“The Jade Dew Pills I gave you last year—you've used them all by now, haven't you?”
At the mention of the words “Jade Dew Pill,” an expression of clear longing surfaced on Gu Caiyi's face.
Yet the feeling vanished in an instant, and what came out of her mouth became, “I still have some left.”
Luo Chen twitched his lips and used his spiritual power to float a jade bottle over to her.
“Inside are six Jade Dew Pills. Follow the special method I taught you before to divide and consume them. One pill every two months makes exactly a year's supply, more than enough to advance your cultivation.”
Clutching the jade bottle in her slender, delicate hands, Gu Caiyi whispered, “I asked around about this kind of pill... They're very expensive, aren't they? You're so short on spirit stones yourself, how could I possibly...”
“Stop right there!” Luo Chen raised a hand. “I may be short on spirit stones, but I'm not hurting for a few hundred. If I give them to you, just take them.”
At the end, he tacked on another sentence:
“I let Min Longyu stay in my cave abode for half a month for free, and I didn't take any spirit stones from him either.”
Gu Caiyi blinked her bright, limpid eyes and happily accepted the Jade Dew Pills.
These pills truly offered her unexpected benefits.
“Then I'll be going now!”
Her voice carried an inexplicable touch of cheerfulness.
“Go on, go on!”
Luo Chen waved his hand dismissively, appearing rather impatient.
Only after Gu Caiyi departed under the cover of night did Luo Chen let out a helpless sigh.
He knew that the sentence he had just tacked on was somewhat of a clumsy attempt to conceal his feelings.
Toward Gu Caiyi, his feelings were exceptionally complicated.
In his younger days, toward this radiant and beautiful woman, he had indeed briefly harbored thoughts of yearning and desire to touch.
Yet as time passed and his cultivation deepened, his true heart gradually cleared.
He also realized that it had been nothing more than the instinctual desire of youth attracted to beauty.
It could hardly be called love or affection; what remained was merely friendship between companions.
Yet after going through the simulation of the Ghost-God Heart-Inquiring Mirror, that single phrase would still drift into his mind from time to time:
“Can we just stop striving, please?”
That did not align with his ambitions.
Thus, after awakening, he avoided discussing matters concerning Gu Caiyi as much as possible.
Yet just now, Gu Caiyi's heartfelt concern for him seemed to drag him right back into the scenes of the Heart-Inquiring Mirror's simulation.
“Forget it, let nature take its course!”
“I can lend her a hand, but if she can't keep pace with my footsteps, she will ultimately amount to nothing more than a handful of yellow earth.”
Luo Chen shook his head, turned around, and entered the quiet chamber.
……
Early the next morning, Sima Huiniang hurried over to Tianlan Peak and spoke with Luo Chen for a very long time.
It was not until the afternoon that she returned to Danxia Peak.
Shortly afterward, a new “benefit” was promulgated within the Luotian Association.
The Luotian Association would allocate twenty thousand spirit stones each year to lease a Tier 2 mid-grade cave abode on Tianlan Peak on a long-term basis!
Any cultivator who reached the Foundation Establishment stage could use this mid-grade cave abode on a regular basis.
Furthermore, cultivators who reached the Qi Refinement Great Perfection realm could register in advance and use their merit points to reserve Foundation Establishment spiritual medicines.
As soon as the Luotian Association purchased Foundation Establishment spiritual medicines in the future, they would be distributed immediately.
In addition, when that cultivator attempted Foundation Establishment, they could apply to use a Tier 2 cave abode once, free of charge.
The announcement set off a massive wave through the Luotian Association.
Every low-ranking cultivator yearned for it, eagerly anticipating the day they reached Foundation Establishment and could move into a Tier 2 mid-grade cave abode.
Meanwhile, the few Foundation Establishment cultivators also considered it a wonderful arrangement.
Their earnings were relatively high, yet bearing the ten-thousand-spirit-stone annual cost for a low-grade cave abode was still hard to stomach.
Now that they could regularly use a mid-grade cave abode—even if they had to rotate with others—it was far more cost-effective than leasing one alone!
As for the minor inconveniences?
In light of the spirit stones saved and the far richer spiritual qi concentration, they were not worth fretting over at all.
