Becoming a saint begins with the infinite accumulation of destiny.

"Moon, do you know that there once lived a King of Yue in the south?"

Wen Fengling shook her head, took the novel in her hand, and said respectfully.

"That King of Yue who boasts of having three thousand retainers... Yue'er has naturally heard of him. But Miss, what does that have to do with you supporting these freeloaders?"

Jiang Yue'er didn't understand and looked at Wen Fengling with confusion.

"The King of Yue suffered misfortune in his early years and was trapped in a small town. He was finally able to escape by having one of his circus performers impersonate a monster and deceive the guards."

Wen Fengling gave an example, her spirited little face full of longing.

She hoped to make friends with talented people from all walks of life, emulating the King of Yue who once had three thousand retainers and gathered talents from all over the world.

The world is too vast, and there are too many talented people to attend to.

But she was confident that she could recruit talent from Wuhe City.

However, Wen Fengling also has standards for what kind of talent to recruit.

Its main strength lies in the talent characteristics described in the storybook it holds.

"This book, 'The Story of Heroic Sons and Daughters,' states that the more hardships a person experiences, the greater their future prospects. Having endured suffering, they are far more adept at seizing opportunities than ordinary people."

"Take Brother Chen, whom I recruited. His parents disappeared, and his family was filled with misfortune. He was even bullied and oppressed by low-level gangs. The fact that he could still reach the Bone Forging stage after all this demonstrates his remarkable abilities!"

"And Brother Liu, Brother Wang, and Brother Zhang are all people with extraordinary experiences. Brother Xiao was even jilted by his fiancée, but he is tenacious and unyielding, and he studies and practices diligently every day. His future martial arts career is bound to be extraordinary."

Wen Fengling spoke of her criteria for selecting people, her eyes resolute.

Her remarks were not unfounded.

She cited numerous classical texts and understood some of the underlying principles.

A person's fate is like a circle, some long, some short, some thick, some thin, some large, some small.

But no matter how the shape changes, what we ultimately get is all predetermined.

The more flawed a person is, the better their future fortune and the more achievements they will attain.

This is determined by fate; what a person loses now, God will surely make up for in the future.

"..."

Jiang Yue'er was completely speechless.

She couldn't understand why her young mistress had been brainwashed by storybooks and always chose martial artists from miserable families with no background or connections.

To be honest, in her opinion, being able to complete the blood transfusion was already a blessing from heaven.

How can they be compared to the wealthy young men in the inner city who have been soaking in medicinal baths since childhood and have abundant qi and blood?

Those are the people who have the potential to grow into skilled fighters who can break through the limits of filth in the future.

Instead of soliciting, the young lady showed a particular fondness for poor young men.

This is truly putting the cart before the horse.

What future can people like Chen Shisheng and Xiao Feng have if they're recruited? Can they even break through to the Dirty Realm?

In the end, they're all just freeloaders.

.....

Summer is hot and the air is restless.

The dusty air from the road, carried by the sunlight, was dappled by the sunlight filtering through the trees, creating small, fragmented patterns.

As you walk along the official road, between the earthen slopes on both sides, there are small yellow mud paths worn into the ground by country travelers.

It was midday, and the scorching sunlight was setting.

Chen Shisheng led his team of five along the path, their steps swift and their expressions solemn.

"Brother Chen, Yinshan is just ahead."

Xu Song sped up slightly, quickly walked to Chen Shisheng's side, and whispered.

In the distance lies a continuous, seemingly endless forest mountain range, like undulating ocean waves, layer upon layer, shrouded in mist, its end invisible.

In the distance, one can faintly hear the roars of mountain birds and wild beasts.

"Tell everyone to be careful."

Chen Shisheng narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings.

"Brother, there's no need to be so cautious. We have the Ironclad Army backing us up."

The speaker was a man with a delicate face and a woman-like demeanor.

This man was named Murong He, and he was the son of a wealthy family in the inner city.

He then voiced his doubts, clearly dissatisfied with this sneaky behavior.

He had previously ventured out of the city, but never in such a clandestine manner, making it seem as if they were the bandits.

"If you don't agree with my approach, you can act on your own."

Chen Shisheng frowned, not even glancing at the man.

"I was just offering some advice, brother, there's no need to say that, is there? We're a team after all. If we split up, wouldn't we be laughed at?"

Murong He paused, clearly not expecting Chen Shisheng to show him no respect. He was immediately annoyed and could only manage a forced chuckle.

