Chapter 194 : The Triennial Clan Assembly

With this matter concluded, Eldrin Chen turned his gaze towards Lior Chen, a faint smile gracing his lips as he spoke.

"Uncle Lior, it has been three years since we last held the annual conclave."

"Now that all the Celestial Beings [the highest echelon of cultivators in the clan] are gathered, let us convene the assembly."

As the cultivation of both the Old Patriarch and Eldrin Chen progressed ever higher, the clan's annual review had shifted to a triennial cycle.

For these grand assemblies, the presence of either Eldrin Chen or the Old Patriarch sufficed, for their primary focus lay in cultivation, often leaving them little time to attend such gatherings.

Lior Chen nodded in agreement. In truth, preparations for an assembly had begun after the Old Patriarch emerged from seclusion, only to be delayed by various affairs.

Finally finding a moment of respite, the well-prepared Lior Chen produced a ledger and handed it to Eldrin Chen before beginning his report.

"Let me first address the clan's finances over the past three years."

"Our clan's income during this period…"

As Eldrin Chen took the ledger, his eyes scanning its pages while listening to Lior Chen's narration, a clear picture of the clan's development swiftly took shape in his mind. Read the full novel exclusively on audio-novel-dot-com.

Even before securing the Metallic Gold Earth Vein [a subterranean mineral vein rich in metallic gold ore], the total annual revenue of the Chen Clan hovered around nine thousand Spirit Stones [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]. Their annual expenditure on clan stipends, however, was approximately eight thousand Spirit Stones.

This was because, following the Beast Tide [a periodic, massive onslaught of demonic beasts], the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators [cultivators who have solidified their cultivation foundation] within the clan had increased significantly, leading to a correspondingly large jump in stipend payments.

At that time, counting both the Old Patriarch and Eldrin Chen, the stipends paid solely to Foundation Establishment Cultivators already amounted to over four thousand Spirit Stones annually. Adding the stipends for more than five hundred cultivators at the Vital Essence Refinement [the initial stage of cultivation, refining one's vital energy] stage, the total annual stipend expenditure alone surpassed eight thousand Spirit Stones.

However, after Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch broke through to the Violet Sanctum [a major cultivation realm where one opens their Violet Palace, a spiritual core], the clan's income experienced a dramatic surge.

The first major contributor was the Metallic Gold Earth Vein. This single Earth Vein [a concentrated line of spiritual energy and minerals within the earth] brought the clan a one-time windfall of two hundred thousand Spirit Stones. Furthermore, it would continue to generate an annual income of seven thousand Spirit Stones thereafter.

This calculation did not even include the Metallic Gold Essence Crystal [a rare, high-purity crystal of metallic gold essence] produced once every sixty years, nor the Third-Rank Treasure Crystals that would condense over several decades.

Moreover, after the Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] beneath Spirit Isle Lake advanced to the Third Rank Lower Grade [a classification for spiritual objects], the population of Azure Verdant Spirit Fish [a type of spirit-nourishing fish with azure and verdant scales] in the lake could now proliferate to over ten thousand. From then on, the lake would yield one thousand of these Spirit Fish [fish imbued with spiritual energy] every year.

Consuming the Azure Verdant Spirit Fish could enhance one's cultivation, and their flavor was exceptionally delicious. They were not only highly marketable within the Border Province, but could also be distributed as part of the clan members' stipends. In fact, the annual yield of one thousand Spirit Fish might not even be enough to meet the internal demand of the clan itself.

Those one thousand Spirit Fish alone could bring the clan an additional five thousand Spirit Stones in revenue.

However, Spirit Isle Lake no longer cultivated Spirit Rice [rice infused with spiritual energy]. The hundred *Mu-area* [one Mu-area equals six hundred sixty-six point six seven square meters] of high-grade Spiritual Fields [fields nourished by spiritual energy] that had been opened were now entirely dedicated to planting seeds of high-tier Spirit Herbs [plants that absorb and store spiritual energy]. These included herbs like the Purple Marrow Fruit, used for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill [a pill that aids in achieving the Foundation Establishment realm], and the Cloud Vein Fruit, a key ingredient for the Cloud Vein Creation Pill [a pill that aids in opening one's spiritual meridians].

