Taiyi Sect is a behemoth within the Cultivation Realm, ranking alongside Penglai Immortal Sect and Mount Hua Sword Sect as the Three Major Cultivation Sects. Below them are various Hidden Cultivation Families and Ancient Martial Families, but these families and martial clans can't compare to those three sects..." Ye Qingcheng began explaining in detail, "Of course, whether it be a Cultivation Family or a Sect, there are certain constraints on their disciples, just as people living in the mundane world are subject to the law. At the same time, Sect disciples bear the mission of revitalizing their sect and exterminating demons..."

After listening to Ye Qingcheng's uninterrupted explanation, which still hadn't touched on the specifics of freedom, Wang Xiaoqiang asked again, "Can you talk about your life in Taiyi Sect?"

Ye Qingcheng replied, "If we have nothing else to do, we stay in Taiyi Sect to cultivate, since the Spiritual Energy there is denser than in the mundane world. To go to the mundane world, we have to ask for leave from the Sect Administrator, like this time when I came to find you. Just ask the master or the Administrator for leave, and you can decide the duration yourself, pretty free, huh... This is when there are no tasks. Once the Sect has a task, it must be prioritized—for instance, when the Sect holds internal competitions or, like last time, when Sister Ling Qiyan, Brother Mochong, and I traveled to several countries to exterminate Rigid Zombies, that was a Sect task. Those are the busiest times. Besides Sect tasks, we're usually quite idle...and can freely stay in the mundane world for a month or so..."

In the midst of their conversation, the dishes and drinks arrived, and the steps of the server interrupted Ye Qingcheng's narration.

After the server set up the dishes and left, Wang Xiaoqiang poured a glass of alcohol for Ye Qingcheng... "Come, let's eat and talk... Taiyi Sect doesn't have a rule against drinking, does it?"

"Of course not; even Buddhist disciples don't abstain from meat and wine, let alone a sect like ours..." Ye Qingcheng picked up her glass, clinked it with Wang Xiaoqiang's, and then downed her drink in one gulp. She pursed her red lips, shook her head, and said, "I'm used to drinking the fine Gentle Breeze Brew from the Sect, I really can't get used to the wine from the mundane world..."

"What, does the Sect actually make its own alcohol?" Wang Xiaoqiang asked curiously.

"Of course, and the Sect's alcohol also contains precious medicinal ingredients like Wild Mountain Ginseng and Lingzhi, which can prolong life..."

"Pff, that's just medicinal liquor, and those usually don't taste very good," Wang Xiaoqiang wrinkled his brow and said.

"It's not like what you're thinking, there's no medicinal taste to it. Take our Taiyi Sect's Gentle Breeze Brew, for example, it has no medicinal taste. Ah, but I can't really explain it to you; you'll understand once you've tasted it..." Ye Qingcheng teased.

Wang Xiaoqiang placed a scallop into Ye Qingcheng's bowl... "So, what do you usually eat?"

"Delicacies from land and sea, monkey head mushrooms, bird's nests," Ye Qingcheng replied, "whatever you want to eat, they have it..."

Wang Xiaoqiang felt a bit odd and asked, puzzled, "With such luxurious food, where do all those expenses come from?"

"The wool comes from the sheep; of course, we pay for it ourselves. Haha," Ye Qingcheng said with a laugh, "The Sect provides you with Cultivation Methods but doesn't provide meals. Do they also have to manage what you eat?"

"Then, where do you normally eat...?"

"The Sect has everything—restaurants, shops, taverns, coffee houses... Anything that can be bought in the mundane world, you can basically get it within the Sect..."

Hearing this, Wang Xiaoqiang felt strangely bewildered, thinking that the real-life Cultivation Sects are quite different from those in novels and dramas!

"So, Taiyi Sect must occupy a large area, right?"

"That's for sure. Taiyi Sect is located in the Land of Sacred Emptiness in the Kunlun Mountains. The original name of Kunlun Mountains was Kunlun Void, and the name 'Kunlun Void' actually comes from the Land of Sacred Emptiness. The Land of Sacred Emptiness is very difficult for ordinary people to reach due to both harsh weather and treacherous geography. Even mountaineers, sports enthusiasts, and adventurers can't reach the Land of Sacred Emptiness. Of course, Cultivators like us are an exception... The Land of Sacred Emptiness is also known as the Land of Illusion, but this 'illusion' is only in respect to ordinary mortals..."

"It sounds like an earthly paradise," Wang Xiaoqiang said, his face revealing a longing.

"Pretty much! Haha, Little Qiang, would you like to join our Taiyi Sect...?" Ye Qingcheng asked with a smile.

"I'm willing to join, but would your Sect be willing to take me in?"

"Of course. Picking disciples for the Sect is like universities recruiting students—it's all about choosing the best," Ye Qingcheng's eyes gleamed as she stared at Wang Xiaoqiang, "At such a young age, to possess such a cultivation base, not only Taiyi Sect but even Penglai Immortal Sect and Mount Hua Sword Sect would be eager to invite you to join..."

"If I join the Taiyi Sect, can the sect really guarantee that my family and friends won't be harmed..." Wang Xiaoqiang asked again, after all, this was his biggest concern.

