I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Early the next morning, in the secret printing factory behind the main peak of the Qingyun Sect, which was shrouded in layers of arrays, the furnaces were brightly lit, and the sounds of hammering and gears meshing could be heard incessantly.

Xu Zhengkun walked into the core area of ​​the factory with his hands behind his back and a stern expression.

Upon seeing this, Elder Xu Jian of the Refining Hall, who was in charge of building the printing press and the transfer machine, immediately put down the blueprints in his hand and hurried over.

"Sect Master, why did you come in person? Is there a new mission?"

Xu Jian bowed respectfully.

Xu Zhengkun nodded, his gaze sweeping over the massive, roaring machinery, and said in a deep voice, "Xu Jian, the newspaper's layout and printing are excellent, and sales are soaring. But now, we face a new problem."

He paused, deliberately adding a hint of excitement and ambition to his tone: "In the past few months, the demand for our 'Qingyun Immortal Report' has surged from several small and medium-sized sects in the surrounding area."

Our production capacity and transportation speed alone are far from meeting market demand.

Therefore, this sect leader has decided to establish branches of the Qingyun Sect within the territories of these sects, to print and distribute products locally!

Upon hearing this, Xu Jian's eyes immediately lit up.

The establishment of a branch means that the influence of the Qingyun Sect will spread to half of the Southern Wilderness Region. This is an unparalleled achievement in expanding territory!

"Your Majesty's grand vision and strategic planning are truly admirable!"

Xu Jian's face flushed with excitement.

"This matter is of great importance, and we must seize the initiative."

Xu Zhengkun's expression turned serious, and he issued a death order: "I demand that you, within the next year, put aside all unnecessary work and devote all your energy to producing two hundred complete printing presses for this sect master!"

Remember, get the most essential and durable batch!

"Two hundred sets?"

Xu Jian gasped; this was practically the printing plant's current production capacity limit.

But he gritted his teeth and patted his chest heavily, assuring him, "Sect Master, rest assured! Even if I have my craftsmen working twelve hours a day without rest, I will definitely deliver two hundred printing presses to you intact within a year!"

"Very good. What materials are you missing? Just go to the warehouse and get them. I, the sect master, will grant you special permission!"

Xu Zhengkun nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the factory, next to a furnace, Zhou Ming, who was using the alias of a handyman, was sweating profusely as he pulled the bellows.

Watching Xu Zhengkun's departing figure, a barely perceptible sneer flashed across Zhou Ming's face, which was reddened by the firelight.

"A hundred printing presses? And he wants to open branches in the surrounding sects? Xu Zhengkun is truly insatiable; he'll only end up benefiting the Grand Elder."

Zhou Ming inwardly scoffed. He had been lurking here for some time as a spy sent by Qin Cang, the Grand Elder of the Xuantian Sect.

That very night, Zhou Ming transmitted the information back to the Xuan Tian Sect using a secret method.

In Qin Cang's view, this was nothing more than the Qingyun Sect's nouveau riche mentality and foolish act of blind expansion. He even secretly mocked Xu Zhengkun for being ignorant of his own limitations.

They had no idea that this so-called "expansion branch" was nothing more than a smokescreen thrown out by Xu Zhengkun and Zheng Yifei, perfectly concealing the shocking secret that these printing presses were about to flow into the heart of the demonic path.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of a mirage on the shore of Yingxian Lake.

In preparation for his trip to the Heavenly Demon Sect six months later, Zheng Yifei began to deliberately fade from public view.

He significantly reduced the number of times he inspected the casino and VIP area, entrusting Zhao Wenyuan, Zhang Biao, and Su Wanqing with the management of daily operations, security, and cash flow.

In the eyes of his subordinates, this unfathomable manager had finally realized the importance of cultivation and had begun to cultivate in seclusion.

In fact, Zheng Yifei was indeed undergoing a near-mad training regimen.

Inside the highest-level spirit-gathering chamber, the array was fully activated. The milky-white spiritual energy, so dense it was almost tangible, swirled and billowed like clouds within the chamber.

Zheng Yifei sat cross-legged on a jade futon, shirtless, his whole body drenched in sweat, his skin faintly glowing with an eerie red light.

Before him were neatly arranged more than a dozen specially made jade bottles. Inside were all the top-grade third-tier Condensing Essence Pills and Spirit Nourishing Pills that Zhao Ling had secretly sent from the Xuan Tian Sect.

"Gulp!"

Zheng Yifei casually grabbed a jade bottle, poured out two top-grade Qi Condensation Pills with lightning-like patterns, and swallowed them without even blinking.

Even if a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator only swallows half a pill of this level, it would take them ten days to half a month to carefully refine it, for fear that the violent medicinal power would burst their meridians.

