Talent Cultivation

From the twenty people who remained, he selected sixteen from the beast category, two from the flying bird category, and two from the scaled reptile category.

Among the ten beasts, there were six from the ape tribe, four from the deer tribe, three from the fox tribe, one from the bear tribe, one from the rat tribe, and one from the elephant tribe. The six flying birds were two from the crane tribe. Finally, two from the turtle tribe were chosen from the scaled reptile category.

This could be considered assembling an army from land, air, and sea.

Among the ten beasts, the two leaders of the ape tribe were named Yuan Tong and Yuan Jin. Both were at the peak of the Mystic Immortal realm and had been unable to break through due to their cultivation methods. Now, after hearing Jiang Yun's teachings, they were expected to achieve breakthroughs soon. The other four were newly ascended Mystic Immortals, subordinate to the two leaders.

The four from the deer tribe were led by Yuan Ling, a spotted deer with late-stage Mystic Immortal cultivation. Yuan Ling and Jiang Yun's attendant, Rong Guang, belonged to the same clan. The other three had only reached the peak of the True Immortal realm, a full major realm behind.

The fox tribe had always been known for its intelligence, especially the nine-tailed and Qingqiu foxes. While not powerful in combat, their sharp minds often saw them serving as strategists. Jiang Yun also held a favorable view of their tribe. The three foxes were led by Chi Mei, an early-stage Golden Immortal, with Ling Mei, a mid-stage Mystic Immortal, and You Ming, an early-stage Mystic Immortal, following behind.

The bear, rat, and elephant tribes were represented by Hei Feng, Di Yong, and Huang Ya, respectively. Hei Feng and Huang Ya were known for their tough hides and immense strength. Both were at the peak of the Mystic Immortal realm, with combat power comparable to Golden Immortals. If they broke through to the Golden Immortal realm, they would rank among the top within the group of twenty. Di Yong, from the rat tribe, was skilled at burrowing and digging, possessing a cautious and prudent nature, with early-stage Mystic Immortal cultivation.

Among the two flying birds, the leader of the crane tribe was Xue Yu. One had late-stage Mystic Immortal cultivation, and the other had early-stage Mystic Immortal cultivation. The white crane tribe had always symbolized purity and nobility. Like the deer tribe, they were favored by many powerful beings, and Jiang Yun was no exception.

As for the last two from the turtle tribe, Jiang Yun had specifically given them names: Gui Zang and Gui Sun, finding the names pleasing to the ear. Although the turtle tribe was known for its gentle nature and slow movements, they were generally meticulous and handled matters in an orderly fashion. Influenced by his past life memories, Jiang Yun also wanted to see if he could cultivate two "Turtle Prime Ministers."

He planned to gradually train this group into senior management personnel under him. Once they had achieved mastery, he would only need to focus on setting the overall direction, with the implementation of specific plans delegated to them.

During the implementation of the already established five-year plan, the most significant shortage would be grassroots management personnel. This gap would be substantial, requiring countermeasures and preparations in advance.

Whether it was recruiting disciples at Mount Sumeru or selecting and training talents in his grotto-heaven, both were preparations for this purpose.

Jiang Yun would provide them with a platform to hone their abilities. Some would assist Rong Guang in managing the grotto-heaven and nurturing its inhabitants, while others would return to Spirit Bamboo Valley to help him expand it.

While they were comprehending their divine abilities, Jiang Yun cast a spell and built a grand and imposing Taoist temple by the spirit pond, encompassing the pond and the white lotuses within its backyard. This would be his foothold in the grotto-heaven. Ever since he had seen the Grand Hall of Heroes at Mount Sumeru and the Wuzhuang Temple of Zhenyuan Immortal, he had become somewhat dissatisfied with the bamboo houses of his Spirit Bamboo Valley dojo. How could a great divine ability cultivator not have a decent place to reside!

With a wave of his hand towards the temple's mountain gate, the words "Pengxuan" were carved onto it. He then set up a simplified version of the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Formation beside the temple, retaining only the function of drawing in Star Power. Similar to his Spirit Bamboo Valley dojo, he created a Star Power Lake.

Within Pengxuan Temple, he also built a Scripture Hall and a Mission Hall.

The Scripture Hall would house his compiled array formations, such as the Earth Vein Spirit Infusion Array, along with some divine abilities and techniques acquired during his time listening to the teachings at Purple Heaven Palace, and the first layer of the Star Body Refinement Method he had created.

The Mission Hall would periodically post tasks such as repairing earth veins outside the grotto-heaven, dispelling demonic qi, blood fiends, impurities, and eliminating fierce beasts. The reconnaissance and issuance of these specific tasks would be handled by the group he selected. He would only need to outline the framework, and it would be gradually refined during its operation.

Jiang Yun recalled that his Fortune had increased when he repaired earth veins, and the Heavenly Dao would often reward him with merit. He then used the Dao Derivation Disk to deduce a cultivation method—the Merit Golden Body Method—and also placed it in the Scripture Hall.

This cultivation method was a veritable heavenly path for beings with less-than-ideal cultivation aptitudes. By diligently accumulating merit, they could continue to cultivate it, potentially reaching Grand Unity Perfection. It was also a dual cultivation of Dharma and Body, offering considerable combat prowess.

Of course, it would be somewhat inferior compared to some established Innate Beings, but that was not a significant issue.

He granted Rong Guang the authority to open the Scripture Hall. Some cultivation methods were set with restrictions based on cultivation level and physical strength. For example, with the Star Body Refinement Method, if one's cultivation level was below Golden Immortal and their physical strength had not been tempered by the immortal aura of laws, attempting to refine their body with Star Power would be akin to seeking death.

Drawing inspiration from the cultivation systems of some immortal cultivation worlds in his memory, Jiang Yun planned to establish a Merit Points exchange system within the grotto-heaven. Various cultivation methods, array formations, and divine abilities would be assigned corresponding Merit Points. As long as the required Merit Points were paid and the prerequisite conditions were met, the exchange could be initiated, allowing for the selection of suitable individuals to cultivate cultivation methods and divine abilities according to the established rules.

For instance, those who wished to cultivate the Star Body Refinement Method would require the tempering of Star Power. His Pengxuan Temple was located next to a Star Power Lake, but accessing the lake for cultivation would also require exchanging Merit Points.

The inhabitants of the grotto-heaven who wished to cultivate these methods and divine abilities would have to exchange Merit Points by collecting various spiritual materials and spirit plants for setting up array formations, or by completing tasks posted in the Mission Hall, such as repairing earth veins, or by making other significant contributions to accumulate Merit Points.

With this entire process, completing tasks to earn Merit Points, then using those points to exchange for cultivation methods and divine abilities, and then needing more Merit Points to cultivate them...

It formed a continuous, positive cycle, and the initial construction of the West would also unfold within the grotto-heaven.

Jiang Yun's approach was aimed at transforming the Pengxuan Grotto-Heaven into his personal talent reserve center, which would also serve as his talent cultivation base. He would guide the mindset of the grotto-heaven's inhabitants from the very beginning of their cultivation journey. Through this series of measures, he would implement systematic educational methods to cultivate all beings into the talent needed for the development of the West.

Once these measures were sufficiently implemented and talent cultivation began to show results, they would be gradually transferred to various regions in the West. At that point, the subsequent stages of the original five-year plan could be gradually put into effect.