As Xu Qing's Foundation Establishment aura exploded out, and the bell tolled throughout the Seventh Peak, three figures shot up into the air toward the foot of the mountain.
Generally speaking, if a Foundation Establishment cultivator from outside stepped onto the steps, they would be blocked outside, and the bell wouldn't ring.
They would have to report their identities and their intentions, and a spell formation would notify the person they were visiting. Once the person agreed, they would be allowed to climb the mountain under the surveillance of the spell formation.
This was exactly what had happened when the Vajra Sect's Patriarch had visited Daoist Xian Yun of the Sixth Peak.
There was only one possibility for someone to cause the bell to ring the moment they stepped onto the steps.
That was, a new Foundation Establishment cultivator had appeared among the Sect disciples who hadn't been registered in the spell formation.
Of course, an enemy attack was another matter.
Among the Seven Blood Children, not everyone would choose to rent a Foundation Establishment location in the Sect. On the one hand, it was expensive. On the other hand, anyone who could stand out among the countless Qi Condensation cultivators in this chaotic world would definitely have their own good fortune.
Such things weren't rare. After all, other than good fortune, there was almost no trust in a Sect that focused on profit.
Therefore, about thirty percent of the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Seven Blood Children had returned after breaking through outside.
Most of those good fortune were related to ancient ruins. Although some people paid attention to them, they weren't the only ones. In fact, it was a taboo. If someone tried to rob them with malicious intent, it would be fine as long as the news didn't spread. However, if it did, the foundation of the Seven Blood Children would be shaken.
Therefore, the Seven Blood Children strictly forbade it. Occasionally, there would be internal strife, but generally speaking, it was acceptable. After all, the Cultivators of the Seven Blood Children would weigh the pros and cons before making a move.
Few people would be so stupid as to take such a risk for the sake of an unknown guess.
Xu Qing had already thought about all of this when he decided to go outside to reach Foundation Establishment. He stood on the fifth step, waiting for the three figures to arrive.
Soon, the whistling sounds grew clearer. The person in the lead wore a long violet robe, was of medium build, and had a round face.
It was the person who had guided Xu Qing on his first trip up the mountain. That day, he had kindly reminded Xu Qing about the weakness in his right hand, and about the needle hidden in cotton.
Xu Qing sighed in his heart as he looked at the other party's figure. Back then, he had only heard the other party say that there was a needle hidden in silk. But now, after his experience with the Seven Blood Children and the people he met, he had a deep understanding of what it meant to be a needle hidden in silk.
As for himself, he had learned a lot from the Seven Blood Children.
Xu Qing clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
Laughter came from the sky.
The round-faced cultivator's figure flickered, and he appeared in front of Xu Qing. His expression was gentle, and there was a smile on his face.
"Xu Qing, when I first saw you, I already felt that you were no ordinary person. That was why I warned you. Now that we've met again, I can see that you are indeed one of us."
Xu Qing clasped hands and said, "Many thanks for your reminder, Senior." He was very grateful to the round-faced Cultivator.
"There's no need to refer to me as a senior. You've already built your foundation, so we can just call each other brothers. Junior Brother Xu Qing, my name is Zhang Yunshi. You can call me Senior Brother Zhang."
As he spoke, he looked up and saw Zhao Zhongheng off in the distance, his face filled with astonishment.
He was an intelligent person, and when he saw Zhao Zhongheng's expression, and then looked at Xu Qing, he could guess what was going on. However, he didn't want to cause trouble, so he simply narrowed his eyes.
"Junior Brother Xu Qing, shall we go up the mountain?"
"Sorry to trouble you, Senior Brother Zhang."
Xu Qing nodded politely, then clasped hands and bowed to the other two Foundation Establishment cultivators. His gaze swept over them casually.
He had noticed that most of the Foundation Establishment cultivators on the mountain were concealing their fluctuations. These two cultivators were doing the same, as was Zhang Yunshi. Therefore, it was difficult for Xu Qing to determine their exact level.
Because of that, he was on high alert.
Obviously, these two cultivators didn't have the same status as Zhang Yunshi. Seeing that Zhang Yunshi and Xu Qing were friends, they smiled, clasped hands, and left.
