Translator: AnubisTL
Li Qing's speech essentially laid the groundwork for the future governance and laws of the Azure Ridge Domain.
The regulations weren't overly strict, and the Clan Heads of the various cultivation clans couldn't help but breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Overall, their circumstances would remain largely unchanged, not significantly different from their previous status quo.
In other words, the Lingyun Sect would take the lion's share, but if the clans contributed their efforts, the sect would be willing to let them share in the spoils.
The spirit gold veins and other resources currently under their management would continue to be mined by the clans, with the tribute ratio remaining the same as what they had previously paid to the Shangqing Sect.
This assurance alone brought immense relief to the Clan Heads, who reasoned that such terms were acceptable.
However, Li Qing added a crucial clarification:
Going forward, anyone who discovered new spirit gold or Spirit Stone mines, or other mineral resources, and felt unable to protect them, could notify the Lingyun Sect.
The sect would guarantee their security, take no share of the first three months' mining profits, and provide ongoing protection in exchange for only fifty percent of future yields.
"Doesn't this mean that if we discover a new spirit gold or Spirit Stone Mine and report it to the Lingyun Sect, we could directly establish a cultivation clan?"
"Heh, the Azure Ridge Domain has already been thoroughly explored. Finding a new mine won't be easy!"
"True. This decision by the Lingyun Sect is likely just to give rogue cultivators some encouragement, right?"
"That doesn't really matter to us. It won't affect our clans much."
The Clan Heads of the other cultivation clans present didn't give it much thought, dismissing it as a gesture by the Lingyun Sect to offer some hope to the lowly rogue cultivators. They didn't take it seriously at all.
However, the rogue cultivators in the qi refining realm who were observing the founding ceremony from the periphery erupted into a clamorous uproar.
As rogue cultivators themselves, they knew firsthand the hardships of surviving in the cultivation world.
Even if they struck gold one day and discovered an unclaimed spirit gold or Spirit Stone Mine, it would be both a blessing and a curse.
The blessing was that such a mine would undoubtedly sustain them for life.
The curse was that with their meager cultivation levels, they would be unable to protect it!
As more mining was conducted, clues would inevitably surface, attracting the attention of those with ulterior motives.
This precarious happiness offered little security. Even if someone seized their wealth by force, they would have no recourse for complaint, and might even lose their lives in the process.
But now, the Lingyun Sect's promise offered them a second path.
With the Lingyun Sect as guarantor, they could secure a steady stream of profits without fearing for their safety.
If they accumulated enough wealth in the future, they could even consider establishing a cultivation clan, sustaining themselves solely from the mine.
After all, the Lingyun Sect was the most powerful sect in the Azure Ridge Domain. With their backing, absolute trust was assured!
Moreover, the fact that an ancestor personally made this declaration and commitment during the founding ceremony carried immense weight.
"Hiss... It seems we can't just immerse ourselves in secluded cultivation in our cave abodes anymore. We should venture out more often."
"Exactly! If we actually stumbled upon a Spirit Stone Mine rich in resources, we'd be set for life!"
"With the Lingyun Sect guaranteeing it, we don't have to worry about others trying to take advantage."
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy. The spirit gold veins in the Azure Ridge Domain have probably been mostly mined out by now!"
"Hahahaha! In this regard, the Lingyun Sect is far superior to the Shangqing Sect. If it were the Shangqing Sect, they'd likely offer us a pittance and send us on our way."
"..."
The rogue cultivators began to discuss animatedly, their excitement palpable. Clearly, they were deeply interested in this opportunity.
For those at the bottom of the immortal cultivation world, who wouldn't want a stable source of income?
Li Qing, seated high on the platform, showed little emotion after delivering his announcement.
While many cultivation clans might dismiss his words as baseless speculation, Li Qing knew better.
In recent days, he had sensed a subtle increase in the concentration of heaven and earth spiritual energy in the Azure Ridge Domain.
Previously, he couldn't perceive this change so clearly, but since his divine sense had grown stronger, his perception had sharpened considerably.
"The spiritual energy concentration is rising, albeit very slightly. But it's definitely a trend."
"It seems this realm, after a period of decline, is finally beginning to show subtle signs of change," Li Qing murmured to himself, keeping his discovery to himself.
If this trend continued, the Azure Ridge Domain would inevitably become more suitable for cultivation, perhaps one day even rivaling the Great Wilderness Domain.
Of course, this would take a long time, but at least it was a promising direction.
His task was to ensure the Lingyun Sect reaped the greatest benefits from this transformation.
This subtle shift could only be perceived by divine sense approaching the nascent soul realm, and currently, the Azure Ridge Domain likely lacked such beings.
