Immortal Venerable of the Beast Race-Chapter 55 - Future Planning_1

55: 55 Future Planning_1

55: 55 Future Planning_1

Having had his fill, Shen Long left the Spiritual Meal Pavilion and returned to Qingmei Courtyard.

Gazing at the weeds in the Spirit Field, his face revealed a thoughtful expression.

Such a large Spirit Field definitely should not lie fallow, thought Shen Long, deciding to use it for planting Spirit Rice.

The growth cycle of Spiritual Medicine is long, with no short-term benefits, and Spirit Fruit trees are not easy to tend to.

Expertise requires specialization, and Shen Long had no experience in planting Spirit Rice, so he planned to hire Lin Cheng to help cultivate it.

He had inquired with Qian Dafu; Lin Cheng had Five Spirit Roots and was a Sect-Born Disciple.

If one parent is a disciple of the Spirit Control Sect and their progeny possesses Spiritual Roots, they are considered Sect-Born Disciples of the Spirit Control Sect.

The cultivation of Sect-Born Disciples is divided into four stages over twenty years, each stage lasting five years.

During this period, the Sect provides free sustenance and dispenses cultivation resources monthly.

The higher one’s cultivation, the more cultivation resources received.

In the first five years, Sect-Born Disciples learn literature and grasp the basic knowledge of cultivation.

In the second five years, they must cultivate to the third layer of Qi Refinement or else be relegated to the Outer Sect to fend for themselves.

In the third stage, they must reach the sixth level of Qi Refinement or be assigned to the Outer Sect.

By the end of the fourth stage, they must have reached the eighth level of Qi Refinement before turning twenty or else face assignment to the Outer Sect.

After the four stages, most Sect-Born Disciples end up demoted to the Outer Sect, where they must complete routine tasks to receive their stipend.

A small elite fraction is assigned to the Inner Peak for key cultivation, where the Sect will impart practical skills in advance, such as cultivating spirit grains, tending to Spirit Fruit trees, taming Spirit Beasts, cooking, brewing, drawing charms, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, Array Setting, etc., so that Sect-Born Disciples demoted to the Outer Sect have a skill to rely on.

The Spirit Control Sect’s territory is vast and requires a large number of Outer Sect disciples to do menial work.

Shen Long and others like him were disciples recruited mid-way, with only three years of cultivation period.

Compared to that, Sect-Born Disciples have a stronger sense of belonging to the Spirit Control Sect.

At Green Cloud Peak, Qi Refining Cultivators of the same cultivation level receive more stipends if they are Sect-Born Disciples.

Of course, if the mid-way recruited disciples perform exceptionally well, their stipends might also be higher.

Qian Dafu, being at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, could receive a Qi Nourishing Pill and fifteen Spirit Stones each month, but he had to complete routine tasks to get them.

Descendants of heroic martyrs don’t need to fulfill these tasks and receive their stipends on time.

During major celebrations of the Spirit Control Sect, their stipends would also be increased.

Qian Dafu didn’t care much for such a small stipend and made more by conducting his own business and wheeling and dealing.

Shen Long stepped out of Qingmei Courtyard and just happened to see Lin Cheng leaving Begonia Court.

“Junior Brother Lin, come to Qingmei Courtyard for a talk!”

Shen Long called out.

Lin Cheng had four sons, and it was difficult for him and his wife to provide for them.

Luckily, the Spirit Control Sect offered a childcare subsidy.

According to Sect rules, parents receive a reward when their child is born with a Spiritual Root—the better the Spiritual Root, the more generous the reward, but this is only for up to ten offspring.

Beyond that, there is no award for subsequent descendants.

Every year Lin Cheng receives a child-raising subsidy for each child born with a Spiritual Root until they turn twenty, at which point the Sect stops the subsidy.

This subsidy primarily aids disciples with financial difficulties in raising their descendants, and it also strengthens the Sect-Born Disciples’ sense of belonging to the Sect.

The better the progeny’s aptitude, the higher the subsidy received.

Descendants with Five Spirit Roots get thirty Spirit Stones a year, those with Four Spirit Roots get fifty, and those with Triple Spirit Roots get a hundred.

Of course, if a descendant doesn’t possess a Spiritual Root, they receive no subsidy.

This is the subsidy from the Sect itself.

If there is a significant joyous event at their Peak, they could receive an additional subsidy.

When a Qi Refining Cultivator from Green Cloud Peak excelled in the Sect’s grand competition and made it into the top one hundred and eight heroes, the Sect awarded Green Cloud Peak a large amount of cultivation resources, and all the disciples of the Peak received an extra income.

