[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult":3,"chapter-don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-72":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Don't Mock the Poor Old Man: Gains a Year of Cultivation Every Day!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2312564,4520,"Chapter 72: Promoted to Elder! Elder Jiang!","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-72",72,"\u003Cp>“The Peak Master wishes to see me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye, seated cross-legged within the Tiankui herb garden cultivating fire qi, slowly opened his eyes and looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the garden, a disciple clad in Tianqing Sect robes stood with respectful expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye rose to his feet, brushed nonexistent dust from his robes, and walked slowly toward the garden entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Zhishi, congratulations on successfully forming your Golden Core!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disciple hurried forward as he approached, face beaming with polite smiles:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The news has reached the Peak Master’s ears, so he specifically sent me to summon you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye smiled faintly, calm and composed: “If the Peak Master calls, then let’s go at once. Please lead the way, young brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since joining the Tianyang Peak of the Tianqing Sect, he had never met this Peak Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had only heard fragments from Lu Ming and Chen Lili.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumor had it this Tianyang Peak Master was an old man with a fiery temper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Older than him, eccentric in conduct, his cultivation base unfathomable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Zhishi, this way, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disciple led the way with respectful demeanor, the two ascending the winding mountain path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the disciple’s guidance, Jiang Ye reached the peak’s summit for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The view opened before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a broad, flat expanse, dozens of zhang across.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its center stood a massive black gold cauldron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cauldron stood three zhang tall, entirely black as ink, yet faint golden patterns glowed within its surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the cauldron, fierce flames burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire surged upward, over a zhang high, warping the surrounding air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even from afar, Jiang Ye felt the searing heat rushing toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat was tangible, crashing against his body in waves, as if to roast him alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air atop the peak was scorching; every breath felt like swallowing fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, his body was protected by Great Sun Heavenly Flame true qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The searing heat striking him felt like a spring breeze—no threat at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could even clearly sense the heat resonating faintly with his internal true qi, causing his Golden Core to stir slightly within his dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the guiding disciple suffered terribly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was only at the Mid-Refining stage, still unstarted in qi cultivation—how could he endure such heat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he looked like he’d been placed in a steamer, face flushed, sweat pouring from his brow, clothes soaked and clinging to his skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“J...Jiang Zhishi...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disciple struggled to speak, voice trembling: “The Peak Master is behind the cauldron. My strength is too low—I can only bring you this far...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed to Jiang Ye, the motion awkward, then turned and nearly rolled down the mountain, as if staying another second would melt him entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye watched his hasty retreat, shook his head slightly, then turned and walked calmly toward the back of the cauldron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closer he drew to the massive black gold cauldron, the fiercer the heat became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sensed the arrangement here was no accident—the temperature distribution was meticulously designed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this cauldron’s setup held meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He circled the cauldron and finally saw the legendary Tianyang Peak Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An emaciated old man with sparse hair, his face deeply wrinkled like bark, sat cross-legged on the ground like a weathered, withered pine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were closed, his breath nearly imperceptible; had his chest not risen and fallen with the faintest motion, Jiang Ye might have thought him a petrified corpse in meditation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, even Jiang Ye couldn’t tell whether the Peak Master was cultivating fire qi—or sleeping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He made no sound, merely stood quietly to the side, gaze fixed on the massive black gold cauldron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to see what secret this cauldron held that made the peak’s heat so unnatural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments passed, second by second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After roughly one incense stick’s time:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah... ha...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man finally opened his eyes, yawning sleepily, looking like a bear just waking from hibernation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed his eyes, then finally noticed Jiang Ye, about to speak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression changed instantly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, two flames erupted in his cloudy old eyes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were not illusions—they were real, flickering, scorching flames, burning within his eye sockets without harming his eyeballs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant Jiang Ye’s gaze met those flames, searing pain shot through his eyes, as if scorched at close range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instinctively shut his eyes, brow furrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he opened them again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames in the old man’s eyes had vanished—but he now stood directly before Jiang Ye, mere inches away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His speed was so swift Jiang Ye hadn’t seen a single movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man stared in disbelief, eyes wide, fixed on Jiang Ye, exclaiming:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You cultivated Great Sun Heavenly Flame true qi?! And you succeeded in forming a Golden Core?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye wiped his stinging eyes, face calm as still water: “Yes, Peak Master. I was fortunate to break through.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fortunate? Impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man chuckled, his smile tinged with excitement and disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head repeatedly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Other qi cultivation methods in the sect might allow lucky Golden Core formation—but this one...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Great Sun Heavenly Flame Qi Cultivation Art can never be mastered by luck!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I trained this method for three years and still failed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one understands better than me how hard it is to cultivate fire qi with this art!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he began circling Jiang Ye, shaking his head and muttering, like an old monkey who’d found treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more he looked, the more he sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re a talent! Too bad you’re a bit old...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, such is the world...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So many prodigies, buried by humble origins...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Ye’s eyelid twitched slightly, barely holding back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many years had it been since someone called him “you kid”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he knew the old man was older, hearing those three words from him still filled Jiang Ye with intense dissonance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, almost forgot to tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man seemed to remember something, stopped circling, and laughed heartily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m Luo Song!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sized up Jiang Ye, eyes full of admiration:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Funny—I’ve heard your name more than once from Yueyao’s mouth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t expect to meet you today—you’re even stronger than I imagined.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then suddenly slapped his thigh:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’d joined the Tianqing Sect fifty years ago, you’d be the Tianyang Peak Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no—I misspoke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’d be the Tianqing Sect’s Sect Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Jiang Ye was slightly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected the old man’s evaluation to be so high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just because he cultivated the Great Sun Heavenly Flame Qi Cultivation Art?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it, no need to depress you with such talk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man patted Jiang Ye’s shoulder, sighing: “Fate governs all—no one escapes it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Xiao Jiang, let me speak plainly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly shifted tone, face growing serious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since you’ve formed your Golden Core, I’ll promote you to Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell me—what would you like to oversee on Tianyang Peak? I’ll do my best to arrange it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Jiang Ye’s eyes brightened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he’d expected, reaching the Golden Core realm meant becoming mid-to-high tier within the sect—status would rise significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d once heard Lu Ming and Chen Lili discuss the perks of sect Elders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the monthly contribution points alone amount to six thousand, not to mention the expensive elixirs granted each month as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the authority at hand, it is astonishingly vast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Jiang Ye had no interest in power; he cared only about strengthening his own cultivation base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s thought, he said, “Master Luo, I’ve grown quite accustomed to staying in the herb garden...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man raised an eyebrow:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you wish to remain in the herb garden?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly burst into laughter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perfect—Qin Lie has come to me several times already, begging to be moved elsewhere; he nearly drove me mad!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clapped Jiang Ye on the shoulder and declared decisively:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then from today onward, you shall replace Qin Lie as the Elder of the Herb Garden!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1339,"2026-06-20T12:57:27.461Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4a9e077bc99ee66bbd09755e90af178c540632c76b44ac151217a989945f95f0","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-73","don-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-chapter-71",268,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdon-t-mock-the-poor-old-man-gains-a-year-of-cult-cover.jpg"]