Born with immortal seed

Chapter 309 Recruiting Apprentices
In the earliest days, it was very difficult for a celestial seedling with the four spiritual roots to directly enter the Azure Maple Sect unless it showed other strengths or had an elder's strong recommendation.

Because at that time, those who entered the Immortal Sect were considered outer disciples, while the position of miscellaneous disciple was reserved for those independent cultivators who had already acquired skills and joined the sect.

The entry requirements will only be relaxed after Gu Xisheng takes over as acting sect leader and the Qingfeng Sect faces a shortage of disciples due to its rapid development.

Not only has the threshold for independent cultivators to become disciples been greatly lowered, but also all the promising talents recommended from various places, even those with pseudo-spiritual roots, are accepted without question.

According to Gu Xisheng, even if one can only cultivate to the fourth level of Qi Refining, one can still learn a spiritual plant spell to take care of the spiritual fields.

Against this backdrop, the number of miscellaneous disciples recruited by Qingfeng Sect through its main gate gradually increased from one hundred per session to around five hundred.

This time, they have directly offered 1,200 places.

The newly occupied prefecture is short of manpower everywhere.

Immortal seedlings nurtured from scratch have better loyalty and development potential, but Qingfeng Sect cannot wait for twenty or thirty years of nurturing time. They will secure those resource points first.

The situation in Hejian County is different. Bai Zichen intends to take over all of these immortal seedlings to inform the various forces.

The Qingfeng Sect is not just a passerby here; they intend to truly establish themselves in Hejian County.

At the same time, there is absolutely no discrimination against cultivators from Hejian; both sides are treated equally.

To accelerate the control of Hejian County, it is inevitable to employ local cultivators; otherwise, there would be no need to set up another recruitment venue in Wanxianjian.

They can be recruited directly from within the mountain and then assigned to Wanxianjian.

These twenty-seven promising young talents were discovered by disciples of the Qingfeng Sect who were stationed in various places. In fact, they had already arrived at Wanxianjian to learn common sense and be taught basic skills.

He has not yet been granted an identity; he will only be able to become a true disciple of the Qingfeng Sect when the sect gates are opened to the public.

This number shows that Qingfeng Sect's control over Hejian County is far from sufficient.

The population of Dingkou is three times that of Heishan County, yet the number of immortal seedlings discovered by the spirit guide is less than half of that.

Furthermore, none of the twenty-seven were able to be promoted to inner disciples, and nearly half of them were menial disciples, indicating that the quality of this batch of promising young talents was also subpar.

"That's too few. The goal for this recruitment is 600 miscellaneous disciples, 100 outer disciples, and 10 inner disciples... With this number of applicants, how can we possibly select suitable disciples? In the end, we'll either have to lower the standards or leave the spots vacant."

In fact, according to Bai Zichen's idea, the aptitude of the menial disciples doesn't matter at all, as long as they are young enough.

Don't expect to reach a high level of cultivation. Just spend a few years figuring out which of the various arts of immortal cultivation is most suitable for you, and then delve into that skill.

Regardless of the profession among the hundred arts, Qingfeng Sect lacks such cultivators, who have a wide range of applications.

The worst fear is that among the independent cultivators, there aren't many who have even reached the most basic level of being a cultivator.

Moreover, those with slightly higher cultivation levels will find it easier to master the various arts of immortal cultivation, thus avoiding the need to cultivate basic techniques and rebuild their foundation after joining a sect.

"I immediately increased the publicity efforts and visited several major cultivation families to ask them to send their outstanding disciples to the Myriad Immortals Valley."

"No need. Just announce that the person with the most talent in the recruitment of new disciples in Hejian County will be awarded a Foundation Establishment Pill by me personally."

Bai Zichen waved his hand, saying that ordinary methods could only mobilize a few hundred rogue cultivators at most.

If we're going to do something big, let's make it a major news story.

