Cultivation Begins From The Desert

The elder clan leader, Zhou Minghan, holds an unquestionable status and prestige in the Zhou Family.

Even Zhouyang, the clan leader who led the Zhou Family to prosperity, is somewhat less esteemed than him.

All the cultivators in the Zhou Family now were watched over by this elder clan leader as they grew up. From a young age, they have admired and revered this elder clan leader who single-handedly supported the Zhou Family.

While Zhou Minghan's ability to inspire admiration and reverence from all Zhou Family cultivators can be attributed to his strength and seniority, the bigger reason is his fair and selfless conduct.

When Zhou Xuan Yu was his direct granddaughter, he did not exhaust the entire clan's resources to purchase Foundation Establishment Pills for her Foundation Establishment.

In fact, as the Zhou Family Patriarch then, and the only Foundation Establishment Cultivator, if he had truly been determined to do so, no one could have stopped him.

This single act alone reveals that in the mind of this elder clan leader, the importance of the clan far outweighs personal affection.

Over the years, Zhou Minghan's actions may not have made every clan member fully satisfied, but they have surely won over more than ninety percent of them.

In the hearts of all Zhou Family members, the elder clan leader represents an unfailing trust; any decision he makes is followed without hesitation, even if it's not immediately understood.

This trust and admiration from the clan members indeed bring Zhou Minghan comfort and joy, proving that his years of dedication have been worthwhile.

Though he is a Middle-Grade Spiritual Root Cultivator, after successfully establishing his foundation, he has never considered matters like Core Formation, nor deluding himself with impractical plans like creating the Purple Mansion.

To him, developing and strengthening the Zhou Family and ensuring that future generations speak of him as "Zhou Minghan is the good Clan Leader of the Zhou Family" is sufficiently satisfying.

However, while Zhou Minghan's actions may please other clan members, it was certainly not the case for his granddaughter, Zhou Xuan Yu.

Past matters aside, since back then the Zhou Family was indeed struggling, Zhou Minghan didn't exhaust the clan's resources to buy Foundation Establishment Pills for her, which left Zhou Xuan Yu disappointed but without resentment.

But now, the Zhou Family clearly has a stockpile of several Foundation Establishment Pills, and the elder clan leader, Zhou Minghan, personally has accumulated two or three hundred thousand contribution points.

If Zhou Minghan remains unwilling to exert effort in exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills for his descendants under these circumstances, can Zhou Xuan Yu not hold any resentment?

And won't Zhou Yuanyao, waiting for Foundation Establishment Pills, also resent this great-grandfather who refuses to help?

Thinking about this, Zhou Minghan felt a sharp agony in his heart.

"Great-grandfather, if you don't set this precedent, someone else will eventually. Eventually, the number of Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators in the clan will grow, and you can't expect everyone to be as selfless as you are."

"People work tirelessly to reach Foundation Establishment, dedicating themselves to the clan's hard work—if, in the end, they can't even bless their descendants with shade, then who would still be willing to sweat and bleed for the clan?"

"Allow me to say something unlucky: Should you suddenly fall one day, according to clan rules, those accumulated contribution points can still be inherited by Sister Yuanchun and Sister Yuanyao, right? Then they can use these contribution points to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills, which should be legal and compliant, correct?"

"Instead of worrying about breaking the rules and inviting gossip, why not clearly establish rules like in the Yellow Sand Sect that every clan Foundation Establishment Cultivator may exchange for only one Foundation Establishment Pill for a clan descendant in their lifetime!"

"Those who understand will naturally recognize your thoughtful intentions, and for those who do not, should they dare to spread misinformation, I'll ensure they learn what family rules and laws mean!"

Looking at the tormented expression on the elder clan leader's face, Zhouyang slowly spoke out his suggestion in a solemn tone.

He understood why the elder clan leader was so conflicted and troubled.

In truth, does elder clan leader Zhou Minghan have no personal desires?

Certainly not!

But as a respected and esteemed figure, admired by all, he cannot have any blemishes.

A blemish on an ordinary person becomes magnified tenfold, a hundredfold when on him, leading to consequences beyond the mere tarnishing of his personal reputation; rather, it would bring turmoil to the entire clan.

It is this concern that has made Zhou Minghan hesitant regarding this matter.

For he values the clan above all else and does not want to see the clan, which only recently grew strong, fall into turmoil due to a momentary personal desire.

Ultimately, it is because he places too much importance on the clan!

However, now, because of Zhouyang's words, he has become fully enlightened as if receiving a great awakening.

His expression was resolute, his gaze firm as he looked at Zhouyang and said: "Xiao Jiu, you are right. If you hadn't awakened me, I would have foolishly been burdened by reputation and done something unwise!"

