Chapter 237: My Seat, Duty-Bound

"You're willing to do it even without pay?"

"That still won't work; before you, there were people not only willing to work for free, but even willing to pay to do the job."

"Are your aunts and cousins the managers of the cooperative project?"

"No, that still won't work."

"Don't even mention managers; even if they are relatives of Huang Zong, they must pass the physical examination and the test to have a path forward."

"If you fail the physical or the test, there really is no connection to pull!"

"Alright, brother, hurry up and prepare for your physical; I hope to work with you."

While the various buildings of the feeding station began renovations, the task of recruiting and training relevant staff was also proceeding simultaneously.

Then, as expected, as the effects of food nourished by Spirit Qi were touted as more and more miraculous.

The result of never lacking smart people was that a large number of people, regardless of whether they were unemployed or not, all ran over to sign up in hopes of catching up with this industry destined to take off and then soar into the sky.

The old lady who sold the pork rib scraps also brought her own children and grandchildren to sign up.

Seeing that the age limit was set at 35, she even complained quite a bit that these people didn't understand the reliability of the elderly.

Then she saw that the recruitment list explicitly mentioned that those with actual cultivation were preferred.

And those with certificates of excellent or higher in cultivation assessments would get bonus points!

The content of the test was relatively accessible, mainly consisting of elementary school material and some simple brain teasers.

The key was still the physical examination.

After all, it was work in a place with Spirit Qi.

If possible, it was naturally best to have those with better talent serve as staff.

This way, when there is a need for work requiring more Dharma Power in the future, these people can also keep up smoothly.

Drawing blood, deep breaths, doing push-ups and running...

And after finishing the test, one could go back and wait for notification.

Every recruitment point had local volunteers helping out, so even if some areas encountered a slightly larger flow of people, it was still manageable.

After several days, no Spirit Body was discovered.

There were quite a few people with Spirit Roots.

Among those who practiced cultivation at home, there were also many with Spirit Roots of at least middle grade or higher.

If they were in the Cultivation World, after twenty or thirty years, they could at least manage to be an Outer Sect Deacon.

And as development across Water Blue Star was gradually getting on the right track.

The Cultivation World.

Inside Zhenshou Xiancheng.

In the manor of the Huang Family.

"Demon Core?"

"My Huang Family has been rooted in the Immortal City for a thousand years; naturally, we have some of these."

"But you also know that while this thing is usually not needed, it is also a trump card for saving one's life."

The Old Ancestor of the Huang Family sat cross-legged in the Tea House, looking at the Deputy Pavilion Master of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion who had come as a lobbyist.

Regarding the request put forward by this Deputy Pavilion Master, the Old Ancestor of the Huang Family was somewhat unwilling.

If it weren't for the other party bringing up that Xueshen Laozu who was currently in the limelight.

He would have already intended to issue an order to see the guest out.

Although Demon Cores have many disadvantages and side effects.

They have the important use of adding a Golden Core combat power to the family at a critical moment.

Combined with the thousand-year foundation of these great clans in the Immortal City.

The ability that a Golden Core combat power can exert is not as simple as one plus one.

After all, many Spirit Treasures or special Secret Treasures and Arrays require Golden Core cultivation to exert their full power.

Coupled with the fact that the situation of these great clans in the Immortal City is very delicate now, and the elders above the Golden Core stage in the family have all been summoned to the Zhu Feng and have not returned for a long time.

Things like Demon Cores appear even more important.

"I naturally understand this."

"It is just that that Old Ancestor is sincerely looking to purchase this item, so I ask that your side might be willing to part with it."

Saying this, the Deputy Pavilion Master of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion paused and took a box out of his sleeve, placing it on the tea table.

The box was made of simple, ancient purple wood; after it was opened with a click.

A pleasant, faint fragrance immediately wafted out.

Making the eyes of the Old Ancestor of the Huang Family flicker slightly.

After seeing clearly what was in the box, the Old Ancestor of the Huang Family could not help but say:

"Calming-Heart Nourishing Tea?"

