The wooden token felt warm in his palm. On one side, the words "Outer Sect" were carved; on the other was his new name.

  Gensheng tucked the token away and offered a bow to Elder Wan on the platform—neither subservient nor arrogant. The registration disciple’s face turned ashen with envy, but with Elder Wan still present, he didn't dare vent his frustration.

  "Follow me."

  The disciple led Gensheng down a different path. This road was paved with smooth bluestone and lined with maple trees. As the autumn wind brushed past, the red leaves fell like droplets of blood—a world apart from the muddy, filth-ridden trails of the Laborer Courtyard.

  "Don't think that entering the Outer Sect means you’ve touched the heavens," the leading disciple finally couldn't help but sneer, his voice dripping with bitterness.

  "A Five-Element Waste like you... three low-grade spirit stones a month isn't even enough to fill the cracks between your teeth. Outer disciples have monthly assessments and annual sect competitions. Those at the bottom are sent back to the laborers or expelled entirely. When that time comes, that face of yours won't buy you a single pill."

  Gensheng listened but offered no reply. Seeing that the youth was unmoved by his taunts, the disciple grew bored. He led him to a row of courtyards built against the mountainside and pointed casually.

  "Unit A-19. This is your residence."

  He tossed a cloth bundle from his storage bag. "Inside are two sets of Outer Sect robes, an identity jade slip, and a copy of the Qi Induction Manual. That is your monthly stipend. On the first of every month, go to the Deacon Hall to collect your pay. There is a Hall of Propagation on the west side where Elders lecture every seven days. Go if you like, though you probably won't understand a word of it."

  With that, the disciple turned and left, as if staying a moment longer would bring him bad luck.

  Gensheng pushed open the wooden door of Unit A-19.

  It was a small courtyard with a few untended weeds in the corner. Inside was a bed, a table, and a chair—simple, yet cleaner and more organized than any cave or shack he had ever inhabited.

  He closed the door and placed the bundle on the table.

  Beneath his broad sleeves, four smaller hands slithered out silently. One hand unwrapped the bundle; another picked up the thin Qi Induction Manual, flipping through it idly. The remaining two hands swept over the table and the bed frame, checking for hidden marks or surveillance seals.

  The Qi Induction Manual. The most basic, bottom-shelf technique in Maple Red Valley. A few thousand words, painfully crude. It spoke only of sensing heaven and earth's spiritual energy and drawing a sliver of it into the Dantian to refine.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  In his mind, Lu Zhaozhao’s crisp voice seemed to echo. For sixty years in the dream, she had explained to him the meaning of the Dao, the nature of Law, and the structure of the Heavens. From "Qi Induction" to "Foundation Establishment," and even the profound mysteries of the "Golden Core," everything was etched into his brain.

  To him, this manual was like a child’s crayon scribbles to an adult. Ridiculous.

  He tossed the book onto the table. This Maple Red Valley is truly impoverished.

  Footsteps sounded outside, followed by a knock on the door.

  "Is Junior Brother in?"

  Gensheng retracted his four extra hands and opened the door. Standing there was a square-faced young man. Upon seeing Gensheng, he froze for a second before plastering a warm, enthusiastic smile on his face.

  "Junior Brother truly is a man of striking talent! No wonder Elder Wan made an exception for you. I am Wu Yong, living next door in Unit A-18. We are neighbors now."

  "I saw you just arrived and figured you wouldn't be familiar with the Outer Sect yet, so I came to show you the ropes."

  Gensheng stepped aside. "Please, Senior Brother, come in."

  "No, no," Wu Yong waved his hand, though his eyes kept darting toward the interior of the room. "I just came to get acquainted. If there are tasks in the future, we brothers can look out for each other."

  His tone shifted suddenly. "By the way, Junior Brother, have you heard about the bounty in the Deacon Hall? Something about an 'Insect Demon' or some evil spirit. The reward is terrifyingly high."

  Wu Yong lowered his voice, acting mysterious. "I have a lead—I can get a map showing the general area where that monster was active in the Laborer Courtyard. If we team up, we can split the reward. Seven for you, three for me. What do you say?"

  Gensheng calculated the odds, but his face showed only hesitation and fear. "To be honest, my cultivation is only at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. If I go, I wouldn't be helping you... I'd be serving myself up as a snack for that demon."

  Wu Yong’s smile stiffened. He clearly hadn't expected the newcomer to be this cowardly.

  "Junior Brother, why belittle yourself?" He stepped forward and slapped Gensheng’s shoulder with significant force. "With the two of us together, even if that monster has three heads and six arms, we can cut it down! Besides, wealth is sought in danger. There is no path to immortality without risk."

  Gensheng continued to shake his head, looking terrified. "No, no. I want to live a few more years. This Outer Sect status was hard-won."

  Seeing that Gensheng was unmoved, Wu Yong’s bravado vanished. He let out a long sigh and slumped down onto a stone stool in the courtyard, clutching his head in a display of deep misery.

  "I am not like you, Junior Brother. You are handsome and caught Elder Wan’s eye—you touched the sky in one step. But me? I don't have your looks. I’ve suffered in the Outer Sect for five years to barely reach the sixth level of Qi Condensation."

  "My home is in the northern border of Linglan—a godforsaken place where mortals live worse than dogs. To scrape together the travel money to send me here, my parents sold their last three acres of land. When I left, my five-year-old sister didn't even have a padded coat for winter."

  "I thought that by entering an Immortal Sect, I could bring glory to my ancestors and support them. But it’s been five years! The few spirit stones I save every month aren't even enough for my own pills. How could I have anything left to send home?"

  Wu Yong actually managed to squeeze out two tears. He stood up and grabbed Gensheng’s arm—hard.

  "Junior Brother, I know you are afraid, but this once, consider it helping me! I don't need you to charge in front. Just stay in the back and support me! When we get the reward, I’ll give you three hundred! I only need two hundred!"

  Gensheng kept his head down, looking at the hand gripping his arm.

  This story is riddled with holes.

  If he were truly this filial and righteous, why would he lust after spirit stones? An ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator is already a "deity" in the mortal world. Why not return to the secular world to enjoy power and wealth?