Dispute over the Pills and Paste; Five Golden Cores in One Sect, a Sign of Prosperity

----The next day, Yangming Mountain, Chongming Sect

A flying boat from Three Ting Prefectures broke through the thick clouds and landed with a rumble on a cargo yard newly cleared by Elder Han Xundao, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

A few years ago, Han Xundao acted too biasedly in his position as a steward of the Merit Points Hall, which displeased Duan Anle, who was in charge of clan affairs. As a result, he was transferred to the much less important position of Elder of External Affairs.

Since Han Xundao lost his position as a steward of the Merit Points Hall, and Duan Anle couldn't find anyone to fill the vacancy, he had no choice but to ask Liu Ya, an elder of the Punishment Hall who was impartial and incorruptible, to temporarily take over the duties.

This reprimand was certainly not a good thing for Han Xundao, but he knew in his heart that even though he had lost his important post, his fellow disciples still had their reservations about Duan Anle's treatment.

Thus, Han Xundao actually benefited from the misfortune and learned a lot from it. As the elder in charge of foreign affairs, he had many complicated things to do, but he did them all diligently and conscientiously.

Now that the flying boat from the Hehuan Sect had landed, he and He Chang, the steward of etiquette, went to greet it.

The person who stepped off the flying boat was a fake alchemist, quite handsome. The fake alchemist had a light powder on his face, a touch of rouge on his lips, eyebrows as finely drawn as blue ink, and slightly upturned eyes that held a gentle, languid quality.

A pink velvet flower adorned her temples, her pink robe was embroidered with lotus scrolls at the collar, and a silver bracelet graced her exposed wrists. When she smiled, dimples appeared, her voice was soft and sweet, and even her fingertips exuded a touch of charm.

Even someone as alluring as this, who was more charming than a noble lady, dimmed her eyes and felt ashamed of herself after seeing He Chang.

"He Chang / Han Xundao of the Chongming Sect pays respects to the senior."

"Shangguan Fengshan of the Santing Altar of the Great Wei Hehuan Sect Three Ting Altar, greets you two fellow Daoists."

Shangguan Fengshan's gaze lingered on He Chang for a while before he turned and pointed to the flying boat, saying, "As ordered by the envoy Lord Lian, I am here to transport this flying boat. This is the list of the various treasures being transported; please verify that it matches your orders, fellow Daoists."

As soon as Shangguan Fengshan finished speaking, He Chang and Han Xundao saw a pure white palm leaf, shimmering with spiritual light, emerge from the former's pink sleeve.

The two huddled together to take notes of all the treasures on board, then suppressed their shock and followed Shangguan Fengshan onto the flying boat to inspect them together.

After doing all this, He Chang and Han Xundao disembarked from the flying boat together and placed talismans on the palm leaves in front of Shangguan Fengshan.

As Elder Liu Ya of the Punishment Hall rode out of the sect's grand formation aboard Second Tier Golden-Feathered Owl and unleashed the top-grade Spirit Artifact, the All-Encompassing Dharma Eye, Han Xundao's External Affairs Hall disciples were finally able to transport the precious items under the supervision of the Punishment Hall disciples.

Logically, Shangguan Fengshan's mission should have ended at this point. However, Chongming Sect inherited by the Chongming Sect, they could not fail to offer him hospitality.

However, Shangguan Fengshan used his busy official duties as an excuse, saying bluntly, "Lord Lian has gone to great lengths to raise these supplies, and has used many favors. Please convey this to your sect Sect Leader Kang, and hope that he will use them wisely and not squander them like common people."

Shangguan Fengshan uttered these words, it seemed that his relationship with his grandmaster uncle was quite special. He and Han naturally responded in kind and respectfully saw him off as he boarded the boat.

With this large sum of money deposited into the treasury, Elder Zhou Kun, the custodian of the treasury, naturally had to come out.

However, as soon as he saw the grain and provisions list that He and Han had copied, his face gradually turned red.

If one were to ask which of the key disciples currently able to enter the Chongming Sect's council hall feels most like walking on thin ice, it would undoubtedly be Elder Zhou Kun, the Keeper of the Archives.

