and resources. Even with the huge pie of monster materials, can it really make up for the Li family's future losses?

Li Xiangming couldn't guarantee it.

Therefore, he took a different approach and commercialized the alliance. Instead of providing any weapons to the cultivators of the Demon Suppression Camp, the Li family sold a large amount of equipment and supplies to the alliance, which then covered the Li family's losses.

Where does the league get its money?

Of course, it was the spirit stones continuously donated by his subordinates.

The alliance fee is just the beginning.

Those forces unwilling to contribute manpower, or those with few cultivators like Immortal Ape Manor, can simply provide spirit stones and supplies, and the Demon Suppression Camp will still protect them.

what?
They're not even willing to spend spirit stones?
Then go stay wherever it's cool.

As long as the Demon Suppression Camp wins a few battles, its momentum will grow.

Li Xiangming was still optimistic about the prospects of the Gushe Alliance. After all, judging from the current situation of the Xu family, the conflict between the forces in various parts of Pudong and the beast tide had reached its peak.

The old patriarch of the Xu family had clearly seen through his wishful thinking.

The Li family is powerful and sends the most supplies to the alliance. If all of these supplies cost money, then the alliance is not only a war machine for the Li family to fight monsters, but also a money tree that brings in a fortune every day.

The Xu family is not small either, so how could they not step forward to get a share of the pie?

(End of this chapter)