Becoming a Saint Starting with the Chasing Wind Leg Technique

Chapter 135 New Pressure

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the massive complex of buildings located in the heart of the inner city, like a lurking ancient beast, gradually revealed its breathtaking outline in the dawn light.

The eaves and brackets are all covered with glazed tiles, which shimmer with a golden-red luster in the morning light; the towering pavilions far exceed the scale of the Commandant's Mansion, and an indescribable aura of majesty and transcendence permeates the air, making people both awe-inspiring and yearning.

Just as the third quarter of Chen Shi arrived, a clear and melodious sound of jade chimes came from the depths of the building complex.

Then, the side door slowly opened, and several figures filed out.

The leader was about forty years old, with a clean face and wearing a moon-white robe embroidered with pale silver cloud patterns. The fabric shimmered like water in the morning light, and the workmanship was exquisite and spotless.

He walked with composure, his aura deep and imposing. Even with Song Jing's current perception, he could not fathom the depth of his presence, feeling as if he were facing a bottomless abyss.

Behind him were four young men, also dressed in white but with simpler patterns. Each of them had sharp eyes and a refined aura, and they were all at the late stage of the Body Refining Realm. Moreover, judging from their powerful blood and solid foundation, they were far superior to ordinary Body Refining Realm cultivators.

"I am Bai Hong, a steward of the Pingtianmen External Affairs Hall stationed in Tianshui City." The middle-aged man in the moon-white robe glanced calmly at the twenty people on the training ground. His voice was not loud, but it rang clearly in everyone's ears. "By order of the branch elder, I have come to guide you into the sect. Follow me."

Without further ado, Deacon Bai Hong turned and left. The twenty newly recruited disciples dared not delay and quickly followed.

Passing through that tall, heavy vermilion gate, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before me.

Inside the gate is a wide bluestone path, large enough for several carriages to travel side by side, with lifelike stone carvings of mythical beasts on both sides, exuding an ancient and majestic aura.

The Pingtianmen disciples encountered along the way, regardless of gender, were all dressed in different styles but of excellent quality and exquisite patterns, some white, some blue, and some black; they all possessed extraordinary bearing.

They were in a hurry, their auras deep and concentrated. Song Jing roughly sensed that none of them were below the Body Refinement Realm!

Occasionally, a glance would fall upon them, but it would only sweep over the new disciples with a faint scrutiny and a sense of entitlement before they looked away and continued with their own business.

What alarmed Song Jing even more was that some pavilions and towers along the passageway faintly exuded a terrifying aura that made his soul feel oppressed—an aura far surpassing the Body Refining Realm!

He didn't even dare to look around, and quickly composed himself to keep up with the group.

Along the way, every palace and building that came into view was magnificent and splendid, with carved beams and painted rafters, exuding a spiritual aura.

Compared to the simplicity of the Wind Chasing Martial Arts School in the outer city, or even the solemnity of the Commandant's Mansion in the inner city, this place is more like a celestial abode independent of the mortal world, exuding profound knowledge, resources, and lofty majesty.

As they walked through the bustling streets of the inner city toward the branch, pedestrians, vendors, and even some martial artists who appeared to be of high status automatically made way for them, casting glances that were a mixture of awe, envy, admiration, and even a hint of fear.

Many people stopped at a distance and bowed to them, especially to Deacon Bai Hong at the front of the procession, whose striking moon-white robes stood out.

"It's the adults from Pingtianmen!"

"Another new disciple has joined! How enviable!"

"That direction—it leads to the branch office! That's incredible!"

The hushed discussions were filled with recognition and longing for the supreme status of Pingtianmen.

Here, Pingtianmen is heaven itself, the rule-maker, the controller of resources, and an entity that everyone must look up to.

Even if he is just the lowest-ranking disciple, as long as he wears that uniform and walks outside, he represents the face of Pingtian Sect, and no one dares to provoke him easily.

This feeling made Song Jing, who came from an outer city and was used to being cautious, feel a little strange.

Is this what it feels like to have a big tree to lean on?

But then he took a deep breath and suppressed the ripple.

Outward glory comes from the sect behind you; only your own strength is the foundation for your survival.

After passing through several courtyards, the group arrived at a main hall called "Shuwu Hall".

The hall was spacious, and several deacons, also dressed in white but with solemn expressions, were already waiting.

Deacon Bai Hong nodded to the leading, plump deacon: "Deacon Zhao, these are the twenty newly enrolled disciples. Make the arrangements."

The portly deacon, Zhao, responded, his gaze sweeping over everyone. His face remained expressionless as he spoke in a businesslike manner: "Listen up, all of you."

