Chapter 12: The Contract

Upon arriving at the destination!

Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao stared at the empty mountain peak before them, eyes wide, feeling somewhat bewildered.

In Ye Qingxuan's mind, his habitual imagination suggested that an Ancestor should live in a luxurious palace; how could one reside on such a small mountain peak?

Furthermore, there weren't even any signs of habitation on this mountain.

Despite his doubts, Ye Qingxuan did not speak up to ask.

Since they had already entered the inner territory of the Xuantian Sect, it was better to be cautious. If his questions were overheard by their Ancestor and left a bad impression, it would be disastrous.

Ye Yuhong paid no mind to their small gestures. After landing, he bowed respectfully.

Seeing this, Ye Qingxuan hurriedly led Ye Qingxiao to bow in the same direction as Ye Yuhong.

After bowing, Ye Yuhong produced a jade talisman, activated it with his spiritual power, and shouted loudly

"Ancestor, the current head of the Ye Family, Ye Yuhong, leads the family disciples to seek an audience with the Ancestor!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the space not far in front of the three fluctuated, and a cave dwelling suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Simultaneously, a boisterous voice drifted out from within

"Hahaha, little Yuhong, there's no need for all this formality. Everyone, come in!"

Hearing the Ancestor's words, Ye Yuhong's old face flushed red. After a light cough, he regained his composure and calmly led the strangely-faced Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao into the cave dwelling.

Upon entering, Ye Qingxuan realized that the interior was a whole different world.

The space within the cave dwelling was vast, filled with various exotic flowers and rare herbs, and a spiritual spring flowed within.

The density of spiritual energy inside was a level higher than it was outside.

It was only when they reached the depths of the cave dwelling that Ye Qingxuan saw a middle-aged man dressed in ancient, simple attire, whose outward age was similar to Ye Yuhong's.

Ye Yuhong led Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao to a spot not far from the seated middle-aged man and bowed

"Yuhong pays respects to the Ancestor!"

Following suit, Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao bowed as well

"Qingxuan and Qingxiao pay respects to the Ancestor!"

This middle-aged man was none other than the Ye Family's resident Ancestor in the Xuantian Sect—Ye Zhaoyang, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator and a figure from the previous generation of the Ye Family.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing their titles, Ye Zhaoyang waved his hand dismissively and said unhappily

"Stop calling me 'Ancestor' all the time. In the Ye Family, I am the Ancestor, but in the Xuantian Sect, I am just an ordinary core disciple! If my friends heard you calling me that every few seconds, they'd die of laughter!"

Seeing his Ancestor's displeasure, Ye Yuhong could only persuade him helplessly

"Ancestor, etiquette must be observed. Besides, you truly are our Ancestor!"

Seeing Ye Yuhong's persistence, Ye Zhaoyang found himself caught between laughter and tears, finally compromising

"Fine, just don't address me like that in front of my friends."

Then, Ye Zhaoyang turned his gaze toward Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao behind Ye Yuhong, his eyes filled with confusion

"Wasn't there only one slot for a Blessed Cultivator? Why did you bring two people?"

Facing his Ancestor's confusion, Ye Yuhong pulled Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao forward to introduce them

"Ancestor, this is Ye Qingxuan, the disciple selected from the clan to receive the Blessed Cultivator slot. This is Ye Qingxiao; he possesses high-grade five-element spiritual roots and is the most talented member of the Ye Family in recent centuries. I wish for him to join the Xuantian Sect for cultivation."

Hearing this, Ye Zhaoyang's gaze swept past Ye Qingxuan and landed on Ye Qingxiao, his eyes brightening with joy

"Excellent. With your talent of five-element spiritual roots and the cultivation environment of the Xuantian Sect, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is only a matter of time. You might even have a chance to glimpse the Deity Transformation stage!"

"Thank you for your kind words, Ancestor. I will have to rely heavily on you in the Sect in the future!"

Although Ye Qingxiao was usually easygoing, he was no fool. How could he miss such a golden opportunity? After all, the man was their own Ancestor.

In the Xuantian Sect, having someone to rely on was much better than having no one.

Even if his Ancestor only provided a few surplus resources that he didn't need, it would significantly accelerate his cultivation speed.

