First achieve immortality, then cultivate immortality.

At the foot of a mountain on the north side of the Qinglanzong Mountains, there is a peach blossom forest that paints the mountains with a bright pink hue.

A village nestled within a peach grove is so pristine it resembles a paradise from a painting.

"This is Kita-ki Village, and there are other villages to the east, west, and south."

Beimu Village is mainly responsible for cultivating medicinal herbs. Look at the surrounding mountains, aren't there many medicinal herb fields? Those are important assets of the sect.

Xu Mu followed his finger and saw that the medicinal fields stretched out one after another, covering a vast area.

"Are all these spiritual herbs for the disciples to cultivate with?"

Mu Changfeng laughed and said, "I guess so, but we are outer disciples, and we can't get something for nothing."

Xu Mu nodded: "So my job from now on will be to take care of the medicinal herb fields?"

"Yes, since you've been assigned to Kitaki Village, you'll likely be taking care of the medicinal herb fields."

However, besides the spiritual herbs for alchemy, there's also weapon crafting, talisman making, and array formation. New cultivators mostly tend to the herb fields or refine various materials.

Mu Changfeng gave a brief introduction to his job duties.

Alchemy, weapon crafting, talisman making, and array formation are all disciplines, even more profound than cultivation methods. Many cultivators study them their entire lives and only learn a little bit.

Farming and processing materials are relatively simple, so these most basic tasks are assigned to outer disciples.

The entire sect was well-organized and had a clear division of labor, which was very different from the fighting and brawling that Xu Mu had imagined. It was clear that the people in Du Guan were not lying; this sect placed great importance on rules.

"But senior brother... am I here to cultivate immortality or to work?" Xu Mu asked timidly.

Mu Changfeng laughed heartily: "Junior brother, this is cultivation. There is no such thing as a free lunch in the world. If you want to obtain resources, you have to work."

If you think this is too slow, you can also go to the Hall of Merit to accept quests and earn rune coins.

He pointed out the locations of the Hall of Merit and the Hall of Transmission of Merit in one go.

"We outer disciples do not have a specific master. Our cultivation is guided by the senior monks in the Transmission Hall or by our senior brothers and sisters."

The Transmission Hall holds regular lectures. The Qinglan Sect values ​​the cultivation education of its disciples, so in the early stages, disciples are required to attend lectures. Only after passing the assessment can they be exempted from the lessons.

"If one is absent and receives a demerit from the elders of the Transmission Hall, it would be tantamount to cutting off one's path to immortality."

Xu Mu nodded and wrote down all the rules he mentioned.

These will be his survival guide within the sect.

Finally, Mu Changfeng led him to the Hall of Transmission of Skills, showed him the certificate given by the person in charge of the Transmission of Skills, and registered Xu Mu in the register.

After registration, you can also receive the benefits of an introductory disciple—a soft-textured Qinglan Sect standard robe, a long sword, a basic Qi cultivation technique, and a manual of sword control techniques.

"You already have cultivation techniques in the mortal realm. If you have all of them, it doesn't matter if you don't practice this Qi Refining Method. Anyway, the cultivation techniques for the Qi Refining stage are all pretty much the same, so it won't have much of an impact."

Xu Mu nodded, deciding to take a closer look when he had time.

The cultivation method he is currently practicing was purchased from someone in the private sector more than 120 years ago. He doesn't know if it has any defects, or if the one from the sect is more reliable.

"Alright, I'll take you this far. If you have any questions, just ask your fellow disciples here. We're all from the same sect, so there's no need to be shy," Mu Changfeng said.

"Okay, thank you for leading the way, senior brother." Xu Mu solemnly cupped his hands in thanks.

Mu Changfeng smiled and said, "Cultivate diligently and attain enlightenment as soon as possible."

He paused for a moment, then declared loudly, "Junior brother, at most ten years! In ten years, I will break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining. At that time, with my contributions, I will apply to the sect for Foundation Establishment Pills, and the time to attain the Dao will be just around the corner!"

His eyes shone with anticipation for the future.

"May your path to immortality flourish, and may the Great Dao be within your grasp," Xu Mu earnestly offered his blessings.

Seeing his hope for the future, Xu Mu also began to look forward to it.

This is a sect where people can harbor dreams.

"Haha, thank you for your kind words!"

