Three months later, Zhongtai Sect gathered the cultivators on the golden platform to discuss the signing of the contract.
This time, Sect Leader Qiao did not show up and handed the matter over to Grand Elder Yan Qinghui. This elder was of high seniority and was the leader of all the elders in the sect.
As soon as the hour of dawn passed, Zhang Yan rode on a ray of light from the guesthouse and arrived at the scene. He stooped down and saw incense burning on a table with green smoke rising in spirals. Two Daoist children were standing on the platform, one holding a bell and the other a sword.
Underneath the altar were several dozen praying mats, on which a dozen or so people were already sitting. Because there were no restrictive spells covering the altar today, with so many Nascent Soul cultivators gathered together, spiritual light shot out, illuminating more than ten li away. Astral winds spiraled up to the horizon, so strong that it was difficult to gather, revealing a clear blue sky.
At this moment, one of the Daoists raised his head and stood up. He bowed to him and said with a smile, "Daoist Zhang is here too." He looked behind him and said in surprise, "Why don't I see Daoist Tang and Daoist Song?"
Zhang Yan recognized this person as Chen Shougu who visited the pavilion a few times. He returned the greeting and said with a smile, "So it's Daoist Chen. After thinking about it, the three of them thought that they didn't have much confidence in this battle and didn't want to come."
The Dragon Pillar battle was extremely dangerous and once the contract was signed, there was no turning back. He came for the spiritual medicine so he didn't have to worry. However, the three of them were considered to be members of the Deep Abyss Sect and they didn't have to fight for Zhongtai Sect. Instead, they would be working for someone else.
Chen Shougu had a look of pity on his face and said, "What a pity. I heard that the rewards this time are generous. If we miss this opportunity, we won't have another one like this in the future."
Zhang Yan smiled and didn't say anything.
The two of them chatted for a while more and then sat down.
After a while, the cultivators arrived one after another.
A month ago, Zhong Tai had already sent a contract with all sorts of rules. Those who were unwilling to sign the contract would have to leave immediately. Those who didn't want to sign the contract had left long ago.
Zhang Yan looked around. Although there were close to fifty people at the banquet, there were only about twenty people here, less than half of the previous ones.
At this time, the bell rang and a strong wind suddenly rose. Three rays of spiritual light flew out from the mountain and landed on the Dharma Throne in the hall. Three Daoists with bright clothes and high buns appeared.
Chen Shou secretly transmitted his voice to him, "Fellow Daoist, please take a look. That person in the middle is Elder Yan. He's a senior with great authority. Rumor has it that even Sect Leader Qiao sometimes had to look at his face. He could make decisions with just a word. The one on the left was Elder Lin, who could not be underestimated. The one on the right was Elder Bai, who had shown up at the banquet. Of course you do. "
Zhang Yan looked up and saw a kind-looking man in the middle. He had the body of a tortoise and the bones of a crane, and spiritual energy lingered around him. The three masses of strong clouds stretched out from the top, like a spring hitting metal and stone. It was empty and deep in the valley, causing one to feel as if they could hear strands of elegant sounds. In terms of cultivation, he was only slightly weaker than Sect Leader Qiao on the surface.
After Elder Yan sat down. He looked at the crowd and said in a gentle voice, "Fellow Daoists, thank you for coming from afar to help Zhongtai. However, there are rules in our sect that cannot be easily violated. Today, I will make a contract with all of you. If you are willing, then stay. If not, then leave. I will not force you."
He waved his sleeves and more than twenty rays of spiritual light flew down.
Zhang Yan raised his hand to receive it and put it in front of him. What he saw was a shiny jade tablet with dozens of lines of words carved on it. He looked at them one by one. The content was different from the contract from before. It said that after the battle, if one retreated without reason or was timid in the face of the enemy, Zhongtai had the right to deal with them. Once the contract was signed, there was no going back.
He looked down and saw that Zhongtai had promised rewards. This was something that had not been there before. He couldn't help but look carefully.
At this moment, the cultivators also saw this. Perhaps they were excited, someone read out loud, "Kill a Xuanyue Yuanying cultivator. Other than the list of gifts, you will be rewarded with a good robe and three Jintai Qi Replenishing Pills."
"Kill a Xuanyue Elder. You will be given control of a celestial city."
"Kill Rong Junzhong. Sect Master Qiao is willing to become sworn brothers with him. Three cities will be given as a gift. No offerings, no summons, and all disciples will be protected by Zhongtai."
At this point, a few gasps came from the crowd. The rewards were very generous. Even though they were all Yuanying cultivators, they were still tempted.
Someone on the side mumbled, "Does Zhongtai have so many celestial cities?"
Chen Shougu chuckled and said, "If we can get rid of the Xuanyue Elder, when the two sects become one, we won't have to worry about not having celestial cities."
As soon as he said this, a few people made up their minds. They forced out a drop of blood and quickly signed the contract.
Zhang Yan sneered. The Zhongtai and Xuan Yue Sects might have been considering the fact that they were from the same sect, but from the looks of the rewards, it was clear that they were at each other's throats. They had completely shed all pretense of cordiality.
However, if he could obtain a few more Immortal Cities, he wouldn't refuse them. He inserted a strand of Spiritual Qi into it, and in an instant, the three Spirit Medicines he needed appeared on it. He couldn't help but nod to himself. The fact that these three items appeared on the jade deed meant that the Zhong Tai Estate's treasury did indeed have these items.
Thereupon without any hesitation, he forced a drop of blood from his fingertip onto the jade tablet. The jade tablet trembled slightly, 'kacha!' it split into two halves. One half flew toward the three elders' hands, while the other half remained in his hand.
On the other side of the stage, Elder Lin saw that the situation was under his control. He couldn't help but smile. He bowed to Elder Yan beside him and said, "Senior Brother, I've prepared the order of the battle. Would you like to take a look?"
