Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1363 Qingxu Sect

On the high platform, the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the seven major sects stared intently at Qin Hao, each with their own plans to recruit him.

Just as the cultivator surnamed Wang from Huangfeng Valley was about to offer the terms of "inner disciple + five mid-grade spirit stones per month", the other cultivator was about to make a promise.

Qin Hao bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, seniors. After much consideration, I feel that the talismans and formations of the Qingxu Sect are more in line with my cultivation direction, so I am willing to become a disciple of the Qingxu Sect."

The moment the words left his mouth, Tian Xingzi of the Hidden Moon Sect's face darkened instantly: "Have you thought this through?"

He suddenly exuded a heavy pressure, like dark clouds pressing down on Qin Hao. The Qi Refining stage cultivator was no match for him, and even the defensive array patterns at the edge of the arena rippled slightly.

Just as the oppressive force was about to touch Qin Hao, Li Chungang of the Qingxu Sect lightly waved his sleeve, and a light blue spiritual energy shield silently protected Qin Hao. The oppressive force struck the shield and vanished without a trace, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

"Fellow Daoist Tianxingzi, this bullying of the weak by the strong is a gross underestimation of the Qingxu Sect."

Li Chungang spoke calmly, yet a faint aura of wood-attribute spiritual energy emanated from his body. With a slight movement of his sleeve, several green bamboo leaves appeared out of thin air.

Tian Xingzi's face turned extremely ugly, and he snorted coldly: "Hmph, it's been several years since we last met, and Fellow Daoist Li's 'Azure Spirit Wood Control Technique' has become even more proficient. I just wonder if your wood-attribute technique can defeat my 'Heavenly Star Great Art'?"

The atmosphere on the high platform instantly became tense. The Wang-surname cultivator from Huangfeng Valley quickly tried to smooth things over: "Fellow Daoists, please don't get angry! The Ascension Ceremony is meant to select talents for the sect. Since this young friend has made his own choice, it would be a bad idea for us to interfere. If the sect's patriarch finds out, it won't be good if he blames us."

The Zhao-surname cultivator from the Giant Sword Sect chimed in, "Indeed, since young friend Zhang has chosen the Qingxu Sect, there's no point in us arguing any further. We should discuss the distribution of the remaining disciples first, so as not to waste any more time."

The Foundation Establishment cultivators from the other four sects nodded in agreement—although they also wanted Qin Hao, they were unwilling to antagonize the Hidden Moon Sect and the Pure Void Sect for the sake of a Qi Refining cultivator, since both sects were among the strongest of the seven major sects.

Seeing that everyone's hearts were with Qingxu Sect, Tianxingzi could only suppress his anger and said coldly, "Since Qingxu Sect has already obtained some outstanding talents this time, we six sects will choose first in this round of disciple selection. Does anyone have any objections?"

Although Li Chungang was indignant, he knew that he could not defy the wrath of the masses. If he insisted on refuting them, he would probably isolate the Qingxu Sect. So he could only grit his teeth and agree: "I will do as you say, fellow Daoist."

The subsequent distribution of disciples quickly began: the only two cultivators with Heavenly Spiritual Roots (one with Metal and one with Wood) were snatched up by the Hidden Moon Sect and the Spirit Beast Mountain as "personal disciples".

Four cultivators with different spiritual roots (such as those with dual spiritual roots of thunder and fire, or dual spiritual roots of water and earth) were divided up among four sects, including Huangfeng Valley and Giant Sword Sect. Each sect offered the condition of "outer sect core disciple + priority in receiving spiritual materials".

When it was Li Chungang's turn to choose, only cultivators with dual or triple spiritual roots remained. Helpless, he chose a girl with dual water and wood spiritual roots. After making his choice, he sighed and looked at Qin Hao: "For a triple spiritual root, I lost a spot with a unique spiritual root. I don't know if this deal is profitable or not. I hope you won't disappoint me."

Soon, all seventy selected cultivators were assigned to the seven sects.

