Chapter 282: Invincible Among Peers
As soon as the news of the Four Great Sacred Lands jointly recruiting disciples across various regions spread, Dan Yuan Peak experienced a surge in applicants.
The applicants were primarily internal personnel from the Medical Affairs Department and cultivators from the vicinity of the Capital City.
Knowing they couldn’t stop Hua Changxi from recruiting, the Royal Family and the Noble Families were straightforward, directly releasing a batch of cultivators who wished to study medicine and alchemy.
Although after joining the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, these individuals would prioritize the interests of the Dan Sheng Hall, they still originated from them, so some goodwill could be expected.
Dingyuan Earl’s Mansion.
Earl Hua sighed, “I didn’t expect Hua Jiuniang to break through the encirclement of the Royal Family and nobles and win this round.”
Hua Shizi also had a complex expression, “The Hua family did not choose to support Hua Jiuniang from the beginning. Now, even if we intend to get close, we probably won’t gain much.”
Earl Hua, however, did not see it that way, “Hua Jiuniang is still of Hua family blood. Some things cannot be severed just because she wishes to.” As he spoke, he took out two bottles of pills submitted by his two granddaughters.
These were the monthly allowances received by Hua Shuran and Hua Wanyue: one bottle was a First Rank Spirit Origin Pill to improve cultivation, and the other was a First Rank healing pill for strengthening the foundation and nourishing the vital energy.
Both bottles were First Rank Supreme-grade Pills!
Outsiders might think Hua Changxi was isolated and weak, but if she could distribute so many First Rank Supreme-grade Pills to her apprentices, she must have a large number of Alchemists following her.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to supply so many pills.
Earl Hua believed that Hua Changxi was the successor of the Dan Sheng Hall, and moreover, the representative put forward to the public.
With this thought, Earl Hua looked at Hua Shizi, “Previously, the clansmen Hua Sanlang brought to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm did not have very good Spiritual Roots. This time, any clansmen who wish to study medicine and alchemy are permitted to register.”
Before, although the Heavenly Department Minister led the way and sent a group of retired Demon Suppressing Army soldiers to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, he was still not optimistic about Hua Changxi.
Therefore, he only sent some clansmen with less favorable Spiritual Roots to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm with Hua Sanlang as a show of support.
But now, since Hua Changxi was the representative of the Dan Sheng Hall’s successor, joining the Dan Yuan Secret Realm was the most legitimate channel to enter the Dan Sheng Hall.
“Right, also notify our relatives and friends in the clan. If anyone wishes to join the Dan Yuan Secret Realm, tell them to come over and register with the clan members.”
“This time, let Hua Silang and Hua Qiniang lead the team for registration.”
“Hua Silang and Hua Qiniang grew up with Hua Jiuniang. For the sake of their past relationship, with these two present, I believe Hua Jiuniang will not mistreat our people.”
Hua Shizi nodded in agreement.
Earl Hua was silent for a moment, then added, “When Hua Bin and Hua Minghe arrive later, you need to remind them to invite Hua Jiuniang home more often for gatherings.”
“Human relationships are gradually built through interaction.”
“With their current behavior, meeting Hua Jiuniang only once or twice a year, what kind of relationship can there be?”
He paused.
“Also, after joining Dan Yuan Peak, have Shuran and Hong Rui keep an eye on Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang, and often give them reminders.”
“Hua Bin’s family background is still too humble. Their way of dealing with people might have worked in the past, but now, their value has risen with Hua Jiuniang. If they continue to act and conduct themselves as before, they will be devoured until nothing but bone residue remains.”
“We are to use Hua Jiuniang’s influence to strengthen the Hua clan.”
“Hua Jiuniang has little affection for the clan. Hua Bin’s family is the link between the clan and Hua Jiuniang. Only when Hua Bin’s family prospers can the clan follow suit.”
“You must explain these points clearly to Shuran and Hong Rui. In the future, at Dan Yuan Peak, our clansmen should primarily follow Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang’s lead, and they need to adjust their mindset sooner rather than later.”
Hua Shizi sighed. Nowadays, even the status of the Royal Family was gradually declining, let alone Dingyuan Earl’s Mansion. “Father, don’t worry, I will speak to Shuran and Hong Rui properly.”
Earl Hua also felt reluctant for his grandchildren to curry favor with Hua Bin’s family, who had previously found it difficult to even enter the Earl’s Mansion’s gates. However, circumstances dictated their actions. If bowing and bending could ensure survival and development, then there was no shame in it.
“Cultivation involves cultivating the heart; this can also be considered a form of tempering.”
Marquis Wu Yi’s Mansion. Marquis He was also having a similar conversation with his family.
