The Yin Sha Sect boasted thirteen Ancestors, each typically commanding a mountain or a cavern—all prime locations for cultivation. The triennial recruitment of disciples was a matter of paramount importance to them. Disciples were not merely inheritors; they were integral to bolstering the Ancestors' prestige and strength. Every Ancestor yearned for as many disciples of exceptional aptitude—true geniuses—as possible under their banner. Yet, merely finding a youth possessing spiritual roots, capable of being molded, was a rare feat. Those worthy of the title 'genius' were even scarcer.

Consequently, the Yin Sha Sect followed a strict protocol for disciple distribution. Each Ancestor was required to contribute three disciples from the current intake to a grand lottery, totaling thirty-nine disciples. These disciples would then engage in competitive duels, and the resulting rankings would determine the score awarded to each Ancestor. The Ancestor accumulating the highest score gained priority in selecting this generation’s new disciples.

Naturally, every incoming disciple underwent preliminary testing to assess their inherent aptitude. However, only the top thirty were formally ranked; the higher the potential, the greater the contribution points required for an Ancestor to claim them. All thirteen Ancestors would spend their accumulated points vying for these top thirty disciples. Once the top thirty spots were filled, the remaining several hundred unranked disciples were distributed evenly among the various caverns and mountains.

Simply put, the top thirty by aptitude were regarded as priceless treasures by the Ancestors, nurtured with utmost care, perhaps even treated as personal inner disciples. Those unranked beyond the thirtieth position would merely be considered general disciples, handed over for standardized instruction within the respective cavern abodes. Only those displaying exceptional performance would ever catch the eye of an Ancestor.

Lei Dong was unsure of his own aptitude and potential, but he knew he certainly hadn't placed within the top thirty. Logically, he would not attract the notice of any Ancestor and would inevitably be assigned randomly to one. But perhaps this was for the best; in a place steeped in danger like this cultivation sect, maintaining a low profile seemed prudent.

This generation’s highest-ranked disciple was an eight-year-old girl, exquisitely formed and utterly adorable, like a jade carving. Rumor had it her innate spiritual foundation was a sight unseen in a century. Having heard the news, the Ancestors from every cavern dispatched their most formidable personal disciples, determined to secure her allegiance. This led to the current martial competition being exceptionally brutal. Only the Ancestor achieving the overall top score would be entitled to select her first. The second-ranked, a fair-haired youth, possessed decent aptitude, yet it paled significantly compared to that of the little girl.

The situation on the dueling stage began to shift anew. The short combatant wielding the silver shield was finally cleaved into pieces under a powerful sword strike. Yet, before the tall fighter could savor his victory, a semi-transparent wraith suddenly latched onto him with tenacity. Startled out of his complacency, a Yin Thunder artifact, no larger than a dragon's eye, materialized silently upon his body.

Boom—The unfortunate tall man, intoxicated by his advantage, had been solely focused on how to run the short fighter through with his blade. He never anticipated being ensnared by the short man's spectral phantom for a surprise attack, ultimately resulting in instant annihilation by the Yin Thunder. Had he been cautious, the wraith would have been detected long before it could close the distance. He could have dodged or defended against the Yin Thunder. Instead, he was utterly pulverized.

Witnessing the tall man's gruesome end, Lei Dong’s expression shifted dramatically. The dueling arenas were truly fraught with peril. Although he had anticipated the short man possessing a means to turn the tide, he hadn't expected it to be so vicious and deadly, resulting in immediate death. His vigilance sharpened considerably. Seeing the corpse-faced commentator look utterly unconcerned, Lei Dong concluded that this gloomy place was not only eerie but also a location where human life held little value.

Soon, someone cleared the stage. The next bout commenced. This time, a young woman stepped onto the platform to face a burly, broad-shouldered man. However, the large man’s face was alarmingly pale. As the fight began, he was already preparing to surrender verbally. But the young woman proved lethally swift. With a flash of ghastly green light, the man erupted in a torrent of blood from his chest, enveloped in verdant flames, collapsing to the ground with agonizing shrieks.

For the duration of one stick of incense, the burly man clawed himself to shreds until he was utterly consumed and killed by the soul-refining green fire.

The arena was cleared once more, and the duels continued.

Three days later, all the competitions concluded. Out of the thirty-nine participants, only slightly over twenty remained alive.

The exquisitely carved little girl was spirited away by a blue-robed Ancestor who was laughing maniacally. The other cavern abodes also secured their chosen disciples. Lei Dong, unable to influence events, was assigned to the Myriad Ghost Grotto under the command of the Myriad Ghost Ancestor. Coincidentally, he ended up as a sect-brother to that cunning, short fighter who had managed a final comeback. The short man ultimately secured the tenth position, barely scraping into the top ten. Of the other two disciples who fought, one ranked twenty-first, while the other perished in combat, placing his composite score ninth among the thirteen Ancestors. When it came to his selection turn, the top ten had already chosen. Out of necessity, he could only select three new disciples, all ranked within the top twenty.

