Chapter 346: Lingguang Hall Appointment Notice

Hua Changxi had seen the approximate locations of the twelve grotto-heavens and blessed lands of Nanxiangcheng City manifested on the Zhou Tian Star Chart in the Stargazing Tower, and since she could accurately pinpoint the location of spatial fluctuations, she was confident she could find their exact positions.

Once she had a lead on a place for body refinement, Hua Changxi's anxiety eased somewhat.

Although her cultivation realm could not be raised for the time being, as long as she continued refining her body, her strength would not fall behind others.

Hua Changxi shifted her attention to the Zhu Que Army; now that it numbered over twenty thousand, all palaces of the Lingguang Hall should be opened.

That very day, an appointment notice was posted outside every palace in Lingguang Hall.

"Effective immediately, aside from the Main Hall, all palaces of Lingguang Hall are hereby opened."

"Based on a comprehensive ranking of cultivation level and merit, those ranking highest shall be entrusted with important duties."

"Xiao Zhuohua is appointed Steward of the Dharma Transmission Hall, responsible for registering and verifying the Zhu Que Army rolls, as well as handling corresponding affairs regarding Lingguang Hall's external publicity."

"Yun You is appointed Steward of the Logistics Department, overseeing the Pill Vault, Talisman Vault, Formation Vault, and Armory, and responsible for the coordination and distribution of supplies."

"Xie Hanzhang is appointed Steward of the Mission Hall, responsible for mission distribution, intelligence gathering, and related affairs."

"Su Yu is appointed Steward of the Merit Hall, responsible for recording and verifying the merit of the Zhu Que Army."

"Yang Zhaoye is appointed Steward of the Discipline Hall, responsible for establishing and rectifying the military discipline of the Zhu Que Army, as well as maintaining order within Lingguang Hall."

"Duan Jishan is appointed Steward of the Martial Training Hall, responsible for the daily training affairs of the Zhu Que Army."

"Luo Xingyao is appointed Steward of the Practice Hall, responsible for maintaining the practice rooms and arranging their allocation."

"Ye Liyue, Qin Zhilan, Liu Shuyi, Yan Guichen, Su Zhuyue, and twenty-two others are appointed Battalion Commanders, each responsible for leading an assigned thousand soldiers of the Zhu Que Army, with the authority to personally select Company Commanders and Squad Leaders."

"Note: Any of the above individuals unwilling to assume the role of Steward must register their refusal at the Mission Hall. Once appointed, they will be subject to the collective scrutiny of the entire Zhu Que Army."

"Should any Steward fail to perform their duties, any registered member of the Zhu Que Army has the right to expose them. Subsequently, suggestion boxes will be installed at the four corners—east, south, west, and north—of the Lingguang Hall Plaza for everyone to express their opinions."

"Given that Lingguang Hall has only recently appeared and many affairs are still evolving, the current appointments surely have shortcomings. In the future, beyond cultivation level and merit points, 'the direction of the army's heart' will also be listed as a criterion for selection and assessment."

"Should any of the above Stewards or Battalion Commanders prove unfit for their respective positions, they will be unconditionally replaced, and suitable personnel selected to fill their posts."

"All positions within Lingguang Hall belong to those capable of holding them!"

After this appointment notice was issued, the entire Lingguang Hall was stirred into an uproar.

Regarding this appointment, Hua Changxi herself felt uncertain; she had chosen those individuals based on their cultivation strength, as well as the number of missions they accepted and their completion rates.

She had simply not had time to investigate the character of these people.

But there was no time to worry about that now; without a complete institutional framework to constrain the over twenty thousand members of the Zhu Que Army, the potential for destruction was unpredictable.

Su Yu came to the Logistics Department to find Yun You: "When the Hall Master doesn't appear, it's as if she doesn't exist; yet the moment she appears, she makes astonishing moves."

Since the two of them had become Stewards early on, they usually interacted more closely than others and would gather together to discuss matters whenever issues arose.

Yun You said, "I, however, feel that the Hall Master is often within Lingguang Hall; she just hasn't made an appearance."

