When it comes to cultivating immortality, it naturally starts with upgrading the herb garden.

Wan Nan was momentarily stunned, but still activated the puppet, letting the two fight.

Yu Xin, having finally reached the tenth level of Qi Refining, easily defeated the puppet and thus joined the Lower Sword Sect.

Shi Jian glanced at Song Chen, then shrugged in response, indicating that he didn't care.

Upon seeing this, Shi Jian immediately stepped forward and struck up a conversation with Yu Xin, attempting to recruit him into the group seeking opportunities.

Song Chen originally thought that since he didn't care, Yu Xin might not join the team.

Unexpectedly, Yu Xin didn't seem to care and agreed directly. Afterwards, he even raised his eyebrows at Song Chen with a smug look, as if he had won back a point.

Song Chen smiled and didn't take it to heart.

Wan Nan glanced at the crowd: "Come with me!"

The group followed Wan Nan out of the alley. Along the way, many cultivators who had not been selected cast envious and jealous glances at them. Some even knelt down in the middle of the road and begged to return to the sect with them. Wan Nan scolded them all and sent them away, giving them repeated warnings.

Before they had gone two steps, two more groups joined them, making a total of about five people.

Song Chen noticed that one group had young children, who he guessed were cultivators with excellent aptitude who had passed the Spirit Root Zone test. The other group was probably cultivators who had passed the Hundred Arts Zone test.

In comparison, the pass rate in the combat zone was actually the highest, with five people passing, a number comparable to the combined pass rate of the other two zones.

Song Chen felt a pang of regret, thinking that the number of people joining the sect was still too small. But then he thought again and slapped his forehead.

This only includes the monks who passed through one market town; it doesn't even include those from other markets!

If we add them all together, we could probably gather forty or fifty people, right?

With that in mind, Song Chen no longer felt it was too little.

A large group of people arrived at the North Alley of Wanjing City, where a huge flying boat was located.

"Go up!" It wasn't Wan Nan who spoke, but a cultivator with an even more terrifying aura.

Song Chen guessed that it must be a Qi Refining Peak cultivator testing spiritual roots.

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone bent over and climbed up the ladder step by step. Perhaps due to the pressure of being a Qi Refining Peak cultivator, or something else, for some reason no one dared to use magic to assist in climbing.

Once aboard the flying boat, Song Chen chose a corner spot, settled down comfortably, and a sense of peace settled over him.

He gazed at the market, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

From a wandering cultivator in the market who couldn't even afford rent to a sect cultivator now, the journey wasn't exactly fraught with hardship, but the memories flood back and evoke a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings).

People always have certain feelings at certain key moments.

The same goes for Song Chen.

Once everyone was seated, the Qi Refining Peak cultivator shouted, and the flying boat hummed as it slowly took off and disappeared into the clouds.

Song Chen watched as the flying boat slowly lifted into the sky and then sped off towards the southwest.

His gaze remained fixed on the direction of Wanjing and Huanbei for a long time, until the clouds obscured them and they could no longer be seen.

Wan Nan was counting heads when she happened to call on Song Chen. Noticing his lingering gaze, she smiled, patted his shoulder, and said comfortingly:

"Just go back to the sect to accept the mission and come back! There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Song Chen nodded, averted his gaze, sat on the deck, and closed his eyes to contemplate.

After Wan Nan finished counting, she ran to the Qi Refining Peak cultivator to report, then returned to the group, took out a pile of items, and shouted:

"Everyone! Assemble!"

A group of people arrived at the front warehouse and looked at Wan Nan.

Seeing that most of the people had arrived, he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point:

"From today onwards, you are all cultivators of my Lower Sword Sect! Your future foundations are bright, and your prospects are excellent. Congratulations!"

Upon hearing this, everyone came to their senses and began to applaud.

After the applause subsided, Wan Nan took out a set of clothes and continued:

"These are Daoist robes issued by the sect. They're considered high-grade magical artifacts; they can stretch and retract freely, enough to withstand attacks from a Qi Refining Stage 7 cultivator. Everyone come up and collect one!"

Many people took the clothes and changed into them immediately, and Song Chen was no exception.

The Taoist robe is very lightweight and comfortable to wear. The fabric is of good quality and doesn't feel stiff.

"However, the Lower Sword Sect does not support idlers. Once you enter the sect, you will need to pay 1,000 contribution points every year. For details, go to the mission office after entering the sect."

