Immortality begins with meditation puppets

As the autumn wind swept away the fallen leaves, after a tournament where Su Qing deliberately flexed his muscles, all the cultivators from the various realms who had previously disapproved of his current status in Tianyuan, the interests he controlled, and his interference in the trade between the heavens all fell silent.

If we can't beat them, what do you suggest we do?
Ultimately, the cultivation world, from ancient times to the present, boils down to two words: fists!

You're strong, so you deserve a big appetite. Eat whatever you're supposed to eat, and if you can't finish it, someone will force-feed you!
"Master Su, I am a representative from the Nebula Sect. What? You haven't heard of our sect? No problem, we're just a small sect, not worth mentioning. But to be fair, the Nebula Sand produced by our sect is absolutely top-tier in all the heavens. We produce fifth-grade Nebula Sand every year, suitable for making Void Puppet Magic Artifacts. Today, I've come to ask you for a chance to have our goods sold in Su's Shop. What? Su's Group doesn't handle material business, and you want us to go to Langya Workshop? How can that be! Without your endorsement, Master Su, we don't trust other Kaiyuan merchants. What? That's your woman's shop, then there's no problem!"

"Master Su, I apologize for disturbing you. I wouldn't come here without a reason. I have important matters to discuss with you today. You must have seen the pills of my Dan Da Sect before. You know how powerful the Donkey Spirit and Ox Fierce Pill is. What? You say you haven't bought any? Yes, yes, I misspoke. You bought them for a friend. Your friend must be very happy with them, right? You've subdued that marrow-sucking, bone-draining vixen, haven't you? Alright, alright, I won't say any more. I came today to ask you about the procedures and rules for establishing a pill workshop in the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, which my Guangxian Sect wishes to follow."

"Please sit, please have a seat of honor. Tea, please have some tea, please have some good tea. The arrival of Sect Leader Su is a great honor for our entire Yuanshi Sect. The Taishang Sect and our Yuanshi Sect are like father and son, brothers, bound by blood. Our relationship is different from other sects, and we should keep in touch frequently. I've heard that Sect Leader Su is fond of reading the Daoist Canon? I came in haste, but I do have a collection of ancient Daoist texts from our Yuanshi Sect in my storage bag. I'll bring them for Sect Leader Su to appraise. Also, there are a few other matters..." The disciples in charge of general affairs within the sect are overwhelmed and have come to me for help. I need to discuss this with Sect Master Su. I wonder if Sect Master Su would accept puppet outsourcing work? Basically, our Yuanshi Sect provides the blueprints and materials, and we'd appreciate it if Sect Master Su could help us refine the puppets. The quality rate just needs to be at a normal level. The fee will depend on the puppet's grade, ranging from a few hundred thousand to over ten million spirit stones. If Sect Master Su doesn't want spirit stones, our Yuanshi Sect can also afford to provide spiritual plants, precious materials, magical artifacts, and spiritual treasures!

Emerging from the Yuanshi Sect's lodgings, Su Qing bid farewell to the Guangxian Zhenjun who insisted on seeing him off, and then walked towards the Lingbao Sect disciples' lodgings without touching the ground.

Noble people are busy. In a single arena competition, he made a name for himself and demonstrated his value in uniting the forces of the heavens. This made it clear to the various forces in the heavens that no matter how well Su Qing's business was doing in the heavens or whether he would be hindered by them, at least for now, all the sects and factions in the heavens who wanted to do business in Tianyuan, the hub of all worlds, would inevitably have to deal with Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom!

This immortal kingdom boasts abundant spiritual minerals, advanced infrastructure, a significant advantage in skilled craftsmen, and unparalleled advantages in ocean logistics and trade channels, making it the top choice for other immortal kingdoms to develop industries in Tianyuan.

After failing to subdue Su Qing with their strength and make him their lackey, the cultivators of the heavens and earth recognized reality. If they couldn't win, they would cooperate. Taking advantage of the prosperous business of the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, all the sects of the heavens and earth had the idea of ​​investing in factories here, establishing themselves in Tianyuan, and developing the Tianyuan market.

Small sects and factions, lacking prestige, could only grovel before coming to the Su family to beg for cooperation. It was no longer the case that Su Ji Group begged them for cooperation. Because there were too many sects and forces seeking cooperation, Su Ji Group had now raised its requirements for partner merchants considerably. It was said that they would gradually classify partners based on their size and product quality, with five stars being the highest. Those who received five stars would receive comprehensive support from Su Ji Group, such as full-channel distribution, advertising throughout the entire realm, half-tax reduction, and full fee waivers, among other preferential support.

Su Qing, who was trying to build Jixi City into a trade center for all the heavens, naturally welcomed all these clients and received them one by one without complaint. However, he had no time to discuss the specific details of cooperation with each of them, so he entrusted the investment promotion team, composed of Qinghe, Huaidan, Xiong Er, Hongshang, Lingying, and others, to handle it.

