Ascending the Jade Palace Chapter 45: In a World Where Individual Might Reigns Supreme

At Fortune Source Residence, the Patriarch gathered the Wang Clan disciples stationed in Clear Stream Market.

Wang Rongsheng, Tang Nianqiu, Wang Yulou, Wang Yu'an, and the other Wang Clan disciples working in the Flavorful Bistro and Fortune Source Residence had all assembled before the Patriarch.

Yulou noticed that Bailu hadn't co. Tang Nianqiu had truly hidden that girl away, forcing her to work completely off the books.

The Patriarch sat at the head of the room. Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"You all know Rongsheng. I have decided to appoint him as the Wang Clan's deacon in Clear Stream Market. In the future, he will oversee all of the Wang Clan's properties here.

Nianqiu, you will remain the chief manager of the Flavorful Bistro and Fortune Source Residence. The newly established Hundred Treasures Pavilion will be managed by Yulou. You two will be responsible for the daily operations of these shops.

Rongsheng's primary duties will be cultivation and guardianship. If anything happens, he can step forward to resolve it imdiately here in Clear Stream Market."

This wave of arrangents actually had Hongi to thank.

Hongi had plundered the Golden Light Pavilion and gathered enough of his own Foundation Establishnt resources, only to be instantly refined by Wang Xianmao.

The planned Hundred Treasures Pavilion could now be built imdiately.

Wang Rongsheng, an experienced Qi Refining cultivator with diocre talent, also gained the opportunity to further strive for the Foundation Establishnt realm.

It was all thanks to Hongi's greed.

If he hadn't been greedy, how would he have dared to plunder the Golden Light Pavilion?

If he hadn't been greedy, he wouldn't have harbored murderous intent toward Yulou and Yu'an.

If he hadn't been greedy, he never would have given Wang Xianmao the opportunity.

Hongi had been too greedy, losing his decisiveness as a result.

Even after dropping all the leverage straight into the Wang Clan's hands, Hongi had still stubbornly plotted for so possibility of a compromise.

But Wang Xianmao hadn't given him the chance, directly seizing his path of cultivation.

In the end, he was left stranded in the middle, completely drained dry.

"Hundred Treasures Pavilion? Patriarch, do you intend to open a new shop?"

Tang Nianqiu was sowhat surprised. This was only natural; anyone would be startled if a direct superior was suddenly placed over their head.

"Yes. Hidden Dragon Market will remain chaotic for a long ti. Wondrous Peak Mountain won't accept this lying down. Since the shops over there are closed, we must rush to finish the preparations for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

Bringing Rongsheng over is ant to align with the clan's future layout for Clear Stream Market. The Hundred Treasures Pavilion is being opened according to the highest standards of the market, so it needs a high-stage Qi Refining cultivator to guard it.

All of you may leave now. Rongsheng and Yulou, stay behind."

Tang Nianqiu left with a heavy heart. This chief manager, who was used to holding his own, definitely had objections to Wang Xianmao's arrangents, but he could only obey.

"Rongsheng, you're only just over a hundred this year, right?"

The Patriarch's words carried a deep aning. Wang Rongsheng suppressed the excitent in his heart and replied steadily.

"One hundred and three years old, Patriarch."

One hundred and twenty years old was the golden deadline for a Qi Refining cultivator to attempt Foundation Establishnt. Achieving Foundation Establishnt within this age limit would directly grant an additional three jiazi of lifespan, bringing one's total lifespan to at least three hundred and sixty years.

If one cultivated a special thod, maintained their body well, and was fortunate enough to avoid serious injuries, it was entirely possible to live to four hundred.

Longevity—this was true longevity.

But if one waited until after one hundred and twenty to attempt Foundation Establishnt, the loss of essence would already be irreversible, and the lifespan gained from breaking through would also be reduced.

The Patriarch's words allowed Wang Rongsheng, who possessed a four-elent spirit root, to see a sliver of hope. He was filled with intense anticipation.

"Since that's the case, I will arrange a quota of dicinal pills and other corresponding resources for you. In the coming years, besides watching over the properties in Clear Stream Market, your primary task will be cultivation.

If you can reach the Peak Qi Refining realm before you turn one hundred and fifteen, the family will grant you an opportunity for Foundation Establishnt and half a portion of Foundation Establishnt resources as a reward for your contributions this ti."

Hearing the Patriarch's promise, Wang Rongsheng's heart pounded wildly. He dropped to his knees with a thud, kowtowed, and choked out through his tears.

"Rongsheng will give his absolute all!"

He was a child of the family whom Wang Xianmao had watched grow up, so the Patriarch naturally held him in high regard.

Gently using his spiritual energy to lift Wang Rongsheng from the floor, the Patriarch spoke softly.

"The clan will never mistreat anyone who contributes to the family. Rongsheng, cultivate well. There is still hope."

With that, he turned his gaze to Yulou and said.

"Yulou, you must learn more from your Uncle Rongsheng. His aptitude wasn't good, and he wasted many years, but he never once gave up on his cultivation.

The fortunes a cultivator encounters in life are hard to predict. No matter how great the difficulties you face in the future, never give up."

Wang Xianmao's earnest guidance carried a profound sense of care and expectation.

The Patriarch knew that Yulou was an exceptionally clever child, which was precisely why he always worried that such extre brilliance would backfire on his well-being.

"Yulou will keep the Patriarch's teachings close to his heart."

Yulou realized more and more that the Patriarch held incredibly high expectations for him.

It could be said that anyone would be deeply moved by the earnest hope the Patriarch placed in him.

"I've already discussed the matter of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion with Mu Changze. This man is even worse than Jiang Baobian.

