Xing Yi was frightened at the cultivator’s abrupt arrival but quickly calmed down and made his way outside to meet him. Giving the cultivator his greetings, he noticed the man’s features.
He wore silk white robes. He had waist-length raven black hair that was delicately tied up into a ponytail by a black metallic ornament with gold lining on its edges. His eyes were a bright green and he exuded an aura of tranquility. There was a brief pause as the cultivator seemed to smirk and inspect the child before him.
“It has been over a year since we last met, Xing Yi. How have you been?” Mo Zhi asked, stroking his chin.
Xing Yi answered cordially, “I have been well, Senior. Even with my meagre talent, I have been trying my best in other ways. And for referring to me to your Uncle Master’s great, great niece, I am in your debt.”
“It is great to hear that you have adjusted well to the sect…”
Mo Zhi’s mind wandered as he seemed to ponder his next words. Xing Yi noticed this but didn’t dare mention it. After a few moments, Mo Zhi perked up and asked, “Xing Yi, have you heard about the competition that is happening in three months time?”
“No, Senior, I haven’t,” Xing Yi answered with honesty, having no prior knowledge of this at all.
Mo Zhi explained, “I shall enlighten you then. There is a competition happening in three months time. It is something that occurs every five years and serves to lift the strong up and crush the weak. The strongest disciples will be gifted with treasures of their choosing, further boosting their development. Whereas, those at the bottom will be forced to stop their training and occupy a working position in the sect.
That will inevitably be the end of their cultivation journey as far as the Bloody Path Sect is concerned. In any case, it is of utmost importance to everyone in the sect. And finally, the final phase of the competition will actually be witnessed by everyone in the sect, barring the sect patriarch.”
Mo Zhi gave a sigh before he finally got to the heart of the matter, “And the reason why I am here right now is to tell you that you won’t be participating. Li Guoji has made a special exemption so that you don’t have to participate in the competition and can save him some face. I have come here specifically to tell you that.”
Xing Yi knew most of this already. He was a trifling 1st layer external cultivator. He was nothing compared to the actual cultivators. If he were to attempt to participate, it would be a one-sided beatdown even if he versed the weakest disciple in the entire sect.
“Do you understand?” Mo Zhi asked for Xing Yi’s affirmation while making eye contact with him.
Xing Yi gave a nod of affirmation and replied, “Yes, Senior. I understand. I will not participate in the competition.”
Mo Zhi smiled and patted Xing Yi on the shoulder, “Well then, thank you for your cooperation. I will take my leave now.”
Xing Yi saluted Mo Zhi as the latter summoned up his flying sword and jumped on with the lightest tap of his feet. He gracefully landed and flew off into the sky, soon becoming a distant dot that disappeared over the distant mountains and into the horizon.
He was so weak that he had to be excluded from the competition.
I’m pathetic.
Xing Yi hung his head low as he walked back inside his house and pondered what to do next. Noticing his smober attitude, he forcefully took his mind off of the matter and brought it to others. Walking inside his room, he noticed the jade slip laying on top of the knee-height wooden table at the side of the room.
Beside it were other books and scrolls that he had been reading up late at night previously. To the right was an elevated straw bed that he had been sleeping on. And to his front, was a wide window that let in many bright rays of light. Through it was a beautiful view of the valley.
Grabbing the jade slip, he quietly sat down on the wooden flooring and brought it to his forehead. It was time to see what this earthly pill refining technique was. He began actively circulating his inner qi and after a few moments, it had caught up to full speed and was rushing through his meridians like a tidal wave. Unlike heavenly cultivators, he couldn’t easily bring his qi out of his body.
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The most he could do as of this moment was circulate his inner qi at maximum potential and hope a connection was made between him and the jade slip. After a few seconds of his maximum output, he was snapped out of reality and felt a collection of millions of words smash into his mind realm.
This sudden entrance into his mind realm for the first time, combined with the vast amount of information that had been let in, caused Xing Yi to have an intense headache that instantly knocked him out.
His body slumped to the floor but after a few moments, he awoke drowsy. As he sat up, he held his head in defence against the sharp pain that was digging straight into his brain. He took half an hour to recover for the pain to go away and to mentally prepare himself for another dive. He did not expect to knock himself out on his first attempt. This was most likely due to the fact that his soul was too weak.
Both heavenly and earthly cultivation featured a similar increase in soul strength, but regardless, he was still only at the first layer and that meant his soul was only slightly stronger than a mortal’s. He couldn’t overestimate himself in this way.
It was only after getting his body and mind back in tune using his breath, that he went back in. Yet again, he was smashed with a tide of information. But this time he wasn’t knocked out and was only left with a slight headache. He grew accustomed to being within this information over the course of several minutes until he finally began sorting through it all to organise it into the correct order.
It was a strange process, but it was like solving a puzzle. One that would take him a few days. For now, he tried to find the beginning and end as those were the easiest ones to find. For the rest of the day, Xing Yi mentally sorted through this information in his mind temple. By the end, he had the first six chapters and the last one sorted in the correct order.
There were twenty-six chapters in total, so he had at least a few days of time ahead of him dedicated solely to sorting through this jade slip. After this, his mind felt sluggish and tired and so he had a long, rejuvenating night of sleep.
The next day, he left his home and travelled through the teleportation formation to the Main Hall of the Bloody Path Sect. It was where all the official matters of the sect were settled. As Xing Yi was blinked through to the other teleportation pavilion, he was brought directly in front of what Xing Yi could only think of to be a royal palace.
It was a grand wooden building situated in the middle of a large fortress. Behind, to the side, and in front of him were tall, mighty walls of stone that surrounded the hall.
The palace itself was elevated above the rest of the stone-paved courtyard and had seven sets of stairs leading up to it. The roof was a shiny green, built out of only pure jade tiles. Bright red tall pillars supported the building, golden dragons depicted spiralling up them. Xing Yi stared up at the magnificent palace in awe as he walked towards it. After a brief walk, he made his way inside the hall.
That’s when he remembered. This is where he went when he first entered the sect. Would that rude old man still be at the desk? He hoped not. He glanced to his left and right and saw a few cultivators of the sect quietly waiting in silent meditation.
Xing Yi made his way over to the desk and saw that the person at it was actually a petite lady with a beautiful appearance. Xing Yi didn’t dare underestimate her due to her meek appearance and walked over with a respectful attitude.
“Greetings, what is senior immortal’s purpose here today?” The lady greeted.
It seemed she was a mortal servant that didn’t know about him. This was fortunate.
“I want to take out a loan,” Xing Yi replied.
The lady smiled, “How big is the loan?”
Xing Yi answered, “One-hundred spirit stones.”