Chapter 77: The Pavilion is Completed, the Dark Night is Glowing
Ye Li's steadily rising status within the sect was like a shot in the arm for the quietly growing Youge. The vast resources and increased authority she brought back provided the nascent organization with unprecedented growth opportunities. During the brief period of peace after her return to the sect, Ye Li devoted most of her energy to the integration and expansion of Youge.
Inside the quiet room of the Yundan Peak courtyard, the faint light cast by the Samsara Mirror illuminated Ye Li's calm and profound face. Thousands of miles away in the Demon Suppression City of the Northern Territory, Lin Feng was respectfully reporting the recent details of Youge through the Sub-Mirror.
"...Thanks to the resources you brought back, Senior Sister Zhihe has successfully refined several batches of 'Spirit Mansion Pills'. While they're only low-grade, the success rate is stable. Some have been sold through covert channels, with excellent response and providing us with a steady income of spirit stones. Sun Xiaohou's intelligence network has initially covered the three major markets surrounding the sect and can also obtain fragmentary information from the northern border. Zhao Xiaoyi's internal channels are operating smoothly. Following your previous instructions, we observed the two external disciples (Zhang Yuan and Li Yun) for six months. They possess calm demeanors, clean backgrounds, and demonstrated their commitment to the group during an unexpected conflict, thus passing the assessment."
Ye Li listened carefully, her fingers tapping lightly on the table. The development of Youge was smoother than she had expected, thanks to Lin Feng's steady management and the efforts of Xia Zhihe and others.
"Well done." Ye Li affirmed, "Now that Zhang Yuan and Li Yun have passed the assessment, they can be officially recruited as core members. I will meet them in person at the usual place at 5 p.m. tomorrow."
"Yes!" Lin Feng's tone was filled with excitement. Youge was finally going to add new blood.
"Next," Ye Li continued to issue instructions, "Youge's development focuses on three aspects."
"First, improve your strength. Lin Feng, you and Zhihe should make breaking through the Spiritual Mansion Realm your primary goal. Spiritual Mansion Pills will be supplied to you two first, supplemented by other resources. You must achieve a breakthrough within a year. Only by reaching the Spiritual Mansion Realm can you truly have a say within the sect, and Youge will have the initial ability to protect itself."
"Secondly, deepen your responsibilities. In addition to refining pills, Zhihe needs to start paying attention to and attempting to collect information on various natural treasures needed to refine the 'Life-defining Magical Treasure', paying particular attention to ice- and space-based materials. Sun Xiaohou's intelligence network needs to develop in a more specialized direction. Not only must they gather information, but they must also learn to analyze and assess it. They must focus on monitoring the core disciples of Zhan Kuangfeng, the movements of the Chiyan Sect in the northern border, and... any leads related to the 'Ice Soul Mysterious Palace' or ancient formations. Zhao Xiaoyi must begin learning basic management and resource allocation knowledge."
"Third, expand cautiously. Temporarily halt the large-scale recruitment of new members. At this stage, we should focus on quality over quantity. After you and Zhihe break through the Spiritual Residence Realm, we can consider the next expansion plan."
Ye Li's strategy was clear: first, strengthen the core team (raising them to the Spiritual Realm), then deepen their professional capabilities, and finally, expand. This was a steady and efficient development path.
"I understand! I will definitely live up to the trust placed in me by the Pavilion Master!" Lin Feng responded solemnly.
The call ended. Ye Li put away her mirror, a flicker of anticipation in her eyes. Lin Feng and Xia Zhihe were both equally talented, and with ample resources, they had a strong chance of breaking through to the Spiritual Realm within a year. If they succeeded, You Pavilion would have two Spiritual Realm core members. With her, a Pavilion Master whose strength far surpassed that of her peers, You Pavilion would truly establish itself within the Xuanyun Sect, establishing initial self-preservation and profitability.
The next day at twilight hour, deep in the bamboo forest, Ye Li once again saw Lin Feng, Xia Zhihe, Sun Xiaohou, Zhao Xiaoyi, and two new members who were a little nervous but had firm eyes: Zhang Yuan and Li Yun.
Zhang Yuan, a resolute young man, was originally an outer disciple of the Instrument Hall. He had reached the middle stage of the Condensing Veins Realm and excelled at refining instruments, particularly in identifying materials. Li Yun, on the other hand, was a thoughtful woman from Danxia Peak. She was in the early stages of the Condensing Veins Realm and possessed a talent for cultivating spiritual plants and analyzing pharmacological properties.
Ye Li's eyes swept over the two of them, and the invisible pressure made Zhang Yuan and Li Yun straighten their backs involuntarily.
"Zhang Yuan, Li Yun," Ye Li said in a cold voice. "Lin Feng has reported your investigation to me. Youge doesn't value empty reputations, only hard work and loyalty. To enter our Youge, you must swear an oath to the inner demon, sharing weal and woe and never betraying. Are you willing?"
