Chapter 186 The Ascetic Sect

When Yang Qing was planning his layout for the evaluations, to ensure that he completed the evaluations in time, he decided to conduct some of the evaluations from a single spot rather than visit those organizations individually.

Those spots were chosen based on the numbers and proximity of the unranked organizations to one another. The Summerfield kingdom became one of those cluster points.

The Summerfield kingdom had a decent reputation and could be considered to be a subordinate of the Spiritual temperance sect.  These were the factors that made Yang Qing choose the kingdom as one of his cluster points.

The area the kingdom was situated under was within the territory of the Spiritual temperance sect.

The spiritual temperance sect was a rank 3 sect and one of the top tier ones at that too. Though the Order suspects they may already be a rank 2 sect, it's just that they haven't bothered to apply for an evaluation. The basis for that judgment was that they have had a few exceptional talents over the years, who by the Order's estimates had more than likely reached the domain realm.

The sect could be considered an ascetic sect. Its members rarely left their sect grounds. They were always cultivating or in long secluded meditation. Just like its name, this was a sect that focused on cultivating the soul so they didn't need constant battles to temper themselves. They have a special cultivation art and an accompanying treasure to aid them in their soul cultivation.

Pure soul cultivation could be considered an esoteric form of cultivation each unique from organization to organization and from person to person. The Spiritual sect temperance's way involved them being in long-timed meditation. Because of that, they rarely engage with the outside world and are always indoors.

The only time they open their doors is when they are recruiting more disciples. Their numbers are also pitifully few for a rank 3 sect, based on the records the Order had from its last evaluation, the sect had about 3,000 sect members.

Their entry requirements are not that high when compared to the major sects and organizations, but they pick from a very selective talent pool. This is mostly for those who have a talent or special physique that resonates with their cultivation art.

Theirs is one of the few sects with a weird entrance requirement, where it's the cultivation art that decides whether you get in or not rather than pure cultivation talent.

Other than when they're recruiting new members, their sect doors usually remain closed to outsiders, and they don't concern themselves with anything else. They barely even interfere with the rest of their territory that's not covered by their sect walls.

In terms of territory, the land technically under them is enough to match some up-and-coming rank 2 organizations. However, due to their nonchalant and ascetic attitudes, they barely spare any thought towards it.

It's because of this attitude that their territory has one of the greatest numbers of cultivation organizations. The requirements for settling in their territory are virtually nonexistent since they could care less as long as you don't infringe upon their sect grounds.

They don't demand payment or any form of tribute like other organizations do. For example within the borders of the Red Maple Empire, all organizations with no ties to the royal family are required to pay some form of tribute or tax for setting up their operations in their country.

Those charges are put into effect the moment those organizations become ranked organizations and are nullified the moment they become unranked. For example, the Murong family and the Clear sword river sect. The former will start making annual payments to the royal family of the Red Maple Empire since they got promoted while the latter will be exempted from payment since it has lost its standing.

Such practice is observed all around the world. The Order tacitly agrees to it since it ensures those up-and-coming organizations are not suppressed by the overlords of the area they are under. If they intervened and forbade those organizations from collecting payments, they would more than likely prevent or suppress any organization that has no ties to them, from setting up a base within their territory.

The Order thus rarely intervenes in the matter even when the ruling organizations charge exorbitant fees to the lower-ranked organizations, for setting up within their territory. This is their right and freedom as rulers of the place. The Order would only step in if the matter got drastic, like blatant murder, kidnappings, robbery, and the like.

This was why the territory of the Spiritual temperance sect experiences such explosive growth in new organizations. They don't demand a single cent or notification.

If you find a place to settle, feel free to use it, they are not using it anyways. This attitude even went to the extent that they never even showed any interest when a few monarch-grade herbs had been found within their territory. When the sect that found that herb went to pass it to them, they were chased away along with the herb and asked to stay away.

That sect master went away baffled, a little excited and afraid since when he was being chased away, it was not in a gentle manner.

Of course, that sect master got attacked and robbed when some interested parties realized he came back with the monarch herb. At that moment but when he was being robbed and those robbing him, they all had the same look. It was one of wild ambition and excitement. Based on the attitude of the Spiritual temperance sect, whatever they found no matter the grade, was theirs to keep.

That reality became a game changer within the Spiritual temperance sect's territory. Those with the ambitions of rising from dung swarmed their territory in the hopes of having a lucky breakthrough that would help them catapult into somebody. And because the territory was technically under a rank 3 organization, it essentially deterred other rank 3 organizations from throwing their hat in the chaotic mix rife with ambition.

This was why about an eighth of Yang Qing's list of organizations suited for evaluation were within that territory.

The Summerfield kingdom had a good relationship with the surrounding organization and for reasons unknown to others, they were one of the few organizations that the Spiritual temperance sect actually had contact with, though it was only on a few occasions and it was mostly them running errands on their behalf.

No matter the reason for the contact, just the knowledge that they had contact with the Spiritual temperance sect meant in terms of status they were above the rest and were rarely embroiled in the fierce competition that had taken over in the region.

This made the Summerfield kingdom the safest neutral ground to conduct a joint evaluation.  All of the organizations undergoing evaluation would feel safer doing it within Summerfield kingdom in comparison to other areas.