Even so, in a few years when the Azure Verdant Spirit Fish [a type of spirit-nurturing fish] multiply to over ten thousand, the annual yield of five thousand Spirit Stones [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy] they will bring thereafter will be a substantial gain.

Calculating meticulously, the Spirit Isle Lake and the Metallic Gold Ore Vein together provide the clan with an additional annual income of twelve thousand Spirit Stones.

Adding the yields from the other few Spiritual Veins [veins in the earth that concentrate and emit spiritual energy] and miscellaneous income, even excluding the taxes from the Sunward Market, the total already reaches fifteen thousand Spirit Stones.

The tax revenue from the Sunward Market has also been increasing rapidly these years. It will only begin to slow after approximately a decade, at which point it should contribute five thousand Spirit Stones in taxes, bringing the total annual clan revenue to twenty thousand Spirit Stones.

The Cangkun Mountain Cultivable Earth Vein [a spiritual vein that enhances the fertility of land] can also increase the clan's income by three thousand Spirit Stones. Combined, the Border Province Spirit Stone Mine and the subterranean Acrid Metal Earth Vein [a spiritual vein rich in metallic energies] can add another five thousand Spirit Stones to the annual revenue.

When all these are tallied, in approximately ten years, the clan's annual income should reach twenty-eight thousand Spirit Stones.

However, expenditures have also grown significantly. After Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch broke through to the Violet Sanctum [a major cultivation realm], their annual stipends were increased to five thousand Spirit Stones each.

The stipends for just these two individuals now exceed the combined salaries of all other cultivators in the clan.

Given the clan's relatively small scale, an early-stage Vital Essence Refinement [the foundational stage of cultivation] cultivator receives an annual stipend of merely a few Spirit Stones, while a late-stage cultivator receives only a dozen or so. Only those at the Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier receive a stipend of forty-five Spirit Stones.

The clan, including Ethan Chen, has only fourteen Foundation Establishment [the stage following Vital Essence Refinement] cultivators and several hundred Vital Essence Refinement cultivators. Their combined stipends do not exceed eight thousand Spirit Stones.

Eldrin Chen [the protagonist and family patriarch] calculated and discovered that the family's financial surplus would reach a staggering ten thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]. Even with the increasing number of cultivators in the clan due to relaxed birth policies, there would be no risk of a fiscal deficit.

Furthermore, the Spiritual Vein [a subterranean channel that concentrates and emits spiritual energy] beneath the family's Green Chariot Mountain and Pingyang City would advance to the Third Rank [a mid-level grade for spiritual veins] within twenty to thirty years.

In particular, the Enlightenment Tea Tree [a spiritual plant whose leaves aid in meditation and comprehension] in Pingyang City was already Second Rank High-Grade [a high-quality spiritual plant]. After being promoted to a Worldly Spiritual Root [a rare, high-grade spiritual plant with immense potential], its growth accelerated dramatically. It would likely reach the third rank within a few short years.

By then, the clan would also establish Spiritual Fields [plots of land enriched with spiritual energy for growing spiritual plants] to cultivate a large quantity of high-grade Spirit Herbs [plants imbued with spiritual energy, used in alchemy and cultivation], thereby accumulating a deeper foundation for the family's future.

"An annual surplus of ten thousand Spirit Stones,"

Eldrin Chen revealed a warm smile. He glanced at the assembled elders and said with a chuckle, "The family's flourishing ascent relies entirely on your diligent management and steadfast guardianship. The contributions of you, our esteemed Elders [senior members of the clan council], are truly indispensable." This chapter appears courtesy of audio_novel.com.

Hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with satisfaction. With this annual surplus of Spirit Stones, whether it was for purchasing Foundation Establishment Pills [pills that aid in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm] or Five Elements Crystals [crystals containing pure elemental energies], or even acquiring new magical treasures for the two Patriarchs [the highest-ranking leaders of the clan], the family would have ample resources to maneuver.

