Novel Bin Chapter 39: Generous Rewards
Distributing the rewards was mainly for the top three in the elite group and the youth group, since these rewards were fixed.
For cultivators like Zhou Chun, who ranked between fourth and tenth, they could later choose different reward items based on their own preferences.
However, the rewards for the top three were indeed very enviable.
For example, Zhou Zhengkang of the Zhou Family, who won first place in the youth group, was awarded a first-order high-grade Magic Artifact, the “Silver Dawn Shield,” three bottles of “Jade Ginseng Pills” that could enhance Mana, a second-order Talisman, and five hundred Spirit Coins.
If these rewards were to be calculated in Spirit Coins, they would amount to nearly two thousand, even ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators would be envious upon seeing them.
And the reward for the cultivator who took first place in the elite group was even more astonishing, a “Foundation Establishment Pill” that could increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment by thirty percent!
“The five great families are really willing to spend their wealth. Even rare items like the Foundation Establishment Pill can be taken out as rewards for the martial arts competition. Such generosity!”
In the audience stands, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had come to observe the award ceremony couldn’t help but sigh with a face full of emotion after witnessing the scene on stage.
As soon as he spoke, it immediately triggered a series of discussions among the other Foundation Establishment cultivators who had come to observe.
“Isn’t that so? That is a Foundation Establishment Pill, after all. One pill is worth thousands of Spirit Coins, and many times you can’t even buy it with money!”
“Alas, back then, I also wanted to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill, but unfortunately, after scraping together for over a dozen years, I still had less than a thousand Spirit Coins. In the end, I had to risk a life-and-death struggle to force my way into Foundation Establishment. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to succeed by a fluke!”
“Purchasing a Foundation Establishment Pill on your own is too unrealistic. Without the support of a family or sect, a Qi Refinement cultivator trying to earn thousands of Spirit Coins, even as a Bandit Cultivator resorting to robbery, couldn’t achieve that!”
“That’s why I really envy these younger generations from the five great families. Without having to venture out and battle with Demon Beasts to the death, or match wits and bravery with bandit cultivators, they get the chance to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill through such martial arts competitions—how fortunate they are!”
One after another, the Foundation Establishment cultivators remembered the bitter tales from before their own Foundation Establishment and could not help but feel a deep envy for the lucky ones on the stage who received the Foundation Establishment Pill.
Even though they no longer needed a Foundation Establishment Pill, this did not prevent them from harboring feelings of envy towards cultivators who could possess such precious Spirit Pills.
Of course, if they had any other thoughts beyond envy, that was something only they knew.
At this point, after the completion of the awards ceremony, the Clan Leaders of the five great cultivation families thanked the cultivators who had come to observe and announced the end of the martial arts competition.
Then, cultivators like Zhou Chun who had achieved top ten rankings in their groups were summoned separately to pick their rewards from a list.
The list included choices such as Magic Artifacts, Talismans, Elixirs, and Demon Beast Eggs, with each item valued between two hundred to four hundred Spirit Coins.
Zhou Chun had already decided what he would choose as his reward.
Therefore, after giving the list a quick scan, he immediately seized the initiative and chose two bottles of “Jade Ginseng Pills.”
The “Jade Ginseng Pills” were a special product of the Wang Family from Hongyao Valley, said to be refined from Yellow Jade Ginseng with over a hundred years of medicinal age as the main ingredient. The pills were mild and easy to assimilate, with strength significantly greater than the Zhou Family’s “Spring Sun Pill.”
The Wang Family seldom sold such Elixirs, often either exchanged for Clan Members or traded for special Spiritual Objects with other families and sects.
Just like Zhou Chun also saw Zhou Family’s special “Beast Spirit Pills” listed on the inventory.
Once the selection of rewards was completed, the Cultivators of the Zhou Family and the other three cultivation families were escorted out of Hongyao Valley by the Wang Family Cultivators.
As they departed, the Sky Azure Cloud Python carrying Zhou Daoyi undeniably brought great pride to the Zhou Family again.
Watching the Zhou Family members ascend on the python and fly away leisurely, each and every one of the cultivators from various families was dumbfounded, their eyes filled with envy and longing.
Even though they had already heard some Zhou Family Cultivators talk about this before, seeing it with their own eyes was still an unavoidably shocking and enviable experience.
Only those Foundation Establishment cultivators, seasoned and discerning, maintained their composure without showing too much astonishment.
After flying on the Sky Azure Cloud Python for more than two hours, Zhou Chun and the others arrived smoothly back at the Zhou Family’s Jiufeng Ridge.
“During this martial arts competition between the five great families, you all performed very well, and the results have satisfied both myself and the family.”
“Especially Zhengkang, who secured first place in the youth group, greatly elevated our Zhou Family’s prestige—it is fitting to reward him handsomely!”
“And Jiacheng, Jiapeng, Zhengtao, and Zhengchun, all four of you successfully entered the top ten of your groups, earning prestige for our Zhou Family, and you too deserve generous rewards!”
“As for the other Clan Members who didn’t make it into the top ten, even though you didn’t achieve that, your performance was commendable, and your efforts and hard work are both acknowledged.”
