After hearing all this, Fang Shu immediately understood that earning enough merit to stand out among ten thousand Foundation Establishment Earth Immortals would be no easy feat.
Still, Fang Shu didn't take this difficulty too much to heart.
Wu Tong and his sister-in-law, Tie Zhengnan, knew only that his foundation was decent. They had no idea that his foundation wasn't a Spiritual Vein at all, but a Dao vein.
The two were worlds apart.
For Fang Shu, accumulating merit was merely a fallback option.
As he considered this, Fang Shu suddenly asked, "May I ask my sister-in-law and senior brother, besides accumulating merit, are there any other ways in this Immortal City?"
At his question, Tie Zhengnan didn't immediately deny it. But after some thought, she still offered no "shortcut to the Southern Mountain." Instead, she said, "Accumulating merit to enter the Outer Prefecture, then winning an immortal elder's favor—that's the broad, open road in the city.
Even if you join my Iron Clan, you'll have to go through this process. First, the Iron Clan will recommend and vouch for you, and you'll enter the Outer Prefecture, where you'll take up a nominal post in the city. Only then will our clan's ancestor accept you as a disciple.
It's simply the reverse of the usual order, where one enters an Immortal Prefecture before becoming a disciple. You could say it's a clever shortcut."
As Fang Shu listened, he nodded.
The so-called Immortal Prefecture was the power responsible for managing the Vast Sea Immortal City—or, more accurately, the Immortal Prefecture itself was the true Vast Sea Immortal City.
Its prefect was the city lord, and the various Golden Core True Immortals in the city all held posts in the Immortal Prefecture, much like the officials of a mortal court.
But aside