CHAPTER 559: CHAPTER 332: OPENLY PULLING STRINGS

"The path of cultivation emphasizes the cultivation of the heart and concentration of the mind; when heart and mind unite, the Great Dao is not difficult... Do I really look like a succubus?"

The soul questioned, but he was questioning himself.

"A mindset as vast as the void, a consciousness stable as a mountain, the path of cultivation starts with nurturing the heart... No, why is it a big man’s responsibility to handle marriage alliances?"

"Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Huh? Is this how my senior sister sees me? Am I supposed to resolve everything, as if I could unite the Cultivation World with a single spear? I was led around by that woman like a dog on a leash."

"And trying to win her over? I’m afraid if I let that woman have her way, I’d be sucked dry. Sigh, what a hassle, viewing the heavens and reversing fate; who knew that seemingly gentle woman turned out to be a prophet."

"Or do I really have the potential of becoming a kept man? Wait, I was once kept by Yu Rou, then went out with Yue Yue to bully people, and now it’s... No! How can I doubt my own abilities!"

"Forget it, forget it, don’t think about these things, cultivating diligently is what truly matters. I managed to get a hot spring ticket from my senior sister with great difficulty, I should seriously cultivate."

The person silently reciting the Concentration Technique in their heart fell into deep thought, their mind a tangled mess.

Raising his hand, he slapped his cheeks hard to quiet his heart. His body’s acupoints were frantically breathing in Spiritual Energy, his whole body immersed in the Spiritual Spring, the cold pool water slowly washing over him. Its texture was somewhat viscous, which showed just how superior the environment of the Purple Cloud Immortal Mountain was.

The Spiritual Spring is one of the most crucial resources in today’s Cultivation World. Previously, when Jiang Feng got involved in someone’s matchmaking in Shuangfeng City, he heard that woman demanded half of the Spiritual Spring from the man’s family.

Back then, he had no concept of what that meant, but now he realized just how outrageous her demand was.

With the foundation of the Purple Cloud Palace, even after eight thousand years, there are less than a hundred Spiritual Springs. Among these, there are naturally differences in quality, and most are unsuitable for cultivation. Only two or three dozen of the ice rooms can be used for cultivation.

The entire Purple Cloud Palace houses nearly ten thousand people, and even excluding disciples who are away long-term, there are still thousands residing in the mountains. One can imagine the competitive pressure. If he had to queue up, Jiang Feng would probably have to wait a year patiently.

Each soak can enhance one’s power, especially for those below the Nascent Soul Stage like him; the Spiritual Energy in his body purifies at a speed visible to the naked eye. Coupled with Jiang Feng’s inherent talent, wide meridians like highways, and excellent constitution, one Grand Circulation equates to several days of an ordinary disciple’s hard cultivation.

This thing is an invaluable treasure wherever you place it. From the looks of it, the cultivator he met in Shuangfeng City indeed belonged to an extraordinary family, even if just a small branch, proving the family’s strength.

But...

Connections are connections.

The hot spring ticket is just Jiang Feng’s way of saying it. Simply put, Mr. Jiang felt recently he needed to temper his Spiritual Energy and enhance his power, so he used his spiritual essence to exchange for a slot in the Spiritual Spring.

But...

The queue extends into next year.

Though he accumulated much spiritual essence after taking down Xuan Yinzi and could exchange for many treasures, rules are rules, and queuing is necessary. Hence, he resorted to a little cunning.

See, it was his senior sister who threw him in here.

As for using connections, while he was resistant, when good fortune came his way, he wouldn’t foolishly refuse. Quietly accepting it is the wiser choice.

With the Nine Peaks Martial Gathering approaching, he naturally needed to hastily boost his strength, especially considering the scale this time and numerous spectators from other sects.

After all, the hottest topic this time is the Sword Immortal’s return to reopen the Mountain Gate, that’s one thing.

The other is the resurgence of talent within the Purple Cloud Immortal Palace, dispelling the shadow from their defeat at the Xuanyin Sect a century ago, regaining their vigor and returning to the peak.

