Advertising the Sect

Attracting people to the sect seems to be a large problem, and then keeping them here would be an even bigger struggle. There are only five Elders and himself at the helm, with only seven disciples, which aren't even that powerful given their time as disciples.

If someone did come to the recruitment trial, they would probably just turn right around given the state of the sect. After all, even those who have not yet joined a sect or officially started on their path of cultivation, some could still be regarded as 'cultivators' by the regular people.

"In three days."

Just as the five Elders believed, Lin Fan also believed that three days later would be the last chance for the Moon Embracing Sect. Opening the gates and recruiting disciples happens only once a year. This is true for all major and minor sects, and the time has long been fixed.

Therefore, every time this time comes, people who are interested in seeking immortality will rush to sign up. As for which sect they choose, it is their own business but most probably the one nearest.

Even if Lin Fan wanted to change this time, such as having recruit open year round, who would show up? After all, anyone that wants to sign up will come on the day of recruitment, given how widespread the practice is. If they don't come, there is no use in leaving the door open.

Unfortunate, given that there will be a 'challenge' in one year at the latest. If he cannot receive reliable disciples in three days and develop the sect even just little, today next year would most likely be Lin Fan's death.

"We have prepared as best as we can, everything else depends on luck. Oh right! don't games generally have novice gift packs?" Lin Fan realized, and with hopeful eyes he said, "Please, I'm not asking for a Legendary drop, but at least give me a guaranteed Epic? Otherwise, I really can't survive this world!"

Lin Fan prayed, yet he knew he didn't believe in gods or Buddhas. Because they had never helped him once in his life. This so-called prayer was just for some psychological comfort.

"It's not my nature to sit still and wait for death. Although the sect's rules have been changed, it's not enough. I have to think of other ways!" Lin Fan started thinking.

Even if he just left it to fate, there is still that one little bit of effort to at least increase chances – and that is by doing the best that can be done!

And, after thinking it over, Lin Fan should go that one step further and try to get as many people as possible to come to the sect for recruitment. He didn't care about the method, he just needed to get people to the gate. But how to do that?

"Advertising. " Finally, Lin Fan came to the conclusion that the sect needed to advertise. After all, no other sect was doing it, they could be the first.

Of course, there were no online platforms or tv or the internet to easily reach hundreds of thousands of people. Be he didn't need hundred of thousands of people, he only needed a couple hundred at most, and only those close to the sect.

'We could put up banners?' Lin Fan thought. 'But we don't have neither the money to buy banners nor the time to create the signs. What about engraving on stones and trees? All the Elders are in the Cave Heaven Realm, so this should be something simple and fast for them to do.'

Lin Fan smiled, the plan coming together. This would be what was going to save him. Walking around, he found the Elders and told them his plans.

They looked at each other in confusion after hearing this. Finally, Supreme Elder Su Xinghai said, "Sect Master, we are not trying to refute, nor are we refusing to implement it, but there is something we want to inform the Sect Master of."

"Please speak, Supreme Elder." Lin Fan nodded and said.

"It's embarrassing to say, but our sect's resources are tight." He smiled bitterly. "The main reason is that we have no territory or business, other than this mountain. Many years ago, this was just one of the mountains for our Moon Embracing Sect's outer sect, and there was nothing good about it. With the resources we have now, training ten new disciples is our limit. So…"

"I see." Lin Fan remained calm. "This is not difficult to see, Supreme Elder. But please don't worry, Elders. I'm just trying to get more people to participate. After all, the larger the number of participants, the higher the chance of we have finding someone gifted. Besides, have the Elders forgotten the new rules I set, that will rule out the vast majority of individuals?"

The Supreme Elder breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good that the Sect Master knows, then let's go down the mountain."

Before leaving, Supreme Elder Su Xinghai handed Lin Fan a jade token. "If there is an emergency, you can destroy the jade token. It will alert us. We will rush back as soon as we sense it."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Lin Fan took it and nodded with a smile.

They nodded, then the Elders turned into streams of light as the disappeared into the sky, each one going in a different direction.

…

There are over ten million mountains in the southwest region! Most of them are scattered. The place where the Moon Embracing Sect is located has more than 100,000 mountains gathered together.

Originally, the Moon Embracing Sect occupied 10,000 of those mountains. It was unparalleled in the limelight here and became the well-deserved local overlord.

But times have changed...

Today, there are over ten thousand sects gathered here, large and small. Each occupying mountains they had lost years ago. Unfortunately, a small sect like how the Moon Embracing Sect is now, only has an ordinary mountain.

There are also many large sects that occupy thousands of spiritual mountains. For example, there is a super sect that occupies more than 20,000 mountains, the Moon Gazing Sect.

Speaking of which, this Moon Gazing Sect was originally the enemy of Moon Embracing Sect. It was suppressed by our Sect for many years. Until the Moon Embracing Sect gradually lost power and influence, gradually declining, allowing the Moon Gazing Sect to exert its power suddenly!

In these years, the Moon Gazing Sect has occupied most of the Moon Embracing Sect's territory, and the rest has been divided up by other sects. Today, the Moon Gazing Sect has become larger than the Moon Embracing Sect was at its peak. More than twice as large and powerful.

Standing on the top of the mountain with the cold wind blowing, Lin Fan felt particularly sad. "Moon Embracing, Moon Gazing. Both names have the word "moon" in them. Our sect wants to embrace the moon, while theirs wants to gaze upon it. No wonder we are mortal enemies. But now, they probably don't even know we exist, right?

"But there is also a possibility that the reason why the Moon Embracing Sect has been declining over the years has something to do with Moon Gazing Sect. Perhaps their leader is a masochist who does not pursue instant destruction, but instead likes to watch others suffer slowly and experience despair?"

It's not impossible, but those are problems too far away from their current state. What Lin Fan wants to do is to let the Elders advertise on the roads leading to various sects. It doesn't matter whether it's a banner, written on the ground, carved on a stone, or on a tree trunk.

We just need to grab the attention of as many people as possible. In view of the current pitiful situation of Moon Embracing Sect, Lin Fan did not dare to be too presumptuous, so this level of advertising was quite restrained.

·····

Peach Blossom Valley is one of the only ways to get to the Peach Blossom Sect. From the northwest, mortals and people with low cultivation who are looking to join a sect will pass by this place.

At this moment, many people are on their way. But halfway through, they suddenly stopped.

"What is this?"

"So many words!"

"Is it a skill? A secret technique!?"

"Pfft, you don't even know how to read, and you want to join a sect and become a cultivator? What a joke!"

"So what if I can't read? Where there's a will, there's a way!"

"Ahem, stop arguing. Can someone tell me what is written here?"

Everyone was noisy. After all, they were all 'competitors', so their tone would naturally not be very kind.

"It's something written by the Moon Embracing Sect."

"The Moon Embracing Sect? What kind of sect is this? Have anyone heard of it?"

"What they wrote was..."

"What is it? What does it say?!" The illiterate people around him pricked up their ears.

"Is it true?!" the man muttered, causing the illiterate people around him to become so angry that they almost exploded.