A public notice was posted seeking a wife, and a female saint from the Immortal Sect was found.

When Chen Yi walked out of Zhaiyue Tower, his expression was also extremely complicated. However, his complexity was completely different from that of Liang Shanlong, Liu Can, and the others.

"Achieving the Golden Core stage only makes one an inner disciple. Above the inner disciples, there should be true disciples, and perhaps even chief disciples."

"Aside from these disciples, the older generation of cultivators in the Eastern Divine Sect must be even stronger. Passed down from generation to generation, the foundation of the Eastern Divine Sect is beyond the imagination of a small cultivator like me with little knowledge."

Chen Yi was filled with countless thoughts. He knew very little about the Eastern Divine Sect, but even this glimpse of its true nature was enough to prove that the Eastern Divine Sect was a colossal entity that could look down upon the world.

He was somewhat surprised to see Zhao Dezhi's master, who was in the late Foundation Establishment stage, obediently queuing up to join the outer sect of the Eastern Divine Sect.

It's no longer surprising. While late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators are considered strong in this region, they are insignificant to the Eastern Divine Sect.

In other words, Li Hong, like him, would have gained a tremendous opportunity simply by successfully joining the outer sect of the Eastern Divine Sect.

"The key point is that the Eastern Divine Sect is not the strongest sect in the world. It is unclear where it ranks, yet it already possesses such terrifying strength. The more you understand this world, the more you feel like a mayfly gazing at the blue sky."

Chen Yi felt a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions, including regret and a sense of loss). The more he saw and experienced, the more he realized his own insignificance, which naturally made him yearn for greater strength.

That's how people are; when they occasionally see a view from a higher vantage point, they're motivated to work harder.

After pondering for a long time, Chen Yi suddenly scratched his head.

He already knew that this inner disciple of the Eastern Divine Sect was named Zheng Shaoyang. According to the information displayed by the appraisal function, Zheng Shaoyang's appearance here was secondary to the sect's affairs. His biggest goal was the Nascent Soul Divine Object in a certain secret realm.

If Zheng Shaoyang obtains the Nascent Soul artifact and successfully condenses his Nascent Soul, he will be several times stronger than others at the same cultivation level.

Most importantly, that secret realm will not open for about six months, and only cultivators in the Qi Refining stage can enter.

In this way, when Zheng Shaoyang recruits cultivators, he values ​​more than just strength. In fact, he pays more attention to those at the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage than those at the Foundation Establishment stage.

After all, Foundation Establishment cultivators can only handle matters related to the Eastern Divine Sect, and only those at the ninth level of Qi Refining can help him with his own private affairs.

"Given this situation, my meeting with Zheng Shaoyang was purely accidental, and what I said subtly revealed Zheng Shaoyang's intentions."

Knowing Zheng Shaoyang's goal, Chen Yi recalled what he had said when he met him and was certain that he had caught Zheng Shaoyang's eye.

Another point is that Zheng Shaoyang asked the same question to every cultivator he met. I wonder if there were any other cultivators who regarded Zheng Shaoyang, the current official, as more important than the county magistrate.

If not, then in Zheng Shaoyang's mind, he is probably already a junior cultivator worth nurturing.

With the secret realm opening in about six months, Zheng Shaoyang naturally hoped to find one or two Qi Refining cultivators who were absolutely loyal to him, rather than those who were only loyal to the Eastern Divine Sect.

To put it bluntly, Zheng Shaoyang needs a Qi Refining stage cultivator to enter the secret realm and retrieve the Nascent Soul Divine Item for him, no matter what.

"Since he definitely needs a Qi Refining stage cultivator, then that Qi Refining stage cultivator can naturally be me."

With his diagnostic abilities, he could even find out how many times Zheng Shaoyang had wet the bed as a child. If he couldn't easily control Zheng Shaoyang with such an advantage, then he would be considered foolish.

If Li Changqing can contribute to the Chen family, then if the plan is good, Zheng Shaoyang can also contribute to the Chen family's strength.

"The biggest problem is that my Qi Refining cultivator status is fake. However, since the system can hide my cultivation level, and even Li Changqing and Zheng Shaoyang, who are both Golden Core cultivators, did not notice anything unusual, it may be possible to deceive the restrictions of the secret realm."

This is the biggest problem right now, but Chen Yi is somewhat confident.

Even living people like Li Changqing and Zheng Shaoyang couldn't see through his true nature, so the restrictions of that secret realm probably wouldn't be able to really restrain him either.

After thinking about it carefully, Chen Yi quickly decided not to consider it for the time being, since it was a problem he wouldn't face for another six months.

"Young friend Chen." A voice suddenly rang out.

