Chapter 230: My Own Sect Has Big Problems (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival)

Pot Heaven.

When the phantom of the Fox God appeared within the Fox God Palace.

Su Ping sensed it at the very first moment.

The instant he saw the Fox God phantom occupying the sky above nearly half the mountain peak in mid-air.

Su Ping discovered through the information emerging in his mind that the level of this Fox God phantom before him had reached the Seventh Tier!

Fourth Tier Nascent Soul, Fifth Tier Spirit Severing, Sixth Tier Return to Void, Seventh Tier Integration!

Seventh Tier, ah; placed in the Cultivation World, that would be a Great Ability of the Integration stage, right?

In the current Cultivation World, Spirit Severing is already the peak; sects with the foundation of Spirit Severing strength dare to call themselves Immortal Sects.

Let alone the Integration stage, even Return to Void seems to exist only in myths and legends.

Furthermore, according to ancient texts, above Spirit Severing lies the distinction of human Immortal.

Return to Void, Integration, and Great Vehicle are the process of gradually transforming from human to Immortal.

The gap in combat power between each realm is also becoming increasingly large.

If this Fox God phantom before him could appear in the Cultivation World... the cultivation sects in the Cultivation World combined probably wouldn't be enough to fill the gaps between its teeth!

Su Ping also sensed the hidden benefits of this Fox God Palace.

When large-scale sacrifices are held or the Fox God is in a good mood, It will descend a phantom to bestow blessings.

This blessing lasts for approximately one hour.

Meditating during this hour can significantly enhance self-perception, thereby gaining enlightenment on the path ahead.

One hour later.

After Su Ping finished experiencing this benefit, he looked at the massive amount of Fishing Coins in his warehouse.

He began to busy himself with improving his own fundamental cultivation.

With enough Fishing Coins, and with Abundant Spirit Water in sufficient supply.

Various top-tier Spirit Herbs that are priceless and hard to find can be completely resolved through his own cultivation.

Having resolved the most critical Spirit Herbs, there is actually no shortage of pill formulas.

Whether it is the Ten Directions Sect or the original Blood God Sect, there is no lack of pill formulas involving Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and even Nascent Soul.

Added to that is the Purification Potion to eliminate side effects, so even if they are not Superior Pills, it doesn't matter to Su Ping.

Su Ping felt that it wouldn't be long before he could see the day he swallows a Golden Core into his belly.

Water Blue Star.

Sakura Country, Sakura Capital.

He Mao Chun Yi Lang, dressed in Yin-Yang Master attire, sat cross-legged in the main hall of a quaint Shrine.

Surrounded by eerie ghost Qi, he held a round fan and swayed it gently while his gaze swept over the Shrine Maidens kneeling on the floor.

Three days ago, Fox-Faced Shrine Maiden Sakura appeared in Sakura Capital and revealed unprecedented pressure.

Although it was only an auxiliary, the Golden Core realm was solid and real; she only needed to release her aura to form a level suppression on the outside world.

In that instant, time in the entire Sakura Capital seemed to freeze for a moment!

And in the minds of tens of millions of people, the phantom of Fox-Faced Shrine Maiden Sakura's mask emerged, and her whisper resounded.

The speaking speed was not fast, and the language was clearly different.

However, the people who heard it all understood the meaning of what the fox face said in their minds at the first moment.

That was... the Fox God Palace had established a new branch.

She, the newly appointed Main Priest Sakura, has now come to select a batch of obedient, sensible Shrine Maidens with good aptitude!

Anyone who feels they are qualified can come to the Kamo Jia to participate in the selection.

This operation made He Mao Chun Yi Lang nimbly kneel to the ground while secretly guessing that this was the true strength of Lady Fox-Faced Shrine Maiden Sakura.

It also caused the plans of big shots who tried to monopolize the news and seize the initiative, thereby arranging for the Shrine Maidens to be their own people, to die in the cradle before they even began.

Although the people of Sakura Country were hearing about the Fox God Palace for the first time.

It did not affect their realization that this was a great opportunity for them as individuals.

Especially those professional or part-time Shrine Maidens from various Shrines were even more excited and found their bosses at the first moment to request leave.

This resulted in the major Shrines of Sakura Country being unable to see a single Shrine Maiden for a time, and they had to temporarily let some male staff members take on short-term part-time jobs to handle miscellaneous chores.

He Mao Chun Yi Lang was appointed as the temporary recruitment officer.

The mansion was also temporarily repurposed as the recruitment site.

He declined all visitors that day and turned off all his personal communication devices.