Now that you've joined our Pingtianmen branch, you must abide by the sect's rules. First, receive your identification badge and regular uniform.

He waved his hand, and his disciples immediately carried in several large boxes.

Upon opening it, one finds neatly folded gray cloth short-sleeved garments. The quality is acceptable, but compared to the elaborate robes worn by the formal disciples, they appear simple and even shabby.

On each set of clothes was a palm-sized, warm, blue jade plaque with the character "丁" engraved on the front and a blank back.

"This is the attire and identity jade token for registered disciples. The jade token is bound to the owner by a drop of blood and can record your identity and contribution points."

"Please remember to keep this safe. Loss or damage will require contribution points for replacement." Deacon Zhao's voice was calm. "You are now registered disciples of my branch's Ding-section. The Ding-section is where registered disciples live, and the conditions are the most basic, with four people sharing a courtyard. If you want better accommodations, a larger private courtyard, or even a meditation room with a concentration effect in the Jia-section, this meditation room has a special concentration fragrance, making it twice as effective for comprehending and cultivating techniques!"

All of these require contribution points to obtain, or you can wait for your ranking to improve in the year-end competition.

"A disciple under a formal name?" someone asked in a low voice, puzzled.

Deacon Zhao glanced at them and said coldly, "That's right. Although you were selected through the grand competition and your talents are decent, in the eyes of the sect, you have only obtained the qualification for a three-year probationary period."

Within three years, you will only be nominal disciples, the lowest in status within the sect.

You must abide by all sect rules, diligently cultivate, and strive for promotion to outer sect disciple status at the end of each year.

"At the end of each year, all registered disciples must participate in an assessment. Only the top five will be promoted to outer disciples, truly joining the Pingtian Sect and enjoying the benefits of outer disciples. They will then leave here and head to the prefectural city, to the real Pingtian Sect, where you will discover what a wider world truly means. If you fail to be promoted to outer disciple after three years—" Deacon Zhao paused, his voice growing colder, "then it will be considered that your potential has been exhausted, and your resources will be reduced. The sect will no longer provide any resources."

Isn't this just a martial arts version of the Pingtianmen Sect supplying the martial arts world with top talent?

Therefore, many poor children only have these three years. If they do not rise to the top and enter the outer sect, without resources, they can only fall behind the children of those big families.

As for the scions of those prominent families, even if they don't enter the outer sect within these three years, they can still rely on their own resources to avoid falling too far behind and will still have opportunities later. This is the margin of error provided by the support of their families.

However, for those from poor families, a single wrong step can determine their life or death.

Upon hearing this, a suppressed gasp and gasp immediately arose from among the twenty people.

Three years!

Only five spots are available each year!

The competition was far more brutal than they had imagined!

I originally thought that joining the branch would be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, but I never expected that I would just jump from a small pond into a larger and more fiercely competitive arena!

And there are only three years left!

Song Jing was also startled, but what surged up was not fear, but an even stronger fighting spirit.

Concentrated resources and fierce competition—this is how major sects cultivate their elites!

Only in such an environment can people be forced to bring out their greatest potential.

"Of course," Deacon Zhao changed the subject, his tone softening slightly, "Even if you are only nominal disciples, once you have stepped into this gate and walk outside, you represent the face of Pingtian Gate."

Outsiders, no one dares to insult you.

This gray robe and jade pendant are your protective charms.

But remember, never abuse your power to bully others; breaking the rules will result in even harsher punishments!

"Now, line up and come forward to receive your clothing and jade pendant, and perform the blood oath ceremony. Afterwards, someone will take you to the T-zone to settle in."

The group followed the instructions and stepped forward.

Song Jing received the gray shorts and the blue jade token, which felt slightly cool to the touch.

He bit his fingertip and dripped a drop of blood onto the "丁" character on the front of the jade pendant.

Blood quickly seeped in, the jade pendant flashed with a faint light, and the two small characters "Song Jing" slowly appeared on the back. At the same time, a faint connection was established between the jade pendant and him.

The settlement process was quick.

The courtyards in the T-shaped area were indeed simple, with blue bricks and gray tiles, four people per room, and nothing of value except for beds, tables and chairs.

But compared to the house in the outer city, it was already quite clean and tidy.

But this courtyard exudes a peculiar fragrance that is quite calming and soothing, which may be the reason why each of his courtyards is so expensive and precious!

Song Jing did not know the other three people in the courtyard. They seemed to be from other counties. They simply nodded to each other, and the atmosphere was somewhat dull and wary.

Future competitors may very well be right next to you.

After hurriedly putting down their luggage, a disciple came and led them to the "Medicine Hall" to collect their cultivation resources for the month.

