Later that evening, when everyone gathered for dinner, the topic of the Locking Ring naturally became the focus of conversation.
"Brother Xiao, is it possible to replicate most of the production process for these Locking Rings?" Qin Jianghe asked.
As the person responsible for managing the sect's finances, his first thought after hearing about the Locking Ring's features was the potential for external sales.
Lin Xiao smiled knowingly.
"Of course, it can be replicated. Although the process is a bit complex and the materials are specific, with enough practice, we can produce them in batches."
As for concerns about counterfeit versions being sold externally, there was no need to worry. The internal formations of the Locking Ring couldn't be reverse-engineered by outsiders. The moment someone attempted to dismantle it, the intricate arrays inside would immediately disintegrate.
Moreover, the only part of the formation that could be adjusted with spiritual power was the fine-tuned section of the secondary array. The rest of the formation was made up of interlocking, highly complex arrays, which were incredibly precise and interconnected.
Without instruction from the original creator, replicating the formation just by probing with spiritual power would be almost impossible.
Of course, unless the person attempting it was a supremely powerful being with extraordinary spiritual sense and cultivation, that would be a different story.
As for the materials, most were manageable. However, the primary material for the ring was Cold Condensing Jade.
Lin Xiao had experimented with numerous materials, most of which were common refining materials bought from the cultivation world—ranging from inexpensive to highly valuable ones.
But given the small size of the ring and the need for it to handle such complex formations while maintaining long-term stability, most materials couldn't withstand the requirements.
In the end, among all the materials Lin Xiao tested, the Cold Condensing Jade from the sect turned out to be the best choice.
So, Lin Xiao decided to use Cold Condensing Jade as the primary material for the rings designated for sect members.
"I've already made 200 Locking Rings, which should be enough for everyone in the sect for now. I'll teach the crafting method to the Refining Hall, and they'll handle future production and research."
Although the sect had a good stockpile of Cold Condensing Jade, and each ring didn't use much of it, if they planned to sell the rings externally, they would need to ensure a sustainable supply of materials.
Thus, aside from learning the crafting method and streamlining the production process, the Refining Hall would also need to look for potential alternative materials.
Hu Liang dutifully noted down this new task.
After discussing the Locking Rings, Lin Xiao brought up another topic.
"The time for the Icefield Mystic Realm to open this year is approaching. Does anyone want to go?"
Since Lin Xiao first used the Mystic Realm Key to enter the Icefield Mystic Realm years ago, only Sun Yigao, Mo Yuanjiao, and Jiang Youfu had entered it the following year.
Little Luan had wanted to go, but Lin Xiao didn't allow it.
Though they had the key to the mystic realm, Lin Xiao couldn't fully control the realm since he hadn't obtained the Mystic Realm Core. The realm was filled with cultivators from the cultivation world, and none of them were at the early Qi Condensation stage.
Most of the cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage had been cultivating for decades or even centuries, and their experience and techniques far surpassed those of Little Luan, who spent her days roaming around the sect.
Letting a large, Core Formation stage chicken demon wander around among seasoned cultivators would make her an instant target, and Lin Xiao wasn't willing to take that risk.
Even though escaping the mystic realm with the key wasn't difficult, Lin Xiao prioritized the safety of his sect members. While he knew they needed experience and challenges, he didn't see it as necessary to expose them to such danger at that time.
In the third year, Lin Xiao was in seclusion, and Liu Yunan wasn't confident in making decisions about opening the Icefield Mystic Realm, so it remained closed that year.
As a result, most of the Lingxian Sect members still hadn't ventured into the Icefield Mystic Realm.
"I want to go!" Before anyone else could speak, Jiang Youfu enthusiastically volunteered.
He hadn't been particularly excited about entering the mystic realm the first time, seeing it more as a sightseeing trip. But this time, things were different.
He wanted to go fishing in the Icefield Mystic Realm!
Although the sect's secret garden had an ice pond with plenty of Silver-tailed Fish, it had been taken over by Little Luan. Unless one had some secret agreement with Little Luan, like Fang Tuantuan did, fishing there was impossible.
But the taste of Silver-tailed Fish was superb, and it was ideal for various cooking methods—Jiang Youfu's favorite ingredient by far.
So this time, he was determined to go, if only to catch more Silver-tailed Fish.
If it weren't for Lin Xiao telling him that he might come across even rarer ingredients once his cultivation reached higher levels, Jiang Youfu would have been content to stay at the Foundation Establishment stage forever, just to fish in the Icefield Mystic Realm every year.
He had already decided that any fish he caught would be properly processed and stored in the sect's food storage, not in the ice pond where Little Luan could claim them.
With Jiang Youfu breaking the silence, the other cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage expressed their interest in going as well.
Though they had been cultivating for three years, aside from the Financial Hall members who frequently traveled to the cultivation world for transactions, most had little to no interaction with the wider cultivation world.
While the Lingxian Sect's Qi Condensation stage disciples could explore the Green Wilderness Mystic Realm, which was now closed to outsiders, their experiences only fueled their curiosity about the larger cultivation world.
Thus, the decision to open the Icefield Mystic Realm for the second time was settled. Once the realm's opening time arrived, the Foundation Establishment cultivators would enter to further hone their skills.
As dinner was coming to an end, Liu Yunan, who had been noting down all the decisions made throughout the meal, suddenly remembered something. He glanced at Lin Xiao, a bit hesitant as he spoke.
"Brother Xiao, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I've been so busy lately that I kept forgetting. When we conducted the disciple evaluations on the Heartseeking Path, there were so many people that the system prompted me to upgrade it. The upgrade cost a lot of spirit stones from the Spirit Stone Mine…"
Lin Xiao already knew about the Heartseeking Path upgrade from the system notifications when he came out of seclusion.
Seeing Liu Yunan's conflicted expression now, he replied casually, "It's fine. With more and more people likely coming to the sect for evaluations in the future, it was a necessary expense."
Seeing Lin Xiao's relaxed attitude, Liu Yunan let out a sigh of relief.
"I thought the same, and I figured our accumulated stipends over the years would be enough to cover the cost, so I approved it right away."
At this, the other brothers at the table instinctively touched their storage rings, where they kept their personal spirit stones.
Lin Xiao chuckled, "It's not that big of a deal…"
But then Liu Yunan added, "Though we did deplete most of the Spirit Stone Mine. Fortunately, the Financial Hall's revenue has been steadily increasing over the past few years. We've managed to support the sect's operations while maintaining a surplus, and the mine will gradually replenish itself over time."
"Depleted most of the mine?!" Lin Xiao nearly lost control of his voice, the surprise causing his tone to crack slightly.