Chapter 34 – Motivated to Cultivate

  Jun De paced around his courtyard, completely oblivious to the bright, yellow sunlight spilling onto the ground through the white, drifting clouds or the gentle rustling of leaves stirred by the mountain breeze.

  His face showed a clear expression of frustration as his thoughts looped over the same impossible question.

  ‘How can I reach Foundation Establishment within a month.’

  It couldn’t be done. Not really.

  Cultivators spent years making their way through the Qi condensation levels, and even then, most never even came close to Foundation Establishment.

  If he needed a reminder, Jun De only needed to look at Elder Shen and the other Outer Sect Elders. They had all spent their entire lives trying to reach Foundation Establishment, but none had succeeded.

  “I have to try. I’m not spending any more time in some hellhole just because the Sect thinks it will be good for me.” Jun De stated. His mind was made up, and there was nothing anyone could possibly do to convince him otherwise.

  “What if I reach the 7th Level of Qi Condensation and qualify for the Inner Sect before the deadline? Maybe they won’t force me to go into the Tower of Tempered Will if I prove that I’m perfectly fine without it.” Jun De mused.

  Better yet, maybe the Inner Sect had a way for him to reach Foundation Establishment, thereby sparing him from the Tower.

  Jun De came to a halt near his favourite chair and opened his storage bag to take a look inside. With a wave of his hand, he spilled its contents across a table that also held his tea set.

  There was a full bottle of Qi Gathering Pills, a handful of tarnished trinkets and items he had found in the Inheritance Site and hadn’t brought to the Nine-Treasure Pagoda for assessment, and the six spirit stones he had picked up from a discarded storage bag.

  Tucking everything else but the pills and the spirit stones back into his bag, Jun De picked up the bottle and a single stone and sat back in his chair to observe them closely.

  Jun De stared at the spirit stone, turning it over in his palm. The spiritual energy inside was faintly visible, swirling around the crystal like a whisp of white mist.

  “These can be used to enhance my cultivation speed, but it isn’t the most efficient way. Elder Shen told me that using them in a spiritual array is a good use for them, but I don’t have an array pattern to use them on.” Jun De said before letting out a sigh.

  “And six stones probably aren’t enough.”

  He placed the stones back in his bag and opened the bottle of pills instead. The strong smell of medicine and herbs filled the courtyard, and Jun De could feel his Qi stir in response.

  “Pills work faster. Why don’t people use more of them? Is it because they are so expensive?” Jun De asked softly. He had the Contribution Points to spend, and he could probably purchase a lot of pills.

  Snapping his fingers, Jun De’s eyes lit up.

  “The Nine-Treasure Pagoda. They sell everything I’ll need, and, with the right ones, I might just have a chance at reaching Foundation Establishment.” Jun De said excitedly as he re-packed his storage bag and leapt to his feet.

  He plucked the War Flag of Dominion from the ground and placed it in his bag as well, stepped out of his courtyard, and set off toward the Nine-Treasure Pagoda.

  Jun De stepped into the Nine-Treasure Pagoda and was immediately greeted by a flurry of motion and noise. The first level was packed with Disciples, their voices overlapping with each other as they bartered, traded and browsed the shelves.

  The scent of rare herbs mingled with incense smoke, and the light from floating lanterns illuminated the rows of gleaming shelves and counters where grey-robed servant Disciples served while being watched over by blue-robed Elders.

  There was an air of excitement throughout the large room as many people were exchanging items they had found within the Inheritance Site while others were purchasing things with Points earned through the new combat-focused tasks.

  Jun De noticed several Outer Sect Disciples were sporting bandaged limbs or had bloodstains on their robes. There was also a clear demand for healing pills and restorative herbs, with long lines forming in front of counters dedicated to those items.

  He made his way to one of the less crowded stalls and approached the counter, where a young servant disciple greeted him with a polite bow.

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  Jun De laid out the tarnished bracelet, the rusty sword, and some of the other things he had found in the Inheritance Site. He kept the spirit stones and the flag, along with his remaining pills.

  The servant disciple inspected each item quickly.

  “Altogether, these will earn you 2,300 contribution points, Senior Brother Jun.”

  Jun De nodded and handed over his token to receive the points before making his request.

  “I need pills to accelerate cultivation, along with any that can assist with breaking through.”

  “Certainly. The most commonly used by Qi Condensation cultivators are the Qi Gathering pills, which help draw Qi into the Dantian faster. If you are preparing to break through or have reached a bottleneck in your cultivation, I would also recommend the Barrier Breaking Pill. They are especially effective for the bottlenecks most cultivators experience at the 5th, 7th and 9th Levels of Qi Condensation.” The Servant disciple explained, placing a bottle of each on the counter for Jun De to inspect.

  Jun De narrowed his eyes slightly as he picked up each bottle and opened them to inspect the pills within. He rolled the Barrier Breaking Pills on his palm, although he wasn’t really sure what he was looking at.