"There are no other requirements for receiving the Foundation Establishment Pill; I personally determined the winner."

"I will immediately convey your message. I believe that the most talented Qi Refining cultivators in Hejian will be interested."

Li Guizhen's face lit up with joy, as this would make his work much easier.

Let alone Qi Refining rogue cultivators, even those from established immortal cultivation families, how many of them could produce a Foundation Establishment Pill without much effort?

Only families like the Mi family, with their existence of pseudo-core cultivators, might be better off; other cultivation families are just as troubled by the lack of foundation-building pills.

In the past, one would either offer precious gifts or request elixirs from the Ghost Spirit Sect.

Alternatively, they could head to Zengguang Immortal City to try their luck, carrying the hopes of their entire clan to bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill, while simultaneously renting a cave dwelling in the Immortal City to directly attempt a breakthrough.

The reward of a Foundation Establishment Pill is enough to make major cultivation families put aside all concerns and send out their most outstanding members to try their luck.

……

Outside Wanxianjian, the area was bustling with activity, with countless sword lights and flying magical artifacts filling the air with a dark mass.

Judging from the number of cultivators, there must have been close to ten thousand, forming several circles.

With a large number of people, due to disputes over positions or past grudges, they became extremely hostile upon meeting, leading to numerous fights and brawls.

Fortunately, there were quite a few disciples from the Qingfeng Sect maintaining order, and since they were right in front of the Wanxianjian Valley, everyone was wary, afraid of displeasing the White Ancestor.

Therefore, after the Qingfeng Sect disciples intervened, they were basically able to stop and make peace.

"Brother Mi, I heard from my father that you have already secured a spot as an inner disciple. Why are you not going to enjoy yourself in the Ten Thousand Immortals Valley instead of suffering in line like us?"

Under the shade of a cool umbrella, the scorching sun is blocked, and the room is cool and refreshing.

Several young men and women gathered in a circle, dressed in luxurious clothes, with magical artifacts gleaming in the light.

Judging from their speech, demeanor, and the magical artifacts they carry, one can tell that these people are not ordinary rogue cultivators, but rather scions of a family of immortal cultivators.

"It's not like that anymore, otherwise why would I be signing up?"

The young man was dressed in fine clothes and carried a long sword. He was broad-shouldered and burly, and his tone was full of indignation.

"The clan originally selected me as an inner disciple, but when the news spread that the top talent among the disciples recruited this time would be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill, the clan elders immediately wanted to give the spot to my cousin... Now, relying on my own efforts, I can probably only get the status of an outer disciple."

Mi Wanzhong had been feeling resentful and unhappy for many days.

"I heard that there is a big difference in benefits between outer and inner disciples of Qingfeng Sect. I didn't expect the Foundation Establishment Pill to fall into my lap... but I've even lost my status as an inner disciple. I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining in the future."

Mi Wanzhong's cousin, Mi Wanding, possesses dual spiritual roots and is currently sixteen years old with a cultivation level of the sixth level of Qi Refining. He is one of the best-performing members of the younger generation in the Bai family.

The key point is that Mi Wanding is a direct descendant of the family head, and was originally intended to stay at home for intensive training to inherit the family business.

However, once the reward for the Foundation Establishment Pill was announced, the Mi family was willing to lose one outstanding junior member in the clan in order to let Mi Wanding compete for it.

"Brother Mi, you have exceptional talent and you will surely be able to regain your spot as an inner disciple."

The sturdy boy who asked the question looked slightly embarrassed and quickly changed the subject.

"I heard that the eldest daughter of the Ma family and several other well-known independent cultivators have signed up. I wonder who will win first place and receive the Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward from that ancestor."

"It's either my cousin or Ma's daughter. Those few rogue cultivators, although they have high cultivation levels, are too old... No matter how you evaluate them, it's not their turn. Giving them Foundation Establishment Pills would be a waste."

Mi Wanzhong was resentful, but he was completely convinced of his cousin's talent.

