I Have A Cultivation World Chapter 2355 - 1063:

The entry requirements for the Five Elements Sect are incredibly steep.

A Rank-2 certification in one of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation is the bare minimum. Furthermore, this is not a standard qualification recognized across the Eastern Continent, but a rigorous, specialized evaluation conducted by the Five Elements Sect itself, matching the standards of the Immortal Gate.

Nevertheless, even such a high barrier cannot deter certain ambitious loose cultivators.

At present, the Five Elements Sect only recruits loose cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage on an occasional basis, issuing public notices only when vacancies arise or specific needs manifest.

While the population of Foundation Establishment practitioners has seen a volcanic surge, Core Formation cultivators remain exceptionally rare and valuable.

Currently, the Five Elements Sect—including heterodox Golden Core cultivators and those from East Wu and the East Barbarians who have sworn fealty—counts a total of sixty-eight such individuals.

Based on a one-tenth ratio, seven Golden Core cultivators were required for the task.

However, Chen Mobai made a bold executive decision and directly assigned ten.

This was precisely the amount needed for two squads of Five Elements Dao Soldiers, supplemented by two hundred Foundation Establishment and twenty thousand Qi Cultivation disciples, perfectly fulfilling the requirements of the Dao Morale Sect’s Reclamation Order.

Yet, once this news was made public, the number of individuals eager to join the expedition spiked unexpectedly.

“Junior Brother, the sect’s disciple count has been rising in recent years. Life is no longer as effortless as it once was. One must work significantly harder if they desire Foundation Establishment or Golden Elixir Spiritual Medicine.”

With a look of great satisfaction, Zhou Shengqing handed a thick stack of rosters to Chen Mobai.

Back when the sect was merely the Divine Wood Sect, he had never imagined a day when so many disciples would serve under his banner.

Scanning the rosters, Chen Mobai noted that many heterodox Golden Core cultivators within the Five Elements Sect were eager to join this reclamation effort.

Though heterodox Golden Cores are technically at the Core Formation level, they are not regarded as true Core Formation cultivators within the Five Elements Sect; their benefits are only slightly superior to those at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Consequently, they all yearn to progress further. However, regarding the acquisition of Core Formation resources, they lack the desperate resolve shown by Tan Rong. They hope instead to amass enough sect contribution points through this reclamation to trade for the Golden Liquid Jade Pill.

In prior consultations with Zhou Shengqing and others, Chen Mobai had only confirmed the participation of Ban Zhaodan, Zhou Wangshen, Luo Yixuan, Han Zhiling, and Green Pearl.

These five all possess strong connections. Upon learning that Chen Mobai would personally lead the expedition, Zhou Ye even sent the well-protected Green Pearl. The hope was that by following the Sect Leader and gaining prestige, they might eventually be permitted to exchange for Nascent Soul Formation resources from the sect.

What Zhou Ye envisioned, others had also considered.

Thus, anyone with influence mobilized their networks to secure a spot.

As the one stationed in Northern Abyss City, Zhou Shengqing became the focal point for many negotiations, all of which he eventually directed to Chen Mobai.

“In that case, I will choose five additional Golden Cores. There are far too many Foundation Establishment and Qi Cultivation applicants; let E Yun manage their selection.”

After a brief look, Chen Mobai summoned E Yun, the Acting Sect Leader. E Yun nodded and accepted the list after receiving his instructions.

“Sect Leader, there is one more matter. Customarily, a Reclamation Order is distributed down through the ranks. Should we also demand manpower from our vassal families in East Wu, the East Barbarians, and the Eastern Wilderness?”

E Yun raised a point that Chen Mobai had previously overlooked.

The Dao Morale Sect demanded that the Five Elements Sect provide a tenth of the required forces, but local tradition dictated that such burdens be shared with subordinates. This method had been used previously during the East Wu alliance’s defense against the Yun Meng Ze monsters.

“Then we shall follow local custom. Require the East Wu families to provide three thousand men, the major forces of the Eastern Wilderness to provide three thousand, and the East Barbarians to provide another three thousand.”

Though Chen Mobai suspected this manpower might not satisfy the internal demand within the Five Elements Sect, he understood that war always brings casualties, even with him leading the charge.