"Riding the wind on my sword, I roam freely between heaven and earth!"

Mu Changfeng laughed three times and flew away on his sword.

……

The sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.

The houses in Beimu Village are all the same style, with single rooms for each person, and each house is separated by one or two peach trees, arranged in an orderly manner, creating a sense of rhythmic beauty.

The village roads are all dirt roads, but there is no dust or dirt.

Everything was so clean and beautiful, untouched by dust.

This is probably the paradise on earth that mortals yearn for.

But if ordinary people lived here, they would definitely suffer, because there is no stove, no bathroom, no toilet, and many other things that ordinary people need for living.

Xu Mu didn't know whether beautiful young girls needed to poop, but it seemed that beautiful sword cultivators definitely didn't need to poop...

There is also a two-story building, which only married couples can apply to live in.

When Mu Changfeng mentioned earlier that many people were born into immortal sects, he was referring to this.

Many cultivators spend their entire lives practicing within their sects, getting married, and having children.

Mu Changfeng encouraged him to live in Beimu Village from now on and find a female cultivator from the same sect to become his Daoist partner.

"What cultivators need are spiritual partners, wealth, and land. Spiritual partners are not only for mutual help, but also for the opportunity to give birth to offspring with spiritual roots."

Once a genius emerges in a family, everything rises with the tide; it's a rare opportunity to change one's destiny.

This is not the wealth and glory of the mortal world, but cultivation resources and an opportunity to break through to a higher realm.

Obtaining resources through one's own children is a very important method and should not be underestimated.

Xu Mu smiled at this and didn't say anything more, but instead asked curiously, "What if the child born doesn't have spiritual roots?"

"That's easy, we can send him to another village and have him raised by someone else."

Mu Changfeng spoke somewhat casually.

As someone born into a celestial sect, this kind of thing is commonplace and no longer seems strange to me.

It seems they lack a strong sense of parenthood, have weak parent-child relationships, or perhaps have no affection for children without spiritual roots.

If you can't cultivate immortality, just abandon them, as if they weren't even the same species.

It wasn't just Mu Changfeng who thought this way; all the native cultivators thought the same way—those with spiritual roots and those without were two different species.

Fortunately, they only targeted those without spiritual roots and did not discriminate against cultivators from the mortal realm. They did not have the custom of the immortal sects discriminating against people from the countryside.

Xu Mu settled down peacefully in Beimu Village.

……

That day, as usual, he came to the Chuan Gong Hall on the mountain to give a lesson.

The sect's recruitment conference had just concluded, and many new disciples had arrived, so he was no longer the only one in the classroom.

When he arrived at the classroom, a nun saw him, her face expressionless.

Xu Mu lowered his head guiltily and silently walked to the corner to sit down.

Before any new disciples arrived, he received instruction from his senior sister on his own. As a result, after learning sword control techniques for half a month, his senior sister began to doubt her teaching abilities.

Now that there are more people, he's finally not the most conspicuous underachiever.

Mo Yao looked at him, then at the others, feeling quite helpless.

Most of the disciples present were young people who had just started their training, their eyes clear and filled with expectant light. Xu Mu, on the other hand, was older and his eyes were dull, making him stand out from the crowd.

"Sigh, never mind, education should be provided to all without discrimination."

After silently reciting a few words, Mo Yao picked up the gavel and struck it once, beginning the lesson.

Although she was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining, she was more than capable of teaching these new disciples who were at most at the third level of Qi Refining.

……

After finishing his sword control class, Xu Mu went to the Foundation Establishment Master's classroom to listen to the Master's teachings.

"Superior Person" refers to an inner sect Foundation Establishment disciple. They are usually older and have difficulty making progress in cultivation, so they are responsible for managing sect affairs.

Those at the Core Formation stage and above are called elders, and only inner disciples are qualified to be guided by elders.

The venerable master who was giving the sermon was named Venerable Chen Xuan. He looked very young, with a handsome face and a gentle demeanor. He was dressed in a blue Taoist robe, like a schoolteacher in an ordinary school.

Xu Mu heard from others that this venerable master was not very old and had once been a genius of extraordinary talent. However, he was injured during a mission, which damaged his foundation in Taoism, making it difficult for him to make any further progress. That is why he was giving lectures here.

Xu Mu enjoyed listening to his classes; they were insightful yet easy to understand and captivating.

