The Sect Leader's Foundation Establishment (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to Everyone)

Kang Dabao calmed himself down and looked inward at his Dantian again, where he saw a clear and flawless spiritual spring lying quietly within it.

The spring gurgles and the water murmurs, its melodious sound seemingly imbued with Dao Rhyme.

The rising mist and steam continuously wash over this place, the foundation of the five internal organs and the root of the twelve meridians, gradually making it clear as a mirror and as pure as jade.

The Sect Leader Kang Da was completely baffled by the strange change in his Dantian, and could only conclude that it was a good thing.

However, since the Dantian is the ancestor of a cultivator's life and the source of their vitality, if the anomalies within it are not thoroughly investigated, this good thing may very well turn into a bad thing.

After pondering for a while, Kang Dabao took the Grain Avoidance Pill and concentrated on studying it for more than a month. Apart from noticing that his Dantian was gradually turning jade-colored, he did not find any other abnormalities or changes.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da had a vague feeling that this spiritual spring formed from spiritual dew and the jade-colored Dantian might be of great benefit to his Foundation Establishment.

This Primordial Gourd had once saved the life of Sect Leader Kang Da. Kang Dabao didn't believe that the gourd would harm him, so he felt relieved and opened the gate to leave the seclusion.

As soon as Sect Leader Kang Da stepped out, he saw Kang Rongquan meticulously sweeping the courtyard with a broom.

Now the latter is eighteen years old. The child has grown up and become tall and handsome. The chubby baby of yesteryear has now grown into a handsome young man with a face like that of Lord Xu.

The aptitude of having Triple Spirit Root is truly remarkable. Even though Kang Rongquan also has the skills of a craftsman, he has now cultivated to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining.

This speed is even faster than Jiang Qing was back then, and it far surpasses the cultivation speed of Duan Anle and Pei Que, who started cultivating much earlier than Kang Rongquan.

Because of his smooth journey in cultivation, this child still retains a somewhat unruly nature.

Although Kang Rongquan's personality was not very stable, with his cultivation and his skill in farming, he could be considered a promising young talent in the Chongming Sect.

"Grand Uncle has emerged from seclusion!" Kang Rongquan exclaimed joyfully.

"What are you doing here, kid?" Kang Dabao said without waiting for Kang Rongquan's reply, and walked into the kitchen on his own, grabbing a few dishes at random.

While the Grain Avoidance Pill was effective, it was rather bland for someone like Sect Leader Kang Da, who had a great appetite.

"I just harvested the Tea-Colored Grain. Master Zhou said the market wasn't good this year, so he asked me to take these spirit grains back to the sect for storage. I just came back from the warehouse after handing them over, and thinking that my great-uncle's courtyard was unattended, I came to take a look," Kang Rongquan said with a chuckle.

"Yes, yes, cultivation is the right path. Don't worry about these trivial matters." Although Kang Dabao appreciated Kang Rongquan's filial piety, he still offered some words of advice.

"Alright, alright, ring the bell to summon all disciples with official duties within the sect to the hall for a meeting."

"Clang clang clang"

As dusk fell, the bells of the Chongming Sect rang out melodiously. It was just in time for Sect Leader Kang Da to emerge from seclusion, and all the sect's core members had gathered.

Hundreds of large oil candles burned brightly in the council hall, their swirling smoke illuminating the room as if it were daytime.

Kang Dabao sat upright in the main seat and first invited Elder Pei Yi, who was in charge of transmitting skills, to step forward and call out the names. After confirming that all the disciples had arrived, Pei Yi straightened his clothes and composed himself, and took the lead in bowing deeply, saying, "Greetings, Sect Leader!"

"Greetings, Sect Leader!"

Sect Leader Kang Da rose, bowed in return, and after passing through the crowd, said calmly, "I have been away for two years, and you have all taken care of the sect's affairs. I feel deeply ashamed. Today, I ask that you all speak frankly and without pretense or formality. Please tell me everything that has happened in the past two years without concealment. Correct any mistakes and praise any merits. Speak freely without any taboos."

"Promise!"

"Junior Brother Pei is appointed as the Elder of Transmission of Skills, and is responsible for instructing and examining the disciples under the Sect Leader's leadership. Therefore, please speak first, Junior Brother." Kang Dabao thought for a moment and decided that no matter from any perspective, it would be best to let Pei Yi speak.

"Reporting to Senior Brother Headmaster, thanks to Senior Brother's diligent efforts, six more promising disciples have entered the sect in the past two years, including five with Four Spirit Roots and one with Five Spirit Roots. They have all been arranged to stay in the Young Eagle Hall and will be taught by Zhang Le, the supervising disciple who is initiating the sect."

Currently, our sect has one Foundation Establishment disciple and five Late Qi Refinement disciples (Kang Dabao, Ye Zhengwen, Pei Yi, Yuan Jin, Chu Huer).

