Sage of Humanity
Chapter 853 - 851: Recruitment

In the cultivation world of the Nine Provinces, each sect has its own territory.

The range of territory a sect can occupy varies based on its grade.

At its peak, the Righteous Blood Sect was a 1st grade sect, so it could occupy the vast territory of Mount Ao. Although the sect has gradually declined in recent decades and its grade has lowered, the ownership of this territory has never changed.

It's not that no one has coveted Mount Ao. New sects often emerge in the Nine Provinces, and these sects need to choose a territory to establish their foundation. A famous and grand location like Mount Ao undoubtedly attracts a lot of attention.

However, Thang Yifeng is still a strong cultivator at the Divine Sea Realm. Those emerging sects wouldn't dare act rashly in his presence. Moreover, the Righteous Blood Sect has a close relationship with the Righteousness Sect, which holds great influence in Bingzhou. So even at the Righteous Blood Sect's lowest point, no emerging sect dared to take residence in the vast Mount Ao.

Now that the Righteous Blood Sect shows signs of resurgence, such things are even less likely to happen.

Within a sect's territory, under normal circumstances, no one is allowed to enter without permission. Doing so would be viewed as a provocation, and this can lead to significant consequences.

Every sect has cultivators patrolling their territory to prevent disturbances.

But the Righteous Blood Sect doesn't have the manpower for this. Before Lu Ye joined, there were only Thang Yifeng and Shui Yuan in the sect. Even now, while there are more lower-level disciples, they are all at the Spirit Stream Realm and are cultivating in the Spirit Stream battlefield to advance their cultivation.

As such, Mount Ao has been essentially unmanaged for decades. In name, it belongs to the Righteous Blood Sect, but anyone could enter at will.

This especially attracted many independent cultivators to settle here. Some even chose to open cave residences in the spirit mountaintops...

The spirit flowers and rare herbs that grow in Mount Ao are also a favorite of these independent cultivators, as they can harvest them to exchange for the cultivation resources they need.

The sect master knew about this but never drove these independent cultivators away.

It's not easy for independent cultivators to survive. Sect disciples have monthly stipends and the protection of elders, but independent cultivators have to acquire all their cultivation resources on their own. Sometimes, they have to struggle desperately for a little merit. When they face danger, there's no elder to protect them; they have to bear it all themselves.

These two in front of him were undoubtedly independent cultivators.

So when Lu Ye introduced himself, the older man quickly tugged on the middle-aged man's sleeve, urging him to leave.

One reason was Lu Ye's wide-spread reputation; the older man recognized Lu Ye's identity.

Another reason was that everything in Mount Ao belongs to the Righteous Blood Sect. Strictly speaking, what they were doing was considered theft. Caught red-handed by Lu Ye, they felt awkward and had no face to stay.

The two were just about to leave when Lu Ye suddenly spoke, "Wait!"

They stopped in their tracks and looked at Lu Ye with vigilance. The older man asked, "Fellow Daoist, what advice do you have for us?"

They were caught stealing Spirit Grass on someone else's territory. Technically, Lu Ye had every right to kill them.

Recalling the many stories he'd heard about Lu Ye, the older man felt a chill in his heart. Could it be that Lu Ye intended to kill them?

If that were the case, things would be really bad.

"You two are independent cultivators, right?" Lu Ye asked.

There was no reason to deny this.

Both of them nodded.

Pang Huanyin beside Lu Ye showed a curious expression. This was the first time she had heard the term "independent cultivator." There was no such term on the Unparalleled Continent.

However, she roughly understood what it meant.

She couldn't understand how, in a vast and thriving cultivation world like the Nine Provinces, there could still be independent cultivators.

"How long have you two been living here?" Lu Ye asked again.

Seeing that Lu Ye didn't seem to want to make things difficult, merely asking questions, the older man visibly relaxed and said, "I've been living here for almost ten years."

He had already reached his limit. So even if he went to the Cloud River battlefield, he wouldn't gain much benefit and would likely encounter more danger. It was better to retire here on Mount Ao.

"Three years," the middle-aged man replied. His situation was a bit different from the older man's. Three years ago, he was seriously injured on the Cloud River battlefield and had nowhere to go, so he returned to the Nine Provinces to heal, ending up in Mount Ao.

"In that case, you two must be quite familiar with the situation here," Lu Ye said.

"What does Fellow Daoist wish to know?" the older man asked cautiously.

"How many independent cultivators are living on Mount Ao?"

The older man hesitated in silence, and the middle-aged man frowned, clearly misunderstanding something.