If they accumulated this surplus for a century, they might even afford treasures like a Golden Core Formation Pill [a legendary pill that significantly increases the chance of forming a Golden Core] or a Five Elements Spirit Fruit [a miraculous fruit harmonizing the five elements], potentially aiding the two Patriarchs in their assault on the Golden Core [a major cultivation realm representing a solidified core of power] realm.

Seeing the buoyant mood, Eldrin Chen retrieved several cultivation manuals obtained from their recent endeavors.

"Aunt Verdant Grace, this Verdant Wood True Flame Art [a wood-attributed cultivation technique for the Violet Sanctum realm] is a Violet Sanctum [a cultivation realm focused on opening and refining spiritual acupoints] level technique. Take this, along with the crafting method for the Verdant Wood Core Lamp [a magical treasure in the form of a lamp], and make a copy for the archives first."

"A Violet Sanctum cultivation art?"

Verdant Grace Chen took the Verdant Wood True Flame Art [a cultivation art that channels the essence of verdant wood into a pure flame], her face alight with unrestrained joy.

Although she had long known the clan had acquired this treasure, holding it in her hands now still filled her with a pleasant surprise.

Seeing her become immersed in the profound mysteries of the Violet Sanctum art, Eldrin Chen smiled and turned his gaze away. He retrieved several scrolls of cultivation arts and handed them to Lior Chen.

"These are Foundation Establishment cultivation arts seized from the recent battle. Place them within the Scripture Pavilion."

Lior Chen took the scrolls and glanced through them, a smile spreading across his face. "The Cultivable Earth Sovereign Art [a cultivation art for mastering the power of the earth]. To think we also acquired an earth-attribute Foundation Establishment 9th Tier art. This finally completes our Chen Clan's collection of Foundation Establishment arts."

Hearing this, the others looked over in astonishment, their expressions brightening with delight.

The Chen Clan had developed with astonishing speed in recent years. Although they had already ascended to become a Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan, their repository of cultivation arts remained somewhat incomplete.

Currently, the Chen Clan possessed three Violet Sanctum cultivation arts. Two of them were the Verdant Lotus Positive Water Scripture [a scripture cultivating the harmonious power of wood and water] and the Frost Soul Cold Light Scripture [a scripture channeling the essence of frost and soul-chilling light].

The Frost Soul Cold Light Scripture was exceptionally profound, allowing cultivation up to the Violet Sanctum 9th Tier. It also contained the esoteric technique Ice Jade Condensing Light Mantra [a mantra for condensing light into ice-jade] and the method for forging the Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical treasure bound to the cultivator's life force], the Frost Soul Coldlight Sword. However, it could only be practiced by those possessing an Ice Spiritual Root [a spiritual root affinity for the ice element].

The Verdant Lotus Positive Water Scripture [a profound cultivation method focusing on purity and life-giving water energy] possesses an extraordinary origin. Exquisite Jiang had received this legacy from her friend and passed it on to Eldrin Chen, a gesture that inherently carried a weight of Karma [the cosmic principle of cause and effect, binding actions to their consequences]. Therefore, Eldrin Chen felt it was improper to simply disseminate it among the wider members of the Chen Clan.

The final technique was the Solar Solar Fire Scripture [a supreme cultivation art of pure yang and solar essence], personally pioneered by Eldrin Chen. This method fused the quintessence of the Blazing Sun Dominating Void Art [an art for harnessing the sun's power to command emptiness] and the Solar Fire Path to Ruins Art [a technique channeling solar flame along a path of destructive renewal]. The result was an exceptionally domineering Primordial Solar [pertaining to the pure, foundational power of the sun] cultivation art.

However, despite its formidable power, this art was not easily mastered. Its entry threshold was high, and within the entire family, only the Old Patriarch had managed to grasp its fundamentals and begin its practice. Support the author by reading on audio-novel dot com.