CHAPTER 289: CHAPTER 276: THE HERITAGE OF A GREAT CLAN

"Just now I’ve talked about income, now I’ll speak about expenditures."

"Currently, the family’s biggest expense comes from purchasing various materials, and this expenditure increases annually, now reaching over ten thousand spirit stones each year, with half spent on procurement of Tier Three Spirit Elixirs."

"The second-largest expense for the family is the spending on Fengyue Tower and the maternity assistance fund, which also exceeds four thousand spirit stones annually."

"Additionally, it should be noted that the family contribution points issued each year have reached seventeen thousand points, and the total accumulated contribution points among the clan cultivators now exceeds one hundred and fifty thousand points!"

In the Council Hall, Finance Elder Zhou Guangyun detailed the Zhou family’s financial income and expenditure item by item.

Her explanations were clear and easy to understand, without any incomprehensible technical jargon.

Following her calculations, Zhouyang found that after subtracting expenditures, the Zhou family’s current annual income actually reached forty-five thousand lower-grade spirit stones!

The result shocked him.

"Is this the power of a collective? Forty-five thousand lower-grade spirit stones a year. Without even considering Golden Core Stage cultivators, just speaking about Purple Mansion Stage cultivators, even those Tier Four top-grade alchemists and artifact refiners cannot guarantee earning such a substantial number of spirit stones every year!"

He murmured to himself, eyes dazzling with joy.

No doubt, if the Zhou family’s income could continue this way, by the time his cultivation reaches the Ninth-Layer of the Purple Mansion, he would easily gather spirit stones needed to purchase auxiliary Core Formation spiritual objects like the "Jade Liquid Golden Pill"!

"Then what about the surplus spirit stones in the clan treasure vault? How many surplus spirit stones are there now?"

Zhouyang, filled with delight and anticipation, looked at Zhou Guangxiang and posed another question of great concern.

The Zhou family’s treasure vault is divided into inner and outer sections; the outer vault stores spiritual objects below Tier Three and also holds ten thousand lower-grade spirit stones for family daily expenses, with the keys held by Zhouyang and Finance Elder Zhou Guangyun.

The inner vault stores Tier Three spiritual objects and acts as the family’s reserve spirit stones, with keys only in the hands of Zhouyang and Zhou Guangxiang, and the accounts are reconciled by Zhou Guangxiang.

Therefore, for Zhouyang to know the number of surplus spirit stones in the family, he needs to ask Zhou Guangxiang, not Finance Elder Zhou Guangyun.

"Due to expenses on organizing the Clan Leader’s Purple Mansion celebration and upgrading the spirit vein level at the marketplace which consumed seventy thousand spirit stones, the surplus spirit stones currently in the clan treasure vault are 214,600."

Zhou Guangxiang calmly voiced a number that left all Zhou family cultivators, except Zhouyang, utterly shocked.

214,600 spirit stones!

This number indeed astonished everyone, including Finance Elder Zhou Guangyun.

Although she manages family finances, she hasn’t entered the inner vault many times; every year, the spirit stones earned by the family from various places are audited by her, then collected by Zhou Guangxiang and stored in the inner vault.

Over these years, apart from Zhouyang the clan leader and Zhou Guangxiang who manages the inner vault, no one knows how many treasures are inside.

However, Zhouyang is either in seclusion or outside often, and the times he entered the treasure vault can surely be counted on one hand.

After all, at his level of cultivation, besides spirit stones, practically nothing in the treasure vault is useful to him anymore.

"Good, very good, extremely good!"

While everyone else in the Council Hall was still stunned by the number reported by Zhou Guangxiang, Zhouyang was already cheering loudly.

He enthusiastically addressed everyone, saying vividly, "You’ve all heard; the family is not short of spirit stones or any various treasures. Thus, there’s no need to worry that the family won’t be able to support enough cultivators. From now on, feel free to bear offspring as planned. The family will surely not let your descendants live through hard times!"

"Furthermore, over these years, in migrating the family foundation to Red Tiger Mountain Oasis and developing various spirit mountains within it, many family members have expended significant effort at the cost of delayed cultivation time."

"Since family finances are good now, I propose to distribute a one-time spirit stone bonus to all members according to their cultivation levels. First-Layer Qi Cultivation stage and below children will receive a reward of 20 pieces of lower-grade spirit stones each, with each higher level granting an additional 10 pieces of lower-grade spirit stones, and Foundation Establishment cultivators receiving a reward of 1000 pieces of lower-grade spirit stones each!"

Distributing benefits and bonuses within a group based on collective income is very normal from Zhouyang’s past life experience.

But in this world, not knowing how it’s done elsewhere, it’s the first of its kind for a family to implement this in the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm.

Therefore, upon hearing Zhouyang’s proposal, all Zhou family cultivators were momentarily stunned.

Such a generous offer?

Everyone displayed slight disbelief, feeling unreal as if they misheard.

Even mortals know that pies don’t fall from the sky, not to mention cultivators.

If these words weren’t spoken by Zhouyang the Clan Leader, other Zhou family cultivators might suspect if such actions were brewing some sort of conspiracy.

"This, isn’t it inappropriate? Yang’Er, the things you’ve mentioned are what everyone in the Zhou Family should do as a member. Moreover, doesn’t the clan also distribute clan contribution points every year based on cultivation level?"

