Public Disclosure

"If things go quickly, this month; at the latest, next month, and it will be finished," Yaoguang murmured. Over the past ten years, if one were to look at his greatest expenditures, purchasing pills was one aspect, and specially forging a spirit treasure-grade pill furnace for Xie He was another. The final aspect was this spirit treasure before him. Moreover, this piece, which was equivalent to a high-grade spirit treasure, accounted for the lion's share. In terms of invested resources, it had already cost no less than three hundred million spirit stones. Of course, the reason such a massive investment had been required was primarily that his cultivation realm remained somewhat low. An external core forged from a Crimson Golden Core was, after all, not as effortless to use as a Golden Core formed by oneself—especially when that external core was still quite unstable. Pondering this, Yaoguang patiently settled down and continued to polish and refine the spirit treasure. Just as he was finishing up his workload for the day, he sensed a summons. After making brief preparations, he detached a thread of his consciousness and projected himself into the Virtual Spirit Realm. It was a fan-shaped conference hall. Because he had been slightly delayed, numerous figures were already gathered when he arrived. Evidently, this convocation was unlike previous ones, which had involved merely three to five or at most a dozen heavyweight figures. This time, the hall masters, deputy hall masters, elders, branch sect masters, and domain lords had all arrived. Nearly two hundred people filled the Virtual Spirit Realm. The moment Yaoguang appeared, many took the initiative to greet him. Yaoguang returned their greetings one by one, then chatted casually with Zhao Siliang and a few others he was familiar with. Looking at the assembled crowd, the branch sect master was visibly surprised. "Is some major operation underway? Are we reclaiming the Shiwan Dashan?" "Reclaiming the Shiwan Dashan will likely be put on the agenda at this meeting, but the real task is to discuss Wuji Astral Palace's withdrawal from the Black Feather Sect on the Heiyan Continent," Yaoguang said. "Wuji Astral Palace withdrew from the Black Feather Sect on the Heiyan Continent?" Zhao Siliang was momentarily taken aback. He immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. Yet at the same time, he was somewhat puzzled. "This retreat will deal a considerable blow to their prestige. Strictly speaking, they haven't achieved absolute victory over the Black Feather Sect. The remnants of the Black Feather Sect and the Northern Alliance still launch attacks against them from time to time." "The current world situation no longer allows Wuji Astral Palace to waste any more time on the Black Feather Sect. They have a far more formidable opponent to deal with," Yaoguang replied succinctly. "A more formidable opponent? Who? The Myriad Beasts Sect? Have they made some new move?" Zhao Siliang asked, bewildered. Yaoguang glanced at him with a slight smile. "Is it possible that this opponent... is us?" "Us?" Zhao Siliang's pupils contracted instantly. Seeing this, Yaoguang simply smiled and said no more. Although Zhao Siliang was the branch sect master of the Jiuxiao Domain, he was merely part of the Nine Cauldrons Sect's high-level leadership, not its decision-making core. The sect's core leadership had always consisted of only those dozen or so people. There were many matters he was not privy to. Consequently, he had no idea just how formidable the Nine Cauldrons Sect had become after fifteen uninterrupted years of prime, golden development. As the two conversed, a figure abruptly appeared at the very front of the fan-shaped conference hall. With his arrival, the murmur of discussion throughout the room ceased at once. From the hall masters at the top down to the branch sect masters, domain lords, and elders, everyone rose together and bowed respectfully. "Zhenren." Even as they bowed, they felt a wave of astonishment. In past assemblies, Li Hanqiu had never once attended. The gatherings he chose to grace were always monumental occasions capable of deciding the very trajectory of the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Li Hanqiu nodded to the assembly. Immediately after, his gaze fell upon Yaoguang in the third row, and he beckoned to him. Seeing this, Yaoguang concluded his chat with Zhao Siliang in the fourth row, stood up with a smile, and, beneath Zhao Siliang's astonished gaze, walked straight to the first row. And in that first row, there were only eight seats. Golden Core Zhenren Li Hanqiu; Sect Master and Master of the War Hall Li Qingshan; Grand Elder of the Council of Elders Huang Tianhao; Deputy Sect Master and Deputy Master of the War Hall Lou Yuyu; Deputy Sect Master and Master of the Heavenly Palace Hall Murong Hui; Deputy Sect Master and Master of the Garrison Hall Jiang Zhuoyue; Deputy Sect Master and Master of the Penal Law Hall He Xifeng; and Xu Nianhua, the Sect Dao Child, Assistant to the Sect Master, and personal disciple of the Sect Master. Among them, Xu Nianhua had only earned the status of Sect Dao Child and a seat among the eight because he had attained the Unity Realm seven years prior and was currently the only cultivator at the Golden Core third tier, the Core Formation Realm, aside from Yaoguang. Before this, only seven people had ever sat in the front row. Yet when Yaoguang was summoned to sit at the very front, the other hall masters without the rank of Deputy Sect Master, as well as the deputy hall masters, branch sect masters, domain lords, and elders, did not find it strange in the slightest. In fact, they felt he should have been seated there long ago. However... What caught many off guard was that after Li Hanqiu brought him to the front row, he directed Yaoguang to sit right beside him—and on the left, no less. Such seating placement placed him even half a tier above Sect Master Li Qingshan. For a moment, a considerable stir rippled through the hall. Yet seeing that everyone from Li Qingshan to all the hall masters appeared completely accustomed to this arrangement, they quickly suppressed the shock in their hearts. *Is he... the number-two figure now?