Chapter 851, Recruitment

Translator: Jon

Translation Checker: Silavin

 

In the cultivation world of Jiu Zhou, every Sect had their territory. Depending on the Sect’s Tier, the area they could occupy varied.

 

Crimson Blood Sect used to be a Tier-One Sect at its peak, so it could occupy an area as vast as Mount Ao. Although its power had waned in the past decades, causing its Tier to drop, this area still belonged to them.

 

Naturally, some people had had their eye on Mount Ao in the past. Many new Sects would be born in Jiu Zhou from time to time, and they needed a place to build their foundations. As such, a place as vast as Mount Ao would attract a lot of attention.

 

Nevertheless, Tang Yi Feng was a Divine Ocean Realm Master, so the new Sects wouldn’t dare be imprudent in front of him. Furthermore, the Crimson Blood Sect was on good terms with the Righteous Sect, which was the most powerful Sect in Bing Zhou. Therefore, even when the Crimson Blood Sect was at its worst, no new Sects dared move into Mount Ao.

 

Now, the Crimson Blood Sect seemed to be rising again, so such a thing naturally wouldn’t happen.

 

Usually, outsiders were not allowed to step into the territory of a Sect without permission. Otherwise, it would be regarded as provocation. The matter could be serious, and it might bring about dreadful consequences.

 

The cultivators of every Sect would patrol their own territory to prevent trespassers from causing trouble.

 

However, the Crimson Blood Sect didn’t have enough people to guard the place. Before Lu Ye joined the Sect, there were only Tang Yi Feng and Shui Yuan. Now, even though there were many grassroots disciples, they were all Spirit Creek Realm Masters who stayed on the Spirit Creek Battlefield to cultivate most of the time.

 

Therefore, in the past decades, Mount Ao had been a lawless place. Although it belonged to the Crimson Blood Sect on paper, anyone could step into it.

 

Independent cultivators were especially attracted to this place. Some even selected their own Spirit Peaks and built cave mansions.

 

The flowers and herbs in Mount Ao were also a favourite among the independent cultivators. That was because they could pick those things and trade them for cultivation resources that they needed.

 

The Sect Master knew what was going on, but he had never chased these people away.

 

It was hard for independent cultivators to survive. The cultivators of Sects, regardless of how many there were, would get monthly salaries, and they had the protection of their Seniors. However, independent cultivators had to earn their cultivation resources. Sometimes, they would fight each other for some meagre Contribution points. When they fell into danger, there were no Seniors to protect them. They could only face every challenge on their own.

 

These two people were apparently independent cultivators.

 

Therefore, when the old man heard Lu Ye introducing himself, he kept tugging at the middle-aged man’s sleeve, motioning for him to leave.

 

Firstly, Lu Ye was famous, so the old man soon realised his identity.

 

Secondly, everything in Mount Ao belonged to the Crimson Blood Sect. What they were doing was basically theft. Since they were caught red-handed, they were naturally too embarrassed to stay.

 

Just as the two of them were ready to leave, Lu Ye suddenly said, “Wait a second!”

 

They stopped in their tracks and looked vigilantly at Lu Ye. The old man asked, “Is there anything else?”

 

Since they were in someone else’s territory and caught stealing a Spirit Flower, Lu Ye had every right to kill them.

 

As the old man recalled what he had heard about Lu Ye, he was terrified, wondering if the young man had decided to kill them. In that case, it would be terrible.

 

“Are you independent cultivators?” Lu Ye asked.

 

They had no problem admitting to it, so they nodded at the same time.

 

Pang Huanyin appeared curious. It was her first time hearing about independent cultivators, for such people didn’t exist in the Peerless Continent. Anyway, she instantly understood what independent cultivators were.

 

Deep within, she was puzzled as to why there were independent cultivators, considering how vast Jiu Zhou was and how flourishing the cultivation world was.

 

“How long have you been living here?” Lu Ye asked.

 

Seeing that Lu Ye didn’t seem to have the intention of making things difficult for them, the old man donned a milder expression and replied to his question, “I’ve been living here for ten years.”

 

He had reached his limit, so he wouldn’t get many benefits even if he went to the Cloud River Battlefield. Instead, he would come across a lot of danger. As such, he decided to spend the rest of his life in Mount Ao.

 

“Three years,” replied the middle-aged man. His situation was slightly different from the old man’s. Three years ago, he was badly injured on the Cloud River Battlefield. Having nowhere else to go, he returned to Jiu Zhou and stayed in Mount Ao to recuperate.

 

“I see. You must know this area very well, then.”

 

“What do you want to know?” The old man remained vigilant.

 

“How many independent cultivators are there in Mount Ao?”

 

The old man remained silent while the middle-aged man frowned. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding going on.

 

“There’s no need to hide anything from me. I can just ask around for an answer. Even if no one tells me, I have many ways to find out.”

 

The old man sighed. “There’s no need for you to do that, Fellow Cultivator. I’ll inform them to leave Mount Ao in one day, and we will never come here again.”

 

He thought Lu Ye wanted to find out how many independent cultivators there were and chase them away.

