The Council

An emergency high-level council convened within the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Present were Sect Master Li Qingshan and Grand Elder Huang Tianhao of the Elder Council. Alongside them were Deputy Hall Master Lou Yuyu of the War Hall, Hall Master Murong Hui of the Heavenly Palace Hall, Hall Master Xu Qiexing of the Artifact Refining Hall, Gao Shenghan of the Mystic Formation Hall, Hall Master Wu Qingying of the Spirit Elixir Hall, Hall Master Zhou Lijian of the External Publicity Hall, Hall Master Jiang Zhuoyue of the Guard Hall, Hall Master Zhu Yanyu of the Heritage Hall, Hall Master Liangqiu of the Logistics Hall, Hall Master He Xifeng of the Xingtian Hall, and Hall Master Zhang Ruosheng of the Administrative Affairs Hall. A total of thirteen people. These thirteen individuals represented the true decision-making class of the entire Nine Cauldrons Sect. A gathering attended by all thirteen simultaneously was known as the Nine Cauldrons Council. As long as Supreme Elder Li Hanqiu did not intervene, any resolution passed by these thirteen would be unanimously implemented and enacted. "Time is pressing, so I will cut straight to the chase. There are three key matters we must deliberate today." Dispensing with pleasantries, Li Qingshan spoke plainly. "First item on the agenda: the Wuji Astral Palace has gone to war against the Black Feather Sect, and everyone's gaze has been drawn to the Heiyan Continent battlefield. The time has come for us to reclaim our lost territories in the East Sea Archipelago. When necessary, we should even push forward one hundred thousand li to bring a third of the East Sea under our domain. We shall now vote on whether to launch a campaign against the sects of the East Sea Archipelago." One after another, the hall masters—including the Grand Elder of the Elder Council—cast their votes in favor. "Very well. Approved with thirteen votes!" Li Qingshan waited briefly for his assistant to record the result before moving on to the second topic. It concerned the arrangements for the sky-patrol warship. A few hall masters voiced minor reservations regarding Li Qingshan's plan to station the warship at the Third Sky-Patrol Research Institute. However, taking into account the forthcoming campaign to liberate the East Sea Archipelago, the motion passed by majority vote. "Next is the third item." At this point, a smile involuntarily surfaced on Li Qingshan's face. "Sect Master Zhao Siliang of the Jiuxiao Domain has sent word: Yaoguang, First Seat of both the Zixiao and Zhenhai Academies, has officially completed the optimization of the Rank 5 Spirit Gathering Formation. Following multiple rounds of verification by the Mystic Formation Hall and numerous formation grandmasters at the Energy Department, the data shows that the optimized Rank 5 Spirit Gathering Formation has attained a fourth-generation standard—standing at the pinnacle of the world!" The moment these words left his mouth, even the hall masters who had caught wind of the rumors could not suppress their delight. "Yaoguang! Yaoguang! Brilliant work, First Seat Yaoguang!" "It truly reached the fourth-generation standard? I assumed subordinates were merely chasing glory and exaggerating figures!" "Didn't First Seat Yaoguang only finish optimizing the Rank 4 Spirit Gathering Formation half a year ago? How could his mastery of formation craft progress so rapidly? In just six months, he can already deploy Rank 5 formations and optimize Spirit Gathering Formations of that rank?" "World-class! Superb! Our Nine Cauldrons Sect has matched the world's supreme immortal sects in yet another technology!" The hall masters chimed in one after another, giving voice to their elation. Li Qingshan clearly understood their excitement. His gaze settled on Hall Master Zhang Ruosheng of the Administrative Affairs Hall, and he chuckled. "Hall Master Zhang, you are mistaken. This technology does not merely match the world's supreme immortal sects—it surpasses every top immortal sect in all of Cangwu today!" With a flick of his hand, the information recorded in a jade talisman was projected by the formation embedded in the meeting chamber. "The fourth-generation formations of other top immortal sects cannot achieve this. Even in areas where space has been compressed and folded, this formation can still be deployed. By leveraging the surrounding spatial tension and contraction, the array gradually integrates itself into the fabric of space. Though the process takes considerable time, it allows the spiritual energy within to be channeled out continuously." Li