Many people say that among the various villages in the east, west, south, and north, the teachings of Master Chen Xuan are the most exquisite, and Beimu Village is the most fortunate. This is true.

Every time I give a lecture, the classroom is always packed with people, some sitting and some standing, and no one makes a sound.

Therefore, in Master Chen Xuan's class, Xu Mu always sat inconspicuously in the corner, listening quietly and taking notes.

……

After the lecture, it's time to get to work.

He gathered his spiritual energy and remotely manipulated a hoe to loosen the soil, performing a precise operation without damaging the roots of the herbs.

"Junior brother, you're so skilled at wielding this hoe, how come you can't control a flying sword?" Mo Yao asked in confusion.

Xu Mu felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this.

"Senior sister, I'm actually pretty good at controlling flying swords... it's just that I can't fly on a sword..."

"You can control flying swords, so why can't you fly?" Mo Yao frowned, increasingly puzzled.

"Maybe... I'm afraid of heights."

"..." Mo Yao was so speechless that she could only look at him expressionlessly.

Xu Mu coughed lightly.

How should I put it?

It's like someone not understanding why someone in their twenties still can't ride a bicycle.

Flying on a sword is somewhat similar to riding a bicycle, but it requires more skill.

The strong winds at high altitudes are complex, requiring timely adjustments to the flying sword to maintain balance; a slight miscalculation can easily lead to a crash.

Hsu Mu was afraid of "crashing," just like he was afraid of falling off a bicycle, which made learning very difficult.

"Senior sister, you don't need to worry too much. I'll definitely be able to learn it if I spend a little more time," Xu Mu assured her earnestly.

Mo Yao nodded lightly: "Well, that's good. If you never learn it, you'll probably be laughed at. Don't drag me down with you."

Xu Mu smiled, cupped his hands, and said, "Don't worry, Senior Sister, I promise I won't let you down."

Mo Yao gave a faint hum.

She glanced at the medicinal herb field Xu Mu was tending and said, "There might be something wrong with your medicinal herb field."

Xu Mu nodded: "I know. Compared to other medicinal herb fields, this land is far too barren."

"You know that? Then why did you..."

Xu Mu smiled and said, "So what if I know? This was arranged for me by Steward Wang. It's his prerogative, and I can't force him to give me a better medicinal field instead."

Mo Yao was somewhat surprised by his composure.

"Do you know that because your harvest is poor and you don't have enough spiritual herbs to hand over, you have to make up for it with your own resources?"

Xu Mu nodded: "I know that too. Does Senior Sister have a way to get that deacon surnamed Wang to give me a better medicinal herb field?"

Mo Yao paused for a moment, then shook her head: "I can only give you a heads-up."

"I'm very happy that you have this thought, Senior Sister," Xu Mu said with a warm smile.

The senior sister is a bit arrogant, but she actually cares a lot about her junior brothers and sisters.

"Aren't you worried at all?" Mo Yao tilted her head slightly, puzzled.

"Hmm... there's no need to rush, but I am indeed busy. I'm currently busy every day improving soil fertility."

"Improve soil fertility?" The senior sister clearly didn't understand.

"Well... I had a handyman bring me some manure, which I'll compost and then spread on the medicinal herb field to promote the growth of the herbs."

"Sprinkling spiritual medicine with excrement? Are you trying to take revenge on the sect?!" Mo Yao's eyes widened instantly.

"Uh... how could this be revenge against the sect?" Xu Mu asked innocently.

"That's fertilizer. Burying it in the ground improves soil fertility and can nourish medicinal herbs."

Mo Yao's expression remained complicated: "I can't say anything since you're doing this to complete the mission, but it's best not to let anyone else know, otherwise..."

I wonder if the pills made from your miraculous herb will have a strange taste...

"Huh? That's how farmland is done in the mortal world. It only makes the crops grow better, so there's no strange taste."

The senior sister shook her head, looking disgusted. No matter what the effect was, she found it unacceptable.

Her thinking is probably not unique.

Is this obsessive-compulsive disorder related to cleanliness?

Xu Mu was speechless.

Fortunately, he has always been low-key and has never told anyone about this. It seems he will have to keep it a secret from now on.

To make people think he was feeding excrement to his fellow disciples would be a truly unjust accusation, even more unjust than that of Dou E.