Hearing Ye Qingxiao's words, Ye Zhaoyang burst into laughter

"Hahaha!"

This time, he showed no sign of resistance to the title of "Ancestor."

Ye Zhaoyang himself only possessed five-element spiritual roots. As long as he didn't perish, it wasn't difficult for someone with five-element roots to break through to the Nascent Soul stage and become a core disciple in the Xuantian Sect.

Therefore, between the two, Ye Zhaoyang placed more importance on Ye Qingxiao.

After all, a Blessed Cultivator of a first-grade blessed land could hardly bring him much in the way of resources.

One could only say that the potential of a Blessed Cultivator from a small family was too low.

The Ye Family did not have enough surplus resources to cultivate Ye Qingxuan into a high-level Blessed Cultivator. To Ye Zhaoyang, a Blessed Cultivator was like a bottomless pit—too wasteful to invest in, yet too insignificant to bother with.

But a talented clansman was different. The lifespan limit of a Nascent Soul cultivator could reach 3,000 years; he had plenty of time to wait for Ye Qingxiao to grow.

Once Ye Qingxiao broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, as fellow clansmen, they could naturally assist one another.

At that time, whether it was for exploring the outside world or performing sect missions, their safety and chances of obtaining resources would be much higher.

The Xuantian Sect was vast and powerful, but it did not support idlers. The higher the grade of the resources, the higher the requirements for exchange.

Core disciples with mediocre talent like Ye Zhaoyang were everywhere in the Xuantian Sect.

For ordinary disciples with bleak prospects, if they wanted high-grade resources to accelerate their cultivation, they either had to work hard on sect missions or seek opportunities on their own.

Regardless of the choice, the danger of being alone would inevitably increase significantly.

Although Ye Zhaoyang had some old friends in the Sect, those friends were all incredibly shrewd and cunning. How could they be as reliable as a clansman he had raised himself?

After a satisfied inspection of Ye Qingxiao, Ye Zhaoyang turned his gaze to Ye Qingxuan

"Ye Qingxuan? Are you certain you are willing to become a Blessed Cultivator?"

Looking at Ye Zhaoyang's now-tempered smile, Ye Qingxuan felt no resentment regarding the unequal treatment. Instead, he responded respectfully

"To the Ancestor, Qingxuan's mind is made up. I am willing to become a Blessed Cultivator!"

How others treat you depends on the benefits you can bring to them.

Although Ye Zhaoyang was his Ancestor, he was not his parent. Ye Qingxuan was already satisfied that he was even asked for his opinion.

A person's value lies in knowing their place; at this moment, he could not show any prospect of greatness.

Thus, Ye Qingxuan's heart was calm and devoid of dissatisfaction. After all, the Ye Family had already done more than enough for him.

Across from him, Ye Zhaoyang heard the reply. Seeing Ye Qingxuan's composed demeanor, he thought to himself

"This boy has a good temperament. I just wonder how long he can endure the torment of sitting in isolation once he becomes a Blessed Cultivator!"

Seeing that Ye Qingxuan was willing, Ye Zhaoyang spoke no more. He produced a contract and handed it to Ye Qingxuan

"Since you are willing, then sign this contract! According to the previous regulations, excluding the sect's planting tasks, of the extra income from the blessed land, the family takes thirty percent, I take thirty percent, and the remaining forty percent belongs to you. The family needs to develop, so that thirty percent remains unchanged. As for my thirty percent, I shall waive it; consider it support from the Ye Family and your Ancestor. If there are no objections, sign it!"

Ye Zhaoyang truly looked down upon the meager low-level resources of a first-grade blessed land, so he offered them to Ye Qingxuan as a gesture of goodwill.

Ye Qingxuan did not feign refusal toward his Ancestor's kindness. His face lit up with joy, and he bowed gratefully

"Qingxuan thanks the Ancestor for his support!"

He then glanced over the document, confirmed there were no errors, and signed the contract.

While his Ancestor looked down upon that thirty percent of resources, for Ye Qingxuan himself, it was a significant boost in the early stages, capable of greatly accelerating his growth.

As for the family and the Ancestor, Ye Qingxuan could only look for opportunities to compensate them in the future.