It was in this fashion that, accompanied by Zhang Yunshi, Xu Qing and Zhang Yunshi, began to walk up the mountain.
The trees on either side of the mountain provided shade, and the sea breeze caused the leaves to sway. Spirit birds could be heard chirping in the air.
The sound was very pleasant to the ears, as if it could sink into one's memories, and the scene of the first time he went up the mountain appeared, overlapping with this moment.
"Junior Brother Xu, I've already introduced the world below the mountain to you. Today, I'll tell you more about the mountain." Zhang Yunshi's calm voice reverberated in the wind.
"The seventh mountain has 13 elders, all of whom are Golden Core cultivators. Below them are the Foundation Establishment cultivators of our generation, numbering more than 140. After you register today, there will be 149 Foundation Establishment cultivators on the seventh mountain."
"It may seem like a lot, but in reality, there aren't that many. The entire Seven Blood Children is close to a thousand. You should know that the Seven Blood Children are one of the four great powers of the Southern Phoenix Continent."
"Therefore, the status and identity of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is extremely high."
"This is the case everywhere in the Southern Phoenix Continent, and even more so for the Seven Blood Children. After you register, you will receive about 5,700 spirit stones every month."
"The exact amount depends on the income of the Seven Blood Children every month, so it's not fixed, but it won't fluctuate too much."
"Furthermore, after reaching Foundation Establishment, you will have the right to live on the mountain. However, an Immortal's Cave will cost money. Furthermore, the Sect's Foundation Establishment techniques won't be given to you free of charge during Qi Condensation. They will also cost money. As for the scriptures, you will have the right to purchase any of the Foundation Establishment techniques there."
"At the same time, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you will have four rights."
"The first right is that from now on, you will have the right to open up a new port. You can open up a port that belongs to you in the Harbor District!"
"You can open it to the outside world, and also to the inside world. The sect will take half of the profits from the business, but you will have to arrange for people to manage it. At the same time, the initial investment will be huge, and you will have to bear it yourself."
"If you don't want the right to open up a new port, you can get the right to own a street in the main city. All the shops on that street will have to pay you rent. This method is simple and direct."
"Of course, Foundation Establishment Cultivators can choose between these two options. You can choose between them."
"The second right is that if any of the disciples of the sect offend you, you may kill them. However, if you kill one person, you will have to pay a penalty of 100,000 Spirit Stones. If you kill a second person, the penalty will be doubled, and so on."
The round-faced Cultivator's words caused Xu Qing's pupils to constrict.
"Actually, this rule is something that the Seven Blood Children have always kept in mind. It doesn't matter if you're in or out of the sect, if you run into someone weak, you'll have to weigh the pros and cons of killing them.
"If you kill any of the disciples of the sect, the penalty will be doubled.
"As for the third right, you may designate two disciples of the sect, or anyone else you approve of, to be your followers. They will be given the right to live in the main city, and can also follow you up the mountain and practice cultivation under your name.
"At the same time, you will be able to teleport to any of the auxiliary cities within the sect of the Seven Blood Children. Furthermore, you will be given the right to live in one of the auxiliary cities. You should know that the right to live in an auxiliary city is very precious in the scavenger camps and small towns. Unless you are recommended by one of the Seven Blood Children, you will not be able to get it."
"Invincibility Begins with Offering Sacrifices to the Grandmaster."
"The final right is the protection of the Seven Blood Children. That way, Gold Core cultivators won't dare to come here to kill you. Of course, if you have enough Spirit Stones, even Nascent Soul cultivators won't dare to try to kill you. If you have enough Spirit Stones, you can even put up a bounty. There will definitely be people in the sect who will be willing to help you kill them.
"Remember, at the foot of the mountain, there are a pack of wolf pups. On the mountain, there are a pack of lone wolves with their own agendas!
"At the same time, you don't need to worry about any of the Gold Core cultivators from the sect attacking you. If you do that outside, you'll just be unlucky. But inside the sect, no matter what the reason is, if you kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you'll be fined 1,000,000 Spirit Stones. It's the same for other Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"So, we're back to the same old topic. Is it worth it or not?!"
