Translator: AnubisTL
Gu Feng and Yan Yexue returned to the Sect Master's Hall, where Chu Youhuan and Liu Wuxiang had been waiting for quite some time. Along with them were 474 cultivators at the peak of the Innate Realm.
Even though Gu Feng had mentally prepared himself, he couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth and roll his eyes when he saw the appearance of these cultivators.
The words "drenched in the aura of twilight" and "aged and decrepit" were the most fitting descriptions for the group of cultivators before him.
Using his Immortal Eye to observe them briefly, Gu Feng noticed that about 80% of the 470 cultivators were between 220 and 230 years old, while the remaining 20% were over 190 years old.
The Innate Realm was the first leap in the cultivation system, where the body underwent a transformation, transcending the mortal realm, and one's lifespan doubled, with a maximum of 300 years.
Of course, this was just the upper limit.
Due to factors such as the misuse of pills and hidden injuries during cultivation, cultivators in the Innate Realm typically lived between 250 and 270 years, and in severe cases, even shorter.
The cultivators in the hall, at this age, had no hope of breaking through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm. There was basically no miracle left for them.
"Is there not a single cultivator who looks somewhat decent? Look at these cultivators, nearly half are hunched over, and a third are using canes. Their teeth are almost all gone, and the wrinkles on their faces are so deep that even flies would get stuck in them..."
Gu Feng whispered to Chu Youhuan beside him, venting his frustration.
"There's no other way. The younger ones all want to spend another ten or twenty years trying their luck... These cultivators have been in the Sunset Glow Sect since their youth. After two hundred years, they've lost contact with their relatives outside and are now alone, but they are absolutely loyal to the Sunset Glow Sect!" Chu Youhuan shrugged.
"Vice Sect Master Liu, I can't help but wonder, this year the Sunset Glow Sect has produced twenty to thirty Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators, and they are all quite young. It can't be that all the geniuses are concentrated in this year, right?" Gu Feng couldn't help but ask again.
"Are you asking where those Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators from previous years have gone?" Liu Wuxiang smiled slightly, stroking his beard as he continued, "After breaking through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, disciples of the Sunset Glow Sect have a few options: First, they can stay in the sect, starting as ordinary deacons, either managing the sect's internal affairs or overseeing external industries. As their cultivation progresses, they can gradually become Elders! However, few choose this path because the sect's restrictions are too great, and it lacks freedom.
Second, they can venture out on their own, either establishing their own families, moving to resource-rich cities, or becoming lone cultivators. This is much freer, and they only need to use their Sect Contribution Points to buy out their identity once before leaving. This is the choice most cultivators make.
After all, the cultivation of the Spirit Nurturing Realm consumes too many resources. Staying in the sect would hinder the development of the younger cultivators. Letting them go out can also bring back some resources. This is how all sects operate."
"Then doesn't the sect lose out on the investment it made in cultivating these disciples?" Gu Feng looked puzzled.
"Those who choose to leave the sect must swear a Heavenly Dao Oath before departing: they cannot pass on the sect's cultivation methods, and they must return if the sect faces a major calamity. It's not a matter of who gains or loses; it's more like mutual fulfillment!" Liu Wuxiang smiled.
Gu Feng nodded in understanding, then looked down at the crowd, took a deep breath, and said in a clear voice:
"Vice Sect Master Liu has already explained the details to you all. I won't say much more!"
After speaking, Gu Feng swiped his finger across his Storage Ring, and a hundred white jade bottles appeared before him. "Inside these are the Innate Realm-Breaking Pills I've refined. Perhaps you've all heard the legend about me—I never refine conventional pills.
That's right, these pills have the side effect of causing diarrhea, but their efficacy is guaranteed. If you choose to take them, you'll spend the next period of time cultivating in the restroom, practicing while dealing with diarrhea..."
"The pills are provided free of charge. I'll take you to participate in the Grand Harmony Academy's entrance exam and ensure you get into the top academy in Chu for further studies. In the future..."
