Registration

As a Nascent Soul-level cultivation alliance in the Jade Radiance Kingdom, the Rogue Cultivator Alliance had branches in all seventy-two commanderies.

The Rogue Cultivator Alliance's Fufeng Commandery branch stood within an immortal city. Named Ascendant City, it carried the implication of rising through the rosy clouds to immortality.

Every resident of the city was a cultivator, and rogue cultivators made up more than sixty percent of its population.

Ascendant City had been established over a thousand years ago. Over those thousand years, it had become the largest gathering place for cultivators in Fufeng Commandery outside the Six Immortal Sects.

One reason Ascendant City attracted so many rogue cultivators was that it stood atop a second-tier spirit vein. Spiritual energy was abundant within the city, and staying there long-term could considerably increase one's cultivation speed.

Another reason was the presence of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. Countless rogue cultivators came to trade cultivation resources, gather information, post missions, and so on. Here, they could obtain the resources they needed for cultivation or take on missions to earn Spirit Stones.

The Rogue Cultivator Alliance imposed very few restrictions on cultivators, and entering or leaving the city was easy. As a result, the vast majority of rogue cultivators in Fufeng Commandery came here.

Even disciples of Fufeng Commandery's Six Immortal Sects were drawn to the city, frequently visiting to trade all kinds of resources.

One day, a middle-aged cultivator in black robes appeared outside Ascendant City.

This cultivator, dressed to look like a middle-aged man, was naturally Xu Yan. He had chosen this appearance for his visit to the Rogue Cultivator Alliance's branch.

Outside Ascendant City, Xu Yan stopped to survey the colossal structure before him.

The city spanned more than a hundred li and was built entirely of azure goldstone. Various runes were engraved on its walls, while its four gates were cast from spirit iron. Even from afar, it exuded an air of imposing grandeur.

In addition, the light of various formations flickered around the walls from time to time, giving off a sense of extreme danger.

While Xu Yan stood observing, more than a dozen cultivators arrived from every direction, including some in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Whether they came riding flying swords or aboard flying magic artifacts, they all landed roughly three li from Ascendant City and entered on foot.

This sight led Xu Yan to suspect that the city had a flight-restricting formation in place.

Xu Yan had stopped to watch how these cultivators entered the city. After seeing them pass inside without any obstacles, he set off, making his way swiftly toward the city.

Once inside, Xu Yan asked around and soon learned where the Rogue Cultivator Alliance was located.

Before long, he arrived before an enormous structure in the center of Ascendant City.

Before Xu Yan stood a vast palace complex, dominated by a palace at its very center. It rose nine stories high and shimmered with a pale golden light. In its most prominent position, four large ancient-seal characters spelled out "Rogue Cultivator Alliance."

On either side of the largest palace stood others of varying sizes. Xu Yan swept his gaze over them, reading signs such as "Alchemy Hall," "Artifact Refining Hall," "Spirit Talisman Hall," and so on.

These palaces all resembled pagodas, their floors growing smaller toward the top.

At that moment, two cultivators in blue Daoist robes sat cross-legged before the largest palace. Their eyes were lightly closed, as though they were cultivating. As Xu Yan approached, the cultivator on the left slowly opened his eyes, glanced at him, and said coldly, "This is the alliance's main hall, where its stewards and elders cultivate. If you wish to join the alliance, go register at the side hall."

As he spoke, the cultivator pointed in a particular direction, then closed his eyes and resumed cultivating, seemingly unwilling to waste even a moment.

Sensing the man's aura, Xu Yan was inwardly startled. He hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."

With that, Xu Yan headed toward the side hall the cultivator had indicated.

The aura that cultivator had inadvertently revealed was immensely powerful; he was likely in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Xu Yan was astonished by the Rogue Cultivator Alliance's strength. Its Fufeng Commandery branch alone was probably no weaker than any of the Six Immortal Sects.

After walking several dozen zhang, Xu Yan reached a two-story palace. It was built entirely of blue and red stone bricks, with four large characters above it reading "Rogue Cultivator Alliance Registration."

Several dozen cultivators were already lined up before the palace. Seeing this, Xu Yan joined the end of the queue.

Xu Yan's arrival drew no attention. His cultivation, at the peak of the third layer of Qi Refining, placed him in the lower-middle ranks among these cultivators, making him rather unremarkable.

The cultivators in line were all rogue cultivators, most ranging from roughly the second to the seventh layer of Qi Refining. Two of them caught Xu Yan's attention.

One was a broad-shouldered, thick-waisted middle-aged man clad in a worn beast-hide garment. He was powerfully built, with an intensely oppressive aura, and had reached Qi Refining perfection. The rogue cultivators ahead of and behind him kept more than a zhang away, seemingly afraid of offending him.

The other was an elderly Daoist in brown robes. His cultivation was nothing special, apparently only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining. His hair was gathered in a high topknot, and he held a white jade horsetail whisk, giving him something of an immortal's bearing.

What drew Xu Yan's attention was that, despite the elderly Daoist being only at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, the two Rogue Cultivators at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining ahead of and behind him treated him with considerable respect.

That seemed rather unusual in the Cultivation World, where strength reigned supreme. Xu Yan silently guessed that the elderly Daoist must have some other status.

Before the palace stood a jade desk, behind which sat two elderly men in blue Daoist robes, responsible for registering these rogue cultivators as alliance members.

Just as the records had described, each Qi Refining rogue cultivator needed only to pay three low-grade spirit stones and give any name to receive a jade identity token.

This jade token signified official membership in the Rogue Cultivator Alliance. With it, members could use the alliance's services, accept missions, and so on.

Seeing this, Xu Yan finally set his mind completely at ease.

As the registration queue advanced, he finally learned why those two rogue cultivators treated the elderly Daoist with such an immortal bearing so respectfully.

The elderly Daoist was named Daoist Cangyun and was a first-tier, low-grade alchemist. He had come to take the alliance's alchemy assessment. If he passed, he would gain recognized status as an alchemist within the Rogue Cultivator Alliance, allowing him to accept alchemy missions.

A first-tier, low-grade alchemist already held an extremely prestigious status among Qi Refining cultivators. Alchemists accounted for only a tiny fraction of cultivators. Had Xu Yan not obtained Lin Dao's legacy through a chance encounter, he could never have become one.

Every alchemist's legacy was exceedingly precious. Generally, only Immortal Sects or powerful cultivation lineages possessed them.

He wondered what fortunate opportunity had allowed the elderly Daoist before him to become an alchemist as well.

When the elderly registrar heard that the Daoist before him was an alchemist, a trace of a smile appeared on his previously stern face. Alchemists were rare talents for any organization. Registering one during their shift would already qualify them for a reward.

The two elderly men smiled as they took out a communication jade slip. Before long, two cultivators arrived and led the elderly Daoist away to take the assessment.

The registrations afterward were quite ordinary, with no other cultivators skilled in any of the hundred cultivation arts.

Soon, it was Xu Yan's turn.

"Name?"

One of the elderly men asked without even lifting his head.

"Lin Yan."

This was a name Xu Yan had invented. From now on, he would use it within the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.

"All right, here is your jade identity token. Just pay three low-grade spirit stones," the elderly man said indifferently, tossing him the token.

Xu Yan paid three low-grade spirit stones and put the jade token into his Storage Bag. Then he looked at the two elderly men and said, "Greetings, fellow Daoists. I am also an alchemist. Please arrange an assessment for me."

The moment he finished speaking, the two elderly men's faces blossomed with delight. They immediately smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, fellow Daoist. I'll contact the Alchemy Hall right away to arrange a place for your assessment."