Cultivation 01

Volume 1: True Martial Sect ~ Chapter 01: Entering the Sect with Freedom
Shuiyun Kingdom is a small country, like other small countries on the Southern Continent, yearning for the Divine Continent, for Dongsheng, for Anyi. This is the king's admiration, and also the ideal of everyone in Shuiyun Kingdom. Just like the Heavenly Tower in the capital city, as tall as the imperial palace, it seems to be able to look towards Anyi City, the capital of Dongsheng Divine Continent, thousands of miles away.
April is not very cold, nor is it unbearably hot. A gentle breeze caresses the ground, sweeps across Beiju Luzhou, blows across Dongsheng Divine Continent, stirring up some dust like mist. Under the setting sun, it turns a corner, rolls around the Daxi Mountain of Shuiyun Kingdom on the edge of the Southern Continent, and lands on the top of the mountain. There sits a scholarly young man. The
young man is a little thin, holding a gourd in his hand, wearing a clean blue scholar's robe, looking about sixteen or seventeen years old. He is not tall, his skin is a little dark, but his clear eyes are bright. A hint of intelligence shone through, but his furrowed brows concealed it, replaced by a look of bewilderment.
"Failed again..." the young man sighed. His name was Xiaoyao, an ordinary scholar from Xiaoxi County at the foot of Daxi Mountain. His parents had suddenly disappeared years ago, leaving behind a meager fortune. Despite years of studying, he was now penniless.
"I've taken the exam three times. For the past three years, I've spent my days reading those books of sages, and I'm almost nauseous. Is the imperial examination truly not the path for me, Xiaoyao?" Xiaoyao scoffed at himself, glancing down at the gourd in his hand, his expression somber. "The ideal of becoming an official, getting rich, and being a wealthy man is getting further and further away, not to mention going to Dongsheng Shenzhou after becoming rich... A scholar is useless." Xiaoyao smiled bitterly, sitting on the quiet mountaintop, looking at the gourd in his hand, his bewilderment deepening. That bewilderment carried a fear of the future, a confusion about his life, a lack of knowing what he could do in the future, and a lack of understanding of his future. Xiao Yao wondered where his future lay.
Would a benefactor take notice of him? Would a sheltered young lady suddenly fall for him? Or would he still be endlessly taking the imperial examinations years later?
These questions remained unanswered. For a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, this uncertainty felt like a gaping maw, silently devouring him, filling him with fear.
"Even a tutor in the county town only earns a few coins a month, less than what Uncle Wang's carpentry shop makes. If only I hadn't gone to school years ago and had instead learned carpentry from Uncle Wang, I could at least have enough to eat and wear, rather than being penniless like this." Xiao Yao fell silent.
"We don't have much food left at home, and we've spent almost all our money. We still owe Master Chen three taels of silver. What will we do in the future?" Xiao Yao looked up at the sky, murmuring to himself. The sky was blue, vast, and stretched endlessly, as if he couldn't see the future
for a long time to come. Xiaoyao shook his head, took out a slip of paper from his pocket, read it carefully, put it into the gourd, stood up, and threw the gourd down the mountain.
At the foot of the mountain was a large river, its waters unfrozen even in winter, a legend said to lead to the summit of Dongsheng Shenzhou
. Xiaoyao silently watched the gourd drift away in the river, his eyes fixed on it, as if he saw his mother, the joy of his childhood. The gourd carried his ideals, his grand aspirations for the future, drifting further and further away. Who knew who would find it someday?
After several dozen breaths, Xiaoyao finally looked away, concealing the bewilderment in his expression, taking a deep breath of the mountain air, his eyes filled with determination.
"No matter what, whether I study or work, I must...live on." This was Xiaoyao's nature—intelligent yet strong. Otherwise, after his parents left in his early years, he wouldn't have... Perhaps having survived alone until now,
Xiaoyao looked up at the sky, his determination deepening. He was about to head down the mountain
when suddenly a faint voice came from below the cliff. The voice seemed about to be blown away by the wind, so faint that it was almost imperceptible to Xiaoyao.
"Help... Help..."
Xiaoyao paused, stunned for a moment, then listened carefully again. The cry for help became clearer with his focus.
"Help..."