These words, coming from Zhou Xuanhao, seemed somewhat off, considering he had always been a staunch supporter of Zhouyang.

However, given that he is currently the eldest cultivator in the Zhou Family, it seemed somewhat natural for him to say such things.

"Father, you are mistaken in this matter!"

"The clan’s surplus of spirit stones is owed to the contributions of every member; how can this be considered taking rewards without merit?"

"Furthermore, the clan distributes contribution points as a welfare offering. It is the most basic treatment for clan members, and it doesn’t conflict with my proposal to distribute spirit stones as a bonus reward. This bonus isn’t given annually, is it?"

Zhouyang shook his head, smiling as he rebutted Zhou Xuanhao’s words.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuanhao realized Zhouyang was determined and found it hard to say more.

As for the others, who would oppose the proposal to receive spirit stones for free?

All were joyously shouting, "Clan Leader is wise," unanimously passing Zhouyang’s proposal.

"Alright, let’s discuss the matters to be addressed in this family meeting now."

"Firstly, I plan to establish a dedicated hall in the clan, named the Hundred Arts Hall, which, as the name implies, is specifically set up for those who have mastered the hundred skills of cultivation."

"Zhou Family cultivators or honored guest cultivators recruited can join the Hundred Arts Hall. As long as they have some talent, they may freely receive materials from the hall to practice the hundred skills, and each year receive a fixed quota of free materials. The products made from practice can be handed over to the clan at half price and exchanged for contribution points."

"However, those who join the Hundred Arts Hall, once they have mastered skills reaching Tier Two, must complete a certain amount of artifact refining, alchemy, talisman making, and array formation tasks annually. Tasks can be completed ahead for the next year or even the next five, ten years, but they must not be delayed."

"Completing tasks with the allocated materials yields clan contribution points as task rewards. If all materials are exhausted without completing tasks, personal spirit stones and contribution points must be used to purchase materials and complete tasks."

"If you still have materials left after completing tasks, the remaining materials are yours to keep; the clan will not reclaim them."

"Secondly, over the years, Guangxiang has performed wonderfully and has not disappointed my expectations. I intend to appoint him as the Vice Clan Leader, to assist me in handling clan affairs. If he continues to perform well over the next ten years, I will pass the Clan Leader position on to him."

"Thirdly, now that Ying’Er is a Tier Three Middle-grade Alchemist, the clan has also acquired the Foundation Establishment Pill formula. From now on, the clan can completely self-supply Foundation Establishment Pills, so clan members need not worry about a shortage. I’ve spoken; as long as you gather the necessary contribution points for exchange, I assure you abundant Foundation Establishment Pills!"

Zhouyang looked seriously at the Zhou Family cultivators inside the hall, solemnly stating his decisions.

These three decisions were already thought out before convening the meeting, and after earlier discussions, he made some slight modifications.

Now, throwing them out was like dropping a steel ball into a lake, stirring up great waves.

The Zhou Family cultivators quickly bypassed his first point, gave only slight attention to the second, focusing mainly on the third point.

The news of Xiao Ying’s promotion to a Tier Three Middle-grade Alchemist wasn’t new; nearly ninety percent of the Zhou Family cultivators present knew this beforehand.

But before this, no one thought she could refine Foundation Establishment Pills.

Due to its preciousness, many cultivators, when thinking of these three words, would subconsciously overlook that it is indeed a Tier Three Lower Grade Spirit Pill, acknowledging only its value and rarity.

Moreover, even though they knew this was a pill any Tier Three Alchemist could attempt to refine, the rarity of the main materials for alchemy made them selectively remove the notion from their minds.

Refining a furnace of Foundation Establishment Pills, if using Tier Four Demon Pills as the main material, the total cost of materials nearly amounts to ten thousand low-grade spirit stones.

Given such immense cost, only leaving the task to a Tier Four Alchemist with a guaranteed success rate makes sense.

Otherwise, even a Tier Three Top-grade Alchemist achieving a ninety-percent success rate, if unlucky facing that ten percent chance of failure, is as good as wasting nearly ten thousand low-grade spirit stones in materials.

Moreover, they contain the precious Tier Four Demon Pill, which is unattainable even with money in the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm!

Yet now, with Zhouyang stating this during such an important occasion as a family meeting, he’s undoubtedly indicating to all Zhou Family cultivators:

Even at the risk of failure, he would enable the clan’s self-sufficiency in Foundation Establishment Pills!

Furthermore, thinking back to his achievement of opening the Purple Mansion, followed by slaying Purple Mansion Late-stage cultivator Luo Yunqing in a one-on-one battle, the Zhou Family cultivators suddenly realized that Zhou Family achieving self-sufficiency in Foundation Establishment Pills wasn’t just Zhouyang idly talking.

The Tier Four Demon Pill needed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill is unpurchasable, but with Zhouyang’s strength, he could entirely rally people to hunt Tier Four Demon Beasts, akin to the Chen Family Ancestor.

Thus, as long as Zhouyang and Xiao Ying live a day, Zhou Family needn’t worry about running out of Foundation Establishment Pill sources.

Realizing this, the Zhou Family cultivators in the council hall began to stir with excitement.