"These leaves... produced by a tea tree over five hundred years old?"

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"

"Under the invasion of Evil Qi, there are no longer any old tea trees over five hundred years old in the Cultivation World!"

"Hehe, whether it is real or not, wouldn't you know after brewing a pot?"

The Deputy Pavilion Master made a suggestion, then watched calmly as the other party took out a set of extremely precious Spirit Tool-grade tea sets.

Afterward, using this tea set, he took out a fingernail-sized, emerald-green tea leaf and placed it inside.

Very quickly, a pot of hot tea was brewed, or more accurately, boiled.

The highest-end tea leaves are not stir-fried.

A pot of clear tea entered his stomach.

The Huang Family Old Ancestor's expression changed drastically; looking at the smiling Vice Pavilion Master of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion, he took a deep breath and said slowly:

"It is far better than the old tea leaves treasured by my family!"

"For those of us at Foundation Establishment Yuanyuan, it is even more beneficial for future breakthroughs to the Golden Core stage!"

"However, this item alone is likely not enough to trade for a Demon Core."

Seeing this incredible gift, the Huang Family Old Ancestor's tone gradually softened.

"These are naturally not enough; in fact, that Old Ancestor is also willing to provide other rare items to trade for Demon Cores."

"However, in my opinion... these rare items are not as good as obtaining a promise from that Old Ancestor."

"A promise?"

The Huang Family Old Ancestor was slightly stunned, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the other party.

The Vice Pavilion Master smiled and continued:

"You don't truly think that a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor could make the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion value him so much that the entire pavilion from top to bottom is running errands for him, do you?"

"You... you mean..."

The Huang Family Old Ancestor's gaze returned to the tea leaves in the wooden box, his mind filled with chaotic thoughts.

"You should know about the items that Old Ancestor has put up for consignment; in fact, besides those publicized, there are some that are too sensitive and only circulate in a very small circle."

Saying this, the Vice Pavilion Master took out a Jade Slip.

"Hoo!"

The Huang Family Old Ancestor did not hesitate and directly reached out to place his hand on the Jade Slip.

Immediately, he saw the introduction of the auction items inside, and stared fixedly at the estimated age in the description.

"This... how could it be, how is that possible!"

"Even if the Spirit Plant Secret Realm behind that Old Ancestor is ancient, how could it be possible?"

"It is understandable if he was lucky enough to protect one or two from being corrupted, but so many..."

"There is only one possibility."

"The other party truly has a method to resist Evil Qi corruption!"

"And this... is something even the Chiyuan Immortal Sect cannot do!"

The Huang Family Old Ancestor whispered, knowing clearly in his heart that if an Immortal Sect could have an exceptional secret realm, their own ancestors would not have had such a difficult time cultivating, and they would not be unable to distribute even a few usable Spirit Pills each year.

"Those who are willing to part with their Demon Cores will be remembered by the Old Ancestor."

The Vice Pavilion Master of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion delivered the fatal blow at this moment.

Thus, after both sides had the intention to close the deal.

Following a round of profit calculations and sharp verbal sparring.

The Vice Pavilion Master obtained two Demon Cores from the Huang Family.

Although the Huang Family certainly had more than just this small amount of stock.

After all, although the Zhenshou Xiancheng has been quite miserable in the last hundred years, being on the defensive.

For the thousand years prior, they had always treated the Ten Thousand Mountains as a hunting ground and kept it in captivity.

And as for the established cultivation clans, which one has not produced Golden Core disciples for an Immortal Sect, or even Nascent Soul Elders?

A lean camel is still bigger than a horse.

As for Demon Cores, who wouldn't have four or five?

It is just that no matter how profitable it is, one must ultimately keep some to use as a trump card.

And in other parts of the Zhenshou Xiancheng, other people in charge from the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion went to other family manors, reached deals, and exchanged for varying numbers of Demon Cores.

When Su Ping transformed into Xueshen Laozu and arrived at the Zhenshou Xiancheng again, carrying a red glow.