After this “benefit” was announced, Sima Huiniang's maneuvers did not cease.
First, she called out several individuals who were superfluous and lax, coasting on past merits to indulge in comfort while acting lazy in daily affairs.
These individuals were hauled up and publicly reprimanded.
Then, seizing the opportunity!
Sima Huiniang launched a campaign to reorganize the Luotian Association.
The concrete actions landed on the base stipends and the merit system.
Teaming up with the Merit Hall, she implemented a major overhaul of the merit system!
Going forward, merit would no longer merely be used to exchange for cultivation arts and spiritual medicine—it would be linked directly to stipends!
The base stipends of all cultivators in the Luotian Association were lowered across the board!
For example, the base stipend for late Qi Refinement cultivators in the Battle Hall had previously been one hundred spirit stones per month.
It was now adjusted down to eighty per month.
The deducted twenty spirit stones would be calculated according to the amount of merit earned throughout the year and distributed in full after the year-end assessment.
If one’s merit fell short, one could only take the base eighty.
If one earned sufficient merit, not only could one receive the full hundred, but one could even get more!
As for how the Battle Hall’s merit was calculated?
Sima Huiniang and the Merit Hall cultivators had formulated a detailed standard together.
How much effort was expended in combat, how well guarding and patrol duties were performed, and even an individual Battle Hall cultivator's progress in realm would all be taken into account.
Nor was this true only for the Battle Hall!
Detailed merit standards were established for every single hall.
The Pill Hall's merit would be linked to the alchemical profits of the four great alchemists—Qu, Mi, Qiu, and Ma.
The Artifact Hall's would be tied to refining mineral materials, producing magical artifacts, and artifact profits.
The Medicine Hall's would be linked to the growth of spiritual plants, the yield of spiritual fields, and herb harvests.
In fact, it applied not only to Qi Refinement cultivators!
Even the three Foundation Establishment True Cultivators besides Luo Chen had their base stipends reduced by several hundred spirit stones.
In short:
The Merit Hall's merit points would become extraordinarily crucial from now on, no longer serving as a mere dispensable extra. And the accumulation of merit would depend entirely on how much each person contributed to the Luotian Association.
Once this measure was enacted, it immediately rooted out the vast majority of idle layabouts waiting around to freeload.
Some voiced dissatisfaction as well.
However, Sima Huiniang countered with a sharp rebuke:
“The Association Leader's generosity is no excuse for you to reap without sowing!”
That single sentence shut everyone's mouths tight.
Regarding the cut in base stipends, most low-ranking cultivators accepted it while looking at the grand promise of that “welfare package.”
After all, so long as they accumulated enough merit, they would not necessarily earn less than before.
What was more, there was now a clear path of advancement toward Foundation Establishment!
And the high-ranking cultivators, in view of being able to directly use a mid-grade cave abode, raised no objections either.
Losing several hundred spirit stones a month amounted to merely a few thousand over the course of a year.
Compared to the price of renting a cave abode on their own, this was actually much more cost-effective.
Besides, that was a mid-grade cave abode!
With this entire suite of measures enacted, Luo Chen's goals were fundamentally achieved.
In truth, this system was not complicated.
It merely upgraded the merit system into the “performance review” system from his past life’s corporate world.
This way, targets could be established periodically to evaluate internal operations.
Furthermore, it could expose problems within, such as bloated staffing, idle slackers, and parasites.
On a larger scale, it allowed Luo Chen to redistribute profits—taking spirit stones from lazy slackers and allocating them to the diligent.
And by distributing the funds at year's end, the spirit stones saved during the intervening year would provide a massive pool of liquid capital for both him and the Luotian Association.
Furthermore, having this merit system in place would foster internal competition and collective growth.
As for that “welfare package”...
In reality, the wool still came off the sheep's back.
Twenty thousand spirit stones a year looked like a substantial amount.
But as more Foundation Establishment cultivators emerged in the future, the cumulative monthly cuts to base stipends alone would far exceed twenty thousand spirit stones over a full year.
In Huixin Hall on Danxia Peak.
Sima Huiniang sat at the head of the hall behind a massive desk.
Outer Gate Deacon Xu Xiaoliu stood respectfully below.
After a long while, Sima Huiniang looked up.