The phrase "inheriting one's father's legacy" may sound harsh, but it is also quite apt.

After all, let alone his position as an elder, even his Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivation level was achieved through the cultivation of precious materials taken from the private funds of his teachers.

Knowing he was unworthy of his position, Zhou Kun was always very cautious. He had only completed half of the examination when he hurriedly sent his disciples to invite Duan Anle over.

The latter was in seclusion cultivating. When he first heard the news from outside, he thought that his junior brother Zhou Kun was making a fuss over nothing as usual. However, after carefully reading the judgment, he was also taken aback.

"Twenty-five Foundation Establishment Pill, one hundred bushels of Moonlight Rice, one thousand cartloads of Cloud-Patterned Iron Essence, and eight boxes of Soft Jade Soul-Warming Paste"

The Foundation Establishment Pill goes without saying; it's true that the Chongming Sect Foundation Establishment Pill obtained it from the Cloud Valley Zhang Household. In recent years, they have also produced three of their own Alchemist who can refine the pill.

However, the spiritual treasures required for the Foundation Establishment Pill cannot be grown in just a few decades. Currently, most of them still need to be obtained by the Chongming Sect by spending a large amount of resources to collect them from outside.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da had already inquired with various sects within the Daoist community to see if he could acquire other Pill Formula.

Even with the Pill Formula in hand, the success rate of Qi Ke and the other two in successfully producing pills was not high. Most of the time, they even needed to save up enough resources and ask the Fei Household's Luan family Attendant Luan if he was available.

As a result, the amount of Foundation Establishment Pill obtained will be much less.

No sect would ever complain about having too many Foundation Establishment Pills; Lian Xuepu probably owed them a huge favor. Duan Anle could even foresee that this batch of pills would soon be stored away before it would provoke a clash between Kang Rongquan and Jin Shilun.

As for Moonlight Rice, it is one of the superior varieties that the Hehuan Sect has cultivated according to local conditions during the century since it moved its Three Ting Altar to the southwest region. It is said that the Hehuan Sect has been on good terms with the Yi Nong Dao sect, which is also a Nascent Soul sect, for generations, so it also has a relatively good lineage of agricultural masters.

Therefore, once Moonlight Rice came onto the market, it was so good and inexpensive that it completely defeated the once popular Red Spirit Grain and similar products in the Mountain South and Mountain North.

However, the Hehuan Sect guards this rice seed very strictly, and only a few cultivation sects in the vicinity that are very close to the Hehuan Sect can obtain it. Now, the Chongming Sect can be considered one of them.

As for Cloud-Patterned Iron Essence, it has always been a sought-after commodity in the surrounding area, and many families have used it to forge the standard armor for their Daoist soldiers.

Both the Mountain South and Mountain North passes are not lacking in high-grade Cloud-Patterned Iron Ore. However, the refining of this kind of spiritual ore is quite complicated. Only the weapon makers kept by the wealthy families from the capital region know the method of refining it into high-grade iron essence.

Therefore, even if people within the Chongming Sect's jurisdiction managed to mine minerals, they could only supply them to visitors from the capital region at low prices, earning only a meager living from their labor.

The Soft Jade Soul-Warming Paste is far more precious than the aforementioned rare treasures; as its name suggests, its texture is like soft jade.

Applying it to the center of the brow can nourish the soul, making it a valuable protective item for Foundation Establishment True Cultivator breaking through late-stage bottlenecks. It is also one of the unique Secret Method of the Hehuan Sect, and is rarely seen even within powerful organizations like the Myriad Treasures Trading Company.

This box of spirit ointment is enough for six Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. If it is distributed quickly, it may help the Chongming Sect of these key disciples of Chongming Sect rise again, so that more Golden Core seeds can be selected.

Besides these items, the items that Lian Xuepu entrusted Shangguan Fengshan to send also included various elixirs, magical Spirit Artifact, and spiritual materials.

Duan Anle, relying on his master's trust and having managed the household for a long time, glanced at the judgment and roughly understood its contents. He couldn't help but sigh, "These things are far beyond what Martial Uncle Lian's birthday celebrations could buy."

