Born with immortal seed

Chapter 50 Inner Disciple
"Reporting to Elder Ni, the mountain gates are now open to the public, and a total of eight outer disciples and one hundred and twenty miscellaneous disciples have been recruited... The backgrounds of all disciples have been investigated and they are all clean and ready to serve."

The middle-aged deacon bent down and presented a list containing detailed personal information about each disciple.

The number of outer disciples each year is certainly not that small. The main reason is that the promising talents discovered on a regular basis have already been sent to the sect. They can't just wait for the sect gates to open once every ten years.

Elder Ni took the file, but without looking at it closely, he stuffed it into his sleeve.

He was actually only in his fifties and was originally considered a promising Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Qingfeng Sect.

However, not long after he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he went out for a trip and fell into an ambush by a demoness from the Joyful Sect of the Demonic Path.

His cultivation was no match for the demoness, and he was captured and tortured for three days and three nights.

Although the demoness from the Joyful Sect didn't take his life, her essence was completely drained, damaging his very foundation and even shortening his lifespan by several decades.

Master Yang examined Elder Ni carefully and said frankly that unless he could consume a very few kinds of spiritual fruits, his path to immortality would be severed and his cultivation would have no chance of advancing any further.

After this ordeal, Elder Ni's image changed drastically. He exuded an air of old age and only took charge of routine matters such as ceremonies.

"Have you investigated the two murdered cultivators?"

"We've found out. The two are nicknamed the Que Family Twin Wolves. They frequently visit the market to sell materials related to demonic beasts. The percentage of rogue cultivators who teamed up with them and perished in the mountains was not high, but several of them disappeared from the mountains without explanation after six months."

Two rogue cultivators died near the Qingfeng Sect's mountain gate, causing quite a stir.

Further investigation revealed that the two individuals were highly suspected of committing treacherous acts.

The middle-aged deacon felt a surge of relief; thankfully, he had died before even entering the sect.

If the two brothers were made into menial disciples and caused any trouble, it would implicate him, the person who gave the assessment and passed them.

"It's almost certain that it was a revenge killing. Uncle Ma went to the scene to investigate, and the perpetrator left no clues. He killed the two people in a short time with just a flying sword."

"Uncle Ma can only determine that the attacker is a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator with skillful and ruthless swordsmanship. His cultivation level cannot be higher, otherwise the second son of the Que family's defensive magic weapon should have been shattered with a single sword strike."

"It's highly likely that the outsider cultivator was targeted by the Que brothers, who attempted to kill him and steal his treasure. Little did they know that the man had a flying sword and easily killed the two of them."

The middle-aged deacon relayed the original words of Master Ma's opinion, since a Foundation Establishment elder had already made the decision.

As for whether the murderer can be caught, that's the job of the Enforcement Hall.

"Create a file, one copy for the Enforcement Hall, and one copy for me. I'll have to report to the Sect Leader later; they might ask about it."

Elder Ni dusted off his Taoist robe and slowly stood up.

"There's also a newly promoted inner disciple waiting for me to deal with."

"Where would an inner disciple come from at this time? The sect competition hasn't even started yet... Could it be a disciple specially promoted by the sect leader?"

The middle-aged deacon bowed deeply, a thought suddenly occurring to him.

For ordinary inner disciples, it doesn't matter much, but if they are promoted by the sect leader, the meaning is different.

……

On his previous two visits to Qingfeng Sect, Bai Zichen had come as a visitor. This time, after announcing his identity and purpose, he was immediately led to the Transmission Hall.

After waiting for a full hour in a side hall, footsteps were heard, and three Foundation Establishment elders arrived together.

Bai Zichen greeted the elders.

Bai Zichen bowed and his gaze swept over them, noticing that two of them were acquaintances.

