Chapter 93: Free-Range, but with Rules

When he heard the last sentence, Luo Feng was slightly startled.

But after a moment’s thought, he accepted it.

The pieces in the Dao Ancestor of the Purple Firmament Palace’s hands were countless, black and white interwoven.

It was plain to see how many transmigrators and reborn souls there were.

Perhaps the Taier Sect had been founded by survivors among them.

Having witnessed the terror of the primordial world and been thoroughly tempered by reality, they had steadied their minds, stripped away the swagger of heaven’s favored sons, and thus laid down so many rules for the sect.

Or perhaps, behind the Taier Sect stood some great being with wondrous powers.

After all, with the Dao Ancestor’s abilities, he could glimpse the heavens and connect myriad worlds. Even those beneath him, the sages and the great immortals, though lacking such might themselves, would find it no great difficulty to come into contact with certain information.

But whichever possibility it was, it had nothing to do with him.

He was going to the Taier Sect not to stir up trouble, but to learn; there was no great conflict of interest.

Even if he were discovered, Luo Feng still had a little something in reserve.

Right now, he stood respectfully, like an obedient ordinary disciple.

You think I am just an ordinary Foundation Establishment disciple, but in truth I am a prodigy of great fortune, carrying a Nascent Soul beast.

You think I am a prodigy carrying a Nascent Soul beast, but in truth I am a Taoist sweeping the sect grounds, a Earth Immortal cultivator.

You think I am an Earth Immortal in seclusion within the sect, but in truth I am a puppet.

You think I am a puppet, but in truth even I do not know who I am!

Let alone a Golden Immortal great power, no one will ever uncover my true identity.

And if a being with great powers really did trace the line back to my home, I still had one final card to play.

The number-one underling of the Purple Firmament Palace has arrived, Daoist Luo Feng, reporting for duty!

But the chances of that happening were practically nonexistent.

Luo Feng knew himself well enough; he had never believed in the saying that wealth and honor are sought in danger.

Dao Ancestors, sages, and great immortals were the kind of beings one absolutely could not provoke.

Even if a Primordial Treasure were placed right before his eyes, Luo Feng would not go near it.

He had never believed in pies falling from the sky; all chance encounters and fortunate accidents were lies.

All gifts marked out by fate had long since been priced in the shadows.

What did one Primordial Treasure amount to? Its standing was equal to that of a sage.

A Primordial Treasure recognizing a master was as absurd as a tiger shaking its body and making a sage bow in worship.

In this age, those who held Primordial Treasures were all sages.

The legendary Chaos Bell, missing for ages, had once belonged to the Heavenly Emperor, Eastern Lord Taiyi.

And what was he, in terms of cultivation? A heavenly immortal who had only just attained the traits of a Golden Immortal? A half-baked Golden Immortal? A crippled great power?

One breath from Taiyi would be enough to snuff him out.

As for a Primordial Treasure recognizing a master, that kind of thing was fine to imagine.

Once the Taoist Zi Mu had finished explaining the sect rules, he paused and began speaking about the duties of outer sect disciples in fetching water and chopping firewood.

Luo Feng’s thoughts shifted. He remained silent and respectful, listening on.

In simple terms, it meant ten buckets of water or ten loads of firewood a day.

Outer disciples had to complete it daily; as for the method, no one cared.

As long as you did not seize the fruits of a fellow disciple’s labor by force, whether you used Yellow Turban Strongmen, talismans, or other means, the Taier Sect did not interfere.

Everyone had different thoughts and different expressions.

The Taier Sect truly kept its outer disciples in free range.

Only, it was free range with rules.

At that moment, Daoist Fengshun gave a salute and asked respectfully, “May I ask, Elder, besides entering the inner sect, what other way is there to go down the mountain?”

Zi Mu shook his head and said leisurely, “Besides entering the inner sect, once you survive your tribulation and become immortals, you may go down the mountain at will. Still, as your elder, I should remind you of this.”

