"This Cultivation Technique is of great significance to our Sect... We will credit you with ten thousand contribution points and grant the Bai Family one opportunity to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill."
Sect Leader Wei stood with his hands clasped behind his back, pacing back and forth. The very air in the Ancestor Hall seemed to grow heavy with his movements.
"Within the next ten years, the Bai Family may come to our Sect at any time and purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill for fifteen thousand Spirit Stones."
"However, I require you to swear a Heart Demon Oath that the Bai Family will never pass the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique to any outsider."
For a Cultivator on the Heartless Dao, one who doesn't seek to advance their cultivation, a Heart Demon Oath is nothing but empty words.
They could swear any oath without consequence.
However, the more profound a Cultivator's cultivation, the more seriously they took it.
To break such an oath would, at best, result in being plagued by a Heart Demon and having one's cultivation stagnate. At worst, it could lead to Qigong Deviation, mangled meridians, and being reduced to a cripple.
"Any Cultivator of the Bai Family who dares to pass on the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique shall suffer the backlash of a Heart Demon, and their path to the Great Dao shall be severed!"
Hearing that the reward included the right to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill, Bai Xianzhong's heart blazed with excitement.
The going rate for a Foundation Establishment Pill was around fifteen thousand Spirit Stones. But for an ordinary Cultivator, the real difficulties weren't the Spirit Stones, but finding a way to buy one and then managing to keep it safe.
Being forced to swear a Heart Demon Oath was certainly galling, but his hands were tied by the circumstances.
He had already intended to make the Desolate God Stealing Sun Technique the Clan's most guarded secret, known only to the successive Clan Leaders and Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Gritting his teeth, he swore the Heart Demon Oath.
If one were truly determined not to abide by it, there were plenty of loopholes.
The simplest method was to pass on the Cultivation Technique just before one's death. 'What could the Celestial Dao do to me then?'
Thus, the Heart Demon Oath was only a limited deterrent.
What the Qingfeng Sect wanted was a show of deference.
"Excellent! That is for the best. I trust that the Bai Family will become a close partner of our Sect from now on."
Sect Leader Wei clapped his hands once, signaling for Elder Peng to see them out.
"Patriarch Bai, feel free to take a close look at the exchange list. Twelve thousand contribution points... that's no small sum. The previous few clans combined didn't earn that much."
"Junior Brother Peng will explain the specific exchange rules to you."
Just as the three members of the Bai Family were about to follow Elder Peng out of the Ancestor Hall, Sect Leader Wei added, as if the thought had just struck him, "Oh, right. You're Bai Zichen, correct? In five years, our Sect will be opening its gates to recruit new disciples. If you are interested, you may join the Sect directly. I will grant you the status of an Inner Sect Disciple. The same offer extends to the young lady as well."
"I am deeply honored. Thank you for valuing me so highly, Sect Leader Wei."
Bai Zichen, who had been a mere spectator throughout the entire exchange, was startled to be singled out. He quickly turned and bowed but did not give a direct answer.
Seeing that Sect Leader Wei had no intention of saying more, the three of them slowly withdrew.
"The Sect Leader actually made an exception for you two! You've hit the jackpot, kid. As long as you become a disciple of our Sect, your future promotion to a True Disciple is practically guaranteed!"
Elder Peng kept his eyes fixed on Bai Zichen. Although Wei Dao had mentioned two people, anyone with a discerning eye could tell who the real target of the offer was.
The disciples of the Qingfeng Sect were divided into four distinct ranks, each with a clear hierarchy: servant disciple, Outer Sect Disciple, Inner Sect Disciple, and True Disciple.
Each time the Qingfeng Sect opened its gates for recruitment, it would accept several hundred disciples. Most of these were Loose Cultivators who already had some foundation in Cultivation.
The Qingfeng Sect wouldn't turn away those with a clean background and no history of misdeeds, even if their Spiritual Roots were poor and their cultivation was weak, so long as they were devoted to the Sect. These individuals became servant disciples, the lowest of the ranks.
As the name suggested, aside from the title of "Qingfeng Sect disciple," they enjoyed few benefits and were required to perform a host of tedious chores.
Tasks like patrolling Mortal Cities, mapping mountain ranges, feeding Spirit Beasts, tending to Spirit Plants, and mining Ore Veins were all extremely time-consuming and exhausting.