Xiaoyao quickened his pace, reaching the edge of the mountaintop. Looking down, he immediately saw what appeared to be a crack in the cliff face. Someone was leaning out from there, their face pale with terror and despair, calling out,
"You... are you Xiaoyao? Help! Talented Xiaoyao, save me!" The person leaning out from the cliff was also a young man. He saw Xiaoyao at a glance, his expression immediately brightening with joy, as if he were about to escape from a desperate situation.
"Gold ingot?" Xiaoyao's eyes widened as he looked... Looking at the boy halfway up the mountain, he recognized him as the son of Jin, a wealthy landlord from the county town.
"You... how did you get here?" Xiaoyao glanced at the crevice in the mountainside below. It was extremely steep, impossible for anyone to climb down. A slight misstep would surely result in a fall into the river below
, especially since the current was swift. Once in the water, death was almost certain
. "Xiaoyao, don't say anything, quickly save me!" Jin Yuanbao hurriedly spoke. Perhaps he had been leaning out there for too long, he almost slipped, which made Jin Yuanbao's face even paler.
Xiaoyao saw the danger, but he had come up the mountain alone and had no rope to rescue him. At this moment, he looked back at the rattan covering the mountainside, his eyes lit up, and he immediately began to search.
He was already thin, and it took him the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn before he found a long enough rattan. Panting heavily, he quickly rolled up the rattan and returned to the edge of the cliff, calling Jin Yuanbao's name as he bent down to roll up the rattan. "You still haven't told me how you got down the cliff?" Xiaoyao asked, following the vine.
"Flying!" Jin Yuanbao shouted.
"Nonsense! Flying what? If you could fly down, why aren't you flying back up?" Xiaoyao mocked, pulling the vine up a bit.
"I was captured by a woman who can fly. She said she was going to take me to some sect to do menial work," Jin Yuanbao quickly said, afraid of provoking Xiaoyao to retract the vine.
"More nonsense. Flying? That's a legendary immortal. Who believes that?" Xiaoyao scoffed, thinking to himself that many of the books he had read contained stories of encountering immortals and becoming rich. Such things were just books deceiving people. Just
as the vine reached the crevice of the cliff, Jin Yuanbao grabbed it. Suddenly, Xiaoyao felt a chilling wind behind him, as if the temperature had suddenly returned to winter, making him shiver. When he instinctively turned around, he immediately gasped in surprise. Nearly falling off the cliff,
a pale-faced woman of indeterminate age, dressed in a silver robe, stood there expressionlessly staring at Xiaoyao. The woman was extremely beautiful, but her deathly pale face and chilling aura gave the impression that she had just crawled out of a grave.
"You have some talent. Since you came here yourself, consider it your good fortune."
Her voice felt like it was grinding against his bones. Especially her eyes, which seemed to contain some strange power, instantly chilling Xiaoyao to the bone. It was as if he had no secrets from her, that she could see right through him. Her
words still echoed as she flicked her sleeve, a green wind instantly lifting Xiaoyao up. With a cry of alarm, Xiaoyao plummeted towards the cliff along with the woman. This scene was so swift that Xiaoyao's mind went blank. Reaching the crevice, the woman tossed him directly into it, and with a whoosh of green wind, she stepped inside herself. Her entrance startled Jin Yuanbao, who immediately retreated.
The woman stood there without speaking, only glancing up at the vines descending from above.
Xiaoyao trembled, her heart pounding with fear. She quickly scrambled to her feet and glanced around. The crack wasn't large, and the interior was quite small; after a few people had stood there, there wasn't much space left.
When her gaze fell on Jin Yuanbao, a fair-skinned, slightly chubby man, he was trembling, his expression filled with terror, as if he were about to cry.
"We were already short one, you can go with him." The woman, her face deathly pale and seemingly devoid of emotion, no longer looked at the rattan, but instead fixed her gaze on Xiaoyao.
"You...who are you?" Xiaoyao suppressed his inner terror. After all, he was well-read and had a strong character. Despite his fear, he knew he couldn't panic.
The woman didn't speak, but raised her right hand and waved it. The green wind reappeared, whistling as it swept Xiaoyao and Jin Yuanbao away, carrying them out of the cave and straight into the sky. They disappeared in an instant, leaving only the towering Daxi Mountain, which gradually melted into the darkness of the twilight.
Xiaoyao's face was pale. He saw himself within the green wind, actually traversing the heavens, flying rapidly between heaven and earth. The howling wind ahead filled his mouth, making it difficult to breathe, but a word strongly surfaced in his mind: "Immortal?" He persevered for several dozen breaths before he could no longer bear it, and everything went black as he fainted. When he opened his eyes, he was already... On a clearing halfway up a mountain, surrounded by rolling hills and swirling mists, they were in a place far removed from the mortal realm. Exquisite pavilions could be seen encircling the mountains, a scene of utter unfamiliarity.
Beside him, Jin Yuanbao had awakened, trembling with fear as he stared at the woman with her back to two people.
In front of her stood two men in green robes, both appearing to be in their twenties, but with sunken eyes and gleaming green pupils, inspiring fear
. "Sister Shui, you have quite the skill! You've brought back two promising youngsters on your first outing," one of the men said to the woman with flattery. "
Take them to the servants' quarters." The woman's expression was cold; she didn't even glance at Xiaoyao and Jin Yuanbao. With a swift step, she transformed into a long rainbow, disappearing into the mountains.
Xiaoyao, now regaining his composure, stared blankly at the spot where the woman had vanished, a gleam in his eyes that he hadn't seen in sixteen years. This sight made Xiaoyao's heart boil instantly.
"A handyman? This is working for an immortal, it should be quite lucrative." Xiaoyao became expectant, because he could tell that the people here weren't trying to kill him.
"Senior Sister Shui has already reached the seventh level of the Spirit Gathering stage and was bestowed the Wind Banner by the Sect Leader. She can fly even before reaching the Foundation Refinement stage, which is enviable." Another green-robed cultivator said with admiration, then looked at Xiaoyao and his companion with a condescending expression.
"This... what is this place?" Jin Yuanbao trembled as the man pointed at him, his voice shaking as he spoke, "The True Martial Sect."
The True Martial Sect was located in the Shuiyun Kingdom on the southern edge of the Southern Continent. It was once the head of the four major sects in the Shuiyun Kingdom, and it was quite famous throughout the entire Southern Continent. However, it has now declined, its status is not what it used to be, and it no longer has its former glory. Now, in the Shuiyun Kingdom, it can only be considered a minor sect.
In fact, the True Martial Sect was not originally called this. It was only a thousand years ago that a person who caused a sensation throughout the entire Southern Continent appeared. This cultivator, who called himself the True Martial Ancestor, forcibly changed the name of his sect to the True Martial Sect. He was tyrannical and domineering, plundering almost all the treasures of the sects in the Shuiyun Kingdom. For a time
, he was unparalleled in his power and influence. Now, a thousand years later, things have changed. The True Martial Ancestor has been missing for over four hundred years. If it weren't for the unknown fate and potential future troubles, the sect would likely have already been swallowed up by other sects. The True Martial Sect is now in decline. Furthermore, the Shuiyun Kingdom has limited resources and is squeezed out by the other three sects. Even when recruiting menial laborers, they need to be of lower rank. The son was kidnapped from outside, let alone openly establishing a sect and recruiting disciples.
Following behind the green-robed man, Xiaoyao walked along the mountain paths of the True Martial Sect. Everything around him was like a paradise, with strange rocks and trees everywhere. Amidst the streams and green waters, luxurious pavilions shrouded in mist seemed to have tiles made of jade. Xiaoyao sighed repeatedly at the sight. However, the fat man beside him kept wailing all the way, which Xiaoyao felt ruined the atmosphere of the place.
"It's over, it's over, this time it's really over..."
"I want to go home, there are big steamed buns at home, there is fish and meat at home..."
"Damn it, damn it, I should be inheriting the family's ancestral lands, becoming a master, with several concubines, I shouldn't be working as a servant here..." The fat man trembled, muttering to himself with a mournful face, tears welling in his eyes.
He had been muttering this all the way until, after about half a cup of tea's time, the green-robed man walking ahead spoke in a cold voice,
"Say another word of nonsense, and I'll cut out your tongue."
The fat man's body trembled violently, his eyes filled with intense fear. He quickly covered his mouth, his body shaking even more violently.
This scene, witnessed by Xiaoyao, made him suddenly realize that things weren't as rosy as he had imagined, but... With a resolute character, he took a deep breath and said nothing more
. Not long after, halfway up the mountain, Xiaoyao saw several rows of flat houses emerging from the rolling clouds ahead. Seven or eight teenagers, dressed in identical coarse hemp robes, sat wearily outside the houses. They noticed Xiaoyao and his companions, but mostly ignored them.
