251: Chapter 251 Thunder Spear Contract

Inside the secret chamber, countless Spirit Stones began to glow with light.

The moment Ye Tianyao's blood touched the cold body of the shocking thunder spear, it was instantly devoured by the Thunder-Patterned Profound Iron, leaving not even a trace behind.

In the next second, an unprecedented sharp pain, like tens of thousands of thunder needles, suddenly surged from his fingertips into his four limbs and hundred bones, frantically stabbing deep into his Meridians and Dantian.

Ye Tianyao's entire body trembled, his youthful face instantly turning as pale as paper. His forehead was immediately covered in bean-sized cold sweat that rolled down his jawline and hit the Spirit Stones on the floor, splashing with tiny bits of blue light.

It was not the pain of the flesh, but the extreme agony of the Spiritual Veins being forcibly torn apart and then washed and reshaped over and over by the power of thunder. It felt as if every bone in his body was being broken and reforged, and every inch of his flesh trembled under the searing heat of the lightning.

He gritted his teeth tightly, his lower lip bitten until threads of blood seeped out. His hand, which had been clutching the corner of his clothes, suddenly let go and uncontrollably grabbed the shaft of the shocking thunder spear, his knuckles turning blue and white from the force, even trembling slightly.

"Hold on! Circulate the Mind-Cultivation Technique, follow the guidance of the Spiritual Qi, and completely sink your mind and spirit into the spear's body!"

Ye Jing's expression was solemn as he continuously channeled Spiritual Qi from his palm into his grandson's body to protect his fragile heart vessels and Dantian, shouting in a deep voice.

"Only if your mind does not scatter will the contract be formed! If you shrink back now, not only will your Spiritual Veins be completely destroyed, but you will also have no possibility of ever becoming a Cultivator in this life!"

In his ears were his grandfather's urgent exhortations, and before his eyes was the shocking thunder spear, flickering with tiny sparks of thunder.

Ye Tianyao's vision darkened in waves, and the intense pain almost devoured his consciousness. He thought of the dream of becoming a Cultivator that he had hidden in the depths of his heart for countless days and nights.

He could not retreat!

"Argh—!"

The youth's long-suppressed roar broke through his throat, carrying heart-wrenching pain, yet also hiding an unyielding tenacity.

He closed his eyes tightly. According to the mnemonics of the True Scripture of Fate-Defying Root Transformation, he forced his scattering mind to hold on, condensing all his will into a single point and pinning it firmly onto the thunder patterns of the shocking thunder spear.

The Spiritual Qi in the room continuously poured into his body, as if helping him wash away the pain, as he held his breath and concentrated on circulating the Spiritual Qi within him.

After an unknown amount of time, the thunder light in the room gradually faded, and the Spirit Stones in the secret chamber also grew dim.

Ye Tianyao slowly opened his eyes. His originally clear pupils now held a few faint traces of lightning, and even his aura had become increasingly sharp.

He looked down at the shocking thunder spear in his hand. The thunder patterns on the shaft were restrained and not flashing; it felt warm to the touch, exuding a sense of submissiveness towards its master.

"Grandfather! I... I succeeded! I can become a Cultivator!"

Seeing this, Ye Jing's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. He stroked his beard and laughed loudly, his eyes full of relief and pride.

"Good! Good! As expected of a lad of my Ye Family! From this day forward, this shocking thunder spear is your symbiotic Spiritual Artifact.

You shall grow alongside it, defy heaven to change your fate, and bring glory to my Ye Family!"

Ye Tianyao gripped the shocking thunder spear tightly, feeling the surging Spiritual Qi crashing through his body, and he made a silent vow in his heart.

In the future, he would definitely Cultivate diligently and not fail his grandfather's expectations!

After letting Ye Tianyao step onto the path of cultivation, Ye Jing, despite his busy schedule, did not forget to give him pointers on cultivation methods to help him master them.

Next, Ye Jing assigned tasks to the fifty-odd Cultivator Retainers who had come to seek refuge with him.

Ye Jing screened out all the talented individuals among these Cultivators who were skilled in Alchemy, Talisman-making, and Artifact Refining, and placed them all under the unified management of Wu Guiyun and Liu Xianglan.

He specifically allocated the Family's exclusive Spirit Medicine shop and its supporting workshops, as well as designated a specific cultivation area.

He provided this group of Cultivators with basic Materials such as Spiritual Plants, Ore, Pill Furnaces, and artifact embryos, allowing them to focus on refining Spirit Medicine, forging Spiritual Artifacts, and drawing Talismans.

This group of Cultivators did not need to participate in Family chores; they only needed to concentrate on honing their skills and steadily producing finished products. This would both fill the gap in the Family's cultivation resources and allow for external trade to exchange for scarce Materials, becoming the Family's "logistics granary."

