Chapter 522: Most Disciplined

Chen Mobai was a person who always clearly distinguished between kindness and resentment.

In the past, during his Qi refining stage, had O Yun not intervened and killed the Nanshan bandits, Chen Mobai would probably not have been able to join the Divine Wood Sect so easily. After joining the sect, O Yun also looked after him exceptionally well. Chen Mobai held all these acts of kindness deeply in his heart.

When both were Foundation Establishment cultivators, they were stationed in different countries, so there was little they could do to help each other. Now that Chen Mobai had formed his Golden Core, he felt he could repay O Yun's kindness.

"If you wish to become the sect leader, I will do my utmost to assist you."

Hearing Chen Mobai's words, O Yun felt an unprecedented surge of emotion from the depths of his heart. In the unfeeling and unjust Eastern Wilderness, to encounter someone as loyal and righteous as Chen Mobai, O Yun truly felt fortunate in his life.

Chen Mobai said, "I've already asked Hong He. His ambition lies in higher realms; he doesn't want to become the sect leader and occupy his cultivation time before hitting a bottleneck in his cultivation." As the universally acknowledged genius in the Divine Wood Sect, second only to Chen Mobai in talent, Hong He's only goal was to form his Golden Core. So when Chen Mobai asked, he expressed his intentions very clearly.

Chen Mobai continued, "Zhou Wangshen, however, is different. He is determined to have the sect leader position. With Senior Brother Zhou's influence, I couldn't say much."

Hearing this, O Yun's expression brightened slightly. "So, I only have one opponent?"

To this, Chen Mobai shook his head. "Although Hong He himself isn't interested in the sect leader position, as Senior Brother Fu's direct disciple, the people from the Hall of Punishments will rally around him to compete for the position. He won't be able to refuse." For Hong He to cultivate to such a realm, besides his outstanding talent, the Hall of Punishments provided significant help. Even if Hong He didn't want it, these people, for their own interests, would push him to compete for the sect leader position.

The current situation was already very clear. The Hall of Divine Wood, the Hall of Punishments, and the Hall of Rewards each supported one person, intending to elevate their own candidate to the sect leader position after Chu Zuochu's abdication. Among them, although Chen Mobai, as a Golden Core cultivator, now wielded immense power, he still had to consider Zhou Shengqing and Fu Zongjue, who were in secluded cultivation.

Although Chen Mobai was confident that he could definitely push O Yun into the sect leader position if he took a strong stance, doing so would sow internal discord, potentially inciting rebellious sentiments among radical individuals from the other two factions. This could become a catalyst for internal strife, especially if the sect faced unfavorable external battles.

"Among the three, your chances of ascending are the lowest, while Hong He's are the highest. However, Zhou Wangshen has repeatedly achieved military merits in the past decade or so, making him the most decorated among the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the sect. With the deep support of the Hall of Divine Wood and the Zhou family, he can certainly contend with Hong He."

In comparison, while O Yun's years of guarding Yun Country and parts of the Yunmeng Marsh markets had significantly increased the sect's spiritual stone resources from those areas, it truly paled in comparison to the achievements of Hong He and Zhou Wangshen.

"Actually, I realized this before and applied to the sect to go to the front lines, but unfortunately, I never received a transfer order from the sect." As O Yun spoke, his expression was gloomy. The Divine Wood Sect's three recent wars did not conscript him, and neither did they conscript Hong He. The reason for this was clear if one thought about it. The Zhou family must have manipulated things, putting their conscription priority at the very bottom. However, at that time, both Hong He and O Yun were only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. On such battlefields, their presence or absence indeed could not determine victory or defeat. Therefore, the Divine Wood Sect's upper echelons, including Chu Zuochu, simply feigned ignorance of the Zhou family's arrangements.

"Acting within the rules, I cannot blame them for anything. For this sect leader election in the Divine Wood Sect, I will only help you within the sect's rules. I will not break the rules for you; the consequences would be too great." Chen Mobai would not forget his ideal: to gradually improve the Eastern Wilderness using the rules of the Immortal Sects, transforming it into a minor Immortal Sect. And the core of an Immortal Sect was a strict legal framework.

O Yun asked, "Then how can I compete with the two Senior Brothers?"

Chen Mobai replied, "I've thought long and hard, but I can't figure out a way to elevate you to their level in a short time." Hearing Chen Mobai's words, O Yun couldn't help but give a bitter smile, feeling that he had no hope.

"Therefore, I've decided to help you delay it for another twenty years. If twenty years aren't enough, then sixty years, a hundred years, until your cultivation and achievements can rival or even surpass those of Hong He and Zhou Wangshen." Just as O Yun, with a look of regret, raised his wine cup, preparing to drown his sorrows, Chen Mobai's words made his eyes widen in surprise.

What did this mean?

