A few days after the Procurement Hall members descended the mountain, they returned with full loads. The majority of purchases consisted of medicinal herbs and seeds, with spirit cores and ores accounting for a small proportion.
Jun Changxiao stored useful medicinal herbs in his spatial ring to refine various pills, while seeds were taken by the Medicine Hall members to be divided up and soaked in the seed nurturing pools before planting.
After this period of planning, the Tiegu Sect gradually entered normal operations. Many matters no longer required the Sect Master’s attention and proceeded in an orderly manner.
“Becoming a hands-off boss is just around the corner!”
“Elder Wei.”
Jun Changxiao took out a list of seeds for refining Spirit Tempering Pills and specifically instructed: “Plant these first. This seat has important use for them.”
“Understood.”
Elder Wei took the list and examined it carefully, saying: “Though the quality is high, there shouldn’t be any major issues. They should mature in about one or two months.”
With the spiritual energy revival, member advancement, and improvements to the land, the current medicinal garden was absolutely on par with major sects when it came to cultivating medicinal herbs.
After leaving the Medicine Hall, Jun Changxiao went to the Wolf Cavalry Hall.
Xue Rengui and Tao Yuan were discussing training plans in the main hall. Because their discussion was so focused, they didn’t notice the Sect Master standing nearby for quite a while.
“Sect Master!”
The two hurriedly cupped their fists.
Jun Changxiao crossed his arms and smiled: “Continue. This seat will just listen quietly.”
Xue Rengui and Tao Yuan resumed their discussion.
They were talking about military training matters. Since Sect Master Jun wasn’t very familiar with such matters, he didn’t interfere.
Shortly after, the two finished their discussion and compiled a complete plan.
Jun Changxiao said: “Under your leadership, this seat believes the Wolf Cavalry Hall will grow stronger and stronger, becoming the most powerful military force on the Xingyun Continent!”
Xue Rengui was older, and that passion had long since settled down.
The young Tao Yuan, however, immediately performed a military salute, his voice resonant: “I will certainly not disappoint the Sect Master’s high expectations!”
Next, Sect Master Jun observed the daily training of the Wolf Cavalry Hall’s new members.
There were only a thousand Hurricane Wolves, so new members could temporarily use them for practice, while veteran members focused their energy on cultivation.
“The Hurricane Wolf pack lives in the spiritually revived mountains, so their reproduction and growth rates should increase considerably. In the future, having one per person won’t be a problem.”
Speaking of Hurricane Wolves, Sect Master Jun thought of Journey to the West, this year’s second half, the United States and China… he thought of the Hurricane Wolf King!
Though this fellow was completely obedient to him, it was merely subdued, not truly conquered, so he still needed to sign a contract to make it a contracted beast.
Initially, Sect Master Jun’s cultivation was lower than the Hurricane Wolf King’s. Forcibly signing a contract would have caused soul backlash if it failed. But now that he had reached the dual King realm in sword and martial arts, he could naturally handle it easily.
Two hours later, Jun Changxiao successfully signed the contract with the Hurricane Wolf King, obtaining another contracted beast.
At the same time, in the Beast Pavilion’s Elementary Wind Control Technique, the wind-type fierce beast indicator changed to 1/1. All parameters met the requirements, meaning he could now let it comprehend the skill.
—
*Whoosh—*
In the forest of Tiegu Mountain, a powerful gust of wind shot forth at eye-popping speed!
*Step!*
Shortly after, the Hurricane Wolf King stopped, its nearly standing fur gradually settling back down, the wind-type power condensed around its body dissipating, its eyes showing humanized excitement!
Just moments ago, a special energy had seeped into its consciousness, causing it to inexplicably gain a certain ability. When activated, its speed was actually many times faster than before!
This was the Elementary Wind Control Technique.
Though it had time limits and usage restrictions, it greatly increased movement speed for short periods.
The Hurricane Wolf King, already renowned for its speed, learning this skill was truly like adding wings to a tiger.
