Chapter 173 – Excursion

  Jun De devoted the next few months after the Entrance Ceremony entirely to cultivation, studying the techniques within the jade slips, and refining pills.

  Each morning, he would settle into his favourite chair in his courtyard or sit cross-legged in his cultivation chamber and arrange the jade slips neatly in front of him. He would cycle through each one depending on how he was feeling that day.

  At first, the contents continued to feel impossibly complex and out of reach, their diagrams and words lost within dense layers of meaning. But day by day, Jun De chipped away at the mysteries with the same dedication he had taken to his University studies on Earth.

  He may not have been talented when it came to comprehension, but he was tenacious, and eventually they began to fit him with an almost natural ease.

  The cultivation method in particular was especially suited to him. Each cultivation session left him enveloped in a soft, gentle warmth that felt like having spent the day resting in the sun. The spiritual energy cycled through his meridians and filled his Dantian as though it were meant to be there.

  Jun De’s Qi became increasingly refined, circulating in smooth, powerful waves through his crystalline foundation. Even when he stopped, the warmth would linger with him for the entire day.

  But studying and practice weren’t the only things Jun De did. Between all his other duties, he would often travel to the Inner Sect’s branch of the Nine-Treasure Pagoda. Unlike the version in the Outer Sect, this one had items and resources suitable for the late stages of Qi Condensation all the way up to Core Formation.

  The Inner Sect’s Nine Treasure Pagoda stood at the heart of the Inner Sect, a towering structure built from stone and jade, with spiritual energy running along its surface like veins as its protective barrier shimmered around it.

  Inside, each level stored different categories of rare materials, such as ores that were gathered from around the continent, preserved herbs that floated in sealed containers, and items with strong elemental essences and even fragments of spiritual artifacts as old as the Sect itself.

  Only Inner Sect Disciples or Elders could enter, and each visit required contribution points or merit tokens. Or, in Jun De’s case, spirit stones.

  Jun De made several trips there to gather medicinal herbs, spirit beast components, and other items that could be used in Pill refining, or to deepen the purity and strength of his Dawnheart Flame.

  Occasionally, Jun De would find small, flame-nurturing treasures that he would buy and feed to the Dawnheart Flame. It would eagerly consume them and grow fiercer in temperature and richer in colour.

  While Jun De was training and studying for the upcoming Inner Sect Ranking Competition, Lin Yue was tending to her small herb garden in her courtyard.

  Satisfied that the plants were growing well, she stretched her arms above her head before looking around to see if there were any other chores she had neglected. Seeing nothing, she paused as she considered what she should do next.

  The last few months had been oddly exhausting. She had been training with Mei Lian to further her martial techniques, diligently cultivating and refining pills whenever she had any free time. She knew that she would eventually transition to the Inner Sect, and she wanted to be as strong as possible for when that time came.

  “I deserve a break.” Lin Yue announced suddenly. Not hesitating, she walked out of her small courtyard and onto the path that ringed all the residences in the Outer Sect.

  She spotted Mei Lian almost immediately, as the young woman was practicing with her sword in her neighbouring courtyard. Lin Yue could see that her expression was as focused as always, but there were faint shadows under her eyes that betrayed her fatigue.

  “Sister Mei!” Lin Yue called out softly while walking through the open gate to her friend’s courtyard.

  Mei Lian, not surprised at all to see her, lowered her sword slowly and looked over at her friend.

  “Mm? Did you need something?”

  Lin Yue walked over and lowered her voice conspiratorially, as though proposing something mischievous.

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  “Let’s go to Tranquil City today.”

  Mei Lian’s eyes opened wider in surprise at the statement.

  “Tranquil City, now? But I have morning training and I-”

  “No, today we rest! We’ve been working nonstop, and if we push any harder, we’ll both collapse.” Lin Yue cut in while shaking her head with unusual firmness.

  “It’s been ages since we left the Sect! We can shop, look around the markets, and maybe try that pastry shop that everyone keeps talking about.”

  Mei Lian hesitated, and her finger tapped the hilt of her sword as she considered Lin Yue’s request.

  “I suppose a short break wouldn’t hurt.”

  Lin Yue lit up instantly.

  “Exactly! The Sect won’t fall apart because two Outer Sect Disciples decided to enjoy themselves for one day.” Lin Yue clasped Mei Lian’s hand, and her enthusiasm was contagious. Mei Lian found herself matching her energy, and a smile appeared on her own face.

  The pair headed to Tranquil City, which was bustling with activity that was normal for the middle of summer. The air was thick with the smell of street food, herbal incense, and dust from the robe. Lin Yue adjusted the sash of her robe before glancing at Mei Lian beside her and smiling brightly.

