Chapter 8

Watching the three big men walk away with their arms around each other's shoulders, Duan Li said indignantly, "The one leading them is Niu Pang, the one on the left is Zhu Chong, and the sharp-mouthed one is Hou Qiang. These three rascals are bullies among the outer disciples. You should avoid them as much as possible... Oh, right, this plot of spirit land was originally managed by Zhu Chong. Now that it's been assigned to you, he will likely bear a grudge!"

Chu Jun frowned and asked, "What are their capabilities?"

"Niu Pang is a Level 4 Body Cultivator, capable of delivering a punch with over 800 pounds of force. Zhu Chong and Hou Qiang are both Level 2 Body Cultivators!" Duan Li said with a serious expression.

"800 pounds of force!" Chu Jun couldn't help but be amazed. That's enough to crush a bull with one punch.

"Oh, right, I heard that Niu Pang has already awakened his spirit root and is determined to test his spirit root at the end of this year's Martial Competition," Duan Li said enviously.

"Martial Competition to test the spirit root?" Chu Jun asked in confusion.

Duan Li explained, "The Martial Competition is an annual event where the top ten outer and inner disciples are rewarded to encourage diligent cultivation. The spirit root test is an additional activity after the competition to recruit new inner disciples, provided they have a spirit root!"

Only those with a spirit root are suitable for cultivation, otherwise, they can only cultivate their bodies. However, some body cultivators, due to long-term consumption of spirit beans, might awaken a spirit root, making them suitable for cultivation. The spirit roots awakened are often not very excellent, but there are exceptions. A very small number of people can awaken particularly excellent spirit roots, even reaching the first rank. The quality of spirit roots is divided into seven ranks, with the first rank being the best and the seventh rank being the worst.

"Niu Pang claims he has already awakened his spirit root, which is probably not baseless. Remember not to offend him!" Duan Li warned with a serious expression.

The difference between inner and outer disciples is essentially the difference between spirit cultivators and body cultivators. The status of inner disciples is naturally much higher than that of outer disciples. If an outer disciple offends an inner disciple and is killed, it is considered a waste of life. If an inner disciple kills an outer disciple without cause, they will only be punished severely if the circumstances are particularly heinous; otherwise, the punishment is trivial.

"I'll avoid them from now on!" Chu Jun nodded.

Duan Li returned the spirit field hoe to Chu Jun and said, "I've taught you everything. I need to get back to work. That's it!" He then patted the dust off his clothes and hurried away.

Chu Jun looked at Duan Li's back thoughtfully, thinking to himself, "I wonder if I have a spirit root. It would be good to try, as the treatment of inner disciples is clearly much better than that of outer disciples!"

...

It took Chu Jun five days to till the ten acres of spirit land. It's hard to imagine what it would be like to till a hundred acres. Just tilling the soil could exhaust a person. No wonder Duan Li, at the age of forty, had a face like a chrysanthemum.

That morning, Chu Jun got up with high spirits. After practicing the Lin Yue Technique all night, his fatigue from the previous day was gone. After nearly ten days of cultivation, Chu Jun felt that his speed, strength, and physical endurance had significantly improved, so he practiced the Lin Yue Technique with even more enthusiasm.

Duan Li said that newly tilled spirit land should be exposed to the sun for a few days to kill off the pathogens in the soil. Therefore, Chu Jun planned to go to Wulei City to sell the three beast crystals and exchange them for some spirit beans to buy some spirit worms for the spirit land. If possible, he would also buy a mount to ride around the city when he had free time.

Wulei City is one of the three major cities on the Ancient Plains, controlled by the Zhengtian Sect. Most of the residents are body cultivators who just get by, and there are also some scattered spirit cultivator organizations. These people love freedom and dislike constraints, so they do not join any sects. The Ancient Plains have three major sects: Zhengtian Sect, Tenghuang Pavilion, and Liéfǎ Sect. Each sect controls one city, with Zhengtian Sect being the weakest. The three sects were once part of the same sect but later split into the current three major sects.

The main gate of the Zhengtian Sect is located on Leiyin Mountain in Wulei City. It took Chu Jun half an hour to walk from Leiyin Mountain to the city's trading area. The streets were bustling with people, and some were even selling various items on the street. Chu Jun walked around the street, looking around, and stopped in front of a large door.

He saw two golden characters on the signboard, written in a flowing style: "Sword Pavilion!"

Chu Jun stepped in, and a burly body cultivator greeted him with a fake smile, "Brother, do you want to buy a finished sword or a custom-made one?"

When Chu Jun came out of the Sword Pavilion, he had a three-foot-long broadsword slung diagonally on his back. It had a copper handle and a black wooden scabbard, looking ancient and grand. Chu Jun sold the three beast crystals for 300 spirit beans and spent 50 on the broadsword. After buying the spirit worms, Chu Jun planned to look at mounts and buy one if it wasn't too expensive.

"Chu Jun!" a familiar voice suddenly called out.

Chu Jun looked up and saw two burly men with large swords on their backs standing on the steps, the Zhang brothers, Zhang Meng and Zhang Biao.

"Ha, it really is Brother Chu Jun! I knew I didn't misrecognize you!" Zhang Biao said with surprise.

Chu Jun couldn't help but smile and called out, "Brother Meng, Brother Biao!"