"Disciple Zhang Yuan (Li Yun) is willing to swear to join Youge, follow the leader, and never betray him!" The two of them made a vow on the spot without hesitation.
The moment the oath was established, an invisible bond closely connected the six people.
"Okay." Ye Li smiled faintly and took out two Youge tokens and two prepared storage bags and handed them to the two. "This is the Youge token and the welcome gift. From now on, you are the core members of Youge. Zhang Yuan, you will be under Lin Feng's command for the time being, responsible for material identification, weapon maintenance, and assisting Xiao Yi in managing supplies. Li Yun, you will assist Zhi He and be responsible for cultivating spiritual plants and processing raw materials for elixirs."
"I will follow the Pavilion Master's orders!" Zhang Yuan and Li Yun took it excitedly. Feeling the rich resources in the storage bag, their confidence increased.
At this point, the core members of the Youge had grown to six, and the structure had begun to take shape: Pavilion Master Ye Li (core combat force, decision-maker); Chief Deacon Lin Feng (overall management, intelligence analysis); Alchemy Hall Deacon Xia Zhihe (elixir supply, resource mobilization); Information Hall Deacon Sun Xiaohou (intelligence gathering, external liaison); Logistics Deacon Zhao Xiaoyi (internal management, material distribution); and newly added Weapon Hall Preparatory Officer Zhang Yuan (materials, weapons); and Pharmacy Hall Preparatory Officer Li Yun (spiritual plants, pharmacology). A small but elite group with clearly defined responsibilities had officially taken shape.
With the huge resources brought back by Ye Li, Youge began to operate at high speed and low-key like a precision instrument wound up.
Lin Feng and Xia Zhihe had practically entered a semi-secluded state, striving to reach the Spiritual Realm with all their might. With a vast supply of Spiritual Realm Pills and other supporting resources, their cultivation progressed at a breakneck pace.
Sun Xiaohou's intelligence network became more professional. No longer content with hearsay, he began to bribe low-level deacons in key positions, establish secret contact points in the market, and even sent people disguised as independent cultivators to infiltrate some expedition teams to obtain more firsthand and in-depth information. He promptly passed on to Ye Li the news that Zhan Kuangfeng Gao Sheng had recently been frequently visiting the sect's secret vault to exchange for certain fire-related refining materials, as well as the news that an elder from the Red Flame Sect had secretly arrived in a border city.
Zhao Xiaoyi managed internal affairs in an orderly manner, ensuring the efficient flow of resources and the confidentiality of information. Zhang Yuan and Li Yun also quickly settled into their roles. One used his expertise to repair and optimize weapons for Youge members, while the other began to explore the possibility of cultivating a small, hidden medicinal garden in the mountains behind Yundan Peak, cultivating commonly used spiritual herbs.
The Youge even began to make a small profit. The excess elixirs refined by Xia Zhihe and some of the magical instruments repaired by Zhang Yuan quietly flowed out through Sun Xiaohou's channels, and the spirit stones obtained in exchange were then used to feed back into the Youge, forming a preliminary virtuous cycle.
All of this was carried out in complete secrecy. To outsiders, Ye Li had remained secluded after her return, concentrating on cultivation. Her disciples (Lin Feng and others) were mostly in seclusion or busy with sect missions, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Unbeknownst to anyone, a shadowy organization with enormous potential was quietly taking root within the Xuanyun Sect.
Ye Li remotely monitored the development of the Nether Pavilion through the sub-mirror and was quite satisfied with the progress. However, she did not relax her vigilance, knowing that the Nether Pavilion was still fragile and could not withstand major storms. She focused more on her own cultivation and analyzing the information about the Bingpo Xuan Palace ruins.
One day, she was deducing the subsequent changes of the "Star Silence" sword moves when the Youge Order received an encrypted message from Lin Feng. The content made her eyes sharpen instantly:
"Pavilion Master, according to top-secret information obtained by Sun Xiaohou, the sect has already drafted a list of disciples who will explore the ruins of the Ice Soul Mysterious Palace. You are at the top of the core list! However, Situ Kuang of Zhan Kuang Peak strongly objects. Citing the sect's safety, he proposes that all participating disciples undergo a 'Mirror of Heart' inspection to ensure they are not corrupted by demonic energy or possess unknown treasures! This proposal has been echoed by some elders!"
The Mirror of the Heart! That was a special magical weapon of the sect, capable of reflecting the inner thoughts of the cultivators. While it wouldn't reveal all secrets, the presence of the Samsara Mirror and the Star Core posed a great risk!
Situ Kuang's move was truly ruthless! He claimed to be public-spirited, but in reality, he was suppressing the enemy!
A cold glint flashed in Ye Li's eyes. It seemed the exploration of the ruins hadn't even begun, and the hidden struggle had already begun. She had to find a way to deal with this "Mirror of the Heart" situation, otherwise, not only would her opportunity be lost, but her greatest secret might also be exposed.
The initial development of Youge has brought confidence, but the challenges ahead are still severe.
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