In Pagoda Peak’s “Central Peace Hall,” the Clan Leader of the Zhou Family, Zhou Daoyi, looked at the twenty Qi Refinement cultivators of the Zhou Family in the hall with a face full of gratification and joy as he delivered a concluding speech for the martial arts competition.
Hearing his words, the Zhou Family Cultivators in the hall mostly let out a sigh of relief.
Those who hadn’t made it into the top ten were initially anxious, fearing reprimand from the Clan Leader.
But to their surprise, they received praise instead.
This completely unexpected turn of events brought them great joy, instantly dissipating the disappointment and dejection they felt from not being selected.
At that moment, Clan Leader Zhou Daoyi, after contemplating for a short while as he looked at the clan members, announced the rewards for everyone in a deep voice.
“I, entrusted by the Supreme Elder and all clan members, serve as the Clan Leader of the Zhou Family. When it comes to rewarding contributions and punishing faults among clan members, I have always adhered to the principle of rewarding achievements and punishing wrongdoing.”
“This time, Zhou Zhengkang has earned the first place in the youth category, a feat of great merit. Merely promoting him to a core member is not sufficient to commend his contributions. Therefore, I will consult with the other Elders and report to the Supreme Elder, to nurture him as the clan’s Foundation Establishment Seed, and in the future, he shall have the priority to use Foundation Establishment Pills and other Foundation Establishment spirit items!”
“Jiacheng and Jiapeng have previously made significant contributions to the clan, and this time again, they have brought honor and fame to the clan. Their accumulated merits will also promote them to core members.”
“Zhengtao and Zhengchun, although young, have also contributed to the clan’s honor and reputation, and thus cannot go unrewarded. Each shall first be given the opportunity to select a secret technique cultivation opportunity. If they can demonstrate further achievements in the future, they may also be promoted to core members based on accumulated merits!”
“For the rest, based on performance, there will also be corresponding clan merits awards!”
Wow!!!
The Zhou Family Cultivators’ faces lit up with excitement as soon as Zhou Daoyi finished speaking about the internal rewards.
For the five individuals like Zhou Zhengkang who received special internal rewards, their hearts were naturally filled with immense joy, and they found the family rewards quite satisfying.
However, despite their happiness, for those like Zhou Zhengtao and Zhou Chun who were not directly promoted to core members, their hearts couldn’t help but harbor some regrets.
And for Jiacheng and Jiapeng, who were directly promoted to core members, they should have been very delighted and satisfied.
However, when they thought about Zhou Zhengkang’s award as a younger member of the family, their joy was significantly diminished.
As for those Cultivators who hadn’t made it into the top ten of their groups, they now looked enviously at the five, especially Zhou Zhengkang, with very mixed feelings.
Zhou Daoyi took all this in, fully aware of what the Zhou Family Cultivators were thinking at the moment.
But having made this decision, he was not concerned about how the other clan members felt about it.
Resources are limited, and taking care of everyone’s desires is simply impossible.
If they truly envy the resources others have received, they should strive to make their own contributions to the clan to earn them!
So, he quickly waved his hand and said, “Well, that’s all for the family rewards for now; you’ve all been working hard these past few days, so go back and rest well!”
“Yes, junior members take their leave.”
All the Zhou Family Cultivators, no matter what their current feelings were, quickly responded in unison and then left the “Central Peace Hall,” leaving Pagoda Peak.
Zhou Chun and Zhou Zhengyong both lived on Baozhi Peak and naturally went back together.
On the way, each carried their own thoughts and did not converse, until they arrived outside Zhou Chun’s residence.
Zhou Zhengyong spoke up with a complex expression, “I never expected the Clan Leader would choose Dead Brother to be nurtured as a Foundation Establishment Seed. Once this news spreads, the senior clan members will surely be in an uproar!”
Zhou Chun naturally understood what he meant.
In the Zhou Family, there are quite a number of older members of the “Jia” generation with Cultivation Levels at the twelfth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, and quite a few at the eleventh layer as well.
These people, who are nearly ready for Foundation Establishment and are several decades older than Zhou Zhengkang, have not been chosen as the clan’s Foundation Establishment Seeds, receiving focused nurturing from the family resources.
Now Zhou Zhengkang, a junior with a Cultivation Level at the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement Realm, has been granted this honor; how could those individuals readily accept this?
The Zhou Family, after all, is a cultivation family bonded by bloodline relations. Many of these elders are related to the Clan Leader and Elders through intricate blood ties, and some are even the direct descendants of certain Elders.
If they were to cause a stir, it could lead to turmoil within the Zhou Family.
However, Zhou Chun did not wish to delve into this matter further. After all, who becomes the family’s Foundation Establishment Seed had nothing to do with him; why trouble himself with these worries?
He simply shook his head and said softly, “We should not meddle in the affairs of our elders. The Clan Leader has made his decision, and he surely has his reasons.”
Hearing this, Zhou Zhengyong pondered momentarily before nodding, as if struck by a thought, “Indeed, the Clan Leader is wise. Whatever I can think of, he has surely considered already. He must have a foolproof strategy!”
Then he clasped his hands towards Zhou Chun and said, “I won’t disturb your rest then, Brother Thirteen. I’m off to catch up on some sleep.”
“Brother Yong, take care.”
Zhou Chun replied, and after watching Zhou Zhengyong walk away, he too stepped into his courtyard.
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