Putting Down Roots (I)

Kuang Liuting's Core Formation was a momentous event for the entire Great Wei Immortal Dynasty. However, for the Chongming Sect at this time, the Earl of Nan'an, who had already traveled to the outer seas, was currently unable to attend to this important matter.

However, in the remote Cloud Horn Prefecture these days, besides the earth-shattering news that has already spread throughout the counties, there are a few other things that are somewhat intriguing.

One of them was that Yuan Buwen, the local tyrant of Jingnan Prefecture, had recently rebelled. After sending off Two Instruments Sect two Pill Masters from the Liangyi Sect stationed at the Yuan Household family, this top-notch False Core went to the Old Ox Mountain and sought out Gun Shilu and Zhu Tong, who were in charge of the battle, to kneel down and surrender.

After Governor Zhu Tong offered some kind words of comfort, the governor not only did not make things difficult for him, but also treated him with great courtesy and accepted his surrender without any humiliation.

To outsiders, Yuan Buwen was hardly a decisive ruler, far from possessing the extraordinary courage and boldness that had been circulated about him in the past.

Moreover, the Jingnan Yuan Household has now surrendered to the state government, and the price is much lower than before. It is possible that Yuan Buwen will find it difficult to keep Jingnan Prefecture, which he has always regarded as his own.

Furthermore, even though Yuan Buwen surrendered, he didn't choose to turn against the Two Instruments Sect, which is somewhat intriguing. Equally intriguing is the attitude of Zhu Tong, the prefectural governor.

These days, even the homes of those who are usually two-faced will probably be quite lively.

The second message was sent to various counties through the He Household's merchant caravan. "The Double Brightness Alliance has expanded its territory by a thousand miles in the Cold Crow Mountain for this campaign, and therefore, starting this year, it will begin recruiting volunteers to participate in the war and settle down in the Cold Crow Mountain Range. The Double Brightness Alliance will allocate sacred lands based on their merits. Other honest and Rogue Cultivator who are interested may also come to request assistance."

The third piece of news, also from the He Household, is that the Immortal Ascension Assembly, originally scheduled for September 15th of this year by the Chongming Sect, will be moved forward to April 15th, and according to reliable sources, the standards will be relaxed.

If the previous piece of news was hardly relevant to most cultivators in Cloud Horn Prefecture, then the two pieces of news mentioned by the He Household were truly intriguing.

The Rogue Cultivator is extremely arduous; many cannot even afford the annual allowance for renting a place in the market. Yet, the Chongming Sect is willing to distribute it this time.

Even a fool wouldn't think it's possible to claim a piece of spiritual land for free as a means of survival, but it's still a place with spiritual energy that belongs exclusively to one's own! How many Rogue Cultivators could resist such temptation?!

The third piece of news was even more relevant to them. The news of the Double Brightness Alliance's expansion across thousands of miles spread quickly, and people in the community knew that these families had suffered some serious losses.

In fact, not only Chongming Sect opened its gates wide this time, but also the two Foundation Establishment sects Ingenious Craftsman Fort Hemu Dao, did the same.

Although the four cultivation Lineage Ming, He, Lu, and Ma do not recruit disciples, they are now recruiting a large number of sons-in-law because of the many new widows in their families.

The Cold Mountain Sect, which also suffered heavy losses, was different. This time, they lost Lu Xingbei, a Foundation Establishment, and also had to cancel this year's Immortal Ascension Assembly. Outsiders were talking about it, but no one knew why the sect leader Xu Liuxian, would do such an unwise thing.

However, even if it were just other families recruiting disciples and sons-in-law, it would be enough to excite the Rogue Cultivator who heard the news.

After all, if one can find a reliable force to rely on and cultivate diligently, it would be a good path for many timid and cowardly rogue cultivators who don't dare to ask for a Rogue Cultivator site to build a foundation.

Therefore, upon hearing these two pieces of news, at least half of the Rogue Cultivator in Cloud Horn Prefecture would be excited, which led to a bustling scene outside the gates of various Double Brightness Alliance.

For this reason, Sun Fu, who is an outer sect steward of the Chongming Sect, has been guarding the foot of Little Ring Mountain for quite some time.

These past few days, outside followers and independent Rogue Cultivator have been constantly coming and going in front of Deacon Sun. Just dealing with these people has exhausted the old cultivator, and he feels that he has never been so busy in his entire life.

