"Elder brother Yi, do you know when we'll arrive?" Xianghe asked while looking down the ship, observing the moving clouds, especially the green clouds in the centre of the clouds.
Deacons of the sect would set out in their first mission to construct green clouds across the vast territory of the Azure Cloud Sect, planting various plant seeds and letting them grow "wildly".
They would occasionally harvest them then. Others could also rent these cloud islands to plant there themselves.
Because the Jia family had its own valley and cloud island, they didn't need to do so.
"He'er, do you like the green clouds that much?" Jia Yi asked when he saw her observing the clouds for a long time.
"They are verdant and beautiful!" she nodded "If we didn't have one already, I'd make it my goal to build a green cloud island and rise into the sky!"
"Why don't you do it? I think you can. Little Hu, you can also make your own green cloud island! Isn't this great?"
Xianghu nodded seriously, taking this suggestion to his heart.
Looking at the green clouds, Jia Yi was also tempted. Unfortunately, there was a restriction on green clouds in the sect.
In the main valley, you were assigned various places, and only once you become a deacon, can you make your own cloud island. Even core disciples of the same rank can't do this.
"The competition for the foundation building pill this time will be exciting." A family member who was travelling with them talked with another, their voices low, barely perceptible for those around.
Only Jia Yi, who had stronger senses and higher mental power, could hear them perfectly.
"Oh? Why do you think so?" the other family member asked.
"Do you see those three to the side? They are Xiangyi, Xianghe and Xianghu. The former is a collateral branch member with extremely high spiritual roots, said to almost be divine roots, and his speed is even comparable to one!
The latter two are on the higher range of blessed roots, said to be around 80%! They are from a new side branch, formed by the their aunt Jia Miaoxue. It's said she's already a mid-stage foundation establishment cultivator after just twenty years of cultivating!"
"Isn't this normal? Her roots are also exceptional. Anyways, back to the younger generation. I heard that in addition to these three, there are five more extremely talented children of this generation. They are all from the main and direct lineage!
Two of them have divine roots and the other three have high-grade blessed roots.
Based on the latest news I have, Xiangyi should be the third to become a late-stage qi refining cultivator.
Every three years, the foundation building elixir is highly-sought after. Even though the sect is generous and wealthy, giving out elixirs every three years, there will never be enough after all.
Our family will receive five elixirs in two years, which isn't enough for all of them. Who do you think will get it?"
"My guess is that the two with divine roots will definitely get it. As for the others… if nothing goes wrong, Xiangyi should get one of them.
The other two from the side branch will likely have to wait.
Anyways, their cultivation hasn't even reached the required stage, so it might not be necessary."
"Although that's the case, the next rotation will be in five years, which is quite a distance away. Regardless, their elixir is able to wait, at most they'll just refine their spiritual power longer.
But Xiangyi… if he doesn't get this one, he'll probably waste at least two years."
"These aren't things we can decide. The elders in the clan vote in the clan meeting for these matters, so it's very difficult to intervene for us.
Though it would be better if Xiangyi got it this year, that way, he will become a foundation establishment cultivator before the age of twenty, with twenty years of the golden time remaining.
That way, he should be able to reach the same heights as Aunt Miaoxue."
"Who knows? These matters aren't for us to discuss. Anyways, in addition to these, there are quite a few from the previous generation who hope to advance too.
The final results might not be something we can guess."
The two nodded and switched the topic.
Jia Yi on the other hand, continued to think about it.
He had heard a bit about this, but this was the first time he knew how many elixirs his family would get, how long the rotation was, and who he'd compete with.
To be honest, this rotation was extremely important to him, but he main lineage had their own way of getting these elixirs, while the direct lineage only participated in this because it was easier to get the elixir this way.
Considering this, he thought the previous generations were likely the real opponents.
After all, the foundation of the Jia family over their eight hundred years inheritance has become strong, with hundreds of thousands of family members residing in the mountains. If they weren't restricted to ensure the population wouldn't grow too big, then they might've already become millions of descendants.
Even so, with hundreds of thousands and a one in ten thousand chance of a cultivator appearing among mortals, there are basically thirty to seventy new cultivators every year.
Most had lower-grade roots. Mysterious roots weren't even considered most of the time, basically staying in the mortal mountains as wealthier families, protecting the mountains from beasts and such.
One in ten such cultivators would have a prosperous root, allowing them to enter the sect. One in ten of these will have a blessed root. And one in ten of these will have a divine root.
So the chance for a divine root is actually one in ten million.
The appearance of such a person is extremely rare in the family, and usually, they are mostly born from a cultivation couple, which enhances the chance of cultivators with roots appearing.
Xianghe and Xianghu's parents are all prosperous roots. They had entered the sect for a while, learned spells, found a wife, and then returned to the family once they had children.
After all their children grew up enough to enter they sect, they would probably return to the sect.
The relation between the family and the sect was so deep, that it was basically treated as a branch, allowing family cultivators to move freely as long as they didn't have an active mission.