Chapter 141: Chapter 140: A Money-Making Idea

’The lack of Three-Turn Dragon Power Pills is still affecting my Body Refining speed... If I’d had a constant supply of elixirs to refine, I probably could have finished cultivating the Second Layer of the Five Crystal Glaze Body half a year earlier.’

With every move he made, Bai Zichen felt his body brimming with a power unlike any he had ever experienced before.

Unlike channeling the Liquid Magical Power from his Qi Sea, this strength, originating from his own physical form, was more direct, more raw.

It had taken two and a half years, but he had finally perfected the Glazed Body.

’The Third Layer is the Five Crystal Permanent Casting Body, and it requires at least the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment to practice. What a shame...’

The First Layer, Five Crystal, took him six months to master the basics and a year to perfect.

The Second Layer, Glazed Body, took him a year for the basics and two and a half years to perfect.

Following this pattern, he was eager to see if he could master the basics of the Five Crystal Permanent Casting Body in just two years.

He would catch up to Master Ge Cang’s realm in this Body Refining Technique.

However, the Five Crystal Glaze Body had certain requirements for a cultivator’s cultivation.

The Third Layer required the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, and the Fourth Layer required the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.

Otherwise, one’s Magical Power wouldn’t be able to control such tyrannical physical strength, risking ruptured meridians.

But since the cultivation technique was created, this cultivation restriction had perhaps only ever been a real factor for Bai Zichen.

Even a Celestial Spiritual Root Cultivator like Master Ge Cang had only perfected the Five Crystal Permanent Casting Body after reaching Core Formation.

No cultivator had ever considered how to cultivate the Third Layer, let alone the Fourth, while still in the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Bai Zichen walked to the lake’s edge, clenched his fist, and threw a fierce punch at the surface. A vast, surging power instantly forced the water to depress by ten feet.

The turbulent force of the punch created a vortex in the water.

Only after a long moment did the surrounding water rush in to fill the gap, returning the lake to normal.

If a cultivator with a Spiritual Eye Divine Technique were to look over now, they would see Bai Zichen as a veritable furnace of vitality, his glazed form shimmering with a Five-Colored Spiritual Light.

He let out a long breath, and as he released the technique, the strange phenomenon slowly faded.

’My physical strength has already surpassed that of an ordinary Tier Two Low-Grade Demon Beast. Without using a Flying Sword, I could kill a demon beast of the same tier with just my bare fists!’

Feeling the changes in his physique, Bai Zichen began to understand how Ancestor Ge Cang had single-handedly chased down and battered several Core Formation True Men of the Ghost Spirit Sect.

’It’s just that my cultivation is progressing too slowly. At this rate, it’ll take me twenty years just to reach the second layer of the Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture...’

In his Qi Sea, the shallow pool of Liquid Magical Power had only risen by a tiny fraction compared to when he first switched cultivation techniques after his Foundation Establishment.

Based on his cultivation speed over the past few years, he estimated it would take at least twenty years to reach the Peak of Early-Stage Foundation Establishment.

For Bai Zichen, reaching the Peak of Early-Stage Foundation Establishment was equivalent to reaching the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment.

Advancing a minor realm in just over twenty years was considered god-like speed for ninety-nine percent of Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

But Bai Zichen still felt it wasn’t enough. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

’Elixirs. As long as I have a sufficient supply of Spirit Enhancement Pills, I can cut that time in half.’

After a quick calculation, Bai Zichen realized he was far too poor.

Spirit Enhancement Pills and Vermilion Fruit Calming Pills were both indispensable for his cultivation.

Once his cultivation was higher, his fixed annual expenses would only increase.

His stipend as a Sect Elder was nowhere near enough to cover his costs.

’I have to find a way to make money. I can’t be a hands-off manager like before.’

Returning to White Jade Tower, Bai Zichen summoned Lu Songx.

"You mentioned last time that Elder Tong has been begging to see me. What’s it about?"

"Elder Tong has been doing very well in the Spirit Plant Hall these past few years. There are several Tier Two Spirit Plant Masters, but he’s the only Spirit Farmer who specializes in planting."

Even Lu Songx hadn’t expected that the old farmer, who had once been so down on his luck he was at the bottom rung even among Loose Cultivators, would make such a comeback.