He immediately obtained twenty Demon Cores from the hands of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion.

And these Demon Cores were all left behind by Golden Core Demon Beasts.

Only the Demon Cores of Golden Core Demon Beasts would be kept because they could serve as trump cards.

Having collected the Demon Cores, Su Ping felt the benefits of having a faction to help him.

He thanked the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion and then accepted the invitation to attend the banquet.

At the banquet, many Cultivators were quite surprised to see Xueshen Laozu sitting in the main seat.

This was the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion!

Although the Pavilion Master was not there, as the host, when had the Vice Pavilion Master not sat in the main seat?

Their surprise did not stop there.

They soon discovered that the Old Ancestors of almost every established family in the Zhenshou Xiancheng had come to attend and had presented generous gifts.

Then, representatives from the Ten Directions Sect, the Immortal Absolute Tower, and even the Great Golden Light Temple and the Chiyuan Immortal Sect who had been cultivating in seclusion in the Immortal City, also came to offer congratulations and even presented gifts.

Su Ping was also secretly observing these big figures of the Zhenshou Xiancheng.

He discovered that most of the people here were actually only at the Foundation Establishment mid-to-late stage.

Those with Golden Core cultivation were few and far between, and they were all considered acquaintances.

This included the female Cultivator who guarded the city and drove ghosts, the Patrol Envoy of the Immortal City who had the build of a large man and was suspected to be a rare Body Cultivator and pilot of a Golden Armor Puppet.

Then there was the Vice Pavilion Master of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion, and two Immortal City Elder consultants who usually only stayed deep within the Array.

Five Golden Core Cultivators in one Zhenshou Xiancheng was not a small number.

As for true Nascent Soul Cultivators, there was not a single one.

This was the current norm of the Cultivation World.

For many sects, the Golden Core stage is the peak, and even like the great families of the Immortal City, it is the norm that after a Golden Core suddenly leaves, the inability to cultivate a new Golden Core leads to a generational gap in the family's combat power!

This was also the reason why Su Ping could set his mind at ease a little.

After mastering the Blood God avatar and possessing Nascent Soul combat power, the growth rate of military strength in the surrounding areas clearly could not increase because of this.

The originally dangerous zones could now be considered his normal zones, or even safe zones.

Of course, he definitely still kept the Purification Potion hidden in his teeth just in case.

The Legendary Talisman was also waiting in his sleeve to be activated at any moment.

The Blood God Seal appeared in his mind, likewise ready to be activated at any time.

After the banquet ended, Su Ping awaited the visit from the leading cultivators of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion.

He was prepared for this; after revealing a hint of a smile, he took out the Blood God Seal and released a vortex:

"You all have doubts; why not enter my Secret Realm personally to take a look?"

The Vice Pavilion Master of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion smiled, bowed first, and then entered the vortex.

The Auction had not yet officially begun, and the Vice Pavilion Master did not think the other party would sabotage him at such a critical moment.

Furthermore, as a high-level member of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion, the more he understood, the more he hoped his guess was true—that the Old Ancestor before him was truly their hope for survival.

The others also gritted their teeth and followed into the vortex one after another.

Suddenly, they discovered it was different from the world of the monstrous Blood Sea they had expected.

As the Blood God Seal merged with the array map, it had also been augmented by the Secret Realm of the Ten Directions Sect.

Within the Blood God Secret Realm, there was already a small patch of the Peach Blossom Secret Realm.

Appearing on a floating mountain peak with a beautiful peach blossom environment, the group looked up to see a sky that was clear for ten thousand miles.

The sunlight was bright but not blinding.

A gentle breeze blew, and the Spirit Qi coming from the Pot Heaven made the cultivators on the mountain peak shift their gazes, their bodies trembling in unison!

Because the Spirit Qi concentration was absorbed and then slowly released through an array, it naturally could not compare to the Pot Heaven itself, but it still reached the level of a Third-Grade Low-Tier Spiritual Vein.

The key was the quality of the Spirit Qi; not only was the quality high, it was comparable to a cultivation Cave Abode with a Third-Order Spirit Vein.