Similarly, if a disciple commits a grave mistake, the Peak they originated from also gets implicated, and their master and relatives will be held accountable.

Once, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from Purple Cloud Peak committed murder over wealth during an outside mission and fled afterwards.

The Enforcement Hall brought him to justice.

His partner and descendants had their monthly stipends halved, the disciples below Core Formation at Purple Cloud Peak had a month’s stipend deducted, and the Peak Master received a reprimand from the Sect Leader, with a penalty cutting off his stipend for a year.

If it were a case of betraying one’s master or ancestors, the punishment would be even more severe.

To put it simply, glory and downfall are shared by all.

Lin Cheng followed Shen Long into Qingmei Courtyard and politely said, “Senior Brother Shen, what do you need from me?”

Among disciples of the same master, the earlier one is initiated, the higher their seniority.

If not of the same master, the higher one’s cultivation, the higher their seniority.

Although Lin Cheng was older than Shen Long, he was only at the fourth level of Qi Refinement and thus should address Shen Long as a senior brother.

“Junior Brother Qian highly recommended you to me.

If I ask for your help in planting Spirit Rice, what would you charge?”

Shen Long inquired.

“Four Spirit Stones a month, how about that?

I can guarantee a yield of over 600 catties per mu.”

Lin Cheng stated.

“If it’s about planting Spirit Rice, which kind do you think is better to plant?

Does Senior Sister Ye plant Spirit Rice?”

Shen Long continued to ask.

“Most new disciples plant Silver Marrow Spirit Rice, which matures once every three years, and can be sold for three Spirit Stones per ten catties on the market.

Senior Sister Ye is planning to grow Golden Cloud Peach Trees, which bear fruit once every ten years.”

Lin Cheng spoke truthfully.

Calculating in his head, Shen Long figured that with the nearly four mu of spirit field in Qingmei Courtyard, if each mu yielded 600 catties of Silver Marrow Spirit Rice, which amounted to 2,400 catties, he could sell it for 720 Spirit Stones.

If he planted Golden Bead Spirit Rice, he would only make 240 Spirit Stones.

Four Spirit Stones a month made 144 over three years.

“Are there any more expensive kinds of Spirit Rice?”

Shen Long asked.

“Of course, there’s Green Crystal Spirit Rice which matures every five years, sold for one Spirit Stone per two catties, and Blood Jade Spirit Rice which matures every ten years, sold for one Spirit Stone per catty.

I haven’t planted higher-grade Spirit Rice; I mostly plant Silver Marrow Spirit Rice.”

Lin Cheng said.

“You won’t just take the Spirit Stones and do a shoddy job, right?

Or unilaterally break the agreement and half-ass the work?”

Shen Long voiced his worries.

“Senior Brother Shen, you worry too much.

If you hire me, we will sign a contract in triplicate, one for each of us and one for Senior Brother Qin.

Should any disputes arise, it will be easier to resolve.

If the yield doesn’t reach 600 catties per mu, it’ll be only two Spirit Stones a month, and we can include that in the contract.

If I were to deceive people, my reputation would have gone bad long ago.”

Lin Cheng stated slowly.

Shen Long pondered for a moment and then said, “Alright, I will think about it and contact you once I have made my decision, okay?”

These were just Lin Cheng’s words; naturally, Shen Long wouldn’t easily believe them.

He planned to ask a few more fellow disciples to understand the situation better before making any plans.

“No problem.

I live in Qingcan Court!

You can come find me anytime.

If I’m not there, just let my wife or son know, and I’ll come to you.”

Lin Cheng said.

Shen Long nodded and replied, “Then it’s settled.”

Lin Cheng agreed and left Qingmei Courtyard.

Shen Long entered Qingmei Pavilion, went to the basement, placed seven Spirit Stones in the grooves, took out the token to activate the formation, and a pale cyan light membrane appeared, covering the entire Qingmei Courtyard.

Shen Long cleaned up the Qingmei Pavilion and lay on the wooden bed, his excitement preventing him from feeling any sleepiness.

From now on, he was a disciple of the Spirit Control Sect.

He was currently at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, and once he reached the ninth level, he could attempt the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Qi Refining Cultivators in the Spirit Control Sect had several channels to acquire Foundation Establishment Pills.

The first way was to pass through the eighteenth floor of the Thousand Demon Tower, which was very difficult; since the establishment of the Sect, there hadn’t been many successful individuals.

The second way was to exchange Kind Attribute points for Foundation Establishment Pills, requiring thirty thousand points.

Most disciples of the Spirit Control Sect obtained their pills this way.

Kind Attribute points could be inherited or given away, but the transfer needed to be voluntary with an Enforcement Hall disciple as the witness to ensure fairness.