I run a casino in the immortal realm.

The main peak of Qingyun Sect, the main hall of the sect leader.

Xu Tianyang flipped through the three thick ledgers on the table.

Newspaper sales at the Information Division remained stable, while GG revenue steadily increased.

The tax inspectorate was like a sword hanging over the heads of the eight major families; no one dared to evade taxes at this critical juncture.

The newly established Shunfeng Logistics has already fully expanded its network, with stations all over the entire Qingyun Sect territory.

"Sect Master, the industries and institutions left behind by Zheng Yifei are practically a self-operating money printing machine."

The Grand Elder stood to one side, his tone tinged with emotion.

Xu Tianyang closed the ledger and rubbed his temples. "What a pity. If that kid hadn't died, my Qingyun Sect could have prospered for at least another thousand years."

The First Elder nodded: "How's the investigation into the remnants of the Hu family going?"

"The Enforcement Hall searched high and low, arresting a few peripheral figures, but not a single key figure was found."

Xu Tianyang snorted coldly: "That old bastard Zeng Feng took the money and still wants to cause trouble. The Xuantian Sect will definitely make a move soon."

The order was issued: disciples of all peaks should intensify their training. The Xuantian Sect will recruit disciples in three months; the Qingyun Sect should strive to admit as many disciples as possible this year.

Xuantian Sect allocates twenty slots to Qingyun Sect for the assessment each year, but only one or two out of ten, or three or four, actually pass. Xu Zhenghai and Hu Xiaotian, for example, were recommended to enter Xuantian Sect and are considered exceptionally talented individuals.

Qingyunfang Market is a bustling area in the western district.

A sprawling three-story building was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. The plaque above it bore four large, elegant characters: Tianyuan Gambling House.

This is a property that Zhao Wenyuan and Zhang Biao acquired with Zheng Yifei's plan and Xu Zhengkun's covert support.

At this moment, the gambling den was bustling with noise.

"Fellow Daoists! Tianyuan Gambling House opens today!"

Zhao Wenyuan stood at the entrance, dressed in a manager's robe, his face beaming: "All drinks are free, and there will even be a fairy from Chunfeng Pavilion playing the zither to entertain you! New ways to play, new experiences, guaranteed to broaden everyone's horizons!"

The gates opened, and the independent cultivators poured in like a tide.

In the lobby on the first floor, instead of the traditional dice and dominoes, there are dozens of uniquely designed ritual implements.

"This is called a 'psychic slot machine'!"

Zhang Biao shouted as he demonstrated to the onlookers.

He took out a low-grade spirit stone, inserted it into the groove on the side of the magic artifact, and then pulled down the metal lever on the right side.

On the glass screen on the front of the magical artifact, three array patterns began to roll wildly.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

Three identical "spirit stone" patterns are frozen in time.

Ten low-grade spirit stones were spat out from the outlet at the bottom of the magical artifact.

"Holy crap! One piece turned into ten? This magical artifact has come to life!"

The eyes of a Qi Refining cultivator turned red.

"Simply invest spirit stones, pull the lever, and match the array patterns; you can win up to a thousand times your initial investment!"

Zhang Biao announced loudly.

Before the words were even finished, dozens of slot machines were instantly filled with frenzied gamblers.

The crisp sound of the spirit stones colliding echoed throughout the hall.

The second floor is the roulette area.

The enormous magical disc was divided into thirty-six numbers.

A scantily clad, alluring female cultivator flicked a white jade bead into a rapidly spinning disc.

"Place your bet now! Bet the right number and win 36 times the odds!"

The female cultivator's sweet voice, coupled with the glimpses of spring in her hair, made the gamblers' blood boil.

Third floor, private rooms area.

The main game here is "Baccarat".

The specially crafted magical playing cards, with their simple banker/player rules and fast-paced card-flipping excitement, have captivated even the wealthiest Foundation Establishment cultivators.

In each private room, there was a top courtesan from Chunfenglou serving tea and water, with soft and fragrant flesh.

Traditional dice games only have two large rooms, each capable of accommodating hundreds of gamblers.

Xu Zhengkun sat in a secluded private room at the deepest part of the third floor, looking at the account book in his hand with a happy expression.

"Young Sect Master."

Zhao Wenyuan pushed open the door, wiped the sweat from his brow, and his eyes were filled with fanaticism: "They're insane! They're all insane! In just half an hour, the slot machines on the first floor have swallowed 30,000 spirit stones! The combined turnover on the second and third floors has already exceeded 200,000!"

Xu Zhengkun took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

The games left behind by Zheng Yifei are a complete game-changer for traditional gambling dens in the cultivation world.

There are no complicated rules, only the purest visual stimulation and the temptation to double.

"This is just a trial run."

Xu Zhengkun closed the ledger and looked out the window: "Yifei is right, the pond in Qingyun Market is too small. The real big fish are outside."

One hundred and fifty li southeast of Qingyunfang City lies Yingxian Lake.

This place was originally a desolate lake with clear water and abundant spiritual energy, but because of its remote location, few cultivators ventured here.

