I am in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have a demonic beast clone!

Chapter 138 Benefits and Compensation!

Inside the elegant room, the aroma of tea filled the air, and a moment of silence followed.

The sound of Zhou Ding's fingers lightly tapping the table seemed to strike a chord in Xia Yuanyuan's heart.

She held her breath, her beautiful eyes fixed on Zhou Ding, waiting for this resolute and unpredictable "Senior Zhou" to make a decision.

Finally, Zhou Ding stopped tapping his fingers, his gaze returning to Xia Yuanyuan's expectant face. He spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable air: "Very well, I, Zhou, may become a guest elder of the Miaoyin Sect."

These words, like heavenly music, instantly dispelled the last trace of unease and uncertainty in Xia Yuanyuan's heart.

A surge of immense joy welled up within her, causing her captivating eyes to gleam with dazzling brilliance, and her cheeks to flush slightly with excitement, adding to her beauty.

"That's wonderful! Thank you for your permission, senior! On behalf of the Miaoyin Sect, I welcome you to join us!" Xia Yuanyuan was overjoyed and quickly stood up, bowing gracefully to Zhou Ding. Her posture was more respectful than before, with less deliberate seduction and more genuine joy.

Successfully winning over a guest elder in the mid-stage of Core Formation would undoubtedly be a huge boost to her competition for the position of Left Envoy!

"Senior, according to the sect rules, newly promoted guest elders, especially those with profound cultivation like you, must meet with the sect leader for personal confirmation and registration. In addition, they must also leave behind a portrait to be hung in the guest elder hall of the sect."

""

Xia Yuanyuan carefully observed Zhou Ding's expression and explained, "This move is mainly to demonstrate the strength of our sect. If we encounter petty people or external enemies who provoke us, we can display the portraits and names of our seniors and use their prestige to intimidate them. This is also a way for our Miaoyin Sect to show respect and reliance on our guest elders."

Leave a portrait?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ding's brows twitched almost imperceptibly.

This was unexpected, but upon closer reflection, it made perfect sense.

When a sect recruits a high-ranking guest, it naturally has to "spread the word," which is both a way of demonstrating its strength and a public recognition and "binding" of the guest's status.

However, this would expose one's appearance to the Miaoyin Sect, and might even be known by forces that have dealings with the Miaoyin Sect.

He pondered for a moment, realizing that he was now far from Kui Xing Island, in Tian Xing City, and had also broken away from the Six-Linked Palace.

Given the style of the Miaoyin Sect, the portraits of its retainers are mostly hung in important places inside the sect to serve as a deterrent, rather than being posted all over the streets.

As long as one acts cautiously in the future and does not flaunt one's identity as a "guest of Miaoyin Sect," the risk of exposure should not be significant.

Moreover, since the decision has been made to use the Miaoyin Sect as a stepping stone to integrate into Tianxing City, the risk of some exposure of one's identity is within an acceptable range.

"Okay." Zhou Ding nodded in agreement.

"Senior, please follow me!" Xia Yuanyuan felt a great weight lifted from her heart and happily led the way.

The two left "Qingquanju" and rejoined the flow of people in the market.

Led by Xia Yuanyuan, they did not go to the higher levels of the sacred mountain, but instead passed through several bustling streets and arrived at a relatively quiet but serene and elegant area on the edge of the market.

There are many independent courtyards and mansions here, which are obviously temporary strongholds or villas of some small and medium-sized forces or high-level cultivators in Tianxing City.

Finally, they stopped in front of an elegant courtyard, half-hidden by lush green vines and a few clumps of bamboo, with a blank jade plaque hanging above the door.

The courtyard gate was tightly closed, and there were no guards in front of it. Only two young female cultivators, dressed in light blue dresses, with delicate features and cultivation at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, stood on either side. Upon seeing Xia Yuanyuan, the two female cultivators immediately bowed and greeted her as "Senior Sister Xia".

"Yes, this is Senior Zhou, the newly appointed guest elder. I'm taking him to see the sect leader." Xia Yuanyuan nodded slightly to the two gatekeeper disciples, her tone carrying a hint of reserve.

"Yes! Senior sister, please! Senior, please!" The two female cultivators quickly stepped aside and pushed open the courtyard gate.

