War has always been preceded by the forward movent of supplies before the deploynt of troops and horses.
The news of the territorial expansion war had not yet spread, but in the Jiuding Square of the Southern Border, the prices of resources such as Elixir Pills, talismans, Magic Artifacts, and Arrays had already risen to varying degrees.
The Zhao family, benefiting from the marriage alliance with the Ge family, beca the second wave of families to learn the insider information.
Zhao Sheng was well aware that the news could not be concealed for long.
At most a month, at least seven or eight days.
The ssage that the Yuye Ancestor wanted to initiate a territorial expansion war would inevitably spread throughout the Southern Border.
It had been nearly five hundred years since the last territorial expansion war in the Southern Border.
Zhao Sheng could imagine that when a deliciously enticing big cake was suddenly placed in front of countless Cultivators of the Southern Border, it would definitely attract many participants eager to benefit from the war.
This would be a joint carnival feast of Sects, Cultivation Families, and Loose Cultivators.
By that ti, there would certainly be so Cultivation Families rising to power by taking advantage of the situation, and so forces would suffer heavy losses, never to recover or even perish.
War has always been cruel, especially wars within the Cultivation World.
Demon beasts have an exceptionally strong sense of territory, and Cultivators who want to open up a new fertile land for humanity in the Southern Border must inevitably engage in a protracted, life-and-death war with thousands of demon beasts.
For the Zhao family, the territorial expansion war was an opportunity that ca once in a thousand years.
Because there is a recognized tradition in the territorial expansion war: Whoever conquers, occupies! Whoever develops, owns.
In simple terms, if you can occupy a piece of spirit land and successfully develop it,
Then that piece of spirit land will belong to you.
The reason for this tradition is that "a single tree does not make a forest."
Developing a region is never sothing that one or two people or even one or two forces can easily accomplish.
Even if the Elixir Cauldron Sect has the strength to do it, choosing to monopolize will provoke public outrage.
After the Yu Lin Ancestor cut the largest piece of cake, he would often release the remaining scraps for other forces to fight over.
However, with countless Cultivation Clan and Sect forces in the Southern Border, which forces are chosen to participate at that ti will depend on the personal opinion of the Yu Lin Ancestor.
And this is where the opportunity for the Zhao family lies.
Before Zhao Xuan'an's return, he had already taken his wife, Ge Feng'er, back to the Ge family for a visit.
It was ostensibly a family visit, but in reality, he was gathering intelligence.
Once any useful information was obtained, it would be imdiately sent back to Taifu Mountain.
The Zhao family had three Foundation Establishnt Cultivators, with Zhao Sheng stationed at Taifu Mountain, responsible for summarizing and analyzing intelligence, and issuing various commands to the clan mbers at any ti.
Zhao Jijian, who was already at the Third Level of Foundation Establishnt with the strongest strength, was currently in Nine Tripods Square, purchasing Elixir Pills and various materials for the family while ensuring the safety of clan mbers and materials.
To covertly gather materials, more than thirty Cultivator clan mbers of the Zhao family had already dispersed throughout Nine Tripods Square.
Zhao Keru was imrsed in the alchemy room, tirelessly refining Breaking Miasma Pills, Revitalizing Pills, and various other Elixir Pills.
With the Southern Border Wilderness filled with deep forests and miasmas and Gu Worms, Breaking Miasma Pills are essential Elixir Pills.
The Revitalizing Pill is a Healing Pill, which goes without saying.
To gain ownership of a piece of spirit land, the Zhao family was mobilizing all its strength and resources.
As ti went by day after day, countless outdated pieces of intelligence were rcilessly torn down from the wall in front of Zhao Sheng, but even more notes would be put up.
The day the news of the territorial expansion war thundered throughout the Southern Border, the Zhao family's preparation of supplies had just barely begun.
Zhao Sheng was very concerned, not because of a shortage of supplies, but because he had discovered a difficult-to-nd weakness within the family.
The most important thing was that this weakness could very well decide the final success or failure of the family.
The next morning, smoke rose from the chimneys of Zhao'an City, a picture of tranquility and peace.
But within the City Lord Mansion, situated in the center of the inner city, the atmosphere was exceptionally tense, and the servants and maids did not even dare to breathe too loudly.
Zhao Sheng sat at the head of the main hall, silently observing the seven Zhao family mbers below him.
Nearly thirty years after its construction, the Zhao clan had grown from just over three thousand to nearly ten thousand mbers.
Yet out of these nearly ten thousand people, only seven had beco Innate Martial Artists.
For the Zhaos, who had built their foundation on martial prowess, this number was rather low.
Every year, the Zhao family would bestow a good number of Essence Qi Pills, in addition to the many experiences and notes left by the ancestral Innate Martial Artists.
The Zhao family should not have only seven Innates. In Zhao Sheng's view, there should be at least a dozen or more.
The saying goes, "Prosperity breeds complacency, and adversity fosters strength."
"Alas, it seems the Zhao family has grown slack over the years!"
After Zhao Sheng internally sighed, his expression turned extrely cold.
He turned his head toward the visibly anxious patriarch of the Zhao's Mortal Clan and commanded in a cold voice, "I don't care what thods you use. Within one year, you must gather twenty Innates. If one is missing, soone else will take your place as patriarch!"
Hearing this demanding requirent, the Zhao clan leader, known for his shrewdness and capability, almost burst into tears.
Innate Grandmasters are not cabbages that one can grow on a whim.
He was about to beg for leniency but, seeing Zhao Sheng's stern face, he swallowed the words that had co to his mouth and silently nodded instead.
The Zhao family currently faced a very troubleso weakness.
A normal Cultivation Family's strength is usually pyramid-shaped from top to bottom.
However, the Zhao family's structure resembled a dumbbell, with a serious scarcity of middle-tier strength in the Qi Refining Late Stage.
As the older generation of the Zhao family, including Zhao Jinding, passed away one after another, there were only twelve people in the Ke and Chong generations combined, with only two in the Qi Refining Late Stage, six in the middle stage, and the remaining four in the early stage of Qi Refining, not significant enough to be of great use.
In the Xuan generation, there were nearly thirty mbers, but the highest in cultivation was Zhao Xuanjing, only at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, followed by Zhao Xuan'an at the Sixth Layer, with the majority around the first and second layers.
Zhao Sheng had once estimated that among the family's three Foundation Establishnt Cultivators, the strongest had but the Third Level Foundation Establishnt, and Zhao Keru was not adept at combat.
For these three to establish a spiritual land was not impossible, but it would be challenging.
That wasn't even the worst of it.
The bigger challenge was how to ensure the spiritual land remained intact under the coveting of outsiders and demon beasts.
However, the most pressing issue for the Zhao family was the critical shortage of usable manpower.
To know, establishing a new spiritual land in the Southern Border Wilderness required more than ordinary people; you'd need at least Innate Martial Artists.
Ordinary humans couldn't possibly adapt to the extrely harsh environnt of the wilderness, where even a small amount of miasma could claim a life, not to ntion the savage demon beasts and gu worms.
Unfortunately, the Zhao family didn't have deep enough resources compared to other venerable Foundation Establishnt Families and couldn't afford to hire Loose Cultivators to assist.
Form an alliance with other families?
Zhao Sheng wouldn't choose to do so unless it was absolutely necessary.
Because mutual trust was a major issue.
You should never underestimate a Cultivation Family's longing for their own spiritual land.
Likewise, you couldn't trust the promises of any family, even if a Blood Covenant was signed.
In the hierarchically stringent Central Continent Cultivation World, a Cultivation Family without its spiritual land will always dwell at the bottom of the cultivation hierarchy.
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