Daily life of a cultivation judge
Chapter 1213 - 1213: Two groups (2)

Who knew how many cultivation arts were stored here? Likely countless, given the sect's long history. It was bound to be as diverse as it was vast—esoteric arts, lost techniques from a bygone era, ingenious methods that explored aspects he'd never even considered. The possibilities were endless.

His heart began to race at the thought. This truly was the perfect place for him. He could research any kind of cultivation art or technique he wanted, surrounded by like-minded individuals, and best of all, he wouldn't have to do anything else.

No risky missions.

No never-ending cases.

No silver-haired fiends haunting his every step.

No smug colleagues gloating over his misfortunes.

No scheming just to survive another day.

No foul-mouthed bird neighbors mocking him and stealing from him at every opportunity.

The more he thought about it, the more tempted he became to switch allegiances and join this place. What had the Order ever given him, other than an ulcer, serious mental and heart demons, fear, paranoia, and an endless list of things to feel aggrieved about?

That wasn't a way to live... No, he had to get out while he still had a shred of sanity left.

A few seconds later, that very sanity kicked back in, leaving him sighing in defeat.

He couldn't leave. His exploitative bosses wouldn't allow it, and even if they did, he'd be too paranoid to enjoy his new life here. He could almost hear those eerie, snakelike voices slithering along his neck, whispering softly in his ears: You're ours.

Yang Qing sighed as he looked around with deep longing at the treasure that was both fated and unfated to be his.

I can't dwell on it too long, he thought, quickly pushing the temptation aside. The more he lingered on it, the more miserable he'd feel once he was back at the Order.

…Well, not completely miserable.

While he'd never admit it to their faces, the Order wasn't bad either, at least when it came to access to arts, techniques, and all manner of cultivation resources.

Granted, they weren't as generous as Silver Breath Peak was to its members (which, honestly, he doubted any place could match), but compared to most organizations, the Order was still plenty generous.

His current achievements had already earned him access to all cultivation arts and techniques at the middle tier of the blue grade and below.

And one day, if he advanced to the Inner Palace Court, his rank would grant him access to everything in the upper tier of blue grade and below. And promotion wasn't the only way to gain that access either.

If his art, the Brilliant Ray Fist Art, reached the upper tier, that too would qualify him for the same privileges, though it came with a condition. He would have to share the upgraded art with the Order and grant them the same level of authority he had as its creator. Meaning, the Order would be free to share the art as it saw fit… which usually meant distributing it among other members, which Yang Qing had zero issues with.

To him, cultivation arts were like muscles. The more you use them, the more you discover so many things that you can accomplish with them. Having more people exercise that muscle wasn't a bad thing for him, and was the reason he gave it to Peng Zhen for free in the first place, and would likely do so for another cultivator in the future.

All he saw were gains, and the trade-off from the Order's end wasn't bad either.

In exchange for handing over his art (which, honestly, he would have done anyway), he'd get access to all upper-tier blue grade arts and even rack up some solid merit points while he was at it.

The Order might not offer unrestricted access to all its cultivation arts, but the access it did provide was still better than most. After all, Yang Qing had managed to get his hands on an upper-tier gold grade art and even a purple grade art within his first year of joining. How many cultivators from other organizations could say the same?

"They're still mean though," Yang Qing muttered under his breath, immediately working to banish that cursed wave of gratitude toward the Order welling up inside him.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he looked up at Xia Cangfu, who seemed just about ready to explain the true reason he had shown him those buildings and why he revealed what was inside them. Though given their contents, Yang Qing already had a strong guess.

"So you can imagine," Xia Cangfu began, "given the privileges we enjoy as members of Silver Breath Peak—something known to almost all within the sect—it wouldn't be strange for some to join the peak solely for access to those benefits.

While that in itself isn't wrong, since even those who belong to the first group are drawn by that perk as well, the difference lies in intent.

Those from the first group value the privilege because it lets them peer into the soul of this peak. For those from the second group, it's merely a tool or a stepping stone to push themselves to the next level.

This place is a springboard for them," Xia Cangfu explained.

He didn't delve deeper, but even without elaboration, his meaning came through clearly to Yang Qing.

While it wasn't always set in stone, a powerful cultivation art often begets a powerful cultivator, especially if the cultivator has the aptitude for it.

Given the advantages that came with being a member of the peak, it made perfect sense that others in the sect would seek to join, all hoping to gain access to powerful cultivation arts. With the level of access provided and the breadth of the collection, finding one wouldn't be difficult. If anything, they were guaranteed to be spoilt for choice.

Once they got what they were after, they could use that art to improve themselves and eventually pursue what they truly wanted. Yang Qing couldn't help but think of the Silver Head Peak.

How many of their members were once part of Silver Breath Peak?

Maybe the buildings had something to do with it, but ever since he set foot here, aside from Xia Cangfu and Senior Shuyuan, Yang Qing hadn't sensed the presence of anyone else. Maybe the buildings somehow masked it...

But something Shen Mu said now echoed in his mind.

Silver Breath Peak had the fewest members.

Yes, part of it might have been due to their strict acceptance criteria; after all, every member was said to possess the same talent level as legacy-seeded disciples. That alone shrunk the potential pool down to a very small crop of cultivators. And in an ancient sect like this, where talents were anything but scarce, to stand out among them required something truly special.

Special becomes special in part because of its rarity, so it was a given that, considering their high recruitment standards, the numbers at Silver Breath Peak would be low.

But from the looks of it, there was likely another reason behind that shortage.

How many from the second group actually stayed with the peak after they'd gotten what they wanted?

A beauty appreciated by all, but whose true spirit is seen and treasured by few, mused Yang Qing as he looked over the tranquil peak.

No wonder Senior Shuyuan was like that, thought Yang Qing, recalling the interaction he, Shen Mu, and the artifact spirit had upon their arrival.