Elder Yan nodded and said, "I'd like to take a look."
Elder Lin took out a jade scroll from his sleeve and presented it to Elder Yan. When Elder Yan opened it, he pointed to the side and said, "Senior Brother, please take a look. Based on what Senior Brother has said, I have ordered people to test the names of those who are willing to sign the contract. There are a total of five people who have a grudge against me and refused to comply. I used a red pen to mark out their names."
Elder Yan grunted and immediately made a judgment, "They are arrogant and can't be used."
Elder Lin tried to sound him out, "Then …"
Elder Yan waved the jade scroll in his hand and said, "Didn't you want to find someone capable to wear down Rong Junzhong's arrogance? Let's choose this person."
Elder Lin Daoren said, "Yes."
After a while, the twenty Yuanying cultivators had all signed the contract. The contract jade flew to the front of the table.
Elder Yan counted and saw that there was not a single one missing. He was not satisfied. The sect suffered heavy casualties the last two times, but with these people, the cultivators of the Zhong Tai Sect didn't need to risk their lives to fight on the frontlines, thus preserving their vitality. As for the lives of these people, he didn't care.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise in the sky. He looked up and saw a flame flying towards him. He squinted his eyes.
Elder Lin was shocked and said, "Why is that Du kid here too?"
The firelight didn't seem to care about anything else as it flew straight towards where the three of them were sitting. Elder Yan frowned and had no choice but to get up to avoid it. With a loud boom, the firelight smashed onto the stage and then dispersed outwards. Du Shixun walked out of the fire. His eyes were shining. He first glanced at the people below the stage, then turned to the three Elders and cupped his hands.
Elder Yan was well-mannered and acted as if nothing had happened. He said with a smile, "Why are you here, Junior Leader?"
Du Shixun said loudly, "I was ordered by my father to host the contract signing meeting with all the Elders."
Elder Yan's expression didn't change. He asked, "Do you have proof?"
Du Shixun didn't say much. He took out a dark green jade talisman and flashed it in his hand. "This is the Sect Leader's token."
Seeing that the other party came prepared, Elder Yan didn't say much. He chuckled and gestured with his hand. "Since it is the Sect Leader's order, we will naturally follow it. Junior Leader, please take the main seat. "
Du Shixun didn't stand on ceremony. He went to the main seat and sat down.
The three Elders had to retreat to the side. Elder Lin was indignant. He said, "It was already agreed that we would host it. I didn't expect this kid to interfere. Damn it! "
Elder Yan stroked his beard and said, "Although the Sect Leader is sometimes radical in his actions, he always has a plan. He has never gone back on his words. There must be a reason for this jade talisman. "
Elder Lin thought about it and said angrily, "It must be the Zhao Family! If they want to snatch him away from us, I will report this to the Sect Leader. "
Elder Yan shook his head. "The Sect Leader still needs this kid to deal with Rong Junzhong. He will definitely protect him. Even if you question him, he will only admit it. But so what if he is involved in today's matter? He killed two people in a row at the banquet and was merciless with his words. Let's see how many people are willing to go with him. "
Du Shixun had been cultivating outside the sect for a long time. He didn't have any foundation in the sect. After listening to Madam Zhao's advice, he decided to pick a few cultivators from the crowd and recruit them as his subordinates. They would be the foundation of the sect and the Chu Country in the future.
But he called a few people up, but they all failed. The cultivators were afraid of his cruel actions that day and didn't dare to agree.
The three elders sneered as they watched from the side. Elder Lin mocked, "Indeed, Senior Brother was right."
Du Shixun busied himself for half a day but no one was willing. He was annoyed, but when he turned his head around he saw Zhang Yan sitting calmly below the stage. His eyes lit up and he leaped down from his seat. "Zhenren," he said, "You know why I am here, are you willing?"
Zhang Yan couldn't help but find it funny. This Du Shixun clearly didn't know how to treat others, and his words were blunt. No wonder no one was willing to submit to him. However, this person was proud and arrogant, and his conduct was straightforward. Compared to those treacherous elders, he was much easier to get along with. Zhang Yan might even be able to obtain more benefits from him, so he smiled and said, "Since Fellow Daoist Du has sincerely invited me, this humble Daoist shall accept."
Du Shixun was overjoyed. Zhang Yan was a cultivator of the second level of Yuanying. He was like a crane in a flock of chickens. Even though he wasn't famous, his cultivation was still there. Du Shixun said, "As long as you help me defeat Rong Junzhong, I will not mistreat you."
Yan Changfeng Daoren asked, "Who is that?"
Elder Bai took the deed jade and glanced at it. He said, "The things this person asked for are mostly used by cultivators of the evil sects."
Yan Changfeng Daoren said, "So he is a remnant of the evil sects."
Yan Changfeng Daoren said, "No matter where he came from, he signed the contract. Since he is willing to follow Du Shixun, let him be."
Du Shixun returned to the altar and remembered Madam Zhao's warning. He said, "I heard that the Elders have come up with the battle order. Show it to me."
Elder Yan thought for a while and gestured to Elder Lin.
Elder Lin had no choice but to pass the jade to Du Shixun.
Du Shixun took it and looked at it. He saw that among the people fighting against Rong Junzhong, Zhang Yan's name was there. He couldn't help but sneer. If it was before, he wouldn't have cared. However, this person was the first cultivator he had recruited with his own abilities. How could he allow these old men to manipulate him? He grabbed a pen from the table and crossed out Zhang Yan's name. Then, he casually circled another person's name and tossed it to Elder Yan. He said, "In my opinion, this should be the arrangement."
Elder Lin was furious. He slammed the table and stood up. "This was decided before. How can it be changed?"
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