The Zhou family. As Zhou Shengqing's family, though always low-key, they were the undisputed foremost family in the Divine Wood Sect. Besides the family itself having five Foundation Establishment cultivators, at least half of the Foundation Establishment cultivators across the three halls and twelve departments had received favors from either Zhou Shengqing or the Zhou family. These individuals, in turn, extended their networks outwards, creating a dense web of connections that almost encompassed the entire Divine Wood Sect. Just considering that the Divine Wood Sect's two previous sect leaders, Meng Hong and Chu Zuochu, were both disciples of Zhou Shengqing, one could imagine the true depth of the Zhou family's influence.

It was precisely for this reason that Zhou Wangshen had always been full of confidence about becoming the Divine Wood Sect's leader. What if Hong He's cultivation was higher? His contributions to the sect were meager and simply couldn't compare to Zhou Wangshen, who had faced life-and-death situations in Yan Country. Although the news of Chu Zuochu's abdication was very sudden, the Zhou family still formulated a series of plans for Zhou Wangshen to compete for the sect leader position in the shortest possible time. The only variable in this plan was the Golden Core Ancestor. With Zhou Shengqing in secluded death cultivation, if Fu Zongjue and Chen Mobai didn't agree, even if all three halls and twelve departments supported Zhou Wangshen, it would be difficult for him to legitimately become the sect leader.

"Will Ancestor Fu personally intervene for his disciple?" Zhou Junzhi, a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Zhou family, asked with some concern.

"No, as long as we don't go too far and win the election fair and square, Ancestor Fu won't sacrifice his dignity for Hong He." Although Golden Core cultivators possessed the power to overturn the heavens within the sect, the Divine Wood Sect, after all, had three Golden Cores. Fu Zongjue couldn't dictate everything. Under the prevailing circumstances, he certainly wouldn't lose face just for a mere sect leader position. Zhou Junxian, the Grand Elder of the Zhou family, understood Fu Zongjue very well, as he and Fu Zongjue were equally renowned in the past. Unfortunately, he failed in his Golden Core formation and was left crippled, while Fu Zongjue successfully broke through the tribulation. The two had one of the best senior-junior brother relationships. His analysis of Fu Zongjue received nods of agreement from everyone.

"What about Ancestor Chen then?" The Zhou family didn't know much about this newly advanced Golden Core Ancestor of the Divine Wood Sect. Although they had heard of his reputation as an unparalleled sword dao genius, they believed that if he were to form his Golden Core, he would at least have to wait until after Chu Zuochu. The Zhou family thought they had enough time to cultivate a good relationship with him. Who would have thought that in just over twenty years, before the Zhou family's Foundation Establishment cultivators had even focused their attention on Chen Mobai, he had suddenly gone out and successfully formed his Golden Core? That was too fast!

"When I was in Yan Country, I repeatedly followed Ancestor Chen into life-or-death situations, so I have a good understanding of his character. Ancestor Chen values rules the most. When marching or arraying troops, anyone who violates his orders is immediately executed without mercy. So, as long as we adhere to the rules, he might even support me becoming the sect leader." Zhou Wangshen spoke. As the youngest Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Zhou family and currently the only direct descendant with a visible Golden Core aura, his words carried weight second only to the Grand Elder.

"If that's the case, all the better." The other Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Zhou family all nodded in agreement, feeling that Zhou Wangshen becoming the sect leader was a sure thing.

Time quickly arrived at the day of the Sect Assembly. Besides the high-ranking members of the three halls and twelve departments, all Foundation Establishment cultivators remaining in Gigantic Tree Ridge who were not in secluded death cultivation were summoned by the sect leader's decree. A total of forty-two Foundation Establishment cultivators sat solemnly and respectfully behind their respective tables, waiting.

After Chu Zuochu, as the sect leader, completed his bow towards the three Immortal Lifelong Trees, everyone stood up and shouted after him. "We respectfully welcome the Ancestors' arrival!"

Two vast spiritual lights illuminated from two of the Immortal Lifelong Trees. In a very short time, they soared into the sky, approached from a distance, descended above the Divine Wood Hall, and then directly entered the hall. As the spiritual light dispersed, a majestic young man and a refined youth appeared. They were none other than Fu Zongjue and Chen Mobai!

"Greetings, Ancestors!" Facing the profound bows of the forty-two Foundation Establishment cultivators below, Chen Mobai gestured to Fu Zongjue to proceed. The latter, without hesitation, instructed Chu Zuochu to begin today's Sect Assembly.

