The Sect Master's Troubles

The Sect Master of Fu Xian Island, Feng Xiangtian, had a cultivation base that had reached the mid Tribulation stage. He had been in charge of Fu Xian Island, the foremost sect of the Righteous Path, for over a hundred years. At this moment, he was seated in the Sect Master's chamber on the uppermost floor of the 'Penglai Pavilion', accompanied by several Elders of Fu Xian Island.

The group was quite concerned about the current state of the Cultivation World. In just over a year, Qingguang Sect had eradicated several Demonic Path sects, completely shattering the balance that the Righteous and Demonic paths had maintained for centuries. Their powerful rise had thrown the entire Cultivation World into turmoil. Some weaker, minor sects of the Righteous Path had already suffered repeated attacks from the Demonic Path, drawing more and more cultivators from both sides into the conflict.

"It seems the great chaos in the cultivation world is unavoidable. Although Fu Xian Island is the foremost sect of the Righteous Path, I fear we will not be spared from being implicated. We need to prepare early. Elder Fei, Elder Guan, Elder Huang, the Myriad Fragrance Garden, Alchemy Pavilion, and Artifact Refining Pavilion that you three oversee are crucial for our sect to weather this calamity. We must ensure sufficient elixirs and magic artifacts are prepared. If the unrest involves Fu Xian Island, we absolutely cannot tarnish the prestige of the foremost sect of the Righteous Path. After this great chaos subsides, the entire Cultivation World will likely be re-ranked according to strength. Our sect's prestige as the foremost sect of the Righteous Path has lasted for over a thousand years; we absolutely cannot allow it to be destroyed in our generation." Feng Xiangtian, whose appearance was already imposing, spoke with sharp glints in his eyes, sweeping them across the three elders.

"We shall do our utmost!" the three elders said in unison. However, Elder Fei, who managed the Myriad Fragrance Garden, seemed to lack confidence as he spoke. Feng Xiangtian's gaze fell upon him, and he asked, "Elder Fei, do you have any difficulties? If so, please speak now. The sect's prosperity hinges on this, and we cannot be careless. Otherwise, if even the slightest mistake is made, we will become eternal sinners of the sect."

Elder Fei glanced at the two elders beside him and said with a wry smile, "Indeed, there are difficulties! While the Myriad Fragrance Garden is the largest spirit herb garden in the world, the number of spirit herbs that can produce high-quality elixirs is limited. Good spirit herbs not only grow slowly but are also more difficult to cultivate. If Elder Guan's Alchemy Pavilion increases its consumption, I fear we will truly be unable to meet the demand."

As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Guan, who was covered in the scent of medicinal herbs, suddenly stood up, his brows furrowed and his eyes wide, and shouted, "Fei, what do you mean by that? Are you suggesting my Alchemy Pavilion should reduce its consumption of spirit herbs? I tell you, don't even think about it!"

Elder Fei was not angered by Elder Guan's retort; he merely shook his head with a wry smile. Elder Guan's temper was notorious within Fu Xian Island. He cared about nothing else in life but alchemy, and if anyone dared to obstruct his alchemy, he would fight them to the death. No one on Fu Xian Island feared him. He was even known throughout the entire Cultivation World as the 'Alchemy Fanatic', and his alchemy skills were likely unmatched. Knowing his temper well, Elder Fei dared not say anything further.

"I think we should do this!" Feng Xiangtian mused. "Dispatch more disciples to search for spirit herbs everywhere. The Myriad Fragrance Garden must also increase its manpower to ensure the output of spirit herbs. All mid-grade and above elixirs sold externally by the sect will be halted; our priority is to ensure Fu Xian Island's elixir reserves. Furthermore, I have already notified Elder Quan, who manages the sect's supplies. The Spirit Stone allocation for all disciples below the Core Formation stage will be increased fivefold, and the 'Qi Gathering Pill' allocation for disciples at the Core Formation stage and above will be doubled to quickly improve their cultivation. Elder Jin, who manages the Spirit Stone mine, will increase its extraction, and Elder Qin, who manages secular affairs, will promptly send back the Spirit Stones earned from external operations."

