I run a casino in the immortal realm.

The dojo of the Seventh Elder of the Qingyun Sect is located on the spiritually rich Purple Bamboo Peak.

In the past, this place was bustling with activity, with shopkeepers coming in droves to visit and ask for a share of spiritual materials. It was one of the most prosperous power centers in the Qingyun Sect.

However, today, the dojo was filled with a depressing stillness.

Li Zhan sat on the grand chair at the head of the main hall, looking at the account books that his subordinates had just brought him. His thin, old face was so gloomy that it seemed to drip water.

Since the publication of the Qingyun Daily, which exposed the bottom price and procurement channels of spiritual materials, the sales of shops under the Li family's name have plummeted.

The lowly cultivators no longer buy blindly as before; they would rather spend time comparing prices in other markets than be taken advantage of by the Li family again.

"Patriarch, if this continues, our Li family's spiritual materials inventory will pile up like mountains, and the cash flow has seriously stagnated."

A steward knelt below, trembling, and reported, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Li Zhan irritably flicked his sleeve, sweeping the account books off the table: "Get out! A bunch of useless trash, you can't even handle a Qi Refining stage kid!"

Just as Li Zhan was burning with rage, a vast and profound pressure suddenly descended from the sky, instantly enveloping the entire Purple Bamboo Peak.

This pressure did not intentionally release killing intent, but it carried a life-level suppression that made people tremble with fear—this was the spiritual pressure unique to a Golden Core stage expert!

Li Zhan suddenly stood up, extended his divine sense, and his expression changed instantly.

"Xu Zhengkun?"

Li Zhan was filled with doubt and apprehension. Xu Zhengkun had just formed his core and was at the height of his power. The Xu family now had two members who had reached the Golden Core stage, which was already putting immense pressure on the nine major families.

At this time, why is this newly promoted Golden Core expert and the young sect master of Qingyun Sect not staying on the main peak to consolidate his realm, but coming to his Purple Bamboo Peak all by himself?

Although he was filled with doubts and even a bit wary, Li Zhan dared not be negligent.

He immediately straightened his robes, strode out of the main hall, and personally went out to greet them.

"Young Sect Master, your presence is an honor! I, Li, have failed to greet you properly; please forgive me!"

As soon as Li Zhan reached the square, he bowed to Xu Zhengkun, who was slowly descending from mid-air. A warm smile spread across his wrinkled face, as if the gloom in the hall had never existed.

Xu Zhengkun was dressed in a spotless white robe, with a faint five-colored spiritual light flowing around him, a sign that his golden core had not yet been fully contained.

He smiled and returned the greeting, his attitude gentle yet dignified: "Seventh Elder, you are too kind. Zheng Kun has just emerged from seclusion and has come to visit without permission. I hope the Seventh Elder will not take offense."

"Not at all, not at all. It's an honor for Purple Bamboo Peak to have the young sect leader here. Please come in!"

The two entered the reception hall of the main temple. After they were seated as host and guest, a maid served them the finest spiritual tea, then respectfully withdrew and closed the heavy hall door.

With only two Golden Core cultivators remaining in the main hall, the atmosphere suddenly became subtle.

Li Zhan picked up his teacup and tentatively asked, "Young Sect Master has just formed his Core and should be in seclusion to consolidate his cultivation. Why have you taken time out of your busy schedule to come today? If there is anything that can be of help to the Li family, please feel free to ask."

Xu Zhengkun put down his teacup and calmly looked at Li Zhan.

He didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Seventh Elder, I've come today to bestow upon the Li family an immense fortune."

"Wealth and status?"

Li Zhan sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, even sighing, "Young Sect Master is joking. My Li family has been in a terrible mess lately because of that newspaper from the News Bureau. We can't sell our spiritual materials, and our shops are deserted. How can we possibly be wealthy?"

Xu Zhengkun smiled slightly and ignored Li Zhan's complaints.

He took out a dark gold jade slip from his sleeve and gently pushed it in front of Li Zhan: "Seventh Elder, take a look at this first. This is a new organization that I am preparing to lead the establishment of, named 'Qingyun Passenger Transport and Logistics Department'."

See if you're interested in joining in.

Li Zhan glanced at Xu Zhengkun suspiciously, picked up the jade slip, and probed it with his divine sense.

