Sect Rank

"Yang Ling, do you have any ideas now?"

Xu Qing asked.

Yang Ling pondered. "To improve mining efficiency, the quality of the pickaxes is crucial."

"Exactly!"

Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing's eyes lit up.

With good pickaxes, mining speed would naturally increase.

Then they could level up faster!

"If every miner had a refined-steel pickaxe, the issue of output could naturally be solved."

Yang Ling said.

Xu Qing was helpless. "A refined-steel pickaxe? Do you know how much that would cost? Our Mountains and Rivers Sect can't equip every miner with one."

After a pause, he added, "Besides, even if we gave them refined-steel pickaxes, some miners would probably deliberately slack off."

The three of them guessed what Xu Qing was facing.

If nothing went wrong, this Red Gold Ore mine would remain in his hands for only three months.

"There are always some miners who work hard."

Yang Ling pondered. "When the time comes, I'll select those miners and issue them refined-steel pickaxes."

Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing immediately understood his meaning, and their eyes brightened slightly.

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

Xu Qing asked.

"Yes."

Yang Ling pondered. "I want a pickaxe better than a refined-steel pickaxe."

"How much can one person mine, no matter how hard you work? That won't solve the root of the problem."

Xu Qing was somewhat helpless and subconsciously began scratching his ears and cheeks.

"If I'd known this was such a hot potato, I wouldn't have taken it. Now I'm probably going to lose all face within the Mountains and Rivers Sect."

"Senior Brother Xu, we still have three months. We can think of a solution slowly."

Yang Ling said, "We don't need to care whose people those managers are. What truly matters is the miners themselves.

"If some miners deliberately slack off, drive them out.

"Bring in new ones."

"With over ten thousand miners, how many people do you plan to drive out?"

Xu Qing waved his hand. "Besides, how can newcomers know how to mine? I tried mining at the Fire Crystal Mine last time. Mining requires technique.

"If I weren't a martial artist, my mining speed would definitely be inferior to that of an experienced miner."

After a pause, he said, "Forget it. Don't think about it anymore. We'll act according to circumstances. In any case, at least that Fire Crystal Mine won't be handed over to someone else again.

"Wu Que's matter will cause my eldest senior brother plenty of trouble. Heh heh."

Xu Qing glanced at Yang Ling and changed the subject.

"You became a constable, so you should have been taught the Bandit-Catching Saber Technique, right?"

"Constable Lin did indeed give me the manual for the Bandit-Catching Saber Technique."

Yang Ling nodded.

"This is a good thing. If you cultivate the Bandit-Catching Saber Technique to Perfect Mastery, you'll have a chance to obtain the Tiger-Capturing Saber Technique.

"This saber technique isn't inferior to our Mountains and Rivers Sect's River-Mountain Draw-Sword Art."

Xu Qing said.

Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing exchanged a glance, and their desire to become constables grew even stronger.

Yang Ling's expression shifted, and he asked smoothly, "Senior Brother Xu, what conditions are required for the Iron Garment Division to bestow the Tiger-Capturing Saber Technique?"

"First, just as I said, you have to cultivate the Bandit-Catching Saber Technique to Perfect Mastery."

"Second, you have to become an Eighth-Rank Iron Garment Constable."

"Then, you'll need to undergo another assessment to prove that you're qualified to obtain the Tiger-Capturing Saber Technique."

"As for the specific details of the assessment, I don't know."

Xu Qing answered casually.

So becoming an Eighth-Rank Iron Garment Constable really did require another assessment...

Yang Ling's thoughts stirred.

"You don't really want to become an Eighth-Rank Iron Garment Constable, do you?"

Xu Qing couldn't help laughing. "It's practically impossible. Don't think about it. Becoming a Ninth-Rank Iron Garment Constable is still something you can consider."

"Senior Brother Xu, Constable Lin is already a Ninth-Rank Iron Garment Constable. Is Eighth Rank really that difficult?"

Yang Ling asked curiously.

"Ninth Rank is simple. You can see them everywhere."

Xu Qing smiled. "But going from Ninth Rank to Eighth Rank is an entirely different path."