Marquis He first said to the Marchioness, “From now on, all our mansion’s social engagements must include Hua Wuniang.”
After the Marchioness nodded in agreement, Marquis He looked at Third Master He, “Hua Wuniang still returns to the Hua family too infrequently. Have her bring Xiao Man back to her maternal home more often.”
“Xiao Man was delivered by his ninth aunt. His ninth aunt cannot possibly watch him, who has no Spiritual Root, live his entire life as a mortal.”
Because of Hua Wuniang’s existence, Third Master He’s status in the Marquis’s Mansion had significantly improved. “The Hua family has a special medicinal bath formula to enhance physique. I will instruct Wuniang to try and obtain it for Xiao Man.”
He paused.
“If there’s an opportunity, I will also have Wuniang try to get a medicinal bath formula for the Marquis’s Mansion.”
On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, which was originally the Mid-Autumn Festival for family reunions, the Personnel Department at the foot of Dan Yuan Peak was bustling with activity.
People came to register continuously, keeping Pharmacist Xu and the seven individuals including Hua Shuran extremely busy.
Meanwhile, in Lingguang Hall, after Hua Changxi noticed the Vermilion Bird Army’s lack of enthusiasm in taking on missions, she issued another task.
No, it wasn’t a task; more accurately, it was a recruitment notice.
“Transmission Hall, Training Hall, Logistics Department, Mission Hall are recruiting stewards. The appointment of stewards will be based on the number of missions taken and their completion rate.”
As expected, after this announcement, several groups immediately accepted the mission to ‘investigate the anomaly in Nanxiang County’.
After mobilizing the Vermilion Bird Army’s enthusiasm, Hua Changxi placed a batch of pills in the Pill Repository of the Logistics Department and then prepared to return to the Medical Affairs Department.
After a few days of fermentation, various factions in the Capital City would have likely received news about the display Spiritual Artifacts being deployed in various regions.
This time, Hua Changxi did not use the Teleportation Array. Instead, she took a detour and scouted the skies above Nanxiang County once more before returning to the Capital.
“Hmm?”
While investigating, Hua Changxi detected several distinct Spatial Fluctuations.
Frequent spatial fluctuations, could this mean a Ruin is about to appear?
Hua Changxi had no prior experience with Ruins and was unsure of the phenomena associated with their emergence. “Could it be a Ruin?”
However, there were at least eight or nine areas in Nanxiang County with noticeable spatial fluctuations.
Could so many Ruins appear in just one Nanxiang County?
If so many Ruins were indeed emerging in Nanxiang County, it was certain that during Ancient Times, this Nanxiang County must have been a strategic stronghold.
Thinking of Lingguang Hall, located to the north of Nanxiang County, Hua Changxi’s heart stirred, “Could Nanxiang County be related to the Vermilion Bird?”
Hua Changxi mentally noted the locations of the spatial fluctuations and, without lingering, flew towards the Capital City gates on her cloud.
During her journey, she also spotted quite a few Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators.
“Ten, twenty, thirty!!!”
Along the way, Hua Changxi saw about twenty Nascent Soul Cultivators.
These Nascent Soul Cultivators were either hidden in the mountains and forests or concealed within crowds, effectively blocking all entrances and exits to and from Nanxiang County.
This setup clearly indicated a strict blockade against external cultivators entering Nanxiang County to discover anomalies and seize Ruins!
“Such a grand undertaking…”
Hua Changxi turned her gaze towards the Nanxiang County Office. She had heard that after Lingguang Hall appeared, Nanxiang County was taken over by Prince Fu.
Deploying dozens of Nascent Soul Cultivators at once, the Royal Family’s foundation was indeed quite strong.
With the aid of the Four Diagnostic Methods, Hua Changxi could see through the Dantians of these Nascent Soul Cultivators, ‘seeing’ the amount of Spiritual Energy stored within them.
Upon inspection, she discovered a problem.
The Spiritual Energy stored within these individuals was much less than she had anticipated. Based solely on the amount of stored Spiritual Energy, she alone could defeat more than ten such Nascent Soul Cultivators.
Was it only this batch of Nascent Soul Cultivators whose Spiritual Energy storage was low, or were all other Nascent Soul Cultivators like this?
If other Nascent Soul Cultivators were also like this, then in terms of pure Spiritual Energy, she could be considered invincible among her peers!
Hua Changxi did not alert these Nascent Soul Cultivators and quietly returned to the Capital. Upon arriving at Dan Yuan Peak, she was intercepted by a flustered Pharmacist Xu.
“Hall Master, there are simply too many people coming to register. The eight of us can’t handle it. The Personnel Department requests to recruit more staff.”