At first, his expression was somewhat nonchalant, but as his divine sense continued to read the information in the jade slip, his pupils began to contract violently, and his breathing gradually became heavy.

His gaunt old face flushed with an unnatural redness from extreme shock and excitement.

The jade slip contained the core content of Zheng Yifei's "Draft Proposal for the Establishment of the Logistics Department".

"Using superior-grade flying boats, establish a transportation network connecting the seven major regions..."

"Charge shipping fees for spiritual materials based on weight and distance, and establish a unified warehousing and distribution center..."

"Establish passenger airships, with economy and first class cabins, to earn travel expenses for independent cultivators traveling across regions..."

"Conduct purchasing and cross-regional trade, leveraging the information advantage of the Information Department's newspapers to buy low and sell high..."

Li Zhan is a cunning old fox who controls the lifeline of spiritual materials in the Qingyun Sect. His business acumen far surpasses that of ordinary people.

The blueprint depicted in this jade slip was like a thunderbolt, directly shattering his preconceived notions.

He knew all too well how terrifying the energy this system would generate once it was established!

Previously, the Li family monopolized spiritual materials by exploiting the lack of information and transportation difficulties between different districts.

The independent cultivators in the southern district couldn't buy the cheap spiritual materials from the northern district, so they had to grit their teeth and buy the expensive goods from the Li family.

But if this "logistics department" is established, distance will no longer be an obstacle! Independent cultivators can buy the cheapest spiritual materials in the entire jurisdiction by paying only a small shipping fee!

What's even more terrifying is that whoever controls logistics will have the lifeline of all trade and commerce within the Qingyun Sect.

All shops and all independent repair shops will rely on this transportation network.

This isn't doing business; it's clearly reshaping the entire Qingyun Sect's power structure!

"This...this idea..."

Li Zhan's fingers trembled slightly. He suddenly raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Xu Zhengkun: "Young Sect Master, is this 'Logistics Department' really going to be built?"

"certainly."

Xu Zhengkun nodded, his tone calm: "To be honest, Seventh Elder, this logistics department is too big a business. Although my Xu family can swallow it up, it would be too unseemly and could easily cause turmoil in the sect."

Therefore, I intend to classify it as a "private" institution, jointly funded by several entities with shared profits.

Li Zhan gasped, his mind racing with calculations.

If the Li family doesn't participate, once the logistics department gets up and running, other families and shops can easily transport cheap spiritual materials to the Li family's territory, and the Li family's monopoly will collapse instantly, leaving them with nothing.

But if the Li family invests... then the spiritual materials that the Li family originally had stockpiled can be dumped throughout the entire Qingyun Sect territory, and even sold to other sects' territories through this vast flying ship network! Not only can it recover its losses, but the profits will also increase tenfold or a hundredfold!

"Young Sect Master!"

Li Zhan could no longer maintain his composure. He abruptly stood up, his voice filled with undisguised fervor and urgency: "My Li family must participate in this logistics department! No matter how many spirit stones we have to offer, I, Li Zhan, will sell everything I own and never back down! I beg the Young Sect Master to reserve a place for my Li family!"

Seeing Li Zhan's excited expression, Xu Zhengkun nodded to himself. Zheng Yifei's calculations about people's hearts were indeed spot on.

Faced with such interests that could overturn the entire sect's wealth structure, the so-called family reputation and past grudges are utterly insignificant.

"Since the Seventh Elder is so straightforward, I will speak frankly as well."

Xu Zhengkun gestured for Li Zhan to sit down: "The establishment of the logistics department requires the purchase of a large number of mid-to-high-grade flying boats, the recruitment of professional guards and logistics personnel, and the construction of a large number of logistics warehouses in the seven major regions."

Preliminary estimates suggest an initial investment of 20 million low-grade spirit stones.

"Twenty million?"

Li Zhan frowned slightly, but this amount of money was not something that the nine powerful families could not afford.

Xu Zhengkun continued, "I plan to have four families jointly invest in this logistics department: my Xu family, the First Elder, the Fifth Elder Su family, and the Seventh Elder Li family."

Each of the four parties invested five million spirit stones, each holding a 20% stake.

Of the remaining 20%, 10% was to be paid as taxes to the sect's treasury as management fees, and the other 20% was to be given as a private share to Zheng Yifei, who proposed the idea.

The moment the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly.