At the mention of Jade Dew pills, a flicker of desire flashed across Gu Caiyi's face, but it disappeared just as quickly. She instinctively replied, "I still have some left." Luo Chen curled his lips and lifted a jade bottle over to her using his spirit power. "There are six Jade Dew pills here. Use the special method I taught you to break them down once every two months. That's enough for a year's worth of cultivation." Gu Caiyi accepted the bottle in her slender hands, her voice dropping to a murmur. "I looked into these pills. They're expensive, right? You're already short on spirit stones, how could I possibly—" "Stop right there!" Luo Chen raised a hand, cutting her off. "Yes, I'm short on spirit stones, but a few hundred here and there won't make or break me. Just take them. I even let Min Longyu stay in a cave residence for half a month without charging him a single stone." Gu Caiyi blinked her bright eyes, then accepted the Jade Dew pills with a smile that was a mix of relief and delight. She knew just how much these pills would benefit her. "Then I'll be off!" she said, her voice carrying an unexpected note of cheer. "Go on, go on!" Luo Chen waved dismissively, sounding a little impatient. After Gu Caiyi left under the cover of night, Luo Chen let out a long sigh. He knew that the final sentence had sounded a bit like he was trying too hard to cover up his feelings. And indeed, when it came to Gu Caiyi, his feelings were complicated. In his younger days, he had indeed felt drawn toward this bright and beautiful woman. However, as his cultivation deepened, his spirit grew resolute towards the Great Dao. He had come to understand that those feelings were nothing but a young man's instinctive desire. It wasn't love or fondness, just a bond of friendship. Yet after going through the Divine Ghost Heartmirror simulation, he couldn't help but recall that one sentence "Let's stop fighting, okay?" That sentence clashed with the path he had chosen. It didn't align with his ambitions. So after waking up from the simulation, he deliberately distanced himself from Gu Caiyi. But earlier, when Gu Caiyi showed him genuine concern, it felt like he'd been pulled back into that Divine Ghost Heartmirror simulation once more. "Forget it. Let everything follow its natural course. I can support her a little, but if she can't keep up with me, in the end, she'll be left behind." Luo Chen shook his head and turned to enter the meditation room. The next morning, Sima Huiniang hurried over to Tianlan Peak and spent a long time talking with Luo Chen. It wasn’t until afternoon that she finally returned to Danxia Peak. Soon after, a new benefit was announced to the Luo Tian Society. Each year, the society would allocate twenty thousand spirit stones to rent a second-tier mid-grade cave residence at Tianlan Peak, permanently! Any cultivator who reached the Foundation Establishment Realm would have the chance to stay in this upgraded cave for cultivation, on a rotation basis! Not only that, but Qi Refinement cultivators who had reached Perfected Mastery could now register beforehand and, based on their accumulated merit, reserve a Foundation Establishment spirit medicine in advance. As soon as the Luo Tian Society acquired Foundation Establishment pills, they would be distributed to these cultivators immediately. Moreover, they could apply for a one-time free usage of the second-tier cave residence. The announcement sparked a wave of enthusiasm across the Luo Tian Society. Low-tier cultivators all looked forward to the day they would step into Foundation Establishment and dwell in the coveted second-tier mid-grade cave residence. Even the Foundation Establishment cultivators were delighted upon hearing such news. Although Foundation Establishment cultivators earned pretty well, paying ten thousand spirit stones a year for a second-tier cave residence was still too much. With the new arrangement, rotating through the second-tier mid-grade cave residence would save them a fortune. More importantly, they could cultivate far more efficiently in a denser spirit energy environment. Following the announcement of the new benefit, Sima Huiniang began by publicly naming and criticizing those cultivators who had long been coasting on their old merits, living comfortably off the Luo Tian Society’s resources while contributing little in return. And with that, she seized the opportunity to reorganize the Luo Tian Society’s base salaries and the merit point system. She worked with the Merit Hall to conduct a full-scale merit structure. From now on, merit points would no longer exist solely as a currency to redeem pills or techniques. Instead, they would be directly tied to monthly salaries. As a result, all the cultivators in the Luo Tian Society saw a reduction in their base salaries! For instance, late stage Qi Refinement cultivators in the Battle Hall who had previously been paid a monthly base salary of one hundred spirit stones saw the amount adjusted to eighty. Twenty spirit stones would be temporarily withheld; there would be a calculation based on annual merit points, and the corresponding amount would be paid out after the year-end review. If their merit wasn't enough, they'd only get the base eighty. If it was enough, they could get the full hundred, or even more! As for how merit would be calculated? There was a detailed set of standards jointly established by Sima Huiniang and the Merit Hall cultivators. For instance, in the case of the Battle Hall, merit was calculated based on factors like combat contributions, guard duty, patrol work, and even progress in personal cultivation. In the Alchemy Hall, merit points were tied to the output of the four major alchemists—Qu Lingjun, Mi Li, Qiu Ying, and Ma Shoupu. In the Artifact Hall, merit was tied to refining materials, forging artifacts, and artifact sales. In the Medicine Hall, merit was tied to the harvesting of spirit plants and other such. These changes did not affect just Qi Refinement cultivators. Even the other three Foundation Establishment