What was even more critical!

These old cultivators breathed and performed breathing exercises desperately, taking out various Spirit Tools and even Spirit Treasures to conduct tests.

They arrived at an unbelievable result.

The Spirit Qi in this Secret Realm... was not polluted by Evil Qi!

However, how could this be!

One must know that as high-level figures of the Cultivation World, even if their cultivation was low, they were the ones closest to the core circle.

They had known for a long time that the earth veins of the entire Cultivation World had been more or less polluted by Evil Qi.

With the earth veins polluted, the Spirit Veins naturally followed suit, and it was fundamentally unsolvable.

Even though a High Monk once saw the crux of the problem and expended great effort to purify an earth vein.

The purified earth vein was re-polluted in less than a few days' time.

Consequently, apart from helping the Great Abilities of the Cultivation World realize the desperate fact that it was likely not just the earth veins but the entire Cultivation World that was in trouble, they gained nothing.

But now, they discovered that there could actually still be unpolluted Spirit Qi in the Cultivation World!

How could this be!

The Vice Pavilion Master of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion rubbed his brow; he had just increased his Divine Sense probing out of excessive excitement.

It was now causing him a bit of a headache.

The other heads of the great families were also glowing with health, and the unease from trading away the Demon Core earlier vanished without a trace.

Besides the Vice Pavilion Master, the female cultivator who guarded the Immortal City had also come along.

Her figure moved, and she stealthily headed toward the nearest Market.

There, she saw cultivators who had lived and worked in the Secret Realm for a period of time.

As the other party unleashed their supernatural ability, hundreds of ghost shadows flew out and vanished.

Soon, hundreds of voices reached her ears, and she saw the diverse lives of the people in the Secret Realm at a glance.

The Vice Pavilion Master smiled and went to an Artifact Refiner pavilion.

Although those Artifact Refiners did not recognize him, they could sense his profound cultivation.

They bowed and saluted one after another, then watched as this big shot skillfully operated the artifact refining equipment and used his own materials to forge various uniquely shaped Dharma Artifact parts.

The other visiting cultivators, after the initial shock, also used various means to conduct tests.

Several dozen minutes later.

An old cultivator was seen kneeling on the ground, weeping, whispering that his master had died unjustly.

Some were confused, and cultivators nearby who knew the situation explained it to them:

"That is the current sect master of the Heart Spirit Sect."

"The cultivation techniques of their Heart Spirit Sect have become increasingly difficult to practice, and it was even later suspected that their ancestor had forged the technique."

"As a result, in these last hundred years or so, what the Heart Spirit Sect mainly practices is no longer the original technique."

"The previous sect master firmly believed the technique was correct, and after successfully practicing several Secret Techniques, he began to focus on the sect's divine art."

"The result was naturally a cultivation deviation; not only did he die and his soul dissipate, but it also confirmed the matter of the forged technique."

"But looking at it now, the Heart Spirit Sect's technique is likely related to the purity of the Spirit Qi."

While sighing with emotion, this cultivator stroked the three-inch short beard on his chin and said in a low voice:

"The power behind this Old Ancestor is unfathomable!"

"To have accomplished what even the Chiyuan Immortal Sect could not, perhaps... this is truly another path to survival!"

When the visiting time ended, the group of cultivators returned to the Zhenshou Xiancheng.

The atmosphere between both sides became even more lively.

There was even no lack of family Old Ancestors expressing their willingness to act as lobbyists for the Old Ancestor, seeking to purchase Demon Cores from family friends in other Immortal Cities.

Su Ping naturally smiled and agreed.

He never felt he had enough Demon Cores.

Exotic species in the Cultivation World either become Demon Kings in the Ten Thousand Mountains or become guardian Spirit Beasts within Immortal Sects.

Yet he could continuously obtain exotic species from Water Blue Star and enter into contracts with them before they gained intelligence, forcibly turning them into guardian deities.

No matter how many Demon Cores there are, they can be put to good use!

