Immortal Treasure

As a former core disciple of the Hengyun Sect, Xu Shouyi knew a great deal about the 'Chu Jiang Empire' that once ruled it.

It should be known that when Xu Shouyi was young, the Chu Jiang Empire had not yet completely collapsed.

Therefore!

Upon seeing the two characters 'Chu Jiang' on one side of the token, Xu Shouyi recognized it as the legendary 'Chu Jiang Token'.

Could it be fake? Naturally, it was possible!

As far as Xu Shouyi knew, over the years, news about the 'Chu Jiang Token' had emerged from Chuzhou, Jiangzhou, and even Yuanzhou, some of which had caused considerable uproar.

"However, the fact that it could force Yang Long to massacre the village and attract Beast Mountain Hammer Ming Lie and that mysterious expert to come here means it's highly likely to be real," Xu Shouyi thought to himself. "Jiang Dongque, I wonder if he's found anything out."

Regarding the Chu Jiang Token, if the Sect knew about it, they would definitely send experts to investigate.

Once confirmed!

In the future, obtaining this Chu Jiang Token would be a great merit for Xu Shouyi, as the first to report it.

"I wonder where that mysterious spearman fled to, but no matter what, this is my opportunity," Xu Shouyi mused.

Thinking this.

He didn't dare to delay any further and immediately picked up his brush, quickly writing a secret memorial and packaging it along with the two blueprints.

"Go, immediately send this to the Sect Headquarters via the Sect's postal service, overnight, with 'urgent' status," Xu Shouyi summoned his personal guards. "Tell them, fast! It must be fast!"

"Yes." The guard sensed his general's urgency and quickly departed.

"Old Xu, let's go!"

Xu Shouyi tidied his clothes and walked out. "Take me to see those two witnesses. I want to interrogate them again."

"General, it's already very late," Steward Xu said, taken aback.

"No matter!"

Since being targeted for assassination late at night, Wu Yuan had not left the Wu family's alleyways, nor had he ventured far from home.

In the blink of an eye, several days passed.

One day, Wu Yuan was practicing his fist techniques slowly in his small courtyard, much like an elderly person doing health exercises.

However, upon closer observation, one could see that the muscles and bones throughout his body were vibrating at a high frequency.

Ordinary martial artists practicing Strength Training often require high-intensity, large-amplitude training!

But for a Martial Dao Grandmaster with near-absolute control over their body, small-amplitude vibrations of the bones, muscles, and limbs could achieve excellent training effects!

"Hmm?" Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed as he constantly sensed his surroundings.

He retracted his fist and stopped.

As his tightly closed pores opened, a large amount of sweat surged out from his body, and his skin surface was faintly covered in a layer of dew.

Someone had arrived!

Strength Training and the cultivation of the Control Realm could be performed simultaneously if one's spirit was strong enough to multitask; the two did not conflict.

"Wu Yuan, are you home?" A pleasant voice rang out.

Huan Xinyan? Wu Yuan's heart stirred.

"Yes." Wu Yuan strode over and opened the courtyard gate.

Standing in the alley not far from the courtyard was Huan Xinyan, dressed in a loose purple robe, a smile on her face.

She looked heroic and spirited.

"Practicing?" Huan Xinyan's gaze swept over Wu Yuan.

As a Proficient Expert, she could see the sweat on Wu Yuan's body, characteristic of intense exercise.

"Yes, just finished!" Wu Yuan wiped the sweat from his body and smiled. "Master Huan, please come in."

"No need to come in," Huan Xinyan smiled. "Why haven't you been to the Martial Arts Academy these past few days?"

"I wanted to spend more time with my family," Wu Yuan replied simply.

"Mm." Huan Xinyan nodded. "Alright, I came to find you. You've probably guessed the reason; Protector Gao Yu has returned from Nanmeng Prefecture City."

"The Sect has preliminarily approved your special recruitment request. Now, come with me to the Martial Arts Academy," Huan Xinyan said.