Even though my grandmaster uncle has considerable influence in front of the True Person, his wealth is comparable to that of the top cultivators of major sects, and he has a wide network of connections, if he were to retrieve these treasures from the Hehuan Sect, he would probably have already exchanged most of his possessions for them.

This sum of money was so substantial that even Duan Anle found it difficult to decide its use immediately. He hurriedly instructed Zhou Kun to put it into storage and affix the spiritual seal, waiting for him to discuss it with the elders before the money could be allocated.

Not long after the council bell rang, Kang Rongquan, who had just returned from Ink Cloud Marsh in Huo Prefecture, and Jin Shilun, who had just laid down his troops and returned to his clan to report to Yuan Jin, each led a group of their fellow disciples into the council hall.

These two groups of people would usually greet each other with smiles when they met outside. But as soon as they arrived under the golden plaque that read "Gathering Wise Men to Discuss the Way," they became "clearly divided."

There was no need for the sect leaders to intervene in such matters Duan Anle, who was in charge of sect affairs, sat down next to the empty main seat. Kang Changxi, whose status within the sect was also quite high, also chose a seat opposite the former.

After the two had settled down, the other Double Brightness disciples took their seats in order of seniority.

The council hall was so quiet that only the crackling of the candlelight could be heard. Duan Anle laid out the rubbings of the judgments on the table, and read them aloud one by one, his fingertips touching the paper. As a result, the faces of the cultivators began to turn red rapidly.

This is perfectly normal. For these Chongming Sect, it would be a serious dereliction of duty if they didn't try their best to earn some benefits for their disciples.

"Senior Brother Duan, this year, the Spirit Plant Hall will first take 51% of the Moonlight Rice and cultivate them carefully in Huo Prefecture. There is a newly cleared Second Tier spirit field there, which has been fertilized with silt from the Ink Cloud Marsh for more than half a year. It is suitable for planting spirit rice there."

If the Moonlight Rice grow as well as they have in the following year, then after the harvest, we can select rice seeds and intercrop them with the rice seeds stored in the warehouse for trial planting, in case they are not suitable for the local soil and water conditions.

If this continues, within ten years, my Chongming Sect will be able to cultivate this Moonlight Rice properly."

Kang Rongquan's talent in farming far surpasses his talent in cultivation, a skill that even Chu Yanran, the former number one farming master in Cloud Horn Prefecture, is ashamed of.

He had already explained his arrangements for Moonlight Rice, so Duan Anle and Kang Changxi, being laymen, naturally wouldn't offer any further criticism.

Duan Anle nodded in agreement, then turned to Zhou Kun and instructed him, "Junior Brother Zhou, regarding the supplies of Moonlight Rice, please follow Junior Brother Kang's instructions from now on. There's no need to keep asking me."

Zhou Kun bowed in agreement, then heard Jin Shilun, who was sitting opposite Jin Shilun Kang Rongquan, cough lightly. Then, Elder He Yuanyi of the Artifact Hall stepped forward to ask about the use of the Cloud-Patterned Iron Essence, which was to forge new armor for the Sky-Treading Cavalry.

Duan Anle did not listen to his long-winded explanation, but simply asked Zhou Kun to leave the use of the Cloud-Patterned Iron Essence to the Artifact Hall, just like the Moonlight Rice.

The monks in the hall had no objections to this arrangement. These two items should have been handled by the respective halls themselves; even if the other halls earned them, they wouldn't have any use for them.

After Duan Anle read the judgment aloud, everyone knew that the real drama would unfold regarding the ownership of the twenty-five Foundation Establishment and the eight boxes of Soft Jade Soul-Warming Paste.

Duan Anle scanned the cultivators in the hall, and felt that beneath each of their seemingly friendly faces lay a pair of green eyes.

Just as he was about to speak, Kang Rongquan interrupted him, saying:

"Senior Brother Duan, next month Senior Martial Uncle Ye will be holding a grand competition within the sect at the sect leader's behest. I think the Soft Jade Soul-Warming Paste and the Foundation Establishment Pill could be given as rewards for the competition."

