For a while, this Brother Li Zhen didn't know if he should laugh or cry. Ultimately, he chose to count his blessings. His initial plans to use the refinement scroll were abruptly thwarted before they could take hold, but his newfound brother's entrepreneurial spirit helped him find a solution.

Moving on, he focused on his current situation. According to the memories he had absorbed, the Abyssal Harmony Sect was a first-class sect, and their disciple ranks reflected this status.

There were four types of disciples that Li Zhen knew. True Disciple, Inner Disciple, Outer Disciple, and Nominal Disciple.

All Nominal Disciples were in the Qi Condensation Realm, while all Foundation Establishment cultivators were Outer Disciples.

Then there were those with Quasi Ranks. It was one of the weird rules that he didn't understand at all.

A Quasi Disciple referred to individuals who had reached the final stage of their current realm, earning titles such as Quasi Outer Disciple or Quasi Inner Disciple. These cultivators enjoyed the significant perk of a grace period—ranging from a few months to several years—free from missions and decreased responsibilities and jobs, allowing them to focus solely on their advancement.

The previous Li Zhen had gambled everything to attain the status of a Quasi Outer Disciple, hoping to deflect the greedy eyes of the Inner Disciples.

With a six-month grace period granted, he aimed to smoothly transition into the Foundation Establishment stage, solidifying his place within the Outer Sect area.

Now he was in the second realm, trying to advance to the ninth realm. Although his brother from the Qi Gathering Cave was good to him, he felt confident about his prospects of reaching the eighth realm effortlessly. The ninth realm, however, loomed as a formidable challenge.

Sage’s Daily Scroll of Heavenly, Earthly, and Mortal Insights.

Target: 23:01:49

With his abilities reset and the countdown ticking away, his focus sharpened to a single, urgent goal: reaching the ninth realm as swiftly as possible. He was prepared to go to any lengths, even if it meant burning through money and having debts. Hopefully, he could easily repay them back.

Placing all the objects back to their places, he settled into his meditation stance, he couldn't help but smirk. It was time for his numbers to go brr.

— — — — — — — —

Two days had already passed since he woke up in this world, and there was nothing much to do other than drink the tea here or cultivate. If he had booked it for ten days, it would be best to use it to the fullest. Not that his weak self would survive much in the outside world.

While there were other considerations to make, the power coursing through his body was like drinking the finest delicacies he had tasted back home, and he was hooked on getting more of it. No wonder those cultivators become murderhobos to gain more of these feelings.

He had only increased his realm by two levels in the past day. The speed of his cultivation had slowed down, and by his calculation, he could easily cover his major goal of attaining Ninth Realm.

Sage’s Daily Scroll of Heavenly, Earthly, and Mortal Insights.

Target: None

Now he could use the golden words again as the counter has reached zero. With a limit of time on his ability, he would have to prioritze his usage. For the time being, he had decided not to use the refinement scroll as he couldn't risk his cultivation falling. So he focused on the blue glowing circle in the center of the cave.

Starlight Convergence Qi Gathering Formations

Created by the Sect Master of the Abyssal Harmony Sect, it is a meticulously designed Qi Gathering Formation tailored for cultivators in the Qi Condensation realm, particularly those who utilize the Hundred Stars Refinement or starlight qi. It als—

Formation Blueprint

* Central Star Point: At the heart of the formation lies a crystal imb—

* Celestial Nodes: Surrounding the Central Star Point are twelve Nodes, each repre—

* Astral Veins: Connecting the Celestial Nodes are Ast—

Optimum Activation: The cultivator must stand at the Central Star Point and circulate their qi in harmony with the rhythm of the stars.

Damages: Due to the abnormal flow of nightshade poison qi three days ago, the formation efficiency is reduced by 5 percent.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Weakness: Severing Astral Lines in Section 3A and Damaging the 4th Celesti—

Looking at the details, his heart started beating faster and faster. The complete blueprint for the formation, with its activation methods and weaknesses, lay before him. He felt as though he had robbed the Abyssal Harmony Sect as he meticulously tried to memorize the formation.

From his past experience, he knew that he only had one chance before the golden words disintegrated. His future suddenly seemed bright; if he could get these details easily, wouldn't he be a money-making machine?

But then he returned to reality. Anything worth making money should be protected, meaning if he started flaunting exclusive goods, it would be a problem. For common goods, it was just a method to get things in a different way. Suddenly, the ability didn't seem so great.

He took a deep breath and refocused. The blueprint of the starlight Convergence Formation was intricate, its potential immense. However, its real value lay not in selling the knowledge but in using it to bolster his own cultivation.

