"Sect Leader, what are your instructions?"

Fang Qingyuan shot him a glare.

"How are you disciplining those disciples? They’re so young, yet they’ve already picked up the vices of White Mountain. Always getting into fights, and now they’ve injured someone and don’t even have the guts to take responsibility. The complaint has been brought all the way to me."

Rebuked by Fang Qingyuan, Mao Cheng stood there dejectedly to receive his scolding. Although Fang Qingyuan was the Sect Leader, he rarely handled mundane affairs. These matters all fell to Mao Cheng, who was now the Vice Sect Leader.

Within the Qingyuan Sect, Fang Qingyuan, the Sect Leader, held the highest authority. Second to him was Mao Cheng, the Vice Sect Leader. Mao Cheng was clever and flexible, making him well-suited to handling the sect’s daily affairs. However, his cultivation progressed slowly; in the past seven years, he had only advanced a single layer.

Another disciple, Chen Huicheng, had been appointed by Fang Qingyuan as the master of the Inheritance Hall, responsible for teaching cultivation techniques to new disciples. His personality was stern and methodical, but he was serious and responsible, which made him suitable for the position.

Aside from these two, the remaining members were the original group of Qi Cultivation cultivators who had followed him seven years ago. These eleven individuals now all had their own duties and were doing reasonably well.

The lowest rung of the Qingyuan Sect consisted of the Cultivation Immortal Seedlings Fang Qingyuan had acquired with Spirit Stones from the Artifact Talisman Alliance’s territory seven years ago. All twenty or so of them possessed Spirit Roots of middle-grade aptitude or higher.

After all, Fang Qingyuan wasn’t one to accept children of just any aptitude. Now, seven years later, the oldest of the group had reached adulthood. In their early twenties, they were at a restless age. Compounded by the deep-seated blood feud from their past, the temperaments of these few disciples were more extreme than most, and they were easily provoked.

After a few more words of reprimand for Mao Cheng, Fang Qingyuan came to a decision.

"Send them to Nine Stars Square to serve as guards for the Camel Skate caravan. Five years for each of them. Once their tempers have been properly worn down, they can return."

The Qingyuan Sect now had a small team of Camel Skates operating out of Nine Stars Square. It was led by Yin Bao and included four young, Qi Cultivation-level Camel Skates that Fang Qingyuan had purchased from the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect to handle external business.

It was worth noting that these four young Camel Skates were all female. This was why Yin Bao was now quite willing to stay with its four "concubines" and earn Spirit Stones for the Qingyuan Sect.

Moreover, Yin Bao was Fang Qingyuan’s personal mount and possessed the combat strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Its status in the sect was even higher than Mao Cheng’s. It would be more accurate to say that Yin Bao was looking after the younger cultivators, rather than them commanding it.

After dealing with that matter, Fang Qingyuan inquired about the output of the sect’s Spirit Fields. The more than four hundred mu of Spirit Fields brought in over a dozen Top-grade Spirit Stones for the Qingyuan Sect annually. After all, the land sat on a Tier Three Lower Grade Spirit Vein, making its yield far richer than the Spirit Fields of Yuanling Mountain.

Aside from the income from the Spirit Fields and the Camel Skate business, the Qingyuan Sect had no other major sources of revenue. The exclusive beast-ferry route to Nine Stars Square didn’t earn many Spirit Stones either, due to the scarcity of cultivators in the area.

The past seven years had been peaceful for the Qingyuan Sect. No outside powers had come looking for trouble, and the mortal population within the sect’s territory was approaching fifty thousand.

The people who had migrated from Yuanling Mountain made up the largest portion of this population.

After dismissing Mao Cheng to carry out his orders, Fang Qingyuan was about to send his spiritual sense into the Immortal Mansion to check on this year’s Spirit Plant harvest when he noticed someone lingering at his door.

"Come in, Wanqin."

Upon hearing Fang Qingyuan’s permission, a beautiful Female Cultivator with a gentle and graceful mien entered. Dressed in white robes, she appeared exceedingly demure.

"Wanqin pays her respects, Sect Leader."

Jiang Wanqin bowed low. Looking at Fang Qingyuan, she thought, ’It’s hard to say which of us looks younger now.’ An image of her master, Jiang Kui, came to mind, and she sighed internally.

"What is it?"

Fang Qingyuan asked gently, seated cross-legged on his jade bed. ’The top Cultivation Immortal Seedling from Yuanling Mountain, the one with the middle-grade Water Spirit Root, has grown into such a remarkable cultivator.’

Seven years ago, after concluding his business in Artifact Talisman City, Fang Qingyuan had personally gone to Yuanling Mountain to request some mortals from Jiang Kui. It was then that Jiang Kui had assigned Jiang Wanqin to lead the migration to the Qingyuan Sect.

