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Spirit Stone jumped down from the Flying Sword, his right hand slightly pinching the sword formula. With a thought, the Gale Fire Sword rapidly shrank and flew into the Baihui point above his head, following the meridians directly to the Lower Dantian energy sea, where it circled and nurtured the golden core.
The magnificent High Pavilion in front of him, with its thirty stories, was definitely among the renowned buildings in Middle-Earth's Nine Great Caves. The flying eaves and heavy tiles of the Vermilion Pavilion were numerous, looking particularly grand under the blue sky. Spirit Stone did not take the Main Hall or Corner Gate, but slowly walked around the high walls of the main hall with his hands behind his back, heading to the first-floor hall at the back of the High Pavilion.
Chu Huai, the third disciple of Master Ling Xuzi, had long been waiting here. Upon seeing him arrive, he respectfully said, “Master is waiting for you, Senior Uncle.”
“Hmm.” Spirit Stone nodded lightly.
Ling Xuzi's residence was on the left wing of the twenty-eighth floor, occupying an entire floor filled with his personal reception rooms and training areas. As he walked across the corridor bridge, he reached the closed Crimson Gate at the end. On either side of the door stood two statues made of Black Jade, depicting a Dragon and Phoenix. The statues radiated a flowing Black Light, appearing lifelike and towering about two meters high, almost as if they could soar into the sky.
Spirit Stone knew that they could indeed fly. If any external enemies invaded, they would come to life. These two Black Jade statues were just one of many complex Restrictions in this place.
The Crimson Gate opened automatically, revealing a long Passageway. At the end of the passageway, Ling Xuzi was waving at him. Spirit Stone staggered forward through the gate; after taking a few steps, the door silently closed behind him.
“Come in.” Ling Xuzi frowned slightly, looking quite fatigued as he turned to enter the reception room.
Spirit Stone swayed slightly and blinked before stepping into the reception room.
It was a spacious empty room with large windows wide open. Through them, he could see everything happening outside on the corridor opposite, including activities at White Jade Plaza and Heaven and Earth Platform. The floor was covered with thick fire-woven carpets that felt cool and soft underfoot. In the center stood a large zitan low table where Ling Xuzi sat cross-legged beside it; a white jade tea set was already arranged on the table.
Inside a small intricately carved transparent white jade teapot, it seemed as if a ball of fire was constantly rolling around, casting a red glow over the entire teapot, with strange red steam rising from its spout.
Spirit Stone's eyes lit up: “Fire Dragon Tea! Brother treats me well to even bring this out.” He quickly walked over and plopped down beside the low table, pouring himself a small cup of fiery jade tea before gulping it down.
A scorching line of heat surged into his abdomen, instantly igniting his belly as if it were on fire. Spirit Stone's previously pale face turned bright red in an instant as he silently circulated his inner power; the fireball spun nine times in his Dantian. He opened his mouth and exhaled a puff of hot red air. His belly felt warm and comfortable all over.
Ling Xuzi also poured himself a cup of Fire Dragon Tea, but unlike Spirit Stone, he sipped it slowly and carefully.
Spirit Stone felt somewhat envious: “Brother Zhangmen's cultivation is advancing further; only you at the Nascent Soul Stage can drink it like this.”
After finishing his last sip of tea, Ling Xuzi exhaled a breath of hot red air with a bitter smile: “Junior Brother, please don’t mock me. You know very well how I reached the Nascent Soul Stage. With so many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, along with elixirs consumed like meals, if I couldn't reach that stage myself, I might as well find a block of tofu to crash into.”
Spirit Stone replied seriously: “Brother, please don’t think like that. As sect leader, your responsibilities are heavy. If you set aside those bothersome matters to focus solely on cultivation, you would have already reached the Nascent Soul Stage. Relying on elixirs for cultivation is always unstable; in fact, you are at a great loss! In future, spend more time solidifying your foundation; some things cannot be rushed—better to take your time.”
“Alas—” Ling Xuzi sighed deeply. Although his complexion improved after drinking the revitalizing Fire Dragon Tea, he still couldn’t hide his anxious expression. “Junior Brother, you understand me best; can I let go? Now that the Immortal Sect and Demon Sect are at odds like fire and water, with the date for the Ancient Spirit Arrangement approaching fast—it's already turbulent and chaotic. Can I remain stable as sect leader while ignoring sect affairs to focus solely on cultivation? It’s impossible…” He sighed again deeply.
"Lowering his voice, Spirit Stone asked, 'Is there movement from the Demon Sect again?'
'Yes,' Ling Xuzi nodded. 'Just keep this to yourself for now.'
Spirit Stone nodded, his expression darkening.
Ling Xuzi sighed deeply and said after a moment, 'I need to go to Heavenly Grain.'
Spirit Stone frowned immediately. 'Could it be...'
'Yes, there's trouble again. Heavenly Grain sent a message earlier saying that the quantity of Elixirs we requested this year is simply impossible for them to fulfill. I have already informed Sect Master Xuan Xuzi, and he suggested I privately discuss it with Qing Yizi first. If that doesn't work, he will issue a Celestial Sect Order. But you know, doing so would completely offend Heavenly Grain, and I really don't want to resort to that unless absolutely necessary.' Ling Xuzi's brow was tightly furrowed.