That's what he said, but in reality, he was seething with anger.

If this person weren't a bone forging expert, following him would obviously be much safer.

He left the group long ago and went on his own.

Unlike now, a few people are wandering around here like headless flies, aimlessly going about their business.

The group walked for a while longer and soon entered the dense forest.

Chen Shisheng recalled the route on the map and, following the markings, avoided several dangerous areas.

Those places are the habitats of evil spirits and monsters, extremely dangerous, and the slightest movement could lead to an attack.

Inside the Yinshan Mountains, a large number of trees grow, their tall canopies blocking out the sun and giving the mountains an eerie, cold atmosphere.

Beneath your feet are all kinds of huge exposed tree roots, and weeds everywhere, densely packed, forming a green cover.

Chen Shisheng kept a close eye on his surroundings, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.

The group consisted of five people, with Chen Shisheng being the strongest and leading the way.

Xu Song followed behind him, followed by Murong He, and then a man and a woman, all of whom were at the Blood Exchange level.

This is their entire squad configuration.

At this moment, on the hillside not far away.

Behind a thick clump of green weeds, several men dressed in leather armor and holding sharp blades were lying prone.

The group was heavily disguised, wearing hats woven from green weeds and their bodies covered in some kind of green liquid, concealing themselves in the deep jungle.

"The chief is indeed a prophet! He actually knew that people would come along this alley."

The burly man at the head of the group lowered his voice, his tone revealing admiration.

"How's it going, boss? Let's go for it! Only one of these guys has undergone Bone Forging; the rest look like they've all had Blood Transformation."

A bandit beside him, carrying a knife, said with a ruthless look in his eyes.

"No rush. The Poison Lizard Pool is just ahead. Let the lizards wear down these people first. We can make our move when they're almost exhausted."

The burly man revealed a cruel smile, then quietly disappeared into the dense forest.

We walked for a while longer.

Before long, the group arrived at a woodland full of withered yellow leaves.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, forming a thin yellow layer, like a carpet.

The moment a foot touched the ground, a series of crackling sounds as the leaves shattered were heard, extremely jarring and clear in the empty, quiet woodland.

Beside it was a cold, greenish pool.

There was a ring of stones around it, covered with green moss. Along one side of the mountain, several thick vines extended into the water, obscuring the bottom.

Under the scorching sun, the group walked through the woods, constantly bitten by tiny insects, and their bodies were already unbearably hot.

Upon seeing the pool of water, everyone felt a surge of joy.

"Finally I can take a proper shower, I was so itchy!"

Murong He showed interest and immediately wanted to step forward, so he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to go forward.

But a large hand blocked their way, standing in front of them.

"The situation here is unclear, so let's avoid causing any trouble."

The speaker was Chen Shisheng, whose gaze cautiously swept around.

Although he had never been to the wilderness, his basic survival instincts told him otherwise.

The stagnant water was green, and there was not even bird or animal droppings around it, which further indicated that there might be unknown dangers inside.

"It's just a wash, it'll be fine, right? Besides, we've been walking for so long, always circling around here. You're not leading us all in circles, are you intentionally trying to avoid bandits?"

Murong He looked displeased. Although Chen Shisheng was a Bone Forging expert, the team wasn't entirely under his control.

However, the repeated obstruction he encountered along the way made him very suspicious of Chen Shisheng's motives for leading the way.

"If you don't listen to me, you can do whatever you want. But I will keep moving forward. Those who want to rest can stay, and those who don't can come with me."

Chen Shisheng said calmly.

You can't reason with a damned devil; he's not their guardian or steward, and has no obligation to protect them forever.

Soon, the team split into two groups.

Murong He and another male disciple chose to stay and rest, and prepared to take another route.

Xu Song hesitated for a moment, but still decided to go with Chen Shisheng.

To Chen Shisheng's surprise, the remaining female disciple also chose to follow him.

"Let's go."

Chen Shisheng said in a deep voice.

The female martial artist followed along, feeling somewhat dazed. She didn't actually want to follow Chen Shisheng and wanted to wash herself in the pool, but with Murong He and another male martial artist present, she felt a little embarrassed to take off her clothes.

Just as she was hesitating about whether to take off her clothes, the line split into two. Before she could react, she buried her head and followed the others.

When I came to my senses, I realized that I had actually followed Chen Shisheng's team.

But since she had already left, it wasn't appropriate for her to go back now.