As for the other treasures, they are quite numerous and complicated. It would be better to inform the disciples of the sect after they are stored away, so that they can be exchanged for Merit Points by their fellow disciples.

Before Kang Rongquan could finish speaking and before Duan Anle could respond, Jin Shilun stood up as usual. "What Senior Brother Kang said is very insightful. However, the disciples of the Azure Jue, Crimson Zhang, Sky-Treading Guards are truly suffering from the elements and fighting against bandits."

We hope that our two senior brothers can set aside a portion of the Soft Jade Soul-Warming Paste and Foundation Establishment Pill, so that the disciples of the Three Guards can exchange them for Merit Points.

This time, Kang Rongquan didn't rush to speak. Instead, Shan Yongxian left his seat Shan Yong stepped into the hall, his brows furrowed and his face solemn. Although he had no future as Pill Master, he felt much more confident than before when facing Jin Shilun, who had not yet achieved pill mastery.

"Senior Brother Jin, you are mistaken. Are you the only one from the Three Guards who have suffered? Haven't the Formation Hall Alchemy Hall worked themselves to the bone? Haven't the Pill Hall members burned their last drop of fat? Haven't the Spirit Plant Hall members suffered the decline in their cultivation?!"

Hearing that their master had been reprimanded, Tang Jiu, the leading figure among the ninth-generation disciples, stood up, showing no fear even when facing Shan Yong, the sect's senior. "Uncle-Master Shan, last year, eight or nine out of ten disciples of my Three Guards perished!"

"If disciples serve the sect faithfully, the sect will naturally treat their families well and provide generous compensation; this has nothing to do with the allocation of rare treasures in the treasury."

Zhu Yunsheng, another Pill Master standing beside Kang Rongquan, coldly added, "Nephew Tang's words make it seem as if our Chongming Sect is mistreating martyrs. Please be careful with your words."

Duan Anle's son Duan Yunzhou, did not inherit his father's composure. Upon hearing Zhu Yunsheng's words, he slammed the low table beside him to pieces and shouted sharply:

"We risked our lives outside, meditating and practicing Zen every night amidst the hail of swords and arrows, and this is what we get in return, Uncle Zhu, these cold words?!"

"Nephew Duan, Huangpi Circuit is no longer under the jurisdiction of the Cloud Marsh Shaman Venerable Hall. By describing the world as so dangerous, aren't you completely erasing all the hard work of my Chongming Sect over the years?!"

"Uncle-Master Zhu, wasn't this peaceful world bought with the lives of the Three Guards disciples?!"

"What are you shouting about? Do you think only your Three Guards disciples are willing to sacrifice their lives for this peaceful and prosperous world?! Go and count the graves behind the mountain, see which branch of the sect is missing?!"

"Without us guarding the frontier, can our martial uncles and the others truly sit peacefully and cultivate within the sect?!"

"The Spirit Plant Hall supplies the spirit grains and food, the Artifact Hall crafts offensive and defensive Law Artifact, the Alchemy Hall refines the elixirs and miraculous medicines, Formation Hall delivers the array plates and banners. Only in this way can my Double Brightness Sword be forged. This credit should never have been stolen by you disciples of the Three Guards!"

"Teacher Zhu."

"Silence!"

Although Duan Anle tone, he immediately silenced the disciples, including the two Pill Masters, who bowed and returned to their seats.

Duan Anle first glanced at his son Duan Yunzhou, noticing the scattered debris beside the latter's seat, his expression one of extreme displeasure. He didn't pursue the earlier dispute among the cultivators, but simply murmured:

"Junior Brother He, as the sect's steward of etiquette, how should we deal with Duan Yunzhou's disrespectful behavior in front of the hall, according to the sect's rules?!"

He Chang was called upon, he stood up with a helpless expression. Knowing that he couldn't be ambiguous, he could only bow and say, "Reporting to Senior Brother Duan, he should be punished with a one-year salary deduction."

