Innate Immortal Seed

"Brother Bai, you’re too modest. I’ve heard from my elders that the Qingfeng Sect values potential most when recruiting disciples. Many disciples from Cultivation Families don’t have a Cultivation as high as yours at this age."

A female cultivator to Elder Tong’s right, her face free of makeup and still holding a hint of childishness, had a petite frame that revealed a stunning figure beneath her Daoist robe. Cupping her face in her hands, she stared intently at Bai Zichen.

On the surface, Jiangg Shu had the best background among the four loose cultivators. Her Jiangg Family had its first taste of immortal fate with her great-grandfather. Although they had always hovered among the lower-level Qi Refining Cultivators, each generation managed to produce descendants with Spiritual Roots, gradually forming a small clan.

The Jiangg Family’s strongest member was currently Jiangg Shu’s grandfather, at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. Including Jiangg Shu, the clan had a total of seven Cultivators.

Without a Great Foundation Establishment Cultivator, they couldn’t be considered a formal Cultivation Family. Clans like the Jiangg Family were usually called Loose Cultivator Clans.

Because of their close blood ties, their relationships were much tighter than those in many Cultivation Families. They stuck together, making their lives much easier than those of solitary loose cultivators.

Generation after generation, the Jiangg Family built up a network of connections. They were now in the Talisman Paper business, buying Spirit Grass from numerous low-level loose cultivators, processing it into pulp to make Talisman Paper themselves, and then reselling it to merchant guilds or Cultivation Families to earn Spirit Stones.

They weren’t fabulously wealthy, but they could guarantee their basic Cultivation Resources.

For instance, despite being only at the Qi Refining Second Layer, Jiangg Shu carried two Low Grade Protective Magical Artifacts, both of which were hand-me-downs from elders in her clan who had advanced in their Cultivation.

"Forget Outer Sect Disciples, you might even have a chance to become an Inner Sect Disciple in the future! Those are the real big shots!"

Jiangg Shu was only at the Qi Refining Second Layer, so of course she didn’t expect to become a disciple of the Qingfeng Sect. She had mainly come this time to broaden her horizons.

In her excitement, her little face flushed red. Imagining Bai Zichen as an Inner Sect Disciple, she felt a sense of shared glory, pumping her fist and raising her voice.

"Hmph! A bunch of kids spouting nonsense. Do you even know what an Inner Sect Disciple of the Qingfeng Sect is? Even if one doesn’t become a True Disciple, they’ll start as a Steward immediately upon being assigned a post outside the sect. There’s a high chance they’ll become a Sect Steward, in charge of some general affair."

At the next table sat two cultivators with chins like a swallow and whiskers like a tiger, clad in Beast Hide. One had a scar on his forehead that ran all the way to the corner of his eye. The other, a few years younger, had a similarly brutish face filled with disdain.

The two looked somewhat similar, and one could tell at a glance that they were cultivators who frequently entered Black Mountain and had experience fighting Demon Beasts. The one who had just spoken was the younger brother.

For the loose cultivators of Black Mountain County, a Qingfeng Sect Steward was indeed a major figure whose words could change their fate.

"Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is showing up for the assessment. No wonder the nearby mountains are so crowded there’s no room left. They don’t even take a good look at themselves. There’s even an old man with one foot in the grave!"

"Sirs, why be so angry? Little Sister Jiangg is away from home for the first time and doesn’t understand how prestigious Inner Sect Disciples are. We’re all here to join the Upper Sect. There might be Sect Disciples nearby at a time like this. It wouldn’t be good to start a fight and get disqualified from the entrance assessment, would it?"

Elder Tong was old and shrewd. He quickly stood up to smooth things over, showing no sign of anger.

This pair of brutish brothers looked like trouble at first glance. They were the type of cultivators with real combat experience. Elder Tong, who had dealt with Spirit Rice his whole life—his personal magical artifact was even a Spirit Hoe used for tilling soil—had almost never engaged in Combat with anyone. He felt a little intimidated.

However, although he didn’t think Bai Zichen would become an Inner Sect Disciple, he felt there was a good chance he could become an Outer Sect Disciple, so he was willing to foster a good relationship.

Even if one became a Sect Disciple and no longer had to worry about dying at any moment like in the outside world, there would surely be no shortage of infighting and exclusion among the low-level handyman disciples.

If he had an Outer Sect Disciple to look out for him, his life would be much easier.