The increasing spiritual energy density meant the realm might soon yield abundant cultivation resources: Spirit Stone Mines, spirit gold veins, and rare spirit herbs, among others.
Moreover, the Azure Ridge Domain's Dao would become more accommodating.
Could this mean that breaking through to the nascent soul realm would become easier in the future?
Li Qing merely pondered this briefly. As a mid Core Formation Realm cultivator, he couldn't afford to dwell on such distant prospects.
During the founding ceremony, Li Qing made another crucial announcement: a domain-wide manhunt for any surviving remnants of the Shangqing Sect.
Whether foundation establishment elders or qi refining disciples who had managed to escape, he intended to spare none, aiming to capture them all and bring them to justice.
This task would require the full cooperation of every cultivator in the Azure Ridge Domain.
Not a single threat could be left unchecked!
Li Qing's gaze turned icy, his resolve unwavering.
With that, the founding ceremony officially concluded.
Li Qing rose to his feet, his voice ringing out across the domain: "I hereby declare the Lingyun Sect formally established, effective immediately!"
As his resounding declaration echoed for miles, every cultivator present bowed deeply with reverence, paying their respects.
Immediately after Li Qing's announcement, the Clan Heads of the various cultivation clans rushed forward to present their congratulatory gifts.
"The Lin Clan congratulates the newly established sect, wishing it eternal prosperity and the immortal dao everlasting glory!" Lin Xiaonan, accompanied by his eldest son and daughter, presented a lavish gift to the Lingyun Sect.
The other Clan Heads followed suit, offering their congratulations and presenting congratulatory gifts.
Amidst the joyous atmosphere, the Lingyun Sect's founding ceremony gradually drew to a close.
Li Qing watched the proceedings expressionlessly, then couldn't resist glancing back toward the depths of the mountain gate, in the direction of the spirit peaks where the sect's other ancestors were in secluded cultivation.
"Sigh, these fellows have truly mastered the art of being hands-off shopkeepers."
Li Qing found himself powerless to change their ways.
However, this only strengthened his resolve to appoint a sect leader in the future. His ambition lay in the Great Dao, and he had no desire to let trivial matters hinder his cultivation.
Moreover, the Azure Ridge Domain was likely to become even more conducive to cultivation in the coming years, making it all the more crucial for him to seize this opportunity.
Finally, with the founding ceremony concluded, the next event on the agenda was the ascension conference.
This ascension conference was likely to be the most grand and widely anticipated event of its kind in the Azure Ridge Domain in nearly a century.
This time, the Lingyun Sect planned to recruit hundreds of immortal seeds in one go!
Moreover, with the founding ceremony having just concluded, the eyes of countless Immortal Dao Clans and rogue cultivators from across the Azure Ridge Domain were fixed on the event.
Such a grand ascension conference naturally drew the attention of the Clan Heads of these Immortal Dao Clans, who were eager to observe the quality of the immortal seeds being presented.
New disciples were the lifeblood of a sect, representing its future.
The ascension conference wasn't held in the main hall plaza, but rather on the Martial Arts Arenas scattered throughout the sect grounds.
This was necessary due to the sheer number of participants. Conducting individual matches would have dragged on for an eternity.
To save time, the initial screening rounds were conducted in large batches.
"I heard over two thousand rogue cultivators in the qi refining realm alone have registered for the ascension conference."
"And there are quite a few promising talents among them."
The ascension conference officially began. One by one, rogue cultivators aspiring to join the Lingyun Sect stepped onto the arenas to challenge their opponents.
Li Qing narrowed his eyes slightly, unleashing his vast spiritual sense to observe the rogue cultivators vying to join the Lingyun Sect.
"Hmm, that one looks so young, yet he's already at the seventh layer of qi refining. Could he really be just a rogue cultivator?"
Below the arena, foundation establishment realm Clan Heads were also scrutinizing the participants, and they indeed spotted some promising cultivation prospects.
Some were already at the late qi refining realm despite their youth, while others displayed astonishingly refined spellcasting techniques, their combat prowess defying expectations. One mid qi refining realm cultivator even defeated a late qi refining realm opponent!
On one of the Martial Arts Arenas, a cultivator even unveiled a top-grade magical artifact!
This spectacle instantly drew widespread attention, with even some foundation establishment realm cultivators narrowing their eyes, a peculiar glint appearing in their gazes.
Top-grade magical artifacts were exceedingly rare, even considered supreme treasures within their own cultivation clans.
The surprises didn't end there. A mid qi refining realm cultivator possessed a physique so formidable, rivaling that of a humanoid Demon beast. He bulldozed through multiple opponents, attracting considerable attention.
Martial Dao cultivators always drew attention and awe, no matter where they fought.
Soon, on one of the Martial Arts Arena platforms, lightning suddenly flashed and thunder roared.
