Her face still bore that unsmiling expression, yet she called Uncle Chen with increasing familiarity.
Moreover, even she hadn’t noticed, there was a hint of admiration in her eyes when she looked at Chen Ye.
On the evening of the third day, the spiritual ship’s speed gradually slowed.
"Uncle Chen, we’re almost there." Li Qiuyun knocked on the door from outside, her voice carrying a hint of joy.
Chen Ye opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance flickered in his pupils.
He rose and approached the porthole, only to see the rolling sea of clouds below gradually thinning, revealing the undulating, verdant mountain range.
And amidst those enclosing hills, a magnificent and opulent array of palaces and pavilions appeared, seemingly a fairyland, faintly visible under the afterglow of the sunset.
The Lingyin Sect, finally arrived!
After passing through a patch of swirling mist, the spiritual ship finally landed gently on the vast White Jade Plaza suspended mid-air.
The plaza’s edges were lined with stone railings engraved with intricate array patterns.
Beyond the railings, the clouds surged, cranes gathered, and distant peaks appeared and disappeared, resembling an ethereal realm.
As soon as he stepped off the spiritual ship, a spiritual qi far richer than Yunxi District rushed towards him, invigorating Chen Ye.
Chen Ye felt a shock in his heart.
This was at least a second-tier spirit vein!
Such a large sect was entirely situated on a second-tier spirit vein!
No wonder Li Qiuyun was so eager to return to the sect.
The two little disciples widened their eyes in wonder, Qing Jun couldn’t help but utter a small exclamation, tugging at Zhiwei’s sleeve while pointing at a majestic peak bathed in golden twilight, her little face full of astonishment.
"Steward Chen, this place is our Lingyin Sect’s Guiding Plaza."
Li Qiuyun’s voice sounded beside him, she pointed to a grand temple on one side of the plaza and said,
"New stewards and returning sect disciples must report to the Foreign Affairs Hall, verify their identity, receive waist tokens and corresponding materials, and afterwards I will guide you to Herb Peak to settle in."
Chen Ye nodded and followed Li Qiuyun, leading the two disciples toward the Foreign Affairs Hall.
Along the way, they saw many cultivators in various colored Taoist robes hurrying by, the spiritual power fluctuations from their bodies far surpassing those of the loose cultivators from Yunxi District.
Occasionally, they even saw a few cultivators in sky-blue Inner Sect disciple attire passing by with sword control, attracting envious glances from numerous Outer Sect disciples.
Inside the Foreign Affairs Hall, it was bustling with noise.
Chen Ye queued for a long time before it was his turn.
The one responsible for registration was an elderly man with white hair, who meticulously verified Chen Ye’s identity jade token and steward appointment document, before slowly taking out a waist token crafted from green jade inscribed with "Chen Ye," along with a storage bag.
"Steward Chen, this is your identity waist token, please keep it safe. Inside the storage bag are two sets of steward attire, ten spirit stones, and a book of Herbal Peak Cultivation Insights."
The old man explained in a bland tone, obviously accustomed to such newly appointed stewards.
Chen Ye accepted the waist token and storage bag, expressing his gratitude.
He sensed the storage bag and found that the steward attire was woven from a type of blue-gray spiritual silk, warm to the touch, and emitted a subtle spiritual qi fluctuation, unexpectedly a low-tier magical artifact, with certain defensive and dust cleaning effects.
And this waist token was different from before,
The waist token given by Steward Tian was a universal temporary token, while the current waist token was exclusively his own.
The old man further advised: "Please keep this waist token safe, it records sect contributions. Steward Chen receives an A-grade score, with an initial contribution noted as one hundred."
"One hundred contributions?" Chen Ye was somewhat puzzled.
"Uncle Chen, these contribution points are extremely useful. One contribution can be exchanged for one spirit stone, but spirit stones cannot be exchanged for contributions."
Li Qiuyun couldn’t help but show a hint of envy as she explained,
"Within the sect, whether it’s exchanging pills, magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, or renting cave mansions, entering secret realms to cultivate, all require contribution points. One could say, contribution points are the hard currency within the sect."
Chen Ye was once again taken aback.
What a sect, truly wealthy!
Isn’t this much more comfortable than the arduous life of a loose cultivator?
Luckily, he scored an A, otherwise, it might take a year or two to earn these hundred contribution points.
"According to the sect’s rules, newly appointed stewards are entitled to a separate small courtyard as their residence. The Foreign Affairs Hall will guide you, Uncle Chen, based on your token, to choose from the area designated for stewards and Outer Disciples at Herb Peak."
