The number one sect in the Seeking Dragon Mountains cultivation world was the Taiji Sect, which controlled the Wuji Dynasty with a population of three billion.
The second most powerful sect was the Taicang Sect, controlling the Canghai Dynasty with a population of two billion.
The oldest sect, standing the longest in the Seeking Dragon Mountains with a history of a full five thousand years, was the Taixuan Sect where Yelin now resided. Once the leader of the righteous path, the Taixuan Sect had suffered massive losses during the last immortal-demonic war and had gradually weakened. Still, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse; Yelin still felt that the Taixuan Sect was immensely powerful and not so easily bullied.
What Yelin had never expected was that the *Anecdotes of the Seeking Dragon Mountains* issued by the Taixuan Sect was so straightforward and unreserved in introducing its own decline to all disciples.
In Yelin's view, this might be related to the fact that Taixuan Sect disciples always had to go out into the world to temper themselves, where they were bound to encounter cultivators from other sects. If one proclaimed upon leaving home that their own sect was the absolute greatest, it would hardly bring glory to the Taixuan Sect and would instead be a disgrace.
The Taixuan Sect intended for all its disciples to feel a sense of shame and rise to the occasion, striving hard to surpass others.
As for the fourth-ranked righteous sect of the Seeking Dragon Mountains...
There simply wasn't one.
There were only three major righteous sects in the Seeking Dragon Mountains. Rogue cultivators and minor sects were not recorded in the *Anecdotes of the Seeking Dragon Mountains* at all, showing just how weak and insignificant their influence was.
After all, every major righteous sect had its own mortal territories, and other sects were strictly forbidden from crossing boundaries to recruit disciples, let alone rogue cultivation sects.
Some rogue cultivation sects could only wait for disciples to come knocking, or secretly contact disciples discarded by the righteous sects—such as those who failed to promote to formal handymen of the Taixuan Sect. They truly eked out a living in the cracks between the three major righteous sects. The book introduced that within rogue cultivation sects, Foundation Establishment cultivators already held the rank of elders or sect masters, and not a single rogue sect possessed a Golden Core powerhouse.
The book *Essentials of Breathing and Absorption* detailed the specific methods of respiration and absorption. Yelin had already mastered the breathing technique and initially thought he no longer needed to study it, but he discovered the book was far from simple.
This book contained the *Breathing Mental Method*!
Yelin now knew that practicing a specific mental method while breathing could increase the intake of breath and rapidly condense spiritual qi into dharma power to boost one's cultivation.
However, for now he had no time to study it carefully; everything had to wait until after lunch. He had not eaten all day and had almost been captured by a demonic fiend, and he was now so hungry he could eat a cow.
To be honest, he was extremely looking forward to the lavish feast Wang Changsheng had promised him, wondering what rare delicacies it would hold.
Chapter 17: Money Can Make the Devil Push the Grindstone
Among them, the book *Detailed Explanation of Basic Spells* did not record how to cultivate spells; instead, it explained the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of some common basic spells, serving merely as an expansion of knowledge.
After all, with the thin dharma power of preliminary handyman disciples, it was impossible to master spells. Certain basic spells could only be taught after one became a formal handyman disciple.
The *Taixuan Body-Refining Technique* recorded some boxing styles, palm techniques, and movement skills collected by the Taixuan Sect. Practicing them could strengthen the physique and increase bodily reaction speed, which was crucial in combat.
The *Taixuan Sword Technique* was founded by the Taixuan Ancestor and divided into three realms. The version distributed was only the first realm, the Renxuan Realm; the second was the Lingxuan Realm, and the third was the Tianxuan Realm.
According to the senior brother who arranged their dormitories, within the Taixuan Sect one did not have to excel in boxing, palm techniques, movement skills, sword techniques, or spells, but one had to master a little of each to avoid having glaring weaknesses in battle.
Yelin was like a completely dehydrated sponge, becoming utterly engrossed the moment he picked up these immortal books. Even when his stomach rumbled like thunder, he refused to put the books down.
