Spiritual energy could neither be seen nor touched.
Yet it truly existed.
Once compressed, its power was even greater.
Although there were no concrete figures, after analyzing the residual data from the Tailande secret realm and the Yellow River Secret Realm, the Special Investigation Bureau deduced that a full-power strike from a Golden Core cultivator could rival a missile.
Even missile launches required time.
A strike from a cultivator, however, was casual and instantaneous.
Not to mention, cultivators could possess trump cards akin to radar (divine sense), explosives (talismans), terrain alteration (formations), danger premonition (divination), heavy firepower (spells and skills), and flight (sword flight).
It was no exaggeration to say that a Golden Core cultivator was equivalent to a fighter jet ready for takeoff at any moment, capable of auto-targeting and loaded with countless heavy weapons.
A weapon in itself was a threat.
Not to mention a lethal weapon endowed with independent thought, emotions, and judgment.
Therefore, before determining each other’s trump cards, the authorities had no intention of making enemies of the Three Great Sects.
—To facilitate cooperation between the Demon Suppression Division and the Special Investigation Bureau, comrades responsible for diplomatic affairs were naturally stationed on Spirit Snake Island.
“You two, our base has a dedicated conference room for liaising with the Demon Suppression Division.”
Dressed in a gray suit, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson appeared remarkably poised. Decades of experience allowed her to remain thoroughly composed even when facing immortal cultivators.
“Our side does not wish to see casualties resulting from misunderstandings, so I believe such emergency situations are completely unnecessary for both parties.”
Her dignified, neither obsequious nor arrogant manner clearly earned Qiu Jiusi’s respect.
“Pardon our intrusion.”
The latter nodded and spoke clearly:
“The Demon Suppression Division has returned to the sect. Junior Brother Feng and I have been assigned to the Demon Suppression lineage, and in the future, we will work under Ma Guniang. From now on, the two of us will be responsible for material handovers and mutual interests between the Demon Suppression Division and your noble sect.”
With that, Qiu Jiusi glanced at Feng Guiyuan and added leisurely:
“Regarding the Yellow River Secret Realm, Ma Guniang has also instructed us. Junior Brother Guiyuan will remain with the Special Investigation Bureau to cooperate with your sect in conquering the Yellow River Secret Realm. However, that agreement needs some adjustments. Aside from fifty percent of the resources, our Demon Suppression Division also requires half of the territory, designated as a place for our sect disciples to train, seek treasures, and explore in the future. As for the spirit stone veins within, our Demon Suppression Division must also take a fifty percent share.”
The demands raised were already anticipated by the Strategy Formulation Department. With hundreds of plans and tens of thousands of strategies prepared, the spokesperson was fully confident.
She glanced at Feng Guiyuan, who looked displeased, and guessed that between the two, the one truly calling the shots was the seemingly icy Qiu Jiusi.
“Naturally. All of these will be written into a concrete written contract; our side has always upheld the spirit of contract.”
Following the plan, the spokesperson offered an exceptionally affable smile and said tactfully:
“Our side has also made gains in the Yellow River Secret Realm. Through research across multiple sectors, concerted efforts, and close cooperation, we are currently capable of mass-producing two basic pills: ‘Blood Supplementing Pills’ and ‘Qi-Supplementing Pills.’ We wonder if your noble sect might need them? Of course, limited by raw material supply and alchemy techniques, our current daily output of Blood Supplementing Pills can only reach ten tons, while the daily output of Qi-Supplementing Pills is just five tons. If the Demon Suppression Division is willing to accept transactions converted through resources, our side is also willing to offer a certain discount.”
Ten tons.
Five tons.
Daily output.
And that was without even running at full capacity.
Qiu Jiusi and Feng Guiyuan fell into varying degrees of stupor.
The spokesperson smiled faintly.
The authorities’ current research progress was actually considered slow; after numerous trials, they had only successfully formulated two low-grade pills: Blood Supplementing Pills and Qi-Supplementing Pills.
Yet trials had proven that the potency of these two pills was astounding.
Not to mention open wounds, even internal bleeding would begin healing in a short time after consuming just two pills.
Although the Special Investigation Bureau had already trialed these two products internally, the authorities had not promoted them on a large scale among the general public.
The rollout of pharmaceuticals could not be guided solely by short-term interests, nor could they be blinded by magical efficacy.
The authorities had far more to consider.
For instance, would ordinary people experience side effects from long-term consumption of these medicines?
Could these medicines be addictive?
Would these medicines disrupt the body’s native antibodies?
Could consuming pills cause the body to develop dependency, weakening its natural immunity?
Furthermore, to what extent would the accumulation of “pill toxins” within the pills cause harm to the human body?
Would lifting restrictions on purchasing these two pills lead to a massive surge in violent incidents?
Would an increased human reliance on pills disrupt the traditional healthcare industry?
Would illicit underground industries emerge as a result?
—All of this required prudent consideration.
Before ensuring absolute safety, it was unlikely that the Special Investigation Bureau would expand production lines further and grant purchasing eligibility to ordinary people.
Consequently, the alchemy production lines had been paused for the past few days, and Qi-Supplementing Pills and Blood Supplementing Pills had piled up like mountains in the warehouses.
Even though the black uniforms of the Special Investigation Bureau on the front lines consumed a considerable amount daily, compared to the astonishing daily output, that number was still minuscule.
After several rounds of negotiations, the two sides finally settled on a mutually satisfactory transaction price:
One low grade spirit stone for ten jin of Blood Supplementing Pills.
One low grade spirit stone for five jin of Qi-Supplementing Pills.
Eavesdropping through a wood puppet, Nan Zhi’s lips curled upward. Who on earth bought and sold pills by the jin?
In the Four Provinces Continent, alchemists were cultivated little by little over time with massive amounts of money and overwhelming resources poured into them.
Alchemy was time-consuming, and alchemists capable of mass-producing pills were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
In the sea market, one low grade spirit stone could only buy a single Blood Supplementing Pill; for a Qi-Supplementing Pill, it could only buy half a pill.
And that was for the lowest quality with excessive pill toxins.
—Some were not even properly formed into round pills.
Yet countless rogue cultivators, unlike disciples of major sects, had no choice.
A hundredfold, thousandfold, or even ten-thousandfold price difference.
She could even offset it with resources from the Yellow River Secret Realm.
Buying and selling.
Pure profit without capital.
The wool came from the sheep, and this particular sheep had even thoughtfully woven the wool into a woolen blanket.
Add to that the development of spirit stone veins and resource sharing in the Yellow River Secret Realm...
In the future, she could support the entire Three Great Sects all on her own!
The spokesperson also suppressed a smile.
Although the initial development of the Yellow River Secret Realm required heavy infrastructure investment, it could create jobs, stimulate consumption, and indirectly boost domestic economic growth.
The materials for Blood Supplementing Pills and Qi-Supplementing Pills in the secret realm were not difficult to harvest; they merely required high precision and manual labor.
Once the infrastructure in the Yellow River Secret Realm was completed, ushering in an era of mechanized harvesting and industrialized herb processing, this cost could be reduced even further.
With Feng Guiyuan, a Golden Core cultivator, guarding the Yellow River Secret Realm, the difficulty of developing the secret realm would drop significantly.
An undeveloped, uncharted world!
Mineral resources, biological resources, spiritual energy resources...
It was evident that the other side genuinely respected technology.
Thus, with one side aiming for hundredfold price differences and colossal profits, and the other seeking to resolve overcapacity and open up the secret realm, both parties swiftly finalized the purchase agreement.
A win-win for all.
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