Not far away, on a rock, sat a young man in a light blue robe. This man had a slightly long, horse-like face, and his clothes were noticeably more luxurious than the other teenagers. His expression was indifferent, but upon seeing the green-robed man who had led Xiaoyao towards them, he stood up and respectfully bowed to the green-robed man, saying,
"Greetings, Senior Brother."
"These two are newly arrived handymen. Tell them where to stay." The green-robed man said impatiently, turning away without even glancing at Xiaoyao
and the fat man. After he left, the horse-faced youth sat down cross-legged again, coldly glancing at Xiaoyao and the fat man. "This is the North District Handymen's Office. The True Martial Sect doesn't keep useless people. Now that you're here, you'll serve as handymen for half a century. You can only leave the mountain when your term is up. If you run away halfway, the wilderness is full of wild beasts, and you'll likely die. Take your handymen's uniforms; from now on, you'll be separated from the mortal world. Just be a good handyman." The horse-faced youth looked at Xiaoyao and the fat man and spoke coldly. The fat man trembled even more, despair in his eyes, while Xiaoyao appeared very calm, a strange glint in his eyes. This made the horse-faced youth pay more attention to Xiaoyao. He had been in this place for many years and had seen many young men who had been captured to do menial tasks, but few were as calm as Xiaoyao.
"Good temperament. You menial tasks do not necessarily have to be half a century old. You can also cultivate in your spare time. If you can reach the first level of Spirit Gathering, you will no longer be menial tasks and can be promoted to outer sect disciples." The horse-faced youth spoke calmly, and with a flick of his sleeve, a coarse hemp robe appeared in front of Xiaoyao and the fat man. On each robe was a wooden plaque the size of a thumb, engraved with the character "杂" (meaning "miscellaneous")
. In addition, there was a small booklet with three small characters written on it:
Spirit Gathering Scroll.
These three small characters caught Xiaoyao's eye and immediately made his breathing quicken. He stared at them intently. The booklet instantly brought to mind the words the green-robed man had used to flatter the cold-faced woman:
"Seventh level of Spirit Gathering. First level of Spirit Gathering is enough to become an outer sect disciple. That woman who captured me, she's at seventh level of Spirit Gathering... What is Spirit Gathering? Could this be the legendary method of cultivation?
This should be considered wages for doing odd jobs. Although it's not silver, if I could sell it, it would definitely fetch a hundred gold!" Xiaoyao's heart skipped a beat. He grabbed his long robe and wrapped the wooden plaque and the booklet inside. "The seventh room on the west side is your residence. Starting tomorrow, your job is to chop wood, ten logs each per day. If you can't do that, you won't eat." After the horse-faced youth finished speaking, he closed his eyes.
Xiaoyao took a deep breath. Mimicking the other person's earlier manner, he clasped his hands in a respectful bow and pulled the fat man towards the house. The place seemed like a much larger version of a traditional courtyard house. Following the house numbers on the walls, they found the seventh room on the west side. Pushing open the door, they entered.
The room was small, containing two small beds and a table. Simple, yet very clean. Sitting down on one of the beds, the fat man could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
He was only fourteen or fifteen years old, but his cries were incredibly loud, seemingly echoing even from outside.
"My father is a landlord, I should be a landlord too! I won't do menial work..." The fat man cried bitterly, his body trembling and his fat jiggling.
"Don't cry. Actually, think about it, this place isn't bad. We're working for immortals; how many people would envy us if word got out?" Xiaoyao quickly closed the door and comforted him.
"I don't want to work. My family is rich, and... I've already arranged my marriage, and the betrothal gifts have been given. My poor, beautiful fiancée, isn't she going to be a widow for life..." Jin Pangzi cried even more bitterly. Xiaoyao's expression was somewhat strange. He thought to himself that Jin Pangzi was so young, yet he was already engaged, while he himself was so old and had never even held a woman's hand. He couldn't help but sigh that it was good to be rich. Jin Pangzi's family was incredibly wealthy, and he had no worries about food or clothing, while he himself was penniless. He had even sold his ancestral home last year and was now heavily in debt to Master Chen. But thinking about the debt, Xiaoyao chuckled. He figured that since he was already here, if Master Chen had the ability, he would come looking for him. If he didn't, by the time he got out, he would be half a century old, and the other party would probably be... gone. As
he thought about it, Xiaoyao... Xiaoyao found this place quite appealing. He could eat and be fed without spending a penny, and even earn a hundred gold coins' worth of wages before doing any work. Especially since this was the abode of immortals, Xiaoyao felt that coming here was like finding a way out of a desperate situation. Annoyed by
Jin Pangzi's crying, Xiaoyao picked up a small booklet from inside his coarse linen robe, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to read. His eyes grew brighter and brighter, and he forgot the time, forgot about Jin Pangzi's wailing beside him
, until late at night. When Jin Pangzi had cried himself to sleep, his loud snores echoing through the house, Xiaoyao reluctantly closed the booklet. Although he looked somewhat tired, his eyes still shone with a remarkable spirit.