With his Eighth-Layer Qi Refining cultivation, his status in the Spirit Plant Hall was far below Elder Tong’s.

"Even the Spirit Farmer Guest Elder hired by the Sect said that if Elder Tong had been born in their Shennong Sect, he would have reached Foundation Establishment long ago and they’d be addressing each other as fellow disciples."

To promote the ten-thousand-acre spirit field project, Gu Xisheng hired a Tier Two Peak Spirit Plant Master from the Shennong Sect for a ten-year stipend of three hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

In the Cultivation Realm of Liang Country, the Shennong Sect was one of those technical sects that wasn’t particularly powerful, focusing instead on peacefully developing their spirit plant techniques.

They had allied themselves with the Holy Lotus Sect early on, becoming a vassal to the Nascent Soul Major Sect and offering a massive tribute of Spirit Rice every year.

Shennong Sect cultivators were welcomed everywhere, hired by major powers as Honored Guest Elders specifically to guide and improve their own spirit plant techniques.

"Elder Tong is only at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, so he has no hope for himself in this life. He’s pinned all his hopes on his grandsons... Out of his dozen or so grandsons, the most outstanding one is only seven this year and has Three Spiritual Roots Talent."

"Then just have a word with the senior brother in charge of the Spirit Plant Hall. The Sect has lowered its requirements in recent years. With proper nurturing, someone with Three Spiritual Roots Talent can even compete for a spot as an Inner Sect Disciple."

Bai Zichen listened for a while but still hadn’t grasped Elder Tong’s objective.

Lu Songx, with his Seven Luminaries Spiritual Body, was the escort with the highest hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.

But his ability to get things done was inferior to Su Lie’s and Cai Heng’s. He was beating around the bush and not getting to the point.

"Elder Tong wants his grandson to become your disciple."

"He sure has high hopes."

Bai Zichen let out a derisive laugh. After his reputation had soared, several Elders had come knocking, trying to push their Direct Descendants onto him.

They would have been happy even with just a Registered Disciple position.

Among them was even a clansman of Senior Brother Yingg Zhong from the Transmission Hall.

He had treated them all the same and rejected every one.

Once a master-disciple relationship was established, the bond was no less binding than that of immediate family.

He barely had enough time for his own cultivation, so how could he find the energy to guide a disciple?

"Elder Tong has spoken to me many times, begging just to meet with you... Whether his wish comes true will depend on his grandson’s fortune."

Lu Songx thought back to his first two years in the Sect, when he and Elder Tong were inseparable, supporting each other.

Elder Tong’s desperate pleas made him feel a bit sympathetic.

"A meeting is fine. He has contributed quite a lot recently... Have the Jiangg Family come looking for you lately?"

After the reclamation war, Bai Zichen used his authority as an Elder to recommend Jiangg Shu to become an Outer Sect Disciple.

At the same time, he introduced the Jiangg Family to the Liu Family of Monkey Mountain, and they took on the business of transporting various basic living supplies for cultivators to Monkey Mountain.

The Liu Family had just settled on Monkey Mountain. With everything needing to be built from scratch, their clan’s accumulated reserves were nowhere near enough, and they urgently needed a large amount of resources.

The manpower required to build an entirely new clan territory was unimaginable; every Liu Family member wished they could split themselves in two to get more done.

They had originally planned to entrust trivial matters like traveling back and forth to the Market to purchase supplies to a merchant caravan.

Given Elder Bai of the Qingfeng Sect’s reputation, it didn’t matter who got the business, so it naturally went to the Jiangg Family.

The Jiangg Family was accustomed to the Talisman Paper business, and every clan member had two or three storage bags.

Furthermore, Elder Jiangg had a good head for business. Using channels left over from his previous dealings, the supplies he procured were ten to twenty percent cheaper.

Each time, he also picked up some small, low-value items that were popular with young cultivators and female cultivators.

Along the way, he would sell them all at the several mountain peaks bustling with construction.

Using the small amount of merit they earned from the reclamation war, they exchanged it for a few hundred Spirit Stones as starting capital. After a few trips, they had paid off all their previous debts.