His overall performance was considered quite poor. This failure would likely impact his ranking in the next cycle. This model of nurturing disciples invariably led to the strong growing stronger and the weak growing weaker. The direct cause of this failure was traceable to the results of the previous cycle. This vicious cycle had precipitated the current outcome.

Consequently, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor’s expression was far from pleasant. After leading Lei Dong and the two dozen or so new recruits back to the Myriad Ghost Grotto, he delegated the majority to the senior disciples for management. He immediately took the three disciples ranked within the top twenty for personal tutelage, aiming to instruct them early and secure a higher ranking next time, thus avoiding being perpetually stuck with leftover disciples.

The remaining disciples, including Lei Dong, were each assigned a suite of rooms carved directly into the mountainside, allowing them to clean up and rest. After all, the entry oaths and the days spent observing the battles had been quite exhausting.

The suite assigned to Lei Dong comprised several rooms, separated into living quarters, a meditation chamber, a study, and a larger private martial arts room. In total, the area spanned perhaps a thousand square feet. The interior was lavishly appointed; all furniture and implements were of the highest quality, items only royalty or the nobility in the secular world would be entitled to use. Lei Dong’s family was prosperous, yet even they had only heard whispers of the materials used to forge such furniture, never having seen them firsthand.

It was no wonder; the Yin Sha Sect controlled several nations, and securing rare treasures from those realms was hardly a difficulty. However, to the Yin Sha Sect, such items were commonplace, enjoyed even by their lowest-ranking disciples. Lei Dong, initially resentful about joining an evil sect, drew in a sharp breath upon seeing these amenities. The mere value of the furniture and decorations in his standard disciple room, if sold, could secure a lifetime of wealth for him. Cultivators truly were the most revered beings in this world. The gloom in his heart undeniably receded a little. Yet, the greatest drawback of this location was the complete absence of sunlight, leaving the air perpetually cold and suffused with Yin energy. This explained why most members of the Yin Sha Sect he had observed possessed rather pale complexions.

Joining the Yin Sha Sect might not be an entirely negative fate, especially after witnessing the deadly, insidious, fierce, and potent combat displayed by the preceding generation of disciples today. Lei Dong grasped that the Yin Sha Sect’s ability to survive and thrive in this world undoubtedly stemmed from a specific, inherent logic.

Lei Dong had made a habit of conditioning his body since childhood, possessing good constitution, but the continuous travel and the recent succession of events had left him utterly fatigued. He collapsed onto the couch and fell into a deep sleep shortly thereafter.

He awoke early the next morning. Unlike the genuinely childish nature of his peers, Lei Dong, having been brought from another place, possessed superior experience and mental fortitude. Firstly, this Yin Sha Sect was certainly no sanctuary. Secondly, having embarked upon this perilous path of immortal cultivation, Lei Dong had no intention of becoming another person's stepping stone. Though he possessed spiritual roots granting him the qualification for cultivation, he was by no means among the most outstanding. He understood the principle that the diligent bird often flies first.

After his aptitude for cultivation was discovered two years prior, he had received several months of preliminary training. This primarily involved instruction in literacy, basic pharmacology, mineralogy, and broad conceptual overviews of cultivation knowledge. This preparation was designed to bypass much of the confusing foundational study upon joining a sect. Literacy, in particular, was paramount; without understanding the written word, how could one cultivate? Fortunately, Lei Dong had also studied texts while training his body in his youth, meaning he was not unfamiliar with the written script of this world. In this regard, he might possess a slight edge over some of his peers.

Upon waking, he first went to his door. He had learned from the senior disciple who assigned the rooms yesterday that each private suite was a place of absolute privacy. Unless explicitly invited, no one—save the Myriad Ghost Ancestor himself—was permitted entry. Otherwise, the restrictive formation array on the door would inflict severe pain on any trespasser, potentially even costing them their lives in severe cases. As for the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, he likely wouldn't be bored enough to wander into the chambers of low-ranking disciples, so that concern could be set aside for now.

Furthermore, the formation array on the door possessed other ingenious functions. Not only could it be used to contact other disciples without leaving the room, but one could also input requests directly within to summon servants. These 'servants' were a class of mortals unable to cultivate, bound to the Myriad Ghost Grotto to specifically manage the disciples’ daily living needs.

For instance, if Lei Dong felt hungry now, he could transmit his dietary requirements through the door’s formation array. The Myriad Ghost Grotto housed a massive contingent of servants, always standing by. As soon as any formal disciple issued a request, it would be fulfilled immediately. The senior disciple yesterday mentioned that the total number of formal disciples in the Myriad Ghost Grotto was barely over a hundred. Yet, the number of active servants under the Myriad Ghost Grotto’s command exceeded ten thousand. Beyond that, near the Grotto resided a city populated by mortals, known as Myriad Ghost City, which existed solely to cater to the diverse daily needs of the Myriad Ghost Grotto disciples. Calculated closely, even a most junior formal disciple enjoyed a level of service no less than that of a Duke or Prince in the mortal realm.