Chapter 51: Startled by Favor

"Yes, the proprietor of that shop is well‑known throughout the market and usually sells more than just magical implements."

Someone came to his door asking him to sell the demon‑luring powder at a high price; he thought it improper and declined.

Coincidentally, Ye Lin went to the shop that day, received a few compliments and was then seized and taken away in a large bundle," Sang Zhenren said, still in an unhurried manner.

"Do you know who it is? This must be a trap."

"Besides, trading demon‑luring herbs and medicines does not violate sect regulations," Elder Ye always wants to defend his own child.

Sang Zhenren nodded, "Hmm, but with the incident at Er Mountain we must investigate the whole chain of events.

And Ye Lin inevitably has to be punished with ten years of mining."

Elder Ye pondered for a moment, "Sang junior sister, I intend to take Ye Lin under my wing and personally teach him; he has fire‑earth dual spirit roots, a promising seed for forging artifacts.

Once the assessment results are out, I will select Jiang Yu to enter Red Dragon Valley as a named disciple, and personally resolve the misunderstanding between them.

Some friction among senior brothers and sisters of the same sect is indeed normal."

"Jiang Yu is one of the candidates for the Library Tower, and entering the inner gate also means cultivating at the Fragrant Furnace Peak where the Library Tower stands.

Senior Brother Ye, everything proceeds according to the rules," Sang Zhenren merely stated the facts, then served tea and saw the guests off.

Elder Ye already knew she couldn't be reasoned with here; after taking leave, he inevitably had to bring a solemn gift and seek out De Zhang Zhenren and Tan Zhenren to discuss a few matters.

At a prime time for cultivation, a ten‑year mining punishment would ruin Ye Lin.

Jiang Yu naturally was unaware of these details; three days later, she received a notice to exchange her identity jade badge.

From then on she became an inner‑gate disciple; monthly tasks would drop from two to one, the allotment would also increase, making it worth gathering three or five friends to celebrate.

At noon, at her old residence on the charmingly spring‑filled Fuqu Peak, Jiang Yu hosted a hot‑pot feast with meat rolls and fish balls, clearing a corner heap of sparse vegetables completely.

"Ah, Jiang Yu, now that's a true immortal—fine wine, fine food, and the two beauties, me and Senior Sister Gu, sharing the banquet.

Not like my residence in Ping Valley; that place hasn't the tranquility of Shan Shui Valley yet," Lu Ruochan complained about being assigned a dwelling in Ping Valley.

"Some senior sisters there perhaps feel they have no hope of establishing a foundation, so they look to marry a higher‑level cultivator.

That's understandable, but some actually agree to become concubines, and no one knows what kind of immortal they're cultivating.

Fortunately, I finally entered the inner gate, so I can move to Thousand Bamboo Valley and ride on Lu Chenxia's big household."

"That's incorrect; Junior Sister Lu also entered the inner gate on her own merit.

And the other Junior Sister Lu, after she emerges from the sect, we'll probably have to start calling her 'Senior Uncle.'

"Establishing a foundation at nineteen would merit calling one a prodigy cultivator," Gu Bingwen thought enviously; she entered the Way late, and this year she is already twenty.

Lu Ruochan has always been proud of Lu Chenxia, "Chenxia is among the most outstanding in the clan; had she not been poisoned in childhood, she would have pledged to the mountain gate earlier and established a foundation several years sooner.

And Senior Sister Gu and Jiang Yu are also formidable; you all are lucky ones who barged from the mortal world into the cultivation realm."

"Being able to reach the later stages of the Qi‑refining phase while still young is already excellent.

Senior Sister Gu, you broke through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement in this Er Mountain duel, and will soon be able to establish a foundation.

"We all strive to establish a foundation before twenty‑five," Jiang Yu says this because foundation building is rather metaphysical.

Some succeed even at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, but others remain in the Great Perfection stage and, after taking several foundation pills, still fail.

She raised her cup and said, "Come, drink this cup, may the immortal path be long and enduring."

"Hahaha, good, cheers!" The three raised their cups and drank, chatting about cultivation and trials, a rare moment of leisure.

After a long while, the guests left the banquet, and everyone moved from their dwellings to new peaks and valleys.

Just as Jiang Yu settled on a side peak of Fragrant Furnace Peak, she received a message from Lu Ruochan.

"Hey, Jiang Yu, do you know where Senior Sister Gu went?"

