Chapter 180 - 165: The Internal Situation of Bixia Sect (Part 2)
Chapter 180: Chapter 165: The Internal Situation of Bixia Sect (Part 2)
"As for the Salary," Chen Chumo said, his expression turning extremely serious. "Junior Brother, since you have already reached Foundation Establishment, you must know how difficult it is to cultivate in this Realm. Tier Two Pills are of the utmost importance."
He emphasized, "The Sect’s rules state that with the status of an Inner Sect Steward, you can receive a fixed quota of twelve Pills corresponding to your Cultivation Realm each year! With your Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, that should be the Tier Two Lower Grade Water Jade Green Radiance Pill."
"In addition, Foundation Establishment Cultivators also receive three Middle-Grade Spirit Stones annually as a fixed Salary, distributed uniformly by the Merit Hall."
He looked at Lu Zhao, afraid he wouldn’t take it seriously. "Junior Brother, don’t underestimate these three Middle-Grade Spirit Stones. In the circles of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, no matter how many Lower Grade Spirit Stones you have, you can usually only buy the most common Tier Two Spiritual Materials. For anything slightly rarer or higher in quality—like main ingredients for Tier Two Pills, Artifact Refining Main Materials, or Array Core Spiritual Materials, and even scraps of High Tier items—trades between Foundation Establishment Cultivators are almost always priced in Middle-Grade Spirit Stones!"
"Lower Grade Spirit Stones have extremely limited purchasing power."
Hearing this, Lu Zhao’s heart stirred. He recalled seeing Foundation Establishment Wanderers at the Jade Brocade Tower auction in the Bixia Marketplace, brandishing Lower Grade Spirit Stones to bid on Foundation Establishment Pills and some seemingly decent Tier Two Magical Artifacts. He couldn’t help but ask, "Senior Brother, when I first began my journey of cultivation, I saw Foundation Establishment Cultivators at a Marketplace auction buying Pills and Magical Artifacts with Lower Grade Spirit Stones. And there’s also the underground Black Market..."
Chen Chumo smiled with understanding, a hint of confident insider knowledge in his eyes, and interrupted, "What you saw wasn’t wrong, Junior Brother. That is indeed how it appears on the surface. But the Foundation Establishment Stage Pills and Tier Two Magical Artifacts that flow through such channels, including the Foundation Establishment Pills that occasionally go unsold at auctions, are mostly not by chance. They are, in fact, deliberate actions by the Sect’s upper echelons."
He lowered his voice. "The first purpose of this is to appease the Wanderers, to leave them that faint, glimmering hope of advancement."
"Secondly, it’s also a crucial method for maintaining the prosperity of our Bixia Marketplace and keeping people invested. In the future, after you’ve actually attended a few small, private exchange meetings among Foundation Establishment Cultivators or the Sect’s internal exchanges, you will understand deeply—in those settings, Lower Grade Spirit Stones can only get you common Tier Two materials. For any truly high-quality items, Middle-Grade Spirit Stones are the real hard currency."
Only then did Lu Zhao fully grasp the intricacies. He now had a more direct, colder, and clearer understanding of the difficulty of acquiring resources in the Foundation Establishment Stage and the hidden rules of its resource-based hierarchy.
"Alright, that’s the gist of the Sect’s rules and basic benefits. As for the situation in the surrounding kingdoms, to be honest, I don’t know much either. Most of what I know comes from this Jade Scroll, so I won’t embarrass myself." As he spoke, Chen Chumo took out a Jade Scroll and handed it to Lu Zhao, adding, "It contains a general introduction to the nearby kingdoms. You can take a closer look when you get back, Junior Brother."
After saying all this, Chen Chumo glanced at the sun, which had risen higher outside the hall entrance. "The last important matter is to select a new site for your Cave Mansion. Once that’s done, my task will be successfully completed. Junior Brother Lu, please come with me. Allow me to personally show you a few potential locations."
"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother." Lu Zhao put away the Token and the Jade Scroll, and once again followed Chen Chumo out of the Ancestral Hall.
The two of them traveled through the Inner Mountain Area. Although the Inner Mountain only occupied the core part of the Bixia Mountain Range, it was still vast and magnificent. Chen Chumo led Lu Zhao to see four or five vacant Tier Two Cave Mansions in succession.
The locations of these Cave Mansions varied: some were hidden deep within secluded ravines where Spiritual Qi condensed into white mist, with exotic flowers vying for attention before their gates and the Spiritual Qi as thick as a tide. Others were built on a mountainside with an expansive view, overlooking the rising and falling mountain mists and the unfurling sea of clouds, a sight that would broaden one’s spirit. There was even one facing an abyss, with the faint sound of a waterfall and a mingling of water and wood auras. Each location had stable Restrictions and deeply hidden entrances, boasting its own unique scenery and subtle variations in Spiritual Qi.