Eighteen disciples at the Middle Qi Refinement (Zhou Yixiu, Duan Anle, Pei Que, Jin Shilun Kang Rongquan, Zhang Le Shilun, He Yuanbing, Ming Zhe, Zhou Xinran, Ye Yaoling, Ye Pingshui, Wei Gu, Du Qing, Niu Kuang, and four other disciples from Shandu Ridge).

Seven disciples in the Early Qi Refining Stage (Mo'er, Yuan Changsheng, Song Cheng, Liu Ya, Zhu Yunsheng, and two disciples from Shandu Ridge);

Six immortal seedlings who have not yet Drawing Spirit into the Body.

By the winter of the 432nd year of the Qianfeng reign, the sect had a total of thirty-seven registered disciples. The revival of the sect was accomplished, entirely thanks to the tireless efforts of the sect leader.

Pei Yi carefully put away the official tablet and bowed solemnly.

"Very well, junior brother, you've worked hard." The flattery of an upright gentleman like Pei Yi was far more valuable than that of sycophants. In addition, the sect's development speed was indeed quite good, which made the Sect Leader Kang Da extremely pleased.

He then immediately forgot his earlier warnings, suppressed a laugh, and turned his gaze to Zhou Yixiu, asking, "Junior Brother Zhou, please tell me more about the spirit field and Spirit Plant."

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, our sect's established spiritual fields (all of them are First-Tier Lower-Grade) are now distributed in the following locations: 30 mu of spiritual land in Clear Stream Mountain, 26 mu of spiritual land in Zither Leaf Forest, 21 mu of spiritual land in Little Ring Mountain, 16 mu of spiritual land in Heng Mountain, and 4 mu of spiritual land in Fangshi Mountain."

There are a total of six spiritual fields covering 97 acres. Among them, except for the 30 acres of spiritual fields on Clear Stream Mountain which are cultivated land where my junior brother planted Yang Spirit Grass, which yields a harvest every four years, the rest are cultivated land.

The rest of the spiritual lands are all newly reclaimed and lack soil fertility. Even the twenty-one acres of spiritual fields on this mountain, which have been cultivated for the longest time, still require the rotation of white alfalfa and Tea-Colored Grain to ensure a good yield.

Because the soil fertility, climate, and Spirit Vein vary from place to place, the harvests also differ slightly. My junior brother only made a rough calculation based on the harvests of the past two years, but if the harvests of the immature Yang Spirit Grass are included...

On average, after deducting the costs of spirit fertilizer, seeds, labor, and animal power, our sect's ninety-one acres of spirit fields can earn between five hundred and forty and six hundred and twenty Spirit Stone per year.

In addition, my junior brother, Rongquan, and Mo Ku explored six spiritual sites. They may be able to secure another twenty acres of spiritual land for cultivation next year. At that time, we will need to ask our senior brother for his final decision.

As for the Spirit Plant, the great locust tree is recovering its vitality faster and faster. Judging from my junior brother's eyesight, it will probably recover to the level of First-Tier Supreme-Grade plant in less than ten years.

My senior brother is kind and virtuous; even now, Lu Yunniang hasn't raised the price when she comes to drive the bees and collect honey.

However, her spirit honey has become more valuable in the past two years, and now we can earn more from the spirit honey share, which is about 150 to 210 Spirit Stone.

The quality of the locust flowers is higher. Last year, my junior brother sold most of them to the Hundred Fragrances Pavilion, which is run by the Jade Moon Shan Household in Double Brightness Trade Market, and kept a small portion in the Chongming Small Pavilion for Xinran and Shilun to sell.

Together, these two places can earn around 150 Spirit Stone.

The elm tree has only been transplanted for a short time, but its roots are quite strong. My junior brother used the soil-changing method from the "Nine Treatises on Spirit Plant," and it seems to be working well. I expect that within five years, the tree will reach a higher level, adding another source of income.

In addition, my junior brother also asked for a sum of money last year and spent eight hundred Spirit Stone to purchase four First-Tier Lower-Grade spirit trees—peach, plum, mulberry, and jujube—to transplant to this mountain. They should produce fruit next year, and the annual income may increase by sixty to eighty Spirit Stone.

My junior brother has also cleared a new acre of spiritual land on Fangshi Mountain to try planting 'Su Xue Rui' (Plain Snow Stamen), and it's progressing well so far. I think that in another five or six years, our sect will be able to produce a unique Spirit Plant stably. What my junior brother mentioned to our sect leader before, beekeeping and honey making, is also feasible."

The more Sect Leader Kang Da listened, the happier he became. Back then, when he wanted to take on the role of his master in teaching and accept Zhou Yixiu as his fourth junior brother, there were actually some people in the sect who opposed it.

Looking at it now, even at a very low estimate, the spiritual fields Spirit Plant managed by Zhou Yixiu can earn the sect a net income of nine hundred Spirit Stone per year.

If we were to calculate it more, it would cost over a thousand Spirit Stone.

Moreover, Zhou Yixiu has only been in the Chongming Sect for about ten years. Chongming Sect is currently in the process of revival, and there will definitely be a large area of spiritual land for Zhou Yixiu to use his skills in the future. It is still unknown how much benefit he will bring to the Chongming Sect at that time!