Seeing Yang Ling's puzzled expression, he pondered before saying, "If you regard the Iron Garment Division as one of the Zhao Kingdom's top sects,

"then a Ninth-Rank Iron Garment Constable would count as an outer disciple. But upon reaching Eighth Rank, they would become an inner disciple.

"The difference between an outer disciple and an inner disciple is enormous. Some people wait their entire lives without ever seeing their status change."

"So that's how it is. His comparison is quite apt."

Seeing this, Yang Ling secretly gave Chen Guoqing a meaningful glance.

Chen Guoqing immediately spoke. "Brother Yang, could you tell us about the differences between the various sects in the martial world?"

"What kind of martial-world figure am I? I only know the surface of such matters. If you have questions, you should ask Senior Brother Xu."

Yang Ling waved his hand.

Xu Qing glanced at Chen Guoqing, then at Yang Ling, and smiled faintly.

"We still have some road ahead of us. It'll be good to chat with you about the martial world."

Yang Ling, Chen Xu, and Chen Guoqing were all secretly delighted.

They urgently needed all kinds of information about the Divine Realm.

Information about the martial world was the most important of all, as it would affect their plans in the future.

"You want to know about the strengths and weaknesses of the martial-world sects, right?"

Xu Qing smiled. "What do you think of the Mountains and Rivers Sect?"

Yang Ling said, "It's very strong."

"Strong? The Mountains and Rivers Sect can at most be considered a third-rate sect."

Xu Qing mocked himself. "Above third-rate are second-rate, and above second-rate are first-rate.

"Don't be fooled by the fact that my Mountains and Rivers Sect controls several Fire Crystal Mines and one Red Gold Ore mine. Compared with those second-rate major sects, we're like a tiny insect facing an elephant."

"So the Mountains and Rivers Sect really is only third-rate..."

When Yang Ling had seen that Xu Qing's River-Mountain Heart Method was merely a third-rate cultivation method, he had already made a similar guess. Today, he had received confirmation from Xu Qing himself.

If that was the case, the ranks of the martial-world sects were likely determined according to their martial arts and cultivation methods.

"With Senior Brother Xu here, the Mountains and Rivers Sect will definitely become second-rate, or even first-rate, in the future!"

Chen Xu said.

Xu Qing said, "You think too highly of me.

"The Mountains and Rivers Sect will never become second-rate in this lifetime."

"Senior Brother Xu, why not!?"

Chen Xu looked shocked.

"Because of the martial arts and cultivation methods."

Xu Qing said calmly. "The division of sect ranks is closely linked to their martial arts and cultivation methods."

"The Mountains and Rivers Sect only possesses third-rate martial arts and cultivation methods. How could it advance to second-rate?"

"Nowadays, all the major sects in the martial world guard their martial arts and cultivation methods extremely strictly. They would never pass them on to outsiders."

"Unless a second-rate cultivation method suddenly fell into our Mountains and Rivers Sect's hands one day, and we were able to keep it, only then would we have a chance to advance to a second-rate sect."

Yang Ling and the other two were all startled.

It seemed martial arts and cultivation methods were exceedingly rare.

"Wait... does that mean Bitter Enlightenment Temple probably doesn't know that the Buddhist scripture is actually a first-rate cultivation method, the Vajra Wisdom King Art?"

"Otherwise, given Bitter Enlightenment Temple's strength, how could a Prisoner Slayer have gotten his hands on it?"

At this thought, Yang Ling immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

If his guess was correct, Bitter Enlightenment Temple probably wouldn't continue dwelling on the matter.

They might truly believe that they had merely lost a Buddhist scripture.

"Yang Ling, I promised earlier that if you came with me to the Red Gold Ore mine, I would teach you a martial technique."

Xu Qing took out a manual and tossed it to Yang Ling.

"This is the Black Tiger Fist. Although it's somewhat common, it's not something just anyone can cultivate."

"Black Tiger Fist..."

Yang Ling looked at the three large characters on the manual, his feelings complicated.

If he had obtained this martial technique when he had just entered the martial world, he would have been ecstatic.

But now... he simply didn't have enough time to cultivate so many miscellaneous martial techniques.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Xu!"

Yang Ling cupped his hands in a bow, his expression appearing 'excited'.