Unawares, it was already noon. Yelin was reading with great concentration when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.
"Brother Yelin, are you home? Let's go grab that big feast!"
Only then did Yelin snap back to reality; he had been so absorbed in reading that he had completely forgotten about the noon banquet.
Just as he put down the book and stood up, Yelin staggered, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. He touched his belly and found it seemed to have caved in somewhat from hunger.
"It really is good to have Xiaoqiang around. Too bad there are so many cultivators here; if I let Xiaoqiang out to steal food, he'd probably be beaten to death."
Yelin circulated a tiny wisp of dharma power from his dantian along his meridians up to his brain. Instantly, his mind cleared up significantly and his spirits lifted. He then strode forward and opened the door.
He saw Wang Changsheng, the son of a wealthy merchant, and Song Lingtian, a certain prince of the Great Xuan Dynasty, already standing at the doorway. Both of them had now changed into Taixuan Sect Dao robes.
Even Wang Changsheng, with his round face and small eyes, looked otherworldly and immortal in his Dao robes, his bearing vastly elevated.
As for Song Lingtian, who was already cold and stern, he had completely transformed into an immortal maiden killer, carrying an aura like a celestial being descending to the mortal world, making people afraid to look him in the eye.
In terms of appearance and bearing, Song Lingtian was even slightly superior to Yelin.
Yelin said apologetically, "Sorry, I got too immersed in reading."
Wang Changsheng said, "No worries. We were also busy memorizing the sect rules earlier, just in case we accidentally violated a rule without even knowing which one we broke... Having too many rules is a real headache."
Song Lingtian said, "I had already memorized the sect rules thoroughly back in the mortal dust. As long as you walk with me, you won't easily make mistakes. In truth, the sect rules do not affect daily life."
Yelin locked his door, and the three of them quickly descended the stairs.
It was currently mealtime. In the boulder-built stairwells, groups of preliminary handyman cultivators wearing Taixuan Sect Dao robes could be seen coming and going everywhere, with very few walking alone.
Stepping out of the dormitory building, not far ahead was the training ground Yelin had seen earlier from his window. Even under the scorching sun and right at mealtime, there were still many senior brothers and senior sisters practicing there, forgetting to eat and sleep.
This caused a slight ripple in Yelin's heart.
He had always considered himself very hardworking, never forgetting to maintain his breathing rhythm at every moment, but now he realized there were still so many people working harder than him.
Song Lingtian said calmly, "Cultivation is fundamentally a race against lifespan. In this cultivation world, there are too many people who work hard. However, many cultivators have such poor aptitude and comprehension that even hard work makes it difficult for them to achieve major breakthroughs."
Wang Changsheng chuckled, "My dad once said that proper rest and enjoying the pleasures of life might just help one seize the opportunity for a breakthrough. Cultivation is just like doing business; you can't be too stubborn."
At this, Wang Changsheng winked and said, "Brother Ye is still a virgin, right? Give it a few days, and big brother here will introduce some immortal maiden senior sisters to you... Guaranteed to find you some beauties of exceptional looks."
With that, Wang Changsheng flashed a knowing look.
Yelin gave two dry coughs.
"I am still young, we can discuss this another day..."
Wang Changsheng produced two maps of the Taixuan Sect from goodness knows where and handed one to Yelin. Opening the map, he quickly locked onto their destination for this trip—the Gathering-Fate Pavilion.
After threading through a shaded path for a while, the three arrived at the Gathering-Fate Pavilion restaurant. At the entrance stood numerous statues of ingredients, looking quite grand. Inside, the restaurant was exquisite and elegant, and Yelin even spotted male and female cultivators in Taixuan Sect Dao robes working as waiters and waitresses.
To Yelin's surprise, the restaurant manager was already waiting at the entrance with several slim maidservants of superior appearance. As Wang Changsheng stepped inside, the middle-aged manager and the many maidservants respectfully bowed in greeting.
"Young Master, you've finally arrived. The private room has already been prepared."