Having said that, he immediately took a deep breath and solemnly said: "In that case, we shall gather all the Foundation Establishment cultivators and clan members in the mountains to specifically explain this matter."

"Indeed, it should be done."

Zhouyang nodded, fully agreeing with Zhou Minghan's decision.

Following this, the two used communication flying swords to inform Zhou Guangxiang at Red Fox Ridge and Zhou Xuanhao at Haoyang Mountain, urging them to quickly gather at the Yuquan Lake Oasis. Together, they assembled all the cultivators and clan members at the Yuquan Lake Oasis to explain the clan's newly revised rules for exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills.

As Zhouyang expected, upon hearing about the old clan leader Zhou Minghan's exchange of Foundation Establishment Pills, many clan members, although subdued by the presence of multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators, did not immediately express their thoughts, but their expressions clearly showed their dissatisfaction.

These people certainly had reason to be upset, because the number of Foundation Establishment Pills was extremely limited. If Foundation Establishment cultivators could also exchange for them, what would these Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators use to compete with those at the Foundation Establishment Stage?

Foundation Establishment cultivators could do nothing all year and still receive several hundred clan contribution points, while Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators worked tirelessly for a year and might only earn half of that.

All clan members knew that after Zhou Guangxiang used one Foundation Establishment Pill, the clan only had two pills remaining. Moreover, the news that the Zhou family would not participate in the next "Foundation Establishment Conference" was no longer a secret.

In this situation, Zhouyang and the others still came up with such a plan. How do you expect those Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators to be content?

"What? Do you all feel this is very unfair? Are you feeling dissatisfied?"

In the council hall atop Jade Spring Peak, Zhouyang looked at the clan members whose expressions showed dissatisfaction after the old clan leader Zhou Minghan announced the new rules, and he calmly articulated what they were thinking.

He looked at them and spoke lightly, "Indeed, if I were one of you right now, I too would be dissatisfied with this clan rule!"

"But have you thought about how these Foundation Establishment Pills came to be? Did the clan buy them with spirit stones? Did the clan make them?"

"They did not!"

"They are the Foundation Establishment Pills we earned with our lives!"

"We earned these Foundation Establishment Pills with our lives, yet we don't have the right to exchange for them ourselves. Do you think this is fair?"

"Let me tell you one more thing—if you rely solely on your generation to accumulate contribution points, ninety-nine percent of you will not be able to exchange for Foundation Establishment Pills!"

"Have you considered that if our Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot pass on their contribution points to their descendants for exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills, what will our descendants use to compete for the right to exchange for them against your descendants?"

"It cannot be that the treatment of our Foundation Establishment cultivators' descendants in the clan is lower than those of your Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators' descendants, right?"

"That's all I have to say. Think carefully about my words, reflect deeply on what I have said and see if what I've said makes sense!"

After Zhouyang finished speaking in a clear and cold tone, he did not look at the clan members' reactions to his words but directly flicked his sleeves and left the council hall.

"Although in terms of seniority I am just a junior, I still want to say to everyone that I completely agree with the clan leader's words just now. If we Foundation Establishment cultivators don't even have the authority to exchange Foundation Establishment Pills from the clan, do you think in the future there will be any Foundation Establishment cultivators risking their lives to earn Foundation Establishment Pills? When there's no source of Foundation Establishment Pills, even if you hold tens of thousands of contribution points, who will you exchange them with?"

Zhou Guangxiang, as a staunch supporter of Zhouyang, couldn't help but speak out about his view on today's matter.

His words were even more straightforward than Zhouyang's.

The expressions of the Zhou family cultivators, whose faces were already changing due to Zhouyang's words, changed dramatically upon hearing his slightly threatening remarks.

Though Zhou Guangxiang's words were hurtful, the reasoning was clear.

Even the most foolish person would know the consequences if the Zhou family had no source of Foundation Establishment Pills in the future.

Allowing Foundation Establishment cultivators to partake in exchanging Foundation Establishment Pills, though unfair to Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators, at least still gives them a chance to compete.

But if the Zhou family doesn't even have Foundation Establishment Pills, they won't even have this competitive chance!

The old clan leader Zhou Minghan, who had been silent all this time, let out a long sigh and said: "Ah! As the one involved, it is inconvenient for me to speak on this matter, but I also wish to say to everyone: Foundation Establishment cultivators are the foundation of the clan!"

"Originally, the help the clan could provide Foundation Establishment cultivators was not much. The items we use for cultivation, most are made with our own hands and seized by us. If even Foundation Establishment Pills aren't allowed to be exchanged by Foundation Establishment cultivators, making it impossible for us to benefit our descendants, then what reason do Foundation Establishment cultivators have to protect the clan? To protect you?"