Crackling!
The spectacle quickly caught the attention of many onlookers.
At first, they assumed someone had activated a Thunder Dao Talisman, but they soon realized their mistake.
This was a cultivator wielding Thunder Technique, summoning thunder with their own mana.
"That's... a thunder spirit root!"
Someone exclaimed in astonishment, revealing the cultivator's secret and causing a wave of murmurs to ripple through the crowd.
A variant spirit root had appeared at the ascension conference, and it seemed to belong to a rogue cultivator!
A thunder spirit root was an incredibly rare find.
Cultivators with such a spirit root were destined to possess extraordinary combat prowess, especially since Thunder Technique was renowned for its devastating destructive power.
Watching this exceptionally talented rogue cultivator sweep through the ascension conference like a hot knife through butter, even Li Qing couldn't help but reveal a hint of satisfaction.
The quality of participants at this ascension conference was truly remarkable! To discover a variant spirit root was an exceedingly rare occurrence.
The cultivator with the thunder spirit root was a young girl, barely out of her teens, with the naive air of someone new to the world.
In the following rounds, she fought relentlessly, winning every match!
But in the final promotion round, she faced a formidable opponent:
A white-robed youth with an unwavering gaze. Even against a thunder spirit root, he showed no trace of fear.
"Thunderbolt Technique!"
Boom!
The girl cried out, her slender fingers snapping together as she summoned several arm-thick bolts of lightning that struck the youth directly.
The lightning moved too fast for the seventh-layer qi refining youth to evade. He could only endure the onslaught.
After enduring several strikes, his once-pristine white robes were now tattered and torn, leaving him looking utterly disheveled.
Yet the white-robed youth refused to fall. He immediately produced two medicinal pills and swallowed them whole.
In the next instant, the youth's aura surged violently, instantly reaching the tenth layer of qi refining, and even faintly surpassing it.
A sudden mutation occurred, and the thunder spirit root girl's expression changed drastically. Clearly lacking combat experience, she had rarely encountered such a situation.
The white-robed youth erupted with power, unleashing a series of formidable spells that relentlessly suppressed the thunder spirit root girl, leaving her unable to retaliate.
Boom! Boom!
Finally, the thunder spirit root girl stumbled, unknowingly forced off the Martial Arts Arena and tumbling to the ground.
Having accomplished this, the drug-enhanced white-robed youth could no longer maintain his stance, collapsing to one knee, clearly burdened by the strain.
The thunder spirit root girl, who had fallen from the dao platform, wore a look of bitter resentment. "This isn't fair!" she protested. "You relied on external means!"
The white-robed youth retorted defiantly, "I refined this elixir myself. How can it be considered an external means?"
The thunder spirit root girl was momentarily speechless, never expecting to lose here. She immediately turned to the Lingyun Sect elder overseeing the dao platform and pleaded, "Senior, I demand a rematch! I refuse to be eliminated like this!"
The elder overseeing the dao platform competition hesitated slightly at these words.
In his eyes, it would indeed be a pity to eliminate such a promising talent with a thunder spirit root.
Seeing the Lingyun Sect elder's hesitation, the young man grew anxious. His mana was nearly exhausted, and the side effects of the medicinal pill he'd taken were surging. How could he possibly win another battle against this young woman?
"Senior, I clearly won just now, before everyone's eyes!" the white-robed youth argued resolutely.
The elder now found himself in a dilemma.
Fortunately, a light laugh suddenly rang out:
"Hahahaha! Both of you young friends possess extraordinary talent. The Lingyun Sect welcomes all who come!"
"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Both of you may join our sect!"
The speaker was naturally Li Qing, who had immediately sensed the injustice.
It would be utterly inappropriate to treat the white-robed youth unfairly simply to favor a disciple with a thunder spirit root.
What if he held a grudge? Wouldn't that be making an enemy out of thin air?
Upon hearing this, both the white-robed youth and the thunder spirit root girl revealed clear expressions of delight.
Their joy wasn't due to Li Qing's decision just now, but rather because their entire battle had been witnessed by the renowned Ancestor Limitless.
Could this mean they had a chance to become his disciples?
The lively thunder spirit root girl immediately leaped back onto the Martial Arts Arena and bowed deeply in Li Qing's direction.
"Thank you, Senior Limitless!"
"Senior Limitless, would you be willing to accept me as your disciple?"
The girl's boldness was remarkable. In such a formal setting, she showed no hesitation, directly requesting to become the disciple of a core formation true lord.
A thunder spirit root—that's quite a promising talent.
Li Qing chuckled inwardly, preparing to decline on the grounds that he wasn't proficient in Thunder Techniques. But then he noticed a rusty iron ring on her wrist.
This is...
(End of the Chapter)
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