He had originally thought he would just give the Jiangg Family a hand and be done with it.

But now, as his cultivation advanced and his demand for various Cultivation Resources increased, he really needed an extra moneybag to supplement his Spirit Stones. Otherwise, he would have to worry about Spirit Stones and Sect Contribution every so often.

Over seventy percent of the Elders in the Qingfeng Sect had ties to merchant guilds.

They either had their own clan members run them, found an agent, or simply registered their name with a guild to act as a patron and receive dividends from dry shares.

Basically, they could get one to two thousand Spirit Stones in income each year. Those who did well earned even more.

The Jiangg Family had long dealt with low-level Loose Cultivators. From what he’d seen so far, they were quite capable.

Bai Zichen considered picking a couple of businesses for the Jiangg Family to run. At the very least, they had to earn enough Spirit Stones to cover his annual purchase of Spirit Enhancement Pills.

"Elder Jiangg came by just last month, asking about you and wishing for an audience."

"Next time he comes, bring him to see me. I have something I need to instruct him to do."

Waving Lu Songx away, Bai Zichen went through the dozen or so message talismans he had received during his seclusion.

Nearly half were meaningless greetings from the other Elders who had also moved to Feiyue Lake.

However, the contents of one message talisman were worthy of his attention.

’Establishing three new halls... Gu Xisheng has some serious nerve. I really don’t know if Senior Brother Wei made the right or wrong choice by promoting him.’

Before Bai Zichen came to Feiyue Lake, Wei Dao had already entered seclusion, leaving all Sect affairs to Gu Xisheng.

A month later, Dai Hui, the Hall Master of the Artifact Refining Hall, also went into seclusion, seeking an opportunity for a breakthrough.

This allowed Gu Xisheng, who had been in charge of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, to leap to the position of Deputy Sect Leader. Liang Yu and Bai Zichen had discussed this matter.

Wei Dao’s heart was set on the Great Dao, and he was unwilling to spend any more time on Sect affairs before reaching Core Formation. He chose to step back, but wanting to maintain his influence, he selected Gu Xisheng—a candidate who didn’t belong to any faction and lacked prestige among the Elders.

In the future, the Five Halls would have greater authority to decide on matters within their own jurisdictions.

For this reason, Wei Dao’s proposal received the approval of all the Hall Masters, allowing Gu Xisheng to smoothly assume the role of Deputy Sect Leader.

But judging from Gu Xisheng’s actions over the past two years, he was by no means a man who would quietly stick to the rules and follow his predecessor’s path.

Without touching the interests of the Five Halls, he forged a new path. First, under the banner of a ten-thousand-acre spirit field project, he threw open the Mountain Gate and recruited a large number of servant disciples.

Then, through clever allocation, he caused the number of disciples in the Spirit Plant Hall to leap to the top of the seven halls.

Last month, citing that the Spirit Plant Hall was overworked and its authority was unclear, he proposed splitting off the spirit field section to create a dedicated Spirit Field Hall to manage all the spirit fields under the Sect’s jurisdiction.

The Market, which gathered the Black Mountain Loose Cultivators, was highly influential, and its annual revenue was crucial to the Sect. Thus, it too would be made into a separate hall.

Feiyue Lake contained six Tier Three Spirit Lands where six Elders resided. As it developed, many matters would arise, so a dedicated Feiyue Hall would be established to handle events within Feiyue Lake.

Bai Zichen clicked his tongue in amazement. This was no small move.

Previously, the most widespread rumors in the Sect were that the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall would be promoted to a main Hall, or that the Market would become a Hall in its own right.

Gu Xisheng had adopted neither of these plans, instead putting forth a proposal that was just as shocking to everyone.

He was directly changing the structure of Five Halls and seven lesser halls, which had lasted for nearly a thousand years, into one of Five Halls and ten lesser halls.

’If you want to open a window, first you propose tearing off the roof... I just wonder which of the three is Gu Xisheng’s real goal.’

Bai Zichen smiled. In any case, it had little to do with him. He’d let them fight it out first.

He was discovering another benefit of choosing Feiyue Lake: it was much quieter.

If he were still at the main mountain right now, his Cave Mansion would surely be swarmed with senior and junior brothers visiting to probe his thoughts.