Inner Sect Disciple Quota

Zheng Yi had hidden many things; he feared the other party might see through something.

If that Outer Sect Elder saw him, would he infer anything? Would Zheng Yi's situation become dangerous?

Taking a deep breath, Zheng Yi braced himself and entered the station, hurriedly bowing in salute.

"What business do you have here?"

An unfamiliar voice sounded by his ear. Zheng Yi could not help but freeze, but delight rose in his heart, and the heart he had been holding in suspense finally settled.

It seemed the information he had obtained before coming here was true.

Elder Gongsun, who had previously handled his initiation ceremony and sold him the Soul Guiding Array, had already been transferred away.

Zheng Yi had been worried because that elder had witnessed the entire process of his cultivation of the "Black Fiend Technique."

Although he had concealed the Black Fiend Technique's true aura, that deacon elder's cultivation was ultimately higher than his. If he paid attention, there was no guarantee he would not spot some flaw.

If that elder questioned him, Zheng Yi truly would have found it difficult to answer.

Fortunately, he had quietly made inquiries before coming.

The Soul Devouring Sect and the Hundred Beasts Sect had gone to war over a Spirit Stone Resource Mine, and they were now fighting so fiercely that neither side could break away.

Elder Gongsun, who had previously been stationed here, had been transferred to the front lines of the battle. None of the measures Zheng Yi had prepared were needed.

"Sir Deacon, I heard that one may be promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple upon reaching the middle stage of Qi Refining. This disciple has come specifically to seek promotion to Inner Sect Disciple."

Zheng Yi respectfully bowed, holding up a bag in both hands as he offered it forward.

"Inner Sect Disciples are the essence of the sect. Not just anyone can be promoted to an Inner Sect Disciple. Only those who have rendered great merit to the sect are qualified for promotion. You..."

This newly arrived deacon was a brawny middle-aged man. He looked at Zheng Yi with the air of someone handling matters strictly by the book.

But then his gaze flicked over, landing on the bag held out in Zheng Yi's hands, and he paused.

With a casual gesture, he drew over the Beginner Storage Bag. It had not been bound to an owner, and the moment it landed in his palm, he felt its weight. By his experience, there was quite a considerable amount inside. Even for a deacon like him, it was no small windfall.

"...I, ahem."

"Mm, you are quite good!"

Holding the Beginner Storage Bag, the middle-aged deacon's previously stern expression transformed in an instant into a face full of smiles.

Without leaving a trace, he tucked the Beginner Storage Bag into his robes. When the Outer Sect Deacon looked at Zheng Yi again, there was warmth in his eyes.

"Ahem, I had long heard that during Elder Gongsun's tenure at the Blood Mist Abyss City Branch Station, the station recruited quite a number of outstanding sect members for the sect. I did not expect to encounter one as soon as I arrived."

Taking a man's gift made one's hand soft; eating a man's food made one's mouth soft. Having accepted Zheng Yi's tribute, the middle-aged Outer Sect Deacon lied through his teeth with his eyes wide open.

He did not care who Zheng Yi was or whose connections he had used.

The station in Blood Mist Abyss City held the authority to select sect members and disciples, making it seem like a lucrative post.

But the Soul Devouring Sect did not even rank among the Demon Domain's powers. It was merely a small sect.

Blood Mist Abyss City was overseen by the Blood Mist Venerable, and all the major devil cultivation forces had stations here, facing countless Rogue Cultivators and descendants of various families.

As a result, the Soul Devouring Sect's station had no great advantage here. It was entirely a clean-water yamen, and it rarely encountered a plump, well-oiled fat sheep like Zheng Yi who knew the ropes.

"If a sect member disciple who knows how to show filial respect to his sect elders is not a good disciple, then who is?!"

Those who cultivated devilish arts were all pragmatic, especially sect middle-management figures like this middle-aged Outer Sect Deacon, who understood matters even more clearly.

Men died for wealth; birds perished for food!

Even cultivators could not escape such conventions. After Zheng Yi offered up Spirit Stones, the Outer Sect Deacon, who had previously acted all businesslike, immediately became much easier to talk to.

"This disciple, Zheng Yi, previously entered through Elder Gongsun's connections and received his guidance. Once my cultivation bears fruit, I will certainly return to the sect's main branch to continue my studies..."

"Now that I have broken through my realm and fortunately entered the Qi Refining Middle Stage, I humbly request permission to return to the sect's main branch for further cultivation."

"Second, I shamelessly seek the status of an Inner Sect Disciple. I hope Sir Deacon might offer some guidance. This junior will be endlessly grateful."

Naturally, Zheng Yi could not voice the words in his heart—wealth moved men's hearts. Instead, he followed the middle-aged Outer Sect Deacon's lead and subtly indicated that he had previously used Elder Gongsun's connections.

He was not afraid of Elder Gongsun learning of this.

Not to mention that the Soul Devouring Sect and the Hundred Beasts Sect were currently at war. It was said they had gone to war over a Spirit Stone Resource Mine in the region between the territories of the two sects, and more than half of both sides' elites had been dispatched to the front lines.

From the information Zheng Yi had gathered earlier, this battle between the Soul Devouring Sect and the Hundred Beasts Sect had been brewing from old grievances. It was not thunder without rain, a mere show of force, but a genuine clash of blades and blood. Both sides had truly fought themselves into a fury.

Even Elder Gongsun, an Outer Sect Elder who had originally been enjoying his retirement in Blood Mist Abyss City, had been pulled back to oversee the front lines.

One could well imagine how intense the fighting was.

By conventional estimates, this war between two devil cultivation sects would last one or two years at the shortest, three to five years at the longest, and might even drag on for nearly a decade.

By then, even Zheng Yi himself did not know what level he would have reached. Perhaps he would already have obtained what he wanted and left the Soul Devouring Sect.

With mountains high and roads far, Elder Gongsun would probably have forgotten who a small fry like him even was. Still less would he have nothing better to do than come looking for trouble with him.

Besides, Zheng Yi had indeed joined the Soul Devouring Sect through Elder Gongsun's methods in the first place. Only after offering a bribe had he successfully entered the sect.

That connection existed between them. From an outsider's perspective, he was not lying.

Hearing this, the middle-aged Outer Sect Deacon hesitated. After wavering for a moment, he raised his head and looked at Zheng Yi.

He already understood the meaning behind Zheng Yi's words.

Since Zheng Yi had come through Elder Gongsun's connections and had been so generous with his gifts, he presumably had some background. Since he had now come to him for help, the deacon ought to give him some face.

Besides, the procedure was compliant, and the authority lay in his hands. It was not particularly difficult to arrange.

Even if someone questioned it later, they would not find anything to hold against him.

After hesitating for a moment, the middle-aged Outer Sect Deacon finally spoke.

"Ordinarily, promotion to Inner Sect Disciple must be reported to the Internal Affairs Hall for approval. I do not have the authority to act arbitrarily!"

"However, I also have connections in the Internal Affairs Hall, so there is still some room to maneuver..."

"Since you previously came through Elder Gongsun's connections, and now our sect is at war with the Hundred Beasts Sect, just when the sect needs capable people, outstanding individuals indeed ought to be promoted. This room for maneuver can indeed be loosened somewhat."

"It is just that smoothing over all these various relationships..."

The middle-aged Outer Sect Deacon looked at Zheng Yi with a half-smile.

He could give Zheng Yi some face. After all, he did not know what background Zheng Yi had, so it was better to forge a good connection.

His hint was clear enough. It depended only on whether the boy before him knew the ropes.