Chapter 1: Favorable for Travel

July 4th, Medium Auspicious, favorable for travel. Reading novels daily to pass the time is good, 🅣🅣🅚🅢. 🅣🅦 anytime you want to read

The Tiankui Sect's final trial: the Zhenhun Bell.

On the training platform, ten youths were enveloped in orange-yellow energy currents, their souls shaken; some clutched their heads and groaned, others bled from all seven orifices, yet only five remained seated in meditation...

"Puff!"

Chen Zhao's mouth turned sweet, and he immediately tumbled off the platform.

"Ranked second in the Zhenhun Bell trial, exceptional mental power."

In midair, three Sect Elders commented.

Alchemists within the Sect are scarce; thus, they devised this additional test to screen for seeds.

"Three Spirit Roots, second in Zhenhun Bell, decent temperament—has the potential to become an Alchemist; may enter Dan Tang..."

"But... this youth is only Qi Refining First Layer, and has just turned eighteen..."

All three sighed.

"He drew in Spirit Qi a year too late—this is precarious."

Below the training platform, Chen Zhao rubbed his chin, his expression grim.

At seventeen, he transmigrated here, assuming the identity of the youngest son of the Yue Prince Mansion, inquired extensively, and finally uncovered traces of the Immortal Path.

Alas, resources in this world are scarce; even a mortal princely mansion held little material, and Chen Zhao long struggled to begin cultivation.

Fortunately, he possessed a golden finger.

It was a divination tube in his mind, arriving with him across the veil.

Its interior was bottomless; the tube's walls bore the four characters "Yuan Heng Li Zhen," and it could manifest ink-wash divination verses invisible to others.

Its functions were:

At midnight each day, it automatically refreshed its divination verse; each day, he could ask about any matter within his capacity: success meant auspicious, failure meant inauspicious.

He could also spend Spirit Stones to interpret the divination, but he had none.

Half a year ago, he rolled a bad luck draw and obtained 【Today's Divination · Medium Auspicious】: favorable for betrothal.

That very day, a Taoist priest came to pay respects, claiming to possess a relic of the Daoist sect.

He spent a fortune to buy it, and within it was hidden a Pulse Clearing Pill.

After consuming it, he finally drew in Spirit Qi at age eighteen.

Having tasted this success, he waited for an auspicious day to seek his Immortal connection.

"Today is Medium Auspicious—does 'favorable for travel' refer to seeking a master?"

Chen Zhao pondered inwardly.

The Tiankui Sect's admission standard: age must not exceed eighteen.

Though he possessed strong mental power, his age was precisely at the cutoff—success or failure remained uncertain.

If possible, he truly did not wish to become a Cultivator.

Cultivation requires "Law, Material, Companion, and Location"; Law, Material, and Location are all monopolized by Sects and Immortal Clans.

Cultivators must either work for Sects and Clans, or study the Six Arts of Cultivation; in either case, the Spirit Stones they earn are mostly spent renting Cave Abodes, whose Spirit Qi concentration is far inferior to that of Sects and Clans.

With no senior to transmit teachings, and no superior cultivation techniques, reaching Qi Refining Late Stage is already difficult—how could they speak of immortality?

Moments later.

A Tiankui Sect disciple hovered in midair, holding a scroll:

"The list of newly admitted disciples is now announced."

"Zhong Meng, Liu Yicheng... one hundred thirty-six in total, as Outer Sect Disciples."

"Zheng Daocai, Liu Chen, Chen Zhao, as Registered Disciples."

Chen Zhao froze.

The divination verse must relate to seeking a master—but what exactly is a Registered Disciple?

On the training platform, only four remained.

"Each of you three has strengths, but still lags behind Outer Sect Disciples—hence, you are retained as Registered Disciples."

Chen Zhao and the other two sat cross-legged, listening as a white-robed senior brother spoke at length:

"Unlike Handymen, you may access Sect resources, including Cave Abodes, cultivation techniques, and Spirit Stones. If you perform well, you may be promoted to Outer Sect Disciple."

Is this really possible?

Rumors say the Tiankui Sect possesses a third-grade Spirit Pulse, capable of supporting Golden Core cultivators—how abundant its Spirit Qi, utterly unmatched by the outside world!

The other two were visibly tempted, but Chen Zhao quickly caught on:

"May I ask, Senior Brother, since we are not Handymen yet can access resources, are there additional requirements?"