“We may begin recruiting rogue cultivators with clean backgrounds from the outside.”
“You will take charge of this matter, and final vetting will be handled by myself and the Merit Hall.”
Hearing this, Xu Xiaoliu's eyes shone.
The Outer Gate could finally recruit people!
From now on, he would no longer be a commander without troops!
“Rest assured, Director-General! Xiaoliu will never let you down, nor will I disappoint the Association Leader!”
Watching him leave in high spirits, Sima Huiniang chuckled and shook her head.
Internal policy was only suited to be adjusted to this extent for now; future modifications would have to be taken step by step according to circumstances.
As for the outside, it was time to start recruiting.
Just as the Association Leader had said: a mere two hundred or so people could never sustain many Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The ranks of low-ranking cultivators had to be expanded!
All newly recruited rogue cultivators would be assigned to the Outer Gate.
As for things like a base stipend, they shouldn't expect much; everything would be decided purely by merit.
And how to allocate the extra hands?
The Luotian Association's hundreds of spiritual fields were currently starved of manpower.
Otherwise, Battle Hall cultivators wouldn't have been sent to work the fields.
Furthermore, as the Luotian Association developed, various positions would always need auxiliary hands.
“Besides, many rogue cultivators merely wish to possess a place to cultivate.”
……
On Tianlan Peak.
Inside Cave Abode Yi-17.
With a broad wave of his hand, three pure-white pills flew out from the Ice Emperor Cauldron, which was transitioning from red back to white.
They spun as they dropped into his hand.
Looking at the three and a half cloud patterns faintly extending across them, a flicker of excitement stirred within Luo Chen's calm mood.
“Top-grade Nether-Passage Pills!”
Even though he had anticipated it after grinding the Nether-Passage Pill recipe to Great Perfection, he had still felt some apprehension.
Apprehensive about whether he could concoct top-grade pills as in the past.
Apprehensive about whether a Tier 1 top-grade pill would have any effect on him at all.
But after taking a gentle sniff of the pill fragrance, all his apprehension vanished without a trace.
That dreamlike, ethereal sensation!
There was no mistaking it!
Top-grade Nether-Passage Pills would definitely be effective for him.
Reasoning it out made it obvious: even a Tier 1 top-grade Myriad Wonders Pill had a faint effect on a Tier 3 demonic beast.
He was merely in the early Foundation Establishment stage; naturally, it would affect him.
“Even if it's only slight, as long as it enhances my soul foundation by a fraction, it will be well worth the price!”
Without hesitation.
Leaving the cleanup and washing of the cauldron to Bai Meiling, Luo Chen went straight to the quiet chamber.
Emptying his mind and casting aside distracting thoughts, he took out a snow-white Nether-Passage Pill and solemnly ingested it.
An incense stick's time later.
Luo Chen's eyelids fluttered, and his mind sank entirely into his sea of consciousness.
Within that empty expanse, a ray of golden light circled quietly.
According to the conventions of the cultivation world, this golden light was the manifestation of one's soul foundation.
During Qi Refinement, it remained confined within the sea of consciousness, unable to project outward.
After Foundation Establishment, the dantian transformed into a sea, exerting a pull on the sea of consciousness that allowed the soul to project outward, achieving what was known as spiritual sense.
Upon condensing a Golden Core, the sea of consciousness transformed into a palace, establishing the treasured realm of the Purple Mansion, where spiritual sense fused with the spirit to become divine sense.
It was said that upon reaching the Nascent Soul stage, this golden light could even take on human form, known as the “Nascent Soul” that condensed the three ethereal and seven corporeal souls.
At this moment, the golden light trembled slightly, giving off a subtle impression of swelling and fullness.
Indistinctly, Luo Chen felt it growing sturdier!
With a thought, Luo Chen's consciousness withdrew from the sea of consciousness.
Opening his eyes, Luo Chen let out a long breath of air.
The top-grade Nether-Passage Pill truly had an effect on him!
It was even slightly better than he had imagined.
Previously, his soul foundation had barely scraped the standard of a late Foundation Establishment cultivator, remaining rather unstable.
But after taking a single Nether-Passage Pill, it had completely stabilized, even accompanied by an inexplicable sensation of repletion.
“If I continue taking them consistently, my soul foundation will surely grow further!”
