Translator: Cinder Translations
The airship flew for several days, covering how many thousands of miles before gradually slowing down.
Song Wen had stored some food in his storage bag earlier, so he wasn't starving.
But those four ordinary people were miserable. Shi Shou didn't provide them with any food, so they had been starving for days and were on the verge of fainting.
The superior-looking man had only eaten one pellet and seemed energetic and completely unaffected.
"Could that be a Famine-Relief Pill?" Song Wen speculated silently as he didn't kindly give any food to the four youths.
Shi Shou neither fed the four nor ordered Song Wen to do so. Song Wen wouldn't act rashly until he understood the identities of the four and Shi Shou's attitude.
Shi Shou looked down at the towering mountains and peaks below. Among them, a mountain several thousand zhang high stood out prominently. Palaces and pavilions adorned its slopes. This mountain was the main peak of the Corpse Demon Sect, Corpse Demon Mountain. Most disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect cultivated within this mountain.
Occasionally, figures leaped between the mountains, and some rode flying swords or celestial beasts through the void.
If not for the human skull decorations on the buildings and the strong Corpse Demon aura permeating the mountains, it could have resembled a scene from the immortal realms.
Shi Shou looked at Song Wen and said, "Ji Yin, take some food and water from your storage bag and give it to them."
Song Wen silently took out dry rations and water and handed them to the four youths.
Watching them devour the food, Shi Shou continued, "From now on, you six are all disciples of our Corpse Demon Sect. Our Corpse Demon Sect has a fearsome reputation in the demonic path. I hope you will abide by our rules, diligently cultivate, and not waste this great opportunity, lest you tarnish the reputation of our Corpse Demon Sect."
Song Wen narrowed his eyes. Six people? Aren't there seven people on this deck besides Shi Shou?
Could it be that zombie-like man isn't actually alive, but a real corpse?
Shi Shou lowered the bow of the ship, controlling it to land on a plaza at the foot of a mountain.
As soon as they disembarked, someone came to greet them.
"Elder Shi Shou, have you recruited new disciples? Did everything go smoothly?"
Shi Shou nodded and said, "It went smoothly. I recruited six disciples with intermediate spiritual roots."
He pointed at the superior-looking man, saying, "This one is named Wu Xiu. He already has the cultivation of the third layer of Qi Refining and practices the outer sect technique of our Corpse Demon Sect, Corpse Fiend Technique. Although his seniority is not high, he has made contributions to the sect before. Take care of him a bit to prevent those righteous people from gossiping endlessly about our demonic sect being heartless and unfeeling."
Du Qiu thought to himself, "You must have received quite a benefit from accepting him. Our demonic sect prioritizes profits, and there's no friendship even among fellow sect members. Do we really need to worry about gossip from righteous people?"
He respectfully replied, "Elder Shi Shou, rest assured, I will take care of Junior Brother Wu Xiu."
Shi Shou then gestured towards Song Wen, moving his lips but making no sound.
Du Qiu glanced curiously at Song Wen, but the curiosity quickly subsided.
"I'll leave these new disciples to you. I'm off!"
Shi Shou soared into the sky and flew away.
Du Qiu looked at the six people in front of him and spoke loudly, "All of your talents are quite good, all possessing intermediate spiritual roots. From today onwards, you are all outer disciples of our Corpse Demon Sect. If within six years you can break through to the later stage of Qi Refining, like me, you can become inner disciples. As for becoming direct disciples, it will depend on your individual opportunities."
As he spoke, Du Qiu waved his hand.
Six storage bags appeared in front of the other six people.
"These storage bags contain techniques, attire, spirit stones, healing pills, and sect regulations. I hope you will read the sect regulations carefully so as not to inadvertently violate them."
"Follow me. I will take you to the place where the outer disciples reside."
Under Du Qiu's guidance, they quickly arrived at a row of cave dwellings at the foot of the mountain.
"Inside your storage bags, there are cave plaques. Take your own plaque, and you can enter your respective cave dwelling."
"I am your senior brother Du Qiu from the inner sect. I oversee your cultivation for the next month. I reside in cave number thirty-six halfway up the mountain. If you have any questions about cultivation, you can come find me."
Du Qiu pointed not far from the foot of the mountain, where there were rows of wooden houses.
"That is where the menial disciples reside. There's a cafeteria there, where you can solve your dining issues."
"We at Corpse Demon Sect do not support idlers. After a month, you will be assigned to various halls. I hope you make good use of this month to familiarize yourselves with the techniques provided, otherwise you may end up being turned into living corpses for others to command."
After saying this, Du Qiu performed a flying technique, flying towards the mountainside.
After flying a few zhang, he suddenly descended again, looking at the four newcomers who hadn't cultivated before.
"I forgot that you four haven't cultivated yet and can't open the storage bags."
He consecutively performed four spells, and beams of light fell onto the storage bags held by the four newcomers.
Immediately, the storage bags melted and all the items spilled out. Among them were medicinal bottles, five sparkling spirit stones, and two books.
With keen eyes, Song Wen noticed that all four of them received the technique "Corpse Fiend Technique," the same one Wu Xiu practiced, as mentioned by Shi Shou.
After doing all this, Du Qiu once again performed his flying technique, soaring into the sky, drifting and floating, no different from when Song Wen used the flying charm. Compared to Shi Shou's aerial manipulation, there was a world of difference in speed and agility.
The four newcomers scrambled to pick up the cultivation materials on the ground. These items were crucial to their livelihoods. If they couldn't cultivate within a month, they might become living corpses.
Watching Du Qiu's figure disappear, Song Wen couldn't help but complain inwardly.
The inner disciple's cave dwelling was halfway up the mountain, with a vertical distance of thousands of zhang from the mountain foot.
As someone who had never cultivated flying techniques, he would have to take the winding mountain path. Without half a day's time, he was afraid he couldn't ascend.
And for those four newcomers, it would be even more difficult to ascend. They might even be in danger of their lives. A moment's carelessness could lead to slipping and falling to the foot of the mountain.
Du Qiu simply didn't want to be disturbed by the six of them, leaving them to cultivate on their own.
Song Wen invaded the storage bag with his divine sense, and a palm-sized cave plaque appeared in his hand.
Following the number on the plaque, he started searching through the caves in front of him, quickly finding his own cave dwelling.
The location was good, situated in the center of many caves.
The spiritual energy density was also relatively abundant, making it a place of rich spiritual energy among the outer disciple's cave dwellings.
Just as Song Wen was about to enter his own cave dwelling, a voice behind him suddenly called out.
"Hey! Ji Yin, let's switch cave dwellings."