"The Inner Affairs Hall, she mentioned it while eating lunch."

"No, no, no, the Inner Affairs Hall is not the same; she is a disciple attendant on Tai A Peak.

Senior Sister Gu is the hidden big boss," Lu Ruochan flipped the thousand‑mile messenger jade, which only inner‑gate disciples receive, and conversed with Jiang Yu across the distance.

But there are things she only dares to write, not speak aloud: the location of the Grand Void Hall is not open to just anyone. It is said only the trusted aides of the Nascent Soul Elders can serve there.

She skimmed those lines and couldn't help but smile, "What a wonderful thing; we should curry favor with her so she can become our backing."

"When the mountain you rely on collapses, and the people run, only your own strength matters.

Senior Sister Gu's swordsmanship is excellent; I just didn't expect someone beside me to become the caretaker of the Grand Void Hall.

"Jiang Yu, I must go cultivate; I can't hold Lu Chenxia back," Lu Ruochan said before hanging up.

The little turtle Jiang Tu stared at the messenger jade, "She

Actually, that Senior Sister Gu is deeply hidden, but we don't know which one's family connections are involved.

"Which one has nothing to do with us," Jiang Yu also hadn't expected that everyone around her had connections.

Even Senior Sister Gu, who rose from the mortal realm through arduous cultivation, has backing within the sect.

It should be known that throughout history, the disciples who guarded the Grand Void Hall were the ears and eyes of the Nascent Soul Elders.

If one truly thinks the Nascent Soul Elders who handle nothing care about nothing, they are mistaken; they ostensibly delegate authority for alchemy, but use foundation and Qi Refinement as supervision.

"Let's go, we'll deliver the Eclipse Moon Tiger medicinal bath; we can't just do this one task, take on a few more to make up for the missed closed‑sect practice.

After that, I can finally return home." This had been planned long ago.

But Jiang Tu advised her, "You'd better bring more foundation pills with you.

At least five, lest when you try to establish a foundation abroad, the talisman scripts absorb your pure spirit energy and the medicine's power is insufficient.

If you have extra you can sell; not enough would be a big trouble.

Your merit points, after you used them to repay me with a top‑grade spirit stone, are there enough to exchange for a few foundation pills?

"Merit points, after having applied for foundation pills, still number several thousand. However, after reaching the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, one may apply for a foundation pill only once every three years, and an inner‑gate disciple may receive at most two at a time. Except for alchemy masters and elders who have special allowances, others cannot obtain more regardless of how many merit points they have," Jiang Yu had successfully applied yesterday.

However, the elixirs are scheduled only for next spring, so they can be received then.

"Besides the alchemists and elders having exceptions, others cannot get more no matter how many merit points they have." Jiang Yu already successfully applied yesterday.

However, the medicinal pills have already been scheduled until next spring, only then can they be received.

And during her cultivation these past two days, the Chaos Primordial Symbol Scripture of the Upper Dantian Palace eagerly absorbs the dantian spiritual power she has refined, truly giving her a headache.

But this guy stays inside and won't come out, and there's no way to directly consume spirit stones.

「I'll keep over two thousand merit points, and exchange the remaining three thousand for medium-grade spirit stones to keep on hand. 」

"With sufficient spirit stones, it's better than taking pills, right？」Generally speaking, from the ninth level of Qi Refining to Great Perfection, and then attempting Foundation Establishment, one needs at least two or three years.

Coincidentally, the exam to enter the inner sect is the final test for the Qi Refining stage given by the Library Pavilion; next time it will be after Foundation Establishment.

Jiang Yu also made preparations in advance, because she wasn't sure how long she would be away before she could return.

But plans often change faster than expected; she miscalculated the sect's series of arrangements.

After using over a month to hurriedly finish the six-month task, first Master Hu sent a message telling her to come see him tomorrow.

Then an uncle-master from the Hall of Law Enforcement came to her door, saying Master Sang wishes to see her.

When Master Sang saw her, he began: 「Jiang Yu, last time Ye Lin deliberately plotted to harm you; yesterday he was already sentenced to five years of labor in the mine.

「This matter can be considered settled; from now on, do not create conflicts with fellow sect members. 」

「I will obey the elder's teachings. 」 You, a Golden Core Elder, wouldn't just be informing me of this, would you? Jiang Yu felt honored and startled.