The various minor sects did not feel that Su Qing had neglected them. They were already flattered that he had come forward to meet with them and give them a chance to talk.

It should be understood that while there are many powerful sects and major factions in the myriad realms, there are far more small sects and minor factions with relatively weak strength. These sects and their respective realms are roughly equivalent in strength to a Nascent Soul sect in the Tianyuan Realm. The industries they can support are not particularly high-end, small in scale, and weak in product quality. They only want to take advantage of the arrival of all the myriad realms in the Tianyuan Realm to make a living. Even so, they are not afraid that others will not include them. Although Su Qing is demanding on his partners, as long as they follow his rules, there is no risk of being taken advantage of. In addition, he has proven his ability to protect this immortal kingdom from foreign invasion and can safeguard the trade of all arts and crafts in the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, providing a stable environment for development. Naturally, this has attracted them to settle in.

Compared to these minor sects, the Yuanshi Sect, Lingbao Sect, Taoyuan Sect, and Xianhu Sect, these major sects of the heavens, have already established a foothold in Tianyuan. In addition, they are large in scale, have strong products, and do not have to worry about sales. They also do not need to rely on other forces to protect their own industries. Therefore, although they recognize the commercial value of Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom and Jixi City, they do not bow down to them without any restraint like those minor sects.

They only sent invitations to Su Qing, but Su Qing had to run around like crazy to visit these big-name sects and discuss cooperation matters!

Shame?

nonexistent!

The Yuanshi Sect and the Lingbao Sect are ancient names with a long history. Since the beginning of time, they have been the strongest sects in the heavens. Not to mention the countless high-level cultivators and numerous inheritances within their sects, just a little bit of the high-level resources they have accumulated over the years could buy the entire Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom.

If Su Qing is willing to sell.

Selling it was out of the question. Su Qing, who regarded Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom as his base, had great enthusiasm for forces such as Yuanshi Sect, Lingbao Sect, Taoyuan Sect, and Dongwang Sect. When they landed in Tianyuan, he tried to persuade them to choose Kaiyuan as their base. Unfortunately, compared to forces with deep foundations such as Xianqin Martial Kingdom, Xuanyuan Immortal Kingdom, and Penglai Immortal Kingdom, which had been secretly colluding with them for a long time, Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom was still an unknown small player at that time. Shallow waters cannot attract true dragons, nor can they attract these powerful figures from all over the world.

In fact, through these decades of contact with the Supreme Sect and the Snail Emperor Sect, which had settled in the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, Su Qing had come to understand that even if the Primordial Beginning Sect and the Spirit Treasure Sect were willing to set up a presence in the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom, it might not necessarily be a good thing for the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom.

Both sects have accumulated countless years of experience in the cultivation of various arts. Once they start operating at full capacity and dump their products in Kaiyuan, the local industries in Kaiyuan, which are just starting out and still need policy support, will suffer a devastating blow. Even Su Qing's own puppet industry will face strong competition from these two sects.

However, absorbing the industries of these two sects would be harmful to Su Qing and the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom at present, and would not be conducive to the development of the country's industries. But cooperating with these two sects would be very beneficial.

Today, Su Qing possesses a celestial kingdom, reviled by cultivators across the heavens as the wealthiest mining tycoon in the entire realm. Furthermore, the Su Ji Group generates a daily influx of wealth, allowing him to achieve true freedom in terms of spirit stones. According to Su Qing's own calculations, excluding the working capital required for the daily operations of Xiong Er Money Shop and the Su Ji Group, he currently has over 300 million spirit stones at his disposal.

With so many spirit stones, aside from investing in some promising stocks within the Kaiyuan Immortal Kingdom and supporting his good brother Gao Erqiang's Xingsha Divine Kingdom, he had almost no other expenses.

What? You're saying that crafting puppets requires expenses?

The ore was mined from his own mine, the talisman water was prepared by himself, and the vengeful spirits needed for the exorcising ghost doll were obtained for free from the dead clouds of Guixu. The Heavenly Peng feathers and essence blood needed for the Pengtian Armor Puppet were generously offered by the Heavenly Peng True King. What money did he spend?

This is also the fault of the Yuanshi Sect. The great sects of the heavens, such as the Lingbao Sect, have a small vision. They always hoard high-end goods and are reluctant to sell them. They can't be bought just by having spirit stones. They have all kinds of low-end goods, but Su Qing doesn't care about them.

Right now, taking advantage of the opportunity of cooperation between the two sides, the Yuanshi Sect has given him a loophole. On the condition that he refines some puppets that their own sect cannot refine, Su Qing can obtain the internal purchasing rights of the Yuanshi Sect. Each year, the amount of goods he can purchase from the Yuanshi Sect with spirit stones will be determined based on the number of puppets he supplies to the Yuanshi Sect!

