Divine Transcendence

"No need to worry about that. A triple spirit root has already met the standards for discipleship at Changchun Temple. However, they don't just consider aptitude; personality and temperament are also part of the assessment. Anyway, next May, the young master can attend the Fuding Conference in Yuhua City. As long as he passes the preliminary selection, becoming an outer sect disciple shouldn't be a problem," Zhang Zhi said.

Beside him, the cultivator surnamed Lu shook his head: "That's not advisable. As the saying goes, it's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. Too many people want to join Changchun Temple, and with a triple spirit root, one might end up stuck at the Qi refining stage for life. It's safer to choose a slightly lesser sect where it's easier to stand out and where resources are more readily invested, as cultivation isn't just about aptitude."

"The slightly lesser ones would be the Shuijing Palace and Bailuo Villa, both sects with mid-stage Elemental Infant ancestors," Yu Qingli said.

"Bailuo Villa is a family of cultivators and generally doesn't recruit disciples from outside the family, so it's not considered a proper sect. Shuijing Palace used to only recruit female disciples, but in recent years they've started accepting male disciples too. However, their disciples all practice water-based spells. Does the young master have a water spirit root?" Zhang Zhi pondered and asked.

"No," Jiang Xiong regretfully shook his head.

"Then neither of those will work. You'll have to look at even lesser sects, those with only early-stage Elemental Infant ancestors," Zhang Zhi said with a hint of regret.

"In terms of sects at this level, the closest to Xiaohu City is Shengye Sect. Their disciples are adept at alchemy and cultivating medicinal herbs, and these are the main focuses of their entrance examination," the cultivator surnamed Lu said.

"Besides Shengye Sect, there's Huoque Gate in the eastern part of the Great Jin, which is also a good choice. Their sect's strength is not weak, and they have a good relationship with Shuijing Palace. It's said that the annual competitions between the two sects are held together, with plenty of exchanges and learning opportunities. However, their entrance exam mainly tests the disciple's precision in controlling magical power. If the young master wants to join, he'll need to work hard in this area," Zhang Zhi elaborated.

"There's also Qianjian Pavilion in the western part of the Great Jin, where all disciples are sword cultivators, skilled in metal-based spells and the art of attack. It's said that the pavilion has a Sword Cliff where all the past ancestors have left their legacies. Any disciple can go there to comprehend them. If one is lucky enough to obtain a powerful legacy, it's like ascending to the heavens in one step. However, the entrance exam at Qianjian Pavilion has high requirements for comprehension and requires participants to have a solid foundation in swordsmanship, so you'll need to consider this carefully," the cultivator surnamed Lu added.

The cultivator surnamed Jiang nodded repeatedly, and just then, Fairy Hua frowned.

"All you talk about are the sects of Great Jin, but what about the sects of our Zhao Kingdom?"

The cultivator surnamed Cui also spoke up: "Indeed, in Zhao Kingdom, we have the Wulei Sect, known for its unparalleled thunder spells, and the Lingfu Sect, which prides itself on its rune-making techniques. Although they are not as large as Changchun Temple, they are among the top in the Central Plains."

Jiang Xiong quickly asked, "What are the conditions for joining these two sects?"

"To join Wulei Sect, one must pass through their Three Thunder Formation, which requires good comprehension, eyesight, and courage. Lingfu Sect is simpler; as long as the disciple has a good memory, can memorize runes within a set time, and replicate them from memory, that's sufficient," Fairy Hua explained.

"I see, thank you for the enlightenment," Jiang Xiong bowed and then sat back down, seemingly pondering which sect to have his son try to join.

Seeing him leave, Zhang Zhi looked towards Fairy Hua: "Jiang Daoist is currently in Great Jin, so what's wrong with us recommending Great Jin sects to him? Fairy Hua seems impatient, but in the end, you're just promoting your Zhao Kingdom's sects. Otherwise, why not recommend a few from Kingdom Wu and Kingdom Chu?"

Fairy Hua snorted coldly and did not reply. Yu Qingli, seeing the situation, stepped in to mediate.

"Alright, alright, it's just a small matter. Why make a fuss? By the way, I heard that some disciples from Wulei Sect recently defected. Is that true?"

"Yu Daoist is quite well-informed. That matter indeed caused quite a stir in the Zhao Kingdom's cultivation world. It's said they even took a few Split Heart Thunders with them, which have been bid up to two thousand spirit stones each on the black market. I wonder if they still have them," Fairy Hua nodded and said.

"Two thousand spirit stones? That's enough to buy two cheap high-grade magical instruments. Isn't the Split Heart Thunder just a one-time use magical weapon? Is it really worth that much?" Yu Qingli was surprised.

"That's actually considered cheap. The Split Heart Thunder is a unique weapon of Wulei Sect, rarely seen on the market, and its power is comparable to the full-force strike of a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment. In a critical moment, wouldn't you trade two thousand spirit stones for your life?" Fairy Hua retorted.

"Of course, I would. Maybe I'll come across one at the black market someday," Yu Qingli chuckled.

