Even though Liu Chun wasn't physically present in the sect, the Yuan family had not neglected his cultivation. The area where Liu Chun and his sister Liu Qin lived was among the places in the Yuan family estate with the densest spiritual energy.
Liu Chun's share of cultivation resources was allocated based on his position as the head of the talisman-making division and the number and quality of talismans he submitted each month. Every time the Lingxian Sect made a trade in the cultivation world, his portion was sent to him.
Liu Chun spent his days caring for his sister, making talismans, and cultivating. Ever since switching to the Ben Yuan Heart Sutra, he found that his cultivation had become as smooth as a fish in water. As a result, his cultivation progressed rapidly.
Three years had passed, and he had advanced from the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment to the early stage of the Golden Core realm.
For Liu Chun, achieving the Golden Core realm had once been a distant, almost unattainable dream. Before joining Lingxian Sect, as a 45-year-old mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had resigned himself to the possibility that he might only reach the peak of Foundation Establishment or, at best, scrape by into the Golden Core realm with the help of expensive pills. Even then, he knew that his lifespan would only increase by a few more decades.
Like most wandering cultivators, Liu Chun had no access to superior techniques, had mediocre talent, and lacked sufficient resources. His skills in talisman-making allowed him to live slightly better than the average rogue cultivator, but the idea of consistently progressing in the cultivation world seemed like an impossible task.
But now, what once seemed like a distant dream had become a reality in just a few short years.
He didn't have to make any unreasonable sacrifices; all he had to do was focus on the work he enjoyed and was skilled at, while diligently cultivating. That was enough.
Every time Liu Chun reflected on his fortune while living with the Yuan family in Yuanling City, he felt deep gratitude. Meeting Lin Xiao back in Yuanling City had been the greatest blessing of his life.
While the Ben Yuan Heart Sutra was an ideal match for Liu Chun, the majority of Lingxian Sect members still practiced the Peach Blossom Void Sutra. Not everyone felt an immediate connection with the Ben Yuan Heart Sutra. The criteria for "fit" depended on whether the individual could truly immerse themselves in the technique and cultivate with it.
Unlike the Peach Blossom Void Sutra, where most could understand and cultivate after grasping its core principles, the Ben Yuan Heart Sutra was more selective, with fewer people finding it accessible.
Over the years, Lin Xiao had synthesized several other cultivation techniques, but none could rival the depth of the Ben Yuan Heart Sutra, nor could they match the widespread applicability of the Peach Blossom Void Sutra. As a result, these two techniques remained the primary cultivation paths for the majority of sect members.
The other techniques in the cultivation library were mostly used for occasional study, a change of pace from the main practices.
As dinner drew to a close, everyone gathered around the tables, sipping tea and enjoying the evening breeze while the moonlight shimmered above. It was one of the rare peaceful moments for the busy members of Lingxian Sect.
Soon, a weary figure appeared at the entrance of Yaoguang Floating Island. Liu Yunan had finally arrived.
Jiang Youfu, who had been keeping an eye on the entrance, waved excitedly, "Yunan! Come over! We saved some good food for you!"
As they had grown older, the group no longer used childhood nicknames, opting instead to call each other by their full names.
Seeing everyone relaxing and chatting after dinner, Liu Yunan's tired expression lightened. He smiled and quickly made his way over. Jiang Youfu had already prepared a plate of food and placed it at an open seat for him.
Liu Yunan sat down, greeted everyone, and began eating voraciously. The approaching disciple recruitment kept the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall extremely busy, and as its head, Liu Yunan had been managing nearly everything related to the new recruits.
Although the final selection of disciples would be handled by the Heart of Inquiry Path, there was a mountain of work to do beforehand—promoting the sect, organizing disciple assignments, and coordinating with various departments about the new recruits' future roles.
This was the first time Lingxian Sect had opened its doors to external disciples, and Liu Yunan was determined to ensure that everything went smoothly. For the past few days, he had worked tirelessly to perfect the recruitment process, refine procedures, and coordinate with other departments. His goal was to create a welcoming environment that left a positive impression on every new disciple, ensuring they felt a sense of belonging within the sect.
Though everyone was eager to learn more about the upcoming recruitment, they waited until Liu Yunan had eaten his fill before speaking. Finally, Qian Jianghe broke the silence, "So, how are the preparations coming along?"
Now full and satisfied, Liu Yunan exhaled deeply, feeling the tension drain from his body. He nodded, "It's almost done. Just a few loose ends to tie up in the next couple of days. Honestly, I can't wait for the new disciples to join us!"
His enthusiasm made everyone smile.
Jiang Youfu, equally excited, said, "We'll be getting new disciples in the Spirit Food Hall! I can finally teach them my techniques for efficiently handling ingredients!"
Mo Yuanjiao chimed in, "And we in the Array Hall are ready, too! I've been working on an array inspired by the 'roller coaster' that the Sect Master described. I need some people to test it out for feedback!"
Upon hearing this, several people coughed awkwardly and avoided Mo Yuanjiao's gaze, clearly not volunteering for the task.
Not to be outdone, Hu Liang, also known as Iron Head, added eagerly, "I've gained some insights from my blacksmithing recently! I've been itching to share them. With new disciples, I can finally teach someone how to forge weapons. Heh, heh!"
Although the elders from the Spirit Field Group remained quiet, they were already imagining the prospect of teaching the newcomers their valuable farming skills.
The yet-to-be-recruited disciples had no idea that their future in the sect was already being meticulously planned.
"Oh, by the way," Liu Yunan said between sips of tea, "I've been meaning to bring this up. I'm thinking of building a plaza on the adjacent mountain."
He glanced around the table. "I've been gauging the response to our recruitment efforts, and it seems pretty positive. Although we've increased the difficulty of the Heart of Inquiry Path several times, and we've estimated only a few dozen will pass, I still think we should prepare for a larger turnout. If we get more than expected, our current main hall might be a bit cramped. A plaza could be a good solution."
Qian Jianghe nodded in agreement. "The Sect Master also mentioned building a plaza before. We just never found the time to get around to it."