Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

Chapter 456 Inspection! The Growth of the Yin Corpse Sect!

As dawn broke, the medicinal fragrance of the grass and valley became even more refreshing in the thin mist.

Chen Fan did not disturb anyone in the valley. After bidding farewell to Tian Xiangzi via telepathy, he transformed into an inconspicuous streak of bluish-gray light and silently left the tranquil valley.

Instead of returning directly to the Imperial Stables deep within the Great Abyss Imperial City, he determined his direction and flew towards the Yin Corpse Sect's outpost outside the Imperial City, which he remembered.

Since moving the Yin Corpse Sect out of the Golden Bowl Small World and entrusting it to Ji Daozi to manage outside, Chen Fan has rarely paid attention to it, focusing all his attention on his own cultivation.

Now that everything is temporarily on hold, he also wants to see what kind of mess the sect that he once "kicked out" of the bowl to "grow bigger and stronger and create brilliance" has been turned into by Ji Daozi.

In just half a day, the outline of the imperial city was already in sight.

Chen Fan did not enter the city, but instead went around to the west of the city.

From afar, he saw a scene completely different from what he remembered.

The once empty horse farm is gone, replaced by a sizable complex of buildings.

While it may not be a magnificent palace, it is still a well-ordered complex with rows of buildings. On the towering archway, the three large characters "Yin Shi Zong" (Yin Corpse Sect) are written in bold, powerful strokes, exuding a sinister aura.

Outside the sect, disciples dressed in uniform patrolled and stood guard. Although the people coming and going were of different appearances, including rogue cultivators and martial artists, the order was well maintained, and the sect exuded a thriving atmosphere.

Chen Fan concealed his aura and walked to the sect gate like an ordinary old man. The gatekeeper disciples, seeing his extraordinary bearing, did not dare to be negligent even though they did not recognize him, and stepped forward to inquire respectfully.

Chen Fan simply said, "Inform Ji Daozi that an old friend has come to visit."

The disciple dared not delay and hurried inside. Soon after, a series of rapid footsteps could be heard from within the sect, along with Ji Daozi's familiar yet obsequious and delighted shout:

"Master! Is it you, Master? Ji Daozi greets you! Wishing you eternal bliss, longevity as long as the heavens, and unparalleled cultivation!"

Before he finished speaking, Ji Daozi, dressed in a brand-new Taoist robe and wearing a jade crown, rushed out, his face full of smiles, and bowed respectfully from a distance.

Compared to his lazy demeanor when he was farming in the golden bowl, Ji Daozi now had more of the air of a "sect leader," but the shrewdness in his eyes and his subconscious flattery when he saw Chen Fan remained unchanged.

Chen Fan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the inside and outside of the sect, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He stepped inside, and Ji Daozi quickly stepped aside to lead the way, saying repeatedly, "Master, you've finally arrived! Please come in, please come in! Look at our Yin Corpse Sect, does it still look presentable now?"

Upon entering the sect, the scene becomes more concrete.

In the plaza, disciples were practicing some kind of combined attack formation, their shouts echoing through the air. From the side hall, the clanging and hammering sounds came, as if magical artifacts were being forged. Further away, a faint scent of yin energy mixed with the fragrance of medicine wafted over—the place where corpse puppets were being crafted and souls nurtured!

The disciples who came and went all bowed respectfully to Ji Daozi, addressing him as "Sect Master," but Ji Daozi merely waved his hand casually, his attention entirely focused on Chen Fan.

"Master, this way please, this way please!" Ji Daozi led Chen Fan to the main hall of the sect.

The interior furnishings were not luxurious, but dignified and clean. In the center was a large jade chair, and on the wall behind it were the three large characters "Yin Shi Zong" (Yin Corpse Sect).

Ji Daozi invited Chen Fan to take a seat, while he himself stood to the side with his hands at his sides, his face filled with barely suppressed smugness.

"Looks like you're having a pretty good time as sect leader?" Chen Fan said calmly as he sat down, lifting his robe.

"It's all thanks to Master's good fortune, Emperor Jianwen's support, and the help of my brothers!" Ji Daozi quickly boasted, then, as if he had opened a floodgate, began to give a long and detailed report:

"Master, you don't know, ever since our Yin Corpse Sect moved out and officially opened for business, the business... oh no, the sect's affairs have been booming!"

He counted on his fingers, "First, let's talk about manpower. We started with a dozen or so people transferred from the Zhenxian Division, and now we have hundreds of formal disciples, not to mention countless unofficial disciples and those handling peripheral affairs! Zhou Xin, Xiao Jinzi, and Ren Dahai are all sect elders now, each in charge of their own area."

"And let's talk about our main business: 'collecting corpses, collecting souls, and collecting lives!'" Ji Daozi's eyes lit up.

"This slogan is now very popular in the Eight Kingdoms! Ever since the Changchun Sect and the Qingyun Sect started fighting, and later the Weapon Sect and the Talisman Sect got involved, the Eight Sects have been in turmoil and fighting constantly. Our opportunity has come! The imperial court... oh, now it's His Majesty the Martial Emperor, has tacitly approved of and even supported our expansion. Our disciples go to war with the Great Abyss Army, and are specifically responsible for cleaning up the battlefield. Their souls are collected into the Black Soul Banner's secondary banner, and the corpses of cultivators above the Qi Refining Realm are transported back to the sect. The useful ones are used to refine corpse puppets, and the useless ones... hehe, can also be put to good use."

Chen Fan listened quietly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the back of the chair.

Seeing this, Ji Daozi reported even more enthusiastically:

"In just the recent major battles, we've collected the souls of over two thousand Qi Refining cultivators and over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators. We've also amassed over three hundred physical corpse puppets of Foundation Establishment cultivators! The number of souls within the Black Soul Banner has long exceeded one million, greatly increasing its power! Furthermore, following the path you previously suggested, Master, we've expanded into a new business—customized physical bodies!"

"Oh?" Chen Fan's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"It involves specifically seeking out and nurturing the bodies of cultivators with exceptional aptitude or profound cultivation, refining them into 'blank' puppets that can be possessed." Ji Daozi lowered his voice, a shrewd, mercenary smile spreading across his face.

"This business specializes in dealing with old monsters whose lifespans are nearing their end or whose physical bodies are severely damaged. Just recently, a rogue cultivator at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage ordered a suitable body from us, paid a deposit, and is just waiting for the right moment to possess it! The profit margin is much higher than simply selling puppets!"

Chen Fan nodded slightly; this was within his expectations.

Ji Daozi may not have the most outstanding talent in cultivation, but he certainly has some crooked talent when it comes to business expansion and scheming.

It seems that letting him take charge on his own was the right move.

"What about the sect's resources? Such expansion must be quite costly," Chen Fan asked.

"Hehe, don't worry, Master!"

Ji Daozi rubbed his hands together and laughed, "We fight alongside the imperial court and get a share of the spoils. The 'customized body' business is quite lucrative. In addition, we also take on some 'private jobs,' such as helping certain forces deal with some shady rivals and charging a small fee... We have no shortage of spirit stones, pills, and materials! Emperor Jianwen sometimes even commissions us to customize large quantities of puppets to equip his army. Although the payment is a bit slow, he is still a major customer."

Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Oh, right, that bag of top-grade spirit stones that Master gave us last time was a lifesaver, allowing us to expand our operations even further!"