Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Reforming the Clan

"First and foremost, we need to reform how clan welfare offerings are handled. We plan to introduce clan contribution points within our clan. Each low-grade spirit stone can be exchanged for 1 contribution point from the clan, and from now on, clan welfare offerings will be distributed in contribution points instead of spirit stones. Additionally, there will be an age limit for receiving welfare offerings, with only clan cultivators aged twenty and above annually receiving contribution points corresponding to their cultivation level."

"As for the role of contribution points, they are primarily used for the following: firstly, to exchange for treasures and materials within the clan’s treasure vault; secondly, to offset clan tasks; thirdly, to request our three Foundation Establishment Cultivators for artifact refining, alchemy, or even magical combat."

"Contribution points can be obtained from the following sources: firstly, through clan welfare distributions; secondly, through donations of treasures; thirdly, by completing clan tasks; fourthly, through transactions and exchanges among clan members; fifthly, through exchanging spirit stones with the clan."

"The second matter concerns setting up a clan birth incentive fund. Given the severe shortage of clan cultivators, after discussion with my father and great-grandfather, we have decided to loan the clan five thousand spirit stones from our own pockets to set up this birth incentive fund."

"For any Zhou Family cultivator who gives birth to a low-grade spiritual root descendant, starting from the child’s birth, they will receive an extra 15 spirit stones annually for twenty years. If they have a middle-grade spiritual root descendant, they will receive 30 extra spirit stones annually. If they have a top-grade spiritual root descendant, they will receive 50 extra spirit stones annually. The more births, the more rewards, with no upper limit!"

"The third matter concerns establishing special contribution rewards. From now on, any Zhou Family cultivator, regardless of having Zhou Family bloodline or not, who can surrender any discovered unclaimed spirit vein or ore vein, Tier Three and above spirit fruit trees and spirit wood, Tier Three and above rare spirit elixirs, demon beast cubs with tameable value, Tier Three and above pill formulas, and Tier Three and above senior cultivator inheritances to the clan, will receive, besides the corresponding clan contribution points, appropriate special contribution points."

"Special contribution points are awarded by the Clan Leader and Supreme Elder based on the actual value of the treasures surrendered by clan members. These special contribution points can only be transferred among direct relatives. Any cultivator accumulating over ten thousand special contribution points, regardless of their spiritual root talent, may consume ten thousand points to exchange one Foundation Establishment Pill from the clan. This exchange right has the highest priority, and no one may interfere or obstruct for any reason."

Shock!

Speechless!

Although the Zhou Family cultivators present had mentally prepared themselves upon hearing Zhouyang talk about reforming the clan’s rules, they were still taken aback when he announced the exact reforms he intended to implement.

"Clan Leader, is the third reform you mentioned really true? Can a low-grade spiritual root cultivator truly exchange a Foundation Establishment Pill from the clan?"

The first person to stand up excitedly and ask was none other than Zhou Family’s Third Elder, Zhou Xuanlin, who had cultivated to the Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivation with low-grade spiritual root talent.

With low-grade spiritual root talent, even in major sects and prominent families like the Yellow Sand Sect and Chen Family, usually, one is destined to have no connection with Foundation Establishment Pills.

Sects and families would never give a precious Foundation Establishment Pill for a low-grade spiritual root talent cultivator to consume unless that person made a massive contribution to the sect or was a direct descendant of a Golden Core Ancestor or Purple Mansion Cultivator, who would purchase the pill themselves.

Thus, before Zhouyang proposed using special contribution points to exchange Foundation Establishment Pills, lower-grade spiritual root cultivators in the Zhou Family and almost all cultivation clans never dared to hope they might one day consume a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Since the day they understood the difficulty of establishing a foundation with lower-grade spiritual root talent, they basically had two choices.

One option was to cultivate to the Ninth Layer before sixty or eighty years old, gambling with their life for a one percent chance of success, or to strive to have offspring with middle-grade or above spiritual root talent, then exhaust generations of savings to request the clan to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill.

A typical example was Zhouyang’s father and grandson. Before Zhou Xuanhao established his foundation and before Zhouyang was designated as the clan’s "Foundation Establishment Seed", Zhou Xuanhao and his spouse planned to use their lifetime savings to purchase him a Foundation Establishment Pill.

In reality, if Zhouyang had not been designated as the clan’s "Foundation Establishment Seed", even if they reached the end of their lifespan, they would not have earned the twenty thousand spirit stones needed for the clan’s purchase of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Now, Zhouyang offered lower-grade spiritual root cultivators another choice, one seemingly brighter.

