I Don't know f any of you had noticed but I was just wondering that from where the sects in xuanhuan/xianxia get so much money and resources from to provide to almost thousands to ten-thousands of disciples including the elders and undying old mens in the sect? I mean only depending on tributaries from towns and cities or other smaller clans are not self-sufficient to withhold such a mammoth organization, and even the sect pays the disciples monthly salaries.
In a lot of stories, there's either a mine or a "spiritual vein" under their control that they can use to either directly get more resources, or loan out in exchange for resources. In stories with less logistical explanations, you should probably take something like that as an explanation as well.
By pillaging other sects ? Maybe a cultivation cooperative bank that gives loans ? or perhaps an investment firm called Mt. Tai ? There are endless possibilities ...
usualy those sect have mines(for energy stones or whatever), herb that they grow on they garden, alchemy, forging and other small thing piled up.... edit; forgot to add their addiction to gambling....
i mean it depends on the particular novel, but many explain it as the sect exploiting their owned area of land for the many different material needs. sending out disciples on jobs to gather or grow herbs, sending disciples and recruited workers to mines, quarries, and other basic jobs to gather materials that cant be gathered by mortals etc. oftentimes it seems the sect actually gets more out of a single disciple than that disciple will ever get back from the sect. Sects also seem to often trade with each other for resources they cant get easily in their area so, yeah.
Dude, there was this story of MC creating a bank, it got crushed and plundered away from him within a year, all his loyal subjects slaughtered and him getting hunted in three realms.
Economies in CN and JP novels are quite hilarious IMO. They aren't much more than patchwork to serve as plot devices.
The novel that explains this the best is the invincible kungfu where the mc was extremely surprised that the immortals gave martial Artist such great resources only to find out that they are essentially being screwed screwed over in the high end market and raw ingredients.
It mostly came from Mines and "Miniworlds/Pockets of space" that the sect controls or co-controls(w/ other sects), wherein these places produces rare resources that the sect trades or sells to gain the resources they need. Sometimes, they invade other continents or worlds too to satiate their hunger. No sects in a cultivation world have clean hands. In order to attain those riches and resources, those are carved from the bones of others. If they're lucky, sometimes these sects find riches from tombs of old gods/immortals/cultivators/daoists/demons
Apart from what others mentioned, I've read a CN novel where cultivation sects were sponsored by kingdoms, mainly to protect their respective regions when normal soldiers or police cant manage the situation. Or they are the source of items bought and sold by merchants.
lol usually the one who started the sect would pick a spot that has many resources to make the sect self-efficient. After that it's missions for gatherings, mining and killing in exchange for accumulation of points(promotion in sect) or exchange for teachings(recipes, techniques, cultivation) and repeat infinity till the MC sucks all the resources
I think it's typically one or more of alchemy, forging, treasures that they make/find/pillage, herbs, big jobs, and wealthy noble bribes (either for their above services, support or to take a disciple).
wait, here's another good one: Mt. Tai insurance company. When it's time to pay, know that Mt. Tai is above you! (So you better pay up!) When you get injured and apply to get the money they promised you, your eyes cannot see Mt. Tai ! (Where did they go?!)