Chapter 34: Three Rivers Society Recruitment, Foundation Establishment Opportunity
Chapter 34: The Three Rivers Recruitment, Foundation Establishment Opportunity
Outside the cave dwelling, as Lü Yang broke through, intelligence about him quickly landed on the desks of those with vested interests. His background and origins were thoroughly investigated in no time.
Just as Lü Yang had anticipated, his origins could only be described in four words:
Rooted in orthodoxy, tainted by darkness.
Every year, the Saint Sect recruited new disciples. Lü Yang had officially joined after the Pleasure Hall's "Senior Sister Chao" died, then made a fortune speculating on Substitute Death Yin Puppets before retreating into seclusion.
"He's an ascetic cultivator."
Looking at the materials on the table, a female cultivator with a rosy yet stern face—her sharp gaze brimming with determination—couldn't help but sigh in admiration. She was also at the late stage of Qi Refining, but unlike Lü Yang, who had just broken through, her cultivation had already reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining, just one step away from the tenth layer's perfection!
The female cultivator was named Feixia, and she was quite renowned within the Saint Sect.
Not only for her beauty but also because she was one of the rare talisman cultivators in the sect. Her skill in crafting talismans had even earned her the favor of a Saint Sect Elder.
"Merely being an ascetic cultivator wouldn't get him to the late stage of Qi Refining."
Beside Fairy Feixia, a young man dressed in scholarly robes and holding a feather fan smiled faintly. "He made a fortune speculating on Substitute Death Yin Puppets yet remained low-key."
"This shows he's also a cautious and intelligent man."
"Naturally, that makes sense."
Fairy Feixia sighed softly. "For ordinary disciples like us to rise, talent, caution, intelligence, and courage... none can be lacking."
"So, it's settled?"
Fairy Feixia nodded. "I'll recommend him. Breaking through to the late stage of Qi Refining in just ten years—our Three Rivers Association needs talents like him."
Inside the cave dwelling, Lü Yang sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion.
Before him lay over a dozen recruitment letters, each extending an olive branch. They promised lavish gifts—ranging from cauldron companions and cultivation techniques to divine abilities, treasures, and pills—if he joined their factions.
"I didn't pay attention in my previous lives... I never realized there were so many factions within the Saint Sect..."
Generally, any disciple who reached the late stage of Qi Refining could form a sizable faction within the sect—just like Liu Xin had done in Lü Yang's second-to-last life.
Lü Yang wasn't surprised by this.
After all, a sect without factions was a rare oddity. The Saint Sect was vast, and it was impossible for everyone to be of one mind. People inevitably banded together based on shared interests.
Of course, most of these factions were rootless driftwood, lacking any real foundation.
The ones truly capable of recruiting him were factions established by Elders or even True Disciples of the Saint Sect. Their offers were relatively more credible.
But that was all.
"I overestimated myself." Lü Yang shook his head. The conditions offered by the major factions were indeed generous—some even promised tens of thousands of Contribution Points.
Yet ironically, he wasn't short on money.
After all, he still hadn't spent all the Contribution Points he'd earned from speculating on Substitute Death Yin Puppets.
What he lacked wasn't wealth but access—the kind that would allow him to truly connect with the Saint Sect's middle ranks and acquire items normally beyond his reach.
Just as Lü Yang was deep in thought, the formation outside his cave trembled abruptly.
He looked up to see the Illumination Formation he'd set up at the cave entrance flaring brilliantly, casting radiant light that outlined a curvaceous, graceful silhouette.
It was Fairy Feixia.
"Junior Brother Lü, you know formations too?" Fairy Feixia glanced around at the glowing formation patterns in surprise, her delicate face showing unexpected delight.
Lü Yang cupped his hands respectfully. "Senior Sister, what brings you here?"
Fairy Feixia didn't beat around the bush. She returned the greeting gracefully. "I am Feixia, a steward of the Saint Sect's Three Rivers Association. I've come specifically for you."
"Oh? Senior Sister, please..."
