Before he called for his children, Lu Qing first wanted to get a clearer understanding of the statistics of the clan's situation.
[Clan: Lu Clan]
[Level: Level Two]
[Karma: 1,142]
[Buildings: Level One Scroll Depository, Level Two Forging Room, Level One Elixir Room, Level One Training Room, Level One Arena, Level One Amulet Room, Level Two Cavern Abode]
[Savings: 645 Spirit Stones (In debt of 1,050 Spirit Stones, to be repaid in seven years)]
[Gross Income: 566 Spirit Stones/Year (Income: 2,010 Spirit Stones/Year, Expenditure: 1,444 Spirit Stones/Year)]
[Population: 140, Population of Cultivators: 55]
[Resources: Yuyan Mountain Spirit Vein (Level Two), Yuyan Mountain Medicine Garden (Level One), Yuyan Mountain Energy Stone Mine (Level Three), Herd of Water-Spirit Horses (Level Two), Horde of Steel Red Bugs (Level Two)]
[Territory: Pingyao County (35%)]
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That was the current situation.
After ten years of development, the gross income of the clan had increased from the original -200 to the current 566 Spirit Stones. The increase in their total income was even more remarkable. It had only been 1,000 Spirit Stones ten years ago, but it had now doubled. However, their expenditure had also increased as the clan developed. They had to spend more money on territorial defense, building defense, the welfare of the clan's members, and rewards for cultivators, among many others. Thus, the increase in their gross income was not as large.
However, these expenditures also reflected the clan's strength.
Also, in these five years alone, the area that caught Lu Qing's attention the most was the rapid increase in his Karma reserves.
He had nearly spent all of his Karma before he engaged in his closed-door training. However, he had gained over a thousand Karma in the blink of an eye.
Lu Qing nearly cursed when he saw this number.
It was too much. It had exceeded all of his expectations.
Of course, this was a great thing!
The three conquest missions made up the main bulk of the increase in Karma. It gave him 600 Karma within a short time. The rest was due to the achievements of the buildings and resources as well as the reward from killing Foundation Building cultivators.
Compared to what he had now, the 50 Karma he had before he engaged in closed-door training was close to nothing.
The conquest mission for the horde of monkeys was merely Level One and did not provide any added rewards. It only gave him Karma. The successful conquest of the Tiger King awarded him with a recipe for the "Demon Marrow Elixir." This recipe allowed the user to make "Demon Marrow Elixirs" out of the bone marrow of demonic beasts. The main effects of this Level Two elixir were to strengthen the toughness of a person's body. The physical body of a cultivator was important. A stronger body meant that a cultivator could sustain more damage, and thus, it meant that a cultivator would not be as negatively affected if they encountered any problems with their cultivation. It meant that they could cultivate techniques that were even more unique…
Even though it did not directly increase a cultivator's cultivation level, the "Demon Marrow Elixir" was still rather useful.
More importantly, the ingredients for the elixir were easy to find. Even though the recipe would only work if the marrow came from a demonic beast that was Level Two or higher, the bone marrow of a demonic beast was not worth much money. They were easy to find on the market.
The additional reward for the conquest mission for the Steel Red Bugs was a blessing-type function.
[Level Two Blessing-type: Beast Tamer Level Increase]
[Effect: This function can be used on a member of the clan to increase their abilities in beast taming. This is only effective on Beast Tamers who are Level Three and below.]
At the same time, what was worth mentioning was that the "Technique Collection" achievement also provided blueprints for a "Level Two Scroll Depository."
[Level Two Scroll Depository: After building, the members of the clan who were assigned to guard the scrolls would have an increase in their perceptual abilities after five years. Their probability of understanding better techniques would also increase.]
[Building Cost: 500 Spirit Stones]
This was good stuff!
To a cultivator, perceptual abilities were not an obvious talent, but it was a talent that was not less important to their Spiritual Roots.
A person with extraordinary perceptual abilities would be able to understand their techniques better. They understood the main qualities of how spiritual energy circulated. They were also better at summarizing and internalizing whatever they learned. Thus, their speed of cultivation would be faster, and they would experience fewer bottlenecks. If the Spiritual Roots were a talent that involved the body, then perceptual abilities were a talent that involved the mind.
"I'll build one on Yuyan Mountain later!"
The surprises he got after his five years of closed-door training were a little too much.
He could instantly do more to influence the clan with this much Karma.
Especially now that his exchange options had automatically refreshed once every decade, he now had seven more options to choose from!
He looked at the options. There were "Alchemist Level Increase,""Amulet Craftsman Level Increase,""Level Two Scouting," and "Recipe for Moon Essence Pill"...
They were all good items!
More importantly, he could now afford the "Core Lifespan Recovery," which he could not before.
After closing the system interface with satisfaction, Lu Qing sent Lu Chaoxi a voice transmission and told him that he had woken up. He also got Lu Chaoxi to bring his siblings over.
Sometime later, Lu Chaoxi arrived with Lu Mingchao and Lu Chaohe.
The three of them had just arrived and had not said anything when Lu Qing sensed that something was different.
The spiritual strength in Lu Chaoxi's body was richer than before. It was clear that he had advanced to the ninth tier of the Foundation Building Stage. He had even stayed in this tier for a good amount of time.
However, Lu Qing could sense that underneath Lu Chaoxi's rich spiritual strength, his life force had become even more fleeting.
A cultivator would not have his body weakened with age after he reached the Foundation Building Stage. The true essence of the Foundation Building Stage lay in the enhancement of the cultivator's physical body. It was a transformation from a mortal body to one that was suitable for pursuing immortality. Thus, it made no sense for their body to be weakened.
Cultivators who had reached the Foundation Building Stage would not age. Instead, their bodies would rapidly decline during the last two to three years of their life before they died.
Lu Chaoxi had not reached the stage of rapid decline. However, Lu Qing could sense that he was not far from that point.
He had not asked the three siblings when Lu Mingchao's voice rang out. "Father, you are finally awake. Elder Brother… Elder Brother was injured many years ago and injured his core. His lifespan is nearly at its end. Do you have any ways to save him?"
Her voice was filled with worry.
Lu Chaoxi's voice then rang out. "Mingchao, you need not say anything. This is my fate. Father had already taken action ten years ago and cured my old injury. He allowed me to do battle once again. I've already contributed and protected the Foundation Building Elixir for the clan during our journey to Anling. The family would have to depend on both of you in the future."
"Elder Brother, you need not be so pessimistic. Father managed to cure your old injury ten years ago. He might have the ability to…"
Lu Chaohe could not continue.
It felt like he was deceiving himself.
How could the Core Lifespan be so easily repaired?
Lu Chaoxi was rather free and easy. "You need not say any more, nor should you put Father in a difficult spot. I still have two to three years to live. We should attack the Water Ghost Lake while I am still alive. When that time comes, you can leave the dangerous parts to me. After I die, bury me on Yuyan Mountain. I'll witness the clan get better and better from the heavens."
Then, the sound of Lu Mingchao's weeps rang out.
Lu Qing gently coughed twice from within the chamber. He then said, "Chaoxi, I would not allow you to die. You won't be able to die."
He had just said this when Lu Chaoxi suddenly felt his empty, shell-like body, which had nearly exhausted its life force, instantly become imbued with an indescribable, miraculous strength.
Then, everything became different.
In that instant, he suddenly felt that he was full of vitality!