"This book isn't just worth a hundred gold coins, it's worth a thousand!" Xiaoyao murmured to himself. His lifelong dream was to become an official and wealthy. If something could be valued at a thousand gold coins, then that thing was second only to life itself to him.
Just as he was getting excited, Jin Pangzi's snoring abruptly stopped. When Xiaoyao arrived, he was startled and looked over to see Fatty Jin sitting up in bed with his eyes closed, flailing his arms and muttering,
"I'll beat you to death! You stole my steamed bun! I'll bite you to death! You dare steal my wife!" As he spoke, Fatty Jin got up and ran around the room with a swagger, accidentally bumping into the table. To Xiaoyao's astonishment, Fatty Jin actually bit down hard on the corner of the table, leaving a deep tooth mark, before returning to bed and continuing to sleep, his snoring filling the room.
Xiaoyao stared at Fatty Jin for a while, confirming that he had a habit of sleepwalking, then glanced at the table corner, vaguely sensing that Fatty Jin was not to be trifled with while sleeping. He cautiously moved away, looking down at the booklet, his expression still excited:
"Nine levels of Spirit Gathering, the Path to Immortality, working for immortals, giving you the opportunity to become an immortal—that's the highest wage! I refuse to believe that if I become an immortal, I won't..." "Become a rich man!" Xiaoyao gripped the booklet tightly, his eyes gleaming with intense light. He seemed to see another path besides studying. Just then, the door to the house was suddenly kicked open with a bang, and a cold snort entered the room.
"Sleeping early, huh? Get up, both of you!" With the flapping of the two doors, a burly man in a servant's uniform walked in. He glared fiercely at Xiaoyao and the still-sleeping Fatty Jin. "You two brats, starting today, each of you chop ten more pieces of wood for me every day, or I'll tear you apart alive!" the man said harshly.
"Greetings, Tiger Lord, this humble one..." Xiaoyao quickly got off the bed and stood nervously to the side. Before he could finish speaking, the man glared at him. "Keep your voice down, my foot!
You think Tiger Lord's voice is loud?"
Xiaoyao felt a wave of ferocity wash over him. Looking at the man's burly body, he hesitated and said, "But... the senior servants at the servants' office only allow us ten pieces of wood each per day."
"The extra ten woods are for me." The burly man sneered. Xiaoyao remained
silent, his mind racing. He was already being bullied upon arriving at this immortal sect, and he felt resentful. However, his opponent was burly, and he was too weak to resist. Just as he hesitated, he suddenly noticed the teeth marks on the corner of the table. He remembered the imposing figure of Fatty Jin in his sleepwalking state and had a sudden inspiration. He figured he had to try something, so he immediately shouted at the sleeping Fatty Jin,
"Yuanbao, someone stole your steamed bun! Someone stole your wife!"
As soon as Xiaoyao finished speaking, Fatty Jin sat up abruptly, roaring with his eyes closed, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, "Who stole my steamed bun? Who stole my wife? I'll beat you to death! I'll bite you to death!" Fatty Jin pounced off the bed... The chaotic fighting in the room startled the burly man at first, then he stepped forward and slapped Fatty Jin across the face. "You dare to talk back to Tiger Master?" The slap landed heavily on Fatty Jin's face, but the burly man screamed in agony. Fatty Jin, eyes closed, had bitten the burly man's arm, refusing to loosen his grip no matter how much the burly man shook him.
"Let go, damn it, let go!" The burly man was a handyman, not a cultivator, just someone who had grown strong from years of doing menial work. But now he was sweating profusely from the pain. His punches and kicks couldn't make Fatty Jin loosen his grip; instead, the more he was hit, the deeper he bit, until flesh was mangled, as if he was about to bite off a large chunk of flesh. The shouts, carried outside the house, immediately attracted the attention of the servants in the surrounding huts. At that moment, a cold voice, as cold as winter, came from outside:
"Shut up."
