"Hm? Recruiting husbands?"
"You'll provide a blessed land with a spiritual vein and cultivation manuals?"
The people eliminated and sent down the mountain stirred at the words of the man in blue robes.
Lu Changsheng was tempted as well.
After thinking through his circumstances, he had concluded that joining a cultivation organization would be the best possible option.
As for marrying into a family, he would just be a live-in son-in-law. That was no big deal.
There was no shame in it when cultivation was at stake.
Still, he said nothing, intending to watch first.
After all, pies did not simply fall from the sky.
He knew nothing about the Lu Lineage of Green Bamboo Mountain.
Who knew what this husband recruitment really entailed, or whether it was just a sham?
"Senior, may I ask what requirements you have for prospective husbands?"
"As I recall, cultivation Aristocratic Clans generally don't nurture people outside their bloodline, do they?"
Someone in the crowd immediately spoke up.
Among these eliminated boys and girls, quite a few were children of dignitaries and merchants, or even descendants of Rogue Cultivators. They knew something about the cultivation world.
"Hehe, since you've asked, young friend, I won't hide anything. Let me get straight to the point."
"Our Lu Lineage lost quite a few members in recent years, leaving a gap between generations. That's why we're making this exception and recruiting husbands to bring in fresh blood."
"As for the requirements..."
"You must father fifty children within twenty years. If one has a mid-grade spiritual root, or three have low-grade spiritual roots, that will also count as completing the task."
"During this period, our Lu Lineage will not only provide you with a cultivation site on a spiritual vein and cultivation methods, but also a set allocation of cultivation resources each month."
The blue-robed man looked at them, his expression gentle and refined, and spoke slowly.
Yet the moment he said this, quite a few people felt that this was hardly recruiting husbands.
They were looking for breeding boars-for men to serve as studs!
After all, relations between men and women severely depleted a man's primal yang and vital essence.
This was even more true for Immortal Cultivators.
Having been rejected by the Azure Cloud Sect, their prospects were already limited.
If they tilled the fields daily and devoted themselves to bedroom affairs, they could probably see the end of their cultivation path already. They would hardly achieve anything.
The corners of Lu Changsheng's mouth twitched at these words.
Fifty children in twenty years did seem rather excessive.
Even one child a year would not add up to fifty in twenty years.
It seemed the Lu Lineage was not offering one-to-one marriages. Each live-in son-in-law would be matched with three or four wives.
But...
That actually didn't sound impossible to accept, did it?
Lu Changsheng thought it over carefully and even found it quite appealing. It suited him very well.
Not only would he have somewhere to cultivate, but they would also provide wives and help raise his children.
It perfectly solved the difficulties of his system's early stages.
Moreover, hearing such harsh requirements actually eased much of Lu Changsheng's concern.
If the terms were not harsh, how would a group of rejected candidates like them ever get the chance to join a cultivation Lineage?
Beside him, Hong Yi noticed the temptation on Lu Changsheng's face and spoke up.
"Lu Changsheng, I've heard of the Lu Lineage of Green Bamboo Mountain. They're a legitimate cultivation Lineage, with a Foundation Establishment Ancestor overseeing them."
"And it's true that a few years ago, they fought a major battle with the Chen Lineage of Red Leaf Valley over a Spirit Stone Mine, losing too many of their young and able-bodied members."
"If you have nowhere else to go, it's a viable choice."
That was what Hong Yi told him.
Previously, proud of his status, he had shown little warmth toward Lu Changsheng, Han Lin, or Zhao Qingqing.
He had even looked down on them somewhat.
But Han Lin and Zhao Qingqing, whom he had once scorned, had both entered the Azure Cloud Sect, while he had been eliminated. Much of his arrogance had faded, and he had begun to face reality.
He understood that once they stepped onto the path of immortality, the gap between princes and ministers and peddlers and porters was not all that great.
If Lu Changsheng joined a cultivation Lineage, even if his future achievements were limited, another friend would still mean another avenue open to him.
"Thank you for the advice, Brother Hong."
Hearing this, Lu Changsheng let go of his remaining concerns.
He felt that becoming a live-in son-in-law of the Lu Lineage was an excellent choice under his present circumstances.
With his system, once he made it through the early stages, wouldn't the sky be wide enough for this bird to fly wherever he pleased?
Lu Changsheng immediately stepped forward to sign up.