"There's no need to hide it. I can easily find out by asking others or using my own methods," Lu Ye said.

"Sigh!" The older man sighed. "Fellow Daoist, there's no need for that. I'll send a message for them to leave within a day and never set foot on Mount Ao again."

He thought Lu Ye wanted to count the independent cultivators first before driving them away.

They had been living on Mount Ao for years without anyone bothering them, but if the Righteous Blood Sect wanted them gone, they couldn't stay.

"You've misunderstood," Lu Ye said, seeing through his thoughts. "I'm not here to drive you away. Mount Ao is vast with many spirit mountaintops. You're welcome to stay."

The sect master didn't bother with them, so why should he? Lu Ye was aware of the hardships independent cultivators faced.

Hua Ci used to be an independent cultivator. She would go to the marketplace to treat and heal people every day in exchange for a bit of cultivation material.

"Is Fellow Daoist serious?" The older man was surprised, and the middle-aged man looked grateful.

"Of course. Not only that, but I also want to give you an opportunity," Lu Ye said.

"An opportunity?" The older man was puzzled.

Lu Ye explained, "Soon, a sect named Ziwei Dao Palace will be established on Mount Ao. This sect will have many disciples and won't be accepting new members, but if you independent cultivators are interested, you may visit the sect. You might have a chance to join Ziwei Dao Palace!"

"Ziwei Dao Palace?"

The two men looked puzzled. They had never heard of this sect and assumed it was new. However, Lu Ye mentioned that it had many disciples, which confused them as new sects usually didn't have many members.

Most independent cultivators hoped to join a sect, but they wouldn't join just any sect. Lower three-grade sects, especially 8th-9th grade, were generally not appealing to them.

Being bound by such a sect was less appealing than living freely.

So despite Lu Ye presenting it as an opportunity, they weren't immediately moved and grew more cautious.

"May I ask, Fellow Daoist, what grade is Ziwei Dao Palace? How strong are its members?"

"At least 6th grade, and Ziwei Dao Palace is a subordinate sect of Righteous Blood Sect!"

"A subordinate sect!"

The older man and the middle-aged man's interest was piqued. They didn't care much about the 6th grade but the fact that it was a subordinate sect of the Righteous Blood Sect.

The previous subordinate sect was the Loyal Heart Sect, now a formidable 2nd grade sect. Despite its decline, the Righteous Blood Sect still had two Divine Sea Realm cultivators and connections with many big sects in Bingzhou.

With signs of resurgence, the future of the Righteous Blood Sect's subordinate sect wouldn't be bad.

Not to mention, a 6th grade sect usually had True Lake Realm cultivators, making it an attractive prospect for most independent cultivators.

Their sudden good fortune left them bewildered, wondering if Lu Ye was joking.

"Surely, Fellow Daoist is joking," the older man said, unable to fathom why Ziwei Dao Palace would accept independent cultivators.

"Whether I'm joking will be clear soon enough," Lu Ye said, taking a step and soaring into the sky.

Pang Huanyin followed closely behind.

Watching them leave, the older man and the middle-aged man no longer cared about the three-petaled spirit flower. They decided to quickly spread the news.

The independent cultivators on Mount Ao had mutual connections and formed a support network. They wouldn't keep such good news to themselves. It would be common knowledge once Ziwei Dao Palace was established.

Flying low, Pang Huanyin was deep in thought. "Senior Brother, do you want me to recruit those independent cultivators?"

Lu Ye replied, "You aren't native to the Nine Provinces and know little about it. The Righteous Blood Sect is still weak, so recruiting some local cultivators could be beneficial. These independent cultivators have varied backgrounds; some didn't have the aptitude to join a sect, some lost their sect, and some had random opportunities to begin their cultivation. Despite their hardships, most wouldn't miss an opportunity to join a sect. I believe you'll have no trouble assessing their character."

Pang Huanyin nodded. "Though the Unparalleled Continent isn't as prosperous as the Nine Provinces, we've seen plenty of human complexities. I won't let anyone with ulterior motives into the sect."

"Good, keep in mind these independent cultivators can be useful but don't place too much trust in them," Lu Ye advised.

"Understood, Senior Brother. I won't forget."

Suddenly recalling something, she asked, "What do you mean by saying the Dao Palace is 6th grade?"

"That's something you'll need to understand about the grading system for sects here in the Nine Provinces," Lu Ye began explaining what he knew.

Pang Huanyin said, "From what you've told me, our Dao Palace should at best be a 7th grade sect, not 6th."

A 6th grade sect must have True Lake Realm cultivators, which was a basic requirement.

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