Stepping into the courtyard reveals a completely different world. The courtyard is not large, but it is exquisitely arranged, with artificial hills and flowing water, winding corridors, and exotic flowers and plants, making it feel more spiritually rich than the outside world.

The faint sounds of string and wind instruments and the soft laughter of women drifted through the air, adding to the enchanting atmosphere.

Several beautiful female disciples of the Miaoyin Sect, dressed in various colorful dresses, were either playing chess in the corridor or playing the zither in the pavilion. When they saw Xia Yuanyuan bringing in a strange male cultivator, they all cast curious glances at her, but they did not do anything impolite, only bowing respectfully from a distance.

Xia Yuanyuan led Zhou Ding through a moon gate to a quieter, secluded courtyard in the inner courtyard.

There is only one two-story elegant house in the courtyard, built with bamboo and warm jade, which is refined and unique.

"The sect leader is inside, please, senior." Xia Yuanyuan gestured for Zhou Ding to wait a moment, and went inside to announce her arrival.

A moment later, the door to the retreat opened silently, and Xia Yuanyuan came out, gesturing to Zhou Ding with a "please" sign, her face beaming with a smile: "Senior, the sect leader invites you."

Zhou Ding stepped into the refined residence. The first floor was a spacious living room, furnished with simple and elegant furnishings, mainly jade, spirit wood, and light gauze, and the air was filled with a faint, refreshing fragrance.

At the head of the living room, a woman sat gracefully in a carved rosewood chair, her gaze gentle as she looked over.

The woman appeared to be around thirty years old, dressed in an elegant moon-white palace gown. Her hair was piled high and secured with a simple jade hairpin. Her features were exquisite, her skin as white as snow, and her demeanor dignified and gentle, yet she inadvertently exuded a faint air of authority befitting someone who had long held a high position.

Her appearance was exceptionally beautiful, unlike Xia Yuanyuan's charming and alluring beauty, which leaned more towards a refined, elegant, and dignified beauty.

What is particularly noteworthy is that the spiritual pressure emanating from her body is clearly at the early stage of Core Formation!

Moreover, his foundation is quite solid, clearly not something he achieved through elixirs.

Zhou Ding's heart stirred slightly.

This woman must be Zhou Yuan, the leader of the Miaoyin Sect.

Just as rumored, she possessed unparalleled beauty and extraordinary bearing.

A sense of understanding flashed through his mind. No wonder he could give birth to such a beautiful and intelligent daughter as Fairy Zi Ling. This Sect Master Zhou's appearance and temperament were already top-notch.

"Sect Master, this is Zhou Ding, Senior Zhou, whom I mentioned to you. Senior Zhou has agreed to serve as a guest elder of our Miaoyin Sect," Xia Yuanyuan stepped forward and introduced respectfully.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan's face immediately lit up with a gentle and sincere joy. She rose from her seat, gave Zhou Ding a slight bow, and spoke in a clear and melodious voice, carrying just the right amount of enthusiasm: "I am Zhou Yuan, and I am the Sect Master of Miaoyin Sect. It is truly an honor for our sect that Fellow Daoist Zhou is willing to condescend to join us as a guest elder! My humble servant and everyone in Miaoyin Sect are deeply honored! Fellow Daoist Zhou, please have a seat!"

"Sect Leader Zhou, you are too kind. I am new here and will need your guidance in the future." Zhou Ding returned the greeting with a cupped hand, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant, and calmly sat down in the guest seat below Zhou Yuan.

Xia Yuanyuan stood by and personally poured tea for the two of them.

After the maid served the spiritual tea, Zhou Yuan picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and casually began the conversation: "Junior Sister Xia said that Fellow Daoist Zhou is new to Tianxing City? May I ask where you cultivated in the immortal mountains and blessed lands before? If it is convenient, you may tell me, so that I can do my best to be a good host and introduce you to the sights and sights of Tianxing City."

This was a subtle way of probing his background. Zhou Ding knew perfectly well that since he had already decided to join, he didn't intend to hide his origins too much. After all, it wasn't anything shameful, and being open about it would actually earn him more trust.

"Sect Leader Zhou is very kind."

