On the road, Tang Liangcai explained the details of Qiu Xuan Mountain as they walked, and Xu Ping listened carefully, periodically asking questions to gain some preliminary understanding of Qiu Xuan Mountain.

Although 'Qiu Xuan Mountain' was established by a Golden Core loose cultivator, its operation model is similar to some sects.

Excluding the mortal servants, 'Qiu Xuan Mountain' has over a thousand people in total.

These Qi Cultivation Stage disciples are divided into outer and inner sects.

Generally speaking, based on cultivation level, those under twenty who enter Late-Stage Qi Cultivation will be promoted to inner sect disciples, provided with the best resources and spiritual land, and need only focus on cultivation without worrying about other matters.

On the other hand, outer sect disciples endure much more hardship, having to handle various chores and engage in production work in addition to cultivation.

The current Tang Liangcai is an outer sect disciple.

"In fact, if we talk about cultivation level, many outer sect disciples are not inferior to inner sect disciples, and there are plenty in Late-Stage Qi Cultivation. It's just that the older ones have little hope of achieving Foundation Establishment," Tang Liangcai couldn't help but add.

Xu Ping maintained a polite smile in response to Tang Liangcai's complaints.

For Qiu Xuan Mountain, these outer sect disciples, although called disciples, are merely tools.

Tang Liangcai quickly adjusted his mood and continued to introduce Xu Ping.

In total, Qiu Xuan Mountain has thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators.

There are only two Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, one of whom is the sect leader's senior brother Hongyi, whom Xu Ping is here to meet.

There are eight Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, with the rest being Early-Stage.

The only Golden Core ancestor in Qiu Xuan Mountain is at the Middle Stage of Golden Core, and at four hundred years old, he is considered to be in his later years according to a Golden Core Cultivator's lifespan.

Listening to Tang Liangcai's account, the image of 'Qiu Xuan Mountain' gradually became clearer in Xu Ping's mind.

...

The two of them walked all the way to the mountain peak.

Xu Ping discovered that it resembled a small cultivation city, with numerous buildings constructed along the mountain, densely packed and arranged in an orderly fashion.

Tang Liangcai led Xu Ping to a hall in a large building, called for a disciple guarding the gate to serve tea, and then bowed and said, "Please wait here for a moment, senior. I will report to the sect leader's senior brother."

"It's no problem!" Xu Ping replied.

After Tang Liangcai left, Xu Ping looked around and noticed luminous arrays on the wooden walls, with a mirror prominently placed above the room, reflecting his figure clearly.

"This mirror...." Xu Ping frowned slightly, appearing lost in thought.

Just then, a burst of hearty laughter could be heard.

Xu Ping quickly shifted his gaze, stood up from his seat, and looked towards the door.

An imposing figure, appearing to be around forty or fifty years old, elegantly walked in with large strides.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, please have a seat. There's no need to be formal here."

"I am Xu Ping. Nice to meet you, sect leader's senior brother!" Xu Ping clasped his hands and saluted.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, achieving Foundation Establishment as a loose cultivator shows exceptional talent and perseverance!" Hongyi praised.

"Fellow Daoist Hong, you flatter me. I was merely fortunate," Xu Ping humbly replied.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, you are too modest."

Hongyi exchanged pleasantries without rushing into formal discussions, occasionally inquiring about Xu Ping's past experiences.

Xu Ping was well-prepared and responded fluently.

Yue Country is vast, and although 'Qiu Xuan Mountain' is a Golden Core force, verifying the truth of Xu Ping's words was nearly impossible.

Hongyi nodded slightly, not probing further; a loose cultivator who achieves Foundation Establishment would inevitably have secrets.

Moreover, he was only recruiting a guest minister, and access to the core of 'Qiu Xuan Mountain' was not necessary, so strict scrutiny wasn't required.

"Fellow Daoist, you are new to 'Qiu Xuan Mountain' and must have many things to settle. Let's not chat for too long!" Hongyi said, and after instructing Xu Ping to wait briefly, he went into the inner room for about ten minutes.

He returned with a storage bag, handed it over, and smiled:

"I've already registered you. Inside is a robe of our 'Qiu Xuan Mountain', a bottle of Qi Refining Powder; consider these as welcome gifts. There's also a guest minister identity token and a jade slip. The contents of the jade slip will help you familiarize yourself with 'Qiu Xuan Mountain' quickly."

"Regarding cultivation techniques, you can use the guest minister token to choose from the library yourself."

"Except for the most core techniques, the rest can be freely chosen."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Hong." Xu Ping clasped his hands in salute.

This Hongyi is truly generous, gifting a bottle of Qi Refining Pills as a welcome gift.

Qi Refining Pills are a second-stage lower-grade pill, used for Early-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, worth several hundred Spirit Stones per bottle.

"No need to be formal. Ideally, I should introduce you to the ancestor, but unfortunately, the ancestor is currently in seclusion and cannot be disturbed."

Hongyi stroked his beard and smiled, "Fortunately, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future, with the entry ceremony scheduled for three days later, where everyone can meet."

"No problem," Xu Ping nodded.

Better not to meet the Golden Core cultivator; he feared they might sense something upon close observation.

Hongyi then went over some of the rules and precautions for guest ministers and summoned a gatekeeping disciple to accompany Xu Ping in selecting a suitable cave dwelling.

...

...

After Xu Ping left.

Hongyi stood up and cast a spell at the mirror above the room.

The mirror's surface shimmered and then transformed into a stream of light, manifesting before him.

"Hmm... Mana is profound, second-stage Body Refining... No disguise, bone age is indiscernible, probably due to some advanced bone transformation technique," Hongyi assessed.

"Overall, he appears to be an above-average loose cultivator Foundation Establishment, likely with the potential to break through to Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment." Hongyi nodded, feeling reasonably satisfied with Xu Ping.

This precious mirror is a special mystical artifact capable of probing the depths of a cultivator.

Each new guest minister must undergo its scrutiny.

This is also the confidence behind their boldness in recruiting guest ministers.

...

...

The cave dwelling is located on the mountainside below the peak, shaded and secluded, with ancient trees and vines, a meandering stream flowing down, and schools of fish and shrimp playing within.

"Guest Minister Xu, there are currently ten available cave dwellings, each connected to a branch of a third-stage spirit vein, making them top-tier cultivation sanctuaries in the mountain," the gatekeeping disciple respectfully introduced.

"Let's take a look first!" Xu Ping said calmly.

"Yes, senior."

After some selection, Xu Ping finally chose a relatively quiet spot.

He waved the gatekeeping disciple away.

Using the control token, he performed a spell, and the protective array outside the cave dwelling dispersed, revealing the entire cave.

Though called a cave dwelling, most of the structures were outside the cave. There was also a courtyard of several acres, with a one-acre spiritual pool, while cultivation areas like meditation rooms were inside the cave.

"The concentration of Spiritual Qi... is indeed quite exaggerated!" Xu Ping was astonished.

Without the array's concealment, the Spiritual Qi surged around the cave, and the array evidently had a Gathering Spirit function.

He carefully sensed the Spiritual Qi concentration, discovering it was nearly twice as rich as that of the cave dwelling he rented when breaking through Foundation Establishment.

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