Chapter 1572: Business Strategies

Chapter 1572: Sheng Yi Jing

Watching the retreating Tian Ting army, everyone couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. "Four million soldiers, and they return in defeat."

"That was a Ji Dao Di Bing, with power to destroy heaven and earth. Even if another four million came, it wouldn't be enough."

"What a regrettable scene." Too many people shook their heads and sighed. "A hundred years ago, Ye Chen dominated the mountains and triumphed over Ling Shan. Now, a century later, he's defeated in such a humiliating way."

"If not for the Di Qi, the Demon Subduing Pestle, Ling Shan would have been the one to lose this time. It's fortunate they still upheld a measure of Buddhist compassion, or Tian Ting would have been completely wiped out."

"What a pity. The Sacred Body has fallen to the Human Origin Realm, and the power of the Great Accomplishment Sacred Bones has long been exhausted. It can no longer directly challenge a Di Bing, nor reverse the heavens as in the past."

"Facts prove that Feng Xian'er's insight is still as sharp as ever." Many glanced toward Ling Shan.

Ye Chen had miscalculated, and they all clicked their tongues in amazement, underestimating the princess of the Phoenix Clan. Her methods were indeed clever.

Feng Xian'er completely ignored the gazes from all sides.

On the surface, she still maintained her compassionate demeanor, but in her heart, she was sneering. Her lips curved slightly, and her eyes flashed with a playful, mocking glint. The thrill was so intense she felt like bursting out in laughter.

She had won again, borrowing Ling Shan's might to drive back the Great Chu Tian Ting. The feeling was incredibly satisfying.

"Your compassion, Venerable One, has interfered with others' karma."

"The Buddha's teachings are vast and profound; your path is still long."

Xi Zun fell silent, removed his kasaya, set down his Zen staff, took off his prayer beads, and slowly walked away from Ling Shan.

"Buddhist disciple, you..."

The monks of Ling Shan rushed forward.

"I am no longer pure of the six roots; I cannot comprehend the Buddhist Zen." Xi Zun's voice faded into the distance.

The monks frowned and looked toward Shi Jia Venerable.

Shi Jia said nothing and did not stop him, only watching quietly as the Buddhist disciple of Ling Shan abandoned the path and chose the mortal world.

The onlookers found it uninteresting and dispersed in all directions.

Before leaving, they all turned back for a final glance at the stone stele standing before Ling Shan, where Jin Wu, Kun Peng, and the others were nailed to it, paying a horrific price for their past misdeeds.

This time, though Tian Ting returned in defeat, they still emerged victorious, having annihilated the four great sacred lands. As for their enemies, except for Feng Xian'er, all had been slain.

The vast heavens were dim and lifeless, shrouded in serene silence.

The Tian Ting cultivators trudged onward through the apocalyptic landscape on their way back.

The journey was silent. The four million had been forced to retreat without casualties, but in their eyes, the defeat was utter and devastating.

Perhaps since Tian Ting's founding, they had never suffered a loss like this.

As formidable as the Heavenly Demons, Tian Ting had withstood them.

As powerful as Great Emperors, Ye Chen had slaughtered them.

Yet now, they were intimidated by a single Di Bing and returned empty-handed. This battle was truly frustrating, and no one could accept it.

"Damn it all." The heavy silence was finally shattered by Xiong Er's bold roar.

His sudden shout startled many, making them jump and leaving them completely unprepared.

"They actually pulled out a Di Bing to scare us—how shameless." Xiao Ling Wa joined in the cursing, jumping around energetically.

"The sight of those bald heads just annoys me." Situ Nan grumbled, while glancing at Long Yi and Long Wu.

"What's with the glaring at us?" Long Yi and Long Wu weren't having it. They touched their bald heads, feeling quite proud.

No sooner had they spoken than the two were knocked down by surprise attacks.

A crowd surged forward, each carrying weapons, surrounding the pair and beating them outright.

The scene was a bit hard to watch—quite bloody.

Ye Chen watched with a helpless shake of his head and a smile. Though Xiong Er and the others were clowning around, they couldn't hide their underlying frustration.

Unwilling to accept it—Tian Ting was unwilling, and so was he.

As wise as he was, even Ye Chen had moments of miscalculation. He had underestimated the Ji Dao Di Bing and Feng Xian'er's luck.

She was someone favored by the heavens' fortune; whenever crisis struck, she always found a way out. Even the heavens seemed to side with her, helping her escape time and again.

This time, he was truly powerless and had no choice but to wait for Great Chu's return. This matter would require an emperor to settle the blood debt.

As he spoke, the Tian Ting army flooded back into the immortal mountain like a tide.

Long Yi and Long Wu were beaten so badly they wouldn't recognize their own mothers, and before they could recover, they were dragged off for more thrashings.

In fact, any bald or balding members of Tian Ting, like Yan Long and Niu Shi San, were all rounded up and beaten together.

Nan Di and Bei Sheng watched, their mouths twitching involuntarily.

Where did these people look like they'd just lost a battle? A bunch of lively troublemakers, finding the strangest excuses for chaos.

They felt lucky to have hair; otherwise, they'd likely be dragged out and beaten half to death too.

After knocking down group after group, the rowdy bunch finally smoothed their hair, their faces beaming with satisfaction.

Those who got beaten were miserable, crying out in pain. What was wrong with being bald? Who had they offended?

"The leaders of each division, come to Jade Maiden Peak." Ye Chen's voice rang out, aged and hoarse, echoing across the immortal mountain.