These conditions are quite good. Having possessed the sacred Kunlun Mountain for countless years, the Yuanshi Sect holds countless spiritual treasures and artifacts, some of which are unimaginable to outsiders. They are likely even larger, more comprehensive, and more sophisticated than those of the Heavenly Talisman Treasure Hall. Just as the Heavenly Talisman Treasure Hall restricts exchange privileges—requiring formal members and meritorious service to exchange goods—the Yuanshi Sect prioritizes its own disciples for its treasures. Even when selling them to outsiders, it only accepts barter, not spirit stones. The treatment the Yuanshi Sect is giving him is essentially equivalent to that of an inner disciple! If it weren't for his position as the Sect Master of the Supreme Sect, which would allow him some connection to the Yuanshi Sect, and his exceptional skill in crafting puppets, especially chemical and spirit-explosive puppets—a skill unmatched by anyone—the Yuanshi Sect would grant him this treatment. It should be noted that even in the Immortal Qin Martial Kingdom, currently on friendly terms with the Yuanshi Sect, only the Martial Emperor and Crown Prince receive this level of treatment!

"He made a special trip, not only treating us like inner disciples, but also giving us ancient, secret Daoist scriptures, which are priceless. This True Monarch Guangxian is also very polite and a refined person. I have a very good impression of him. I don't know why the cultivators of the heavens say that the people of the Yuanshi Sect are arrogant and not easy to deal with!"

Being able to obtain other people's Daoist scriptures for free, and also getting the puppet blueprints of the Yuanshi Sect through cooperation with the Yuanshi Sect, allowing him to get another freebie, Su Qing was very satisfied with this trip. As a result, his impression of the Yuanshi Sect improved a lot, and he even began to speak up for the Yuanshi Sect's reputation in the heavens.

"That's how they treat you, True Person. After your battle with Qian Xuzi yesterday, all the sects and heavens have assessed you as having reached the Refinement Void level. That is, each sect must treat you the same way they would treat a sixth-level Refinement Void expert. That's why the Yuanshi Sect treats you with such courtesy. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't even be able to enter the gates of the Yuanshi Sect, let alone be given the treatment of an inner disciple!"

Peach Blossom True Lord followed behind Su Qing, explaining as if he were a lackey.

Clearly, their Peach Blossom Sect, like the Primordial Beginning Sect, also regarded Su Qing as a sixth-level Void Refinement cultivator. Not only did they give Su Ji Group many large orders, but they even sent him, their direct descendant, with impeccable lineage and a Daoist title that matched the sect's name, to serve under Su Qing and help Su Qing ingratiate himself with other sects in the heavens.

Taoyuan Zhenjun resisted and struggled against this, but he could not go against the greater good of the sect. He could only endure the humiliation for the sake of the sect and bow down to his lifelong enemy. After all, not to mention Su Qingtian's many achievements such as the Heavenly Emperor, the successor of creation, the Supreme Sect Master, and the leader of the Heavenly Puppet Master, just his identity as the two strong brothers made Taoyuan Sect, which now needed Gao Erqiang's help, have no choice but to maintain a good relationship with him!
"Oh, my meager skills have earned me such a reputation throughout the heavens? True Lord Peach Blossom Spring, are you perhaps trying to flatter me to death?"

Su Qing was taken aback by what he heard. In yesterday's battle, he had the mindset of getting a good start to avoid being hit a hundred times over. In addition, Qian Xuzi cooperated by sacrificing not only himself but also his father, giving him the opportunity to demonstrate his Star Puppet, Giant God Weapon, Exorcism Army and other techniques. He could understand that the effect was good, but to say that he was comparable to a sixth-level Void Refinement cultivator was a bit of an exaggeration.

"Why not? Yesterday, Master Su used those ancient god puppets with ease, displaying divine power no less than that of gods. Such a method of using divine power with ease must be the authority of the Heavenly Emperor. This shows that Master Su's position as the Heavenly Emperor is not just a title, but also has divine authority. Just based on this point alone, Master Su's status is no less noble than that of a sixth-level Void Refinement cultivator!"

Although Peach Blossom Monarch was in great pain and unwilling to acknowledge Su Qing's current status, he still truthfully told Su Qing what he knew when Su Qing questioned him.

Upon hearing this, Su Qing understood, glanced appreciatively at his follower, True Monarch Taoyuan, and said with a smile:
"Xiao Tao, don't underestimate yourself. You're quite good. You've been far ahead in the Spirit Needle Project. As long as you strive to win, I might give you a permanent position as my assistant. You'll have plenty of opportunities to improve in the future!"

Little Peach?

Who is Xiao Tao!

Your whole family is called Xiaotao!
What follower? I'm a proper prospective sect leader of the Peach Blossom Sect. I'm just helping you out and temporarily playing the role of your follower. You want me to be your follower forever?

My lifelong enemy is truly despicable; he has gone too far in bullying me!

Peach Blossom True Monarch felt deeply insulted and didn't see being Su Qing's follower as a promising career. He simply strode forward, hurrying to lead the way to the Lingbao Sect's lodgings so he could finish the task assigned to him by the sect as soon as possible! (End of Chapter)