Time passes unnoticed in cultivation; months in the mountains slip by like a fleeting moment.
In three months, Song Changsheng had devoted himself to diligent cultivation while also taking on odd jobs in artifact crafting and formation setting to earn spirit stones. His life was fulfilling and even enjoyable.
But the peace was soon disrupted...
Inside the Clan Affairs Hall, Song Changsheng gathered with over a dozen of his peers. Every one of them wore a confused expression, clueless as to why they had been summoned.
"Hey, cousin, do you know what this is about? Is it good news or bad?" a skinny young man nudged Song Changsheng with his elbow.
Upon hearing this, the others immediately turned to look at Song Changsheng. After all, everyone knew that not only was he the clan leader's grandson, but also the only son of the Fifth Elder, Xia Yunxue.
He was also recognized as one of the clan's Foundation Establishment candidates surely, he'd have some insider information?
Song Changsheng, however, shook his head with a wry smile. "I don't know what this is about."
There was no need for him to lie about something like this, especially since they'd find out soon enough anyway.
But that only made everyone more curious. Discussions began to buzz around the room at first reasonable, but soon spiraling into wild speculation.
Before things got too far-fetched, someone suddenly called out, "The Grand Elder has arrived!"
The previously noisy hall fell silent as everyone turned to look outside.
A tall, lean man entered at a leisurely pace. He wore a black robe trimmed with gold and embroidered with a silver moon cloud pattern, a white jade crown atop his head. His sharp eyes gleamed beneath graying temples, giving off an air of authority.
Song Changsheng and the others immediately cupped their hands and bowed. "Greetings, Grand Elder."
This man was none other than Song Xianyun, the clan's Grand Elder. As one of the only two surviving Foundation Establishment cultivators of the "Xian" generation, and one already at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, Song Xianyun commanded immense respect within the clan.
Since the Clan Leader Song Xianming spent most of his time in closed-door cultivation, Song Xianyun handled nearly all clan affairs. His appearance here meant the matter at hand was no trivial one. A tense mood filled the hall.
"At ease," said Song Xianyun. His voice was aged, yet carried undeniable authority.
He swept his gaze across the room, pausing momentarily on Song Changsheng before continuing, "Children, you're all still underage. According to clan rules, you should be staying on the mountain, focusing on your cultivation. But right now, the clan is short on manpower, and we have many vacant posts in our external businesses.
After deliberation, the Elder Council has decided to allow you to go down the mountain early to serve the clan. This goes against the traditional rules, so the decision will be yours to make. If you don't wish to go, you may tell me in private there will be no punishment.
For those willing to go, the clan will not let you suffer. In addition to your usual cultivation resources, you'll also receive ten jin of spirit rice and two Spirit-Gathering Pills every month."
Everyone present was stunned it turned out they were being sent down the mountain early. That was no small matter. To go down early meant giving up the rare opportunity to cultivate atop a third-grade spiritual vein. For many, this felt like a major loss, and dissatisfaction quickly appeared on their faces.
However, some thought the compensation offered was quite generous. Most of those who felt this way were clansmen with poor aptitude.
These individuals knew they had little hope of ever reaching the Foundation Establishment. Instead of wasting time in vain cultivation, they figured it was better to serve the clan early, earn some contribution points and spirit stones, and save up for the future to marry, have children, and leave something behind for the next generation.
Song Xianyun took in everyone's reactions without the slightest change in his expression. With a solemn tone, he continued, "To ensure fairness, assignments will be drawn by lot. Whatever you draw is what you get. Now who will draw the first lot?"
At once, over a dozen pairs of eyes turned to Song Changsheng. Among those present, he had the strongest background and was considered one of the clan's top talents.
Everyone wanted him to go first.
Song Changsheng calmly said, "The clan has raised me for sixteen years. Now that the clan is in need, I shall do my duty without hesitation."
With that, he stepped forward and drew a jade slip from the bamboo tube. On it were three characters: Ascension Ceremony.
He blinked in surprise Ascension Ceremony? It seemed he was lucky. This was a short-term assignment, so it wouldn't interfere too much with his cultivation.
With someone leading the way, the rest willingly or reluctantly also stepped forward to draw lots. Though Song Xianyun had said they could opt out, not a single person chose to do so.
Complaining was one thing, but the clan had nurtured them for over a decade now it was time to give back. After all, this was their home too…
Returning to his courtyard, Song Changsheng began reading the details of his assignment:
"One month from now, accompany an official from the Spirit Testing Hall down the mountain to a mortal city to conduct spirit root testing. Task rewards are tied to the quantity and quality of the spirit roots discovered."
"The Ascension Ceremony is in a month. Looks like I still have time to prepare," he said with satisfaction. After sixteen years in this world, he had never been beyond the mountain this was the perfect chance to broaden his horizons.
Moreover, his mother, Xia Yunxue, was in charge of overseeing the mortal city. He'd be able to visit her too. The last time they saw each other was last year, and the wine at home was almost gone time to restock.
For an outsider like her to receive support from the clan to pursue a Foundation Establishment, Xia Yunxue naturally had to possess extraordinary skills. She was a mid-grade Tier 2 winemaker.
Winemaking was a relatively niche profession among the myriad arts of cultivation, but the wines they brewed often held wondrous properties, bringing in significant profits for the clan.
Having such a mother, Song Changsheng had practically grown up soaked in wine. It gave him a solid foundation in many things but also left him with a fondness for drink.
Still, that was no big deal. Cultivators often had strange quirks and habits his wasn't even worth mentioning.
"The treasure gourd I forged a few years ago is a bit too limited in combat. I should inscribe formations into it and reforge it into a Water-Fire Gourd. With that and my Water and Fire Control Art, my battle strength could rise a whole tier." Song Changsheng thought to himself.
The gourd hanging at his waist was, in fact, his lifebound magical artifact, a mid-grade Tier 1 item.
He had only recently advanced to a high-grade Tier 1 artifact refiner, so he hadn't yet upgraded it. But now that he was heading down the mountain, it was the perfect time to reforge it.
"A month should be enough to upgrade the gourd. For my first time down the mountain, I need to be well prepared."
Wasting no time, Song Changsheng headed to the Contribution Hall. He spent 300 contribution points to exchange for several water and fire attribute ores, then spent another 200 points on pills and talismans burning through most of the contribution points he had saved over the years.
The world below is nothing like the mountain. Anything can happen better to be prepared.
"Only 300 contribution points left... I'll have to start being frugal from now on," he sighed as he looked at the number on his identity token.
Clan contribution points were incredibly valuable. One point could be exchanged for one low-grade spirit stone but not the other way around.
Contribution points could be traded for anything in the clan's treasure vault, including all kinds of spells and techniques from the Scripture Pavilion.
As such, contribution points held greater value than spirit stones within the clan.
As a Foundation Establishment seed, Song Changsheng received an annual stipend of 50 spirit stones and 300 contribution points.
It sounded like a lot, but cultivation was expensive being a "genius" came at a cost.
After eight years of cultivation, he now had just over 200 low-grade spirit stones and 300 contribution points left.
And that was only because he regularly took on side jobs otherwise, he'd be flat broke by now.