Three Rivers Recruitment, a Foundation Establishment Opportunity

Outside the cave dwelling, as Lu Yang broke through, information about him was placed before the eyes of those with interest. His background and origins were swiftly investigated from top to bottom.

And just as Lu Yang had predicted, his origins could be described in only four words.

His roots were upright, his seedlings black.

He had joined the Sacred Sect during its annual recruitment, formally entered Joyous Union Hall after Senior Sister Transcend Death, made a fortune speculating on Death Substitute Puppets, and then secluded himself without emerging again.

"He is a hard-cultivating ascetic."

Looking over the materials on the table, a female cultivator with a powdered face and baleful intent hidden in her features could not help but praise him. Her gaze was razor-sharp, and she too was a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator. However, compared to Lu Yang, who had only just broken through, her cultivation had already reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining—only a single step from the tenth-layer completion!

The female cultivator was named Feixia, and she was quite renowned within the Sacred Sect.

Not only because of her appearance, but also because she was one of the Sacred Sect's rare talisman cultivators. Her skill in crafting talismans had even earned the appreciation of a Sacred Sect elder.

"A mere hard-cultivating ascetic could not reach Qi Refining Late Stage."

Beside Fairy Feixia, a young man clad in a feather fan and scholar's headcloth smiled faintly. "He clearly made a great deal of Money by speculating on Death Substitute Puppets, yet he neither flaunted himself nor revealed his wealth."

"This shows that he is also a cautious and clever person."

"That is normal. It is only natural."

Fairy Feixia sighed softly at his words. "For ordinary disciples like us to rise above the crowd, talent, caution, intelligence, and courage are all indispensable."

"So it is decided?"

Fairy Feixia nodded. "I will recommend him. He broke through to Qi Refining Late Stage in merely ten years. Our Three Rivers Society needs precisely such talent."

Inside the cave dwelling, Lu Yang sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.

Before him, more than ten Talisman Books had been laid out in a row. Every one of them was an olive branch, declaring that so long as he was willing to join their faction, he would immediately receive a grand gift, including but not limited to Cauldrons, Cultivation Methods, divine abilities, treasures, and medicinal pills. They had everything one could want.

"I never noticed in my life before last, but there are so many factions within the Sacred Sect."

Basically, anyone with Qi Refining Late Stage cultivation could gather a sizeable following within the Sacred Sect. Liu Xin had been exactly like that in Lu Yang's life before last.

Lu Yang was not surprised by this.

After all, when there were no factions within a sect, all manner of strange creatures would arise. The Sacred Sect was so vast that it was impossible for everyone to be of one mind. People would always huddle together for warmth because of their respective interests.

Of course, those factions were rootless duckweed without any foundation.

The ones truly confident enough to recruit him were factions established by certain Sacred Sect elders, or even True Person disciples. The conditions they offered were correspondingly more genuine and credible.

But that was all.

"I still thought too highly of myself." Lu Yang shook his head. The conditions offered by those major factions were indeed excellent, often amounting to tens of thousands of Contribution Points.

Yet he happened not to lack Money.

After all, he still had not spent all the Contribution Points he had earned from speculating on Death Substitute Puppets.

Compared to Money, what he lacked was "authority"—the authority to truly reach the Sacred Sect's middle ranks and purchase things that could not normally be bought.

Just as Lu Yang was thinking, the formation outside suddenly trembled.

Lu Yang looked up at once, only to see the Illumination Array he had set up before his cave dwelling blaze with light. The brilliant formation light revealed a graceful, curvaceous silhouette.

It was Fairy Feixia.

"Junior Brother Lu, you understand formations as well?" Fairy Feixia looked at the formation patterns emerging all around her in surprise, a trace of unexpected delight appearing on her pretty face.

Lu Yang cupped his hands. "Senior Sister, may I ask why you have come?"

Fairy Feixia did not put on any coy airs. She returned the gesture with easy grace. "I am Feixia, a deacon of the Sacred Sect's Three Rivers Society. I have come for Junior Brother."

"Oh? Senior Sister, please come in."

Lu Yang hurriedly welcomed her inside, while his thoughts also began racing. Three Rivers Society—was that not the faction behind Zhao Xuhe? They had actually come to recruit him?

