78: Sect Shake-Up and "Cooperative" Upgrade

When Wen Youyi and The core five people returned to the Qingxuan Sect with the dozens of rescued Mortals, the sensation they caused was even greater than they had anticipated.

In front of the Mission Hall, there was a sea of people.

When those ragged Mortals, their eyes rekindled with hope, appeared under the escort of Wen Youyi and the others, the entire Outer Sect boiled over. Especially when Wen Youyi handed over the crimson token representing the completion of the mission and several Evil Path tokens he had conveniently snatched from the Blood Fiend Cult, the perpetual poker face of the Mission Hall deacon showed a clear look of shock.

"Mission to clear the Blood Fiend Cult outpost... Completion Grade: Grade A Plus!" the deacon announced loudly, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling.

One thousand eight hundred contribution points! Three hundred Karma points! Any one Sect Magical Artifact of your choice!

These generous rewards were like a giant boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

"Grade A Plus! They actually did it!"

"Five people destroyed a cult outpost and saved so many people? Is this Wen Youyi a monster?"

"I heard he held the rear alone, blocking dozens of evil cultivators and remaining unscathed! He used a type of Domain never seen before!"

"The Mutual Aid Society... it's really going to soar to the heavens now!"

Voices of discussion, amazement, and envy intertwined. All those previous voices of doubt and ridicule vanished, replaced by awe and curiosity. Strength is always the hardest currency in the Cultivation World.

Fire Cloud Child of the Five Elements Courtyard hid behind the crowd, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water, his fists clenched until they cracked. He had originally hoped the Blood Fiend Cult would heavily injure or even eliminate Wen Youyi; he hadn't expected it to become a stepping stone for the other to make a name for himself. Especially that record of "holding off dozens of evil cultivators alone" was like a loud slap to his face.

"Wen! You! Yi!" He squeezed the name out from between his teeth, his eyes overflowing with killing intent, but more so, a sense of powerlessness. He realized that this guy, who seemingly only had a Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivation, had growth speed and methods that were far too bizarre, gradually slipping beyond his control.

Unlike the clamor outside, Wen Youyi himself was exceptionally calm. He politely declined the Mission Hall deacon's suggestion to pick a Magical Artifact immediately, choosing instead to first transfer the contribution points and Karma points into the Mutual Aid Society's public account before quickly leading the core members away from the Mission Hall and back to Ding Zi Courtyard.

"Boss, we're celebrities now!" As soon as they returned to the courtyard, Zhao Iron Pillar couldn't help but wave his fists excitedly. "Did you see that grandson Fire Cloud Child's face? It was like he'd swallowed a dead fly! So satisfying!"

Wang Wu was much calmer: "Fame is a good thing, but also a bad thing. We are now at the center of the storm, with countless eyes watching us. We must act even more carefully from now on."

"Senior Brother Wang is right." Wen Youyi nodded, his face showing little joy. "Although we succeeded in this mission, we also exposed many of our trump cards. The 'Star Evolution Five Elements Domain', the 'Mind Net', and our team's coordination model have likely caught the attention of those with ulterior motives."

He paused and looked at everyone: "Furthermore, our true goal has never been a small Blood Fiend Cult, nor is it to fight for power within the Qingxuan Sect. Our enemy is that invisible 'net' hanging in the sky."

At the mention of 'the net', everyone's expressions turned serious. That was the sword hanging over the head of the entire civilization; compared to that, this bit of turmoil within the Sect was indeed nothing.

"So what should we do now?" Senior Brother Li asked.

"Strike while the iron is hot and upgrade our 'Cooperative'!" Wen Youyi's eyes sparkled. "Before, our strength was weak, so we could only operate on a small scale. Now that we have fame and contribution points, we have the capital to expand!"

He walked to the simple wooden board that read "Mutual Aid Society Development Plan," picked up a charcoal pen, and began writing rapidly.

"First, an upgrade to the organizational structure!" After "War Hall", "Research Hall", and "Agricultural and Labor Hall", Wen Youyi added "Internal Affairs Hall" and "External Liaison Hall".

"The War Hall will still be led by Iron Pillar. We will expand its scale and implement strict screening. They must not only be able to fight but, more importantly, be loyal and reliable, serving as our core military force."

