Chapter 415: Purple Lightning Sword Resonance

“Next, Disciple Chen will explain this proposal to everyone.”

Inside the Divine Wood Hall, during the usual sect assembly, Chu Zuoshu made this sudden announcement after concluding the previous matters. Everyone from the Three Halls and Twelve Departments turned their gaze towards Chen Mobai, who was beside him.

“Hello, senior disciples. As you know, I’ve cultivated a significant amount of spirit rice, and the quantity is somewhat large. It's become inconvenient for the Spirit Plant Department to allocate manpower for the annual harvest. Furthermore, if the Spirit Plant Department were to purchase all this spirit rice according to sect requirements, it would incur a substantial cost in spirit stones. Therefore, I propose that we separate the spirit rice cultivation from the Spirit Plant Department and establish a dedicated Spirit Rice Department to handle this matter. Of course, like the Spirit Plant Department, the Spirit Rice Department would still be overseen by the Hall of Virtue.” Immediately after Chen Mobai presented his simple proposal, Shi Fengping of the Spirit Plant Department began to object.

“This is absolutely unacceptable, Sect Master! The Three Halls and Twelve Departments are an ancestral teaching. How can we add another department for such a minor issue? If, in the future, we have too many spirit chickens, will we then need to establish a Spirit Chicken Department?” While the annual cultivation and harvest of spirit rice don't generate much profit, and even require subsidies, they are still part of the Spirit Plant Department's authority. Moreover, spirit rice is an essential spiritual item for body cultivators. Each year, the Spirit Plant Department exchanges spirit rice for a considerable number of spirit stones from the Body Forging Department. The higher-ups in the Spirit Plant Department also receive a cut from these transactions, so they would naturally not let go of this.

“Sect Master, Senior Disciple Shi speaks wisely. Adding another department requires careful consideration.” On this matter, the views of most people aligned with Shi Fengping's, and they all voiced their opposition.

“However, Disciple Chen's thousand acres of spirit rice have indeed become a burden for the Spirit Plant Department. I heard that the fire spirit rice is already forming ears and is ready for harvest, but the Spirit Plant Department has only dispatched a small team to handle it, which could cause delays.” At this point, Zeng Woyou from the Alchemy Department brought up a point.

“It's simply that our Spirit Plant Department disciples are spread across Gigantic Tree Ridge and various parts of the Eastern Wilds, making it impossible to spare personnel while tending to thousands of acres of medicinal fields. However, I am already mobilizing Spirit Plant Department disciples within the sect to ensure the harvest is completed before the spirit rice grains fall.” This matter also put the Spirit Plant Department at fault, so Shi Fengping, after defending himself, expressed his apologies.

“If the spirit rice grains fall and become contaminated with earthly qi, their spiritual efficacy will be greatly reduced, becoming like ordinary rice. If the Spirit Plant Department cannot manage this, I believe the sect needs to devise a foolproof solution.” Lu Yi from the Transmission of Teachings Department also spoke, his words leaning towards Chen Mobai. If the Spirit Plant Department can't do it, then they shouldn't cling to their authority.

“I am also doing my best. If any of you have good methods, please feel free to suggest them.” Shi Fengping's handling of the situation was unproblematic. Everyone knew that although the Spirit Plant Department had the most disciples, it also had many medicinal and spiritual fields under its care, making it difficult to directly blame him at that moment.

“Since establishing a new department is not an option, how about the sect provides me with a channel to sell spirit rice? I will find a way to sell the produce from my thousand acres of spiritual fields myself.” Chen Mobai had actually known from the start that his initial proposal would not be approved. What he was now arguing for was his primary objective.

“A channel for selling spirit rice? Disciple Chen can simply open his own shop. Why would he need sect permission?” Shi Fengping was somewhat confused by this. However, if Chen Mobai did not require the Spirit Plant Department to purchase the produce from his thousand acres of spiritual fields, it would definitely be beneficial for their department.

“What I mean is, allow sect disciples to exchange spirit rice with me using contribution points.” Chen Mobai smiled and revealed his true intention: he wanted a payment license for sect contributions. Although the economic system in the Eastern Wilds was relatively simple, they understood the basic concept: sect contribution points were linked to spirit stones, with one contribution point equivalent to one low-grade spirit stone. To ensure the stability of contribution points, only the Three Halls and Twelve Departments within the Divine Wood Sect were authorized to disburse them to disciples according to their regulations. As for trading contribution points, only a handful of crucial sect locations, such as the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, the Spirit Stone Exchange, and the Library Pavilion, were permitted to do so. If Chen Mobai obtained permission to trade in sect contribution points, he was confident he could establish a small Spirit Treasure Pavilion. In the Immortal Sect, payment licenses were extremely difficult to acquire; apart from official bodies, only the Four Great Daoist Academies and a handful of large companies possessed them.

