Chapter 11, The Purification Pavilion and the Subdued Savage Well

Translator: Raznick

 

“I believe you are well aware of the clan’s previous rules, Brother Chun. I won’t go over them again.

 

“Now that our clan has taken root in these Nine Peaks, we will officially become a cultivation clan. The rules are bound to change. These modifications must be discussed and amended by the Grand Elder, Clan Leader, and all the Elders.

 

“The clan, adapting to local conditions and timing, has merely added a few more rules.

 

“Firstly, you must not venture out of Nine Peaks without clan authorization. This is primarily to protect all the clan members and also to minimize the chances of provoking enemies. After all, we’re still strangers here in Jing Kingdom and know very little about the situation there.

 

“Second, without clan approval, one must not flaunt the clan’s various arts in public, nor disclose internal clan intelligence to outsiders, nor bring outsiders back to the clan. This rule is also intended to protect the clan and its members.

 

“Third, to concentrate our efforts on major undertakings, the clan will temporarily cease providing spirit coins as welfare and task rewards. Instead, we will adopt a system of counting merits, where one point of merit corresponds to one spirit coin. Once the clan has firmly established its position, we will open up exchanges between merits and spirit coins.”

 

……

 

Zhou Chun listened to all the rules and taboos that needed to be observed, one after another, as Zhou He spoke them out loud.

 

One explained clearly and in detail, while the other listened intently, taking notes.

 

In less than a day, Zhou Chun had gained a clear understanding of the current state of the Zhou clan.

 

[I would say their overall situation is still in decent shape.]

 

Excluding the clan members who might still be wandering outside like Zhou Chun, there were now over a hundred and thirty cultivators in the Zhou clan. Among them, there was one Violet Palace Stage cultivator, four Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, and the rest were in the Qi Refining Stage.

 

Such strength would place it among the top ten cultivating clans in Jing Kingdom’s Mist Province’s cultivation world.

 

But the Zhou clan, after all, had just arrived and forcibly occupied this haven, the Nine Peaks, by violent means, making their reputation among the rogue cultivators in the Jing Kingdom very poor.

 

The surrounding sects and clans also felt some caution and hostility towards this foreign force, showing little willingness to collaborate or interact with the Zhou clan.

 

Fortunately, there were three other factions that split off from the Three Absolute Sect to share this pressure. For now, no one dared to be the first to challenge Zhou Clan.

 

It seems that the Zhou Clan’s leadership was fully aware of the challenges they faced and have formulated a set of rules tailored to address these issues.

 

Zhou Chun believed that they should have other measures to break this deadlock, but he was temporarily unaware of them.

 

Of course, at this point, Zhou Clan affairs were beyond his concern. His cultivation was insufficient to influence Zhou Clan’s decisions.

 

Now all he had to do was follow the arrangements above, every day during his cultivation, and carry out the various tasks assigned by them.

 

After informing Zhou Chun about all the precautions, Zhou He also shared a piece of news with him.

 

That group of villain cultivators who ambushed them near the NinePeaks had all been killed by Elder Zhou Quan. Additionally, following the trail, he managed to slay more than ten other rogue cultivators harboring hatred towards the Zhou Clan.

 

…

 

Another sunny and bright morning.

 

On the Ganoderma Peak, after Zhou Chun finished meditating and cultivating at the top of the cliff, he returned to his residence for breakfast.

 

His breakfast was simple: porridge and steamed buns, with some dried fruit strips and jerky.

 

Actually, many cultivators didn’t have the habit of eating breakfast; they might just snack on some wild fruits from the mountains and drink a few sips of clear spring water in the morning.

 

Upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, able to live without sustenance, it was quite common to go an entire month without food.

 

However, Zhou Chun was different.

 

For him, maintaining the habit of three meals a day was a way to commemorate his past life, reminding him every day of what made him different from others.

 

Hardly anyone would care about this small habit of his.

 

Even if there really was someone to ask about it, Zhou Chun would also have sufficient reasons to explain.

 

After spending about an hour enjoying breakfast, Zhou Chun strolled leisurely towards the Purification Pavilion located on the slopes of Ganoderma Peak.

 

The Purification Pavilion was situated within a valley on the shaded side of Ganoderma Peak, where the environment was serene and fragrant with blooming flowers, featuring numerous exquisite varieties.

 

Upon arriving at the valley, Zhou Chun spotted three Zhou Clan cultivators seated around a well in the center of a four-corner pavilion located right in the heart of the valley.