"Let's start distributing the pills!"
"Senior, here's your pill," Gu Feng said with a smile, handing over an Innate Realm-Breaking Diarrhea Pill.
"Thank you, Sect Master, for your generosity. This disciple will strive to cultivate and dedicate myself to the sect in the future!" An elderly disciple tremblingly accepted the pill, his wrinkled face full of age spots lighting up with excitement.
"Thank you, Sect Master, for your guidance!" A gray-haired disciple was moved to tears, so overwhelmed with gratitude that he kowtowed several times to Gu Feng.
"Who would have thought, who would have thought... this old man—no, this old disciple—could experience a second spring of life! After breaking through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, I'll gain decades of lifespan. This old disciple will surely defy the heavens!" Watching the elderly disciple's boundless enthusiasm, Gu Feng couldn't help but feel a chill. If you were going to defy the heavens, why wait until now?
Thinking this, Gu Feng still offered some words of encouragement, boosting the old disciple's confidence.
"Sect Master, you're truly a good man. This old disciple has a great-niece outside, young and beautiful..." One elderly disciple shamelessly tried to bribe Gu Feng, who rolled his eyes. How dare you, looking like that, offer your great-niece to me? He refused expressionlessly.
"..."
After spending a full half-hour distributing the pills, Gu Feng looked at the group of cheerful old men in the hall and seriously doubted whether his plan would succeed. Left and right, these cultivators didn't seem like they could successfully reach the Spirit Nurturing Realm.
"Ah—well, that's it. Senior Sister Chu will arrange for you to cultivate in specific locations," Gu Feng sighed softly, discussing the follow-up pill arrangements with Chu Youhuan before leaving the sect master's hall to resume his alchemy.
"Follow me!" Chu Youhuan waved her hand, leading the disciples to the restroom cultivation chambers built last year.
"Yexue? Why are you following us?" Chu Youhuan was surprised to see Yan Yexue tagging along.
"Aside from Gu Feng, I'm the most familiar with the effects of these pills. I can help you monitor their cultivation progress," Yan Yexue said expressionlessly.
"Aren't you always refining pills or researching how to refine them? When did you have so much free time?" Chu Youhuan asked suspiciously.
Among the former top-ranked Inner Sect disciples, Yan Yexue's dedication to cultivation was consistently in the top ten, so much so that she rarely had time to drink or relax.
Helping these elderly disciples break through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm would likely take one or two months. How did Yan Yexue have time to help?
Moreover, this was Gu Feng's personal matter. Why was she willing to get involved? It was quite strange!
"Balancing work and rest. I've been a bit tired lately and need to adjust," Yan Yexue replied calmly, her expression unchanged.
"Is that so?" Chu Youhuan was even more skeptical, feeling that there was something fishy about it.
...
The days that followed were uneventful. Gu Feng tirelessly refined pills day and night in the Alchemy Room. The Sunset Glow Sect underwent a massive transformation, spending a fortune to construct several large-scale, top-grade Spirit Rank Spirit Gathering Arrays to lock in the dense Spiritual Energy.
In the area of the original main hall, a downward passage was excavated, expanding the underground space by dozens of times. A cultivation plaza was built, equipped with a low-grade Profound Rank Spirit Gathering Array for Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivators to practice.
Even connections like Wu Qi were squeezed in by Gu Feng.
Some useful facilities from the Outer Sect were relocated to the Inner Sect, and many buildings were demolished and rebuilt...
The overall improvement in the sect's benefits directly led to financial problems for the Sunset Glow Sect.
Various forces in Cloud Prefecture were closely watching the situation at the Sunset Glow Sect.
One day at the end of May, a piece of news somehow leaked out: Gu Feng wanted to borrow money from a bank?
After verifying the matter, leaders of some forces like Lin Xinhua were delighted.
"Gu Feng, this kid, has taken too big a step and overstretched himself!"
