10. Recruitment

Chapter 10: Recruitment

Cultivation scriptures are classified into Mortal-grade, Earth-grade, Sky-grade and some other higher grades which I don't really have the qualifications to know. Mortal grade scriptures mostly deal with the Blindness and Qi refinement stage of cultivation. Earth grade scriptures go from zero up to the Foundation establishment or Core formation. Sky grade scriptures provide further instructions on how to achieve the Awakening and Adaptation stages which come after Core formation. Above that, my guess is as good as anyone else's.

The Earth Rune Cultivation method is one of the five common rune cultivation methods for core formation cultivators in the sect. In other words, it's an average earth grade scripture.

The Spirit Sword Cultivation method is a spirit cultivation method unique to the Li clan. Although it has the higher Sky grade, I am not able to cultivate it in the core formation stage. Otherwise why would I have been kicked out from the clan?

That only leaves me with the Chaotic Core Scripture. It was quite a unique find, and I had gotten it from outside the sect so I definitely can't go asking around in the Hall of Knowledge about it. Not only did I break the sect's rules by not handing a copy of it to the Hall of knowledge when I had acquired it, but the trip that I took at that time was an unofficial trip that was not sanctioned. The cosmic path sect doesn't allow its disciples to leave the sect unless they fill in paperwork and get their trips sanctioned. In any case, that's a story for another time.

Opening it up, I began to read. The first thing I noticed was that it ignored all the stages before core formation.

[Chaotic Core Scripture]

[Introduction]

[The chaotic core scripture is a method of cultivating a chaos core from a blank core. Unlike any of the main five core types, a chaotic core is not restricted to only one path; instead it needs to be formed using multiple cultivation styles. The requirements are abnormally high and not recommended for those who do not have any talent and wish to seek a shortcut to eternity. The cultivator attempting to cultivate using the chaotic core scripture must be a core formation cultivator with a blank core. Once this first requirement is met, you may choose one of the following three ways to cultivate.

[4-Path Core]

Cultivate four paths simultaneously: Dao, rune, body or soul, and faith

[5-Path Core]

Cultivate five paths simultaneously: Dao, rune, body or soul, spirit, and faith

 [6-Path Core]

Cultivate six paths simultaneously: Dao, rune, body, soul, spirit, and faith

I felt my eyebrows twitch involuntarily.

You have got to be joking. Even the option with the least requirements needs me to cultivate four different paths simultaneously! Before today, I was struggling with only one path! To make things worse, all three of those choices need me to cultivate faith. Although cultivation of faith wasn't one of the five main ways to cultivate!

I, who had stumbled upon the ruins of a long lost sect during one of my many unlawful trips outside, had more than just some basic understanding of faith cultivation. Very quickly, I took out one of the scrolls in my storage ring and opened it up.

[Faith Cultivation: An Emperor's Path]

[Introduction]

Faith energy is a type of abstract energy that naturally forms in every cultivator's core, regardless of which cultivation path they have chosen. As long the cultivator relies on someone or trusts someone to a certain extent, they will have some faith energy in their core. This is why when cultivators get betrayed they either temporarily gain some strength or lose some strength.

For a cultivator to attempt to ascend to eternity using the path of faith cultivation, he must recruit followers who have the utmost trust in him and he must cultivate their faith. When a follower's trust is broken or stolen, the cultivation regresses.

I had already been through this entire scroll but I just wanted to reread the introduction to remind myself how unstable faith cultivation was.

There's no way. There is absolutely no way I can ever cultivate faith successfully.

Sighing, I rolled up the scrolls and put them back into my storage ring. I would have to think about that particular issue some other time.

Right now it's about time I went to join the San faction.

The sun was just rising, casting a golden hue over the surrounding landscape. Disciples from all over the sect had gathered, most of who had only just advanced into the foundation establishment stage. There were a couple of qi refinement cultivators as well but the number of core formation cultivators that had to come to the san faction to join up was truly low.

To be fair, there's a reason for this. Qi refinement cultivators were supposed to train on the outer sect until they reached foundation establishment before they could join a mountain or hall, there are some exceptions but mostly this is the rule. So usually cultivators will reach the core formation stage after already joining a faction. This is the reason why core formation cultivators are so scarce in the faction recruitment grounds. The exceptions like me are those who are switching factions instead of joining a faction for the first time.

Finally, it was my turn. I stepped forward and bowed to the elder in charge.

"You're from the Li clan? Why do you want to switch over to the san faction?" He asked without a hint of emotion.

"My name is Li Feng," I said. "I am untalented in the spirit cultivation method and cannot cultivate as a member of the Li clan anymore or I would fail to advance."

The elder nodded and gestured to a small platform in the center of the grounds. "Please step onto the platform," he said.

I walked onto the platform and stood in the center. The elder took out a small jade tablet and placed it on my forehead.

A moment later, I felt a surge of energy flow through me. The jade tablet began to glow brightly, and I could sense a foreign entity observing my body.

After a few seconds, the jade tablet stopped glowing. The elder removed it from my forehead and examined it closely.

"Core formation, blank core," He finally popped a little smile this time, "Welcome to the san faction. You will wait until the recruitment is over and follow me after to sort out your living quarters."