Planning

After the pleasantries, Xu Banshan said unhurriedly:

"Junior Brother's lecture today was excellent, but those final remarks were somewhat unnecessary."

His tone seemed casual, but the reproach in it was unmistakable.

"How could guiding the disciples toward a clear understanding of the road ahead be unnecessary? Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

Qin Yan was not surprised that his senior brother had heard the contents of his lecture.

There were no spell restrictions in the Hall of Hearing the Dao to isolate it from the outside, and it was not far from the main hall of the General Affairs Hall.

Although Senior Brother Xu was already in the twilight of his years, he was likewise a Foundation Establishment Layer 9 cultivator. As long as he devoted a fraction of his attention in that direction, he could naturally hear Qin Yan's words.

Xu Banshan seemed not to hear the defiance in his words and continued speaking at an unhurried pace.

"Junior Brother also said that many disciples have poor aptitude and lack outside support.

"If they do not possess profound spells, how will they earn the pills needed for cultivation? How will they earn the magical artifacts needed for battle?

"Junior Brother understands better than anyone the hardship faced at the start of cultivation by disciples with nothing to rely on.

"Now that you have spoken of such ingenious tricks, what will happen if all the disciples follow suit?"

He gave two false, skin-deep chuckles and sighed.

"Their cultivation may not improve much faster, nor will they be able to study their spells in depth. Without advancing to a major realm, the aptitude gains brought by strengthening the immortal veins through cultivation techniques will be negligible. In the end, they will succeed at neither east nor west, wasting their years for nothing."

His meaning was very plain. Most people did not have the means to use cultivation techniques to strengthen their immortal veins and expand subsidiary veins. Rather than pleasing neither side, they might as well focus on one path.

Cultivation was the foundation of everything. That was unquestionably true.

Yet for most disciples, advancing to the Foundation Establishment Realm was an ordeal of a thousand difficulties and ten thousand hardships. Even if they worked desperately to raise their cultivation, it would still be like flowers in a mirror and the moon in water.

Compared to that, practicing spell arts was far more practical.

Even if they later left the sect, they would still possess a craft to make a living and could earn a fairly decent income.

That would guarantee their livelihood and also let them save a few Spirit Stones, so their children and descendants would not have to cultivate so arduously.

Among the sect's Qi Condensation disciples, why were those in Mid Qi Condensation and at the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation the most numerous?

It was because most disciples gradually came to understand that Foundation Establishment was an unattainable dream. Their goal was merely to advance to Late Qi Condensation before turning thirty, allowing them to remain in the sect for another thirty years.

Afterward, they would use those thirty years to frantically accumulate Spirit Stones, because once they left the sect and became Rogue Cultivators, their rate of earning Spirit Stones would slow drastically.

For one of their descendants to advance to Foundation Establishment and establish a small lineage was their ultimate dream.

That was how small lineages were born, and how sects grew powerful step by step.

In some sense, later generations cultivated while standing upon the bones of those who came before.

Qin Yan remained unmoved. Of course he understood his senior brother's reasoning, and he had never intended to change anything.

Looking through the curling smoke at the man opposite him, he spoke calmly.

"I know that the method I mentioned for strengthening immortal veins and improving aptitude is merely one of the methods tacitly understood among great clans and prominent lineages.

"I also know that many disciples lack the conditions to use this method to improve their aptitude.

"But I revealed this method because I wanted the disciples to have one more choice.

"They will naturally weigh the advantages and disadvantages and decide what to do.

"My original intention was simply to let capable disciples walk a smoother road in the future."

He recalled how he had only learned after advancing to Foundation Establishment that ordinary cultivation could improve one's aptitude. It had then taken him another ten years to make up more than half the Tasks he had originally fallen behind on.

Using Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation to strengthen one's immortal veins was more effective, but many subsidiary veins had already missed their best time for expansion, forcing him to spend even more time opening them.

Some subsidiary veins had completely missed their chance to be expanded. Without a great opportunity in the future, those subsidiary veins could never emerge.

Likewise, the acupoints dependent upon those subsidiary veins would not emerge either.

The number of subsidiary veins opened and the number of acupoints throughout the body that were unsealed concerned cultivation at the Origin Seeking stage and beyond. That was also what continued to weigh heavily on his mind.

To strike at higher realms, every sliver of improvement and enhancement was exceedingly precious.

In his heart, the Golden Core Stage was not his destination.

Within his sleeve, Qin Yan's fingers rubbed a thumb-sized piece of crystal-clear Fragmented Jade. This strange treasure was what he had relied upon to rise all the way.

"Junior Brother seems to harbor some resentment. It is not solely because of this matter, is it?"

Qin Yan fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Beginning three years ago, the tasks assigned by the sect have steadily increased, yet the gains obtained by the disciples have not increased.

"The same is true for us Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

"Not only that, but the great merit required to purchase pills for breaking through realms has also increased substantially.

"I wish to ask why this is."

"This is the Patriarch's consideration."

Xu Banshan knew that the sect's policies had provoked the dissatisfaction of many people. Qin Yan was likely the one his fellow senior and junior brothers had pushed forward to test the waters.

Qin Yan pursed his lips and laughed bitterly.

"Senior Brother, everyone knows it is the Patriarch's order, but the Patriarch has not stated why he is doing this.

"What we brothers wish to know is this: what is the sect planning? Is some great event about to occur in the cultivation world?"

The sect's actions seemed as though it were preparing for war.

Wars in the cultivation world were incredibly cruel. With a casual spell from a high-level cultivator, not even a dog would be left in the little cultivation lineage atop a mountain.

If there were signs of such a thing, everyone needed to prepare early. The sect ought to be safe, but many people had Clan Members living outside and trying to make a living.

I also wanted to know the reason, but if the Patriarch would not speak, I did not dare ask too many questions.

Xu Banshan spread his hands.

"Junior Brother is making things difficult for me. I merely obey the Patriarch's orders."

Qin Yan's gaze was deep and distant, and no one knew what he was thinking.

After the lecture ended, Ji An bid farewell to Chu He and the others and hurried back.

Without a Talisman Bird for transportation, he would have to spend another two days traveling.

His Spirit Field had yet to be sown. If he delayed too long, his Spirit Grain would mature several days later than everyone else's.

It might seem like nothing, but once everyone else's Spirit Grain had been harvested, would not those grain-stealing birds fix their eyes on him alone and fleece him like a sheep?

Walking alone along the narrow, winding path, he resolved that once he had spare money in the future, he would first buy a Talisman Bird for travel.

Being unable to fly wasted far too much time.

Two days later, Ji An returned to his bamboo lodge beneath the moonlight, dragging his exhausted body behind him.

On the way back, he had brought the Wither and Flourish Art to the beginner level and tried refining Xun Spirit. When he discovered that the spell could improve without Zhen Spirit, the heart he had been holding in his throat finally settled.

After resting briefly, he hastily prepared some food. Then he washed his hands and face, took out a meditation cushion, lit a burner of incense, and sat cross-legged in the courtyard to begin cultivating.

Threads of heaven and earth spiritual energy entered his body, and the exhaustion in his body gradually faded.

An hour later, Ji An withdrew from cultivation feeling refreshed and invigorated.

He connected his mind to the Stone Turtle and shoved all his Spiritual Inspiration into it!

Master: Ji An

Dao Rhyme: 0

Spiritual Inspiration: Kan Spirit 0, Kun Spirit 0, Xun Spirit 0

Spells: Minor Cloud and Rain Art (Proficient 72% → 99%)

Thick Earth Art (Proficient 48% → 71%)

Wither and Flourish Art (Beginner 6% → Proficient 8%)