Free Web NovelChapter 1237: Chapter 951: Something Must Have Gone Wrong!
Everything happened too suddenly.
From the sudden abnormality, to being controlled by the Mist Dragon, then to Jiang Yuan dragging him into the Seven-Layered Glazed Treasure Tower and beginning to drain his Lifespan. In Chen Li’s perception, one moment he heard his companions shouting, the next he felt the Spiritual Power in his body vanish completely, and even his vitality was rapidly draining away.
"Y-you, who are you?" His head buzzed, and he instinctively wanted to beg for mercy.
Then he realized the other party was actually using an Evil Technique, his face instantly turning pale as he cried, "Fellow Daoist, show mercy, I’m a member of the Leisure Sect, w-we’re on the same side!"
Jiang Yuan got a little high from draining Lifespan; it had to be said that once the Soul-Devouring Demon Skill’s Level rose, it was truly overbearing, and its side effects were much smaller than before.
Just in the time the other party spent begging for his life, the HP bar was already close to residual blood, and only then did he stop.
With a thud, Chen Li collapsed to the ground, feeling himself already weakened to the extreme, to the point where a hard stomp from the other party could take his life. Terror and confusion churned in his heart as he shivered and panted heavily.
"Clack!"
Something fell from his face; he reached up and felt that his hands were already skin and bones, and the fake human-skin mask he had stuck to his face with Magic no longer matched his suddenly gaunt facial shape, so it fell off, revealing his true appearance.
"What status do you hold in the Leisure Sect?" Jiang Yuan clasped his hands behind his back, leaning over him slightly as he looked down and asked with a shallow smile, "Answer well, and I’ll spare your life."
"I-I’m just an ordinary sect member, otherwise I wouldn’t have to dress up like this freak, flaunting myself every day to seduce lecherous types." Chen Li was indignant inside; even speaking with a bit of force left him out of breath, so he had to pause to pant before continuing, "The Leisure Sect has a strict hierarchy, only those with Merit can be promoted.
For ordinary sect members like us, every month we have to hand over ten units of Essence. If we want to be promoted from sect member, we need more contributions—either hand in more Essence, or recommend capable experts to join the Leisure Sect.
My strength is decent but my connections aren’t great, so I couldn’t find reliable Demon Cultivators to recommend; I haven’t been in the Leisure Sect for long, and the Cultivation Technique I inherited is only at the entry level, so Refining more Essence is very strenuous.
So, I discussed with the Incense Master: each day we’d hand over a certain number of Spirit Stones, and once we accumulated a hundred thousand Spirit Stones, it could offset ten units of Essence; if we could abduct one or two Demon Cultivators suitable for devouring and Refining each day, they’d be valued at five to ten units of Essence depending on Realm and quality.
At first when I’d just joined, I worried every day about Spirit Stones and abducting Demon Cultivators, and all my previous savings were spent. Later, it was still Peng Dahai, the one who recommended me into the sect, who came up with an idea: we’d use a disguise technique to make a fake face, and set up gambling scams on Qihan Mountain."
Chen Li paused slightly, then cautiously said, "Since we’re the same kind, and you’ve cultivated such an overbearing Cultivation Technique, how about I recommend you to join the Leisure Sect?
You should know, the Sect Leader of the Leisure Sect is a peerless talent, able to create Arrays that help us during Thunder Tribulation Crossing, so we no longer have to worry about being blasted by heaven’s fivefold thunder until not even slag is left.
With no worries at our backs, we can devour as we please; getting stronger and achieving Ascension is only a matter of time! Fellow Daoist, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Jiang Yuan had a sudden idea, thinking that if he could find a breakthrough to join the Leisure Sect, wouldn’t that give him a chance to get close to their lair? When the time came, he could catch them off guard and wipe them out in one swoop!
"You can get in touch with the Incense Master?" He immediately showed an interested expression and pressed, "How does one join the Leisure Sect? Explain in detail."
Although he’d been captured and suffered, just thinking that he could recommend such a badass Evil Cultivator to the Leisure Sect, maybe earn great Merit and even secure an Incense Master position.
Chen Li couldn’t help being overjoyed; slumped on the ground he didn’t even care, speaking excitedly, "I’m just a minor sect member, and only joined the Leisure Sect not long ago, how could I possibly see the Incense Master?
It’s always Peng Dahai who goes to hand in Essence, Spirit Stones, and the abducted Demon Cultivators; the specific arrangements are also what he negotiates with the Incense Master.
Oh, I forgot to tell Fellow Daoist, the ten of us were all introduced into the Leisure Sect by Peng Dahai; he’s our superior link.
Unfortunately, none of us ten are very capable. So although Peng Dahai did recommend Cultivators, they weren’t considered key assets, and he didn’t get promoted—he only received more Cultivation Techniques than us, letting him Refining Essence faster and better.
Ordinary sect members are all single-line connections, and can only contact the sect through their superior. If Peng Dahai despises someone and decides to abandon them, then they’re completely cut off from the Leisure Sect.
Not only can they no longer receive Cultivation Technique inheritances, they won’t even have a Protector during Tribulation Crossing, and will definitely be blasted to pieces by heavenly thunder, so we don’t dare disobey anything he says.
With a superior’s recommendation and receiving a Cultivation Technique inheritance, that’s considered officially entering the sect.
No matter how high your Realm or how strong your strength, unless you’re valued by the Incense Master and are recommended up the ranks one by one, you’re still just an ordinary sect member, and must contribute Essence and accumulate Merit to rise step by step."
Pausing for a moment, he hurriedly added, "Also, the monthly contributions of ordinary sect members have an upper limit as well. Peng Dahai said it’s to restrict the time you can receive Cultivation Technique inheritances.
After all, the higher the inheritance degree of the Bone-Dissolving Evil Technique, the faster your Cultivation Speed, and the shorter the time needed to advance Realms. If a Cultivator leaps through too many Realms in too short a time without enough tempering, they’re prone to losing their sanity."
Jiang Yuan slightly raised his brows, thinking that they were probably worried about spies mixing in, hence all the restrictions.
In that case, infiltrating personally wasn’t very realistic. Should he send the corpse-ghost Zhao Wuji to find a way into the Leisure Sect? Or should he follow the vine to reach the root by capturing Peng Dahai first, locate where the Incense Master is, and then trace upward through the Incense Master?
"When Peng Dahai has you cross-dress as women to seduce lecherous types, does it actually work?"
