Zhao Lingxi couldn’t resist Lin Chen and eventually had to accept the name Lingxi Commerce Guild.
It must be acknowledged that Zhao Lingxi managed the business affairs of the Jade Cauldron Kingdom in an orderly fashion.
Initially, some of the elders within the Jade Cauldron Sect didn’t approve of Zhao Lingxi, thinking she was too young and her cultivation was not high.
However, since Zhao Lingxi was recommended by Lin Chen, the elders had to follow the order.
After all, it involved the business economy of the Jade Cauldron Kingdom. If they caused trouble leading to an economic decline, Xu Ma’an would probably not let them off easily.
Moreover, Lin Chen had arranged for two martial artists at the Ninth Layer of the Heaven-reaching Realm to protect Zhao Lingxi. With Lin Chen’s current status in the Jade Cauldron Sect, who would dare to disrespect Zhao Lingxi.
Yet, Zhao Lingxi was not satisfied with only developing the business economy within the Jade Cauldron Kingdom and extended her reach to other countries.
The geographical location of the Jade Cauldron Kingdom was unique, situated in the Eastern Domain but on the edge near the Western Region, and was a junction between the Southern and Northern Regions – essentially where the four regions intersected.
The foreign countries Zhao Lingxi chose were the Frost Chill Kingdom near the north of the Jade Cauldron Kingdom, and the Da Yun Kingdom near the south.
Both of these countries were within the Eastern Domain.
The Frost Chill Kingdom, like the Jade Cauldron Kingdom, was a vassal state under the Formation Sect.
However, vassal states were also ranked, from high to low level, into First Class Vassal State, Second-Rank Vassal State, and Third Grade Vassal State.
For example, the former Great Flame Dynasty was merely a Third Grade Vassal State of the Formation Sect and was furthermore the lowest-ranked among them. Therefore, for nearly a hundred years, the Formation Sect had ignored them – even if the Great Flame Dynasty was annihilated, the Formation Sect would not pay much attention.
However, the Frost Chill Kingdom was a Second-Rank Vassal State, with overall national power and finances several times those of the Great Flame Dynasty.
But now, the Jade Cauldron Kingdom had developed and might slowly rise to the power of a Second-Rank Vassal State.
Since both countries were vassal states under the Formation Sect, as long as they showed sincerity and brought forth the goods needed by the Frost Chill Kingdom and signed a contract, business could operate normally.
As for the Da Yun Kingdom, it held a very special geographical position, being near the countries under the control of the Red Soul Hall.
The Da Yun Kingdom was not a vassal state of the Formation Sect but belonged under the Skyhawk Sect of the Divine Flame Alliance.
The power of the Skyhawk Sect was second only to the Formation Sect, but the Da Yun Kingdom was just a Second-Rank Vassal State. It was impossible to use it to resist the Red Soul Hall.
Hence, the Skyhawk Sect adopted an attitude of laissez-faire; as long as the actions of the Red Soul Hall within the Da Yun Kingdom were not too excessive, they would let them come and go as they pleased.
This was also considered a method of eased control, and it was precisely because of this approach by the Skyhawk Sect that Da Yun Kingdom became a mixed bag of elements, turning it into an exceedingly prosperous and affluent place.
Even some First Class Vassal States, in terms of wealth, were perhaps not comparable to one Da Yun Kingdom.
Because in the Da Yun Kingdom, only value exchange mattered. No one cared how the goods were obtained; as long as they had value, they could be traded.
Even some martial artists being pursued by others would flee to this place.
Although the Da Yun Kingdom was a mixture of the good and bad, its system was extremely strong. Even those who caused trouble within it did not need the enforcers of the Da Yun Kingdom to take action. Both parties involved would handle it themselves, because no one wanted to break the balance and system of the Da Yun Kingdom.
Thus, Zhao Lingxi set her sights on Da Yun Kingdom, a country without a system yet more stable than those with established systems.
Zhao Lingxi understood Lin Chen’s inner thoughts deeply. Lin Chen’s ambition was to develop the Jade Cauldron Kingdom into the strength of a First Class Vassal State and even surpass the power of the Formation Sect in the future.
To others, this might seem like a joke, but Zhao Lingxi had unwavering faith in Lin Chen.
Lin Chen had reached his current position step by step in just a little over two years; no one could predict what the future held. What Zhao Lingxi needed to do was to believe in Lin Chen, help him by her side, which was also helping herself. Zhao Lingxi also harbored her own ambitions in her heart.
Her current achievements had long surpassed those of the Wanxing Commerce Association from before.
Zhao Lingxi wanted to expand her business in Da Yun Kingdom and establish a foothold there, which required having her own unique products.
Although the Jade Cauldron Kingdom possessed many powerful magic treasures and high-grade elixirs, these items were consumables, and with the skills that Lin Chen had taught the kingdom’s alchemists and artifact refiners, they were not yet capable of producing enough for export. They were barely meeting the needs of the kingdom’s own martial artists.
Therefore, the special features of the Jade Cauldron Sect naturally became the talisman inscriptions and formations set by Lin Chen.
To have Lin Chen himself refine high-grade talisman inscriptions and sophisticated formations and sell them to other countries would exhaust him to death.
Moreover, the secret of automating alchemy and talisman inscription production was something that Lin Chen absolutely could not reveal, and currently, this formation could only refine low-level talisman inscriptions.
So when Lin Chen learned that Zhao Lingxi was going to trade abroad, he taught some sophisticated talisman inscriptions and formation techniques to the array masters of the Jade Cauldron Kingdom early on, to be produced by the Jade Cauldron Sect’s Talisman Pavilion.
However, what Lin Chen taught them were only those with good effects, but not the core talisman inscriptions.
Such as the Qiankun Escape Talisman capable of teleportation, the powerful Explosive Flame Talisman, and Nine Heavens Thunderstrike Talisman, Lin Chen certainly would not teach these to the formation masters of Jade Cauldron Kingdom.
In case these formation masters intended to betray the Jade Cauldron Kingdom and turn these talismans against it, that would be a great trouble.
Therefore, Lin Chen only taught them talisman inscriptions like Swiftness Talisman, Strength Talisman, and Shadow-moving Talisman, among others, for them to produce and then hand over to Zhao Lingxi for international trade.
And these talismans were sufficient for Zhao Lingxi to gain a foothold in Da Yun Kingdom.
As for high-grade talisman inscriptions like the Qiankun Escape Talisman, the Explosive Flame Talisman, and the Nine Heavens Thunderstrike Talisman, Lin Chen would make them himself and deliver them to the Spiritual Treasure Pavilion, with only those who made significant contributions to the Jade Cauldron Kingdom eligible for exchange.
To prevent any problems before they arose, Lin Chen was concerned that these exchanged talismans would not be used by martial artists for themselves but instead resold.
He worried that purchasers might use these talismans to oppose the Jade Cauldron Kingdom. Therefore, when making these talismans, Lin Chen left a special mark within them.
If anyone tried to use these talismans against the Jade Cauldron Kingdom within a certain range, Lin Chen would sense it immediately.
At that time, anyone attempting to exploit these talismans would only be bringing disaster upon themselves.
With the talisman inscriptions refined by the Jade Cauldron Kingdom, Zhao Lingxi quickly established a foothold in Da Yun Kingdom and began establishing the Lingxi Commerce Guild.
Although the guild’s reputation was not yet widely known, Zhao Lingxi had great confidence in it.
She believed that in the near future, the Lingxi Commerce Guild would become renowned across the entire Mysterious Heaven Continent.