Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shen Mo's arrival was like a pebble thrown into a pond, creating a series of subtle ripples.

The few rogue cultivators near them immediately stopped talking and looked at them with scrutiny; further away, some people whispered and pointed; some shopkeepers and shop assistants behind some stalls also cast ambiguous glances.

"Look, it's that kid from the Qingyun Sect..."

"Isn't that the girl next to him surnamed Su? What are they doing here?"

"Could it be that they're selling some 'ancient pill' again?"

"Tch, they're probably so poor they can't even afford to eat, so they're posting notices here to borrow spirit stones!"

Low murmurs and undisguised snickers could be faintly heard. Su Xiao's ears turned slightly red, and she subconsciously gripped the wooden box in her arms tighter.

Shen Mo seemed not to hear, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowded bulletin board, finally settling on a relatively empty but well-located corner.

There used to be an expired notice there, advertising the purchase of century-old Poria cocos; the paste had dried up and cracked, and one corner was drooping.

"There it is." Shen Mo said calmly, his voice not loud, but it had a strange penetrating power that silenced the surrounding noise.

"Yes, Senior Brother Sect Leader," Su Xiao replied and stepped forward.

She carefully tore off the discarded notice, then took out a roll of fine, slightly yellowed spiritual paper from the wooden box—this was specially obtained by Shen Mo from the manager of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, which was said to have a slight calming effect and was quite expensive.

Unfold the Xuan paper, and you'll find the main text of the notice written in a simple and vigorous style with cinnabar mixed with a trace of spiritual ink.

The handwriting was not Shen Mo's own (his calligraphy is really not good), but was copied by Su Xiao, who has a keen sense of reason and is meticulous, which added a touch of solemnity and depth.

[Announcement of Qingyun Sect's Opening of Disciples]

The path to immortality is long and arduous. We cultivators must use our Daoist heart as our boat and perseverance as our oars to hope for crossing the sea of ​​suffering and reaching the other shore. Today, Qingyun Sect, in order to glorify its lineage and inherit the legacy of its founder, is opening its gates to sincerely welcome those from all over the world who are destined, ambitious, and persistent.

Guidelines for Acceptance:

1. Regardless of social status: whether you are a prince or a nobleman, or a commoner or a beggar, as long as you have a heart that yearns for the Way, you are welcome to come.

Second, I do not discriminate based solely on aptitude: I do not reject those with innate spiritual roots; I do not abandon those with pseudo-spiritual roots. The steadfastness of one's character far surpasses the quality of one's physical constitution.

Third, we are not afraid of poverty and hardship: In the early days of our school, we lived in humble dwellings and ate simple meals. This was not hardship, but rather a whetstone to temper our moral character. Those who fear hardship and seek pleasure, please stop here.

Fourth, seek only the alignment of predestined affinity: the word "affinity" is wondrous beyond words. At the mountain gate, observe your own heart; those with affinity will naturally find the opportunity to enter.

Assessment methods:

The Path of Inquiry: Climbing to the gate of Qingyun Mountain on foot is a test of endurance and sincerity.

To discern the opportune moment: Sit quietly before the "Enlightenment Stone" at the mountain gate for a while, and with a sincere heart, you will receive a spiritual response; if you are destined to receive it, a response will naturally arise.

Observe their words and deeds: After three days of entering the institution, observe their behavior and examine their words. Those who are of questionable character should be expelled immediately without exception.

Entry-level benefits:

The orthodox teachings are imparted: one can practice the core foundational cultivation method of this sect, "Qingyun Lianqi Jue," which guides one to the foundation of the Great Dao.

Enjoy the Blessed Land of Spiritual Charm: You can cultivate beside the spiritual eye left by the founder of our sect, feel the ancient Taoist charm, and accelerate your progress.

Promotion based on contributions: The sect has a contribution system where labor, enlightenment, and protection of the mountain can all earn merit, which can be exchanged for elixirs, magical artifacts, and secret techniques.

Registration Instructions:

Date: From now until all slots are filled.