Beside the cool umbrella, a young man's ears twitched slightly as he walked steadily through groups of cultivators.

The cultivators were constantly discussing who would receive the Foundation Establishment Pill, with only three or five names being mentioned. Some even suspected foul play, and in the end, the Foundation Establishment Pill ended up in the hands of someone from the Qingfeng Sect.

"Impossible. What kind of person is Master Bai? He personally presided over the meeting. Why would he ruin his reputation for a Foundation Establishment Pill?"

“Yes, I have a distant relative who fled to Black Mountain and joined the Green Maple Sect. He’s quite successful now… According to him, the Green Maple Sect is much fairer than other sects, and no one dares to withhold the annual disciple benefits.”

"Brother Daoist, sit down and have a cup of spiritual tea. Tell me more about it."

Although Qingfeng Sect has occupied Hejian County for several years, it remains mysterious and unknown to the lower-level independent cultivators.

Everyone was very curious about this, and a large crowd immediately gathered around.

"Why don't you listen in and learn about the inner workings of the Azure Maple Sect? It might be helpful for your disciple recruitment assessment?"

Tie Changsheng looked at the young man who had been walking alongside him for a while, but did not push into the crowd. He asked curiously.

"Didn't you also not go to join the fun?"

The young man was empty-handed, carefree and relaxed, like a tourist going out for a spring outing. He showed none of the anxiety and unease that other independent cultivators had.

"Two of my sworn brothers went ahead to inquire, while I stayed here to watch the position... My name is Tie Changsheng, may I ask your name, friend?"

Tie Changsheng and several like-minded rogue cultivators became sworn brothers, and he gained some fame among the lower-level rogue cultivators.

I was also moved by the rewards of the Foundation Establishment Pill, so I came here specifically to sign up and give it a try.

The young man in front of him appeared to be only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and was inconspicuous among the nearly ten thousand cultivators outside the Ten Thousand Immortals Valley. However, Tie Changsheng felt that he had an extraordinary temperament, which is why he took the initiative to befriend him.

"My name is Su Li. I heard that Qingfeng Sect has opened its gates, so I came to see what's going on."

The young man casually found a large rock to sit on and said.

"Brother Tiedao's profound skills at such a young age are truly admirable. I believe he will shine brightly at the apprenticeship ceremony later."

"I wonder how Qingfeng Sect operates. If it's like Guiling Sect, where disciples from aristocratic families are given priority and benefits are offered to deacons to be assigned duties, I'd rather be a carefree rogue cultivator."

Tie Changsheng shook his head. With his Qi Refining Level 8 cultivation, he certainly wouldn't be turned away.

However, entering the Qingfeng Sect only grants one the lowest-ranking disciple position, requiring them to spend their days running around performing sect missions. It's better to continue as a rogue cultivator.

"Don't worry, as long as you have the ability, you will definitely be able to make a name for yourself in Qingfeng Sect."

The carefree young man looked ahead at the commotion, then got up and walked over: "I wish Brother Tiedao all the best in securing an inner disciple spot, and may your path to enlightenment last forever."

"Brother, what are you looking at? We've found out that in the Qingfeng Sect, only those who become inner disciples are truly considered members of the sect. They can cultivate various techniques and secret arts in the Transmission Hall, and their treatment is different... If they can pass the trials and become true disciples, their future is limitless. They will be given a third-tier spiritual land and a Foundation Establishment spiritual item, and Foundation Establishment is within reach!"

A quirky and lively young girl rattled off the news she had heard, while a kind and steady-looking young man stood beside her.

"It's nothing, second brother, little sister, you two tell me again about the promotion conditions among the different types of disciples in the Qingfeng Sect."

Tie Changsheng withdrew his gaze from the young man who had given him this strange feeling and said seriously.

Choosing to join the Qingfeng Sect may have been the second major turning point for him after entering the world of cultivation.

(End of this chapter)