Lu Yao shifted his perspective above Salt City.
When it came to developing new products and facilitating trade, this place was the epitome of professionalism.
A series of new prompts popped up on the screen.
【Salt Long has invented a new profession: Martial Cultivator】
【Salt Long has written "Cultivator’s Notes"】
【Salt City has established the Martial Cultivator Association.】
【Due to the Wishing Star, everyone in Salt City has developed a fervent worship of you, significantly boosting their faith.】
The top right corner displayed Faith +35137.
The massive response brought by the Wishing Star was expected, but Salt Long’s personal endeavors were a bit of a surprise to Lu Yao.
He clicked on Salt Long’s entry.
The screen jumped to the northern forest, in the area of 【Mount Eiger Volcano】.
Salt Long was sitting cross-legged on the volcanic cone, surrounded by thick smoke.
Flames enveloped him.
The flames rose and retracted as if Salt Long was breathing with fire.
Occasionally, fire elemental creatures passed by, such as striding Fire Oxen and leaping Blazing Chickens... but none attacked Salt Long, as if they recognized this human as one of their own, a resident of the volcano.
Judging by the situation, Salt Long’s path of cultivation seemed to be ongoing, pushing the limits of pixelated humans of this era even further.
Seeing that Salt Long was fine, Lu Yao clicked on the "Cultivator’s Notes" in the prompt bar.
A sheepskin scroll appeared on the game interface.
The first line read:
"The wisdom of the gods is omnipresent; I am merely guessing the fragments of truth from divine revelations. The realm of the Transcendent is rugged and distant; here are some of my personal experiences for future generations to correct and refine."
***
Salt Long had outlined a simple route for humans to enter the realm of the Transcendent.
【Theology】→【Martyr】→【Stigmata】
During the Theology phase, one needs to read various books, understand different kinds of knowledge, and diligently make pilgrimages, learning to draw inspiration from divine miracles and nature.
This stage lays the foundation.
The Martyr is the formal beginning of the arduous path of cultivation, requiring the will to endure pain and a heart unafraid of death.
While spreading the blessings and faith of God Yao, Cultivators also gain many new understandings and inspirations. At the same time, they must try to combine knowledge, faith, and power, continuously challenging Transcendent beings with their mortal bodies to possibly evolve Stigmata.
At the level of Stigmata, one will be recognized by other Transcendent beings and be able to spread the gospel of the gods to them, gaining new powers and more possibilities.
Salt Long emphasized in his notes that cultivation requires perceiving the miracles and revelations of the gods, but also independent thinking and travel.
He had seen islanders with immense strength, capable of fighting Cannibal Crabs, and had benefited greatly from the learned discourse of recluses. Even children might inadvertently speak some truth.
Lastly, Salt Long hoped that future generations would develop more Transcendent paths to enrich and strengthen the entire human cultivation system.
***
Lu Yao read through the notes in their entirety.
Salt Long was the first pixelated human to successfully forge a path across the river by feeling the stones; he had established the first human Transcendent path standard for the Yao Clan and recorded and described it.
On this foundation, the Transcendent profession of 【Martial Cultivator】 was born.
The Martial Cultivator Association was located right behind the Citizen’s Council, in a modestly-sized square stone house.
Lu Yao clicked to enter.
From a bird’s-eye view, he saw only three people inside the guild.
A receptionist, an ascetic, and a scholar.
The receptionist said, "Since you two have applied to join the association, please allow me to give a routine introduction."
"The Martial Cultivator Association was established by the Prophet Shi Bao and Mr. Salt Long, funded by the Citizen’s Council of Salt City, aiming to cultivate Transcendent beings of the Yao Clan and to further aid the development of Salt City. Currently, there are seven registered Martial Cultivators in the guild, all of whom are cultivating in various places."
"According to the association’s requirements, applicants must possess at least 【Theology】. Those with 【Theology】 will receive an annual stipend, and if one is a 【Martyr】, they will also enjoy free accommodation, food, and comprehensive medical reimbursement in Salt City."
The ascetic said, "I have mastered these two abilities in the Ascetic Society."