Around noon that day, a light rain began to fall. Raindrops pattered against the makeshift bamboo roof, making a constant pattering sound, which made Sun Fu's eyelids droop.

He was listlessly sitting on a jade couch, but after only a short nap, someone came in and gently woke him up.

"Uncle-Master Sun, another fellow Daoist has arrived."

Zhu Yunsheng said with a troubled expression, but secretly he felt sorry for the old monk Sun Fu.

The latter was also out of options, since the sect leaders and elders of the Chongming Sect had no time to do such tedious things, and nowadays even within the sect, some outstanding disciples had emerged.

However, either they already had duties, or they lacked social skills and were not yet adept at judging whether the cultivators who came to serve them were honest. Therefore, Sun Fu did not dare to rest these days. After all, even he, a meticulous person, could not really trust them to do such things.

Furthermore, the matter of recruiting Rogue Cultivator to settle in the Cold Crow Mountain Range was an important task personally entrusted to him by Sect Leader Kang Da, so even if Sun Fu wasn't here, he would hardly be able to rest. Managing affairs in this bamboo hut might be tiring, but at least he had some peace of mind, didn't he?

Sun Fu opened his eyes sleepily once again, casually cast a Gentle Clear Wind Incantation, and the gentle breeze that brushed against his face finally chased away some of his drowsiness.

Only after finishing these tasks did the old man straighten his clothes, compose himself, and look up. "Nephew Zhu?"

Zhu Yunsheng respectfully acknowledged the request before explaining, "These fellow Daoists have been waiting since yesterday evening, which is quite a long time. That's why I dared to come and bother Uncle Sun."

"Yes, don't be alarmed. You did nothing wrong. The important thing is to get down to business." Sun Fu had no complaints about this diligent junior, because he and Zhu Yunsheng were actually of the same temperament.

The old cultivator turned to look at the four men and one woman behind Zhu Yunsheng and said in a gentle voice, "Greetings, fellow Daoists. I am Sun Fu, and I am honored to serve as an outer Chongming Sect. I have been dispatched by our sect leader, Lord Kang, to oversee the distribution of spiritual soil this time."

Forgive my old age and senility, for I am so confused that I cannot recognize the names of you all. Please, fellow Daoists, state your celestial abodes, your origins, whether you participated in the land-opening campaign, and whether you rendered any service. This will allow me to make my judgment.

Originally Rogue Cultivator who had practiced haphazardly for over a decade, Sun Fu was no longer the ignorant man he once was, until he met Li Duanxu, the former elder of the Chongming Sect, and finally received the true Dharma.

Since joining the Chongming Sect, this old cultivator has not only made rapid progress in his cultivation over the years, but his demeanor and bearing have also improved significantly, which has made the Rogue Cultivator cultivators in front of him admire and praise him greatly.

"This junior, You Xiaobao, hails from Chongming City. I enlisted twice, was wounded once, and was ranked among the most meritorious after the war."

"This junior, Bai Fang, is from Guo County and has not applied for the position."

"This junior, Chen Yi, is temporarily residing in Jin County. I have participated in the recruitment once, and my performance is commended."

"My name is Hu Mingsheng, from White Sand County. I have not applied for this position."

"I am Dong Hu, the junior, and as the head of the Dong family of Double Brightness Dong Household, I volunteered once and achieved a mediocre result."

Only after the last burly man had spoken did Sun Fu regain his composure. He raised an eyebrow and asked Dong Hu, who claimed to be the head of the Dong Household family, "Fellow Daoist Dong, what is your relationship with my niece Dong Liu'er?"

Dong Hu's spirits lifted, then a mixture of pride and hidden hurt appeared on his face. "But she is my younger cousin."

Sun Fu thought to himself, "No wonder Zhu Yunsheng has been waiting so long this time. Dong Liu'er's 'Dong' is also the 'Dong' of the two elders' wives, Da Dong Xiao Dong. Not to mention the old and dying Spirit Plant Zhou Yixiu, he has not forgotten his ill-fated disciple."

No matter how selfless Sun Fu is, he still has to consider personal matters. Besides, Dong Hu has genuine merits, so even if Sun Fu handles things according to the facts, Dong Hu will still receive the sacred land, and it can't be considered favoritism or corruption.

Thinking of this, Sun Fu also sighed, then turned to Dong Hu and said, "No wonder you seem so approachable, fellow Daoist; it turns out you're one of us."

