Chapter 462 - 338: High-level Meeting
"Everything is going smoothly. Tending to the Second-Tier, Lower-Grade Spirit Medicines isn’t difficult for me."
"That’s good." The Sect Leader nodded in satisfaction.
The sect’s Spirit Vein wasn’t being fully utilized yet, so it was perfect. Now that Fang Yun had the energy to tend to the Spirit Medicines, the sect’s overall resources would increase.
Meetings held among the sect’s four peaks, Three Halls, and two institutes were typically about discussing their respective problems and finding ways to resolve them.
The high-level sect meetings, however, were held much less frequently, and the matters discussed encompassed every aspect of the sect.
As a member of the sect’s upper echelon, it was crucial to plan the sect’s future development with the other high-level members.
After asking Fang Yun a few simple questions, Sect Leader Duan Qingyun quickly moved on to the main agenda.
"Not long ago, the number of Sect Elders officially surpassed one hundred and twenty. This is a joyous occasion worth celebrating."
The first topic was the sect’s mid-level Elders.
Calculated in ten-year increments, the number of Sect Elders had been experiencing net growth.
In the past decade, three Sect Elders have passed away, while Fang Yun and Song Qiaoqiao broke through to the Core Formation Stage. Despite losing those five from their ranks, the total number of Elders was still increasing.
Ten Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills would produce no fewer than nine new Elders, while ten Middle-Grade pills would result in three to four new Elders for the sect.
Of course, not all Elders relied on Foundation Establishment Pills to break through.
If they lacked sufficient Sect Contribution Points or Spirit Stones to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill, their only option was to attempt Foundation Establishment on their own.
Most disciples lacked the ability to earn large quantities of Contribution Points and Spirit Stones.
The disciples who could afford Middle-Grade Foundation Establishment Pills were a minority.
Sect Disciples with powerful backgrounds would have their elders procure Top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills for them. Therefore, those who used Middle-Grade pills to achieve Foundation Establishment typically had no such backing. However, they possessed exceptional talent in some area, which gave them the opportunity to earn vast amounts of Spirit Stones and Sect Contribution Points.
Previously, when the sect’s upper echelon made Foundation Establishment Pills available for purchase, it was also a way for them to screen for disciples who were talented in other areas.
As for those with exceptionally high innate talent, Elders would seek them out to take them as Direct Disciples without any prompting from the upper echelon.
Of course, all of this was predicated on the sect having a Cultivator with superb skills in Alchemy.
With Fang Yun’s successful breakthrough to Core Formation, they believed the sect’s prosperity was secured for at least another three hundred years.
When Duan Qingyun finished, Miao Qinghong seized the opportunity to voice her own thoughts.
"As the number of Sect Elders grows, so will our need for resources. If our Celestial Cloud Sect wants to become stronger, we can’t just be content with our own little plot of land." As she said this, Miao Qinghong glanced at Fang Yun, who sat opposite her. "Therefore, I propose we take down the Celestial Demon Sect!"
The Sect Leader started to say something, but Miao Qinghong cut him off.
"The Celestial Demon Sect’s territory contains not only a Tier Three, Top-Grade Demon Vein, but also a Third-Tier, Middle-Grade Spirit Vein."
The Sect Leader shook his head.
He wasn’t surprised by Miao Qinghong’s aggressive proposal in the slightest.
"The Third-Tier, Middle-Grade Spirit Vein within the sect hasn’t even reached full utilization yet. Besides, I’ve learned from Elder Yu that it’s on track to upgrade to a Tier Three, Top-Grade vein in about fifteen years."
"It won’t be too late to consider moving against the Celestial Demon Sect once we can fully utilize a single Tier Three, Top-Grade Spirit Vein."
"I agree with the Sect Leader. Elder Miao, your radical ideas are unnecessary." The speaker was Zheng Wuji, the Supreme Elder sitting next to Miao Qinghong.
Miao Qinghong merely listened to Duan Qingyun and Zheng Wuji before turning directly to Fang Yun, who sat across from her.
"Elder Fang Taishang, what are your thoughts on the Celestial Demon Sect?"
’She was certain Fang Yun’s views weren’t conservative. If he supported her, she would have a chance to destroy the Celestial Demon Sect in the future.’
’Otherwise, with the upper echelon restricting her at every turn, destroying the Celestial Demon Sect would be impossible.’
"My thoughts are simple." From the look Miao Qinghong had just given him, Fang Yun knew he had to say something. "The more resources the sect can acquire, the better. I consumed a great deal of them to reach my current stage of cultivation."
Fang Yun was being honest.
He had broken through to the Core Formation Stage before the age of one hundred and twenty, and the resources he’d consumed to do so far exceeded what anyone else present had used before their own breakthroughs.
The sect’s upper echelon was, of course, aware of the circumstances surrounding Fang Yun’s cultivation journey.
However, the value he brought to the sect far, far outweighed the resources he consumed.
Thus, they didn’t consider the resources he had used to be a significant issue.
"It seems Elder Fang Taishang also has designs on the Celestial Demon Sect." Miao Qinghong smiled faintly, understanding the meaning behind Fang Yun’s words.
’Clearly, he was more supportive of her than the Sect Leader was.’
"The Celestial Demon Sect and our own have a long history of animosity. They want to destroy us, just as we naturally want to destroy them. However, there’s no need to be so hasty. We can proceed step by step to avoid a situation where we’re besieged by the Three Sects."
The Three Sects Fang Yun referred to were, of course, the Celestial Demon Sect, the Demon Spirit Sect, and the Black Ghost Cave.
If their actions were too aggressive, it could provoke a reaction from the Black Ghost Cave, potentially causing them to ally with the other two Core Formation Demon influences.
"Until when does Elder Fang Taishang propose we wait?" Miao Qinghong asked.
"We can begin the first step now," Fang Yun replied.
Now that he was at the Core Formation Stage, there were far more things he could scheme and plan for.
If the Celestial Cloud Sect wanted to grow stronger and develop further, its current territory was insufficient. After all, the Purple Mist Sect, a Nascent Soul Influence, controlled a territory that was vastly larger than their own.