The Pill Hall was a separate building, filled with the rich aroma of medicinal herbs. The disciple in charge handed them over to an expressionless old man inside the hall.

The old man didn't even lift his eyelids; he simply called out names from the roster.

"Song Jing".

"exist."

With a wave of his hand, the old man sent a small jade bottle flying into Song Jing's hand.

Song Jing took it; it felt slightly heavy in his hand. He opened it and saw twenty blood-red pills, each the size of a longan, radiating a powerful and pure energy of blood and qi—the Blood and Qi Pills!

Twenty in total!

It's more than all the money he had previously scraped together!

The rich aroma of the elixir instantly invigorated him, and his internal energy began to subtly surge.

"On the first day of each month, come here with your jade token to collect your monthly allowance. You won't be accepted after that date," the old man said calmly before continuing to call out names.

Suppressing his excitement, Song Jingqiang gripped the jade bottle tightly in his hand.

As expected of a powerful martial arts sect that dominates the region! They're incredibly generous!

The monthly supply of twenty Qi and Blood Pills is ten times that given to the top disciples by the so-called inner city families!

With these, to what extent will his cultivation speed increase?

The previously estimated four months to reach the peak of the Body Refinement Realm might be achieved even earlier!

After receiving the pills, they were taken to the "Mission Hall." There were more people there, with some disciples in gray robes and even a few in light blue attire pausing to look at the huge jade wall.

The jade disc shimmered with spiritual light, displaying scrolling messages of mission information.

The disciple leading them pointed to the jade wall and announced loudly, "This is the Mission Hall. As registered disciples, you are required to complete a certain number of basic sect missions each month to earn a small amount of contribution points. In addition, various missions are posted on the jade wall, such as apprehending criminals and gathering medicinal herbs..."

Escorting caravans, exploring ruins, and other missions vary in difficulty, danger, and contribution point rewards. You can accept these missions based on your own abilities and needs.

"Contribution points are the means of circulation within the sect and are of utmost importance."

You can exchange for more advanced martial arts techniques at the "Scripture Pavilion", exchange, customize, and upgrade divine weapons and protective armor at the "Divine Weapon Pavilion", and exchange for rare elixirs, rare and precious materials, talismans and formations at the "Treasure Pavilion".

The techniques here are all top-tier inheritances that are hard to find outside, and are far superior to the rudimentary skills of the martial arts schools in the inner city!

The weapons here are all forged by master craftsmen and tempered with spiritual materials; they are far superior to ordinary iron from the outside world! Everything requires contribution points!

The disciple in charge glanced at the newcomers, whose faces were filled with shock and longing, and his tone turned serious: "Resources are limited, cultivation techniques are limited, and divine weapons are also scarce. Want them? Exchange them with contribution points!"

Want contribution points? Then complete tasks, improve your ranking, and contribute to the sect!

"In the area for registered disciples, there is also a small market where you can trade ordinary goods using contribution points or gold and silver. But the really good stuff is in the places that require contribution points."

"Remember this: here, strength and contribution are everything! There's no family background to rely on; the branch only looks at your jade token level and the number of contribution points!"

If you want to stand out, if you want to obtain better cultivation techniques, stronger divine weapons, and more precious elixirs, then work hard to earn contribution points and strive to break into the top five by the end of the year!

"Alright, that concludes today's business. Return to your respective areas to familiarize yourselves with the surroundings. Starting tomorrow, stewards will assign you basic lessons and miscellaneous tasks. Dismissed!"

The crowd dispersed with mixed feelings of excitement.

Holding the jade bottle containing twenty Qi and Blood Pills, Song Jing looked at the dazzling array of missions and contribution point rewards on the jade wall of the Mission Hall, and then touched the identity jade token engraved with the character "Ding" in his pocket. A mix of pride and urgency welled up in his heart.

The resources and foundation of major sects far exceed imagination.

But the competition was more brutal and the rules more stringent than ever before.

The program lasts for three years, with five slots available each year.

Here you'll find top-tier martial arts techniques, divine weapons, and limitless possibilities.

All of this requires hard work and contributions!

He looked up at the higher, more magnificent, and more spiritually rich palaces and pavilions deep within the branch, where the B and A sections were located, where the outer disciples and even higher levels resided.

"The T-shaped area—it's just the beginning," Song Jing murmured to himself, his eyes burning with unwavering determination.

"Twenty Qi and Blood Pills—let's push this Flesh Refining Realm to its peak first!"

He gripped the jade bottle tightly, turned around, and strode towards the simple courtyard in the T-shaped area.

The new journey begins with digesting this first gift from the sect.