"This Foundation Establishment Pill was purchased with the accumulated wealth of the family over several decades. Even the clan leader was severely injured because of it, and several ninth-level Qi Refinement elders of the Chang generation fell while protecting it.
If the Sixth Elder fails to break through, it will be a devastating blow to the already struggling Chen family."
Sure enough, after a long silence, the Third Elder finally spoke.
"Qingmeng emerged from seclusion yesterday."
"He failed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage..."
As soon as Chen Qinghao finished speaking, many people in the hall turned pale. Even though they had anticipated this outcome, hearing it confirmed was still hard to accept.
The seventh grand-uncle, Chen Changqing, who was already 107 years old, felt his head spin as a surge of blood rushed to his head. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot. (And... no, it's not an elder but an uncle, so no mistakes here. He is from the "Chang" generation, same as the clan leader)
"Seventh grand-uncle!"
"Seventh grand-uncle!"
The scene descended into chaos as everyone hurriedly stabilized his vital energy and sent him to his residence.
It took an entire hour for the group to return to the Clan Affairs Hall. By then, everyone looked pale, their expressions uneasy and unsettled.
Chen Qingmeng's failure to reach Foundation Establishment was a massive blow to the Chen family. Their misfortune seemed endless.
Purchasing the Foundation Establishment Pill had already stretched their resources to the limit. To protect it, several ninth-level Qi Refinement elders from the Chang generation had lost their lives, and even the clan leader had been gravely injured.
Now, with Chen Qingmeng's failure, it meant the Chen family would not have the ability to acquire another Foundation Establishment Pill for at least the next thirty years.
Without the capacity to secure a Foundation Establishment Pill, the family would lack enough powerful cultivators to maintain their influence. Their revenue would plummet by nearly half. For the Qing and Nian generations of Chen family cultivators, this was a monumental setback.
The Chen family now faced the very real possibility of falling into decline and disappearing from the cultivation world entirely.
The group exchanged glances, their throats dry, their hearts heavy with despair. The Third Elder, Chen Qinghao, scanned the room before breaking the silence.
"Even with the assistance of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the chances of success are only about 40%. Qingmeng's failure, while unfortunate, is not unexpected."
"Let us set this matter aside for now and focus on assessing the current state of the family."
The Third Elder, having abandoned any hope of Foundation Establishment after being injured many years ago, had devoted himself to managing the family's affairs, which he did with remarkable skill.
Under his stewardship, the family had seen some improvements in recent years. Yet this disaster had undone all their progress. His expression turned bitter as he continued.
"To purchase the Foundation Establishment Pill, we took out a loan of 8,000 spirit stones. The longer we delay repayment, the bigger the hole in our finances will grow. We must repay it as soon as possible."
"The family's annual expenditures are also significant. Qi Refinement early-stage cultivators receive an annual stipend of two spirit stones, mid-stage cultivators five spirit stones, and late-stage cultivators ten spirit stones."
"The clan leader's annual stipend is 300 spirit stones, and each elder receives 30. Currently, the family has 106 cultivators, and the total annual expenditure amounts to about 937 spirit stones."
The Third Elder cleared his throat before continuing.
"Now, let's talk about the family's revenue."
"Our main sources of income are Five Elements Essence, the seventeen acres of spirit fields on the mountain, Linghu Isle and the profits from several shops in Yuyang Market."
As the Third Elder elaborated, Elian gained his first clear understanding of the family's situation. It was his first time attending such a meeting since entering the family's upper echelon.
Among these revenue sources, the Five Elements Essence was the most stable.
As the name implies, Five Elements Essence is the pure elemental energy refined by cultivators with Five Elements spiritual roots.
This treasure is highly valuable to higher-level cultivators as it can enhance the quality of their natal artifacts. As such, it is a hard currency comparable to spirit stones.
The Chen family's more than one hundred Qi Refinement cultivators produce approximately 600 strands of Five Elements Essence annually, which, when sold, yield about 120 spirit stones.
In addition to the Five Elements Essence, the family's seventeen acres of spirit fields, which have been cultivated for centuries, produce spiritual herbs with an average annual value of over 150 spirit stones.
The three shops in Yuyang Market, which sell pills and spiritual tools, bring in about 220 spirit stones annually.
Originally, the Chen family had five shops in Yuyang Market, but two were sold at a low price to raise funds for the Foundation Establishment Pill, resulting in a significant loss.
Additionally, the family owns Linghu Isle, located 5,000 miles from Qingyuan Mountain. Linghu Isle contains a high-grade first-tier spiritual vein, and the Azure Spirit Fish raised there are a family specialty, generating 80 spirit stones annually.
"Five Elements Essence, the spirit fields on Qingyuan Mountain, Linghu Isle, and the shops in Yuyang Market."
"These four sources combined bring in about 570 spirit stones annually. Including various smaller sources of income, the family's total annual revenue is now less than 600 spirit stones."
When the Third Elder finished speaking, everyone's faces turned grim. This income wasn't even enough to cover the family's stipends, let alone repay the 8,000-spirit-stone loan.
The Fifth Elder, Chen Qingwan, couldn't help but ask, "Two years ago, our revenue exceeded 1,300 spirit stones. Why has it dropped so much this year?"
The Third Elder shook his head. "The family's 10% stake in the Daqingshan mine was mortgaged for 12,000 spirit stones last year, reducing our annual income by 300 spirit stones."
"Additionally, the clan leader's severe injuries and the loss of seven ninth-level Qi Refinement elders mean we lack the manpower to continue the Five Elements Essence trade with Tianxu Mountain. This will result in another annual loss of 300 spirit stones."
"These two factors alone have reduced our annual income by 600 spirit stones. On top of that, we now have two fewer shops in Yuyang Market."
Elian felt a tightness in his chest as he listened.
The Daqingshan mine was a micro-scale spirit stone mine discovered thirty years ago. Six prominent families in Yu County jointly developed it. The Chen family had invested 20,000 spirit stones and significant manpower to secure a 10% stake.
Over the past thirty years, the mine had generated over 9,000 spirit stones in profits for the Chen family. However, last year, the family sold the mine's income rights for the next 45 years in exchange for 12,000 spirit stones.
This deal meant the Chen family would lose 300 spirit stones annually for the next 45 years.
The Five Elements Essence trade with Tianxu Mountain was one of the rare ways low-level cultivators could earn spirit stones from high-level cultivators.
Daoist Jiang of Tianxu Mountain, a powerful rogue cultivator, lacked the support of a large sect and thus relied on low-level cultivators to supply him with Five Elements Essence for refining his natal artifact. This demand was why he sold rare pills like the Foundation Establishment Pill to raise spirit stones.
In Yu County, there were thousands of low-level cultivators. However, with Tianxu Mountain located over 100,000 miles away and the journey fraught with danger, few were willing to undertake the trip for a handful of spirit stones.
Thus, the Five Elements Essence trade emerged. Each year, one of Yu County's six major families would purchase Five Elements Essence from the local cultivators, organize a caravan, and sell it to Daoist Jiang, earning a profit margin in the process.