Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 341 Foundation Building Success
As night fell, in the brightly lit hall, Chung Man-yuen and Lam Chi-cheung sat facing each other.

"Senior Brother Zhong, this is the list of the returning disciples. Please have the sect leader review it and assign them to these positions." Lin Zixiang took out a scroll of paper.

Zhong Wenyuan took a look and sighed, "Hey! Junior Brother Lin, why didn't you discuss it with me before proposing to the sect leader that these people be promoted?"

Lin Zixiang disagreed: "To tell you the truth, Senior Brother Zhong, this is something I promised them long ago. After so many years in Xijiang County, if there hadn't been this hope, the team would have disbanded long ago. We fought hard for the sect in Xijiang County for ten years. Originally there were eighty people, but now only sixteen have returned. Isn't it only right to promote them?"

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t have, but you shouldn’t have brought this up at that time, in front of so many people. Didn’t you put the sect leader in a difficult position? He couldn’t disagree even if he wanted to.”

"That's why I brought it up at that time. Otherwise, he might not have agreed in private."

Hearing this, Zhong Wenyuan's gaze became even more complicated: "So you deliberately challenged the sect leader to a duel?"

“Senior Brother Zhong, that’s too harsh! I couldn’t help but speak up because I saw him asking about our well-being and trivial matters, but he didn’t mention anything about the arrangements for the returning disciples. If the sect leader really thinks we are making sacrifices for the sect, he should give us real benefits, not just small talk.”

"Junior Brother Lin, listen to my advice, don't go against the sect leader. Your thinking is very dangerous."

Lin Zixiang frowned: "Senior Brother Zhong, why do you think I'm deliberately making things difficult for him? Don't you know me? If I coveted this position, it wouldn't have been his turn in the first place. This is because I promised those disciples a long time ago, and I can't break my promise. Besides, they've fought hard for the sect for ten years, and they deserve these benefits. It's not excessive."

Seeing his displeasure, Zhong Wenyuan stopped the conversation: "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I will do my best to arrange the positions for these people, but with so many people at once, not all of them may be able to take their places. We need to have the sect leader review them first."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhong. I'll take my leave now." Lin Zixiang got up and left. Watching his departing figure, Zhong Wenyuan's eyes showed obvious worry.

Upon his return, Lam Chi-cheung appeared somewhat different from before. Perhaps it was due to his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm, but he exuded a more arrogant air, making him feel a little unfamiliar with him.

.........

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, Elder Zhong requests an audience and is waiting in the reception hall." The next morning, as Song Xianfang got up and left the room, a disciple came forward to greet him and bowed.

Song Xian nodded and went straight to the reception room. Upon seeing him arrive, Zhong Wenyuan stood up and bowed respectfully.

"No need for formalities, Senior Brother Wenyuan, please have a seat!" Song Xian went straight to the main seat and took a seat, waving his hand.

Zhong Wenyuan's hair and beard were already gray, and he was quite old. In addition, his failure to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage damaged his Dao root, and he aged significantly in recent years, looking like an old man in his eighties.

"Sect Leader, this is the list of disciples who have returned from the conscription and have been promoted. Please take a look." Zhong Wenyuan handed over the file.

Song Xian took the document and glanced at it, remaining expressionless: "These positions were already filled. Now that they've been transferred, where will the original disciples be assigned?"

“I’ve made arrangements.” Zhong Wenyuan handed over another file.

"This means the sect will need to create quite a few more positions!"

“It is indeed troublesome to transfer so many people at once. I suggest we handle it in batches. We can process seven or eight people this year and transfer another batch next year. It can be completed within three years. During this period, we can continue to give them their corresponding positions and salaries.”

"Since Senior Brother Wenyuan has already made up his mind, let's do it your way! All the disciples who returned from the conscription have been promoted, except for Senior Brother Zixiang. He won't have any objections, will he?"

“Junior Brother Lin has always been considerate of the overall situation and loyal. Moreover, he is an elder of the sect and has now broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. How could he be dissatisfied because he was not promoted?”

"That's true. He's an elder of the sect. The next highest position he can hold is the sect leader."

Zhong Wenyuan remained silent, not responding, and the room suddenly fell silent, the atmosphere becoming subtle.

Just then, a disciple entered from outside, bowed to him, and said, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, Senior Brother Zhang Ningyuan requests an audience."

"Sect Leader, if there are no other instructions, I shall take my leave." Zhong Wenyuan stood up and said.

Song Xian nodded and turned to leave the hall.

Looking at that hunched back, he felt a mix of emotions. Zhong Wenyuan had worked hard and made great contributions to the sect over the years, and he had seen all of this. Naturally, he trusted and respected him.

There was one thing that made him somewhat dissatisfied: the fact that the Qingyun Sect's old subordinates were favored too much.