“Three top-grade Nether-Passage Pills, one every ten days, will supply my cultivation for a month.”
At this moment, Luo Chen's heart was filled with hope.
It was no wonder he placed so much importance on the soul.
The soul was simply far too crucial!
While not particularly noticeable in battle, it exerted a wondrous and extraordinary effect on daily cultivation and life.
When his realm had been low, his soul had been so weak that he could only circulate the Eternal Spring Art twice a day.
It was by relying on Spirit Calming Incense that he had resolved that problem.
When he had suffered from mental exhaustion after refining pills every day, it was only after surviving his heart tribulation that he could refine an extra furnace of pills daily.
After Foundation Establishment, it was likewise because his soul had grown stronger that he could perfectly absorb Fierce Spirit Incense and circulate his natal art ten times a day!
Furthermore!
Chu Kui had previously let slip that the soul was of paramount importance when forming a Core.
Judging by his tone, it seemed far more important than possessing full spiritual power or a powerful physique.
It was precisely for this reason that Luo Chen had not hesitated to spend half a year, nor had he hesitated to divert time away from refining Jade Marrow Pills—sacrificing massive quantities of spirit stones—just to grind his proficiency with the Nether-Passage Pill.
All so he could concoct top-grade Nether-Passage Pills to reinforce his soul foundation.
“I hope that one day in the future, it will prove that my choice was not wrong!”
After sighing with emotion, Luo Chen glanced at his storage bag.
Inside lay over a thousand Nether-Passage Pills.
They were the low-grade, mid-grade, and a full five hundred-plus high-grade Nether-Passage Pills he had produced while grinding proficiency.
How should he deal with this batch of Nether-Passage Pills?
Leaving them idle was certainly out of the question!
That would be far too wasteful.
To grind his proficiency, he had consumed over ten thousand spirit stones' worth of raw materials!
Not to mention the diverted time: had he spent it refining Jade Marrow Pills, he would have earned at least eighty to ninety thousand more spirit stones.
Adding it all together, the cost was close to a hundred thousand!
Therefore, this batch of Nether-Passage Pills had to recoup that cost!
“Out of a thousand Nether-Passage Pills, one hundred are low-grade. These can be placed in the Luotian Association for internal merit redemption, serving as a perk I grant them.”
The benefits of the Nether-Passage Pill were indisputable!
Within the Luotian Association, they were widely favored by ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivators.
As for the other three hundred mid-grade and six hundred high-grade Nether-Passage Pills, he planned to find another channel to dispose of them.
It was not that he was unwilling to let his subordinates use them.
Rather, once Nether-Passage Pills reached mid-grade or high-grade, the danger of falling into the nether dream escalated to an extreme level.
It was simply not something Qi Refinement cultivators could withstand.
“Foundation Establishment True Cultivators ought to love this stuff!”
The reason Luo Chen could not use mid-grade or high-grade pills was that he had consumed over a hundred low-grade Nether-Passage Pills during Qi Refinement.
Consequently, the effects of mid-grade and high-grade pills on him had diminished to almost nothing.
There was likely some form of drug resistance at play.
Only top-grade Nether-Passage Pills could still offer him partial benefits.
Yet while he could not use them, Foundation Establishment True Cultivators who had never taken Nether-Passage Pills could use them in moderation.
Pills that involved expanding one's soul foundation had always been hot commodities!
One could see as much from how Warm Sun Gentle Fragrance, a mere semi-finished Tier 3 medicinal ingredient, had fetched a steep price of 7,800 spirit stones.
The spirit stones that this vast batch of Nether-Passage Pills could rake in would undoubtedly amount to an immense sum.
As luck would have it!
Luo Chen was very short on spirit stones right now.
“Which channel should I use?”
“This stuff is in high demand, but it's also a hot potato. Selling them off on a large scale makes it far too easy to draw covetous eyes, especially from major factions.”
“Therefore, it's best not to do it under the Luotian Association’s name, and certainly not under my own.”
“In fact, it would be best if I didn't even show my face in person.”
“Furthermore, I must eliminate any lingering troubles so no one comes knocking on my door.”
Suddenly, a figure surfaced in Luo Chen's mind.
“He's the one!”
Chapter 269