Wang Changsheng waved his hand. "No need for formalities. Today I am hosting two distinguished guests. Bring out all the signature dishes the house has to offer... Skip the immortal brew; the few of us just joined the sect recently and have too many matters to attend to. Drinking alcohol will only ruin things."
"Understood!"
This Gathering-Fate Pavilion restaurant turned out to be one of Wang Changsheng's family businesses. His family had expanded their business right into the Taixuan Sect, which greatly astonished Yelin, while Song Lingtian remained as calm as ever, apparently aware of it all along.
Led by the manager, the three of them entered an exquisite and luxurious private room, where pretty maidservants stood around awaiting orders.
Wang Changsheng said with a hint of pride, "From now on, whenever you come here to dine, just mention my name, Wang Changsheng, and you get a fifty percent discount on everything!"
Yelin thought to himself that even with an eighty or ninety percent discount, he probably still couldn't afford to eat here.
Wang Changsheng reclined comfortably on a rocking chair in the private room, and gentle maidservants immediately stepped forward to softly massage his shoulders and hammer his legs.
Yelin could even clearly sense that these maidservants also possessed fluctuations of dharma power within them; every single one of them was a cultivator with Spiritual Roots, who would be revered as an "immortal superior" in the mortal world. Yet here, they still wore ingratiating smiles, yearning for Wang Changsheng to take a fancy to them and eagerly trying to please him.
Wang Changsheng gave a glance, and the remaining pretty maidservants also smiled as they approached Yelin and Song Lingtian, about to reach out with their jade hands to massage their shoulders, only to be frightened away by a cold and haughty look from Song Lingtian.
"No need."
"Thank you, no, no need..."
The first sentence was spoken by Song Lingtian, while the second was said by Yelin, who was still completely unaccustomed to this level of luxury that he wouldn't even dare to dream of.
Wang Changsheng chuckled, "When it's time to enjoy oneself, one must enjoy. There's nothing in the sect rules forbidding disciples from enjoying life. What is the point of comprehending immortal arts and attaining longevity? Isn't it just to enjoy? When Fatty here attains the Nascent Soul realm, I'll have to recruit a batch of peerless Golden Core immortal maidens to serve me."
For a moment, Yelin couldn't find a good reason to refute Wang Changsheng's view, yet he still felt something was off.
Attaining longevity—was it just for enjoyment?
Yelin also wanted to enjoy himself, but his way of enjoying was more understated: he just wanted to possess strength that no one could suppress, and then marry one or two girls he liked to live a peaceful and happy life.
At the very least, his descendants would no longer be slaves.
At the same time, Wang Changsheng made Yelin realize that a mortal background was not as worthless upon entering the Taixuan Sect as the senior brothers claimed. As long as one's mortal influence was large enough, one could still wield great power within the Taixuan Sect.
Even respected immortal maidens had to lower their posture to serve the wealthy—this actually... was no different from the secular world!
The cultivation world... seemed not to be transcendent and untrammeled after all.
Soon, aromatic dishes were served onto the table by the maidservants.
Yelin saw roast chicken after roast chicken, beef legs, beef steaks, and animal livers of bizarrely huge sizes that he couldn't name. Every single dish was fragrant, visually appealing, and mouth-watering.
Wang Changsheng specially introduced to Yelin, "Brother Yelin, these ingredients are either monster beast meat or poultry raised on spiritual herbs and plants. Eating them strengthens the physique and increases cultivation. I won't stand on ceremony with you guys... We're family, eat up!"
Wang Changsheng picked up an entire fragrant roast chicken and began devouring it ravenously. Seeing this, Yelin also grabbed a huge beef leg and began to gorge himself to fill his stomach.
This was definitely the most delicious and high-end food he had ever eaten in his life. If the beef bone hadn't been too tough to bite through, he probably would have chewed up the bone and swallowed it too.
Both Wang Changsheng and Yelin ate quite crudely and savagely. Song Lingtian's table manners were always elegant, but strangely enough, he was the fastest eater of the three...
