Suijun starts with the principle of rewarding diligence.

When He Qing heard Bu Qu mention this matter, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Even if you hadn't said anything, I was prepared to tell you about it."

He cleared his throat and said leisurely, "In Jingzhou, which has nine prefectures and seventy-two counties, the number of people who come to participate in the Dragon Gate Selection every year is as numerous as the fish crossing the river. In the end, only one or two hundred people can stay in the Righteous Path Sect and become formal disciples."

Bu Qu nodded:

"Senior Brother He is a Rank D Seeker, and he's very selective about the recommended slots. Eighth-level spiritual power is the minimum he can recommend. Higher-level Seekers have more slots, and even seventh-level spiritual power gives them a chance to participate in the Dragon Gate Selection."

In Heishui County alone, Lu Xiu, Zhong Ling, and I are qualified to participate in the Lungmen general election.

There are more talented people in the prefectural city than in the county town.

Based on this calculation, there are at least five or six hundred people who can participate in the Lungmen Election each year.

The attrition rate is not low.

He Qing continued, "Among these one or two hundred formal disciples, eight will be selected by the elders to become core disciples."

"Is it because the Righteous Path Sect only has eight elders in total?" Bu Qu asked.

He Qing shook his head: "There are eight elders in charge of training new people. The other elders each have their own duties and do not participate in this matter."

He paused, then continued, "The benefits of becoming a core disciple are self-evident. Besides receiving personal guidance from the elders, you'll also receive a significant amount of resources. More importantly, the elders will form an elite team around the core disciples. In next year's trials, you'll be guaranteed a spot."

"I understand the elders' guidance and the massive resource allocation, but what is the elite team? And what about next year's trials..." Bu Qu thought for a moment, then murmured, "The year-end exam?"

He Qing smiled, knowing that Bu Qu would ask this question.

He turned his gaze to Lu Xiu, who had remained silent: "Lu Xiu, what do you think your daily life will be like after becoming a disciple of the Righteous Path Sect?"

Lu Xiu thought for a moment: "Cultivation."

"Anything else?"

"Learn Taoist magic and immortal techniques."

"Anything else?"

"Take the pill, and then... continue cultivating."

He Qing shook his head: "Our righteous sect has always taken it upon itself to subdue demons and monsters. The disciples we train are naturally meant to participate in this endeavor. What's the point of just cultivating and learning Taoist magic if we don't use our cultivation to subdue demons and monsters?"

Bu Qu pondered, "Senior Brother He, I've been in Blackwater County for so many years and haven't seen any demons, yet legends of demons are endless. Do demons really exist in this world?"

"Of course," He Qing said with a smile.

"Heaven and earth are divided into five realms: the realm of gods, the realm of immortals, the realm of humans, the realm of demons, and the realm of monsters."

You were born in a good era, when the human race is strong and demons dare not invade.

Occasionally, a few demons sneak into the human world, but once discovered, they are swiftly and decisively killed by those who practice martial arts and Taoist cultivation.

Therefore, demons are heard of more than seen. Even if demons lurk in the human realm, they are timid and dare not show themselves. Even if demons are nearby, ordinary people would hardly notice them.

He Qing paused for a moment, then continued, "I suppose you can guess why we're forming an elite squad?"

Bu Qu nodded: "So, it's about sending groups of several people to subdue demons and monsters in various places?"

That's what I mean.

He Qing smiled and said,

"After becoming a formal disciple of the sect, in addition to cultivation, you also have to constantly accept sect missions in exchange for Dao Yuan."

Dao Yuan can be exchanged for various resources within the sect. As long as you have enough Dao Yuan, you can obtain things like pills, magic treasures, talismans, and secret techniques.

"Dao Yuan is the currency of the Righteous Path Sect. You earn Dao Yuan by completing tasks, and then use it to increase your combat power."

Bu Qu nodded slightly and asked, "Is it mandatory to join an elite team to accept missions issued by the sect?"

"That's right," He Qing explained. "Of course, there are also strong individuals who can form their own elite teams. But I don't recommend that you do that. Firstly, having more people means you can look out for each other and complement each other's elements; secondly, finding suitable people to form a team as soon as possible will allow you to build rapport and prepare for future trials."

"A trial?" Bu Qu asked. "Senior brother, you haven't told us what this trial is."

"Exterminate demons and vanquish monsters!"

"Exorcise demons and monsters? Does that mean we have to go to the demon realm and the monster realm?"

"That's right." He Qing smiled. "This is the final test for the newcomers. The results of their cultivation over the past year must be demonstrated by vanquishing demons and monsters."

His expression suddenly turned serious: "The outcome of this trial will determine your future paths. The better you perform in the trial, the more development options you will have."

Those who perform exceptionally well can remain as disciples of the Righteous Path Sect and become strong contenders for future elders.

If one's performance is mediocre, then one can only choose the profession of a Seeker of the Way, like myself.

If things go any worse, one will have to leave the sect and become a rogue cultivator.

If one's skills are not up to par, one might die directly in the demon realm.

He Qing's gaze swept over the two of them: "Therefore, if you cannot become core disciples, finding suitable people to form an elite team is the first thing you should do after becoming formal disciples. Cooperating with the right people will make things twice as efficient. It will be of great benefit to your future trials."

Although you can choose which elite team to join, if you have a choice, you should try to join the elite team where the core disciples are located.

Core disciples are already stronger in combat, and they also receive preferential resource allocation. Even the team members benefit from this.

Bu Qu nodded, pondering to himself:

The so-called core disciples are actually the sects cultivating successors for themselves.

The higher the potential shown in the Dragon Gate Selection, the more likely one is to gain the favor of the elders and become a core disciple.

In addition to the elders' personal guidance and the allocation of a large amount of resources,

The elders will also form an elite team around their core disciples.

This will certainly provide core disciples with the most comfortable environment for growth.

Core disciples already possess the best talent among the current generation of disciples, and with the best growth resources, they can naturally achieve outstanding performance in the trials.

One step in victory leads to another, truly a snowball effect where a small ball grows into a giant.

He Qing smiled and said, "The better your performance in the Dragon Gate Selection, the higher your overall score, and the greater your chances of becoming a core disciple. Those who rank in the top three in the overall score will almost certainly become core disciples. In addition, they will receive extra rewards from the sect!"

Lu Xiu rested his chin on his hand, expressionless: "Becoming a core disciple certainly has many benefits, but unfortunately, they have nothing to do with me."

Bu Qu's gaze, however, was burning with desire:

"The first round is a test of spiritual power. I have full spiritual power, so there's no need to worry about the result."

The third round is "Leaping Over the Dragon Gate," which involves practicing the art of the Five Elements.

My water control technique has reached the seventh level. Senior Brother He previously rated my water control technique as top-tier!

As long as nothing unexpected happens that day, you can get at least a nine out of ten rating!

Only the second round of the spirit-opening ceremony remains somewhat suspenseful.

According to Senior Brother He, there are two main types of spiritual combinations that can achieve high scores.

First, the more single-attribute spiritual essence, the better. As long as there are more than six single-attribute spiritual essences, the score will follow the number of single-attribute spiritual essences.

Secondly, there are special dual-attribute combinations. Having two main attributes also provides an additional rating bonus.

He smiled slightly, thinking to himself, "If only I were Xian Lingyun. That way, I could practically secure a spot as a core disciple in advance. No, I'd directly secure the top prize!"