Chapter 253: Green Mountain Sect

It seems a great battle erupted over in Xun Dao.

I heard the entire Vajra Temple was wiped out; the temple's head monk and abbot were slain, and several Nascent Soul True Lords died!

You guys on horseback each spout something—can you say something reliable? You said several Nascent Soul True Lords died, huh, does your family have a Nascent Soul True Lord? So they just die when they die?

Who knows? That's just how the rumors go.

Yan Buji walked through the Dry Dao territory, and passing cultivators, in small groups, would chat about gossip from other great Dao.

The death of a Nascent Soul True Lord in Xun Dao has been spreading quite widely.

Yan Buji guessed it was the Great Demon Wuji who did it, but he wasn't sure whether the victim actually died.

This Dry Dao territory is far more bustling than other great Dao, even better than Kun Dao.

When Yan Buji was still mortal, he had someone take him through Dry Dao and learn about its regional customs, but that was a story from his mortal days.

"I have no idea what sects or factions dominate this Dry Dao territory; with my cultivation, joining a minor sect shouldn't be a problem, but for a major sect or clan, I'd probably need to check my lineage and connections," Yan Buji found himself in a dilemma.

He certainly didn't want to go back to a small sect like Clear Breeze Sect that has nothing to offer.

A long while passed.

Yan Buji arrived at the Dry Dao Imperial Capital and inquired about the distribution of forces throughout Dry Dao.

Come to think of it, aside from the Mysterious Dry Dao, there are still quite a few major forces in the Dry Dao territory.

Since the Dry Dao region lies just north of the Nan Ting Mountain Region, it is resource‑rich, especially abundant in spiritual veins and spiritual ore; aside from the three‑percent under Mysterious Dry Dao's control, the rest is enough to sustain several major sects.

The most famous among them is the Confucian School's Hall of Hundred Saints.

But the Confucian School…

Yan Buji frowned, "Does the Hall of Hundred Saints require its disciples to serve in the court for twenty years, and only after gaining seniority can they be accepted into the sect? That's too troublesome."

Now they expect Yan Buji to follow the mortal path—three years as a child scholar, five years as a licentiate, ten years as a jinshi—to gradually take the exams and become an official; who knows how much time that would waste.

On one hand, his lifespan doesn't allow him to do that; on the other, the Confucian School's techniques might not suit him.

So Yan Buji chose a nearby option and found a major sect currently recruiting disciples, called Green Mountain Sect.

This Green Mountain Sect belongs to the top tier of the Profound Dao, and along the way, its shops are visible everywhere in the cultivation market, indicating the sect is keen on business, so resources shouldn't be a concern.

Realizing this, Yan Buji set off from the Dry Dao Imperial Capital toward Green Mountain Sect.

"Excuse me, fellow Daoist, are you also planning to go to Green Mountain Sect?"

Hovering in mid‑air, Yan Buji watched a cultivator standing on a gourd approach, and laughed as he asked himself.

Yan Buji clasped his hands and said, "I am Huang Hao, and indeed I intend to go to Green Mountain Sect."

"Huang fellow Daoist, I am Liu Jun, a lone cultivator. Since we're both heading to Green Mountain Sect, might we travel together for mutual support?"

Yan Buji raised an eyebrow and smiled, "There's no reason not to."

Liu Jun smiled, "Thank you, fellow Daoist. How much do you know about Green Mountain Sect?"

Yan Buji thought for a moment, "Green Mountain Sect has three market locations outside, mostly dealing in elixir trade, with talisman crafting next. It seems the sect inherits both alchemy and talisman‑making. Moreover, with many disciples, the cultivation atmosphere inside must be excellent."

Liu Jun was surprised, "Did you investigate? It does seem that way. You're not a Dry Dao cultivator, are you?"

"Yes, I come from another Dao, and I can no longer make a living here," Yan Buji laughed.

"Probably not; you're at least a late‑stage Qi‑refining cultivator… Oh, sorry for overstepping. Green Mountain Sect may look splendid, but it's different. Its disciples must complete three tasks each month, and the tasks are tiered. The higher your strength, the more difficult the work assigned. Of course, completing tasks grants Spiritual Stones and also sect points. Those points can be exchanged for elixirs, Spiritual Materials, Spiritual Stones, or even lectures for Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivators."

"Huh?"

Yan Buji was startled, "Can lectures be exchanged as well?"

Liu Jun said, "Or rather, you need points to attend lectures. If you want one‑on‑one tutoring, it costs a lot. Moreover, beyond that, Green Mountain Sect provides no resource support to its disciples unless you become a close disciple of an Elder or join a well‑connected cultivator's group, so Green Mountain Sect is not a place for pure cultivation."

This is awesome!

This is the sect I want!

Yan Buji's eyes lit up, smiling, "So, it's a place where the capable can settle?"

"It seems Huang fellow Daoist is confident in his own strength."

"If that's the case, entering Green Mountain Sect shouldn't be difficult."

"Hmm, I also know a few things: if you have celestial lineage, you can enter directly; if you have a refined bone, the Elders may select you; but if you're mortal, you must compete outside the sect to gain entry."

That doesn't matter; even if my high‑grade aptitude shows any flaw, I can simply cover it up with past cultivation mishaps.

As for duel techniques, that's secondary.

If Green Mountain Sect truly is as Liu Jun described, Yan Buji likes it even more.

The two set off together, chatting a lot along the way.

Yan Buji could tell that Liu Jun seemed like an ambitious fellow.

Green Mountain Sect is a big platform; whether one can carve out a realm depends solely on one's own ability.

But as they spoke, Yan Buji sensed that Liu Jun's motive for going to Green Mountain Sect wasn't merely to vie for resources; there seemed to be another hidden reason.

Shortly after, the two arrived outside Green Mountain Sect; beneath the gate, many cultivators were dueling fiercely.

Those wearing blue robes maintaining order were surely Green Mountain Sect disciples.

"Huang fellow Daoist, look, Green Mountain Sect has two ways to ascend the mountain: one by strength, the other by connections," Liu Jun pointed out, noting that some talented mortals entered directly.

Conversely, some Qi‑refining cultivators with cultivation at the foot were fighting to the death down there, Yan Buji nodded.

How crucial connections are needs no explanation, and any free‑cultivator seeking to join Green Mountain Sect has been grinding in the cultivation world for years.

So this so‑called duel is nothing more than a monkey show.

When the fighting gets fierce and blood is shed, those monkeys who entered the mountain finally rein in their temperament.

If anyone thinks they can wield force inside the sect to bully others, even the strongest will just become someone else's pawn.

The cultivation world values not who is strongest, but the rules.

Those who understand the rules are the ones fit to thrive on this fertile land.

Yan Buji followed Liu Jun over, reached the Green Mountain Sect recruitment office, signed in, handed over Spiritual Stones, and prepared for the assessment.

Liu Jun's expression changed: "Why are we suddenly being asked to pay the registration fee again?"

"Pay if you want, don't pay and get lost!" said a Blue Mountain Gate disciple impatiently.

"It wasn't like this before...."

Yan Buji came over, took hold of Liu Jun, and with a cupped-fist salute and a smile said to the Blue Mountain Gate disciple: "Fellow Daoist, two hundred Spiritual Stones, right?"

"You can't pay early, it's a waste of time—get lost!"

Liu Jun, a bit impatient, held up his token, looked at Yan Buji, and thanked him: "Fellow Daoist Huang, today I owe you."

"No need for excessive courtesy, fellow Daoist; if you achieve something later, don't forget this old man."

"Ah, I never thought Blue Mountain Gate would be like this, so blatant!" Liu Jun sighed and said.