Forest Spring Watch was in ruins, and there was still no news from Daoist Master Guang Zhi despite Meng Zhang’s concerns. Since Guang Zhi Daoist Master, along with Daoist Master Roaring Blaze, set off to Demon Wind Gobi with Fei Tian Daoist Master, there had been no communication, and no information had leaked out.
Meng Zhang dared to join Flying Swan Sect’s plan to take action against Forest Spring Watch because Sect Master Fei Hongzi personally assured him that Guang Zhi Daoist Master would never obstruct the downfall of Forest Spring Watch by Taiyi Sect or any other sect. Moreover, Guang Zhi Daoist Master wouldn’t have the capability to retaliate against Taiyi Sect and others.
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Fei Hongzi’s assurance wasn’t mere empty talk; he made a solemn oath, staking his life, when creating a ghost oath with a sworn pledge regarding these matters. If Fei Hongzi failed to fulfill his promises, Netherworld’s Ghost Deity would take his life. Meng Zhang believed that Fei Hongzi, a Sect Master with integrity, wouldn’t risk his own life to deceive Taiyi Sect and others.
However, the lack of specific information about Guang Zhi Daoist Master remained a hidden danger. When Fei Tian Daoist Master invited Guang Zhi Daoist Master and Daoist Master Roaring Blaze to accompany him, he had also made a ghost oath not to harm them. Meng Zhang couldn’t help but speculate that Fei Tian Daoist Master had intentionally left some loopholes in the oath to trap the two opponents.
Of course, all of this was mere speculation on Meng Zhang’s part, as he had no concrete information.
As a Gold Core Daoist Master, the power struggles were far beyond Meng Zhang’s current reach, and he was unable to intervene. His only focus now was to continuously strengthen his own power and develop and expand Taiyi Sect.
Taiyi Sect’s expansion had been too rapid, and it was becoming a bit overwhelming. With the current manpower, it was challenging to effectively manage such vast territories.
There were hundreds of thousands of mortals residing in Taiyi Sect’s territories. Almost every year, many of them awakened their spiritual roots. Given enough time, the number of Taiyi Sect disciples would experience significant growth.
As an interim measure, Meng Zhang had to recruit a large number of loose cultivators. However, instead of directly absorbing them into the sect, he established an external organization called the Co-operative Society.
The name "Co-operative Society" had two meanings: first, to unite everyone’s efforts in loyalty to Taiyi Sect, and second, to foster cooperation and mutual support among its members.
As news of the Co-operative Society recruiting numerous cultivators spread, countless loose cultivators and even some descendants of small clans flocked to join, as Taiyi Sect was the regional overlord.
Meng Zhang painstakingly met with each of these loose cultivators, using Mind Reading to understand their intentions. After careful screening and eliminating those who were unsuitable, he managed to select over a hundred cultivators.
The Co-operative Society served as an external organization of Taiyi Sect, where members could receive tasks and rewards from the sect.
In Meng Zhang’s vision, as Taiyi Sect continued to grow, it would undoubtedly attract vassal families and hired sects in the future. The Co-operative Society could then be used to manage these vassal forces, uniting their strengths to serve Taiyi Sect.
Moreover, Meng Zhang had another long-term plan in mind. Taiyi Sect was no longer the small and struggling Refining Qi sect it once was. To improve the overall quality of its disciples, the entry requirements would gradually be raised. Taiyi Sect would no longer accept anyone without discernment.
In the future, when awakened spiritual roots among the common people on Taiyi Sect’s territories showed poor aptitude, they wouldn’t be able to directly join Taiyi Sect. However, they wouldn’t be left without a path of cultivation or become loose cultivators either.
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Meng Zhang’s approach was to have such individuals join the Co-operative Society first. If they performed well and passed various tests, they might still have a chance to be accepted into Taiyi Sect.
While these plans were for the future, the Co-operative Society’s current main function was to help Taiyi Sect manage its vast territories.
Meng Zhang carefully selected a disciple named Tian Kang’an from Taiyi Sect to be the head of the Co-operative Society. Tian Kang’an, hailing from Sweetwater Oasis, came from a respectable background and was considered a true Taiyi Sect descendant. He was even a distant cousin of the current Hall Master, Tian Li.
Tian Kang’an had good aptitude, having reached the Refining Qi late stage within less than twenty years since joining Taiyi Sect. To empower him further, Meng Zhang bestowed him with two excellent First Rank magic tools and an array of symbols, enhancing his combat capabilities enough to suppress the newly joined loose cultivators.
In addition, Meng Zhang selected two disciples with a loose cultivator background to serve as vice presidents, assisting Tian Kang’an in managing the Co-operative Society.
With the establishment of the Co-operative Society, Taiyi Sect’s control over its territories gradually strengthened.
After Shi Family became a vassal of Taiyi Sect, and with the passing of some time, Shi Changqing showed no signs of disloyalty. Taiyi Sect disciples with alchemy talent, including Pill Hall Master Zhang Yingying, sought advice from Shi Changqing multiple times, and he generously shared his knowledge.
Having Shi Changqing, a Second Rank Alchemist, wholeheartedly helping Taiyi Sect cultivate alchemists, the progress greatly accelerated.
Meng Zhang entrusted the complete formula for the Lesser Foundation Building Pill to Shi Changqing, making him swear an oath never to divulge it. Even Shi Family members couldn’t learn the secret without Meng Zhang’s permission.
Since receiving the formula for the Lesser Foundation Building Pill, Shi Changqing had invested a lot of effort into researching and completing it. However, it had proven to be a challenging task, and after many years of hard work, the progress remained minimal.
Shi Changqing could hardly believe that something he had long desired was now within reach, yet kept hidden by Meng Zhang. With his alchemy skills, he could easily refine even the true Foundation Building Pill, let alone the Lesser Foundation Building Pill.
Though the materials required for the Lesser Foundation Building Pill were fewer than those for the Foundation Building Pill, gathering them all was still no simple task. Some of the special materials required unique secret methods for cultivation.
Shi Changqing estimated that, even if everything went smoothly, it would take at least twenty years to collect all the materials needed to refine a single batch of Lesser Foundation Building Pills.
As more and more Taiyi Sect disciples reached the Refining Qi stage, the urgency to address their Foundation Building problem grew. Since obtaining the Foundation Building Pill was currently not feasible, the Lesser Foundation Building Pill became the only option.
Meng Zhang spared no effort and invested a massive amount of resources, even channeling the entire Taiyi Sect’s strength, to ensure the swift collection of materials so that Shi Changqing could start his alchemy process.
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