The round-faced Cultivator continued to speak with a smile, but his words revealed his status as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, as well as the brutality of the mountain.
"What about obligations?" asked Xu Qing.
"Obligations?" said the round-faced Cultivator with a smile.
"Everyone relied on their own efforts to fight their way out of the foot of the mountain, so they don't have any obligations to the sect. If they're willing to stay, they'll be paid. If they're willing to leave, they won't be asked to stay. However, the sect isn't stingy with the missions that are issued, so everyone is fighting to complete them.
"And in order to be able to get Spirit Stones in the long run, this is a pretty good reward. If we encounter an invasion from outside and want to destroy our long-term benefits, we'll naturally act accordingly. After all, as long as a Foundation Establishment cultivator is careful, they can still live for a long time. It's better to get paid every month.
"Of course, if the enemy offers a greater reward, it's not impossible to accept. But think about it, do you think the invading enemy is stupid?
It's useless to bribe one or two disciples. If they bribe more, they'll offer a huge reward to take down the Seven Blood Children, who are far less valuable than the cost. Is it worth it?
"As for going to war with the outside world, it's actually just a magnification of the competition you've experienced before. If there's something to be gained, they'll naturally flock to it.
"The elders on the mountain also know that we're all wolf pups, so they don't care about us at all. They're all tempted by benefits.
"The ones who really make the higher-ups feel at ease are the core disciples, who enjoy preferential treatment as soon as they join the sect. They're groomed for the sake of cohesion and a sense of belonging."
Thanks to Zhang Yunshi's explanation, Xu Qing had a much deeper understanding of the Seven Blood Children's mountain. Lost in thought, they reached the middle of the mountain.
"You came at a bad time," Zhang Yunshi said. "Normally speaking, new Foundation Establishment cultivators only have one chance to pay respects to the peak lords. But now that they've all gone out to sea, something big must have happened.
"Grand Elder and Second Elder aren't here, either. Only Third Elder is standing guard here. After you pay your respects, I'll take you to the Immortal's cave and the Dharma Scripture Hall."
Even as he spoke, Xu Qing caught sight of Third Elder's temple off in the distance. Outside the temple, he caught sight of another familiar figure. It was none other than Honor Guard Li, who stood next to Third Elder.
He sat cross-legged in front of the temple, looking at Xu Qing and Zhang Yunshi with a slight smile.
"When the bell tolled just now, I guessed that you might be the new Foundation Establishment cultivator."
Xu Qing clasped his hands and glanced at Honor Guard Li. Although Honor Guard Li had concealed his Qi fluctuations, Xu Qing could faintly sense that Honor Guard Li was one of the strongest Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Foundation Establishment realm.
"He should be a Foundation Establishment cultivator who has formed a Life Fire," Xu Qing murmured to himself, his expression unchanged.
"Go on in. The elders are waiting for you."
Honor Guard Li's gaze shifted from Xu Qing to Zhang Yunshi. Zhang Yunshi shrugged, took a few steps back, and waited outside.
Xu Qing took a deep breath and walked forward until he reached the main hall he had visited that day.
The moment he entered, he felt the same sensation again. The person sitting cross-legged at the head of the temple exuded a powerful pressure that could topple mountains and overturn seas.
This time, however, Xu Qing could clearly see the person's face.
It was an old man with age spots on his face. He wore a purple Daoist robe with golden threads and looked at Xu Qing expressionlessly.
The moment their gazes met, Xu Qing's heart roared. The old man's gaze was like lightning, piercing through his body and seeing everything inside.
However, Xu Qing's shadow covered the Life Fire, so the old man could not detect it.
"Greetings, Third Elder." Xu Qing lowered his head and bowed respectfully.
"You've opened two Dharma apertures at such a young age.
Not bad, "Third Elder, who was sitting at the head of the temple, said something that shook Xu Qing's heart.
"Were you the one who took the Mermaid Clan's Spirit Breath Lamp?"
How many ammonites slept alone last night?
It doesn't matter. Little Meng Xin is with you.