Chen Yi looked up and saw that it was Liang Shanlong. He then cupped his hands and said, "Hall Master Liang, you haven't returned to the sect yet."

Liang Shanlong hummed in agreement and said, "I stayed here specifically to wait for you."

"Oh?" Chen Yi was somewhat surprised and asked, "Does Hall Master Liang have any instructions? Please feel free to speak."

Liang Shanlong waved his hand: "There are no orders. It's still about joining the outer sect of the Eastern Divine Sect. Now you understand why I had such a complicated expression when I came out with the other cultivators."

Before Chen Yi could speak, Liang Shanlong sighed and continued, "According to my previous observations, among the cultivators who came to try, there are eleven Foundation Establishment cultivators. Among them, I, Li Hong, and Liu Can have the highest cultivation levels. I originally thought that the three deacons should be the three of us."

"Liu Can and Li Hong are in cahoots. If these two really become outer sect deacons, it won't be good for either of us."

"However, now I have no idea what the outcome will be. That disciple of the Eastern Divine Sect is truly unpredictable."

After saying that, Liang Shanlong sighed repeatedly. As the head of the Zidan Sect, he now had to honestly try to figure out what others were thinking.

Chen Yi also sighed, feeling extremely relaxed. Judging from Zheng Shaoyang's last instruction that he should address him as Master Zheng from now on, his joining the outer sect was practically a done deal.

Even the position of outer sect steward, which I previously thought had no hope of, is not without a chance.

After all, the position of outer sect steward was a coveted position for Liang Shanlong and others, but for Zheng Shaoyang, it was something that could be decided with just a word.

After sighing, Liang Shanlong suddenly changed the subject and said, "But in the end, Li Hong, Liu Can, and I still have the best chance. If I successfully become a steward and you successfully join the outer sect, then I will naturally bring you into the ranks of the ten outer sect disciples under my supervision."

"Liu Can is targeting you simply because you produced two pill formulas. Therefore, if he makes things difficult for you, I will stand up for you. Pill formulas are precious. If you have any other pill formulas, young friend Chen, please do not reveal them, lest Liu Can become greedy and keep a closer eye on you."

Chen Yi quickly replied, "I thank Hall Master Liang for his protection, but the Chen family only has two pill formulas. To think we could produce another one is just wishful thinking."

He said that Liang Shanlong and the others were not there just to chat with him; it seemed they also wanted to take the opportunity to find out the origin of the elixir formula.

"Hehe, young friend Chen, there's no need to rush to explain. In short, we're all in this together. Whether you can successfully join the outer sect, we'll have news in three days. Then we'll meet again at Zhaiyue Tower," Liang Shanlong said with a smile.

After saying that, he waved to Chen Yi and turned to leave.

As soon as he turned around, Liang Shanlong's smile vanished. Chen Yi also wanted to join the outer sect, which Liu Can thought was a good thing, and he felt the same way.

If he can successfully become an outer sect steward and bring Chen Yi under his control, then he will have the opportunity to obtain the origin of the pill formula from Chen Yi.

Joining the outer sect was a tremendous opportunity for him, as was obtaining the origin of the elixir formula.

A cultivator's life is inherently fraught with difficulties, and he would never miss an opportunity to gain a fortuitous chance.

…………

When Chen Yi and Ye Chen returned to the Chen family, they were too lazy to think about Liang Shanlong, Liu Can, and the others' intentions anymore.

These people all wanted to obtain the origin of the pill formula from him, and they all felt that they had a chance to control him this time. This matter put pressure on Chen Yi, but the pressure was not too great.

Furthermore, the outcome three days from now is still uncertain, and the three of them—Liang Shanlong, Liu Canli, and Hong—are not guaranteed a spot.

Stopping thinking about these things, Chen Yi returned to the courtyard and saw Li Changqing, which stirred up some emotions in his heart again.

The Eastern Divine Sect first mobilized countless sects in the world with its massive cultivation resources.

Now that an outer sect has been established, joining the outer sect has become a huge opportunity for countless people.

And all of this started because of Li Changqing.

"How did it go? Did it go smoothly?" Li Changqing, unaware of Chen Yi's thoughts, naturally asked him upon seeing him.

Chen Yi shook his head and said, "It's hard to say right now. That inner disciple of the Eastern Divine Sect only asked us one question and then told all the cultivators to go home and wait for news. We'll have the results in three days."

Upon hearing this, Li Changqing said, "Then let's wait three days. It would be great if we could join, but if we fail, we should face it calmly and not worry too much about it."

Chen Yi nodded repeatedly and said, "Of course. Besides, you used to be a rogue cultivator, so you're quite knowledgeable. Do you know what the typical strength of an inner disciple of the Eastern Divine Sect is?"

Above the inner disciples, are there also true disciples or chief disciples?