As he spoke, he took out several small lamps and said:

"These are life lamps, capable of recording everyone's life and death details. Each person receives one, drips a drop of their essence blood into it, and then they will all be collected back!"

Rows of small lamps fell into the hands of the cultivators.

Song Chen glanced at the life lamp, bit his fingertip, and dripped a drop of blood into it. Instantly, the small lamp, which had been extinguished, lit up again, its light dazzling.

"Wow!" exclaimed the young monk in surprise.

Wan Nan smiled and said, "This is normal for the life lamps to operate, there's no need to worry. Put all the lit ones on this shelf."

An iron frame appeared behind him at some unknown time, with tiny slots inside that perfectly matched the outline of the bottom of the life lamp.

The group returned the life lamps, and the flying boat was almost at the Lower Sword Sect.

The flying boat was enormous. Although its speed couldn't match Song Chen's high-grade magic boat, it could carry many people, and its speed, while not too slow, was comparable to that of a mid-grade magic boat.

Above the clouds, amidst rolling white clouds, a massive island—Xia Jian Island—appeared before them.

Lower Sword Island is enormous, ten times larger than Cliff Island. There are four large pits at the four corners of the island, containing many magical swords, the purpose of which is unknown.

The island's center contains numerous buildings, including grand halls, shrines, fighting pavilions, and spiritual towers for cultivation—everything imaginable.

To the south of the center is an extremely long street, which, when viewed from the air, resembles a long snake, with vendors thronging both sides, making it exceptionally bustling.

To the north of the center were numerous low-lying houses, which were likely the residences of the disciples.

As for other parts, there were no obvious features, so Song Chen could not identify them.

There are several other islands besides Xiajian Island, which clearly have a high concentration of spiritual energy, but it is unclear who lives there.

The airship landed and came to a steady stop on the beach on the south side of the island, and everyone slowly climbed down in order.

Wan Nan had already landed on the ground and addressed the crowd:

"The core of the sect is located at the center of the island. Please proceed there on your own to collect your tokens and accommodations. Finally, I wish you all prosperity on your path to immortality, and that you may soon establish your foundation and reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao!"

After speaking, Wan Nan glanced at Shi Jian, who nodded slightly. Upon seeing this, he immediately took flight and headed towards the north side of the island.

After everyone reached the ground, the flying boat shrank in mid-air, eventually transforming into a tiny toy that landed in the palm of the Qi Refining Peak cultivator.

Then, the cultivator put away the flying boat and flew away into the distance like a shooting star, disappearing without a trace.

Song Chen thought to himself, "He's quite the ascetic!"

Then, the crowd dispersed, some building flying boats, some flying on the wind, and some walking, all heading towards the center.

Standing beside Shi Jian were two or three people, who were probably cultivators who would go together to seek opportunities in the future.

He called out to Song Chen, "Let's go! Let's get our lodgings first, so we can keep in touch more easily!"

Song Chen nodded, summoned a flying boat, and sped off towards the center of the island.

Shi Jian stared at the flying boat, slightly taken aback, then a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes. He said to the people behind him, "Let's go!"

Upon arriving at the center of the island, Song Chen looked around and soon spotted a notice that read "Newcomer Joins the Sect," held high above the ground.

He walked over there, where several monks were standing under the notice.

Several cultivators, upon seeing Song Chen, swarmed around him as if he were prey, making it impossible for him to move.

"Junior brother! What's your surname? Let me take you to the main hall!"

"Junior brother! Need money? I'm having an event where you can borrow 1,000 spirit stones, and the interest for the first month is only 10%!"

"Junior brother! Do you have any thoughts about seeking a Daoist partner?"

"Junior brother! I have a three-day deposit voucher for Spirit Tower cultivation; you can buy it for the price of just one day!"

......

Song Chen was dazzled and his ears were ringing. He said, "Wait, wait! Let me go get my accommodation and identity token first!"

"Of course! Of course! Follow me!"

A senior student with a pointed face and monkey-like features jumped out first, grabbed Song Chen, and pointed to the main hall not far away: "Get out of the way, all of you!"

He shouted, which somehow cleared a path for himself.

With that, Song Chen breathed a sigh of relief and escaped the crowd: "Senior brother, what's going on here?"

"Junior brother! You don't understand now that you've just arrived. You'll understand once you've truly entered the sect. Everyone is forced by the necessities of life."

"That's what Senior Brother Monkey said."