"Brother Lu, let's go together."
Just then, Li Feiyu spoke from beside him, as though he had made a difficult decision.
"Brother Li, you're joining the Lu Lineage too?"
Hong Yi was somewhat surprised that Li Feiyu had also chosen to join the Lu Lineage.
He could understand Lu Changsheng's decision, given his farming background.
But the Red Whale Gang that Li Feiyu came from was a sizable gang. As its young master, he was reasonably well-off, yet he was willing to become a live-in son-in-law who served as someone else's breeding stud.
"Life is a dream lasting barely a hundred years. Now that an opportunity for immortality is before me, I can't let it slip away."
Li Feiyu spoke in a low, resolute voice.
He knew his own circumstances best. Although the Red Whale Gang was doing well, his father did not have the final say in everything.
Nor could it provide him with much money for cultivation.
If he returned, his future would likely consist of succeeding his father as gang leader and living out a mortal's life.
But now that he knew he had a spiritual root and could cultivate, he no longer wanted to go back.
He had once seen his father bow and scrape before an Immortal Cultivator.
He knew that no matter how high one's worldly status or martial prowess, one was still nothing but an ant before an Immortal Cultivator.
So no matter how difficult it was, as long as there was a sliver of opportunity, he would strive for it!
At least he would have no regrets in the future!
"Then I wish you both flourishing fortunes on the path of immortality, Brother Li, Brother Lu. If anything comes up in the future, you can write to the Ruyi Marquis Manor."
Hong Yi understood the reasoning and did not try to dissuade them further. He cupped his hands.
Born into a noble household, he would still have some money and resources after returning home and could continue cultivating. There was no need for him to marry into another family.
A moment later.
Lu Changsheng and Li Feiyu approached the blue-robed man and expressed their willingness to join the Lu Lineage.
Upon learning that Lu Changsheng only had a ninth-grade spiritual root, the blue-robed man showed some hesitation.
The better a person's spiritual root, the greater the likelihood that their children would have spiritual roots, and the higher those roots' grades would be.
However, seeing that Lu Changsheng had come with Li Feiyu, who possessed a seventh-grade spiritual root, he nodded.
"Think this through carefully. Once you arrive at Green Bamboo Mountain, you cannot change your minds. You will have to sign a contract."
"If you fail to meet the requirements within twenty years, you must not only repay three times the resources spent on you, but also serve our Lu Lineage for
ten years."
The blue-robed man spoke sternly.
"We've made our decision."
Lu Changsheng and Li Feiyu exchanged a glance and nodded.
In roughly an hour, all twenty live-in sons-in-law had been recruited.
They were all youths of ordinary origins with little backing.
Not only were those from privileged backgrounds unwilling to lower themselves, but the blue-robed man also did not want anyone with powerful connections.
"My name is Lu Yuanding, and I am the head of the Lu Lineage. From now on, you may address me as Lineage Head."
"Now, follow me back to Green Bamboo Mountain."
Lu Yuanding addressed Lu Changsheng and the others.
Then he took out a cloth pouch edged with gold thread and opened it.
Streaks of white light flew out, transforming into tall, bright yellow horses with golden manes and strong, nimble legs.
"We're riding horses?"
Quite a few people stared at the horses in bewilderment.
Earlier, with a sweep of his sleeve, the Azure Cloud Sect's steward had summoned auspicious clouds beneath the selected candidates' feet and flown away with them.
Yet those following Lu Yuanding could only ride horses?
Lu Changsheng also felt that riding horses when they were already cultivators was rather low-end.
"These aren't ordinary horses. They're Spirit Steeds raised by our Lu Lineage. They can travel a thousand li a day, and it won't matter even if you don't know how to ride."
Seeing their disappointment, Lu Yuanding offered an explanation.
There was nothing he could do about it.
The Lu Lineage was only a small Lineage.
Although they owned a flying boat artifact, they did not use it lightly.
As for carrying people through the air, that was even less realistic.
With his eighth-level Chain Qi cultivation, his spiritual power could not sustain even his own flight over a long distance, let alone carry anyone else.
With so many people, riding horses was the quickest and most convenient option.
And so, Lu Changsheng and the others mounted the Spirit Steeds and left with Lu Yuanding.
At the foot of the Azure Cloud Sect's mountain, five more Lu Lineage cultivators were waiting to accompany them, guarding against any mishaps along the way.
Before you continue