  They smelled strongly of medicine, and he assumed they were effective.

  “I’ll take as many as I can purchase with my remaining points.” Jun De said, handing over his token once again.

  The Servant Disciple blinked in surprise, his smiling composure slipping for a moment at the request.

  “Of course, Senior Brother Jun. With your remaining points, that would be enough for a dozen bottles of each type of pill.” The servant Disciple hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should speak.

  “Forgive me for asking, Senior Brother Jun, but are you planning to enter secluded cultivation and use all of these yourself, or will you be giving them away?”

  “I’ll be using them all.” Jun De replied.

  The Servant Disciple’s frown deepened, and Jun De grew confused by the reaction.

  ‘What is the big deal about buying some pills?’ Jun De thought.

  “Please wait a moment, Senior Brother. I must ask the Elder to confirm your purchase.” The Servant Disciple stated, bowing his head slightly as he did so.

  Without waiting for a reply, the Servant Disciple turned and hurried off toward the back of the hall. A few moments later, an elder emerged. She wore blue robes with white trim and was the same older woman who had helped Jun De on his previous visit.

  She stepped up to the counter, her eyes moving to the bottles of pills, then to Jun De’s Sect token, which was still resting on the countertop.

  “Disciple Jun, I see you are still taking your cultivation seriously.” She said, her voice calm and steady.

  Jun De offered her a bow, clasping his hands together as he did so.

  “Yes, Elder. I am aiming for a breakthrough and wish to enter secluded cultivation for a month.”

  The Elder looked at him for a long moment, then slowly reached out and turned one of the bottles with her fingertip.

  “It is not rare for someone to push their limits, especially for one who has recently earned a reward from the Inheritance Site. I understand your desire to reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible, with having a Foundation Establishment Pill waiting for you.” The Elder said softly, her voice not carrying beyond the counter.

  Jun De didn’t respond immediately.

  ‘I do want to reach Foundation Establishment, but not because of the Foundation Establishment Pill I was given. I just don’t want to enter the Tower!’ Jun De thought.

  “A breakthrough pursued too quickly can lead to instability or worse.” The Elder added.

  “I know the risks, Elder. My Qi is stable.” Jun De said simply. He had broken through in the Inheritance Site, and his Qi wasn’t showing any sign of instability.

  The Elder studied him for a heartbeat longer.

  “I see, but the path of cultivation is long, and there is no need to rush into ruin. The use of pills to speed cultivation can lead to the accumulation of toxins and impurities. There are diminishing returns to using pills, and too many will affect your future cultivation.” The Elder explained.

  “I will authorize these two bottles, but no more. With your talent, pills will be a detriment rather than an aid.” The Elder decided, pushing the two bottles toward Jun De and subtracting the required Contribution Points from his Sect Token.

  “Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me, Elder.” Jun De said as he collected the two bottles of pills and his Sect Token.

  He could see that there was no use in arguing with the Elder and that he was lucky she even let him take the two bottles he had.

  Jun De was just about to turn to leave and try to think of an alternative way to escape the Tower of Tempered Will when the Elder spoke once more.

  “Disciple Jun, If you truly wish to make progress quickly without compromising your foundation, there are other methods within the Sect. The Tower of Tempered Will is one, but I can see that you are not willing to wait a month for it to open.” The Elder explained, wrongly assuming that Jun De was eager to enter the Tower because he was committed to cultivating.

  The Elder reached into her sleeve and drew out a small, wooden token etched with the symbol of the Nine-Treasure Pagoda.

  This token will grant you access to the Ninefold Refinement Array located beneath the Nine-Treasure Pagoda. Its operation is costly, but you have enough Contribution Points to use it for several weeks if you are willing.”

  “The Ninefold Refinement Array?” Jun De asked, tilting his head slightly.

  It sounded similar to a spiritual energy gathering array that Elder Shen told him about, like the one that surrounded the Outer Sect to draw in ambient spiritual energy.

  “It is a natural formation reinforced by arrays. The Qi there is dense and turbulent. It forces your body and meridians to adapt under pressure and is very effective in the Qi Condensation Realm for tempering your body and assisting with cultivation.”

  “Is it dangerous?” Jun De asked, and the Elder smiled gently while she shook her head.

  Again, she wrongly assumed Jun De was looking for something dangerous in order to temper himself and that he wouldn’t be interested in a simple array formation.

  “No, but that does not mean it will not be a benefit to you.” The Elder replied as she placed the token in his hand.

  Jun De looked down at the token, then back at the Elder.

  “Thank you, Elder, I’ll make the most of it.” Jun De said, comforted by the fact that the Elder clearly said it wouldn’t be dangerous.

  ‘It most likely involves just sitting in a formation array and cultivating. I can do that for a week or two.’ Jun De thought to himself as he moved to the stairway and began descending beneath the Pagoda where the Ninefold Refinement Array was located.