Surviving in the Demonic Sect, one begins cultivation by retrieving corpses.

Gu Zhao then realized that what Gong Yuzhou and the others were fighting over was a Foundation Establishment Elixir.

This item is especially precious.

He had heard the stables say that without the Foundation Establishment Elixir, one could not establish a foundation.

Its rarity can be seen from the attitude of Sun Chan and his companions.

This item could even be kept for his future foundation building.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

Firstly, with his current level of cultivation, he is simply unable to protect this object. If he dares to hide it, it will likely be discovered as soon as he reaches the shore.

The consequences were predictable; the water monster at the bottom of the lake was chopped into mincemeat, serving as a cautionary tale.

If it is offered as a sacrifice to the large cauldron, no one will be able to detect it.

Secondly, the treasures obtained after sacrificing to the sacrificial cauldron will only be of a higher grade, as evidenced by the previous sacrifices.

Without further hesitation, Gu Zhao offered up the Foundation Establishment Elixir.

I wonder what kind of magical object I'll get this time!

I'm starting to have high expectations.

More characters slowly appeared on the black gold cauldron.

The cauldron's owner has already offered sacrifices to the Queyin Water Hound.

[A wisp of righteous energy turns the pages of a book; it can be claimed in six hours.]

The cauldron master has offered a portion of Foundation Establishment Elixir. It can be collected in six hours.

[Descend: Jade Purity Mystic Pass Divine Liquid.]

Gu Zhao looked at the words on it, and he had assumed that it was based on the rarity of the two sacrificial items.

I thought it would take more than six hours.

But it still took six hours.

Could it be that... the longest time to receive the offering of the Great Cauldron is six hours?

Furthermore, the items offered as sacrifices and the items obtained appear to be random.

Only one rule remains unchanged: the rarer and more precious the sacrificial offerings, the more superior and extraordinary the opportunities and treasures obtained in return.

Looking at the "Righteous Path Book-Turning Qi" again, just from the name, it doesn't seem like the Qi of demonic cultivation at all.

Upon careful consideration, it becomes clear that the Mingyi Sect was not originally a purely orthodox demonic sect.

Gu Zhao got the information from the stables.

The world is vast and boundless; the world is governed by the Way.

The so-called demonic path is simply a different system of cultivation; it is not the orthodox law of this world, which is why it is rejected as the demonic path.

If we trace back to ancient times, it was actually the demonic cultivators who were prevalent in the world.

That was a sect in the southern borderlands, also called the Holy Sect, which called itself the Mysterious Cultivator and the successor of the Mysterious Sect of Heaven and Earth.

Nowadays, the sects in the southern borderlands are all about cultivating everything, focusing on being "all-rounders".

Any method that can improve one's spiritual practice and is truly useful will be accepted without regard to its origin.

Therefore, within the sect, there are both sword control techniques and puppetry techniques, making it a diverse and flourishing field.

It is said that there are overseas cultivators in this world, who are now referred to as "heretical sects" by orthodox cultivators.

Of course, even unorthodox paths are still paths.

Unlike the demonic sects, which deliberately sought to change things, non-Buddhist cultivators simply followed ancient immortal methods of cultivation and were skilled at cultivating their inner energy; they were also known as "Qi Refiners".

This path of cultivation contradicts the orthodox traditions prevalent in the world today. Over time, it has been ostracized by the orthodox tradition and has earned the reputation of being an outsider.

However, if we trace their origins back to the source, these heretical sects were once the most prestigious and powerful sects in ancient times. They were truly orthodox sects, but with the passage of time and the changing times, they have fallen into decline.

Gu Zhao understood; the cultivation version was also evolving, and the demonic path had been severely weakened.

Might makes right, and strength determines who becomes the legitimate ruler of Xuandu.

This world is called Qingming Tianxia.

The Southern Frontier is inhabited by various demonic sects, the Northern Region by orthodox immortal sects, and even overseas immortal islands by heretical sects.

There are countless sects of cultivation, as numerous as the stars in the sky.

The world is vast and boundless, but for the corpse retrievers struggling to survive on the Yinshui River, it is nothing.