But Zheng Yifei swallowed three pills every day without fail, just like eating candy!

boom!

The moment the pill entered his stomach, it transformed into an extremely violent torrent of spiritual energy, rampaging through Zheng Yifei's meridians like a wild horse.

The excruciating pain of having one's meridians torn apart inch by inch and then rapidly repaired by the medicine is enough to make an ordinary person faint from the pain.

But Zheng Yifei gritted his teeth, letting out a series of beast-like growls as he frantically circulated his cultivation technique, forcibly taming the violent spiritual energy and forcing it into his dantian.

He wasn't afraid of pain; he was only afraid of not being strong enough.

In the world of cultivation, wealth without real power is like a child carrying a gold brick through a bustling market; it can easily become easy prey for others.

The mirage is currently enjoying great popularity, but that's because the higher-ups of the Xuantian Sect are observing the situation.

Once the sword of Damocles hanging over his head falls, if he doesn't have enough cultivation to protect himself, everything will vanish into nothingness.

"Five years... I only have five years."

Despite the excruciating pain, Zheng Yifei remained absolutely conscious.

His plan was extremely clear: use these five years to forcefully push his cultivation to the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage by consuming a massive amount of top-grade pills! Then, he would quietly wait for Zhao Ling, who was in the Xuan Tian Sect, to break through to the Golden Core stage and become a fourth-level alchemist.

As long as Zhao Ling can refine a fourth-grade top-quality Golden Core Pill and a Barrier-Breaking Pill, he will be able to break through the shackles of his aptitude and break through to the Golden Core stage!

Only then will they have a slight ability to protect themselves.

Every morning, Zheng Yifei would emerge from the secret room for half an hour.

Inside the study, Su Wanqing would serve him a cup of warm, top-quality spiritual tea, and then, in her clear and melodious voice, report to him on the terrifying flow of water from the mirage of the previous day.

Zhao Wenyuan would then hand over the latest intelligence briefing, reporting on the movements of various forces.

Looking at Zheng Yifei's increasingly deep eyes and the increasingly solid and heavy spiritual power emanating from his body, Su Wanqing's eyes were filled with infatuation and heartache.

She knew the pressure this man was under, and she knew he was playing a grand game with the world as his chessboard.

After reporting, Zheng Yifei would once again plunge into the secret room to continue his hellish ascetic training.

Cultivating immortality knows no time; half a year is but a fleeting moment.

In the past six months, the business of Mirage has not declined due to Zheng Yifei's "seclusion". On the contrary, thanks to its extremely mature management system, it has become more and more efficient. Making money every day is not enough to describe the speed at which it has made money.

Meanwhile, at the Qingyun Sect's printing factory, Xu Jian lived up to expectations. With resources poured in regardless of cost, one hundred sets of top-tier printing presses, with core components crafted from deep-sea sunken silver, were finally assembled and tested three days before the six-month deadline.

Xu Zhengkun personally took the opportunity, under the pretext of "transporting to a secret branch," to store the hundred enormous sets into a high-level storage ring, and then secretly handed them over to Zheng Yifei under the cover of night.

The last night of the six-month agreement.

On the shores of Yingxian Lake, a cool night breeze blows, and the mirage remains brightly lit, the air thick with the scent of wealth.

However, the atmosphere in the secret room on the top floor was somewhat heavy.

Zheng Yifei summoned Zhao Wenyuan, Zhang Biao, Chen San, Lin Bao, and Su Wanqing to his study.

"Starting tomorrow, I will announce that I will be going into seclusion to attempt to break through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment."

Zheng Yifei's gaze swept over his core team, his voice deep and authoritative: "This seclusion will last from several months to a year. During this time, no one is allowed to approach the secret chamber, not even a step. Even if the sky falls, you'll have to hold it up yourselves!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression tightened. When one is in seclusion trying to break through a bottleneck, the worst thing is to be disturbed.

"Don't worry, boss!"

Zhang Biao patted his chest and slammed his heavy sword into the ground: "With me, Old Zhang, here, anyone who dares to take even half a step closer to the top floor, I'll chop them to pieces!"

"Yifei, you don't need to worry about things outside. I'll keep a close eye on the accounts and funds."

Su Wanqing said gently but firmly.

"Wen Yuan, you are in charge of handling any emergencies that may occur in the arena. Remember, if you encounter people from the Xuan Tian Sect causing trouble, be patient and do not get into a conflict at this critical juncture."

Zheng Yifei gave his final instructions.

"clear."

Zhao Wenyuan nodded solemnly.

After explaining everything, Zheng Yifei dismissed everyone and returned to the secret chamber alone, where he personally activated the highest-level isolation formation.