Now, this area has been completely sealed off by towering array light curtains.

Inside the light screen, a bustling construction scene unfolded.

Hundreds of cultivators skilled in civil engineering and formations are using various magical artifacts to excavate the foundation.

"Young Sect Master, please look at these blueprints."

Inside the makeshift meeting hall, Elder Zhou of the General Affairs Department pointed to a huge parchment scroll on the table.

"This vacant land was originally 200 mu, and you secretly allocated another 300 mu, making a total of 500 mu."

Elder Zhou gestured along the blueprints: "As per your request, we dug three layers underground. The first layer is for drainage and the Earth Fire Array, the second layer is the central hub of the Spirit Gathering Array, and the third layer is a hidden underground vault."

The above-ground buildings are divided into four areas: east, south, west, and north, with the main building reaching nine stories.

Xu Zhengkun looked at the blueprints, his brows furrowing slightly.

The blueprints were magnificent, even more imposing than the main hall of the Qingyun Sect. But for some reason, he felt something was missing.

It lacks the "wickedness" that Zheng Yifei possessed, which made people feel crazy at first glance.

"What did you say to the outside world?"

Xu Zhengkun asked.

"It's said to be a private summer resort built for you with special approval from the sect leader."

Elder Zhou replied.

"Well done."

Xu Zhengkun nodded. "I'll keep the drawings for now. I'll consider them carefully before finalizing them and starting construction."

After seeing Elder Zhou off, Xu Zhengkun remained alone in the council hall.

He took out a dark gold talisman from his storage ring. This was a top-grade communication talisman that only elders of the Qingyun Sect were qualified to use, and it was priceless.

Xu Zhengkun infused spiritual power into the talisman, and a faint light flickered.

He used his divine sense to make a copy of the contents of the drawings on the parchment scroll, and sent it out along with information about the opening of the Tianyuan Gambling House.

Xuantianfang Market, Liushu Hutong.

An underground chamber.

Zheng Yifei sat cross-legged on the futon, his body surging with spiritual energy.

Suddenly, the communication talisman in his arms became slightly warm.

Zheng Yifei opened his eyes and took out the talisman. He probed it with his divine sense, and Xu Zhengkun's information flooded into his mind like a tidal wave.

"Tianyuan Casino's daily turnover exceeds one million, and the foundation excavation for 500 acres of land around Yingxian Lake has begun..."

Zheng Yifei looked at the blueprint drawn by the elder of the Repair Department, and a look of undisguised disdain curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Too conservative."

Zheng Yifei muttered to himself.

The building on this blueprint is, at best, an enlarged version of a restaurant. It's conventional and lacks any distinctive features.

What he wants to build is a "city that never sleeps" that even Nascent Soul stage monsters would linger in.

Zheng Yifei closed his eyes, and images of the top casinos in Las Vegas and Macau from his previous life flashed through his mind. The Venetian, Grand Lisboa, Wynn...

He picked up the jade slip on the table, imprinted his divine sense into it, and began frantically modifying the blueprints.

"Nine stories above ground isn't enough. If we're going to build something, let's build twin towers that pierce the clouds! Set up a super spirit-gathering array at the top of the towers and make it the largest open-air spirit spring bath in the entire Southern Wilderness."

Three underground levels aren't enough, we need five! We'll cram the arena, the deathmatch arena, and the black market auction house all underground. The deeper we go, the higher the privileges, and the bloodier the gameplay!

Zheng Yifei's divine sense quickly sketched out a magnificent building full of cyberpunk cultivation style within the jade slip, which rose from the ground.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on the three characters "Yingxian Lake" next to the drawing.

"Why build houses on the shore of such a large lake? That's a terrible waste."

A hint of madness flashed in Zheng Yifei's eyes.

"Brother Kun."

Zheng Yifei transmitted his voice through the talisman, "I've changed the blueprints. Tell the Repair Department."

"Under the waters of Yingxian Lake, a water-repelling array will be used to isolate the area. A transparent underwater palace will be built, housing various deep-sea monsters, allowing top-tier VIPs to watch the monsters fight while placing bets!"

A hundred pleasure boats were built on the water, each a mobile high-end casino catering exclusively to discerning clients.

"I've already thought of a name: 'Mirage'!"

The message has been sent.

Zheng Yifei let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

This city will be his fulcrum for leveraging the wealth of the entire cultivation world.

Xu Zhengkun stood there, frozen, holding the communication talisman.

He closed his eyes, the new blueprint that Zheng Yifei had sent back appearing in his mind.

Twin towers, a megacity in the heart of a lake, an underwater palace, pleasure boats...

This isn't a gambling den! It's a combination of paradise on earth and hell on earth!

Compared to this, the blueprints drawn by the elder of the Repair Department look like a thatched hut built by a country bumpkin.

Xu Zhengkun was breathing rapidly, and his face was flushed.

He could imagine the fatal attraction this "mirage" would have for cultivators throughout the entire Southern Wilderness once it was completed, although the construction period would be extended, conservatively estimated to be three to five years.