Raising a hundred Qi Refiners is less valuable than one Foundation Establishment cultivator; we're even below Outer Sect Disciples—why should we consume these resources?

The white-robed senior brother looked directly at Chen Zhao, somewhat surprised:

"Brother, you're sharp. Correct. Registered Disciples must reach Qi Refining Sixth Layer before age twenty-one; succeed, and you enter the Outer Sect; fail, and you become a Handyman, with no further promotion possible."

"Your batch is small—you should support one another."

He flicked his sleeve, sending three white jade Tokens flying:

"These are Identity Tokens. Tonight, at Hai Shi, use them to visit the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall and select Ren-rank tasks to exchange for Spirit Stones—first come, first served."

With that, the white-robed senior brother summoned a Leaf-shaped Magical Artifact and parted the clouds, leaving Chen Zhao and the other two staring at the Tokens.

The three Tokens were strangely identical:

Ren Zi Yi Mao Cave Abode, monthly stipend of four Low-grade Spirit Stones, eligible to receive Nourishing Technique...

Aside from having a Cave Abode and one extra Spirit Stone, they were no different from Handymen.

Then again, they were only Registered Disciples—their treatment could never match that of Outer Sect Disciples.

Cave abodes cannot be assigned one per person, and the cultivation method can only be practiced up to Qi Refining mid-stage, that is, Qi Refining Eighth Layer.

Chen Zhao glanced at his "roommate"—one unkempt, the other stern-faced—clearly neither was easy to get along with.

Yet he was new to the cultivation world and had to keep an open mind.

He took a deep breath and pulled two ten-year Spirit Spirit Lingzhi from his chest.

"I am Chen Zhao. I wish to befriend the two of you. These are mundane items of little value, merely a token of goodwill."

Though these Spirit Spirit Lingzhi were ten years old, they contained no Spirit Qi and could not be exchanged for Spirit Stones.

"Liu Chen."

Liu Chen nodded and clasped his fists but did not accept them; Zheng Daocai chuckled and slipped the Spirit Spirit Lingzhi into his robe, praising:

"Younger brother Zheng Daocai, four Spirit Roots, seventeen this year, Qi Refining Third Layer. I was once a wandering cultivator. Brother Chen, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

"Brother Chen's Mental Power is so strong, and you have three Spirit Roots—surely you'll become a dragon among men. Not like us..."

"Brother Zheng is still young and your cultivation is already above mine—why sigh?" Chen Zhao was puzzled.

"Cultivators cannot partake of mortal food and drink. Each month we get four Low-grade Spirit Stones, and three are spent just on Spirit Rice—how can we cultivate?"

Zheng Daocai sighed lightly, his voice brimming with envy:

"That's why we must rely on tasks to earn Spirit Stones—but daily Miscellaneous Affairs keep us occupied and neglect cultivation. Brother Chen, though you're only Qi Refining First Layer, you carry three Spirit Roots and cultivate far faster than we do—you have the best chance... By the way, Brother Chen, how old are you...?"

"Eighteen."

Hearing this, Zheng Daocai gave a forced laugh and turned to Liu Chen to start another conversation.

Chen Zhao felt both amused and exasperated.

This man was no doubt a wandering cultivator—he had keen eyes. Earlier he was courteous because he saw Chen Zhao's potential, hoping for future favor—but once he realized that potential was slim, he immediately drew back.

Indeed, with insufficient Spirit Stones, Spirit Qi in the cave abode split among three, and daily Miscellaneous Affairs dragging them down, rising five levels in three years was truly fantasy.

But Chen Zhao had three Spirit Roots and the Divination Tube to avoid misfortune and attract fortune.

His floor was not low.

Under the same resources, a four Spirit Root cultivator would stall at Qi Refining Fourth Layer, while he could advance smoothly to Qi Refining Eighth Layer, preparing to break into the late stage.

If he could secure a task with high pay and little labor, there was still a glimmer of hope to become an Outer Disciple.

"The sun is at its zenith—I'm going to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall now!"

Ignoring Zheng and Liu still chatting, Chen Zhao hurried up the mountain.

But after walking only a hundred meters, he sensed something was off.

The sect's selection had long ended—why was the mountain path growing noisier?

As he pondered, he felt a weight settle on his shoulder.

It was an elder brother.

He wore a gray robe—also a Registered Disciple.

"Younger brother, are you new?"

Seeing Chen Zhao nod, the elder brother grabbed him and pulled him behind himself:

"Don't you know the rules? You must queue for tasks!"