“We do not forbid you from descending the mountain for no reason; it is for your own good. Cultivation is not so simple, and the primordial world is not so safe.”

“In the primordial world, immortals are like children. If you cannot even become immortals, then going down the mountain is no different from courting death.”

“What you see is only a corner of the many cities of the Eastern Sea; compared with the primordial world, it is not even a drop in the ocean.”

Daoist Fengshun’s face tightened. He saluted and withdrew.

Zi Mu still spoke in that same unhurried tone. “If there are any more questions, ask them now. Later, when I enter closed cultivation, you may not see me for hundreds of years.”

Among the crowd to one side, the core disciple Teng Yuan straightened his sleeves and saluted before asking, “May I ask, Elder, where should we cultivate, and how will the teachings be transmitted to us?”

Zi Mu pointed to a towering pagoda in the distance. “That is the Scripture Library. New disciples may choose one text to cultivate and one art to practice.”

“You may not take more. If you violate sect rules, bear the consequences yourself.”

Zi Mu’s tone was extremely calm, but everyone’s hearts tightened.

This was an immortal sect; its methods surpassed their imagination, and no one wished to learn what bearing the consequences oneself truly meant.

“That is all, then.”

Zi Mu left behind those words and drifted away, as casually and freely as when he had arrived.

When he was completely gone, Teng Yuan, who had brought a group of newcomers, stepped forward and gave Fengshun a salute. “Yesterday I was somewhat rude. I hope Senior Brother will not take offense.”

Fengshun was momentarily stunned, then quickly reacted and laughed. “What are you saying, Junior Brother? We are all of the same sect, one family. Looking at your dragonlike bearing and phoenix grace, Junior Brother, you must be a talent for the immortal path!”

Then came another round of businesslike flattery.

The Taier Sect’s rules were simple.

Form cliques? Fine.

Group brawls? Not allowed.

If Fengshun’s faction and Teng Yuan’s faction ever fell into conflict in the future, at most they would draw their weapons, set their ranks, and curse each other to their hearts’ content.

Because the moment someone was injured, it would violate the sect rules.

If it really could not be settled, they could go to the life-and-death platform and determine life and death there.

Secret duels? Impossible.

Luo Feng smiled knowingly, then followed the crowd to the Scripture Library to choose a cultivation method.

The Taier Sect’s Scripture Library was grand and imposing, with two dragon-offspring statues standing at the front gate. The main doors were vermilion, wide open, and no one stood guard.

The moment Luo Feng stepped inside, he was separated from the others and brought into an independent little room.

A mechanical voice sounded in his ear.

Identity confirmed: outer sect disciple. One text may be chosen. One art may be chosen.

“Artificial intelligence?”

Luo Feng already had a vague guess, and was leaning toward another answer.

But on the surface, he looked greatly alarmed, glancing around in panic as he shouted, “Who are you?”

The mechanical voice sounded again.

I am the authorized law network of the Taier Immortal, in charge of the Scripture Library, the Alchemy Hall, the Artifact Hall, and the enforcement and punishment of sect rules.

Luo Feng asked with some tension, “Are you the Law Network True Person sent by the founder to guard the Scripture Library?”

You may regard it that way.

The mechanical voice sounded once more.

Hearing that it had been sent by the founder, Luo Feng, a brand-new disciple, slowly relaxed. In the questions that followed, he displayed himself as a complete novice.

The law network answered one by one, stiff and mechanical.

After a long while, Luo Feng bowed deeply and said, “This disciple wishes to choose the Concealment Art, but the cultivation methods are unclear. May I ask Law Network True Person, which method is most effective for longevity?”

The mechanical voice sounded again.

Water-element methods are foremost in longevity. The Mysterious Water Scripture ranks second in longevity. The Water Emperor Scripture...

Before the law network could finish, Luo Feng said delightedly, “This disciple wishes to learn the one with the most longevity.”

The end.