Finally, Lu Zhao came to a stop before a mountain hollow on the edge of the Inner Mountain, right next to the buffer zone with the Outer Mountain. This Cave Mansion was backed by a lush, dense forest of dark green bamboo whose joints were like jade. When a gentle breeze passed through, the sea of bamboo rippled, its rustling sound like a natural Dao Rhyme.
The view in front, however, was extremely open. In the distance, one could see the scattered halls of the Outer Mountain and the vast plains. The entrance to the Cave Mansion was set into a solid rock face. Its gate, built of blue stone, was simple and unadorned, with a stone plaque above it bearing the engraved inscription: "Room C-57".
Even more remarkably, although the location was near the edge, a stable, dense, and pure stream of Spiritual Qi surged up from beneath their feet. It lingered in wisps, never dispersing, its concentration steadily reaching Tier Two Middle-Grade!
"Senior Brother, I’ll choose this place," Lu Zhao said, pointing at the Cave Mansion’s entrance, which blended into the mountain scenery with a perfect balance of motion and stillness.
Chen Chumo also descended, carefully sensing the surrounding aura. He glanced at the ink-jade-like bamboo forest and the expansive view, a look of approval in his eyes. "Mm... Junior Brother, you have a good eye! The environment here is quiet and elegant, a world of its own. The Spiritual Qi is pure, abundant, heavy, and stable, reaching Tier Two Middle-Grade. It’s more than enough for Early-stage and Middle Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation."
"Moreover, its location is right on the border between the inner and outer areas, making travel to the various halls quite convenient. It’s not too close to the core Spirit Vein, so you can avoid the noise and conflict, yet it doesn’t suffer from the barrenness of the Outer Mountain. Room C-57... the location is very suitable. Quite good indeed!"
The procedures were quickly completed. A cyan-green jade Token fell into Lu Zhao’s hand. A faint light flowed across its surface, indicating it was the core hub of the Cave Mansion Array.
Before leaving, Chen Chumo remembered something else. "Junior Brother Lu," he reminded him, "there’s one small thing. According to Sect regulations, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can select two servants to take care of daily life in the Cave Mansion. The candidates can be Qi Cultivation Disciples or Stewards from within the Sect whose backgrounds we know. However, they must sign a document stating that they are volunteering, and the Sect’s rules forbid you from mistreating them."
"Of course, you can also recruit servants from outside the Sect yourself. If they are outsiders, you can handle them as you see fit; you just need to report it to the Sect for registration. If you don’t have any familiar and reliable candidates for now, I have been working in the General Affairs Hall for a long time and could perhaps find one or two quick-witted and sharp-minded people for you."
Lu Zhao already had a plan in mind upon hearing this. He politely declined, "Thank you for your kind offer and trouble, Senior Brother. The matter of servants is not urgent. I still need to observe for a while and weigh my options. If the need arises, I will shamelessly trouble you for help again."
Chen Chumo didn’t insist. He laughed heartily and cupped his hands. "Very well! Your considerations are thorough, Junior Brother. In that case, I will take my leave. You’ve just reached Foundation Establishment and moved to a new Cave Mansion, so you’ll surely need time to stabilize your Cultivation and familiarize yourself with your new home. If you are unclear about anything, or if you’re interested in the Recruitment Bureau, remember to bring your Token and find me there at any time!" His words were sincere, filled with anticipation.
"I will not forget the kindness of your assistance, Senior Brother. I respectfully see you off." Lu Zhao cupped his hands sincerely as he saw him off.
After Chen Chumo had disappeared among the distant, overlapping mountains shrouded in rosy mist, Lu Zhao did not immediately enter the brand-new Tier Two Cave Mansion, Room C-57.
He turned and first returned to Outer Mountain Xin 210 Cave Mansion. Silently, he carefully packed up some unfinished Puppet Parts, as well as the common tools and materials he had painstakingly collected since his Qi Cultivation Stage, sorting them by category into several Storage Bags.
Finally, Lu Zhao glanced at the Cave Mansion where he had spent ten years. There was not much reluctance in his eyes, only the finality of a decision made, like dust settling.
A moment later, he returned to the entrance of the Room C-57 Cave Mansion. The tall stone gate was tightly shut, the door heavy and solid. Lu Zhao took a deep breath of the dense, pure Spiritual Qi of this place and tightened his grip on the cyan-green Restriction Token.
HUMMM...
Following a low but clear hum, the heavy stone gate slid silently to the side, revealing an even more spacious interior.
A brand-new aura—one belonging to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, full of both hope and challenge—rushed out to greet him.
A new Chapter on his path of cultivation had quietly turned its heavy first page in this Tier Two "Room C-57" Cave Mansion, a place that held infinite future possibilities.