The Strongest Sect of All Times

With the agreement with the Holy Spring Sect ending in one year, as well as the plan to compare notes with the Vast Spring Gate, the atmosphere within the Ironbone Sect became quite serious and the disciples diligently cultivated. 

However, that was far from enough. 

Forget the fifth-grade sect, even a sixth-grade sect was like a solid mountain in front of them — stepping over it would be very difficult. 

After returning, Jun Changxiao had been pondering this issue. The conclusion he finally drew was that the only way to make the disciples stronger was through medicinal pills and spirit stones. 

The system said, [Medicinal pills and spirit stones are but auxiliary items. The disciple’s spirit roots decide everything.]

“You’re not wrong.”

Jun Changxiao thought the same. 

Medicinal pills and spirit stones could no doubt rapidly increase cultivation, but if the disciples’ aptitudes were still ordinary, they would sooner or later meet an unbeatable foe. 

“If Zuiji can upgrade his spirit root with the aid of the Aptitude Transformation Fluid, then so can the others,” Jun Changxiao muttered. 

He had a bold idea in his heart: Upgrade the disciples’ spirit roots with the Aptitude Transformation Liquid!

Looking through the products he’d already bought once before, he had three different ranks of Aptitude Transformation Fluid, which could easily allow a low-grade spirit root to reach high-grade. 

But buying a set of all three would consume 150 contribution points. 

At the present limit of contribution points, he could only buy three sets, or could only help three disciples. 

Jun Changxiao muttered, “With my present ability, I cannot support a complete upgrade, but I can let some disciples upgrade a little.”

Each sect had an inner division. Inner court disciples were the elite, enjoying many additional resources. 

Jun Changxiao wanted to make some disciples strong first, which was equal to dividing the disciples into the inner and outer courts. 

In a major sect, becoming an inner disciple depended on aptitude and diligent cultivation. 

Jun Changxiao just chose several disciples. 

The high-grade talent Li Qingyang and the mysterious Lu Qianqian were automatically chosen. 

He quickly filled the rest of the quota for key disciple training. 

Xiao Zuiji, Su Xiaomo, Tian Qi, Li Fei, as well as Ye Xingchen. 

The next day.

Jun Changxiao formally announced that from this day forward, the Ironbone Sect would have inner and outer divisions. The first batch of inner disciples was seven. 

“This Lord is impartial. If you want to become an inner disciple, you must prove yourself with strength,” he added. 

Many disciples were not depressed in the least, as their belief in becoming stronger was even firmer. 

Work hard! Work even harder!

Become an inner disciple with strength!

The division into inner and outer courts stimulated a new wave of cultivation enthusiasm in the Ironbone Sect. After all, it was equivalent to giving them another goal to struggle towards. 

“Sect Head.”

After dismissal, Lu Qianqian walked into the main hall. 

“Since we have a division into inner and outer courts, rewards and punishments should also be formulated so that junior martial brothers will diligently cultivate and not slack off.”

Jun Changxiao leaned back and smiled. “What ideas do you have?”

Lu Qianqian said, “There should be a strength inspection every month, a small contest among the disciples every three months, and a Great Competition every year.”

This system was used in many sects. 

Didn’t many novel protagonists show brilliance in these various sect martial arts contests, eventually becoming revered deity-demon-emperor-king-saint-soveriegn-immortals?

“Accepted,” Jun Changxiao said. 

Even with the existence of the system, he had to be rational and could not be too unconventional. 

Moreover, didn’t the academic geniuses of his previous world emerge from yearly inspections, becoming existences looked up to by others?

“What about the rewards and punishments?”

“Every year, the disciple who wins the Great Competition becomes an inner disciple. The other nine in the top ten receive a certain reward. The same goes for the top ten in the small competitions every three months. For the monthly strength inspections, the most outstanding disciple should have a corresponding reward, while the disciple at the bottom does menial labor for some time.”

Hearing Lu Qianqian list out the rewards and punishments so carefully, Li Qingyang couldn’t help but secretly think, This is definitely the first time my first disciple has spoken so much!

Jun Changxiao said, “Alright.”

He accepted Lu Qianqian’s suggestions, setting up the Ironbone Sect’s various tests and seriously considering the rewards and punishments. 

The most outstanding in the monthly inspections would obtain 3 Qi Gathering Pills. 

In the small contests every three months, the champion would win 10 Qi Gathering Pills, second and third would get 5, while fourth to tenth place would respectively receive 3. 

The reward for the annual Great Competition was plentiful. 

