Sage was pleased to see Song Lu Tian was at the meeting along with six others. He recognized Elder Meng and Elder Zhong, but Song Lu Tian took the opportunity to introduce him. It took him only a few seconds to realize they were all Elders of the Mount Song Sword Sect.

“I’ve been told you were instrumental in helping Brother Twelve to advance?”

The woman introduced as the 4th Elder was the one speaking and she seemed to be examining Sage quite carefully.

Is there something on my face?

Sage bowed to her, “It was nothing much on my part. Brother Song’s talent is the real cause for his meteoric rise.”

Meeting these Elders for the first time, there were plenty of platitudes and compliments passed back and forth before they could finally get to the business at hand.

“Has something gone wrong with the acceptance of the Tiankong Clan as our allies? Have we overlooked something?”

The 5th Elder, a very old looking man, finally posed the question. The Elders were curious why Sage had wanted to meet with them, which explained why seven of the eleven elders had shown up. Nascent Souls were basically the peak of power, those at the higher rank were basically part of another world. Every organization, the Mount Song Sword Sect included, would be happy to count another Nascent Soul as a friend. They were quite pleased that Song Lu Tian had gained three Nascent Souls as allies by merely befriending one of them in the past when they were weak. They were very happy to know that their young genius had such good eyes for uncommon talent. Yet, right after they thought their alliance was well secured, Lang Sheng had called for a meeting with the Elders.

Sage saluted the Elders and shook his head, “Forgive me for not making my intentions clear earlier! The Tiankong Clan is quite satisfied, and I am very happy for my friends to be so well accepted here. I’ve called a meeting for the Elders to discuss an opportunity for cooperation.”

Sage’s eyes were clear and he spoke without hesitation, so they could see he spoke truthfully. The Tiankong Clan had entered an official relationship with the Mount Song Sword Sect, which meant Ruanfu and the Tiankong Siblings weren’t going to be the standing guards of Lionheart Town in the future. It might seem like a setback, but it was actually a relief for Sage. He’d counted King as his friend, and Ruanfu was like a younger sister. The other Tiankong siblings felt like cousins or nephews and nieces. He felt an attachment to them all, so it made him far more at ease to have them here living under the protection of the Mount Song Sword Sect. They would be far safer here than by his side where he was likely to be involved in a war.

The Elders were surprised and then waited for him to further elaborate. Sage smiled and finally told them what was going on, “As you know, I just returned from Icefire Valley. I was training in the poison miasma and I made a breakthrough. I found the source of the miasma and I can get rid of it for good. Once it’s gone you’ll truly be able to control the Icefire Valley and the Pool of Eternal Tears.”

The Elders were stunned for a moment and Sage felt some energy passing back and forth between them, the Cultivator’s equivalent of whispering back and forth. At the 3rd rank a cultivator could expel their Qi at a range, and with that capability Voice Transmission techniques could be learned to pass messages silently like a form of telepathy. During the long period of training, the Soul Clone learned one of these techniques using the library copied from the Timeless Master.

“We already control the Icefire Valley. We have an exclusive passage to the core and are closer to it than any other first rate power. They already stopped competing with us for it many years ago. There’s no need for you to go to so much effort. You’ve already done us a favor helping Brother Twelve to get there.”

Sage nodded, “I do not deserve the praise, but I assure you it is not troublesome to remove and there are great benefits. You should all know better than I the benefits of the Pool of Eternal Tears. As it is now, only Nascent Souls can make the attempt and only with great effort. If the poison miasma were removed, anyone would be able to enter the pool. Gaining insight into Laws at an earlier age would certainly lead to more geniuses.”

“There’s no telling how long it takes for the Pool of Eternal Tears to recover. Laws are the most useful for Nascent Souls, and we can already enjoy those benefits every few decades. Why would we risk losing control of this great resource for an uncertain result?”

Sage was not deterred by the slim and graceful man that was speaking. He saluted the man, “I can understand your trepidation, Ninth Elder. There are certainly risks involved. It is hard to know how often the Pool of Eternal Tears can be used, and also who is qualified to use it. Icefire Valley is some distance from the Mount Song Sword Sect and it will require many resources to defend it. These are all problems, but there is still another benefit. The poison miasma is powered by a Spirit Vein, a Spirit Vein of quite high quality, and I noticed signs that it is quite likely to have a Spirit Stone Lode.”

Spirit Stone Lode!

All of the Elders perked up. Spirit Stones were not only Qi batteries, they were also the main form of currency for Cultivators. A Spirit Stone Lode was just like a gold mine, and only fools wouldn’t be interested in having one. It was literally just pulling money out of the ground. Sage sensed more voice transmissions going back and forth and many of the Elders' excitement seemed to dampen.

“That is surprising news, but it also makes Icefire Valley even more valuable. We would need to guard not one, but two important sites. We don’t even know if there is a Spirit Stone Lode, let alone what grade it might be. If it's of the lowest grade, it might not even make up for the investment we will have to make to maintain our control over the Pool of Eternal Tears. While we might benefit, we will also be inciting a war over benefits. Why should we invite trouble from others for uncertain rewards?”

The 9th Elder continued to take the lead in the attempt to refuse this change, and he continued before Sage could offer another rebuttal, “You’ve also neglected to add another detail. What will you be charging us for this ‘favor’? You certainly don’t seem the type to be doing things out of kindness.”

Sage didn’t respond to the rude undertone he sensed from the 9th Elder, and instead smiled brightly, “You’re right! For my efforts, I’ll be expecting a cut of the Spirit Stone Lode. Three parts out of ten should do nicely. As for the Pool of Eternal Tears, I’d like to reserve the first two uses for my two betrothed, and also a portion every year in the future for my descendants.”

Even Song Lu Tian seemed a little taken aback by his demands, but the 9th Elder was furious, “So, you’re going to make our lives more difficult and then charge us for the service? What sort of fools do you take us for?”

“Hahaha! Fools? I would never do such a thing. You’re my friends! I’m going to remove the poison miasma, and I’ve come to my friends to offer them the best deal. If you don’t wish to be my partner for this, I’m sure there are plenty of others who would love to take your place. I’m sure the Mountain Heart Sect from Hei Mountain Province, or the Jia Clan from Righteous Wind Province would be happy to enjoy this opportunity. I can start mining Spirit Stones by myself, but I feel that will take too much time, so I’d rather share with my friends.”