However, our Sect Master Jun was in trouble.
Because he was currently sitting on the Hurricane Wolf’s back, and with the sudden acceleration during that short-distance sprint, his hairstyle was blown completely straight.
Damn it.
When he got back, he’d have to use hair gel to fix his hairstyle!
—
Elder Ning Duxing and Elder Ning Duzui weren’t idle either. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they lectured on martial arts at the Martial Hall, and on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday they sat at the mountain gate recruiting disciples.
As their reputation grew, more and more martial cultivators came to join the sect, including many in their twenties, thirties, and forties.
Those who already had decent martial arts foundations, the Tiegu Sect would certainly accept.
However, they placed more importance on whether they had specialized skills.
After recruiting for over ten days, they really did recruit quite a few martial artists with specialized skills, such as sixth and seventh-rank medicine masters, or physicians with some research into medical arts.
Moreover, they recruited four Array Masters!
After Jun Changxiao’s childish consideration, he decided to establish the Array Hall, with the Hall Master being… Li Luoqiu said: “Why am I taking on another position!”
“Beauty, with great ability comes great responsibility.” Jun Changxiao smiled.
Li Luoqiu said helplessly: “Just go ahead and establish whatever other halls you want. I’ve got so many positions now, what’s a few more.”
“Now that you mention it, you’ve really reminded this seat.”
Jun Changxiao stroked his chin: “Miaohua Palace and Cangshan Sect both have Discipline Halls. Our Tiegu Sect can’t be without one either, so let’s establish one first, with you serving concurrently.”
“…”
Li Luoqiu was even more speechless.
Fine Rain Hall, Procurement Hall, Array Hall, Discipline Hall Master—who on the Xingyun Continent held more positions than she did!
Establishing the Array Hall and Discipline Hall was just advance preparation to make the sect more complete. In the future, when they found more suitable candidates, they certainly wouldn’t make Li Luoqiu serve concurrently.
—
“Just 587 more disciples to reach a full ten thousand.” Jun Changxiao murmured.
Based on the rate at which martial cultivators had been joining during this period, they should reach full capacity in less than a month!
“Sect Master.”
Li Qingyang said: “Two newly admitted disciples suddenly fainted.”
Recently recruited disciples frequently experienced such problems, which he found very puzzling, suspecting they might be ill.
Only Sect Master Jun understood.
Disciples who suddenly fainted after joining the sect had definitely been punished by the system.
This meant some people joined not to cultivate martial arts, but to extract secrets.
“A tall tree catches the wind.”
“Unfortunately for you, no matter how much you scheme, if you harbor even the slightest ill intent toward my Tiegu Sect, your memories will be erased.”
For the fainted disciples, Jun Changxiao directly expelled them from the sect.
He didn’t kill them—not because he was kindhearted, but because he secretly ordered Fine Rain Hall members to closely monitor the targets and see which forces had sent them.
“That one called Liu Zhiyun was sent by the God-Slaying Palace. The one called Sun Ke was sent by the Demon Fiend Sect.”
Li Luoqiu reported the intelligence she had just obtained.
Jun Changxiao sat in his chair, palms supporting his chin, saying: “Two third-rate evil sects still haven’t forgotten about my Tiegu Sect. Should I give them a proper response?”
Li Luoqiu said: “According to the intelligence received, the branch halls of both forces have been very quiet recently, with no unusual activity.”
Under her management, Fine Rain Hall’s intelligence network had extended far outward, especially maintaining around-the-clock surveillance on forces hostile to the sect.
Jun Changxiao said: “It seems they just want to figure out why my Tiegu Sect became so powerful.”
Indeed.
That was exactly what the two evil sects meant.
Other forces might have no malicious intent toward the Tiegu Sect and sent spies just to understand how an insignificant sect could rise so rapidly in such a short time.
Unfortunately, with the system’s punishment mechanism in place, various forces were destined not to obtain any valuable information from the sect.