However, something was better than nothing. Finally, amidst the envious gazes of the other village children, Xue Kang led the three away towards the sect.
Along the way, the sect member told them his name was Xue Kang, an outer disciple of the Tianbao Sect. He would be their guide.
Their aptitude wasn't great, he explained bluntly, so they could only be menial disciples after entering the sect—the lowest rank.
Whether they could rise through the ranks depended entirely on themselves and their own efforts.
Wang Ergou and Li Yun were very excited, constantly talking and dreaming about the future. They chattered endlessly.
In comparison, Xu Ning was much calmer, observing everything quietly.
Xue Kang looked at the three, couldn't help but glance at Xu Ning a few more times, and said, "Although you have the worst aptitude among the three with your five-element mixed spiritual root, you are the most composed. The future may hold unexpected things for you. Who can say?"
Xu Ning cupped his hands humbly. "Immortal Master, I'm just too discouraged by my poor aptitude to speak. I have no hopes."
Xue Kang: "..."
Soon, the group arrived at the Tianbao Sect's mountain gate. The three were processed and thrown into the menial disciple area without ceremony.
Menial disciples were mainly responsible for sect chores, such as carrying water, chopping wood, planting, and raising livestock.
They had no say in what they did. They did whatever work they were assigned by the foremen.
After reporting for duty, the three were assigned to the fifth planting area. They also received the core cultivation technique of the Tianbao Sect, the Spirit Origin Technique.
This technique could be cultivated up to the sixth level of Qi Refining at most.
As for subsequent techniques, they would need to be exchanged using sect contribution points earned through hard work later.
On the way to the planting area, Wang Ergou and Li Yun were still excited, their hopes high.
"Brother Xu Ning, we're about to become immortals!" Wang Ergou was extremely excited, practically bouncing.
Li Yun, however, had calmed down somewhat. "Ergou, don't be too happy yet. We are just the lowest-ranking menial disciples in the sect. We don't know what the future holds. In my opinion, we came from the same place, so we should look after each other and stick together for warmth. It's the only way."
Xu Ning nodded. "Li Yun is right. Don't get too happy yet. We need to see the reality first."
Xu Ning knew better than anyone that the cultivation world was not as wonderful as they imagined. On the contrary, it was extremely cruel and competitive.
After all, they were all people defying the heavens. Strength was paramount, and people would do anything for profit.
Soon, the three of them learned what cruelty truly meant.
Upon arriving at Planting District Five, the foreman, Qian Zhide, confiscated most of their allocated food, leaving them with only a meager, barely edible portion.
They needed this small ration to survive until the next month's distribution. It was barely enough to keep them alive.
Holding their meager supplies, Wang Ergou and Li Yun looked like they were about to cry. Their dreams were already souring.
Seeing the three standing there dumbfounded, District Five Foreman Qian Zhide immediately hardened his expression. "What are you doing standing around? This is all the food you get. If you're not happy, you can go find your senior brothers from the outer sect to stand up for you! See how far that gets you."
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Yes, it was blatant bullying, with absolutely no attempt to hide it. The power dynamic was clear.
"I know you're resentful, but I'm here to tell you that menial disciples are worthless in this sect. Even if you go to the outer disciples, no one will pay you any attention. You are beneath them."
After saying this, Qian Zhide gave each of the three men three tokens. "These are your tokens for your thatched huts. With these tokens, you can open the doors. Just go to the huts according to the numbers on them."
"Oh, and a reminder: the huts are sect property. If they are damaged, you'll need to repair them yourself, or use a certain amount of sect contribution points to hire someone to repair them. So be careful."
Then, Qian Zhide went on to explain many things, including the general situation of the fifth district and their duties. He then dismissed them.
Although the three were unwilling, they couldn't do anything about Qian Zhide's power and could only turn and leave in silence.
The entire planting area consisted of plots of spirit fields and rows of thatched huts for the menial workers.
The fifth district mainly grew the basic herbs needed by the sect for common pills.
According to Qian Zhide, districts one through four grew spirit rice, the main food for the outer sect senior brothers.
Districts five through eight grew basic herbs, the kind needed for common pills. These were in high demand.