Lu Yang had never known much about the Three Rivers Society. However, he knew Zhao Xuhe was one of its members. More importantly, despite being a disciple of Peak Master of Heaven Mending, Zhao Xuhe seemed to occupy only the lower-middle ranks of the Three Rivers Society. From that alone, its worth could be seen.

"I hope Senior Sister will forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is the Three Rivers Society?"

Lu Yang asked cautiously. Fairy Feixia was unsurprised and replied with a smile, "The Three Rivers Society was founded by three True Person Senior Brothers."

"Big Senior has already reached Foundation Establishment and opened up a peak within the Cloud Sea."

"Although Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother have not yet reached Foundation Establishment, both have cultivated Third-Rank True Qi and stand at Qi Refining Great Perfection. They may achieve Foundation Establishment at any time."

"I heard that Junior Brother Lu also came from the ranks of ordinary disciples. You should understand how difficult life is for ordinary disciples in the early stages. The three Senior Brothers were born into poverty just like us ordinary disciples, so after their cultivation attained success, they established the Three Rivers Society, determined to help ordinary disciples overcome their early hardships."

"So that is how it is." Lu Yang wore an admiring expression. "The Merit of the three Senior Brothers is boundless."

Pah!

If he had not borrowed Money from the Three Rivers Society in his previous lives and personally witnessed their thirty-six percent annual interest rate, he might actually have believed that load of nonsense.

Lu Yang mocked inwardly. He had always refused to release the hawk before seeing the rabbit, so naturally he would not make a hasty decision just because Fairy Feixia said a few words. He immediately asked cautiously, "It is my greatest honor to be invited to join the Three Rivers Society. But may I ask what benefits the society offers?"

"Junior Brother need not worry about that."

Fairy Feixia replied frankly, "So long as Junior Brother is willing to join, I can immediately decide to gift you a True Person disciple-level secret divine ability."

"After joining, you will receive a yearly offering of Contribution Points."

"Furthermore, so long as Junior Brother has Money, you may borrow the society's True Person disciple authority to purchase certain items you desire. You may even ask the three Senior Brothers for guidance in cultivation."

"Of course, there are requirements as well."

At this point, Fairy Feixia took out a Jade Slip and placed it before Lu Yang. "All who join must sign a Contract and leave behind a drop of essence blood."

"That is simple enough."

Lu Yang glanced at the Contract before him. It contained nothing more than the usual faction clauses, confidentiality obligations, and the like. Some people might feel that doing so meant losing their freedom and being unable to act as they wished in many matters, but Lu Yang did not care in the slightest. With a grand sweep of his hand, he signed his name.

It was only a matter for one lifetime. It would not affect his next life anyway.

Lu Yang even wished the binding force could be stronger. That would make it more likely for them to treat him as one of their own, and the resources he received would surely improve as well.

Seeing Lu Yang agree so readily, Fairy Feixia nodded in satisfaction.

"Next, Junior Brother need only take out your Sacred Sect disciple Token. I will place a restriction upon it for you, and from then on, the Token may be used within the society."

"I must trouble Senior Sister."

Lu Yang took out his Token. Fairy Feixia formed a Hand Seal with one hand and struck a talisman seal into it, after which a brand-new section immediately appeared upon its surface.

"Talisman crafting."

Lu Yang's eyes brightened slightly. He could now be considered a Ninth Grade formation master. Though he did not understand talisman crafting, he could still comprehend some of it through analogy.

In his view, a talisman was simply a simple, temporary small formation.

Good stuff. I want to learn it.

The next moment, upon seeing this talisman-crafting technique, Lu Yang finally remembered who this Fairy Feixia before him was. He had heard of her in his life before last.

"She is Zhao Xuhe's Dao companion." Lu Yang pondered inwardly. "In my life before last, when I was studying formations, I heard that she and Zhao Xuhe became Dao companions. Both reached Qi Refining Completion and shone brilliantly on the Righteous-Demonic Battlefield. They even attempted Foundation Establishment together, but after failing, they both passed away in meditation..."

At that thought, Lu Yang's eyes immediately lit up.

The key was not that the two had passed away after failing Foundation Establishment, but that they had actually possessed an opportunity to attempt Foundation Establishment. Behind that, there had to be a Foundation Establishment opportunity!