"Approved?" Wu Yuan's eyes seemed to light up.

Just as he was about to step out, he pulled his foot back.

"Master Huan, please wait a moment. I'll change into some clean clothes." Wu Yuan immediately rushed into his room.

Huan Xinyan wasn't in a hurry and waited patiently.

After changing.

The two of them left the Wu family's alley and boarded a rather luxurious carriage that had been waiting on the main road.

They headed directly towards the Martial Arts Academy.

Inside the carriage.

"Wu Yuan, this time, Protector Gao Yu went to great lengths to plead with the Hall Master on your behalf," Huan Xinyan said.

"Hall Master?" Wu Yuan was slightly surprised.

Although he didn't understand the organizational structure of the Hengyun Sect very well.

He only knew of the 'Five Halls of the Sect'.

Anyone who could serve as a Hall Master was undoubtedly one of the highest-ranking figures in the Hengyun Sect, someone even the Sect Master would likely respect greatly.

In just five days, Gao Yu had managed to meet the Hall Master of the Finance and Engineering Hall?

"I'm not saying this to make you do anything, but I hope you'll remember this favor," Huan Xinyan said softly. "This also shows the Sect's importance and expectations for you."

Wu Yuan nodded gently.

The carriage moved swiftly, heading straight for the Martial Arts Academy and arriving at a secluded courtyard deep within.

This was an area Wu Yuan rarely visited in the past.

Stepping off the carriage.

Wu Yuan's gaze swept around and he saw that the main hall's doors were open not far away, with Gao Yu seated in the main seat.

To his side, on a guest seat, sat a middle-aged man in coarse linen, head bowed and eyes lowered, looking quite unremarkable.

Who is someone qualified to sit there? Wu Yuan thought.

He could sense that the middle-aged man in coarse linen was somewhat extraordinary.

"Let's go in," Huan Xinyan led Wu Yuan.

As they entered the hall, Wu Yuan caught a faint, pleasant fragrance that involuntarily relaxed him.

"Senior," Wu Yuan said.

"Sit," Gao Yu gestured with a smile towards the table and chairs on the side.

"Yes," Wu Yuan cupped his hands in a salute, then followed Huan Xinyan to sit down.

"Wu Yuan, I've already discussed it with the Hall Master, and your special recruitment is no problem," Gao Yu said softly. "A cultivation plan for you has been drawn up and is on the table beside you. Please take a look first."

"Cultivation plan?" Wu Yuan's heart stirred.

Indeed, there was a stack of papers on the tea table, neatly arranged. The paper quality was excellent. Wu Yuan picked it up and opened the first page.

It was filled with dense lines of text.

Although the Hengyun Sect had been established for three hundred years.

For most of its history, it had nominally been subservient to the 'Chu Jiang Empire,' jointly governing the subordinate prefectures and counties with the empire.

Only in the last thirty-odd years had it fully taken over all local affairs.

In essence, it still largely followed the laws of the Chu Jiang Empire!

Ordinary citizens, though subjects of the Sect, were generally only required to pay taxes and abide by the law, with no further demands.

And this cultivation plan, at its opening, mentioned 'responsibility.'

The basic and intermediate Martial Arts Academies require a certain 'tuition fee.' Their disciples aren't true 'Sect members.' But disciples of the advanced Martial Arts Academy, the Cloud Martial Hall, are all true Sect disciples! Wu Yuan mused.

Disciples of the Cloud Martial Hall did not need any financial support from their families.

On the contrary!

The Sect would invest a large amount of resources into the Cloud Martial Hall every year, providing each disciple with ample resources for cultivation.

As a Sect disciple, one enjoyed the Sect's resources.

Therefore, once the Sect conscripted them, they must unconditionally obey the Sect's orders and fight and kill for the Sect!

In short, born a person of the Sect, die a ghost of the Sect.

This was absolute dependence!

