Chapter Seventy-Three: Allocation of Resources

“High-grade spirit stone.”

Jiang Yan looked curiously at the translucent information interface. There, only the words “high-grade spirit stone” appeared, offering no further details at all.

This spirit stone, which Jiang Yan had previously overlooked, was actually high-grade. According to the Refined Spirit Sutra, such a high-grade spirit stone could be used to repair one’s divine sense—at least temporarily resolving Jiang Yan’s excruciating headache. As for any aftereffects, once Jiang Yan formed his own sea of consciousness, there would be no more trouble.

Carefully holding the crystalline bead, Jiang Yan gingerly pressed it to the center of his brow, precisely where he had opened the channel for his divine sense.

His nearly exhausted divine sense slowly extended outward, inching toward the clear bead he held before his forehead...

A low “buzz” sounded as Jiang Yan’s divine sense entered the crystal bead. A blue light briefly shone on its surface, accompanied by a faint hum, which quickly faded away.

...

After about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Jiang Yan let out a long breath, withdrawing his divine sense from the bead. He had finally repaired the damage, and the soul-rending pain at last subsided.

With his divine sense restored, Jiang Yan slowly stood, glancing at the scrolls, weapons, and elixirs scattered on the ground. With a thought, his Sect Leader’s ring instantly swept them all away.

Within the talisman array training ground, Jiang Yan gazed into the distance. Yes, his vision seemed to have sharpened; places he couldn’t see before were now clear. Not far off, in front of the spirit fields, little Cloud Shadow was dashing madly, with the Hound of Heaven and the Soul Hound trailing behind like two little tails.

Jiang Yan rubbed his eyes. Wait—how could he see the scene outside the training ground? Had the restriction atop the place vanished?

Curious, Jiang Yan stepped down from the high platform and exited the training ground, turning back with a puzzled look. But what he saw made his heart jolt.

The spot he had just left remained a dense forest. The deep mountain wind whistled between the trees, stirring his long robe and leaving him momentarily dazed.

“The talisman array training ground actually has a concealment function!”

A thought both startling and exhilarating formed in Jiang Yan’s mind. His recently restored divine sense surged out, rapidly sweeping toward the location of the training ground.

“Nothing at all!” Jiang Yan nearly cried out in surprise. Even with his cultivation at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, he couldn’t detect the training ground’s position. Had it truly vanished? A wave of panic welled up within him.

He extended his right hand, channeling his divine sense as he had just realized within the training ground, carefully attuning himself to it.

A clear hum suddenly arose just ahead of his right hand, and in the next moment, the talisman array training ground atop the blue dome peak reappeared in his divine sense—and then before his eyes.

From within, the training ground seemed vast and lofty; from without, it occupied only a small patch beside the spirit fields, to Jiang Yan’s great surprise.

“Senior Brother,” came Tang Wan’s gentle voice from behind.

“Eldest Senior Brother!” Cloud Shadow called brightly, her voice clear and crisp as she gazed at Jiang Yan, who stood staring blankly at the training ground.

Jiang Yan turned, a little surprised.

Draped in garments of pale lotus green, Tang Wan held the hand of Cloud Shadow, who wore a simple white robe. The tall and the small, two beauties walked gracefully toward him; with her hand in Tang Wan’s, the once-mischievous Cloud Shadow appeared perfectly well-behaved, nothing like the wild little girl who’d been running about moments ago.

“Woof, woof...” The black and white spirit beasts still trailed behind Cloud Shadow, hopping in circles around the two beauties.

“Eldest Senior Brother, tonight is the first sect banquet for Ning Qian, Zisu, and Sun Yang since joining us. You, as Sect Leader, must preside over the event,” Tang Wan said softly, her gaze almost entirely upon Jiang Yan, not noticing the training ground fading away at the edge of her vision.

“Very well, let us go together,” Jiang Yan replied offhandedly. His divine sense had only just been restored; it was unwise to open the channel again so soon. This banquet would be a good occasion to announce some decisions. The sect could not thrive with only him benefitting from its resources; for the sect to grow strong, the first-generation disciples must all become powerful.

“The Sect Leader’s presence seems so much more commanding,” Tang Wan thought, her beautiful eyes resting on Jiang Yan, sensing the subtle pressure that now emanated from him.

Jiang Yan’s divine sense had improved greatly thanks to the high-grade spirit stone, but because of this leap, his control was less refined than before. Unable to fully restrain it, his divine sense leaked from his body, forming a faint aura of pressure around him.

Divine sense acts directly upon the mind; the pressure of a high-level talisman master’s divine sense can fell a lower cultivator in an instant. Compared to Jiang Yan, Tang Wan was several levels weaker, making her especially sensitive to the effect.