Although Shi Fengping instinctively felt that granting Chen Mobai a trading license for sect contributions was not quite right, with his limited knowledge, he couldn't pinpoint the exact issue at the moment. Moreover, being able to shed the burden of the thousand acres of spirit rice from the Small Southern Mountain lineage was, both practically and emotionally, beneficial for their Spirit Plant Department. Therefore, after a moment's thought, he decided not to completely offend Chen Mobai and remained silent.

Ultimately, the proposal passed with eight votes in favor and four abstentions. After the voting results from the twelve departments were announced, the Three Great Halls were not required to express an opinion. Chen Mobai's standing with the Three Great Halls was naturally secure, and Chu Zuoshu ultimately approved granting Chen Mobai permission to trade spirit rice using sect contributions.

After leaving the Divine Wood Hall, Shi Fengping returned to the Spirit Plant Department and discussed the matter with Jin Shanping. However, after half a day of deliberation, neither of them could fully grasp the implications of this decision. “Forget it. We're not losing anything anyway. We can legitimately recall the Spirit Plant Department disciples from there. From now on, let him deal with those thousand acres of spiritual fields himself.” Finally, Shi Fengping clapped his hands, signaling the Spirit Plant Department disciples dispatched to Small Southern Mountain for the spirit rice harvest that their mission was complete.

On the vast spiritual fields of Ting Mountain, Zhuo Ming, operating a carriage-like harvesting machine custom-ordered by Chen Mobai from the Puppet Department, completed the harvest of hundreds of acres of spirit rice in just one day. “Master, this harvesting puppet is truly useful!” Luo Yixuan, observing Zhuo Ming's speed from the side, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

“Once all this spirit rice is husked, we'll post an announcement at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion stating that 1 sect contribution point can be exchanged for 11 catties.” In Divine Wood City's market, the price of spirit rice was 1 low-grade spirit stone for 10 catties. Chen Mobai was effectively offering a 'buy ten, get one free' deal, with the added benefit of using sect contribution points for exchange.

Generally, Divine Wood Sect disciples undertaking tasks from their respective departments or the Spirit Treasure Pavilion could choose to receive either sect contribution points or spirit stones upon completion. Many Divine Wood Sect disciples chose contribution points, as numerous cultivation-enhancing pills in the Spirit Treasure Pavilion could only be redeemed with them. To prevent the over-issuance of contribution points, the Divine Wood Sect only allowed disciples to exchange contribution points for spirit stones at the Spirit Stone Exchange, but not to exchange spirit stones for an equivalent amount of contribution points. However, this was the official rule. Privately, after agreeing on a price, one could transfer their contribution points to others under the witness of the Spirit Stone Exchange. This led to contribution points within the sect being slightly more valuable than spirit stones in practice. However, under the sect's regulation, this price range remained very stable. It was only when the Foundation Establishment Pills became available for redemption every ten years that there would be an extraordinary surge in price. This was because many true disciples couldn't accumulate 10,000 sect contribution points on their own and would need to borrow or purchase them, causing prices to soar.

Spirit rice, being an item not suitable for long-term storage, had prompted Chen Mobai to consider how to sell his cultivated fire spirit rice in the first half of the year. The 'buy ten, get one free' strategy was a common tactic in the Immortal Sect. He would try this first, and if it still didn't sell, he would then try 'buy ten, get two or three free,' or add some gifts. The goal was to first capture the market. The spiritual fields here were free, and labor was almost free. Only the seeding and fertilization required some investment, but for Chen Mobai, it was a guaranteed profit.

As Zhuo Ming and Luo Yixuan began the vigorous harvest of spirit rice, Chen Mobai made another trip to the Puppet Department. Using Azure Yang Spirit Wood as payment, he hired Li Yixian and a group of Qi Refining disciples to construct more spirit rice husking machines. Once the machines were built, everyone was greatly impressed by his ingenuity. With these devices, even mortals could easily husk several tons of grain in a single day.

Meanwhile, Chen Mobai, who had just posted the announcement at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, received his first visitor: Kou Canzhi, the head of the Body Forging Department. “Disciple Chen, please forgive my sudden visit.” Kou Canzhi seemed to have come with good intentions, bringing two catties of prime black pork. This was high-quality meat raised in Gigantic Tree Ridge, requiring three years of free-range rearing before slaughter. Its flesh was firm, rich in spiritual energy, and a favorite among the Divine Wood Sect's body cultivators.

“Senior Disciple Kou, have some tea.” Chen Mobai was somewhat unsure of Kou Canzhi's intentions. After personally brewing him a cup of tea, he waited for him to speak further.

“Disciple Chen, how about you sell all your thousand acres of spirit rice to our Body Forging Department?” “Senior Disciple Kou, if you wish to buy it all, that would be a great help to me, but won't it be too much?” Chen Mobai was naturally delighted by this unsolicited business. However, after harvesting his thousand acres of spiritual fields, he would have a total of 150,000 catties of spirit rice, which a single Body Forging Department might not be able to fully consume.