 

They had been living in Mount Ao for years without anyone chasing them away. However, if those from the Crimson Blood Sect wanted them to leave, they didn’t have a right to stay.

 

“Don’t get me wrong, Sir.” Knowing what was on his mind, Lu Ye explained, “I’m not chasing all of you away. Mount Ao is vast and has many Spirit Peaks. All of you can stay here as you please.”

 

Since the Sect Master never chased them away, Lu Ye naturally wouldn’t do that. Although he had the luck to be accepted into the Crimson Blood Sect, he understood how difficult it was for independent cultivators to survive.

 

Hua Ci used to be an independent cultivator. To earn some cultivation resources, she had to go to a nearby city to treat patients and would only come home late.

 

“Are you serious?” The old man looked at Lu Ye in shock while the middle-aged man appeared grateful.

 

“Yes, I’m serious. Besides that, I also have some good news for you.”

 

“Good news?” The old man was puzzled.

 

Lu Ye explained, “A Sect named Purple Star Palace will be established in Mount Ao soon. They have many disciples, so they won’t easily take on more people. However, if you’re interested, you can visit them in the future. You may have a chance to join them.”

 

“Purple Star Palace?”

 

The two of them were bewildered. They had never heard of the Sect before, so they reckoned it was a new one. Nonetheless, Lu Ye said the Sect had many disciples, so the two of them were puzzled as to how powerful Purple Star Palace truly was. Usually, a new Sect wouldn’t have many disciples.

 

Although many independent cultivators wanted to join a Sect, they wouldn’t just join any Sect. Among the lower three Tiers, a Sect had to be Tier Seven at the very least. They were not interested in joining Tier-Eight or Tier-Nine Sects.

 

They would rather be on their own instead of getting restricted by such Sects.

 

Therefore, even though Lu Ye said it was a good chance, they were vigilant instead of tempted.

 

“What’s the Tier of Purple Star Palace? How powerful are the stronger cultivators?”

 

“It’s at least Tier-Six, and it’s a subsidiary of the Crimson Blood Sect.”

 

“A subsidiary!”

 

The old man and the middle-aged man were instantly tempted. As for whether it was indeed Tier-Six, it no longer mattered to them.

 

The last subsidiary of the Crimson Blood Sect was the Devoted Ones, and they were now a Tier-Two Sect. Although the power of the Crimson Blood Sect had waned in recent years, they were still fairly formidable. There were two Divine Ocean Realm Masters in the Sect, and they had deep connections with the major Sects in Bing Zhou.

 

Also, the Crimson Blood Sect was showing signs of rising again. As such, a subsidiary of Crimson Blood Sect wouldn’t be a terrible one.

 

Moreover, it was a Tier-Six Sect, so there would be at least several Real Lake Realm Masters.

 

Joining such a Sect was a dream for many independent cultivators.

 

The good news came so suddenly that the two of them were too stunned to react, and they wondered if Lu Ye was messing with them.

 

“Are you pulling our leg, Fellow Cultivator?” The old man didn’t understand why Purple Star Palace would accept independent cultivators like them.

 

“You’ll find out if I’m pulling your leg.” Lu Ye ended the conversation and shot into the sky. Pang Huanyin followed him.

 

After they were gone, the old man and the middle-aged man had lost interest in fighting for the three-leaf rosewood flower. Following a discussion, they decided to spread the news.

 

The independent cultivators in Mount Ao would frequently contact each other. They had been living together for a long time, so they would always help each other out. Since there was some good news now, the two of them naturally wouldn’t hide it from the others. Anyway, such a matter couldn’t be hidden from anyone. Once Purple Star Palace was established, everyone would find out about it.

 

While flying forward, Pang Huanyin asked meditatively, “Do you want me to accept those independent cultivators, Senior Brother?”

 

Lu Ye explained, “You were not born in Jiu Zhou, so you know little about this world. We don’t have many people in the Crimson Blood Sect, so there’s little we can help you with. Accepting some local cultivators will be beneficial to you. Those independent cultivators come from all walks of life. Some have terrible aptitudes, so no Sect wants to accept them. Some were made homeless because their Sects were destroyed. There are also some who became cultivators after coming across an opportunity. Anyway, they usually won’t miss the chance to join a Sect. As for how to filter out the bad people, I’m sure it’s not difficult for you.”

 

Pang Huanyin nodded. “Although the Peerless Continent isn’t as prosperous as Jiu Zhou, we understand that Human nature is complicated. Don’t worry about it, Senior Brother. I won’t let ill-intentioned people join my Palace.”

 

“Alright. There’s one thing you have to remember, though. You can use those independent cultivators, but you can’t confide in them.”

 

“You are right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Recalling something, she asked, “What did you mean when you said we are a Tier-Six Sect?”

 

“Let me tell you how Sects in Jiu Zhou are ranked…” Lu Ye narrated to her what he knew.

 

Pang Huanyin was perplexed. “In that case, we’re supposedly only a Tier-Seven Sect. We’re not a Tier-Six Sect yet.”

 

There had to be some Real Lake Realm Masters in a Tier-Six Sect. That was the basic requirement.