Jiang Wanqin, a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, had led thirty thousand mortals to formally join the Qingyuan Sect. In the seven years since, a few new Cultivation Immortal Seedlings had even emerged from among that population.

At Fang Qingyuan’s question, Jiang Wanqin’s demure composure crumbled, and a look of sorrow crossed her face.

"Martial Uncle, I beg you to understand. My master is not faring well. Uncle Zhang Yuan has left, and Sect Leader Zhao has been pressuring her immensely. She also suffered a poison injury in her youth that damaged her state of mind. Under all this stress, she has nearly suffered a Qi deviation several times during her recent cultivation sessions. That is why Wanqin has come to ask you to visit her. It has been seven years since you last saw each other; you haven’t been back even once."

Fang Qingyuan listened to Jiang Wanqin’s tearful plea, his expression unreadable. When he had just established the Qingyuan Sect, he had invited Jiang Kui to move here. But she couldn’t bear to abandon her foundation at Yuanling Mountain and had refused to come. ’Has she come to regret it after only seven years?’

In the end, Zhang Yuan hadn’t stayed at Yuanling Mountain either. The Foundation Establishment Female Cultivator he had become Dao Companions with came from a family with no other capable male heirs. When her clan’s old leader succumbed to his injuries, Zhang Yuan was pulled in to become their new pillar of support.

As for Zhao E Lian, his methods had grown increasingly brazen in recent years. Once the pioneering war ended, it seemed even the Nascent Soul Cultivators above him were inclined to cast him aside.

Combined with Lechuan’s overt and covert attacks, Zhao E Lian was forced onto the defensive. The intelligence Fang Qingyuan had previously acquired had become a sharp blade in Lechuan’s hand, one that was hacking away at Zhao E Lian, leaving him exhausted.

Under these circumstances, Zhao E Lian could no longer afford to show any consideration for his subordinates. He resorted to killing the goose to get the golden egg, brazenly plundering the wealth of the various sects across the Southern Border and stirring up a chorus of complaints.

Jiang Kui was no exception to this fate. Yuanling Mountain’s current state of development was even worse than when Fang Qingyuan had left.

’Under these circumstances, what good would it do for me to go?’

’On the contrary, if Zhao E Lian found out I went to see Jiang Kui, he would probably use my connection to Lechuan as an excuse to pressure her even more. Senior Sister Jiang, you didn’t come when the Qingyuan Sect was first established. Now, it’s too late.’

With these thoughts in mind, Fang Qingyuan’s tone hardened slightly as he spoke to Jiang Wanqin.

"My going would be pointless. The root of the problem is Zhao E Lian. In fact, if I were to go, he would only intensify the pressure on your master."

Jiang Wanqin grew flustered. She had summoned all her courage to come and plead with Fang Qingyuan, but his refusal was something she hadn’t anticipated.

Seeing her state, Fang Qingyuan sighed.

"Back then, things between the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect and Zhao E Lian weren’t as bad as they are now. We paid the Spirit Stones, and he took them. That’s how your thirty thousand people were able to come here. If Jiang Kui had been willing to come then, it would have simply been a matter of spending a few more Spirit Stones. But now..."

Fang Qingyuan shook his head, leaving the sentence unfinished. Jiang Wanqin understood his meaning, however, and fell silent.

Seeing her like this, Fang Qingyuan caught a glimpse of Jiang Kui from years ago, back when she had helped him search for a Jade Scroll Technique in the Scripture Pavilion. His heart softened slightly, and he spoke up.

"I’ll write a letter. You take it to Jiang Kui and ask her what she’s thinking. If she doesn’t want to stay in the Southern Border, I’ll see what connections I can find for her."

After receiving the letter, Jiang Wanqin departed with a joyful expression. Fang Qingyuan watched her leave, her back and figure so strikingly similar to Jiang Kui’s, and then closed his eyes.

Seven years was no short span of time. The fates of many had changed. ’I wonder what the next seven years will bring.’

’But one thing is certain: my Qingyuan Sect will endure.’

After checking on the Immortal Mansion, Fang Qingyuan began his cultivation. The Spiritual Qi of a Tier Three Spirit Land, even a lower-grade one, was far denser than that of the island Spiritual Land he had occupied in the Outer Sea.

Originally, even with the improvement in his Spirit Root aptitude, Fang Qingyuan had expected the journey from the Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer to the Sixth Layer to take about eleven years. However, this Tier Three Spirit Land had shaved a full two years off that bitter training.

Furthermore, his Spirit Root aptitude had also improved over the past seven years. This, combined with the abundant Spiritual Qi of the new Spirit Land, meant that after only seven years, Fang Qingyuan was already on the verge of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer.

「Half a month later.」

Jiang Wanqin had yet to return, but Fang Qingyuan had already broken through to the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer. With the advancement of his cultivation, a new round of expansion began within the Immortal Mansion.