I run a casino in the immortal realm.

While Zheng Yifei was undergoing grueling closed training inside Yingxian Lake, and Zhao Wenyuan was frantically attracting investment and collecting rent outside, a silent storm of public opinion was sweeping across the entire Southern Wilderness.

The Qingyun Daily has gone into overdrive.

For a whole month, the front page headline of every issue was dominated by the four characters "mirage".

The bold, blacked-out full-width title, combined with the luxurious interior scene imprinted on the photo stone, creates a striking visual impact.

But none of these are the most fatal.

The most lethal element was the simple and crude slogan in the bottom right corner of the newspaper:

"Enter with a low-grade spirit stone and enjoy top-grade, third-tier sect master-level spiritual energy! There's no upper limit, and you'll never be expelled!"

These words were like a crystal bomb dropped into the deep sea, causing an uproar throughout the entire cultivation world.

On the outskirts of Qingyunfang Market, there is a simple, scattered shantytown.

"Old Li, have you heard? Just one spirit stone! Only one spirit stone!"

A ragged, third-level Qi Refining cultivator, clutching a newspaper, trembled with excitement: "That's a high-grade fourth-tier Spirit Gathering Array! I've never even touched a second-tier spiritual vein in my entire life!"

"I heard! As long as you don't come out, you can stay inside for ten years and no one will kick you out!"

Old Li, standing nearby, had bloodshot eyes and swallowed hard like a gambler: "This isn't a gambling den, it's the Xu family doing some great charity! Let's go, sell everything we own to scrape together a spirit stone, and go to Yingxian Lake for some secluded cultivation!"

Not only have the lowly cultivators gone mad, but even the high-ranking Golden Core cultivators can't sit still anymore.

Inside a cave dwelling of the Luoxia Sect.

An elder at the early stage of the Golden Core realm looked at the newspaper in his hand, his expression shifting between light and dark.

"A fourth-tier, high-grade spirit-gathering array... Where did the Xu family of the Qingyun Sect get such a large sum of money?"

He muttered to himself. Not every Golden Core cultivator can become a sect leader. Many Golden Core ancestors of small sects or cultivation families can only struggle on second-tier spiritual veins, as the purity of spiritual energy is simply insufficient to support their rapid breakthroughs.

"Go and verify it."

The elder stood up, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "If it really is third-tier spiritual energy, I'll shamelessly go and live in this mirage for good!"

The news spread like wildfire, reaching not only the dozens of sects under the Xuantian Sect through Qingyun Express's vast logistics network, but also across borders, reaching parts of their arch-rival, the Tianmo Sect.

Everyone was filled with suspicion and shock.

Have the Xu family gone mad? Or are they pulling some kind of massive scam?

But in any case, everyone's appetite has been completely whetted.

Xuantian Sect, Qingfeng Cliff.

Inside the Grand Elder's dojo, shrouded in mist, the air pressure was so low that it was hard to breathe.

Qin Cang sat cross-legged on the white jade lotus platform, his eyes slightly closed. The pressure emanating from him, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, made the air in the hall feel incredibly thick.

Below, Zeng Feng, the head of the Xuan Tian Sect's Enforcement Hall, was bowing deeply, holding a copy of the latest issue of the "Qingyun Daily" in his hand. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he didn't dare to breathe loudly.

Standing beside him were Hu Xiaotian and a young man with a sinister face and a slightly weak aura.

It was Hu Jingpeng, who had been on the run for a year.

When the Qingyun Sect underwent a major upheaval, Hu Lie was severely injured, and Hu Jingpeng, seeing the situation was dire, fled the Qingyun Sect overnight.

He lived like a wild dog on the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Mountains, enduring countless hardships, until a year later when the storm had passed and he dared to secretly run to the Xuantian Sect to seek refuge with his father.

As for his grandfather, Hu Lie, he has neither been found alive nor dead.

Although the life-saving scroll was not broken, its light was extremely dim, indicating that it was trapped in some desperate situation, and its fate was unknown.

"1.2 billion low-grade spirit stones..."

Qin Cang slowly opened his eyes, a look of disbelief and rage flashing in his cloudy pupils: "Zeng Feng, are you sure this intelligence is accurate?"

"Reporting to the Grand Elder, it is absolutely true."

Zeng Feng swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly: "I sent three groups of spies to investigate. The Xu family has emptied their coffers this time. That junior, Xu Zhengkun, actually managed to get the Mu Peak Master of Tianzhen Peak to come out of seclusion and forcibly divert a tributary of a third-grade high-quality spiritual vein from under the main peak of Qingyun to set up a fourth-grade array."

The entire Southern Wilderness is now talking about this 'mirage'.

"Bang!"

Qin Cang slammed his hand heavily on the armrest, causing a crack to appear on the white jade lotus platform.

"Utterly foolish! A spendthrift!"

Qin Cang's tone was icy, revealing an arrogant and condescending air: "Twelve billion low-grade spirit stones are enough to create more than a dozen Golden Core cultivators, and even support a Nascent Soul cultivator!"

