Strongest Family System

Robert could feel the weight of his father's approval, but his thoughts were already racing ahead to the next hurdle. The market transfer was important, sure, but it was just one piece of a much bigger puzzle.

"Father", Robert said, leaning forward in his chair, "we need to talk about the clan's overall strength. If we are going to face what is coming, we need to focus on increasing our cultivation levels across the clan."

John nodded slowly, mulling it over. "You make a good point. We have been so preoccupied with the immediate threats that we have not looked at our overall strengths."

He reached for a small bell on his desk and rang it once.

A servant appeared almost immediately. "Yes, Clan Head?"

"Please ask Elder Devon, Lady Mary, and Elder Alex to come to my study. Tell them it is urgent clan business."

"Right away, sir." The servant bowed and hurried out.

As they passed the time, the father and son discussed the ins and outs of the transfer scheduled for tomorrow and thought about what they could do if things went wrong.

Robert opened up about his deal with Grey Shadow Hall, while John detailed the security steps he had implemented for the estate.

After twenty minutes, footsteps could be heard echoing in the hallway just outside.

The door opened to reveal three figures: Elder Devon, a stern-faced man in his fifties with greying temples; his wife, Mary, whose sharp eyes missed nothing; and Elder Alex, the clan's training master, whose weathered hands spoke of decades wielding weapons.

Mary looked at John and Robert with curiosity. "Husband, why did you call us here so urgently?"

Elder Devon and Elder Alex both bowed respectfully. "Clan Head," they said in unison, their voices carrying the formal tone.

John gave them both a measured nod of acknowledgement. "Please, sit in the meeting room. We have important matters to discuss."

All five gathered around the table, with the morning light spilling in and creating long shadows on the polished surface. The mood shifted to something more serious as John brought his hands together.

"Elder Alex," John began, "how is the training progressing for the twenty members we selected for intensive cultivation?"

Elder Alex adjusted his posture in the chair. "The results are looking quite good, Clan Head. From the twenty we picked, fifteen have managed to break through from Level 5 and reach Level 6 in their cultivation."

John nodded appreciatively. "Excellent progress. Continue their intensive training regimen."

He turned his gaze to Elder Devon. "I need a thorough assessment of our current strength. Can you tell me how many cultivators we have in total and what their ranks are? We need this info to make well-informed choices about how to strengthen the clan."

Elder Devon pulled out a small ledger from his robes and consulted it briefly. "Currently, we have one hundred sixty members of various levels serving the clan, along with sixty non-cultivator servants who handle daily operations and support duties."

The numbers' weight hung heavily over the table. Robert studied the surrounding faces, seeing the same realization in their eyes that he felt in his chest. They were strong, but in a world where power determined survival, they needed to be stronger.

Elder Devon continued, conferring his ledger more closely. "Of our one hundred cultivators, fifty are at various Body Tempering levels, twenty-five are alchemists, twenty-two have reached the Spirit Root Realm, and three have achieved the Soul Manifestation Realm."

After absorbing these numbers, John's expression grew contemplative. "We are roughly equal to the James clan in overall strength. If an all-out war comes, we cannot win through brute force alone."

Robert nodded in agreement. "They will not attack us directly anyway. They will make trouble through other means—economic pressure, political manoeuvring."

John gave a grim nod, fully grasping the quiet battles that shaped clan politics.

Robert leaned forward, his strategic mind already working. "Elder Devon, how many of our cultivators are at Body Tempering Level 9 and ready to break through to the Spirit Root Realm?"

"Total of five," Elder Devon replied after checking his notes.

"Does that include Emer and Ronan?"

Elder Devon shook his head. "No, all five are around twenty-three years old and have reached the breakthrough threshold naturally.

However, we currently do not have the necessary pills to help them advance."

After a moment of contemplation, Robert asked, "Just to clarify, are all twenty-five members in our alchemy hall apprentice alchemists?"

