After conversing with Jiang Xiaochuan for a time, Xu Changshou finally gleaned a measure of understanding regarding the lot of Miscellaneous Disciples.
“It is time to dine, Senior Brother Xu. Let us head to the Spirit Kitchen.”
“Lead the way!”
Xu Changshou and Jiang Xiaochuan descended the stairs together.
Chuxiu Peak boasted its own Spirit Kitchen, situated squarely in the heart of the Miscellaneous Disciples’ residential quarters.
Upon reaching the ground floor, Ye Shanhu and the others were nowhere to be seen; they had already departed for the dining halls.
Guided by Jiang Xiaochuan, the two stepped into the grand courtyard of the Spirit Kitchen. Before they even crossed the threshold, the rich, savory aroma of myriad dishes wafted out to greet them.
Xu Changshou’s stomach gave a hollow, aching throb. He had spent the past half-month traveling day and night with Zhang Zhengyuan and had not smelled cooked food in all that time.
The Spirit Kitchen had several dining halls, and the pair slipped into one at random.
Jiang Xiaochuan guided him to collect their utensils, and they went to get food.
The fare was unexpectedly lavish, balancing hearty meats with crisp greens. Each person got four dishes, and the rice was entirely unrestricted.
When Xu Changshou scooped up a portion of rice, he paused in sheer astonishment. The grains here were plump, translucent, and radiant, easily exceeding ten times the size of any mortal crop.
“Try it, Senior Brother Xu. This is known as Dog-Tooth Rice. The taste is divine.”
Xu Changshou inspected his bowl. The grains were indeed shaped like the fangs of a hound-an incredibly fitting moniker.
Shoveling a massive bite into his mouth, the fragrance of rice filled his senses. It was many times tastier than the prized roast chicken from Landlord Wang’s estate.
Just for a mouthful of this rice, being sold to the Green Immortal Sect was a bargain.
He praised his fortune for landing within these walls. Had he remained in the mortal realm, when would a lowly cowherd ever taste such immortal delicacies?
“Senior Brother Xu, this is Yellow Sheep Meat. The flavor is exceptionally fresh.”
“Mmm, it truly is!”
A brand new world of culinary delight burst open upon Xu Changshou’s tongue.
The meats of the Green Immortal Sect were profoundly nourishing. As the food settled in his belly, a surging warmth radiated through his limbs, brimming with vital essence.
Between bites, Xu Changshou feigned nonchalance, steering the conversation toward the matters of cultivation.
Since Jiang Xiaochuan’s cultivation base was inferior to his own, Xu Changshou freely shared his insights on breaking through to the second layer of Qi Condensation without holding back.
In return, though Jiang Xiaochuan had only recently embarked on the Dao, he knew more about many things. He strongly advised Xu Changshou to procure Qi Gathering Pills to accelerate his progress.
Qi Gathering Pills were the most foundational elixir for cultivation. One Spirit Stone bought a bottle, containing precisely ten pills.
Sated, they returned to the Gengzi Courtyard, just in time to spot Ye Shanhu emerging from the gates.
Trailing closely behind her were Shi Wantong, Lin Xian’er, Han Zong, Su Mo, Li Linhao, and the rest of their cohort.
“Greetings, Senior Sister Ye,” Jiang Xiaochuan called out with a bright smile.
Ye Shanhu returned a gentle, affable smile. “Junior Brother Jiang, Junior Brother Xu. We are heading to the Affairs Peak to purchase a few necessities. Would you care to join us?”
Jiang Xiaochuan chuckled. “Senior Brother Xu was just planning to buy some Qi Gathering Pills! Shall we tag along, Senior Brother Xu?” Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
“Indeed.”
Xu Changshou gave a slight nod. “Let us all go together.”
“White Jade Boat, manifest!”
Ye Shanhu tapped the Storage Bag at her waist, drawing forth a crystalline, translucent jade vessel. With a casual flick of her wrist, she tossed it into the air. The jade boat caught the wind and instantly expanded, stretching to roughly thirty to forty feet in length.
The vessel hummed, enveloped in a radiant, treasure-like halo. It was visibly superior to the sect’s public flying boats.
Xu Changshou’s heart seized at the sheer majesty of the artifact, yet his face remained a mask of placid calm.
He knew he came from humble origins. As a newcomer to the immortal gates, he constantly drilled one rule into his own mind: whatever he encountered, he must never show his inexperience, lest he be looked down upon.
“Heavens, a White Jade Boat.”
“Senior Sister Ye’s wealth is truly unfathomable.”
“What a majestic display!”
Gasps and envious murmurs rippled through the group. They all knew she hailed from the prestigious Wanbao Pavilion; to own a personal flying artifact at a mere fourth layer of Qi Condensation… comparing oneself to others only made them envious.
“Board the ship!”