Location: Qingyun Mountain Gate, in front of the Heart-Testing Stone.

Note: Those who come with sincerity will be provided with only a cup of water and a bowl of rice; no fees are required. Those who are insincere, no matter how wealthy they are, will have no place in our fold.

As soon as the notice was posted, the previously noisy bulletin board area fell completely silent!

All eyes were fixed on the strangely worded and bizarrely conditional notice.

They recognized each word individually, but when put together, they found it utterly absurd and...unbelievable!

After a brief silence, a burst of laughter and discussion erupted like a volcanic eruption!

"Hahahaha! What am I seeing? The Qingyun Sect is accepting disciples? They don't even consider aptitude or background?"

"That's hilarious! 'Not afraid of poverty and hardship'? How well said! Being poor is fine, but why talk about tempering one's moral character?"

"Those with affinity may enter? What a load of nonsense! Do they really think they're some kind of ancient, timeless sect?"

"The Azure Cloud Qi Refining Technique? Never even heard of it! A core cultivation method? It's probably some junk you picked up from some mountain ravine!"

"The legacy of the patriarch? A blessed land with spiritual eyes? Ancient Taoist charm? Bah! They don't even bother to think before they start bragging! Everyone knows that the spiritual energy of Qingyun Mountain is almost depleted!"

"A contribution system? That sounds nice, but isn't it just finding free labor?"

"No charge? I bet they'll drain you dry the moment you get in!"

Mockery, ridicule, and skepticism rained down like a storm. The onlookers pointed and whispered, their faces filled with disdain, mockery, and amusement.

Some people who were initially wary of Shen Mo now completely let go of their concerns and joined the mocking crowd.

In their view, the leader of Qingyun Sect must have gone mad to come up with such an absurd way of recruiting disciples.

Su Xiao stood in front of the notice, listening to these extremely harsh words. Her delicate body trembled slightly, and her cheeks flushed red, a result of anger and grievance.

She bit her lower lip tightly, barely managing to suppress the urge to retort. She couldn't help but look at her senior brother, the sect leader, beside her.

But Shen Mo remained calm, even with a faint, indifferent smile playing on his lips. He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze slowly sweeping over the laughing crowd, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well, utterly undisturbed.

Those malicious words were like a gentle breeze brushing against the rocks, leaving no trace in his heart.

This extreme tranquility, in stark contrast to the surrounding clamor and frenzy, caused some people with ulterior motives to gradually stop laughing, a strange chill creeping into their hearts.

Just then, a sharp and sarcastic voice stood out, carrying a strong sense of provocation:

"Oh my! Who do we have here spouting nonsense? It's none other than Sect Leader Shen of the Qingyun Sect!"

"What, you've squandered all the spirit stones you swindled before, and now you've come up with this new trick to fool fools again? 'Those who are destined can enter'? I think it's more like 'there are suckers willing to fall for it'!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the triangular-eyed waiter from Dan Ding Pavilion, along with several followers, swaggering through the crowd.

He crossed his arms, glanced at Shen Mo sideways, his face full of undisguised schadenfreude and malice.

Su Xiao's heart tightened, and she thought to herself, "They're here!"

The people from Dan Ding Pavilion certainly wouldn't let any opportunity to cause trouble slip by.

Shen Mo calmly turned his gaze to the triangular-eyed man, and said in his usual indifferent tone, "When has my Qingyun Sect ever needed to report to your Dan Ding Pavilion for our actions? Is this market bulletin board your private property?"

The man with the triangular eyes was immediately speechless, then flew into a rage, pointing at the notice and shouting, "Bah! Don't try to change the subject! Everyone here knows the background of your Qingyun Sect!"

"A sect that's fallen on the verge of extinction dares to try and start a new sect and accept disciples? And they're using these empty promises to deceive people! I think you just want to trick some naive rogue cultivators into doing hard labor, or even... murder them for money!"

His words were extremely malicious, intended to incite the crowd's emotions.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, many people around looked at Shen Mo with even more vigilance and suspicion.