Back in his house, the shabby shack he had built himself, Gu Yuan sat down cross-legged. After taking a few slow breaths to calm his mind, he entered a meditative state.
Turning his attention inward, he examined his dantian. The Metal Qi within had already accumulated beyond what was needed to advance to the next stage, thanks to the Orb of Creation’s passive absorption.
Without the slightest hesitation, Gu Yuan immediately began his breakthrough.
The Nine Cycle Qi Manual, the basic cultivation technique issued to every outer sect disciple, circulated through his meridians as he guided the gathered Metal Qi according to its pathways.
A few minutes later, he completed the third cycle and smoothly entered the fourth.
The barrier that had held him back gave way almost effortlessly, allowing him to step into the Fourth Stage of the Qi Refinement Realm.
Even so, Gu Yuan didn’t relax.
He continued circulating the Nine Cycle Qi Manual, patiently stabilizing his newly advanced cultivation before finally opening his eyes.
A breath of turbid air escaped his lips.
The increase in strength wasn’t particularly significant, but it was enough for Gu Yuan to notice.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
Three months to sense Spirit Qi and draw it into his body, when those geniuses only needed a few days. Yet only nine months later, he had already reached the Fourth Stage of the Qi Refinement Realm.
If he told anyone that... they would never believe him.
Shaking his head, Gu Yuan quickly pushed those thoughts aside. After calming himself once more, he opened his status window.
[Name: Gu Yuan]
[Lifespan: 13/64]
[Cultivation: Qi Refinement Realm, Fourth Stage]
[Cultivation Technique: Nine Cycle Qi Manual]
[Possession: Orb of Creation]
The status window was simple and straightforward, displaying nothing more than his most basic information.
At first, he had expected it to possess other functions as well. Unfortunately, after spending the past nine months experimenting with it, he had long since concluded otherwise.
Still, the Orb of Creation alone was enough to satisfy him.
Gu Yuan’s gaze lingered on the Lifespan entry for a moment, noticing that it had increased by another two years following his breakthrough.
Then he closed the status window.
There was no point celebrating for too long.
Although he had reached the Fourth Stage of the Qi Refinement Realm, he still needed to consolidate his cultivation.
With that thought, Gu Yuan closed his eyes once more and resumed cultivating.
Just like that, a day passed.
The following morning, knowing there was no work waiting for him, Gu Yuan continued cultivating until noon before finally ending his cultivation session and stepping outside.
Despite spending the entire night cultivating without a moment of sleep, he didn’t feel the slightest trace of fatigue. Instead, he felt refreshed, his mind clearer than ever after the breakthrough.
As usual, he stretched his body for a few moments. The habit served little purpose now that he was a cultivator, but after keeping the same routine for years, he found no reason to stop.
Only then did he make his way toward the Mission Hall.
He had postponed going there yesterday because he wanted to break through as soon as possible.
Now that the breakthrough was complete, and with no work awaiting him today, there was no longer any reason to delay.
The quiet paths of the Outer Sect gradually grew livelier as trees gave way to rows of buildings. Before long, Gu Yuan arrived at the busiest place in the entire Outer Sect: the Mission Hall.
"...The Blood Banner refinement mission is posted again."
"Again? Haven’t enough people died already?"
"What are you afraid of? If it succeeds, the reward is worth years of cultivation."
"...If it succeeds."
Similar conversations drifted through the hall one after another.
Some discussed missions they had just accepted, others bargained over rewards, while a few gathered around the newly posted notices, weighing the risks against the potential gains.
Gu Yuan merely listened in passing as he made his way through the crowd.
No one paid him any special attention.
Although he was only thirteen years old, he was also a Fourth Stage Qi Refinement cultivator.
Stopping before one of the counters, Gu Yuan took out his mission token and greeted the disciple on duty.
"Senior Brother, I’m here to report the completion of my mission."
The disciple accepted the mission token without a word, verified the seal engraved upon it, then casually handed over ten low-grade spirit stones
"Thank you, Senior Brother."
Without lingering any longer, Gu Yuan turned and left the Mission Hall.
While pretending to place the spirit stones into his storage bag, he quietly transferred them into the Orb of Creation instead.
There, they would be much safer.
After adding the new reward, Gu Yuan silently counted his savings.
Two hundred and fifteen low-grade spirit stones.
That was the result of nearly a year of carefully saving every stone he earned, including his monthly salary as an outer sect disciple and the rewards from working at the forge.
Even so, it wasn’t nearly enough. A decent cultivation technique from the sect required at least five thousand low-grade spirit stones. As for the truly exceptional ones... the price was several times higher.