The elders all nodded after hearing this. Just then, they all heard the sound of two people ascending the stairs outside. Someone called out from the door, "Disciple Cheng Gengqing requests an audience with the Sect Master."

They all recognized Cheng Gengqing; he was the capable disciple of Elder Qin, who managed secular affairs. They were unsure why he was seeking an audience with the Sect Master. Had something happened outside? Feng Xiangtian frowned and called out, "Enter."

Cheng Gengqing entered, leading a person of ordinary appearance. The Sect Master and the three elders all focused their gazes on the latter. Judging by his attire, he was not a disciple of Fu Xian Island. Even stranger, there was no trace of any cultivation on this person. This person was, of course, Yue Qianchou.

"Disciple Cheng Gengqing pays his respects to the Sect Master and the Elders," Cheng Gengqing said, bowing. Yue Qianchou followed suit, bowing and saying, "Rogue cultivator Yue Qianchou pays his respects to the Sect Master and the Elders."

"Cheng Gengqing, what is it you need?" Feng Xiangtian asked, though his eyes remained fixed on Yue Qianchou. Hearing him claim to be a rogue cultivator, Feng Xiangtian almost thought he had misheard. The other three elders also showed similar expressions of doubt.

Cheng Gengqing reached for the storage bag hanging at his waist and respectfully replied, "Reporting to the Sect Master, this disciple is returning Spirit Stones to the island and, by my master's order, has brought Yue Qianchou along to meet the Sect Master."

"Your master sent you to bring him?" Feng Xiangtian asked curiously.

Cheng Gengqing quickly took out the Fu Xian Token and explained Yue Qianchou's purpose. After hearing him, Feng Xiangtian and the three elders exchanged glances. The Fu Xian Token was a token held only by those who had served as Elders or higher on Fu Xian Island. It served to identify their status and also offered a chance for the token holder's descendants to join Fu Xian Island. This rule had been in place for thousands of years, and Yue Qianchou was the third person to arrive with a token.

Fu Xian Island originally possessed three hundred specially made tokens. It was said that collecting all three hundred tokens would reveal a secret, though no one knew what that secret was. These tokens later became symbols of status for those holding Elder-level positions or higher. Over the years, they had all been distributed.

For various reasons, the number of remaining tokens on Fu Xian Island was now less than half. This led to a problem: some individuals, whose cultivation, qualifications, and contributions were sufficient to hold Elder positions, did not have the tokens representing their Elder status. This made the irreplaceable Fu Xian Token even more precious.

The original rule was that only the descendants of token holders could join Fu Xian Island. Later, as the tokens became scarcer, the rule was changed to recognize the token itself rather than the person, in the hope that someone who obtained a token would bring it back. Now, the token brought by Yue Qianchou would undoubtedly alleviate the awkward situation for an Elder who lacked proper recognition.

Feng Xiangtian took the token from Cheng Gengqing's hand and, after examining it carefully, nodded slightly to the three elders, indicating that it was indeed a genuine Fu Xian Token. The eyes of the three elders immediately lit up with unconcealed fervor. These three were precisely the ones who held Elder positions but lacked tokens. In fact, it wasn't just the three of them; some older individuals also did not have tokens.

Feng Xiangtian's eyes fell on the expressions of the three elders, and his heart sank. He felt a headache coming on, thinking, "This is bad. This hasn't happened in centuries. Why does this token appear now, of all times?" Fu Xian Island currently had two hundred and two Elders, and more than fifty of them likely lacked tokens. If this token were given to any one of them, it would surely offend the other fifty-plus Elders, and he, as Sect Master, would be in for a difficult time.

Even though it was just a small Fu Xian Token, it could potentially cause a major incident. To put it bluntly, if things escalated, it might even lead to his removal as Sect Master. That would be a huge mess – the first Sect Master in Fu Xian Island's history to be ousted for unfair dealings. "My friend, what are you doing? Bringing this thing here is just causing trouble!" Thinking this, Feng Xiangtian didn't know what to say to Yue Qianchou.

Yue Qianchou had no idea how much trouble he had brought to the Sect Master of this foremost sect of the Righteous Path. Seeing Feng Xiangtian's gaze on him, which seemed to hold ill intent, his heart skipped a beat. He thought, "Damn it! This old geezer, is he going back on his word?"