Bai Xianzhong's gaze shifted about, but he remained silent for a long while.
"Chenn'er, Ling'er, you are the clan's most promising young talents. Tell me your thoughts. What treasures should we exchange our points for?"
To think that the Patriarch of the Bai Clan would ask for the opinions of two juniors on such a matter.
Elder Peng, standing to the side, showed an intriguing smile as he quietly watched the scene unfold.
"I think… we should get the Foundation Establishment Pill," Bai Ling said timidly, her eyes darting around nervously. "With the remaining contribution points, we could get a few vials of elixirs."
"I've heard since I was little how rare Foundation Establishment Pills are. Many Cultivation Families are willing to pay a significant premium just to buy one. Now that we have the chance to get one, I don't think we should miss it."
It was impossible to tell if Bai Xianzhong was satisfied with this answer. He continued, "Chenn'er, what is your opinion?"
"If not for Sect Leader Wei's promise, the Foundation Establishment Pill would obviously be our top priority. But as things stand, we can use our contribution points to much greater effect."
'Of course, Bai Zichen coveted the Foundation Establishment Pill greatly. He had never truly considered his uncle's suggestion of attempting Foundation Establishment with only a Spiritual Object to be his first choice.'
'If I had the chance, I'd definitely take a Foundation Establishment Pill to maximize my odds of success.'
'Otherwise, a single failure—even if my body and meridians weren't severely damaged—would mean wasting over a decade of time.'
'Unfortunately, even if they acquired the pill, it wouldn't be for him.'
'It would be at least a decade before he reached the Qi Refining Great Perfection realm.'
'In the meantime, other clan members would surely reach the Qi Refining Great Perfection realm, gather enough contribution points, and claim the right to use the Foundation Establishment Pill.'
'Since that was the case, his desire for the Foundation Establishment Pill diminished greatly.'
'Besides, he had a faint guess as to what the Clan Leader was thinking.'
"Several of our senior clan members under the age of fifty have yet to reach Qi Refining Perfection. Even if we brought a Foundation Establishment Pill back, it would just sit idle in the clan treasury."
"In other words, it would be a waste of a huge amount of contribution points, letting them sit idle instead of being put to good use."
"Besides, a Foundation Establishment Pill is incredibly precious. Storing it in the clan would only attract danger. It might even draw the attention of some audacious Tribulation Cultivators."
Bai Zichen counted on his fingers, laying out the reasons why they shouldn't exchange for the Foundation Establishment Pill one by one.
"In any case, Sect Leader Wei promised our clan that we could purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill within ten years. Why not just raise the Spirit Stones to buy it when someone actually needs it?"
"As for what to get now, we should obviously choose treasures that are hard to find on the open market and can yield immediate results."
"Take this Golden Scale Celestial Dragon Slash, for example. The description says it's the masterpiece of a Tier Two Top-Grade Artifact Refining Master. It was made by refining one hundred and eight scales from a Tier Two Demon Beast, the Soaring Serpent, supplemented with a tael of Western True Gold, creating a powerful Assault Weapon. And because the Soaring Serpent has a trace of Flood Dragon blood, after the master's refining, when fully activated, all the scales fly out and converge into the phantom of a golden Flood Dragon."
"Once the Clan Leader has this Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact, his power will increase dramatically. If he ever runs into Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators like those from a few years ago again, he'll be much better equipped to protect our clan!"
Since none of the treasures on the exchange list were things Bai Zichen could use himself, he focused his recommendations entirely on items that would benefit Bai Xianzhong.
"There are also Tier Two Elixirs like the Great Barrier-Breaking Pill and the Spirit Enhancement Pill. You generally can't find those for sale in the Market, so we should take this opportunity to get as many as we can."
"With the remaining contribution points, we should get those three strands of Pure Yang Gang Sha."
