Ding Yun, not being in any particular hurry on their journey, and with no need to worry about the Flood Dragon being eliminated by anyone, traveled at a leisurely pace.
They indulged in sightseeing and relaxation along the way. Every city they visited became a stop to explore local specialties, savor delicious food, admire scenic views, or browse the slave markets. If they encountered children with good potential, they would purchase them to become disciples. Even adults, or elderly individuals, who were talented but had their abilities crippled, were bought by Ding Yun. A little help was all they needed to recover, earning them exceptionally loyal subordinates.
As a result, Ding Yun's entourage grew with each passing day. What initially fit into two carriages eventually evolved into a caravan. Along the way, they gradually assembled all the necessary personnel for a sect: disciples, elders, alchemists, instructors, and apprentices. By the end, calling them a "caravan sect" would be entirely fitting.
However, at this stage, they hadn't yet reached the point of teaching martial arts. Most of the children they acquired were illiterate, so the immediate focus was on basic literacy training before any cultivation could begin. Ding Yun, in no rush, was perfectly content with this. Her own child was only a few months old, leaving ample time to nurture these disciples into capable individuals. By the time her son was ready to practice martial arts, this batch of disciples would likely have some level of skill, perhaps even having broken through to the Innate realm if they were exceptionally talented. Her son, in turn, would undoubtedly be doted upon by all. With so many senior brothers and sisters to guide and pamper him, she would be spared so much worry; the thought alone made it all seem incredibly worthwhile.
Therefore, Ding Yun invested considerable effort in these disciples. Even before teaching any martial arts, and while focusing on basic literacy, she administered various medications daily to condition their bodies, enhance their vital energy and blood, and fortify their foundations. On the surface, this merely transformed them from sallow-skinned to rosy-cheeked and robust.
But these were merely the most superficial and fundamental changes. The true benefits would only manifest once they began cultivating. The elixirs they were currently ingesting had only a fraction of their efficacy unleashed. The remaining potent effects would be stored within their bodies, allowing them to experience rapid progress with virtually no bottlenecks once they started their cultivation journey.
The disciples of prominent aristocratic families, who displayed rapid cultivation in their early stages, owed this not only to their innate talent but, more importantly, to the constant intake of various elixirs and tonics. The accumulated medicinal effects from these substances allowed them to cultivate without worrying about the depletion of vital energy and blood in their early stages. They could train without harming their bodies and break through rapidly, at least until the Innate realm.
They had absolutely no cause for concern in this regard. Martial cultivation is a process of refining essence into qi, a process of supplementing the body through external substances. For ordinary individuals without access to elixirs and tonics, even if they possessed cultivation techniques, their training time would be severely limited, as they would quickly become ravenously hungry after even a brief practice. Their bodies would require substantial food to replenish what was lost. Persisting in cultivation while starving would lead to a deficiency in both qi and blood, or even damage their foundations. Minor consequences could include a shortened lifespan, while severe outcomes might include immediate death.
The vital energy and blood replenished by consuming a whole ox might not equate to a single Qi and Blood Pill. While the scions of noble families could cultivate for one or two hours after consuming a single Qi and Blood Pill, ordinary wealthy families, even if they could afford an ox, would spend half a day just eating it. How much time would be wasted in the process?
Noble families administered large quantities of elixirs and tonics to their direct descendants before they even began cultivating, specifically to save time. Only by reaching the peak of the Houtian realm in the shortest possible time could they break through to the Innate realm sooner. And only by breaking through to the Innate realm earlier would they have a greater chance of becoming Grandmasters, even Martial Saints.
Without elixirs, relying solely on dietary supplements to break through to the Innate realm, there would be virtually no hope before the age of thirty or fifty. Generally, the martial world widely believed that if one had not broken through to the Innate realm by the age of thirty, their qi and blood would weaken with age, making breakthroughs increasingly difficult. By fifty, breakthroughs were largely considered impossible. Even forcing a breakthrough carried a very low success rate and a high mortality rate.
Therefore, Ding Yun was currently utilizing her reality editor to transform items like hawthorn pills into spiritual elixirs with minimal toxicity, which she then provided to her disciples. This was akin to the treatment received by direct descendants of wealthy noble families; even secondary branches or less favored sons did not receive such privileges.
While the disciples might have been somewhat oblivious, the adult elders and deacons whose cultivation had been restored were on the verge of tears with envy. They lamented their own lack of such good fortune in their youth. Unfortunately, those elixirs were only effective for children and those who had not yet cultivated; they offered little benefit to the adults. However, Ding Yun had specifically promised that if they had children themselves, or had children in the future, or even if they eventually had personal disciples, they would receive the same treatment. This assurance brought them some measure of comfort. It also prompted them to ponder if they, at their age, might have another child, or to consider where their sons and grandsons might be and if they could be contacted. For them, at their age, there was little hope of personal resurgence, but ensuring their descendants received a better education would allow them to depart this world with peace.
Indeed, Ding Yun's actions, beyond her genuine desire to cultivate these disciples, also served as an incentive for those she had recently recruited and whose cultivation had been restored. Her hope was to persuade them to bring their entire families to join the sect she had yet to establish. This was a significant contributing factor. A person without the constraints of family or friends, a lone individual, no matter how much they pledged loyalty, was not entirely trusted by Ding Yun. After all, being a lone individual meant they had no deep-seated concerns. Often, they lived solely for themselves, and even if they betrayed her, there would be no repercussions. This was because they had nothing to lose.
Whether they were genuinely solitary individuals with no descendants, or whether they had become enslaved due to crippled cultivation and wished to protect their loved ones by feigning a lack of family, Ding Yun's restoration of their cultivation, coupled with the promise of a better future for their children and descendants through education and cultivation, made it incredibly difficult for them to resist. They couldn't help but consider bringing their families to join her, and even if they had no children, they would strive to have them, hoping for descendants who could achieve greatness.
It could be said that after Ding Yun made this promise, the existing atmosphere of gratitude was instantly infused with a surge of hope. Some began to seek ways to contact their distant relatives, while others started considering finding suitable partners within the current group to marry and have children. Ding Yun, for her part, was delighted to see this unfold. Previously, these individuals had been too resigned. Although they had expressed unwavering loyalty and their personal loyalty scores were high, they generally appeared listless. It was as if they were old, had no future prospects, and were merely living day by day. In such a state, offering them encouragement to strive for further advancement would be futile. Therefore, the only effective approach was to ignite their hope for the next generation, to give them the aspiration of their descendants receiving an excellent education and soaring to become Grandmasters.
...
Half a month later, two new couples had formed within the caravan. Additionally, several individuals had managed to reconnect with relatives they had lost contact with for years, even decades. However, as they lacked a permanent base of operations, it was not yet convenient for these relatives to join them. For now, they maintained communication and even sent back nourishing elixirs to provide their children and grandchildren with a foundation, making it easier for them to join the sect for cultivation once it was formally established.
As they pondered and eagerly hoped for Ding Yun to find a place to settle and officially establish the sect, they finally arrived at the outskirts of Tianjiao Yunlei Valley.