Chapter 253: The Pusher of the Era (22)

The various Secret Realm Masters were dissatisfied with Hua Changxi's establishment of the Oath Stele, and other factions within the Medical Bureau felt the same, with the imperial relatives represented by Prince Shou being the most vehement.

Now that the imperial family could still legitimately manage the Medical Bureau, Prince Shou naturally wished to leverage the court's authority to secure the greatest benefits for the royal house.

According to Prince Shou's original plan, at least fifty percent of the apprentices recruited by the Danyuan Secret Realm were to be personnel planted by the imperial family.

But now, Hua Changxi had produced an Oath Stele, causing all their previous schemes to come to nothing.

Cultivators value oaths heavily; once an oath is sworn, those planted in the secret realm would prioritize the Sacred Land above all else—could they still be considered their people?

Prince Shou was already furious to the extreme after being forced to kneel all night beneath the Alchemy Cauldron Altar, and now Hua Changxi had pulled this stunt, directly igniting his rage.

"Does Hua Changxi truly believe she has the final say in the Medical Bureau?"

"This Prince has tolerated her antics for so long, yet she lacks even a shred of self-awareness; does she really think the imperial family cannot crush an ant like her?"

Chu Junhao looked at the enraged Prince Shou, feeling somewhat anxious and worried he might do something rash, so he hurriedly glanced toward Prince Fu, who was leisurely sipping tea nearby.

Receiving Chu Junhao's pleading gaze, Prince Fu slowly set down his teacup and looked at Prince Shou: "It's such a trivial matter; look how angry it has made you."

Having spoken, he waved his hand, summoning a subordinate.

"Pass down the order: no one is permitted to go to Hua Changxi to register; otherwise, it will be deemed opposing the court."

Hearing this, Chu Junhao's expression became uncertain, and after a moment, he asked hesitantly, "Will others obey?"

The corner of Prince Fu's mouth curled upward as he affirmed confidently, "They will."

"We are not the only ones who wish to lay hands on the secret realms in Hua Changxi's possession; others have their own schemes. Even the Xia family does not wish to see Hua Changxi's prominence overshadow Meng Qingyao's."

"Just wait and see; Hua Changxi won't be able to recruit a single person!"

"Unless..."

"Unless she removes the Oath Stele!"

Although Prince Fu spoke with full confidence, Chu Junhao felt far less optimistic in his heart.

Ever since learning that Hua Changxi and Hua Changxin were twins, he had been closely monitoring Hua Changxi's every move.

Although Hua Changxi appeared to act willfully and as she pleased, the truth was that she was simply stubborn, doing only what she had set her mind on.

If Hua Changxi had decided that entering the Danyuan Secret Realm required swearing an oath first, then no matter how much they pressured her, she likely would not compromise.

Were it anyone else, faced with joint pressure from the imperial family and other powerful noble clans, they might weigh the pros and cons, but Hua Changxi was the type who would truly stand firm to the end.

Moreover, in many matters, Hua Changxi was someone who did not play by conventional rules; who knew what method she might devise to resist.

Chu Junhao was deeply worried that Prince Fu's calculations would ultimately fail, and simultaneously, that this might cause Hua Changxi to offend members of the imperial family.

As for Hua Changxi, he genuinely wished to win her over.

A stubborn person, if utilized for one's own purposes, could actually be a tremendous asset.

Sigh...

Chu Junhao sighed silently in his heart; before Uncle Prince Fu and Uncle Prince Shou, he had no say at all, and the difficulty of befriending Hua Changxi would likely increase again.

The imperial family acted with high efficiency; soon, all factions within the Medical Bureau received the order issued by Prince Fu.

Exactly as Prince Fu had predicted, all parties cooperated fully, mobilizing their own capabilities to jointly resist Hua Changxi's recruitment of apprentices.

Before the Oath Stele of the Danyuan Secret Realm, Gu Xing gazed at the content inscribed on the stele, his expression complex.

Given the current complicated situation within the Medical Bureau, after taking charge of the three public secret realms, the first thing he thought of was also to cultivate his own personnel.

He privately believed that since his body and soul belonged to the Sacred Land, the forces he cultivated would likewise belong to the Sacred Land.

But was that truly the case?

Was there really no difference between cultivating one's own faction and training disciples for the Sacred Land?

Standing behind Gu Xing was Xia Zhen, equally silent.

As someone from a Dao-protecting family, although he harbored selfish desires to benefit his clan, he genuinely wished to protect the uninterrupted lineage of the Four Spirit Realm and see it grow stronger.

The fact that Hua Changxi had established an Oath Stele had, to be honest, completely exceeded his expectations.

He truly had not expected that someone of humble grassroots origins would possess such breadth of heart.

'Sigh, perhaps precisely because of her grassroots background, Hua Changxi made such a decision.'

Because she was from the grassroots, she simply did not know what fame and profit were, and thus was willing to be so decisive.

"Sigh..."

"Sigh..."

Gu Xing and Xia Zhen simultaneously exhaled a long breath, then turned to look at each other.

Xia Zhen smiled: "It seems Young Friend Hua has incurred the wrath of the masses this time."

Gu Xing asked: "The wrath of the masses?"

"Can a small clique represent everyone?"