But for these Loose Cultivators, being able to obtain a decent Cultivation Technique, a safe and peaceful environment, and a place to practice with abundant Spiritual Qi, all for the mere price of their labor, was a stroke of supreme fortune.
Joining the Qingfeng Sect as a servant disciple was the greatest dream for many low-level Loose Cultivators in Black Mountain, a feat they jokingly called "leaping the Dragon Gate."
As for Outer Sect Disciples, they were typically children with superior Spiritual Roots who had not yet begun to practice Cultivation, like blank slates.
If a Loose Cultivator with existing skills wished to join, they needed to have at least a Mid-Layer Qi Refining Cultivation and proficiency in one of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation to even qualify as an Outer Sect Disciple.
In the eyes of the Qingfeng Sect's leadership, only those who reached the rank of Outer Sect Disciple were considered true disciples of the Sect.
They received basic Sect benefits, attended monthly lectures by Stewards at the Qi Refining Great Perfection stage who imparted their cultivation experience, and even had the chance to be noticed by one of the Foundation Establishment Elders and taken on as a personal disciple.
Upon passing the sect's internal competition, they could become Inner Sect Disciples, just as Sect Leader Wei had mentioned.
Disciples of the Qingfeng Sect rarely remained as Inner Sect Disciples for more than a few years. They would either achieve a breakthrough and join the ranks of True Disciples, or, upon reaching a certain age, they would transition into new roles, becoming ordinary Stewards with the potential to eventually become Steward Elders.
As for True Disciples, there were never more than ten in each generation. The Sect prioritized quality over quantity, so it was common for some of these positions to remain vacant.
Every True Disciple was considered a Foundation Establishment Seed and received the full, focused support of the Qingfeng Sect.
A Foundation Establishment Seed in the eyes of the Qingfeng Sect was not like the title casually handed out within Cultivation Families; these individuals had a genuinely high chance of successfully reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
And the primary requirement to become a True Disciple was to reach Late-Stage Qi Refining Cultivation before the age of twenty-five.
"Sect Leader Wei was merely being polite," Bai Xianzhong interjected, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Elder Peng, perhaps we could look at the exchange list now?"
"Hmph!"
Having not received the positive response he wanted, Elder Peng snorted in displeasure. He flicked open a long scroll, revealing rows of text that listed the treasures the Qingfeng Sect had made available for exchange.
At the very top of the scroll, listed in the first row, was a Foundation Establishment Pill!
Foundation Establishment Pill, exchange cost: ten thousand contribution points.
'To think the Qingfeng Sect is actually this trustworthy! They really put a Foundation Establishment Pill up as a reward. What a grand gesture!'
Bai Zichen's eyes lit up. Then he remembered that even his Bai Family only had twelve thousand contribution points. The other clans, even if they saw this Foundation Establishment Pill, could only sigh in longing.
'We have enough contribution points to exchange for a Foundation Establishment Pill, but there's currently no one in the Clan under fifty years old at the Qi Refining Great Perfection stage. Besides, Sect Leader Wei already promised us the right to purchase one, so we can afford to look further down the list. No need to be hasty.'
Clan Leader Bai Xianzhong apparently had a similar idea. After his breathing grew short and rapid for a moment, his gaze slid downwards to browse the other items on the list.
Great Barrier-Breaking Pill, exchange cost: one thousand five hundred contribution points.
An enhanced version of the Barrier-Breaking Pill, intended for Foundation Establishment Cultivators. It has some effect in breaking through the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment bottleneck...
Bottle of Spirit Enhancement Pills, exchange cost: six hundred contribution points.
A Tier Two Elixir that enhances one's cultivation. It is effective for anyone below the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment and is highly sought after by Foundation Establishment Cultivators...
Golden Scale Celestial Dragon Slash, a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact, exchange cost: five thousand contribution points.
Purple Agarwood, a Tier Three Spirit Wood, exchange cost: two thousand contribution points.
Red Fire Elemental Copper, a Tier Three Ore, exchange cost: three thousand contribution points.
...
The exchange list was filled with a dazzling array of treasures, from various elixirs to Spiritual Artifacts and raw materials, numbering well over a hundred items in total.
Several lines were marked as "Claimed," presumably having been exchanged by the clans that came before them.