"The Sunset Glow Sect currently has about seventy to eighty thousand cultivators, right? Doubling their overall benefits—what was he thinking?"
"Young people, when they hold great power, naturally have grand ambitions, wanting to surpass their predecessors and achieve something extraordinary!"
"Under the leadership of the previous sect master, the Sunset Glow Sect was declining. Gu Feng, as the new leader, wanting to turn things around is understandable, but he's just too hasty."
"Recently, Gu Feng has been purchasing large quantities of Spirit Herbs for the Innate Realm-Breaking Pill. It's said he wants to forcibly elevate all the older disciples to the Spirit Nurturing Realm!"
"How foolish! Cultivators over a hundred years old who haven't broken through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm are basically at the end of their potential. They have no cultivation value. It would be better to focus on nurturing young, talented disciples!"
"I heard Gu Feng wants to borrow fifty billion low-grade Spirit Stones from a bank. What a bold move! Young people these days are truly remarkable."
"Fifty billion is nothing to Gu Feng, but no bank in Cloud Prefecture can come up with such a huge sum."
"..."
Everyone watched the developments at the Sunset Glow Sect with a sense of amusement.
Suddenly, one day, a big shot suggested, "Gu Feng probably hasn't found a suitable bank to borrow from yet. Why don't we buy his shares instead?"
Currently, the second phase of the Swamp Fortress project is in full swing, and its value has further increased. Many people are eyeing Gu Feng's shares, trying every means to communicate with him.
But Gu Feng wouldn't budge, preferring to pay interest rather than sell his shares.
"Perhaps that's why he hasn't been able to borrow Spirit Stones!"
"These banks are probably coveting his shares too. They're forcing Gu Feng to sell!"
At this point, some big shots began to scheme. If forcing a sale of shares isn't feasible, then let's try a more subtle approach.
Thus, someone proposed that they pool together fifty billion and lend it to Gu Feng, setting a deadline. If he can't repay, he can use his shares as collateral.
"He's such a shrewd person; he definitely won't accept our loan!" one big shot shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Then let's change the approach. Instead of calling it a loan, we'll use a custodial method. Give him the Spirit Stones, sign an agreement, and charge him a custodial fee at a certain rate, with the stipulation that he returns them in three months or half a year!"
"This method is excellent. He gets 50 billion without having to pay interest and even earns a custody fee. At a conventional rate of 2%, he essentially makes 2 billion a month. Such a huge temptation will surely sway him," a big shot expanded on the idea.
"This method is worth considering, but the loan period shouldn't be too long... Take advantage of the fact that Swamp Fortress isn't paying dividends this year. It's the perfect opportunity since he can't make much money now. We can take a portion of his shares."
"Exchanging 50 billion for 10% of his shares might seem like a loss now, but in the long run, it's definitely a sure profit!"
"..."
After some discussion, Lin Xinhua and the others set off for the Sunset Glow Sect.
In fact, Gu Feng was also in a dilemma. The success of his plan hinged on him first obtaining 50 billion low-grade Spirit Stones to elevate his strength to the fifth level of Spirit Nurturing.
He had thought that with his status and position, borrowing 50 billion would be a breeze. However, he had underestimated the allure of Swamp Fortress.
These damn banks would rather forgo interest than miss the chance to buy his shares, and they were offering quite high prices.
But Gu Feng knew that now was not the time when Swamp Fortress's value was at its peak. He absolutely could not sell his shares.
The 49% of shares he currently held were prepared for his cultivation in the Sea Condensation Realm. Otherwise, he would have no way to amass the trillion low-grade Spirit Stones needed for Sea Solidification Realm cultivation.
"Reporting to the Sect Leader, Sect Leader Lin of the Unwavering Sect, along with the heads of the Bao family and other influential figures, have come to pay their respects!"
"Have them wait in the Sect Leader's Hall. I'll be there shortly after I finish refining this batch of pills," Gu Feng replied, somewhat puzzled about the purpose of their visit.
(End of the Chapter)
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