The King of the South thought for a moment and found the terms acceptable, so he agreed.

There was no reason not to agree, as everything Azurecloud Sect was selling was useful to them, and they were even paying taxes according to the rules. How great was that? Unlike Heavenmyst Sect, which didn't pay taxes at all...

After both parties reached an agreement and signed the contract, the King of the South handed over the prepared spirit stones and materials.

In fact, the Cloudmount Empire had definitely come to take the Flying Dragon Guard back, to avoid any unforeseen complications.

So, they had already brought the items for the trade.

As for the balance, according to the original plan of the Cloudmount Empire, it was to be compensated with Qing Prefecture.

Now that they could keep Qing Prefecture, there was nothing better for the Cloudmount Empire.

"I hope we can establish a friendly relationship and avoid future conflicts," the King of the South said with deep emotion.

One conflict had cost them so much; the Cloudmount Empire really couldn't afford another!

Zhang Yang also said with emotion, "Our Azurecloud Sect has always loved peace and never initiated disputes. The fact that we didn't want your Qing Prefecture proves this point.

This time, it was because someone was mining within Azurecloud Sect's territory. Our intention was to ask for an explanation and then peacefully negotiate a solution.

Unexpectedly, our actions were seen as weakness by the Lord of Anqing City, who then sent the Flying Dragon Guard against us, leading to a series of problems.

But sometimes conflict leads to understanding; perhaps we can seek new developments in the future."

The King of the South's eyes sharpened, and he said with a smile, "Rest assured, Master Zhang, the Lord of Anqing City won't live long."

This time, the Cloudmount Empire suffered greatly, with the Third Prince taking the blame for the Emperor. Given the prince's status, there wouldn't be severe consequences. However, a minor Lord of Anqing City wouldn't be so lucky. Causing such a huge disaster for the empire, how could he not pay with his life?

Zhang Yang smiled, "I won't interfere in your empire's internal matters. However, I have one more thing to discuss. I wonder if Your Excellency the King of the South would be interested in cooperating?"

"What is it?" the King of the South inquired.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "As you know, we have some mines in Azurecloud Sect that need to be developed. Originally, the Flying Dragon Guard was the best for mining these, but now that they're returned to you, I wonder if the King of the South would be interested in cooperating with us to develop these mines?"

Azurecloud Sect was short on manpower, so Zhang Yang turned his attention to the King of the South.

The King of the South didn't hear anything else; he only heard about the cooperation in mining and eagerly asked, "How would we cooperate?"

"Our Azurecloud Sect's mines are there and will be mined sooner or later, so a fifty-fifty split won't work. If you're willing, we can do a seventy-thirty split, with Azurecloud Sect taking seventy percent. In return, your descendants will have the opportunity to join Azurecloud Sect. Regardless of their talent, we will treat them as sect disciples and not mistreat them," Zhang Yang said with a smile.

The King of the South decisively said, "Deal!"

The Cloudmount Empire had a good relationship with Heavenmyst Sect, but it didn't prohibit joining other sects.

So, the King of the South had no other concerns.

"I happen to have a grandson, with decent talent, who just turned ten. When I return, I'll send him to Azurecloud Sect. Meanwhile, my construction team will also come to Azurecloud Sect, awaiting your arrangements," the King of the South said to Zhang Yang.

"Absolutely no problem!" Zhang Yang agreed.

Then, he ordered the Flying Dragon Guard to escort the Third Prince and the Flying Dragon Guard out of Azurecloud, watching the Cloudmount Empire's people depart.

The King of the South, with the Flying Dragon Guard, flew on the Flying Vessel for a while, not finding Su Mingyang from Heavenmyst Sect, and decided not to wait, heading directly to Anqing City: "We'll handle a small matter, then return to the capital to report this incident to His Majesty."

He was very satisfied with this trip to Azurecloud, not only avoiding the stigma of ceding territory but also securing a business deal for the King of the South's family.

He was sure that even His Majesty would be very pleased with the outcome of this transaction, so the King of the South's family should receive great benefits.

Meanwhile, back at Azurecloud Sect, just after the King of the South and his entourage left, Qingyunzi and others appeared at Zhang Yang's villa, even Situ Mingyue was there.

"Senior Brother, you must have made a fortune this time!" Situ Mingyue said, looking at Zhang Yang.

"What are you talking about?" Zhang Yang snorted, "It's our Azurecloud Sect that made a fortune!"

He laughed proudly.

One and a half million spirit stones, plus previous savings, Azurecloud Sect now had over two million spirit stones.

More importantly, there were countless cultivation materials, which were crucial for Azurecloud Sect. Through Azurecloud Sect, they could earn a lot of money back.

Qingyunzi and the others looked at Zhang Yang in confusion.

How poor Azurecloud Sect used to be!

How long has it been, and they already have so many spirit stones and resources? Were they really that incompetent?

"Master, do you see the benefits of reform now?" Zhang Yang said with a smile to Qingyunzi, "In the future, Azurecloud Sect's wealth will only grow."

Qingyunzi said seriously, "I was just worried you'd ruin Azurecloud Sect. After all, the sect will be handed over to you in the future. If I leave you with a mess, you'd blame me, wouldn't you?"

"Not worried anymore, right?" Zhang Yang asked with a smile.

Qingyunzi shook his head and sighed, "Just do as you see fit. If you need help, just ask us."

Seeing Zhang Yang so capable, what was there to worry about?

Especially since Zhang Yang had a Primal Chaos Golden Core. Once he matured, Qingyunzi would be completely relieved.

Zhang Yang looked at the numerous spirit stones and materials, thought for a moment, and said, "Half of the materials go to the warehouse as Azurecloud Sect's foundation. The other half goes to Third Uncle-Master and Sixth Uncle-Master. Your responsibility is to turn these materials into alchemical pills and magical treasures. These are the financial sources of our Azurecloud Sect and must not be neglected."

Danchenzi and Sixth Uncle-Master nodded with smiles, not complaining about the work.

Previously, they wanted to refine pills and forge artifacts but had no materials. Now they could use them freely, so what was there to be unhappy about?

"The spirit stones will be handled similarly. One million spirit stones will be stored as development funds. The remaining spirit stones, Master will take fifty thousand. As for the rest, the six Uncle-Masters, plus myself and Junior Sister, will split it equally, about ten thousand spirit stones each," Zhang Yang said slowly.

He didn't know why Qingyunzi needed spirit stones, but he knew Qingyunzi must have his reasons, so he gave Qingyunzi an additional forty thousand spirit stones.

"Then I won't be polite!" Qingyunzi took fifty thousand spirit stones.

In contrast, Lingyunzi and the others hesitated.

Zhang Yang said earnestly, "Uncle-Masters, you must take these spirit stones. Your task is to quickly retreat and break through to the Divine Soul Stage. Heavenmyst Sect has two Divine Souls and dares to flaunt their power at our Azurecloud Sect. We cannot face such a situation again. Your strength is the greatest guarantee for our Azurecloud Sect's development and safety, so please accept the spirit stones and maximize your cultivation."

With that said, Lingyunzi and the others didn't hesitate and took the spirit stones.

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"I don't need any!" Situ Mingyue said with a smile.

She wasn't short of money; the initial spirit stones for Azurecloud Sect were given by her!

Zhang Yang glanced at Situ Mingyue, "This is Azurecloud Sect's dividend. Everyone gets it, and it wouldn't be right if you didn't. Just take it!"

Situ Mingyue was speechless. It was clearly a good thing, so why did it feel so uncomfortable?