"Are you feeling better?" Zhang Meng patted Chu Jun's shoulder heartily.

Chu Jun grinned and said, "All better!"

"Ha, you really have a big heart. I thought you were done for!" Zhang Biao punched Chu Jun's chest and continued, "Where are you now? Why don't you join us? We're about to go to the Body Cultivator Union to take on a mission!"

Chu Jun grinned and said, "I'm temporarily farming at the Zhengtian Sect!"

Zhang Meng and Zhang Biao looked at each other in shock and exclaimed, "You joined the Zhengtian Sect as an outer disciple?"

Chu Jun nodded, and the Zhang brothers looked at him enviously. This kid has really good luck; he won't have to live a life of danger anymore.

When they heard that Chu Jun wanted to buy a mount, the Zhang brothers volunteered to help. Zhang Biao even gave Chu Jun some tips on how to choose a mount. The Zhang brothers led Chu Jun to a place that specialized in selling mounts. A dozen gray-feathered cranes were penned in a fence, stretching their necks curiously at Chu Jun and the others.

"Welcome, esteemed guests! If you buy a mount from our 'Heaven-Bearing' shop, you won't be disappointed. Our cranes are healthy and strong, with no hidden injuries. They can carry at least 300 pounds. Our shop has been around for a hundred years, and we guarantee quality. You can buy with confidence!" the shop assistant said proudly.

Chu Jun looked around and noticed that the gray-feathered cranes were indeed strong and healthy, with their heads held high and loud, powerful calls. Zhang Biao pointed to one and said, "Brother Chu, take this one. Its feathers are shiny, and it's strong and powerful!"

A hint of mockery flashed in the shop assistant's eyes, but he showed approval on his face and flattered, "This guest has a good eye!"

Chu Jun, however, didn't like this one. Being big doesn't necessarily mean it's strong; it might even affect its flying speed and endurance due to its weight. Zhang Biao urged, "Brother Chu, take this one. It won't let you down!"

Zhang Meng said, "Let Chu Jun choose himself. You're just a half-baked expert, so don't meddle!"

Chu Jun smiled and turned to the shop assistant, "Do you only have gray-feathered cranes here?"

The shop assistant was taken aback, looked at Chu Jun with confusion, and nodded, "Our shop indeed only sells gray-feathered cranes as flying mounts. I haven't heard of any other shops selling different types of flying mounts."

Zhang Meng and Zhang Biao, who had spent some time with Chu Jun, knew that he sometimes acted like a clueless fool, so they explained, "Gray-feathered cranes are gentle and are the only flying spirit beasts suitable for taming as mounts. Other types either can't carry enough weight or are too fierce to tame. Of course, some experts can force high-level spirit beasts to be mounts, but only a very small number of spirit cultivators have this ability. We body cultivators can only dream of it!"

Chu Jun finally understood and walked straight to a medium-sized gray-feathered crane, lifted its wings, and said, "I'll take this one!"

Zhang Biao hurriedly said, "You can't take this one. It's as short as a pile of shit and might crash before it even takes off!"

Chu Jun smiled and insisted on buying this gray-feathered crane. The shop assistant's eyes showed approval, thinking to himself, "I didn't expect this kid to be a connoisseur. This gray-feathered crane is indeed the strongest and most enduring among the fifteen here!"

After some haggling, Chu Jun finally bought the short and strong gray-feathered crane for 200 spirit beans. The shop also gave him a breeding ring. The shop assistant put the gray-feathered crane into the breeding ring and handed it to Chu Jun with a smile, "Please take good care of it. Don't break it, or the mount will run away, and we won't be responsible!"

Chu Jun happily attached the breeding ring to his belt and lightly tapped his waist. The gray-feathered crane appeared in front of him, and another tap put it back. It was very convenient, and Chu Jun couldn't wait to try riding it.

The three left "Heaven-Bearing," and Zhang Biao was still complaining that Chu Jun had bought a bad deal and predicted that he would definitely regret it. Chu Jun smiled and said, "The one I chose may not be tall, but it's strong and has full, even feathers. Most importantly, its wing muscles are thick and well-developed, making it an excellent flyer!"

"Ha, looks like Brother Chu is the expert!" Zhang Meng laughed. Zhang Biao, however, was not convinced and predicted that Chu Jun would regret it within three days.

Zhang Meng glared at Zhang Biao and turned to ask, "We're planning to go to the union to take on a mission. Are you interested in joining us?"

Chu Jun shook his head and said, "I just tilled the spirit land and will need to plant seeds in a few days. I really can't spare the time, but I can go with you to the Body Cultivator Union to see what it's like."

The Body Cultivator Union was initially established by several Level 5 Body Cultivators to help body cultivators find work. It gradually developed, and the three major sects saw the profit and sent people to intervene. Each sect appointed an inner disciple as the chairman of the Body Cultivator Union to manage daily affairs, taking a 5% commission on each task.

The Body Cultivator Union in Wulei City was located in the city center, a large hall covering several hundred square meters, bustling with people. Most were body cultivators looking for work, and some spirit cultivators were there to post tasks. These spirit cultivators would hire several body cultivators as laborers and meat shields when they went hunting. Since the rewards offered by spirit cultivators were generally generous and hunting with them was safer, body cultivators were very willing to work with spirit cultivators.

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