chsdbacks Chapter 249: Mountainous Area
Chapter 249: Mountainous Area
Not far from the location chosen by Wu Tianyu and his companions, a group of cultivators dressed in green robes were leisurely setting up temporary stalls, their movements relaxed yet exuding the arrogance of sect cultivators.
Lu Rou, who was always restless, immediately went over and peeked at the stall on tiptoe, muttering, "Green Ox Sect? That name sounds so strange."
Among the cultivators of the Azure Ox Sect, eight or nine out of ten are male cultivators, and there are very few female cultivators. At this moment, seeing Lu Rou wearing a soft rabbit fur coat and looking cute and charming, everyone was stunned for a moment, and then their eyes were fixed on her.
"Young lady, are you also here to seek a master and pursue the Dao?" A young man in his early twenties stepped forward first, his face bearing a deliberately gentle expression, but his gaze swept over Lu Rou without restraint. "Would you like to consider joining our Green Ox Sect? I am Xu Hao, an inner disciple of the Green Ox Sect, and the one leading the team to recruit disciples this time."
"That's right! Our Qingniu Sect is one of the top 100 sects in the Thousand Mountains region, and our strength is formidable!" A green-robed cultivator next to him immediately chimed in, his tone full of arrogance.
The Thousand Mountains region is the area where Wolong Mountain is located. Although it occupies only a small part of the vast Penglai Plain, everyone knows that the Penglai Plain is a rare super-large plain on the continent, with an area comparable to the entire Central Continent. Even just a corner of it is enough to accommodate billions of people to live and thrive, with numerous sects.
The Azure Ox Sect is a prominent sect in the Thousand Mountains region, ruling over several cities and having countless affiliated families, with a total population exceeding ten million. The sect boasts over a thousand cultivators, making it comparable in scale to mid-sized sects. Therefore, it holds considerable influence at the Hundred Sects Conference.
Unfortunately, Lu Rou knew nothing about this, blinking her big eyes with a blank expression.
Upon hearing Xu Hao's invitation to join his sect, she immediately shook her head vigorously, her voice crisp and clear: "No, no, I already have a sect!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Hao and the group of Qingniu Sect cultivators were taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, their tone full of mockery.
Xu Hao clutched his stomach and laughed, "Little sister, you must be joking, right? Judging from your cultivation level, you don't seem to have reached the Flesh Refining Realm yet, do you?"
Lu Rou is eleven or twelve years old this year, and her cultivation level is indeed still at the Skin Tempering Realm, which is only considered average among her peers. You should know that any family with a bit of resources will use spiritual materials to temper the physique of their children from a young age to avoid the drawback of damaging their foundation by cultivating too early; when the children grow up to be eight or nine years old and start cultivating, they can accumulate strength and then unleash it, and can successfully pass through the Skin Tempering Realm of the six realms of body refinement in less than half a year.
Those like Lu Rou, who are stuck at the Skin Tempering Realm at the age of eleven or twelve, either come from impoverished families that can't even afford the spiritual materials needed to temper their bodies, or they are not favored at home and receive no cultivation resources whatsoever. In either case, they are the most inconspicuous individuals when the sect recruits disciples, and it is very difficult for them to be chosen.
Ke Lurou didn't understand these intricacies; she only felt that Xu Hao and his group were laughing rudely, clearly mocking her. She angrily put her hands on her hips, snorted twice at Xu Hao and the others, then turned and ran towards the Yin Yang Sword Sect's outpost, her short legs moving incredibly fast.
Watching her huffing and puffing back, Xu Hao and his group laughed even harder, their teasing tone undisguised.
Back at the post, Dongfang Shuyi was organizing the book for accepting apprentices. Seeing her come back in a huff, he couldn't help but reach out and pinch her little cheek, saying gently, "Xiaolu, don't run around like that anymore. There are all sorts of people out there. Be careful not to get kidnapped."
"Hmph, I won't be kidnapped!" Lu Rou raised her chin arrogantly, but after this commotion, she lost the desire to run around. Bored, she took out a scroll from Dongfang Shuyi's storage bag, sat on the stone bench, and began to look through it by herself.
As the sun rose higher, its warmth spread throughout Wolong Mountain, and more and more cultivators appeared on the mountain path, shoulder to shoulder, their voices clamoring. Fortunately, the previously opened mountain path was several tens of meters wide, so even with thousands of people traveling at the same time, it did not feel crowded.
The Yin Yang Sword Sect's outpost, which was originally shabby and deserted, gradually attracted more people to stop and inquire, no longer as deserted as it was at the beginning.