Although in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, the status of farming masters is much lower than that of Alchemist, weapon makers, and other glamorous craftsmen, those forces without proper farming masters still cultivate spiritual fields and plant spiritual creatures.

Cultivating spiritual fields is actually an easy thing to learn but difficult to master. Even if a layman learns some basic skills, he will find it much more difficult to actually do it.

Those families who discard seeds and spirit fertilizer, exchange the produced spiritual items for Spirit Stone, and then reduce their own manpower, and still have a few Spirit Stone left are actually considered to be in a better position.

Many portals, especially those with unrealistic ambitions who immediately try to cultivate advanced spirit medicine, inevitably end up losing everything.

The Clear Stream Mountain that the second master of the Ming Household promised to the Chongming Sect is proof of this. Thirty acres of good low-grade spiritual land were turned into a deficit by the lazy Ming Household members. Later, it was taken over by the Green Bamboo Gang and leased for ten years.

The latter worked diligently for ten years, but in the end, he didn't earn much Spirit Stone. Even the Fellow Cultivators Association, which was used to exploiting people, couldn't squeeze much profit out of the Green Bamboo Gang.

However, after Zhou Yixiu took over, the land became a suitable place to try planting First-Tier Middle-Grade spiritual herbs like Yang Spirit Grass.

The difference between the two is self-evident and needs no further explanation.

The Sect Leader Kang Da was intrigued. Although he had only recently returned to the sect, he had heard a few words about Zhou Yixiu's recent troubles.

Seeing how capable this junior brother is, Jiang Qing should probably take some time afterward to visit the Jade Moon Shan Household with his flying sword, so as to leave a deeper impression on Shan Sheng.

Where did this young widow from the Foundation Establishment sect get such a big temper? She even learned it from the Ying Prefecture Fei Household.

They don't learn the good things, but only the bad. They've been here for so long, and they won't even let you touch them. What kind of nonsense is this?!

Kang Dabao made up his mind that if the Shan Household couldn't even handle such a small matter, then the marriage between the two families should be called off.

After all, the situation of the Jade Moon Shan Household in the New Cloud Alliance is getting worse and worse. The Alliance Leader Ye Zhen assigned several high-risk missions to the Jade Moon Shan Household, resulting in the death or injury of many of the few remaining outstanding juniors of the Shan Household.

It was only in the last year or two, due to the marriage alliance with the Chongming Sect, that things began to improve.

This marriage appears to be Shan Xuerong, a young widow in her early twenties, and Zhou Yixiu, an old widower. However, the Shan family of Jade Moon Shan Household is not at a disadvantage; in fact, they are the ones who benefit. Sect Leader Kang Da is not worried about being unable to handle their family.

As for Zhou Yixiu's pulse, Sect Leader Kang Da had already assessed her; it was simply a matter of being young, beautiful, and a female cultivator—he wasn't particularly picky.

If the Sect Leader Kang Da were to arrange for the Shan Household to replace him with someone younger, Zhou Yixiu would probably be even happier.

"From this day forward, Junior Brother Zhou will be the Elder of Spirit Plant of this sect. His subordinate disciples will be promoted in order of seniority, and all benefits will be in place immediately." Kang Dabao could not suppress his joy. The development of the sect requires wealth, land, Dharma, and companions; the four essentials of Daoism are indispensable.

The order of the four finalists may be controversial, but one thing is clear to Sect Leader Kang Da: this "wealth" must not be windfall gains.

Chongming Sect had previously acquired initial capital through a pile of Storage Bag; now, all that remained was to figure out how to increase revenue, reduce expenditure, and proceed steadily.

Those who have stable property have stable minds. Sects that think about killing and plundering to grow stronger are either Outer Dao sects or doomed to perish. They should never be followed.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Sect Leader!" Zhou Yixiu's excitement was genuine. He had never imagined that he would become the fourth Chongming Sect elder of Chongming Sect after Pei Yi, Jiang Qing, and Ye Zhengwen.

After all, even Yuan Jin, the prospective sect leader, only held the title of weapon-forging steward.

This is the position of elder in a major Foundation Establishment sect! Who wouldn't look up to it if word got out?

Looking back now, Zhou Yixiu feels that when he was nearly seventy years old, abandoning his family and career to devote himself to the Chongming Sect was truly the most correct decision he ever made in his life!

After the other disciples in the hall had finished offering their congratulations, Kang Dabao concealed his inner joy and then called on his second disciple, asking softly, "Anle, why don't you step forward and speak to the elders present?"

"Yes, Master." Duan Anle stepped forward calmly and said loudly, "Since I took over the Double Brightness Caravan, it has been more than five years, and I have led the caravan on seventeen trips. During this period, after deducting expenses such as cultivation fees, material losses, personnel compensation, and profit sharing among various parties, we have earned a total of 1,500 Spirit Stone and opened up a new trade route."