With just ten thousand of those so-called special contribution points, they could exchange one Foundation Establishment Pill from the clan, with the highest priority level!

"Of course it’s true. As long as any of you accumulate enough to have ten thousand special contribution points, even if it’s by robbery, we clan Foundation Establishment cultivators will grab a Foundation Establishment Pill for you!"

Zhouyang looked seriously at Zhou Xuanlin and others, each with an excited expression. He solemnly made a guarantee.

"Then may I ask, Clan Leader, is there a specific conversion standard for special contribution points? For instance, if I donate a Tier Three Lower Grade Array Map to the clan, how many special contribution points would I receive?"

Zhou Xuantai, his left arm empty, also excitedly stood up and asked the question he held within.

Zhouyang was evidently prepared for such queries; upon hearing, he promptly replied: "A Tier Three Lower Grade Array Map holds the same value as a Tier Three Lower Grade Pill Formula, according to our regulations, donating such treasures rewards you with 1000 clan contribution points, plus a bonus of 500 special contribution points!"

Just as he finished, Zhou Family’s 17th ranked Zhou Xuanzhao promptly stood to ask: "And what if it’s a Tier Two Lower Grade Demon Beast Golden Rabbit cub? How should the living creature be converted?"

This Seventeenth Uncle was a Tier One Beast Tamer himself; Zhouyang was unsurprised by his question and, after brief consideration, answered: "Golden Rabbit fur can make Tier Two Talisman Brushes and is a rare beast; if you can find a pair of male and female Golden Rabbit cubs for the clan, I will ensure you receive 800 special contribution points. If it’s only one, you will only get 200 special contribution points."

With these answers, other Zhou Family cultivators couldn’t help but look at each other, no longer doubting the authenticity of his previous statements.

"Alright, if nobody has objections, this clan reform will officially take effect starting tomorrow."

Zhouyang scanned the attendees, his voice a low murmur, making the final confirmation.

No one objected; the reform he proposed seemed beneficial to everyone, at least for the time being. Opposing such a measure benefiting the entire clan was akin to confronting all clan cultivators—only a fool would object.

"Very well, since there are no objections, the matter is settled."

Zhouyang waited a moment and, seeing no further dissent, made the final verdict.

The outcome of this clan meeting quickly spread throughout the Zhou Family, unsurprisingly sparking heated discussions among clan cultivators.

The focus naturally was the ability to exchange Foundation Establishment Pills with special contribution points. Some cultivators of the ’Xuan’ generation with savings hurriedly approached Zhouyang, the Clan Leader, contributing their treasured possessions to quickly earn some special contribution points.

Those lacking many savings, although unable to obtain special contribution points, turned their attention toward Zhouyang’s established birth incentive fund.

Originally, Zhou Family cultivators would wait until their fifties or sixties to start having descendants; besides retaining Primordial Yang for foundation establishment, the main reason was to avoid the tragedy of parents burying children.

If the descendants lacked spiritual roots, early childbirth would likely result in offspring dying before their parents.

But with the significant gap in the Zhou Family’s cultivator ranks, along with visible benefits from the birth incentive fund, many ’Xuan’ generation cultivators already of or beyond childbearing age wasted no time choosing suitable young women from the Zhou Family’s mortal members to take as concubines, with some taking over ten wives.

Influenced by these elders’ actions, some cultivators of the ’Yuan’ generation, who felt foundation establishment hopeless, couldn’t resist expressing their willingness for concubinage to Zhouyang, the Clan Leader.

In truth, Zhouyang was very much hoping they would do so, as his intent with the birth incentive fund was to encourage numerous descendants from clan cultivators.

However, as Clan Leader, he tried to persuade those brothers and nephews to prioritize cultivation until they were resolute in their decision before permitting them to take concubines and have children.

Of course, certain individuals, especially those under thirty, he absolutely would not approve.

Allowing them concubinage would certainly lead to situations where children die before parents; Zhouyang had no wish to be resented by his nephews for such outcomes.

If the birth incentive fund was Zhouyang’s clever tactic to replenish new blood in the clan’s cultivator ranks, then opening ’Fengyue Tower’ at the clan’s branch at Baisha River Oasis was his committed strategy.

After the clan meeting, his father Zhou Xuanhao led seven Zhou Family Qi Cultivation Stage cultivators along with over three thousand Zhou Family mortals to establish the clan’s branch at Baisha River Oasis.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com