“Disciple Chen, it seems you don't fully understand my Body Forging Department. Our department has a total of five hundred disciples. Among them, one hundred core disciples need to consume at least three catties of spirit rice daily, which is roughly one *dan* (100 catties) per month. They alone could consume almost all your 1,500 *dan* of spirit rice.” In the Eastern Wilds, 100 catties make one *dan*. One hundred core disciples of the Body Forging Department could consume 1,200 *dan* annually, equivalent to 120,000 catties of spirit rice. There are also four hundred ordinary disciples. These are disciples with poorer spiritual root aptitude in the sect who lack resources to learn skills like alchemy or talismanship. To find refuge within the Divine Wood Sect, they joined the Body Forging Department, which accepts all who are willing. These disciples were also taught the most basic body forging methods. Although their monthly spirit stones weren't enough for their own cultivation, they would occasionally purchase spirit rice, spirit meat, and pills that greatly replenish vital energy. Considering these four hundred disciples as well, the Body Forging Department could indeed consume all 1,500 *dan* of Chen Mobai's fire spirit rice.

“Senior Disciple Kou, will you be paying in spirit stones or contribution points?” Chen Mobai was naturally delighted to sell all his spirit rice in one go, so he asked the most crucial question.

“Disciple Chen, I will pay you with sect contribution points.” Kou Canzhi was a straightforward person. After reaching an agreement, he immediately signed a contract with Chen Mobai and then transferred 5,000 sect contribution points to Chen Mobai from the Body Forging Department's account. This served as a deposit. The remaining 10,000 contribution points would be paid once all the fire spirit rice was delivered to the Body Forging Department.

“Disciple Chen, I heard from my disciples this morning that you posted an announcement at the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, stating that ordinary disciples can exchange 1 contribution point for 11 catties of spirit rice at your Small Southern Mountain shop. My purchase at market price means you've earned an extra thousand spirit stones or so.” Before leaving, Kou Canzhi suddenly said something pointedly. Chen Mobai didn't quite understand his meaning and saw him out the gate.

Watching Kou Canzhi's retreating figure, Chen Mobai felt that the head of the Body Forging Department seemed a bit displeased. In the evening, Chen Mobai recalled something Sun Gaochang had once told him and suddenly understood. “This guy is asking for a kickback.” Upon realizing this, Chen Mobai felt both annoyed and amused, yet he knew such situations were common even in the Immortal Sect. Moreover, the Body Forging Department was a major customer, and it was indeed appropriate to offer some 'courtesy.' However, Chen Mobai himself couldn't directly appear, so he called Luo Yixuan and gave her a gift worth one thousand spirit stones to deliver to Kou Canzhi.

When Luo Yixuan returned, she reported that Kou Canzhi was very pleased and stated that the Body Forging Department would also take the 1,500 *dan* of spirit rice harvested at this time next year. However, the batch of spirit rice maturing at the end of the year was simply too much for them to consume, and Chen Mobai would need to find a way to deal with it himself. Fire spirit rice had two harvests a year. The five hundred disciples of the Body Forging Department could consume 1,500 *dan* annually. The remainder would still require tapping into the domestic demand of the Divine Wood Sect's other disciples.

At the Small Southern Mountain shop, despite the posted price of 1 contribution point for 11 catties, very few people came to buy or exchange spirit rice. Cultivators in the Eastern Wilds were accustomed to using spirit stones primarily for acquiring pills to enhance their cultivation, and when hungry, they would rely on fasting pills or ordinary mortal food. Only body cultivators, like those in the Body Forging Department with their specific needs, would consistently consume spirit rice.

“Master, should we still plant the next batch of fire spirit rice seedlings?” With Liu Wenbai absent, Luo Yixuan had taken over the Small Southern Mountain shop in Divine Wood City. Seeing the slow exchange of spirit rice these past few days, her face showed concern.

“Continue planting. If we can't sell it, we'll brew it all into wine.” Chen Mobai, however, showed no fear. Numerous successful marketing cases from the Immortal Sect flashed through his mind, and he already had a method to solve the spirit rice sales problem.

Zhuo Ming and Luo Yixuan naturally complied. After selling this batch of ripe fire spirit rice to the Body Forging Department, Chen Mobai received the remaining 10,000 contribution points. Kou Canzhi, having received the gift, was naturally generous with the payment.

After watching his two disciples lead the mortals in operating the planting puppets to complete the transplanting of seedlings across the thousand acres of spiritual fields, Chen Mobai had intended to find close friends like Qi Rui and Xi Jinghuo to share his successful Foundation Establishment experience. However, he unexpectedly received surprising news from the Immortal Sect. During the preliminary selection phase, twelve peerless sword dao geniuses had triggered a resonance with the Purple Lightning Sword. What does this mean? Does it imply that the persona he had painstakingly maintained was so worthless?