Not only could the champion become an inner disciple, they would also be rewarded with a basic Cold Edge Sword and 20 Qi Gathering Pills; the other nine would also have rewards of different quantities. 

This was but a temporary reward system. Once the sect became stronger and had more resources, the rewards would constantly improve. 

What was different from the other sects was that as long as a disciple joined the Ironbone Sect, they would have access to various benefits like the ability to casually choose a cultivation technique, the basic Body Reconstructing Pill, and the Meridian Attacking Pill.

Just with this point, even a powerful sect would feel ashamed of its inferiority!

Soon, night approached. 

Jun Changxiao sat on the roof of the main hall, smoking a cigar. Puffing out a smoke ring, he said, “The disciples have been divided and the reward-punishment system set up, representing that the standardization of the sect has begun. My goal is to…”

Pointing at the sky with the cigar, he heroically, arrogantly said, “Conquer that sea of stars!” [1]

Bang!

Putong—

“My gods, Li Fei, you kicked Sect Head!”

…

Sha, sha, sha!

In the midst of a dark forest, a shadow was speeding forward. The silhouette then stopped in front of a moss-covered stone, picked up a handful of grass and dirt, letting it fall through their hands and drift through the wind. 

The person was Xiao Zuiji and he was checking the wind’s direction and speed!

Shua!

Suddenly, he appeared on the rock and hoisted the Tye 88 rifle, pulling the trigger with his index finger. There was a bang and the bullet exploded out, accurately striking a bear’s head some 800 meters away.

He didn’t use the 8x Scope but was accurate!

Very accurate, super accurate!

Thump, thump, thump!

With the recoil, Xiao Zuiji retreated several steps. 

Lying on the ground to use the support and using the modified shoulder pad meant he could disregard the recoil, but he still couldn’t open fire standing up. 

At this time, he had arrived by the low fifth-stage savage beast he killed, using the Cold Edge Sword to take out the crystal core. A bright smile appeared on his face. 

Bang!

There was a large sound from another region. 

Ye Xingchen had just finished beating up a low first-stage tiger beast, finally cruelly cutting open its stomach. Blood and meat covered the area, his whole person seeming like an Asura!

Xiao Zuiji thought, Junior Brother Ye’s killing intent is very strong!

Night Emperor, who had been forced to join the Ironbone Sect and suffered from the Happy Football, was now experiencing the wilderness. If he did not vent out all his anger and murderous thoughts, further suppression might cause an internal injury. 

Not including the stake out at Spirit Spring Mountain, the two had been out to experience the world for seven days. 

Depending on the Tendon Altering Sutra, Xiao Zuiji had risen from stage four to stage five of Meridian Opening. Ye Xingchen had entered stage nine. 

Cultivation increase was but secondary. 

What was more important was that with their seven days of experience, their actual combat experience had sharply increased. 

For example, Ye Xingchen had perfectly adapted to his new body. Using his previous martial knowledge and experience, he could quickly seize opportunities and defeat any enemy. 

But for reasons regarding this new body’s aptitude, his reflexes and endurance were greatly restricted — challenging a high-level savage beast would mean asking for a beating. 

As long as I comprehend the second layer of the Grand Mysterious True Sutra, my spirit root can upgrade from low-grade to ordinary, Ye Xingchen thought. 

He was hopeful about the future because he had the Grand Mysterious True Sutra and the Tendon Altering Sutra!

Bang!

Suddenly, there was the sound of gunfire and another flowing light bullet shot out. 

Ye Xingchen’s pupils suddenly contracted. At that moment, he wanted to avoid it, but his body couldn’t keep up with his mind!

Bang—

The bullet flew past his ear, exploding the head of a low fourth-stage savage beast right behind him. 

Putong!

The giant body loudly fell to the ground, splattering blood. 

Ye Xingchen’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat. In 0.01 seconds, he calculated that he would have died a moment ago — would his next rebirth take several thousand years or several tens of thousands of years?

“Junior Brother Ye.” Xiao Zuiji stood there, rifle set on his shoulder. He said with a smile, “Grab its crystal core.”

[1] A reference to the Japanese science fiction series Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars

TN: the raws differentiate between a 宗门 (zongmen) and a 门派 (menpai), which both translate to ‘sect’. Basically, a 宗门 is usually larger and more powerful than a 门派 — most of the fifth-grade sects and above use 宗. The problem is that 宗门 can’t really be translated as anything other than ‘sect’ so the nuance is lost in translation. (It would be incorrect to translate it as ‘ancestral sect’, ‘ancient sect’, or ‘major sect’. This is similarly why you see me use sect head, sect master, and sect leader.)

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