Chapter 659 448: The Sect's Deficit

Fang Qingyuan sat high upon the main seat of the grand hall. He was dressed in robes as white as snow, his features handsome and divine. The very essence of the Mirage Dragon Illusion Sword True Intent enveloped him, profound as an abyss yet ethereal as mist. These two contradictory qualities manifested together, yet somehow gave off a feeling of perfect harmony.

This was the result of the Mirage Dragon Illusion Sword Scripture he had been practicing for the past two years. He had already perfected the third layer and cultivated the Mirage Dragon True Intent. However, he was still at a stage where he could unleash it but not retract it at will, which was why the phenomenon was visible.

Mastering the basics and cultivating to the third layer in just two years was a speed that would have absolutely marked him as a genius in the Illusion Sword Sect. However, Fang Qingyuan was a Golden Core Cultivator cultivating a lower-level technique, and he had the Bee Queen Fang Ruoxi in his Immortal Mansion constantly analyzing it for him. That was how he had achieved such results.

Now, with Fang Qingyuan's entire body shrouded in the Mirage Dragon True Intent, his facial expressions were obscured. This inadvertently placed considerable psychological pressure on those attending the meeting.

Before Fang Qingyuan, ten chairs were arranged in two rows of five. Seated there were the leaders of the Qingyuan Sect and the Bear Beasts of Bear Wind's faction.

The first person on the left was Liu Xun. As the Vice Sect Leader of the Qingyuan Sect, he naturally occupied the head seat on that side.

The second person was Jiang Tianfang. He was in charge of the Qingyuan Sect's business operations in various Marketplaces, the breeding of insect beasts, Spirit Wine sales, and important production resources like the medicine gardens and Spirit Fields. He controlled the Qingyuan Sect's various sources of Spirit Stone income, making him the sect's financial steward.

The third person was Jiang Wanqin. She was responsible for departments within the Qingyuan Sect such as the Scripture Pavilion, the Trial Grounds, the Inheritance Hall, and the Ritual Hall. The Guest Officers at the sect's main gate were also under her management.

The fourth was Chen Huicheng. He managed the sect's workshops for Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and talisman crafting. He was also in charge of construction, the repair of Arrays throughout the sect, the maintenance of feisu at the pier, and the replacement of Magical Artifacts and Daoist Robes for the disciples.

And the last person was Jie Xuanli. He had achieved Foundation Establishment many years ago and was later appointed as the Master of the Precepts Hall. He presided over punishment and discipline, and had eight Qi Refining squads under his command responsible for all security matters within the Qingyuan Sect's territory.

Each of these squads was fully staffed with twelve Cultivators and led by two Squad Commanders—a commander and a vice-commander. Some Squad Commanders were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, while others were only at Qi Cultivation Perfection.

This might seem like a significant difference in combat strength, but squads with Qi Cultivation Squad Commanders were assigned two Middle to Late-stage Foundation Establishment Bear Beasts. As a result, whether the Squad Commander was at Foundation Establishment or not didn't make a huge difference.

Of the eight squads, two were stationed at the pier, two at the Marketplace at the foot of the mountain, one within the sect itself, and two served as a mobile force within the territory. The final squad was sent out to act as the elite enforcers for the Qingyuan Alliance, though their services were rarely needed.

This was because the final squad's lineup was exceptionally formidable. More than half of its members were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and the remaining Qi Cultivation Disciples each possessed unique skills. Crucially, the Bear Beasts assigned to them were all at the Foundation Establishment Stage. This created a team that wouldn't falter even against a Golden Core Cultivator. Across the entire Qingyuan Alliance, no other sect could match this squad.

These five Cultivators on the left were the current five great leaders of the Qingyuan Sect. Below them were several dozen mid-level members and nearly eight hundred Qingyuan Sect disciples.

As for the Vassal Cultivators who depended on the Qingyuan Sect for their livelihood, their numbers had already surpassed two thousand. They were spread throughout the Marketplace at the foot of the mountain, the Feisu Pier, the various shops in the Marketplaces, and the constantly moving camel caravans.

If one were to also include the Bear Beasts brought by Bear Wind and the Cultivators from the various sects within the Qingyuan Alliance, then the combat forces Fang Qingyuan actually controlled, by a rough estimate, numbered around ten thousand.

Of course, the only ones Fang Qingyuan truly trusted were his own disciples. He understood perfectly well that the vassal families could only be relied upon when the odds were in their favor.

On the five chairs to the right sat Qiqi, Confusion Insect, and Crescent. The remaining two chairs were empty. This was because Xiong Ba had been summoned by Bear Wind; after his last battle with Hao Shi, his realm had shown signs of loosening, and it seemed he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

Although there were only four Golden Core Bear Beasts, Fang Qingyuan had set out five chairs. Only Qiqi and the others understood the reason for this: the last chair was reserved for Dabai.

Dabai's soul was still intact, which meant there was hope. Even if it meant turning Dabai into a Ghost Cultivator, Qiqi and the others were willing to do anything just to let him live in this world again.

Despite having submitted to the Qingyuan Sect, Qiqi and the others paid no mind to the prohibitions of the Great Zhou Academy. They were Wilderness Bear Beasts, after all—could one really expect them to be law-abiding?

However, Fang Qingyuan was still cautious, so Qiqi's research into the Ghost Dao had to be done in secret to avoid bringing disaster upon the Qingyuan Sect.

This, then, was the core strength of the Qingyuan Sect. As for Bear Wind, their ultimate pillar of support, he remained in seclusion to continue refining the Primordial Chapter within his body and rarely made an appearance.

Today's meeting was just a small gathering, not the grand biannual assembly. Fang Qingyuan could have skipped it and let Liu Xun and the others make their own decisions. However, he had an abundance of cocoons in his Immortal Mansion but not enough Weavers to process them. So he came out of seclusion specifically to inquire about the matter.

As for Lou Yuan, he just happened to be there at the right time. Fang Qingyuan had a faint impression of this disciple and readily gave him two Purple Crystal Spirit Fish as a reward.

The Qingyuan Sect didn't lack Foundation Establishment Cultivators at the moment. But for Lou Yuan to achieve Foundation Establishment at his age meant he must have had a fortuitous encounter of his own. Of course, Fang Qingyuan had no intention of prying into every disciple's personal opportunities and investigating them thoroughly.