Sect Leader Kang Da was quite satisfied with these words. The agreement between the Chongming Sect and He Dezong had expired, so this part would not need to be deducted from the profits mentioned by Duan Anle.

In fact, as early as after He Dezong's death, He Degong had already written to Sect Leader Kang Da, saying that the eleven benefits would be terminated and that all the previous gains would be returned.

Although Kang Dabao liked Spirit Stone, how could he possibly do such a thing? He refused outright, which moved He Degong deeply once again.

Putting aside this impact, Sect Leader Kang Da secretly calculated that, in this way, this Double Brightness Caravan, led by Duan Anle and with Du Qing making up the numbers, could earn the Chongming Sect eighty or ninety Spirit Stone per trip after deducting all costs.

Of course, this average is not very reliable.

After all, the road to trade is unpredictable. One trip might earn you hundreds of Spirit Stones, but the next trip could be plagued by natural disasters, bandits, beasts, and other unforeseen circumstances, resulting in lost goods and casualties. Earning less or even losing more is perfectly normal.

However, this Double Brightness Caravan was only established with the help of the He Household caravan, and its current situation has far exceeded the expectations of Sect Leader Kang Da.

Moreover, Duan Anle has only been managing caravans for five years. He can't compare to those veterans, and there's definitely much room for improvement.

If Duan Anle can make up for his management shortcomings and Chongming Sect has enough manpower, and then equip the caravan with elite soldiers, the caravan's profits will likely be even more considerable.

"Let's talk about the Beast Garden again," Sect Leader Kang Da brought up another matter that Duan Anle was also in charge of.

"Reporting to Master, in the Beast Garden, apart from gathering seven more First-Tier Lower-Grade Desolate Ox, I have not added any Black Blood Colt or Old Donkeys."

A few years ago, Master entrusted his apprentice with raising a Fire Boar cubs. Due to Anle's negligence, the cubs initially showed promise but later failed to grow properly and did not mature. As for the reproduction of Grass Deer, the apprentice has yet to figure it out, and there is still only one male and six females left in the Beast Garden.

As for the non-advanced livestock, they have been breeding in the Beast Garden for over ten years, and there are currently three hundred of them.

Most of the less robust male livestock were sold annually, a small portion was leased by the Double Brightness Caravan, and occasionally a few were allocated to the Chongming Small Pavilion for meat. This sum, combined, could earn the sect approximately sixty-five Spirit Stone, barely enough to cover the costs of taming the entry-level spirit beasts in the Beast Garden.

When Duan Anle spoke of the Beast Garden, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty, after all, the title of Beast Garden disciple was still attached to him.

More than ten years have passed, and the Beast Garden has not improved much, which makes him feel guilty.

Kang Dabao simply sighed upon hearing this, knowing that Duan Anle couldn't be blamed for the matter. After all, this honest boy spent most of the year traveling as a merchant, and the rest of the time he had to dedicate to cultivation.

This matter of the Beast Garden is extremely complicated and difficult to handle; how could he possibly do it well?

If it weren't for the few younger ones who, out of gratitude for their second senior brother's kindness and righteousness, went to the Beast Garden to lend a hand in their spare time from their home cultivation.

Whether the Beast Garden can still be the same as Duan Anle described is still unknown.

Looking at his obedient disciple who was now filled with remorse and regret, Sect Leader Kang Da was caught in a dilemma.

"The caravan has just started to improve, so it's not proper to transfer Anle back to the sect. However, the Beast Garden isn't a useless place either; if done well, it can even flourish. We should find a disciple to manage it diligently."

However, there are no such talents among my juniors these days, tsk.

"The Beast Garden cannot function without Anle. As for the caravan, we'll try to have one of the three— Que'er, Yuanbing, or Ming Zhe— take over."

Sect Leader Kang Da clarified his thoughts and made a decision. He did not criticize Duan Anle, but merely raised his hand in a gesture of dismissal.

If Duan Anle were a disciple of one of the other disciples, even if he didn't manage the Beast Garden well, there would be a reason for it. Because of the success of this caravan, Kang Dabao might promote Duan Anle to be a steward.

However, since Duan Anle was one of his own disciples, he couldn't be too lenient.

If the promotion is slow, so be it. Sect Leader Kang Da will secretly give him extra benefits to make sure his honest disciple doesn't suffer any losses. He then turned to his niece, Xinran, what do you think?"

"Reporting to the Sect Leader and all the elders, our sect's Chongming Small Pavilion now enjoys an excellent reputation in the market. Last year, we made a profit of 120 Spirit Stone from selling Law Artifact, 216 Spirit Stone from selling pills, and 150 Spirit Stone from operating taverns and lodging."

The profit from the Chongming Small Pavilion alone is 486 Spirit Stone a year.

In addition, there is a commercial tax revenue of fifty-one Spirit Stone, which is delivered to my nephew annually by the accountant sent by the Market Official. Adding these two together, the sect can earn approximately five hundred and thirty Spirit Stone annually from the Double Brightness Trade Market.

