Cultivation, Inc.I Use Capitalism to Fix a Dying Sect

Chapter 184: One Month’s Time

Driven by skepticism and curiosity, a trickle of cultivators arrived at the foot of the Qingyun Sect’s mountain gate. They carried the carcasses of demon beasts, testing the rumors of the sect’s absurdly generous acquisition policies. When they walked away with pouches full of resources—exchanged at rates that defied all traditional logic—the trickle turned into a flood.

Once the rogue cultivators confirmed the Qingyun Sect was indeed offering triple the market price, skepticism vanished, replaced by a fervent hunting frenzy.

In the past, the various marketplaces of the Chaos Demon Commandery offered pittance for demon beast materials. The risk of hunting these monsters far outweighed the meager rewards, leading most cultivators to avoid the trade entirely.

But the paradigm had shifted.

Not only was the Qingyun Sect paying a premium, but selling to them also unlocked access to their internal exchange. The supplies available were not just diverse; they were of superior quality and priced with shocking affordability. It was a loop of pure profit.

As word of the Qingyun Sect’s integrity and wealth spread, the number of hunting teams exploded.

The demon beasts of the Chaos Demon Commandery, once the terrors of the wild, suddenly found themselves on the endangered species list. Between the frenzied rogue cultivators and the Qingyun Sect’s own disciples conducting systematic purges, the monster population began to plummet.

Inside the sect, the processing of this biomass was a marvel of cultivation engineering.

Er Gouzi directed the logistics, funneling the mountain of carcasses into the Miscellaneous Arts Hall. Here, the “assembly line” concept—a secret weapon from Sun Yi’s homeworld—was in full effect.

Demon souls were extracted and transported to the underground palace beneath the main peak, where the Demon Refining Tower distilled them into pure Heavenly Soul Liquid. Meanwhile, bones, hides, and blood were stripped and sent to the crafting stations.

The efficiency of the Miscellaneous Arts Hall was terrifying. Every disciple there had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, opened five gates, and fortified their souls with Heavenly Soul Liquid. Crucially, they had mastered the Split Spirit Technique.

In a traditional sect, a Second-Rank Artifact Refiner might struggle to produce a single Spirit Weapon in a day. But here? With their minds split into parallel processing threads and the workflow standardized into precise stages, a single disciple could churn out ten Second-Rank Spirit Weapons daily.

Flames danced in rhythmic unison as materials floated through the air on invisible conveyor belts of spiritual energy. The quality was impeccable, and when it came to First-Rank items, the output was practically a torrent.

Only a transmigrator from Earth could truly understand the terrifying power of an industrial assembly line applied to cultivation craftsmanship. Although the Miscellaneous Arts Hall was short on manpower, their output rivaled that of major manufacturing sects.

***

For a cultivator, a month is usually no more than the blink of an eye. Yet, in this particular month, the Chaos Demon Commandery underwent a metamorphosis.

The demon scourge that had plagued the region for centuries was systematically dismantled. The beasts were slaughtered, their essence fueling the rise of the Qingyun Sect.

Simultaneously, the two hundred Qingyun Dao Palaces roared to life.

Under Sun Yi’s “Iron-Blood Policy,” the lawless chaos of the region was brought to heel. Local tyrants and bullies who had long preyed on mortal towns found themselves facing swift, merciless judgment.

In their place, the Qingyun Sect brought order and welfare.

Disciples stationed at the Dao Palaces offered free medical treatment to the surrounding populace. Using cultivation arts to cure mortal ailments produced miraculous results, instantly winning the hearts and minds of the common people. To further secure the peace, disciples hunted down any stray beasts near the cities, piling the carcasses in public squares as visceral proof of their protection.

Regarding the local power structures, the sect employed a strategy of carrot and stick.

Aristocratic families who cooperated—supporting the redistribution of grain and land to the peasantry—were treated with courtesy and given preferential trade rights. Those who dared to cling to their old, exploitative ways were obliterated.

The disciples didn’t just rule; they served. They taught the Five Elements Art and the Myriad Spirit Body Tempering Art to the masses. They used their supernatural powers for civil engineering—cleaving mountains, bridging rivers, diverting water for irrigation, and shielding crops from disaster.

Tasks that would have broken the backs of thousands of mortals were accomplished with a wave of a cultivator’s hand.

For thirty days, the disciples of the Qingyun Dao Palaces barely had a moment to meditate. They were too busy being heroes. Yet, there were no complaints. The genuine gratitude of millions of mortals provided a sense of spiritual fulfillment and satisfaction that solitary cultivation never could.

With Sun Yi’s grand strategy as the blueprint and the disciples’ tireless execution, the Qingyun Sect’s dominion over the mortal realm solidified. Their reputation transformed from that of a conquering force to a divine savior.

Meanwhile, the annexation of resources from the Black Wind Stockade and Evil Spirit Valley proceeded without a hitch. With the brutal examples of the Xuanyin Sect and the Zhou Family fresh in everyone’s memory, no force in the Chaos Demon Commandery dared to breathe a word of opposition.

Former enemies lined up to present gifts and apologies, meekly handing over deeds to resource points they had previously seized.

With the assets of the Zhou Family, the Xuanyin Sect, and the two bandit factions combined, the Qingyun Sect’s treasury was overflowing. Even with the exorbitant resource consumption required by the Trinity Cultivation method, the small population of the sect meant they could spend lavishly without making a dent in their reserves.

In one month, the Qingyun Sect had stabilized the Chaos Demon Commandery with the force of a thunderclap.

***

Inside the central hall of the Qingyun Sect.

Sun Yi sat upon the headmaster’s throne. His aura was noticeably denser, heavier than before, though his cultivation base remained at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

Progress was naturally slower now. Even with unlimited resources, filling six separate Dantians was a monumental task that required time.

Patriarch Qingxuan sat nearby, a satisfied smile gracing his aged face as he listened to Er Gouzi’s status report.

“Elders Jin Jue and Li Tai are currently leading field teams to mop up the remaining demon pockets,” Er Gouzi read from a jade slip. “Elder Han Yun is coordinating the logistics for the Dao Palaces, and Elder Qin Chu has fully secured the new resource territories.”

Er Gouzi paused, his expression brightening. “Regarding the recruitment drive… the ‘Million Spirit Stone Annual Salary’ offer for Spirit Plant Masters has created quite a stir. We have experts flocking to us from all over the Commandery.”

“And the talent scouting?” Sun Yi asked, leaning forward.

“Better than expected. In just one month, the Dao Palaces have identified over a hundred children with Spirit Roots.”

Sun Yi’s eyes lit up. “Excellent. We need to professionalize this immediately. Arrange for a comprehensive background check on every single one of them. I want a detailed dossier established for each candidate.”

He tapped his finger on the armrest. “Proceed with the original plan. We are not running a loose master-disciple system here; we are building an academy.”

“Understood, Headmaster,” Er Gouzi replied briskly. “The training grounds at Black Wind Mountain have been retrofitted. We are ready to transport the seedlings there for systematic education.”

“Good,” Sun Yi nodded decisively. “Before they reach Foundation Establishment, train them strictly according to the standard curriculum—everyone walks the path of Trinity Cultivation.”

His expression turned serious. “Once they reach the late stage of Qi Refining, put them through the Heart Questioning Array. We will filter them there. Only those with absolute loyalty to the Qingyun Sect will receive the core inheritance and focused nurturing.”

“Yes, Headmaster. The curriculum and the array are ready.” Er Gouzi bowed, his admiration for Sun Yi’s foresight evident.