* Zhao Siliang thought from the back, finding it almost unbelievable. According to his understanding of Yaoguang, entering the first row was not surprising, nor would it have been unusual for him to rank fourth, directly behind the Patriarch, Li Qingshan, and Huang Tianhao. Yet now... He had not only bypassed Grand Elder Huang Tianhao, who presided over the Council of Elders, but had even surpassed the Sect Master himself. This truly was astonishing. Once everyone had taken their seats, Li Qingshan exchanged greetings with Yaoguang and Li Hanqiu before stepping onto the podium. A powerful wave of divine sense swiftly radiated across the Virtual Spirit Realm to every person present. "Originally, our annual work conference was scheduled for a month from now. Due to special circumstances, we are holding it early. As cultivators, there is no need for excessive pleasantries," Li Qingshan began with a smile. Without waiting for replies, he waved his hand, projecting rays of light and imagery from above. "Let us first review the sect's progress..." He glanced down at the documents in his hands, paused, and spoke again. "The spreadsheets are exhaustive, but I believe there is a better way to present this. We will directly compare our current figures with those from twenty years ago. That way, everyone can gain an intuitive understanding of the transformations our sect has undergone over the past two decades." *Are we sharing the real data this time?* Yaoguang asked Li Hanqiu beside him via divine mind. "It can't be hidden any longer, so let's put out some hard facts. Besides, under your guidance, the sect's development changes with each passing day. In another three to five years, even these 'latest' figures will be obsolete, so whether we keep them confidential no longer matters." Li Hanqiu smiled faintly. "Moreover... it is time to give them an accurate picture of the sect's true strength to foster collective confidence. Given the current situation, Wuji Astral Palace will certainly make a move against us within one to two years at the soonest, or three to five years at the latest. When that moment comes, we cannot have everyone gripped by panic and despair, believing we have no chance of victory." "It wouldn't come to that. Everyone in the Nine Cauldrons Sect is well aware of our growth over these years. Anyone can tell we are vastly stronger than we were twenty years ago." "Being vastly stronger is one thing; just how strong we have become is another entirely." Li Hanqiu looked at Yaoguang. "Just like you—I find myself understanding you less and less." "Haha, the Sect Master said he would have me go up shortly to report on the Zixiao Institute's export numbers. When the time comes, I'll provide an explanation of my situation as well," Yaoguang said. Li Hanqiu froze for a moment, his expression taking on a rare gravity. "You can disclose it now?" He understood all too well the deeper implication behind those words. "I can," Yaoguang answered affirmatively. At once, a broad smile broke across Li Hanqiu's face. "Good! Good! Splendid! Truly splendid!" Looking up at Li Qingshan on the platform, he immediately said, "I'll tell him to step down right now. Forget the rest of the report—you go first! I can hardly wait to know just what height you have reached over the past ten years!" "No, no, please don't," Yaoguang hurriedly waved his hand. "Let us proceed according to the planned schedule." Though Li Hanqiu burned with curiosity to learn where Yaoguang derived the confidence to step fully into the light, he suppressed his impatience upon hearing this. He merely transmitted a message to Li Qingshan: *Hurry up and keep it brief. It is time for Yaoguang to take the stage.* On the platform, Li Qingshan blinked in surprise. Yet with his martial uncle issuing the order, he naturally could not disobey. He swiftly skipped several non-essential sections and cut straight to the core: "Twenty years ago, our Nine Cauldrons Sect's nominal spirit stone output was 50,310,000, while the actual output was 81,250,000. Today, thanks to successive modifications to our spirit-gathering formations, our true total spirit stone output has soared to 464,100,000—that is, 464.1 million!" The moment this figure was disclosed, the entire hall erupted into an uproar. "That much?!" "This is truly... unprecedented." "So the financial statements from previous years... were understated?" Seeing the sect spend money lavishly in recent years and readily approve numerous construction and formation upgrade projects, everyone had sensed that the sect's revenue must be substantial. They had guessed the figure might exceed three hundred million, but none could say for sure, nor had they dared to imagine anything higher. Yet now, Sect Master Li Qingshan had formally announced the number to the public. 464.1 million! What a staggering figure that was! Neither the Myriad Beasts Sect, the Taiyin Sect, the Fatian Pavilion, nor the Golden Divine Temple—not a single one of those top-tier factions—could hold a candle to it. Only the Wuji Astral Palace and the Immortal Alliance could still maintain an edge over them. However... Setting aside Wuji Astral Palace, the undisputed number-one sect in the world, the Immortal Alliance was merely a coalition. It was composed of eight great clans alongside over a hundred medium-and-small clans. In terms of coordination, cohesion, and mobilization, it could not compare to a united Nine Cauldrons Sect. To some extent, the current Nine Cauldrons Sect could already be considered the world's second-largest force in terms of spirit stone production. Furthermore, if they could recover the Shiwan Dashan in the future and complete its transformation, becoming the undisputed second-largest producer of spirit stones in the entire Cangwu Realm would no longer be an idle dream. "That covers our economic strength. Next is our Nine Cauldrons Sect's current military strength." As Li Qingshan spoke, another massive wave of data materialized before them. And this unreserved revelation brought the entire room's murmurs to an abrupt halt. The previous clamor vanished entirely. Every pair of eyes was drawn involuntarily to the foremost lines of text. "I understand the Dharma Idol—that's our sect-guarding spirit treasure, the 'Origin Realm'! But what in the world do the words 'Crimson Golden Core' mean?!"