Ye Shanhu bounded lightly onto the deck of the White Jade Boat, and Xu Changshou followed suit with the others.
Lin Xian’er stroked the jade hull enviously. “Senior Sister Ye, how many Spirit Stones does a treasure like this cost?”
Instantly, every pair of eyes on the deck locked onto Ye Shanhu.
They all desperately wished to fathom the price of such exorbitant luxury.
Han Zong sighed, his eyes green with envy. “Senior Sister Ye, just name the price so I can thoroughly crush my own delusions.”
Ye Shanhu offered a modest smile. “It wasn’t overly expensive. A mere five hundred Spirit Stones.”
Lin Xian’er widened her eyes. “Five hundred Spirit Stones? And you call that not expensive?”
Han Zong flashed a bitter, self-deprecating grimace. “Well, consider my delusions officially crushed. I couldn’t scrape together that kind of wealth in a lifetime of hard labor.”
Li Linhao crossed his arms, his tone flat. “As expected of the Ye Clan from the Wanbao Pavilion. Deep pockets.”
…
Xu Changshou swept his gaze across the deck. Apart from Li Linhao, the others looked envious.
Inwardly, Xu Changshou was also deeply envious. Yet, years of suffering brutal beatings under the hands of Landlord Wang’s wife had taught him to hide his true emotions.
She has a flying boat worth five hundred Spirit Stones, and my entire net worth is a single, solitary Spirit Stone.
The wealth gap among Miscellaneous Disciples was wide. But then again, my belly is full of Dog-Tooth Rice, and I am safely tucked within the Green Immortal Sect. What is the use in comparing myself to others?
Processing these thoughts, Xu Changshou forcefully leveled his mind. He was a cowherd from the mud; just standing on this jade deck was a leap past the dragon’s gate. He knew when to be content. Find the original chapter at g.com.
The others, however, lacked his grounded pragmatism. They all dreamed of owning a flying boat.
Jiang Xiaochuan gulped, unable to hide his yearning. “Senior Sister Ye, does an artifact like this use much energy to fly?”
“It is manageable,” Ye Shanhu replied, nodding serenely. “One Fragmented Spirit Stone takes the boat about a hundred li.”
“Good heavens, the consumption is that immense?”
“At that cost, I could neither buy nor afford to use one!”
“Senior Sister Ye’s pockets are truly bottomless.”
The revelation of the boat’s operating costs sent another wave of shock and dismay through the crowd.
Fragmented Spirit Stones were irregular offcuts too small to form complete Spirit Stones.
A hundred fragments could be exchanged for one complete Spirit Stone.
Because Xu Changshou fundamentally lacked the context for what “spiritual consumption” meant, and barely grasped the purchasing power of a Spirit Stone, his face remained entirely devoid of shock.
Noting his utter lack of reaction, Ye Shanhu cast a subtle, appraising glance his way. To her eyes, his calm reaction suggested he was a well-traveled disciple from a great family.
Swoosh-
The White Jade Boat pierced the clouds, its ascent faster and smoother than the sect’s lumbering ferries.
“Senior Sister Ye, looking across our entire Dongyu Cultivation World, who do you reckon stands at the absolute pinnacle?”
“If we are speaking strictly of cultivation bases in the Dongyu cultivation world, our Green Immortal Sect’s Patriarch Xuanyang reigns supreme. He is at the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm.”
“Then Patriarch Xuanyang is undeniably the strongest!”
“It is not so simple. In terms of pure cultivation realm, Patriarch Xuanyang sits at the peak. However, he is an alchemist. He may not be the strongest in combat.”
“Then who is the king of combat? Is it Mo Qianji, the Mo Clan ancestor at Fulong Ridge? Or Master Lu of the Wanchui Sect? What about Long Yangzi and Meilan, the married pair of the Joyous Union Sect? Or perhaps Patriarch Wu Zou of the Wanxian Tower?”
“They each have their strengths,” Ye Shanhu admitted. “I cannot say for certain.”
“Once we reach Nascent Soul, we will know.”
“Do you have any idea how treacherous the Great Dao of the Nascent Soul is?”
“I will reach Nascent Soul one day!”
Atop the deck of the White Jade Boat, the gaggle of young men and women boasted and bickered with the boundless arrogance of youth. They casually threw around terms like “Nascent Soul,” as though their ascension to the patriarchate was preordained destiny.
Xu Changshou was unconvinced. Yet, he listened closely, quietly mapping out the borders of the cultivation world from their idle chatter.
This sprawling, mystical domain was known as the Dongyu Cultivation World.
Five sects of roughly equal strength existed in the region: the Green Immortal Sect, the Mo Clan of Fulong Ridge, the Wanchui Sect, the Joyous Union Sect, and the Wanxian Tower.
Xu Changshou realized that Zhang Zhengyuan had called the Green Immortal Sect the greatest sect only to lure him in and collect the referral reward.