Chen Wentian and Zhou Ziyun left Gold River Trading Post after a short sojourn. After all, such a place was not their primary target. They only came here to set the bait that would attract bigger fish. Twenty kilograms of space-attribute spiritual crystal wasn’t something a lowly figure like Immortal Grasping River Meng Kang could swallow by himself. He would naturally have to involve the higher-ups of his organization.

Chen Wentian and Zhou Ziyun wandered the streets for a little while longer, buying a few gifts here and there and returned to the harbor. Once back on the Skyward General, he held a private meeting for his disciples to discuss their plans going forward.

“Aiya, this Meng Kang sounds really pitiful. A venerable Spirit Lord Realm immortal and he can only manage a shop,” Xu Lanyi said, “What was the point of cultivating then?”

Song Wushuang snorted, “Lanyi, he is a member of a massive sect where Spirit Lords are plentiful like chickens and dogs. In the subcontinent, we thought immortals were like deities. Here, they are simply servants.”

Chen Wentian laughed. His disciples certainly had a way of putting things into perspective. Perhaps it was due to his teaching style or general lack of strictness or tough discipline in his sect. They had an even more indifferent attitude towards immortals these days than those mortals that roamed the streets of Cloud Edge City. Or maybe he simply spoiled them too much.

He flicked a peanut at Xu Lanyi which bounced off her forehead.

“Ouch,” She rubbed her head and glared at him.

“Don’t get too cocky. Remember, we are not here to cause trouble. It is a little too early for that. Our primary mission is still to help Long Yifei’s end-of-year examinations. Everything we do here is towards that goal.”

“Master, I am still a little unclear about that,” Zhou Ziyun said, “With the void crystals, we will surely catch the attention of the Seven Rivers Union. That part is taken care of. Then, what should we do? It’s not like we can start fights in the streets with random bandits. They all have various factions and alliances. There is no easy prey here. We can’t kick over a hornet’s nest.”

“If there are no opportunities, doing nothing is also okay,” He smiled, “Just treat it as a learning experience. Use your eyes to observe and your ears to listen. Perhaps you can get some inspiration from here toward your cultivation. If nothing else, we can take the flying ship to tour the surface of the Temple of the Clouds. It is a special place. Even I have yet to visit a place as wonderous as this.”

“Yes, master.”

“Understood, master.”

With that, everyone on the ship settled in to wait. The Seven Rivers Union they were hoping to meet was one the major powers within Cloud Edge City as well as the whole of the Martial Brilliance Continent. In fact, they were one of the Northern Oligarchs, one of the six major powers that ruled the northern regions of the continent.

The Northern Oligarchs were slightly different from the Seven Potentates of Jiannan. While the Seven Potentates were seven powerful cultivation sects that were largely independent, the Northern Oligarchs were more closely intertwined. This was because the nature of their organization was different.

While the likes of the Yang Clan of Great Waves and the Starry Wei Clan were strictly cultivation sects, the Seven Rivers Union and the other oligarchs were businesses. In this, they were more similar to the Golden Basin Auction House. Their primary aim was to make money and control certain industries using money rather that raw power.

Each oligarch had its specialties and they also worked together. The Seven Rivers Union focused on treasures. They liked to buy crystals and special materials to craft spiritual treasures and special items. They had talented artisans, inscriptionists, and weaponsmiths. It was a highly skilled business with high profit margins.

Chen Wentian was specifically interested in two things from the union. They could craft flying boats and he wanted to order a custom one. The Tortoise Can Fly was still good but a bit cramped, especially now that he had twelve disciples. After sailing in luxury through the skies on the Skyward General, he also wanted his own.

The other was a teleportation array. He wanted to establish a special teleportation array for the Black Mountain Stronghold. The Seven Rivers Union could handle such a task. And if he gathered more void crystals, he could afford more arrays, perhaps even a long-range one that linked the Martial Brilliance Continent and the Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent.

Aside from this, Chen Wentian was also interested in the other oligarchs. One of them was the richest sect in the continent, even richer than the Golden Basin Auction House. They operated banks across many cities as well as auction houses and pawn shops. They even lent money to immortals as they had the power to collect on those debts.

Another oligarch operated a powerful mercenary force. They were cultivators for hire and the strongest sect in the north. Known as the Demon Suppressing Army, they often fought in the frontier and were famous throughout this part of the human world.

There were six oligarchs in total. The remaining three also had their unique businesses.

One was a medicine house, renowned for the best doctors and medicine makers, rivaling the Undying Medicine Valley of the south.

Another operated vast farms across fertile plains, producing spiritual rice, spirit-infused vegetables, herbs, and fungi. They even raised livestock like spirit chickens and pigs that could improve one’s cultivation with just a meal.

The last one was involved in entertainment with singers, dancers, musicians, and performance troops. They operated restaurants, casinos, and pleasure resorts that catered to all levels of the cultivation world.

All of these organizations were closely intertwined. And at the crux of it all was the Sororal Order of Endless Love which united them all. That was his ultimate target, the one group Chen Wentian wished to meet the most, the eternal rival of the Virtuous Order.

Since the Seven Potentates and the Virtuous Order wanted to cause him trouble, he would have to cause trouble for them in return. It was only fair.

Even though he had become a Spirit King, he was still a small fry in the Martial Brilliance Continent. To buy time to grow stronger, he had to stir up the pond and let the big fish fight it out with each other. Meanwhile, he could find opportunities and thrive in murky waters.

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