For the Cultivators with powerful Physical Bodies, those skilled in aggressive close combat, and those proficient in defensive Formations, Ye Jing handed them all over to the Family expert Ye Yi to lead. They were given full responsibility for guarding core areas such as the Family residence, spiritual fields, and medicine gardens.

This guard team worked in day and night shifts, checking for internal and external hidden dangers and resisting enemy incursions.

At the same time, they were responsible for maintaining internal order within the Family, putting an end to private duels among Retainers and violations of discipline, ensuring that the Ye Family's base was as solid as a fortress so that other Family members could Cultivate and manage businesses in peace.

The remaining Cultivators, who were agile, skilled in tracking and prospecting, and proficient in hunting Yao Beasts, were assigned to Ye Xuan's command.

Ye Jing gave this team clear instructions: first, to go deep into the surrounding mountains and forests to prospect for Spiritual Ore, Spiritual Veins, and Spiritual Plant production sites, reporting the coordinates to the Family to stockpile raw cultivation Materials.

Second, to regularly hunt low-to-mid-tier Yao Beasts to obtain precious Materials such as Beast Cores, hides, and Yao cores, which could be used for the Family's cultivation or as hard currency for trade.

Third, to investigate the movements of surrounding forces and send back intelligence in a timely manner to avoid potential risks.

To standardize management and stimulate the enthusiasm of all the Cultivator Retainers, Ye Jing specifically established a Mission Hall within the Family.

It served as the core institution for overall coordination and clear rewards and punishments.

The Mission Hall was manned by dedicated staff and updated various Family missions daily, covering multiple categories such as refining medicine and artifacts, guarding duties, external prospecting, Yao Beast hunting, and intelligence gathering.

Each mission was marked with a difficulty Rank and corresponding contribution point rewards.

Cultivators under his command could freely accept missions based on their own cultivation level and areas of expertise. After completion, they could use their mission certificates to exchange for Contribution Points at the Mission Hall.

Contribution Points were not just for show; they could be used to exchange for various cultivation resources in the Family treasury.

Whether it was low-to-mid-tier Cultivation Techniques, Spirit Pills and medicines, Spiritual Artifacts and Talismans, or cultivation secret chambers and the right to use spiritual fields, all could be obtained through Contribution Points.

In this way, it both avoided situations of people just making up numbers or being lazy, and gave the Cultivators a clear goal to strive for, making them willing to serve the Family.

Through Ye Jing's meticulous arrangements,

the fifty-plus Cultivator Retainers completely shed their disorganized state. Each performed their duties and contributed their best, and the Ye Family's cultivation foundation subsequently got on the right track, with its power becoming more stable by the day.

—

Inside the Qingyun Sect.

In a place shrouded in Immortal Qi, Yun Ling listened to the reports from the Disciples he had sent out regarding news of the Ye Family. His expression did not change, and he directly called for Yun Jian.

Yun Jian arrived at the Immortal Cave where Yun Ling was located with a bit of trepidation, and bowed to Yun Ling, saying, "Sect Master, for what matter have you called me?"

Yun Ling asked calmly, "Yun Jian, how much do you know about the Ye Family?"

When this question was asked, Yun Jian's pupils shrank slightly, and he hurriedly bowed, saying, "Sect Master, this Ye Family is a rural Family. The Family head is an old man named Ye Jing. They now seem to be rising rapidly and have even taken the Yan State under their wing. Among them, their Family also seems to be skilled in the art of beast taming."

Yun Ling stood with his back to Yun Jian, hands behind his back, looking at the surging sea of clouds outside the Immortal Cave, his voice flat and without emotion.

"Just a rural Family? Yun Jian, you had some history with this Ye Family before. Why didn't you bring them under our Qingyun Sect?"

Yun Ling suddenly questioned.

Yun Jian quickly said, "This Ye Family was mediocre before; the Family head was only at the Qi Refining Stage. Furthermore, they declined our recruitment. Added to that, since the Ye Family has descendants in our Sect, we..."

Hearing this, Yun Ling remembered the two Geniuses in his Sect, especially Ye Tianhao, who has the best natural talent and is already a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Now the Ye Family is widely recruiting Retainers, and their power has expanded further.

Ever since the Xuanyou Sect slaughtered more than half of the families affiliated with the Qingyun Sect, the Qingyun Sect's power has been weakened. Moreover, the strongest Li Family has converted to the Ling Emperor Xiao Zong, intending to seize the Tiangong Market.

The rise of the Ye Family might be a good thing for the Qingyun Sect, but the prerequisite is that they must join the Qingyun Sect.