Chapter 272 - 277: Renewal

Words : 1409 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

However, if a Golden Core had to be dispatched to preside over the area, it would weaken the Li family's strength, and the Yuanming Sect would probably be unable to hold back, ultimately giving up the idea of setting up a branch in the Wind Corruption Prefecture. "Who knows how many cultivators Shen Lei Mountain will summon for the battle this time? How many Spiritual Objects should we prepare?" Li Chengmo thought for a moment and said, "We should prepare as much as possible. Even if we don't use them all, we can still put them up for sale." No one voiced an objection, so it naturally passed. "By the way, is our contract with the Southern Edge Commerce Association about to end? Do we renew it when the time comes?" an elder suddenly asked. "Forget it!" The Miscellaneous Affairs Elder shook his head right away and said, "I once did the calculations; selling Essence-Enhancing Pills to the Southern Edge Commerce Association earns far less than selling them ourselves." Upon hearing this, Li Zhirui's eyebrows imperceptibly furrowed. Indeed, as he said, the family would earn more Spirit Stones by selling Essence-Enhancing Pills directly. But within this, making money was secondary! The main point was the channel of the Southern Edge Commerce Association—a channel through which high-tier Spiritual Objects could be purchased! The Li family's power was indeed not bad. Among the various forces under Shen Lei Mountain, aside from some old vassal states, the Li family was the most powerful and had the most potential. Yet even so, the Xuanfa Pavilion remained lukewarm towards the Li family, never giving them any favors, like access to certain precious Spiritual Objects, which were impossible to buy from the Xuanfa Pavilion and had to be obtained through auction bids. These Spiritual Objects are indeed precious, but do they all need to go to auction? It's not like the Xuanfa Pavilion doesn't have stock! But the Southern Edge Commerce Association was different; they would grant this small privilege to the Li family. Just this alone was enough to make the Li family favor the Southern Edge Commerce Association! "Renew the contract!" Li Chengmo knocked on the table and said in a deep voice, "We must firmly tie the Southern Edge Commerce Association to us." Fortunately, there were clear-headed individuals in the family, so it wasn't necessary for Li Zhirui to personally step in and object. If he really did so, that elder would probably not be far from stepping down. After all, Li Zhirui, the Golden Core cultivator, held such a lofty position within the family. "For the renewal, I'll need to trouble the ancestor to make a trip," Li Chengmo said to Li Shiqing without explaining further. "Good!" Subsequently, the family discussed several matters, such as the recent Spirit Root detection conference, which added quite a few people to the family; the most talented of whom was a Three Spiritual Roots individual named Li Chengfeng, possessing Fire, Wood, and Wind Roots. "By the way, Zhirui, how is the Vitality Pill refining going?" After years of study and the family's collection of Spiritual Medicine, Li Zhirui had recently started the refining process. As for the result, he had yet to succeed. Although he had refined many third-tier Spirit Pills and had ample experience, it was not possible to succeed right from the start. However, Li Zhirui estimated that he was not far from success and would probably be able to refine the Vitality Pill after another dozen or so attempts. After the meeting, he went to the storehouse to collect a batch of freshly acquired Spiritual Medicine from the family, ready to delve into further research. Meanwhile, Li Shiqing set off for Green Mountain State to discuss the renewal with the Southern Edge Commerce Association. Both parties were keen to facilitate this matter, and there were no issues throughout the negotiations, but in the end, Liu Yongqing said with a smile, "I heard the Li family is in the process of refining Vitality Pills, how is the progress coming along?" The materials used by the Li family to craft Vitality Pills were all purchased from the Southern Edge Commerce Association, a fact well known as an entirely normal affair. However, Liu Yongqing's mentioning it now certainly wasn't simply a casual inquiry; his real purpose was to sign another treaty with the Li family, a treaty for the exclusive sale of Vitality Pills. "This..." Li Shiqing hesitated for a moment. According to the family's plan, they wished to sell the Vitality Pills on their own to earn more Spirit Stones, especially as the family's expenditures were steadily increasing with the growing number of members. But he was worried that his refusal would affect the previous treaty that had not yet been officially signed, which might cause the Li family to lose the Southern Edge Commerce Association as a channel. "Fellow Daoist, rest assured, this will not affect the friendship between us," Liu Yongqing saw what Li Shiqing was worried about and immediately said this to put his mind at ease. "However, if there is a chance, we still hope your noble family could sell us a portion of the Vitality Pills." Li Shiqing was somewhat puzzled; it might be an illusion, but he always felt that Liu Yongqing seemed somewhat ingratiating on this matter! "Regarding this matter, I still need to consult with my family before I can give Fellow Daoist an answer," but in the end, he did not give a definite answer. After sending Li Shiqing off, Liu Yongqing sat back down and muttered to himself, "If it weren't for that great battle, how would I have known that the alchemy level of that member of the Li family was so high!" Water Refinement Pills naturally had fewer pill toxins, and those refined by Li Zhirui had even less. Moreover, as he became more and more adept, the quality of the Spirit Pills also improved. Even though he deliberately selected some of poorer quality to sell to the Southern Edge Commerce Association, they were still much better than before! Their selling price did not increase, but the Southern Edge Commerce Association, using the improved quality as an excuse, raised the price of the Essence-Enhancing Pills and thus made more Spirit Stones, gaining greater profits. And now, Liu Yongqing's inquiry into Vitality Pills was not for the present, but with an eye on the distant future! The profit margin for Vitality Pills was much higher than for Essence-Enhancing Pills. As long as he firmly bound the Li family to himself, he could ensure that his position as Store Manager would not fall into others' hands. ---- After Li Shiqing returned to his family, he discussed the matter with Li Zhirui and others, and eventually agreed to Liu Yongqing's terms because the Southern Edge Commerce Association was very important to the Li family, and it was necessary to further strengthen their relationship. Of course, the profits they were entitled to still had to be secured, and this time, the practice materials for Li Zhirui were all purchased by the Li family, so the price would not be as cheap as last time. "Zhirui, can you handle it alone? Will it interfere with your cultivation?" Li Shiqing inquired about Li Zhirui's opinion. He had no objections to this, as with more frequent alchemy, his speed had also increased significantly, giving him ample time for cultivation. When Li Shiqing returned to the Southern Edge Commerce Association and stated the Li family's terms, Liu Yongqing's face immediately showed a happy smile. "Then here's to a pleasant cooperation!" After discussing the details, the two parties signed the contract once again, but this time there were two contracts. "Might I ask when the Vitality Pills will be available?" Liu Yongqing asked curiously. Li Shiqing shook his head, as Li Zhirui had not gone into detail about this, and he truly was unclear on the matter. "If your noble family is short on Spiritual Medicine, we can freely provide a batch," Liu Yongqing knew well that giving gifts in times of need left a more lasting impression than adding flourishes to prosperity. "One should not accept rewards without merit. Thank you for your kind offer," Li Shiqing expressed his refusal without hesitation. Free things were the most expensive!

Chapter 272 - 277: Renewal

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