After saying this, the old cultivator waved his hand to stop Dong Hu, who was about to take out two letters of introduction, and instead took out a contract and said to Zhu Yunsheng, "This is your Senior Sister Dong's clansman. Don't mistreat him. Go and make arrangements quickly."

Dong Hu was immediately overjoyed and kept thanking them. Zhu Yunsheng understood and ignored the envious looks from the other four Rogue Cultivators in the room. He just took Dong Hu to sign the contract.

After watching the two leave the bamboo house, Sun Fu coughed lightly, finally drawing the attention of the remaining cultivators in the hall back to him.

The four of them came to their senses and hurriedly bowed to apologize.

Sun Fu smiled kindly, seemingly unconcerned about the rudeness of the crowd, and asked the only old cultivator in the room who was about his age, "Fellow Daoist Hu, are you from White Sand County? If you obtain spiritual soil here, will you manage it alone, or will other fellow Daoists help you?"

Hu Mingsheng was clearly much more experienced than the other cultivators in the room. He replied, "Steward Sun, I have a wife, a younger brother, a daughter, and three other cultivators in my family, as well as over ten thousand clansmen. If we obtain the spiritual land, we will naturally move here gradually to serve our sect."

Sun Fu had little interest in these flattering words and asked directly, "May I ask what the cultivation levels are of the other three Daoists in Fellow Daoist Hu's family, and what their specialties or skills are?"

"They are all at the initial stage of cultivation. As for the Hundred Arts Hu Household, they do not have such talents, but our family's cultivators all have some understanding of farming and shipbuilding."

Chongming Sect had already agreed beforehand to verify the truth of what was said, so Hu Mingsheng naturally dared not speak falsely. However, the old cultivator only told half the truth before he became somewhat unsure of himself.

"Yes, I see." Sun Fu nodded expressionlessly, then glanced at Hu Mingsheng's Qi Refinement Fourth Layer of Qi Refining. He took out a Jade Slip and covered it up. After finding the White Sand Hu Household, which was registered beforehand, he engraved the two characters "Bing Xia" on the back of the slip.

"I humbly request that you find my disciple and inform him of the location of the immortal realm for registration. If any suitable spiritual land becomes available to you, my Double Brightness Alliance will naturally grant it to you via a spiritual bird."

Hu Mingsheng has been in Little Ring Mountain for some time now. In these days, he has been asking around for information from the Rogue Cultivator at the front of the line, and he knows more or less about it.

So when he heard what Sun Fu said, Hu Mingsheng wasn't too disappointed. He simply stepped forward with a respectful expression, bowed, and then subtly slipped something from his sleeve into the sleeve of Sun Fu, who was also bowing, before leaving the bamboo house.

Sun Fu glanced at the storage bag secretly, and after thinking for a moment, he polished off the word "" on the jade slip.

The old man's actions were not deliberately concealed, and the other four people in the hall naturally understood what to do.

The next person Sun Fu pointed to was a short, thin Rogue Cultivator named "Chen Yi". He glanced at the latter's cultivation level of the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining and observed that there were no fine lines on his face. He thought that this young man was doing quite well in his cultivation as Rogue Cultivator, which was quite rare.

Sun Fu sipped his spiritual tea, flicked his finger, and a freshly drawn map of the spiritual land unfolded in mid-air.

This map is over ten feet in diameter, but it's clear that it was made in a bit of a rush. The mountains and rivers are not clearly visible on it, and the various colored halos are mixed together, which is quite an eyesore. It would take Sun Fu's knowledge and explanation for the cultivators to see it clearly.

The old cultivator said softly, "There are a total of 467 spiritual lands here, of which 136 have already been distributed. There are still 293 near-spiritual lands and 38 First Tier spiritual lands remaining. Fellow Daoist, you may request any of them."

Chen Yi squinted at the dazzling array of lights before him. He naturally wouldn't ask where those rumored Second Tier spiritual lands found by the various families of the Double Brightness Alliance were, or why they weren't shown on the map.

After observing for a while, he finally spoke, "I am all alone and have been practicing the fire technique 'True Flame Art' for many years. May I ask, Deacon Sun, are there any remaining fire veins among the remaining spiritual lands?"

"So he was cultivating Desolate-Tier Superior-Grade Cultivation Method, that's quite rare."

Before Sun Fu could respond, Chen Yi had already eagerly slipped something into his sleeve. After weighing it briefly, the old cultivator's smile deepened, "There is something quite suitable for your cultivation, fellow Daoist."

