Chapter 460: The Identity of a Core Disciple
Venerated Ninelion did indeed admire Jiang Chen greatly. He even asked Jiang Chen his opinion regarding the alliance during the banquet that he’d personally hosted.
Jiang Chen didn’t hold back either, analyzing that with the current development of the greater picture, if the Myriad Spirit Sect could retain its legacy, it wouldn’t be necessarily be a bad idea to ally with the Great Cathedral.
This situation was a lot more palatable compared to becoming a Sky Sect vassal.
Venerated Ninelion could also see that it would be very difficult to remain aloof in the face of the current situation. Others would only need to use a finger to crush a mere sixteen kingdom alliance sect.
No matter how unwilling or not they were, the smartest thing to do in light of the circumstances was to find an appropriate backer.
After catching up with Liu Wencai for a bit, Jiang Chen took his leave and descended the mountain, smiling when he left, “Wencai, I look forward to meeting again in the Myriad Domain.”
Tang Hong also walked up loudly and smacked his fist onto Liu Wencai’s chest. “If you can’t make it into the rankings after three years, don’t tell others you’re my brother then!”
Liu Wencai laughed heartily, “You too!”
Tang Hong cracked his knuckles, “I’ve already thought this through. If I don’t make it into the rankings, I swear to never return to the sixteen kingdoms!”
Tang Hong was brawny and direct as a cannonball. However, people like him had the most resolute determination. He would charge towards the target, taking long strides now that he had identified his new goal.
Jiang Chen steered the Goldwing Swordbird after he left the Myriad Spirit Sect and caught up to the entourage after half a day.
They all returned to the Regal Pill Palace after a few more days.
The Regal Pill Palace was located in the center of the Myriad Domain. Its territory was ten times than of the sixteen kingdom alliance.
The various large and small factions within it were as numerous as the hairs on oxen.
There were a dozens of factions like the four great sects in the Regal Pill Palace’s territory.
There were also a few sixth rank, fifth rank sects that were meekly docile under the rule of the Regal Pill Palace.
The Regal Pill Palace complex was amazingly magnificent. It stretched deep into the mountains, with flowers blooming all over the central palace and residences. There were sect restrictions placed everywhere within a span of a few hundred miles.
If it wasn’t for someone leading the way, anyone attempting to reach the heart of the Regal Pill Palace complex would be attacked at least a hundred times by the restrictions.
“Jiang Chen, these ordinary restrictions will not attack you with your sect medallion in the future. However, do not trespass into some of the core areas without previous authorization. Otherwise, even sage realm cultivators might come off worse in the exchange once the restrictions there activate.”
There were surely quite a few forbidden areas in a fourth rank sect.
Dan Chi brought Jiang Chen and the others to the Hall of Internal Affairs and arranged temporary quarters for them.
“Jiang Chen, you all have just arrived and will enjoy the same treatment as my sect disciples receive. However, the sect rules also apply to you as well. You will all receive a status that corresponds to your cultivation level. Do you have any objections to this?”
The rules still had to be observed even when an alliance had been struck.
Jiang Chen smiled. “But of course. If us foreign disciples had a backdoor in, this would be utterly ludicrous and no one else would accept it either.”
The others all nodded as well, indicating no objection to these arrangements.
The Hallmaster of the Hall of Internal Affairs didn’t dare drag his feet when Dan Chi himself had personally arrived, coming out to welcome the group personally.
Jiang Chen’s cultivation was at the origin realm and so that made him a core disciple in the Regal Pill Palace.
Therefore, he received a core disciple medallion.
Having entered the sky spirit realm, Tang Hong received an inner disciple medallion.
Lian Canghai, Xie Yufan and Iron Dazhi were all one step away from sky spirit realm and thus had to start at probationary inner disciples.
No matter what, a probationary inner disciple was still better than an outer disciple.
The Regal Pill Palace had rich resources, a vast territory abundant in natural wealth. Of that, there had been no exaggeration.
Inner disciples, even probationary ones, had their own separate residences with private yards. Although the property was a bit small and close to the other inner disciples, it was still a private piece of sanctuary. They wouldn’t have to be crammed with others like the outer disciples were.
For a core disciple like Jiang Chen, the level of his residence was even higher.
The Regal Pill Palace possessed a mountain that contained Rosy Valley, in which the sect had hewn out a thousand caves in the walls as residences for their core disciples.
As a core disciple, Jiang Chen had the right to take up residence in the Rosy Valley.
In addition, the resources allotted to core disciples were quite abundant.
Even though he was a far distance aways from the true disciples 1, Jiang Chen didn’t have many requests since he’d only just arrived.
Status and benefits would be something one earned.
He didn’t have to throw his weight around as the newcomer in the area. As time went on and his strength increased, these things would be naturally taken care of when his reputation was made.
The Hallmaster of the Internal Affairs had also said that the Regal Pill Palace wasn’t opposed to disciples earning resources through their own labor. Accepting sect missions, for one, was one of the best ways to earn resources.
Many of the true disciples in the Regal Pill Palace used this method to trade for resources.
The cultivation fanatics in particular were never satisfied by the regular resource allotment. They could only gain more through this method.
Once the arrangements were made, the Hallmaster led Tang Hong and the others to get settled in.
Gouyu and the other followers naturally followed Jiang Chen into the Valley.
Many of the core disciples had followers. The Regal Pill Palace was theoretically unopposed to the core disciples having their followers.