Foundation Establishment cultivators from the seven major sects summoned their flying magical artifacts: Tian Xingzi of the Hidden Moon Sect summoned a silver flying boat about ten feet long.

The Wang family cultivator from Yellow Maple Valley summoned a yellow maple leaf, while Li Chungang took out a three-foot-diameter cyan star chart. The star chart was covered with wood-attribute array patterns, and seven light cyan spirit stones were inlaid on the edge. It was clearly a high-grade flying magic artifact.

Just as everyone was preparing to board their magical artifacts and leave, Qin Hao suddenly said to Li Chungang, "Uncle-Master Li, I left some talisman-making materials and clothing at the inn earlier, and I haven't retrieved them yet. Could you please wait a moment? I'll be right back."

Li Chungang glanced at the sky and waved his hand: "Go and come back quickly. You must be back within one incense stick's time." He then looked at the other Qingxu Sect disciples: "Anyone else who needs to pack their things or settle worldly affairs should do so as well. If you don't return within one incense stick's time, the remaining Foundation Establishment Pill of our sect will be out of your reach."

These words are both a reminder and a warning—Foundation Building Pills are invaluable treasures for Qi Refining cultivators, and no one wants to miss out on an opportunity because they are late.

Seeing the eager looks in their disciples' eyes, the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the other six sects also relented and gave them the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Qin Hao thanked Li Chungang, turned around, and flew away from the high platform, heading towards the Yunlai Inn.

Amidst the crowd, Han Li's heart stirred. He quietly retreated to the edge of the square and hurried towards the inn.

Inside Room B of Yunlai Inn.

"Senior brother..." Han Li was about to speak.

Qin Hao pulled out a black token from his pocket. The front of the token was engraved with the mark of Huangfeng Valley, and the back had the words "Ascension to Immortality." He handed it to Han Li and said, "Junior Brother, time is of the essence, so I'll get straight to the point. This is the Ascension to Immortality Token. Take it to the Foundation Establishment cultivators in Huangfeng Valley and tell them that this is a treasure left by your ancestors. You only recently learned that you can join Huangfeng Valley directly with this token without having to take the assessment."

Han Li took the token, flipped it over, and saw the words "Ascension to Immortality" on the back. His pupils contracted sharply, and his voice was filled with disbelief: "Senior Brother, this..."

"I found this token along with the 'Sharp Metal Technique' at the bottom of a cliff in the desolate mountains, next to the remains of a cultivator. Now that I have chosen the Qingxu Sect, this token is useless to me, but it can help you join the Yellow Maple Valley."

"With this token, you can enter the sect without any assessment and directly receive a Foundation Establishment Pill."

Han Li trembled, his hand holding the token shaking slightly: "Foundation Establishment Pill... Senior Brother, you actually gave me such a precious thing? I don't know how to repay this kindness..."

For a fleeting moment, Han Li was so moved that he almost took out the little green bottle.

"Junior brother, you flatter me. We are brothers who have gone through life and death together, there is no need to say such things." Qin Hao said solemnly, "I have only one request: after you join Huangfeng Valley, if you have the opportunity, please collect more ancient books related to cultivation for me - whether it is cultivation methods, spells, talismans, or weapon refining, pill refining, formations, anything related to cultivation is fine."

He didn't hide his purpose: "As you know, I owe my success today entirely to my talent in talisman making. Although Qingxu Sect is skilled in talismans and formations, they may not easily pass on their core scriptures. Huangfeng Valley, as one of the seven major sects, must have a large collection of books. These ancient books are crucial for me to improve my cultivation system and enhance my talisman-making skills, even more so than improving my cultivation level."

With these ancient books, the AI's database can be rapidly improved, making future deductions of cultivation techniques and optimizations of talismans more accurate. This is the foundation for his foothold in the cultivation world.

Han Li nodded emphatically, clutching the token tightly in his hand: "Don't worry, Senior Brother! After I join Huangfeng Valley, I will definitely find a way to collect ancient books."

"Alright, it's about time, we should go." Qin Hao patted Han Li on the shoulder: "Take care, junior brother. If there's a chance in the future, let's meet again in the cultivation world."