Sun Fu produced a talismanic brush and pointed it to a point of light in the center of the map, explaining:

"This is Firestone Hollow, First-Tier Lower-Grade spiritual land. According to the geomancer, there may be some small-scale fire-attribute mixed minerals that can be mined, which may be a source of income for you in the future. However, the spiritual soil here is very poor and it is difficult to cultivate into spiritual fields. I must inform you of this beforehand."

Chen Yi hearing Sun Fu's explanation, Chen's face immediately lit up with joy, but he quickly asked, "I wonder if this is necessary?"

Sun Fu took out another Jade Slip to examine it before saying, "This spiritual land is sufficient to support twelve or thirteen Qi Refinement Refining cultivators. The fire elemental Sha Qi in the Spirit Vein is also beneficial for those who cultivate fire techniques, and there are also mixed minerals below."

"Well, according to this calculation, you'll need to pay two hundred Spirit Stone as a deposit first, and then thirty-four Spirit Stone, seven spirit fragments, and two hundred gold coins every year thereafter. After half a cycle of sixty years, this spiritual land will belong to you, and the deposit will be returned in full at that time."

As Sun Fu finished speaking, the joy on Chen Yi gradually faded.

He was a lone, rogue Rogue Cultivator, so poor that he didn't even have a mortal follower by his side. If it weren't for the spirit Spirit Stone he had received from the recruitment, he wouldn't have had the confidence to come here. So where would he have suddenly come up with so many Spirit Stone as a deposit?

"Ahem," Sun Fu could tell that Chen Yi was short of money, so he didn't say anything to make things difficult. He simply said, "Fellow Daoist, in order to reward those who have made meritorious contributions, the guarantee deposit can be reduced by 30% and the loan amount by 50% according to regulations."

If Fellow Daoist Chen still cannot produce the required amount, he may use his rank-up items to find my Chongming Small Pavilion in the nearby Double Brightness Trade Market as collateral. The annual interest rate is 15%, and the first year's interest can be reduced based on merit.

If you are unwilling to take out another loan, or cannot obtain sufficient collateral, you may consider other spiritually close places among us. In my humble opinion, if you are going to be alone in the future, these places would be quite suitable for cultivation.

After hearing the sound, Chen Yi stared at the light spot called Firestone Hollow for a long time, and finally bowed to Sun Fu, saying only, "Please, sir, allow me some time. I will definitely raise enough money for the deposit within ten days and then return to ask for your help."

Sun Fu was quite agreeable. He nodded, marked the spot at Firestone Hollow, and then said, "Fellow Daoist, you have rendered meritorious service in volunteering. It would be fine to reserve it for you for half a month. However, I am but a humble person with little influence, and I cannot delay any longer."

After bowing repeatedly in gratitude, Chen Yi left and headed towards Double Brightness Trade Market.

After dealing with three groups of people, Sun Fu was already feeling tired. The only female cultivator in the hall, named Bai Fang, wore a veil that obscured her skin color, so the old cultivator lost interest in her as well.

Of course, following the teachings of Sect Leader Kang Da, Sun Fu had to accept the Spirit Stone offered by the latter.

These funds still need to be taken back to subsidize the sect's public funds. Chongming Sect has been severely short of Spirit Stone these days. Otherwise, Sect Leader Kang Da wouldn't have specifically instructed Sun Fu to keep a close eye on these Rogue Cultivator cultivators who have come to serve him.

After Sun Fu learned that he was also alone, and that he only had the Third Layer of Qi Refinement and a single, unskilled array technique, the old cultivator hastily dismissed him.

Without uttering a single polite word, he used a carving knife hidden in his sleeve to erase the name from the Jade Slip.

In the end, only the anxious You Xiaobao remained in the bamboo house. He wasn't actually short of money. This was because Yuan Changsheng, the general he had served under during his second recruitment, was one of the Chongming Sect officials in the Chongming Sect and was very generous to his subordinates.

Having miraculously survived, he made a small fortune on the battlefield. Including what he earned from two recruitments and the rewards for his merits, he had a total of about two hundred Spirit Stone.

This is no small sum for a rogue cultivator at the Third Layer of Qi Refinement Rogue Cultivator. If he hadn't used most of it to save his master's life, You Xiaobao could now be considered to have some wealth.

But now?

