"That's right, Su Tingxue also told me about the realm classifications."
Hearing this, Chu Xiaoyao grew interested, even sliding her chair over by a few centimeters with a creaking sound: "Tell me about it, what are the realms in this world like?"
Zhou You ticked them off on his fingers: "There are five realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Creation, and Ascension."
He tried hard to recall the long list of adjectives Su Tingxue had used for the Qi Refining Stage, but unfortunately those terms were too unfamiliar and he didn't remember many: "Qi Refining... splitting walls."
"Foundation Establishment... collapsing buildings."
"Golden Core... swaggering down the street."
"As for the Creation and Ascension realms, she didn't mention them."
After listening, Chu Xiaoyao remained silent for a long time, feeling that whether Su Tingxue talked about the later realms or not didn't really matter: "Is that how contemporary cultivators describe the realms?"
Should I just find a way back to the Primordial Continent instead? At least people over there actually respect realm classifications.
Zhou You scratched his head awkwardly: "Not really, it's mainly just that I didn't remember."
Chu Xiaoyao remained silent.
Seeing that the atmosphere on the scene was a bit awkward, Zhou You hurriedly changed the subject: "Right right, Su Tingxue also told me that our process for establishing a sect isn't standard."
"Not standard?" Chu Xiaoyao pondered. How was it not standard? Could it be that they needed to hold a grand opening ceremony and invite all one or two thousand grade-mates to eat in the cafeteria?
The cost of establishing a sect was a bit high, and the sect funds probably weren't enough.
Should they just buy a pack of melon seeds and distribute them to every class? If it was one seed per person, two packs of melon seeds would be enough.
"She said we need to publish it in the newspaper to declare it to the world. I figured since we're a small sect, we just need to post an announcement on the Chang’an Daily bulletin board."
Chu Xiaoyao came to a realization: "It really should be declared to the world. It was my oversight not to consider that."
However, she hesitated slightly, not knowing how to operate it specifically since she had never done such a thing before: "As for the Chang’an Daily, making a phone call should do, right? Let's search for a phone number on their official website?"
Zhou You considered things more thoroughly: "Why not send an email? It's hard to explain clearly over the phone."
"Makes sense."
Zhao Zhuo, who had been eavesdropping from the front desk, couldn't help chiming in to popularize some common sense for the two of them: "It costs money to publish information on the daily newspaper's bulletin board-at least five thousand yuan. If you go to a major newspaper agency, the price can go over ten thousand."
"Five thousand?"
"So expensive?"
Zhou You and Chu Xiaoyao exclaimed in unison. When they went to the school gate to buy a bowl of shaved ice for two yuan fifty, they even had to pool their money together. Five thousand yuan was an astronomical figure to the two of them, something that would take a whole year of skipping meals and living frugally to save up.
"Can student IDs get a discount?"
"Probably not."
Zhou You cast his gaze toward Zhao Zhuo, who had interrupted: "Would you like to consider joining our Carefree Sect?"
Chu Xiaoyao chimed in from the side: "If you join now, you only need to donate five thousand yuan to secure the position of Great Elder."
Zhao Zhuo: "...Do I look like a pushover to you guys?"
"Not really."
Zhou You and Chu Xiaoyao plunged into deep thought once more. The sect was facing a fiscal deficit crisis right after its establishment, and the method of publishing it in the daily newspaper was definitely a dead end.
"Did Su Tingxue mention any other methods?"
Zhou You wore a troubled expression: "There are other methods, it's just that the difficulty is a bit high."
Chu Xiaoyao perked up. She wasn't afraid of high difficulty, only of having no way out: "What method?"
"Rebellion."
Zhao Zhuo jerked his head back, his expression filled with astonishment and fear. Why did they suddenly start discussing this? Was this something he was allowed to hear?!
Without needing to discuss it, the second method was also vetoed, and the two fell back into silence.
Zhou You tentatively proposed: "Any newspaper should work, right? How about... the school newspaper?"
"Hey, good idea!" Chu Xiaoyao's eyes lit up. As long as it was a newspaper, it didn't matter whether it was a daily or a school newspaper; the important thing was the ceremony.
If it was the school newspaper, the problem would be much easier to solve. The editor-in-chief of the School Newspaper Club was in Zhou You's class.
"Fatty Wei!"
Wei Hang, who was secretly eating snacks, looked like a startled prairie dog when he saw Zhou You and Chu Xiaoyao both coming straight for him.
These two propped their arms on his desk, staring aggressively at him like a pair of door-guardian gods.
Wei Hang, editor-in-chief of the No. 2 Middle School School Newspaper Club, nicknamed Fatty due to his weight of two hundred and twenty pounds.
