The Art of Chaotic Divinity-Chapter 1321: Mingjian Tower

"Of course, there is one more thing I must remind you of."

Feng Ling suddenly turned around and spoke slowly. "Outer sect disciples hold a slightly higher status than menial disciples, but aside from daily cultivation, you will also be assigned routine sect duties. These include tending spirit beasts, fertilizing herb gardens, catching pests, or cleaning alchemy furnaces and grinding medicinal ingredients in the alchemy rooms..."

"What?"

A young man dressed in luxurious robes immediately frowned. "Is that not the same as being a servant?"

"There is a difference," Feng Ling replied coldly. "Menial disciples wash clothes, cook meals, carry water, and chop firewood. Those tasks require no skill. As outer sect disciples, your assigned duties are part of cultivation itself. At the very least, you are allowed to choose whether you tend spirit beasts or work in the alchemy rooms. Menial disciples are given no such choice."

Her expression remained indifferent and utterly unsympathetic.

The richly dressed youth's mouth twitched slightly. When he imagined himself, a dignified half-step Human Emperor, washing clothes and carrying water, he shuddered involuntarily.

No matter what, he absolutely could not fall to the level of a menial disciple!

"Regardless of who you were before, once you enter the Dongling Immortal Pool, you must obey its rules," Feng Ling continued. "If you fail to complete your tasks, a portion of your cultivation resources for that month will be deducted. Repeated failures will result in being sent beneath the Black Abyss for punishment. There is no spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the Black Abyss. It is also filled with bone chilling cold. Once sent there, your cultivation will stagnate and may even regress. At that point, passing the annual assessment will be nearly impossible."

After hearing her words, everyone inhaled sharply. The rules of the Dongling Immortal Pool were truly ruthless.

Yet this was also how true elites were selected. As a sacred land of the human race, it never lacked geniuses. Anyone who wished to remain had to grow stronger without pause.

"One more reminder," Feng Ling added. "Today is your first day, so you are not required to perform daily duties. Once tasks are assigned tomorrow, you will begin."

As she spoke, she led the group into the living area for outer sect disciples.

The moment they saw their surroundings, everyone widened their eyes. This was not a residence at all. It was clearly a cluster of connected straw huts!

"Is this a joke? Straw huts?"

The richly dressed youth could no longer endure it. "Senior Sister Feng Ling, are you playing tricks on us? Can people even live in this place?"

He was a prince from a minor kingdom who had grown up wearing fine silk and living in palatial residences. He traveled in dragon carriages as a matter of course. Now, after entering the Dongling Immortal Pool, he was expected to live in a straw hut?

What was worse, the roofs of these huts were riddled with holes. The ground beneath their feet was muddy and soaked. Stepping on it felt nauseating as soft mud clung to their shoes.

Inside the huts, the straw beds were damp and covered in moss. A few small mushrooms even grew there. They were hardly better than pigsties.

Several female disciples frowned deeply. Even Ling Feng found it difficult to accept.

He understood that the Dongling Immortal Pool sought to encourage competition, but this went far beyond harsh.

This was supposed to be a place for cultivation? It's clearly a place for suffering!

If this had not been the renowned Dongling Immortal Pool, many of them would have turned around and left on the spot.

"These straw huts were specially built by the sect for newly admitted disciples," Feng Ling said calmly. "With some cleaning, they are perfectly livable. Do not be so picky!"

"Then what about those buildings?" someone asked. "They are also in the Earth Realm. Why can we not live there?"

Some sharp eyed disciples noticed rows of lofts above the straw huts. Though they were not especially luxurious, compared to the huts, they might as well have been palaces.

Feng Ling smiled faintly. "Those are the Mingjian Towers prepared for outer sect disciples. They are divided into sky-tier Mingjian Towers and earth-tier Mingjian Towers. If you want to live there, then go and take one yourself."

At her words, the disciples' eyes lit up. One after another, they sprinted toward the Mingjian Towers.

With red walls and green tiles available, only a fool would choose to live in a miserable straw hut.

Feng Ling folded her arms and watched them rush forward without saying a word.

Then she noticed that several people did not move, including Ling Feng, whose overall score ranked third yet had drawn no attention.

"You are not going to fight for a Mingjian Tower?" Feng Ling asked him. "If you go too late, there will be none left."

Ling Feng raised his brow and replied calmly. "If I intend to take one, timing does not matter."

A flicker of surprise passed through Feng Ling's eyes. She smiled slightly. "You are very confident. You were the same earlier as well."

It was clear that she had heard the conversation Ling Feng had with Lin Mu and the others.

"I do not have many strengths," Ling Feng said with a faint smile. "But confidence is one thing I do not lack."

Feng Ling nodded slowly. "I have seen your results. You placed first in all five hall assessments. That explains your confidence. Still, at the Spiritual Sea Realm, it would be wise to learn humility within the Dongling Immortal Pool."

As she spoke, several screams suddenly shattered the calm.

"Aah!"

"What the fuck!"

The disciples who had rushed ahead were kicked straight back. Those who struck were merciless. Broken arms and shattered legs were everywhere.

From the Mingjian Towers emerged groups of disciples. It turned out that these towers already had owners. Each one radiated a powerful presence. They were clearly elites among the outer sect. Compared to these newly admitted disciples, they were on an entirely different level.

"I forgot to mention this earlier," Feng Ling said with a faint curve at her lips. "Mingjian Towers can be challenged at any time, but if you wish to live in one, you must rely on your own strength."

"There are ten sky-tier Mingjian Towers. Each contains a high-tier spirit gathering array that provides three times the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The tower's owner is exempt from all daily tasks and receives ten times the cultivation resources of ordinary outer sect disciples."

"There are one hundred earth-tier Mingjian Towers. Each contains a mid-tier spirit gathering array that provides double the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The owner receives five times the cultivation resources of ordinary outer sect disciples. To occupy a Mingjian Tower, you must defeat its current owner."

"Damn!"

The newly admitted disciples who had been beaten badly wailed in misery. They cursed Feng Ling for not explaining this earlier.

However, being taught this way was far more unforgettable.

Ling Feng touched the bridge of his nose. The Dongling Immortal Pool was filled with competition at every turn. It was no wonder it stood at the peak among the three great sacred lands of the human race.