Pay to Cultivate Immortality? My Sect is Completely Free - Chapter 87

Chapter 87: The Seven Nations of Nanling, Movements of the Great Jin

After finishing all this, Su Bai descended and looked at the countless war captives from the Lingxiao Sect in front of him.

“Senior, we were wrong; we shouldn’t have aided Lingxiao Sect in their wickedness!”

“Senior, can we join the Heavenly Dao Sect?”

“Please spare our lives, Senior!”

In an instant, countless people knelt on the ground, repeatedly bowing their heads in prayer.

While many had felt unwilling when they were first captured, seeing Su Bai change the terrain with just a gesture—without harming a single person—and noticing the rich Spiritual Energy within the sect, who among them now still felt unwilling?

They could hardly wait to remain in the Heavenly Dao Sect and cultivate!

Lingxiao Sect?

Sorry, not really familiar with it!

“Master, how should we deal with them?”

Zhuge Feng approached, his expression filled with difficulty.

There were just too many people.

Killing them was definitely not an option!

But it was equally impossible to let them all go!

What to do, then? Should they keep them without killing or releasing them?

Su Bai’s gaze swept over everyone, and he had already come to a realization.

“Kill one to warn a hundred!”

He softly uttered this phrase, waving his hand, and over a thousand of the crowd were seized by him.

Most of these people were formal disciples, along with some deacons, and even two Golden Core Elders! Surprisingly, there were very few miscellaneous disciples among them. Moreover, most of them had sinister expressions and were dressed extravagantly, causing ordinary people to avoid them outright.

“Spare me!”

“What wrong have we done?”

“Don’t kill me!”

These individuals were terrified, crying out in panic.

“At this stage, they still refuse to admit their mistakes. These people are all stained with the blood of countless innocent ordinary people. What to do with them? Let the public decide!” Su Bai said calmly, sealing their cultivation and confining their bodies, turning them into mere ordinary people.

Then, with a wave of his hand, he threw these individuals in front of the crowd from Yunshui City, who had gathered to watch.

“This is Deacon Han from the Lingxiao Sect. This guy is notorious for his evil deeds, and today he has finally been punished!”

“And that is Elder Wang. It is said that this guy, relying on his status as an outer sect elder of the Lingxiao Sect, has a penchant for married men and has caused the death of many people—utterly disgusting!”

“Hmph, such a lowlife must be killed!”

The crowd was enraged, and all the citizens were filled with righteous indignation, swarming forward and overwhelming this group of captives.

“Ah, help!”

“What are you doing? I am an outer sect elder from the Lingxiao Sect; dare you touch me?!”

Everyone struggled with all their might, but it was utterly futile.

Their bodies were restrained, and they couldn’t operate their Spiritual Energy, making them even less capable than ordinary mortals!

They could only passively endure the beating!

All of this is the karmic debt they incurred from their past misdeeds, and such a cleansing is what the people demand.

The remaining captives from the Lingxiao Sect trembled in fear at the sounds of the crowd, while also feeling fortunate that they had not committed serious crimes.

“As for the rest… they haven’t done anything too terrible.”

“However, while you may escape the death penalty, you cannot evade the living punishment.”

Su Bai’s gaze shifted to the more than three hundred thousand people ahead of him, and a plan began to form in his mind.

“There are thirty-eight mines within the territory of the Lingxiao Sect’s thousand-mile domain, usually worked by miscellaneous disciples and ordinary people.”

“These mines just happen to require three hundred eighty thousand people for labor. With your cultivation sealed, you will all go and mine as a way to redeem yourselves!”

“After six months, each of you will have the opportunity to participate in the Heavenly Ladder Assessment held by the Heavenly Dao Sect. Those who pass may enter the Heavenly Dao Sect and become disciples, cultivating here. The failures will continue to return to the mines.”

“You will work in the mines for four hours every day, with a two-day rest each week, but the assigned tasks must be completed.”

“Your pay for mining, as a punishment, will be set at only five taels of silver per month!”

Upon hearing Su Bai’s instructions, everyone froze, incredulity written across their faces.

Wait a minute, are we being paid to mine?

“Only” five taels, but why does it sound so mocking?

And after six months, we can participate in the Heavenly Dao Sect’s assessment to potentially become disciples?

Is this really happening?

“Four hours every day? And we have rest days?”

“Receiving five taels of silver per month isn’t like handing over silver, is it?”

“Senior, your great kindness!”

In an instant, three hundred thousand miscellaneous disciples knelt down, expressing their gratitude with tears of excitement in their eyes.

This scene left the disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect puzzled.

Thanking someone for making them go mine?

What they didn’t know was that many of the miscellaneous disciples from the Lingxiao Sect were already assigned to mining work.

