Chapter 170: 125, Heading to Die Shan Island, and Gathering the Ten Fairy Orders (8K Big Chapter)_2
"Moreover... Uncle Xu also gave me a Qilin Horn Fruit as a thank-you gift."
"It’s like this: Uncle Xu asked me about the Array Manual..."
Seeing Jiang Yan stop, Nie Shu recounted everything that had happened today.
"Qilin Horn Fruit..."
Jiang Yan smiled upon hearing this. Junior Brother Xu handles things tactfully and knows how to conduct himself. Did he give Nie Shu the Qilin Horn Fruit just for a few insignificant words? No, many other factors were involved, mostly concerning me.
「Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.」
On the Flying Boat heading to Wangchuan Sea, Xu Xing stayed in an ordinary cabin inside.
The Flying Boat’s speed was comparable to that of a Dao Pill Cultivator, covering thirty thousand miles a day.
"There are too many Noble Clan Disciples in the Sect. We have to constantly watch their reactions and act cautiously. It’s better to be an External Cultivator outside the Immortal Palace. Not only do we get a basic salary of one thousand Spirit Shells per month, but also a five percent share of the resources..."
"Last time, I almost offended Lord Pei. I was so scared I couldn’t meditate properly for several days."
"Within the Sect, rules are everywhere. When we’re stationed outside, no one bothers us."
In the dining room, several Inner Sect Disciples were whispering amongst themselves, not bothering to avoid others.
Those connected to the Family Line could remain within the Sect, serving as Deacons or House Elders. These positions have, for the most part, always been firmly held by the Family Line, making it difficult for Commoner Disciples to get involved.
Therefore, ninety percent of those forced to come to Wangchuan Sea as External Cultivators are Commoner Disciples and some Noble Clan Disciples not valued by their Aristocratic Families. Noble Clan Disciples not valued by their Aristocratic Families are often those with rather poor aptitude. They fare even worse than Commoner Disciples and are naturally looked down upon by them.
Of course, not all Noble Clan Disciples are the type to just live off their ancestors’ merits, waiting for death. Some Noble Clan Disciples with good aptitude also choose another path: instead of taking positions in Sect organizations, they become External Cultivators, hoping for greater opportunities... It’s just that the resources these kinds of Noble Clan Disciples obtain are by no means inferior to those acquired by Aristocratic Young Masters serving in Sect organizations.
"Even if I were truly given the chance to study in the Abode Tower..."
"I wouldn’t have the money for it."
The group chatted about everything under the sun, eventually discussing the differences between the Abode Tower and Pan Palace. If one could enter the Abode Tower, very few would choose the Pan Palace. After all, the Abode Tower undoubtedly has superior educational resources.
"Yeah, without wealth in the Sect, it’s difficult to make any headway."
"Being an External Cultivator is our only chance."
Several people shook their heads and sighed.
Xu Xing, sitting nearby and sipping Spirit Tea with Fengping Valley, nodded in agreement upon hearing their words.
Although Flying Feather Immortal Palace differentiated between the Family Line and the Master and Disciple Lineage, it hadn’t completely cut off the path for Commoner Disciples to advance.
Becoming an External Cultivator certainly carried some risks, but one could receive a basic annual salary of one thousand Spirit Shells, plus a five percent share of the island’s resources. This alone was enough to make Freelance Cultivators burn with envy.
Moreover, even if the Sect truly opened up the opportunity for Commoner Disciples to enter the Abode Tower, it wasn’t certain that Commoner Disciples would have the financial means to study there. Talisman creation, pill refining—which of these miscellaneous arts isn’t incredibly costly?
As for the restrictions of the Abode Tower and the differences between it and the Pan Palace... Xu Xing was not surprised. The class hierarchy in the cultivation world is far more entrenched than in the Mortal World.
In the Mortal World, official schools under the Imperial Court, like the Guozi Academy and Taixue School, also enroll students based on rank. The Guozi Academy accepted the children and nephews of high officials of Fifth Rank and above, while the Taixue School accepted those of officials of Seventh Rank and above. Commoner Families wishing to attend official schools could only enroll in prefectural or county schools, or specialized schools in the capital for subjects like mathematics or law.
"The greatest opportunity for External Cultivators..." Fengping Valley paused after taking a small sip of the hot tea, then transmitted to Xu Xing via divine consciousness, "is to be taken as a disciple by a Sect Senior within the Pan Palace, striving to become part of the Master and Disciple Lineage. Junior Brother Xu, with your Flawless Immortal Foundation, you could try to contend for this."
The ones speaking aloud at the neighboring table were fledgling External Cultivators, long suppressed within the Sect. Thus, they spoke without reservation, neither setting up a sound insulation array nor using sound transmission via divine consciousness, simply speaking openly for anyone to hear. If they encountered someone petty, their words could easily bring them disaster.
Fengping Valley, however, was an experienced cultivator nearly four hundred years of age, and his actions were quite careful and cautious.
Lineage... This matter will likely be difficult.
Xu Xing shook his head and sighed. With his aptitude, even though Lingyin Peak thought highly of him, no one had taken him as a disciple. Out in the Pan Palace, finding a Sect Senior willing to pass down their mantle was clearly no easy task.
Once a Sect Senior passes down their mantle, a Commoner Disciple is then also considered a "Noble Clan Disciple." They would belong to their own faction! Entering the Master and Disciple Lineage is, in a true sense, a direct path to soaring success. Only at this stage would the Sect’s resources begin to be allocated preferentially to them.
Otherwise, if not part of the Master and Disciple Lineage, nor from the Family Line, what connection could Commoner Disciples possibly have with the Sect’s high-level members? Why would they be worth the Sect’s high-level members spending significant resources to cultivate? The high-level members of Flying Feather Immortal Palace owe nothing to Commoner Ascetic Monks.
"Precisely!" Fengping Valley nodded. "Although a Flawless Immortal Foundation is rare, one might appear every few decades. Returning Core cultivators have a lifespan of eight hundred years, Dao Pill cultivators one thousand five hundred years... and the realms above, like Nascent Soul and Primordial Spirit, approach a lifespan of ten thousand years. The Sect Seniors have seen countless Immortal Geniuses; it’s not easy to stand out among them."
Speaking of this, he too felt a pang of wistfulness.
Over three hundred years ago, when he became an External Cultivator, though he was self-aware enough at the time not to think any Sect Senior would take him as a disciple, he was full of youthful spirit and bold ambition, believing he would surely distinguish himself among the External Cultivators and thus be valued by a Sect Senior and taken as a disciple...