Qingshan's voice carried a note of fervor. "Do you know what this signifies? It means many nodes within our sect that were previously forced to shut down due to spatial distortions can be reopened! It means our sect's spirit stone production will double—if not multiply several times over!" He shifted his gaze toward Hall Master Liangqiu of the Logistics Hall. Liangqiu immediately responded, "According to the records handed down from the era of the Artifact Sect, across the thirty-six domains under our control, one hundred and thirteen nodes have been shut down. Among them, thirty-nine can be restarted by laying down this modified Rank 5 Spirit Gathering Formation! And their efficiency... will not be poor in the least!" He glanced down at the figures in his hand. "My people have compiled preliminary estimates. If we can truly reactivate all thirty-nine nodes over the next decade, combined with the yield boost from the optimized formations, our sect's domestic spirit stone output will reach one hundred and forty million in ten years! And if we factor in our affiliated worlds, it will approach one hundred and eighty million!" One hundred and eighty million?! The figure stunned everyone in the room. Presently, the highest producer of spirit stones in the world was the Wuji Astral Palace, exceeding eight hundred million. Behind them came the Immortal Alliance with roughly six hundred and twenty million, followed by the Taiyin Sect, Great Sun Sword Sect, Fatian Pavilion, Ice Snow Divine Mountain, Myriad Beasts Sect, Sacred Flame Cult, and Golden Divine Temple, all of which produced upwards of two hundred million spirit stones. If the Nine Cauldrons Sect could truly reach one hundred and eighty million, they would stand a real chance of breaking into the top ten spirit stone producers in the entire Cangwu Great World. "Could... could it really be so much?" Hall Master Zhu Yanyu of the Heritage Hall could hardly believe her ears. "An annual yield of one hundred and eighty million... We could easily maintain eight or ten sky-patrol warships on that!" "Not just warships. Every sector of the sect will flourish with such a massive influx of funds, sparking a wave of prosperity!" "This is truly the finest news I have heard since the fall of the Liusha Sect." The hall masters marveled and exclaimed, swept up in excitement. "I'm afraid the good news does not end there," Liangqiu, who had recently returned from the Jiuxiao Domain, remarked with a smile. "Zhao Siliang also reported that First Seat Yaoguang has already begun researching Rank 6 Spirit Gathering Formations. If he manages to modify the Rank 6 formation to achieve similar results, our sect's ultimate spirit stone output could very well breach three hundred million. If we can also reclaim the East Sea Archipelago and the Shiwan Dashan down the line, our total output will double again, reaching six hundred million—on par with the Immortal Alliance!" "Modify the Rank 6 Spirit Gathering Formation?!" "Six hundred million..." "Rivaling the Immortal Alliance..." As soon as he spoke those words, absolute silence fell over the chamber. For a dozen seconds, not a single person uttered a sound. It was simply too surreal. The astronomical figure felt so fantastical that a profound sense of disbelief washed over the assembled hall masters. No one dared speak, terrified that this was merely a splendid dream, and that a single word would shatter the reverie and wake them to reality. "According to First Seat Yaoguang, he is willing to impart the modified Rank 5 Spirit Gathering Formation to all trustworthy formation masters. Just like with the Rank 4 formation, he asks for only a thirty-percent share. For such monumental merit, our Nine Cauldrons Sect must show proper appreciation." In the end, Li Qingshan broke the silence. Show appreciation?! How could they even begin? This contribution was simply too immense. A single individual had nearly tripled the sect's total spirit stone output. What reward could possibly suffice? It was beyond the scale of ordinary recompense. After a long pause, Gao Shenghan of the Mystic Formation Hall finally spoke. "How about... I step down and let First Seat Yaoguang take over as hall master? Otherwise, sitting here makes me feel like I am on pins and needles. Compared to his contributions... I have essentially been an idle parasite occupying this post all these years..." "Even if First Seat Yaoguang is promoted, he should come to our Artifact Refining Hall! You've all seen the performance of the Zixiao-13, haven't you? What sense does it make for an Artifact Refining