Elian looked at Chen Qinghao with a smile and said, "Uncle Qinghao, we haven't held a year-end review meeting in three years."
"Since everyone is here today, let's take this opportunity to hold the annual meeting."
As the Patriarch and Elian advanced in cultivation, the family's annual meetings were held every three years instead. For these meetings, it sufficed for either the Patriarch or Elian to be present, as both prioritized their cultivation and could not always make time for them.
Chen Qinghao nodded. The Patriarch had intended to hold a meeting after exiting seclusion, but various matters had delayed it until now. With everything finally settled, he was prepared. He retrieved a ledger, handed it to Elian, and began.
"I'll start by addressing the financial situation over the past three years."
"For the past three years, the family's revenue has been..."
Elian took the ledger and listened to Chen Qinghao's report, quickly forming a clear picture of the family's development.
Before securing the Metal Vein, the family's total annual revenue was around 9,000 spirit stones, with 8,000 going toward stipends.
The Beast Horde increased the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators significantly, which substantially raised the total stipends paid.
At that time, the stipends for just the Foundation Establishment cultivators, including the Patriarch and Elian, amounted to over 4,000 spirit stones annually. Adding the stipends for over 500 Qi Refinement cultivators, the total expenditure exceeded 8,000 spirit stones.
However, following the Patriarch's and Elian's breakthroughs into the Purple Mansion realm, the family's income surged.
Firstly, the Metal Vein provided an initial windfall of 200,000 spirit stones and would generate 7,000 spirit stones annually moving forward. This was not even accounting for the Metal Crystals produced every 60 years or the three-rank crystals formed over decades.
Additionally, after the spiritual vein at Linghu Isle advanced to the lower third rank, the number of Azure Spirit Fish in the lake had grown to over 10,000. In the future, the family could harvest 1,000 fish annually.
These fish not only enhanced cultivation but also had exquisite flavor, making them highly marketable in the Bianzhou Region. They could also be distributed as stipends to the family's cultivators, with even 1,000 fish likely insufficient to meet internal demand.
The annual value of these fish alone was around 5,000 spirit stones.
The fields at Linghu Isle no longer cultivated spiritual rice. Instead, its highly fertile hundred-acre spiritual farmland was now used to grow advanced spiritual herbs like Purple Marrow Fruit for Foundation Establishment pills and Cloud Fragrance Fruit for Creation Cloud Pills.
Even so, as the Azure Spirit Fish population grew to 10,000 in the coming years, the 5,000-spirit-stone annual revenue would remain substantial.
In total, Linghu Isle and the Metal Vein added 12,000 spirit stones annually to the family's income. Along with revenue from other veins and smaller sources, the family's non-tax income reached 15,000 spirit stones annually.
The taxes from Yuyang Market were also growing rapidly and would plateau in about a decade, at which point it was expected to contribute an additional 5,000 spirit stones annually, bringing the total revenue to 20,000 spirit stones.
Further, the Earth Vein at Cangkun Mountain would add another 3,000 spirit stones annually, while the combined resources of the Bianzhou Region's Spirit Stone Mine and the underground Yin Metal Vein would provide 5,000 spirit stones annually.
All things considered, in ten years, the family's annual income was projected to reach 28,000 spirit stones.
Expenditures had also increased significantly. Following their breakthroughs, Elian and the Patriarch each received annual stipends of 5,000 spirit stones. The stipends for just these two surpassed the total stipends for all other family cultivators combined.
Given the family's relatively small size, Qi Refinement cultivators in the early stages received only a few spirit stones annually. Late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators earned around a dozen, and those at the ninth level earned 45 spirit stones annually.
With the addition of Xianye, the family now had 14 Foundation Establishment cultivators and several hundred Qi Refinement cultivators. Their total stipends would not exceed 8,000 spirit stones annually.
Elian calculated that the family would have an annual surplus of 10,000 spirit stones. Even as the family encouraged population growth among its cultivators, a fiscal deficit was unlikely.
Additionally, the spiritual veins at Qingyuan Mountain and Pingyang City would advance to the third rank within 20 to 30 years.
Notably, the Enlightenment Tea Tree in Pingyang City, which was already a high-grade second-rank plant, had grown rapidly after becoming a natural Spiritual Root.
It was expected to reach the third rank within a few years. At that point, large-scale spiritual farmland could be established to cultivate advanced spiritual herbs, laying a solid foundation for the family's future.
"A surplus of 10,000 spirit stones annually," Elian remarked with a smile. Looking at the others, he continued, "The family is thriving, and this is thanks to all of you for managing and guarding our assets. You elders deserve much credit."
The others smiled in response. With an annual surplus of spirit stones, the family could easily afford to purchase Foundation Establishment pills, five-element crystals, or even treasures for their two elders.
Over time, such savings could fund the acquisition of treasures like Golden Core Essence or Five-Element Spirit Fruits, potentially aiding their elders in breaking through to the Golden Core realm.
Seeing the positive atmosphere, Elian brought out the techniques acquired from their recent endeavors.
"Aunt Qingwan, this 'Greenwood True Fire Technique' is a Purple Mansion-level technique, along with the method for crafting the Greenwood Core Lantern. Please take these to transcribe a copy."
"A Purple Mansion-level technique?" Chen Qingwan's face lit up with delight.
Although she had heard about the technique previously, holding it in her hands filled her with joy.
As she immersed herself in the technique's profundities, Elian turned his attention back to the group and handed a few scrolls to Chen Qinghao.
"These are Foundation Establishment-level techniques from this expedition. Add them to the library."
Chen Qinghao glanced at the scrolls and smiled.
"The 'Post-Earth Emperor Art'? I didn't expect we'd acquire an earth-attribute Foundation Establishment technique. This completes the family's repertoire."
The others were surprised and pleased.
While the family had advanced rapidly, achieving Purple Mansion status, their collection of techniques still had gaps.
Currently, the Chen family possessed three Purple Mansion-level techniques: the Pure Water Green Lotus Codex, the Frostlight Frigid Radiance Sutra, and the Solar Flame Sutra.
The Frostlight Sutra, capable of reaching the ninth level of the Purple Mansion realm, also included the Ice Jade Condensed Light Incantation and the method for crafting the Frostlight Sword. However, it was exclusive to ice spiritual roots.
The Pure Water Green Lotus Codex had a distinguished origin, passed to Elian through Jiang Linglong on behalf of a friend. Its karmic significance meant Elian could not share it freely.
Finally, the Solar Flame Sutra was Elian's creation, blending the essence of the Blazing Sun Void Ascension Technique and the Path of Fiery Void into a formidable pure-yang technique.
Although potent, its complexity made it challenging to master, and so far, only the Patriarch had successfully begun practicing it.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D