That illustrates the level of insularity among the various factions in this world.
To put it simply, all factions in this world are completely isolated and do not share their knowledge externally at all. It's like — every faction is akin to reinventing the wheel from scratch!
If you compare a gang to a car, then all the members within this gang are car engineers, adding bricks and tiles to transform this car into a spacecraft to ascend to the Immortal. They use only the gang's technology, from forging raw materials to design and installation, all employing the unique craftsmanship of the local gang. In their view, this is the foundation of the gang's standing in this world, and once leaked, it could lead to ultimate disaster!
Moreover, with the divide between mortal and immortal, there is no trickle-down effect. Even if there is trickle-down from above, it only reaches the Cultivators at lower levels, offering no benefits to mortals at all.
So why can't mortals develop?