After he completed reading, he closed his eyes as the golden words disintegrated. He savored the information he had gained and began to revise it in his mind. Only a quarter of the knowledge was comprehensible; the rest had coalesced into flowery language that he couldn't understand. Nonetheless, it was still valuable. He knew he would have more chances to learn and decipher it later on.

Despite the partial understanding, the core principles and activation methods were clear. And also the damages.

His eyes narrowed as he contemplated the situation. Three days ago was when the previous Li Zhen had started cultivating inside the Qi Gathering Cave. Three days earlier was when he had died. He would be an idiot if he couldn't understand that someone had tried to kill him using the formation.

Someone had tampered with the starlight Convergence Formation, causing it to malfunction, and sent the nightshade poison qi. That person had intended to harm, or even kill, the previous Li Zhen. Though he wasn't entirely sure what nightshade poison qi was, he knew it must be deadly enough to be a significant threat.

Why would anyone go to such lengths? Was this just a one-time attack, or would more attempts be made? If they targeted him once, they might try again. The fear of unknown enemies gnawed at him, but he analyzed the situation logically.

His mind raced as he considered the implications. Why? Was it jealousy, rivalry, or something deeper?

The previous Li Zhen had been a decent person within the Abyssal Harmony Sect, and there was only one person who had a clear motive to kill him.

Was it for the supposed treasure that helped previous Li Zhen advance?

But that shouldn't be possible. Even though the inner disciple had his suspicions, that didn't mean he had to kill him. The inner disciple who targeted him didn't work in the Qi Gathering Caves of the Nominal Sect Area. What if the elders or disciples from the Qi Gathering Caves got their hands on it?

He stopped his thoughts from spiraling. Either way, the answers were unclear, but one thing was certain: he had enemies within the Abyssal Harmony Sect. Enemies who wanted to kill him.

His fingers tightened, hardening his resolve. He couldn't afford to be careless. The sect was now a den of potential threats. He needed to be vigilant, to watch his back at all times.

He looked around the cave, the familiar blue glow of the formation now tinged with a sense of danger. The cave was now a reminder of the peril he faced. From a money pit to also becoming a poison pit. His life seems to be going downhill pretty fast— Truly, ignorance was bliss.

But he wouldn't be deterred. If anything, this revelation only fueled his desire to grow stronger, to uncover the truth, and to protect himself from those who wished him harm. Even if he was raised to be non-violent, it doesn't mean he was going for his death waiting. He realized that the cultivation might also have affected his mind and not only his body.

Only strength mattered.

After putting the whole matter to the back of his mind, he returned to his latest find. Some good news might be enough to help him stabilize.

The starlight Convergence Qi Gathering Formation was quite confusing for him to understand. Despite his partial understanding, it was evident that this formation was high grade. And it was another thing given by the Sect Master.

From Li Zhen's memory, the Sect Master was a woman, who had been recuperating from grievous injuries sustained sixty years ago when the Abyssal Harmony Sect rose to the status of a first rate sect. After seeing the two products of the Sect Master, she seemed particularly powerful as the Sect continued to hold its first rate position without her direct intervention.

He shook his head, refocusing his thoughts. He had a few days to unravel the formation.

Now, he wanted to break through to the fifth realm of Qi Condensation. For a moment, he considered the possibility of being poisoned again, but the perpetrators should have already acted if they had the chance. He was playing with his life here if the poison qi was present again. Hopefully, he could observe any changes.

Zhen took a deep breath and steadied his breathing with the rhythm, qi flowing into his meridians. This influx of energy created a subtle sensation of expan—

And a new light flashed before he was fully immersed. This time, he was not at all surprised. Even though it was the third time he had witnessed something materialize out of thin air, an event that would have turned his previous world upside down, it had become a staple of his current reality.

He chuckled inwardly at the thought. Who was he kidding? It was totally cool to watch, every single time. The only regret gnawing at him was his lack of understanding of the phenomenon. Maybe in the future…

Brother Li Zhen

Due to your impressive consumption, the Qi percentage in your Cave will be increased to support your Qi Condensation Realm breakthrough.

Total Dues: 375 Qi Condensation Spirit Stones

Nominal Area Qi Gathering Cave

Senior Brother Feng Ling

Looking at the new letter, this Brother Li Zhen's eyebrow twitched. He felt like a pig being fattened. His future earned Qi Condensation Spirit Stones seemed to evaporate before he even put his eyes on them.

Shaking from the brief interruption, he started deepening his breadth and returned to refinement.