"Do you know anything about the Eastern Divine Sect?"

Previously, he had never had the chance to ask Li Changqing about these things, because as a mere cultivator, he shouldn't know about the Eastern Divine Sect.

Things are different now. The Eastern Divine Sect has established an outer sect, which has spread the name of the Eastern Divine Sect throughout this region. He can now ask about the Eastern Divine Sect at will.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Changqing replied, "This sect is obviously extremely powerful, but it is clearly outside the area I have ever been to. I have never heard of this sect before."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi immediately understood that Li Changqing did not want to say more, so he did not ask any further questions.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Chen Yi returned to his room. He closed his eyes, intending to cultivate, but his mind was filled with too many things, making it difficult for him to calm down.

The matter of the Earth Vein Spirit Chrysalis is still unresolved, and the outcome of joining the outer sect of the Eastern Divine Sect is also uncertain.

The Chen family's situation is still far from stable, and even now, he finds it difficult to cultivate in peace.

I used to think that once I reached the Foundation Establishment stage, I could live a peaceful life. Now it seems that wanting to live a peaceful life after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage is a joke.

He thought a lot and felt more and more that, in addition to pursuing strength, cultivators also have to be cautious and calculating, and their lives are not as easy as those of ordinary people.

He then forced himself to calm down. Thinking too much was pointless; the only thing he could do was to cultivate diligently and increase his cultivation level even slightly.

…………

Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. During these three days, Chen Yi had been cultivating, but he would also check on what was happening near his family every day.

According to Liu Shen, many cultivators have appeared near the family in the past few days. Liu Shen asked about it and found that they were all cultivators from the Purple Pill Sect.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi immediately realized that this must have been Liu Can's doing.

The establishment of an outer sect by the Eastern Divine Sect has shaken the cultivators in this region, and he himself was involved. However, no matter how big this matter is, it does not mean that other things have passed.

His killing of Zhao Dezhi clearly made Liu Can feel nervous, and these cultivators who appeared within the Chen family's territory must have been sent by Liu Can.

Li Hong will inevitably take some action, and will most likely enter the cave to personally guard it in order to prevent any accidents from happening to the earth vein spirit pupa.

All of this perfectly matched the result he had deduced when he decided to kill Zhao Dezhi. Before the earth vein pupa truly solidified, neither Liu Can nor Li Hong nor the Zhao family should have been thinking about taking action against the Chen family.

Everything is happening as he envisioned, which is naturally a good thing.

It was already the third day. After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi stopped cultivating. Just as he stepped out of his room, he heard Liu Shen rushing over to report that someone from Qingyang Market had come to deliver a message, urging him to go to Zhaiyue Tower immediately.

Clearly, the matter concerning the outer sect of the Eastern Divine Sect is about to come to a conclusion.

When he arrived at the Moon-Picking Pavilion, nearly a hundred cultivators were already standing in the main hall.

Liang Shanlong, Liu Canli, Hong, and others were already here.

Without needing to look closely, Chen Yi quickly realized that the nearly one hundred cultivators here were all at the ninth level of the Qi Refining stage or the Foundation Establishment stage. It seemed that all the cultivators who wanted to join the outer sect were here.

Before Zheng Shaoyang appeared, none of the nearly one hundred cultivators dared to utter a sound, not even discussing it in hushed tones.

After waiting for more than half an hour, Zheng Shaoyang's figure suddenly appeared at the forefront like a phantom.

His appearance caused almost all the cultivators present to stand up straighter instinctively.

Zheng Shaoyang sat down on a chair to the side, casually glanced at the nearly one hundred cultivators standing in front of him, and said, "I have already made a decision on the list of those to join the outer sect. Now I will speak, so listen carefully."

"Of the three deacons, Li Hong is one," Zheng Shaoyang said.

Li Hong's face lit up with ecstatic joy at a visible speed. He immediately bowed and said respectfully, "Thank you for your high regard, Master Shangzong. From now on, I will serve the Eastern Divine Sect to the death."

Zheng Shaoyang simply waved his hand, without saying a single extra word.

However, the other cultivators present were already green with envy when they looked at Li Hong.

"The second deacon, Liang Shanlong," Zheng Shaoyang said again.

Liang Shanlong was so excited that his body trembled slightly, and he hurriedly bowed down as well.

Liu Can, standing to the side, began to breathe heavily, showing both anxiety and anticipation.

Zheng Shaoyang continued reading without pausing: "The third deacon, Chen Yi."

Chen Yi was stunned for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Master Zheng. I am willing to go through fire and water for you without hesitation."

Liu Can was stunned; he even stared at Zheng Shaoyang.

I gave a gift, and a very generous one at that. I am also a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If you don't choose me, you will choose Chen Yi as the steward.