"I feel that what Hua Changxi has done is something everyone would applaud."

The smile on Xia Zhen's face faded, and after a moment of silence, he said: "Young Friend Hua means well, but, Daoist Friend Gu, how long do you think this Oath Stele can remain standing in the square?"

Gu Xing's complexion changed slightly, and after quite a while, he spoke: "No one can occupy a high position forever without falling; this is the law of the world's operation, and no one can stop it."

Upon hearing this, a flash of light appeared in Xia Zhen's eyes, but just as he was about to speak further, he saw four medicine apprentices from Qihuang Hall Number Thirteen carrying tables, chairs, and wooden signs across the square.

"What are they trying to do?"

Given that Hua Changxi had surprised him too many times already, Xia Zhen hurriedly waved to summon the four, including Apothecary Xu, over to him.

Seeing that Xia Zhen was summoning them, Apothecary Xu and the other three came trembling before the Oath Stele.

Xia Zhen looked at them and asked: "What are you going to do?"

Gu Xing, standing nearby, was also curious.

Apothecary Xu replied: "We are following our Hall Master's orders to set up a registration site for recruiting apprentices at the main gate of the Medical Bureau."

As he spoke, he uprighted the wooden sign he had been carrying on his shoulder, allowing Xia Zhen and Gu Xing to see the content written upon it.

Only then did Gu Xing and Xia Zhen see the words written on the wooden sign: 'Announcement for Apprentice Recruitment by the Danyuan Secret Realm Directly Under the Hall of the Alchemy Saint!'

Announcement from the Pill Saint Hall's direct subsidiary, the Danyuan Secret Realm, recruiting apprentices!

Spiritual Qi is reviving, and the Dao of Pill Refining is rising!

The Pill Saint Hall, one of the Five Sacred Lands in the central continent of the Four Spirit Realms, enters the Dao through pills and saves the world with medicine. Taking "refining the spiritual herbs of heaven and earth to cultivate the supreme pill heart" as its mission, it assists cultivators in breaking through realms and surviving tribulations, saving all living beings from illness and suffering.

Now that the Great Dao flourishes and the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth revives, the Danyuan Secret Realm of the Pill Saint Hall is widely recruiting apprentices, sincerely inviting ambitious individuals from across the world to jointly create prosperity for the Dao of Pill Refining.

Target recruits: All cultivators possessing a Wood Spiritual Root, with no restrictions on the quantity of spiritual roots, age, or cultivation realm.

Apprentice training paths: 1. Apprentice to Spiritual Herb Planter; 2. Apprentice to Spiritual Herb Processor; 3. Apprentice to Healer to Pill Master.

Apprentice benefits and treatment:

1. Apprentices may reside permanently within the secret realm.

2. Each apprentice is initially allocated five mu of herb fields; they keep fifty percent of the yield, surrendering the remainder in exchange for contribution points.

3. All apprentices have the opportunity to learn Spiritual Herb Identification, Spiritual Herb Planting, Spiritual Herb Processing, and Pill Refining techniques.

4. During the first year inside the Danyuan Secret Realm, each apprentice receives one bottle of Grade One Yuanling Pills monthly.

Recruitment requirements:

1. A healer's benevolent heart, with aspirations focused on the Dao of Pill Refining.

2. Pure character; upon becoming an apprentice, one must swear a Heart Demon Oath not to harm the interests or reputation of the Pill Saint Hall, placing the interests of the Sacred Land above all else; violators will be expelled from the Sacred Land.

3. Resilient mindset and a drive for improvement; all apprentices undergo an assessment every three months, and those who fail four consecutive times must leave the secret realm.

4. Abide by the management regulations of the secret realm and be willing to contribute strength to the development of the Pill Saint Hall.

Registration method:

Time: From now until recruitment is full.

Location: The entrance of the Medical Bureau and the Qihuang Hall No. 13.

Process: Test spiritual roots → Swear Heart Demon Oath → Enter the secret realm.

Majestic Sacred Land, with pill fires burning eternally; the Pill Saint Hall wishes to walk the long path of immortality alongside all those ambitious to achieve greatness in the arts of healing and pill refining!

After Gu Xing and Xia Zhen finished reading, they fell silent once again.

Hua Changxi's conditions for recruiting apprentices were truly... too simple!

Aside from the requirement to swear a Heart Demon Oath, with her recruitment criteria, the vast majority of cultivators could become apprentices and enter or exit the secret realm.

Hua Changxi had truly achieved impartiality in spreading the Dao of Pill Refining and the art of healing!

At this moment, even Xia Zhen could find no fault.

Gu Xing waved his hand at Physician Xu and the other three, signaling that they could leave.

Upon seeing this, Physician Xu and the other three immediately departed briskly.

Because the four openly crossed the square and passed through Jiujie, by the time they reached the entrance of the Medical Bureau, many people inside already knew the conditions Hua Changxi had set for recruiting apprentices.

Previously, when Hua Changxi erected the Oath Stele, many withdrew without needing interference from the royal family or nobles, simply out of fear of swearing the Heart Demon Oath.

But now that the recruitment conditions and the benefits for apprentices were revealed, cultivators of ordinary backgrounds instantly erupted in excitement.