"The Research Hall will be led by Senior Brother Zhang, with increased investment! We need more and more practical 'black technology'! For example, improving the 'Mind Net' relay stations, researching more covert communication methods, developing shielding devices against 'spirit net' detection, and specialized tools for dealing with evil cultivators and cracking Formations!"

Senior Brother Zhang pushed up his non-existent glasses (a habit he had learned from Wen Youyi), the fire of technology burning in his eyes: "No problem! With more resources and contribution points, many ideas that previously only existed on paper can now be attempted!"

"The Agricultural and Labor Hall will continue to be managed by Senior Brother Wang and Senior Brother Li, ensuring our logistics and basic resources. Simultaneously, we will try to promote some of our low-end technologies, such as improved farming tools and simple water purification talismans, on a limited basis. This will both benefit the Low-level Disciples and subtly expand our influence."

Wang Wu and Senior Brother Li nodded and accepted their orders.

"The newly established Internal Affairs Hall will be responsible for member management, contribution auditing, disciplinary supervision, and internal welfare distribution. We must ensure the purity and cohesion of the organization to prevent infiltration. This department needs someone meticulous and impartial." Wen Youyi's gaze swept across them, finally landing on Wang Wu. "Senior Brother Wang, you are meticulous; can you manage both the Agricultural and Labor Hall and the Internal Affairs Hall?"

Wang Wu pondered for a moment before solemnly saying, "I will do my utmost!"

"Finally, the External Liaison Hall." Wen Youyi looked at Senior Brother Li. "Senior Brother Li, you are steady and skilled in social interaction. This department will be responsible for external communication, maintaining contact with friendly forces like the Hundred Herbs Pavilion and Myriad Phenomena Tower, gathering external intelligence, and when necessary, conducting 'public opinion guidance' so others hear what we want them to hear."

Senior Brother Li cupped his hands: "Understood, leave it to me."

"Secondly, technology sharing and talent cultivation!" Wen Youyi wrote down the second point. "We cannot rely solely on the five of us. We must select absolutely loyal and promising core members to gradually teach the improved version of the 'Hibernating Dragon Art'. In the future, when conditions are ripe, we will give them limited exposure to the 'Mind Net' and more advanced knowledge. What we want is a team that can understand our philosophy and fight alongside us, not a group of tools who only know how to follow orders."

This point was a key step toward "Awakening". Being awake alone is painful; only by waking more people can we gather the strength to break through the shackles.

"Finally, resource integration and strategic reserves!" Wen Youyi wrote the third point. "Manage all contribution points and resources centrally, prioritizing technical research and the cultivation of core members. At the same time, we must consciously start collecting information and materials related to ancient ruins, anomalous locations, and anything that might be related to 'the net' or the 'Star Core'. The discovery in the Black Swamp tells us that answers might be hidden in the dust of history."

With the plan written, the development blueprint for the Mutual Aid Society became instantly clear. It was no longer a small-scale mutual aid organization, but a "revolutionary spark" hidden within the Sect with clear goals and a complete structure.

"Haha! With this setup, our 'Cooperative' has really traded its spear for a cannon!" Zhao Iron Pillar grinned broadly, full of drive.

"Youyi, how is your brain wired?" Senior Brother Zhang looked at the wooden board, marveling. "This system is more refined than how many Elders manage their peaks!"

Wen Youyi smiled and said nothing. This was just a slight localization of modern corporate management and community operations. It might still be insufficient for dealing with high-dimensional harvesting, but it was more than enough to perform a dimensionality reduction strike on the primitive management models within the Sect.

Just as everyone was full of ambition and ready to do great things, an announcement came from outside the courtyard.

"Is Junior Brother Wen there? A deacon from the Discipline Hall, by the order of the Elder, requests Junior Brother to come for a talk."

The courtyard instantly fell silent.

Discipline Hall? Summoned by an Elder?

Zhao Iron Pillar's brow furrowed: "What do they want? Looking for trouble?"

Wen Youyi's eyes flickered, and he waved his hand to signal everyone to stay calm.

What must come will come. The commotion caused by this mission was too great for the Sect's higher-ups to remain indifferent any longer.

Whether it was a blessing or a curse, he had to face it.

He straightened his green Daoist robe, his face returning to that harmless, slightly weary expression.

"Let's go and see what instructions the Elders have for us. Perhaps... they are here to send us an 'East Wind'."

(End of Chapter)