Chapter 243: Chapter 178: Inferring from 1 to 3, Reforging the Array
"Supreme Elder, you’re out of seclusion." Zhang Hongguang stood up excitedly. He knew all too well what it meant for Hex Tai to emerge from his seclusion.
But a second later, the thought of the Lieyang Sect’s current predicament doused his excitement like cold water. ’So what if the Supreme Elder is out of seclusion? We still have to face the Golden Crow Sect’s Recruitment Order, don’t we?’
On the battlefield between two Major Sects, even Purple Mansion Great Cultivators faced the risk of falling in battle.
Yu Chengbo and the others realized this as well, and their excitement slowly curdled into bitterness. ’The Supreme Elder is powerful, but he can’t change a decision made by the Golden Crow Sect.’
Perhaps sensing their thoughts, Hex Tai gave a cold snort. He strode directly to the head seat and sat down, his expression grim. "Hmph. A single Recruitment Order is enough to scare you all witless. No wonder the Sect has declined to such a state!"
Hearing this, all the Elders present lowered their heads in shame. They couldn’t refute Hex Tai’s words. The Lieyang Sect’s losses in recent years had indeed been too great; it would take at least twenty years to recover its Primordial Qi.
Seeing their crestfallen expressions, Hex Tai fumed. He wished he could just slap them all to death.
After taking a moment to calm himself, he turned his gaze to Zhang Hongguang. "Bring me the Golden Crow Sect’s Recruitment Order."
Zhang Hongguang dared not delay. He quickly presented the beast skin paper he was holding, then stood to the side with his head bowed, awaiting further instruction.
The Golden Crow Sect had a well-established system for conscripting its vassal forces for war. The Recruitment Orders they issued detailed the required forces, as well as post-war rewards and punishments.
Although the Lieyang Sect was one of the Seven Eminent Clans and held dominion over an entire province, Yang Province was barren. As a result, the sect’s development had stagnated over the years, leaving it to bring up the rear.
The Golden Crow Sect was aware of this, so this time they only requisitioned eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators and one Purple Mansion Cultivator—a perfectly tailored quota.
Of course, if you want the horse to run, you have to feed it well.
The Golden Crow Sect was powerful and prosperous, and they were never stingy in this regard. Over thousands of years, they had established a comprehensive system of rewards and punishments.
An Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator could earn one hundred Merit Points for killing a cultivator of the same stage, two hundred for killing a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and so on.
Conversely, a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator would earn no Merit Points for killing a Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation or Early-stage Foundation Establishment level. This was to prevent powerful cultivators from preying on the weak for easy points.
The Golden Crow Sect’s Merit Points were extremely valuable. Just one thousand points could be exchanged for a furnace’s worth of materials to refine Foundation Establishment Pills. As long as the Alchemist’s skill wasn’t too poor, it was no problem to produce five or six Foundation Establishment Pills from one batch.
Of course, for the Lieyang Sect, which had already achieved self-sufficiency in this area, Foundation Establishment Pills held little appeal. What they lacked were rare resources, like Tier Three Talismans.
But as for Hex Tai, his ambitions were far greater.
Putting down the beast skin paper, his gaze swept over the crowd. "This is a rare opportunity for our Sect, Hongguang."
"I am here," Zhang Hongguang replied, somewhat baffled.
"Mobilize the sect’s core forces," Hex Tai said, his tone grave. "For this recruitment, our Sect must give its all."
Zhang Hongguang was stunned for a moment, then his face went pale with alarm. "Supreme Elder, I urge you to reconsider!" he said hastily.
Yu Chengbo and the others all dropped to their knees in unison. "We beg the Supreme Elder to reconsider!" they cried out.
A flash of disappointment crossed Hex Tai’s face as he looked at these short-sighted successors before him. He looked at Zhang Hongguang and asked, "Do you know how our Sect’s second Supreme Elder broke through to the Purple Mansion realm?"
Though baffled by the question, he still responded quickly. "He broke through with the help of a Yin Yang Purple Tree Heart."
The disappointment in Hex Tai’s eyes deepened, seeing that Zhang Hongguang still hadn’t caught on. Full of exasperation, he snapped, "Have you never once wondered where that Yin Yang Purple Tree Heart came from?"
Zhang Hongguang froze. ’I’ve really never looked into that,’ he thought. It had happened so long ago. He could only shake his head, at a loss for words.
Hex Tai suddenly felt a wave of mental exhaustion. ’If Wang Yuesong were here, I wouldn’t have to waste so much breath on this.’
"It was Merit, you fool!
The Golden Crow Sect’s war with the Celestial Vein Sect is a rare opportunity for our Sect! It only takes three thousand Merit Points to exchange for a piece of the Yin Yang Purple Tree Heart!"
Everyone in the hall finally understood. ’So that’s what the Supreme Elder is after!’
"But... three thousand Merit Points... that would require killing at least three Purple Mansion Cultivators..." Zhang Hongguang said, his voice full of hesitation.
"During my seclusion, I was refining a Secret Treasure. I originally prepared it for that boy, Song Xianming. It is incredibly powerful. If we plan this properly, it is more than enough to slay a Mid-stage Purple Mansion Cultivator.
I am currently at the Early-stage of Purple Mansion. If I can kill a Mid-stage Purple Mansion Cultivator, I’ll be able to earn two thousand Merit Points. As for the remaining one thousand... you will earn them, even if you have to pay with your lives," Hex Tai said, his voice laced with killing intent.
After all, one could even earn Merit Points by dying in battle!
A chill ran through the hearts of the crowd, but they had to admit that Hex Tai’s plan had a high chance of success. The Lieyang Sect had built up considerable resources over the years. If they were willing to go all-in, three thousand Merit Points were not an impossible goal.
Moreover, Hex Tai had prepared an ace in the hole.
The thought of obtaining an opportunity to break through to the Purple Mansion realm made the hearts of Zhang Hongguang, Yu Chengbo, and the other Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivators burn with fervent ambition...
Song Changsheng was still unaware that because of the Golden Crow Sect’s Recruitment Order, the Song Clan had temporarily escaped the crisis of annihilation. At this very moment, he was in the middle of handing over his duties to the Grand Elder.