That old scoundrel Xu Tianyang actually used the money to build a gambling den for people to gamble on? It's an absolute waste!

In the eyes of a traditional high-level cultivator like Qin Cang, the only use of spirit stones is to convert them into cultivation and combat power.

Using massive resources to build structures and formations to attract low-level cultivators is completely out of their minds and puts the cart before the horse.

"Elder, please calm down."

Hu Jingpeng, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped forward and bowed.

His voice was hoarse, filled with a deep-seated resentment: "The Xu family's actions are far more complex than they appear. They're not crazy; their ambitions are simply too great!"

Qin Cang glanced at him and said coldly, "Speak."

Hu Jingpeng took a deep breath and laid out all the intelligence and speculations he had secretly gathered over the past year.

"Elder, you are unaware of the truth. The Xu family was able to come up with this 1.2 billion not because of their original resources, but because of the result of their frenzied wealth accumulation over the past six months!"

He pointed at the newspaper in Zeng Feng's hand, gritting his teeth: "It's all thanks to this *Qingyun Daily*! And that Qingyun Express that's everywhere!"

"The newspaper now has a daily circulation of 200 million copies, and the GG fee alone brings in hundreds of millions of yuan a year."

Their logistics network has completely monopolized the trade routes of several surrounding sects, making a fortune every day and generating over a billion spirit stones in annual revenue.

Furthermore, the "transfer machine" that the Su family has set up in various markets is sucking away at the spirit stones of rogue cultivators every day, like drawing blood. These two families are now in cahoots!

Qin Cang's expression finally changed.

A profit of over a billion? That's equivalent to the total annual revenue of several major halls of the Xuantian Sect!

How could a subordinate sect amass such terrifying wealth in just a few years?

"These three projects all suddenly appeared within a few years."

Hu Jingpeng clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, his eyes filled with jealousy and fear: "Elder, do you still remember Zheng Yifei, the one with five spiritual roots?"

Upon hearing this name, Zeng Feng's eyelids twitched violently.

"These three ideas were originally conceived by Zheng Yifei in the outer sect of Qingyun Sect!"

Everyone initially thought he died in the back mountain, but I suspect Zheng Yifei isn't dead at all! He's definitely still hiding in the shadows, manipulating things for the Xu family! Even this 'mirage' was definitely his doing!

Hu Jingpeng became more and more excited as he spoke.

A Qi Refining cultivator, with just a few tricks used by ordinary merchants, actually managed to shake up the entire wealth structure of the Southern Wilderness.

This made him, a once high-ranking inner sect prodigy, feel a deep sense of humiliation.

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

Qin Cang's withered fingers tapped lightly on his knee, making a "thump-thump" sound.

If what Hu Jingpeng said is true, then the Qingyun Sect is now a super fat piece of meat that is dripping with oil.

With such a terrifying cash flow controlled by the Xu family, once Xu Tianyang breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, the Qingyun Sect will be completely free from the control of the Xuantian Sect.

"What a Xu family! What a Zheng Yifei!"

Qin Cang suddenly laughed, his laughter revealing undisguised greed and murderous intent: "Behind my back, you've made such a big show of things. It seems the Xu family thinks they've grown too big for their britches and wants to turn the world upside down."

He looked at Zeng Feng, his tone leaving no room for doubt, carrying the absolute domineering air of a superior: "Zeng Feng."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"In half a month, it will be the opening day of the Mirage. You will personally lead a team to the Qingyun Sect to attend the so-called opening ceremony."

Qin Cang's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he issued the order.

"First, find out Zheng Yifei's whereabouts. I need to see him alive or dead. If he is alive, bring him back to Qingfeng Cliff at all costs."

Such a mind cannot remain in the Xu family; it can only be used by my Qin family!

"Yes, sir!"

"second."

Qin Cang stood up and looked down at everyone: "Go and take a look at that newspaper printing machine, and that transfer machine, make rubbings of the blueprints, or just bring back an actual one and hand it over to the Equipment Pavilion."

Qin Cang sneered and said matter-of-factly, "Since it's so profitable, the Xuantian Sect should have a share too. If the Xu family can run a newspaper, so can we."

Once the artifact pavilion replicates it, all newspapers and transport machines in the entire Southern Wilderness must be registered under the Qin name! What they've taken, I'll make them spit out with interest!

In his view, strength reigns supreme in the cultivation world. What good are the ideas your Xu family came up with?

My Xuantian Sect will use it directly; who dares to utter a single word of dissent?

Faced with absolute power, any business tactics are nothing but a paper tiger.

"Understood! I will certainly not fail the Elder's trust!"

Zeng Feng loudly accepted the order, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

Hu Jingpeng stood to the side, a sinister smirk playing on his lips.

Zheng Yifei, no matter how much money you can make, in the face of absolute strength, you are nothing more than a fattened pig waiting to be slaughtered!

Half a month later, at the grand opening ceremony, he wanted to see how the Xu family would respond to the Xuan Tian Sect's Enforcement Hall!