Promotion to Elder

Before long, more than a dozen Late Stage Qi Refining cultivators of the Lineage arrived at the Clan Main Hall.

As it was the year's end, aside from the First Elder, who could not leave Pingyang County Town due to his duty of guarding it, most of the clan cultivators had returned. Even the Second Elder had set aside his business at Yuyang Market and returned to Qingyuan Mountain to attend this clan meeting.

The meeting was still presided over by the Third Elder, who managed clan affairs. He was the clan's link between all sides, with a certain understanding of everything, and he understood the clan's finances best of all.

The usual sorrow on his face was gone, and he wore a rare smile.

"Let us discuss several matters first at today's clan meeting."

"The first matter is that, through everyone's efforts over the past few years, the clan's external debts have all been repaid."

"Also, this year's Qi-Absorbing Pill refining success rate was quite good. We should be able to sell them for more than sixteen hundred Spirit Stones."

Hearing the Third Elder's account, everyone could not help but reveal excited expressions.

Sixteen hundred Spirit Stones flowing into the Clan Treasury meant that the clan finally had money. The Spirit Stones owed to them, as well as their salaries, could gradually be paid out as well.

But at that moment, the Third Elder continued.

"The Clan Chief's injuries have shown no signs of improvement. If this drags on, there may be a risk of further deterioration."

"I heard that several years ago, Jiang Daoist of Heavenly Ruins Mountain refined a batch of Meridian-Nourishing Pills to save a disciple. Three pills remain now."

"So I intend to keep this money. Once we have gathered enough, we will send someone to Heavenly Ruins Mountain to purchase a Meridian-Nourishing Pill and shorten the Clan Chief's recovery time."

The crowd was slightly stunned at this, but no one said anything.

The Meridian-Nourishing Pill was a Tier 2 High-grade medicinal pill capable of treating the meridian injuries of Foundation Establishment cultivators. For the Chen Clan, the Clan Chief's swift recovery was the most important matter at present.

Chen Nianzhi listened quietly. He knew that if salaries went unpaid year after year and the borrowed Spirit Stones were never returned to the clansmen, then even if no one voiced it aloud, they would likely harbor some resentment in their hearts.

Most crucially, withholding salaries for too long would likely greatly affect the cultivation progress of Chen Clan cultivators. Thinking of this, Chen Nianzhi spoke.

"The clan treasury has been empty these past years, and everyone's Clan Merit is not enough to use."

"How about this? From now on, every year I will contribute thirty Spirit Peaches to the Clan Treasury in exchange for Clan Merit."

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. Although Clan Merit and Spirit Stones had an exchange rate of one to one, actually using them was an entirely different matter.

The clan treasury was practically empty now. Even if one possessed Clan Merit, it was worthless as a single coin. By contributing thirty Spirit Peaches each year in exchange for Clan Merit, Chen Nianzhi was practically digging into his own pocket to revive the Clan Treasury.

At least until the clan's deficit was eliminated and the Clan Treasury was replenished, this Clan Merit would be of almost no use to Chen Nianzhi.

Yet for the clan cultivators, this was wonderful news. Spirit Peaches could improve cultivation, and were even more useful than Spirit Stones.

One Spirit Peach was worth five Spirit Stones, and thirty Spirit Peaches were worth one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones. With these thirty Spirit Peaches every year from now on, everyone would have at least some hope for their cultivation.

"No." Third Elder Chen Qinghao immediately shook his head. "If the Spirit Peaches enter the treasury, what will you do about your cultivation?"

"It is no matter. I have already broken through to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. From here on, it is merely the work of water wearing through stone."

"Besides, the Spirit Peach Tree still produces quite a few surplus Spirit Peaches."

Chen Nianzhi spoke resolutely. The others paused slightly upon hearing this, but ultimately did not try to persuade him further.

"You..."

The Third Elder patted Chen Nianzhi on the shoulder and shook his head helplessly, then looked at the others and said,

"The second matter to announce concerns the appointment of the eighth elder."

"Since Nianzhi has already broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, according to clan rules, he will serve as the clan's eighth elder. You have no objections, do you?"

Second Elder Chen Qinghe said with a smile, "With one more elder in the clan, our difficult circumstances will be eased somewhat. Why would we have any objections?"

Even the Second Elder, who held an extremely high position in the clan, had spoken. Naturally, everyone present agreed with smiles.

Thus, at the age of eighteen, Chen Nianzhi became the first cultivator of the Nian Generation to reach the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, and officially became one of the clan's several decision-makers.

The meeting proceeded in an orderly fashion, its contents mainly concerning arrangements for the coming year. It lasted a full three hours before finally ending.

After the meeting ended, the Third Elder specifically asked Chen Nianzhi to remain behind.

"Nianzhi, after the New Year, do not return to Spirit Isle Lake just yet."

"Oh?"

Seeing Chen Nianzhi's puzzled expression, Chen Qinghao said with a smile, "After the New Year comes the annual Spirit Root testing for the clan's mortals."

"I cannot get away from my duties, so I want you to test the children's Spirit Roots."

Hearing this, Chen Nianzhi nodded.

Testing mortals for Spirit Roots was not an easy task. Generally speaking, the most effective method was to use a Spirit-Sensing Compass to test their Spirit Roots.

However, a Spirit-Sensing Compass was a Tier 2 High-grade artifact worth several thousand Spirit Stones. Ordinary weak cultivation clans simply could not bear to buy one, and the Chen Clan naturally had no spare money for such a thing.

Aside from the Spirit-Sensing Compass, cultivators at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, whose true qi had become perfectly integrated, could barely sense Spirit Roots as well.

However, this was a crude method. Its chance of detecting a Spirit Root was only eighty or ninety percent, and it could only vaguely sense the attributes of the Spirit Root.

The method the Chen Clan used to test mortals for Spirit Roots was in fact this crude method. Ninth Layer Qi Refining cultivators were scarce within the Chen Clan, and now that Chen Nianzhi had reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, the Third Elder simply pressed him into service and assigned him the task of testing Spirit Roots.

"Nianzhi..."

After leaving the Clan Affairs Hall, Chen Qingmeng suddenly called out to Chen Nianzhi, his expression seeming hesitant to speak.

Chen Nianzhi paused. He noticed that the Sixth Elder seemed to have been waiting ahead for quite some time, and quickly stepped forward with cupped hands.

"Greetings, Twenty-Sixth Uncle."

"You are already a clan elder. There is no need to be so formal in the future."

Chen Qingmeng wore a melancholy expression. Looking at the youthful Chen Nianzhi before him, the sorrow in his heart deepened.

As the Chen Clan's only Tier 1 High-grade alchemist, Chen Qingmeng's talent was actually not poor. Born with a Two Element Spiritual Root, he had been high-spirited in his youth. He entered the Qi Refining realm at twelve, and had already broken through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining at the age of thirty-seven.

After accumulating more than a decade of foundation afterward, he had thoroughly reached the Peak of Qi Refining. Judging solely by this talent, among the Chen Clan's Qing Generation, only Chen Qingyuan, who had joined the Azure Sun Sect, surpassed him.

Chen Qingmeng was only a little over fifty now. By the lifespan of a Peak Qi Refining cultivator, he should still have been in the full bloom of life. Yet his hair had already turned gray, making him appear exceptionally aged, carrying a heavy air of twilight.

Logically, with the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill, even if Chen Qingmeng had failed to break through, his vital essence should not have declined so severely. His present appearance was likely due to the external debt he owed the clan—a debt he could never repay in this lifetime—the pressure upon his heart and spirit having worn him down.