It was the voice of the horse-faced youth. Reaching the burly man's ears, it made him tremble. Although his face contorted in pain, he dared not scream any longer.
"If we offend the senior servant, neither of us will be happy. Make him let go! I'll give up the ten pieces of wood!" the burly man said quickly, forcing himself to speak.
Xiaoyao hadn't expected the fat man's sleepwalking to be so vigorous. Knowing he couldn't continue, he quickly stepped forward and gently patted the fat man, whispering in his ear,
"Mantou's back, and your wife's back too."
The fat man, whose eyes were closed, immediately relaxed and let go, patting him... Quan returned to bed, his face bruised and swollen, and continued to sleep soundly.
The burly man glanced at Jin Pangzi with lingering fear, then quickly left the room without a word. Xiaoyao stood there stunned for a while, then looked at Jin Pangzi with admiration before carefully returning to bed and falling asleep.
The next morning
, as dawn broke, the sound of bells echoed outside the house. The sound seemed to carry some strange power, instantly waking anyone who heard it. As the commotion outside grew louder, Jin Pangzi opened his eyes, staring blankly at the messy footprints on his body, then touching his face.
"What happened to me last night? Why does my whole body hurt so much? It feels like I was beaten up..."
Xiaoyao, who was putting on his servant's clothes, remained silent for a while before speaking
, "Nothing happened, everything is normal."
"Why does my face feel swollen?"
"Maybe the mosquito was big."
"But why is there blood in my mouth?"
"You fell on the ground last night, several times." Xiaoyao hurriedly pushed open the door of the house, hesitated for a moment before stepping out, looked back at Fatty Jin, and said seriously,
"Fatty, you should sharpen your teeth more often, preferably make them sharper."
"Huh? You said that too? That's what my dad told me too." Fatty Jin, wincing in pain as he put on his servant's clothes, spoke with surprise. Facing
the rising sun, Xiaoyao and Fatty Jin stepped out of the house and began their wood-chopping work at the Zhenwu Sect's servant's office. Each person was allotted ten logs a day. Outside this northern district servant's office lay a continuous stretch of barren mountains, covered with dense, thick trees that stretched as far as the eye could see, resembling a sea of trees.
Carrying the axe issued by the servant's office, Xiaoyao rubbed his shoulder; his entire arm was sore and numb, aching slightly. The axe was heavy. Fatty Jin was also panting heavily. The two climbed the barren mountains, found their assigned area, and gradually, the sounds of chopping wood filled the air.
"My dad's a landlord, and I'll be a landlord too! I won't do servant's work..." Fatty Jin cried, swinging his axe.
"These immortals are really strange. They have magic, so why do they need to start a fire? Why are they making us cut down trees..."
Compared to Jin Pangzi's rambling, Xiaoyao was too exhausted to speak, sweat pouring down his face. He was poor in Xiaoxi County and ate little meat, so he was thin and weak. In just a short while, he was leaning against the uncut tree, panting heavily.
Jin Pangzi, though also trembling with exhaustion, was still muttering and chopping down trees, clearly stronger than Xiaoyao despite his young age.
Xiaoyao shook his head with a wry smile. During his rest, he took out the Spirit Gathering Scroll and read it again, silently trying to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as described. Time
passed quickly, and dusk arrived. Xiaoyao had only chopped two trees that day, while Jin Pangzi had chopped a full eight, enough to feed one person. After discussing it, Jin Pangzi went to fetch food, and the two shared it in the hut. Exhausted, he collapsed into sleep
until Jin Pangzi's snoring echoed through the room again. Xiaoyao struggled to his feet, a determined glint in his eyes. Enduring hunger and exhaustion, he picked up the Spirit Gathering Scroll and silently studied it.
"When I was studying, I often memorized until dawn. I'm used to hunger now. This kind of life, though tiring, is at least a way out. I, Xiaoyao, refuse to believe that if I can't succeed in the imperial examinations, I can't succeed in cultivating in this sect." Xiaoyao's eyes grew even more determined, filled with resolve. He lowered his head to comprehend the energy
until late at night. Xiaoyao didn't know when he fell asleep; it seemed that even in his dreams, his mind was filled with sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. He was awakened by the morning bell, his eyes bloodshot. He gritted his teeth and got up, continuing to chop wood with the still-energetic Jin Pangzi.