Zhou Xinran inherited Zhou Yixiu's sharp mind, and Kang Dabao's choice of her as the valuable disciple of the Chongming Small Pavilion was indeed a wise one. With Jin Shilun's help, Chongming Small Pavilion's profits have been steadily increasing.

As for the promise made by the state government that Chongming Sect could receive 10% of the commercial tax revenue from the entire Double Brightness Trade Market, that was made before the Chongming Market was upgraded to a market.

The high-ranking officials of the state, including the two Sima, have gone to great lengths to accomplish this task, so how could they bear to let Chongming Sect, share such a large portion of the spoils?

So the two official characters of these officials were combined together, and the original achievement of one point directly became one point.

As for the details of commercial taxes, Sect Leader Kang Da naturally couldn't inspect them; whatever the city officials and the temple sent, that was all he was entitled to, and he had no courage to inquire further.

The matter of the Chongming Small Pavilion has been clarified. Overall, it is doing quite well. Zhou Xinran and Jin Shilun's combined efforts have yielded good results, and Huo Ying has also gone to help.

To be honest, the current profitability is affected by the fact that Pei Yi and Yuan Jin are both in a stage where they need to focus on cultivation. They are always short of pills and Law Artifact. Otherwise, Chongming Small Pavilion's business would be even better.

Kang Dabao understood the situation and turned to point Chu Huer to step forward.

Ye Zhengwen's position as the elder in charge of foreign affairs is now merely nominal, and most of the affairs disciples are now being managed by Chu Huer.

The reasons are twofold: first, the former's injuries have only just healed, so he cannot devote much effort to this; second, if Ye Zhengwen stays in the sect for a long time, it would be a real waste of his spiritual observation skills.

Sect Leader Kang Da intends to send him to Double Brightness Trade Market to open a shop, where he can regularly appraise treasures and find bargains. This won't interfere with his cultivation and will allow him to earn a lot of Spirit Stone.

Since that's the case, Chu Huer will naturally have to step up and take on this responsibility.

Now, the Chongming Sect's external affairs disciple is just that—a title. Most of the former Shandu Ridge disciples who survived the battle at Little Wu Mountain were scattered, and only five were rescued by Pei Yi in his flying shuttle.

Of the seven disciples who returned later, only one was accepted after Chu Huer's screening: Niu Kuang.

These six people have already been accepted as disciples by Pei Yi on behalf of their master, and have become formal disciple under Martial Uncle Li. Chu Huer, the external affairs steward, is actually only in charge of these junior brothers under his own tutelage.

Of the five people Pei Yi brought back, their talents and abilities were only average. If they hadn't been lucky enough to be taken into the flying shuttle by Pei Yi, they might not have escaped or died.

Even after they entered the Chongming Sect, despite having sect scriptures to use for cultivation, their progress in various skills was still minimal, making them utterly unsuitable for serious use.

Therefore, upon careful consideration, among these six people, only Niu Kuang is somewhat capable and barely usable, which is why Kang Dabao placed him in Chongming City.

Chongming City has already attracted a spiritual eye through a hired geomancer. Although it is not large, it can still provide a place for two or three Middle Qi Refinement disciples to cultivate.

According to Sect Leader Kang Da's plan, after Niu Kuang takes up residence in Chongming City as a garrison commander, he can protect the mortals under his tutelage without interfering with their cultivation.

But Chu Huer found it difficult to speak about Shandu Ridge, the only disciple besides himself with official duties, yet he dared not speak falsely.

"Since Junior Brother Niu Chongming City over two years ago, during this time, he has killed one Evil Cultivator, captured one alive, driven away several others, and eliminated three low-to- First Tier -tier demonic Demon Beast. Meanwhile, seventy-two mortals were killed by Evil Cultivators, two hundred and sixty by Demon Beast, and over one thousand three hundred and twenty were involved in private brawls outside Chongming City, totaling..."

After discussing this matter for so long, the cultivators finally saw some displeasure on Sect Leader Kang Da's face.

Chu Huer broke out in a light sweat, and when he saw Kang Dabao's look halfway through his sentence, he couldn't finish.

Pei Yi sighed inwardly. In his view, all the junior brothers who remained in the Chongming Sect from Shandu Ridge, except for Chu Huer, had one thing in common: they had neither the heart to care for mortals nor the ability to do so.

Therefore, his initial agreement to Chu Huer's proposal, and his preference for Mo Ku and Wei Gu to go to the Chongming Sect to guard it, was out of public interest and without any sectarian bias.

I never expected that Niu Kuang would turn this town's defenses into this mess.

Evil Cultivator and Demon Beast might be considered unavoidable, but such a large-scale melee is enough to be described as a river of blood. That Niu Kuang would simply ignore it is utterly unacceptable.

Pei Yi later learned that Niu Kuang had taken some areca nuts in the house, which had clouded his judgment and prevented him from intervening.

Regardless, this is a huge disgrace to Martial Uncle Li's lineage.

Pei Yi looked at Chu Huer, who dared not raise his head under the gaze of his senior brother, the sect leader, and thought to himself that his senior brother's accumulated prestige seemed to have also grown.