There were even inner disciples who didn’t mind being the followers of some core disciples, just so they could obtain a better cultivation environment and move into the Rosy Valley.
With the others settled in, Dan Chi kept Jiang Chen behind and took him to the former’s residence.
As the head of the sect, Dan Chi’s residence was naturally the most sacred area within the Regal Pill Palace, located on a towering peak in the mountain valley.
“Jiang Chen, you are the only one of the younger generation to enter my palace.”
Dan Chi was less than a hundred years old. In the world of martial dao, he was still a teenager, so he hadn’t taken a personal disciple at this point in time.
Apart from a few medicine boys who served at his side, the entire residence seemed very quiet.
However, Jiang Chen could see something in the layout, the terrain, and the way that spirit qi wreathed around the residence.
This residence had been built according to the terrain and was absolutely the place in the entire Regal Pill Palace with the best feng shui.
“Jiang Chen, it’s just you and me here. Feel free to speak candidly of matters that you may not be able to at the foot of the mountain.” Dan Chi smiled.
“Sage one, I am very satisfied with everything, there’s nothing that I would complain about.” Jiang Chen spoke the truth.
“Haha, very good!” Dan Chi complimented. “I’d been afraid that with your heart of a youth, you might feel put out if you felt that your treatment wasn’t as good as you’d thought it’d be.”
“The sage one jests. I have never complained of anything even when I was in the secular world. A holy cultivation ground such as the Regal Pill Palace is the foremost amongst the Myriad Domain, what would I complain about? Status and benefits will not fall into my lap. It would be hard for others to accept me if I enjoyed the highest treatment as soon as I arrived.”
Dan Chi wouldn’t have found it odd if one over a hundred years old said these words.
However, for a twenty year old like Jiang Chen to possess such bearing, not fighting or complaining for better treatment, it made Dan Chi feel that his hard efforts had not been wasted.
“Jiang Chen, I have to say that I greatly admire your bearing. With your mindset and attitude, I’m afraid that the Myriad Domain will be unable to contain you, sooner or later. You are no small fish to drift around in a small pond. I believe that in a decade or two, even the first ranked sects will be fighting over you!”
Dan Chi chuckled, “Jiang Chen, I’ll get the ugly words out of the way first. I will keep an eye on you here, but won’t give you preferential treatment. In the sects, the disciples are in constant competition, and it’s impossible for no internal conflict to exist. Therefore, it will be up to you to slowly determine how to survive here. I am your patron, yes, but only in grave matters. I treat everyone the same within the sect and will not give you special attention. You must carve out your own space through your own efforts and have everyone submit to you of their own accord. only then will you have the right to represent the Regal Pill Palace and face the geniuses of the other sects. This is how you will have the right to face the challenges on an even greater stage. Do you understood my words?”
It’d been said since ancient times that a strict master would raise highly accomplished disciples.
Although Dan Chi didn’t count as Jiang Chen’s master, the former didn’t plan on letting Jiang Chen grow up in a greenhouse. He wanted to push Jiang Chen into the sect and have the furnace of the sect temper and mold Jiang Chen.
If Jiang Chen couldn’t handle even the competition within the sect, that would prove Dan Chi’s appraisal wrong.
I can give you resources and status, but not preferential treatment.
This was the method in which Dan Chi would cultivate Jiang Chen.
How would an even stronger wolf or tiger grow if he didn’t face competition from his kind?
“Of course, I’ve done my utmost to recruit you to the Regal Pill Palace, your Precious Tree Sect will certainly say I’m miserly if I don’t offer anything. I must present to you a welcoming gift. Jiang Chen, have your pick of methods, pills, origin weapons, or any other requests. Remember, you can only make one request.” Dan Chi smiled.
Jiang Chen would naturally not decline something like a welcome gift.
Dan Chi was his senior, if only in name, and so a welcome gift was only natural. There was nothing for him to feel embarrassed about.
He didn’t lack any secret methods or arts, and didn’t want pills or the like.
If he wanted, he could refine those himself.
Origin level weapons… the Redscaled Firelizard bone was the most ideal natural origin weapon. If he assimilated a few formations and glyphs into it after some refinement, the bone would become even more powerful.
Therefore, he really didn’t know what he needed at the present.
“Heh heh, sage one, I really don’t know what I need right now. How about this, let’s keep this welcome gift on file, and I’ll come collect when I need it?” Jiang Chen asked in a half joking tone.
“Haha, alright, it will be as you say then.” Although Dan Chi thought this was surprising, he still agreed readily.
He was also privately curious, Jiang Chen doesn’t want anything? Seems like he lacks nothing. That also makes sense. The mysterious senior was so strong, would he leave Jiang Chen with nothing?
Elder Shun was always the best answer for anything that Dan Chi couldn’t puzzle through.
However, he never would’ve thought that what Jiang Chen possessed actually didn’t have much to do with Elder Shun.
On the contrary, it was Elder Shun would needed Jiang Chen’s help.
“Alright Jiang Chen, the core disciples in the Rosy Valley must have learned of your arrival as well. They should all be waiting for you. Go meet your peers. Young folk should be with young folk and give rise to greater sparks. The impact between geniuses is what births cultivation inspiration and motivation!”
Dan Chi waved his hand and sent Jiang Chen out of his residence through use of a formation.
1. Sect disciple hierarchy goes from outer, inner, personal, true.