Bai Xianzhong listened patiently to Bai Zichen's long-winded explanation, a gratified smile spreading across his face. "I never knew, Chenn'er, that on top of your outstanding talent, you were also so pragmatic. This theory of yours—that idle resources are wasted resources—did you come up with it yourself? It makes a lot of sense!"
"Elder Peng, we'll take the Golden Scale Celestial Dragon Slash and the three strands of Pure Yang Gang Sha. Convert all the remaining contribution points into Tier Two Elixirs. Give me a bit of each kind."
Bai Xianzhong accepted Bai Zichen's suggestions almost in their entirety. He used the last few hundred contribution points to purchase several Tier Two Talismans, spending every last point.
Pure Yang Gang Sha was, in fact, a type of Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.
A Core Formation Ancestor from a previous generation of the Qingfeng Sect had discovered an Earth Evil Yin Vein within Black Mountain. Using profound means, he relocated it to the sect's Mountain Gate and cast an Exotic Fire into it to burn the Earth Evil.
Every ten years, a new strand of Pure Yang Gang Sha would form and surge out from a specially prepared qi vent, where it would be collected by Qingfeng Sect cultivators.
It would then be purified using a special technique by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator before it was considered complete.
Pure Yang Gang Sha could be used to temper the physical body and expel impurities. As a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, it could increase the chance of success by ten percent.
Unfortunately, Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects and Foundation Establishment Pills were mutually exclusive and could not be used at the same time.
Since they weren't getting the Foundation Establishment Pill, acquiring three strands of Pure Yang Gang Sha was the next best thing.
To be honest, for the vast majority of Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivators, the most they could hope to prepare for their breakthrough attempt to Foundation Establishment was a single Spiritual Object.
Take his uncle, Bai Jiu'an, for example. His dream had been for two generations of their family to work hard enough to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, just to secure a sliver of a chance for Bai Zichen to reach Foundation Establishment.
After all the treasures were exchanged, Elder Peng rolled up the scroll, bluntly called over a passing steward, and had the three members of the Bai Family escorted out of the Mountain Gate.
On the ride back to the clan, seated atop the large gourd, Clan Leader Bai Xianzhong readily fulfilled his earlier promise.
"I told you before we left that I would give you an additional reward based on the value of what we received from the Qingfeng Sect."
"So, proportionally, Ling'er will receive two hundred extra clan contribution points, and Chenn'er will get one thousand. When you get back, take this writ from me and go pick out something useful from the clan repository."
Bai Zichen did a quick calculation. 'I haven't even completed a single clan mission, yet I already have two thousand clan contribution points to my name.'
'I guess that makes me the richest of the Bai Family's younger generation!'
"There are a few more things I need to address now. After we return, I'll be entering a period of secluded cultivation."
"Regarding the matter of joining the Qingfeng Sect, I want you both to go back and think it over carefully. Don't worry about the clan's opinion. If you can truly establish yourselves in the Qingfeng Sect and become True Disciples, it will bring nothing but benefits to the Bai Family. However, if you fail, it's like rowing a boat against the current. You won't even be able to go back to being a clan cultivator with the freedom you have now."
"You have about five years, so there's no need to rush. Think it through carefully before you decide."
Bai Xianzhong's gaze swept over the two of them, and he spoke with a heavy, solemn tone.
"Also, regarding our right to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill, you two must be tight-lipped when you return. When I emerge from my seclusion, I don't want to hear a single rumor about it within the clan!"
"In ten years, I will buy that Foundation Establishment Pill!"
"Chenn'er, we earned the right to this Foundation Establishment Pill because of you, so I will hold it for two years after I acquire it. During that time, you will have the first right of exchange. But if you fail to meet the requirements after those two years, I will choose another clan member. You need to be clear on that."
Bai Zichen took a deep breath, feeling a sudden, heavy pressure. "I understand your instructions, Patriarch."
Behind them, Bai Ling clenched her fists. A look of determination appeared on her face as she silently spurred herself on.
'Just because I'm behind now doesn't mean I can't compete for that Foundation Establishment Pill in twelve years!'