"Not quite," Elder Devon remarked. "We have twenty apprentice alchemists, and four have successfully moved up to the junior alchemist tier."

Both John and Robert nodded, processing this information.

"We have to step up our pill production for our cultivators; it is essential for them to get past their bottlenecks," Robert asserted firmly.

Lady Mary, who had been silently listening, voiced her concern in a practical tone.

"Right now, our alchemists can only refine basic pills, and our funds are limited. Normal pills do not sell at high prices, which restricts our resources."

A confident smile crossed Robert's face. "I have got it! I have been training ten apprentice alchemists capable of producing pills of at least one-line quality."

"We are looking at a great opportunity to boost our clan's income while also improving the cultivation assistance available to our members."

The news instantly caught everyone's attention at the table. Higher-quality pills meant not only better prices in the market but also more effective cultivation aids for their people—just what the clan needed to solidify their standing.

The discussion went on for another twenty minutes, delving into different areas of clan management and plans. As the meeting began to come to an end, Robert turned to Elder Devon with a particular request.

"Elder Devon, please bring those five cultivators to the training hall this evening. I have something important to discuss with them."

Elder Devon looked a little taken aback by the request, yet he nodded politely. "Certainly, Young Master. When should I bring them to you?"

"Around sunset should be fine," Robert replied.

The elders took their leave one at a time, each bowing to John and Mary as they exited. Robert, too, stood and bowed to his parents with respect before heading out. Soon, it was just Mary and John who left the study.

Mary waited until she was sure the others had left before speaking. 'He has changed so much from before,' she said quietly.

John nodded slowly, looking pensive. What a remarkable transformation! It is certainly a significant improvement. But we must remember that he is still young.

We should keep an eye on him."

Mary agreed with a gentle nod, then shifted to more pressing matters.

"What about tomorrow's market transfer? How exactly will that work?"

"We have to go to Grey Shadow Hall to collect the documentation and officially take possession of the marketplace," John explained.

Mary's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why Grey Shadow Hall? How did we get them involved in our business?"

With a proud smile, John said, "That was thanks to Robert. He somehow got Grey Shadow Hall to lend us their support in this."

Mary's look went from puzzled to overjoyed and proud. Her son had pulled off something she never imagined he could achieve.

After leaving the meeting, Robert made his way directly to the alchemy hall. He needed to check on the progress of the ten apprentice alchemists he had been personally training.

The hallway that led to their practice room resonated with the sound of his footsteps, and he could feel the excitement bubbling up inside him.

"He pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside."

Immediately, all ten apprentices stopped their work and bowed deeply.

"Young Master Robert!"

"No need for such formalities," Robert said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Have you finished the tasks I assigned?"

All ten nodded eagerly, their faces showing a joyful blend of pride and a touch of nervousness.

Robert moved methodically around the room, examining each person's work. He examined the pills they had crafted, assessing their color, texture, and the spiritual energy they emitted.

After inspecting each batch, a contented smile appeared on his face.

"Excellent work," he announced. "Each of you has successfully produced at least seven to eight one-star quality pills.

This is significant progress."

The apprentice beamed with pride at his praise.

"Now, here is what we will do," Robert continued. "Give all the refined pills to Elder Devon for clan distribution. From your batches, you may each keep three one-star pills for your cultivation.

"The remainder will go into the clan treasury."

He took a moment to pause, making sure they grasped just how crucial what he was about to say was.

This contribution will help you earn clan points, which you can then use to grab higher-quality pills and resources from the clan treasure. It is all about investing in your future success.

The apprentices nodded with enthusiasm, clearly satisfied with how things were organized.

Robert's expression grew more serious. Just remember—don't ever overlook your growth.

You must continue advancing your strength. Only by becoming stronger cultivators yourself can you eventually refine higher-level pills.

"Alchemy and cultivation need to advance hand in hand."

A hush fell over the room as the apprentices absorbed the profound insights.

They came to understand that their young master was teaching more than pill-making—he was nurturing them into strong, independent individuals.