Especially in matters concerning George Lam, he almost always grants his requests, and to some extent, he can be said to have played an accomplice role in the evildoers. For example, Tian Qi, Cao Qiyuan, Yan Kuan, and others were all the black gloves that George Lam used to fleece the sects.

The three men amassed a fortune by abusing their positions, and a large portion of it was given to George Lam.

Despite knowing the shady dealings, he still appointed the person recommended by George Lam.

There is no doubt that George Lam had prepared this list well in advance; otherwise, it would have been impossible to finalize so many positions in such a short time.

George Lam brought this up in front of so many people yesterday, leaving him no choice but to agree. No one would believe he had no ulterior motives.

These people had followed him for ten years, and now that he was seeking positions for them, they would surely follow his lead in the future, thus increasing his influence within the sect.

Although Song Xian knew Lin Zixiang's ulterior motives, he felt that these people had fought for the sect for ten years and deserved to be rewarded. In addition, Lin Zixiang had now reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and Song Xian also wanted to ease the tension between the two, so he agreed.

Although Lin Zixiang had some ulterior motives, he remained loyal to the sect, a fact he never doubted, and therefore he could tolerate some minor issues.

The sect goes to great lengths to cultivate a Foundation Establishment cultivator, so as long as it's not a matter of principle, he can turn a blind eye.

"Sect Leader." Soon, Zhang Ningyuan walked in and bowed respectfully to him.

"Senior Brother Ningyuan, you've arrived. What brings you here?"

"This is the list of items purchased as requested. Please take a look." Zhang Ningyuan handed over a file, which was densely filled with materials for crafting second-tier puppets.

"Okay, sure." Song Xian nodded. He had already used up the puppet materials he had bought earlier, so he asked Zhang Ningyuan to buy another batch.

"Sect Leader, there's been news about the Cloud Jade Mystic Stone that you asked me to inquire about before."

"Oh? Where?"

Cloud Jade Mystic Stone is a material used to refine second-tier puppets and is also one of the main materials for refining magic treasures. Many mirror-type magic treasures use Cloud Jade Mystic Stone. Because it is relatively rare, it is rarely sold in the market.

"Jiang Ming, the person in charge of Fengluofang in Xijiang County, has sent word that there is a piece of Yunfei Xuan Stone among the items for this year's auction at Fengluofang in Xijiang County. Should we acquire it?"

Zhang Ningyuan was in charge of all external affairs of the sect. All the sect's shops were under his control. Previously, Song Xian had asked him to collect materials for second-tier mid-grade puppets. Some of these materials were quite rare and not sold on the market. So he issued instructions to the shops in each market that they should report any news about these materials immediately.

"Fengluofang in Xijiang County? When does their auction start?" "It will be held on the fifteenth of October this year. If the sect leader needs it, I will immediately send a message to Jiang Ming so that he can acquire it at that time. However, I don't know what the highest price you think is acceptable. After all, it is an auction, and the price may be a bit higher than expected. If there is competition, there is no fixed price. I will need you to decide."

"October 15th." Song Xian pondered for a moment: "No need to send him a message yet, I have my own arrangements."

"Alright, then I'll take my leave." Zhang Ningyuan replied and left.

Life went on peacefully, and before you knew it, several months had passed.

Under a clear blue sky, outside the gate of the Beast Taming Sect in Xijiang County, Song Xian was carrying Su Zhirou in his escape light when two disciples of the Beast Taming Sect, riding their magical artifacts, approached from a nearby tower and blocked their way.

"This is the most important place in our sect. No one is allowed to trespass. Who goes there? State your name." One of the Beast Taming Sect disciples glanced at Su Zhirou and said.

"I am Song Xian of the Hunyuan Sect in the Western City. This is my wife, Su Zhirou. We have come to your sect's gate today to borrow your sect's precious land to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm." Song Xian took out a jade token and a document signed and sealed by the Beast Taming Sect and handed them over.

Back when he attacked the Kong family's mountain gate, he demanded Su Zhirou's Foundation Establishment quota from Jiang Feng, and he has come today for that very reason.

Su Zhirou's cultivation had actually reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining long ago, but because her Nine Nether Ice Soul Technique had not yet broken through, she was not in a hurry to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. This year, however, her technique finally broke through to the third level.

Now, she has reached the peak of Qi Refining in both her cultivation technique and level. Delaying any longer would only waste time and be of no benefit to Foundation Establishment. Therefore, after discussion, she decided to attempt Foundation Establishment as soon as possible, hence her visit.

When he last came here, the Beast Taming Sect wasn't so heavily guarded. It was about a hundred miles from their mountain gate. Looking around, towering towers surrounded the area, with one tower standing almost every five miles.

"Please wait a moment, senior. I will go and inform them." A man from the Beast Taming Sect turned and left.

The two waited there for about two or three hours before they saw a streak of light rushing towards them from the direction of the mountain gate.