Lü Yang hurriedly invited her in while his mind raced. The Three Rivers Association—wasn't that Zhao Xuhe's faction? They were actually here to recruit him?
Lü Yang had never paid much attention to the Three Rivers Association, but he knew Zhao Xuhe was a member. More importantly, as a disciple of the Mending Heaven Peak Master, Zhao Xuhe seemed to be only a mid-to-low-ranking member. That alone spoke volumes about the association's prestige.
"Forgive my ignorance, Senior Sister, but what exactly is the Three Rivers Association...?"
Lü Yang asked cautiously. Fairy Feixia wasn't surprised by his question and smiled. "The Three Rivers Association was established by three True Disciple senior brothers."
"The eldest senior brother is already a Foundation Establishment True Person and has opened his own peak within the Cloud Sea."
"The second and third senior brothers haven't reached Foundation Establishment yet, but both have refined Third-Grade True Qi and stand at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, poised to break through at any moment."
"I heard you, Junior Brother Lü, also come from humble origins as an ordinary disciple. You must understand how difficult the early stages are for us. The three senior brothers, like us, rose from poverty. After achieving success, they founded the Three Rivers Association to help ordinary disciples overcome those early hardships."
"I see." Lü Yang feigned admiration. "The three senior brothers are truly virtuous."
Bullshit!
If he hadn't personally borrowed from the Three Rivers Association in previous lives and witnessed their 36% annual interest rates, he might have actually believed this spiel.
Lü Yang inwardly scoffed. He was never one to act without seeing tangible benefits, so he naturally wouldn't make a hasty decision based solely on Fairy Feixia's words. He cautiously probed further:
"It's an honor to be invited to join the Three Rivers Association. But... what exactly are the terms?"
"You needn't worry about that, Junior Brother."
Fairy Feixia replied frankly, "If you're willing to join, I can immediately grant you a True Disciple-level divine ability secret technique."
"Members receive an annual stipend of Contribution Points."
"And if you have the funds, you can also use the association's True Disciple privileges to purchase desired items or even seek guidance from the three senior brothers."
"Of course, there are requirements."
At this point, Fairy Feixia produced a jade slip and placed it before Lü Yang. "All members must sign a contract and leave behind a drop of vital blood..."
"That's simple."
Lü Yang glanced at the contract. It contained the usual clauses—confidentiality obligations and the like—common to all factions. Some might feel such constraints robbed them of freedom, but Lü Yang couldn't care less. He signed his name without hesitation.
It's only binding for this lifetime anyway—it won't affect the next.
In fact, Lü Yang wished the restrictions were even stricter. That way, he'd be more likely to be treated as an insider and receive better resources.
Seeing Lü Yang's decisiveness, Fairy Feixia nodded approvingly.
"Next, Junior Brother, please take out your Saint Sect disciple token. I'll place a restriction on it, allowing it to function within the association henceforth."
"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Sister."
Lü Yang produced his token. With a swift hand seal from Fairy Feixia, a talisman imprint was infused into it, instantly unlocking a new section.
"Talisman-crafting techniques..."
Lü Yang's eyes gleamed. Though he was now a ninth-grade formation master and could infer some principles of talisman-making by analogy, he still lacked true understanding.
To him, a talisman was essentially a simplified, temporary miniature formation.
This is good stuff... I want to learn it.
A moment later, watching her talisman-crafting technique, Lü Yang finally remembered who Fairy Feixia was. He'd heard of her in his second-to-last life.
"She's Zhao Xuhe's dao companion..." Lü Yang mused. "In my second-to-last life, while studying formations, I heard she and Zhao Xuhe became dao companions. Both were at Qi Refining Perfection and shone brightly on the battlefield between orthodox and demonic sects. They even attempted Foundation Establishment together... but failed and perished afterward..."
At this thought, Lü Yang's eyes lit up.
The key wasn't their failure and subsequent demise—but the fact that they'd had a chance to attempt Foundation Establishment in the first place. That implied a Foundation Establishment opportunity was involved!