Duan Anle nodded for a moment, picked up a Duan Yunzhou, and then said calmly, "This is an old item that was moved from Little Ring Mountain and passed down from our teachers. In addition to Duan Yunzhou's disrespect, he will be fined five years' salary."

The cultivators in the hall, including Duan Yunzhou, who had been made an example of by his own father, were speechless upon hearing this punishment. Seeing that the anger that had filled the hall earlier had been temporarily suppressed, Duan Anle spoke again:

"On the battlefield, everyone is willing to lay their backs on each other, so why do they become like enemies here?"

None of the cultivators could answer, but Duan Anle, this time, showed no intention of maintaining balance as before. He simply said to Kang Rongquan, who was below him, in a calm voice, "Junior Brother Kang is right. With the sect competition approaching, we will take out all the Foundation Establishment Pill and Soft Jade Soul-Warming Paste as a token of our appreciation."

He glanced at Jin Shilun again, his tone carrying a hint of admonition. "Junior Brother Kang's words are fair, but I don't know what you're arguing about? The disciples of the Three Guards are the cream of the crop for Double Brightness, so they should also shine in the Grand Competition."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kang Rongquan showed no smugness and Jin Shilun showed no disappointment; they both bowed their heads and made no comment.

The two of them stopped talking, and the servants below ceased their argument.

At this moment, Kang Changxi, who had been sitting calmly, finally spoke up, "Our Martial Uncle Lian has once again bestowed a rare treasure, which is a joyous occasion. Why are you all arguing like this, fellow disciples?!"

Even if Golden Core cultivator spoke at this moment, their voice might not be loud enough.

Kang Changxi felt somewhat embarrassed when no one answered him, but fortunately Duan Anle right moment and spoke in a calm voice:

Now that everything has been agreed upon, everyone should return to their respective posts and do their best in their duties. As the sage said, "Diligence leads to mastery, while idleness leads to ruin," and you should all keep this in mind.

"Promise!"

The disciples left the council hall one after another, but Kang Rongquan was stopped by Duan Anle again.

But Duan Anle sighed and murmured, "Since Junior Brother Kang has already perfected his Core Thesis, why does he still need to argue with Shilun?!"

Kang Rongquan was taken aback by Duan Anle's words, but then said cheerfully, "Junior brother originally thought he had made quite fast progress among his fellow disciples, but unexpectedly, he was still left behind by Senior Brother Duan."

Kang Changxi, standing to the side, also laughed, "Rongquan, you too. If you Golden Core Formation Pill long ago, why would Senior Brother Jin have competed with you?"

Hearing this, Kang Rongquan shook his head and said softly, "Second Uncle is mistaken. Junior Brother Jin claims to be acting for justice, so regardless of whether I have formed my Golden Core Formation Pill or not, as long as he is still in the sect, he will naturally compete with me."

Kang Changxi was taken aback by these words, but Duan Anle sighed and said, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to say anything more to you. You should go back Golden Core Formation Pill as soon as possible. Then, even if Shilun argues with you, he'll have less confidence."

"Alright, alright, junior brother will do as senior brother says. But senior brother must not slack off, lest you fall behind me again."

After Kang Rongquan finished speaking loudly, he laughed heartily and left in a huff.

After Kang Changxi Kang Rongquan the Jade Slip from Duan Anle's hand, read through all the matters on it, and chimed in, "..."

"My nephew is right. Senior Brother Duan should focus on his cultivation and avoid worldly affairs these days. Junior Brother, you should go and ask Uncle Ye to come out of the mountain to take care of things. We can't afford to delay anything."

"Uncle Ye's research into the art of False Core is already urgent; how can we trouble him further?"

"Then this..."

"Don't worry, junior brother, there are advantages to going slowly," Duan Anle, raising his hand to brush away the debris in the hall. His gaze fell on the deepening twilight outside the window, and the glow of the spirit lamp cast faint shadows in his eyes.

A gentle evening breeze swaggered in through the open door, causing the edges of the rubbings of the judgment on the table to tremble slightly. In the dim lamplight, it seemed to conceal unspoken meanings.

"Hmph, perhaps only when my Chongming Sect obtains a Golden Core will it truly be considered prosperous?"