Outstanding Talent Merchant Association
At the Sea of Clouds Hanging Mountain, the peak of an immortal mountain had been sliced off, and a level expanse several miles across had been laid out. It was called Seeking the Dao Square.
Seeking the Dao Square was where the Holy Cardamom Sect posted sect notices, held large gatherings, and welcomed newcomers.
It was here that mortals first entered the path of immortal cultivation, and here too that Cultivation Methods were distributed to Qi Refining Stage cultivators.
Thousands of men and women, young and old, looked up expectantly at the immortal standing on the raised platform, clad in wide-sleeved azure robes adorned with cloud patterns and flecks of inky black.
Tang Yuan, who had already visited the Registry Pavilion, was among them.
"My name is Ding Chunqiu. You may call me Senior Brother Ding." The azure-robed immortal wore a broad smile.
"All 3,572 of you have reached the first, second, or third layer of Qi Refinement. You are in Early Qi Refinement and are outer sect disciples of our Holy Cardamom Sect.
You have all mastered the sect's Mystic Cardamom Breathing Method and fought your way out from among tens of thousands of Meridian Opening Realm disciples to reach the Qi Refining Realm.
You are all outstanding talents and the future of our holy sect.
Now, I will distribute your Qi Refining Stage Cultivation Method texts."
Ding Chunqiu waved a hand, and four Jade Slips appeared, floating before each of the more than three thousand disciples in the square:
"Samsara Formless Incantation,"
"Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record,"
"Dragon-Elephant Golden Body Instruction,"
"Purple Cloud Nine Mysteries Scripture."
"Cultivation Methods for seeking the Dao and cultivating immortality are divided into seven grades and fourteen tiers. Methods of the first, second, and third grades are, of course, the stuff of legend. The highest-grade methods still in existence today are only upper-tier fourth-grade methods.
However, our Holy Cardamom Sect does possess third-grade methods. Once you succeed in Foundation Establishment and become True Disciples, you may be able to obtain one.
The four methods the sect is distributing this time are fourth-grade spiritual methods, carefully compiled and selected by the sect. They are enough to support a cultivator all the way to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Every disciple of our holy sect began with these four methods," Ding Chunqiu said in a refined and courteous manner.
"Each of you must choose a method according to your Spirit Root attributes, disposition, natural talent, character, comprehension, and the resources available to you.
You may choose one method, and only one.
You now have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to study the descriptions and make your choice."
Tang Yuan frowned slightly and looked at the four Jade Slips in his hands.
Tang Yuan had already learned a little about the four Qi Refining Stage Cultivation Methods.
The Samsara Formless Incantation emphasized blood refinement and was a standard Devil Cultivator method.
Blood-refine mortals, blood-refine cultivators, blood-refine oneself, blood-refine everything.
Its attacks were vicious and ruthless, and it allowed for swift escapes.
Advantages: rapid advancement and difficult to kill.
Disadvantage: comparatively weak attack power against opponents of the same realm.
The chance of Foundation Establishment was about one in sixty.
About sixty percent of Holy Cardamom Sect disciples cultivated this method.
The Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record emphasized the union of yin and yang, drawing on others' vital Qi to strengthen oneself.
Advantages: a decent rate of advancement and certain ghostly techniques that could create illusions and bewitch others' minds.
Disadvantage: required a cultivation cauldron's assistance to advance.
The chance of Foundation Establishment was about one in forty.
About thirty percent of Holy Cardamom Sect disciples cultivated this method.
The Dragon-Elephant Golden Body Instruction was a body cultivation method that drew in the vital essence of all things to temper the flesh and soul.
Advantages: powerful close-range attacks and maximum defense.
Disadvantages: slow advancement and weak long-range attacks;
Because a body cultivator's flesh and bones were comparable to high-grade spiritual materials, they were liable to be coveted by others, and their corpses taken to refine pills and weapons.
At the same time, tempering the flesh, blood, and marrow required large quantities of pills, supplements, and medicinal herbs, so one needed considerable family wealth.
The chance of Foundation Establishment was about one in thirty.
About seven out of every hundred Holy Cardamom Sect disciples chose this method.
The Purple Cloud Nine Mysteries Scripture emphasized drawing in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, questioning heaven, questioning earth, and questioning oneself. It was no different from the methods used by reputable and righteous sects to seek the Dao and cultivate immortality.
Advantages: an endless flow of True Qi during battles, with considerable fighting power at both long and close range.
Disadvantages: advancement was outrageously slow, and not only was one's body liable to be targeted for pill refinement, but one's soul was also liable to be targeted and made into a spirit.
The chance of Foundation Establishment was one in twenty.
Fewer than three out of every hundred Holy Cardamom Sect disciples chose this method.
Tang Yuan had long since decided to choose the Purple Cloud Nine Mysteries Scripture.
That was because choosing this method gave him a better chance of successfully establishing his foundation.
Besides, Tang Yuan really did not want to be a disciple of a devil sect with a bad reputation. Choosing this method would help him switch cultivation paths and clear his name in the future.
There was no helping it. Tang Yuan did not want his descendants to speak of him as a great devil utterly devoid of conscience...
"All right, hold the method you have chosen in your hand, and simply let go of the other three Jade Slips," Ding Chunqiu said in a ringing voice.
The more than three thousand Initial Qi Refinement disciples all chose their methods.
Ding Chunqiu waved his hand, and the Jade Slips each disciple had not chosen flew back to the Scripture Depository.
"You may try reading the method in your hands now."
All the disciples circulated their True Qi and used their Divine Sense to study the methods in their hands, but before three breaths had passed, they all began to frown.
"Senior Brother Ding, I can't see the method."
