The Urban Cultivation Grandmaster

Chapter 34: Distribution According to Contribution—The Stronger Get More!

The Cultivators’ Promotion Conference soon officially began. Naturally, the meeting was presided over by Mayor Li of Tianjiang City, who oversaw cultivator affairs. In this era, the exploration and development of the Xuan Realm by cultivators had become the dominant theme—a major transformation in which humanity was developing itself and transcending the boundaries of life. Against this backdrop, the position of the official in charge of cultivator affairs carried the greatest weight; therefore, although Mayor Li held the title of “Deputy,” in terms of actual power, he was undoubtedly among the most influential. This Cultivator Promotion Conference was also spearheaded by Mayor Li himself. At the meeting, Mayor Li summarized the development of cultivator affairs in Tianjiang City over the past three years following the Great Cosmic Upheaval. He reviewed shortcomings in areas such as the popularization of Xuan Realm civilization and talent cultivation, while also fully acknowledging and praising the hard work of people from all walks of life in promoting Xuan Realm civilization. Among them, Donglin Temple was singled out for praise on multiple occasions. Donglin Temple is the birthplace of the Buddhist Pure Land School (Lian Sect) and is regarded as the ancestral temple by the RB Buddhist Pure Land True Sect; it is one of the world’s most renowned spiritual centers. Following the Great Cataclysm, a venerable monk within the temple—Venerable Deming—attained Buddhahood through direct realization, enlightening others with his wisdom and, in the blink of an eye, rising to the ranks of the world’s most powerful figures. Not only in the small city of Tianjiang City, but even across all of Huaxia,Donglin Temple stands as a premier sanctuary for cultivation. Consequently, over the past three years, Donglin Temple has cultivated numerous high-ranking monks with top-tier cultivation. Not only that, but many top-tier martial arts schools in Tianjiang City have also made significant contributions. For example, the Yang Family Martial Arts School, which teaches Xingyi Quan, has not only widely recruited disciples but has also introduced Xingyi Quan into schools. From elementary schools to Tianjiang Cultivator Academies, numerous students have begun learning Xingyi Quan to strengthen their bodies and improve their health. Among them, many promising young talents have developed a sense of qi, channeled qi into their bodies, and become cultivators. Another example is the Ma Family Bajiquan Martial Arts School, which teaches the art of Bajiquan. These are all top-tier ancient martial arts schools in Tianjiang City. Of course, there are also many cultivator clans, such as the Wei and Liu families, among others. These are the newly emerging powerhouses, drawing their strength from the cultivation techniques inscribed on the Heritage Steles. While their historical foundations may not be deep, their raw power is by no means weak—after all, those capable of initially grasping the techniques from the Heritage Steles are all geniuses with considerable natural talent. As for the Jin family, to which that girl Golden Phoenix belongs, they fall slightly short and do not rank among the very top. Surprisingly, Mu Tian was also included among the “meritorious contributors” mentioned by Mayor Li. It’s worth noting that all the previous praise had been directed at groups, yet Mu Tian was the only individual singled out for recognition. “Although Teacher Mu Tian has only been in Tianjiang City for a mere month, the changes over this past month have undoubtedly been immense. Our city was once obscure, but overnight, it has captured the world’s attention. People from all over the world are seeking to learn Daowen from Teacher Mu—this is undoubtedly a testament to the cultivation education in Tianjiang City...” “Although Teacher Mu is young, his contributions are immense—there is no doubt about that. People all over the world address him as ‘Teacher,’ and we should show respect to someone with such achievements...” As Mayor Li spoke from the stage, observant listeners in the audience understood the underlying meaning. Clearly, news of the young lady from the Jin family’s earlier disparagement and insult toward Master Mu had already reached Mayor Li’s ears, and he was now stepping in to defend Master Mu. Regardless of Master Mu Tian’s true strength, what right does a mere novice cultivator have to pass judgment! At that moment, the crowd turned their meaningful glances toward the direction of the Jin Family Martial Arts Hall. The Golden Phoenix lowered her head, her face pale, not daring to speak. Jin Bo, the head of the Jin family, was quite curious as to why people kept glancing in his direction. He wondered if Mayor Li had failed to specifically praise his martial arts school, leading everyone to assume his family’s standing had declined. At this thought, Jin Bo’s heart sank, and he fell deep in thought. After Mayor