It should be noted that Chu Huer was not one of those spineless, weak-willed Rogue Cultivator commonly found in the outer markets; he was actually rendered speechless by the gaze of the Sect Leader Kang Da.

Pei Yi was about to step in to help Chu Huer out of the predicament when Kang Dabao stopped him with a look. The latter said calmly, "Fine Junior Brother Niu a year's salary. Junior Brother Chu has been neglected, so fine him three months' salary as well. How about that?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Sect Leader!" Chu Huer replied immediately, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon.

Sect Leader Kang Da then looked at Jiang Qing, the Sword Double Brightness Sword Immortal, who showed little interest in the matters at hand. When Kang Dabao's gaze fell upon him, Jiang Qing merely shook his head slightly.

After all, the Chongming Sect has always been known for its strict discipline, so as the law enforcement elder, he really had nothing to say.

Having asked all the necessary questions and heard both good and bad news, Kang Dabao finally addressed Yuan Jin, saying, "Second, give a detailed account of the annual expenses."

Yuan Jin stepped forward in response, picked up the silk scroll, and slowly said, "The sect's expenses have increased considerably compared to the past, with the bulk still going to the annual salaries and job allowances of the disciples."

"Foundation Establishment disciples of this sect receive an annual stipend of 800 Spirit Stone, and must obtain 800 Spirit Stone each year; Late Qi Refinement disciples receive an annual stipend of 40 spirit stones, and must obtain 200 spirit stones each year."

A disciple in the Middle Qi Refinement receives an annual salary of twenty yuan, totaling three hundred and sixty yuan;

A disciple in the Early Qi Refining Stage receives an annual stipend of ten coins, totaling seventy coins.

He has not yet entered the path of immortality, nor has he received his annual salary.

Up until the winter of the 432nd year of the Qianfeng reign, disciples who had not yet reached the age of fifteen (the age of dancing elephant) received an annual subsidy of five Spirit Stones, totaling fifteen Spirit Stone.

The annual salary totals one thousand two hundred and forty-five Spirit Stone.

"In addition to their annual salary, each disciple holding a position receives the following allowances (excluding those temporarily promoted within Kang Dabao):"

The sect leader receives 100 Spirit Stone per year (the rest of the year is omitted);

The Elder who transmits skills receives sixty Spirit Stone, the Elder who handles external affairs receives fifty Spirit Stone, and the Elder who enforces the law receives fifty Spirit Stone.

The alchemy steward receives 20 Spirit Stone, the weapon crafting steward receives 20 Spirit Stone, the Spirit Plant steward receives 20 Spirit Stone, and the foreign affairs steward receives 15 Spirit Stone.

The following rewards are given: Caravan Supervisor Disciple: 10 Spirit Stone; Chongming City Guardian Disciple: 10 Spirit Stone; Spirit Plant Disciple: 5 Spirit Stone; Beast Garden Disciple: 5 Spirit Stone; Beast Garden Disciple: 5 spirit stones; Cook Disciple: 5 Spirit Stone; Instructor Disciple: 5 Spirit Stone.

From then on, he was responsible for a stipend of 380 Spirit Stone per year.

Additionally, early-stage disciples receive two bottles of Qi Condensation Pill per year, calculated based on the raw materials, which amounts to two Spirit Stones.

Mid-stage disciples receive one bottle of Qi Refining Powder annually, paid in half by purchase and half by distribution, totaling ten Spirit Stones.

Later disciples will be responsible for their own elixirs, and will be allocated an additional eighteen Spirit Stone;

Foundation Establishment disciples will not receive subsidies from the sect for the time being.

The sect will need to spend a total of 284 Spirit Stone on the cost of the elixirs alone.

Therefore, adding the sixty Spirit Stone that must be paid to the Pingrong County each year, the sect's fixed annual expenses amount to one thousand nine hundred and nine Spirit Stones.

Now, Chongming Sect's family fortune and population have significantly improved compared to the past. It took Yuan Jin quite a while to finish reading the silk scroll.

Sect Leader Kang Da was quite good at accounting. As soon as Yuan Jin Fang Yi down the silk scroll, he calculated that even if Chongming Sect's various incomes were calculated in a year of plenty, there would still be a shortfall of several dozen Spirit Stone from the target of 1,909.

When the calculations were completed, Kang Dabao was still somewhat worried. But then he thought about it, and realized that about half of the Spirit Stone were going to Jiang Qing.

Jiang Qing himself no longer cared much for the things in the Chongming Sect's treasury, so Sect Leader Kang Da actually gave him a Foundation Establishment Pill.

So Jiang Qing's 50,000 Merit Points were indeed in debt, and his annual salary and allowances could be offset by these Merit Points, without needing to be paid out.

As for the remaining half of the Spirit Stone, the disciples would mostly convert most of them into Merit Points to exchange for useful items in the sect's treasury.