The beam of light landed in front of the two and stopped, revealing a burly man with a thick beard who glanced at Song Xian.

"Are you fellow Daoist Song Xian of the Hunyuan Sect?"

"Yes. May I ask your esteemed name, fellow traveler?"

"I am Huang Yuansheng from the Hall of State Affairs. Please allow me to take a look at the tokens and documents."

Song Xian did as he was told. After the big man checked, he led the two of them inside and into the Beast Taming Sect's mountain gate. After going through several procedures and waiting for more than half a month, they finally received permission to establish their foundation at Fish Leap Peak, the mountain gate of the sect.

.........

On that day, dark clouds covered the sky, making it somewhat gloomy.

Inside Fish Leap Peak, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had transformed into tangible smoke and mist. Su Zhirou sat upright inside, and it wasn't until around noon that she took the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Soon, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was attracted, and a large amount of spiritual energy surged towards her like a tiger rushing into a flock of sheep.

In mid-air, one after another, vortexes of spiritual energy condensed.

Song Xian stood outside Fish Leap Peak, watching a large amount of cloud-like spiritual energy pour down. He was extremely nervous, even more so than when he was building his foundation.

But he could only watch. The foundation-building process of a cultivator cannot be interfered with by any external force, otherwise it will only backfire.

As time went by, many of the spiritual energy vortexes dissipated one by one.

Su Zhirou sat upright in the center of the mountain peak's training ground, her whole body trembling involuntarily, her skin bulging.

She was completely unaware of this situation. At this moment, she was fully absorbed in the process of absorbing and refining spiritual energy, and felt that her body was extremely hot, as if a ball of fire was burning inside her, as if she would spontaneously combust at any moment.

Unable to bear the heat, she unconsciously began to circulate the Nine Nether Ice Soul Technique. As soon as the technique was activated, a faint white light emanated from her body, and the original heat in her body immediately lessened. As the technique circulated, a faint frost aura even formed around her.

The turbulent spiritual energy of heaven and earth was momentarily stagnant upon encountering the frost energy that had condensed around him.

From midday to sunset, and then to the rising of the moon.

The dark clouds had completely dissipated, and the round moon, as large as a millstone, hung high in the sky, while the Milky Way shone brightly, as bright as day.

The massive vortex of spiritual energy in mid-air finally dissipated, and Su Zhirou slowly opened her eyes. The spiritual power within her spiritual sea acupoint surged out like a overflowing river.

In an instant, the spiritual pressure of the Foundation Establishment cultivator soared into the sky.

…………

Under a clear blue sky, with not a cloud in sight, the streets of Fengluofang in Xijiang County were bustling with people.

This is the largest market town in Xijiang County. Legend has it that a phoenix once landed on this mountain, hence the name. Although Xijiang County is not very peaceful now, with the Beast Taming Sect, Yunxuan Sect, and Murong family fighting for many years, the market town is still as lively as ever, unaffected by the struggle between these three forces.

The only impact was that the Murong family's shops withdrew from the market, which was insignificant to the vast Fengluo Market.

The entire market town covers an area of ​​about fifty li, equivalent to a city. It is divided into four areas. The east and west sides of the city are mainly places for trading shops. The buildings are closely connected, with crisscrossing paths and streets inside.

In the central area of ​​the southern part of the market town, there is a large cluster of magnificent pavilions connected together. This is where the market town inn is located, and the cheapest room here costs ten spirit stones a day.

The most luxurious room in the inn, the "Heavenly" class, costs as much as fifty spirit stones per day.

"Congratulations, Sect Leader! Congratulations, Martial Uncle Su!" In the spacious and bright hall of the Tianzi courtyard of the Fangshi Inn, Zhang Ningyuan led a man in from outside and bowed respectfully to the two.

"Senior Brother Zhang, please don't tease me. Let's address each other as before! Suddenly being addressed as a senior makes me feel like I've aged a lot," Su Zhirou chuckled.

“In that case, I shall presume. Junior Sister Su is exceptionally beautiful. Not to mention the most beautiful woman in Bianxi City, she would be the most beautiful woman in the world. Who would think Junior Sister Su is old? It is I who have grown older in vain over the years.” Zhang Ningyuan said with a smile on the surface, but he felt bitter in his heart.

When he first met Su Zhirou, they were both at the same level of cultivation. Now Su Zhirou has become a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while he is still far from reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. In addition to his poor spiritual root aptitude, he has been busy with worldly affairs in recent years and has had little time to cultivate.

In addition, Su Zhirou had her own cultivation room from the beginning, while he only got his own cultivation room after being promoted to the head of the External Affairs Hall. Therefore, his cultivation progress was far behind Su Zhirou's, and he only had the eighth level of Qi Refining.

Although he held a high position and great power in the sect, seeing Su Zhirou successfully establish her foundation still stirred up a lot of emotions in his heart.

(End of this chapter)