Seeing the two of them, Wei Hang felt extremely guilty. Could it be that the news of him returning to the class to tell everyone that "Su Tingxue knelt down to Zhou You" had reached Zhou You's ears, and he had been found out?
He gritted his teeth in hesitation, made up his mind, and took out his snacks: "Hold out your hands, three potato chips each."
"We're not here for potato chips."
"A few potato chips would be fine, though."
Zhou You and Chu Xiaoyao spoke at the same time, except their content differed slightly.
"How can a cultivator pursue carnal desires!" the Free and Unfettered Female Emperor reprimanded.
"Didn't eat dinner, only had a couple of bites of shaved ice, I'm hungry," the Qi Refining practitioner quibbled.
Hearing that Zhou You hadn't eaten, Wei Hang gritted his teeth again. Steeling his resolve, he shoved the remaining third of a bag of potato chips into Zhou You's hands: "That's all I have."
Zhou You gave two dry coughs, pulled out two potato chips, and handed the rest back. As hungry as he was, he wasn't about to clean out all of Wei Hang's snacks.
Besides, if he took all the potato chips, he'd feel too embarrassed to ask for a favor.
"What are you guys here for?"
"To publish something in the school newspaper."
"Did you two lose something?" Wei Hang found it bizarre. When had these two ever wanted to publish anything in the school newspaper?
"We established a sect, and we want to declare it to the world through the school newspaper!"
Chu Xiaoyao picked up the triangular ID card placed on the desk and showed it to Wei Hang. Written on it were "Grand Supreme Elder of the Carefree Sect" and "Sect Master of the Carefree Sect."
Wei Hang thought about it and agreed. Anyway, the school newspaper was full of boring stuff and always fell short of space, leaving him worrying about what to write every time. It was just right to have some new tricks: "Fine, what do you two want written in the school newspaper?"
As for establishing a sect, he had known Chu Xiaoyao for two years; let alone establishing a sect, even if Chu Xiaoyao said she had established the United Nations, he wouldn't be surprised.
"Just write that the Carefree Sect was established today, with Chu Xiaoyao as the Grand Supreme Elder, Zhou You as the Sect Master, and Nuomi as the Vice Sect Master."
Wei Hang was stunned: "Who is Nuomi?"
"Our classroom's air conditioner."
"Huh?"
"My mistake, it's external personnel."
"Oh."
Chu Xiaoyao pondered and felt the introduction was too simple and inappropriate: "Since we're an established cultivation sect, who would know we cultivate if we just have such a dry introduction?"
Zhou You thought of this problem as well: "But it might not be good to directly say I'm a cultivator. According to Su Tingxue, modern cultivators all hide themselves and don't appear out in the open."
Wei Hang ate potato chips while listening to the two of them indulge in their delusions of grandeur, feeling that the potato chips tasted even better than before.
"Then write down some characteristics of cultivators?"
"That works. Just write that I can now unscrew a bottle cap with one hand."
"Unscrew a bottle cap with one hand?" This was the first time Chu Xiaoyao had heard this concept, and it was quite unfamiliar. Seeing Zhou You's proud expression, she was somewhat baffled.
"This is the sign of advancing to the Qi Refining Stage, the manifestation of great strength," Zhou You explained with a trace of smugness. He had been happy for a long time when he unscrewed that bottle cap in the evening.
"Isn't it supposed to be One-Ox Strength or something?"
"Rumor has it that was the sign in the past, but nowadays you rarely see oxen in big cities, so it got changed to unscrewing bottle caps." Zhou You strongly approved of this modification; cultivation had to keep pace with the times.
Being conventional, Chu Xiaoyao felt that describing it with One-Ox Strength sounded very atmospheric: "Can you include One-Ox Strength as well?"
Zhou You thought about it and felt there was no problem, passing the request on to Wei Hang.
"Got it," Wei Hang readily agreed.
"Thanks. I'll treat you to prawn crackers tomorrow."
"Hey, it's just a small matter, we're all classmates." Wei Hang waved his hand dismissively.
The next day, the fresh school newspaper came out. Showing tremendous loyalty, Wei Hang used his authority as editor-in-chief to work overtime through the night, placing the news of the Carefree Sect's establishment right as the front-page headline. Any student who got their hands on the newspaper would be immediately drawn to the front page.
"Congratulations to Senior Class 3 of our school for establishing the Carefree Sect, featuring Grand Supreme Elder Chu Xiaoyao, Sect Master Zhou You, and Vice Sect Master Nuomi."
"Among them, Sect Master Zhou You possesses ox-like strength and can unscrew a bottle cap with one hand."
Su Tingxue put down the school newspaper, her brow furrowing slightly in utter bewilderment.
"Did they just set up an acrobatics troupe?"
Before you continue