Of the eight thousand cultivators who had returned, nearly a thousand had already left. Most were high-level cultivators who carried themselves above the others. In their minds, their strength and cultivation realms naturally entitled them to positions of authority the moment they returned.

Huo Gang hesitated for a long time. Memories of relying on others in the past surfaced in his mind. In the end, he stayed.

After roughly thirty minutes, the restless crowd settled.

Lu Kangnian raised his hand and sealed the sect’s grand formation. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he shattered every jade slip that had been cast aside.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

One after another, the slips exploded, the sharp, continuous cracking striking at the hearts of all present. Lu Kangnian’s gaze remained firm. Those who had left had, in that instant, severed every tie to the sect.

Only after finishing did he smile faintly. He waved his hand, and a million low-grade spirit stones appeared, packed thickly in the air.

Excitement surged among the Golden Core Realm disciples.

Sun Miao, master of Pill Peak, stepped forward through the air. He bowed respectfully, then turned and raised a hand. Thirty jade boxes appeared, hovering behind him.

Lu Kangnian smiled faintly. The stick had already fallen. Now it was time for the carrot. “These are thirty top-grade Nascent Soul Breakthrough pills. Each one increases a Golden Core Realm cultivator’s chances of advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm by thirty percent.”

The crowd erupted. Desire, excitement, even madness spread like wildfire. “A top-grade Nascent Soul Breakthrough pill! Is our Pill Peak really that powerful now?”

“What does it take to get one? I’ve saved up spirit stones for decades, and I still can’t afford it. I simply can’t afford it!”

“Ahhh! I’ll risk my life for the sect! Give me one...!”

Lu Kangnian raised a hand to calm them down. “There will be more pills in time. This is only the first batch. The problem is that the spirit herbs required are exceedingly rare.”

Many disciples immediately shouted, raising the herbs they had gathered. Years of painstaking accumulation suddenly had value.

“Sect Master, I have the Winning Spirit Herb!”

“Sect Master, I have Frost Flower and Heavenly King Ginseng!”

Some had gathered only two or three types, while others had collected entirely different materials. Even if they exhausted their family fortunes to assemble every ingredient, they would still lack the connections and wealth needed to find a reliable alchemist.

“In the future, pill-refining services can be exchanged for sect contribution points. Likewise, any treasures you obtain can be traded at Heavenly Pillar Peak for contribution points or other resources.”

Everything had already been planned. Under Li Guanqi’s direction, Tang Ru had established a Hundred Treasures Pavilion atop Heavenly Pillar Peak, complete with a contribution-reward system. The framework was already in motion.

Mid-grade spirit stones came next, followed by five precious Divine Transformation Pills. Though few in number, they ignited even greater fervor.

Golden Core Realm cultivators had Nascent Soul pills. Nascent Soul Realm cultivators had Divine Transformation Pills. However, what about those already in the Divine Transformation Realm?

Could it be... Illusory Breakthrough Pills? Anticipation hung thick in the air.

Lu Kangnian did not disappoint. He produced a violet crystal jade box. It opened, releasing a rich medicinal fragrance and revealing a perfectly formed purple pill inside. “Illusory Breakthrough Pill.”

The crowd fell into a complete frenzy. “Illusory Breakthrough Pill!”

“Heavens, an actual Illusory Breakthrough Pill!”

“I’ll stake my life serving the sect!”

“The sect is my home. I will sell my life for the sect!”

Once the excitement finally settled, Lu Kangnian announced the establishment of a Mission Pavilion under the Guanyun Pavilion. With so many cultivators in the sect, they could now accept missions on a massive scale. A mutually beneficial system had been born.

Heavenly Pillar Peak’s Hundred Treasures Pavilion quickly filled with rare resources gathered by the disciples, and the Mission Pavilion was just as quickly overwhelmed.

Only when everything was settled did Lu Kangnian deliver a rousing speech. Hope burned brightly in every disciple’s heart.

Everyone present was formally recognized as a thirty-eighth generation disciple. As for positions of authority, those would be assigned gradually over time.

Song Zhi’ang stood among the crowd, craning her neck, searching for Li Guanqi. But she did not see the one she had longed for.

A trace of disappointment flickered across her face. Rather than return to her residence, she turned and headed for Heavenly Pillar Peak.

She did not notice Han Chengxian behind her, his eyes drifting toward her again and again.

After returning to his study, Lu Kangnian let out a quiet sigh of relief. The lower-tier cultivators had been settled. Now it was time to deal with the problems at the top. Many of the experts who had returned to the sect were former elders and peak masters, and some of the strongest among them had once been sect masters or disciplinarians. Those were the truly difficult ones to handle.

Lu Kangnian tapped his fingers lightly against the table. For now, the internal balance among the sect’s disciples was already in hand. As for resources, the support of forces such as the Heavenly Intelligence Pavilion, the Guanyun Pavilion, and the Hundred Treasures Pavilion would be sufficient to maintain stability.

In fact, once the adjustment period passed, the Daxia Sword Sect could amass wealth on a massive scale. With over twelve thousand cultivators, they would have no trouble making money.

Boom!

A terrifying surge of sword qi shot into the sky.

Li Guanqi stood among the clouds, his aura fully restored. He clenched his fists, feeling his vital force flow cleanly without the slightest obstruction. A faint smile touched his face.

Lu Kangnian flashed to his side with a smile. “Recovered already?”

Li Guanqi glanced down at the distorted spatial rifts and chuckled. “My brothers were worried about me. They helped refine the residual demonic qi.”

Having noticed Li Guanqi, Song Zhi’ang flew over, her face bright with excitement. “Li Guanqi!”

Li Guanqi turned and looked at the approaching woman. She carried herself with a gentle, refined air. “Song Zhi’ang? You actually started cultivating? And this pace... It’s even faster than mine. It’s only been a few years, and you’re already at the Nascent Soul Realm?”

He was genuinely shocked.

Song Zhi’ang clasped her hands behind her back, her cheeks faintly flushed and her eyes bright as she looked at him shyly. “Well? Pretty impressive, right?”

Li Guanqi nodded and turned to Lu Kangnian. “Sect Master, did everything go smoothly today?”

Lu Kangnian smiled, glanced at Song Zhi’ang, and nodded. Through voice transmission, he said, “Come. Let’s talk in the study.”