Then he set the rules and began the wholehearted recruitment work.

"With a permanent position, an annual salary of ten million, five insurances and two funds, an insurance amount of one hundred million... apart from only having New Year holidays, it's simply a perfect job!"

"The job content is also simple; except for the fact that the Fox God really manifests during sacrifices, it seems not much different from the work of a part-time Shrine Maiden in the past."

"Wait, it seems there is no internet? Does that mean slacking off... *cough cough* rest time will be very boring?"

"No, no, with such good treatment, if I endure it for a year or two, I'll have everything; at worst, I'll just download more novels and TV series to watch slowly."

In the main hall, Shenle Bailing, wearing a clean white Shrine Maiden outfit, knelt on the ground with her head lowered; although the occasion was inappropriate, she couldn't help but let her imagination run wild.

Although she was only a university student, Shenle Bailing had been exposed to occult knowledge such as Shrines very early on due to the advantages of her family background, and thus, starting from elementary school.

She was already proficient at earning pocket money from her classmates through crystal divination.

Starting from middle school, besides working part-time at places like Shrines, magic societies, and anime venues, she also undertook exorcism businesses and successfully helped several pairs of parents solve the mental problems of their children who refused to go to school.

Because of this, after Shenle Bailing decided to participate in this recruitment, she never considered the possibility of failing.

And reality was indeed as she had expected.

From registration and open auditions to the preliminary selection.

Shenle Bailing passed through as if it were a natural progression, finally entering this great hall and seeing Lord He Mao Chun Yi Lang, whom all the mysterious figures in the entire Sakura Country now envied, were jealous of, and hated!

"That fellow, did she directly ignore the aura I released?"

The Black Crow God on He Mao Chun Yi Lang's body was currently floating on the ceiling, looking down at the candidates below, and it noticed the anomaly in Shenle Bailing.

In the vision of the Black Crow God, Shenle Bailing was as quiet as a stone.

It seemed normal, but when all the other candidates were trembling because of the Black Crow God's aura, this normality became the greatest abnormality!

"The aura on her body is very clean; she shouldn't have had contact with other extraordinary forces."

"This fellow's name..."

A smaller avatar of the Black Crow God separated from He Mao Chun Yi Lang's body and began to rummage through the roster in the cabinet.

Soon, he saw the other party's name and profile, and he felt a sense of realization.

"Shenle Bailing? Is she a branch bloodline of the Shenle family?"

"Hmm... it seems the Shenle family, like our Kamo Clan, is also a bloodline left behind by extraordinary beings from the ancient era?"

"Perhaps I can suggest my clansmen interact more with her in the future."

With this thought in mind, He Mao Chun Yi Lang did not reveal it.

His attitude toward Shenle Bailing remained impartial.

The recruitment continued, and as He Mao Chun Yi Lang brought out the Ten Directions Sect's Dharma Artifact for preliminary disciple testing, he checked these candidates one by one.

The great hall, which had originally gathered hundreds of people, was left with only fifty in the end.

Those who left were all given generous travel expenses and recorded in the files.

After all, being able to pass the preliminary selection itself proved that they all possessed Spirit Roots.

Placed in the Cultivation World, they could at least become glorious Outer Sect Disciples of an Immortal Sect through the Ascension Meeting.

Then, after another while, these fifty candidate Shrine Maidens, aged between 16 and 25, saw a Fox-Faced Shrine Maiden suddenly appear on the main seat.

"Is that the Main Priest of the Fox God Palace?"

Seeing Fox-Faced Shrine Maiden Sakura appear, Shenle Bailing could not help but brighten up, a look of envy flashing through her eyes.

Although she had always preferred making money over cultivation, wasn't that because she had never seen a deity manifest?

Now that there was an opportunity to come into contact with a deity who could truly manifest.

Shenle Bailing suddenly felt that perhaps cultivating diligently was also quite good?

Su Ping controlled Fox-Faced Shrine Maiden Sakura to scan these Shrine Maidens.

It must be said that by relying on a sufficiently large population base, one can always find all types of useful workers.

Because of considerations such as rotation and preventing unexpected situations.

Although the Fox God Palace only needed 12 Shrine Maidens, Su Ping intended to recruit twice as many people.

In any case, they could not leave the Fox God Palace through the Array, nor could they see the scenery outside.

And there was Fox-Faced Shrine Maiden Sakura to help manage them a little.

Aside from completing important sacrificial activities, these Shrine Maidens...

In their spare time, they could also be organized to learn the four arts of cultivation.