Jiang Baobian was incredibly greedy, but he still cared about appearances. Mu Changze doesn't even bother to act, sigh.

When you cultivate in Clear Stream Market in the future and encounter Mu Changze causing trouble, consult with imdiately.

Our Wang Clan is backed by Patriarch Mangxiang's lineage, and we have finally passed the hardest tis. Even if he is a Red Lantern Illumination Sect Core Disciple, you have no need to fear him."

Yulou thought for a mont and replied with subtle implication.

"Patriarch, right now Wondrous Peak Mountain is losing a massive number of Qi Refining disciples, but the other vassal sects of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect aren't faring much better.

With our Wang Clan preparing several Qi Refining disciples to break through to the Foundation Establishnt stage during this expansion, the situation we face in the future might beco extrely difficult."

The resources of Heaven and Earth were limited. The Red Lantern Illumination Sect kept squeezing everything dry, to the point where the vassal sects and families within their territory were nearly stripped of their very foundations.

The items exchanged from the rit Hall acted as catalysts. In the coming decades, Foundation Establishnt cultivators would erge in massive numbers.

Yulou worried that the Wang Clan's current expansion might encounter setbacks due to being too aggressive.

The logic was simple: while the Wang Clan would have more Foundation Establishnt cultivators, other families and sects would also see an increase in theirs. The relative strength of everyone would remain largely unchanged.

But the competitive landscape would shift. How would the Wang Clan sustain these newly advanced Foundation Establishnt cultivators?

Wang Xianmao froze for a long ti before letting out a poignant sigh.

"Even I hadn't thought of this. Yulou, you truly are the Qilin child of our Wang Clan.

Rongsheng, make sure to keep a close eye on Yulou in the future. You cannot allow him to go out with people like Hongi so easily again."

The Patriarch understood Yulou's warning, but he actually had no choice in the matter.

Patriarch Mangxiang was True Person Xuanzhuan's master, the actual controller of the faction the Wang Clan had served as vassals to for a thousand years.

If he wanted to break through to the Golden Core realm, could the Wang Clan afford not to support him?

They had to support him; there was no alternative.

There were so many vassals under the Mangxiang lineage, and the other families were all doing their utmost to provide support.

If the Wang Clan chose to be excessively shrewd, contributing n but withholding actual effort, did anyone honestly think a True Person wouldn't keep score?

Therefore, even though he foresaw the danger, Wang Xianmao had no choice!

The Immortal Alliance suppressed the Ten Sects, and the Ten Sects suppressed their various vassals. This rule was like a cage, and those with ager strength could only comply.

Under this tightly woven web of control, the Wang Clan was rely a slightly larger ant.

Yulou naturally understood this reality, which was why he had thought of an alternative approach.

"Patriarch, I actually have a small, unrefined idea."

Wang Rongsheng gave this audacious young clan mber a surprised look. He couldn't quite comprehend why Yulou enjoyed showing off in front of the Patriarch so much.

You are rely a small cultivator at the fifth layer of Qi Induction. Why do you have so much to say?

"Speak!"

Wang Xianmao looked forward to Yulou's 'small, unrefined idea.'

The reason was simple: Yulou had already given him quite a few surprises, proving himself on multiple occasions.

The new business with the small rooms at Fortune Source Residence was one example, and the detection of Hongi's murderous intent along with its subsequent handling was another.

By now, Wang Xianmao didn't view Yulou as a child at all. He eagerly anticipated what other surprises Yulou could offer.

"The Red Lantern Illumination Sect oppresses its vassal sects and vassal families like us to provide resources for Patriarch Mangxiang, but this oppression trickles down layer by layer. Right now, the independent cultivators are having the hardest ti.

Under these circumstances, independent cultivators must either abandon their path of cultivation or turn into rogue cultivators who commit robbery. Only a rare few can manage to sustain their cultivation.

Our Wang Clan's expansion shouldn't just focus on increasing the number of our own Foundation Establishnt cultivators. We must also absorb cultivators with external surnas in a tily manner to enhance our clan's underlying foundation.

Only by doing so can we seize more of the initiative in the future.

Once we absorb enough independent cultivators, we can even organize teams to go directly to the West Sea for demon hunting.

Our Wang Clan possesses a fair level of skill in Spiritual Bone Artifact Forging. If we manage more demon-hunting teams, the beast bones can be used to refine magic tools, the beast hides can be used to create talismans, and the spiritual at of the demonic beasts can even be used to refine spiritual pills."

Wang Xianmao nodded repeatedly, thoroughly approving of Yulou's suggestion.

Beside him, Wang Rongsheng viewed Yulou in a completely new light. This was the first ti he had ever seen such an outstanding youth within the clan.

Yulou's suggestions and observations weren't exceptionally unique, nor could they even be considered profound.

But in this world, they were already highly practical recomndations with imnse real-world value.

Ultimately, the cultivation world lacked education in dialectics, and understood nothing of the universality and particularity of contradiction.

In a world where individual might reigned supre, thodological and epistemological innovations were pitifully crude.

After all, no matter how brilliantly you updated your thodology and epistemology, it couldn't match the sheer lethality of a high-level cultivator's flying sword.

Demand determined value. Without demand, there was no value, and naturally, no developnt would occur.

However, Wang Xianmao pondered for a long ti before finally speaking in a low, quiet tone.

"A fine suggestion. Let's just wait a bit. You are both children of the Wang Clan, so there's no need to hide anything from you.

Tie Qinhuo and Rongjiang are currently in secluded cultivation to break through to Foundation Establishnt. Once they erge from their seclusion, we will consider whether or not to absorb independent cultivators!"