"The sect's war with Yan Country has depleted our spiritual stone reserves; all departmental budgets need to be cut...""The Alchemy Department is preparing to refine demonic beast Foundation Establishment Pills, and many auxiliary ingredients need to be purchased from various families in the Eastern Wilderness. If the budget is cut, the pills cannot be refined. Cut other departments' budgets; the Alchemy Department cannot be cut...""Our Spiritual Plants Department has responded to Ancestor Chen's call over the past twenty years, reclaiming barren land to cultivate spirit rice. Currently, our manpower is far from enough to tend to the medicinal and spiritual fields. We need a large amount of spiritual stones to hire sect disciples to manage the spiritual plants on our behalf. If the budget is cut, wouldn't that jeopardize Ancestor Chen's grand plan for spirit rice? This is absolutely unacceptable...""The Puppet Department is repairing Ancestor Fu's Purple Sun Puppet...""The Spirit Beast Department...""The Body Tempering Department..."

As the Sect Assembly commenced, Luo Xue'er, the Deputy Head of the Hall of Rewards, who managed the sect's spiritual stone treasury, was the first to stand up. Following what she had reported to Chen Mobai the previous night, she proposed a plan for internal austerity. However, as soon as she finished speaking, her proposal was met with resistance from almost all departments. Furthermore, the reasons given either cited the sect's overall interests or involved the two Ancestors sitting above. The implication, both explicit and implicit, was that their budgets could not be cut.

"I implore both Ancestors to understand. The sect's treasury only has enough spiritual stones for six months of distribution. We estimate a deficit for three and a half years before we can recover from commercial and mining operations and achieve financial balance." Normally, a proposal collectively opposed by all departments would simply be rejected. However, Luo Xue'er persistently brought the matter before the two Golden Core Ancestors. To check the power of the three halls and twelve departments, a rejected proposal could be brought to the Ancestors' attention. Yet, since the Divine Wood Sect's founding, no one had ever done so. Everyone had an unspoken understanding to keep matters within limits that wouldn't trouble the Golden Core Ancestors. Luo Xue'er's actions now clearly indicated that the Hall of Rewards' spiritual stones had indeed run out, and she was truly out of options.

Chen Mobai, seated on the right side of the upper seat, asked, "Within the sect, apart from spiritual stones, what other resources are abundant?"

Luo Xue'er replied, "Thanks to Ancestor Chen's grand plan for spirit rice, our warehouses are currently filled with various kinds of spirit rice."

Chen Mobai stated, "Add a rule to the sect's regulations: if one chooses to receive spirit rice instead of annual spiritual stone stipends, an additional ten percent will be given as compensation." As soon as these words were uttered, everyone naturally passed it with a unanimous vote. Chu Zuochu, having received Chen Mobai's hint, then, as the sect leader, set an example by deciding to forgo his entire year's stipend to help the sect overcome its difficulties. As soon as he spoke, those below stared daggers at him. If looks could kill, Chu Zuochu would have been pierced through.

"This disciple is also willing to give up this year's spiritual stones." The second person to speak was Zhou Wangshen. Then the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Zhou family followed suit, their expressions excited, stating that not just one year, but even the next three years would be fine. The remaining Foundation Establishment cultivators finally understood why they had been summoned, but at that moment, they could only reluctantly express their agreement. After this round of declarations, out of the forty-two Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Divine Wood Hall, only six remained unmoved, acting as if they hadn't heard.

Chen Mobai and Fu Zongjue exchanged glances, nodded, and then Chen Mobai spoke, "All of you junior nephews have risked life and death for the sect; how can we ask you to spend more? Let's issue IOUs for the spiritual stones for now. Once the sect recovers, you can redeem them." As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the six Foundation Establishment cultivators who hadn't spoken subtly changed. But before they could defend themselves, Chu Zuochu had already brought up the matter of abdicating as sect leader.

"This disciple wishes to attempt Golden Core formation. I request both Ancestors' approval." This had been the reason for the abdication of two successive sect leaders of the Divine Wood Sect, and it was precisely why Foundation Establishment cultivators aiming for Golden Core formation would aspire to become sect leader.

"Approved!" Fu Zongjue nodded.

"Reporting to both Ancestors, after this disciple abdicates, the sect cannot be without a master for even a day. Zhou Wangshen, stationed in Xiao Country, is young and promising, with outstanding merits. He can succeed this disciple as sect leader!" As Zhou Shengqing's disciple, Chu Zuochu, at the last moment, still intended to repay the Zhou family's favor by recommending Zhou Wangshen as sect leader. As soon as he spoke, more than half of the people—including many Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Divine Wood Hall, the Zhou family, and the Alchemy Department, among others—supported Zhou Wangshen. Witnessing this scene, Quan Shanlin, the Deputy Head of the Hall of Punishments, who had originally intended to nominate Hong He to compete with Zhou Wangshen, couldn't help but sigh, feeling that the tide had turned.

"After all, Junior Nephew Zhou is still a bit too young. I believe there's someone more suitable to become sect leader in the current situation of our sect." Suddenly, Chen Mobai spoke. Fu Zongjue, listening from the side, subtly changed his expression, wondering whether to stop Chen Mobai from being too forceful. Yet, the latter stood up and walked to the sect leader's position.