Chapter 98: Chapter 98 - 77: Arrival at the Main Peak, Heading to the All-Knowing Tower

Perhaps in another eight hundred years, the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss will no longer exist.

"It’s actually a place to seal demons. What kind of demons are they, sealed for eight hundred years yet still not perished," Wen Jiu sighed. He initially wanted to ask, but the question required three hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Wen Jiu simply didn’t ask.

Too expensive.

His Spirit Stones weren’t blown in by the wind.

They were meticulously and riskily scavenged by him.

Such an opportunity might not come again next time.

So he should spend where necessary, and save where he must.

Next, Wen Jiu asked whether it was possible to enter the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss or cultivate at its edge. The cost for this question was reasonable, requiring only ten Low-grade Spirit Stones.

The answer was — yes.

The Spirit Suppression Department is responsible for guarding the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss. As long as you join the Guardian Department and take on the task of watching over the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss, you can accompany it. However, staying near it for long will have your foundation corroded by demon blood energy.

Wen Jiu was indifferent to the final damage.

For as a Corpse Nurturer, he never worried about that.

"Spirit Suppression Department."

Wen Yangqing had also told him this before.

But the master he wished to apprentice with was Ye Chen.

And Ye Chen was an Elder of the Inspection Hall.

"This..."

Wen Jiu fell into contemplation.

Apprenticeship with an Elder of the Inspection Hall, yet simultaneously joining the Spirit Suppression Department, he wondered if it was feasible.

Wen Jiu asked once more if there was another way, to which the All-Knowing Tower bluntly replied, "No."

Not even quoting a price.

Finally, Wen Jiu asked about the Main Peak evaluation, surprisingly getting an answer.

And it was very clear.

This Main Peak evaluation was indeed within a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, and it was truly the cultivation cave mansion of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

But there was something Mu Canglong hadn’t learned: this Grotto Heaven Blessed Land was actually the relic of a cultivation sect called Cloud Sect. Three hundred years ago, it dominated the Far West of the Divine Fall Mountain Range.

But its sect master offended a legendary Golden Core Zhenren, resulting in its overnight extermination.

Deadman Peak seized the opportunity to take over.

And this Main Peak evaluation aimed to utilize the relics of Cloud Sect, employing the methods the Cloud Sect used to select elite disciples, thus screening for talents. However, because it was the Cloud Sect’s elite disciple selection, there’s a high probability of death.

Wen Jiu asked about the evaluation details, but the All-Knowing Tower couldn’t provide an answer.

Because crucial sect information was prohibited from being disclosed.

Thus, Wen Jiu inquired about those previously taken as direct disciples by Elders and their performance in the evaluation.

Wen Jiu initially intended to test the waters, not expecting the All-Knowing Tower to give an answer.

In the previous two evaluations, those who became direct disciples of Elders had reached at least the tenth level.

As for the highest level, it remains a sect secret, undisclosed.

But luckily, Wen Jiu had an answer in his heart, ready to know how to perform and to what extent he should exert his efforts when the time comes.

With that, Wen Jiu had no more questions. He initially thought of trying to sell some information but reconsidered. After all, he had just arrived at Deadman Peak, selling Celestial Left Alliance’s information so soon was not wise.

...

After leaving, he intended to wander around.

However, wherever he went, if he ventured slightly deeper, he’d be stopped, leaving him with no choice but to head down the mountain.

What Wen Jiu didn’t expect was, passing by Du Feng’s residence on the way down, there were three or four Main Peak disciples at the Qi Cultivation Third and Fourth Layers waiting outside. This piqued the curiosity of many newly admitted disciples who stopped to watch.

Main Peak disciples at the Qi Cultivation Third and Fourth Layers could be Stewards or Attendants on the Side Peaks.

Though now all fellow disciples, the disparity in cultivation stood apparent, fundamentally placing them in different hierarchies.

Now, three or four Main Peak disciples gathered at a new disciple’s residence, respectfully holding invitation cards in their hands. Who were they here for? Who in this Good House area was worth such attention?

Wen Jiu wasn’t in a hurry to enter the house, happily watching the scene with everyone — just as Du Feng returned.

As soon as Du Feng came back, the four of them immediately went up, vying to hand over their invitation cards.

"I am Qi Yun, sent by the Demon-slaying Department Main Peak Steward to present an invitation card, sincerely inviting Junior Brother Du to the Cloud Viewing Pavilion for a meeting tomorrow."

"Junior Brother Du, I am Liu Fang, sent by the Demon Suppression Department’s Main Peak First Steward Ye Canglan, sincerely inviting Junior Brother Du to visit the Demon Suppression Department and also welcome Junior Brother Du to join our Demon Suppression Department."

Seeing this, the new disciples from various Side Peaks around looked on enviously.

On the Main Peak, cultivation disparity results in hierarchy disparity.

This is inevitable.

But there’s another situation on the Main Peak where status disparity also results in hierarchy disparity: the difference between Department disciples and ordinary disciples. Once one joins one of the Main Peak’s Twelve Departments, they can move out of the Good House area, residing closer to the mountain’s midsection and enjoying a more concentrated Spiritual Qi cultivation environment.

In the Good House area, the concentrated Spiritual Qi allows them to achieve more with less effort, but moving upwards, they might equal three days of normal cultivation in one day.

Don’t underestimate the difference of just one day.

But after one year?

Three years?

Ten years?

The difference becomes monumental, possibly unrecoverable in a lifetime.

With this realization, those who understood the situation cast envious glances at Du Feng, whose face now bore a confident, proud smile, previously forlorn on the Flying Ship, now vanished completely.

At that moment, he instinctively glanced at the house where Wen Jiu lived — not a single Main Peak disciple outside.

"What of Heterodox Talent, inferior Spirit Roots remain inferior," Du Feng muttered inwardly, his old confidence renewing.

Unaware of Wen Jiu in the crowd.

Wen Jiu, silently watching like an onlooker, listened to the envious discussions around him.

After Du Feng left and the crowd gradually dispersed, Wen Jiu also left, intending to stroll around the market district at the foot of the mountain.

Earlier, he overheard from several Side Peak disciples that the Earth Treasure Pavilion of the Earth Treasure Department is located in the market district.

If the Earth Treasure Pavilion has the Blood Evil Crystal needed for his Three Evil Corpses, he could avoid making an extra trip to the Heterodox Demons’ trading place. After all, now staying on the Main Peak, a trip to Celestial Sound City would take most of the day.

[Second update before 12:00 at night.

Final day.

Any more monthly tickets?

Hehe.]