cultivators had their base salaries reduced by several hundred spirit stones. All in all, merit points in the Merit Hall became the foundation of a new system, not just a minor perk. And accumulating merit would depend on each person's contribution to the Luo Tian Society. This measure would immediately eliminate most of the freeloaders. Of course, some people expressed their discontentment, but Sima Huiniang immediately shut them down with a single line: "The president's generosity is not permission to sit back and do nothing!" That line left everyone speechless. When it came to the reduction in base salaries, the low-tier cultivators mostly accepted it in light of the promise of new benefits. After all, as long as they earned enough merit points, they might even earn more than before. Plus, there was now a path to Foundation Establishment! As for the high-tier cultivators, the chance to use the second-tier mid-grade cave residences made them happy enough. A few hundred spirit stones less per month meant a few thousand a year. It was a lot, but compared to the cost of renting a cave residence, it was a good deal. That was a second-tier mid-grade cave residence! This entire set of measures achieved Luo Chen's goals, and it wasn't all that complicated. It was just taking the merit system and turning it into a "performance evaluation" like he'd seen in his previous life. This way, he could set goals regularly and evaluate the members. It also exposed those who were slacking off or just coasting along. In broad terms, it allowed Luo Chen to redistribute the benefits. He could now take spirit stones away from society members who slacked off and reward those who worked diligently. And because the withheld portion wouldn’t be paid out until the end of the year, it effectively created a substantial fund that both he and the Luo Tian Society could tap into in the meantime. On top of that, this merit system would foster internal competition and collective growth! As for the "benefit" program… In truth, it was nothing more than taking from one pocket to fill another. Twenty thousand spirit stones per year sounded like a generous investment. But as the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators continued to grow, the total savings from base salary reductions would soon far exceed that amount. At Danxia Peak, Sima Huiniang sat at the head of a large desk in Huixin Hall. Xu Xiaoliu, an Outer Hall steward, stood respectfully before her. After a while, Sima Huiniang looked up. "We can begin recruiting rogue cultivators, but only those with clean backgrounds. You'll be in charge of the process. All final approvals will go through me and the Merit Hall." Xu Xiaoliu's eyes lit up. At long last, the Outer Hall could expand its ranks. He would no longer be running everything alone! "Rest assured, Director! I won’t let you or the President down!" he said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. As she watched him take his leave, Sima Huiniang gave a small smile and shook her head lightly. For now, internal policies had been adjusted as much as they could be. Any further changes would have to come gradually, step by step. Externally, recruitment would begin. Just as the President had said, a mere two hundred people couldn't possibly support so many Foundation Establishment cultivators. They had to expand the number of low-tier cultivators. The recruits would all be placed in the Outer Hall, and as for base salaries, they couldn't expect much; everything would depend on merit points. As for how they would manage the extra manpower? The Luo Tian Society still had hundreds of spirit fields that lacked sufficient workers. Until now, they'd even had to dispatch cultivators from the Battle Hall to tend the fields. In the future, as the Luo Tian Society grew, every hall would need extra hands. After all, Tianlan Immortal City was filled with rogue cultivators, and more than wealth or power, they simply longed for a stable place to cultivate. The Luo Tian Society would offer them just that. On Tianlan Peak, inside Cave Residence Bing Seventeen, Luo Chen waved his hand, and three pure white pills flew out of the Ice Emperor Cauldron. Their colors shifted chaotically from red to white. They spun around and landed in his hand. Looking at those three and a half cloud patterns that faintly extended, a wave of excitement rippled through Luo Chen's otherwise calm mind. "Supreme-grade Spirit Passage pill!" Even though he had expected it, he still felt a bit uneasy after achieving Perfected Mastery of the Spirit Passage pills. He was anxious about whether he could refine supreme-grade pills as before and whether first-tier supreme-grade pills would have any effect on him at all. But as he lightly inhaled the pill's fragrance, all his unease vanished. That dreamlike feeling left no doubt in his mind. The supreme-grade Spirit Passage pill would definitely be effective for him. Just think about it, even first-tier supreme-grade Myriad Wonders pills had mild effects on third-tier demonic beasts. Since he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, it made sense for them to be effective. Even if it's only a slight improvement of my divine soul foundation, it's still worth every bit of effort! Without hesitation, Luo Chen left the task of cleaning the cauldron to Bai Meiling and headed straight to the meditation chamber. He cleared his mind of all distractions as he took out a snow-white Spirit Passage pill and solemnly swallowed it. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Luo Chen's eyelids trembled, and his mind fully sank into his sea of consciousness. In that vast and empty sea of consciousness, a golden light quietly hovered. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel~fire~net According to the cultivation world, this golden light was the embodiment of one's divine soul foundation. During the Qi Refinement Realm, it remained confined within the sea of consciousness, unable to extend beyond. But after reaching Foundation Establishment, the dantian underwent a transformation, becoming a true spiritual sea. It then connected to the sea of consciousness, allowing the divine soul to emerge outward; this manifestation was known as spirit consciousness. At the Golden Core Realm, the sea of consciousness turned into a sort of palace—the Purple Palace. There, the spirit consciousness merged with the divine soul, transforming into divine consciousness. It was said that upon reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, this golden light could even take human form. This form was known as the Nascent Soul, and contained the Three Souls and Seven Spirits[1]. At that moment, the golden light trembled faintly, giving off a sense of swelling fullness. Luo Chen felt that he had grown stronger! Immediately, his spirit consciousness withdrew from the sea of consciousness. He opened his eyes and let out a long breath. The supreme-grade Spirit Passage pills had indeed been effective for him, and it was even better than he had expected. Previously, his divine soul foundation had barely reached the standard of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and had been rather unstable. But after taking one Spirit Passage pill, it had completely stabilized and even developed a sense of fullness. If I continue taking them, my divine soul foundation will definitely grow again! I can take one every ten days, so that accounts for a full month. At that moment, Luo Chen's heart was filled with hope. The divine soul was simply too important. Its power might not show much during combat, but for daily cultivation, its benefits were truly extraordinary. When he was in a lower realm, his divine soul had been so weak that he could only use the Long Spring Art twice a day. It was only with the help of calming incense that he had managed to resolve this problem. Refining pills each day had taken a significant toll on his mental strength, and it was only after surviving the Heart Tribulation that he had been able to refine an extra batch of pills daily. After Foundation Establishment and his stronger divine soul, he could perfectly absorb Divine Fiery Incense and run his core technique ten times a day! Moreover, Chu Kui had carelessly let slip that the divine soul was incredibly important when forming a Golden Core. From the tone of his voice, it seemed to be far more important than having full spirit power or a strong physique. And that was precisely why Luo Chen had spent half a year just to raise his proficiency with Spirit Passage pills, whereas he could have used that time to refine Jade Essence pills and earn spirit stones. All that sacrifice so he could refine supreme-grade Spirit Passage pills and enhance his divine soul foundation. "I hope that one day, I will be able to prove that my choice was the right one!" With a sigh, Luo Chen glanced at his storage pouch. Inside, he had stored over a thousand Spirit Passage pills. They were all refined during the process of grinding proficiency; some were low-grade, some were mid-grade, and he had even produced as many as six hundred top-grade Spirit Passage pills. What should he do with this batch of Spirit Passage pills? Throw them away? Keep them in his pocket? No way! That would be too much of a waste! To grind proficiency, he had spent over ten thousand spirit stones' worth of raw materials, and that was not to even mention the time wasted. If he had used it to refine Jade Essence pills, he would have earned at least eighty or ninety thousand. Altogether, that amounted to nearly a hundred thousand in costs. Whatever happened, he had to recover the cost of this batch of Spirit Passage pills! There are one hundred or so low-grade ones. I'll leave these to the Merit Hall so they can be exchanged for merit points. That's quite the benefit. The effects of Spirit Passage pills were beyond question. They were highly favored among ninth stage Qi Refinement cultivators in the Luo Tian Society, so they would unquestionably be happy about it. As for the other three hundred mid-grade and six hundred top-grade Spirit Passage pills, he planned to find another channel to sell them. It wasn't that he didn't want his subordinates to use them, but mid-grade and top-grade Spirit Passage pills carried a significant risk of Spirit Passage Dreams, something beyond what Qi Refinement cultivators could withstand. But Foundation Establishment cultivators will definitely love this stuff. Luo Chen himself had no use for mid-grade or even top-grade ones, because he had taken over a hundred low-grade Spirit Passage pills back in the Qi Refinement Realm and unfortunately developed tolerance. Only the supreme-grade ones still had some effect on him. But while he couldn't use them, other Foundation Establishment cultivators who had never taken Spirit Passage pills very much could. Pills that boosted one's divine soul foundation had always been in high demand. That could be seen from the Warm Yang Incense, which was merely a third-tier medicinal material, not even a refined one, yet could sell for as high as seven thousand eight hundred spirit stones. Logically, this batch of Spirit Passage pills would surely bring in a non-negligible amount. And right now, Luo Chen was in urgent need of spirit stones. Perfect timing! Which channel should I use? This stuff is in high demand but also hard to handle. If I move it in large quantities, it will easily attract unwanted attention, especially from the major powers. It's best not to use the name of the Luo Tian Society, and certainly not my own name. It'll be best if I don't show up at all, and I also need to cut off any potential links to avoid people coming after me later. Suddenly, a figure appeared in Luo Chen's mind. Right, there's that guy! 1. Three Souls and Seven Spirits or three hun and seven po (三魂七魄) is a concept drawn from traditional Chinese metaphysics. The Three Souls represent aspects of consciousness, will, and spirit. The Seven Spirits refer to vital, emotional, and instinctive forces. Together, they form the entirety of one’s spiritual existence ☜