Chapter 395: Chapter 184: Raising Gu
「Meanwhile, inside the Wutai Sect’s assembly hall.」
Sect Leader He Yuzhou sat high upon the main seat, his expression calm, but a trace of solemnity lay deep within his eyes.
In the seat of honor for a guest, below him, sat a man who appeared to be in his thirties.
The man had a fair complexion, and his eyes held a hint of indifference and detachment. He wore a unique white brocade robe, its cuffs and lapels embroidered with silver thread in the pattern of a Treasure Tower supported by clouds—the standard attire for core members of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.
Within the Three Paths and Fifty-One Mansions, this attire alone represented supreme authority and backing.
A smile on his face, He Yuzhou spoke, "Special Envoy Zhao, you have come a long way to grace our humble sect. I have failed to welcome you from afar and can only hope for your magnanimity."
Zhao Kang merely gave a casual wave of his hand. His posture was relaxed, as if long accustomed to such scenes. "Sect Leader He, you are too kind," he said indifferently. "I am merely acting on orders for this trip. There is no need for excessive pleasantries."
"May I ask what instructions Special Envoy Zhao has for us this time?"
He Yuzhou probed impassively, though a thousand thoughts were already racing through his mind.
"’Instructions’ is too strong a word."
Zhao Kang waved his hand again, his tone flat. "Sect Leader He, as the respected head of a sect, you have surely heard of the Xu Wang Mountain training initiative, have you not?"
He Yuzhou’s heart skipped a beat. ’So it really is about that!’
Yet, he showed nothing on his face, merely nodding. "The Celestial Treasure Upper Sect is truly farsighted, wishing to gather the strength of the Hundred Sects to resist the Demon Sects and cultivate talented individuals. I have indeed heard some whispers of this grand event."
His tone was cautious, indicating he was aware of the matter without seeming overly eager, leaving the initiative with the other party.
Zhao Kang seemed relatively pleased with his reaction and slowly sat up a little straighter. "Since Sect Leader He is aware, this makes things easier. The Upper Sect has already made its decision. It will select the most promising young disciples from the Three Paths, Fifty-One Mansions, and over one hundred affiliated sects. They will be gathered at Xu Wang Mountain and trained according to the standards of the Upper Sect’s own disciples. The goal is to counter the increasingly rampant Infinite Demon Sect and also to strengthen the future core of each sect."
He Yuzhou listened quietly, saying nothing, waiting for the other party to state the terms.
He knew the Upper Sect would never engage in a losing proposition. To draft elites from the various sects on such a large scale, there would surely be a price, and some form of compensation.
Zhao Kang glanced at He Yuzhou and continued, "Of course, the Upper Sect understands that it is not easy for the sects to cultivate talented individuals and will not simply take them for nothing. Therefore, it has issued a special incentive policy: for every disciple sent by a sect who ultimately passes the assessment and is officially accepted to remain and train at Xu Wang Mountain, that disciple’s home sect will be granted a five-year exemption from its tribute quota to the Upper Sect! If two disciples are accepted, the exemption will be for ten years! And so on."
"Is this true!?"
Even with He Yuzhou’s steady disposition, his heart trembled violently upon hearing this condition, and he couldn’t help but ask for confirmation.
A five-year exemption from tribute!
What did this mean?
Every year, the Wutai Sect had to hand over more than sixty percent of its production from the Earth Core Milk Cave to the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect.
If they could be exempt for five years, this enormous amount of resources would remain within the sect, enough to elevate the entire Wutai Sect’s strength by a huge margin in a short period of time!
They could train more experts, acquire more Divine Weapons and Treasure Medicines... Even surpassing Cold Jade Valley, which had always held them down, would no longer be an unattainable dream!
The temptation was simply too great!
"How could an edict from the Upper Sect be false?"
Zhao Kang smiled faintly, unsurprised by He Yuzhou’s reaction. But then, his tone shifted. "However, Sect Leader He, you must understand that this benefit is only granted for disciples who are ultimately ’accepted.’ Among the Three Paths, the Fifty-One Mansions, and the Hundred Sects, geniuses will gather. The competition will be far more intense than you can imagine. While Xu Wang Mountain’s resources are plentiful, not everyone can enjoy them. If none of your sect’s disciples pass the assessment and are not accepted to stay, then... everything will remain as it is. Nothing will change."
He paused, his voice tinged with a deeper meaning. "Of course, once a disciple is accepted, the benefits are not limited to the tribute exemption. The disciple themself will receive the full support and training of the Upper Sect, and their future achievements will be limitless. In the future, regardless of whether they return to your sect, they will surely give back to it. Sect Leader He may weigh the pros and cons for yourself."
With that, Zhao Kang stood up and straightened his robes. "The message has been delivered. I must also make a trip to Cold Jade Valley, so I will not linger."
He Yuzhou immediately composed his Heart and Spirit, suppressed the turmoil within, and also rose to his feet to urge him to stay. "Special Envoy Zhao, you have worked hard. It is already late. Why not rest at our humble sect for a night and allow me to fulfill my duties as a host?"
Zhao Kang coolly declined, "I appreciate Sect Leader He’s kind intentions, but the sect’s affairs are many, and I cannot afford to be delayed."
His words clearly showed he had little interest in forming a deep connection with one of the so-called four great sects of Yunlin Prefecture.
After speaking, he gave a slight nod and, escorted by a Wutai Sect Elder, strode quickly outside.
He Yuzhou remained where he stood, watching Zhao Kang leave. The smile on his face gradually faded as he sank deep into thought.
Sang Yanping asked in a low voice, "Sect Leader, about what Special Envoy Zhao said..."
He Yuzhou nodded slowly. "The Upper Sect’s move is intended to concentrate the talents of the Hundred Sects. Nominally, it is to resist the Demon Sects and cultivate new blood, but in reality... I’m afraid it’s not that simple."
Sang Yanping mused, "But the temptation of a five-year tribute exemption is immense. And if our sect’s disciples can truly be accepted, the benefits will be substantial."
"Precisely."
He Yuzhou paced to the window and looked out at the distant lake. "For now, this is just an announcement. The Upper Sect has not yet specified when it will start or how the selection process will work. We should not act prematurely, but we must start planning ahead."
Sang Yanping nodded in agreement. "What the Sect Leader says is absolutely right. Why don’t we first wait and see how Cold Jade Valley, the Xuanjia Sect, and the others respond? At the same time, we can quietly observe which of our disciples have the potential to try their hand at the Xu Wang Mountain gathering."
