Chapter 34: Sanhe Recruitment, Foundation Establishment Opportunity

Outside the cave dwelling, as Lu Yang broke through, intelligence concerning him was also placed before the desks of those with ulterior motives, and his origins and background were thoroughly investigated.

Just as Lu Yang had previously anticipated, his origins could only be described in four words.

Politically sound and thoroughly black-hearted.

Every year, the Holy Sect recruits new disciples; after the Hehuan Hall's senior sister exceeds her quota of deaths, they formally enter the sect, then profit greatly by speculating on substitute death yin puppets, and thereafter close themselves in seclusion.

"This is an ascetic cultivator."

Looking at the materials on the table, a female cultivator with a fair face harboring ruthlessness and sharp intent in her glances could not help but exclaim in admiration; this person was also a Late Stage Qi Condensation cultivator, but compared to Lu Yang who had just broken through, her cultivation base had remarkably reached the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation, only one step away from the Tenth Layer Great Perfection!

The female cultivator was named "Feixia," and her reputation within the Holy Sect was quite significant.

This was not only because of her beauty, but also because she was one of the rare talisman cultivators in the Holy Sect, and her talisman-making arts had even earned the appreciation of a Holy Sect Elder.

"Merely being an ascetic cultivator is insufficient to reach Late Stage Qi Condensation."

Beside Fairy Feixia, a young man holding a feather fan and wearing a silk headband smiled slightly: "He clearly made a huge fortune speculating on substitute death yin puppets, yet he remains unassuming and inconspicuous."

"From this, it is evident that he is also a cautious and intelligent person."

"Normal, this is also within reason."

Hearing this, Fairy Feixia sighed: "For us ordinary disciples to rise above, talent, caution, intelligence, and courage are all indispensable."

"So, is it decided?"

Fairy Feixia nodded and said: "I will recommend him; this person broke through to Late Stage Qi Condensation in merely ten years, and our Sanhe Society is exactly in need of such talent."

Inside the cave dwelling, Lu Yang sat cross-legged on a rush mat.

Before him, more than ten talisman letters were already arranged in a row; each one was an olive branch, claiming that if he was willing to join their faction, a great gift would be immediately presented, including but not limited to cauldrons and furnaces, cultivation methods, divine abilities, treasures, and elixirs—truly everything one could desire.

"In the life before last, I didn't pay attention; I didn't expect there to be so many factions within the Holy Sect."

Basically, anyone with Late Stage Qi Condensation cultivation could raise a considerable team within the Holy Sect, just as Liu Xin did in the life before last.

Lu Yang was not surprised by this.

After all, without factions within the sect, all sorts of strange things would happen; the Holy Sect is so vast that it is impossible for everyone to be of one mind; they will always cluster together for warmth due to their respective interests.

Of course, those factions were rootless duckweed, lacking any foundation.

The ones truly confident enough to recruit him had to be factions established by certain Holy Sect Elders or even True Disciples, and the conditions they offered were relatively genuine and credible.

But that was all.

"I still overestimated myself." Lu Yang shook his head; the conditions offered by those major factions were indeed good, often involving tens of thousands of contribution points.

However, he happened to not lack money.

After all, the contribution points he earned from speculating on substitute death yin puppets were not yet spent.

Compared to money, what he lacked was "authority," the authority to truly access the middle echelons of the Holy Sect and purchase items that could not normally be bought.

Just as Lu Yang was pondering, suddenly, the array outside the door vibrated sharply.

Lu Yang lifted his head in response, only to see the illumination array he had set up before the cave dwelling shine brilliantly, its majestic array light revealing a graceful and curvaceous feminine silhouette.

It was precisely Fairy Feixia.

"Junior Brother Lu, you also understand arrays?" Fairy Feixia looked surprisingly at the array patterns emerging around her, a hint of unexpected delight floating on her pretty face.

Lu Yang cupped his hands: "Senior Sister, may I ask what brings you here?"

Fairy Feixia did not pretend to be shy but returned the courtesy gracefully: "I am Feixia, an executive of the Holy Sect's Sanhe Society; I have come specifically for Junior Brother."

"Oh? Please, Senior Sister."

Lu Yang hurriedly offered hospitality while his mind rapidly activated; the Sanhe Society, wasn't that the faction behind Zhao Xuhe? Why would they come to recruit him?

