Cohabitation with Sword Spirit

Chapter 502 - 3: The Saint Sect of All People

In Heaven-Reaching City, there’s a saying passed down within the Saint Sect: The Saint Sect is the Saint Sect of the world.

As the undeniable leader of the Xiangzhou Cultivation Realm, the Saint Sect operates under the principle of inclusivity and non-discrimination. For two thousand years, the Saint Sect has never closed its doors to the people of the world. As long as one can pass the strict and standardized trial procedures, even cultivators from humble backgrounds, without any connections, can join the ranks of the Saint Sect and receive the most advanced training in the Immortal Dao.

Currently, there are three hundred registered cultivators in the Saint Sect, over two hundred and fifty of whom come from outside the Saint Sect’s cultivation sects and families, with independent cultivators with no background making up over one-fifth.

Such a ratio defies common sense. Generally, cultivation sects, no matter how much they tout openness and inclusivity, will, after centuries of heritage, form cliques within interest groups, gradually solidifying class structures and obstructing outsiders’ entry. The structure where the children of nobility remain noble, and those of commoners remain commoners, takes shape.

Yet, the Saint Sect has been passed down for over two thousand years, not prohibiting marriage and childbearing, nor prohibiting the nurturing of heirs, which by all rights should make class solidification more severe.

However, to this day, the Saint Sect is still the Saint Sect of the world, not just of a single family.

Except for the lineage succession of the Sect Leader, passed down without interruption, other positions like Elder and Envoy are open to the world, occupied by those with ability. In the two thousand years, there’s been almost no instances of "father-to-son succession" within the Saint Sect; interests seldom tie together the generations of Elders and Envoys. Because of this, the Saint Sect has maintained its neutrality for two millennia, thereby preserving its prestige.

Rationally speaking, there’s surely a problem within this.

Humans are not saints; who does not have selfish desires? Who wouldn’t hope for a successor in an important position to carry on their will? A capable cultivator who passes the Saint Sect’s trials and eventually reaches the Elder level would naturally find it easier to train an heir who meets the Saint Sect’s standards. So, why hasn’t there been such father-to-son succession and interest ties for two thousand years in the Saint Sect?

This is obviously not because the cultivators of the Saint Sect have superior awareness and strong qualities, but because from the first-generation Sect Leader onward, there was intent to suppress factionalism and swelling internal forces through the recruitment process.

Of course, the entry trials of the Saint Sect have strictly uniform procedures, open to anyone with the same system, and the process is transparently public. From two thousand years ago, the trial process has been under the joint supervision of the Three Academies and Seven Great Families. Some cultivators unable to pass the trial but showing exceptional talent can also gain favor with prestigious sects.

As time progressed and civilization developed, recently, even live broadcasting services have emerged, spearheaded by a new technology company from Golden Jade City, swiftly spreading throughout the world. Each Saint Sect entry trial attracts billions of viewers, bringing enormous broadcasting revenue. Even if the trialists neither join the Saint Sect nor get selected by the Three Academies and Seven Great Families, as long as they showcase outstanding personal talent, they can sign a broadcasting contract with a company from Golden Jade City and become known henceforth.

Then, how does one conduct intentional selection in such a transparent and public process?

The solution given by the Saint Sect is a simple yet crude bonus policy, providing various bonuses to cultivators with poorer innate conditions and harsher growth environments, continually adjusting until the internal personnel structure balances, making sure the younger generation has no special advantages.

This bonus policy naturally faces criticism: why give bonuses to others when it’s a fair and transparent trial process, with no risk of internal personnel leaking information in advance? The purpose of the Saint Sect’s trial is to accurately allocate cultivation resources to those with better qualifications and broader growth prospects. Cultivators trained internally from a young age evidently have a better foundation, more suited to receive the Saint Sect’s resource investment. Why, for the sake of structural balance, give bonuses to outsiders with lesser qualifications? What benefit does this have for the Saint Sect’s overall interests?

In response to such criticisms, the answer given by the Sect Leader of the Saint Sect is very simple: There is no benefit; it is purely to balance the internal personnel structure.

The Saint Sect is the Saint Sect of the world, not the Saint Sect’s own. No matter how successful the internal childhood education, no matter how excellent the heirs cultivated, they are ultimately just resources from within the Saint Sect. Yet, on the vast lands of Xiangzhou, there are thousands upon thousands of cultivators who do not get such early education.

Should they be abandoned and ignored?

Indeed, given the richness of the resources controlled by the Saint Sect, even if they closed themselves off from the start, ensuring internal propagation and circulation, they could still maintain the supreme ruling status. But in doing so, the Saint Sect would no longer be the Saint Sect of the people of the world.

A sect that closes its doors, isolated from yet above the outside world, is destined in the long historical development to stand opposed to the people of the world.

The first-generation Sect Leader of the Saint Sect had once read a large number of historical materials left from the Primordial Era and made his own judgment. No matter how excellent a cultivation sect is, it must never lose its connection to the people of the world. Hence, even if it means sacrificing the interests of insiders or slowing the Saint Sect’s progress, ensuring all people unite around the Saint Sect is a must.