Song Chen felt a little uneasy upon hearing this.

"Why do I feel so much pressure, even though I'm from the Sword Sect?"

He recalled what Wan Nan had said on the ship, perhaps related to the thousand contribution points, and said:

"Is it because of contribution points?"

Senior Monkey nodded, quickening his pace: "Yes! Shall we hurry? I want to bring a few more!"

".......good."

Song Chen shut his mouth and walked away quickly. It seemed that he would have to find a specialist to answer his questions!

The two arrived at the lobby one after the other.

The hall was spacious, but there were quite a few people. Cultivators were walking around everywhere, and from time to time, some were frantically writing and registering using their spiritual energy as pens.

Monkey Brother led Song Chen to the registration desk in the very center.

He preemptively told the person registering, "The guide is written as 'Great Ape Fruit'!"

After saying that, Senior Brother Monkey left, leaving behind the last words:

"If you have any questions, ask the person registering. I'm leaving now."

The monk registering the monks grew impatient, muttering, "Damn it! Do they think I'm some kind of beast of burden?! Why are they asking me everything?"

"They're becoming increasingly irresponsible! They're even cutting corners on the task details!"

Upon hearing this, Song Chen was both frightened and alarmed.

"Looks like this senior sister isn't someone to be trifled with!"

After thinking for a moment, he took out two spirit stones, placed them on the table, and said:

"Senior sister, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you!"

"Find someone else...of course!"

She was about to refuse when she saw the white spirit stone and immediately changed her mind, grabbing the spirit stone and changing her mind.

Song Chen analyzed the situation and asked, "Why were those people in such a hurry just now?"

After taking the spirit stone, she calmed down considerably and first asked, "What's your name?"

After Song Chen answered, she also used spiritual energy to create a brush in her hand, writing and explaining as she went:

"Because he wants to be a mentor for more new disciples, and each one is rewarded with a spirit stone. If he's lucky, he can earn dozens of spirit stones a day."

"So, are those people outside the contribution points doing the same thing? Trying to earn more spirit stones?"

"Yes! It's all about money! The sect has a lot of resources, so naturally there are many places where money is needed."

"I heard from the cultivators on the flying boat that a thousand contribution points are enough for a year, right? Are contribution points really that hard to earn?"

The female cultivator quickly completed the registration with a stroke of her pen, and a token appeared in her hand as she said:

"Here you go! The random house number is on the back of the token."

Song Chen accepted the gift, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "Thank you."

"Contribution points are not hard to earn, and a thousand contribution points are not many. A regular task can earn three or four hundred contribution points, but if you are only satisfied with that, I, the Sword Sect, will not be able to survive."

Why is that?

The female cultivator remained silent, but simply spread her hands, indicating the spirit stones.

Without saying a word, Song Chen took out a few more pieces and placed them in her hand.

The female cultivator took the spirit stone, kissed it like a precious treasure, and looked at Song Chen with shining eyes:

"Junior brother is very generous! What do you do outside?"

Song Chen replied awkwardly, "It's just the savings I've accumulated over the years, nothing more than a rogue cultivator's fortune."

Upon hearing this, the light in the female cultivator's eyes dimmed considerably: "I see!"

"To answer your question, the sect has a hierarchical system. The number of contribution points you have will determine your status and position in the sect, and you will receive different treatment. Moreover, contribution points are more useful than spirit stones in the sect, as they are needed for all aspects of cultivation."

"I suggest you accumulate more contribution points, otherwise life won't be easy!"

"Turn right after exiting the mission area. You can ask around for details on how to obtain it."

Song Chen was bewildered. Before he could ask another question, several senior brothers walked over with new cultivators.

Those senior brothers were all disheveled and looked like they had just been in a big battle.

"If you have any questions, please ask the registration office. I'm leaving now."

Even so, the senior students still left the group behind and returned to the notice board without hesitation, leaving the newcomers looking at each other in bewilderment.

One of them asked, "Excuse me...?"

The monk registering the registration refused to show any mercy: "Get lost! Don't talk to me except for your name!"

......

Song Chen curiously strolled outside and, sure enough, saw a fierce struggle at the notice board, with people even exchanging blows.

"Get lost! You monkey, try stealing another one!"

It was that sharp-mouthed, monkey-faced senior brother who had just given Song Chen the gift.

He was being verbally abused by a cultivator, his face bruised and battered, looking like he had been beaten up.