After Joe Di and his two companions left Chaos Hive Beach, he finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Wayne Scarlet hadn't pursued them.
Wayne Scarlet was on a completely different level compared to Ji Mi. Not only did Wayne's cultivation far surpass any of the three, but he was also accompanied by several Dao Masters. Joe Di had witnessed Wayne's methods before—if a fight broke out, they would stand little chance, and one or two of them might not survive.
"I'll share some Stacked Reed Grass with you both," Joe Di said after confirming there was no danger.
Zane Wu immediately replied, "A hundred stalks of Stacked Reed Grass is enough for me. I plan to visit a sect. Isn't there a mission that says if you collect over a hundred stalks, you have a chance to join the Origin Dao Sect?"
Mu Jie added, "I feel the same as Brother Zane. I may not intend to join the Origin Dao Sect, but I do want to find a reliable sect to enter and cultivate for a while."
Joe Di understood their intentions. He had the Rule Cycle, but Zane Wu and Mu Jie lacked higher-level cultivation techniques. Without enough Divine Crystals, joining a major sect was their best option. After a brief pause, he said, "Alright, let's go together and have a look. I'll give each of you ten thousand stalks of Stacked Reed Grass..."
Mu Jie quickly reminded him, "Joe, the Stacked Reed Grass must be stored in a special ring, or its medicinal properties will dissipate."
Joe Di produced two rings and handed them over. "I refined these myself—they can store Stacked Reed Grass just fine. Take about a hundred stalks and put them in the mission hall's ring. The Stacked Reed Grass we obtained comes from the Chaos Hive—it's unlike any other."
Joe Di cultivated the Rule Cycle. After mastering the rules governing Stacked Reed Grass, he had already refined two rings before escaping Chaos Hive Beach.
Mu Jie and Zane Wu were well aware of Joe Di's abilities and did not refuse his offer.
...
When Joe Di and his companions first left Lightless Sea Divine City, they exited through the west gate. Beyond the west gate lay the Lightless Sea itself—though many cultivators came and went, there was only a single Luminous Formation. Past that formation, the city plunged into utter darkness.
Now, as the three re-entered Lightless Sea Divine City, they saw that the west gate was surrounded by several massive Luminous Formations, illuminating the entire area in dazzling brightness.
What surprised the trio even more was that outside the west gate, a huge plaza had been cordoned off, filled with information about sects recruiting new disciples.
"What's going on?" Mu Jie asked in confusion.
With a sweep of his divine sense, Joe Di understood immediately. "The news about the Chaos Hive appearing in the Lightless Sea must have spread. The recruitment criteria for these sects are clearly listed—they only accept cultivators who obtained Stacked Reed Grass from the Chaos Hive, or those who acquired Origin Dew."
Some sects required only a single drop of Origin Dew or ten stalks of Stacked Reed Grass from Chaos Hive Beach to join as outer disciples. Contributing two drops of Origin Dew or a hundred stalks could grant direct entry into the inner sect.
Even top-tier sects like the Origin Dao Sect were offering inner sect admission for a hundred stalks of Stacked Reed Grass.
"It's said that the Origin Dao Sect is one of the most elite sects, and they're offering the same conditions. I plan to join Origin Dao Sect," Zane Wu said at once.
Mu Jie also saw the recruitment conditions and echoed, "I want to join Origin Dao Sect as well."
Joe Di nodded. "The name Origin Dao Sect is quite similar to the Origin Dew produced by the Chaos Hive. It's likely the sect has some connection with the Chaos Hive. After you join Origin Dao Sect, it's best to keep the Origin Dew in the rings I gave you. There are several small spaces inside my rings where you can store precious items."
Major sects like Origin Dao Sect wouldn't covet their disciples' belongings, but it's always wise to be cautious.
Zane Wu and Mu Jie had both examined the rings Joe Di gave them and confirmed there were indeed several small spaces. They trusted Joe Di deeply, so they simply nodded in agreement.
"What about you, Joe?" Zane Wu asked, sensing that Joe Di didn't seem interested in joining Origin Dao Sect.