"Of course," Ye Qingcheng said, "Just like me, I was also from a prestigious family. My grandfather was a high-ranking official at the Provincial Party Committee before retirement, my father works at the provincial Public Security Department, and my mother is an executive at a petrochemical group. My brother runs a company in the United States. They often encounter competitors and enemies, but their safety has never been an issue because they all have amulets that I gave them..."

At these words, Wang Xiaoqiang was greatly surprised. He had never imagined that the girl before him had such an extraordinary background. His origins could compete with Xu Qingxue's, in his impression, disciples of sects were supposed to be from poor families, living in difficulty or having no hope in their jobs, and only then seeking another way of life. He hadn't expected that there were daughters of wealthy families...

Seeing the astonishment on Wang Xiaoqiang's face, Ye Qingcheng continued, "Actually, apart from a few disciples from impoverished backgrounds who were personally salvaged by our masters and ancestors, most disciples of the Taiyi Sect come from privileged backgrounds or are from wealthy families. Joining an Immortal Sect has two main purposes: one is to seek protection for the family and its assets, and the other is to pursue the path to immortality and aim for longevity..."

Having heard this, Wang Xiaoqiang sobered up and it made sense to him. Since ancient times, the poor studied literature and the rich learned martial arts. Those from great families had the capital to enter sects and also to seek protection for their family's assets. Why would an ordinary person bother with cultivating immortality?

Wang Xiaoqiang nodded, but then asked, "How effective can a mere amulet be? To my knowledge, there are many extraordinary individuals in this world, all possessing terrifying supernatural powers..."

"Don't underestimate those amulets; they are received by our ancestor from the Immortal Realm and crafted by immortals with the purest essence of True Yuan Qi. They can autonomously sense danger and set up a defense, and also issue warnings. Even if the enemy is very powerful, they won't be able to break through the amulet's protection within three hours. After three hours, once we receive the warning, we can hurry to our relatives' side in time to protect them..."

"The Immortal Realm...?" Wang Xiaoqiang was taken aback by her words and felt like he was listening to an audio fiction, asking incredulously, "Did I hear you correctly just now? Did you mention the Immortal Realm?"

Ye Qingcheng stared at Wang Xiaoqiang and pondered for a moment. This was a secret within the sect, generally forbidden to leak to ordinary people. However, Wang Xiaoqiang was not an ordinary person, and there was a high possibility he would soon join the Taiyi Sect. After weighing it for a while, Ye Qingcheng still chose to reveal the truth: "Right, the Immortal Realm. During teachings, our ancestor told us that, in fact, Earth is just a lower plane. There are many planes higher than Earth, but the only one connected to Earth is the Immortal Realm continent..."

"Are the inhabitants of the Immortal Realm all immortals?"

Ye Qingcheng smiled and said, "As expected, senior, you know nothing about the Cultivation Realm. What is an immortal? It's someone who has attained eternal life. Though there are true immortals in the Immortal Realm, the majority of those living there are still human, with only a few that can be regarded as immortals..."

Taking a sip of her wine, Ye Qingcheng added, "However, the Immortal Realm is a completely different plane from Earth, where humans do not seek fame or fortune, but rather eternal life, or in other words, to become immortals. Therefore, the civilization of the Immortal Realm cannot compare to Earth, but it is a hundred times more powerful. If they wished, a single immortal from the Immortal Realm could destroy the Earth in an instant. However, the existence of the Laws of Heaven and Earth prevents such a tragedy from happening. Beings from a higher plane are not permitted to enter a lower plane, which is to say, the people from the Immortal Realm are not allowed on Earth... Still, Earth's inhabitants can enter the Immortal Realm..."

"But not just anyone can enter, right?"

"Of course not. Take our Taiyi Sect for example, the number of people who qualify and have the capability to enter the Immortal Realm doesn't even add up to the number of fingers on one hand..."

Ye Qingcheng's narration turned Wang Xiaoqiang's worldview upside down, giving him a general understanding of the Cultivation Aristocracy. The desire for cultivation began to grow in him, especially upon hearing that immortals could live forever. His heart was stirred. Now that he had solved the problems of food and shelter, amassed vast wealth, and built a successful empire, the pursuit of life seemed endless. Without aspirations, a person becomes akin to a walking corpse.

Wang Xiaoqiang did not want to be a walking corpse, nor did he wish to be a lifeless body, so joining the Taiyi Sect to seek the path of the immortals was both a way to protect his family and assets, and to set a goal for himself. This was indeed necessary.

Therefore, after gulping down a cup of wine, Wang Xiaoqiang said to Ye Qingcheng, "Little Ye, help me get in touch with the Taiyi Sect, I want to go in..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingcheng's eyes brightened with surprise, "Really? Have you thought it through?"

"I have, and I want to join quickly and get the sect's amulet..." Wang Xiaoqiang said earnestly.

Ye Qingcheng nodded and said, "No problem, as long as you join the Taiyi Sect, after reporting your family members and friends, the sect will validate it and then issue the corresponding number of amulets..."

"Great, come, Little Ye, let me raise this modest cup of wine to thank you!" Wang Xiaoqiang said, pouring wine for both of them and then lifting his glass in respect to Ye Qingcheng.

"You mustn't be so formal with me, Little Qiang. It's the least I can do. You saved my life before, and I haven't even thanked you for that," Ye Qingcheng replied, raising her glass.

"All right, let's agree not to say 'thanks' to each other from now on. Here's to being thoroughly sloshed today!" (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)

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