Currently, five disciples have entered the Nascent Soul Stage before forty, led by the eldest grandson of Master Gu. The chiefs of each peak are eager and on the edge.

The Nine Peaks Martial Gathering held every few years isn’t just for personal and sect honors; it’s also for succession of the Sect Master position. Not only second-generation disciples are eligible to compete, but third-generation disciples also have eligibility.

It’s not purely about strength but overall ability and potential; these are crucial factors for becoming one in power.

As for why outsiders would come to observe the sect martial gathering, the reason is simple.

Because it’s a colossal talent market.

"If the heart is restless, the mind cannot be at ease. Calm oneself and cultivate, and the Dao reveals itself. Cultivation is like taming a deer; loosen the grip, and the deer wanders; tighten it, and the deer becomes startled. If the heart and mind aren’t centered, luck becomes chaotic... Tsk, who knew the Cultivation World was this pragmatic."

"All the monarchs and elite forces invited to watch, isn’t this just a grand parade and talent market? Goodness, it’s like every one of them is a fresh graduate."

"But it makes sense. With such extensive forces and numerous disciples, internal digestion is necessary. After all, the Purple Cloud Palace is just a sect with limited resources."

"Moreover, joining secular forces is just in name; the sect remains their true home during crises. Bluntly, it’s the high strata of various nations handpicking bodyguards or selecting disciples worth nurturing, establishing ties, marrying off daughters or letting sons try their luck."

"Benefiting both parties? Sounds wonderful. Truly envy those brothers who were expelled from their sects; isn’t this a different sort of job-hopping?"

The Spiritual Energy became chaotic, and while distracted, some Spiritual Energy became slightly uncontrollable but still circulated within the body.

It’s because of Jiang Feng’s excellent constitution, under the torment of the Demon Heart Technique and the lingering Spiritual Energy of Demon Night True Monarch, that this bit of Spiritual Energy entering his body isn’t problematic, even if distracted, neither goes astray nor affects his breathing speed.

His mind was filled with the details of the upcoming Nine Peaks Martial Gathering, essentially about the dividing lines between the Cultivation World and secular realms.

That is, circles.

A sect is like an alma mater nurturing you into adulthood, where some outstanding disciples or a few can remain as teachers afterward, yet most disciples eventually need to seek their path.

Simply put, the sect cannot sustain you.

Resources are limited, the competitive pressure immense; many less talented disciples unable to receive much cultivation resources often seize opportunities like the Nine Peaks Martial Gathering to shift towards secular realms, essentially being expelled from the sect.

It may sound harsh, but typically, if masters encounter such opportunities, they proactively expel less talented disciples with little potential. It’s not coldness, nor solely talent-focused; actually, quite the opposite.

It’s for your good, hence the expulsion from the sect.

Once expelled, one becomes a Loose Cultivator, free from sect regulations. Joining a certain nation with considerable strength often elevates one to high positions, where resources are surely more abundant than in the sect’s competitive environment, allowing even steadier cultivation.

This forms an unspoken understanding between the secular world and the Cultivation World, where the secular provides quality seedlings, and the sects are responsible for nurturing them; afterward, a portion remains to strengthen sect power while another is fed back to the secular world.

Only in this way will the secular world continually produce quality seedlings, allowing sects to descend and recruit disciples once more in cycles, creating a so-called ecological chain.

Whoosh!

While pondering, Jiang Feng suddenly opened his eyes, sitting in cultivation within the Spiritual Spring, having discovered the Spiritual Spring washing over him was slowly depleting.

"Hmm? Is the time up?"

Confused, he felt he hadn’t been in there long, at most two days. However, as the Spiritual Spring had depleted, he could only stand up, naturally dressing and exiting the Spiritual Spring ice room.

But upon opening the door, he found a few unfamiliar faces with unpleasant expressions waiting for him at the entrance.

They exchanged glances.

They seemed not to expect Jiang Feng to walk out directly, but the first to speak was the young... senior sister? At least she appeared a few years older than him, standing aside, looking indignant.

"Junior Brother Jiang Feng, was your cultivation peaceful these days? We’ve been waiting at this door for over two days."