The three swept through the food like a storm, and soon the entire table of dishes was wiped clean.
After finishing, Yelin felt a warm sensation in his abdomen, and wisps of spiritual power were wandering from his belly along his meridians throughout his whole body, condensing into dharma power at his dantian. He could clearly feel that his cultivation was slowly increasing along with the digestion of the food!
Chapter 18: Two Months of Growth
After lunch, the three walked along the shaded path to digest their meal.
Wang Changsheng was in high spirits, occasionally throwing a punch or two as he walked.
Despite his chubby, fair appearance that looked devoid of any strength, the moment he threw a punch, his momentum instantly became fierce and savage, and his body moved as fast as a spirit snake.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Crack!
The air itself was whipped into explosive snaps.
The more Yelin watched, the more alarmed he became. If that punch landed on him, his bones would probably shatter instantly. Wang Changsheng's cultivation was clearly far more profound than his, already extremely close to the Qi Condensation 1st Layer!
After finishing a set of fist forms, Wang Changsheng looked provocatively at Song Lingtian. "Thirteenth Highness, care to spar a few moves?"
A sharp glint flashed in Song Lingtian's eyes, and he said with cold pride, "Little Fatty Wang, your Gravel Fist is well-executed, and your footwork foundation is also very solid. However, it's still not as formidable as my Tiger Roaring Fist."
"Whether it's formidable or not, a couple of moves will tell!"
Without waiting for Song Lingtian's consent, Wang Changsheng's chubby body lunged forward like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey, shooting toward Song Lingtian with a whoosh.
Song Lingtian seemed prepared. With a flash, he turned into a blur in Yelin's eyes and met the charge. Yelin only heard Song Lingtian's fist tear through the air with a roar like a fierce tiger descending a mountain, followed by a thunderous boom.
As their fists collided head-on, the air was whipped into rolling shockwaves. The surrounding flowers, plants, and trees were thrashed about by the blast, and withered yellow leaves were sent swirling into the air.
Clearly, the punches thrown by these two were infused with dharma power.
Song Lingtian's cultivation was also quite profound, seeming just on the verge of stepping into the Qi Condensation 1st Layer!
Watching this, Yelin's heart raced and his blood boiled.
If one could possess such formidable strength before even stepping into the Qi Condensation 1st Layer, the strength of Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators could be easily imagined.
Following the clash, Song Lingtian and Wang Changsheng were rattled by the immense force and stumbled backward repeatedly.
Yelin noticed that Song Lingtian retreated three steps before stabilizing his stance, while Wang Changsheng took five steps back. Fresh blood seeped from both of their knuckles.
In this exchange, Song Lingtian had clearly won.
Just when Yelin thought the atmosphere was about to grow tense and the two sides were going to drop all pretense and truly fight, Wang Changsheng burst out laughing.
"Not bad, Thirteenth Highness. Your Spiritual Roots have only been awakened for two months, and you're already about to step into the Qi Condensation 1st Layer. You must have Upper Spiritual Roots, right?"
Song Lingtian neither denied nor admitted it, saying indifferently, "You're not bad either. Your Spiritual Roots were awakened three months ago, and you spend your days eating and playing, yet your strength hasn't fallen behind. You must have Upper Spiritual Roots too."
Wang Changsheng said, "Fine then. You're three parts better than this Fatty, so from now on I'll listen to you, you'll be the boss."
Then, the two of them smiled with tacit understanding.
Yelin: "..."
These two guys actually both possessed Upper Spiritual Roots!
Originally, Yelin had felt somewhat confident and proud, thinking that although his family background was poor, his Spiritual Roots were much better than an ordinary person's. Now it seemed he was still far inferior when it came to Spiritual Roots.
That he could be so fortunate as to be their neighbor was entirely because his circumstances had drawn widespread attention... Perhaps the senior brother who arranged the dormitories had also felt a bit of pity that he was almost captured by a demonic fiend right before entering the sect, so he deliberately arranged a good dorm for him to facilitate his future interactions with prodigies.
