Chapter 1157: Chapter 638: Heterodox Golden Core Goes on Sale (16,000 Monthly Votes Bonus Chapter) Chapter 1157: Chapter 638: Heterodox Golden Core Goes on Sale (16,000 Monthly Votes Bonus Chapter) Chen Mobai saw that most of the people had already arrived, so he announced the end of his seclusion.

He had long since decided on the list of cultivators eligible to exchange for the five Immortal Peach Fruits. The reason he made such a big deal out of it was to give the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the sect some motivation.

After all, once the positions in the higher ranks of the Divine Wood Sect’s Three Halls and Twelve Divisions were fixed, it could be decades or even a century before any vacancies arose. This led many Foundation Establishment practitioners to be indifferent towards other matters of the sect, focusing only on their personal cultivation.

It was only during times when the sect mobilized for a major battle that, out of duty, they reluctantly heeded the call of the Nascent Soul ancestors and took action.

Chen Mobai was well aware that this was due to the lack of upward mobility.

Therefore, after becoming Sect Leader, he had always been contemplating how to solve this problem.

The town guard positions for the six nations and the corresponding roles in the Three Halls and Twelve Divisions were his attempt at a solution.

The effect was fairly satisfactory, but to meet the increasing needs of the sect’s Foundation Establishment practitioners, it still wasn’t enough.

However, Chen Mobai, with experience from the Immortal Gate, was very clear that for cultivators, the allure of rising in cultivation level was far stronger than that of ascending in rank.

Yet in the Divine Wood Sect, items that could truly tempt Foundation Establishment cultivators were few and far between.

Things like the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill could not be refined in large quantities every ten years the way Foundation Building Pills could.

Other elixirs that could enhance cultivation level were also taken less frequently by Foundation Establishment practitioners, following Chen Mobai’s informative guidance.

Instead, there was a growing demand for barrier-breaking elixirs.

Besides that, high-grade Spirit Rice had become another favorite among the Foundation Establishment practitioners.

The demand for Green Jade Spirit Rice of the intermediate grade or lower rank of Rank-2 could no longer satisfy the needs of the Divine Wood Sect monks.

They began to pursue Spirit Rice of intermediate grade or even higher grade, Rank-2.

Most of this Spirit Rice was controlled by the Xiao Nanshan Lineage, and Chen Mobai did not overcharge the sect’s Spirit Stones for it, basically offering it at market price.

The Spirit Treasure Pavilion would put up a batch of this Spirit Rice for sale every year, causing the sect’s Foundation Establishment practitioners to scramble for it.

But compared to the commotion caused by the Immortal Peach Fruit throughout the entire sect’s Foundation Establishment community, this Spirit Rice was barely worth mentioning.

After Chen Mobai ended his seclusion, the Spirit Treasure Pavilion quickly announced the cultivators who had qualified for the exchange for the five Immortal Peach Fruits.

E Yun, Zhou Wangshen, Quan Shanlin, Luo Xue’er, Xie Yuntian!

Although the majority of the Foundation Establishment practitioners were disappointed with the list of these five names, none of them had any objections.

After all, two were Vice Hall Masters, one was a Sword Training Division Head who was tacitly acknowledged as the leader among the Twelve Divisions, plus two of the strongest with the deepest backing as town guards.

Actually, many had already guessed these five names beforehand.

But upon seeing the names officially listed, some of the more extreme-thinking Foundation Establishment practitioners in the sect were even more resentful.

As expected, whenever there was any valuable object, the sect would still only favor those at the upper ranks of Foundation Establishment.

As for them, mere ordinary Foundation Establishment practitioners, there was no chance for them to stand out in the sect.

However, even with grievances in their hearts, no one dared to question the list determined by Chen Mobai, whose authority was paramount within the sect.

Many Foundation Establishment practitioners who had rushed back from outside the sect felt extremely let down at this time.

Just as they were disheartened and preparing to leave, they discovered that two new items had been added to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion’s exchange catalog!

On closer inspection, their bodies shook with excitement!

Some less resilient Foundation Establishment practitioners nearly fainted on the spot.

The two items were: a Rank-3 Immortal Peach Fruit (one matures every year on Xiao Nanshan, which can be reserved in advance, with preference given to those with high contributions to the sect) and a Heterodox Golden Core (available for exchange by those who have made significant contributions to the sect).

After seeing these two newly listed items, all those in the Divine Wood Sect who had not managed to exchange for an Immortal Peach Fruit forgot their initial disappointment and indignation.

They all rushed to the rotational duty elder, Liang Lingzhen, inquiring eagerly about the specific meanings behind the notes for these two items.

Even the five who had just exchanged for the Immortal Peach Fruits stopped in their tracks, exchanged glances, and stared intently at the Heterodox Golden Core.

Unfortunately, they were all well-informed, aware that this Heterodox Golden Core was water-attributed. Among those present, only Luo Xue was suitable.

“Congratulations, Junior Sister Luo,” said Quan Shanlin first, addressing Luo Xue, who was excited but still maintaining her composure.

“Oh, it’s nothing really. My cultivation level is only at the late phase of Foundation Establishment, and the Heterodox Golden Core requires great contributions for exchange. I never took to the battlefield in the major battles, so I’m afraid it won’t be possible…,” Luo Xue demurred, though she was already extremely excited inside.

Everyone had assumed that Chen Mobai would keep cherishing this Heterodox Golden Core as a treasure for his own disciple.

Although Luo Xue, following Meng Hong, had also hoped for it, when she actually saw the possibility, she dared not believe it was true.

“After we consume the Immortal Peach Fruits, we will almost reach Foundation Establishment Completion as well. By then, you will be the only one fitting the attributes of this Heterodox Golden Core. If not you, then who else would it be for?”

