Are there also cliques and factions among the inner sect?

Although the Dao-robed woman felt regretful, she was also helpless. After all, pursuit cannot be forced, and walking on a path that does not belong to oneself will only backfire.

The two Elders bared their teeth, flaunting their power in front of her, completely in the posture of victors.

But as she pulled out a golden Talisman, the two were scared out of their wits, dragging Li Tan and Wang Longzhi as they fled desperately.

......

“Your three-year withdrawal period has not yet passed. Logically speaking, we cannot accept you as Disciples; you can only be Named Disciples....”

The Young Elder in front of him had not finished speaking when the bearded man covered his mouth with his hand.

“But rules are meant to be broken! People are alive, rules are dead. That old ghost doesn’t know how to adapt, so don’t mind him.”

“From today onwards, the two of you can cultivate under our tutelage. My Revered Master’s name is Xia Kuixing, and that old man is Yan’an.”

Li Tan nodded cooperatively, “Xia Kuixing follows the Body Refining Dao, while Yan’an practices Knife Technique. Their strengths are unknown, but they should each have their merits.”

Xia Kuixing scratched his head, then a flash of inspiration struck him, and he said:

“Considering that you are High Grade Disciples, there’s no need to waste time in the Outer Sect anymore. Just report directly to the Inner Sect!”

Yan’an quickly leaned forward, “Old man, isn’t this against the rules?”

“It’s not written in the sect rules.”

Hearing Xia Kuixing’s familiar words, Yan’an fell into contemplation again.

“Yan’an and I are brothers, so our residences will not be separated. This will save you the trouble of running around in the future.”

“If you encounter any obstacles in your Cultivation, just come to me, your Revered Master! I can’t promise anything else, but I guarantee your Physical Body will reach the Tiger Subduing Realm!”

Xia Kuixing was very bold, making promises with a self-satisfied expression.

Yan’an pinched his nose and curled his lip in disdain, “Who’s farting? The smell has spread for a hundred miles.”

“Two young lads, if you have some talent, this old man will certainly teach you everything without reservation, and it’s even possible to glimpse the Domain!”

Li Tan’s eyes were full of eagerness to learn.

The word “Domain” was something he had heard for the first time. He thought it should be a qualitative change achieved when Knife Technique entered a certain Realm.

However, since Yan’an could elevate it so much, this Domain must be extraordinary, and it might even be a great killing move.

Wang Longzhi was not like Li Tan, who could hide his thoughts. When he didn’t understand, he would open his mouth and ask:

“Revered Master, what is this Domain? Is it a supremely powerful killing move?”

Yan’an’s mouth curved into a smile, and he didn’t keep them in suspense: “The Domain can only be comprehended in the Grandmaster Realm of Knife Technique. It can be called a killing move, and it can also be called a virtual Small World!”

“The most powerful aspect of the Domain is that it will cause the user to Awaken a Divine Ability!”

“But how difficult it is to take that step! Even I, your Revered Master, only barely managed to grasp it in the Golden Core Realm. The accumulation and understanding in daily life will become your greatest help at the last moment.”

............

Wenwu Pavilion.

Under the guidance of their two Revered Masters, the two quickly received a set of cultivation robes and a token.

It was almost the same as before, the color was still light green, but there were more runes on the collar.

“A Low Grade Dao Artifact.”

The token should be made of some special Ore; upon touching it, one could still feel residual warmth.

Two large characters were engraved on the back of the token.....

“Inner Sect.”

The housing issue was left to the two servants, as it was not worth delaying time for such a small matter.

“In the Inner Sect, bumps and scrapes are unavoidable. There’s a specially set up private dueling ground on the west side. If there are grievances, you can go there to resolve them yourselves.”

“If you break the rules, the people from the Deacon Hall will come sniffing you out.”

Yan’an said softly:

“The Inner Sect will also have mentors who regularly teach knowledge of various schools. If you’re interested, you can go and observe.”

“Of course, as you’re new here, you’ll definitely encounter some minor troubles, but I, your Revered Master, believe that you two will quickly resolve them.”

Li Tan murmured to himself, “Public teaching classes, there must be insights into Talismans among them. If it can make up for my shortcomings, it would be a good thing.”

“Also, regarding my Knife Technique, time was pressing before, so I didn’t think much about it. Now I can calmly and steadily comprehend it.”

“Then it’s very necessary to choose a Cultivation Technique suitable for killing enemies. As for defense, it can be delayed for a while.”

..............

As soon as Li Tan and Wang Longzhi walked out of their two Masters’ sight, a group of arrogant Disciples were already eyeing them mockingly.

The scene before them made the two instantly bewildered, “Could it be that we unconsciously violated the sect rules?”

The crowd’s attire was uniformly white robes, with a cute little fox printed on the right chest.

A man walked towards them, elegantly extending his right hand, and slowly said:

“Two Junior Brothers, judging by your attire, you must have just joined the Inner Sect.”

“It’s just that there are many unwritten rules in this Inner Sect. If no one guides you, I’m afraid you might offend the monsters on the Earth Ranking, which would lead to a great disaster.”

With the thought of not hitting a smiling face, Li Tan feigned surprise and asked in astonishment:

“Senior Brother’s guess is correct. My brother and I have indeed just stepped into the Inner Sect, and we know nothing about those unwritten rules.”

Seeing that Li Tan was not hiding anything and his words were polite, the man nodded slightly, praising him inwardly.

“Junior Brother, you may not know, but there are eight major forces in this Wenwu Pavilion, all created by those Prodigies on the rankings!”

“They are all incredibly talented and powerful, and even the Elders are willing to turn a blind eye.”

These eight major forces are: “Spirit Fox, Charming Rabbit, Kui Niu, Fierce Wolf, Shadow Leopard, Yin Snake, Suanni, and Dragon Bird.”

“Huddling together for warmth is common sense. Junior Brother, just imagine, how can those isolated Disciples compare to powerful organizations?”

Li Tan secretly calculated in his heart.

To put it nicely, they were forces formed by Geniuses, but in reality, they were just forming factions to facilitate their own interests.

Gathering a group of subordinates to work for oneself, and then throwing out a little sweetness, was called generosity.

The last sentence of the man in front of him even contained a hint of threat.

If he didn’t join an organization, he would be isolated and helpless, at the mercy of others.

It truly didn’t allow for peace. He had thought he could cultivate steadily, but he didn’t expect to fall into a new mud pit.

Li Tan’s expression remained unchanged, and he spoke calmly:

“Then I presume all you Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters are members of the Spirit Fox. But to join your organization... are there any requirements?”

The man’s eyes were full of satisfaction, and he lightly flicked a finger.

“Our Spirit Fox is incredibly fair and willing to protect weaker Disciples for free. However, as fellow members of the organization, everyone must contribute a small amount of effort,”

“Only then can the organization become stronger! And we can also enjoy better treatment....”

“In half a year, you only need to complete one task for the organization! Of course, considering everyone’s safety, the task difficulty will not be too high, and the channels are clean.”

Wang Longzhi was full of disdain, scoffing at these hypocritical fellows in front of him.

Going in circles, wasn’t it still about contributing to the organization?! One task in half a year!

This frequency could be said to be very high. For a Cultivator, half a year was just a flick of the finger.