darknovel Chapter 3 Zero-Threshold Cultivation
Chapter 3 Zero-Threshold Cultivation
Cultivating immortality.
For ordinary people, these two words mean immortality, flying through the clouds, and commanding the wind and rain—things they wouldn't even dare to dream of.
Some people are saying that you can cultivate immortality without paying money, checking qualifications, or providing food and lodging.
How is that possible?
"That's about it."
Shen Qing muttered to himself, then took a step forward.
My feet were on the air, like stepping on an invisible step.
The second step.
third step.
He walked step by step into the void, standing three zhang above the ground, looking down at the dumbfounded crowd below.
The most basic flying technique can be performed by those at the seventh level of Qi cultivation, and it has no practical value in combat except for showing off.
But that's enough to intimidate ordinary people.
"Gentlemen."
Shen Qing spoke, his voice not loud, but amplified by spiritual energy, it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"I am the current sect leader of Qingyun Sect, with the Daoist name Qingxu. I have come down the mountain today for no other reason than to take on a disciple."
The crowd erupted in uproar.
Someone mustered up the courage to shout, "Really, you don't charge me?"
"No, we won't accept it."
Shen Qing smiled slightly, "Not only do we not charge money, but we also provide room and board upon entry, and you receive a monthly allowance."
Someone else exclaimed, "Can someone without spiritual roots cultivate immortality?"
Shen Qing looked at the person, who was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, so thin that he was skin and bones, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Wang Ergou, I work as a porter at the docks."
"Wang Ergou, come here."
Wang Ergou hesitated for a moment, then walked to the steps under everyone's gaze.
Shen Qing landed from mid-air, placed her hand on his shoulder, and a faint but warm spiritual energy flowed into his body, circulating once.
A moment later, Shen Qing withdrew his hand, his expression returning to normal.
Wang Ergou's spiritual root was very poor, arguably the worst Shen Qing had ever seen.
But it is not important.
"You have spiritual roots," Shen Qing said without changing his expression. "Although they are not top-grade, they are enough for cultivating immortality."
Wang Ergou's eyes widened, and he was completely dumbfounded.
He's just a dockworker carrying bags, yet he has spiritual roots? And he can cultivate immortality?
Shen Qing turned to the crowd and said in a clear voice, "Qingyun Sect accepts disciples regardless of their aptitude or background. As long as you have a heart that yearns for the Dao and are willing to endure hardship in cultivation, I will teach you immortal techniques and lead you on the path to immortality."
"You are mortals, ants, dust that those high and mighty immortal masters would disdain."
"But in the Qingyun Sect, you can become cultivators."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over each face.
"I cannot guarantee that everyone will achieve Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, or Ascension to Immortality. But I guarantee that once you enter the Qingyun Sect, you will never have to go hungry again, never be bullied again, and never have to live like stray dogs again."
These words were like a needle, piercing the hearts of everyone present.
In the north of the city, who among these people hasn't gone hungry? Who hasn't been bullied? Who hasn't struggled to survive in the mud?
"Now," Shen Qing pointed to the wooden sign that Chen Gou Dan had just hung up, "those who want to join, go over there to register."
The wooden sign reads crookedly: Qingyun Sect Disciple Registration Office.
silence.
A brief silence.
Then Wang Ergou was the first to rush over.
"I'm signing up! I want to cultivate immortality!"
His movement caused the entire crowd to move.
"I'm signing up too!"
"Immortal Master, please accept me!"
"My son is thirteen years old this year, can he become my apprentice?"
As the crowd surged in, the two disciples frantically tried to maintain order.
Shen Qing stood on the steps, looking at the surging crowd, a satisfied expression on his face.
Suddenly, Shen Qing's eyes narrowed.
At the edge of the crowd stood a young girl.
She was about fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in coarse cloth clothes covered in patches. Her eyes were bright, not the kind of bright that comes from suddenly seeing hope and yearning to change one's fate, but a kind of innate clarity.
She stood on the outermost edge of the crowd, neither pushing forward nor leaving, just quietly watching, her presence like a crane standing among chickens.
Shen Qing's gaze lingered on her for a moment.
The system did not react at all; only those who "genuinely recognize the sect" would trigger the binding prompt.
However, based on his fifty years of cultivation experience, Shen Qing keenly sensed something amiss.