  “Come on, Sister Mei. We’ve finally escaped the Sect for a day, let’s enjoy it properly.”

  The two young women immediately drew attention the moment they stepped into the busy street. They were both stunningly beautiful, with above-average cultivations for their age. When matched with Lin Yue’s joyful expression, all made them stand out in a crowd.

  Whispers followed them wherever they went, filled with admiration, curiosity, and occasionally envy. But whenever an enterprising young man thought to approach them, he was turned away by Mei Lian’s cold expression that froze them in place.

  Mei Lian’s cultivation was still in the 4th Level of Qi Condensation, while Lin Yue was on the verge of breaking through to the 6th, which only made them more striking in the eyes of the townspeople.

  They passed stalls filled with shimmering trinkets, talismans, and spiritual herbs until Lin Yue stopped at a vendor displaying delicate bracelets, rings, and hairpins carved from jade and inlaid with metal.

  “Look at these!” Lin Yue exclaimed as she picked up a silver bracelet and matched the hairpin Jun De had given her years before. She held it up toward Mei Lian to show her.

  “Do you have any spirit stones with you?” Lin Yue asked shamelessly. Mei Lian started in surprise by suddenly being asked for money, before she looked through the storage bag at her waist.

  “Only a handful.” Mei Lian admitted sheepishly, flushing slightly red in shame at being so poor.

  Lin Yue frowned and shook her head.

  “That won’t be enough.”

  Before Mei Lian could respond, Lin Yue grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the stall.

  “Come on, this way.”

  They stopped at a neat, well-kept pill shop just a few streets away, one with lacquered shelves and a strong medicinal fragrance that drifted through the open doorway. The shopkeeper looked up as soon as Lin Yue entered, and his expression brightened.

  “Welcome, honoured customer. Ah, Young Miss! Welcome back!”

  Lin Yue smiled and nodded to the shopkeeper as she brought Mei Lian inside.

  “Hello again. I have a few Qi Gathering Pills to sell. Would you be interested?” Lin Yue asked as she removed several pill bottles from her storage bag and placed them on the counter.

  The owner carefully examined the bottles, opening each and inhaling the strong smell that escaped. He placed them onto his palm and rolled them around with his finger. Now that they were closer, Mei Lian could sense that the shopkeeper was in the 6th Level of Qi Condensation.

  “Exquisite refinement, as usual, Young Miss Lin. I can give you a generous price.” He waved his hand, and the storage ring on his finger lit up slightly as hundreds of spirit stones piled onto the countertop.

  Mei Lian’s eyes widened.

  “So much for just a few pills?” She whispered. Lin Yue placed them in her storage bag and bowed to the shopkeeper before taking Mei Lian’s hand once again and pulling her out of the store.

  “Pill refining can be profitable, but it is also extremely expensive to learn. Most of my earnings go right back into buying more herbs.”

  As the two women stepped out of the pill shop, Lin Yue suddenly slowed to a halt in the middle of the street.

  Mei Lian, noticing that she walked a few steps ahead of her friend, stopped as well and turned to look at her.

  “Sister Lin, what is it?”

  Lin Yue’s eyes were fixed on a spot down a side street where a large crowd had gathered in front of a shop. The front of the building was packed with rough, unpolished stones that were stacked in crates and piles.

  Excited voices rose and fell as cultivators argued loudly, while others cheered or gasped in disbelief. The air practically buzzed with tension and anticipation at whatever was happening.

  At the center of the common, a man slammed a stone against a metal block to split it open. For a heartbeat, the crowd was silent, then it erupted as a faint green glow spilled out from within.

  “What are they doing?” Lin Yue asked Mei Lian while still refusing to look away. Mei Lian looked over at the crowd for a moment before she snorted derisively.

  “Stone-appraisal gambling.”

  Lin Yue turned to her eagerly.

  “You know what this is?!”

  “Yes.” Mei Lian replied reluctantly. Seeing that Lin Yue wouldn’t be dissuaded, she hesitantly provided more information.

  “It’s actually common in Nan Ao City. They call it ‘Stone Opening’. People buy raw, unprocessed stones that contain Spiritual Energy that may contain treasures. Some hold rare minerals, or even sealed ores or herbs. Most are nothing but worthless rock that absorbed some ambient Qi.”

  Lin Yue tried to stretch taller, even to the point of standing on the tips of her toes, to see over the crowd more clearly.

  “So you’re gambling on what might be inside.”

  “Exactly. Some people make a fortune with a single stone, but most people lose everything in an afternoon. My father warned me to never play, since it can be very addictive.”

  A cheer from the crowd punctuated her words as another gambler cracked open a stone only to reveal dull grey dust.

  Lin Yue’s eyes sparkled with intrigue.

  “That sounds exciting! Let’s try it!”