Grandmaster like him to run off to your Mystic Formation Hall instead of joining us?" Xu Qiexing immediately countered. "Can artifact refining hold a candle to formation craft? Setting aside the Rank 6 Spirit Gathering Formation, the Rank 5 formation alone nearly doubles our sect's total spirit stone production! Could artifact refining ever match that?" Gao Shenghan raised his voice. "Why couldn't it?" Xu Qiexing retorted. "Don't forget how fiercely contested the Treasure Weapon market is right now. Given the stellar performance of the Zixiao-13, if we produce an export model and sell it for a hundred thousand apiece, orders will pour in endlessly! Two to three thousand orders a year would be trivial, bringing in two to three hundred million spirit stones! The profit alone would be at least one to two hundred million!" "That is completely different. Deploying formations builds the foundational strength of our sect, whereas selling flying swords outward..." "Is selling flying swords not a form of diplomatic strategy? As long as we sell to sects friendly to our Nine Cauldrons Sect, it can deepen our ties and even forge alliances..." The two hall masters began bickering back and forth over which hall Yaoguang ought to join. "Enough. What kind of decorum is it to bicker like this in council?" Grand Elder Huang Tianhao of the Elder Council finally intervened. At his words, the hall masters quieted down. "In my view, let Yaoguang hold the title of Honorary Deputy Hall Master in both the Artifact Refining Hall and the Mystic Formation Hall," the Grand Elder suggested. "Though First Seat Yaoguang's achievements cannot remain hidden forever, keeping them secret for even one more day works in our favor. In the meantime, we should do everything possible to prevent outsiders from disrupting his research and growth." Li Qingshan glanced between Xu Qiexing and Gao Shenghan, then nodded. "Agreed. However, that alone is not enough." "Then what else should we bestow? He lacks neither status nor wealth, and his talent in cultivation is equally astonishing. At such a tender age, he is already comparable to a third-tier Origin Spirit realm cultivator. Finding an appropriate reward... is truly a headache," Liangqiu fretted. Optimizing the Rank 5 Spirit Gathering Formation was a staggering contribution. And now he was already tackling the Rank 6 formation... What if he succeeded again? "Doesn't Yaoguang also practice body cultivation? Let us grant him the Soul of the Stars," Huang Tianhao proposed. "On one hand, this spirit treasure will significantly accelerate his body cultivation. On the other, with it in his possession, as long as a Golden Core expert does not step in personally, the treasure will guarantee his life should he ever face an ambush." "The Soul of the Stars?!" "That spirit treasure preserved from the era of the Artifact Sect?!" The room exchanged hushed remarks for a moment before nodding in consensus. It was indeed fitting. Spirit treasures were typically valued at upwards of tens of millions of spirit stones. However, with the rise of third- and fourth-generation high-grade dharma treasures, their superior performance—while still short of true spirit treasures—had begun encroaching upon the prestige of spirit treasures. Consequently, the relative standing of spirit treasures had softened somewhat. Furthermore, Yaoguang possessed extraordinary attainment in artifact refining. Conferring this spirit treasure upon him would also aid his technical advancement. With his talent and caliber... Who was to say he might not one day transcend the rank of Artifact Refining Grandmaster to become a Rank 10 artificer? "Then let it be done," Li Qingshan declared. "Confer upon him concurrent appointments in both the Artifact Refining Hall and the Mystic Formation Hall with the treatment of a deputy hall master, and bestow the spirit treasure Soul of the Stars as an expression of our Nine Cauldrons Sect's gratitude. Hall Master Xu, I must trouble you to make the journey." "I shall go as well, bringing along our formation masters to learn from First Seat... Hall Master Yaoguang," Gao Shenghan offered. "Besides, I can discuss the Rank 6 Spirit Gathering Formation with him to see if we can assist his refinements." "Very well. Ensure your current duties are properly handed off before leaving," Li Qingshan instructed. "No duty could possibly compare to Hall Master Yaoguang's optimization of the Spirit Gathering Formation," Gao Shenghan said with a wry smile. Li Qingshan was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled and nodded. "True enough."