Of course, his Medium Five Elements Spiritual Roots were rare enough. Although they couldn't compare to Upper Spiritual Roots, they were still the top-tier aptitude among Medium Spiritual Roots.
Song Lingtian's gaze turned toward Yelin with a hint of curiosity.
"A spar between just the two of us can't decide who the boss is. Brother Ye, care to exchange a few moves?"
Yelin hurriedly waved his hands and smiled awkwardly, "You are the boss, Brother Changsheng is number two, and I'll be number three, absolutely no objections. As for sparring... I'll pass for now, and I'll have to ask the two of you for plenty of guidance in the future."
Yelin currently possessed only brute strength, having never learned any combat forms or movement skills, and his depth of dharma power was far inferior to theirs. Sparring with Song Lingtian now would undoubtedly be asking for humiliation, and he had no desire to be the boss anyway.
He did indeed intend to consult them on cultivation matters in the future; both of these men were scions of top-tier aristocratic families and understood far more than he did.
"Alright then... We'll help each other out from now on," Song Lingtian said.
Wang Changsheng said, "Let's give our little group a name."
Song Lingtian said, "We are all cultivators pursuing longevity, let's call it the Longevity Society. Gathering time will be once a month, on the full moon of every month, at your Gathering-Fate Pavilion."
Wang Changsheng nodded proudly. "Great name, maybe my name will be passed down through the ages! The three of us are the founding members of the Longevity Society, and in the future, the reputation of the Longevity Society will surely resound throughout the Seeking Dragon Mountains cultivation world!"
Just like that, a cultivation clique was established, and Yelin inexplicably became a founding member.
Afterward, the three walked back toward the dormitory area while chatting.
Wang Changsheng explained to Yelin why cultivators needed to form cliques.
Because a group without conflicting interests and with mutual trust could quickly share information, improve together in cultivation, solve difficult problems together, and safely trade items they needed without worrying about being cheated.
The road to longevity was long. To attain longevity, one needed not only good aptitude and comprehension, but also abundant resources—interpersonal resources, economic resources, and informational resources—none of which could be lacking.
Of course, true peerless prodigies, such as those with Peak Spiritual Roots or even more defying existences, could willfully ignore everything, but clearly, none of them fit that description.
In the future, more people would join the Longevity Society.
Yelin was not averse to joining such a group. After all, this wasn't a blood oath to become sworn brothers sharing woe and weal; everyone was still joining for their own respective interests.
Before long, Yelin returned to his dorm and took out the unread *Taixuan Sect Rules* to continue memorizing.
...
Amidst continuous study and cultivation, time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, two months had passed since Yelin arrived at the Taixuan Sect.
During these two months, Yelin studied and cultivated day and night.
He had memorized the *Taixuan Sect Rules*, learned the *Breathing Mental Method*, finished reading the *Anecdotes of the Seeking Dragon Mountains* and *Detailed Explanation of Basic Spells*, mastered a great deal of common sense in the cultivation world, and could now smoothly execute the Gravel Fist recorded in the *Taixuan Body-Refining Technique*, utilize the Gale Footwork, and skillfully master the *Taixuan Sword Technique*.
Because Wang Changsheng treated him to lavish feasts every few days, and the mess hall food at the Taixuan Sect on ordinary days was also far more nutritious than what Yelin ate when he was a servant for the Lin family, Yelin's height had surged by a noticeable margin within a mere month. His build now resembled that of a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth. Though still possessing a hint of youthful innocence, he already looked dashing and extraordinary, his bearing on par with Song Lingtian's.
Early in the morning, the thin mist had not yet been dispersed by the mountain wind, and the eastern sky was just beginning to turn white.
On the training ground.
With a continuous string of "clang, clang, clang" sounds, profound-iron treasured swords clashed against each other, sending sparks flying. The figures of Yelin and Song Lingtian were exceptionally swift as they crossed swords, appearing and disappearing in the thin mist like ghosts.