Su Ping even felt that compared to the current Cultivation World, he was the one who could maximize the utility of the Demon Cores!

The Vice Pavilion Master of the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion made a request to Su Ping.

He hoped to be able to build a Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion within that Secret Realm as well.

In return, they were willing to provide the best batch of Artifact Refiners to be stationed there and would forge a certain quota of artifacts for the Old Ancestor for free every year.

Su Ping, however, directly stated that there was no need for any free quotas.

In business, only win-win cooperation can lead to growth and strength.

It was just that, after learning about artifact refining, Su Ping hoped that the Qianqi Wanfa Pavilion could prioritize repairing the Immortal Palace for him.

Upon hearing the two words "Immortal Palace."

This Vice Pavilion Master immediately thought of that Immortal Palace of the Artifact Heart Sect.

In his heart, he immediately guessed that the two were likely the same one.

However, such a Spirit Object is obtained by those with affinity.

Now it seemed this Old Ancestor was clearly the one with affinity!

Regarding the repair request, the Vice Pavilion Master naturally nodded and agreed.

Having handled these trivial matters and obtained the items he wanted, Su Ping had originally intended to leave then and there.

But he suddenly saw that Vice Pavilion Master and the female cultivator guarding the city return after having left.

They informed Su Ping of news they had also just learned.

A brief internal strife had broken out in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Because of the swallowing of Nanhuang, the most conservative batch of older-generation Demon Kings among the Demon Beast community realized that if things continued this way, the Demon Beast race would likely not have a single survivor.

They successively came out of the mountains to summon their old subordinates and began to voice their hope that the Demon Beasts could cease fire with the humans of the outside world.

In their view, since they, the older-generation Demon Kings, were all of one mind, even if the Ten Thousand Mountains could not immediately cooperate with the enemy, at least a temporary ceasefire to ease relations should be achievable.

The result, however, was firm opposition from the young and vigorous faction.

In their view, under the deep blood feud of thousands of years, how could there be any possibility of cooperating with the human race.

Even if the Ten Thousand Mountains became the next Nanhuang, the human race must be wiped out!

Furthermore, among the young and vigorous Demon Kings, there were also those who had been bewitched by Evil Spirits or even obtained part of their power, thereby transforming into great demon monsters.

After revealing their powerful stance of having become undying demon monsters while still retaining their self-awareness.

They immediately gained the support of a large number of Demon Beasts who held a "might makes right" mentality.

Even though the old faction immediately and keenly sensed something was wrong and pointed out the various drawbacks and long-term dangers of this demon monster form.

It instead incited strong opposition from the other side.

Others chose to reason with them, but they used their teeth and claws to directly slaughter the older-generation Demon Kings.

The reason the Zhenshou Xiancheng could know this was because an old Demon King had fought to the death to escape, hid inside a Zhenshou Xiancheng, and spilled out the recent changes that had occurred in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

"Old Ancestor, with such changes in the Ten Thousand Mountains, the new Demon Kings will certainly launch large-scale attacks to establish their authority..."

"If our Immortal City is chosen as the main target, I fear we are in danger!"

Hearing the request of the female cultivator guarding the city, Su Ping immediately understood their request.

Seeming to notice Su Ping's hesitation.

The Vice Pavilion Master beside the female cultivator guarding the city lowered his head and transmitted a Secret Language.

It was that if Su Ping was willing to come and assist at a critical moment, the Immortal City would definitely present treasures worth no less than twenty Demon Cores.

And it was not just the local forces of the Immortal City.

The Great Golden Light Temple was also willing to provide a large amount of merit to those who contributed to defending the city!

Hearing about the large amount of merit and recalling the good things on the Merit Ranking, Su Ping's eyes flickered, and he said righteously:

"What this seat kills most often in his life is Demon Beasts!"

"Now that these wicked beasts have allied with Evil Spirits, they are even more deserving of death!"

"You all can rest assured."

"Not to mention that the auction is imminent and cannot afford any mistakes."

"Even my own conscience would not allow me to stand by and watch you die!"