"That's right, Senior Brother Ding. The method won't open at all. Is there some kind of key?"
The cultivators called out their questions one after another.
"The Law must not be passed on lightly." Ding Chunqiu smiled.
"For the prosperity of the holy sect, we disciples must all make whatever contributions we can.
The methods are not free.
Outside the sect, even a lower-tier sixth-grade method costs a thousand Spirit Stones. These four methods are practically being given to you for free.
"The Samsara Formless Incantation, five hundred spirit coins;
"The Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record, one thousand spirit coins;
"The Dragon-Elephant Golden Body Instruction, fifteen hundred hundred spirit coins;
"The Purple Cloud Nine Mysteries Scripture, two thousand spirit coins."
"Ah, although they really are cheap, aren't they still too expensive compared to what we earn?
I only earn fifty-three spirit coins a year. After paying tribute to the sect, covering my own food and other daily needs, and buying cultivation materials, there's nothing left over at all!" a young disciple in blue shouted.
"Hmph, you dare question sect regulations?" Ding Chunqiu snorted coldly and struck the blue-robed disciple with a streak of dark light.
The blue-robed disciple immediately spat blood and dropped dead, his hand still clutching the Cultivation Method Jade Slip tightly.
Ding Chunqiu took the Jade Slip and instructed those beside him, "Send that man's corpse to the pill refinery and his soul to Soul Refining Valley.
That way, he will have made the final contribution he owed the sect."
After the blue-robed disciple's corpse was carried away, most of the remaining disciples were on edge, startled by the cry of every bird.
"Senior Brother Ding, if I produce two thousand spirit coins, can I obtain the complete Purple Cloud Nine Mysteries Scripture, the method that leads straight to Foundation Establishment?" Tang Yuan called out.
"Good question. Everyone, please look at the large display." Ding Chunqiu waved his hand, and a gigantic screen appeared in the air.
The words on the screen made the disciples murmur to themselves, "Getting a Qi Refinement Cultivation Method text really is harder than ascending to heaven..."
Tang Yuan also frowned as he looked at the screen:
"The Samsara Formless Incantation: early-stage method, five hundred spirit coins; middle-stage method, one thousand spirit coins; late-stage method, fifteen hundred spirit coins.
"The Yin-Yang Qi Unification Record: early-stage method, one thousand hundred spirit coins; middle-stage method, one thousand hundred spirit coins; late-stage method, two thousand spirit coins.
"The Dragon-Elephant Golden Body Instruction: early-stage method, fifteen hundred spirit coins; middle-stage method, two thousand spirit coins; late-stage method, twenty-five hundred spirit coins.
"The Purple Cloud Nine Mysteries Scripture: early-stage method, two thousand spirit coins; middle-stage method, twenty-five hundred spirit coins; late-stage method, three thousand spirit coins.
"Buy both the early- and middle-stage portions of the Purple Cloud Nine Mysteries Scripture at the same time for a ten percent discount; no discounts on the other methods.
"Disciples at Early Qi Refinement may purchase only early- and middle-stage methods."
He had heard that declining sects sold their own lower-tier fourth-grade methods for only ten thousand Spirit Stones. So the Holy Cardamom Sect was selling its fourth-grade methods in separate portions; added together, they were not much cheaper.
With the blue-robed disciple's fate as a warning, the disciples were angry but dared not speak.
Looking at the price list, Tang Yuan also came to understand Luo Biao, whom he had killed at Purple Moon Lake Market:
Even though Luo Biao had reached Qi Refinement Third Layer and was over a hundred years old, he had never learned a Qi Refining Stage method at all.
It was precisely because Luo Biao had never cultivated a Qi Refining Stage method that Tang Yuan, at the first layer, had dared to fight Luo Biao, at the third layer, one-on-one.
At these prices, without a wealthy family background, one could not afford a Cultivation Method text even after working for the sect for two hundred years.
Yet a Qi Refining Stage cultivator's lifespan was only two hundred years.
It was hard, harder than climbing to the blue heavens.
Ding Chunqiu smiled. He felt the atmosphere had been built up just enough.
With a light flick of his left hand, a black waist token with the character "Outstanding" written on it in red appeared at his waist.
"Junior brothers, you are the outstanding talents of our holy sect.
Mindful of the difficulties faced by its disciples, the sect has specially established the Outstanding Talent Merchant Association.
I, your Senior Brother Ding, am a humble deacon of the Outstanding Talent Merchant Association.
To resolve the difficulties of our fellow disciples, our Outstanding Talent Merchant Association offers spirit coin loans.
With ample spirit coins, fellow disciples can purchase Cultivation Method texts, pills, formations, and Law Artifacts without worry...
Of course, the amount of spirit coins disciples can borrow and the loan terms differ according to their cultivation."
Ding Chunqiu waved his hand again, and the contents of the great screen changed to some of the Outstanding Talent Merchant Association's loan rules and detailed terms.
Tang Yuan looked at the screen, and the corners of his mouth immediately twitched. The screen listed long-term and short-term loans.
Some short-term loans were comparable to the "nine out, thirteen back" loans of mortal society, with annual interest rates as high as four hundred percent.
Even the most favorable two-year loan had an annual interest rate as high as sixty percent.
As for collateral, it consisted of everything the borrower owned, plus his body and soul.
But he had no choice but to learn a Cultivation Method.
Tang Yuan took a deep breath and called out, "Senior Brother Ding, could we have some time to consider whether to take out a loan to buy a Cultivation Method text?"
"Yes." Ding Chunqiu beamed and held up three fingers.
"Three days.
You have only three days to consider.
Otherwise, those of you disciples present here
will have to wait thirty years before you can buy a Cultivation Method text next time."...