At this moment!
In Dao Inquiry Plaza, the sun had already passed its zenith.
With the Minister and Vice Ministers of the Spirit Vein Department—one principal and six deputies, seven Nascent Soul Cultivators in all—having received their appointments, Cheng Buzheng did not pause.
Cheng Buzheng's gaze was as still as an ancient well as it swept across the thousand-odd cultivators in the plaza...
Everyone's nerves tightened.
There were far more department-level divisions than hall-level ones, their authority more specific and their connection to the interests of the vast number of low-level cultivators more direct.
Whether it was spirit field yields, artifact-refining resources, alchemical pill supplies—
Or market management, mission postings, merit exchanges, all were intimately tied to cultivators' daily cultivation.
Therefore!
The attention at this moment was in no way inferior to that drawn by the earlier appointments to hall-level departments.
"Southern Li Fire Island's young friend Fierce Sun, step forward and receive your appointment."
The voice was not loud, yet it reached every person's ears with perfect clarity.
From within the crowd, a big man with hair red as fire and a height of eight chi strode out abruptly.
His face was the color of dark dates, and beneath his thick brows, his eyes gleamed with spirit. As he took great strides forward, the ground itself seemed to tremble.
This man was none other than the island lord of Southern Li Fire Island, Fierce Sun True Lord, a Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivator famed throughout the world for his Southern Radiance Departing Fire Technique.
"This subordinate, Fierce Sun, is here!"
His voice was like muffled thunder, making the surrounding air hum.
Such a forthright temperament stood out sharply among the many composed and reserved cultivators.
Cheng Buzheng looked at the red-haired big man, a trace of appraisal flashing through