It had once been a profitable enterprise—almost absurdly so.A single trip to Tianxu Mountain could yield nearly one thousand eight hundred spirit stones in profit. The Chen Clan made that journey once every six years, averaging more than three hundred stones per year in revenue.
But such profit came with danger. The Five-Element Essence they transported was immensely valuable; without sufficient strength to defend it, escorting such cargo was nothing less than courting death.
Now, with seven or eight of their ninth-level Qi Refinement elders slain and even the patriarch severely wounded, the Chen Clan no longer had that strength.Had Elder Chen Qingmeng succeeded in forming his Foundation, the business might still have been saved.But fate had turned against them again—and with this latest failure, that source of income was gone.
Such was the fate of small cultivation families.To wandering cultivators, these clans often seemed enviable—united, resourceful, capable of pooling power to achieve great things. Every few decades, they even managed to secure a Foundation Pill.But few outsiders ever saw the struggle behind that image—the debts, the deaths, and the desperate bargains.
After explaining the situation, Third Elder Chen Qinghao composed himself, suppressing the bitterness in his tone.
"Our most urgent task," he said, "is to find a way to repay the eight thousand spirit stones we owe.If we delay, the interest will multiply—and that will become a disaster.""The clan stands on the brink. I must ask each of you to contribute what you can."
The elders glanced at one another, faces pale.In the corner, Chen Nianyong, the second eldest of the "Nian" generation, finally spoke up, his tone aggrieved.
"Last year, when the clan bought the Foundation Pill, I already lent sixty spirit stones," he said."Now I'm barely keeping my own cultivation going—I truly have nothing left."
Chen Nianyong was fifty-two years old, older even than Fifth Elder Chen Qingwan, but his cultivation lagged far behind. He had only just broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refinement the previous year.His prospects were dim; the spirit stones he had saved over decades were already spent on his own practice. To hear the Third Elder ask for more, he could not help but complain first.
Chen Qinghao had anticipated such reactions. He opened a small jade box in front of him, revealing over three hundred spirit stones glimmering faintly within.
"I know times are hard," he said quietly. "And I will not force anyone.But you all receive stipends and resources from the family. In this moment of peril, we must each give back to the clan that raised us.""I have sold my personal weapon, the Azure Spirit Sword—a top-grade first-rank artifact.These three hundred and seventeen stones are all I have left. I now give them to the clan."
The hall fell silent.
Chen Nianzhi's breath caught.He knew that sword well—it was the Third Elder's treasured weapon, his last true defense. To sell it was no small gesture; it meant stripping himself bare for the sake of the family.
He had always respected the Third Elder for his fairness and dedication, but in that moment, his admiration deepened into reverence.
Before anyone could respond, a streak of red light shot through the doors. It hovered briefly, then solidified into a crimson spirit blade, falling to the ground with a soft clang. A calm but weary voice echoed in the hall:
"I have another one thousand three hundred spirit stones here," the voice said. "And take my Scarlet Flame Spirit Saber as well. Sell it—it will help however it can."
For a moment, no one moved. Then realization dawned.
"The Patriarch…" someone whispered.
It was Chen Changxuan's voice—the patriarch himself.
The stones alone were considerable, but the saber… that was his life-bound artifact, a second-rank weapon attuned to his core.Two years ago, he had advanced to the late stage of Foundation Establishment. If not for the clan's reckless purchase of the Foundation Pill, he would have soon upgraded that saber to a top-grade second-rank weapon using the clan's stock of Five-Element Essence.
Now, selling it would cripple his strength by at least thirty percent. It was a loss few cultivators could bear.
Chen Nianzhi's heart tightened.Last year, to buy the Foundation Pill and give younger generations a chance at advancement, the patriarch had already sold two second-rank weapons and destroyed another defending the pill.And now—even his life-bound saber.
No one would make such sacrifices unless the family was truly destitute.
"It's settled," came the patriarch's voice again. "No further objections."
Then his spiritual presence faded—he had clearly returned to his healing meditation.
The hall remained silent for a long moment. Then Chen Nianzhi clenched his fists.
"I still have one hundred seventy-three spirit stones," he said firmly. "I'll contribute all of them to the clan."
Several elders turned toward him in surprise.
Chen Nianzhi had advanced rapidly since childhood. The clan had nurtured him generously, paying him as if he were a dual-root prodigy. From the age of four, he received thirty spirit stones a year, a stipend equal to that of many senior elders.
He knew the clan had treated him well—better than most would dare hope for. Many cultivators toiled for decades outside the clan and earned less than his annual pay. His swift progress owed as much to that steady supply of spirit stones as to his talent.
Now, seeing even the patriarch sell his life-bound weapon, he could not stand aside. He placed the pouch of stones before the elders.
"Let me do my part," he said simply.
Chen Qinghao's mouth opened but no words came. His expression softened into quiet pain.
He knew how precious those stones were. Every spirit stone was a day, a week, perhaps a month saved on Chen Nianzhi's path of cultivation—time that could determine whether he ever reached Foundation.He wanted to refuse, but fairness demanded otherwise.
The family was drowning. If he exempted their most promising disciple, others would turn bitter and walk away. Without unity, the Chen Clan would crumble.
He could not let that happen.
Already, many elders despaired of ever reaching Foundation in their lifetimes. The family's debts and losses meant that no new Foundation Pill would be bought for decades. Some might be tempted to leave, to wander as rogue cultivators and hunt monsters in the wilds. It was dangerous—but sometimes chance favored the desperate.
To keep them from splintering, he had to lead by example.
The patriarch had offered over two thousand stones' worth in artifacts and wealth.The Third Elder had sold everything he owned.Even Chen Nianzhi, their last hope for the future, had emptied his purse.
At that sight, something shifted in the room. The restless murmur quieted. The tension gave way to a heavy calm.
Moved by their leaders' example, others began to speak.
Fourth Elder Chen Qingyuan and Fifth Elder Chen Qingwan, both still nurturing hopes of Foundation breakthrough, each offered two hundred stones, nearly all they possessed.Others followed—some fifty, some eighty. Even Chen Nianyong, who had complained first, finally bowed his head and placed thirty stones on the table.
One by one, the pouches piled up.When the counting was done, the clan's remaining high-level cultivators—more than a dozen late-stage Qi Refinement elders—had together raised five thousand six hundred seventy-three spirit stones.
Still short of their goal, but it was something.
Third Elder Chen Qinghao nodded gravely.
"The clan treasury still holds about three hundred stones," he said. "If the Grand Elder and the Second Elder can contribute together, they should manage another six or seven hundred.That will bring us close to one thousand more."