The man on the left, with dark skin and a rugged, unrestrained demeanor, is Elder Peng Chong, who was in charge of passing on the stone tablet back then.
The man on the right, with a hunched back and a perpetually sorrowful and weary face, is Elder Ni Kuan, who presided over this grand opening of the mountain gates to recruit disciples.

The person in the middle had a slightly higher status, and the sense of oppression he brought was also stronger than that of the other elders.

"I am Pei Dongyong from the Transmission Hall. The sect leader gave you instructions before he went into seclusion. It seems you made the right choice... With your talent, only by becoming a disciple of our sect can you fully unleash its potential."

Elder Pei was short and thin, looking like a withered old man, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he opened and closed them.

"Speaking of which, we old men all owe you a debt of gratitude... The Desolate God Stealing the Sun Technique, it's a good thing, at least it leaves a glimmer of hope, doesn't it?"

"Elder Pei, you flatter me. The inheritance stone tablet was given to me by the sect, and I obtained this secret technique by chance."

Bai Zichen immediately matched the lean old man in front of him with the person on the list in his memory.

Clan Chief Bai Xianzong had explained to him the most powerful and skilled individuals within the Qingfeng Sect, including Elder Pei Dongyong of the Transmission Hall.

Pei Dongyong, an elder of the Transmission Hall, is a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. He once defeated a fellow cultivator from the Ghost Spirit Sect using the Innate Five Elements Capturing Hand technique.

He is a rare example in the Qingfeng Sect of someone who did not come from a true lineage but climbed step by step to the position of elder, a true example of a comeback story.

This person only possesses the aptitude of four spiritual roots, and his cultivation speed has always been among the lowest of his peers in the sect, barely managing to become an inner disciple.

Within a few years, he was transferred to the position of outer sect manager because his cultivation progress could not keep up.

However, he had extremely high comprehension and could master any spell he cultivated in one go. At the age of forty-five, he finally achieved the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

The following year, a vein of spirit stones was discovered, which was a tremendous achievement.

He was granted the Foundation Establishment Pill and successfully established his foundation in one fell swoop, shocking the sect.

His advanced age, four spiritual roots, and status as an outer sect manager... these combined identities made Pei Dongyong an object of worship for all ordinary disciples of the Qingfeng Sect. Everyone hoped that they could be like him, quietly accumulating strength and soaring to great heights.

Pei Dongyong's ability to become an elder of the Transmission Hall demonstrates his achievements in mastering magic and understanding cultivation techniques.

"Inner disciples are the foundation of our sect, and all their benefits and treatment are described in this jade slip. At the same time, all the books on the first and second floors of the Transmission Hall are free for you to read at any time."

"Moreover, on a second-tier high-grade spiritual vein, you can choose a cave dwelling for yourself and send two servant disciples to serve you, so that the inner disciples will not be distracted by trivial matters."

"As for the difficulties encountered in cultivation, every three months an elder will hold a Dharma assembly in the Transmission Hall to exchange ideas and answer questions. This is specially set up for you inner disciples."

"At the same time, unlike outer disciples and menial disciples, inner disciples do not have any mandatory sect tasks. What you need to do is to cultivate hard and compete for a spot as a true disciple."

"Five years. Each inner disciple only has five years... If you don't become a true disciple, you'll be sent to the outer sect as a manager, and these benefits will no longer apply to you."

Ordinary inner disciples are already very familiar with these rules, but because Bai Zichen is a special case, he has the status of an inner disciple as soon as he enters the sect, which is why Elder Pei needs to explain them in detail.

Elder Pei took out a large seal and pressed it firmly onto a file with Bai Zichen's name on it. A wisp of golden light sank into the seal.

The other two elders were also listed at the end.

Thus, Bai Zichen's status as an inner disciple of the Qingfeng Sect was confirmed.

"Disciple understands."

After receiving the jade slip and a waist token representing an inner disciple of the Qingfeng Sect, Bai Zichen bowed to the three elders.

It seems I need to make a new five-year plan.

(End of this chapter)