Chapter 405: Promotion….
The rules governing the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Sect’s promotion system worked in two ways. Either disciples voluntarily handed over 1,000,000 merit points to get their promotion, or, if they saved up enough merit points, the sect’s grand spell formation would detect it and automatically promote them.
Such a method had been enacted to prevent any individual from saving too many merit points, and also to control inflation within the sect. Furthermore, it wasn’t under the control of any individual, but rather, the spell formation, which was linked to the identity medallions of all disciples, making it impossible to cheat.
Of course, the second method was rarely seen, as it required a very large number of merit points. When a person’s merit points exceeded the limit, they became like a beacon on a dark night, and instantly attracted the attention of the spell formation.
Bai Xiaochun had used this exact method on Song Que. By transferring a large amount of merit points from the Azure Dragon Society to Song Que’s identity medallion, it ensured that as soon as he flew out into the open, he was noticed and whisked away to become a yellow-robed disciple.
At the moment, the leaders of the Celestial Sky Society were so terrified of Bai Xiaochun that they decided they had to simply get him out of the city.
“We’ll only have one chance. If we don’t get enough merit points into his command medallion, the strategy won’t work, and after that, Boss Azure Dragon will be on guard. If we tried to do it a second time, it would be very difficult.”
“Let’s throw caution to the wind! The Celestial Sky Society will foot the bill to get him out! Even all those merit points will be worth it if we can achieve that goal!” After making their decision, they waited a few more days until the fluctuations of the sect’s grand spell formation had reached a certain level of intensity. That night, the moon hung high and bright in the sky, bathing the lands with white moonlight. Although it made everything seem soft and hazy, Sky City was just as busy at night as it was during the day.
In the desert on the edge of the west district, the Azure Dragon Society’s tavern was in operation as it usually was. Cultivators came and went, not willing to rest just because it was dark outside.
Bai Xiaochun was sitting at a table in the tavern, flanked by two maid servants who were cooling him with large fans. If those fans had been on display outside of the tavern, they would have caused quite a stir. In terms of their value in merit points, either one would be enough to purchase a powerful magical treasure. However, as far as Bai Xiaochun was concerned, they might as well have just been ordinary fans.
Even the table itself had been crafted from 1,000-year-old mahogany. If that wood had been used to make something like a flying sword, it would have been an extraordinary weapon, but in this case, it had simply been made into a table….
The table was piled with all sorts of delicacies, the type that would go for astronomical prices on the outside. Even the bowls and the chopsticks had magical properties.
The room was extravagantly decorated, so much so that a Nascent Soul cultivator who entered it would be shocked.
Xu Baocai, Master God-Diviner, and Big Fatty Zhang were all there as well, eating and drinking to their hearts’ content. As they laughed and chatted, Chen Manyao sat demurely next to Bai Xiaochun, fanning herself with her own fan, occasionally joining in on the conversation.
Their clothes were extremely luxurious, exactly the type you would expect the nouveau riche-type to wear….
“So,” Bai Xiaochun said, “it turns out you can’t trust anything that Li Yuansheng guy says. Three days have passed, and nobody has said I could leave the city.” Rubbing his belly, he let out a contented burp.
Xu Baocai chuckled and said, “You know, Junior Patriarch, things are actually pretty good here. Hahaha! We get the best to eat and drink, and the best of everything else. We wouldn’t even have it this good off in the River-Defying Sect. Although now I’m really curious about what life in the rainbow district is like.”
“Look!” Bai Xiaochun suddenly shouted, pointing at Xu Baocai and hurrying over to throw his arm around Big Fatty Zhang. “Look at this guy! You see that? That’s ambition. Keep it up, Xu Baocai, keep it up.” With that he let out a loud guffaw. “It’s a good thing we never let him into the Ovens back in the day. Come on, Xu Baocai, we have it way better off here than the rainbow district! Only an idiot would want to get promoted. I’m going to stay right here for the rest of my life!” He emphasized his last words with a dramatic wave of his hand, looking very, very satisfied.
Master God-Diviner and Big Fatty Zhang roared with laughter, and Xu Baocai looked a bit embarrassed. Just when he was about to defend himself, Bai Xiaochun waved his hand dismissively and said, “Listen to me, guys–”
Just when he was about to brag about his visit to the rainbow district, and explain how everyone there was so cold and distant, his expression suddenly flickered as he realized that his bag of holding was vibrating. Slapping it, he produced his identity medallion and scanned it with divine sense.