Lu Yao clicked on this person.
Turns out, this guy had neither 【Theology】 nor 【Martyr】, and his personal history even included being a con artist.
The Ascetic Society was now a mixed bag, with a subsidy fraudster emerging.
Lu Yao raised his hand and struck him with lightning.
The con artist ascetic was instantly reduced to ashes, leaving only a black mark on the ground.
Exclamation marks appeared above the heads of the receptionist and the scholar.
The scholar was the first to react, kneeling on the ground: "This is divine punishment, the great god has punished the dishonest... God Yao is watching over us."
The receptionist also knelt and prayed.
Lu Yao then noticed that the scholar’s name was 【Iron Seth】.
He was one of the four scholars who had previously carved warning signs at the Dragon’s Nest, the one responsible for the quick sketches of the nest.
Now, 【Iron Seth】, aged 36, had reached middle age.
Apart from possessing 【Theology】, he also had a rare ability.
【Sketching LV2】: Skilled at using lines to depict the light and shadow of objects, with a certain chance of creating special sketches.
After praying, Iron Seth took out a sheepskin scroll and handed it to the receptionist: "I graduated from the Universal Theology College and became an official scholar, this is a certificate signed by Prophet Yao Shao."
The receptionist looked at it: "Oh! Indeed, a genuine scholar! The prophet has highly praised your 【Theology】, and you are also a talented artist and cartographer..."
"However, according to regulations, since you only possess Theology, you can only receive the fixed daily stipend."
"Okay, understood."
"Another thing, the association assigns certain tasks to each Martial Cultivator every year, please complete them on time."
"Additionally, Martial Cultivators usually need a partner, according to Mr. Salt Long’s experience, a scholar or an apothecary is best. Do you have a companion to act with? If not, we can help you contact one."
"No need, I have a companion."
After completing the registration and receiving his tasks, Iron Seth went outside to meet another person.
His companion was the Sour Raspberry discoverer, Farmer Greed, whom Lu Yao had not seen for a long time.
Farmer Greed, now 53 years old, had gone from a gourmet youth to a gourmet uncle. He rode a huge Fighting Beetle, quite conspicuous in Salt City.
"Mr. Farmer Greed, I’ve received the advance stipend, we can head south now."
Iron Seth carefully climbed onto the back of the Fighting Beetle.
Farmer Greed said, "Sit tight."
The Fighting Beetle flapped its wings and took off, heading south.
***
Salt City was thriving, and Lu Yao wondered how Yao City was doing.
He switched his perspective.
As soon as the view appeared above Yao City, the Simulator popped up prompts.
【The Temple Society has invented a magic potion: Anesthetic Juice】
【Due to the Wishing Star, everyone in Yao City has developed a fervent worship of you, significantly boosting their faith.】
...
The top right corner displayed Faith +35002.
Years of research and repeated experiments by the Temple Society had finally brought the first magic potion officially to light.
Lu Yao’s faith reserves also broke through the 170,000 mark.
Below the prompts, there was more.
【All members of the Yao Clan firmly believe that they have stepped into a new era under the guidance of the gods.】
—You have named this era ___.
Without hesitation, Lu Yao typed characters.
A line of text appeared on the screen.
【Your followers built cities with stone, witnessed the change of eras and the rise and fall of many tribes.】
【Transcendent powers began to emerge, Theology and magic potions both nurtured new sprouts, and diplomacy, drama, painting, brewing, animal husbandry, and political philosophy all saw great development in this era.】
【Your created civilization epic will start from here, as brave followers step out of the city’s cradle, gradually understanding their meaning in this world.】
【The Yao Clan has entered the Transcendent Era.】
The pixelated humans each had a smile above their heads, cheering loudly.
"Great and venerable God Yao, thank you for your revelations and blessings!"
"Wow! Will we also possess incredible powers... It’s like a dream!"
"This is the most hopeful era! It’s an era where anything is possible!"
"This time, we will no longer be afraid and run away! We too will enter the realm of the Transcendent!"
Watching the spirited little people, Lu Yao couldn’t help but smile.