12: Chapter 12 Earth Spiritual Root

Within a five-hundred-mile radius of the Jiuling City boundary, there were nearly a hundred Sects of various sizes.

However, not all Sects were as wealthy and powerful as the Green Leaf Sect, which owned its own permanent pavilion in the city square.

Most small Sects, when short on manpower, could only rent a small pavilion temporarily to make do.

And directly opposite that grand pavilion of the Green Leaf Sect, there happened to be a small pavilion available for rent.

"My lord, you have an excellent eye!"

The owner of the pavilion was all smiles, spittle flying as he pitched, "My location is directly facing the Green Leaf Sect! Absolutely conspicuous! It only costs twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones a day; I guarantee you'll make a profit!"

"Last time, an Elder from the Jikun Sect recruited here, and they were fully staffed in just two and a half days!"

He thumped his chest in assurance.

In his past life, this guy would definitely be a gold-medal salesman.

Ling Hao waved his hand; besides, these twenty Spirit Stones were just "picked up," so he didn't feel bad spending them.

If he could actually recruit a few Disciples today, it would be worth it.

"Cut the chatter, hurry up and put up the sign, and hang the banner for me!"

"Alright, alright, right away!"

The entrance to the Green Leaf Sect was already crowded, and the moment the pavilion opposite changed its sign and hung the banner, it immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Moonshadow Sect? What the hell is that? Never heard of it!"

"I've lived for seventy or eighty years, and there's no such Sect in the Jiuling City area!"

"It must be some tiny, pathetic Sect that popped out from some backwater corner!"

"Look, they don't even have a testing stone in front of the door! It's pathetic to the extreme!"

Everyone's gaze focused on the huge banner that had been raised, on which eye-catching characters were written: [Guaranteed Nascent Soul! Top-tier Protective Sect Array! Come quickly to the Moonshadow Sect on Tianyuan Mountain!]

Boom! The crowd instantly erupted, bursting into huge roars of laughter.

"Pfft—! Guaranteed Nascent Soul?! You brag without even drafting it! Even a Fourth-grade Sect wouldn't dare to boast like that!"

"Protective Sect Array? Just this dilapidated household? We've all heard of the Green Leaf Sect's Protective Sect Array, so who does your Moonshadow Sect think it is? Must be a dream array!"

"Hahahaha! Common Cultivation Techniques, plus a non-existent Protective Sect Array—are you trying to fool idiots?"

"I've seen plenty of these scammer Sects! They just want to trick people into going up the mountain to be coolies, mining and farming for them!"

"Right, right! Compared to a proper Sect like the Green Leaf Sect, which has a testing stone and a Foundation Establishment Old Ancestor, the Moonshadow Sect is simply a joke!"

"Look at the Green Leaf Sect, with strict rules and solid strength! Then look at the opposite side, bragging to the heavens, with nothing! Only a fool would believe it!"

Ling Hao listened to the surrounding mockery and didn't take it to heart at all.

Believe it or not, those who are willing will take the bait.

Ling Hao silently opened the System store.

[System, purchase "At My Disposal."]

"Ding! Purchase successful, it has been used."

An invisible ripple instantly spread from Ling Hao, sweeping across the entire Jiuling City.

"Search complete, no one with a matching Spiritual Root found."

What?! Ling Hao's eyes nearly popped out.

In a city as large as Jiuling City, he couldn't find even one Earth-grade Spiritual Root? This is too much of a rip-off!

His hundred points, it hurts!

"Hey! Metal-Wood Yellow-grade Spiritual Root, Qi Refining level one! Does your Moonshadow Sect recruit people?"

A gruff voice pulled Ling Hao back to reality.

He looked up and saw a man with a full beard and shifty eyes.

Ling Hao didn't even think about it, waving his hand directly: "No!"

This crisp and clear refusal caused another burst of laughter from the onlookers.

"Pfft! Metal-Wood dual Spiritual Root, Qi Refining level one! He's someone who has properly stepped onto the path of immortality, and this tiny pathetic Sect actually looks down on him?"

"Hahaha, hilarious! I think this level one Qi Refining cultivation is enough to be an Elder in his Moonshadow Sect, right?"

"Exactly! Why act so high and mighty? It's good enough that someone is willing to come, and yet he's being picky!"

The reason for Ling Hao's refusal was simple—the System prompt was floating brightly before his eyes.