At the holy lord's command, figures soared through the sky one after another.

On the mountain peak, Hong Chen Xue was already waiting. Seeing Ye Chen arrive, she hurried forward and helped him up considerately.

"Missing your master again?" Ye Chen coughed.

"Why do you say that?" Hong Chen Xue smiled at him.

"Every time you miss your master, you're extra kind to me. The kinder you are to Hong Chen, the kinder you are to me."

"If that's how you put it, then it's not wrong."

As they spoke, the leaders of each division had already arrived, numbering over a thousand—all high-ranking members of Tian Ting.

The thousand or so people all had grim expressions, still fuming over the Western Desert incident. Their cold, murderous aura was impossible to suppress.

"Though Tian Ting was defeated, Great Chu has not." Ye Chen spoke calmly. "Victory and defeat are common in warfare."

"When Great Chu returns, we'll smash them one by one." The crowd growled in resentment, all holding back a bellyful of rage with nowhere to vent.

"Ling Shan has a Di Bing, which is beyond Tian Ting's ability to contend with. Set this aside for now. I called you all here for another matter."

"Another big move?" The eyes of those present lit up.

"It's indeed a move, but not for battle—it's for making money."

"Making money?" Over ninety percent of them were stunned.

"Tian Ting has five million cultivators; just gathering them makes for a massive sum. Are we short on money?" Situ Nan asked in surprise.

"What do you think?" Long Yi and Long Wu, holding their faces, cursed. "Just the protective barriers alone number nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, not to mention the other formations. Once activated, the spirit stones required are an unimaginable amount."

"That makes sense." Situ Nan coughed dryly.

"At most three months, a great clan in Xuan Huang will unseal." Ye Chen said slowly. "It's a race hostile to Tian Ting, and they have a Di Bing. As for which one, I can't calculate."

"A hostile one—that's not good news." Everyone frowned, their worry mixed with gravity.

Tian Ting had too many enemies, like Jin Wu, Kun Peng, the Immortal Clan, the God Clan, and the Demon Clan's Phoenix Clan.

These races were all inheritances of Great Emperors, each with Di Bing. If they returned, it would spell disaster for Tian Ting—a catastrophe.

The protective barriers of Tian Ting would be their strongest defense.

"If that clan unseals, they'll surely come to settle scores with Tian Ting." Ye Chen continued. "We need to prepare early. The barriers and attack formations must be reinforced. The spirit stones to sustain them will be crucial. Simply gathering money will eventually deplete our resources; it's a passive approach. You all should understand the risks."

"Perhaps we could consider hiding in the depths of the starry sky." The Demon King pondered. "We have enough time."

"Five million people make for too big a target; we'd be exposed anywhere. Hiding separately would just lead to being picked off one by one." Ye Chen said. "I prefer defense over evasion. With Tian Xu at our back, we can borrow its power."

"Then we won't leave—let's make money like crazy! We have the people for it."

"I can't calculate when Great Chu will return, but it won't be long. We just need to hold out until then." Ye Chen coughed. "We need enough spirit stones to maintain the barriers and formations. Better to prepare in advance."

"Making money? I'm your man for that." Xiong Er thumped his chest. "Give me enough manpower and resources, and I'll turn Tian Ting into a money empire."

"We believe you on that." Everyone present stroked their chins.

They knew Xiong Er all too well—his combat strength was pathetic, but his business mind was top-notch.

"Alright, let me throw out a business opportunity to open your eyes." Xiong Er rolled up his sleeves and launched into his pitch. "We'll set up space pavilions in every ancient city of Xuan Huang, imprinting bits of the Sword God's sword intent inside. People will flock to them, and we'll just collect the fees. The Sword God's reputation rings through the heavens; no one will dare cause trouble."

With that, he looked at Chu Ling Yu. "As the Sword God's disciple, you must have plenty of sword intent realms. We have the people to endlessly copy and sell them."

"Though I'm not thrilled about it, it's a solid opportunity." Chu Ling Yu chuckled. "I'll handle this."

"And you, Dan Zun Goddess—let's get some of your alchemy intent realms too. Alchemists love that stuff." Xiong Er rubbed his hands and grinned shamelessly at Hong Chen Xue. "This is another huge opportunity."

"It's quite the business savvy." Hong Chen Xue laughed and shook her head.

"Thus, Great Chu Tian Ting will fully support Xiong Er." Ye Chen smiled. Tian Ting was full of talents; anyone picked at random was exceptional and could shine.

Like Xiong Er—useless in a fight, but in business, he outshone everyone present by miles. That was his gift.

"This is crystal clear—we'll provide the money and the people." The leaders of Tian Ting all nodded, no one objecting.

"Damn, finally my time to shine—time to show off properly." Xiong Er adjusted his collar. In all his years of cultivation, he'd never held such power.

"Get ready!" Ye Chen said. "Hong Chen Xue, stay behind."

"Come on, follow me." Xiong Er waved his hand and waddled off with his hefty body, hurrying down the mountain.

With such authority, even his walk had changed.

The leaders laughed and rose, following Xiong Er down.

After everyone left, Hong Chen Xue poured a full cup of tea for Ye Chen. "Is there a big task for me?"

"Keep an eye on Ling Shan. If Feng Xian'er comes out, capture her alive."

"I've already arranged that." Hong Chen Xue smiled lightly. "We can't touch her in Ling Shan, but if she dares to leave, she'll never return. You can rest easy."

"You're handling it, so I'm not worried." Ye Chen smiled.