They had to mine for eight hours every day without any holidays, and they received no silver at all—collecting thirty taels of miscellaneous disciple fees each month!

In comparison, the treatment in the Heavenly Dao Sect was countless times better!

The problem was they were still not disciples, but rather prisoners of war!

When the Lingxiao Sect attacked those sects that didn’t surrender, everyone who was captured was killed!

“I, a dignified Daoist of the Golden Core, would never go mining even if I die…”

A Golden Core Elder roared, but before he could finish, he saw what was happening behind Su Bai.

Xiao Lingxi, Xiao Yan, and other disciples pushed out a large number of Spirit Stones, shouting, “Master said that due to this great victory of the Heavenly Dao Sect, each person will receive ten Lower Grade Spirit Stones and one Intermediate Grade Spirit Stone for cultivation.”

What the heck, we’re getting Spirit Stones?

Even those who haven’t succeeded in Qi Refining get some?

As a dignified Daoist of the Golden Core, I shed blood and tears for the Lingxiao Sect, and my rewards for an entire year amount to just over a hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones!

Not even a single Intermediate Grade Spirit Stone!

And a Middle-Grade Spirit Artifact used by someone at the Golden Core Realm costs several dozens of Intermediate Grade Spirit Stones, even for the cheapest one!

I’ve been saving for close to a hundred years and still came up short, having to use a Lower Grade Spirit Artifact in its place.

Yet ordinary disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect can receive Intermediate Grade Spirit Stones!

My eyes turned red with envy!

Seeing this scene, the Golden Core Elder immediately knelt down and exclaimed, “This old fool will definitely transform himself seriously, hoping to join the Heavenly Dao Sect as soon as possible!”

“Exactly! This old man is also willing to serve!”

“We are willing too!”

In an instant, those who had been hesitant spoke up, fearing they would miss the chance to mine if they were slow!

“Hahaha!”

Seeing the speed at which these people changed their loyalty, all the disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect burst into laughter.

Su Bai also smiled slightly. After dealing with the prisoners of war, he began to tackle other matters.

For example, the spoils of war they had obtained!

And also, integrating the territories of the Lingxiao Sect into the Heavenly Dao Sect’s control!

…………

The Great Zhao Empire, alongside the other six major empires, occupied the entirety of Southern Ridge, collectively known as the Seven Nations of Nanling!

Among the Seven Nations of Nanling, there are the upper three nations and the lower four nations.

A hundred years ago, the Great Zhao Empire, led by the Old Sect Master of the Yuntian Sect, who was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, dominated a nation by his strength, ranking first among the upper three.

However, now that the Old Sect Master of the Yuntian Sect is nearing the end of his life and has long been unavailable, this ranking has become merely nominal, and even the lower four nations can act defiantly in front of Great Zhao.

Currently, among the seven nations, the Great Jin Empire is the most powerful.

In contrast to the Great Zhao, where the sects overshadow the royal family, the mightiest force in Great Jin is not a sect but the Great Jin Royal Family!

Throughout the Great Jin Empire, there is only this one hegemonic power!

Other families and sects are merely vassals of the royal family.

Thus, the resources of the entire empire gather in one place, elevating the strength of the Great Jin Royal Family, which ranks significantly higher than the Lingxiao Sect within the Immortal Alliance!

The Lingxiao Sect ranks over four hundred and ninety.

As for the Great Jin Royal Family, they rank three hundred and forty!

At this moment, in the Great Jin Imperial Palace’s Great Hall, a figure in a black robe knelt on the ground, bowing to the Great Jin Emperor seated in the main position.

“I implore Your Majesty to avenge my Lingxiao Sect!”

“You Lingxiao Sect was destroyed; what does that have to do with Great Jin? What benefit is there for me to help you?” the Great Jin Emperor replied with a cold laugh.

“Your Majesty, the reason my Lingxiao Sect was annihilated is that we were competing for the Spirit Spring. As far as I know, while the Heavenly Dao Sect has three Nascent Soul cultivators, there is at most one in the Intermediate Stage and no experts in the Late Stage!”

“If Your Majesty annihilates the Heavenly Dao Sect, everything, including the Spirit Spring, will belong to you. I only want Su Bai dead!”

The young man in the black robe raised his head, madness flashing in his eyes!

Upon hearing this, the Great Jin Emperor, who had previously remained indifferent, suddenly showed a glimmer of light in his eyes.

There has never been an Intermediate Grade Spirit Vein in the entire Southern Ridge!

“Great Jin, which was once suppressed intensely by that old fellow from the Yuntian Sect, has had to lay low for a hundred years. Now, it’s time to turn the tables!”