Shocked, he realized that his merit point balance was increasing rapidly.
“What’s going on?” he said, puzzled. Then his eyes widened as, in the briefest of moments, his balance shot past 1,000,000. Soon, he had 2,000,000 merit points. Then 3,000,000. Then 4,000,000!
Shrieking in terror, and without any time to offer any explanations, he quickly began to transfer merit points to the others. However, no matter how quickly he acted, it was still too slow. Within the blink of an eye, his merit point balance reached more than 5,000,000.
The Starry Sky Dao Polarity Sect’s grand spell formation was most sensitive and active during the full moon, and it just so happened that the moon outside was shining as brightly as a signal fire. It took only a moment for the spell formation to notice what was happening, and send power rushing into the tavern, and the room Bai Xiaochun was in.
“No!!” he screamed. To the shock of Master God-Diviner, Xu Baocai, Big Fatty Zhang, and Chen Manyao, and before any of them could react, the stream of light entered the room and wrapped around Bai Xiaochun.
Even as the light grabbed him, his merit point balance continued to increase with maddening speed. Unexpectedly, it had already reached more than 7,000,000.
That incredible balance seemed to anger the spell formation, which was by no means gentle as it grabbed Bai Xiaochun and yanked him out of the room and up into the sky.
As Bai Xiaochun’s screams echoed out in all directions, his four Dao protectors rushed out, shaken, and yet completely helpless to do anything.
“I don’t wanna go! I wanna stay here! I don’t wanna become a yellow-robed disciple! I’m much more suited to being an orange-robed disciple….” By this point, it was obvious that he had fallen victim to the scheming of the Celestial Sky Society. Furthermore, considering the incredible sum of merit points involved, it was clear how determined the leaders of the Celestial Sky Society were to get rid of him.
The beam of light which was dragging Bai Xiaochun away was far larger and brighter than the usual type. As such, it lit up the night sky, filling all of Sky City, drawing the attention of numerous gazes, many of which were filled with excitement.
As for all of the cultivators who had suffered the side-effects of the Fantasy Pills and the Ultra Diet Supplement Pills, they couldn’t have been more delighted. Some of them even started banging on drums and gongs as they cheered.
“Old Devil Bai is finally leaving!!”
“The heavens do have eyes! Boss Azure Dragon is getting promoted!”
“Hahaha! That fiend is the number one villain in Sky City. Now that he’s leaving, it’s like a huge mountain is being lifted off of our shoulders!!”
The cheers in the city mixed with Bai Xiaochun’s screams to echo out into the night. His Dao protectors looked on with shocked expressions as the powerful beam of light dragged Bai Xiaochun through the night sky toward Sky Quarter Rainbow.
On that very rainbow, the disciples in charge of receiving other newly promoted disciples were standing on the official welcoming platform, expressions of disbelief on their faces as they looked down at the cheering Sky City. If they could hear the sound from that far up, it could only be imagined how enthusiastic the crowds were down below….
The disciples exchanged awkward glances. Never before had they seen such tumult in the city below, and never had they seen the beam of light sent to welcome a new disciple to the rainbow district being so large and bright. Soon, Bai Xiaochun was there in front of them….
As soon as Bai Xiaochun sensed the cold gazes of the other disciples, he wailed, “I don’t wanna become a yellow-robed disciple!”
Tears even welled up in his eyes as he cursed his previous complacency, and his carelessness in not taking preventative measures against such tactics as the Celestial Sky Society had just used.
The grief that spilled from his heart into his voice was the kind that would incite sorrow in the hearts of anyone who heard it, and caused the surrounding disciples’ jaws to drop. Usually, people who were brought up to the rainbow district were beside themselves with joy. This was their first time seeing anyone sad about the matter.
Bai Xiaochun sighed repeatedly, and appeared to be on the verge of tears as he left the welcoming platform. His surroundings were beautiful, with strong spiritual energy, pools and ponds everywhere, and even immortal mountains. However, considering how cold and indifferent everyone was, Bai Xiaochun still felt that his tavern was a much better place.
Scowling, he realized that he simply had to accept the situation.
Sighing, he murmured to himself, “You just can’t be too outstanding. Ai. I never thought that I, Bai Xiaochun, who always tries to keep such a low profile, would be ripped away from the mundane world to become a yellow-robed disciple.”