Li summarized the city’s achievements over the past three years, he turned to looking toward the future, outlining his vision and plans for the cultivation system. In response to the national call, Mayor Li proposed an initiative to develop the resources of the mountains. The Jiuling Mountains stretched out in a lush, verdant range, rich in resources. Especially after several tides of spiritual energy, the mountains were teeming with spiritual treasures and abundant mineral deposits; there had even been rumors that a small Spirit Stone Mine had been discovered within the Jiuling Mountains. Undoubtedly, cultivators throughout Tianjiang City had long coveted the Jiuling Mountains, and now that Mayor Li had brought it up, the proposal naturally received unanimous support. Since the proposal to develop the Jiuling Mountains has been put forward, everyone must naturally contribute their efforts. Mayor Li’s goal this time is to mobilize the entire city’s resources for a joint development effort. When it comes to developing mountain resources, the issue of distribution inevitably arises. Once everyone works together to bake and grow the “cake,” how to divide it becomes a major issue. Distribution based on contribution is, of course, the primary principle—you get what you put in—and this is only natural. Of course, there are other supplementary distribution schemes as well. For example, when Mu Tian first arrived in Tianjiang City, one component of his compensation was an allocation quota for cultivation resources; although the share was small, it still amounted to one-thousandth. Currently, the cultivation world is still in its primitive stage, and cultivators’ strength is expanding rapidly. Consequently, the principle of “the strong get more” is highly favored. In resource allocation, this principle holds significant sway and has become an unwritten rule followed by many cultivators. Consequently, there are two guiding principles for distribution. Distribution according to contribution, and the strong get more! It’s harsh, but it’s the reality. Consequently, the crowd began to haggle. Driven by self-interest, the heads of various factions—who had previously sat upright in their seats with the air of eminent sages—began arguing until their faces turned red and their necks swelled. Just as the argument reached a fever pitch, Jin Bo, the head of the Jin family, had a sudden insight. He realized this was his moment to align himself with Mayor Li, so he spoke up: “Ladies and gentlemen, please hear me out. All this arguing is pointless. In my view, since Mayor Li is the lead organizer and the driving force behind this development, the city should naturally take the lion’s share. After that, you can all debate and determine the rankings—the stronger get more. What do you think?” After hearing this and giving it careful thought, the others agreed it made sense. Someone then asked, “Brother Jin, do you have a specific proposal?” Jin Bo, brimming with satisfaction, replied, “Set aside 40 percent: the city gets 10 percent, Donglin Temple gets 10 percent, and the remaining 20 percent is distributed among the top three. The top performer takes 10 percent alone, while the other two split the remaining 10 percent. The remaining 60 percent goes to everyone based on how much work they do.” Hearing Jin Bo’s words, everyone nodded in agreement. The government was naturally the most powerful entity, and the remaining share went to Donglin Temple, a sacred place of cultivation. No one objected to these two parties receiving 20 percent combined, but the prospect of the top three cultivators claiming 20 percent all to themselves set everyone’s hearts racing. Even Mayor Li nodded repeatedly; Jin Bo’s proposal aligned perfectly with his own thoughts. “Brother Jin, that’s a great point!” “Director Jin is absolutely right—this distribution plan is very fair!” After the spiritual energy tide subsided, the cultivation levels of many cultivators had generally improved, and they were all brimming with confidence. Consequently, they all harbored ambitions toward the top three cultivators, and Jin Bo’s words struck a chord with them. “I beg to differ!” Just as everyone was praising Jin Bo’s proposal, the usually low-key Mu Tian suddenly shouted out loud. Startled, the crowd turned to look in his direction. They saw Mu Tian cradling a baby bear in his arms; he gently handed it to the young man beside him, then stepped forward. “The distribution plan is generally reasonable, but I have one point to add!” Mu Tian’s voice was calm, giving off an air of unhurried composure and nonchalance. As Mu Tian spoke, Mayor Li immediately took an interest and smiled, saying, “If Teacher Mu has a better suggestion, please feel free to share it.” Mu Tian gave Mayor Li a faint smile, then pointed at Jin Bo and said, “My suggestion is that second-rate martial arts schools like the Jin Family Martial Arts School are simply not qualified to receive any allocation quotas.” In an instant, the entire room was taken aback; the venue fell deathly silent.