"Keep dreaming. So far, no one has reported actually buying one. It's likely that the defectors from Wulei Sect used them while escaping," Fairy Hua shook her head.

Yuan Ming, who had been listening quietly, sipped his tea without showing any reaction, appearing indifferent. Yet, inside, he was quite pleased with himself. It seemed his purchase of those Split Heart Thunders had been quite insightful.

With his silver tongue, he had bought three for only a thousand spirit stones, a significant bargain compared to the current price.

"Alas, Zhang Daoist, you just mentioned that Shuijing Palace is now recruiting male disciples. What's that about?" the cultivator surnamed Cui suddenly asked.

"What else could it be? The number of disciples they can recruit has been decreasing year by year. If they don't lower their standards a bit and remove some irrelevant restrictions, how could they attract so many outstanding disciples?" Zhang Zhi picked up his tea and took a sip.

"How could that be? Among the four great countries of the Central Plains, Great Jin has the widest territory, with countless mortals. How could there be a shortage of outstanding disciples?" the cultivator surnamed Cui was surprised.

"Hehe, let me ask you, why do you think the cultivation world of Great Jin is the strongest in the Central Plains?" Zhang Zhi smiled.

"Of course, it's because of Changchun Temple. They are the only ones in the entire Central Plains with a late-stage Elemental Infant cultivator. How could they not be strong?" the cultivator surnamed Cui replied without hesitation.

"Exactly. If Changchun Temple is so strong, where do you think those outstanding disciples will choose to go when selecting a sect?" Zhang Zhi shrugged.

"In fact, it's not just what Zhang Daoist mentioned. Changchun Temple has controlled the imperial court for hundreds of years. Every emperor who steps onto the path of immortality joins Changchun Temple. As a result, the whole of Great Jin is almost their territory. Whenever a prodigy appears, local sects are still in the dark, while Changchun Temple has already received the news and sent people to recruit them. How can other sects compete with Changchun Temple in recruiting disciples?" the cultivator surnamed Lu sighed.

"It's said that recently, a cultivator from Changchun Temple proposed to integrate the selection ceremonies of other Great Jin sects into the Fuding Conference of Changchun Temple, claiming it would be convenient for those wishing to join a sect, so they wouldn't have to travel far and wide. But in the end, it's really for their own benefit, so they can gather all of Great Jin's talents. After all, given the choice, who wouldn't want to join Changchun Temple?" Zhang Zhi also shook his head helplessly.

"Changchun Temple acts so domineeringly, won't the other sects have complaints?" the cultivator surnamed Cui frowned.

"Complaints? Of course, there are. But what can they do about it? Changchun Temple has been so arrogant for so many years, who dares to bare their teeth at them? Individual cultivators fear their power, and sects fear their strength. Only someone like Yuan Ming, who isn't afraid of death, dares to publicly challenge them," Zhang Zhi said somewhat helplessly.

"The national teacher, under the guise of guiding the emperor to cultivate early, secretly harmed Yuan Ming. How is that different from Changchun Temple, under the banner of considering the cultivation world of Great Jin, oppressing other sects for their own benefit? Yuan Ming's words during the abdication ceremony, 'Why should I?' resonated with the hearts of many cultivators in Great Jin. Truly exhilarating," the cultivator surnamed Lu sighed and applauded.

"Yes, Yuan Ming's actions delighted many, and I don't know how many young disciples secretly regard him as an idol!" Zhang Zhi laughed heartily and drained his cup of tea.

Yuan Ming remained seated quietly, his gaze as calm as the water in his teacup, undisturbed. Yet, he reviewed all he knew about Changchun Temple again, reminding himself that while it's right to seek justice, one should not be so impulsive without absolute strength.

These matters didn't concern him; they were just stories to satisfy vanity. But if Changchun Temple came knocking on his door one day, or sent a high-level cultivator to kill him, the gossip over meals might turn into sayings like, "Offending Changchun Temple is asking for trouble."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. It's irrelevant to us. Speaking of which, the Tianxiang Auction will be held soon. Has anyone managed to get an invitation?" Yu Qingli looked around and quickly changed the subject.

"It's not that easy. We individual cultivators can't even find a way to buy an invitation to the Tianxiang Auction," Zhang Zhi complained.

Yu Qingli chuckled and pulled out a purple invitation from his chest: "Look, what's this?"

"An auction invitation? Where did you get it?" Zhang Zhi was surprised.

"Hehe, not long ago, a friend of mine got an invitation by chance, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he couldn't attend the auction, so he transferred the invitation to me. I spent over a hundred spirit stones to get it," Yu Qingli said, somewhat pained by the expense.

"Over a hundred spirit stones just for an invitation? I've heard of the Tianxiang Auction's reputation, but is it really worth that much?" the cultivator surnamed Cui questioned.

"Of course, you should know that the Tianxiang Auction is not just a high-end auction. When it officially takes place, many sects from Great Jin and Zhao Kingdom will set up booths in the Tianyu Tower at the center of the lake. There will often be some novel items on display. Even if you can't afford to buy anything, just going in to look around and broaden your horizons is worth the price," Zhang Zhi said with a smile.