The flow of spiritual energy around this girl was different from that of others.
The spiritual energy around mortals is stagnant, like a pool of still water.
But the spiritual energy around the girl was subtly drawing closer to her.
It was so faint that Shen Qing wouldn't have noticed it at all if he hadn't been completely focused on his work.
Naturally possesses well-developed meridians.
Shen Qing's heart skipped a beat.
In the world of cultivation, there is a type of person who is one in ten thousand.
They may have ordinary spiritual roots, but they are born with clear meridians and a very high affinity for spiritual energy.
Such people can cultivate at a speed several times or even ten times faster than ordinary people.
He is a true genius in cultivation.
Shen Qing remained expressionless, not even glancing at them for a second longer, naturally shifting his gaze to continue scanning the other applicants.
This place is a mixed bag; it's hard to tell what kind of people are mixed in here.
Any unusual attention from this immortal master could bring trouble to the girl.
Therefore, Shen Qing had to pretend that he hadn't noticed anything.
Shen Qing raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.
"Gentlemen, there is one more thing."
The crowd gradually quieted down.
Shen Qingqing cleared her throat and delivered her carefully prepared core message.
"The Qingyun Sect has a rule called 'Immortal Fate'."
"What is a celestial affinity? It is the connection between you and your sect. The deeper the connection, the more resources the sect will provide you."
"How to deepen your connection with the immortals? It's simple, just introduce them!"
"Anyone who can recommend someone to join the Qingyun Sect will become a 'Celestial Fate Recommender' of our Qingyun Sect. The person you recommend will be listed under your 'Celestial Fate Register,' sharing both honor and disgrace, and rising and falling together."
"If the person you recommend then recommends a new person, it will also count as your affinity with the immortals. The more affinity you have, the more the sect will value you. Top-grade cultivation techniques, rare elixirs, magic weapons, and spirit stones can all be exchanged for your affinity contributions."
Shen Qing smiled slightly.
"Simply put, the more people you recruit, the higher your status within the Qingyun Sect will be. This is a golden path; it just depends on whether you're willing to walk it."
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Can you exchange recruiting people for cultivation techniques and pills? And if the people you recruit then recruit more, does that still count as yours?
The dockworkers were the first to react. Having made a living at the docks year-round, they knew best the principle of "forming cliques and factions."
"Immortal Master!" Wang Ergou squeezed back in, his eyes shining brightly. "I have over a dozen brothers at the dock, all porters. Can I bring them all here?"
Shen Qing nodded: "Yes."
Wang Ergou turned and ran.
The news spread quickly, and in less than half an hour, a large group of people arrived.
Shen Qing sat in the earth god temple, a long queue forming in front of him. He asked each person who registered, "Are you truly willing to join the Qingyun Sect?"
Those who genuinely desire to change their destiny will be automatically flagged by the system.
[Disciple: Wang Ergou, Loyalty: 85 (genuinely acknowledges), Spiritual Root: Pseudo-Spiritual Root, Current Cultivation Level: Mortal, Daily Spiritual Energy Extraction Capacity: 0.2 strands]
While registering, Shen Qing kept an eye on the girl out of the corner of his eye.
She hasn't left yet.
They didn't go forward to register.
I just stood there at a distance, watching quietly.
Shen Qing didn't urge him, nor did he even glance in that direction.
These gifted children, who grow up struggling in the lower classes, are more wary than anyone else, and any deliberate attention will scare them away.
Let her do it herself.
Finally, just as the line was about to be completed, the girl moved.
She slowly walked to the wooden sign and stood still.
Chen Gou Dan looked up at her: "What's your name?"
"...Zhong Xiu."
The sound was soft, but clear.
How big?
"fifteen."
"Want to join the Qingyun Sect?"
The young girl, Zhong Xiu, was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Shen Qing only then "noticed" her, his gaze sweeping over her indifferently.
"Come here."
Zhong Xiu walked up to him. Shen Qing reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, a surge of spiritual energy entering her.
This time, he felt it clearly.
Its meridians are wide and its affinity with spiritual energy is extremely high.
The spiritual root has dual attributes. Although it is not top-tier, combined with the naturally clear meridians, the cultivation speed is at least ten times that of ordinary disciples.
This is a piece of unpolished jade.