Xie Yuntian spoke with emotion. Among the five who had exchanged for the Immortal Peach Fruits this time, other than E Yun and Zhou Wangshen from the younger generation, the three of them were regarded as among the best in the Divine Wood Sect, second only to Meng Hong and Chu Zuoshu.

He was only a hair’s breadth away from the perfection of Foundation Establishment.

This time, Chen Mobai had given them recognition for the hundreds of years of service the three had dedicated to the sect.

Of course, there was also a desire to maintain a balanced distribution of power within the sect, at all levels: top, middle, and bottom.

After all, once Meng Hong refined the Heterodox Golden Core, Divine Wood Sect only had Chu Zuoshu at the completion of Foundation Establishment, which was somewhat insufficient for the leading sect of the Eastern Wilderness.

Three more would be just right.

“If the Sect Leader intended to give it to me, he would definitely have notified me in advance, instead of listing it in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion and specifically noting that it’s for those who’ve made significant contributions to the sect,”
But Luo Xue’er had come to understand Chen Mobai very well over the years, after all, she had been his subordinate when he was establishing his foundation.

After Chen Mobai formed his core, besides being the Sect Leader, he was also the Head of the Reward Virtue Hall, her direct superior.

Having worked together for over thirty years, Luo Xue’er knew that Chen Mobai was ambitious and profound and would not act without good reason.

For instance, with the distribution of the Immortal Peach Fruit, he could have directly notified the five of them, but instead, he let the entire sect’s Foundation Establishment cultivators know before announcing the list.

She had only now come to fully understand the deeper implication.

The Sect Leader wanted to use the annual Rank-3 Immortal Peach Fruit to stimulate the enthusiasm of all Foundation Establishment practitioners in the sect.

Then, what was the Sect Leader’s intention with the other new addition to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, the Heterodox Golden Core?

Although Luo Xue’er couldn’t figure it out, she knew this was the greatest chance for her own Core Formation!

If she failed to seize it, she would never be able to form her core in this lifetime!

She immediately bid farewell to Qu Shanlin and Xie Yuntian and returned to Chen Mobai’s Longevity Wood Dojo.

After knocking on the door, as usual, it was Gu Yan who came to meet her.

However, just as she was anxious about possibly being rejected again, Gu Yan led her inside directly.

“Greetings, Sect Leader!”

Following Gu Yan into the wooden hut, Luo Xue’er saw Chen Mobai playing with a feather that had a gold tip, a black shaft, and black down. She immediately paid her respects.

“Ruo Xue’er has already acquired the Immortal Peach Fruit, shouldn’t you first go and consume it to refine its effects? Why have you come here?”

The item Chen Mobai was toying with was the main ingredient of a Gold Crow Sun-Swallowing Pill, a Black Crow Golden Feather; at his feet lay a palm-sized piece of Fire Dragon Tree Ganoderma.

These main ingredients had long been sent over by Qu XiuXian of the Starry Sky Commerce Guild, but Chen Mobai had been occupied with raising the rank of the Soul Nourishing Wood and the Immortal Peach Tree, so he put them aside for the time being.

He had been in seclusion previously to test the properties of these two Spiritual Medicines to ensure they were sufficient for refining the Gold Crow Sun-Swallowing Pill.

Indeed, the items from the Tianhe Realm were exceptional.

Both of these Spiritual Objects had highly potent medicinal properties.

“Reporting to the Sect Leader, after I exchanged for the Immortal Peach Fruit, I saw the newly listed Heterodox Golden Core in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. I deeply desire it, but I’m not sure how to meet the criteria of making a significant contribution to the sect?”

Luo Xue’er didn’t dare waste Chen Mobai’s time and immediately stated her purpose for visiting.

“I see, indeed, within our sect, you are the most suitable candidate for that Heterodox Golden Core!”

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai showed a look of sudden realization.

He really hadn’t expected Luo Xue’er to come for that, having only intended to list that item in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion to provide the sect’s Foundation Establishment practitioners with an added incentive to strive harder.

“Niece Luo, let’s discuss this matter after you reach the completion of Foundation Establishment.”

After Chen Mobai said this, Luo Xue’er didn’t dare to ask further and promptly paid her respects before leaving, following Gu Yan out of the hut.

In fact, Chen Mobai’s idea was that if anyone within the sect reached the completion of Foundation Establishment and was ready for Core Formation with a hundred thousand merit points, like Zhou Shengqing before, he would let Yan Shaoyin go refine a Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill for them.

With the Heterodox Golden Core, attempting Core Formation would result in either life or death; Chen Mobai believed Luo Xue’er would surely not risk her life to form her core if she had the option of the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill.

However, as the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill was the Divine Wood Sect’s highest secret concerning Core Formation, Chen Mobai wasn’t going to reveal it to Luo Xue’er just yet.

But on second thought, Qu Shanlin and Xie Yuntian have both taken part in several major battles over the years, risking their lives for the Divine Wood Sect and making substantial contributions.

In comparison, although Luo Xue’er, who provided logistical support within the sect was also considered to have made substantial contributions in his eyes, when it came to merit, she indeed fell short of the other two.

If he gave her the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill, it might be difficult to justify to the rest of the sect.

Chen Mobai held a favorable impression of his deputy; she had played no small part in managing the Divine Wood Sect’s resources during difficult times following the war, and after all, she was also his direct disciple.

It appeared he needed to arrange a significant contribution for her!

After considering for a moment, Chen Mobai thought of the eligible parties for next year’s Immortal Peach Fruit exchange and already had a plan in mind.

…

In the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, after a period of registration, next year’s mature Immortal Peach Fruit was reserved for an unexpectedly chosen Foundation Establishment practitioner.

Town Guard of Rainbow Country, Yan Yuanhao.