Perhaps one could discover a few more workers with innate talent in this area!

First was the Bloodline Slate test.

Su Ping also noticed that Shrine Maiden Shenle Bailing, but after the bloodline test, he did not find that she possessed a Spirit Body.

However, under the further aptitude test led by Su Ping.

Su Ping discovered that this Shenle Bailing possessed an Illusion Spirit Root equivalent to a Superior Grade Spiritual Root.

The Illusion Spirit Root involves the spirit and the Void, and it is born with extremely high spiritual resistance.

This also allows them to better and faster withstand the gaze and even inheritance from high-level existences through cultivation.

In fantasy novels, they would be the kind of Paladins or Children of God who are born resistant to corruption.

In the Cultivation World... they are excellent, sustainably consumable incense acolytes.

With a stir in his heart, Su Ping recorded Shenle Bailing's name in his mind.

Then, after choosing the twenty-four people with the best aptitude, including Shenle Bailing.

He nodded slightly to He Mao Chun Yi Lang, signaling for him to handle the aftermath.

Su Ping took these twenty-four Shrine Maidens and disappeared from the great hall.

He Mao Chun Yi Lang maintained his bowing posture for three seconds after they disappeared before raising his head again, looking at the disappointed losers, and said indifferently:

"Although you were not chosen, being able to stay until now still proves your excellence."

"You now have two choices."

"Choice one, you may leave; before leaving, everyone can receive one million in travel expenses!"

"Choice two, come to my Shrine to work as a Shrine Maiden..."

…………

Inside the Fox God Palace, with the addition of Shenle Bailing and the others, it gained a bit more vitality.

It also satisfied the conditions, allowing the first sacrifice to be successfully held two days later.

This left Su Ping with an extra purple Talisman in his hand.

This Talisman was about three inches long, with a string of ghost-drawn symbols on the front and a nine-tailed fox pattern on the back.

This Talisman could allow Su Ping to summon a phantom from the Fox God to assist in battle.

Naturally, this phantom could not be as powerful as the one displayed before.

After all, the strength of Fox-Faced Shrine Maiden Sakura was only at the Jindan realm.

However, Su Ping figured that a Jindan-realm Fox God phantom should at least be invincible within the Jindan stage, right?

Even against a Nascent Soul, which is a realm higher, perhaps there is a high probability of being able to put up a fight!

Combined with the Xueshen Laozu main body and the also-enhanced blessing and Purple Light Fox Curse of Fox-Faced Shrine Maiden Sakura.

Su Ping feels that when encountering an engagement, he might be able to keep one or two Nascent Soul enemies forever!

After obtaining yet another trump card for saving his life.

Su Ping sensed an unusual movement within the Blood God Secret Realm.

It was the Xueshen Laozu main body having finished digesting the information transmitted at the moment of death of the Xuerou Zhi Cheng from the previous Difficult Challenge.

This information contained a portion of the memories of Xuerou Zhi Cheng and a portion of Abyss knowledge.

These things did not have Mental Pollution, but were instead an open conspiracy of a high-level Abyss monster.

The power of the Abyss is also power; as long as one knows it, it is possible for it to become a trigger.

Therefore, the transmission of information before death counts as a sort of quite effective bewitchment method of theirs.

Heroes also have their twilight years, when they are betrayed, replaced by stronger individuals, or simply about to die of old age.

With Abyss knowledge that can change all of this, once one knows it, how many can resist not using it?

One can endure for a moment, but how can one endure for a lifetime?

And as long as one uses the knowledge of the Abyss.

The goal that the high-level Abyss monster once failed to achieve is reached.

Su Ping did not go to check the Abyss knowledge, but instead looked at the memory fragments of Xuerou Zhi Cheng.

In that memory, Su Ping saw a new world.

It was a world divided into two distinct halves by some mysterious power,

one half forever being daytime, one half forever being deep night.

Both worlds were inhabited by a large number of intelligent beings, and they had established powerful civilizations.

There even existed behemoths like floating cities.

Xuerou Zhi Cheng was originally a prosperous ancient floating city located in the daytime world.

Hundreds of thousands of people lived within it, living peaceful and harmonious days.

However, suddenly one day.

The Lord of Flesh descended upon this world.

The white sky was obscured by meat balls covered in eyes.

Under the gaze of those eyes.

Both the daytime world and the deep night world underwent mutations.

All the floating cities fell to the earth like raindrops.

And the flesh and blood that sprouted on the ground submerged everything like a tide.