This cold, gloomy river is enough to confine one's entire life's path, wear down half a lifetime's cultivation, and ultimately bury one's life in a daze.

Living like an ant or a mayfly, not daring to look up at the blue sky, this is probably the helpless situation we are in.

Gu Zhao looked again and saw the [Jade Purity Mystic Gate Divine Liquid], a reward for sacrificing the Foundation Establishment Jade Elixir.

He had only studied the Daoist canon for two years and had never heard of this thing.

However, this was obtained through the sacrifice of Foundation Establishment Elixir, so it must be extraordinary.

I wonder what surprises await!

Gu Zhao slowly gathered his thoughts and composed himself.

Looking up, I saw that the other three body retrievers from the stable had already decided where to go tonight.

The stableman patted his chest confidently, "Don't worry, everyone. That place will definitely satisfy you."

After this ordeal, the group of body retrievers grew much closer to each other.

In particular, the way she looked at Gu Zhao was filled with heartfelt respect.

The eight thousand reward money I received today is quite a sum, and it's inevitable that others will secretly covet it.

The servants' quarters have always been home to many idle, lazy, and vicious men who refuse to work properly and instead specialize in murder and robbery.

All you need to do is build good relationships with the managers and errand boys above you.

The death didn't cause much of a commotion, and the Lower House usually turned a blind eye and never pursued the matter further.

This group of people always targeted the helpless and powerless low-level laborers, and once they died, they were treated like dirt, with no one caring about them.

Countless corpse retrievers have risked their lives in the Yinshui River for a reward, only to be brutally murdered the next day, losing both their lives and their money.

This is the Demonic Sect, not some charitable organization.

Just as Gong Yuzhou said, without a powerful backer, cultivation is difficult, let alone promotion or advancement in one's spiritual practice.

The slightest misstep could lead to one's demise amidst the undercurrents and infighting within the sect.

The stable and others have already made arrangements.

"The money for the Dharma needs to be spent!"

Moreover, the money should be spent transparently, with a tangible result, and in a stylish and decisive manner.

Gu Zhao has now saved enough for next month's living expenses.

In fact, most corpse retrievers don't have this kind of financial pressure. These four corpse retrievers, apart from the stable, all live in a large dormitory and can save a lot of money every month.

Unlike Gu Zhao, who is a spendthrift.

Gu Zhao asked curiously, "Old Ma, where did you go?"

The stableman grinned lewdly. "Brother Zhao, you'll see when you get there."

"Guaranteed to be awesome!"

Gu Zhao frowned, realizing Bao Shuang had arrived.

"Old Ma, I'm a decent man, don't you dare find me someone..."

The stable chuckled, "I forgot about Zhao-ge'er, he's a virgin!"

Gu Zhao sighed helplessly, "This is called the Seventeen-Year Pure Yang Skill."

The men who retrieved the corpses laughed and joked.

Ma Fang and the others chatted and laughed all the way, walking without stopping, heading straight for Sui Beifeng in the outer courtyard.

In his spare time, he usually only went to Sui Nanfeng for entertainment.

The area is filled with stilted houses and simple earthen kilns, among which Shuiyuanju has the best business and is one of the top places in Nanfeng.

Today, the stables stride forward, chests out, proud and valiant, heading towards Suibei Peak.

This place is different.

Many of the visitors were outer disciples of various sects, and their spending levels varied greatly; a single banquet could cost thousands of magic coins.

Ma Fang and others worked at the corpse retrieval room for six years without ever going there once.

Today, if it weren't for the eight thousand coins they received, the stablemen would only dare to sniff around here.

The five people entered Sui Nanfeng.

In an instant, even the mountain paths were brightly lit, illuminated by the light of the Dharma.

At the entrance to the mountain gate stands a massive white jade stone gate, its stone patterns ancient and simple, with bold and vigorous characters prominently engraved on it:

Sui Beifeng Jiyuan.

Gu Zhao looked up and felt that the atmosphere of this place was completely different, with a powerful and wealthy aura coming towards him.

He couldn't help but touch the thick wad of Buddhist coins in his pocket!

He couldn't help but straighten his chest.