Chapter 366
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
After that, I spent three days wandering around the city where the White Lotus Cult was based. The cult’s territory was vast enough to surpass most cities, and the inner fortress’s fortifications seemed designed to prepare for the possibility of actual war. There were also a great many farmers and ordinary folk handling various produce, suggesting self-sufficiency. In terms of influence, anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands fell under the White Lotus Cult’s sway. Of course, they were all cult followers, but few seemed to formally practice martial arts or directly assist in the cult’s activities.
I asked one of the farmers why he didn’t properly join the White Lotus Cult and learn martial arts. He replied,
“Goodness me. That’s just a pipe dream.”
“Why a pipe dream?”
“They prioritize kids with talent for martial arts, and even after getting in, you have to go through fierce competition to receive the sacred lotus. With all the strict screening, folks like us can only dream of becoming true White Lotus members.”
“Hmm…”
From what I heard, not many actually became full-fledged White Lotus members assigned to the cult’s armed forces or one of the four great martial lineages. Even though they mass-produced sacred lotus, which could create experts with immense inner energy, I wondered why. Zhuge Sa sneered.
[Spies could infiltrate at any time, so of course they wouldn’t just accept anyone as a White Lotus member. The proper way is to accept them only after monitoring them enough to control any spies. Why do you only think of one thing and ignore the other?]