The sturdy beams and neatly laid stone bricks.
The brand-new great hall conveyed a sense of minimalism.
The new hall of the Luo Tian Creed was named Luo Tian Grand Hall.
Nothing was extravagant or wasteful; it was built with the aim of saving Spirit Stones.
Luo Chen didn’t want anything glittering with gold or exuding an immortal-like grandeur.
All beginnings are difficult, hence simplicity is the way to go for now.
When he arrived at the Luo Tian Grand Hall, Sima Huiniang, Gu Caiyi, Duan Feng, and Qu Lingjun had been waiting for some time.
Without wasting any words, Luo Chen got straight to the point.
First and foremost, he was most concerned about the market for Jade Marrow Pills.
"Caiyi, you can brief us," he said.
Gu Caiyi nodded, and went on to present the findings of her year-long investigation.
"Firstly, Wan Jade!"
"Currently, in Tianlan Immortal City, no less than ten shops can supply Wan Jade, the main ingredient for Jade Marrow Pills, in large quantities. This means we won’t be choked off by a lack of raw materials when making Jade Marrow Pills."
"The problem is that due to the war, the price of Wan Jade has gone up. Therefore, we must pay attention to the cost."
Listening to her introduction, Luo Chen couldn’t help but lift his eyebrows.
It was clear that she had put in a lot of work this past year.
He only asked her to investigate the market for Jade Marrow Pills, but she had even gathered information about the raw materials for the pills.
"Next, our competitors. On the market of Tianlan Immortal City, there are fifteen kinds of cultivation pills suitable for lower-level cultivators."
"Among these, the Qi Nurturing Pill sold by Spirit Medicine Hall and the Yellow Dragon Pill sold by Qingdan Valley are the most popular. Currently, they are priced high. A bottle costs, respectively, 120 and 110 Spirit Stones. The price is somewhat inflated due to the war."
"The other thirteen kinds of pills are produced by Hundred Flowers Palace, Luo Yun Sect... and several other Immortal Cultivation Clans."
"The quality of the pills produced by the Great Sects is guaranteed, and the prices generally hover around 100 Spirit Stones. The pills sold by the smaller powers have various issues, similar to the Dantian Jade Formation problem the Jade Marrow Pills had in the early stage. Therefore, even affected by the war, their prices only fluctuate around ninety."
"Moreover, their market shares are insignificant!"
She took a deep breath, having said so much at once.
Even as a Ninth-Level Qi Refinement cultivator, Gu Caiyi felt a bit tired.
Not physically, but mentally, as the information she contained was overwhelming.
Which pill came from where, what effects it had, what price it commanded - all these details had to be kept in mind.
When speaking, she had to judge based on her actual observations.
Only this way could Luo Chen have a clear understanding of the market situation.
Seeing Luo Chen nodding thoughtfully, Gu Caiyi finally heaved a sigh of relief. She added:
"Lastly, from my perspective, the market for low-level cultivation pills in Tianlan Immortal City is already very saturated."
"We would face many difficulties trying to enter."
Qu Lingjun curiously asked: "What kind of difficulties?"
"Price undercutting, competition from peers, and even..." Gu Caiyi hesitated.
Luo Chen said lightly from above: "Do you mean permission from the higher-ups?"
Gu Caiyi nodded, "Indeed, I have inquired. There are three Immortal Cultivation Clans whose pills, in addition to being sold, also contribute an extra amount of Spirit Stones to their affiliated Great Sect."
After saying this, she gave a bitter smile.
"Honestly, the batch of Jade Marrow Pills that the chairman gave me previously could have been sold out in just a month or two."
"But this time, it took me considerable effort. Through the black market, retail, and markets, it took me a whole year to barely sell them all."
Qu Lingjun, who had grown into a young man, felt overwhelmed upon hearing these challenges. He thought making a pill was already hard enough, but selling it was even harder!
However, after hearing this, Sima Hui Niang frowned.
She knew how much the batch of Jade Marrow Pills that the chairman had put out for sale was worth.
About fifty thousand Spirit Stones.
That’s a lot, but if averaged over a year’s income, it’s pitifully small.
If this were how they ran their operations in the future, how could the Luo Tian Creed expand and develop?
Let alone the Luo Tian Creed, even for supplying just Luo Chen’s cultivation, they probably wouldn’t be able to keep up.
For a moment, even she, the president, was at a loss.
But to her surprise, Luo Chen was still calm.
"Having many competitors is not a problem. It shows that the market is vast and far from saturated."
"Our Jade Marrow Pills have a particularly low production cost. Additionally, I have remedied the Dantian Jade Formation side effect, making their potency second to none. Under these circumstances, we can penetrate the market through our pricing advantage!"
"As for the pressure from higher-ups..."
Everyone was curious about Luo Chen.
Could he solve this problem, too?
They knew that the top forces in Tianlan Immortal City were all the Seven Sects of Yu Ding, and even enormous entities like the Ascendant Nascent Soul Sects from beyond their domain.
Luo Chen had accomplished miracles often, but could he really find a way out at this level?
Facing the curious, worried, and expectant gazes of the three, Luo Chen said lightly, "The pressure from the top, I will take care of. You don’t need to worry."
He can really solve it!
Everyone exchanged glances, their admiration for Luo Chen growing stronger in their shock.
Luo Chen’s gaze fell on Qu Lingjun.
"The Earth Fire Caves, they’re all set up, right?"
Qu Lingjun nodded at once. "Underneath Danxia Peak, there’s a First Order Earth Fire Vein. The Divine Craft Clan and the Geng Family initially developed twenty Earth Fire Caves here to lease out."