Zhou Ding put down his teacup and said calmly, "I am not from any famous sect. I was a rogue cultivator in my early years and wandered around. A few years ago, I served as the resident elder of the Six Linked Halls on Kui Xing Island for a period of time. Later, due to some personal matters, I left the Six Linked Halls and wanted to find a more suitable place to settle down. That's why I came to Tianxing City and plan to stay here for a long time."

"Oh? Fellow Daoist Zhou was once an elder of the Six Linked Halls?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan's eyes flashed with obvious surprise, and her gaze toward Zhou Ding suddenly took on a different meaning.

The Six Linked Halls is a large-scale merchant guild spanning both the inner and outer seas, wielding immense power. Becoming its resident elder on an island is no easy feat, at least proving that Zhou Ding's strength and abilities have been recognized by the Six Linked Halls.

Moreover, judging from his tone, it was a "voluntary departure" rather than an expulsion, which carries a different implication.

Such a person, willing to join her Miaoyin Sect as a guest elder, is perhaps even more valuable than a simple mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.

"I see. The Six Halls are full of talented people, and Fellow Daoist Zhou is able to serve as an elder among them, which shows his extraordinary abilities. Now that Fellow Daoist is willing to join my Miaoyin Sect, it is truly an honor for my humble sect."

Zhou Yuan's smile became even more gentle and friendly, and her tone carried a greater sense of sincerity and respect: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured, now that you've joined my Miaoyin Sect, you're family. Although my Miaoyin Sect is predominantly female and not particularly adept at fighting, we still have some influence in intelligence gathering and business connections. We certainly won't let you feel wronged."

She paused for a moment, then began to explain in detail the treatment and responsibilities of a guest elder, her tone sincere and her words clear: "As a guest elder, you will receive a regular offering of 10,000 low-grade spirit stones annually. In addition, you can enjoy a 20% discount when purchasing pills, materials, or magical artifacts, or commissioning services from any shops or channels within the territory of my Miaoyin Sect."

If you need to use the intelligence network of my Wonderful Sound Sect to inquire about information, or to utilize your personal connections to handle private matters, as long as it does not violate morality or harm the fundamental interests of our sect, our sect will do its best to assist you, charging only the cost price.

"As for responsibilities and obligations—"

Zhou Yuan looked at Zhou Ding, her tone even more candid: "There are no mandatory mission assignments, nor is it necessary for you to reside permanently within the sect, thus restricting your freedom. We only hope that when our Miaoyin Sect faces external threats or needs to use force to deter certain scoundrels, you can lend a helping hand as a guest elder, standing up for our sect. Of course, if the opponent's strength far exceeds expectations, or if it involves disputes you do not wish to be involved in, you have the right to refuse. The sect would never dare to, and will never force you, nor will it harbor resentment because of this. Being a guest elder is more about mutual assistance based on friendship and title."

Zhou Ding listened, nodding inwardly. The terms were even more favorable and lenient than he had expected.

An annual offering of 10,000 spirit stones is not a huge sum for a Core Formation cultivator, but it is still a decent amount of extra income.

The 20% discount and the support in terms of information and connections are real benefits.

The so-called "responsibility" is almost a formality, merely a title used to intimidate people when necessary, with extremely low risk.

It seems that the Miaoyin Sect's recruitment of guest elders is indeed mainly for making connections and leveraging influence, rather than truly intending to bind high-level cultivators to serve them.

This pattern is quite in line with their style of using softness to overcome hardness and their skillful manipulation of social situations.

"Sect Leader Zhou is very frank and offers generous terms; I have no objections," Zhou Ding nodded in agreement.

"That's great!" Zhou Yuan's smile widened, clearly pleased with Zhou Ding's straightforwardness. She gestured to Xia Yuanyuan, who was standing to the side.

Xia Yuanyuan understood and immediately took out a blank jade slip and a specially made talisman pen made of some kind of demon beast tail feathers and spiritual liquid from her storage bag, and presented them to Zhou Ding with both hands.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, according to the rules, please leave a trace of your divine sense on this identity jade slip as proof. This mark is only for confirming identity and making contact; it has absolutely no ability to monitor or restrain you. You can verify it with confidence," Zhou Yuan explained.

