Chapter 677: Infiltrating

The Celestial Plum Mountain Range, located in the northern part of the Pan Yun Continent, was a relatively cold region. In terms of extreme cold, it likely wouldn’t even crack the top ten. Had Yi Tianyun judged by his previous standards, he would have definitely overlooked this place.

For someone with an Ice Saint Body, the Celestial Plum Mountain Range was certainly not a suitable place for cultivation—or to be more precise, it wasn’t the optimal training ground. The best locations were, of course, the coldest ones, and the Celestial Plum Mountain Range, not even ranking in the top ten for coldness, simply didn’t meet that criterion.

However, a faction didn’t need to possess immense resources of its own to recruit a genius. If that were the case, most powers would be unqualified to take on any disciples at all.

‘So this is the Celestial Plum Mountain Range?’

Yi Tianyun flew for some time before finally reaching the Celestial Plum Mountain Range. It was a considerable distance from the Ascension Divine Altar; even at his astonishing speed, the journey had taken him over a week. For anyone else, it would have been a flight of at least several months.

The distance alone was enough to consider it secluded from the rest of the world, and the environment only reinforced that impression. Mountains and forests stretched in every direction, with no signs of human life. As far as the eye could see, there wasn’t a single village.

It was a barren wilderness, utterly devoid of life. There wasn’t even a single Demon Beast around; at most, a few small, harmless animals skittered about.

However, a persistent mist clung to the area. While it didn’t cover everything, it shrouded the mountain peaks, making them appear as if they were wreathed in clouds.

Looking out, he saw no snow-capped mountains. The climate was like an eternal spring, perfectly mild. So much for a land of extreme cold—it felt just like springtime here!

And as for the “Celestial Plum” Mountain Range, there wasn’t a single plum blossom to be seen—only ordinary trees.

But this was merely how it appeared to an outsider. Yi Tianyun saw through the deception at a glance. The white mist was a Maze Array, completely concealing the range’s true face. If it were dispelled, the real scenery would be revealed.

‘Huh, they’re recruiting disciples?’ Yi Tianyun noticed a number of young men and women off to the side, apparently preparing for some kind of trial.

Being a Hidden Clan didn’t mean they never recruited outsiders; they still needed to replenish their ranks with fresh blood. Shi Xueyun was the perfect example—they had even gone to the Lower Mortal Realm to scout for exceptional talents like her.

It wasn’t that they truly wished to remain hidden; rather, their weakness left them no other choice. Otherwise, they would have emerged long ago. No power enjoys skulking in the shadows, especially not the Celestial Plum Divine Clan, which had once been majestic and revered by all.

To be reduced to their current state of seclusion… one couldn’t help but lament how much things had changed.

‘Joining them like this… that’s not a bad option.’

Yi Tianyun considered his options. His original plan had been to sneak in, but seeing that they were holding a selection for new disciples, why not take the opportunity to join? By entering as a recruit, he could observe far more.

For instance, he could get a clear look at the faction’s true nature, see how they treated newcomers, and observe their general situation. From all this, he could deduce how Shi Xueyun was being treated.

With a flash, he appeared behind the group of youths, falling in line without anyone noticing. There were over fifty of them in total—a sizable group to have been brought back.

None of them appeared to come from prominent backgrounds; judging by their plain clothes, they were commoners. They were all around sixteen or seventeen years old. Their cultivation levels were all at the Body Refining Stage, which was theoretically quite poor. It was surprising that the Celestial Plum Divine Clan would recruit them.

“Keep up and don’t get separated!” the guide at the front yelled back at them. His tone was stern. “If you fall behind, you’ll get lost out here, and no one is coming back to find you!”

The guide was a plain-looking young man, but his cultivation was decent—fifth or sixth level of the Core Formation Stage, which made him more than qualified for the role. However, he was leading the group by himself, and from his impatient expression, it was obvious he didn’t enjoy the task.

Thanks to his attitude, he was completely oblivious to the extra person who had joined the group. He probably hadn’t even bothered to do a headcount.

“Hey, I don’t remember seeing you before.”

A burly youth next to Yi Tianyun scratched his head, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“I probably stepped away to relieve myself earlier, so you must have missed me,” Yi Tianyun said, casually brushing it off.

“Oh, no wonder. Make sure you don’t fall behind; it’s dangerous here,” the burly youth said with a simple-minded grin. “If I were out here by myself, I’d get lost for sure.”

Yi Tianyun smiled. ‘This burly kid is interesting,’ he thought. ‘He seems to be a simple, straightforward type.’

They started chatting as they walked, and Yi Tianyun soon got a general idea of who the Celestial Plum Divine Clan was recruiting: servants to do odd jobs.

No wonder they were all relatively old; theoretically, they were past the ideal age to begin serious cultivation. Weren’t cultivators always nurtured from a very young age? The only exception would be someone like Shi Xueyun, who already had a solid foundation and only needed advanced training to progress.

Their cultivation levels weren’t particularly high or low. The Body Refining Stage was a fairly common level, and more importantly, it was sufficient for manual labor. Sweeping floors and serving food didn’t require a high cultivation level.

Besides, their cultivation would surely improve later, so it wasn’t a major concern. They all came from ordinary, humble families. Because the Spiritual Power in this region was so dense, it was easy for them to break through to the Body Refining Stage and officially become Cultivators.

In order to advance their cultivation, they were willing to join a faction to perform menial tasks, hoping to stumble upon an opportunity that would allow them to progress further.

The youth speaking with Yi Tianyun was named Wu, a very common name for someone from an equally common family. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been assigned to do odd jobs here.

But he was honest and good-natured, with no apparent ulterior motives, which made him easy to get along with. Besides Wu, Yi Tianyun also chatted briefly with some of the others. They all came from ordinary families; that much was certain.

They had all come here nursing the hope of finding some great opportunity. After all, if they served their masters well, they might receive a small reward—a Martial Arts technique, perhaps, or some Elixir Pills.

They were only hoping for something of an ordinary grade; they wouldn’t dare dream of anything high-grade. This was the difference between people. They truly didn’t dare to even think about superior Martial Arts. For them, obtaining something like a Human Level Martial Art would be a life-changing windfall.

‘This is a microcosm of the cultivation world, isn’t it…’

Yi Tianyun shook his head. The world was full of people just like them, all filled with hope for the future, believing they could still push forward. To a high-level cultivator, their goals might seem pathetic, but to these youths, it was the pursuit of a lifetime.