However, Wu Yuan didn't care. The so-called obedience to the Sect's deployment, while seemingly restrictive.

If one's own strength continuously improved and eventually controlled the majority of the Sect's power, they could naturally mobilize the Sect's resources in return.

The two were reciprocal!

"Does any disciple of the Cloud Martial Hall receive approximately five thousand Sect Contribution Points worth of cultivation resources annually?" Wu Yuan read. "And I will receive cultivation resources worth fifty thousand Sect Contribution Points annually?"

Ten times more than normal disciples!

"For meritorious service to the Sect, one can earn Contribution Points, which can be exchanged for various resources within the Sect. For some young disciples, they are directly granted," Huan Xinyan explained from the side. "Normally, one Contribution Point is equivalent to about one tael of silver."

"However, Contribution Points can be used within the Sect to exchange for precious resources that are difficult to acquire externally."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly.

In his view, Contribution Points were equivalent to the Hengyun Sect's 'internal currency,' allowing for better control and allocation of resources.

Wu Yuan quickly flipped through the pages.

The later sections described detailed cultivation resources, such as the types of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, cultivation manuals, cultivation environments, and teaching staff.

It's complicated.

However, after a preliminary review, Wu Yuan had to admit that it was worthy of being a great Sect passed down for hundreds of years. At least the paper plan was very detailed and reasonable... though Wu Yuan would basically never use it!

He put down the stack of papers.

"Wu Yuan, how is it? Are you satisfied?" Gao Yu asked.

"Very good." Wu Yuan nodded.

"For the disciples of Cloud Martial Hall, besides the various basic contribution points each year, there will also be many trial missions and ranking battles. As long as your strength improves fast enough and you work hard enough, you will only get more resources." Gao Yu said, "At the same time, as a promise from our Finance and Engineering Hall, if you can become a First-class Expert before the age of twenty, then our Finance and Engineering Hall will spare no resources to help you grow."

"Mm." Wu Yuan nodded.

Such a promise was basically equivalent to bullshit, not of much significance.

If he truly had such talent, as long as the Hengyun Sect wasn't stupid, they would strongly support him.

"You will naturally know more detailed information after you join the Sect." Gao Yu smiled. "Another matter today is the meeting gift prepared for you."

Saying that.

Gao Yu stood up, walked in front of Wu Yuan, and handed him a brand-new book with gilded lettering.

"Your Martial Arts Technique has already reached the 'Extreme Strength' level. This Cloud Martial Extreme Strength Nineteen Forms was summarized by generations of ancestors of the Sect over hundreds of years and can help you cultivate your internal strength better." Gao Yu said quite solemnly.

"Thank you, Senior." Wu Yuan seemed very pleased and took the book.

"The second item is twenty Body Tempering Pills, to help you with body tempering cultivation." Gao Yu took out a purple jade bottle again.

"Body Tempering Pills?"

Wu Yuan asked doubtfully, "I only know of High-grade Body Tempering Pills and Mid-grade Body Tempering Pills."

"Haha, the fewer impurities contained in a Body Tempering Pill, the higher its grade. High-grade Body Tempering Pills actually still contain quite a few impurities, and martial artists cannot consume them in large quantities." Huan Xinyan said, "As for the top-grade Body Tempering Pills, they are specially refined by the Sect's 'Pill Dao Master' and contain almost no impurities. It's hard to buy them with silver in the outside world."

"So precious? A Pill Dao Master?" Wu Yuan seemed quite surprised.

He put away the purple jade bottle.

"There are a total of three meeting gifts. The first two gifts are conventional and not rare." Gao Yu said, "Only the third item is extremely precious and cannot be produced by the Sect at all."

"It can be called an 'Immortal Treasure', truly priceless. It was collected by the Sect's two old ancestors from an immortal relic, and it is also what the Hall Master specially bestowed upon you this time!"

"It is called the Spirit Condensing Pill!" Gao Yu took out a white jade bottle.