Li Qiuyun continued,
"Different courtyards require different amounts of contribution points. Uncle Chen, since you’re new here, the sect will first assign you a basic courtyard without deducting your contribution points. But if you want something better, you’ll need to pay extra contribution points."
Chen Ye nodded. He currently had a hundred contribution points, so he didn’t need to be too frugal. He looked at Li Qiuyun, "Then I’ll trouble you, Qiuyun, to lead the way."
Li Qiuyun smiled warmly, "Uncle Chen, you’re too polite. Leading the way is part of my duty."
Then, Li Qiuyun led Chen Ye and his two disciples through several corridors behind the Foreign Affairs Hall to a quieter area.
Here stood several buildings with an ancient simplicity, with one of them bearing a plaque that read "Ministry Hall."
"This is where our Lingyin Sect disciples and stewards choose their residences, claim their monthly stipends, and handle their tasks," Li Qiuyun explained, "The catalogue of residences at Herb Peak is also here."
Inside the Ministry Hall, people came and went, mostly Outer Disciples dressed in sky-blue Taoist robes, with a few cultivators wearing steward attire.
Li Qiuyun was very familiar with the place and led them with ease to a counter.
The disciple in charge saw Li Qiuyun and greeted politely, "Senior Sister Li."
Then his gaze fell on Chen Ye, "This must be the new steward? May I ask where this steward would like to choose a residence?"
Chen Ye handed over his token.
The disciple took the token, investigated it with spiritual power, and then took out a large map depicting mountain landscapes and pavilions, unfolding it slowly on the counter.
"Steward Chen, this is the layout of the accommodations for our Herb Peak disciples and stewards. According to your steward status, you can choose a small courtyard in this area." The disciple pointed to an area circled in vermilion on the map, "The courtyards in this area are standard designs and require no extra contribution points."
Chen Ye looked carefully; the area was located at the foot of Herb Peak, with courtyards densely packed and the layout somewhat cramped.
He frowned slightly; such residences had a high concentration of people and offered little privacy.
"If I want to select a courtyard in another area, how many contribution points would be needed?" Chen Ye asked.
The disciple smiled knowingly at his question:
"Steward Chen, please look. These areas marked with different colors on the map represent different levels of residence. The yellow area offers slightly better layouts, and the spiritual energy is a bit denser, requiring an additional five contribution points per month. The orange area is better, requiring ten points per month. The courtyards are spacious and come with small herb gardens. As for the red area... those are the Herb Peak Cave Mansions, which require specific qualifications."
Chen Ye calculated. At ten contribution points per month, with his current hundred points, it was quite manageable.
"Master, I want to live in the courtyard with the flowers!"
Qing Jun had come over at some point, pointing her small finger at a courtyard with a pear blossom pattern in the orange area on the map.
Next to the courtyard was a small pond with a few red carp frolicking in the water.
Seeing his disciple’s fondness, Chen Ye made his decision. He looked at the disciple and said firmly, "I’ll take that Pear Garden."
The disciple was momentarily surprised, then smiled, "Steward Chen has a good eye. This courtyard is called Luoli Courtyard, one of the most scenic residences... Its previous owner just got promoted to the Inner Sect. But be mindful, the price is ten contribution points per month, so please consider carefully."
Chen Ye nodded, "I’m sure. Let’s rent it for three months."
He wasn’t acting on impulse.
This Pear Garden was rich in spiritual energy and came with its own herb plot, making it perfect for him as a Spirit Plant Master.
Moreover, his two disciples liked it; allowing them to cultivate and live in a comfortable environment justified the expenditure of contribution points.
Fortunately, the sect was more humane than the market, not requiring a deposit and offering no fixed rental period.
On reflection, it made sense. Unlike markets, the sect’s goal wasn’t profit.
Seeing Chen Ye’s determined attitude, the disciple said no more, quickly completed the procedures, deducted thirty contribution points from Chen Ye’s token, and handed over the restriction token for Pear Garden.
"Steward Chen, this is the restriction token for Luoli Courtyard. With this token, you can activate the courtyard’s restrictions. Here’s a detailed map showing how to find it along this pathway."
Chen Ye took the token and the location map, suddenly finding the name of the courtyard a bit odd.
Luoli...?
Chen Ye glanced at the two young girls, who now seemed a bit restrained, even Qing Jun was a bit shy.
It was because their appearances were so endearing, that many young cultivators had cast glances at them along the way.
Ahem... This courtyard is indeed suitable for raising two disciples.