Especially for disciples like Chu Huer and Ye Zhengwen who have already begun preparing for Foundation Establishment, they certainly wouldn't accept a single Spirit Stone in order to obtain Foundation Establishment spiritual items.

Therefore, Chongming Sect's financial pressure is not actually that great; they can save at least eight or nine Spirit Stone a year.

Upon closer examination, Chongming Sect only had Jiang Qing, a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, two years prior.

However, the sect's wealth and abundance of talent are already comparable to those Foundation Establishment forces that have declined, such as the Jade Moon Shan Household.

The Sect Leader Kang Da spent nearly thirty years building up a truly enormous fortune.

After closing his eyes and reviewing everything in his mind, Kang Dabao opened them again, a faint golden light appearing within them. He spoke slowly, "Elders and Junior Brother Yuan, please remain for now. The rest of the disciples, return to your respective places and perform your duties."

"Yes, sir!" The disciples who were also in charge of their duties withdrew one by one, leaving only five people in the hall.

Kang Dabao didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "You all take good care of the sect. I'm going into seclusion to Foundation Establishment."

Three of them were initially surprised, but quickly calmed down, as this was something they had expected.

Only Jiang Qing remained unmoved, not only because he did not find the Foundation Establishment process particularly difficult or dangerous, but also because he trusted his senior brother just as his senior brother trusted him.

Despite his less-than-ideal aptitude and humble origins, the Sect Leader Kang Da has stumbled along the way, yet he has already left behind a host of his peers who are far superior to him.

At the age of forty-five, one can attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment, possess several Foundation Establishment spiritual items, and have Foundation Establishment Pill at one's disposal. Such conditions are enough to make ninety-nine percent of the disciples of major sects envious.

Jiang Qing didn't see anything to worry about. "Junior brother, wait for your senior brother to come back for a drink. We can go to the Wondrous Cloud Pavilion to drink."

The brothers all laughed upon hearing this, and Kang Dabao felt a little more relaxed. He then secretly glanced at each of his junior brothers, bowed, and said goodbye without saying another word.

After straightening his clothes and composing himself, Kang Dabao steered the flying boat out of the sect. As if he had thought of something, he tightened and loosened his hand seals, and the flying boat slowed down slightly when it reached Green Lotus Courtyard.

After passing by, he did not stop and Swift Movement all the way to the Kang Dabao Jade Toad cave abode.

Kang Dabao had not seen the Daoist Black Shoes for two years. In his opinion, the latter's aura seemed to have increased significantly, almost as vast as smoke.

The Daoist Black Shoes showed no delight upon seeing Kang Dabao. He merely glanced at him up and down before asking in a low voice, "Terrible?"

Kang Dabao pondered for a moment, "We shouldn't be afraid."

The Daoist Black Shoes nodded and spoke slowly, "Then let me explain the Foundation Establishment method to you again. Listen carefully. Spiritual Qi Transformation into Liquid."

Kang Dabao held his breath and focused his mind, not daring to be negligent.

Neither the uncle nor the nephew could say for sure how long the sermon had lasted. The sect leader, Double Brightness, only heard the Daoist Black Shoes's voice suddenly stop, and the latter solemnly said, "Go."

Kang Dabao opened his eyes, bowed silently again, and then entered the secluded stone chamber without looking back.

The Daoist Black Shoes noticed nothing unusual. He closed his eyes and listened quietly until he heard the stone door close and the restriction formed. Only then did he furrow his brow slightly, land outside the stone chamber, and begin his cultivation.

Kang Dabao entered the stone chamber. For some reason, given his cautious nature, he should have been quite uneasy about breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

But Kang Dabao's heart was as clear as a mirror and as still as a deep well.

After spending another half month adjusting his body and mind to their best state, Kang Dabao laid out the Foundation Establishment spiritual items such as the Six Harmonies True Yang Jujube and the Yi Wood Green Willow Heart, along with the Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill, and pondered for a long time.

If we accept what Kang Yilong said back then, taking elixirs to Foundation Establishment is Lower Vehicle path, which is detrimental to the Great Way.

Someone of his stature probably wouldn't even be considered a threat by Great Wei, let alone someone like me, a mere Qi Refining Qi Refinement.

However, this Upper-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill can increase one's chances of Foundation Establishment by 50%.

Thinking of this, Kang Dabao didn't hesitate for long, and a surge of heroic spirit rose in his heart.

He picked up the two Foundation Establishment Pills, but without even glancing at them, he simply and decisively put them into the most important part of his Storage Bag.

Kang Dabao specializes in wood magic, so among the remaining spiritual objects, the Yi Wood Green Willow Heart is naturally the most suitable. Unexpectedly, just as the Sect Leader Kang Da picked it up, a voice rang in his mind. "Give it a try, give it a try."

"Then let's give it a try." Kang Dabao suddenly put down the Yi Wood Green Willow Heart, and he remembered the question the Daoist Black Shoes had asked, "Are you afraid?"

At this moment, Kang Dabao's lips curled slightly, and he muttered, "Ha, the ancestor of the restoration has already been established, what else is there to fear?"