By utilizing vassal forces, fewer of his own direct disciples would perish.

Furthermore, this reclamation represents a rare chance for advancement for those under the Five Elements Sect's umbrella.

Should a "child of fate" seize this opening, they might rise to become an Ascension Superpower like Yi Yuan True Monarch, transforming from a mere Pioneer Cultivator into a figure of immense power.

If the Five Elements Sect monopolized every slot, it might benefit smaller forces, but it would likely demoralize the Golden Core level powers.

After all, human ambition knows no bounds.

The Five Elements Sect occasionally puts Golden Elixir Spiritual Medicine up for sale, but it has always strictly reserved Foundation Establishment resources for its own use, never allowing them to circulate outside.

The Golden Core cultivators of East Wu, the East Barbarians, and the Eastern Wilderness are filled with envy as they watch Nascent Soul Cultivators emerge one after another from the Five Elements Sect. They believe that if they had access to the same resources, they would also find success.

To motivate the major sects of the Eastern Continent, the Holy Land reclamation is prepared to offer various rare treasures.

These include the Sacred Spirit Pill for Divinity Transformation, the Coagulation Infant Pill for Nascent Soul Formation, and even Spirit Ice Profound Liquid and Sunfire Liquid for Core Formation.

To Chen Mobai, only the Communicating Holy Spirit Pill held any real appeal.

But for other Golden Core elders, this represented their finest opportunity to secure Foundation Establishment resources.

Once E Yun was informed that the requirement was non-mandatory, Chen Mobai went to inspect the newest warship from the Eastern Wilderness arsenal.

Given Sheng Zhaoxi’s current mastery, she naturally could not construct a Star Space Battleship in the Eastern Wilderness. However, by utilizing the Treasure Ship technology provided by East Wu, she developed this Five Elements Warship model.

The fleet consists of five Rank-4, twenty-five Rank-3, and five hundred Rank-2 vessels.

These Rank-4 ships are "Rank-4" in a general sense.

This means they possess power comparable to Rank-4, much like the elite Treasure Ships of the Sun family in East Wu.

In Chen Mobai’s estimation, however, they barely reached the peak of the Third Rank.

Nevertheless, Sheng Zhaoxi had performed admirably to create them.

Chen Mobai was already considering gifting her the recently acquired piece of Rank-5 Sea Soul Agate.

“I shall lead the first team to Dongling Immortal City...”

After finishing his inspection of the Five Elements Warship fleet—a project Sheng Zhaoxi had labored over for decades—Chen Mobai ordered the ten thousand cultivators assembled at Northern Abyss City to begin boarding.

For this campaign, he designated his grand-disciple, Duan Shuyu, as the chief commander.

Duan Shuyu had already demonstrated his competence in this role during the previous conflict with the Wild Sea Demons at East Wu.

Always one to recognize talent, Chen Mobai brought him along once again.

In addition to Duan Shuyu, Jin Ling’er—another student of the White Emperor Military Formation Scripture—joined the group. Since the environment of active warfare aids her cultivation progress, Chen Mobai summoned her as well.

“Master!”

Luo Yixuan, who had been away for a long time, arrived in haste from the East Barbarians after receiving her orders. Her eyes lit up with joy upon seeing Chen Mobai.

“Come, it is time to depart.”

Seeing his third disciple after such a long interval pleased Chen Mobai greatly, and he gestured for her to board the vessel.

Then, under the admiring gazes of the many cultivators in Northern Abyss City, a Rank-4 fiery red Treasure Ship erupted with intense spiritual light. Leading a massive fleet of Rank-3 and Rank-2 ships, it formed a colossal crimson cloud that seemed to ignite the very sky as it sped toward the east.

...

East Li.

A towering man in black robes, his skin pulled tight over his bones and his eyes deep-set, stood in the heavens. He gazed down at the spirit veins currently held by the Holy Lands of the Eastern Continent, white flames flickering within his eyes.

“The time is coming when all of this shall return to us.”

Diao Xianlan spoke from beside the black-robed man. Surrounding them were several other shadowed, demonic figures.

These were the Nascent Soul cultivators from the most prominent Demon Path sects in the Eastern Continent.

At this moment, however, they all stood behind the man in black, their expressions filled with profound respect.