Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Everything is Ready

"So, you’re saying that back then, Ancestor Ge fought four opponents at once, severely injured that Corpse Stiff Elder, and nearly destroyed his physical body at Black Mountain?"

It had been five days since the Mo Family’s annihilation, and some of the more hidden details were finally coming to light.

Bai Zichen was still speechless after hearing about Ancestor Ge Cang’s combat achievements from Peng Chong.

’Could Ancestor Ge have already advanced to the Late-Stage Core Formation? That’s way too fast.’

For two Mid-Stage Core Formation Demon Cultivators, plus two at the Early Stage, even escaping alive would have been a feat. Yet, according to Peng Chong, Ancestor Ge Cang had completely overwhelmed all four of them. If the White Bone True Man hadn’t sacrificed several Ghost Souls from his Magical Treasure-level Hundred Ghosts Banner, it was very likely that one of them would have perished in Black Mountain County.

"Ancestor Ge has already cultivated the Primordial Yang Divine Thunder to the Transformation Realm, mastering the Qiantian Primordial Yang Divine Thunder Net, a technique only possible at the highest level of this Thunder Skill. Its power has increased exponentially... And what’s more, he’s actually reached the third layer of the Sect’s Body Refining Technique, the Five Crystal Glaze Body!"

Peng Chong’s expression was animated, beaming with vicarious pride.

"The Primordial Yang Divine Thunder is a natural counter to Demon Path Cultivators, and the techniques of those few from the Ghost Spirit Sect were completely suppressed. They planned an ambush for Ancestor Ge, but they completely misjudged his strength and could only flee in disarray. So, this victory was a special case. I estimate that against other cultivators, Ancestor Ge can handle two at once, but any more than that would be a stretch..."

With the four Core Formation True Men from the Ghost Spirit Sect having fled in disarray, the crisis at the Spirit Stone Ore Vein was naturally resolved.

Two of the Elders who had been standing guard were recalled, and mining operations at the Spirit Stone Ore Vein have resumed as normal.

As for the Six Desires Yin Demon in the Market, it was completely slain with the help of an array after Liang Yu arrived.

The matter of the Mo Family, on the other hand, had only just been settled.

On the charge of colluding with the Demon Path, all the cultivators of Mo Qianyuan’s branch were beheaded, Mo Changfei among them.

The remaining cultivators from the Mo Family’s collateral branches were sentenced to between ten and thirty years of hard labor.

Only the kin of the two Mo Clan Elders who surrendered were pardoned. The Fire Phoenix Mo Family, which once boasted a thousand cultivators, was now left with only about two hundred Cultivator Clan Members.

Furthermore, the Elder Council intended to make the Fire Phoenix Mo Family continue to break up into smaller branches after the pioneering war.

Bai Zichen began to understand Mo Qianyuan’s actions. Even if he hadn’t taken such a desperate gamble, the Qingfeng Sect had plenty of ways to ensure the Fire Phoenix Mo Family suffered sufficient losses during the pioneering war.

The Fire Phoenix Mo Family’s treasury, accumulated over hundreds of years, was completely confiscated. Three Wind Shuttles were filled to the brim and made several trips to transport it all.

Unfortunately, Mo Changzhi had escaped. No other Fire Phoenix True Feathers were found in the treasury, and the number of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones was also far lower than anticipated.

"Double Ring Mountain was left to the Mo Family, but the nearby Spirit Lands and vast resource nodes have been reclaimed by the Sect. Thanks to this haul, the Sect’s finances will be in much better shape for the next several decades."

As an Elder, Peng Chong was naturally aware of the sheer quantity of basic Artifact Refining Materials that had been transported to the Artifact Refining Hall over the past two days.

Two hundred thousand catties of refined iron, one hundred thousand catties of purple cloud copper, five thousand catties of mithril, three thousand catties of mica stone... These were the most common materials used for refining ordinary Magical Artifacts.

It was safe to say that for the next ten years, the Qingfeng Sect wouldn’t need to purchase any basic materials for Artifact Refining.

"What about the Ghost Spirit Sect? Will the Sect launch a counterattack?"

"I doubt it. Ancestor Ge’s display of might doesn’t mean our overall strength surpasses the Ghost Spirit Sect’s... They also have a Tier Three Mountain Protection Array. At most, we could take out a few of their outposts, but we can’t touch their foundation."

Peng Chong stated his judgment after a moment of contemplation.

"By the way, the Law Enforcement Hall’s evaluation of your performance came in... For your courage, your responsibility, protecting your fellow sect members during the crisis, and the loss of your Magical Artifact, you’ve been awarded fifteen hundred Sect Contribution points."