“Eldest Senior Brother, you’re scary now!” Cloud Shadow was utterly unafraid. She tilted her delicate face upward, curiosity shining in her eyes. In her mind, the senior brother who’d gone out with her earlier wasn’t like this at all.

Jiang Yan was momentarily taken aback, but recalling what had just occurred, he simply smiled, scooped up the porcelain-doll-like Cloud Shadow, and strode forward.

“Wan Senior Sister, time for dinner!” Cloud Shadow’s clear call rang from ahead.

Tang Wan quickened her pace, catching up to Jiang Yan and falling half a step behind him, walking with measured grace.

“Woof, woof…” The two spirit beasts bounded happily at Jiang Yan’s heels.

...

Behind the main hall of Mount Hua Sect lay the dining hall.

After Jiang Yan constructed the new main hall, the rooms once used by disciples were left vacant. Elder Chen tidied them up, knocking down partition walls to create a temporary dining hall. Normally, this was where Jiang Yan and his fellow disciples took their meals.

At the head seat, Jiang Yan took his place with measured calm.

Cloud Shadow slipped from his arms and scampered to a seat beside him, nudging the dozing Mu Yun and chirping, “Third Senior Brother, the food’s gone!”

Mu Yun started and sprang to his feet, glancing around. Seeing Jiang Yan at the head, Nanmen Luo’s mischievous face, Ning Qian sitting upright, the lazy Sun Yang, and the solemn girls of the Violet Robe Sect, Mu Yun sheepishly sat down.

“Little Sister, you’re teasing your brother again,” he muttered, mildly reproachful as Cloud Shadow grinned at him.

Cloud Shadow giggled, scooting closer to Jiang Yan. Her little face was full of righteous innocence: “Third Senior Brother, it’s almost time to eat. I was kindly waking you up!”

Tang Wan entered and sat beside Jiang Yan, her pretty face taking on a rare air of seriousness. She gave Cloud Shadow a look that brooked no nonsense. Cloud Shadow shrank her head, stuck out her tongue at Tang Wan, made a funny face at Mu Yun, and then imitated Ning Qian’s upright posture.

“Tonight marks the first meal for Ning Qian, Zisu, and Ding Ning as my disciples,” Jiang Yan said, once everyone was seated, leaning back in his chair and speaking with gentle authority.

Ning Qian straightened further, his already upright posture becoming even more rigid.

Zisu, however, stared at Jiang Yan, her lovely face as cold and frosty as ever, though inside she was puzzled: “In just a few short hours, Master’s presence seems so much heavier.”

Ding Ning was visibly moved, her delicate face still bearing the traces of tears. Perhaps, having finally severed ties with her former sect, the girl had wept several times more.

Duo’er looked a little desolate, perhaps because Jiang Yan had not mentioned her, or perhaps mourning the vanished Violet Robe Sect. Her spirits were low.

Lin Ke’s face remained veiled in black gauze, her expression unreadable. She had received Tang Wan’s approval to join her tutelage and was now a disciple of Mount Hua. Initially, Lin Ke had scarcely regarded Tang Wan, considering only Jiang Yan, at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, worthy of her notice. Yet, upon meeting Tang Wan, the blue restriction at the alchemy room, and her intricate flame-controlling techniques had all left Lin Ke astonished. Now, she was contemplating how best to interact with her new master and learn those fire techniques.

“This is also Lin Ke and Duo’er’s first meal as disciples of Mount Hua,” Jiang Yan continued, observing all their reactions.

“Our sect has no especially strict rules. You need only remember three things: accumulate virtue and do good; cherish and support your fellow disciples; and never betray the sect.” Jiang Yan announced Mount Hua’s principles with concise clarity. The rules of cherishing fellow disciples and never betraying the sect had long been planned, while “accumulate virtue and do good” was a sudden inspiration. The next main mission’s deadline was approaching; if his merit points did not reach ten by then, the Sect Leader System would deduct an enormous number of spirit stones.

“Taking this opportunity, I’ll announce some appointments. Tang Wan will manage the alchemy room and spirit fields. Nanmen Luo will oversee the artifact workshop. Mu Yun will handle the sect’s external trade. I’ve already established contact with the Oddities Pavilion in Linqing Prefecture; all dealings in spirit grain and elixirs will go through Mu Yun and the pavilion from now on.”

Jiang Yan assigned the long-considered duties, giving each disciple responsibility to speed their growth. Bearing burdens is the surest path to maturity.

“Behind the main hall, there are several small training rooms. Each first-generation disciple will have one. Wan, here are four access jade tokens for the training rooms—please allocate them as you see fit.” With a flick of his wrist, four jade tokens marked with the rooms’ locations appeared in his palm, which he handed to Tang Wan.

...

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