Chapter 220: Elder Shen Should Be Established as a Model for the Entire Sect
Creak.
The grand hall doors slowly opened.
Shen Mo, Lü Dongxuan, Ye Yan, He Tianchou, and others appeared before the elders.
"Please, come in," Li Zhendao said with a smile.
Lü Dongxuan looked utterly astonished.
It actually went exactly as Shen Mo had predicted—they were being invited in!
"Let's go."
Shen Mo strode confidently into the hall.
Lü Dongxuan and the others immediately followed.
The grand hall doors closed behind them.
"Master…" Ye Yan began, eager to speak and warn Yang Qiye.
But Yang Qiye raised a hand, signaling him to stop. He turned to Shen Mo, speaking coolly, "Shen Mo, Elder Wan claims that Dragon Snake Mountain's output this year exceeded the sect's requirements by more than tenfold."
"Let's see the proof now."
"We eleven will verify it on the spot!"
Ye Yan felt a sinking feeling but reluctantly stepped back.
Don't blame me for not warning you—I really wanted to, but you didn't give me the chance!
Shen Mo produced three storage rings and handed them directly to the middle-aged man seated at the head of the hall.
Without needing an introduction, Shen Mo already knew who he was.
Li Zhendao accepted the storage rings and glanced at Shen Mo with a hint of surprise. "When did our Jade Cauldron Sect gain such a young Nascent Soul elder?"
Shen Mo smiled. "I joined the Jade Cauldron Sect a year ago."
Li Zhendao nodded repeatedly. "You don't appear to be thirty yet, am I correct?"
Shen Mo nodded.
Li Zhendao's expression turned joyful. "Good, very good! I never expected the new elder of the Tenth Peak to be such a young genius. With this, our Jade Cauldron Sect now boasts two young prodigies!"
"This is news even I, as the sect master, was unaware of. Hahaha!"
As he said this, his gaze shifted subtly toward Yang Qiye, clearly questioning why Yang Qiye hadn't informed him about such an exceptional talent like Shen Mo.
Yang Qiye remained expressionless, pretending not to notice.
"These three storage rings contain Dragon Snake Mountain's output for the year," Shen Mo said with a calm smile.
Li Zhendao nodded and reached out with his spiritual sense to inspect them.
What he saw left him utterly stunned.
The composure and poise of a Soul Formation cultivator vanished in an instant.
The Grand Elder, seated beside him, noticed the change and was visibly curious.
Li Zhendao was known for his stoicism, rarely showing emotion.
Yet here he was, dumbfounded by Dragon Snake Mountain's output.
"Sect Master?" the Grand Elder prompted.
Li Zhendao took a few deep breaths, his gaze toward Shen Mo changing dramatically.
"Take a look," he said, handing the storage rings to the Grand Elder.
The Grand Elder nodded and inspected the contents with his spiritual sense.
He, too, displayed the same reaction—utter shock!
Yang Qiye finally realized something was amiss.
Why would the Sect Master and the Grand Elder, both Soul Formation cultivators, be so visibly affected by this?
He glanced at Ye Yan.
Ye Yan shook his head ever so slightly.
Yang Qiye felt his heart sink, an ominous premonition taking hold.
"Everyone, take a look for yourselves."
"Elder Wan was right. Dragon Snake Mountain's output this year has indeed exceeded the sect's requirements by more than tenfold."
Li Zhendao scanned the room, then burst into hearty laughter, his face radiating joy.
He had never expected Dragon Snake Mountain, after 300 years of decline, to not only recover but deliver such a massive surprise!
The other elders, both shocked and skeptical, took turns inspecting the storage rings.
Their reactions were all the same: stunned, speechless, and wide-eyed!
Finally, the storage rings reached Yang Qiye.
His mood had already plummeted to the lowest depths.
Even though he had braced himself after witnessing the other elders' expressions, he was still unprepared for what he saw inside the rings.
A mountain of resources—more than he could have imagined.
So much.
Far too much.
An unimaginable amount!
It was equivalent to the total output of Dragon Snake Mountain for the past fifty years combined!
Chapter 220: Elder Shen Should Be Established as a Model for the Entire Sect
What was even more alarming was that Yang Qiye could easily discern the spiritual energy emanating from the materials—they were all remarkably similar.
Clearly, these resources had originated from the same region, rather than being haphazardly procured from various locations to fool the elders.
Yang Qiye's body wavered, and he almost stumbled.
