Chapter 183 : A Clan's Ascendant Fortune

Now that the Chen Clan could secure a share of the profits, even if it diluted the gains of the other two families, it would still increase their annual income by at least six thousand Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

After the Chen Clan's recent ascension to a Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [an immortal clan possessing a cultivator at the Violet Sanctum realm], the stipends for Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch also needed to be significantly increased.

Generally speaking, the annual stipend for a Violet Sanctum Cultivator [a cultivator who has opened their Violet Sanctum, the third major realm] in most sects and clans was above three thousand Spirit Stones, with well-off organizations offering up to five thousand.

Without this fixed stipend, a Violet Sanctum Cultivator would find cultivation exceedingly difficult, unlikely to advance to the Middle and Late Violet Sanctum Realm [the middle and late stages of the Violet Sanctum cultivation realm] before their lifespan was exhausted.

This stipend was no small sum. One must remember, before securing the Metallic Gold Earth Vein [a spiritual vein rich in metallic and gold elemental energies], the Chen Clan, though a top-tier Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan [an immortal clan possessing a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment realm], had an annual income barely exceeding nine thousand Spirit Stones.

If they could secure a share of the Border Province Spirit Stone Mine and the Acrid Metal Earth Vein [a spiritual vein with sharp, corrosive metallic energy], the Chen Clan's finances would become much more robust. Coupled with the advancement of the Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth] at Spirit Isle Lake to the third rank, the clan's surplus Spirit Stones would undoubtedly see a substantial leap.

After all, aside from rewards for merit and clan missions, the fixed stipends paid by the clan were a constant expense. In such a situation, every extra thousand Spirit Stones earned translated directly into a thousand Spirit Stones of pure profit—a windfall gain.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen nodded and said, "Then let us set the ascension banquet for three months from now. The Council of Elders shall make the necessary preparations."

"For the major Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan and Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan of the Border Province, Kael and Caleb, the two of you shall go to Ling County and Feng County. You must ensure all the major Immortal Clan [clans with cultivators capable of pursuing immortality] in those two commanderies are properly notified."

Sending Kael Chen and Caleb to represent the clan in the other two commanderies of the Border Province was, in fact, a fitting choice. This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio-novel.com (official site).

Within the clan, the status of the Clan Leader and Eldrin Chen had become vastly different. For many years now, cultivation had been their foremost priority, and they rarely involved themselves in the clan's mundane affairs.

Matters great and small within the clan were essentially handled by the Council of Elders. Only issues of significant importance would reach the two of them.

In truth, this was the norm for the vast majority of Immortal Clan in this world. The Clan Patriarch and Patriarch were the strongest pillars of the clan, upholding its prestige. However, aside from their cultivation, these leaders did not need to manage daily clan operations.

Unless a major decision required their attention, routine matters were naturally handled by the Clan Affairs Hall and the Council of Elders. They simply needed to report these affairs to the Clan Patriarch during the annual summary assembly.

Furthermore, as Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch's cultivation deepened, the duration of their secluded meditation sessions would gradually lengthen. In the future, this reporting might shift to once every few years, or even once every few decades.

Therefore, many matters required the Elders to handle them independently. For issues they were unsure about, they would convene the Council of Elders for discussion.

Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch focused only on crucial matters and the administration of rewards and punishments. If anyone engaged in corruption, pursued personal gain, or committed acts that provoked the wrath of both heaven and man, the two of them would not let it pass lightly.

As long as Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch—those two Sea-Calmer Divine Needles—remained, the clan would not descend into chaos, no matter how great the turmoil. These Foundation Establishment Elders would also remain united, preventing incidents like those that had befallen the Verdant Sun Sect.

This was the power of exemplary leadership. They dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to the clan and severely punished those who betrayed it. Those below naturally followed their example.

Returning to the main point, both Kael and Caleb were still quite young—one exceptionally so, and the other having achieved Self-Achieved Foundation Establishment. Both had now broken through to the Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer.

Although the Chen Clan currently boasts thirteen Foundation Establishment Cultivators [cultivators who have solidified their cultivation foundation], the truly exceptional among them are merely the two siblings and Kael Chen.

Others, such as Seraphina Chen, Remembrance Seal Chen, and Remembrance Truth Chen, fall somewhat short. Their temperament, innate talent, and lifespan are not particularly outstanding among Foundation Establishment Cultivators. In fact, they are less diligent in their cultivation than Lior Chen and Verdant Grace Chen from the Verdant Generation [the generation of the Chen Clan bearing the 'Verdant' character in their names].

Among the clan's many Elders, these two hold relatively high importance and status. They are also valued by Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch. Having them deliver the invitations demonstrates respect for the various great families.

"Speaking of hosting a banquet, it reminds me of the clan's Foundation Establishment [the realm of solidifying one's cultivation foundation] celebration nearly forty years ago."

"Back then, the clan produced three Foundation Establishment cultivators in succession, and I was the one running the errands. Who could have imagined the clan would undergo such tremendous change in a mere forty years?"

Eldrin Chen said with a smile. Four decades had passed in the blink of an eye, and now he was a figure of Patriarch [a clan leader or highly respected senior] stature.