Zhou Ding took the jade slip, scanned it with his divine sense, and confirmed that it was empty, containing only the most basic storage and identification array patterns.

He separated a faint but pure wisp of his divine consciousness and left his unique mark on the jade slip. The jade slip trembled slightly, emitting a pale golden halo, which then subsided.

"The mark is complete." Zhou Ding handed the jade slip back.

"Thank you for your trouble, fellow Daoist." Zhou Yuan accepted it, carefully sensed it, confirmed it was genuine, and then carefully put it away. Then, she clapped her hands.

A pretty female cultivator, dressed in a pale yellow dress, carrying a scroll and ink, and whose cultivation level was in the late Foundation Establishment stage, walked in through the door.

She bowed to Zhou Yuan and Zhou Ding, then spread out the painting paper on the table beside her, prepared the ink, and focused her gaze on Zhou Ding.

"This is a disciple of our sect who specializes in painting. Her painting skills are quite good. Please have a moment while she paints a portrait of you to keep in the Guest Hall of our sect for remembrance and to serve as a deterrent," Zhou Yuan explained with a slight apology.

Zhou Ding nodded slightly, sitting upright and allowing the painter's disciple to observe and sketch. He remained calm and composed, showing no discomfort whatsoever from being painted.

About an incense stick later, the portrait was completed. The painter's disciple presented the scroll. Zhou Yuan and Xia Yuanyuan looked at it and saw that the person in the painting was lifelike, with a simple blue robe, clear eyebrows and bright eyes, and a deep and calm gaze. The composed demeanor of a Core Formation cultivator was vividly portrayed on the paper, making it a masterpiece.

"Excellent! Fellow Daoist's elegance is fully captured in the painting." Zhou Yuan praised, then gestured to the painter's disciple to carefully put away the scroll and seal it together with the jade slip containing the divine imprint.

With this, all the procedures for Zhou Ding to join the Miaoyin Sect and become a guest elder were officially completed.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, from this day forward, you will be a guest elder of my Miaoyin Sect. This is the guest elder's token. With this token, you can prove your identity and enjoy the corresponding treatment." Zhou Yuan took out a palm-sized token, made entirely of warm and smooth white jade, with the words "Miaoyin" engraved on the front and the words "Guest Elder" and intricate cloud patterns engraved on the back, and personally handed it to Zhou Ding.

Zhou Ding took the token. It felt slightly cool to the touch and of excellent quality. It also contained a trace of identification array pattern that was the same as the jade slip containing his identity.

"Thank you, Sect Leader Zhou." Zhou Ding put the token away.

"Elder Zhou, you don't need to be so polite."

Zhou Yuan smiled, changing her form of address to sound more intimate: "It's getting late, so I won't keep Elder any longer. Yuanyuan, please see Elder Zhou off for me. If Elder Zhou ever needs anything in the future, or wants to know about the scenery and news of Tianxing City and Luanxing Sea, he can come here to find me at any time, or contact me through Yuanyuan."

"Yes, Sect Master."

Xia Yuanyuan respectfully agreed, then turned to Zhou Ding with a charming smile: "Elder Zhou, please."

Zhou Ding bowed to Zhou Yuan to take his leave, and then left the quiet courtyard accompanied by Xia Yuanyuan.

Walking amidst the deepening twilight and the newly lit streetlights, Zhou Ding toyed with the warm, smooth guest token in his sleeve, his thoughts drifting.

Today's move marks the first step we've officially taken in Tianxing City.

Having the identity of a guest elder of the Miaoyin Sect will make obtaining information, handling affairs, and even future treasure hunting much easier.

As for the slight risk of exposure that the portrait might bring—he looked at the towering shadow of the Holy Mountain and the eternal, faint starlight representing the majesty of the Star Palace above Tianxing City.

"As long as I don't leave Tianxing City and don't cause trouble, what can the Six-Linked Palace—or even the Reverse Star Alliance—do for me?" Zhou Ding's lips curled into a faint, confident smile. With a flash, he transformed into an inconspicuous streak of light, merging into the flowing light that filled the sky, and leisurely returned towards the forty-seventh level of the Holy Mountain, the "Cloud Mist Cave Heaven."