"Brother Xu Ning, I'm a little tired. I'm going to rest first. We can talk about it tomorrow," Wang Ergou said somewhat dejectedly, his earlier excitement completely gone. He walked towards his thatched hut alone.
Li Yun couldn't help but look at Xu Ning at this moment. "Ergou must be feeling discouraged. Brother Xu Ning, I don't think cultivating immortality is as simple as we imagined. It's not like the stories."
Xu Ning nodded. "Let's take it one step at a time. Let's rest first and talk about it tomorrow. We need to think clearly."
The two nodded at the same time and went to their respective huts.
Xu Ning opened his hut with his token and went inside, closing the door behind him.
The room was simply furnished, with an old wooden bed, a dark black wooden table, and nothing else. It was bare.
"Newcomer, you've arrived!" The table's surprised voice reached Xu Ning's ears, startling him slightly.
Xu Ning nodded. "Hello."
The table spoke again. "You are the three hundredth handyman disciple living in this hut. I hope you can successfully advance to the outer sect. The odds are against you, but I wish you luck."
"Three hundred? That many?" Xu Ning was somewhat surprised. "Of the three hundred, how many have actually advanced to the outer sect?"
The table replied, "Two."
Xu Ning exclaimed in surprise, "Only two? That's a terrible rate."
At this moment, a voice from the thatched hut itself suddenly chimed in. "Two is already a lot. The thatched hut next to mine has housed over four hundred people, and only one person has advanced to the outer sect in all that time. You're lucky."
Xu Ning was shocked to hear this. No wonder the steward treated the servants like dirt. With this low advancement rate, there was no need to treat them like human beings. They were disposable.
He had already guessed that cultivating immortality was extremely cruel, but now, seeing it firsthand, it was even crueler than he had imagined. The waste was staggering.
After chatting with the furniture for a while to get the lay of the land, Xu Ning ignored them, sat on the bed, and took out the Spirit Origin Manual to study.
First, he definitely needed to understand the basics of cultivating immortality properly. Otherwise, Xu Ning would always feel uncertain and uneasy about his new path.
Soon, Xu Ning understood the Spirit Origin Manual fully. The basics of cultivating immortality were about guiding Qi into the body. This meant sensing the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, drawing it into the body, and refining it for one's own use. This was the first level of Qi Refining.
Among these, spiritual roots and cultivation techniques were extremely important, like stepping stones. Neither could be missing for progress.
Xu Ning immediately sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating according to the contents of the Spirit Origin Technique.
Instantly, with his martial arts-honed senses, Xu Ning sensed a special, invisible gas permeating the heavens and earth around him. It was everywhere.
This was what was called "Qi sensation" in the initial stages of cultivation—the first hurdle for all cultivators.
Xu Ning quickly circulated the Spirit Origin Technique to attract that special gas.
Unexpectedly, with just a slight circulation, the gas surged in like a flood, entering Xu Ning's body in a torrent. It circulated through his meridians once before settling into his dantian with a rush.
Bang bang bang—
At the same time, a series of explosive sounds suddenly rang out from Xu Ning's body as his meridians expanded and his dantian formed.
Immediately afterward, the four martial arts cultivation techniques in Xu Ning's mind changed again. Profound, golden characters suddenly appeared, combining to form the cultivation content of a twelfth level—beyond anything in the mortal realm.
This series of changes made Xu Ning open his eyes in astonishment, his face filled with shock.
The twelfth level of martial arts? A cultivation technique beyond the mortal realm, belonging to the world of cultivation? It was completely new.
And his physical strength had also broken through, becoming far stronger than his previous Martial God realm. He felt like a different being.
Was this a transformation? The transformation brought about by the infusion of spiritual energy into his already perfected body.
Xu Ning sensed his new power, but he didn't know its strength. He hadn't fought with cultivators yet, so he couldn't compare directly.
However, Xu Ning roughly guessed that those at the second or third level of Qi Refining couldn't compare to his own physical strength now. He was far beyond them.
This must be due to his terrifying foundation, built over a century of martial arts practice before touching cultivation.
Also, his Qi infusion was incredibly fast, even faster than what he had read about those with top-grade single spiritual roots. His speed was unnatural.