——

"This is the historical reason why this homosexual envoy could find a place within the Saint Sect. Thanks to this bonus system, in recent years, the homosexual population among cultivators around Heaven-Reaching City has been rapidly increasing. Just recently, the glorious achievements of Shen Jinghai from Shen City greatly encouraged homosexuals, to the extent that in some areas, heterosexuality has become a kind of original sin... So, do you feel despair over the cultivation realm of Xiangzhou?"

Zhao Chenlu, without the slightest care for the livid expression of Zhang Qing nearly seeping out from behind his cyan mask, fearlessly teased about his sexual orientation and the Saint Sect’s bonus policy.

Yet Wang Jiu, after a long silence, said, "I actually think this overly corrective Saint Sect is more suitable for humanity than Jiuzhou’s Myriad Immortals Alliance."

Mentioning the Myriad Immortals Alliance made Zhao Chenlu’s smile fade. After a moment, she lightly exhaled and said, "Indeed, compared to homosexuality, that Myriad Immortals Alliance from back then was even more disgusting. Thankfully, the most disgusting few were crushed to dust by your sword among the Daluo Golden Immortals, otherwise I wouldn’t want to rely on the framework of the Myriad Immortals Alliance as any of the Jiu Immortals Venerables."

"Therefore, although this Saint Sect indeed has many questionable aspects that are sometimes hard to explain with historical patterns, its existence is more beneficial than harmful to Xiangzhou."

"... Yes, although I very much dislike the old Sect Leader, I must admit, this Saint Sect, however questionable it seemed... does deserve some respect now."

As soon as the words were spoken, an old, chuckling voice was heard from not far away.

"Hahaha, it’s really not easy to hear such words from City Lord Zhao. We’ve known each other for so many years, and your positive evaluations of the Saint Sect don’t exceed three sentences."

Zhao Chenlu frowned, "Three sentences? Old man, you’re being self-indulgent again."

"Haha, indeed self-indulgent. It’s been twenty years; this is the only time you’ve used a positive term to describe our Saint Sect. I could hardly believe my ears just now; I thought my Primordial Spirit was injured by a Primordial Heart Demon."

As he spoke, an elderly man with a straight posture and vibrant spirit appeared before them.

He didn’t look as old as his voice suggested. Though his hair was fully silver, and his silver eyebrows drooped from the sides of his eyes, his skin still retained a youthful smoothness, and his eyes were bright and full of life.

From the Celestial Divine Sword’s understanding of humans, this old man’s actual age should not be young, at least over 100 years old, but throughout his life, he remains between youth and middle age.

This is a cultivator with a lifespan exceeding 300 years, still having several decades of ascent in Immortal Cultivation.

According to the life span norms in Xiangzhou, those who naturally live beyond 300 years are undoubtedly masters who have reached the pinnacle of the True Essence Realm, standing at the peak of Xiangzhou.

Since the awakening of the Celestial Divine Sword, it has witnessed many strong individuals, such as Li Fengyun of QingCyan Cloud City, Li Tianya, Shen Ruoshi of Shen City, Zhao Chenlu of Golden Jade City, all top-tier strongmen of Xiangzhou.

But compared to the elder who was over 100 years old in front of them, they all paled a little in significance.

Undoubtedly, this elder is the foremost person in Xiangzhou seen by the Celestial Divine Sword, and the unique True Essence fluctuation emanating from him made Wang Jiu instantly lock onto his identity.

The Sect Leader of the Saint Sect.

Yet, at the same time as this identity was locked in, within the Sword World, a certain long sword often used by Wang Jiu to seek people or objects also trembled slightly.

This imperceptible tremor, to the owner of the Sword World, was like a thunderclap in a clear sky.

Wang Jiu almost instantly reacted.

The pure white Divine Sword Body drooped slightly.

Otherwise, the edge of the sword body would inevitably alarm the other party.

Then, Wang Jiu refocused his attention on observing the jet-black Demon-Pointing Sword in the Sword World; this time, the Black Sword had no reaction.

Illusion? Error? Or was it a malfunction caused by changes in Xiangzhou’s Laws of Heaven and Earth? Or perhaps some other reason?

For a moment, Wang Jiu remained silently contemplative, investing his entire mind in the small stir within the Sword World.

Zhao Chenlu noticed Wang Jiu’s abnormality and immediately smiled to cover for him.

"Old man, I remember I asked for no miscellaneous people affecting the appetite at the reception dinner, right? Why are you here?"

The Sect Leader of the Saint Sect said, "Freeloading, of course. Your meal standard is much higher than this old man’s working meal; these delicacies I can only taste at festive times..."

"Forget it; your freeloading affects the appetite."

The Sect Leader frowned, "You’re being unfair. Your single visit costs 200,000 Spirit Stones in reception expenses, all paid by the Saint Sect. Now, can’t this Sect Leader even mooch a meal?"

Zhao Chenlu sneered, "Isn’t it true that your Saint Sect didn’t recover the costs from any reception expense? Out with it; what difficulty requires my help this time?"

The Sect Leader nodded, "Indeed, there is a rather troublesome issue needing your help. To be precise, it requires the help of the one beside you."