'The North Grain Sect Master Qing Yizi is indeed difficult to deal with. Why not try talking to Southern Valley Master Qingqinzi? She seems more approachable,' Spirit Stone suggested.
'You may not know this, but Qingqinzi is a Female Cultivator with a gentle disposition who avoids confrontation. She never opposes her senior brother Qing Yizi and is completely obedient to him. It would be useless to approach her.'
'How much are we short? Is it a significant amount?'
'We are missing half of all the required Elixirs.'
'What!' Spirit Stone exclaimed in shock. 'What are they playing at? Are they deliberately trying to embarrass us Nine Li Sect?'
'Aside from Kunlun, Emei, Kongtong, Zhao Zhen, and Penglai, whose quantities have only been reduced by ten percent, the other four sects including our Nine Li Sect have all seen a fifty percent reduction. The New Luo Sect Leader Yuan Zhenzi is furious and has reportedly gone to Heavenly Grain to demand an explanation. Azure Sky Palace and Xuan Wei Sect have remained silent so far, as if they are indifferent. However, those two sects have always acted discreetly and have fewer disciples, so it might not matter to them at all.'
'At least our Nine Li Sect ranks above Kongtong and Penglai; why do they get what we don't? Picking on the soft targets! Do they think we are easy to bully?' Spirit Stone was filled with anger.
'The Lord of Penglai Yin Zezi has old ties with Qingqinzi; they won't lose out on their share. Even Qing Yizi has to give Qingqinzi some face, but what do we have?' Ling Xuzi smiled bitterly in resignation. 'You know better about Kongtong; they've always been closely aligned with Emei.'
'That's true; everyone knows what's going on! If I had known this earlier, you should have tried to win over Qingqinzi,' Spirit Stone said with a wry smile while stroking his beard. 'Just kidding. It's just that we still have to rely on connections; this is nothing like an Immortal Sect! It's even worse than the Mortal Realm.'
'Let's keep such jokes between us and not speak of them outside,' Ling Xuzi reminded him.
'Don't worry, Senior Brother. I know better than that.' Spirit Stone paused before continuing, 'Fortunately, there aren't many new disciples this year; the Foundation Pills we've accumulated over the years will barely suffice. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what to do.' He had lost interest in drinking Fire Dragon Tea and was frowning deeply while pinching his mouse whiskers."
"Having enough is not a good thing. This year, the news about opening the Mountain Gate was released, and I thought the number of disciples would definitely be several times that of previous years. However, it turned out to be half less. Aside from a few exceptionally talented ones, some disciples might have to rely on Elixirs for their meals in the future. To be honest, are you worried?"
"Exactly. I originally wanted to ask you for more Foundation Pills, Supplementary Spirit Pills, and Fire Origin Pills. The quantity of Foundation Pills is fixed at one per person. Well, we can skip Chu Hong's since we can save one, but it's best to have as many Supplementary Spirit Pills and Fire Origin Pills as possible." Spirit Stone looked at Ling Xuzi, knowing he was in a difficult position, but there was really no other way.
"I understand your predicament. For the sake of these new disciples, I went out of my way to ask Qing Yizi for help. You should help arrange things; we need to bring more Golden Lantern Flowers since they need those too, and we can exchange them for some Gongxin Pills in return. As for anything else, it seems we'll have to settle for picking that Eternal Ganoderma." Ling Xuzi's face showed pain, and his eyelids twitched involuntarily.
The two fell silent again. Spirit Stone had unknowingly twisted a few strands of his own mouse whiskers but didn't even notice. After a long sigh, he said, "Relying on Heavenly Grain's Elixirs is not a solution either. Brother, we need to plan ahead. The problem is that we're not skilled in alchemy; even guarding the Fire Spirit Eye won't help us, not to mention..."
"Not to mention that the main ingredients for those important Elixirs are all in Heavenly Grain's Ancient Celestial Field; we have no way to get them." Ling Xuzi continued his thoughts, "I originally planned to select some talented disciples to send to Revival Valley to learn how to refine some common pills with Elder Yao; it would be better than always depending on others. But who would have thought that the war in the Mortal Realm would break out? Even our few secular temples were destroyed. The plan to recruit disciples has fallen through; it's truly unfortunate."
Ling Xuzi sighed deeply, his brows tightly knit. Seeing him like this made Spirit Stone genuinely worried. It was tough for Ling Xuzi; ever since he became the sect leader, he appeared glorious to outsiders but had many hidden worries that were not meant for others.
Spirit Stone was also troubled but forced himself to muster a smile and said, "Having many disciples isn't as good as having quality ones; having someone like Chu Hong is worth a hundred others. Just think about our plan."
"Yes, you need to keep a close watch on things. Chu Hong actually triggered the Heart Demon Barrier this time; that only appears when forming a Golden Core. Fortunately, someone came to save him; even I was surprised. That person has never been willing to involve himself in sect matters; he didn't come last time when Zhu Feng Ling was mentioned either. This situation is quite intriguing. I'm worried he might obstruct our plan."
The two fell silent once more. The fiery red liquid swirling in the white jade teapot gradually dimmed; the Fire Dragon Tea had already cooled down. No one had the heart to drink it. A pot of rare tea wasted away without purpose.
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