One day, two days, three days… until two months passed. During these two months, Xiaoyao gradually became able to chop four logs a day, but he spent most of his time sensing spiritual energy. The bloodshot in his eyes gradually increased until this evening, when Xiaoyao, panting heavily, rested and sat cross-legged. While meditating, not long afterward, his body suddenly trembled. He abruptly felt a tingling numbness in his limbs, as if invisible energy was gathering from his flesh and blood. Then, a wisp of spiritual energy appeared within him, disappearing in a flash. Xiaoyao excitedly opened his eyes; his fatigue vanished, and the bloodshot in his eyes had thinned considerably. His body trembled as he gripped the Spirit Gathering Scroll tightly. For the past month, he had eaten and slept little, spending all his time, except for chopping wood, sensing spiritual energy. Finally, he reaped the rewards, greatly invigorating Xiaoyao.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and it was now August, summer. The scorching sun radiated intense heat
. "Gathering spiritual energy into the body, dispersing it throughout, opening the meridians, resonating with heaven and earth." At midday, deep in the mountains within the territory of the True Martial Sect, Xiaoyao tended to the fire in front of him with one hand, while holding a small booklet of the Spirit Gathering Scroll in the other.
After carefully reading it for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he closed his eyes, silently sensing the gentle energy within his body. This energy... It appeared more than a month ago and was treasured by Xiaoyao. Now it was noticeably more concentrated than before. Following the incantation and method of circulating the Spirit Gathering Scroll, he continuously circulated wisps of energy throughout his body during meditation.
Not long after, Xiaoyao opened his eyes. In the distance, a rather plump figure carrying a large axe was running quickly from the forest.
"How is it? How is it?" Jin Yuanbao was panting. Although he was still as plump as ever, his body was noticeably stronger. After running over, he hurriedly asked,
"It hasn't spread throughout my body yet, but I'm confident that in another week, I can reach the standard of the first level of Spirit Gathering." A confident look appeared in Xiaoyao's eyes. He smiled and said,
"I was asking about that chicken." The fat man licked his lips and looked at the fire
. "Almost done, I guess." Xiaoyao also licked his lips and picked up a wooden stick to stir the fire. As soon as he did, the fat man immediately picked up the axe and dug out the pheasant that was buried in the ground and was already cooked.
The aroma was irresistible. The two of them each shared half and began to devour it.
"It's good that you've had spiritual energy since you..." "We can often catch some pheasants, otherwise we'd starve to death. Thinking back to the first two months, it feels like a nightmare..." Fatty Jin, his mouth greasy, habitually flattered Xiaoyao.
"Many people do this kind of thing, you just don't know it." Xiaoyao, biting into a chicken leg, mumbled,
"Sigh, if you reach the first level of Spirit Gathering in a week and become an outer sect disciple, what am I supposed to do? I can't even understand those incantations." Fatty Jin looked worried, gazing at Xiaoyao expectantly. "
Yuanbao, only by becoming an outer sect disciple can we possibly go home." Xiaoyao put down his chicken leg and looked at Fatty Jin. Fatty Jin
was silent for a long time, then nodded firmly.
Six days passed in a flash. That night, Fatty Jin had already gone to sleep. Xiaoyao sat cross-legged in the house. He thought about how he had spent almost all his time these past four months, except for chopping wood, focusing on sensing Spirit Gathering. He thought about the excitement he felt when the first wisp of energy appeared two months ago. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and felt the wisps of spiritual energy circulating within his body. A moment later, his mind went blank. The spiritual energy that had been stagnant throughout his body suddenly spread to every corner of his being. A feeling of ethereal bliss washed over him.
Almost at the same time that Xiaoyao's spiritual energy reached the first level of the Spirit Gathering Realm, outside the house, the horse-faced youth who seemed to sit cross-legged on the large rock day and night slowly opened his eyes, looked at Xiaoyao's house, and then closed them again. In the early morning, amidst the envious gazes of many people in the North District's miscellaneous offices, Xiaoyao silently walked out of the house where he had lived for four months and came to the horse-faced youth's side.
Fatty Jin did not follow. He stood at the door watching Xiaoyao, his eyes showing determination.