After hearing Elder Tong’s words, the brutish brothers shot them a vicious glare but said nothing more, turning their heads to whisper to each other.

Frightened by the brothers, Jiangg Shu’s eyes welled with tears. Her gaze lowered, and she shrank back like a startled rabbit.

Elder Tong acted as if nothing had happened. He picked a couple of interesting stories he had heard from others about the last time the Qingfeng Sect opened its gates and recounted them vividly, which helped the atmosphere at the table return to some semblance of normalcy.

Bai Zichen pretended to be listening, but his gaze surreptitiously swept over the brutish brothers, committing their faces to memory.

His Divine Sense was sharp. He had clearly felt a surge of killing intent from the two and had been secretly spying on them with his Divine Sense, overhearing their Sound Transmission perfectly.

The two were actually plotting to kidnap Jiangg Shu and kill him during the chaos when the large number of failed loose cultivators would be leaving after the Qingfeng Sect’s recruitment drive ended.

From the way they talked, this wasn’t their first time acting as Tribulation Cultivators.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have thought of murder and plunder just because of a single disagreeable sentence.

’One is at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, the other at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, and they’re both cultivators with rich experience in Combat from years of fighting Demon Beasts... On the surface, dealing with a Qi Refining Fourth Layer rookie like me should be a piece of cake for them. But to think that as Tribulation Cultivators, they still dare to participate in the Qingfeng Sect’s entrance assessment... I don’t know whether to praise their ambition or call them fools who don’t know what’s good for them!’

The rest of what his Divine Sense picked up was mostly drivel: some new Female Cultivator specializing in the flesh trade had arrived at the Market, her Charming Skills were incredible, and they had to go try her out next time;

if the two brothers became Qingfeng Sect disciples, they would definitely get revenge on some enemy, and so on, to show them the consequences of offending the Que Family’s Twin Wolves.

’The Que Family’s Twin Wolves, is it? Soon, I’ll turn you into the Que Family’s Twin Ghosts...’

Bai Zichen withdrew his Divine Sense and started making idle chit-chat with Elder Tong.

Although Elder Tong’s Cultivation was low, he had lived for many years, struggling to get by in the Cultivation Realm, so he was very well-informed when it came to gossip and rumors.

He could even recount the cause and course of the recent conflict between the newly arrived Liu Family and the Fire Phoenix Mo Family in Black Mountain County.

Before leaving his clan, Bai Zichen had heard the Clan Leader mention it once.

The Liu Family had originally made their living through the Artifact Refining business. With several Tier Two Refining Masters in their clan, they naturally wanted to resume their old trade after arriving in Black Mountain County.

But in Artifact Refining, the fire source is extremely important. Earth Fire suitable for refining needs to be both intense and stable, and finding a location that meets these requirements is not easy.

They finally managed to find an Earth Fire Cave on a mountain peak. With just a few modifications, they could draw out the Earth Fire and build an Artifact Refining Hall.

But then the Fire Phoenix Mo Family jumped in, claiming that the mountain was within the Mo Family’s Spirit Land and that no one else was allowed to encroach upon it.

With the Liu Family’s very survival at stake, they couldn’t possibly back down, and a fight broke out on the spot.

By now, the two families had fought several battles, both open and secret, with both sides suffering many casualties among their clansmen.

Elder Tong, looking like he knew all the inside details, also claimed that if he had been the strategist for the Fire Phoenix Mo Family, he would have driven the Liu Family away and seized the Earth Fire long ago.

Bai Zichen was happy to listen to the old man’s boasting. He offered a few casual words of flattery, which delighted Elder Tong so much that he felt he had found a kindred spirit and spilled out every last bit of cobbled-together news he had.

...

「Two days later.」 The Mountain Gates of the Qingfeng Sect opened wide. A continuous stream of azure light shot into the sky, dyeing the entire firmament a brilliant blue-green.

Sect Disciples filed out one after another, organizing the thousands of loose cultivators into several square formations to await the assessment.

At the same time, a cultivator slowly flew high into the air, radiating the powerful pressure of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"The Qingfeng Sect’s gates are now open to recruit talented individuals from far and wide! All who believe they meet the requirements, step forward as instructed. Those who pass the assessment will become disciples of the Sect!"

The voice, amplified by Magic, carried far and wide, causing the hearts of all the loose cultivators to tremble. The great test that would decide the fate of the rest of their lives had finally arrived.