Chapter 12

The next day, the sun had not yet risen, Qingyun had already notified the disciples in the herb garden in the menial area to get up. Hongle was the steward of the herb garden, while the daily management of the menial disciples was handled by Qingyun.

As for this fellow sect member Qing Yun, Wei Yuning tries to avoid him whenever he can. The strange smell on Qing Yun always gives him a feeling of unease. He has been in this world for not a short time, and he has become familiar with various smells. Now he can not only distinguish ordinary spiritual energy from heaven-and-earth spiritual energy, but even distinguish some special kinds of spiritual energy, such as the difference between metal-element spiritual energy and wood-element spiritual energy.

Whether it's the fresh fragrance of plants and trees, the wild vigor of birds and beasts, the pure resonance of Foundation Establishment or higher cultivators, or the mundane aura of menial disciples, all belong to a pleasant or at least not unpleasant aura. Wei Yuning, who comes from Earth, according to his own understanding, compares them to positive energy, while the aura on Qing Yun clearly does not belong to this category.

"Huh, Yuning, have you reached Foundation Establishment?" As the head of the menial disciples in the herb garden, Qing Yun still has a general understanding of each disciple's situation. Upon seeing Wei Yuning's dramatically changed appearance, he immediately noticed the problem.

One's cultivation is hard for outsiders to discern, unless someone more than two major realms above personally makes contact and investigates. Wei Yuning's body suddenly turned pure white like jade, especially compared to his roommate Man Niu, gaining an added refined aura, quite bearing the demeanor of a Foundation Establishment disciple.

"No, no, Elder Qing Yun, I've just finished constructing my contemplation object!" Wei Yuning dares to joke with others of the Qing generation, but with Elder Qing Yun, who always maintains a stern, cold expression, he remains properly behaved.

"Oh, it seems your wood-element spiritual root is quite good, though staying in the herb garden is a bit of a waste; you'd actually be better suited for the alchemy chamber. If you're interested, I can recommend you." Qing Yun said.

"Elder Qing Yun, I'm fine in the herb garden; please don't tell the elders, I'm currently short on money, and in the herb garden I can still catch bugs, hehe!" Wei Yuning tried to make his simple smile a bit more sincere.

"Hmm, that's true; there aren't many new disciples who can make money like you. Okay, I understand!" Seeing Wei Yuning refuse him, Qing Yun regained his stern expression and turned away.

"Elder Qing Yun has outstanding talent; he's already at the peak of Foundation Establishment before thirty. If not for his background, he would have been an inner sect disciple long ago." Seeing Qing Yun walk away, Man Niu sighed.

"What's wrong with his background?" As for this person Qing Yun, Wei Yuning has always kept his distance, so he has never gossiped about him.

He was a foundling picked up at the mountain gate; his origins and parents are unknown. According to our sect's rules, we do not accept people of unknown origin. As long as one's background can be verified, even if they are disciples from other sects, provided they have suitable aptitude and sincerely join our sect, the sect will not look at them askance. For such people of unclear background, the rules say they should not be taken into the sect. However, because Elder Qing Yun has an excellent spiritual root, and the disciple who originally picked him up adopted him as a foster son and stood as guarantor for him, Elder Qing Yun was eventually able to join the sect. The year before last, the sect elder who had picked him up actually entered the Integration Stage, and Qing Yun's status rose accordingly; despite various obstacles, he ultimately became a low‑level overseer of the herb garden's menial disciples. Looking at this trend, relying on Elder Qing Yun's talent, he might yet become an important elder of the sect. Man Niu wore an expression of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

No wonder, people of unknown origin see their cultivation rise steadily, while this guy of his with a clean background is stuck in place.

Speaking of which, Wei Yuning also counts as someone of unknown origin. However, he should be better off than Qing Yun, at least Hong Zhi knows his background; although his origin isn't 'great,' his background is at least clear, and this is probably also why Hong Zhi agreed to let Wei Yuning join the sect.

After the two of them tidied up and washed up, they began another busy day.

Wei Yuning and Man Niu today have to serve as attendants for the marriage alliance conference, this is a sect task that also counts toward sect points, which can be exchanged for spirit stones, elixirs, or the chance to view cultivation manuals, etc.

However, sect tasks cannot be shirked, and daily chores cannot be neglected. For the herb garden's disciples, plowing, weeding, and catching bugs can be delayed, but irrigating the spiritual herbs is indispensable each day.

The water‑drawing point is a small pier on the lakeside within the valley, because the lake water is gathered from spiritual springs, and there are several small islands for cultivation practice in the lake's center, all of which require payment to access.

The small pier where herb‑garden disciples fetch water each day also extends into the lake; although the spiritual energy there is not as strong as at the lake's center, it is still a cultivation treasure spot, and the key is that it's free. Therefore, during the morning water‑drawing hours when the pier is open, herb‑garden disciples, after their labor, usually spend a while cultivating by the pier, which also counts as one of their benefits.

Don't underestimate this half‑hour's effort; its actual effect can at least match half a low‑grade spirit stone, while the menial disciples' monthly spirit‑stipend is only a few low‑grade spirit stones.

Among those who cultivate each day, Man Niu's figure is always present. In the thick spiritual energy, it's easier for the mind to enter an ethereal state, which both nourishes the body so it can meld more readily with spiritual energy and increases the success rate of realm comprehension; especially the latter point, which is particularly important for Man Niu at present.

Last night, if Wei Yuning hadn't explained, Man Niu would have thought Wei Yuning had already entered the Foundation Establishment stage. The body's first full purification is indeed one of the signs of Foundation Establishment, but Wei Yuning truly hasn't achieved body‑spirit unity, which is also a fact; nevertheless, Man Niu's anxiety worsened.

After waking up in the morning, Wei Yuning noticed his differences: not only were all his bodily qualities greatly enhanced, but the spiritual power he previously felt lacking had become limitless. His contemplation object did not, as mentioned in the spell books, shrink into his body; instead it became an independent entity—a golden ancient pine over thirty meters tall, closely following behind him, but because its branches and leaves are overly petite, the pine is more like a golden rod thick enough to encircle with one's arms and over thirty meters long. If one also counts the roots, equally over thirty meters long, the contemplation object resembles a large broom. However, this contemplation object seems to have its own mind and will not fully obey the master's commands.

By the time it was past seven in the morning, Wei Yuning and Man Niu returned to the dormitory, put on the sect-standard blue-white long robe, and went to Guest Arrival Peak to work as a menial servant.