 

Every so often, a white jade pillar with black and white streaks would pop out from the well.

 

At this point, three cultivators from the Zhou clan would direct a series of controlling arts at the jade pillar, forcing it back into the well. This process would repeat endlessly.

 

That water well was one of the array bases protecting the Zhou Clan, bearing the name Subdued Savage Well.

 

Each of the peaks had a Purification Pavilion and a Subdued Savage Well.

 

At all times, Zhou Clan cultivators guarded the well and operated an array to absorb savage qi and sink it deep underground. This ensured that Nature Qi refined by Zhuo Clan cultivators on the mountain was pure.

 

This job was really tiring; it was not only mentally exhausting but also physically demanding. It left no energy for regular meditation or other activities.

 

Therefore, the current rule of the Zhou Clan was that each Zhou disciple at the mid Qi Refining cultivation must spend at least three hours daily guarding the Purification Pavilion.

 

Zhou Chun now resided and cultivated on Ganoderma Peak, and from now on, he would be stationed nearby at the Purification Pavilion for daily duty.

 

At that moment, seeing him arrive on time at the Purification Pavilion, a Zhou Clan cultivator who had been stationed there long enough gave him a polite nod with a smile, exchanged greetings, and then left first.

 

Zhou Chun took his spot, and together with the other two Zhou clan cultivators, they began to guard that Subdued Savage Well.

 

Besides guarding the Purification Pavilion, Zhou Chun, a Qi Refining cultivator from the Zhou Clan, also needed to take turns patrolling and defending several spots of the protective array.

 

Additionally, there were numerous tasks such as hunting prey for the tamed spirit beasts, constructing some buildings, clearing mountain paths between the peaks, and tending herb gardens.

 

However, aside from guarding the Purification Pavilion, which required utmost caution and attention to detail, the rest of the duties were relatively straightforward. There was no strict oversight, just a few tasks each day that one must attend to.

 

[After all, cultivators have little else but time.]

 

While engaged in these tasks, Zhou Chun naturally began to meet and get acquainted with other Zhou Clan cultivators.

 

On this day, Zhou Chun and several Zhou clan cultivators returned from hunting in the mountains outside the Nine Peaks. After delivering most of their game to the beast enclosure, they headed back to their residence.

 

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he noticed a Rock Turtle munching on tree bark.

 

Three months had passed since Zhou Chun returned to the Zhou Clan.

 

The Rock Turtle egg has now hatched into a small gray-brown turtle the size of a dinner plate. Its appearance resembled the type of an alligator turtle that Zhou Chun had in her previous life.

 

A full-grown Rock Turtle, whose shell could comfortably hold three or four people, was still referred to as a small turtle in comparison to its name.

 

But don’t let its small size fool you; this little guy had a mean bite.

 

With its sharp teeth and claws, it could crush pebbles.

 

So even though this little turtle hadn’t awakened and mastered the Rock Turtle’s racial mystical arts yet, it still posed a significant threat.

 

The best thing about Rock Turtles was that they ate almost anything.

 

Its diet included meat, tree bark, and even soil; it could consume and digest all of these without any issue, demonstrating an extremely strong digestive capacity.

 

When Zhou Chun, its master, returned, the little Rock Turtle was nipping at the small trees in the courtyard. Upon sensing his arrival, it immediately wriggled its tail and turned to look at him, conveying a feeling of hunger.

 

In general, spirit beasts bred and raised by cultivators from a young age were less affected by Savage Qi, making their intelligence significantly higher than that of wild demon beasts.

 

Some demon beasts were born with higher intelligence and might possess wisdom comparable to that of humans.

 

However, Rock Turtles weren’t known for their high intelligence. Through the spiritual connection between them, they could communicate certain emotions. Considering this little turtle was only three months old, it’s putting on a pretty good show for its age.

 

Fortunately, Zhou Chun didn’t have high expectations of this Rock Turtle’s intelligence. He only valued its thick hide and tough body that could withstand attacks and fights. As long as it could help him in future battles and magical confrontations, he was satisfied.

 

At this moment, he immediately stepped forward and took out some specially reserved animal hearts and livers from his storage bag, tossing them into the feeding trough to let the little turtle munch and nibble at its leisure.

 

He walked into the kitchen, lit a fire to cook rice and prepared meals.

 

After an hour, Zhou Chun had prepared several dishes by frying, grilling, or simmering them and then took his time enjoying this lavish dinner alone.