Su Yu did not argue the point, merely sighing with emotion, "In selecting capable people, the Hall Master truly pays no heed to background."

Among the various Stewards and the twenty-five Battalion Commanders, nearly eighty percent were of ordinary origin.

Yun You smiled and said, "The Hall Master acts with fairness; this is a blessing for all of the Zhu Que Army."

Although the Hall Master's sudden announcement of this appointment notice caused an uproar, no one used it as a pretext to cause trouble.

Why?

Cultivation levels and merit points were verifiable; once it was confirmed that the appointees were indeed the group with the highest comprehensive rankings, everyone fell silent with nothing more to say.

Su Yu's mood sank somewhat; the Su family was no small household, and he had long grown accustomed to a mode of interaction based on alliances between powerful families to secure massive gains. Now, being placed on the same starting line as everyone else, relying solely on his own strength to compete in real combat, he found himself somewhat unaccustomed.

Yun You understood Su Yu to some extent; seeing him like this, she offered comfort: "To gain the Hall Master's appreciation means you and I are already luckier than many. As long as we strive to do our assigned duties well, remaining true to our own consciences, to the Hall Master, and to the Zhu Que Army, that is enough."

"As for the rest..."

"Even the Chu imperial clan, which unified Great Jin for nearly a thousand years, could not avoid stepping down from the stage of supreme power, let alone others."

Su Yu looked at Yun You and shook his head: "You don't understand..."

Yun You came from a humble background; before the recovery of spiritual energy, the highest official she had ever seen was a County Magistrate, so she simply could not comprehend the immense psychological gap caused by the loss of power and influence.

Unwilling to accompany Su Yu in his sentimental melancholy any longer, Yun You stated directly, "Let's go; we should meet the other Stewards and the various Battalion Commanders."

"Since the Hall Master has entrusted us with heavy responsibilities, we ought to share her burdens and jointly manage Lingguang Hall well."

Not a single one of the appointees declined their position.

Seeing these people gather in the Discipline Hall to begin discussing how to develop, expand, and train the Zhu Que Army, Hua Changxi took flight and departed Lingguang Hall.

"Nanxiang County has indeed grown larger and larger."

In the past, crossing Nanxiang County took Hua Changxi only one or two hours; but now, having flown high in the sky for most of the day, she was still circling above Nanxiang County.

The number of cultivators gathering in Nanxiang County was also increasing; in places where fire spiritual energy was dense, Nascent Soul realm cultivators appeared openly, sitting cross-legged right there, giving the impression that those territories had already been claimed.

Hua Changxi carefully avoided the crowds, probing one by one for the exact locations of the twelve grotto-heavens and blessed lands.

"Hmm?"

As Hua Changxi passed over a bare stone mountain devoid of any spatial fluctuations or unusual phenomena, the fire spiritual energy in her dantian suddenly began to tremble.

"Whoosh~"

Allowing the fire spiritual energy within her body to pour out along her arm, instantly, a red lotus condensed from raging flames suddenly bloomed in her hand.

Gazing at the 'Red Lotus Karma Fire' in her hand, Hua Changxi's eyes first flashed, then suddenly brightened; she remembered that among the twelve grotto-heavens and blessed lands of Nanxiang City, there was a region named 'Karma Fire Platform'.

The spontaneous condensation of the Karma Fire Red Lotus must have been triggered by some kind of call from this location.

Hua Changxi landed on the stone mountain, and the Red Lotus Karma Fire in her palm immediately blazed fiercely, soaring into mid-air and rapidly expanding.

Soon, the Red Lotus Karma Fire gradually became transparent, beginning to flicker in and out of visibility, until with a 'pop' from the center of the red lotus, a circular rift appeared.

Seeing the rift, Hua Changxi's eyes lit up; having experienced entering and exiting spatial rifts several times before, she immediately recognized that this opening connected to another space.

Having previously suffered suppression from prohibitions within the Xuanyuan Prefecture, Hua Changxi steeled herself with utmost caution before carefully stepping into the rift at the center of the red lotus.

Passing through the rift, the scenery before her eyes instantly underwent an earth-shattering transformation.