Kang Dabao formed the lotus mudra with his hands, pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, closed his eyes, and silently recited. "Purify and be still, guard your destiny, regulate your breath, and simmer in the yin and yang cauldron."

Unexpectedly, the whole thing went much more smoothly than Kang Dabao had anticipated.

Mastering the myriad meridians, forging ahead fearlessly, completing the task in a single stroke;

The transformation of Spiritual Qi into liquid was almost seamless, occurring in one smooth motion.

Although Kang Dabao sensed something was amiss, he remained calm and composed, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

When the lotus was born in the divine furnace, the spiritual liquid formed from Spiritual Qi was about to give birth to the Dao seed in the Dantian, but the originally clear-cut pool of spiritual spring suddenly boiled.

A few drops of spring water fell into the spiritual liquid, which was instantly condensed into several tiny spiritual crystals, which were then absorbed by the spring water and returned to the spiritual spring.

As the spiritual spring gradually calmed down, a pure-colored Dao seed emerged from the spring water and landed on the jade-colored Dantian.

True spiritual energy gradually emerged from the Dao Seed, slowly filling the entire Dantian.

The crimson, plump petals slowly unfurled from the seed, and after a moment, the dark blue stamens also formed. From then on, the Dao Lotus was complete, its leaves a vibrant green, imbued with Dao Rhyme, and utterly sacred.

"Green Leaf?" Kang Dabao was overwhelmed with mixed emotions, his heart surging like a turbulent tide.

"Well, it's all good at the end. I did my best." After this sigh, Kang Dabao saw the spiritual spring boiling again.

The lotus leaves stood in the spiritual spring, slowly changing from green to ice, then from ice to gold, and finally from gold to purple.

"Zi Purple Leaf Dao Foundation, so easily?" Kang Dabao was startled, and at the same time, another unexpected event occurred.

A surge of celestial energy filled his Dantian, and the purple hue on the Dao Leaf gradually faded until the leaf turned a lustrous, jade-like color.

"Jade color, Jade Leaf Foundation Establishment?" Kang Dabao was a bit confused. He was considered to have some knowledge among Qi Refinement cultivators, but he had never heard of Jade-Colored Foundation Establishment before.

Kang Dabao has always sought stability, and he knew that if others discovered this matter, it would cause countless troubles.

He was displeased with this sudden change, and sighed inwardly, "It would probably be easier to become an Ice Leaf."

As if a divine object possessed a spirit, the Dao Lotus trembled gently according to his will, and a breeze swept across the Dao Leaves, instantly transforming their jade-like color into an icy hue.

"Could it be..." A bold guess arose in Kang Dabao's mind. He had tried purple, gold, ice, and cyan one by one, and as expected, they could all be transformed. He was immediately overjoyed.

Thinking that even if the effects of the Jade Leaf Foundation Establishment were not immediately clear, the ability to conceal it would prevent the troubles that would follow, which suited Kang Dabao's wishes perfectly.

After a moment of careful thought, a gentle breeze returned, and the Dao Leaf turned icy white. Although Sect Leader Kang Da had never imagined that the Foundation Establishment would be so easily achieved, he felt a great sense of relief and withdrew from his seclusion.

But when he opened his eyes again, he found himself no longer in the stone chamber where he had been in seclusion. Before him stood tall buildings, one after another; before him flowed a constant stream of cars and people.

"This is Heart Demon Tribulation? How can Foundation Establishment be paired with Heart Demon Tribulation?!"

In a daze, a figure deeply buried in his mind reappeared before Kang Dabao's eyes, making him unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.

"No, this is definitely not a dream!" A sudden surge of madness welled up in his mind. He knew this person before him intimately, someone he had never forgotten in the past forty-five years.

He tremblingly reached out his hand, yet dared not touch it; his lips opened and closed repeatedly.

After an unknown amount of time, a single word was finally squeezed out of his throat with difficulty. It rushed out of his teeth, rolled over his lips, and was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet it was also powerful and resounding.

"Mom!"

After an unknown amount of time, Sect Leader Kang Da finally awoke from the illusion, tears welling in his eyes. He smiled broadly and said, "Phew, thank you for making the right choice! Thank you, myself!"

With a rumble, the stone door, which had been closed for many days, suddenly opened, Daoist Black Shoes looked at Kang Dabao with astonishment in his eyes.

Compared to Ice Leaf's achievement, it was the otherworldly aura emanating from the latter that surprised the Daoist Black Shoes even more. But in the blink of an eye, it vanished. The Daoist Black Shoes simply assumed he had imagined it, finding it rather strange, and didn't ask any further questions.

After accepting Kang Dabao's solemn bow, the two returned together to the Chongming Sect.

Half an hour later, the sound of the bell echoed far and wide.

On the 25th day of the third month of the 432nd year of the Qianfeng Great Wei Immortal Dynasty, Chongming Sect, the seventh generation leader of the Kang Dabao Foundation Establishment, astonishing the entire Manchuria!

(Wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and a fulfilling life!)

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