Lu Qinghe stared at his surroundings in confusion. “Was that… a hallucination?”
He turned the thought over and dismissed it. What he’d just experienced had been far too vivid for that.
His expression shifted between dark and light. After a moment’s hesitation, he directed his Divine Sense inward to examine his Dantian once more.
The instant he found that point of light, his figure materialized again inside the mysterious space.
Standing on the black soil, Lu Qinghe confirmed it beyond doubt. This was no illusion. There truly was a mysterious space hidden within his Dantian.
But no matter how he racked his brain, he couldn’t figure out what purpose it served.
He experimented several more times and discovered he could bring objects from the outside into this place.
That realization hit him like a thunderclap of joy. He thought immediately of a treasure every cultivator coveted-a Storage Bag. The cloth pouch that had hung at Senior Brother Bai’s waist.
Small as it looked, a Storage Bag contained a world within, capable of holding countless things.
Such a treasure was utterly beyond the reach of a first-layer Qi Condensation Menial Disciple like him.
Moreover, he’d heard that an ordinary Storage Bag held only about one meter square of space. This place was equivalent to over a thousand of them.
Lu Qinghe let out a low chuckle. “From now on, I can store anything important in here. No one will ever detect it.”
He settled onto the meditation cushion back in his room, but the moment his thoughts turned to advancing to the second layer of Qi Condensation, his mood soured.
Drawing Qi into Body alone had taken him eight months. The difficulty of the second layer doubled that.
Meaning he’d need sixteen months just to accumulate enough, plus the time to break through the bottleneck-two years at minimum.
Reaching the third layer doubled again. Five years.
Under normal circumstances, seven years or more to reach the third layer of Qi Condensation.
And the most daunting part-breaking from the third layer to the fourth was the great divide between early stage and middle stage. The difficulty multiplied several times over.
“No wonder Spiritual Roots determine everything. Your roots determine your path, your treatment, your ceiling. Even cultivators with four Spiritual Roots have a chance of reaching Qi Condensation late stage. Five Spiritual Roots? The limit is middle stage.”
Of course, cultivation wasn’t solely about refining heaven and earth’s Spiritual Qi. There were ways to accelerate the process.
But for a Menial Disciple who wanted Spirit Stones or pills, there was only one path-completing assignments for the Sect.
That was the entire value of a Menial Disciple. Mining ore, felling timber, tending crops, managing estates for Outer Sect Disciples, handling errands-all of it earned a meager compensation.
Of course, Menial Disciples could also rise. Reach the fourth layer of Qi Condensation, pass the test, and you became an Outer Sect Disciple.
Outer Sect Disciples who reached the seventh layer could likewise advance to become Inner Sect Disciples.
“Forget it. First things first-report to the Affairs Hall and collect the reward.”
Lu Qinghe tidied himself and stepped out of his courtyard. The cluster of residences that had once buzzed with activity now sat cold and quiet.
A few who hadn’t yet succeeded in Drawing Qi into Body remained shut behind their doors, fighting for every moment to achieve their breakthrough.
As for the next batch of recruits, that wouldn’t come for another ten years. The Taixuan Sect only accepted disciples once a decade.
Lu Qinghe jogged along the mountain path. Though the first layer of Qi Condensation didn’t allow him to cast techniques, his body was already light as a swallow-enough to pass for a first-rate expert in the mortal world.
Before long, he arrived at the Affairs Hall. The last time he’d been here was during his induction, when a Foundation Establishment Elder had presided.
Now a middle-aged man in white robes sat behind the desk. White robes-the mark of a Taixuan Sect Outer Sect Disciple. Menial Disciples like Lu Qinghe wore only gray.
Lu Qinghe cupped his fists and bowed. “Greetings, Senior Brother. This junior brother spent eight months and has successfully drawn Qi. I humbly request Senior Brother’s confirmation.”
The middle-aged man glanced at him with mild surprise. “Eight months to draw Qi? You cultivate slowly enough.”
Lu Qinghe didn’t bristle. This sort of contempt was nothing new.
“Junior Brother’s talent is dull. Senior Brother must find it laughable.”
The man waved a hand. “Circulate one cycle. Let me see.”
Lu Qinghe immediately ran a Small Heavenly Cycle, letting the thin thread of Qi flow through his meridians for inspection.
The middle-aged man nodded. “Drawing Qi into Body confirmed. From today, you are a formal Menial Disciple of the Taixuan Sect.”
“The Taixuan Sect does not feed idle mouths. The Sect provides you with cultivation methods and resources. In return, every Menial Disciple must complete a set amount of assignments each year. Fail, and you will be expelled.”
Lu Qinghe already knew this. Over the past eight months, he’d pieced together a clear picture of how the Taixuan Sect worked. Nothing in this world came free.
The Sect gave techniques and a place to cultivate. In exchange, you labored.
“Senior Brother, I understand.”
“Good. Since you understand-there happens to be an assignment here that suits you perfectly.” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
The middle-aged man tossed a jade slip across the desk. Lu Qinghe caught it, puzzled. This wasn’t how it was supposed to work.
Normally, disciples chose their own assignments. As long as you met the yearly quota, no one dictated what you did. Directly assigned work was rare.
Lu Qinghe swept the jade slip with his Divine Sense. The contents surfaced in his mind.
The assignment was farming-but not ordinary crops. He was to cultivate Spirit Rice, a grain suffused with Spiritual Qi.
Seeing Lu Qinghe’s uncertain expression, the middle-aged man raised an eyebrow. “What? Does Junior Brother have an objection?”
Lu Qinghe chose his words carefully. “Senior Brother, this junior brother is only at Qi Condensation first layer. I fear I may not be equal to the responsibility.”
His real thought was to find Wang Shan first-see if they could take on work together. Safety in numbers.
The middle-aged man’s face darkened. A first-layer Menial Disciple daring to push back against him.
His voice turned sharp. “This is a blessing from heaven. If the previous disciple hadn’t been promoted to the Outer Sect and left, do you think something this good would ever fall to the likes of you?”
“I suggest you appreciate it. Besides, this is the only Menial Disciple assignment the Affairs Hall has available right now.”
Lu Qinghe had no choice but to accept. If he refused and couldn’t meet his yearly quota, he’d be thrown out of the Taixuan Sect entirely.
“This junior brother accepts the assignment. Thank you, Senior Brother.”
The man’s expression softened slightly. “I hope you understand my good intentions. Now that you’ve accepted, go report to your post. The jade slip contains all the details you’ll need.”
Lu Qinghe hesitated. He knew-knew for certain-that successfully completing Drawing Qi into Body entitled a disciple to one Pill and one Spirit Stone as a Sect reward.
He asked carefully, “Senior Brother… if this junior brother remembers correctly, disciples who successfully complete Drawing Qi into Body receive one Pill and one Spirit Stone.”
The middle-aged man shook his head without a flicker of guilt. “Junior Brother remembers wrong. The Sect has no such rule.”
Lu Qinghe’s face went cold. He knew the man was lying. Several disciples who’d broken through before him had all received theirs.
“Senior Brother, the disciples who broke through previously all received them.”
The middle-aged man regarded him with a thin, mocking smile. “Is that so? I wouldn’t know anything about that. Shall I report the matter to an Elder and have him look into it?”
Lu Qinghe stared at that calm, indifferent face, and understanding settled over him like ice water.
This man intended to pocket his Spirit Stone and Pill.