Given his current standing, it was no longer appropriate for him to deliver invitations personally. Even a Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [an immortal clan led by a cultivator of the Violet Sanctum realm] would be unworthy of such a gesture, let alone those mere Foundation Establishment Immortal Clans [immortal clans whose patriarchs are at the Foundation Establishment realm].

The group discussed further, taking the opportunity to deliberate on several important matters. The session lasted an entire day before concluding.

"..."

After arranging all this, Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch began setting up a Formation [a mystical array or defensive barrier] for the Mystic Iron Mountain Path-Field.

After surveying the terrain, Old Patriarch spoke to Eldrin Chen.

"This Mystic Iron Mountain's Spiritual Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated spiritual energy] is connected to the Metallic Gold Earth Vein. It would be best to use a metal-attributed magical treasure as the Formation Artifact [the core artifact that powers and anchors a formation]."

"Only then can its maximum power be unleashed."

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly as he retrieved a Third-Rank Magical Treasure.

It was precisely the Vajra Banner of Suramgama. This treasure, both offensive and defensive, was a Third-Rank Magical Treasure. The divine abilities it contained—the Glazed Adamantine Barrier and the Suramgama Heaven-Striking Seal—were both of the metal attribute.

Old Patriarch glanced at it, hesitated for a moment, then said, "This treasure's power is Extraordinary. Wouldn't it be better for you to keep it, to bolster your own combat strength?" This chapter is part of a larger work available at http://www . audio-novel.com.

"Now that I have broken through to the Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation, where one opens a mystical inner sanctum], this item is merely icing on the cake for me."

"This Mystic Iron Mountain will become one of the clan's greatest lifelines. Using it to set up a Third Rank Formation to secure the Mystic Iron Mountain's Earth Vein [a terrestrial energy channel] would be making the best use of its capabilities."

Eldrin Chen shook his head. Although this treasure offered both offense and defense, he had the Luofu Vajra Seal for protection and was hardly lacking in offensive techniques. While the banner still had its uses, its importance to him was no longer paramount.

Seeing his resolve, Old Patriarch acquiesced to his view and began setting up the Mountain Protection Formation.

Working together for several days, the two finally completed the deployment of this grand formation. Eternal Profound Chen gazed upon the completed Formation [a complex arrangement of energy channels and nodes used for defense, attack, or cultivation] with evident delight.

"With this formation guarding us, even if a Violet Sanctum Cultivator [a cultivator who has opened their Violet Sanctum, the third major realm] attacks, it should be able to hold them off for a considerable time."

"Indeed," Eldrin Chen agreed.

He also nodded, a smile gracing his features.

Once activated, this formation was truly formidable. The two divine abilities of the Vajra Banner of Suramgama [a powerful banner artifact imbued with the unshakable, adamantine power of the Suramgama Sutra], amplified by the formation's power, would see their potency greatly increased. Even a Violet Sanctum Cultivator would find it difficult to breach its defenses swiftly.

However, the spiritual energy provided by the Second Rank High-Grade Spiritual Vein [a high-quality vein of earth energy that nourishes cultivation] was ultimately insufficient. To unleash the formation's full potential, they would need to upgrade it to a Third-order Spiritual Vein [a higher-grade vein of concentrated earth energy] in the future.

Yet this required an expenditure of three hundred thousand Spirit Stones [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy]. Even with the Chen Clan's recent promotion to a Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [a clan recognized for having a cultivator in the Violet Sanctum realm], gathering such a sum would take twenty to thirty years.

Fortunately, the clan's recent raid on the Metallic Gold Earth Vein [a mineral-rich vein containing metallic and earth-attribute energies] had yielded a large haul of Second Rank [a classification for spiritual materials] natural treasures. Selling these off would cover the greater part of the cost.

With a modest subsidy from the clan treasury, the cultivation grounds at Mystic Iron Mountain could be elevated to a lower-grade Third Rank [the third major tier of spiritual energy classification] site within five years.

Once the Third-order Spiritual Vein was in place, the scale of the Spiritual Fields [lands infused with spiritual energy, ideal for growing spirit herbs] around the Mystic Iron Mountain vein would expand once more, bringing increased harvests and income to the clan—a virtuous cycle was beginning to form.

Of course, the primary reason for this was the presence of a Worldly Spiritual Root [a unique spiritual root that can absorb energy from the surrounding world, reducing cultivation costs] within the Chen Clan, which saved the clan from the advancement costs associated with the three Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth] locations: Pingyang City, Green Chariot Mountain, and Spirit Isle Lake.

Otherwise, even advancing just two Third-order Spiritual Vein [a mid-grade spiritual vein suitable for Foundation Establishment and early Violet Sanctum cultivators] would have forced the newly promoted Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [a clan whose patriarch has reached the Violet Sanctum realm] to tighten its belt drastically, requiring a full century of stringent frugality to possibly accumulate enough Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

"..."

After deploying a third-rank grand formation at Mystic Iron Mountain, the clan's Foundation Establishment Cultivator [the second major realm of cultivation, where one solidifies their foundation] were finally freed from their defensive duties.

The Chen Clan left five Foundation Establishment Cultivator—Verdant Grace Chen, Kael Chen, Remembrance Truth Chen, Seraphina Chen, and Remembrance Seal Chen—to guard the location. The rest returned to Green Chariot Mountain and the other Spiritual Vein sites. For more chapters, visit audio–novel.com for the complete novel.