"How… how did you manage this?" He fixed Shen Mo with a piercing glare.
Shen Mo merely smiled, saying nothing.
Wan Muchun chuckled slyly. "Yang Qiye, you've studied beast-rearing yourself. Would you share your unique techniques with the public?"
Yang Qiye was rendered speechless.
Wan Muchun was right.
His earlier question had indeed overstepped boundaries.
The Grand Elder's voice trembled. "Elder Shen, can Dragon Snake Mountain produce such results every year from now on?"
"Yes!"
Shen Mo nodded firmly, his voice resolute.
"Excellent!" The Grand Elder was the first to respond.
Li Zhendao nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. With such output, our Jade Cauldron Sect's beast-rearing industry will undoubtedly flourish!"
The Fifth Elder, overjoyed, exclaimed, "In that case, the beast-rearing industry will no longer be a burden but will become a pillar of our Jade Cauldron Sect!"
The Eighth Elder sneered. "Elder Yang, do you still insist on abandoning the beast-rearing industry?"
"Have you forgotten that our sect's founding patriarch was once a shepherd boy? He rose to prominence precisely by taming demonic beasts!"
Yang Qiye took a deep breath, regaining his composure.
"I am well aware of the founding patriarch's deeds, but times have changed. It is not always necessary to adhere rigidly to the ways of our ancestors."
"What must be discarded should be discarded—there's no need to debate this."
"Dragon Snake Mountain's output this year is substantial, and I am glad for it. If, as Elder Shen claims, future years will be the same, then so much the better."
"But the operations at Evergreen Mountain and White Cloud Mountain must be completely shut down—that is my bottom line!"
Yang Qiye's voice was resolute, leaving no room for compromise.
Li Zhendao pondered for a moment. "We will discuss this matter later. For now, we have a new topic to address. Elder Shen has achieved such remarkable results within just a year of joining us—he deserves a reward and should be established as a model for the entire sect."
"However, completing ten times the sect's requirements is unprecedented in the history of the Jade Cauldron Sect."
"Furthermore, Elder Shen has reversed Dragon Snake Mountain's 300-year streak of losses, and this deserves a significant reward."
"Let's hear your thoughts—what should be done?"
The elders began discussing at once.
Some proposed granting Shen Mo a top-tier contribution rank immediately.
Others argued that while his achievements were impressive, a top-tier contribution was too much and suggested a second-tier contribution instead.
Yet others felt a second-tier contribution was insufficient, proposing instead that Shen Mo be promoted to the rank of Three-Cauldrons Elder, awarded three second-tier contributions, and given at least twenty bottles of Nascent Soul Pills.
The debate grew increasingly heated.
He Tianchou listened with envy, thinking to himself, When will I ever receive such treatment?
Meanwhile, Ye Yan's mood was utterly dismal.
I've spent decades fighting life-and-death battles in the Qiyun Mountain Range, shaving years off my lifespan, and I didn't even get a shred of recognition.
Now that I've returned to the Jade Cauldron Sect, I have to witness this scene?
The thought of all those contributions, pills, and treasures being completely out of his reach made his mood plummet even further.
Eventually, he couldn't bear it any longer and left the hall with a flick of his sleeves.
Lü Dongxuan, on the other hand, was entirely overjoyed.
He had once made a great contribution to the Jade Cauldron Sect during the Blood Vine Valley incident, and he remembered how the elders had also fiercely debated his reward back then.
Thus, he felt no jealousy toward Shen Mo.
Instead, he was genuinely happy for him and secretly pleased with his own judgment.
Who says I, Lü Dongxuan, am just a brute who knows only how to fight?
Didn't I just demonstrate excellent foresight?
I've brought a young and talented master into the Jade Cauldron Sect, someone who will undoubtedly bolster its strength!
Wan Muchun coughed lightly. "Everyone, let's not forget—Shen Mo was recruited by Lü Dongxuan. With Shen Mo achieving such remarkable results within just a year, shouldn't Lü Dongxuan also receive some form of reward?"
The Grand Elder nodded. "That's a fair point."
"Ahem, ahem… Shen Mo is an elder of my Tenth Peak. As the Tenth Elder and the head of the Tenth Peak, shouldn't I also…"
"Oh, spare us. You've spent the whole year in brothels and taverns—don't think I'm unaware," the Grand Elder sneered.
Wan Muchun chuckled awkwardly and fell silent.
Shen Mo and Lü Dongxuan, meanwhile, could only exchange wry smiles.
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