166: Chapter 166 The Bottleneck and Hidden Worries of the Sect

[Main Peak Hall.]

[Tang Xun sat at the head, his gaze casually sweeping over those below.]

[Over twenty Foundation Establishment Stage Disciples sat on either side; along with Sect Head Zhang Ruowei, this was now the entirety of Shenfu Mountain's upper management.]

[It had been twenty years, and this was the Sect's first high-level meeting.]

[Though called 'high-level', it was actually quite pathetic.]

[Most of these Disciples had white hair, with wrinkles deeper than mountain paths.]

[Over the past twenty years, they had relied on the Sect's Contribution Points system to exchange for foundation establishment pills, slowly enduring their way up from being Qi Refinement Stage Loose Cultivators.]

['Endure' was the most accurate word.]

[Their talent had long since peaked, and their potential was exhausted; if they could even touch the threshold of the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage in this lifetime, it would be considered good luck.]

[But there was one thing their eyes did not lack.]

[Loyalty.]

[It was Shenfu Mountain that had taken them in, and the Grand Elder who had given them a second chance at cultivation.]

[This kindness was etched into their very bones.]

"Speak up, everyone," Tang Xun said, his tone casual as if chatting about domestic matters.

"Now that the Sect has developed to this point, what troubles have we encountered?"

[Everyone looked at each other; no one dared to speak first.]

[Finally, it was Zhang Ruowei who stood up.]

"Reporting to the Grand Elder." She bowed, her voice steady, but a layer of worry was pressed between her brows.

"The biggest problem is our high-level combat power."

"Twenty-three at the Early Stage Foundation Establishment. One at the Middle Foundation Establishment Stage. As for Core Formation—there is only you."

[She paused, as if weighing her words.]

"We bear the title of the number one Sect in Qingzhou, but what kind of place is Qingzhou? The entire region doesn't have a single Nascent Soul Cultivator. This 'number one' title is not even worth mentioning in the Central Continent."

[The hall fell silent for a few seconds.]

[No one refuted her, for it was the truth.]

[On the true cultivation continent of the Central Continent, Shenfu Mountain's meager assets wouldn't even qualify them to be gatekeepers.]

"There is one more thing." Zhang Ruowei's expression darkened.

"A while ago, a merchant guild called the Qianbao Pavilion came to the Divine Talisman Workshop at the foot of the mountain."

"They want the exclusive rights to distribute the Talismans we produce, especially the Grade Three and Grade Four Talismans drawn by your own hand, Grand Elder."

"The conditions?" Tang Xun asked.

"Extremely harsh." Zhang Ruowei's voice grew a few degrees colder. "They are practically buying them at cost. I've negotiated with them three times, and each time, their attitude was firmer than the last."

"The last time, their people laid their cards on the table—either we accept their conditions, or they will make the Divine Talisman Workshop vanish from Qingzhou entirely."

[As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly.]

"Qianbao Pavilion?" Tang Xun's tone didn't change; he simply repeated the name.

[Qianbao Pavilion.]

[A top-ten commercial giant in the Central Continent with branches all over, backed by the behemoth that is the Wanfa Immortal Sect.]

"What is the cultivation level of the person they sent?"

"The person in charge is at the Early Stage Nascent Soul," Zhang Ruowei replied. "The two accompanying guards are both at the Late Core Formation Stage."

[In the hall, the sound of breathing changed.]

[One Nascent Soul.]

[Two Late Core Formation Stage cultivators.]

[These three alone were enough to turn all of Qingzhou upside down.]

[In a corner, a short-tempered old man slammed the table, causing the teacups to jump.]

"This is too much! What do they take our Shenfu Mountain for?!"

"Grand Elder! Let's fight them! At worst, we'll all go down together!" another old man stood up, the veins on his neck bulging.

"Go down together?" An old man who had been silent for a long time finally spoke, his voice low. "A single Nascent Soul Cultivator can wipe out our entire Sect with a flick of his finger. Who's going down with you?"

[These words were like a bucket of ice water, silencing all those who were shouting.]

[The atmosphere in the hall became extremely oppressive.]

[Some clenched their fists, while others lowered their heads.]

[Most were simply silent.]

[That bone-deep sense of powerlessness was more painful than anger.]

[This was the plight of the weak.]

[You didn't even have the right to be angry.]

"Are you done arguing?"

Tang Xun's voice wasn't loud; it could even be said to be quite soft.

[But everyone's mouths shut at the same instant.]

[One could hear a pin drop in the hall.]

[Over twenty pairs of eyes looked toward the head seat in unison, filled with tension, expectation, and a hint of unspoken dependence.]

[This Grand Elder was the sole pillar of the entire Shenfu Mountain.]

[Tang Xun leaned back in his chair, his expression calm.]

[Early Stage Nascent Soul.]

[He turned those words over in his mind once and then tossed them aside.]

[It was as if someone had told him a stray cat had arrived at the door with a fierce attitude.]

[Not worth being nervous about, not even worth taking seriously.]

[What truly needed pondering was the owner behind the cat.]

[The Qianbao Pavilion was merely a pawn on the stage; the Wanfa Immortal Sect was the player.]

[Shenfu Mountain's current scale was still too small. Small enough that it wasn't worth a behemoth's serious effort, but also small enough to be crushed by a single finger.]

[So, they couldn't use brute force.]

[At least, now was not the time for brute force.]

"Zhang Ruowei."

"Your Disciple is here."

"Reply to the people from the Qianbao Pavilion. Say that—we will do business."

[Zhang Ruowei snapped her head up.]

[Everyone in the hall was stunned.]

[He agreed?]

[The Grand Elder actually... agreed?]

"Elder! You mustn't!" an old man said urgently. "If we take one step back today, they'll dare to take ten steps forward tomorrow! Once this gate is opened—"

"Who said I was backing down?"

[Tang Xun interrupted him.]

[His tone remained flat, but everyone felt something.]

"I said that business can be done."

"But how it's done, and by whose rules—that will be decided by me."

[He raised his hand and held up one finger.]

"Three days. Tell the people from the Qianbao Pavilion to come to the Main Peak Hall in three days to see me."

"I will negotiate with them personally."

[There was a dead silence in the hall.]

[Zhang Ruowei opened her mouth, then closed it again.]

[She heard something in Tang Xun's tone.]

[It was not a compromise.]

[It was a hunter patiently waiting for the prey to reach the optimal position before setting the trap.]

"Face," Tang Xun stood up, his back to everyone as he looked out at the rolling mountains beyond the hall.

"Is never given by others."

"It is earned through fighting."

[He strode out of the hall.]

[Behind him, the twenty-odd old men sat in their places, their heartbeats clearly audible.]

[They couldn't say exactly what the Grand Elder was planning, nor could they guess where that composure came from.]