"Take care, brother!"

The two left the inn one after the other. Qin Hao went straight back to the high platform in the square, while Han Li walked towards the yellow clouds of Huangfeng Valley.

On the high platform, the incense sticks of the seven sects had burned halfway. Qin Hao had just stepped onto the cyan star disk when he heard Han Li's voice from below: "Master Uncle of Yellow Maple Valley, please wait! I am Han Li, and I possess the Ascension Token. I humbly request that you accept me into your sect!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Han Li holding a black token, standing below the clouds in Huangfeng Valley.

The cultivator surnamed Wang from Huangfeng Valley frowned, raised his hand and pulled the token into his hand. After examining it for a moment, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes—although he had never seen a real Ascension Token, he had seen the pattern in the sect's records. The patterns and aura of this token were definitely not fake.

"Ascension Token? What is that?" a clueless rogue cultivator asked in a low voice.

"You don't even know this?" The cultivator next to him quickly explained, "The Ascension Token is only passed on to cultivation families that have made great contributions to the sect. Descendants can use this token to directly enter the sect and receive a Foundation Establishment Pill. This kind of Ascension Token is at least a privilege that only families with Golden Core ancestors can enjoy. It is extremely rare!"

As the cultivator surnamed Wang frowned, pondering how to handle the situation, Tian Xingzi had already activated the silver flying boat and coldly snorted, "Dawdling around, wasting time!"

The flying boat transformed into a streak of silver light and soared into the sky.

Seeing this, Li Chungang no longer hesitated. He channeled his magic power into his fingertips, and the array patterns on the cyan star chart lit up. The star chart slowly rose into the air and flew towards the direction of Qingxu Sect.

Qin Hao stood at the edge of the star chart, looking down at the Tai Nan Valley below, which gradually shrank until it became a small dot.

The star chart flew smoothly, enveloped in a light blue spiritual energy shield that kept out the fierce winds from the high altitude.

Before long, a range of green mountains appeared ahead, with peaks soaring into the clouds and mist swirling among them. The spiritual energy was so rich that it was almost tangible. From a distance, it looked like a fairyland—this was the location of the Qingxu Sect's mountain gate, "Qingling Mountain".

The star chart slowly descended onto a platform halfway up Qingling Mountain. Qin Hao and his group flew down and scanned their surroundings: the platform was paved with blue stone slabs, with spirit-gathering arrays carved on the edges, and the array patterns glowed with a light blue aura of spiritual energy; below the platform was a large bamboo forest, with bamboos several meters tall, and spiritual energy faintly flowing on the bamboo joints, obviously spiritual bamboos that had been nourished by spiritual energy.

A blue stone path winds through the bamboo forest, with a stone lamp every few steps along the path. The lamps burn with "spiritual oil," emitting a faint fragrance that can calm the mind and spirit.

On the distant mountain peaks, one can vaguely see pavilions built of green bamboo and nanmu wood, with spiritual vines entwining between them. Occasionally, Qingxu Sect disciples dressed in white robes fly by on their swords, the sword light like azure shooting stars, agile and graceful.

A faint light curtain enveloped the mountaintop, with intricate array patterns engraved on it, presumably the protective array of the Qingxu Sect.

"Such rich spiritual energy!" Qin Hao sighed inwardly. His AI automatically began to analyze the concentration of spiritual energy in the surrounding area—five times higher than that of Tai Nan Valley and dozens of times higher than that of Shen Shou Valley. No wonder these immortal cultivation sects have been able to stand for thousands of years. Their disciples cultivate in such blessed lands and immortal mountains, and their cultivation speed is many times faster than that of independent cultivators.

He followed Li Chungang and other Qingxu Sect disciples along the bluestone path toward the main hall at the mountain peak. Along the way, they could see medicinal gardens where spiritual herbs were planted. Disciples were tending to the gardens, and the fragrance of the herbs mixed with the scent of bamboo, creating a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the group arrived at the summit.