You Xiaobao nervously met Sun Fu's gaze and whispered, "Steward Sun, my master and I are the only two people I have. We only have a few hundred mortal relatives, and we don't have many Spirit Stones. I only ask for a place near the spirit source where we can obtain some."

Sun Fu had heard from his old friend Niu Kuang that You Xiaobao had applied for the job twice, and based on this alone, Sun Fu refused the latter's offer of a bribe.

The old man squinted and carefully examined the map. After a long while, he asked, "How is this place?"

You Xiaobao turned his concerned gaze to the place Sun Fu pointed to, and the latter said calmly, "There is First-Tier Lower-Grade Spirit Vein and a mountain stream rich in spiritual energy in this Phoenix Forest Mountain. Perhaps we could try raising some non-ranking spiritual fish here. Moreover, the spiritual soil here is quite fertile. Fellow Daoist, you only need to put some effort into cultivating it, and it should thrive."

Sun Fu paused here, then looked at You Xiaobao and asked, "Fellow Daoist You, have you ever cultivated a spirit field?"

The latter was taken aback. "This junior is inexperienced, but my master is quite skilled in this art."

"That's good. Fellow Daoist, since you've finished reporting your merits, the guarantee fee can be reduced by 50%. And since this is your second application, I'll reduce it by another 10%. In this way, the guarantee fee will only cost eighty Spirit Stone."

The annual tribute is originally thirty-six Spirit Stone and one spirit fragment. However, due to merit-based rewards, this can be reduced by ten percent, making it thirty-two Spirit Stone and four spirit fragments plus nine hundred gold. I, the old man, will further waive the odd amount for you, fellow Daoist, so it will only cost thirty-two Spirit Stone per year."

After calculating with his fingers, You Xiaobao still looked troubled and said, "This junior still cannot produce that much."

Sun Fu was slightly surprised. He reasoned that You Xiaobao, fresh from battle, should have plenty of Spirit Stone. "Perhaps he used them all for practicing his skills?"

The old cultivator muttered something to himself, then spoke up again, suggesting, "Fellow Daoist, why don't you also go to the Chongming Small Pavilion for a loan? The annual interest rate is only 10% based on your merits, and the first year is interest-free."

You Xiaobao gave a wry smile, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "To be honest, senior, my master and I have nothing of value, so we are afraid we cannot borrow so much."

Sun Fu was momentarily at a loss for words, You Xiaobao spoke first:

"Please trouble you, senior, to take a look at those near-spirit lands for us. We don't want anything else, just enough to provide for our cultivation and the well-being of our clan. Ideally, they should be safe, as our cultivation is insufficient, and we cannot afford to provoke any Demon Beast or fellow cultivators."

You Xiaobao took it in stride, but Sun Fu felt a bit sorry for him. While searching for a nearby spiritual land, he muttered, "If you choose a worthless nearby spiritual land, wouldn't it be a waste of your merit points? If you had Spirit Stone, you could find a First-Tier Superior-Grade Spirit Vein to occupy, and over half a century, you could save a lot of Spirit Stone."

You Xiaobao didn't have that ambition, and simply said he wouldn't dare.

Helpless, Sun Fu searched diligently again, but couldn't find anything satisfactory for a long time. He then advised, "Fellow Daoist You, I truly regret it for you. That Phoenix Forest Mountain is indeed very suitable for your family. Why don't you reconsider?"

You Xiaobao knew that Sun Fu's words made sense, and after thinking about it for a while, he still couldn't make up his mind.

After stammering for a while, You Xiaobao was about to refuse again when he heard a man stride in and say, "You spineless coward, take it. You've come back from the brink of death, you should at least have a decent inheritance to pass on to your descendants, shouldn't you?"

"Changsheng?" Sun Fu asked, his face showing surprise.

"Bai Jiang!" You Xiaobao took the Storage Bag, his face filled with surprise and delight.

Yuan Changsheng did not answer You Xiaobao's question, but only made a shushing gesture to the latter before approaching Sun Fu and transmitting his voice for a while.

The wrinkles on the old man's face gradually filled with joy, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter. At the same time, the Chongming Sect's ceremonial bell rang out, a full twenty-four times, its sound deafening.

You Xiaobao, holding the Storage Bag and standing there dumbfounded, had no idea what it meant. However, there were quite a few Rogue Cultivator at the foot of Little Ring Mountain who knew what the twenty-four chimes meant.

"The Chongming Sect has produced another Foundation Establishment."