When the hundreds of thousands of people and the city fell, they had already merged into one, and then became a living Xuerou Zhi Cheng, floating on the sea of flesh and blood, constantly kowtowing to that great existence in the sky.

That was an existence that was incomparably powerful even in the Abyss.

The lords of the Abyss are as countless as the sands of the Ganges.

Yet, there are only seven who can be called monarchs.

And the Lord of Flesh is one of them!

The memory ends here.

While Su Ping frowned slightly, he also understood the reason why the other party deliberately transmitted this memory.

Naturally, it was to display the powerful impression of the Lord of Flesh, so as to bewitch those who come into contact with Abyss knowledge to be more likely to actively defect.

"Just the moment it appeared, it assimilated a world that clearly had transcendent power."

"What level of power is this?"

"Seventh rank? Or above the seventh rank!"

"How deep are the waters of the Abyss? And how do they compare to the evil gods encountered in the Cultivation World?"

Su Ping rubbed his forehead, but did not destroy this memory.

Instead, with a flash of inspiration, he copied several copies and stored them in a Jade Slip.

At the same time, a bold idea flashed through his mind.

If he could purify the contaminated earth veins, even if it was just a temporary method.

Perhaps when the Cultivation World is about to be bitten again.

He could use the power of the Abyss Challenge Scroll to send a big gift to the other side?

The Cultivation World.

The overseas islands.

Some well-informed and keen-nosed cultivation families, upon discovering that the team brought by this Xueshen Laozu who suddenly appeared from Nanhuang was actually living there safely and soundly.

And after seeing that the Artifact Heart Sect, a great sect, had no small moves against them at all.

They sent a portion of their clansmen to defect to this Old Ancestor under various pretexts to share the risk.

At the same time, to please the Old Ancestor.

For the acquisition tasks issued by this new force, they also did their best to find them and deliver them to the door.

On the Dahai, a Tall Ship was sailing toward the largest island under the seat of Xueshen Laozu.

On the Tall Ship, Xiao Mu Zhenren transformed into an ordinary Foundation Establishment old Cultivator, feeling terrified and uneasy in his heart.

He had taken this opportunity to escape.

As an Inner Sect Elite of the Artifact Heart Sect.

Xiao Mu Zhenren already increasingly felt that the sect was becoming abnormal.

The intuition that had allowed him to save his life all this time kept reminding him that danger was approaching.

After struggling for a few days, he accidentally learned that a close friend had actually sent his most valued granddaughter to the territory of Xueshen Laozu.

Xiao Mu Zhenren suddenly saw the light.

He felt a sense of: once the thought of running away arises, the world instantly becomes vast and wide.

Xiao Mu Zhenren learned in detail about the style of this Xueshen Laozu.

Like many in Foundation Establishment, he immediately realized that this person was a fake.

The real one was likely an Old Ancestor from some reclusive Immortal Sect!

And after news was intentionally spread that the Old Ancestor controlled a large Secret Realm containing a vast number of mortals.

And that he was currently developing the Blood God Secret Realm, and that the Secret Realm was in great need of Foundation Establishment Cultivators to join.

Xiao Mu Zhenren immediately identified a time to go out on business, packed all his important belongings, and especially brought the rare Spirit Herb seeds inherited by his family, which seemed to be highly valued by that Old Ancestor.

Xiao Mu Zhenren used a Secret Technique and a special treasure to fake his death and escape, disguising himself as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who had fled from elsewhere.

He attempted to change his allegiance and become a lackey under the seat of Xueshen Laozu!

"I am just an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple, there shouldn't be any problems."

"And in a sense, this place is also that Old Ancestor's territory; he wouldn't tear his face off over just one disciple like me, right?"

Xiao Mu Zhenren thought to himself.

But suddenly, alarm bells rang loudly in his heart!

"Be on guard!"

High up on the Tall Ship, a Cultivator suddenly discovered something and shouted out.

Boom!

A large curtain of water suddenly exploded in the sea not far away.

Then, a large sea monster, dozens of meters long and shaped like a sea snake, rushed out from the water curtain and lunged at the Tall Ship!

At this moment, Xiao Mu Zhenren felt a chill run through his entire body; his keen intuition told him that the monster's target was clearly him!

Not daring to hide his skills any longer, Xiao Mu Zhenren took out his Spirit Tool and smashed it over.

But just as they clashed.

Xiao Mu Zhenren was shocked, realizing that this sea monster was clearly controlled by the magical powers of some Elder in the sect!

As expected!

His own sect had major problems!

It is the Mid-Autumn Festival; Xiaobai wishes everyone good health and all the best!