"Senior sister, you just said that your sect is not only skilled in swordsmanship, but also has a complete lineage in auxiliary arts such as alchemy and talisman drawing?" Several female cultivators around fifteen or sixteen years old surrounded the outpost, their eyes full of excitement, and asked eagerly.
Dongfang Shuyi maintained a gentle smile throughout. Upon hearing this, she flicked her finger and took out six booklets from the spatial bracelet on her wrist, gently placing them on the stone table. On the covers of the booklets were written six large characters: "Alchemy," "Weapon Forging," "Talisman Drawing," "Spiritual Plants," "Array Formation," and "Beast Taming." The characters were neat and tidy, and faintly radiated a spiritual light.
"That's right." She spoke softly, her voice carrying clearly throughout the surroundings. "Our sect was newly established, and our master is exceptionally kind, granting newly initiated disciples the right to freely choose a minor path to study in the library without paying any spirit stones or consuming sect contribution points. In addition, our master will personally hold a lecture every half month, which all sect disciples can attend for free."
"Besides assisting in the teachings and giving sermons, the sect also never holds back in imparting cultivation methods and magical techniques. As long as disciples are diligent and hardworking, they can learn the true skills..."
As the senior disciple of the sect, Dongfang Shuyi and Wu Tianyu jointly managed the sect's affairs, and she was even more knowledgeable and detailed about the sect's various benefits and rules than Zhang Ping. Now, when talking about the benefits of joining the sect, she spoke clearly and logically, and every word she uttered was incredibly appealing, with even her tone carrying a certain confidence.
Standing to the side with her arms crossed, Wu Tianyu couldn't help but turn her head to glance at her, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes. She hadn't expected her senior sister to be so organized when she talked about these things; even she couldn't help but be impressed.
The cultivators who were originally just passing by and casually listening in, upon hearing about these benefits, all gathered around, completely surrounding the Yin Yang Sword Sect's outpost.
"I want to take the entrance test! I am Long Zuo, a member of the Long family of Qianshan!" A handsome young man in a brocade robe pushed his way to the front and shouted urgently.
"Black Floating, a rogue cultivator, wishes to join the Yin-Yang Sword Sect. I beg Senior Sister to give me a chance!"
"I also wish to join the sect! Please inform me of the testing process, Senior Sister!"
In an instant, the area in front of the booth became noisy and bustling. The once quiet stalls were now crowded and chaotic.
Wu Tianyu stood there stunned, clearly not expecting such a scene to suddenly appear. He was at a loss for what to do and could only subconsciously look at Dongfang Shuyi with a pleading look in his eyes.
Dongfang Shuyi gave her a reassuring look, then raised his hand, his internal energy surging slightly, and his voice suddenly rose a few decibels, clearly reaching the crowd: "Fellow Daoists, please be patient. Let me finish explaining the sect's requirements for accepting disciples before proceeding with the test."
"Senior Sister, please speak!" From the crowd, Long Zuo spoke first, his eyes fixed eagerly on Dongfang Shuyi, forgetting to turn the folding fan in his hand. "No matter how strict your sect's requirements for qualifications are, I am confident that I can meet them!"
Upon hearing the name "Long Family," the surrounding cultivators instinctively took a step back, subtly increasing their distance. The Qianshan Long Family held considerable influence in the area, but their flamboyant behavior had offended many, and no one wanted to provoke them easily.
Dongfang Shuyi glanced at this scene unintentionally, but her expression remained calm and undisturbed. She cleared her throat and slowly spoke, clearly stating, "The core cultivation method of our sect is quite unique. It only recruits female cultivators who are no more than thirty years old, whose cultivation has reached the Skin Tempering Realm, and who have a clean background. All of them are eligible to participate in the test."
She paused, then added, her tone still gentle but with an undeniable firmness: "Those with exceptional looks and figures may be admitted to the sect with relaxed cultivation requirements."
As soon as these two sentences were uttered, the previously noisy crowd instantly fell silent, a deathly stillness.
The cultivators who were just moments ago excited and eager to join the sect were all frozen in place, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Wh...what? Only female cultivators are accepted?" someone stammered, their tone full of astonishment.
"Such a sect exists in the world? It only accepts female cultivators and not male cultivators?"
Long Zuo's confidence shattered instantly. He snapped his folding fan shut with a "clatter," staring wide-eyed at Dongfang Shuyi in disbelief. He urgently asked, "Senior Sister, are you sure you didn't misread it? Even the Hundred Flowers Sect on the Penglai Plain recruits male cultivators with outstanding talent. How could you only accept female cultivators?"