Regarding the Sanhe Society, Lu Yang actually knew very little, but he knew Zhao Xuhe was a member, and more importantly, as a disciple of the Senior Butian Peak Master, Zhao Xuhe seemed to be merely in the middle-to-lower ranks of the Sanhe Society; from this single point, one could see the value of the Sanhe Society.

"I hope Senior Sister will forgive my ignorance; I am unaware of what the Sanhe Society is...?"

Lu Yang asked very cautiously; hearing this, Fairy Feixia was not surprised and smiled: "The Sanhe Society was established by three True Disciple senior brothers."

"The eldest senior brother has already become a Foundation Establishment True Person and has opened up a peak within the Cloud Sea."

"Although the second and third senior brothers have not yet established their foundations, they have both refined their true qi to the Third Grade, ranking at the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation, and could establish their foundations at any moment."

"I heard that Junior Brother Lu also comes from an ordinary disciple background; you should understand the hardships ordinary disciples face in the early stages. The three senior brothers, like us ordinary disciples, came from poverty, so after their cultivation matured, they established the Sanhe Society with the ambition of helping ordinary disciples overcome early difficulties."

"So that is how it is." Lu Yang wore an expression of admiration: "The three senior brothers have boundless merit."

Pah!

If I hadn't taken loans from your Sanhe Society in previous lives and witnessed your 36% annual interest rate with my own eyes, I would have almost believed this nonsense.

Lu Yang cursed inwardly; he never acted without seeing tangible benefits, so naturally, he would not make a rash decision based solely on Fairy Feixia's words; immediately exercising caution, he said: "To be invited to become a member of the Sanhe Society is an immense honor for me, but I wonder what the treatment within the society is like?"

"Junior Brother need not worry about this."

Hearing this, Fairy Feixia stated frankly: "As long as Junior Brother is willing to join, I can immediately authorize the gift of a True Disciple-level divine ability or secret technique."

"After joining, there will be an annual tribute of contribution points."

"Moreover, as long as Junior Brother has money, you can borrow the True Disciple authority of the society to purchase desired items, or even request guidance in cultivation from the three senior brothers."

"Of course, there are also requirements."

Saying this, Fairy Feixia took out a jade slip and placed it before Lu Yang: "All members must sign a contract and leave a drop of essence blood."

"That is simple."

Hearing this, Lu Yang glanced at the contract before him; it was nothing more than clauses common to all factions, such as confidentiality obligations, etc. Perhaps some would feel that doing so meant losing freedom and being forced into many situations against their will, but Lu Yang cared not at all and waved his hand greatly, signing his name.

It was only a matter for one lifetime; it would not affect the next life.

Lu Yang even wished the binding force could be stronger; only then was it more likely he would be treated as one of their own, and the resources obtained would certainly be better.

Seeing Lu Yang so straightforward, Fairy Feixia nodded satisfactorily.

"Next, Junior Brother only needs to take out his Holy Sect disciple token; I will set a restriction upon it, and from now on, the token will be universally usable within the society."

"Troubling Senior Sister."

Lu Yang took out his token, and he saw Fairy Feixia form a hand seal with one hand, striking a talisman seal into it, upon which a brand new section immediately appeared.

"Talisman-making arts..."

Lu Yang's eyes brightened slightly; nowadays, he could be called a Ninth Grade Array Master, and by analogy, although he did not understand talisman-making, he could still comprehend a little.

In his view, a so-called talisman was merely a simple, temporary small array.

Good stuff; I want to learn it.

The next second, looking at this display of talisman-making arts, Lu Yang finally remembered who this Fairy Feixia was; he had heard of this person in the life before last.

"She is Zhao Xuhe's dao companion," Lu Yang pondered inwardly: "In the life before last, while I was studying arrays, I heard she and Zhao Xuhe became dao companions; both were at Qi Condensation Great Perfection, shining brilliantly on the Righteous-Demonic battlefield, and they even attempted to break through to Foundation Establishment together; unfortunately, after failing, they both passed away..."

Thinking of this, Lu Yang's eyes immediately sparkled.

The key point was not that the two passed away after failing to establish their foundations, but that they actually had the opportunity to attempt Foundation Establishment—behind this must lie a Foundation Establishment opportunity!

(End of Chapter)