Shaking his head, Gu Yuan turned his attention to the two-story building standing before him.
The Scripture Pavilion.
If he truly ended up leaving the Black Desolation Sect one day, the more he understood the surrounding region, the greater his chances of surviving. Before making any decision, he wanted to learn as much as he could.
Walking up to the elderly man seated at the entrance, Gu Yuan placed five low-grade spirit stones on the table.
"One day’s access to the first floor, Senior."
The Scripture Pavilion had two floors, each divided into two sections. One contained miscellaneous records, maps, historical accounts, and other general knowledge, while the other housed cultivation techniques, weapon techniques, movement techniques, and secret arts. Naturally, the higher the floor, the more valuable everything within became.
He had heard that the Inner Sect’s Scripture Pavilion extended to a third and fourth floor, storing treasures far beyond anything available here. The Outer Sect, however, only had the first two.
"Your entry badge."
The old man confirmed the payment before handing him a small wooden badge.
"Return before it expires. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay an overdue fee."
"I understand."
Gu Yuan accepted the badge with both hands, offered a respectful nod, and stepped into the Scripture Pavilion.
High ceilings, dim lighting, and the faint scent of aged wood welcomed him inside.
Surrounded by the quiet atmosphere, Gu Yuan turned his attention to the rows of shelves stretching before him. Some held books, thick and thin alike, while others were lined with neatly arranged scrolls.
Rather than a place belonging to immortal cultivators, it felt more like a library from the ancient world.
He didn’t dwell on the thought.
Walking between the shelves, Gu Yuan briefly glanced through the titles. Some recorded information about spirit herbs, others documented various ores, while many covered countless other topics.
Interesting as they were, he didn’t stop.
There would be plenty of time to read them in the future. Right now, he had something more important to find.
In truth, he could simply ask the old man at the entrance where the information he wanted was located.
Unfortunately, that convenience came at a price.
Unless one paid a few extra spirit stones, the old man wouldn’t even bother answering. According to the rumors, pestering him without paying might even offend him.
Gu Yuan had no intention of testing whether those rumors were true. Nor did he want to waste spirit stones. So he searched on his own.
About the time it takes an incense stick to burn later, he finally found what he was looking for, a scroll containing the rough map of the Black Desolation Sect and its surrounding regions, along with brief explanations.
The Great Han Kingdom.
Within its borders stood five cultivation sects, among them were the Black Desolation Sect and the Crimson Flame Sect, according to the scroll, the two were the strongest, and their rivalry had endured for generations. The hostility between them ran so deep that disciples from either sect were expected to kill each other on sight.
Seeing that, Gu Yuan quietly crossed the Crimson Flame Sect off his list. If he ever decided to leave the Black Desolation Sect, that was one place he absolutely couldn’t go.
His gaze shifted to the three remaining sects within the Great Han Kingdom.
The Corpse Furnace Sect.
Another evil sect, one whose reputation was even worse than the Black Desolation Sect’s. As its name suggested, it dealt extensively with corpses, making it an option Gu Yuan dismissed almost immediately.
That left the two righteous sects.
His gaze lingered on the Azure Cloud Sect.
Small and unassuming, yet with a history stretching back countless years. Although it lacked the abundant resources of the larger sects, a long inheritance usually meant a rich collection of cultivation techniques.
At first glance, it seemed like exactly the kind of place he had been hoping to find.
Even so, Gu Yuan didn’t settle on it immediately.
If the Black Desolation Sect discovered he had defected, and the Azure Cloud Sect later learned he had once belonged to an evil sect, would they truly be willing to protect him?
He doubted it. So, while he kept the Azure Cloud Sect in mind, he continued searching. Or rather, he continued looking for a place to escape to.
His attention then shifted to the two neighboring kingdoms, the Qin Dynasty and the Chu Kingdom.
The scroll contained little information about either of them. It merely mentioned that the Qin Dynasty was home to one of the strongest sects on the continent, a place where even greater dangers lurked.
That was all.
After searching through several more scrolls, Gu Yuan found nothing more about the neighboring kingdoms.
Do I need to go to the second floor?
His eyes drifted toward the staircase, where two guards stood silently at its entrance.
Access to the second floor required a single middle-grade spirit stone, meaning one hundred low-grade spirit stones.
He could afford the price. The problem was that he had no guarantee he would find the information he wanted. If the second floor proved just as unhelpful, nearly half of his savings would be gone.
After hesitating for a long moment, Gu Yuan quietly shook his head.
There was no need to rush. For now, the information he had gathered was enough. He could think it over carefully before deciding his next move.