PCJ – Chapter 759 Preparations

The Yuan family of Jiangxian Mountain migrated as a whole clan to Yan City, finally leaving behind the most desolate mountain ranges of the Abandoned Land. On a plain not far from Yan City, the Yuan clan began rebuilding their new home.

For cultivators, even if most of the Yuan family were only at the early stages of Refining Essence into Qi, their strength was still a hundred times that of ordinary people. Within less than a month, a brand-new village capable of housing tens of thousands had already been built. The entire Yuan clan had completely relocated and began reclaiming farmland around the village.

Although the Yuan family’s talent was not remarkable, their loyalty had already been proven. Zhang Jiaohua needed many hands for miscellaneous tasks. Moreover, establishing the foundational scientific system didn’t require powerful cultivation— even ordinary people could manage it.

“Master, everything is ready. Shall we spread the word immediately?” Yuan Suihu, who had already led the entire Yuan clan to submit to Zhang Jiaohua’s Meishan Sect, had naturally changed the way he addressed him.

Zhang Jiaohua nodded. “Yes. Make sure our requirements are clear. We want talented young people. Their cultivation level doesn’t matter.”

Yuan Suihu bowed slightly. “I will obey the Sect Master’s command.”

Soon after, the Yuan clan began recruiting cultivators in Yan City and nearby towns. When a cultivator at the Returning Spirit stage recruited disciples, there was no need to worry about enthusiasm—on the contrary, the main challenge for the Yuan family was how to distinguish the true talents Zhang Jiaohua wanted.

In the Abandoned Land, most cultivators lacked talent. Yet among the descendants of those exiled here, there were some with excellent aptitude. Their slow progress was due to scarce resources and a lack of cultivation methods.

But a cultivator at the Returning Spirit stage held resources unimaginable to ordinary cultivators. Here, the most valuable resource was not heavenly treasures, but cultivation methods. A Returning Spirit cultivator would certainly possess many, which was what the cultivators of the Abandoned Land craved most.

Within a day, large numbers of cultivators gathered in Yan City. Most were not what the Meishan Sect wanted—they had just come to try their luck. Even among those who met the requirements, the numbers far exceeded what Zhang Jiaohua had planned to recruit.

“Master, since that’s the case, why don’t we keep all the suitable ones? In fact, even those who don’t meet the requirements could be accepted. Later, we can sort them out. We could divide them into outer sect and inner sect disciples. Only those who pass screening from the outer sect could enter the inner sect, and inner sect disciples would be the true members of Meishan Sect. Anyway, we don’t need to provide for them—just assign them some land and let them build for themselves. This way, our sect can expand as fast as possible.” Yuan Suihu felt it was a pity to reject so many cultivators.

Plans never keep up with changes, so adjustments were needed. Zhang Jiaohua very much agreed with Yuan Suihu’s proposal: “Then let’s do that. Keep them first, and slowly select later. For those in the outer sect, we’ll provide only basic cultivation methods.”

“Understood. I’ll see to it immediately.” Yuan Suihu also knew that the Yuan family’s value to Zhang Jiaohua was not their cultivation talent, but their ability to handle these tedious matters for him.

Meishan Blessed Land, Meeting Room of the Giant Sword Tower.

The core members of the Meishan Sect were gathered to discuss important affairs.

“In the blink of an eye, three years have passed. Not a single word has come back from the Sect Master. We have no idea how he fares in the Immortal Realm,” Wei Chenguang sighed.

“Yes, time really flies,” Kong Jiyuan nodded.

“Elders, now is not the time for sighing. The spiritual spring in the Blessed Land is on the verge of drying up. Although the Spirit-Gathering Formation replenishes a little every day, it is far from enough. At this rate, in no time the spiritual energy here will be exhausted, and everyone’s cultivation will be hindered,” Zhang Yuanbao pointed out gravely.

“Master Mei, how is your research progressing? About how much longer until you achieve a breakthrough?” Wei Chenguang asked.

Mei Qing shook her head. “Although we’ve made some theoretical progress, it will still take a long time to develop anything practical on a large scale. It’s unlikely we’ll succeed before the spiritual spring runs dry.”

Ji Jiaxin asked, “If we start rationing the spiritual spring now, how long could we last?”

“If we ration strictly and add in the daily recovery, we could last a year, perhaps a year and a half. But rationing is dangerous. Some people in the sect are already restless. I worry trouble may arise,” Kong Fangzhou said with concern.

“Restless? Isn’t that perfect? I recall Jiaohua took the opportunity to purge some in the past. If anyone dares stir trouble now, this will be the time to cleanse Meishan Sect again. What we need are loyal disciples, not ingrates,” Qi Xia said with a cold smile.

Zhang Yuanbao slammed the table. “Qi Xia is right! We mustn’t show mercy to such people. Some think Jiaohua won’t return from the Immortal Realm—they’re wrong. You all know what kind of person Jiaohua is. I’m certain he’s working hard to open a path for us to the Immortal Realm. But imagine if he returned only to find Meishan Sect destroyed—wouldn’t he reconsider everything? Even if they succeed in seizing the sect, what would they gain? Wealth? What use is money to cultivators? What matters is loyalty to Meishan. As long as we—the core members, elders, hall masters, and core disciples—remain steadfast, no storm from below can shake us. For anyone who dares, kill without mercy!”

Wei Chenguang stood. “Anyone who dares undermine our foundation, I, Wei Chenguang, will not allow it. I swear the Wei family’s disciples will never waver in loyalty to Meishan Sect.”

Kong Jiyuan also stood. “My Kong family also has no second thoughts. Whoever betrays Meishan Sect, we will fight them to the death.”

Those attending were the backbone of the sect, the strongest cultivators, the pillars of Meishan. As long as they stood firm, Meishan Sect could not be shaken.

“There is, in fact, another way to ease our current crisis,” Zhang Yuanbao said.

“What way?” Wei Chenguang asked quickly.

Everyone turned their eyes to him.

“Before Jiaohua left for the Immortal Realm, he told me about something. In Meishan there’s another secret realm, where the spiritual spring hasn’t yet dried up. If we can take that secret realm, it might buy Master Mei enough time to finish her research.” Zhang Yuanbao revealed the existence of the hidden realm deep within Meishan. Few in the sect knew of it, and only Zhang Jiaohua had entered it before.

“However, it’s very dangerous. The spirit beasts inside are extremely powerful. Jiaohua told me not to risk it unless we had no other choice. But now… I think we’re almost at that point.” Zhang Yuanbao laid out the map Zhang Jiaohua had drawn.