Silent Night Palace, as the largest sect in the Demon Realm Southern Domain, naturally had its own set of rules for recruiting disciples.
Generally, it opened its gates once every five years to widely accept disciples aged twelve to sixteen who possessed talented Demonic Roots. Every five years, they combed through like lice, so basically anyone with a bit of talent would join Silent Night Palace.
Disciples who entered through the five-year gate opening became outer sect disciples right from the start.
Every three outer sect disciples had a Golden Core Stage teacher to answer questions and provide guidance, along with monthly stipends and more. One could say the treatment was excellent.
But Silent Night Palace did not keep idle people. There was an assessment inside the palace every five years. Disciples from the previous five-year intake who had not reached Qi Refining Layer 6 or above would be demoted to menial disciples. Not only would they lose their monthly stipends, but they would also no longer have guidance teachers and could only attend the sect’s major classes.
“Of course, if one remained stuck in the Qi Refining Stage and could never achieve Foundation Establishment, the sect would not drive them away. Those willing to stay in the palace as menial disciples would naturally be assigned work by Silent Night Palace. If they wished to leave the sect on their own and return to their hometown, as long as they settled their debts with the sect, the palace would not say anything.”
Le Qingping carefully explained the inner workings of Silent Night Palace’s disciple recruitment to Xie Linlang.
“Whether outer sect disciples or menial disciples, as long as they entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, they would automatically become formal inner palace disciples. Nominally, they would have a Nascent Soul Stage senior to teach and guide them. However, since Nascent Soul seniors spent long periods in seclusion, the sect arranged for them to take turns giving lessons. These were small classes, distinct from the major classes. They were not mandatory, held every ten days, but attending them earned no Class Hours Points.”
Xie Linlang could not help but comment upon hearing this, “Silent Night Palace’s inner palace curriculum arrangements were very humane, even better than some major immortal sects.”
He was just short of saying outright: Study hard and cultivate diligently, and you must become top demonic sect experts!
Le Qingping pursed her lips in a smile. “It’s not that this disciple is deliberately boasting. Silent Night Palace truly cared more about its disciples than other demonic sects. This disciple had visited White Bone Sect and Heavenly Charm Sect a few times before, and they basically let their disciples fend for themselves. Only those with exceptional talent received focused cultivation; most disciples had to seek their own paths forward.”
She paused, then straightened her expression. “So, Silent Night Palace had another method for recruiting disciples.”
Every year, there were Demonic Cultivators who came with prior cultivation to seek apprenticeship and attempt to join Silent Night Palace. The palace accepted all comers, but they required a Golden Core Stage cultivator as guarantor, who provided a Recommendation Jade Token.
Pang Sanxian and Shen He had joined Silent Night Palace this way previously.
“However, cultivators who joined Silent Night Palace this way could only start as menial disciples. Only after gaining the appreciation and favor of an inner palace Nascent Soul cultivator could they become formal disciples.”
Xie Linlang raised an objection. “What if a Golden Core Stage Demonic Cultivator came with prior cultivation to seek apprenticeship?”
Le Qingping replied, “Then they would serve as menial disciples for Nascent Soul Stage seniors.”
Xie Linlang smiled faintly. “That’s quite reasonable.”
Le Qingping continued, “If Senior wishes to join Silent Night Palace, I happen to have a Recommendation Jade Token left by Shizun. I can help Senior join the sect, but since you are currently at the Qi Refining Stage, you can only serve as a menial disciple for Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators…”
Xie Linlang said straightforwardly, “I have no problem with that.”
Le Qingping breathed a sigh of relief. “If you don’t mind, you can come to my place then. I have my own quiet room in the talisman workshop for drawing runes. Senior need not worry about disturbances.”
Xie Linlang shook his head. “You help me join Silent Night Palace, and I help you exchange for materials. That’s the deal—one thing for another. There’s no need for this.”
Le Qingping lifted her gaze to look at Xie Linlang. Her beautiful eyes quickly swept over him once, and she seemed thoughtful.
This Senior Xie was upright in character. Perhaps they could interact more. After all, he was a great expert undergoing Reincarnation Recultivation, far superior to her in cultivation experience.
Le Qingping smiled sweetly. “Then if Senior has any needs, feel free to come find me.”
Xie Linlang put away the Recommendation Jade Token Le Qingping had given him.
Although he could also join Silent Night Palace through Shen He’s introduction, he harbored intentions to investigate the relationship between Silent Night Palace and Nine Spirits Sect, as well as Pei Ji’s disappearance from back then. Involving Shen He would only complicate matters.
“…I went to other parts of the underground palace earlier and didn’t find anything. It seems everything had been eaten by the Black Snake.”
Le Qingping sighed slightly, appearing somewhat dejected. “What are Senior’s plans? Shall we also check the surroundings?”
Her experience was limited, and her knowledge shallow. Perhaps Xie Linlang could spot something.
Xie Linlang nodded lightly. “I’ll search another round.”
He did not expect to find any resources. After all, the Nine Spirits Sect Master, controlling the Black Snake, must have searched countless times. But there were always some things a snake could not use for the time being.
For example, special storage houses previously stocked by Nine Spirits Sect that required essence blood to open.
Xie Linlang naturally could not open such storage houses or secret chambers either. If Shen He could still extract some residual blood essence from the beast bones, the corpses left here had long been incinerated to ash by the Jiye Palace Lord.
“…That’s probably all there is—three secret chambers.”
Xie Linlang circled the underground palace and indeed found three places with obviously suspicious special runes. After Le Qingping carefully probed them with her Seven Stars Array Disk, it confirmed that special spaces lay behind the runes.
“These three secret chambers have high entry requirements. That snake couldn’t open them, which is why they were left behind. The other secret chambers and storage houses should have all been looted by it.”