"Reaching the first level of the Spirit Gathering Realm in four months is not considered outstanding talent, but it's not stupid either." The horse-faced youth looked at Xiaoyao, his expression no longer cold, and calmly said,
"When you go to the outer sect, I need to explain the rules of the outer sect to you. Although the outer sect provides spirit stones and pills every month, it does not prohibit robbery or fighting. There is also a designated open area as a killing zone." "You... take care of yourself." The horse-faced youth said calmly, raising his right hand and waving it. A jade slip flew out and landed in front of Xiaoyao, who took it in his hand.
"Send spiritual energy into the jade slip, and it can take you to the Outer Sect Treasure Pavilion. That's also where you register to advance to the Outer Sect." The horse-faced youth closed his eyes.
Xiaoyao remained silent, bowed again, and then turned to look at the fat man. Their eyes met for a moment. Xiaoyao sighed inwardly, then stopped thinking about it and squeezed the jade slip in his hand. The jade slip immediately emitted a gentle... The azure light slowly flew forward
. Xiaoyao took a few quick steps, using the jade slip as a guide, gradually moving away from the servants' quarters. He walked along the path at the mountain gate, heading further and further down the mountain, gradually entering an area he hadn't set foot in for the past four months.
The True Martial Sect had four main peaks, located in the southeast, northwest, and southwest, surrounded by endless, seemingly boundless mountains. Each peak had a servants' quarters halfway up; the North Peak, where Xiaoyao was, was the North District servants' quarters. However, this only extended halfway up the mountain; further upwards, an array blocked the way. The area at the summit... Only inner disciples and elders are allowed to reside in the area. This applies to all four peaks. As for the plains between the four peaks, surrounded by houses, that is the outer sect of the True Martial Sect. The
True Martial Sect differs from other sects in that, while the outer sect is lower, even the menial laborers can live halfway up the mountain. This is a rule established by the True Martial Ancestor for reasons unknown.
From the outside, this place appears shrouded in mist, but upon entering, the mist instantly dissipates, revealing a scene of carved railings and jade steps, pavilions everywhere, and even the roads... The grounds were paved with bluestone, and many outer sect disciples in green robes were seen moving about. As Xiaoyao passed by, he attracted some attention.
Those gazes were filled with contempt and devoid of any kindness. Xiaoyao felt as if he were being scrutinized by a ferocious wild beast, which reminded him of what his horse-faced senior brother had said about the outer sect.
Not long after, in this outer sect territory, Xiaoyao arrived at a black pavilion in the south. This pavilion was three stories high, and although it was black, it seemed to be carved from jade, giving it a crystal-clear feel.
As Xiaoyao approached, the pavilion door opened silently, and a thin, middle-aged man stepped out. He wore a dark green robe and possessed a shrewd look. He raised his right hand and grabbed the jade slip in front of Xiaoyao, which flew into his grasp. After glancing at it, he lazily spoke,
"Xiaoyao, promoted to outer sect disciple. You are granted a separate room, a green robe, a spirit tablet, and a storage bag. With the spirit tablet, you can enter the treasure pavilion to obtain one magic weapon." The shrewd man flicked his right hand, and a gray bag landed in Xiaoyao's hand. Xiaoyao stared at the gray bag in his hand, remembering all the outer sect disciples he had seen along the way, all carrying similar bags
. "Spiritual energy enters; it can hold a certain number of items." The shrewd man glanced at Xiaoyao, immediately judging that he must not have any acquaintances in the outer sect, otherwise he wouldn't be so unfamiliar with storage bags. Slightly relieved, he spoke casually. Upon
hearing this, Xiaoyao immediately circulated the little spiritual energy he had left. He put the bag in his pocket, and his vision blurred for a moment, as if he could see a space about half the size of a person, containing a green robe, jade slips, and other items.
Seeing this, he was immediately excited, thinking to himself that this storage bag was probably worth a hundred gold coins. Such a treasure could be considered a divine artifact.
With a thought, a jade slip appeared in his hand. He focused his gaze and saw that it contained a map, describing a house in a remote corner of this outer sect area, which would later belong to Xiaoyao.
"Go back and take a look. The treasure pavilion is already open. Why aren't you going in?" the shrewd man said coldly.
Xiaoyao raised his head, put the storage bag in his pocket, glanced at the open pavilion door, took a deep breath, and stepped
inside stepped into the treasure pavilion, Xiaoyao's expression suddenly changed, and he gasped.

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