Joe Di replied, "I'll also go to Origin Dao Sect to submit Stacked Reed Grass. My real goal is to listen to the Dao lecture by Origin Dao Sect's Primordial Dao Master, Yan Yun."
With their goal decided, the three no longer bothered submitting their mission at the main hall and headed straight to the Origin Dao Sect's recruitment area.
Since this round of recruitment was focused entirely on items from the Chaos Hive, there were many recruitment stations but not many cultivators inquiring.
Without Stacked Reed Grass from the Chaos Hive, even if someone showed up, the sects might not accept them.
"Did you come from Chaos Hive Beach?" As soon as Joe Di and his companions arrived at the Origin Dao Sect's recruitment station, a cultivator in charge stood up, looking at them in surprise. Very few cultivators had emerged from the Chaos Hive, and so far, none had come to inquire.
Joe Di said nothing. With his cultivation currently the lowest, it wasn't appropriate for him to speak at this moment.
Mu Jie stepped forward and said, "Yes, Senior. We collected some Stacked Reed Grass at Chaos Hive Beach. We've admired Origin Dao Sect for a long time, so when we saw the recruitment, we came right over."
"How much Stacked Reed Grass did you manage to collect?" the cultivator in charge asked excitedly. "Did you get any Origin Dew?"
Mu Jie bowed again. "We did gather some Stacked Reed Grass. The two of us hope to join the inner sect—how much do we need?"
"To enter the inner sect, you need a hundred stalks of Stacked Reed Grass. If you have a drop of Origin Dew, you can also choose a cultivation cave." The cultivator answered promptly.
"Senior, I heard that a hundred stalks of Stacked Reed Grass allows one to listen to Dao Ancestor Yan Yun's lecture. Is that true?" Mu Jie asked, on Joe Di's behalf. She felt that with her current abilities, even if she attended the lecture, she might not understand much.
The cultivator looked troubled. "I know you probably have a hundred stalks of Stacked Reed Grass from the Chaos Hive. We might become sectmates, so I won't lie to you. Dao Ancestor Yan Yun will indeed give a lecture, but with just a hundred stalks, you'll only be able to listen from outside the Dao venue, watching through the formation screen..."
This chapter isn't finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading!
Joe Di's heart sank when he heard this.
What is a Dao lecture? Besides listening to the lecturer's Dao intent, one must also sense their Dao aura. If you can't see the lecturer in person, attending such a lecture is meaningless.
"Of course, if you submit over two hundred stalks of Stacked Reed Grass and two drops of Origin Dew, I can arrange for you to enter the Dao venue and listen to Dao Ancestor Yan Yun's lecture. However, you would only qualify as an outer disciple—unless you offer more than three hundred stalks." The cultivator saw Mu Jie's disappointment and quickly added.
Mu Jie took out a ring and said, "Senior, I am Mu Jie. I obtained a hundred and three stalks of Stacked Reed Grass and one drop of Origin Dew. I won't attend the Dao lecture—I'll choose to become an inner disciple of Origin Dao Sect and select a cultivation cave."
Being able to choose one's own cultivation cave was extremely important, and Mu Jie understood this well.
Zane Wu also produced a ring. "Senior, I am Zane Wu. I have a hundred and eleven stalks of Stacked Reed Grass and one drop of Origin Dew. Like Senior Sister Mu, I wish to become an inner disciple of Origin Dao Sect and select my own cave."
The cultivator in charge took the two rings, scanned them with his divine sense, and immediately produced two jade plaques, engraving information onto them before handing them to Zane Wu and Mu Jie. "I am Ding Zhonghe, steward of the Origin Dao Sect's recruitment. Congratulations on becoming inner disciples of Origin Dao Sect. These jade plaques are your identity tokens—they will be replaced once you reach the sect. For now, stand behind me. In three days, we'll return to the sect. By the way, you can remove your masks now. No one will dare trouble you as long as you're with Origin Dao Sect."
Ding Zhonghe spoke with absolute confidence. Indeed, no one would dare provoke Origin Dao Sect.