Atop the mountain stands a magnificent hall carved from green jade. Above the hall's entrance hangs a wooden plaque bearing the three large golden characters "Qingxu Hall," written in a vigorous and powerful style, with a faint aura of spiritual energy flowing through it.

Inside the hall, a cultivator dressed in a white Taoist robe with white hair and beard sat in the main seat. He was none other than the sect leader of Qingxu Sect, "Xuanzhen Daoist". Several Foundation Establishment cultivators were also sitting next to him.

Li Chungang stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Sect Leader, I brought back ten disciples from this Ascension Ceremony. This young man is named Zhang Tie. He is exceptionally talented in talisman making. His improved Vajra Talisman and Golden Arrow Talisman have 20% stronger defensive and penetrating power than ordinary talismans. He can also control multiple talismans at the same time. He is a rare talent."

As he spoke, he handed over the talisman that Qin Hao had improved. Xuanzhen Daoist took the talisman, played with it in his hand for a moment, infused a wisp of magic power into his fingertip, and felt the spiritual energy flowing within the talisman. A satisfied smile appeared on his face: "Junior Brother Li has made a great contribution by finding a talented person for the sect. I will ask my senior uncles to commend you."

He then looked at Qin Hao with a gentle gaze: "Junior Nephew Zhang, since you have such talent in talisman making, you will no longer need to take on sect affairs. You only need to deliver ten beginner to intermediate talismans to the Talisman Making Hall each month. As for the materials needed for talisman making, you can obtain a fixed quota from the External Affairs Hall each month—fifty sheets of spirit paper and three jars of spirit ink. If you have any special needs, you can apply to Junior Brother Li."

"Thank you, Sect Leader Uncle!" Qin Hao bowed, but a strange light flashed in his eyes.

"Alright, you can go with the disciples of the External Affairs Hall to collect your initiation items. The Foundation Establishment Pills will be distributed to you within three days." Xuanzhen Daoist waved his hand: "Be sure to cultivate diligently and do not waste this opportunity to enter the sect."

"Disciple obeys!" Qin Hao and the other disciples bowed and left the main hall with a disciple from the External Affairs Hall.

After everyone left, Li Chungang stepped forward and said through gritted teeth, "Sect Leader Brother..."

Xuanzhen Daoist raised his hand to interrupt: "Junior Brother, are you going to plead for him?"

"I wouldn't dare, but I feel it would be a great waste not to nurture such talent," Li Chungang said in a low voice.

"Junior brother, do you know how many resources it takes to train a talisman maker?" Master Xuanzhen sighed, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "The material cost of one intermediate-level talisman is equivalent to that of hundreds of low-level talismans; a talisman maker must waste at least tens of thousands of materials to go from beginner to being able to draw intermediate-level talismans. This boy does have talent in Vajra Talismans and Golden Arrow Talismans, but who can guarantee that he can do the same in other talismans? Over the years, how many talisman makers has our sect trained? But very few have truly made any progress in intermediate-level talismans; most have wasted resources without any improvement."

Li Chungang remained silent—the sect leader's words, though cruel, were the truth. Qingxu Sect's resources were limited, and they couldn't easily gamble on a disciple who had just joined the sect.

“So, what I mean is to observe him a little longer.” Xuanzhen Daoist’s tone softened a bit: “If he can draw three kinds of low-level high-level talismans before he reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, or successfully reach the Foundation Establishment stage before the age of thirty, it will prove that his talent is not limited to two kinds of low-level talismans. At that time, it will not be too late to put more effort into his training and allocate more resources.”

Although Li Chungang still felt regret, he understood the sect leader's considerations: "Sect leader, you are the most thoughtful."

At this moment, Qin Hao was receiving his initiation items from the disciples of the External Affairs Hall: a soft blue Daoist robe that could insulate against a small amount of cold air; a low-grade flying magic weapon; two low-grade attack magic weapons; two low-level talismans; and a copy of the "Qingxu Sect Rules," which detailed the sect's reward and punishment system and the responsibilities of each hall.

"That's really stingy," Qin Hao muttered to himself, looking at the pile of junk. (End of Chapter)