Warm prompt: The target's favorability towards the Sect is negative, unable to join.

This guy had no good intentions at all!

Rejected in public, the bearded man couldn't save Face, and he snorted coldly: "Hmph! I was kind enough to want to help your pathetic Sect hold up the scene, and you're acting all high and mighty? You don't know what's good for you!"

Ling Hao couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense: "You aren't qualified, get lost quickly."

A fierce light flashed in the bearded man's eyes, as if he wanted to make a move.

Ling Hao raised an eyebrow, and the aura of the fourth level of Qi Refining was released without reservation!

The bearded man's expression changed, feeling the spiritual pressure far stronger than his own, he instantly withered and slunk into the crowd.

"Yo? Fourth level of Qi Refining?"

"This Moonshadow Sect... seems to have something going for it, huh?"

"They have the strength, it's just a pity they bragged too much..."

The tone of the crowd's discussion clearly changed a bit, shifting from pure mockery to carrying a hint of surprise and scrutiny.

Just then, someone in the crowd suddenly exclaimed: "Hey! I remember now! That guy just now, was his name Qu Mianbei? The one nicknamed 'Sect-Rolling-Runaway-King'?"

"Right, right! That's him! He specializes in finding newly established small Sects to join, and after getting in, he rolls up all the valuable things and runs away! I heard several small Sects that had just established their doors were ruined by him!"

"Damn! So that's how it is!"

"Then the Moonshadow Sect... this was a lucky strike, avoiding a disaster, right?"

"Tsk, consider them lucky!"

After this little interlude, the crowd of onlookers gradually stopped paying attention to Ling Hao's Moonshadow Sect.

The sun set in the west, draping the bustling Jiuling City square in a thin layer of golden gauze, and the crowds that had been busy during the day gradually thinned out.

Relying on the strength of the fourth level of Qi Refining he displayed earlier and that exaggerated banner, Ling Hao actually managed to con a few Disciples.

They were all those who had been rejected by the Green Leaf Sect, and the girl in the yellow dress who had been rejected earlier was among them.

Ling Hao was just preparing to pack up his stall and head home when a green figure quietly stopped in front of his stall.

"Hello." A gentle voice sounded, "May I ask, are you still recruiting Disciples here?"

Ling Hao looked up and saw a woman standing before him, dressed in a misty-green gauze cross-collared ru skirt.

Her temperament was calm and quiet, with a faint scholarly air between her brows; she looked like a watercolor painting that had been washed out.

Ling Hao was stunned and nodded.

This "Hello" way of greeting was truly a bit rare.

In the crowd that hadn't yet dispersed nearby, a series of hushed exclamations and discussions suddenly arose.

"Eh, isn't this... Qin Zhaoxue? Why did she come here?"

"...It's her! I heard she tested for an Earth-grade Spiritual Root in Diyan City, and it was quite a sensation at the time! The three major Fourth-grade Sects of the Qing State were all fighting over her!"

"Right, right! In the end, she was snatched up by the Earth Flame Sect! But the strange thing is, once she started to Cultivate after entering the Sect, that Earth-grade Spiritual Root of hers... it is said to have dropped to Yellow-grade!"

"Yellow-grade?"

"Yes, and then the Earth Flame Sect felt they had been played, couldn't save Face, and directly kicked her out!"

"Ah? There's such a thing? Then why did she..."

"Heh, you don't know about this, do you? I heard that the paintings she later drew were especially liked by the Huoyan Sect Master! Rumor has it that the Huoyan Sect Master intends to take her into his Sect!"

"Damn! This experience is too convoluted, right? Then what is she doing coming to this tiny pathetic Sect?"

Listening to the chattering discussions around him, Ling Hao's curiosity was completely hooked.

Earth-grade Spiritual Root turned Yellow-grade?

"Ding! Do you want to consume 1 point to view current character information?"

"Yes!"

Ling Hao didn't hesitate.

The System light screen flashed, and information appeared before his eyes:

Name: Qin Zhaoxue

Age: 22

Spiritual Root: Water-Wood-Fire, Yellow-grade Spiritual Root (Water-Wood-Fire, Earth-grade Spiritual Root, affected by erosion qi)

Physique: Heavenly Yin Physique

Cultivation: Qi Induction level nine

The moment he saw the information clearly, a light of pleasant surprise erupted in Ling Hao's eyes.

He had found a treasure! This was definitely an unexpected joy!