"Also, you essentially saved Junior Brother Lan’s life. He sent a message yesterday asking me to thank you on his behalf. He also transferred a thousand Sect Contribution points to you via the Transmission Hall as a token of his gratitude."

Junior Brother Lan was the Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had been unconscious on the same Wind Shuttle as Bai Zichen that day.

If Bai Zichen had failed to block Mo Changzhi or had dodged out of instinct, that group of disciples from the Talisman Hall, as well as Junior Brother Lan, would have likely all perished.

"Oh, right."

Bai Zichen’s mood instantly brightened. He had made a baffling trip to Double Ring Mountain, witnessed the annihilation of a clan, and then gotten no share of the spoils when it was time to clean up the battlefield.

Designated disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall were in charge of searching for the belongings of the fallen cultivators, all of which were collected for the Sect. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He did a quick mental calculation. He originally had 1,700 contribution points. Adding the reward from the Law Enforcement Hall and the gift from Junior Brother Lan, his total immediately jumped to 4,200 points.

"Junior Martial Uncle Peng, I wish to redeem a Foundation Establishment Pill, but I’m still a bit short on Sect Contribution..."

"Alright, alright. How much are you short? I’ll lend it to you. You’re certainly quick about it. I was almost forty before I even considered redeeming a Foundation Establishment Pill... Just remember, you have to pay me back after your Foundation Establishment!"

Peng Chong raised a hand, stopping Bai Zichen from saying anything more.

"Don’t be fooled by the high stipend an Elder receives. Once you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage yourself, you’ll realize it’s barely enough to get by."

"At the Foundation Establishment Stage, a single bottle of Elixirs can cost hundreds, even thousands of contribution points. I spend too much of my time on Artifact Refining, so if I want to advance my cultivation, I can’t go without a steady supply of Spirit Enhancement Pills. And don’t even get me started on the Great Barrier-Breaking Pill! I’ve taken two of them and I’m still stuck at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment. I’m starting to wonder if the Alchemy Hall gave me fakes!"

Peng Chong rambled on, but Bai Zichen listened gladly. His long-standing problem with Sect Contribution points had been solved just like that.

As for the huge debt he now owed, he didn’t give it a second thought. ’What young cultivator isn’t saddled with debt?’

"Also, Hall Master Tan successfully refined six Foundation Establishment Pills this time, which was a perfect outcome. Your chances of getting into the first batch for distribution have gone up significantly."

"Junior Martial Uncle Peng, do you know which of the senior brothers are planning to redeem a Foundation Establishment Pill this time?"

Now that he had enough Sect Contribution points, all that was left was his position in the queue. As long as Bai Zichen was in the top six, one of the Foundation Establishment Pills from this batch would be his.

"Among your fellow True Inheritance disciples, there should be two others besides you planning for Foundation Establishment who will be redeeming a pill... Then you have to add Tan Qin. She’s Brother Tan’s most prized descendant, so he’ll definitely set one aside for her."

Peng Chong counted them off on his fingers.

"Among the Stewards, there are plenty at the Qi Refining Great Perfection realm who want a Foundation Establishment Pill... But there’s only one who has both saved up enough contribution points and has the seniority to be placed ahead of you."

"That person has already been in line for three batches of Foundation Establishment Pills. It’s definitely his turn this time."

Bai Zichen’s heart eased. "So that’s four Foundation Establishment Pills accounted for, with two remaining. I should be able to redeem one without any issues, right?"

"Normally, one more will be set aside for the Secret Hall in case of emergencies. Also, you have to watch out for those disciples who have stepped down from their True Inheritance positions but haven’t yet been assigned a post."

Peng Chong had gone through the same process back in the day, so he knew the procedure inside and out.

"True Inheritance disciples usually redeem their Foundation Establishment Pill before stepping down. The ones you need to watch out for are those who failed their first attempt at Foundation Establishment and have regrouped to try a second time."

"Regardless, go apply tomorrow. I’ll go with you to the Transmission Hall and transfer the contribution points to you then. This type of loaned Sect Contribution can only be used for redeeming a Foundation Establishment Pill. Once you register, the points will be frozen and can’t be used for anything else."

"Thank you for your guidance, Junior Martial Uncle Peng... I will remember this kindness."

Regardless of Peng Chong’s motives, Bai Zichen knew he owed him a huge favor for this. Otherwise, just reaching the point of being able to redeem the Foundation Establishment Pill would have been fraught with complications.

Peng Chong laughed heartily and clapped Bai Zichen on the shoulder. "I’m sure it won’t be long before we’re calling each other martial brothers... What’s with all the formality?"